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1,648 | Bortolami predicts dour contest
Italy skipper Marco Bortolami believes Saturday's Six Nations contest against Scotland will be a scrappy encounter.
With both sides looking for their first win of the championship, the third-round game at Murrayfield has been billed as a wooden-spoon decider. And Bortolami feels the Edinburgh contest could end up being a bruising battle of the packs. "It will not be a pretty game because both teams are desperate to gain their first win," said the lock forward. Italy have only recorded three wins since they joined the Six Nations in 2000, but two of those have come against Scotland. This year, Italy opened up with a stubborn display against Ireland but ended up losing 28-17.
However, they were thoroughly outplayed by an impressive Welsh side in Rome last time out. Now the Italians travel to Edinburgh hoping to claim their first away win in the Six Nations. "Scotland played extremely well against France in Paris but not so well when Ireland came to Edinburgh," said Bortolami. "We are still very disappointed with our last game against Wales in Rome and we are thoroughly determined to right the wrongs. "As a nation, our quest is to be respected as a team worthy of a place in this tournament and we can only do this by winning games."
| Now the Italians travel to Edinburgh hoping to claim their first away win in the Six Nations.Italy have only recorded three wins since they joined the Six Nations in 2000, but two of those have come against Scotland.Italy skipper Marco Bortolami believes Saturday's Six Nations contest against Scotland will be a scrappy encounter."It will not be a pretty game because both teams are desperate to gain their first win," said the lock forward.With both sides looking for their first win of the championship, the third-round game at Murrayfield has been billed as a wooden-spoon decider. |
106 | Golden rule 'intact' says ex-aide
Chancellor Gordon Brown will meet his golden economic rule "with a margin to spare", according to his former chief economic adviser.
Formerly one of Mr Brown's closest Treasury aides, Ed Balls hinted at a Budget giveaway on 16 March. He said he hoped more would be done to build on current tax credit rules. Any rate rise ahead of an expected May election would not affect the Labour Party's chances of winning, he added. Last July, Mr Balls won the right to step down from his Treasury position and run for parliament, defending the Labour stronghold of Normanton in West Yorkshire.
Mr Balls rejected the allegation that Mr Brown had been sidelined in the election campaign, saying he was playing a "different" role to the one he played in the last two elections. He rejected speculation that Mr Brown was considering becoming Foreign Secretary, saying his recent travels had been linked to efforts to boost international development. Gordon Brown's decision to announce the date of the Budget while on a trip to China was a "sensible thing to do", since he was talking about skills and investment at the time, Mr Balls told the BBC. Commenting on speculation of an interest rate rise, he said it was not within the remit of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to factor a potential election into its rate decisions. Expectations of a rate rise have gathered pace after figures showed that house prices are still rising. Consumer borrowing rose at a near-record pace in January. "I don't believe it would be a big election issue in Britain or a problem for Labour," Mr Balls said. Prime Minister Tony Blair has yet to name the date of the election, but most pundits are betting on 5 May as the likely day.
| Mr Balls rejected the allegation that Mr Brown had been sidelined in the election campaign, saying he was playing a "different" role to the one he played in the last two elections."I don't believe it would be a big election issue in Britain or a problem for Labour," Mr Balls said.Any rate rise ahead of an expected May election would not affect the Labour Party's chances of winning, he added.Commenting on speculation of an interest rate rise, he said it was not within the remit of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) to factor a potential election into its rate decisions.Gordon Brown's decision to announce the date of the Budget while on a trip to China was a "sensible thing to do", since he was talking about skills and investment at the time, Mr Balls told the BBC.Formerly one of Mr Brown's closest Treasury aides, Ed Balls hinted at a Budget giveaway on 16 March. |
2,058 | Mobile multimedia slow to catch on
There is no doubt that mobile phones sporting cameras and colour screens are hugely popular. Consumers swapping old phones for slinkier, dinkier versions are thought to be responsible for a 26% increase in the number of phones sold during the third quarter of 2004, according to analysts Gartner More than 167 million handsets were sold between July and September 2004, a period that, according to Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi is "seldom strong". But although consumers have mobiles that can take and send snaps, sounds and video clips few, so far, are taking the chance to do so.
In fact, the numbers of people not taking and sending pictures, audio and video is growing. Figures gathered by Continental Research shows that 36% of British camera phone users have never sent a multimedia message (MMS), up from 7% in 2003. This is despite the fact that, during the same period, the numbers of camera phones in the UK more than doubled to 7.5 million. Getting mobile phone users to send multimedia messages is really important for operators keen to squeeze more cash out of their customers and offset the cost of subsidising the handsets people are buying. The problem they face, said Shailendra Jain, head of MMS firm Adamind, is educating people in how to send the multimedia messages using their funky handsets.
"Also," he said, "they have to simplify the interface so its not rocket science in terms of someone understanding it." Research bears out the suspicion that people are not sending multimedia messages because they do not know how to. According to Continental Research, 29% of the people it questioned said they were technophobes that tended to shy away from innovation. Only 11% regarded themselves as technically savvy enough to send a picture or video message. The fact that multimedia services are not interoperable across networks and phones only adds to people's reluctance to start sending them, said Mr Jain. "They ask themselves: 'If I'm streaming video from one handset to another will it work?'" he said. "There's a lot of user apprehension about that."
There are other deeper technical reasons why multimedia messages are not being pushed as strongly as they might. Andrew Bud, executive chairman of messaging firm Mblox, said mobile phone operators cap the number of messages that can be circulating at any one time for fear of overwhelming the system. "The rate we can send MMS into the mobile network is fairly constant," he said. The reason for this is that there are finite capacities for data traffic on the second generation networks that currently have the most users.
No-one wants to take the risk of swamping these relatively narrow channels so the number of MMS messages is capped, said Mr Bud. This has led to operators finding other technologies, particularly one known as Wap-push, to get multimedia to their customers. But when networks do find a good way to get multimedia to their customers, the results can be dramatic. Israeli technology firm Celltick has found a way to broadcast data across phone networks in a way that does not overwhelm existing bandwidth. One of the first firms to use the Celltick service is Hutch India, the largest mobile firm in the country. The broadcast system gets multimedia to customers via a rolling menu far faster than would be possible with other systems. While not multimedia messaging, such a system gets people used to seeing their phones as a device that can handle all different types of content. As a result 40% of the subscribers to the Hutch Alive, which uses Celltick's broadcast technology, regularly click for more pictures, sounds and images from the operator. "Operators really need to start utilising this tool to reach their customers," said Yaron Toren, spokesman for Celltick. Until then, multimedia will be a message that is not getting through.
| Getting mobile phone users to send multimedia messages is really important for operators keen to squeeze more cash out of their customers and offset the cost of subsidising the handsets people are buying.The problem they face, said Shailendra Jain, head of MMS firm Adamind, is educating people in how to send the multimedia messages using their funky handsets.Andrew Bud, executive chairman of messaging firm Mblox, said mobile phone operators cap the number of messages that can be circulating at any one time for fear of overwhelming the system.The fact that multimedia services are not interoperable across networks and phones only adds to people's reluctance to start sending them, said Mr Jain.Figures gathered by Continental Research shows that 36% of British camera phone users have never sent a multimedia message (MMS), up from 7% in 2003.Until then, multimedia will be a message that is not getting through.Research bears out the suspicion that people are not sending multimedia messages because they do not know how to."The rate we can send MMS into the mobile network is fairly constant," he said.While not multimedia messaging, such a system gets people used to seeing their phones as a device that can handle all different types of content.he said.But when networks do find a good way to get multimedia to their customers, the results can be dramatic.No-one wants to take the risk of swamping these relatively narrow channels so the number of MMS messages is capped, said Mr Bud. |
692 | Top stars join US tsunami TV show
Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro and Hugh Grant have been added to the line-up for a two-hour US TV special to raise money for victims of the Asian tsunami.
Andy Garcia, Lucy Liu, Natalie Portman and Jay Leno are also among the new names for Saturday's Tsunami Aid. They will join A-list singers Madonna, Sir Elton John, Nelly and Usher plus actors Kevin Spacey, Halle Berry and George Clooney on the NBC broadcast. Viewers will be urged to phone in to make donations throughout the night. Norah Jones, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Maroon 5, Mary J Blige and Eric Clapton will give musical performances on the show described as "A Concert of Hope".
Catherine Zeta Jones, Michael Douglas, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman, Matt Damon, Drew Barrymore and Tim Robbins are among the other movie superstars due to put in an appearance. George Clooney recently reacted angrily to a TV host's suggestion that not all funds raised would go towards tsunami relief. Fox TV's Bill O'Reilly said he would be "watching to see if the money gets to the tsunami victims" and warned the celebrities taking part "had better be involved all the way down the line". But Clooney accused O'Reilly of creating a fuss for his own personal gain, saying viewers may now be "afraid that their money will do no good".
He urged O'Reilly to co-present the TV special, adding in a letter: "We're not playing games here, we're trying to save lives. It's as simple as this - you're either with this joint effort or against it." Organisers say all funds will go to the American Red Cross. The commercial-free benefit show will also be aired by a string of cable broadcasters and Clear Channel's radio stations across the US. In addition, performances will be available to buy on the internet as downloads from Sony's Connect music store. A similar TV benefit carried by all four primary US TV networks after the 11 September terror attacks raised more than $150m (£80m).
- The Bangkok International Film Festival got under way on Thursday in the Thai capital in the shadow of the country's 5,300 deaths from the tsunami. The red carpet gala opening night was ditched in favour of a more subdued first night. Six different films were shown at six cinemas, with all money from ticket sales going to charity.
| George Clooney recently reacted angrily to a TV host's suggestion that not all funds raised would go towards tsunami relief.Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro and Hugh Grant have been added to the line-up for a two-hour US TV special to raise money for victims of the Asian tsunami.A similar TV benefit carried by all four primary US TV networks after the 11 September terror attacks raised more than $150m (£80m).Fox TV's Bill O'Reilly said he would be "watching to see if the money gets to the tsunami victims" and warned the celebrities taking part "had better be involved all the way down the line".He urged O'Reilly to co-present the TV special, adding in a letter: "We're not playing games here, we're trying to save lives.But Clooney accused O'Reilly of creating a fuss for his own personal gain, saying viewers may now be "afraid that their money will do no good".Andy Garcia, Lucy Liu, Natalie Portman and Jay Leno are also among the new names for Saturday's Tsunami Aid.- The Bangkok International Film Festival got under way on Thursday in the Thai capital in the shadow of the country's 5,300 deaths from the tsunami. |
2,029 | UK broadband gets speed injection
Broadband's rapid rise continues apace as speeds gear up a notch.
An eight megabit service has been launched by internet service provider UK Online. It is 16 times faster than the average broadband package on the market and will pave the way for services such as video-on-demand and broadband TV. The service is possible due to a new regime which allows other operators to use BT's exchanges and will initially only be available in towns.
It represents a "big leap forward" for broadband, said Chris Stening, UK Online general manager.
The service comes with a hefty £39.99 monthly price tag but will mean users can download MP3s in seconds and offers TV-quality video streaming. The service includes WiFi as standard, meaning users can connect multiple PCs, laptops and game consoles from any room in the house. Not everybody will be able to take advantage of the service, as it will be restricted to metropolitan areas. The service will initially be available to users within 2km radius of 230 telephone exchanges in areas such as London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cambridge. That represents about 4.4 million households. The service is possible due to a decision to loosen BT's strangle-hold on telephone exchanges.
The process, known as local loop unbundling, was put in motion by the now defunct telecoms watchdog Oftel but has only proved popular in recent months due to falling costs. UK Online is looking at the possibility of bundling services such as cheap net telephone calls, video-on-demand and TV by 2005 if the service proves popular. "The service is twice as fast as any other service on offer in the UK and 16 times faster than most broadband services," said Mr Stening. "It takes a big leap for broadband and we are very excited about it," he said. Countries such as South Korea and France have found the advantage of upping the speeds of broadband. In South Korea, video-on-demand over the net is cheaper than renting a DVD and online gaming is huge. Mr Stening believes the service will appeal to people in multi-occupancy buildings as well as easing family arguments. "A typical family with two adults and two children is currently sharing a 512 kilobit service. This will basically give them 2 megabits each," he said.
| "The service is twice as fast as any other service on offer in the UK and 16 times faster than most broadband services," said Mr Stening.An eight megabit service has been launched by internet service provider UK Online.UK Online is looking at the possibility of bundling services such as cheap net telephone calls, video-on-demand and TV by 2005 if the service proves popular.It is 16 times faster than the average broadband package on the market and will pave the way for services such as video-on-demand and broadband TV.It represents a "big leap forward" for broadband, said Chris Stening, UK Online general manager.The service is possible due to a decision to loosen BT's strangle-hold on telephone exchanges.The service is possible due to a new regime which allows other operators to use BT's exchanges and will initially only be available in towns.Not everybody will be able to take advantage of the service, as it will be restricted to metropolitan areas. |
1,249 | Analysis: No pain, no gain?
He called it his "masochism strategy" in the run-up to the Iraq war and now Tony Blair has signed up for another dose of pain.
The idea is simple - the prime minister goes head to head with an often hostile group of "real" voters in the full spotlight of the television cameras. The theory is that talking to the great British public, even if they are the "great unwashed", is better than having the media filter what voters hear from politicians. It is also the most effective way of showing that he is aware of real people's concerns and - on occasions - of their outright fury. Mr Blair used the tactic before the Iraq war to try to show he really was engaging with public concerns and you can expect to see it much more in the run-up to the election.
Labour knows it has been damaged by accusations of spin, "control freakery" and over-slick presentation - sometimes from within the ranks of its own MPs. Tony Blair himself has said people complain he does not listen. Mr Blair's latest bout of flagellation came with a series of questions sessions on Five television throughout Wednesday.
The trouble began on the Wright Stuff show, with Maria Hutchings marching up to him, saying "Tony, that's rubbish" as she tried to complain about her autistic son's school being threatened with closure. A few "don't worries" as Mrs Hutchings was led back to the audience averted a public slanging match - he spoke to her privately after the show. But that was only the start and later sessions produced the type of grilling not even the toughest television interviewer could produce.
Writer Neil Coppendale, from West Sussex, asked of the Iraq war: "Tens of thousands of innocent men, women and children died - how do you manage to sleep at night?" On immigration, London teacher Diane Granger said: "Where are you going to put everyone?" And can you imagine even Jeremy Paxman putting the question posed by Brighton nurse Marion Brown: "Would you wipe somebody's backside for £5?"
Mr Blair tried to use the questioners' first names - and sometimes threw them off their stride by asking what they would do about the problems. Many of the newspapers have branded the exercise a PR stunt which backfired. Indeed there is a danger Mr Blair simply ends up looking "embattled". Conservative Michael Howard and Liberal Democrat Charles Kennedy are to be offered chances to appear in similar slots on the channel next month. Labour strategists believe more of the sessions will mean the hecklers no longer become a story and the real issues take prominence.
James Humphreys, ex-head of corporate communications at Number 10, says the strategy shows frustration with the media. "They feel they don't get their voice across and going direct to people is clearly their game on this occasion," he says. There are risks but the prize is tackling the trend of lower turnouts at the polls, he argues. The prime minister knows full well the potential hazards .
He must remember with gritted teeth his confrontation with Sharron Storer, the Birmingham woman who harangued him over the state of her local hospital in the 2001 election campaign. "All you do is walk around and make yourself known, you don't do anything to help anybody," she told Mr Blair before stomping off, refusing his pleas to discuss the issue privately. Former Downing Street media chief Alastair Campbell has described the episode as a "bit of a disaster" as it meant the launch of Labour's election manifesto received little coverage. But it was seen as one of the few moments when that election campaign came alive, not least because it coincided with John Prescott's even more direct contact - when he punched an egg-throwing protester.
Former prime ministers too have come to grief at the hands of a persistent member of the public. The undoubted highlight of years of election phone-in shows was Margaret Thatcher discomfort on Nationwide in 1983, when viewer Diana Gould put her on the spot about the sinking of the Belgrano in the Falklands War. John Major reaped the benefits of street campaigning during the 1992 election campaign with his famous soapbox.
It may have left him splattered with eggs and engine oil at times but he felt it added "fizz" to his campaign. In his memoirs, he also argues the strategy contrasted with Neil Kinnock's "contrived photo opportunities" and attempts at an artful campaign. "He wanted to look like a prime minister. I
was
prime minister and I wanted a flesh and blood fight," says Mr Major. Mr Blair told prospective Labour MPs on Thursday that taking part in phone-ins and public meetings could "enthuse and engage and give the public a sense of empowerment". But he also wants to counter complaints that he has spent too much time on international affairs and foreign trips. Mr Blair recalls how Bill Clinton once advised him: "Always remember that what people see of you in the news in the evening is how they think you spend your day." His hope must be that voters watching him on the rack will bear out for Labour the old maxim: "No pain, no gain."
| Mr Blair used the tactic before the Iraq war to try to show he really was engaging with public concerns and you can expect to see it much more in the run-up to the election.I was prime minister and I wanted a flesh and blood fight," says Mr Major.He called it his "masochism strategy" in the run-up to the Iraq war and now Tony Blair has signed up for another dose of pain.Mr Blair told prospective Labour MPs on Thursday that taking part in phone-ins and public meetings could "enthuse and engage and give the public a sense of empowerment".Tony Blair himself has said people complain he does not listen.But it was seen as one of the few moments when that election campaign came alive, not least because it coincided with John Prescott's even more direct contact - when he punched an egg-throwing protester.Former prime ministers too have come to grief at the hands of a persistent member of the public.Mr Blair recalls how Bill Clinton once advised him: "Always remember that what people see of you in the news in the evening is how they think you spend your day."Mr Blair tried to use the questioners' first names - and sometimes threw them off their stride by asking what they would do about the problems.Indeed there is a danger Mr Blair simply ends up looking "embattled"."All you do is walk around and make yourself known, you don't do anything to help anybody," she told Mr Blair before stomping off, refusing his pleas to discuss the issue privately.A few "don't worries" as Mrs Hutchings was led back to the audience averted a public slanging match - he spoke to her privately after the show.The undoubted highlight of years of election phone-in shows was Margaret Thatcher discomfort on Nationwide in 1983, when viewer Diana Gould put her on the spot about the sinking of the Belgrano in the Falklands War.The idea is simple - the prime minister goes head to head with an often hostile group of "real" voters in the full spotlight of the television cameras."He wanted to look like a prime minister.The prime minister knows full well the potential hazards . |
1,272 | MPs demand 'Budget leak' answers
Ministers have been asked to explain how Budget details were printed in a London newspaper half an hour before Gordon Brown made his speech.
The Tories said a large chunk of the Budget appeared to have been leaked in what they describe as a "serious breach of Treasury confidentiality". The Lib Dems called for Commons leader Peter Hain to make a statement and said chancellors had resigned over leaks. They were told it would be brought to Speaker Michael Martin's attention. In the Commons, Tory frontbencher Andrew Tyrie MP demanded an immediate ministerial statement about how measures had been "clearly, or at least apparently, leaked to the Evening Standard".
Raising a point of order, he said it was "the latest in a long line of discourtesies to this House", as well as a breach of confidentiality. He said: "I can only hope it is unintentional. If it were planned it would be a very grave matter indeed. A previous Labour chancellor resigned after he leaked the Budget." Hugh Dalton resigned after leaking details of his 1947 budget to journalist John Carvel, who published them in a London newspaper, just minutes before they were announced to the House of Commons. Liberal Democrat David Laws said it was a "very serious matter" and said Mr Hain should make a statement on Thursday. Deputy Speaker Sylvia Heal agreed it was "of concern" but said nothing could be done immediately but the issue would be brought to Mr Martin's attention.
| Liberal Democrat David Laws said it was a "very serious matter" and said Mr Hain should make a statement on Thursday.The Tories said a large chunk of the Budget appeared to have been leaked in what they describe as a "serious breach of Treasury confidentiality".The Lib Dems called for Commons leader Peter Hain to make a statement and said chancellors had resigned over leaks.Deputy Speaker Sylvia Heal agreed it was "of concern" but said nothing could be done immediately but the issue would be brought to Mr Martin's attention.A previous Labour chancellor resigned after he leaked the Budget." |
1,085 | Blair congratulates Bush on win
Tony Blair has said he looks forward to continuing his strong relationship with George Bush and working with him during his second term as president.
Mr Bush's re-election came at a crucial time for a world that was "fractured, divided and uncertain", Mr Blair said. It had to be brought together, he added, saying action was needed on poverty, the Middle East and the conditions on which terrorists prey. Mr Blair said states had to work with the US to fight global terrorism.
But there was a need to recognise it would not be defeated by "military might alone but also by demonstrating the strength of our common values" he added. Solving the conflict in the Middle East was the world's single most "pressing political challenge" of the present day, Mr Blair warned. The prime minister also urged Europe and the US to "build anew their alliance".
"All of us in positions of leadership, not just President Bush, have a responsibility to rise to this challenge. It is urgent that we do so." Mr Blair also paid tribute to Democrat John Kerry's campaign, saying he had helped make the presidential election "a true celebration of American democracy". The election of the US president was significant for the world but particularly so for Britain because of its special relationship, he added. Earlier Tory leader Michael Howard sent Mr Bush his "warmest congratulations", saying: "We look to the president to be a unifying force for those all over the world who share our determination to defend freedom." Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy welcomed the fact there had been a quick conclusion to the election, unlike in 2000.
Mr Bush's first task was to "rebuild a sense of domestic purpose" within the US, he said. Mr Kennedy said: "Internationally, it is to be hoped that a second term will see a more sensitive approach to relations with long-standing allies, not least for the global efforts to combat terrorism." Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell said a win by Mr Kerry would have given Mr Blair the chance of a fresh start, adding it was almost as if there was an "umbilical cord" between Mr Bush and the UK premier.
"Europeans must hope that his administration will be much more multilateral in character, and that he will act swiftly to rebuild the Atlantic partnership which is so vital to security. "Iraq will remain an issue of potential division for some time to come." Even before the result became clear, Mr Blair was being urged to push for action on climate change at his first meeting with whichever candidate won.
Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Norman Baker underlined the issue of global warming during a Commons debate on Anglo-American relations on Wednesday. Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett has said the US will act on global warming despite George Bush's refusal to sign up to the Kyoto protocol on carbon emissions. Public opinion would force change, she told BBC news. But Myron Ebell, an adviser on climate change to President Bush, has said there would be no change in the US stance and rejected the threat of climate change. He claimed the US was the only country with independent scientists.
| Mr Bush's re-election came at a crucial time for a world that was "fractured, divided and uncertain", Mr Blair said.Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell said a win by Mr Kerry would have given Mr Blair the chance of a fresh start, adding it was almost as if there was an "umbilical cord" between Mr Bush and the UK premier.Mr Bush's first task was to "rebuild a sense of domestic purpose" within the US, he said.Mr Blair said states had to work with the US to fight global terrorism.Even before the result became clear, Mr Blair was being urged to push for action on climate change at his first meeting with whichever candidate won.The election of the US president was significant for the world but particularly so for Britain because of its special relationship, he added.But Myron Ebell, an adviser on climate change to President Bush, has said there would be no change in the US stance and rejected the threat of climate change.Solving the conflict in the Middle East was the world's single most "pressing political challenge" of the present day, Mr Blair warned.Tony Blair has said he looks forward to continuing his strong relationship with George Bush and working with him during his second term as president.Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett has said the US will act on global warming despite George Bush's refusal to sign up to the Kyoto protocol on carbon emissions. |
1,740 | Melzer shocks Agassi
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. |
439 | German economy rebounds
Germany's economy, the biggest among the 12 countries sharing the euro, grew at its fastest rate in four years during 2004, driven by strong exports.
Gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 1.7% last year, the statistical office said. The economy contracted in 2003. Foreign sales increased by 8.2% last year, compared with a 0.3% slide in private consumption. Concerns remain, however, over the strength of the euro, weak domestic demand and a sluggish labour market. The European Central Bank (ECB) left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2% on Thursday. It is the nineteenth month in a row that the ECB has not moved borrowing costs. Economists predict that an increase is unlikely to come until the second half of 2005, with growth set to sputter rather than ignite.
"During 2004 we profited from the fact that the world economy was strong," said Stefan Schilbe, analyst at HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt. "If exports weaken and domestic growth remains poor, we cannot expect much from 2005." Many German consumers have been spooked and unsettled by government attempts to reform the welfare state and corporate environment. Major companies including Volkswagen, DaimlerChrysler and Siemens have spent much of 2004 in tough talks with unions about trimming jobs and costs. They have also warned there are more cost cutting measures on the horizon.
| Germany's economy, the biggest among the 12 countries sharing the euro, grew at its fastest rate in four years during 2004, driven by strong exports.Gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 1.7% last year, the statistical office said."If exports weaken and domestic growth remains poor, we cannot expect much from 2005.""During 2004 we profited from the fact that the world economy was strong," said Stefan Schilbe, analyst at HSBC Trinkaus & Burkhardt.The economy contracted in 2003.Concerns remain, however, over the strength of the euro, weak domestic demand and a sluggish labour market. |
1,910 | Warning over Windows Word files
Writing a Microsoft Word document can be a dangerous business, according to document security firm Workshare.
Up to 75% of all business documents contained sensitive information most firms would not want exposed, a survey by the firm revealed. To make matters worse 90% of those companies questioned had no idea that confidential information was leaking. The report warns firms to do a better job of policing documents as corporate compliance becomes more binding.
Sensitive information inadvertently leaked in documents includes confidential contractual terms, competitive information that rivals would be keen to see and special deals for key customers, said Andrew Pearson, European boss of Workshare which commissioned the research. "The efficiencies the internet has brought in such as instant access to information have also created security and control issues too," he said. The problem is particularly acute with documents prepared using Microsoft Word because of the way it maintains hidden records about editing changes. As documents get passed around, worked on and amended by different staff members the sensitive information finds its way into documents. Poor control over the editing and amending process can mean that information that should be expunged survives final edits. Microsoft, however, does provide an add-on tool for Windows PCs that fixes the problem. "The Remove Hidden Data add-in is a tool that you can use to remove personal or hidden data that might not be immediately apparent when you view the document in your Microsoft Office application," says the instructions on Microsoft's website. Microsoft recommends that the tool is used before people publish any Word document. A tool for Apple machines running Word is not available. Workshare surveyed firms around the world and found that, on average, 31% of documents contained legally sensitive information but in many firms up to three-quarters fell in to the high risk category. Often, said Mr Pearson, this sensitive information was invisible because it got deleted and changed as different drafts were prepared.
However, the way that Windows works means that earlier versions can be recalled and reconstructed by those keen to see how a document has evolved. Few firms have any knowledge of the existence of this so-called metadata about the changes that a document has gone through or that it can be reconstructed. The discovery of this hidden information could prove embarrassing for companies if, for instance, those tendering for contracts found out about the changes to terms of a deal being negotiated. The research revealed that a document's metadata could be substantial as, on average, only 40% of contributors' changes to a document make it to the final draft. Problems with documents could mean trouble for firms as regulatory bodies step up scrutiny and compliance laws start to bite, said Mr Pearson.
| Writing a Microsoft Word document can be a dangerous business, according to document security firm Workshare.Up to 75% of all business documents contained sensitive information most firms would not want exposed, a survey by the firm revealed.Workshare surveyed firms around the world and found that, on average, 31% of documents contained legally sensitive information but in many firms up to three-quarters fell in to the high risk category.Sensitive information inadvertently leaked in documents includes confidential contractual terms, competitive information that rivals would be keen to see and special deals for key customers, said Andrew Pearson, European boss of Workshare which commissioned the research.Microsoft recommends that the tool is used before people publish any Word document.As documents get passed around, worked on and amended by different staff members the sensitive information finds its way into documents.Few firms have any knowledge of the existence of this so-called metadata about the changes that a document has gone through or that it can be reconstructed.The problem is particularly acute with documents prepared using Microsoft Word because of the way it maintains hidden records about editing changes. |
1,613 | Bell set for England debut
Bath prop Duncan Bell has been added to England's 30-man squad to face Ireland in the RBS Six Nations.
And with Phil Vickery sidelined for at least six weeks with a broken arm and Julian White out with a neck injury, Bell could make his England debut. Bell, 30, had set his sights on an international career with Wales. But last December, the International Rugby Board confirmed that he could only be eligible for England as he had travelled on tour with them in 1998. England coach Andy Robinson could take a gamble and call inexperienced Sale Sharks prop Andrew Sheridan into his front row. But Sheridan favours the loosehead side of the scrum and a more likely scenario is for uncapped Bell - who was among the tryscorers when England A beat France A 30-20 nine days ago - to be drafted in. Robinson also has an injury worry over centre Olly Barkley, who withdrew from Bath's starting line-up to face Gloucester last weekend.
He was due to have a hospital scan on Monday, while Gloucester centre Henry Paul, who started at fly-half against Bath, limped out at Kingsholm because of an ankle problem. Despite Barkley's three missed penalties in the 18-17 defeat against France, he is expected to retain his place at inside centre, although Leicester's in-form prospect Ollie Smith would be an obvious replacement. Bath coach John Connolly rates Barkley as no better than a 50/50 chance to make the Dublin trip. Uncapped fly-half Andy Goode has been named in a 30-man training squad for the Ireland game, and he strengthened his selection claims by kicking 28 points during Leicester's record 83-10 win against Newcastle on Sunday. England's players are due to meet at their Surrey training base on Monday.
| Bath prop Duncan Bell has been added to England's 30-man squad to face Ireland in the RBS Six Nations.And with Phil Vickery sidelined for at least six weeks with a broken arm and Julian White out with a neck injury, Bell could make his England debut.Robinson also has an injury worry over centre Olly Barkley, who withdrew from Bath's starting line-up to face Gloucester last weekend.He was due to have a hospital scan on Monday, while Gloucester centre Henry Paul, who started at fly-half against Bath, limped out at Kingsholm because of an ankle problem.England coach Andy Robinson could take a gamble and call inexperienced Sale Sharks prop Andrew Sheridan into his front row. |
1,636 | Preview: Ireland v England (Sun)
Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Sunday, 27 February
1500 GMT
BBC1, Radio 4 LW and this website
Ireland are going for their first Grand Slam since 1948 after two opening wins, and England represent their sternest test of the Championship so far. England were sloppy and leaderless in the defeats against Wales and France and another loss would be unthinkable. The pressure is on coach Andy Robinson and his side have to deliver.
Despite England's dramatic dip in form since the World Cup final - they have lost eight of their last 13 matches - Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan says his side should not underestimate the visitors. "Had they kicked their points they would have beaten France and that would have created a different landscape for Sunday," he said. "This is England we are talking about. They have a depth of talent and a very good record against Ireland. "They will target a victory in Dublin as the turning point in their Six Nations." The differences between the sides is also highlighted in the team selections for the Dublin encounter.
Ireland, despite having Gordon D'Arcy still out injured, have been boosted by the return of star skipper Brian O'Driscoll who missed the Scotland game with a hamstring injury. "The knowledge that the England game was coming up really helped during rehabilitation," he said. "The will to play in this game was enormous. It doesn't get much bigger than England at home." As well as entering the tournament without players like Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall and Richard Hill, England have now lost two tighthead props in Julian White and Phil Vickery while blind-side flanker Lewis Moody is a major concern. Robinson, who received a lot of flak for the inclusion and then dropping of centre Mathew Tait, has kept faith with kicking fly-half Charlie Hodgson despite his horror show at Twickenham. If England slump in Dublin, it will be their worst run of results in the Championship since 1987.
But Robinson was bullish during the week about the game, saying that his side "are going there to get in their faces", and has identified the line-out and tackle area as the key to England's chances. And despite the recent results, skipper Jason Robinson believes there is nothing wrong with the mood in the camp. "There is no lack of confidence in the team," said the Sale full-back. "We have had a good week's training and we are all looking forward to the challenge. "I still believe in this team. I know if we get our game right we will win the games."
G Murphy; G Dempsey, B O'Driscoll, S Horgan, D Hickie; R O'Gara, P Stringer; R Corrigan, S Byrne, J Hayes; M O'Kelly, P O'Connell; S Easterby, J O'Connor, A Foley.
F Sheahan, M Horan, D O'Callaghan, E Miller, G Easterby, D Humphreys, K Maggs.
J Robinson (capt); M Cueto, J Noon, O Barkley, J Lewsey; C Hodgson, H Ellis; G Rowntree, S Thompson, M Stevens; D Grewcock, B Kay; J Worsley, L Moody, M Corry.
A Titterrell, D Bell, S Borthwick, A Hazell, M Dawson, A Goode, O Smith.
| "The knowledge that the England game was coming up really helped during rehabilitation," he said.But Robinson was bullish during the week about the game, saying that his side "are going there to get in their faces", and has identified the line-out and tackle area as the key to England's chances.If England slump in Dublin, it will be their worst run of results in the Championship since 1987.Lansdowne Road, Dublin Sunday, 27 February 1500 GMT BBC1, Radio 4 LW and this website Ireland are going for their first Grand Slam since 1948 after two opening wins, and England represent their sternest test of the Championship so far."This is England we are talking about.Ireland, despite having Gordon D'Arcy still out injured, have been boosted by the return of star skipper Brian O'Driscoll who missed the Scotland game with a hamstring injury.It doesn't get much bigger than England at home."The differences between the sides is also highlighted in the team selections for the Dublin encounter.Despite England's dramatic dip in form since the World Cup final - they have lost eight of their last 13 matches - Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan says his side should not underestimate the visitors.England were sloppy and leaderless in the defeats against Wales and France and another loss would be unthinkable.The pressure is on coach Andy Robinson and his side have to deliver. |
159 | India unveils anti-poverty budget
India is to boost spending on primary schools and health in a budget flagged as a boost for the ordinary citizen.
India's defence budget has also been raised 7.8% to 830bn rupees ($19bn). The priority for Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram is to fight poverty and keep the government's Communist allies onside. But his options are limited by a new law which makes him cut the budget deficit, which he said would be 4.5% of GDP in the year to March 2005. The country's overall deficit is thought to be more than 10%, if the spending of India's 35 states and territories is included. Under the fiscal responsibility law, Mr Chidambaram has to trim the deficit by 0.3 percentage points each year, a target he says he has now met for the current year.
But the heavy spending on poverty reduction means the 2005-6 target for the deficit will be 4.3%, Mr Chidambaram said - falling short of the new law's requirement. "I was left with no option but to press the pause button vis a vis the act," he said. The following year, though, would have to be back on track, he warned.
"I may add that we are perilously close to the limits of fiscal prudence and there is no more room for spending beyond our means," he said. The coming year's reduction has meant bringing more of the businesses in India's burgeoning services sector into the tax system and restructuring the personal tax system, although there are numerous corporate tax and duty reductions built into the budget.
Presenting his budget in the lower house of parliament, Mr Chidambaram said the Indian economy was performing strongly and that inflation has been reined in. He said India's economy grew 6.9% in 2004. In his budget Mr Chidambaram has:
- Increased spending on primary education to 71.56bn rupees ($1.6bn)
- Increased spending on health to 102.8bn rupees ($2.35bn)
- Announced that 80bn rupees ($1.8bn) will be spent on building rural infrastructure
- Pledged 102.16bn rupees ($2.3bn) for tsunami victims
- Increased flow of funds to agriculture by 30%
- Announced a package for the sugar industry
In addition, up to 100bn rupees ($2.3bn) to be spent on infrastructure will be sourced by borrowing against the country's foreign exchange reserves, keeping budgeted spending under control. "Given the resilience of the Indian economy... it is possible to launch a direct assault on poverty," Mr Chidambaram said. "The whole purpose of democratic government is to eliminate poverty." The new Indian government, led by the Congress Party, was voted into power last May after it pledged to introduce economic reforms with a "human face".
The finance minister says he is committed to continue reforming India's tax system while expanding the tax base. As part of his reforms he has announced:
- Duty cuts on capital goods and raw materials
- Expanded service tax net
- Raised the income-tax threshold to 100,000 rupees ($2,300)
- Reduced income tax for those earning less than 250,000 rupees ($5,700) to 20%
- Reduced corporate tax rates to 30%
An annual economic survey released on Friday said India needed to ease limit restriction on foreign investment, reform labour laws and cut duties apart from widening the tax base for long-term economic growth. But Mr Chidambaram is under pressure from the Communist parties to focus on increasing social spending. The Communists are also hostile to measures seeking to increase foreign investment and allow companies to hire and fire employees at will. In recent months, they have expressed their displeasure at the government's economic reform plans including increasing foreign direct investment in telecommunication and aviation. In his last budget, Mr Chidambaram had pledged billions of dollars for improving education and health services for the poor as well as special assistance for farmers.
| But the heavy spending on poverty reduction means the 2005-6 target for the deficit will be 4.3%, Mr Chidambaram said - falling short of the new law's requirement.Presenting his budget in the lower house of parliament, Mr Chidambaram said the Indian economy was performing strongly and that inflation has been reined in."Given the resilience of the Indian economy... it is possible to launch a direct assault on poverty," Mr Chidambaram said.But his options are limited by a new law which makes him cut the budget deficit, which he said would be 4.5% of GDP in the year to March 2005.India's defence budget has also been raised 7.8% to 830bn rupees ($19bn).Under the fiscal responsibility law, Mr Chidambaram has to trim the deficit by 0.3 percentage points each year, a target he says he has now met for the current year.As part of his reforms he has announced: - Duty cuts on capital goods and raw materials - Expanded service tax net - Raised the income-tax threshold to 100,000 rupees ($2,300) - Reduced income tax for those earning less than 250,000 rupees ($5,700) to 20% - Reduced corporate tax rates to 30% An annual economic survey released on Friday said India needed to ease limit restriction on foreign investment, reform labour laws and cut duties apart from widening the tax base for long-term economic growth.But Mr Chidambaram is under pressure from the Communist parties to focus on increasing social spending.He said India's economy grew 6.9% in 2004.In his budget Mr Chidambaram has: - Increased spending on primary education to 71.56bn rupees ($1.6bn) - Increased spending on health to 102.8bn rupees ($2.35bn) - Announced that 80bn rupees ($1.8bn) will be spent on building rural infrastructure - Pledged 102.16bn rupees ($2.3bn) for tsunami victims - Increased flow of funds to agriculture by 30% - Announced a package for the sugar industry In addition, up to 100bn rupees ($2.3bn) to be spent on infrastructure will be sourced by borrowing against the country's foreign exchange reserves, keeping budgeted spending under control. |
1,548 | Wenger steps up row
Arsene Wenger has stepped up his feud with Sir Alex Ferguson by claiming the Manchester United manager is guilty of bringing football into disrepute.
The pair's long-running row was put back in the headlines on Saturday when Ferguson said his Arsenal counterpart was "a disgrace". Wenger initially refused to bite back, saying only: "I will never answer any questions any more about this man." But now he claims Ferguson should be punished by the Football Association. The latest twist in the Ferguson-Wenger saga came on Saturday when the United boss, in an interview with The Independent newspaper, discussed the events after the game between the two sides in October. United won 2-0 that day, at Old Trafford, but the game was followed by a now notorious food fight which saw Ferguson's clothes covered in soup and pizza. The sides meet again at Highbury on 1 February. "In the tunnel Wenger was criticising my players, calling them cheats, so I told him to leave them alone and behave himself," Ferguson said on Saturday. "He ran at me with hands raised saying 'what do you want to do about it?' "To not apologise for the behaviour of the players to another manager is unthinkable. It's a disgrace, but I don't expect Wenger to ever apologise, he's that type of person."
Those allegations were put to Wenger after Saturday's game at Bolton, which Arsenal lost to slip 10 points behind Chelsea in the title race. At first he said only: "I've always been consistent with that story and told you nothing happened. "If he has to talk, he talks. If he wants to make a newspaper article, he makes a newspaper article. "He doesn't interest me and doesn't matter to me at all. I will never answer to any provocation from him any more. "He does what he likes in England anyway. He can go abroad one day and see how it is." But later on Saturday, according to The Independent, Wenger spoke to a smaller group of reporters and expanded on his reaction. "I have no diplomatic relations with him," the Arsenal boss is quoted as saying. "What I don't understand is that he does what he wants and you (the press) are all at his feet.
"The situation (concerning the food fight) has been judged and there is a game going on in a month. "The managers have a responsibility to protect the game before the game. But in England you are only punished for what you say after the game. "Now the whole story starts again. I don't go into that game. We play football. I am a football manager and I love football above all ... no matter what people say." Reminded that Ferguson called him "a disgrace", Wenger added: "I don't respond to anything. In England you have a good phrase. It is 'bringing the game into disrepute'. "But that is not only after a game, it is as well before a game."
Ferguson had also claimed that United chief executive David Gill and Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein had agreed at boardroom level not to discuss the incident in public. But Ferguson added: "In the ensuing weeks all you got was a diatribe from Arsenal about being kicked off the pitch and all that nonsense. Gill phoned Dein three times to complain but nothing was done. "The return is on 1 February and they will come out with another diatribe. "David Gill and I feel we should set the record straight because Arsenal have not written to us to apologise and we would not let that happen here." Meanwhile, the League Managers Association have offered to act as peacemakers in the hope of resolving the on-going row. During that stormy game in October, United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy caught Arsenal's Ashley Cole with one particularly strong tackle. Wenger later accused Van Nistelrooy of "cheating" and was fined £15,000 and "severely reprimanded" by the Football Association. Ferguson admitted on Saturday that Van Nistelrooy's tackle, which earned the Dutchman a ban, "could have given (Cole) a serious injury", but he believes Arsenal were the main aggressors.
"Wenger is always complaining the match was not played in the right spirit," he added. "They are the worst losers of all time, they don't know how to lose. Maybe it is just Manchester United, they don't lose many games to other teams. "We tend to forget the worst disciplinary record of all time was Arsenal's up until last season. In fairness it has improved and now they are seen as paragons of virtue. "But to Wenger it never happens, it is all some dream or nightmare."
| I don't go into that game."The managers have a responsibility to protect the game before the game."But that is not only after a game, it is as well before a game."Arsene Wenger has stepped up his feud with Sir Alex Ferguson by claiming the Manchester United manager is guilty of bringing football into disrepute.But in England you are only punished for what you say after the game.The pair's long-running row was put back in the headlines on Saturday when Ferguson said his Arsenal counterpart was "a disgrace".Maybe it is just Manchester United, they don't lose many games to other teams.Wenger later accused Van Nistelrooy of "cheating" and was fined £15,000 and "severely reprimanded" by the Football Association.Reminded that Ferguson called him "a disgrace", Wenger added: "I don't respond to anything."In the tunnel Wenger was criticising my players, calling them cheats, so I told him to leave them alone and behave himself," Ferguson said on Saturday.It is 'bringing the game into disrepute'.Those allegations were put to Wenger after Saturday's game at Bolton, which Arsenal lost to slip 10 points behind Chelsea in the title race.But now he claims Ferguson should be punished by the Football Association.But Ferguson added: "In the ensuing weeks all you got was a diatribe from Arsenal about being kicked off the pitch and all that nonsense.United won 2-0 that day, at Old Trafford, but the game was followed by a now notorious food fight which saw Ferguson's clothes covered in soup and pizza.The latest twist in the Ferguson-Wenger saga came on Saturday when the United boss, in an interview with The Independent newspaper, discussed the events after the game between the two sides in October."Wenger is always complaining the match was not played in the right spirit," he added.It's a disgrace, but I don't expect Wenger to ever apologise, he's that type of person."I am a football manager and I love football above all ... no matter what people say.""The situation (concerning the food fight) has been judged and there is a game going on in a month. |
1,735 | Safin slumps to shock Dubai loss
Marat Safin suffered a shock loss to unseeded Nicolas Kiefer in round one of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Playing his first match since winning the Australian Open, Safin showed some good touches but was beaten 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 by the in-form Kiefer. The German got on top in the first-set tie-break, striking a sweet forehand to win the first point against serve. And he maintained the momentum early in the second set, breaking the Russian with the help of an inspired volley. Spain's Feliciano Lopez lined up a second round clash with Andre Agassi by beating Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan. Lopez, who lost in three sets to Roger Federer in last year's final, won 6-2 3-6 6-3. Former champion Fabrice Santoro of France was beaten 6-3 6-0 by sixth seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko. There were also wins for two other Russians, Igor Andreev and seventh seed Mikhail Youzhny.
| Playing his first match since winning the Australian Open, Safin showed some good touches but was beaten 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 by the in-form Kiefer.And he maintained the momentum early in the second set, breaking the Russian with the help of an inspired volley.Spain's Feliciano Lopez lined up a second round clash with Andre Agassi by beating Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan.Former champion Fabrice Santoro of France was beaten 6-3 6-0 by sixth seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko. |
665 | Disputed Nirvana box set on sale
A box set featuring 68 unreleased Nirvana tracks has gone on sale in the US, after years of legal wrangles.
With the Lights Out was intended to be released in 2001, to mark the 10th anniversary of the album Nevermind. It was blocked by Courtney Love, the widow of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, who did not want unreleased song You Know You're Right on the box set. The dispute between Love and surviving band members Krist Novoselic and drummer Dave Grohl was settled in 2002. Work began on the box set in 1998, but legal battles put the project on hold. The legal fight centred on a studio recording of the unreleased track You Know You're Right, regarded by fans as one of the unreleased gems of Nirvana. The set, released on Tuesday, features three CDs and a DVD of rare performance and rehearsal footage. The DVD also includes the first performance of Smells Like Teen Spirit, the track that launched Nirvana on to the international stage in 1991. "The band wasn't always pretty, or always in tune. This is not Nirvana unplugged. It's Nirvana unedited," said Cobain biographer Charles Cross. The band's development ended tragically when songwriter Kurt Cobain committed suicide in April 1994.
| It was blocked by Courtney Love, the widow of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, who did not want unreleased song You Know You're Right on the box set.A box set featuring 68 unreleased Nirvana tracks has gone on sale in the US, after years of legal wrangles.The legal fight centred on a studio recording of the unreleased track You Know You're Right, regarded by fans as one of the unreleased gems of Nirvana.This is not Nirvana unplugged.It's Nirvana unedited," said Cobain biographer Charles Cross. |
1,634 | Woodward eyes Brennan for Lions
Toulouse's former Irish international Trevor Brennan could be one of Clive Woodward's many surprises when the 44-man Lions tour squad is announced.
Brennan, who last played for Ireland against Samoa in 2001, is held in high esteem by the former England coach. "If you speak to the players there's a huge amount of respect for the guy," Woodward told the Sunday Independent. "Players tend to know better than most coaches. It's not just the Irish, but Welsh and English players as well." The 31-year-old former Dublin milkman moved from Leinster to Toulouse in 2003 and immediately picked up a Heineken Cup winner's medal in an all-French final against Perpignan at Lansdowne Road.
Brennan is highly-rated at Stade Toulousain, where he is used anywhere in the back five. Woodward is ensuring his preparations for the trip to New Zealand in June are as thorough as possible. "I've spoken to quite a few players, and they probably don't know what they're actually saying when we're having these conversations," he told the newspaper. "But you talk about certain players and they'll say if they think they're up to scratch or that they don't want them in their team. "I haven't heard a bad word said against Trevor, which, considering he has a pretty tough guy reputation, is, to me, impressive."
| Toulouse's former Irish international Trevor Brennan could be one of Clive Woodward's many surprises when the 44-man Lions tour squad is announced."If you speak to the players there's a huge amount of respect for the guy," Woodward told the Sunday Independent."I've spoken to quite a few players, and they probably don't know what they're actually saying when we're having these conversations," he told the newspaper.It's not just the Irish, but Welsh and English players as well."Brennan, who last played for Ireland against Samoa in 2001, is held in high esteem by the former England coach. |
1,684 | All Black magic: New Zealand rugby
Playing colours:
All black
The Haka and more!
The All Blacks
Charles John Munro discovered rugby at London's Christ College, and on his return to Nelson he staged New Zealand's first game. Nelson Town met Nelson College on 14 May, 1870, the Town triumphing by two goals to nil, instigating a game that would become a national obsession and come to dominate the country's sporting passions. The game appealed to the Kiwi psyche and quickly spread, the native Maoris finding a particular empathy with the sport's warrior ethos. In 1888 a British team led by AE Stoddart toured New Zealand and Australia, and soon after a Maori named Joe Warbrick and an English ex-pat called Thomas Eyton decided to gather a combined New Zealand team.
Twenty-two Maori and four 'pakiha' formed the 'New Zealand Native Team,' who played a total of 107 matches in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. The integration of white and Maori was a reflecion of enlightened New Zealand rugby and society, even if the British press were somewhat mystified by the pre-match tradition of the Maori war dance, the Haka! The other great symbol of New Zealand rugby, the all black kit with the silver fern on the breast, was proposed by Tom Ellison at the first annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union in 1893. New Zealand played their first international against Australia in 1903, the Kiwis triumphing 22-3 in Sydney, and the following year an official British touring team came to New Zealand for the first time. The tourists had gone through Australia undefeated but their captain, David Revell Bedell-Sivright, created animosity in New Zealand with his patronising attitude. The Kiwis shocked the rugby world with a 9-3 triumph in Wellington, sparking great celebrations across the country, but Bedell-Sivright churlishly suggested that the victors would have no chance when they visited the UK.
Their opportunity to prove him wrong came in 1905 with the first official New Zealand tour to Europe. The tourists won their early games with a quick-thinking, inventive approach, but press criticism began to grow over their 2-3-2 scrum formation that left a 'roving' forward free to disrupt opposition attacks. The tactic was effective, two late tries seeing the Kiwis to a 12-7 win over Scotland, before Ireland were despatched 15-0 in Dublin. A huge crowd at Crystal Palace convulsed with laughter at the sight of the Haka - but the smiles were soon wiped from their faces when the tourists ran in five tries in a 15-0 hammering of England. New Zealand headed to Wales to meet a country in the midst of its first 'Golden Age,' and the encounter would be the first in a series of controversial clashes between the sides. An excellent try on the left wing by Teddy Morgan sealed a 3-0 win in a hard-fought encounter at Cardiff Arms Park, but post-match talk was dominated by a Bob Deans try that was ruled out by Scottish referee John Dallas. Dallas said that Deans was tackled short, but the Kiwi said he was dragged back into the field of play after grounding a try - on his death-bed three years later he exclaimed: "I did score that try in Cardiff."
Four of the 1905 All Blacks went over to the newly formed 'All Golds' rugby league side soon after the tour, but New Zealand were strong enough to crush an Anglo-Welsh touring team in 1908. The first South Africa tour of New Zealand in 1921 saw honours shared in a three-Test series, starting the greatest rivalry in rugby - and the long-running controversy between the countries over the All Blacks' inclusion of Maori players. The awesome 1924-5 All Black tourists became known as 'The Invincibles' after winning all 30 of their games in France, Britain and Ireland, including a crushing 19-0 victory over Wales at St Helen's. Despite their success, the All Blacks' 2-3-2 scrum formation left them somewhat short of possession at times, and the flaws were exploited by the Springboks in South Africa in 1928. Employing the modern 3-4-1 scrum line-up against the New Zealand 'rover' system for the first time, South African teams defeated the All Blacks in five games and the Test series was drawn two-all. The controversial New Zealand scrum method finally disappeared after the 1930 Lions tour (a series won 3-1 by New Zealand), the Lions manager describing the tactic as 'cheating,' prompting the International Rugby Board to rule that three men had to pack down in the front row of the scrum.
The All Blacks' 1935 European tour started inauspiciously with an 11-3 loss to a Swansea side inspired by teenage, schoolboy half-backs Hayden Tanner and Willie Davies. A thrilling Test at Cardiff Arms Park went to Wales 13-12, although the winning try from Geoffrey Rees-Jones was controversial following an illegal Claude Davey tackle in the build-up. New Zealand's next visit to Wales in 1953 proved difficult as they lost 8-3 to Cardiff and drew 6-6 at Swansea. The All Blacks were on top in the Test with Wales at the Arms Park, but the teams were locked at 8-8 when a Clem Thomas cross kick was gathered by Ken Jones for a famous, match-winning try. The tourists made some amends with wins over the other home nations, before a 19-5 success over the Barbarians in an Arms Park thriller. New Zealand built from that tour, and by the time they returned in 1963-4 they were undoubtedly the leading side in the world.
That made the shock all the greater when a drop goal by student John Uzzell gave Newport an unlikely 3-0 win over the tourists at Rodney Parade. Wilson Whinneray's side rallied to beat Wales 6-0, their first win at the Arms Park in four attempts, and went unbeaten through the rest of the tour, but when they returned home the first question put to them was: "What happened in Newport?" The only blemish on the record of the awesome 1967 tourists was a draw with East Wales, as they beat the full Wales team 13-6 in Cardiff to take the lead in the series between the countries for the first time. That lead was increased with two comfortable wins for the home side in New Zealand in 1969, the first time Wales had toured the country as an independent team.
A ferocious game at the Arms Park in 1972 was edged 19-16 by the All Blacks, a measure of revenge for the defeat inflicted on New Zealand by the Carwyn James-inspired Lions of 1971.
James guided Llanelli to a famous 9-3 win over the tourists at Stradey Park, though, and in the final game of the tour the Barbarians defeated the All Blacks 23-11 in Cardiff in a game regarded by many as the greatest ever played. New Zealand defeated a Wales XV 12-3 at the Arms Park in a non-cap game in 1974, but it was the 1978 game in Cardiff that would reignite the history of controversy between the two countries.
Wales were leading 12-10 with one minute left when Andy Haden flew to the floor from a line-out. Television pictures clearly showed that he dived, but English referee Roger Quittenton was fooled and awarded a penalty, duly converted by Brian McKechnie for a 13-12 win. Since that infamous game, the competition has largely left Wales v New Zealand fixtures as the men in red have slipped from the pinnacle of the world game. A crushing 23-3 win for New Zealand in Cardiff in the Welsh Rugby Union's 1980 centenary game was a sign of things to come. The new professionalism in the southern hemisphere game that had left Europe behind was shown as the All Blacks swatted Wales aside 49-6 in Brisbane in the semi-final of the inaugural World Cup. The Kiwis went on to claim the Cup, and would inflict further misery on Wales on their ill-fated 1988 tour of New Zealand.
A young, talented Wales side left Britain full of confidence as Triple Crown winners, but one of the greatest ever New Zealand teams demolished them 52-3 and 54-9. After also taking some fearful beatings in the provincial games, Wales captain Jonathan Davies returned home calling for urgent change in the national game, but as his views were ignored he - along with a generation of Wales' best players - chose to head north to rugby league.
A 34-9 win in Cardiff followed for New Zealand in 1989, and at the 1995 World Cup Wales' big talk was made to look embarrassing as the All Blacks eased to victory in Johannesburg. A crushing 42-7 Kiwi triumph in Wembley followed in 1997, and as Wales' misery increased they turned to New Zealand for their salvation in the shape of coaches Graham Henry and Steve Hansen. There was a temporary resurgence in the Welsh game, but when an experimental New Zealand side came to Cardiff's new Millennium Stadium in 2002 they left with a 43-17 victory.
A bruising 55-3 defeat followed for Wales in Hamilton in 2003 as Hansen built towards the World Cup, but in Australia it was a remarkable performance against the All Blacks that gave his side renewed hope. Wales were given no chance going into the game, but in the course of the match they rediscovered the value of attacking flair to lead 37-33 early in the second half. New Zealand rallied to a 53-37 win, but the style shown by Wales has been used as an inspiration as they look to a better future. They now face an All Blacks team led by Henry and Hansen, coming to Europe with a weakened squad at the end of a long season. An encouraging display against South Africa has inspired a confident Wales camp to believe they can claim their first win over the men in black for over 50 years. They have a chance, but clearly history is not on their side.
| That lead was increased with two comfortable wins for the home side in New Zealand in 1969, the first time Wales had toured the country as an independent team.New Zealand defeated a Wales XV 12-3 at the Arms Park in a non-cap game in 1974, but it was the 1978 game in Cardiff that would reignite the history of controversy between the two countries.A 34-9 win in Cardiff followed for New Zealand in 1989, and at the 1995 World Cup Wales' big talk was made to look embarrassing as the All Blacks eased to victory in Johannesburg.There was a temporary resurgence in the Welsh game, but when an experimental New Zealand side came to Cardiff's new Millennium Stadium in 2002 they left with a 43-17 victory.A crushing 23-3 win for New Zealand in Cardiff in the Welsh Rugby Union's 1980 centenary game was a sign of things to come.New Zealand played their first international against Australia in 1903, the Kiwis triumphing 22-3 in Sydney, and the following year an official British touring team came to New Zealand for the first time.Employing the modern 3-4-1 scrum line-up against the New Zealand 'rover' system for the first time, South African teams defeated the All Blacks in five games and the Test series was drawn two-all.The other great symbol of New Zealand rugby, the all black kit with the silver fern on the breast, was proposed by Tom Ellison at the first annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union in 1893.A ferocious game at the Arms Park in 1972 was edged 19-16 by the All Blacks, a measure of revenge for the defeat inflicted on New Zealand by the Carwyn James-inspired Lions of 1971.Twenty-two Maori and four 'pakiha' formed the 'New Zealand Native Team,' who played a total of 107 matches in New Zealand, Australia and the UK.The Kiwis went on to claim the Cup, and would inflict further misery on Wales on their ill-fated 1988 tour of New Zealand.Since that infamous game, the competition has largely left Wales v New Zealand fixtures as the men in red have slipped from the pinnacle of the world game.The new professionalism in the southern hemisphere game that had left Europe behind was shown as the All Blacks swatted Wales aside 49-6 in Brisbane in the semi-final of the inaugural World Cup.New Zealand built from that tour, and by the time they returned in 1963-4 they were undoubtedly the leading side in the world.A young, talented Wales side left Britain full of confidence as Triple Crown winners, but one of the greatest ever New Zealand teams demolished them 52-3 and 54-9.New Zealand rallied to a 53-37 win, but the style shown by Wales has been used as an inspiration as they look to a better future.New Zealand headed to Wales to meet a country in the midst of its first 'Golden Age,' and the encounter would be the first in a series of controversial clashes between the sides.Four of the 1905 All Blacks went over to the newly formed 'All Golds' rugby league side soon after the tour, but New Zealand were strong enough to crush an Anglo-Welsh touring team in 1908.In 1888 a British team led by AE Stoddart toured New Zealand and Australia, and soon after a Maori named Joe Warbrick and an English ex-pat called Thomas Eyton decided to gather a combined New Zealand team.The only blemish on the record of the awesome 1967 tourists was a draw with East Wales, as they beat the full Wales team 13-6 in Cardiff to take the lead in the series between the countries for the first time.Their opportunity to prove him wrong came in 1905 with the first official New Zealand tour to Europe.The first South Africa tour of New Zealand in 1921 saw honours shared in a three-Test series, starting the greatest rivalry in rugby - and the long-running controversy between the countries over the All Blacks' inclusion of Maori players. |
693 | Star Trek fans fight to save show
Star Trek fans have taken out a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times in an attempt to persuade TV executives not to scrap Star Trek: Enterprise.
Made by the UPN TV network, the latest spin-off from the hit sci-fi show is due to end in May after four series. But fans around the world have pitched in to pay for the advert, which had the headline "Save Star Trek". They are also asking the Sci-Fi Channel to pick it up from UPN and will stage a rally in Los Angeles on 25 February.
The advert described the Star Trek franchise as a "cultural icon". Enterprise stars former Quantum Leap actor Scott Bakula as Captain Archer and is set before the original 1960s Star Trek series. "Captain Archer and the crew of the NX-01 need your help to continue their journeys!" the advert said. It also included a cut-out coupon for fans to send to UPN's parent companies Paramount and Viacom plus the Sci-Fi Channel. It also urged supporters to join the rally outside the Paramount studios.
Fan website Trek United is hoping to raise $32m (£17m) from donations by the end of March to pay for a fifth series. More than $23,000 (£12,000) has been pledged so far, according to the site. The 98th and final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise will air in the US on 13 May. The fourth series has averaged 2.9 million viewers per episode - half the amount it got in its first series. Star Trek: Enterprise began in 2001 following other Star Trek spin-off series The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager.
| Star Trek: Enterprise began in 2001 following other Star Trek spin-off series The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager.Star Trek fans have taken out a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times in an attempt to persuade TV executives not to scrap Star Trek: Enterprise.Enterprise stars former Quantum Leap actor Scott Bakula as Captain Archer and is set before the original 1960s Star Trek series.But fans around the world have pitched in to pay for the advert, which had the headline "Save Star Trek".The advert described the Star Trek franchise as a "cultural icon".The 98th and final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise will air in the US on 13 May. |
146 | Why few targets are better than many
The economic targets set out at the Lisbon summit of European Union leaders in 2000 were meant to help Europe leapfrog its way past the United States to become the world's leading economy by 2010.
But the Lisbon targets are about much more than just economic prestige. For many economists and analysts they are about ensuring Europe doesn't become a global economic laggard. They are also about ensuring Europe can continue to compete as an equal with the growing economic giants of Asia, India and China, as well as with the economic might of the United States. That's why there was a tone of urgency in the report, out on Wednesday, by the former Dutch prime minister Wim Kok. Mr Kok was commissioned by the European Commission in March this year to assess how far the EU has come towards meeting the Lisbon targets, five years on from their inception. His conclusion was simple: too many of the targets will be seriously missed.
Lisbon risks becoming a "synonym for missed objectives and failed promises", his report said. "The status quo is not an option."
At risk in the medium to long run is nothing less than the sustainability of the society Europe has built, it said. The report comes at a time when Europe's competitive position is waning. The EU's economic growth rate is projected to be 2% this year and 2.4% next. While there has been growth in overall employment rates in Europe, productivity lags behind that of the US. But meeting the Lisbon targets requires a political commitment that no EU member state has volunteered so far. That has in part been due to the state of the global economy in the past few years.
As Mr Kok's report noted: "The ink had scarcely dried on the [Lisbon] agreement before the worldwide stock market bubble imploded." "The US suffered two years of economic slowdown and recession and the European economy followed suit."
The circumstances weren't conducive to creating the 20 million new jobs promised by EU leaders in Lisbon in 2000. Neither were they conducive to getting governments to spend more on research and development, money needed if the EU was to meet its target of becoming a so-called "knowledge-based economy". "The [Lisbon] vision is a compelling one, but in order to do it society has to change," said Paul Hofheinz of the Lisbon Council, a Brussels-based citizen action group. "What you find is that a lot of people have been fighting change. You find trade unions fighting change. But also the employers' associations. "Even though they tell you they're in favour of change, many are actually pushing for less competition, more subsidy and less free market activity."
But part of the problem was also linked to the original targets set out in Lisbon five years ago. Targets have a habit of coming back to haunt you and in the Lisbon case, they covered too much, according to the Wim report. Economic growth and job creation were linked to issues ranging from environmental protection to social inclusion, and even safety at sea. The agenda was just too broad and as a result nothing was prioritised.
"Lisbon is about everything and thus about nothing," the Kok report said. "Everybody is responsible and thus no one." That's why the Kok report recommends that the Lisbon targets be narrowed down to 14 key indicators, with an emphasis on creating jobs and economic growth. It also recommends that the European Commission draw up a league table which ranks countries according to the steps they're taking towards meeting the targets, effectively "naming, shaming and faming". "Rhetoric and delivery don't necessarily go hand in hand," Mr Kok said in a press conference alongside the publication of his report. "We don't have the luxury anymore just to exchange politeness with one another."
On one point Mr Kok was very clear: The European Union should not try to emulate the US economy. The European economic and social model needs to change, but not so much so that social and environmental issues take a backseat to economic growth. In that sense, the Lisbon agenda is sailing into unchartered waters. The Kok report tries to do away with a belief that jobs need to be sacrificed at the altar of economic growth. "It's very ambitious," said John Palmer, political director at the European Policy Centre, a Brussels-based think-tank. "This is something that no advanced economy in the world has tried to do. It's going to require quite new and innovative policies." But some analysts believe that the Kok report doesn't come up with the sort of innovative policies and thinking needed to make the Lisbon targets a reality. For example, it recommends putting in place policies which encourage women and older people to remain in the workforce. But it doesn't say how companies should be convinced to do this. It will be up to the incoming president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, to adopt Mr Kok's recommendations and press them on EU governments. Mr Barroso has said that the EU's competitiveness will be his top priority. He expects his five-year term in office to be judged on Europe's success in meeting the Lisbon agenda.
| That's why the Kok report recommends that the Lisbon targets be narrowed down to 14 key indicators, with an emphasis on creating jobs and economic growth."Lisbon is about everything and thus about nothing," the Kok report said.Mr Kok was commissioned by the European Commission in March this year to assess how far the EU has come towards meeting the Lisbon targets, five years on from their inception.But the Lisbon targets are about much more than just economic prestige.But some analysts believe that the Kok report doesn't come up with the sort of innovative policies and thinking needed to make the Lisbon targets a reality.The economic targets set out at the Lisbon summit of European Union leaders in 2000 were meant to help Europe leapfrog its way past the United States to become the world's leading economy by 2010."The [Lisbon] vision is a compelling one, but in order to do it society has to change," said Paul Hofheinz of the Lisbon Council, a Brussels-based citizen action group.On one point Mr Kok was very clear: The European Union should not try to emulate the US economy.But part of the problem was also linked to the original targets set out in Lisbon five years ago.But meeting the Lisbon targets requires a political commitment that no EU member state has volunteered so far.The Kok report tries to do away with a belief that jobs need to be sacrificed at the altar of economic growth.The European economic and social model needs to change, but not so much so that social and environmental issues take a backseat to economic growth.Lisbon risks becoming a "synonym for missed objectives and failed promises", his report said.Targets have a habit of coming back to haunt you and in the Lisbon case, they covered too much, according to the Wim report."The US suffered two years of economic slowdown and recession and the European economy followed suit."As Mr Kok's report noted: "The ink had scarcely dried on the [Lisbon] agreement before the worldwide stock market bubble imploded."The circumstances weren't conducive to creating the 20 million new jobs promised by EU leaders in Lisbon in 2000.The EU's economic growth rate is projected to be 2% this year and 2.4% next.For many economists and analysts they are about ensuring Europe doesn't become a global economic laggard. |
101 | Australia rates at four year high
Australia is raising its benchmark interest rate to its highest level in four years despite signs of a slowdown in the country's economy.
The Reserve Bank of Australia lifted interest rates 0.25% to 5.5%, their first upwards move in more than a year. However, shortly after the Bank made its decision, new figures showed a fall in economic growth in the last quarter. The Bank said it had acted to curb inflation but the move was criticised by some analysts.
The rate hike was the first since December 2003 and had been well-flagged in advance. However, opposition parties and some analysts said the move was ill-timed given data showing the Australian economy grew just 0.1% between October and December and 1.5% on an annual basis.
The figures, representing a decline from the 0.2% growth in GDP seen between July and September, were below market expectations. Consumer spending remains strong, however, and the Bank is concerned about growing inflationary pressures. "Over recent months it has become increasingly clear that remaining spare capacity in the labour and goods markets is becoming rather limited," said Ian Macfarlane, Governor of the Reserve Bank.
At 2.6%, inflation remains within the Bank's 2-3% target range. However, exports declined in the second half of 2004, fuelling a rise in the country's current account deficit - the difference in the value of imports compared to exports - to a record Australian dollar 29.4bn. The Australian government said the economy remained strong with unemployment at a near 30 year low. "The economy has been strong and it is properly moderating but it doesn't look to me like it's slowing in any unreasonable way," said Treasurer Peter Costello. Stock markets had factored in the likelihood of a rate rise but analysts still expressed concern about the strength of the economy. "That 1.5% annual growth rate is the lowest we have seen since the post-election slump we saw back in 2000-1," said Michael Blythe, chief economist at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. "This suggests the economy really did slow very sharply in the second half of 2004."
| The Reserve Bank of Australia lifted interest rates 0.25% to 5.5%, their first upwards move in more than a year.However, opposition parties and some analysts said the move was ill-timed given data showing the Australian economy grew just 0.1% between October and December and 1.5% on an annual basis."That 1.5% annual growth rate is the lowest we have seen since the post-election slump we saw back in 2000-1," said Michael Blythe, chief economist at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.The Bank said it had acted to curb inflation but the move was criticised by some analysts.The Australian government said the economy remained strong with unemployment at a near 30 year low.Australia is raising its benchmark interest rate to its highest level in four years despite signs of a slowdown in the country's economy.Stock markets had factored in the likelihood of a rate rise but analysts still expressed concern about the strength of the economy. |
1,047 | Guantanamo four questioned
The four Britons freed from US custody in Guantanamo Bay are expected to be allowed a visit by one relative.
Moazzam Begg, Martin Mubanga, Feroz Abbasi and Richard Belmar were held for three years, accused of al-Qaeda links. Mr Begg's father, Azmat, said he had been told he could see his son for 20 minutes and would say he was "a hero". The men are being held at London's Paddington Green police station, where they are expected to be questioned by UK anti-terror officers. But Louise Christian, the lawyer representing Mr Abbasi and Mr Mubanga, said the families would be reunited with the men away from the station. Before being driven by police from Birmingham to London, Azmat Begg said he was concerned for his son Moazzam's mental state and was looking forward to giving him a hug. As Azmat Begg arrived at the London police station, there appeared to be some confusion as to the visiting arrangements. Police have said they have a duty to investigate the men, who were arrested on their return to the UK. But Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens said evidence obtained by MI5 while the four were in Cuba was "absolutely" inadmissible in UK courts. In an interview with the Independent, Sir John said his officers would have to find other evidence before the suspects could be tried in the UK.
He told the newspaper: "If an admission is made, it is a totally different ball game... it could be used as evidence. "The options are: if there is enough evidence they will be charged. If not they will be released as soon as possible." The men have been allowed to meet their lawyers. Louise Christian said that after being "tortured and abused" at Guantanamo Bay, the men's arrest was unfair and inappropriate. She told BBC News she remained very concerned about their psychological state. Gareth Peirce, lawyer for Mr Begg, said she was shocked at the condition of the men and appalled that the authorities felt the need to detain them. Washington has claimed all four were "enemy combatants" who trained at camps run by al-Qaeda. The Pentagon says they were freed after the UK government promised they would not be a threat to the national security of the US or any of its allies.
The detainees were immediately arrested under Section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000 when they landed at RAF Northolt, west London, on Tuesday. Massoud Shadjareh, from the Muslim Safety Forum, said: "What sort of homecoming is this? They are innocent people." The Muslim Council of Britain urged that the men should receive counselling and medical help. "We want these men to be returned into the arms of their waiting family," said Iqbal Sacranie, secretary general of the council.
| Police have said they have a duty to investigate the men, who were arrested on their return to the UK.But Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens said evidence obtained by MI5 while the four were in Cuba was "absolutely" inadmissible in UK courts.But Louise Christian, the lawyer representing Mr Abbasi and Mr Mubanga, said the families would be reunited with the men away from the station.Before being driven by police from Birmingham to London, Azmat Begg said he was concerned for his son Moazzam's mental state and was looking forward to giving him a hug.Mr Begg's father, Azmat, said he had been told he could see his son for 20 minutes and would say he was "a hero".Gareth Peirce, lawyer for Mr Begg, said she was shocked at the condition of the men and appalled that the authorities felt the need to detain them.In an interview with the Independent, Sir John said his officers would have to find other evidence before the suspects could be tried in the UK.The men are being held at London's Paddington Green police station, where they are expected to be questioned by UK anti-terror officers."We want these men to be returned into the arms of their waiting family," said Iqbal Sacranie, secretary general of the council.Louise Christian said that after being "tortured and abused" at Guantanamo Bay, the men's arrest was unfair and inappropriate. |
799 | Musicians to tackle US red tape
Musicians' groups are to tackle US visa regulations which are blamed for hindering British acts' chances of succeeding across the Atlantic.
A singer hoping to perform in the US can expect to pay $1,300 (£680) simply for obtaining a visa. Groups including the Musicians' Union are calling for an end to the "raw deal" faced by British performers. US acts are not faced with comparable expense and bureaucracy when visiting the UK for promotional purposes.
Nigel McCune from the Musicians' Union said British musicians are "disadvantaged" compared to their US counterparts. A sponsor has to make a petition on their behalf, which is a form amounting to nearly 30 pages, while musicians face tougher regulations than athletes and journalists. "If you make a mistake on your form, you risk a five-year ban and thus the ability to further your career," says Mr McCune.
"The US is the world's biggest music market, which means something has to be done about the creaky bureaucracy," says Mr McCune. "The current situation is preventing British acts from maintaining momentum and developing in the US," he added.
The Musicians' Union stance is being endorsed by the Music Managers' Forum (MMF), who say British artists face "an uphill struggle" to succeed in the US, thanks to the tough visa requirements, which are also seen as impractical. The MMF's general secretary James Seller said: "Imagine if you were an orchestra from the Orkneys? Every member would have to travel to London to have their visas processed."
"The US market is seen as the holy grail and one of the benchmarks of success, and we're still going to fight to get in there. "It's still very important, but there are other markets like Europe, India and China," added Mr Seller. A Department for Media, Culture and Sport spokeswoman said: "We're aware that people are experiencing problems, and are working with the US embassy and record industry to see what we can do about it." A US Embassy spokesman said: "We are aware that entertainers require visas for time-specific visas and are doing everything we can to process those applications speedily." "We are aware of the importance of cultural exchange and we will do our best to facilitate that," he added.
| Nigel McCune from the Musicians' Union said British musicians are "disadvantaged" compared to their US counterparts.A US Embassy spokesman said: "We are aware that entertainers require visas for time-specific visas and are doing everything we can to process those applications speedily."The Musicians' Union stance is being endorsed by the Music Managers' Forum (MMF), who say British artists face "an uphill struggle" to succeed in the US, thanks to the tough visa requirements, which are also seen as impractical.Musicians' groups are to tackle US visa regulations which are blamed for hindering British acts' chances of succeeding across the Atlantic."The US is the world's biggest music market, which means something has to be done about the creaky bureaucracy," says Mr McCune."The current situation is preventing British acts from maintaining momentum and developing in the US," he added.A singer hoping to perform in the US can expect to pay $1,300 (£680) simply for obtaining a visa. |
2 | Dollar gains on Greenspan speech
The dollar has hit its highest level against the euro in almost three months after the Federal Reserve head said the US trade deficit is set to stabilise.
And Alan Greenspan highlighted the US government's willingness to curb spending and rising household savings as factors which may help to reduce it. In late trading in New York, the dollar reached $1.2871 against the euro, from $1.2974 on Thursday. Market concerns about the deficit has hit the greenback in recent months. On Friday, Federal Reserve chairman Mr Greenspan's speech in London ahead of the meeting of G7 finance ministers sent the dollar higher after it had earlier tumbled on the back of worse-than-expected US jobs data. "I think the chairman's taking a much more sanguine view on the current account deficit than he's taken for some time," said Robert Sinche, head of currency strategy at Bank of America in New York. "He's taking a longer-term view, laying out a set of conditions under which the current account deficit can improve this year and next."
Worries about the deficit concerns about China do, however, remain. China's currency remains pegged to the dollar and the US currency's sharp falls in recent months have therefore made Chinese export prices highly competitive. But calls for a shift in Beijing's policy have fallen on deaf ears, despite recent comments in a major Chinese newspaper that the "time is ripe" for a loosening of the peg. The G7 meeting is thought unlikely to produce any meaningful movement in Chinese policy. In the meantime, the US Federal Reserve's decision on 2 February to boost interest rates by a quarter of a point - the sixth such move in as many months - has opened up a differential with European rates. The half-point window, some believe, could be enough to keep US assets looking more attractive, and could help prop up the dollar. The recent falls have partly been the result of big budget deficits, as well as the US's yawning current account gap, both of which need to be funded by the buying of US bonds and assets by foreign firms and governments. The White House will announce its budget on Monday, and many commentators believe the deficit will remain at close to half a trillion dollars.
| The dollar has hit its highest level against the euro in almost three months after the Federal Reserve head said the US trade deficit is set to stabilise.China's currency remains pegged to the dollar and the US currency's sharp falls in recent months have therefore made Chinese export prices highly competitive.Market concerns about the deficit has hit the greenback in recent months."I think the chairman's taking a much more sanguine view on the current account deficit than he's taken for some time," said Robert Sinche, head of currency strategy at Bank of America in New York.The recent falls have partly been the result of big budget deficits, as well as the US's yawning current account gap, both of which need to be funded by the buying of US bonds and assets by foreign firms and governments."He's taking a longer-term view, laying out a set of conditions under which the current account deficit can improve this year and next." |
711 | Triple triumph for Little Britain
Top TV cult hit Little Britain has triumphed over The Office at the 15th annual British Comedy Awards.
The BBC show beat The Office Christmas Special in the best TV comedy category and took the people's choice award. Matt Lucas and David Walliams also jointly won best TV comedy actor over The Office creator Ricky Gervais, who won a special award for writing. It was also a good night for Ant and Dec who clinched two awards, including best comedy entertainment personality. The Geordie duo also secured best comedy entertainment programme for Saturday Night Takeaway, beating I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, which they also host, and the BBC's Have I Got News For You.
The ceremony was presented by Jonathan Ross from ITV's London Studios headquarters on the capital's South Bank. Little Britain began life as a radio series on Radio 4, with Walliams and Lucas playing a range of misfit characters from an alternative Britain. It was later commissioned for BBC Three, where it proved a huge success, with the second series also shown on BBC One. After receiving his award for best TV comedy actor with Walliams, Lucas said: "It's a great honour to be nominated alongside Ricky Gervais and Martin Clunes."
The show also won the people's choice award, which is the only gong on the night voted for by viewers. Speaking after receiving the award for best comedy, Walliams said: "It was a real shock but I don't think we deserved to beat The Office which is a great show and more than just a comedy. It's a beautiful piece of work." Gervais and The Office co-writer Stephen Merchant received a special award for writing, presented by Noel Gallagher and Tom Stoppard. Gervais said: "The show has won an awful lot of awards in the last couple of years, too much. It's got embarrassing to be honest." Other winners at the awards included Caroline Quentin, who took home best TV comedy actress for Life Begins and Von Trapped.
Catherine Tate, from The Catherine Tate Show, was also nominated for the same award, but she did walk away with best comedy newcomer, over James McAvoy from Shameless (Channel 4) and Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding from The Mighty Boosh (BBC Three). Nighty Night was named Britain's best new TV comedy over ITV1 shows Doc Martin and Life Begins. But Doc Martin won best TV comedy drama, over Jonathan Creek (BBC One) and Shameless. Winner in the best international comedy category was The Simpsons, beating Sex and the City and Curb Your Enthusiasm. The prize was accepted by Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, who also received an outstanding contribution award from scientist Stephen Hawking, who has been featured in the series. School of Rock was voted best comedy film beating Shaun of the Dead and Shrek 2.
Matt Lucas & David Walliams (Little Britain, BBC Three)
Caroline Quentin (Life Begins/ Von Trapped, ITV1)
Ant & Dec (Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway/ I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!, ITV1)
Catherine Tate (The Catherine Tate Show, BBC Two)
Nighty Night (Baby Cow Productions, BBC Three)
Little Britain (BBC Three)
Doc Martin (Buffalo Productions, ITV1)
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (Granada, ITV1)
The Simpsons (Twentieth Century Fox, BBC Two/Sky One/Channel 4)
School Of Rock
| The BBC show beat The Office Christmas Special in the best TV comedy category and took the people's choice award.Matt Lucas and David Walliams also jointly won best TV comedy actor over The Office creator Ricky Gervais, who won a special award for writing.Speaking after receiving the award for best comedy, Walliams said: "It was a real shock but I don't think we deserved to beat The Office which is a great show and more than just a comedy.Nighty Night was named Britain's best new TV comedy over ITV1 shows Doc Martin and Life Begins.After receiving his award for best TV comedy actor with Walliams, Lucas said: "It's a great honour to be nominated alongside Ricky Gervais and Martin Clunes."Catherine Tate, from The Catherine Tate Show, was also nominated for the same award, but she did walk away with best comedy newcomer, over James McAvoy from Shameless (Channel 4) and Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding from The Mighty Boosh (BBC Three).But Doc Martin won best TV comedy drama, over Jonathan Creek (BBC One) and Shameless.It was also a good night for Ant and Dec who clinched two awards, including best comedy entertainment personality.Other winners at the awards included Caroline Quentin, who took home best TV comedy actress for Life Begins and Von Trapped.The Geordie duo also secured best comedy entertainment programme for Saturday Night Takeaway, beating I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, which they also host, and the BBC's Have I Got News For You. |
414 | Enron bosses in $168m payout
Eighteen former Enron directors have agreed a $168m (£89m) settlement deal in a shareholder lawsuit over the collapse of the energy firm.
Leading plaintiff, the University of California, announced the news, adding that 10 of the former directors will pay $13m from their own pockets. The settlement will be put to the courts for approval next week. Enron went bankrupt in 2001 after it emerged it had hidden hundreds of millions of dollars in debt.
Before its collapse, the firm was the seventh biggest public US company by revenue. Its demise sent shockwaves through financial markets and dented investor confidence in corporate America.
"The settlement is very significant in holding these outside directors at least partially personally responsible," William Lerach, the lawyer leading the class action suit against Enron, said. "Hopefully, this will help send a message to corporate boardrooms of the importance of directors performing their legal duties," he added. Under the terms of the $168m settlement - $155m of which will be covered by insurance - none of the 18 former directors will admit any wrongdoing. The deal is the fourth major settlement negotiated by lawyers who filed a class action on behalf of Enron's shareholders almost three years ago. So far, including the latest deal, just under $500m (£378.8m) has been retrieved for investors.
However, the latest deal does not include former Enron chief executives Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling. Both men are facing criminal charges for their alleged misconduct in the run up to the firm's collapse. Neither does it cover Andrew Fastow, who has pleaded guilty to taking part in an illegal conspiracy while he was chief financial officer at the group. Enron's shareholders are still seeking damages from a long list of other big name defendants including the financial institutions JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse First Boston. The University of California said the trial in the case is scheduled to begin in October 2006. It joined the lawsuit in December 2001alleging "massive insider trading" and fraud, claiming it had lost $145m on its investments in the company.
| Eighteen former Enron directors have agreed a $168m (£89m) settlement deal in a shareholder lawsuit over the collapse of the energy firm."The settlement is very significant in holding these outside directors at least partially personally responsible," William Lerach, the lawyer leading the class action suit against Enron, said.Under the terms of the $168m settlement - $155m of which will be covered by insurance - none of the 18 former directors will admit any wrongdoing.However, the latest deal does not include former Enron chief executives Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling.Leading plaintiff, the University of California, announced the news, adding that 10 of the former directors will pay $13m from their own pockets.The deal is the fourth major settlement negotiated by lawyers who filed a class action on behalf of Enron's shareholders almost three years ago.So far, including the latest deal, just under $500m (£378.8m) has been retrieved for investors. |
254 | News Corp eyes video games market
News Corp, the media company controlled by Australian billionaire Rupert Murdoch, is eyeing a move into the video games market.
According to the Financial Times, chief operating officer Peter Chernin said that News Corp is "kicking the tyres of pretty much all video games companies". Santa Monica-based Activison is said to be one firm on its takeover list. Video games are "big business", the paper quoted Mr Chernin as saying. We "would like to get into it".
The success of products such as Sony's Playstation, Microsoft's X-Box and Nintendo's Game Cube have boosted demand for video games. The days of arcade classics such as Space Invaders, Pac-Man and Donkey Kong are long gone. Today, games often have budgets big enough for feature films and look to give gamers as real an experience as possible. And with their price tags reflecting the heavy investment by development companies, video games are proving almost as profitable as they are fun.
Mr Chernin, however, told the FT that News Corp was finding it difficult to identify a suitable target. "We are struggling with the gap between companies like Electronic Arts (EA), which comes with a high price tag, and the next tier of companies," he explained during a conference in Phoenix, Arizona. "These may be too focused on one or two product lines." Activision has a stock market capitalisation of about $2.95bn (£1.57bn), compared to EA's $17.8bn. Some of the games industry's main players have recently been looking to consolidate their position by making acquisitions. France's Ubisoft, one of Europe's biggest video game publishers, has been trying to remain independent since Electronic Arts announced plans to buy 19.9% of the firm. Analysts have said that industry mergers are likely in the future.
| According to the Financial Times, chief operating officer Peter Chernin said that News Corp is "kicking the tyres of pretty much all video games companies".Video games are "big business", the paper quoted Mr Chernin as saying.News Corp, the media company controlled by Australian billionaire Rupert Murdoch, is eyeing a move into the video games market.France's Ubisoft, one of Europe's biggest video game publishers, has been trying to remain independent since Electronic Arts announced plans to buy 19.9% of the firm.And with their price tags reflecting the heavy investment by development companies, video games are proving almost as profitable as they are fun.The success of products such as Sony's Playstation, Microsoft's X-Box and Nintendo's Game Cube have boosted demand for video games."We are struggling with the gap between companies like Electronic Arts (EA), which comes with a high price tag, and the next tier of companies," he explained during a conference in Phoenix, Arizona. |
98 | IMF 'cuts' German growth estimate
The International Monetary Fund is to cut its 2005 growth forecast for the German economy from 1.8% to 0.8%, the Financial Times Deutschland reported.
The IMF will also reduce its growth estimate for the 12-member eurozone economy from 2.2% to 1.6%, the newspaper reported. The German economy has been faltering, with unemployment levels rising to a seventy-year high of 5.2 million. Its sluggish performance continues to hamper the entire eurozone.
The IMF's draft World Economic Outlook - due to be published in April - would point to a marked deterioration in Germany's economy, the FT report said.
In September, the IMF had said that German growth for the current year would be 1.8%. The IMF has also revised eurozone forecasts, the paper said, taking into account high oil prices, the strength of the euro and weak demand in many of the world's leading economies. Europe's economic difficulties have been highlighted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which argued in a report published on Tuesday that the continent could only achieve US living standards by freeing up its labour markets. "The eurozone does not look like it has a self-sustaining recovery," James Carrick, an economist with ABN Amro, told the newspaper. "It is too dependant on the rest of the world."
| The IMF will also reduce its growth estimate for the 12-member eurozone economy from 2.2% to 1.6%, the newspaper reported.The IMF's draft World Economic Outlook - due to be published in April - would point to a marked deterioration in Germany's economy, the FT report said.In September, the IMF had said that German growth for the current year would be 1.8%.The IMF has also revised eurozone forecasts, the paper said, taking into account high oil prices, the strength of the euro and weak demand in many of the world's leading economies. |
517 | Levy tipped for Whitbread prize
Novelist Andrea Levy is favourite to win the main Whitbread Prize book of the year award, after winning novel of the year with her book Small Island.
The book has already won the Orange Prize for fiction, and is now 5/4 favourite for the £25,000 Whitbread. Second favourite is a biography of Mary Queen of Scots, by John Guy. A panel of judges including Sir Trevor McDonald, actor Hugh Grant and writer Joanne Harris will decide the overall winner on Tuesday.
The five writers in line for the award won their respective categories - first novel, novel, biography, poetry and children's book - on 6 January. Small Island, Levy's fourth novel, is set in post-war London and centres on a landlady and her lodgers. One is a Jamaican who joined British troops to fight Hitler but finds life difficult out of uniform when he settles in the UK. "What could have been a didactic or preachy prospect turns out to hilarious, moving humane and eye-popping. It's hard to think of anybody not enjoying it," wrote the judges. The judges called Guy's My Heart is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots "an impressive and readable piece of scholarship, which cannot fail but leave the reader moved and intrigued by this most tragic and likeable of queens". Guy has published many histories, including one of Tudor England. He is a fellow at Clare College, Cambridge and became a honorary research professor of the University of St Andrews in 2003.
The other contenders include Susan Fletcher for Eve Green, which won the first novel prize. Fletcher has recently graduated from the University of East Anglia's creative writing course. The fourth book in the running is Corpus, Michael Symmons Roberts' fourth collection of poems. As well as writing poetry, Symmons Roberts also makes documentary films. Geraldine McCaughrean is the final contender, having won the children's fiction category for the third time for Not the End of the World. McCaughrean, who went into magazine publishing after studying teaching, previously won the category in 1987 with A Little Lower than Angels and in 1994 with Gold Dust.
| The five writers in line for the award won their respective categories - first novel, novel, biography, poetry and children's book - on 6 January.The book has already won the Orange Prize for fiction, and is now 5/4 favourite for the £25,000 Whitbread.Novelist Andrea Levy is favourite to win the main Whitbread Prize book of the year award, after winning novel of the year with her book Small Island.The other contenders include Susan Fletcher for Eve Green, which won the first novel prize.Second favourite is a biography of Mary Queen of Scots, by John Guy.The fourth book in the running is Corpus, Michael Symmons Roberts' fourth collection of poems.Guy has published many histories, including one of Tudor England.Fletcher has recently graduated from the University of East Anglia's creative writing course. |
329 | House prices drop as sales slow
House prices fell further in November and property sale times lengthened as rate rises took their toll, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors found.
A total of 48% of chartered surveyor estate agents reported lower prices in the three months to November - the highest level in 12 years. Meanwhile the number of sales dropped 32% to an average of 22 per surveyor. The amount of unsold properties on their books rose for the sixth month in a row to an average of 67 properties. "The slowdown occurring in the market has given buyers more power to negotiate, but this time of year is traditionally a quiet one," RICS housing spokesman Ian Perry said. "The decision by the Bank of England not to increase interest rates further and the healthy economy is allowing confidence to consolidate."
The figures support recent data from the government and other bodies which all point to a slowdown in the housing market. On Monday, the Council of Mortgage Lenders, British Bankers Association and Building Societies Association all said mortgage lending was slowing. The figures were published as another survey by property website Rightmove said the average asking price of a home fell by more than £600 from £190,329 in November to £189,733 in December. Around the UK, the Midlands and South saw the biggest price falls, while London prices fell but at less than the national rate. In Scotland, where prices have remained on an upward path, increases were more "moderate", RICS added. But the news failed to dent confidence that sales will recover in future, with surveyors at their most optimistic in a year - as new purchase inquiries stabilised despite holding at lower levels. "Sales usually pick up in the New Year and I am confident this year will be no exception," Mr Perry added. Looking ahead, the group is anticipating a quiet start to 2005 with the market picking up in the second half - prompting a 3% rise in prices over the coming 12 months.
| House prices fell further in November and property sale times lengthened as rate rises took their toll, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors found.The figures were published as another survey by property website Rightmove said the average asking price of a home fell by more than £600 from £190,329 in November to £189,733 in December.A total of 48% of chartered surveyor estate agents reported lower prices in the three months to November - the highest level in 12 years.Around the UK, the Midlands and South saw the biggest price falls, while London prices fell but at less than the national rate."The slowdown occurring in the market has given buyers more power to negotiate, but this time of year is traditionally a quiet one," RICS housing spokesman Ian Perry said.In Scotland, where prices have remained on an upward path, increases were more "moderate", RICS added. |
1 | Ad sales boost Time Warner profit
Quarterly profits at US media giant TimeWarner jumped 76% to $1.13bn (£600m) for the three months to December, from $639m year-earlier.
The firm, which is now one of the biggest investors in Google, benefited from sales of high-speed internet connections and higher advert sales. TimeWarner said fourth quarter sales rose 2% to $11.1bn from $10.9bn. Its profits were buoyed by one-off gains which offset a profit dip at Warner Bros, and less users for AOL.
Time Warner said on Friday that it now owns 8% of search-engine Google. But its own internet business, AOL, had has mixed fortunes. It lost 464,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter profits were lower than in the preceding three quarters. However, the company said AOL's underlying profit before exceptional items rose 8% on the back of stronger internet advertising revenues. It hopes to increase subscribers by offering the online service free to TimeWarner internet customers and will try to sign up AOL's existing customers for high-speed broadband. TimeWarner also has to restate 2000 and 2003 results following a probe by the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), which is close to concluding.
Time Warner's fourth quarter profits were slightly better than analysts' expectations. But its film division saw profits slump 27% to $284m, helped by box-office flops Alexander and Catwoman, a sharp contrast to year-earlier, when the third and final film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy boosted results. For the full-year, TimeWarner posted a profit of $3.36bn, up 27% from its 2003 performance, while revenues grew 6.4% to $42.09bn. "Our financial performance was strong, meeting or exceeding all of our full-year objectives and greatly enhancing our flexibility," chairman and chief executive Richard Parsons said. For 2005, TimeWarner is projecting operating earnings growth of around 5%, and also expects higher revenue and wider profit margins.
TimeWarner is to restate its accounts as part of efforts to resolve an inquiry into AOL by US market regulators. It has already offered to pay $300m to settle charges, in a deal that is under review by the SEC. The company said it was unable to estimate the amount it needed to set aside for legal reserves, which it previously set at $500m. It intends to adjust the way it accounts for a deal with German music publisher Bertelsmann's purchase of a stake in AOL Europe, which it had reported as advertising revenue. It will now book the sale of its stake in AOL Europe as a loss on the value of that stake.
| TimeWarner said fourth quarter sales rose 2% to $11.1bn from $10.9bn.For the full-year, TimeWarner posted a profit of $3.36bn, up 27% from its 2003 performance, while revenues grew 6.4% to $42.09bn.Quarterly profits at US media giant TimeWarner jumped 76% to $1.13bn (£600m) for the three months to December, from $639m year-earlier.However, the company said AOL's underlying profit before exceptional items rose 8% on the back of stronger internet advertising revenues.Its profits were buoyed by one-off gains which offset a profit dip at Warner Bros, and less users for AOL.For 2005, TimeWarner is projecting operating earnings growth of around 5%, and also expects higher revenue and wider profit margins.It lost 464,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter profits were lower than in the preceding three quarters.Time Warner's fourth quarter profits were slightly better than analysts' expectations. |
1,943 | Argonaut founder rebuilds empire
Jez San, the man behind the Argonaut games group which went into administration a week ago, has bought back most of the company.
The veteran games developer has taken over the Cambridge-based Just Add Monsters studios and the London subsidiary Morpheme. The Argonaut group went into administration due to a severe cash crisis, firing about half of its staff. In August it had warned of annual losses of £6m for the year to 31 July.
Jez San is one of the key figures in the UK's games industry. The developer, who received an OBE in 2002, was estimated to have been worth more than £200m at the peak of the dotcom boom.
He founded Argonaut in 1982 and has been behind titles such as 1993 Starfox game. More recently it was behind the Harry Potter games for the PlayStation. But, like all software developers, Argonaut needed a constant flow of deals with publishers. In August it warned of annual losses of £6m, blaming delays in signing new contracts and tough conditions in the software industry. The group's three subsidiaries were placed in administration a week ago, with Mr Sans resigning as the company's CEO and some 100 staff being fired. After the latest round of cuts, there were 80 workers at Argonaut headquarters in Edgware in north London, with 17 at its Morpheme offices in Kentish Town, London, and 22 at the Just Add Monsters base in Cambridge. Mr San has re-emerged, buying back Morpheme and Just Add Monsters. "We are pleased to announce the sale of these two businesses as going concerns," said David Rubin of administrators David Rubin & Partners. "This has saved over 40 jobs as well as the substantial employment claims that would have arisen had the sales not been achieved." Mr Rubin said the administrators were in talks over the sale of the Argonaut software division in Edgware and were hopeful of finding a buyer. "This is a very difficult time for all the employees there, but I salute their commitment to the business while we work towards a solution," he said. Some former employees are angry at the way cash crisis was handled. One told BBC News Online that the staff who had been fired had been "financially ruined in the space of a day".
| Jez San, the man behind the Argonaut games group which went into administration a week ago, has bought back most of the company.He founded Argonaut in 1982 and has been behind titles such as 1993 Starfox game.The veteran games developer has taken over the Cambridge-based Just Add Monsters studios and the London subsidiary Morpheme.Mr Rubin said the administrators were in talks over the sale of the Argonaut software division in Edgware and were hopeful of finding a buyer.Mr San has re-emerged, buying back Morpheme and Just Add Monsters.The Argonaut group went into administration due to a severe cash crisis, firing about half of its staff.More recently it was behind the Harry Potter games for the PlayStation.Jez San is one of the key figures in the UK's games industry. |
728 | Stern dropped from radio stations
Controversial DJ Howard Stern has been dropped from four US radio stations because he keeps promoting his move to a network broadcasting on satellite.
Cidatel Broadcasting said Stern had transformed his show into a "continuous infomercial promoting Sirius, his new satellite radio employer". Stern will join the Sirius subscription service, which is not governed by US regulators, next year. Citadel pulled Stern's show from stations in New York and Pennsylvania. Stern had been holiday for two weeks but his show did not return to the four stations as expected on 3 January. Citadel said it did not yet know whether it would return to its network.
Stern announced in October that he was leaving conventional radio, where his syndicated show goes out across the US, for the relatively restriction-free satellite service. The DJ's broadcasts are well known for landing in trouble with regulators for obscene and sexually explicit rantings. Stern was dropped by six stations owned by media giant Clear Channel in 2004 after it had to pay the Federal Communications Commission $1.75m (£950,000), over breaches indecency laws. Media giant Viacom has also reportedly agreed to the FCC's demands that if Stern is issued with another indecency violation then his show must be pulled from all of its stations. Viacom has also been hit with record fines of $3.5m (£1.8m) over Stern and two other New York DJs. But Stern continues to be one of the most popular talk show hosts, particularly in the 25-54 age category.
| Cidatel Broadcasting said Stern had transformed his show into a "continuous infomercial promoting Sirius, his new satellite radio employer".Stern had been holiday for two weeks but his show did not return to the four stations as expected on 3 January.Controversial DJ Howard Stern has been dropped from four US radio stations because he keeps promoting his move to a network broadcasting on satellite.Viacom has also been hit with record fines of $3.5m (£1.8m) over Stern and two other New York DJs.Stern announced in October that he was leaving conventional radio, where his syndicated show goes out across the US, for the relatively restriction-free satellite service. |
292 | Steady job growth continues in US
The US created fewer jobs than expected in December, but analysts said that the dip in hiring was not enough to derail the world's biggest economy.
According to Labor Department figures, 157,000 new jobs were added last month. That took 2004's total to 2.2 million, the best showing in five years. Job creation was one of last year's main concerns for the US economy. While worries still remain, the conditions are set for steady growth in 2005, analysts said. The unemployment rate stayed at 5.4% in December, and about 200,000 jobs will need to be created each month if that figure is to drop.
"It was a respectable report," said Michael Moran, analyst at Daiwa Securities.
"Payroll growth in December was a little lighter than the consensus forecast, but we had upward revisions to the prior two months and an increase in manufacturing employment." "Manufacturing is a cyclical area of the economy and if it's showing job growth, it's a good indication that the economy is on a solid growth track." That means that the Federal Reserve is likely to continue its policy of raising interest rates. The Fed lifted borrowing costs five times last year to 2.25%, citing evidence the US economic recovery was becoming more robust.
Job creation was one of last year's main concerns for the US economy, and proved to be a main topic of debate in the US presidential election. While demand for workers is far from booming, the conditions are set for steady growth. "Overall, compared to the previous year it looks great, it just keeps going stronger and stronger and I expect that to be the case" in 2005, said Kurt Karl, economist at Swiss Re in New York. Meanwhile, economists cautioned against reading too much into data from the Federal Reserve showing an unexpected $8.7bn drop in consumer debt in November. A fall in consumer spending, which makes up about two-thirds of all US economic activity, could help limit the extent of any future interest rate rises. But economists said there could be a number of reasons for a fall in the borrowing, which include credit cards and personal loans, while noting that such figures can vary on a month-to-month basis.
| Job creation was one of last year's main concerns for the US economy.Job creation was one of last year's main concerns for the US economy, and proved to be a main topic of debate in the US presidential election.The US created fewer jobs than expected in December, but analysts said that the dip in hiring was not enough to derail the world's biggest economy."Manufacturing is a cyclical area of the economy and if it's showing job growth, it's a good indication that the economy is on a solid growth track."While worries still remain, the conditions are set for steady growth in 2005, analysts said.The Fed lifted borrowing costs five times last year to 2.25%, citing evidence the US economic recovery was becoming more robust.The unemployment rate stayed at 5.4% in December, and about 200,000 jobs will need to be created each month if that figure is to drop. |
328 | Bush to get 'tough' on deficit
US president George W Bush has pledged to introduce a "tough" federal budget next February in a bid to halve the country's deficit in five years.
The US budget and its trade deficit are both deep in the red, helping to push the dollar to lows against the euro and fuelling fears about the economy. Mr Bush indicated there would be "strict discipline" on non-defence spending in the budget. The vow to cut the deficit had been one of his re-election declarations. The federal budget deficit hit a record $412bn (£211.6bn) in the 12 months to 30 September and $377bn in the previous year.
"We will submit a budget that fits the times," Mr Bush said. "It will provide every tool and resource to the military, will protect the homeland, and meet other priorities of the government." The US has said it is committed to a strong dollar. But the dollar's weakness has hit European and Asian exporters and lead to calls for US intervention to boost the currency. Mr Bush, however, has said the best way to halt the dollar's slide is to deal with the US deficit. "It's a budget that I think will send the right signal to the financial markets and to those concerned about our short-term deficits," Mr Bush added. "As well, we've got to deal with the long-term deficit issues."
| Mr Bush, however, has said the best way to halt the dollar's slide is to deal with the US deficit.US president George W Bush has pledged to introduce a "tough" federal budget next February in a bid to halve the country's deficit in five years."We will submit a budget that fits the times," Mr Bush said.The US budget and its trade deficit are both deep in the red, helping to push the dollar to lows against the euro and fuelling fears about the economy.Mr Bush indicated there would be "strict discipline" on non-defence spending in the budget. |
2,144 | PlayStation 3 processor unveiled
The Cell processor, which will drive Sony's PlayStation 3, will run 10-times faster than current PC chips, its designers have said.
Sony, IBM and Toshiba, who have been working on the Cell processor for three years, unveiled the chip on Monday. It is being designed for use in graphics workstations, the new PlayStation console, and has been described as a supercomputer on a chip. The chip will run at speeds of greater than 4 GHz, the firms said. By comparison, rival chip maker Intel's fastest processor runs at 3.8 GHz. Details of the chip were released at the International Solid State Circuits Conference in San Francisco. The new processor is set to ignite a fresh battle between Intel and the Cell consortium over which processor sits at the centre of digital products. The PlayStation 3 is expected in 2006, while Toshiba plans to incorporate it into high-end televisions next year. IBM has said it will sell a workstation with the chip starting later this year.
Cell is comprised of several computing engines, or cores. A core based on IBM's Power architecture controls eight "synergistic" processing centres. In all, they can simultaneously carry out 10 instruction sequences, compared with two for current Intel chips.
Later this year, Intel and Advanced Micro Devices plan to release their own "multicore" chips, which also increase the number of instructions that can be executed at once. The Cell's specifications suggest the PlayStation 3 will offer a significant boost in graphics capabilities but analysts cautioned that not all the features in a product announcement will find their way into systems. "Any new technology like this has two components," said Steve Kleynhans, an analyst with Meta Group. He said: "It has the vision of what it could be because you need the big vision to sell it. "Then there's the reality of how it's really going to be used, which generally is several levels down the chain from there."
While the PlayStation 3 is likely to be the first mass-market product to use Cell, the chip's designers have said the flexible architecture means that it would be useful for a wide range of applications, from servers to mobile phones. Initial devices are unlikely to be any smaller than a games console, however, because the first version of the Cell will run hot enough to need a cooling fan. And while marketing speak describes the chip as a "supercomputer" - it remains significantly slower than the slowest computer on the list of the world's top 500 supercomputers. IBM said Cell was "OS neutral" and would support multiple operating systems simultaneously but designers would not confirm if Microsoft's Windows was among those tested with the chip. If Cell is to challenge Intel's range of chips in the marketplace, it will need to find itself inside PCs, which predominantly run using Windows.
| The Cell processor, which will drive Sony's PlayStation 3, will run 10-times faster than current PC chips, its designers have said.IBM has said it will sell a workstation with the chip starting later this year.The chip will run at speeds of greater than 4 GHz, the firms said.While the PlayStation 3 is likely to be the first mass-market product to use Cell, the chip's designers have said the flexible architecture means that it would be useful for a wide range of applications, from servers to mobile phones.If Cell is to challenge Intel's range of chips in the marketplace, it will need to find itself inside PCs, which predominantly run using Windows.Sony, IBM and Toshiba, who have been working on the Cell processor for three years, unveiled the chip on Monday.It is being designed for use in graphics workstations, the new PlayStation console, and has been described as a supercomputer on a chip.By comparison, rival chip maker Intel's fastest processor runs at 3.8 GHz.IBM said Cell was "OS neutral" and would support multiple operating systems simultaneously but designers would not confirm if Microsoft's Windows was among those tested with the chip. |
184 | M&S cuts prices by average of 24%
Marks & Spencer has cut prices in London and the regions by an average of 24%, according to research from a City investment bank.
Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein said: "In spite of the snow in the UK, it still feels very early to be cutting prices of spring merchandise." Stuart Rose, head of M&S, said last year its prices were too high. "We are bringing in ranges at new price points to compete against mid-market retailers like Next," said M&S.
Next is one of M&S's biggest competitors and the move may force it to lower prices. DrKW said the cuts are either to clear stock or could indicate a longer term "step change in pricing in certain areas" at M&S. "Either way, this cannot be good news for M&S' margin," it added. "We have brought in quite a lot of new clothing at new price points as part of Stuart Rose's strategy of quality, style -and price," said the M&S spokesman. Many analysts believe February is proving to be a difficult month for retailers and British Retail Consortium figures, due in a few weeks, are expected to reflect the tough trading environment. Separately, investment bank Goldman Sachs produced reseach showing that a basket of 35 M&S goods is now 11% above the high-street average, compared with 43% higher last year.
It has been a strange week for M&S, which on Tuesday received a statement from Philip Green, the billionaire Bhs owner, confirming he was not rebidding for the company. This was followed the same day by Mark Paulsmeier, a South African financier, issuing a press release saying his Paulsmeier Group was interested in M&S. A sudden spike in M&S's share price followed. However, an M&S spokesman said on Sunday it had no evidence that Mr Paulsmeier had lined up sufficient finance for a bid. He also said the Takeover Panel and the UK's financial watchdog the Financial Services Authority had been in touch with M&S at the beginning of the week to find out what it knew about the Paulsmeier developments.
| "We are bringing in ranges at new price points to compete against mid-market retailers like Next," said M&S.Stuart Rose, head of M&S, said last year its prices were too high."We have brought in quite a lot of new clothing at new price points as part of Stuart Rose's strategy of quality, style -and price," said the M&S spokesman.However, an M&S spokesman said on Sunday it had no evidence that Mr Paulsmeier had lined up sufficient finance for a bid.DrKW said the cuts are either to clear stock or could indicate a longer term "step change in pricing in certain areas" at M&S.He also said the Takeover Panel and the UK's financial watchdog the Financial Services Authority had been in touch with M&S at the beginning of the week to find out what it knew about the Paulsmeier developments. |
779 | Michael film signals 'retirement'
Singer George Michael has said that a new film about his life is the start of a retirement from public view.
The pop star said it would be a much more "behind the scenes affair", and called his own genre of music "dead". "I thought I should explain myself before I disappear," said Michael, who was at the Berlin film festival to launch the documentary. The film, A Different Story, chronicles Michael's life and career from the 1980s and his personal struggles. The 41-year-old chart-topper told reporters in the German capital that he wanted to "move his career into a different form", but added that he does not know what it is going to be yet.
"I'm still going to be making music," he said, but added that he was "not going to be around". He hinted at discontent with the current state of music industry, and said: "I don't really think that there is anyone in the modern pop business who I feel I want to spar with." Michael said that the film, directed by Southan Morris, would put his two decades of fame into context. "It's almost as much for me as for my fans, in terms of trying to make sense of the last 22 years and bring it to a close in a proper way," he said. The documentary chronicles the highs and lows of his life in the public gaze, from his meteoric rise as one half of pop duo Wham! to his arrest for lewd conduct in a Los Angeles toilet in 1998. The film also deals with the loss of Michael's partner Anselmo Feleppa from an Aids-related condition in 1993. A Different Story, which is being shown at the Berlin Film Festival, has been screened by BBC One.
| "I thought I should explain myself before I disappear," said Michael, who was at the Berlin film festival to launch the documentary.Singer George Michael has said that a new film about his life is the start of a retirement from public view.The film, A Different Story, chronicles Michael's life and career from the 1980s and his personal struggles.Michael said that the film, directed by Southan Morris, would put his two decades of fame into context.A Different Story, which is being shown at the Berlin Film Festival, has been screened by BBC One."I'm still going to be making music," he said, but added that he was "not going to be around". |
887 | UK Directors Guild nominees named
Martin Scorsese and Clint Eastwood are among the nominees for the top prize at the Directors Guild of Great Britain awards, now in their second year.
The Oscar rivals will compete for the international film prize at the ceremony, to be held at the Curzon Mayfair cinema in London on 20 March. Other nominees include Bill Condon for Kinsey and Michel Gondry for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Mike Leigh's Vera Drake is among the nominees for best British film. The awards will see Eastwood and Scorsese once again competing for the directing prize, following last weekend's Oscars. Clint Eastwood won best director for Million Dollar Baby, beating Scorsese who was nominated for a fifth time for the Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator. Mike Leigh will compete for the British film prize with Shane Meadows for Dead Man's Shoes, Roger Michell For Enduring Love and My Summer Of Love director Pawel Pawlikowski.
Nominees for best foreign film include Spain's Pedro Almodovar for Bad Education and Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai for 2046. In the TV categories, comedy series Early Doors and The Alan Clark Diaries will compete for the best directing award for a 30-minute television show, while the directors of Shameless, Hustle and Bodies are all nominated for the 60-minute television prize. The directors of Omagh and Sex Traffic are among the nominees for a television movie or mini-series. American Beauty's Sam Mendes will receive a lifetime achievement award for his work in film and theatre, while theatre director Simon McBurney will be given an award for outstanding directorial achievement.
| Mike Leigh's Vera Drake is among the nominees for best British film.In the TV categories, comedy series Early Doors and The Alan Clark Diaries will compete for the best directing award for a 30-minute television show, while the directors of Shameless, Hustle and Bodies are all nominated for the 60-minute television prize.Martin Scorsese and Clint Eastwood are among the nominees for the top prize at the Directors Guild of Great Britain awards, now in their second year.The directors of Omagh and Sex Traffic are among the nominees for a television movie or mini-series.Mike Leigh will compete for the British film prize with Shane Meadows for Dead Man's Shoes, Roger Michell For Enduring Love and My Summer Of Love director Pawel Pawlikowski. |
1,770 | Injury sidelines Philippoussis
Mark Philippoussis withdrew from the Sydney International tennis tournament as expected on Sunday after suffering a groin injury during the Hopman Cup.
His participation in the Australian Open, which begins on 17 January in Melbourne, also remains in doubt. Defending women's champion Justine Henin-Hardenne is also out of the Sydney event because of a knee injury. In the only main draw men's or women's singles match on Sunday, Nathalie Dechy beat American Lisa Raymond 7-5 6-3. Number one men's seed Lleyton Hewitt begins his quest for a fourth Sydney title on Tuesday when he plays Karol Beck. Lindsay Davenport, top seed in the women's draw, has been handed a first-round bye and plays France's Dechy in the second round on Tuesday.
| Defending women's champion Justine Henin-Hardenne is also out of the Sydney event because of a knee injury.Number one men's seed Lleyton Hewitt begins his quest for a fourth Sydney title on Tuesday when he plays Karol Beck.Lindsay Davenport, top seed in the women's draw, has been handed a first-round bye and plays France's Dechy in the second round on Tuesday. |
116 | Japan bank shares up on link talk
Shares of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial (SMFG), and Daiwa Securities jumped amid speculation that two of Japan's biggest financial companies will merge.
Financial newspaper Nihon Keizai Shimbun claimed that the firms will join up next year and already have held discussions with Japanese regulators. The firms denied that they are about to link up, but said they are examining ways of working more closely together. SMFG shares climbed by 2.7% to 717,000, and Daiwa added 5.3% to 740 yen.
Combining SMFG, Japan's third-biggest lender, and Daiwa, the country's second-largest brokerage firm, would create a company with assets of more than $1,000bn (£537bn). SMFG President Yoshifumi Nishikawa said that the companies needed to bolster their businesses. "Both companies need to strengthen retail and other operations," he said, adding that "it's an issue we have in common". Daiwa said that "although it is true that the two groups have been engaging in various discussions to enhance cooperation, there are no plans to enter into negotiations to consolidate the two businesses". Analysts said that consolidation in Japan's financial sector was likely to continue and that it was likely to have a positive impact on earnings. "Cross-selling opportunities between banks and brokers are increasing thanks to deregulation, so we can expect the relationship to get even stronger," said Heronry Nozaki, an analyst at NikkoCitigroup. The merger "would be a good move," he added.
| Shares of Sumitomo Mitsui Financial (SMFG), and Daiwa Securities jumped amid speculation that two of Japan's biggest financial companies will merge.SMFG President Yoshifumi Nishikawa said that the companies needed to bolster their businesses.Combining SMFG, Japan's third-biggest lender, and Daiwa, the country's second-largest brokerage firm, would create a company with assets of more than $1,000bn (£537bn).SMFG shares climbed by 2.7% to 717,000, and Daiwa added 5.3% to 740 yen.Daiwa said that "although it is true that the two groups have been engaging in various discussions to enhance cooperation, there are no plans to enter into negotiations to consolidate the two businesses". |
473 | Two Nigerian banks set to merge
Nigerian banks United Bank of Africa and Standard Trust Bank have agreed plans to merge and create the biggest bank in West Africa.
The deal is also in line with a 2004 directive from the Nigerian central bank that called for more consolidation in the nation's crowded banking sector. The merger was announced in a statement on Standard Trust's website on Tuesday, but no financial details were revealed. United Bank is the third biggest in Nigeria in terms of number of branches. Standard Trust is smaller but more profitable. "The boards of United Bank and Standard Trust, at separate meetings yesterday, approved arrangements to merge both institutions," Standard Trust said. Standard Trust is 100% Nigerian-owned, but United Bank has some foreign investors, including New York-based Global Depository Receipts (32.8%), and Banca Nazionale del Lavoro and Monte del Paschi di Siena, both from Italy, who each have a 2.4% stake.
| Nigerian banks United Bank of Africa and Standard Trust Bank have agreed plans to merge and create the biggest bank in West Africa."The boards of United Bank and Standard Trust, at separate meetings yesterday, approved arrangements to merge both institutions," Standard Trust said.Standard Trust is smaller but more profitable. |
2,165 | Sony PSP tipped as a 'must-have'
Sony's Playstation Portable is the top UK gadget for 2005, according to a round-up of ultimate gizmos compiled by Stuff Magazine.
It beats the iPod into second place in the Top Ten Essentials list which predicts what gadget-lovers are likely to covet this year. Owning all 10 gadgets will set the gadget lover back £7,455. That is £1,000 cheaper than last year's list due to falling manufacturing costs making gadgets more affordable.
Portable gadgets dominate the list, including Sharp's 902 3G mobile phone, the Pentax Optio SV digital camera and Samsung's Yepp YH-999 video jukebox.
"What this year's Essentials shows is that gadgets are now cheaper, sexier and more indispensable than ever. We've got to the point where we can't live our lives without certain technology," said Adam Vaughan, editor of Stuff Essentials. The proliferation of gadgets in our homes is inexorably altering the role of the high street in our lives thinks Mr Vaughan. "Take digital cameras, who would now pay to develop an entire film of photos? Or legitimate downloads, who would travel miles to a record shop when they could download the song in minutes for 70p?" he asks. Next year will see a new set of technologies capturing the imaginations of gadget lovers, Stuff predicts. The Xbox 2, high-definition TV and MP3 mobiles will be among the list of must-haves that will dominate 2006, it says. The spring launch of the PSP in the UK is eagerly awaited by gaming fans.
| Owning all 10 gadgets will set the gadget lover back £7,455.Portable gadgets dominate the list, including Sharp's 902 3G mobile phone, the Pentax Optio SV digital camera and Samsung's Yepp YH-999 video jukebox."What this year's Essentials shows is that gadgets are now cheaper, sexier and more indispensable than ever.Next year will see a new set of technologies capturing the imaginations of gadget lovers, Stuff predicts.That is £1,000 cheaper than last year's list due to falling manufacturing costs making gadgets more affordable.Sony's Playstation Portable is the top UK gadget for 2005, according to a round-up of ultimate gizmos compiled by Stuff Magazine. |
333 | Troubled Marsh under SEC scrutiny
The US stock market regulator is investigating troubled insurance broker Marsh & McLennan's shareholder transactions, the firm has said.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has asked for information about transactions involving holders of 5% or more of the firm's shares. Marsh has said it is co-operating fully with the SEC investigation. Marsh is also the focus of an inquiry the New York attorney-general into whether insurers rigged the market. Since that inquiry was launched in October, Marsh has replaced its chief executive and held a boardroom shake-out to meet criticism by lessening the number of company executives on the board. Prosecutors allege that Marsh - the world's biggest insurance broker - and other US insurance firms may have fixed bids for corporate cover. This is the issue at the heart of the inquiry by New York's top law officer, Eliot Spitzer, and a separate prosecution of five insurers by the State of California. The SEC's investigation into so-called related party transactions includes dealings in the Trident Funds, managed by MMC Capital, the company's private equity firm. Marsh's new chief executive, Michael Cherkasky, is trying to negotiate a settlement with Mr Spitzer. Mr Spitzer has built up a reputation as a fierce critic and campaigner against corporate America's misdeeds.
The uncertainty unleashed by the scandal has prompted three credit rating agencies - Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch - to downgrade Marsh in recent weeks. According to the Financial Times, insurance analysts are now questioning whether Marsh will be able to maintain its strong record of earning growth as they draw up forecasts for the first quarter of next year. Doubts also exist over how much the company may have to pay regulators and lawyers to put the scandal behind.
| The US stock market regulator is investigating troubled insurance broker Marsh & McLennan's shareholder transactions, the firm has said.Marsh has said it is co-operating fully with the SEC investigation.Marsh is also the focus of an inquiry the New York attorney-general into whether insurers rigged the market.Since that inquiry was launched in October, Marsh has replaced its chief executive and held a boardroom shake-out to meet criticism by lessening the number of company executives on the board.Prosecutors allege that Marsh - the world's biggest insurance broker - and other US insurance firms may have fixed bids for corporate cover.The uncertainty unleashed by the scandal has prompted three credit rating agencies - Standard & Poor's, Moody's and Fitch - to downgrade Marsh in recent weeks. |
723 | TV show unites Angolan families
Angolan families who are attempting to track each other down, after being separated by nearly 30 years of war, are succeeding thanks to a hugely popular TV show.
Meeting Point has become one of TV Angola's most watched programmes, and has reunited hundreds of families. It runs daily, not only on the television but also on the radio. Every Friday, hundreds of people gather in Luanda's Independence Square to record a message in front of the TV cameras, in the hope that a lost relative will see it. Many relatives have been reunited on air. "At the beginning there was an absolute explosion - huge, huge crowds," Sergio Gera, the programme's chief co-ordinator, told BBC World Service's Assignment programme. "Now things are a little calmer, there are slightly less people - but, after two and a half years of broadcasting, there are still a lot of people going."
The media in the southern African country, twice the size of France, has been gripped by the quest of so many people to find their relatives. Hundreds of thousands of people died in Angola's 30-year civil war, which finally ended in 2002, and tens of thousands of people are still missing. Many have not heard anything for 10 or more years - in all, 90% of Angolan families have lost someone.
The idea of recording in Independence Square was modelled on a square in the Argentine capital Buenos Aries, where mothers go to talk about the dead and the missing, and to exchange news. One woman, Victoria Lapete, found her sister - the only remaining member of her family - in Independence Square live on Meeting Point. She had not seen her sibling for 28 years. "When we saw each other, we threw ourselves into each other's arms," she told Assignment. "We started to cry. I felt very, very happy, because I'd spent so long without any family. Suddenly I had a sister again." However, Angola is one of the poorest countries in Africa, and the number of people with access to either a television or radio is comparatively few. This means that elsewhere in the country, the task of reuniting families lies primarily with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). In the city of Wambo, the ICRC runs the Gazetta - a 200-page, tabloid-size book which contains 13,000 names of missing or displaced.
Their task is made much harder by the huge number of landmines dotted around the country. "It's very difficult - there are many displaced," stated Joaquim Sahundi, head of tracing in Wambo.
"As they try to go back [home], others are trying to relocate their relatives. Many people are getting injured because of that - in the villages, in the bush, there has been no clearance of mines. "When people are crossing these areas, they step on mines." The ICRC also uses the media where it can, running four daily broadcasts of their lists of the missing on Radio Angola. Meanwhile, there remain massive challenges to Angolan families even once they are reunited. "The programme of family reunification is extremely important, but for these families to remain reunified, there has to be social integration, job access, education, healthcare," said Rafael Marques of the pro-democracy George Soros Foundation for Southern Africa. "Essentially the government is waiting for the international community to pay for the reconstruction - that's why it has been persistently calling for a donor's conference. That is just a way of detaching itself from its political responsibilities."
| The media in the southern African country, twice the size of France, has been gripped by the quest of so many people to find their relatives.Many people are getting injured because of that - in the villages, in the bush, there has been no clearance of mines.Many have not heard anything for 10 or more years - in all, 90% of Angolan families have lost someone.However, Angola is one of the poorest countries in Africa, and the number of people with access to either a television or radio is comparatively few.One woman, Victoria Lapete, found her sister - the only remaining member of her family - in Independence Square live on Meeting Point.Hundreds of thousands of people died in Angola's 30-year civil war, which finally ended in 2002, and tens of thousands of people are still missing.Meeting Point has become one of TV Angola's most watched programmes, and has reunited hundreds of families."The programme of family reunification is extremely important, but for these families to remain reunified, there has to be social integration, job access, education, healthcare," said Rafael Marques of the pro-democracy George Soros Foundation for Southern Africa.Every Friday, hundreds of people gather in Luanda's Independence Square to record a message in front of the TV cameras, in the hope that a lost relative will see it.Meanwhile, there remain massive challenges to Angolan families even once they are reunited."Now things are a little calmer, there are slightly less people - but, after two and a half years of broadcasting, there are still a lot of people going."This means that elsewhere in the country, the task of reuniting families lies primarily with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). |
298 | Fannie Mae 'should restate books'
US mortgage company Fannie Mae should restate its earnings, a move that is likely to put a billion-dollar dent in its accounts, watchdogs have said.
The Securities & Exchange Commission accused Fannie Mae of using techniques that "did not comply in material respects" with accounting standards. Fannie Mae last month warned that some records were incorrect. The other main US mortgage firm Freddie Mac restated earnings by $5bn (£2.6bn) last year after a probe of its books. The SEC's comments are likely to increase pressure on Congress to strengthen supervision of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The two firms are key parts of the US financial system and effectively underwrite the mortgage market, financing nearly half of all American house purchases and dealing actively in bonds and other financial instruments. The investigation of Freddie Mac in June 2003 sparked concerns about the wider health of the industry and raised questionsmarks over the role of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), the industry's main regulator. Having been pricked into action, the OFHEO turned its attention to Fannie May and in September this year said that the firm had tweaked its books to spread earnings more smoothly across quarters and play down the amount of risk it had taken on. The SEC found similar problems. The watchdog's chief accountant Donald Nicolaisen said that "Fannie Mae's methodology of assessing, measuring and documenting hedge ineffectiveness was inadequate and was not supported" by generally accepted accounting principles.
| US mortgage company Fannie Mae should restate its earnings, a move that is likely to put a billion-dollar dent in its accounts, watchdogs have said.The SEC's comments are likely to increase pressure on Congress to strengthen supervision of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.The other main US mortgage firm Freddie Mac restated earnings by $5bn (£2.6bn) last year after a probe of its books.Fannie Mae last month warned that some records were incorrect. |
1,329 | Verdict delay for Greek sprinters
Greek athletics' governing body has postponed by two weeks the judgement on sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou for missing doping tests.
The pair are facing lengthy bans for the missed tests, including one on the eve of last year's Athens Olympics. They were set to learn their fate by the end of February, but late evidence from them has pushed the date back. "A decision is now expected by around mid-March," said one of their lawyers, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos. Kenteris, 31, who won the men's 200m title at the 2000 Sydney Games and Thanou, 30, who won the women's 100m silver medal in Sydney, face a maximum two-year ban if found guilty. The athletes, who spectacularly withdrew from the Athens Olympics, have been suspended by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for missing the three tests. The IAAF said the sprinters had failed to provide samples for tests in Tel Aviv, Chicago and Athens and ordered Greek athletic's governing body, Segas, to hold a disciplinary inquiry. The athletes also face a criminal hearing in Greece over the missed drugs tests and have been charged with faking a motorcycle accident on the day of the Athens test, which led to them spending four days in hospital. Following the final hearing in late January, the athletes sounded confident they would be acquitted. "I am confident and optimistic," Thanou had said at the time. "We presented new evidence to the committee that they were not aware of." It was not clear what this new evidence was.
| Greek athletics' governing body has postponed by two weeks the judgement on sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou for missing doping tests.The IAAF said the sprinters had failed to provide samples for tests in Tel Aviv, Chicago and Athens and ordered Greek athletic's governing body, Segas, to hold a disciplinary inquiry."I am confident and optimistic," Thanou had said at the time.The athletes, who spectacularly withdrew from the Athens Olympics, have been suspended by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for missing the three tests.The pair are facing lengthy bans for the missed tests, including one on the eve of last year's Athens Olympics. |
1,259 | Kennedy criticises 'unfair' taxes
Gordon Brown has failed to tackle the "fundamental unfairness" in the tax system in his ninth Budget, Charles Kennedy has said.
How was it right that the poorest 20% of society were still paying more as a proportion of their income than the richest 20%, the Lib Dem leader asked. The new £200 council tax rebate for pensioners did nothing to fix the "unfair tax", he added. The government could not go on "patching up" the system, he added. Speaking in the Commons after Mr Brown had delivered what is widely thought to be the last Budget before the general election, Mr Kennedy acknowledged that the UK was one of the most successful economies in the world.
But he criticised both the chancellor and the Tories for failing to address the "ticking bomb" of council tax revaluation. He said the recent experience of Wales indicated seven million households in England would pay significantly more after revaluation. The chancellor's announcement that he was to offer a £200 council tax rebate paid by pensioner households was merely a "sticking plaster" to a much bigger problem. The Lib Dem plan for a local income tax would benefit the typical household by more than £450 a year, with half of all pensioners paying no local tax and about three million being better off.
On pensions, Mr Kennedy said it was a "scandal" that the system discriminated against women who had missed making National Insurance payments when they were having children. He said a residency criteria would end "at a stroke this fundamental iniquity". Mr Kennedy added his party's priorities of free long-term care for the elderly, abolishing top-up fees and replacing the council tax would be funded by charging 50% income tax to those earning more than £100,000 per annum. He contrasted his approach with Mr Brown's pledge in 2001 not to increase income tax. The chancellor went on to put up National Insurance contributions after the election. "For most individuals, most families, most households, it adds up to exactly the same thing," said Mr Kennedy. "And they wonder why people get cynical about their politicians when they give one impression before an election and do exactly the opposite after that election."
| Mr Kennedy added his party's priorities of free long-term care for the elderly, abolishing top-up fees and replacing the council tax would be funded by charging 50% income tax to those earning more than £100,000 per annum.The new £200 council tax rebate for pensioners did nothing to fix the "unfair tax", he added.The Lib Dem plan for a local income tax would benefit the typical household by more than £450 a year, with half of all pensioners paying no local tax and about three million being better off.On pensions, Mr Kennedy said it was a "scandal" that the system discriminated against women who had missed making National Insurance payments when they were having children.Gordon Brown has failed to tackle the "fundamental unfairness" in the tax system in his ninth Budget, Charles Kennedy has said.He contrasted his approach with Mr Brown's pledge in 2001 not to increase income tax.Speaking in the Commons after Mr Brown had delivered what is widely thought to be the last Budget before the general election, Mr Kennedy acknowledged that the UK was one of the most successful economies in the world. |
425 | Nortel in $300m profit revision
Telecoms equipment maker Nortel Networks has sharply revised downwards its profits for the 2003 fiscal year.
In a long-awaited filing, Nortel said it had made $434m (£231m), compared to the previously reported $732m. But the figures - revised after an audit which led to the sacking of the Canadian firm's chief - showed revenue was about 4% higher than first thought. Nortel shares, which have lost nearly 50% of their value since last year, climbed 1.46% in Toronto on Tuesday. Nortel's head Frank Dunn and two other executives were fired in January last year after the company announced it had conducted the internal audit. Securities and police authorities in both the US and Canada are still conducting inquiries into the accounts.
Nortel also issued new figures for the 2001-2002 period, which they had previously indicated had understated losses. "With the completion of our restatements we have a solid foundation on which to move forward with our business," said Nortel president and chief executive Bill Owens. "The restatement has been a monumental task, both complex and demanding." The company also said 12 senior executives - none of whom were involved directly in the accounting of the revised figures - have voluntarily agreed to repay to bonuses awarded in 2003 totalling $8.6m. Nortel added: "these members of the core executive team share the board's deep disappointment over the circumstances that led to the restatement."
| "With the completion of our restatements we have a solid foundation on which to move forward with our business," said Nortel president and chief executive Bill Owens.Nortel added: "these members of the core executive team share the board's deep disappointment over the circumstances that led to the restatement."Telecoms equipment maker Nortel Networks has sharply revised downwards its profits for the 2003 fiscal year.Nortel also issued new figures for the 2001-2002 period, which they had previously indicated had understated losses.In a long-awaited filing, Nortel said it had made $434m (£231m), compared to the previously reported $732m. |
1,221 | UKIP could sue Veritas defectors
The UK Independence Party could take legal action to unseat two London Assembly members who defected to Robert Kilroy Silk's Veritas Party.
Damian Hockney, now Veritas deputy leader, and Peter Hulme-Cross were elected in 2004 on the list system. The party argues the pair should give up their seats as they won them as UKIP representatives, not as individuals. Mr Hockney said the law was clear that those elected on a list who quit their party should keep their seats. UKIP chairman Petrina Holdsworth urged the men to step down from the GLA in a letter.
She said: "The party has taken legal advice and it is clear that we could take legal proceedings against you which could result in the return of our seats and/or damages against you. "We would however like you to be given an opportunity to reflect on what you have done, to restore your own credibility with the electorate and return the seats to the party which won them fair and square at the last election." Mr Hockney said the law worked in exactly the same way for the GLA as it did for other electoral list systems. "The Greater London Act is clear that if someone resigns who was elected on a list, their party whip the seat belongs to them and not the party." He said Mr Hulme-Cross and himself had no intention of resigning and added that they felt that it was UKIP who were not being true to the electorate. He accused the party of signing up to a deal with the Tories in Europe, rather than sticking to an independent stance. But the claim was denied by UKIP spokesman, who said: "Mr Hockney's accusations are like his sense of political morals - empty." Veritas was formed by Mr Kilroy-Silk earlier this month after he quit UKIP following an unsuccessful bid to take over as leader.
| Mr Hockney said the law was clear that those elected on a list who quit their party should keep their seats."The Greater London Act is clear that if someone resigns who was elected on a list, their party whip the seat belongs to them and not the party."He said Mr Hulme-Cross and himself had no intention of resigning and added that they felt that it was UKIP who were not being true to the electorate.The party argues the pair should give up their seats as they won them as UKIP representatives, not as individuals.She said: "The party has taken legal advice and it is clear that we could take legal proceedings against you which could result in the return of our seats and/or damages against you.Veritas was formed by Mr Kilroy-Silk earlier this month after he quit UKIP following an unsuccessful bid to take over as leader. |
410 | DaimlerChrysler's 2004 sales rise
US-German carmaker DaimlerChrysler has sold 2.1% more cars in 2004 than in the previous year, as solid Chrysler sales offset a weak showing for Mercedes.
Sales totalled 3.9 million units worldwide during 2004, the company said at the Detroit Motor Show. A switch to new models hit luxury marque Mercedes-Benz, with sales down 3.1% at 1.06 million. Chrysler avoided the fate of US rivals Ford and General Motors, both of whom lost ground to Japanese firms. Its sales rose 3.5% to 2.7 million units.
Similarly on the up was the Smart brand of compact cars, with the division's sales jumping by 21.1% during 2004 to 136,000. The future of the brand - which is controlled by the Mercedes group within DaimlerChrysler - remains in question, however. Smart has consistently lost money since it started trading in 1998, and new model launches are now "on hold", said Mercedes chief executive Eckhard Cordes. In Europe, the Smart will now go on sale through regular Mercedes dealerships as well as its own dealer network, Mr Cordes said.
| In Europe, the Smart will now go on sale through regular Mercedes dealerships as well as its own dealer network, Mr Cordes said.Its sales rose 3.5% to 2.7 million units.A switch to new models hit luxury marque Mercedes-Benz, with sales down 3.1% at 1.06 million.Smart has consistently lost money since it started trading in 1998, and new model launches are now "on hold", said Mercedes chief executive Eckhard Cordes. |
542 | Redford's vision of Sundance
Despite sporting a corduroy cap pulled low over his face plus a pair of dark glasses, Robert Redford cuts an unmistakable figure through the star-struck crowds at Sundance.
It's a rare downtown appearance for the man who started the annual festival in Park City, Utah back in the 1980s. Now in its twenty-first year, Sundance continues to grow. Some 45,000 people are estimated to have descended on this small ski town with nothing but movies on the mind. It's an opportunity to meet and make deals. Redford wanted Sundance to be a platform for independent film-makers, but the commercial success of many showcased films have led to criticism that the festival is becoming too mainstream.
Smaller festivals like Slamdance and XDance, which take place during the same week in Park City, are competing for Sundance's limelight. But Redford is not worried. "The more the merrier," he says. "The point was to create opportunities for people who may not have them. "Once independent film had a place where the work could be seen, suddenly the merchants came. With them the celebrities came, then the paparazzi - and suddenly it began to take on a whole new tone," explains Redford.
"People started to say we had gone mainstream and Hollywood, but actually Hollywood came to us because suddenly there was good business in independent film," he adds. International film-makers have always been celebrated here, but 2005 is the first year a dedicated World Dramatic and Documentary competition is being held.
Redford wants the festival to encompass viewpoints he believes the American media fails to reflect, particularly how the US is perceived internationally. He has never hidden the fact that he is a Democrat. But he reserves particular disdain for the current Republican administration. "It's the ability to maintain the importance of dissent in a democratic system which right now is under threat with the attitude of this administration," he says. "I think many voices are being shut down or accused of being unpatriotic if they want to express another point of view. That's very unhealthy and very dangerous.
"If we take that policy into the world, there will be the same victims and the same consequences." Sundance isn't just one big screening. There are discussion panels and Q&A sessions with directors tackling controversial topics like America's "culture wars" and the Iraq war. While Redford wishes the festival to be a forum for dissent, the profile of the audience is fairly monolithic. Educated, middle class and predominantly white Americans comes Sundance, with views from the same end of the political spectrum - anti-war and socially liberal. But Redford knows this and started the Sundance TV Channel in an effort to reach a wider audience. "When you look at the films here, what we are presenting is very much egalitarian. And it's about good films and good story-telling be it African America, Asian, women, gay, lesbian. "Sooner or later we will do away with those stereotypical labels and people will say 'it's just a film by so-and so'."
| Redford wanted Sundance to be a platform for independent film-makers, but the commercial success of many showcased films have led to criticism that the festival is becoming too mainstream."People started to say we had gone mainstream and Hollywood, but actually Hollywood came to us because suddenly there was good business in independent film," he adds.But Redford knows this and started the Sundance TV Channel in an effort to reach a wider audience.While Redford wishes the festival to be a forum for dissent, the profile of the audience is fairly monolithic.With them the celebrities came, then the paparazzi - and suddenly it began to take on a whole new tone," explains Redford.But Redford is not worried."Once independent film had a place where the work could be seen, suddenly the merchants came.Smaller festivals like Slamdance and XDance, which take place during the same week in Park City, are competing for Sundance's limelight."The point was to create opportunities for people who may not have them."Sooner or later we will do away with those stereotypical labels and people will say 'it's just a film by so-and so'.""It's the ability to maintain the importance of dissent in a democratic system which right now is under threat with the attitude of this administration," he says.Redford wants the festival to encompass viewpoints he believes the American media fails to reflect, particularly how the US is perceived internationally. |
1,958 | Gates opens biggest gadget fair
Bill Gates has opened the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, saying that gadgets are working together more to help people manage multimedia content around the home and on the move.
Mr Gates made no announcement about the next generation Xbox games console, which many gadget lovers had been hoping for. About 120,000 people are expected to attend the trade show which stretches over more than 1.5 million square feet and runs from 6 to 9 January. The latest trends in digital imaging, storage technologies, thinner flat screen and high-definition TVs, wireless and portable technologies, gaming, and broadband technologies will all be on show over the three days.
Mr Gates said that a lot of work had been done in the last year to sort out usability and compatibility issues between devices to make it easier to share content.
"We predicted at the beginning of the decade that the digital approach would be taken for granted - but there was a lot of work to do. "What is fun is to come to the show and see what has been done. It is going even faster than we expected and we are excited about it." He highlighted technology trends over the last year that had driven the need to make technology and transferring content across difference devices "seamless". "Gaming is becoming more of a social thing and all of the social genres will use this rich communications. "And if we look at what has been going on with e-mail, instant messaging, blogging, entertainment - if we can make this seamless, we can create something quite phenomenal."
Mr Gates said the PC, like Microsoft's Media Centre, had a central role to play in how people would be making the most out of audio, video and images but it would not be the only device. "It is the way all these devices work together which will make the difference," he said. He also cited the success of the Microsoft Xbox video game Halo 2, released in November, which pushed Xbox console sales past PlayStation in the last two months of 2004 for the first time in 2004. The game, which makes use of the Xbox Live online games service, has sold 6.23 million copies since its release. "People are online and playing together and that really points to the future," he said. Several partnerships with device and hardware manufacturers were highlighted during Mr Gates' speech, but there were few major groundbreaking new technology announcements. Although most of these affected largely US consumers, the technologies highlighted the kind of trends to come. These included what Mr Gates called an "ecosystem of technologies", like SBC's IPTV, a high-definition TV and digital video recorder that worked via broadband to give high-quality and fast TV. There were also other deals announced which meant that people could watch and control content over portable devices and mobile phones.
CES features several more key speeches from major technology players, such as Intel and Hewlett Packard, as well as parallel conference sessions on gaming, storage, broadband and the future of digital music. About 50,000 new products will be unleashed at the tech-fest, which is the largest yet. Consumer electronics and gadgets had a phenomenal year in 2004, according to figures released by CES organisers the CEA on Tuesday. The gadget explosion signalled the strongest growth yet in the US in 2004. That trend is predicted to continue with wholesale shipments of consumer technologies expected to grow by 11% again in 2005.
| He highlighted technology trends over the last year that had driven the need to make technology and transferring content across difference devices "seamless".Mr Gates said that a lot of work had been done in the last year to sort out usability and compatibility issues between devices to make it easier to share content.Several partnerships with device and hardware manufacturers were highlighted during Mr Gates' speech, but there were few major groundbreaking new technology announcements.Bill Gates has opened the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, saying that gadgets are working together more to help people manage multimedia content around the home and on the move."It is the way all these devices work together which will make the difference," he said.Mr Gates said the PC, like Microsoft's Media Centre, had a central role to play in how people would be making the most out of audio, video and images but it would not be the only device.The latest trends in digital imaging, storage technologies, thinner flat screen and high-definition TVs, wireless and portable technologies, gaming, and broadband technologies will all be on show over the three days.That trend is predicted to continue with wholesale shipments of consumer technologies expected to grow by 11% again in 2005.Mr Gates made no announcement about the next generation Xbox games console, which many gadget lovers had been hoping for.The game, which makes use of the Xbox Live online games service, has sold 6.23 million copies since its release. |
271 | Arsenal 'may seek full share listing'
Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has said the club may consider seeking a full listing for its shares on the London Stock Exchange.
Speaking at the Soccerex football business forum in Dubai, he said a full listing was "one of the options" for funding after the club moves to its new stadium. The club - which is currently listed on the smaller Ofex share exchange - is due to move into its new 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium at Ashburton Grove for the start of the 2006/07 season. Mr Dein also warned the current level of TV coverage of the Premiership may be reaching saturation level, with signs that match attendances have been dropping off in the first few months of this season.
When Arsenal moves to its new stadium it will see its proportion of turnover from media earnings drop from 52% this season to 34% in two years' time. The club is hoping to increase matchday earnings from 29% to 40% of turnover, and has not ruled out other money-earning means, including a full share listing. "When the new stadium opens we will go through a thorough financial review," Mr Dein said.
"Listing would be one option, but we are flexible and no decisions have been made on that issue yet. "We want to be in the best financial health - maybe clubs can do it (listing), Manchester United have been a success."
Mr Dein said that, although television money and coverage had driven the English game forward in the past 10 years, he feared there might now be too many games being shown. Since the formation of the Premier League in season 1992/93, Premiership clubs have seen their income from television soar. "Television has been the driving force over the past 10 years... but we must constantly improve if we want to remain as the world's leading league competition. "We must monitor the quality of the product and ensure attendances do not decline, and we must balance that with the quantity of exposure on TV too. "I think we have practically reached saturation point... sometimes I think less is more."
The club is funding its move to Ashburton Grove through a number of sources, including debt from banks, from money it already has and will receive in coming years from sponsors, and from the sale of surplus property, including its Highbury Stadium. It is also looking to create new revenue streams from overseas markets, including Asia. "We have two executives travelling round Japan and China at the moment building relationships with organisations and clubs, and we know our supporters clubs are growing there too, as they are around the world. "We have got a very good product, so it is very important we go and look at these markets, and make sure we are on the case."
| Speaking at the Soccerex football business forum in Dubai, he said a full listing was "one of the options" for funding after the club moves to its new stadium.Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has said the club may consider seeking a full listing for its shares on the London Stock Exchange.The club - which is currently listed on the smaller Ofex share exchange - is due to move into its new 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium at Ashburton Grove for the start of the 2006/07 season.The club is hoping to increase matchday earnings from 29% to 40% of turnover, and has not ruled out other money-earning means, including a full share listing."When the new stadium opens we will go through a thorough financial review," Mr Dein said.When Arsenal moves to its new stadium it will see its proportion of turnover from media earnings drop from 52% this season to 34% in two years' time.The club is funding its move to Ashburton Grove through a number of sources, including debt from banks, from money it already has and will receive in coming years from sponsors, and from the sale of surplus property, including its Highbury Stadium.Mr Dein also warned the current level of TV coverage of the Premiership may be reaching saturation level, with signs that match attendances have been dropping off in the first few months of this season. |
121 | US interest rates increased to 2%
US interest rates are to rise for the fourth time in five months, in a widely anticipated move.
The Federal Reserve has raised its key federal funds rate by a quarter percentage point to 2% in light of mounting evidence that the US economy is regaining steam. US companies created twice as many jobs as expected in October while exports hit record levels in September. Analysts said a clear-cut victory for President Bush in last week's election paved the way for a rise. Another rise could be in store for December, some economists warned.
The Fed's Open Market Committee - which sets interest rate policy in the US - voted unanimously in favour of a quarter point rise. The Fed has been gradually easing rates up since the summer, with quarter percentage point rises in June, August and September.
The Central Bank has been acting to restrain inflationary pressures while being careful not to obstruct economic growth. The Fed did not rule out raising rates once again in December but noted that any future increases would take place at a "measured" pace. In a statement, the Fed said that long-term inflation pressures remained "well contained" while the US economy appeared to be "growing at a moderate pace despite the rise in energy prices". Financial analysts broadly welcomed the Fed's move and shares traded largely flat. The Dow Jones Industrial average closed down 0.89 points, or 0.01%, at 10,385.48.
Recent evidence has pointed to an upturn in the US economy. US firms created 337,000 jobs last month, twice the amount expected, while exports reached record levels in September. The economy grew 3.7% in the third quarter, slower than forecast, but an improvement on the 3.3% growth seen in the second quarter. Analysts claimed the Fed's assessment of future economic growth was a positive one but stressed that the jury was still out on the prospect of a further rise in December.
"Let's wait until we see how growth and employment bear up under the fourth quarter's energy price drag before concluding that the Fed has more work to do in 2005," said Avery Shenfeld, senior economist at CIBC World Markets.
"I think the Federal Reserve does not want to rock the boat and is using a gradual approach in raising the interest rate," said Sung Won Sohn, chief US economist for Wells Fargo Bank. "The economy is doing a bit better right now but there are still some concerns about geopolitics, employment and the price of oil," he added. The further rise in US rates is unlikely to have a direct bearing on UK monetary policy. The Bank of England (BoE) has kept interest rates on hold at 4.75% for the past three months, leading some commentators to argue that rates may have peaked. In a report published on Wednesday, the Bank said that with rates at their current level, inflation would rise to its 2% target within two years. However, BoE governor Mervyn King warned only last month that the era of consistently low inflation and low unemployment may be coming to an end.
| The Fed's Open Market Committee - which sets interest rate policy in the US - voted unanimously in favour of a quarter point rise.US interest rates are to rise for the fourth time in five months, in a widely anticipated move.The Fed has been gradually easing rates up since the summer, with quarter percentage point rises in June, August and September.The further rise in US rates is unlikely to have a direct bearing on UK monetary policy.The Federal Reserve has raised its key federal funds rate by a quarter percentage point to 2% in light of mounting evidence that the US economy is regaining steam.In a statement, the Fed said that long-term inflation pressures remained "well contained" while the US economy appeared to be "growing at a moderate pace despite the rise in energy prices".In a report published on Wednesday, the Bank said that with rates at their current level, inflation would rise to its 2% target within two years."I think the Federal Reserve does not want to rock the boat and is using a gradual approach in raising the interest rate," said Sung Won Sohn, chief US economist for Wells Fargo Bank.The Bank of England (BoE) has kept interest rates on hold at 4.75% for the past three months, leading some commentators to argue that rates may have peaked.Recent evidence has pointed to an upturn in the US economy. |
176 | GSK aims to stop Aids profiteers
One of the world's largest manufacturers of HIV/Aids drugs has launched an initiative to combat the smuggling of cheaper pills - supplied to poorer African countries - back into Europe for resale at far higher price.
The company, GlaxoSmithKline, is to alter the packaging and change the colour of the pills, currently provided to developing nations under a humanitarian agreement. It is estimated that drugs companies are losing hundreds of millions of dollars each year as a result of the diversion of their products in this way. This is a very sensitive area for the big drugs companies. They want to maintain their profits, but have been put under tremendous pressure to provide cheap anti-Aids drugs to the world's poorest nations.
The result is that drugs supplied to Africa are now more than thirty times cheaper than those sold in Europe; bringing these medicines within the reach of millions of HIV-positive Africans through their government's health care systems.
But the wide difference in price also means that there are big gains to be made from illegally diverting these cheaper drugs back into wealthier countries and re-selling them at a higher price. GlaxoSmithKline believes that by coating the pills destined for Africa in a red dye and adding new identification codes both onto the pills and on the packaging, then this trade can be substantially reduced. The company says that it will then be possible to identify specific distributors in Africa who have re-sold humanitarian drugs for profit, as well as those suppliers in Europe that have also been involved in the trade. Glaxo says distribution of the new-look drugs has already begun and that their chemical content is identical to those currently being sold in Europe.
| The company says that it will then be possible to identify specific distributors in Africa who have re-sold humanitarian drugs for profit, as well as those suppliers in Europe that have also been involved in the trade.One of the world's largest manufacturers of HIV/Aids drugs has launched an initiative to combat the smuggling of cheaper pills - supplied to poorer African countries - back into Europe for resale at far higher price.The result is that drugs supplied to Africa are now more than thirty times cheaper than those sold in Europe; bringing these medicines within the reach of millions of HIV-positive Africans through their government's health care systems.Glaxo says distribution of the new-look drugs has already begun and that their chemical content is identical to those currently being sold in Europe. |
581 | UK debut for Kevin Spacey movie
Hollywood stars Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth attended the British premiere of new film, Beyond the Sea, in London's Leicester Square on Thursday.
Spacey, 45, wrote, directed and starred in the film, inspired by the life of 1950s croooner Bobby Darin. "This is my tribute to someone I think was a remarkable talent," said Spacey, who, as Darin, sings all 18 songs on the film soundtrack. Bosworth, 21, plays Darin's wife - real life Hollywood actress Sandra Dee. "I knew absolutely nothing about Bobby Darin before this film, but now I'm a huge fan," said Bosworth, who attended the premiere with British boyfriend Orlando Bloom.
"There is darkness and tragedy in the story, and it was a dream for me to land this part." Actress Sandra Dee continues to live in Los Angeles as a virtual recluse, but has given her approval to the biopic.
"She called me last week and said she loved it," said Spacey, who was joined at the premiere by members of the boy band Westlife. Spacey, a double Oscar-winner, has long been fascinated by the story of singer Bobby Darin. The voice behind Mack the Knife, Dream Lover and Beyond the Sea, fought childhood illness to become one the biggest stars of the 1950s, but died aged 37 from the heart condition that had troubled him all his life. "Bobby Darin was one of the greatest entertainers the world has ever known, and yet, because he died young, he's been kind of forgotten," said Spacey at the premiere. "Making this film was the most fun I've ever had in my entire life." The movie also stars British actors Bob Hoskins and Brenda Blethyn, as Darin's mother.
| "Bobby Darin was one of the greatest entertainers the world has ever known, and yet, because he died young, he's been kind of forgotten," said Spacey at the premiere.Spacey, 45, wrote, directed and starred in the film, inspired by the life of 1950s croooner Bobby Darin."This is my tribute to someone I think was a remarkable talent," said Spacey, who, as Darin, sings all 18 songs on the film soundtrack."I knew absolutely nothing about Bobby Darin before this film, but now I'm a huge fan," said Bosworth, who attended the premiere with British boyfriend Orlando Bloom.Hollywood stars Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth attended the British premiere of new film, Beyond the Sea, in London's Leicester Square on Thursday.Spacey, a double Oscar-winner, has long been fascinated by the story of singer Bobby Darin. |
1,966 | Text messages aid disaster recovery
Text messaging technology was a valuable communication tool in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in Asia.
The messages can get through even when the cell phone signal is too weak to sustain a spoken conversation. Now some are studying how the technology behind SMS could be better used during an emergency. Sanjaya Senanayake works for Sri Lankan television. The blogging world, though, might know him better by his online name, Morquendi. He was one of the first on the scene after the tsunami destroyed much of the Sri Lankan coast. Cell phone signals were weak. Land lines were unreliable. So Mr Senanayake started sending out text messages. The messages were not just the latest news they were also an on-the-ground assessment of "who needs what and where". Blogging friends in India took Mr Senanayake's text messages and posted them on a weblog called Dogs without Borders. Thousands around the world followed the story that unfolded in the text messages that he sent.
And that's when Mr Senanayake started to wonder if SMS might be put to more practical use. "SMS networks can handle so much more traffic than the standard mobile phone call or the land line call," he says.
"In every rural community, there's at least one person who has access to a mobile phone, or has a mobile phone, and can receive messages." Half a world away, in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, Taran Rampersad read Morquendi's messages. Mr Rampersad, who used to work in the military, knew how important on the ground communication can be in times of disaster. He wondered if there might be a way to automatically centralise text messages, and then redistribute them to agencies and people who might be able to help. Mr Rampersad said: "Imagine if an aid worker in the field spotted a need for water purification tablets, and had a central place to send a text message to that effect. "He can message the server, so the server can send out an e-mail message and human or machine moderators can e-mail aid agencies and get it out in the field." He added: "Or, send it at the same time to other people who are using SMS in the region, and they might have an excess of it, and be able to shift supplies to the right places."
Mr Rampersad and others had actually been thinking about such a system since Hurricane Ivan ravaged the Caribbean and the southern United States last September. Last week, he sent out e-mail messages asking for help in creating such a system for Asia.
In only 72 hours, he found Dan Lane, a text message guru living in Britain. The pair, along with a group of dedicated techies, are creating what they call the Alert Retrieval Cache. The idea is to use open-source software - software can be used by anyone without commercial restraint - and a far-flung network of talent to create a system that links those in need with those who can help. "This is a classic smart mobs situation where you have people self-organizing into a larger enterprise to do things that benefit other people," says Paul Saffo, a director at the California-based Institute for the Future. "You may be halfway around the world from someone, but in cyberspace you're just one click or one e-mail away," he said, "That's put a whole new dimension on disaster relief and recovery, where often people halfway around the world can be more effective in making something happen precisely because they're not right on top of the tragedy." It is still very early days for the project, though. In an e-mail, Dan Lane calls it "an early proof of concept." Right now, the Alert Retrieval Cache can only take a text message and automatically upload it to a web-page, or distribute it to an e-mail list. In the near future, the group says it hopes to take in messages from people in affected areas, and use human moderators to take actions based on the content of those messages. But there's still another challenge. You have to get people to know that the system is there for them to use. "It's amazing how difficult it is to find someone to pass it along to, and say, look this is what we're trying to do and everything like that," says Mr Rampersad. "So the big problem right now is the same problem we're trying to solve - human communication." He is optimistic, however. He thinks that the Alert Retrieval Cache is an idea whose time has come and he hopes governments, too, will sit up and take notice. And he stands by his motto, courtesy of Michelangelo: criticise by creating.
Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production.
| Right now, the Alert Retrieval Cache can only take a text message and automatically upload it to a web-page, or distribute it to an e-mail list.So Mr Senanayake started sending out text messages.Last week, he sent out e-mail messages asking for help in creating such a system for Asia.Thousands around the world followed the story that unfolded in the text messages that he sent."He can message the server, so the server can send out an e-mail message and human or machine moderators can e-mail aid agencies and get it out in the field."In the near future, the group says it hopes to take in messages from people in affected areas, and use human moderators to take actions based on the content of those messages.Mr Rampersad said: "Imagine if an aid worker in the field spotted a need for water purification tablets, and had a central place to send a text message to that effect.He wondered if there might be a way to automatically centralise text messages, and then redistribute them to agencies and people who might be able to help.The messages can get through even when the cell phone signal is too weak to sustain a spoken conversation.And that's when Mr Senanayake started to wonder if SMS might be put to more practical use.Blogging friends in India took Mr Senanayake's text messages and posted them on a weblog called Dogs without Borders."SMS networks can handle so much more traffic than the standard mobile phone call or the land line call," he says.In only 72 hours, he found Dan Lane, a text message guru living in Britain.You have to get people to know that the system is there for them to use."You may be halfway around the world from someone, but in cyberspace you're just one click or one e-mail away," he said, "That's put a whole new dimension on disaster relief and recovery, where often people halfway around the world can be more effective in making something happen precisely because they're not right on top of the tragedy."Mr Rampersad, who used to work in the military, knew how important on the ground communication can be in times of disaster. |
741 | Three DJs replace Peel radio show
The late John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show is to be succeeded in February by three shows hosted by three DJs focusing on diverse, non-commercial music.
Huw Stephens, Ras Kwame and Rob Da Bank will each host the mid-week, late-night timeslot, showcasing UK talent. Radio 1 said the show would not try to replace Peel, but would rise to the "challenge" of "keeping his legacy alive" with unpredictable music. Peel died after suffering a heart attack in Peru in October. Radio 1 said the three DJs had been chosen for their "in-depth musical knowledge across a variety of musical genres". Rob Da Bank has been hosting The John Peel Show since the DJ's death. He is also one of the hosts of The Blue Room, an early morning weekend show that plays a mix of old and new electronic and dance music. Huw Stephens is currently one half of the Radio 1 Thursday night show Bethan and Huw in Wales, which explores new music, especially up and coming acts breaking through in Wales. And Ras Kwame is the host of 100% Homegrown on Radio 1's digital station 1Xtra. His show is dedicated to showcasing the best of UK black music and broadcasts live sessions, often giving new artists their first chance to perform on live national radio.
All of the three DJs will continue to host their current shows on Radio 1. "It is widely accepted that John Peel can never be replaced," said the radio station. It added that One Music would support both signed and unsigned talent, and said: "It will seek out those making music for music's sake rather than for commercial success. "Above all it will provide support to emerging genres of music and styles that have not yet and may never reach the mainstream."
One Music is not new to Radio 1 as it already exists as a website, offering advice on aspects of the music industry, such as recording a demo and signing a record contract. Radio 1's controller, Andy Parfitt, said: "We believe that by having a series of DJs hosting a selection of shows under the One Music title, we will ensure that his legacy lives on." Stephens said he grew up "listening to John" and that it was a "massive honour" to continue Peel's work championing new music. The show will be broadcast from 1 February on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2300 GMT - 0100 GMT.
| The late John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show is to be succeeded in February by three shows hosted by three DJs focusing on diverse, non-commercial music.All of the three DJs will continue to host their current shows on Radio 1.Radio 1's controller, Andy Parfitt, said: "We believe that by having a series of DJs hosting a selection of shows under the One Music title, we will ensure that his legacy lives on."Radio 1 said the show would not try to replace Peel, but would rise to the "challenge" of "keeping his legacy alive" with unpredictable music.Huw Stephens is currently one half of the Radio 1 Thursday night show Bethan and Huw in Wales, which explores new music, especially up and coming acts breaking through in Wales.One Music is not new to Radio 1 as it already exists as a website, offering advice on aspects of the music industry, such as recording a demo and signing a record contract."It is widely accepted that John Peel can never be replaced," said the radio station.His show is dedicated to showcasing the best of UK black music and broadcasts live sessions, often giving new artists their first chance to perform on live national radio. |
1,726 | Llewellyn plans Wales retirement
Wales record cap holder Gareth Llewellyn will retire from Test rugby at the end of the Six Nations.
The veteran lock, who is 36 at the end of February, told BBC Wales Scrum V that it is time for him to bring down the curtain on his 92-cap Wales career. Llewellyn is on a one-season deal with French club side Narbonne, but said he may consider retiring from all rugby. "I don't know what I'll do next year, whether to carry on playing or make a change in my career," Llewellyn said. "Narbonne are really keen for me to stay on for next year, so I've got to decide whether to stay on there or maybe go somewhere else, but ultimitely coaching is where I'd like to end up. "I've done all the coaching awards and everything you can do in that respect, so it's just hopefully getting a chance somewhere." Fellow locks Robert Sidoli and Brent Cockbain, who both scored tries in Saturday's Six Nations win in Italy, are Wales coach Mike Ruddock's preferred starters in the second row.
With the resurgence of the Dragons' Ian Gough and the adaptibility of lock-cum-flanker Jon Thomas on the bench, Llewellyn has not yet made a match-day squad this Six Nations campaign. But the former Neath and Ospreys player is still targetting one last outing in the red shirt. "If I do get on the field then brilliant, although the boys are doing really well and I'm very pleased for them," Llewellyn added. "We've had some really tough years in Wales and the players have been through a hell of a lot. "Sometimes the easiest thing would have been to throw the towel in and walk away, but a few of us dug in there and it's really nice to see some of the boys getting the rewards now. "I was going to retire at the end of the last Six Nations, I'd even told some of the boys in the squad about it. "But Mike (Ruddock) asked me to carry on for another season, which I've done, still part of the squad, still trying to help them out as much as I can." Llewellyn made his Wales debut in 1989 against New Zealand as a 20-year-old, having caught the selectors' eyes in the All Blacks' tour match against Neath. The 6ft 6in player has not looked back since, going on to break Neil Jenkins' Wales cap record on 12 June 2004 in the 50-44 loss in Argentina.
"There's been lots of highs - winning the Six Nations in '94, beating England in '93, I've been on some great tours and seen some fantastic countries," Llewellyn said. "But I think the best thing of all for me was the time I spent with the players, I've met some great guys in rugby and made some great friends. "It'll be a bit strange on international days having to find somewhere to watch Wales play, but at least I might have time to get my golf handicap down!" Llewellyn captained Neath for seven seasons, while being an integral part of the Neath-Swansea Ospreys regional side's first season. But with the Ospreys building for the future, Llewellyn was eventually forced to look to France for employment - digging in his heels during contract negotiations to insist he must be allowed to play for Wales.
| Wales record cap holder Gareth Llewellyn will retire from Test rugby at the end of the Six Nations."There's been lots of highs - winning the Six Nations in '94, beating England in '93, I've been on some great tours and seen some fantastic countries," Llewellyn said."I was going to retire at the end of the last Six Nations, I'd even told some of the boys in the squad about it.The veteran lock, who is 36 at the end of February, told BBC Wales Scrum V that it is time for him to bring down the curtain on his 92-cap Wales career.Llewellyn made his Wales debut in 1989 against New Zealand as a 20-year-old, having caught the selectors' eyes in the All Blacks' tour match against Neath."We've had some really tough years in Wales and the players have been through a hell of a lot.But with the Ospreys building for the future, Llewellyn was eventually forced to look to France for employment - digging in his heels during contract negotiations to insist he must be allowed to play for Wales.With the resurgence of the Dragons' Ian Gough and the adaptibility of lock-cum-flanker Jon Thomas on the bench, Llewellyn has not yet made a match-day squad this Six Nations campaign."Narbonne are really keen for me to stay on for next year, so I've got to decide whether to stay on there or maybe go somewhere else, but ultimitely coaching is where I'd like to end up. |
951 | Kelly trails new discipline power
Teachers could get more powers to remove unruly pupils from classes under a "zero tolerance" drive, Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has suggested.
Ms Kelly told the BBC progress had been made against severely disruptive children but parents were still worried about lower level problems. The minister also confirmed she received "spiritual support" from the Catholic movement Opus Dei. But she denied her faith meant she would refuse key government jobs.
The Conservatives have made school discipline one of their five priority areas in the run-up to the next general election. Ms Kelly is expected to announce her plans on the issue in the next fortnight. She told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost: "It is really important to support head teachers and teachers in tackling disruption in the classroom. "We have made huge progress on the really difficult cases, the pupils who have severely disruptive behaviour.
"But quite rightly what teachers are concerned about and what parents are concerned about is that this lower level disruption that goes on in the classroom now is tackled. "I would like to see the teacher being able to remove disruptive children from the classroom completely and have either alternative provision within the school or indeed off the school and may be working together with other schools in a particular area to provide that provision." It is thought the plans may distinguish between excluding pupils from schools and taking them out of mainstream classes. Head teachers can currently exclude pupils who commit or threaten violence in school, who sexually abuse pupils or other people, who sell illegal drugs or who have persistent and malicious disruptive behaviour. Ms Kelly entered the Cabinet last month in the reshuffle forced by the resignation of the then Home Secretary David Blunkett. Her links to Opus Dei, which means "Work of God" in Latin, have provoked controversy.
Critics say the organisation, which adheres strictly to Catholic teachings, is secretive and elitist but its members reject such claims. Asked if she was a member of the group, Ms Kelly said: "I do have spiritual support from Opus Dei and that is right. "But those are private spiritual matters and I'm sure you'll respect that politicians are entitled to a private life." She categorically denied reports that her beliefs on issues such as contraception would make her refuse to serve as a health or international development minister. Her collective responsibility as a Cabinet minister meant she also took responsibility for policies in those areas, she argued.
The government has yet to issue its official response to the Tomlinson review, which recommended absorbing existing exam qualifications into a diploma. Ms Kelly said reforms should build on GCSEs and A-levels. Her comments did not impress Tory shadow education secretary Tim Collins. "Ruth Kelly wants to ditch the Tomlinson report on exam structures but has absolutely no idea what to put in its place," he said. "She also talks of improving discipline but cannot make her mind up how. This is an all talk agenda that lets down children, teachers and parents."
| Asked if she was a member of the group, Ms Kelly said: "I do have spiritual support from Opus Dei and that is right.Ms Kelly told the BBC progress had been made against severely disruptive children but parents were still worried about lower level problems.The minister also confirmed she received "spiritual support" from the Catholic movement Opus Dei.Ms Kelly is expected to announce her plans on the issue in the next fortnight.Ms Kelly said reforms should build on GCSEs and A-levels.Teachers could get more powers to remove unruly pupils from classes under a "zero tolerance" drive, Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has suggested."I would like to see the teacher being able to remove disruptive children from the classroom completely and have either alternative provision within the school or indeed off the school and may be working together with other schools in a particular area to provide that provision."Head teachers can currently exclude pupils who commit or threaten violence in school, who sexually abuse pupils or other people, who sell illegal drugs or who have persistent and malicious disruptive behaviour.She told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost: "It is really important to support head teachers and teachers in tackling disruption in the classroom.Ms Kelly entered the Cabinet last month in the reshuffle forced by the resignation of the then Home Secretary David Blunkett. |
1,062 | Blunkett tells of love and pain
David Blunkett has spoken of his love for married publisher Kimberly Quinn for the first time.
The home secretary described how it affected his friends and personal life, but said he was a great believer in personal responsibility. Mr Blunkett is taking legal action to gain access to Mrs Quinn's two-year-old son. She denies he is Mr Blunkett's. The interview with BBC Radio Sheffield was made before allegations he fast-tracked a visa for Mrs Quinn's nanny. The allegations, which he has denied, are being investigated by Sir Alan Budd. Mr Blunkett talked about how he fell in love - but that she resisted his desire to go public.
In an apparent reference to his court action to gain access to her son, he says he was a great believer in responsibility and consequences, even when they were painful. Mr Blunkett told BBC Radio Sheffield: "I fell in love with someone and they wouldn't go public and things started to go very badly wrong in the summer, and then the News of the World picked up the story. "I tried for three years to make something work. "I haven't spoken about it and I don't intend to. Even in the biography that's being written about me I've ensured that there's as little as possible." BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said the timing of the broadcast was unlikely to help his efforts to show that he is concentrating on getting on with the job of home secretary. Shadow home secretary David Davis says Mr Blunkett should quit if he is found to have influenced the visa process even indirectly.
Reports have claimed Mr Blunkett chaired a meeting to discuss delays in the visa system after he learned of nanny Leoncia Casalme's wait. The Home Office has said it would be up to Sir Alan's inquiry to decide if any such meeting was relevant. Home Office minister Fiona Mactaggart said she hoped Mr Blunkett would survive in his job. "I work with him every day and I have always been surprised by how focused he is on the job in hand, on working to deal with things," she said. She told BBC One's Breakfast with Frost programme: "He is just really down for the job and I hope he does (survive)."
| Home Office minister Fiona Mactaggart said she hoped Mr Blunkett would survive in his job.Shadow home secretary David Davis says Mr Blunkett should quit if he is found to have influenced the visa process even indirectly.The Home Office has said it would be up to Sir Alan's inquiry to decide if any such meeting was relevant.Mr Blunkett talked about how he fell in love - but that she resisted his desire to go public.Mr Blunkett is taking legal action to gain access to Mrs Quinn's two-year-old son.Mr Blunkett told BBC Radio Sheffield: "I fell in love with someone and they wouldn't go public and things started to go very badly wrong in the summer, and then the News of the World picked up the story.BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said the timing of the broadcast was unlikely to help his efforts to show that he is concentrating on getting on with the job of home secretary.David Blunkett has spoken of his love for married publisher Kimberly Quinn for the first time. |
1,938 | Games maker fights for survival
One of Britain's largest independent game makers, Argonaut Games, has been put up for sale.
The London-based company behind the Harry Potter games has sacked about 100 employees due to a severe cash crisis. The administrators told BBC News Online that selling Argonaut was the only way to save it as it had run out of cash. Argonaut warned that it was low on cash 10 days ago when its shares were suspended from trading on the London Stock Exchange.
Argonaut has been making games for some 18 years and is one the largest independent games developers in the UK.
Along with its headquarters in north London, it operates studios in Cambridge and Sheffield. Argonaut was behind the Harry Potter games which provided a healthy flow of cash into the company. But, like all software developers, Argonaut needed a constant flow of deals with publishers. Signs that it was in trouble emerged in August, when it warned it was heading for losses of £6m in the financial year due to delays in signing new contracts for games. Those new deals were further delayed, leading Argonaut to warn in mid-October that it was running out of cash and suspend trading of its shares on the London Stock Exchange. As part of cost-cutting measures, some 100 employees were fired. "When the news about the £6m loss came out, we knew there were going to be redundancies," said Jason Parkinson, one of the game developers sacked by Argonaut. "A lot of people suspected that Argonaut had been in trouble for some time," he told BBC News Online. Mr Parkinson said staff were told the job losses were necessary to save Argonaut from going under. At the start of the year, the company employed 268 people. After the latest round of cuts there are 80 staff at Argonaut headquarters in Edgware in north London, with 17 at its Morpheme offices in Kentish Town, London, and 22 at the Just Add Monsters base in Cambridge.
Argonaut called in administrators David Rubin & Partners on Friday to find a way to rescue the company from collapse. It spent the weekend going over the company's finances and concluded that the only way to save the business was to put it up for sale. The administrator told BBC News Online that the costs of restructuing would be too high, partly because of the overheads from the company's four premises across the UK. It said it was hopeful that it could save some 110 jobs by selling the business, saying it had had expressions of interest from several quarters and were looking for a quick sale. The administrator said it would ensure that staff made redundant would receive any wages, redundancy or holiday pay due to them, hopefully by Christmas.
| The administrators told BBC News Online that selling Argonaut was the only way to save it as it had run out of cash.Argonaut was behind the Harry Potter games which provided a healthy flow of cash into the company.Argonaut warned that it was low on cash 10 days ago when its shares were suspended from trading on the London Stock Exchange."When the news about the £6m loss came out, we knew there were going to be redundancies," said Jason Parkinson, one of the game developers sacked by Argonaut.Argonaut has been making games for some 18 years and is one the largest independent games developers in the UK.Mr Parkinson said staff were told the job losses were necessary to save Argonaut from going under.Those new deals were further delayed, leading Argonaut to warn in mid-October that it was running out of cash and suspend trading of its shares on the London Stock Exchange.One of Britain's largest independent game makers, Argonaut Games, has been put up for sale."A lot of people suspected that Argonaut had been in trouble for some time," he told BBC News Online. |
1,154 | Labour MPs' fears over squabbling
If there is one thing certain to stiffen the spines of Labour MPs it is the prospect of losing their seats at a general election.
And it was largely that fear that led to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown being read the riot act during a meeting of the parliamentary Labour party. The views expressed by both backbenchers and Labour peers over the claimed squabbling between the two men starkly demonstrated the widely-held view within the Labour party that the two most powerful figures in the government are jeopardising the next election. As one hugely-disgruntled backbencher said before the meeting: "It is time they realised it's not just my seat they are threatening but if they go on like this they could put the election in doubt." It is a sentiment that is now running throughout the Labour benches with MPs eager to underline the message to their leaders to stop the squabbling and get on with the job at hand.
As Paul Flynn said: "What has deeply upset the party is in this time of all times, when we wanted to come together, we wanted to lead on the global issues, to change politics for the next decade, the whole thing was wrecked by a piece of childishness by the two main people in the party, two people we greatly respect."
Stephen Pound echoed the message, saying: "We know that the one thing that could entirely jeopardise what we are trying to achieve, not for the Labour Party but for this country, is the appearance of division. We remember the 1980s". They backed the suggestion that unless the squabbling stopped, the people briefing on behalf of the two men would be "named and shamed". The dressing down appears to have done the trick, with Mr Brown joining his alleged rival Alan Milburn - who the prime minister put in charge of election planning in Mr Brown's stead - and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at an election poster launch. But the effect of all this is to have achieved two things. Firstly, nobody is attempting to suggest any more that the stories of the rift between the chancellor and the prime minister are fictions created by the media and authors. Even Mr Prescott admitted that, had he still been a backbencher, he would have been giving Mr Blair and Mr Brown the same message.
Secondly it has also underlined the view that the election campaign has, to all intents and purposes, kicked off. But whether the telling off and the subsequent change in behaviour by the two men will do any good - or can even be sustained through the campaign - remains to be seen.
Even as the MPs were expressing their fears it emerged that, while Mr Brown is in Africa for a week, the prime minister is to deliver a keynote speech on election themes for a third term. And he is expected to repeat his recent insistence that the next manifesto will be "New" Labour through and through. Similarly, some were pointing out that the chancellor, during the election poster launch, once again refused to deny the claim that he told the prime minister he could never trust anything he said. None the less, what some believe now is that the effect of the warnings from the backbenchers will actually be to silence the Brown camp, effectively strengthening the prime minister's hand. For example, will those Brownite briefers suggest their man is unhappy at the prime minister's timing or subject matter, as may have been the case in the past? What all seem agreed on, however, is that this sniping simply cannot be allowed to go on through the election campaign. Mind you, we have heard similar pledges before.
| The views expressed by both backbenchers and Labour peers over the claimed squabbling between the two men starkly demonstrated the widely-held view within the Labour party that the two most powerful figures in the government are jeopardising the next election.The dressing down appears to have done the trick, with Mr Brown joining his alleged rival Alan Milburn - who the prime minister put in charge of election planning in Mr Brown's stead - and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at an election poster launch.Even as the MPs were expressing their fears it emerged that, while Mr Brown is in Africa for a week, the prime minister is to deliver a keynote speech on election themes for a third term.If there is one thing certain to stiffen the spines of Labour MPs it is the prospect of losing their seats at a general election.Similarly, some were pointing out that the chancellor, during the election poster launch, once again refused to deny the claim that he told the prime minister he could never trust anything he said.As one hugely-disgruntled backbencher said before the meeting: "It is time they realised it's not just my seat they are threatening but if they go on like this they could put the election in doubt."As Paul Flynn said: "What has deeply upset the party is in this time of all times, when we wanted to come together, we wanted to lead on the global issues, to change politics for the next decade, the whole thing was wrecked by a piece of childishness by the two main people in the party, two people we greatly respect."Even Mr Prescott admitted that, had he still been a backbencher, he would have been giving Mr Blair and Mr Brown the same message.None the less, what some believe now is that the effect of the warnings from the backbenchers will actually be to silence the Brown camp, effectively strengthening the prime minister's hand. |
845 | 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. |
1,550 | English clubs make Euro history
All four of England's Champions League representatives have reached the knockout stages for the first time.
Arsenal and Chelsea are seeded as group winners, while runners-up Manchester United and Liverpool are not. Rules stipulate that teams from the same country or group will be kept apart in the draw on 17 December. The favourites are Chelsea and Barcelona, and Real Madrid, the two Milan sides, Juventus and Bayern Munich are among the 16 still in the hat.
Steven Gerrard's last-gasp wonder-strike secured qualification for
against Olympiakos on Wednesday evening.
AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, Internazionale, Juventus, Lyon.
who had already qualified, fielded a second-string side and went down 3-0 to Fenerbahce.
AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, Internazionale, Juventus, Monaco.
On Tuesday,
finished top of their group with a 5-1 win over the Rosenborg after drawing four of their first five matches.
Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Porto, Real Madrid, Werder Bremen
, who had already qualified lost 2-1 to Porto as Jose Mourinho made an unhappy return to his former club.
Barcelona, Bayern Munich, PSV Eindhoven, Real Madrid, Werder Bremen.
| The favourites are Chelsea and Barcelona, and Real Madrid, the two Milan sides, Juventus and Bayern Munich are among the 16 still in the hat.Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Porto, Real Madrid, Werder Bremen , who had already qualified lost 2-1 to Porto as Jose Mourinho made an unhappy return to his former club.Barcelona, Bayern Munich, PSV Eindhoven, Real Madrid, Werder Bremen.On Tuesday, finished top of their group with a 5-1 win over the Rosenborg after drawing four of their first five matches.AC Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, Internazionale, Juventus, Lyon. |
1,901 | Rich pickings for hi-tech thieves
Viruses, trojans and other malicious programs sent on to the net to catch you out are undergoing a subtle change.
The shift is happening as tech savvy criminals turn to technology to help them con people out of cash, steal valuable data or take over home PCs. Viruses written to make headlines by infecting millions are getting rarer. Instead programs are now crafted for directly criminal ends and firms are tightening up networks with defences to combat the new wave of malicious code.
The growing criminal use of malware has meant the end of the neat categorisation of different sorts of viruses and malicious programs. Before now it has been broadly possible to name and categorise viruses by the method they use to spread and how they infect machines. But many of the viruses written by criminals roll lots of technical tricks together into one nasty package.
"You cannot put them in to the neat little box that you used to," said Pete Simpson, head of the threat laboratory at security firm Clearswift. Now viruses are just as likely to spread by themselves like worms, or to exploit loopholes in browsers or hide in e-mail message attachments. "It's about outright criminality now," said Mr Simpson, explaining why this change has come about. He said many of the criminal programs came from Eastern Europe where cash-rich organised gangs can find a ready supply of technical experts that will crank out code to order. Former virus writer Marek Strihavka, aka Benny from the 29A virus writing group, recently quit the malware scene partly because it was being taken over by spyware writers, phishing gangs, and spammers who are more interested in money rather than the technology. No longer do virus writers produce programs to show off their technical prowess to rivals in the underground world of malware authors. Not least, said Paul King, principal security consultant at Cisco, because the defences against such attacks are so common. "In many ways the least likely way to do it is e-mail because most of us have got anti-virus and firewalls now," he said. Few of the malicious programs written by hi-tech thieves are cleverly written, many are much more pragmatic and use tried and tested techniques to infect machines or to trick users into installing a program or handing over important data. "If you think of criminals they do not do clever," said Mr King, "they just do what works."
As the tactics used by malicious programs change, said Mr King, so many firms were changing the way they defend themselves. Now many scan machines that connect to the corporate networks to ensure they have not been compromised while off the core network.
Many will not let a machine connect and a worker get on with their job before the latest patches and settings have been uploaded. As well as using different tactics, criminals also use technology for reasons that are much more transparent. "The main motivation now is money," said Gary Stowell, spokesman for St Bernard software. Mr Stowell said organised crime gangs were turning to computer crime because the risks of being caught were low and the rates of return were very high. With almost any phishing or spyware attack, criminals are guaranteed to catch some people out and have the contacts to exploit what they recover. So-called spyware was proving very popular with criminals because it allowed them to take over machines for their own ends, to steal key data from users or to hijack web browsing sessions to point people at particular sites. In some cases spyware was being written that searched for rival malicious programs on PCs it infects and then trying to erase them so it has sole ownership of that machine.
| As the tactics used by malicious programs change, said Mr King, so many firms were changing the way they defend themselves.Few of the malicious programs written by hi-tech thieves are cleverly written, many are much more pragmatic and use tried and tested techniques to infect machines or to trick users into installing a program or handing over important data.He said many of the criminal programs came from Eastern Europe where cash-rich organised gangs can find a ready supply of technical experts that will crank out code to order."If you think of criminals they do not do clever," said Mr King, "they just do what works."The growing criminal use of malware has meant the end of the neat categorisation of different sorts of viruses and malicious programs.But many of the viruses written by criminals roll lots of technical tricks together into one nasty package.In some cases spyware was being written that searched for rival malicious programs on PCs it infects and then trying to erase them so it has sole ownership of that machine.Instead programs are now crafted for directly criminal ends and firms are tightening up networks with defences to combat the new wave of malicious code."It's about outright criminality now," said Mr Simpson, explaining why this change has come about."In many ways the least likely way to do it is e-mail because most of us have got anti-virus and firewalls now," he said.With almost any phishing or spyware attack, criminals are guaranteed to catch some people out and have the contacts to exploit what they recover. |
2,115 | 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. |
1,157 | Labour's election love-in
Peace and love have been in short supply in the Labour party in recent days.
If press reports are to be believed, Alan Milburn and Gordon Brown have been at each other's throats over the contents of Labour's next election manifesto. But the pair were all smiles on Tuesday morning, as they joined John Prescott to unveil Labour's latest poster campaign. The event - at Old Billingsgate Fish Market on the banks of the Thames - was a carefully choreographed show of unity. And the surest sign yet that we are heading for a general election in the next few months. It was also one of the most bizarre photo opportunities of recent years.
The first inkling something slightly odd was afoot was when - in place of the soft rock music normally chosen for such occasions - Labour's speakers crackled to life with the sound of Booker T and the MGs. Then a VW camper van trundled into view, decked out in that most mind-bending of psychedelic messages - "lowest mortgage rate for 40 years". As the side-door slid open, it looked for one glorious moment as if the Cabinet had decided to bury their differences and go on the road together, Scooby Doo-style. But, sadly, it wasn't the Cabinet who had raided the dressing-up box - just six rather ill-at-ease looking Labour students. Two were dressed as Regency dandies - to unveil a poster trumpeting "the longest period of economic growth for 200 years". Another pair of students were in a Beatle wig and Sgt Pepper jacket to highlight the "lowest interest rates since the 1960s".
The remaining two were dressed in a vague approximation of disco chic to demonstrate the "lowest unemployment since the seventies".
The politicians - led out by John Prescott - were soberly-suited as always. The event may have been designed to highlight Labour's economic success under Mr Brown, but there was little doubt who was in charge. The chancellor walked side-by-side with Mr Milburn, pointedly exchanging chit chat, as they approached the microphone. But it was Mr Milburn who took centre stage, speaking of the "positive campaign" the party hoped to stage in the "coming weeks and months".
The mobile poster vans would "let people know Britain is working again". Mr Brown repeated the familiar mantras displayed on the posters and spoke of Labour's "shared purpose" and "united dedication". It was left to Mr Prescott to pay glowing tribute to the chancellor's record and, in a final flourish, to produce his famous pledge card, from 1997, claiming Labour has met all of its promises. The event was carefully stage-managed to underline Cabinet unity. And, more specifically, to demonstrate the "central role" Mr Brown will play in the election campaign, despite being sidelined as campaign chief in favour of Mr Milburn.
But keen students of body language will have had a field day. There was much forced smiling for the cameras, but only Mr Prescott, who revels in such occasions, seemed to be truly enjoying himself. Mr Milburn made a point of turning to face the chancellor, as he spoke, nodding thoughtfully. But it was the former health secretary's final gesture, placing an arm on Mr Brown's back as they walked away from the microphones, which was perhaps the most telling. Thanks for dropping by Gordon, he might have been saying.
| The event may have been designed to highlight Labour's economic success under Mr Brown, but there was little doubt who was in charge.But it was Mr Milburn who took centre stage, speaking of the "positive campaign" the party hoped to stage in the "coming weeks and months".And, more specifically, to demonstrate the "central role" Mr Brown will play in the election campaign, despite being sidelined as campaign chief in favour of Mr Milburn.But it was the former health secretary's final gesture, placing an arm on Mr Brown's back as they walked away from the microphones, which was perhaps the most telling.There was much forced smiling for the cameras, but only Mr Prescott, who revels in such occasions, seemed to be truly enjoying himself.The event was carefully stage-managed to underline Cabinet unity.It was left to Mr Prescott to pay glowing tribute to the chancellor's record and, in a final flourish, to produce his famous pledge card, from 1997, claiming Labour has met all of its promises.It was also one of the most bizarre photo opportunities of recent years.Mr Brown repeated the familiar mantras displayed on the posters and spoke of Labour's "shared purpose" and "united dedication".But the pair were all smiles on Tuesday morning, as they joined John Prescott to unveil Labour's latest poster campaign.If press reports are to be believed, Alan Milburn and Gordon Brown have been at each other's throats over the contents of Labour's next election manifesto. |
420 | India and Iran in gas export deal
India has signed a $40bn (£21bn) deal to import millions of tonnes of liquefied natural gas from Iran.
Firms led by the Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will also assist in the development of Iranian oil fields. Ministers, eager to gain access to energy supplies to meet the demands of a booming economy, secured a similar deal to one between Iran and China. The announcement comes as ONGC said it was in talks to buy former assets of troubled Russian oil firm Yukos. The agreements with Iran were sealed after talks in New Delhi between Middle East producers and Asia's biggest energy consumers - China, India, Japan and South Korea.
Iran - Opec's second-biggest oil producer and one of the world's top gas producers - has been pursuing a series of deals, rewarding LNG buyers with participation in development of its oil fields. Under the agreement, it will supply India with 7.5 million tonnes of LPG annually over a 25 year period from 2009. ONGC and the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) reached a preliminary deal for Indian firms to take part in the development of the Yadavaran and Jufeyr oilfields, both countries said in a statement. India's oil production has stagnated over recent years, and it is having to look abroad to secure future supplies. India imports about 70% of its total oil consumption. Consumption has jumped to 2.4 million barrels per day, compared with 474,000 bpd in 1973.
| Iran - Opec's second-biggest oil producer and one of the world's top gas producers - has been pursuing a series of deals, rewarding LNG buyers with participation in development of its oil fields.India imports about 70% of its total oil consumption.India has signed a $40bn (£21bn) deal to import millions of tonnes of liquefied natural gas from Iran.Firms led by the Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will also assist in the development of Iranian oil fields.ONGC and the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) reached a preliminary deal for Indian firms to take part in the development of the Yadavaran and Jufeyr oilfields, both countries said in a statement. |
1,843 | Intel unveils laser breakthrough
Intel has unveiled research that could mean data is soon being moved around chips at the speed of light.
Scientists at Intel have overcome a fundamental problem that before now has prevented silicon being used to generate and amplify laser light. The breakthrough should make it easier to interconnect data networks with the chips that process the information. The Intel researchers said products exploiting the breakthrough should appear by the end of the decade.
"We've overcome a fundamental limit," said Dr Mario Paniccia, director of Intel's photonics technology lab. Writing in the journal Nature, Dr Paniccia - and colleagues Haisheng Rong, Richard Jones, Ansheng Liu, Oded Cohen, Dani Hak and Alexander Fang - show how they have made a continuous laser from the same material used to make computer processors. Currently, says Dr Paniccia, telecommunications equipment that amplifies the laser light that travels down fibre optic cables is very expensive because of the exotic materials, such as gallium arsenide, used to make it.
Telecommunications firms and chip makers would prefer to use silicon for these light-moving elements because it is cheap and many of the problems of using it in high-volume manufacturing have been solved. "We're trying to take our silicon competency in manufacturing and apply it to new areas," said Dr Paniccia. While work has been done to make some of the components that can move light around, before now silicon has not successfully been used to generate or amplify the laser light pulses used to send data over long distances. This is despite the fact that silicon is a much better amplifier of light pulses than the form of the material used in fibre optic cables. This improved amplification is due to the crystalline structure of the silicon used to make computer chips. Dr Paniccia said that the structure of silicon meant that when laser light passed through it, some colliding photons rip electrons off the atoms within the material. "It creates a cloud of electrons sitting in the silicon and that absorbs all the light," he said. But the Intel researchers have found a way to suck away these errant electrons and turn silicon into a material that can both generate and amplify laser light. Even better, the laser light produced in this way can, with the help of easy-to-make filters, be tuned across a very wide range of frequencies. Semi-conductor lasers made before now have only produced light in a narrow frequency ranges. The result could be the close integration of the fibre optic cables that carry data as light with the computer chips that process it. Dr Paniccia said the work was the one of several steps needed if silicon was to be used to make components that could carry and process light in the form of data pulses. "It's a technical validation that it can work," he said.
| While work has been done to make some of the components that can move light around, before now silicon has not successfully been used to generate or amplify the laser light pulses used to send data over long distances.Dr Paniccia said the work was the one of several steps needed if silicon was to be used to make components that could carry and process light in the form of data pulses.Dr Paniccia said that the structure of silicon meant that when laser light passed through it, some colliding photons rip electrons off the atoms within the material.Scientists at Intel have overcome a fundamental problem that before now has prevented silicon being used to generate and amplify laser light.But the Intel researchers have found a way to suck away these errant electrons and turn silicon into a material that can both generate and amplify laser light."It creates a cloud of electrons sitting in the silicon and that absorbs all the light," he said.Currently, says Dr Paniccia, telecommunications equipment that amplifies the laser light that travels down fibre optic cables is very expensive because of the exotic materials, such as gallium arsenide, used to make it.This is despite the fact that silicon is a much better amplifier of light pulses than the form of the material used in fibre optic cables. |
139 | German jobless rate at new record
More than 5.2 million Germans were out of work in February, new figures show.
The figure of 5.216 million people, or 12.6% of the working-age population, is the highest jobless rate in Europe's biggest economy since the 1930s. The news comes as the head of Germany's panel of government economic advisers predicted growth would again stagnate. Speaking on German TV, Bert Ruerup said the panel's earlier forecast of 1.4% was too optimistic and warned growth would be just 1% in 2005.
The German government is trying to tackle the stubbornly-high levels of joblessness with a range of labour market reforms. At their centre is the "Hartz-IV" programme introduced in January to shake up welfare benefits and push people back into work - even if some of the jobs are heavily subsidised. The latest unemployment figures look set to increase the pressure on the government. Widely leaked to the German newspapers a day in advance, they produced screaming headlines criticising Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrat-Green Party administration. Mr Schroeder had originally come into office promising to halve unemployment.
Still, some measures suggest the picture is not quite so bleak. The soaring official unemployment figure follows a change in the methodology which pushed up the jobless rate by more than 500,000 in January. Adjusted for seasonal changes, the overall unemployment rate is 4.875 million people or 11.7%, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous month. Using the most internationally-accepted methodology of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Germany had 3.97 million people out of work in January. And ILO-based figures also suggest that 14,000 new net jobs were created that month, taking the number of people employed to 38.9 million. The ILO defines an unemployed person as someone who in the previous four weeks had actively looked for work they could take up immediately.
| And ILO-based figures also suggest that 14,000 new net jobs were created that month, taking the number of people employed to 38.9 million.Using the most internationally-accepted methodology of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Germany had 3.97 million people out of work in January.Adjusted for seasonal changes, the overall unemployment rate is 4.875 million people or 11.7%, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous month.More than 5.2 million Germans were out of work in February, new figures show.The figure of 5.216 million people, or 12.6% of the working-age population, is the highest jobless rate in Europe's biggest economy since the 1930s.The soaring official unemployment figure follows a change in the methodology which pushed up the jobless rate by more than 500,000 in January. |
273 | Markets fall on weak dollar fears
Rising oil prices and the sinking dollar hit shares on Monday after a finance ministers' meeting and stern words from Fed chief Alan Greenspan.
The London FTSE fell 0.8% while Tokyo's Nikkei 225 dropped 2.11%, its steepest fall in three months. G20 finance ministers said nothing about supporting the dollar, whose slide could further jeopardise growth in Japan and Europe. And Mr Greenspan warned Asian states could soon stop funding the US deficit.
On Monday afternoon, the euro was close to an all-time high against the dollar at above $1.30. Oil pushed higher too on Monday, as investors fretted about cold weather in the US and Europe and a potential output cut from oil producers' group Opec, although prices had cooled by the end of the day. In London, the benchmark Brent crude price closed down 51 cents at $44.38 a barrel, while New York light sweet crude closed down 25 cents at $48.64 a barrel. The slide comes as the US has been attempting to talk up the traditional "strong dollar" policy.
The latest to pitch in has been President George W Bush himself, who told the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) summit in Chile that he remained committed to halving the budget deficit. Together with a $500bn trade gap, the red ink spreading across America's public finances is widely seen as a key factor driving the dollar lower. And last week US Treasury Secretary John Snow told an audience in the UK that the policy remained unaltered. But he also said that the rate was entirely up to the markets - a signal which traders took as advice to sell the dollar. Some had looked to the G20 meeting for direction. But Mr Snow made clear exchange rates had not been on the agenda.
For the US government, letting the dollar drift is a useful short-term fix.
US exports get more affordable, helping perhaps to close the trade gap. In the meantime, the debt keeps getting bigger, with Congress authorising an $800bn rise in what the US can owe - taking the total to $8.2 trillion. But in a speech on Friday, Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan warned that in the longer term things are likely to get tricky. At present, much of gap in both public debt is covered by selling bonds to Asian states such as Japan and China, since the dollar is seen as the world's reserve currency. Similarly, Asian investment helps bridge the gap in the current account - the deficit between what the US as a whole spends and what it earns. But already they are turning more cautious - an auction of debt in August found few takers. And Mr Greenspan said that could turn into a trend, if the fall of the dollar kept eating into the value of those investments. "It seems persuasive that, given the size of the US current account deficit, a diminished appetite for adding to dollar balances must occur at some point," he said.
| And Mr Greenspan warned Asian states could soon stop funding the US deficit.And Mr Greenspan said that could turn into a trend, if the fall of the dollar kept eating into the value of those investments.The slide comes as the US has been attempting to talk up the traditional "strong dollar" policy."It seems persuasive that, given the size of the US current account deficit, a diminished appetite for adding to dollar balances must occur at some point," he said.For the US government, letting the dollar drift is a useful short-term fix.Rising oil prices and the sinking dollar hit shares on Monday after a finance ministers' meeting and stern words from Fed chief Alan Greenspan.G20 finance ministers said nothing about supporting the dollar, whose slide could further jeopardise growth in Japan and Europe.At present, much of gap in both public debt is covered by selling bonds to Asian states such as Japan and China, since the dollar is seen as the world's reserve currency.Similarly, Asian investment helps bridge the gap in the current account - the deficit between what the US as a whole spends and what it earns.US exports get more affordable, helping perhaps to close the trade gap. |
2,057 | 2D Metal Slug offers retro fun
Like some drill sergeant from the past, Metal Slug 3 is a wake-up call to today's gamers molly-coddled with slick visuals and fancy trimmings.
With its hand-animated sprites and 2D side-scrolling, this was even considered retro when released in arcades four years ago. But a more frantic shooter you will not find at the end of your joypad this year. And yes, that includes Halo 2. Simply choose your grunt and wade through five 2D side-scrolling levels of the most hectic video game blasting you will ever encounter. It is also the toughest game you are likely to play, as hordes of enemies and few lives pile the pressure on.
Players must battle soldiers, snowmen, zombies, giant crabs and aliens, not to mention the huge, screen-filling bosses that guard each of the five levels.
The shoot-anything-that-moves gameplay is peppered with moments of old-school genius. Fans of robotic gastropods should note the title refers, instead, to the vast array of vehicles on offer in a game stuffed with bizarre hardware. Tanks, jets and submarines can be commandeered, as well as cannon-toting camels, elephants and ostriches - more weaponry on offer than in an acre of Iraq. Doling out justice is a joy thanks to ultra responsive controls, and while this is a tough nut to crack, it is addictive enough to have you gagging for that one last go. And at a mere £20, Metal Slug 3 is as cheap as sliced, fried spuds, as the man says. Of course, most of you will ignore this, lacking as it does the visual fireworks of modern blasters. But at a time when blockbuster titles offer only a fresh lick of paint in favour of real innovation, Metal Slug 3 is a fresh gasp of air from an era when the Xbox was not even a twinkle in Bill Gates' eye.
| But at a time when blockbuster titles offer only a fresh lick of paint in favour of real innovation, Metal Slug 3 is a fresh gasp of air from an era when the Xbox was not even a twinkle in Bill Gates' eye.Simply choose your grunt and wade through five 2D side-scrolling levels of the most hectic video game blasting you will ever encounter.Fans of robotic gastropods should note the title refers, instead, to the vast array of vehicles on offer in a game stuffed with bizarre hardware.With its hand-animated sprites and 2D side-scrolling, this was even considered retro when released in arcades four years ago.And at a mere £20, Metal Slug 3 is as cheap as sliced, fried spuds, as the man says.Like some drill sergeant from the past, Metal Slug 3 is a wake-up call to today's gamers molly-coddled with slick visuals and fancy trimmings. |
2,083 | Apple sues 'Tiger' file sharers
Apple has taken more legal action to stop online leaks of its new products.
The computer giant has sued three men for releasing preview versions of its latest Mac OSX software onto file-sharing sites prior to its release. It said two versions of the operating system, codenamed Tiger, were put onto the net in October and December. It is the second time in two weeks Apple has taken legal action to protect its future products. Tiger is due to be shipped in early 2005. Last week, it filed a lawsuit against "unnamed individuals" who leaked details about new products onto the web.
The latest action was against members of the Apple Developer Connection, a group of programmers which gets to see test versions of upcoming software so they can develop or change their own programs to work with them. "Members of Apple Developer Connection receive advance copies of Apple software under strict confidentiality agreements, which we take very seriously to protect our intellectual property," Apple said in a statement.
It added that its future financial results were very much dependent on developing and improving its operating systems and other software. It is thought the men used sites which employ BitTorrent technology. With BitTorrent technology, sites do not host actual files being shared, instead they host a link that points people to others that have the particular file. Last week, the Motion Picture Association of America launched a legal campaign targeting websites that operate using the BitTorrent system in an effort to clamp down on movie piracy. Apple is no stranger to taking legal action against those who leak product information. In December 2002, it sued a former contractor who allegedly put drawings, images and engineering details of its PowerMac G4 computer online. The latest action was filed on Monday in the US District Court in California. It comes just weeks before the MacWorld conference in San Francisco, used to showcase new products.
| It is the second time in two weeks Apple has taken legal action to protect its future products.Apple has taken more legal action to stop online leaks of its new products.Apple is no stranger to taking legal action against those who leak product information.The latest action was against members of the Apple Developer Connection, a group of programmers which gets to see test versions of upcoming software so they can develop or change their own programs to work with them.It said two versions of the operating system, codenamed Tiger, were put onto the net in October and December.The computer giant has sued three men for releasing preview versions of its latest Mac OSX software onto file-sharing sites prior to its release."Members of Apple Developer Connection receive advance copies of Apple software under strict confidentiality agreements, which we take very seriously to protect our intellectual property," Apple said in a statement. |
31 | Irish markets reach all-time high
Irish shares have risen to a record high, with investors persuaded to buy into the market by low inflation and strong growth forecasts.
The ISEQ index of leading shares closed up 23 points to 6661.89 on Thursday, fuelled by strong growth in banking and financial stocks. A fall in the rate of inflation to 2.3% in January gave a fresh boost to shares which have advanced 4% this month. The economy is set for strong growth in 2005 while interest rates remain low.
Several of Ireland's biggest companies saw their market value hit recent highs on Thursday. Allied Irish Banks, Ireland's biggest company by capitalisation, touched a five year peak while Bank of Ireland shares rose to their highest level since August 2002.
Telecoms firm Eircom, which recently revealed that it would re-enter the Irish mobile phone market, hit a yearly high. Analysts said that economic conditions were benign and Irish shares were still trading at a discount to other European markets. "Ireland ticks all the boxes as far as international investors are concerned," Roy Asher, chief investment officer of Hibernian Investment Managers, told Reuters. "Buoyant economic conditions are set to continue in Ireland over the next few years and Irish equities continue to offer quality growth at a reasonable valuation."
Bernard McAlinden, head of equity research at NCB Stockbrokers, said equities represented good value compared to other investments. "It is still looking good," he told Reuters. "We have seen good economic data on Ireland which benefits the financial stocks." Ireland's economic 'miracle' is enjoying a second wind, with 5% growth forecast for 2005 and 2006. The economy cooled markedly between 2001 and 2003 after enjoying spectacular growth of more than 10% in 2000. However, it has bounced back strongly with growth of just under 5% expected in 2004.
| Irish shares have risen to a record high, with investors persuaded to buy into the market by low inflation and strong growth forecasts."Buoyant economic conditions are set to continue in Ireland over the next few years and Irish equities continue to offer quality growth at a reasonable valuation."Ireland's economic 'miracle' is enjoying a second wind, with 5% growth forecast for 2005 and 2006.The ISEQ index of leading shares closed up 23 points to 6661.89 on Thursday, fuelled by strong growth in banking and financial stocks.The economy is set for strong growth in 2005 while interest rates remain low.Analysts said that economic conditions were benign and Irish shares were still trading at a discount to other European markets.Allied Irish Banks, Ireland's biggest company by capitalisation, touched a five year peak while Bank of Ireland shares rose to their highest level since August 2002. |
1,986 | Microsoft gets the blogging bug
Software giant Microsoft is taking the plunge into the world of blogging.
It is launching a test service to allow people to publish blogs, or online journals, called MSN Spaces. Microsoft is trailing behind competitors like Google and AOL, which already offer services which make it easy for people to set up web journals. Blogs, short for web logs, have become a popular way for people to talk about their lives and express opinions online.
MSN Spaces is free to anyone with a Hotmail or MSN Messenger account. People will be able to choose a layout for the page, upload images and share photo albums and music playlists. The service will be supported by banner ads. "This is a simple tool for people to express themselves," said MSN's Blake Irving. This is Microsoft's first foray into blogging, which has taken off as a web phenomenon in the past year. Competitors like Google already offer free services through its Blogger site, while AOL provides its members with journals. Accurate figures for the number of blogs in existence are hard to come by. According to blog analysis firm Technorati, the so-called blogosphere, has doubled every five and a half months for the last 18 months. It now estimates that the number of blogs in existence has exceeded 4.8 million, although some speculate that less than a quarter are regularly maintained.
| Microsoft is trailing behind competitors like Google and AOL, which already offer services which make it easy for people to set up web journals.It is launching a test service to allow people to publish blogs, or online journals, called MSN Spaces.Competitors like Google already offer free services through its Blogger site, while AOL provides its members with journals.Blogs, short for web logs, have become a popular way for people to talk about their lives and express opinions online.It now estimates that the number of blogs in existence has exceeded 4.8 million, although some speculate that less than a quarter are regularly maintained.Accurate figures for the number of blogs in existence are hard to come by. |
1,962 | Firefox browser takes on Microsoft
Microsoft's Internet Explorer has a serious rival in the long-awaited Firefox 1.0 web browser, which has just been released.
Few people get excited when some new software is released, especially when the program is not a game or a music or movie player. But the release of the first full version of Firefox has managed to drum up a respectable amount of pre-launch fervour. Fans of the software have banded together to raise cash to pay for an advert in the New York Times announcing that version 1.0 of the browser is available. The release of Firefox 1.0 on 9 November might even cause a few heads to turn at Microsoft because the program is steadily winning people away from the software giant's Internet Explorer browser.
Firefox has been created by the Mozilla Foundation which was started by former browser maker Netscape back in 1998. Much of the development work done since then has gone into Firefox which made its first appearance under this name in February. Earlier incarnations, but which had the same core technology, were called Phoenix and Firebird. Since then the software has been gaining praise and converts, not least because of the large number of security problems that have come to light in Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Rivals to IE got a boost in late June when two US computer security organisations warned people to avoid the Microsoft program to avoid falling victim to a serious vulnerability.
Internet monitoring firm WebSideStory has charted the growing population of people using the Firefox browser and says it is responsible for slowly eroding the stranglehold of IE. Before July this year, according to WebSideStory, Internet Explorer was used by about 95% of web surfers. That figure had remained static for years. In July the IE using population dropped to 94.7% and by the end of October stood at 92.9%. The Mozilla Foundation claims that Firefox has been downloaded almost eight million times and has publicly said it would be happy to garner 10% of the Windows- using, net-browsing population. Firefox is proving popular because, at the moment, it has far fewer security holes than Internet Explorer and has some innovations lacking in Microsoft's program. For instance, Firefox allows the pages of different websites to be arranged as tabs so users can switch easily between them. It blocks pop-ups, has a neat way of finding text on a page and lets you search through the pages you have browsed.
One of the most powerful features of Firefox is the many hundreds of extras, or extensions, produced for it. The Mozilla Foundation is an open source organisation which means that the creators of the browser are happy for others to play around with the core code for the program. This has resulted in many different add-ons or extensions for the browser which now include everything from a version of the familiar Google toolbar to a Homeland Security monitor that keep users aware of current threat levels. Firefox, which used to be called Firebird and before that Phoenix, also has a growing number of vocal net-based fans. A campaign co-ordinated by the Spread Firefox website attempted to raise the $50,000 needed for a full page advert in the New York Times. The campaign set itself a target of recruiting 2500 volunteers. Ten days in to the campaign 10,000 people had signed up and now about $250,000 has been raised. The ad is due to run sometime in a three-week period in late November/early December. The surplus cash will be used to help keep the Mozilla Foundation running. Microsoft is facing a growing challenge to IE's hold on the web using population. from alternative browsers such as Opera, Safari, Amaya and even Netscape.
| Microsoft's Internet Explorer has a serious rival in the long-awaited Firefox 1.0 web browser, which has just been released.Internet monitoring firm WebSideStory has charted the growing population of people using the Firefox browser and says it is responsible for slowly eroding the stranglehold of IE.Firefox is proving popular because, at the moment, it has far fewer security holes than Internet Explorer and has some innovations lacking in Microsoft's program.Firefox has been created by the Mozilla Foundation which was started by former browser maker Netscape back in 1998.The Mozilla Foundation claims that Firefox has been downloaded almost eight million times and has publicly said it would be happy to garner 10% of the Windows- using, net-browsing population.Firefox, which used to be called Firebird and before that Phoenix, also has a growing number of vocal net-based fans.The release of Firefox 1.0 on 9 November might even cause a few heads to turn at Microsoft because the program is steadily winning people away from the software giant's Internet Explorer browser.But the release of the first full version of Firefox has managed to drum up a respectable amount of pre-launch fervour.Ten days in to the campaign 10,000 people had signed up and now about $250,000 has been raised.Since then the software has been gaining praise and converts, not least because of the large number of security problems that have come to light in Microsoft's Internet Explorer.A campaign co-ordinated by the Spread Firefox website attempted to raise the $50,000 needed for a full page advert in the New York Times.Much of the development work done since then has gone into Firefox which made its first appearance under this name in February. |
666 | Usher leads Soul Train shortlist
Chart-topping R&B star Usher is leading the field at this year's Soul Train Awards, with five nominations.
The singer, whose album Confessions has sold close to eight million copies in the US alone, is already in the running for eight Grammy Awards. Newcomer Ciara - who recently beat Elvis Presley to the UK number one spot - has four nominations, while Alicia Keys has three. The Soul Train Awards ceremony will take place in Hollywood on 28 February.
Usher has already swept the board at the American Music Awards with four titles, including two best album awards. His Soul Train nominations include best male R&B-soul album and best male R&B-soul single for Confessions Part II. Usher's work with rappers Ludacris & Lil Jon won him nominations for best R&B-soul or rap music video and best R&B-soul or rap dance cut for the song Yeah!, while his duet with Keys, My Boo, earned the pair a nod for best R&B-soul single. Keys' album The Diary of Alicia Keys was also up for best R&B-soul album by a female. Her song If I Ain't Got You received a best single nomination in the female R&B-soul category. Newcomer Ciara's four nominations include best female R&B-soul album and best R&B-soul or rap by a new artist. Beyonce, Prince, Destiny's Child, Jill Scott and New Edition all received two nominations each. The Soul Train Music Awards, which started 18 years ago, celebrates artists in R&B, hip-hop, rap and gospel music.
| Newcomer Ciara's four nominations include best female R&B-soul album and best R&B-soul or rap by a new artist.His Soul Train nominations include best male R&B-soul album and best male R&B-soul single for Confessions Part II.Usher's work with rappers Ludacris & Lil Jon won him nominations for best R&B-soul or rap music video and best R&B-soul or rap dance cut for the song Yeah!, while his duet with Keys, My Boo, earned the pair a nod for best R&B-soul single.Usher has already swept the board at the American Music Awards with four titles, including two best album awards.Keys' album The Diary of Alicia Keys was also up for best R&B-soul album by a female. |
1,413 | Mido makes third apology
Ahmed 'Mido' Hossam has made another apology to the Egyptian people in an attempt to rejoin the national team.
The 21-year-old told a news conference in Cairo on Sunday that he is sorry for the problems that have led to his exclusion from the Pharaohs since July last year. Mido said: "There isn't much I have to say today, all there is to say is that I came specially from England to Egypt to rejoin the national team and to apologise for all my mistakes." Mido was axed by former coach Marco Tardelli after failing to answer a national call-up, claiming he had a groin injury. But he then played in a friendly for his club AS Roma within 24 hours of a World Cup qualifying match at home to Cameroon last September. Mido added: "It's not my right to give orders and say when I want to play ... at the same time I will always make sure that I put the national's team's matches as my top priority. "I feel that the national players are playing with a new spirit as I saw them play against Belgium (Egypt won 4-0 on Wednesday) and I simply want to add to their success. "I do confess that I was rude to the Egyptian press at times but now I have gained more experience and know that I will never go anywhere without the press's support. "Many of the international stars like David Beckham and (Zinedine) Zidane had the press opposing them. "So I'm now used to the fact that the press can be against me at times and I don't have to overreact when this happens. Meanwhile, Egypt FA spokesman Methat Shalaby welcomed the apology and said no one had exerted pressure on Mido to apologise. "Mido's apology today does not negatively affect Mido in anyway, on the contrary it makes him a bigger star and a role model for all football players," Shalaby said. Shalaby earlier said that after an apology Mido would be available for the national side if coach Hassan Shehata chose him. Mido joined Tottenham in an 18-month loan deal near the end of the January transfer window, scoring twice on his debut against Portsmouth.
| Shalaby earlier said that after an apology Mido would be available for the national side if coach Hassan Shehata chose him.Mido said: "There isn't much I have to say today, all there is to say is that I came specially from England to Egypt to rejoin the national team and to apologise for all my mistakes."Ahmed 'Mido' Hossam has made another apology to the Egyptian people in an attempt to rejoin the national team.Meanwhile, Egypt FA spokesman Methat Shalaby welcomed the apology and said no one had exerted pressure on Mido to apologise.Mido added: "It's not my right to give orders and say when I want to play ... at the same time I will always make sure that I put the national's team's matches as my top priority."Mido's apology today does not negatively affect Mido in anyway, on the contrary it makes him a bigger star and a role model for all football players," Shalaby said. |
200 | Cuba winds back economic clock
Fidel Castro's decision to ban all cash transactions in US dollars in Cuba has once more turned the spotlight on Cuba's ailing economy.
All conversions between the US dollar and Cuba's "convertible" peso will from 8 November be subject to a 10% tax. Cuban citizens, who receive money from overseas, and foreign visitors, who change dollars in Cuba, will be affected. Critics of the measure argue that it is a step backwards, reflecting the Cuban president's desire to increase his control of the economy and to clamp down on private enterprise. In a live television broadcast announcing the measure, President Castro's chief aide said it was necessary because of the United States' increasing "economic aggression". "The ten percent obligation applies exclusively to the dollar by virtue of the situation created by the new measures of the US government to suffocate our country," he said.
The Bush administration has taken an increasingly harsh line on Cuba in recent months. President Bush's government, which has been a strong supporter of the 40-year-old trade embargo on Cuba, introduced even tighter restrictions on Cuba in May.
Cubans living in the US are now limited to one visit to Cuba every three years and they can only send money to their immediate relatives. A leading expert on the Cuban economy says that Castro's tax plan smacks more of a desperate economic measure than a political gesture. "I think it is primarily an effort to raise some cash," says Jose Barrionuevo, head of strategy for Latin American emerging markets for Barclays Capital. "It underscores the fact that the economy is in very bad shape and the government is looking for sources of revenue."
The tax will hit the families of Cuban exiles hardest as they benefit from the money their displaced relatives send home. This money, known as remittances, can amount to as much as $1bn a year. Those remaining in Cuba will have to pay the tax. Their relatives abroad may choose to send money in other currencies which are not subject to the tax, such as euros, or increase their dollar payments to compensate. However, many of Cuban's poorest citizens could be worse off as a result. The tax will also affect the two million tourists who visit Cuba every year, particularly those Americans who continue to defy a ban on travel there.
Cuba's tourist industry has been one of its few economic success stories over the last ten years and, according to the UN Economic Commission for Latin America, is now worth $3bn to the country.
The tax is designed to provide much-needed revenue for Cuba's cash-strapped economy. Cuba badly needs dollars to pay for essential items such as food, fuel and medicine. Much of Cuba's basic infrastructure is in a state of disrepair. In recent weeks, Cuba has suffered its most serious power cuts in a decade and there have also been water shortages in parts of the island. Cuba's economy had staged a modest recovery during the mid 1990s as the collapse of the Soviet Union forced it to embrace foreign capital, decentralise trade and permit limited private enterprise. However, a decline in foreign tourism since 2002, periodic hurricanes and the increasing costs of importing oil have put a strain on the economy. It has however yet to be seen if the tax will provide a solution to the government's economic problems. The tax could fuel an active black market in currency trading, Mr Barrionuevo said. "The main impact could be that it will create a black market which you typically see in countries, like Venezuela, which have restrictions on capital," he says. Mr Barrioneuvo says the measure could be dropped if it has a damaging effect on economic activity. "It is intended to be a permanent measure but I am not sure it can last too long."
| Fidel Castro's decision to ban all cash transactions in US dollars in Cuba has once more turned the spotlight on Cuba's ailing economy.Those remaining in Cuba will have to pay the tax.A leading expert on the Cuban economy says that Castro's tax plan smacks more of a desperate economic measure than a political gesture.The tax is designed to provide much-needed revenue for Cuba's cash-strapped economy.All conversions between the US dollar and Cuba's "convertible" peso will from 8 November be subject to a 10% tax.It has however yet to be seen if the tax will provide a solution to the government's economic problems.Cubans living in the US are now limited to one visit to Cuba every three years and they can only send money to their immediate relatives.Cuban citizens, who receive money from overseas, and foreign visitors, who change dollars in Cuba, will be affected.Mr Barrioneuvo says the measure could be dropped if it has a damaging effect on economic activity.President Bush's government, which has been a strong supporter of the 40-year-old trade embargo on Cuba, introduced even tighter restrictions on Cuba in May.The tax could fuel an active black market in currency trading, Mr Barrionuevo said.Their relatives abroad may choose to send money in other currencies which are not subject to the tax, such as euros, or increase their dollar payments to compensate. |
1,067 | Tories pledge free sports lessons
Children would be offered two hours' free sports training a week by a future Tory government, the party has said.
The Club2School policy would provide up to £250m yearly for local sports clubs in the UK to deliver after-school sport. The extra coaching would be funded by the National Lottery and would come on top of the two hours of sport a week children are supposed to get in school. Shadow home secretary David Davis said five million children were being denied adequate sporting opportunities.
The plans would help tackle the "fastest growing rate of obesity in the developed world", he said. Shadow sports minister Lord Moynihan said the policy would empower local clubs and create a lasting legacy. "We aim to shift the emphasis on after-school sport provision away from our overstretched teachers and schools directly in to the 151,000 sports clubs in the UK." The Tories say Labour's plans to give all children two hours of sports lessons a week in schools have failed. Government figures show that in England in 2002 only a third of schools at Key Stages 1, 3 and 4 and two-fifths of schools at Key Stage 2, met that target. The Tories also claim that of the £750m the prime minister pledged in 2000 to invest on school sports facilities, only £41m had been spent. But the Big Lottery Fund has said that complex capital projects are involved - and it was confident the money would all be allocated by next year as intended.
| The extra coaching would be funded by the National Lottery and would come on top of the two hours of sport a week children are supposed to get in school.The Club2School policy would provide up to £250m yearly for local sports clubs in the UK to deliver after-school sport.Shadow sports minister Lord Moynihan said the policy would empower local clubs and create a lasting legacy.Children would be offered two hours' free sports training a week by a future Tory government, the party has said.The Tories say Labour's plans to give all children two hours of sports lessons a week in schools have failed. |
1,253 | Cabinet anger at Brown cash raid
Ministers are unhappy about plans to use Whitehall cash to keep council tax bills down, local government minister Nick Raynsford has acknowledged.
Gordon Brown reallocated £512m from central to local government budgets in his pre-Budget report on Thursday. Mr Raynsford said he had held some "pretty frank discussions" with fellow ministers over the plans. But he said local governments had to deliver good services without big council tax rises.
The central government cash is part of a £1bn package to help local authorities in England keep next year's council tax rises below 5%, in what is likely to be a general election year.
Mr Raynsford said nearly all central government departments had an interest in well run local authorities. And he confirmed rows over the issue with ministerial colleagues. "Obviously we had some pretty frank discussions about this," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One. But he said there was a recognition that "a good settlement for local government" was important to health, education and "other government departments". Ministers had to be sure local government could deliver without "unreasonable council tax increases", he added. Mr Raynsford dismissed a suggestion the move was designed to keep council taxes down ahead of an expected general election.
"This is a response to the concerns that have been voiced by local government about the pressures they face." Mr Raynsford also plans to make savings of £100m by making changes to local government pensions schemes. These would raise the age from which retiring workers could claim their pensions and limit how much they received if they retired early. He insisted the changes were "very modest" and designed to tackle the problem of workers retiring "very early". But general secretary of the public services union Unison Dave Prentis criticised the plans. "If you want world class public services you don't get that by hitting people as they approach retirement."
| But he said local governments had to deliver good services without big council tax rises.Mr Raynsford said nearly all central government departments had an interest in well run local authorities.Ministers are unhappy about plans to use Whitehall cash to keep council tax bills down, local government minister Nick Raynsford has acknowledged.Mr Raynsford also plans to make savings of £100m by making changes to local government pensions schemes.Ministers had to be sure local government could deliver without "unreasonable council tax increases", he added.The central government cash is part of a £1bn package to help local authorities in England keep next year's council tax rises below 5%, in what is likely to be a general election year.But he said there was a recognition that "a good settlement for local government" was important to health, education and "other government departments". |
1,218 | Parties build up poll war chests
The Labour Party received more than £5m in donations in the final quarter of 2004, new figures show.
This is nearly half of the £11,724,929 received by 16 political parties listed by the Electoral Commission. The Conservatives were in second place with donations totalling £4,610,849, while the Liberal Democrats received just over £1m. The majority of Labour's donations came from affiliated trade unions. There were also large sums from individuals. Lord Drayson, whose company PowderJect won multi-million pound contracts to provide smallpox vaccine to the government after the 11 September terror attacks, gave £500,000 to the party just days before Christmas.
This followed an earlier donation of the same amount earlier in 2004. He was made a lord by Tony Blair last year. Other significant donations came from retired millionaire businessman and philanthropist Sir Christopher Ondaatje who gave the party a sum of £500,000, and refrigerator magnate William Haughey OBE who gave £330,000. The totals for the fourth quarter were well up on the same period of 2003, as the parties built up their war chests for the general election campaign. The largest donation to the Conservatives was a bequest from Ruth Beardmore of nearly £400,000. The joint founder of merchant bank Hambro Magan gave £325,417. There were also donations topping £250,000 for the Conservatives from Scottish Business Groups Focus on Scotland and the Institute of International Research, the world's largest independent conference company.
Also among the gifts to the Tories were 24 donations totalling £161,840 from Bearwood Corporate Services. This company is controlled by the party's former treasurer Lord Ashcroft which has directed almost £300,000 to specific marginal constituencies over the past two years. The Liberal Democrats' largest donor was the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd, a company which promotes political reform and constitutional change, which gave a sum of £250,000. And fast food giants McDonald's are listed as donating a sum of £10,575. This was a fee the firm paid for a room for an event held with the work and skills foundation during the party's conference. The UK Independence Party, which lost its main donor Paul Sykes amid the row over Robert Kilroy-Silk's bid for the leadership last autumn, took in £63,081. Just £8,170 of this was cash and the remainder came in gifts in kind, such as office space and printing. Registered political parties are required to set out each quarter all donations over £5,000 to their headquarters and over £1,000 to local constituency parties they receive. It is an offence for a person to knowingly or recklessly make a false declaration about party donations.
| Registered political parties are required to set out each quarter all donations over £5,000 to their headquarters and over £1,000 to local constituency parties they receive.The Labour Party received more than £5m in donations in the final quarter of 2004, new figures show.Other significant donations came from retired millionaire businessman and philanthropist Sir Christopher Ondaatje who gave the party a sum of £500,000, and refrigerator magnate William Haughey OBE who gave £330,000.The largest donation to the Conservatives was a bequest from Ruth Beardmore of nearly £400,000.The Conservatives were in second place with donations totalling £4,610,849, while the Liberal Democrats received just over £1m.The Liberal Democrats' largest donor was the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd, a company which promotes political reform and constitutional change, which gave a sum of £250,000.This is nearly half of the £11,724,929 received by 16 political parties listed by the Electoral Commission.There were also donations topping £250,000 for the Conservatives from Scottish Business Groups Focus on Scotland and the Institute of International Research, the world's largest independent conference company.Also among the gifts to the Tories were 24 donations totalling £161,840 from Bearwood Corporate Services. |
1,569 | Everton's Weir cools Euro hopes
Everton defender David Weir has played down talk of European football, despite his team lying in second place in the Premiership after beating Liverpool.
Weir told BBC Radio Five Live: "We don't want to rest on our laurels and say we have achieved anything yet. "I think you start taking your eye off the ball if you make statements and look too far into the future. "If you start making predictions you soon fall back into trouble. The only thing that matters is the next game." He said: "We are looking after each other and hard work goes a long way in this league. We have definitely shown that. "Also injuries and suspensions haven't cost us too badly and we have a lot of self-belief around the place."
| Everton defender David Weir has played down talk of European football, despite his team lying in second place in the Premiership after beating Liverpool."I think you start taking your eye off the ball if you make statements and look too far into the future."If you start making predictions you soon fall back into trouble."Also injuries and suspensions haven't cost us too badly and we have a lot of self-belief around the place." |
406 | Mixed Christmas for US retailers
US retailers posted mixed results for December - with luxury retailers faring well while many others were forced to slash prices to lift sales.
Upscale department store Nordstrom said same store sales were 9.3% higher than during the same period last year. Trendy youth labels also sold well, with sales jumping 28% at young women's clothing retailer Bebe Stores and 32.2% at American Eagle Outfitters. But Wal-Mart only saw its sales rise after it cut prices. The company saw a 3% rise in December sales, less than the 4.3% rise seen a year earlier.
Customers at the world's biggest retailer are generally seen to be the most vulnerable to America's economic woes.
Commentators claim many have cut back on spending amid uncertainty over job security, while low and middle-income Americans have reined in spending in the face of higher gasoline prices. Analysts said Wal-Mart faced a "stand-off" with shoppers, stepping up its discounts as the festive season wore on, as consumers waited longer to get the best bargains. However, experts added that if prices had not been cut across the sector, Christmas sales - which account for nearly 23% of annual retail sales - would have been far worse. "So far, we are faring better than expected, but the results are still split," Ken Perkins, an analyst at research firm RetailMetrics LLC, told Associated Press. "Stores that have been struggling over the last couple of months appear to be continuing that trend. And for stores that have been doing well over the last several months, December was a good month." Overall, December sales are forecast to rise by 4.5% to $220bn - less than the 5.1% increase seen a year earlier.
One discount retailer to fare well in December was Costco Wholesale, which continued a recent run of upbeat results with a better-than-expected 8% jump in same store sales. However, the losers were many and varied. Home furnishings store Pier 1 Imports saw its same store sales sink by a larger-than-forecast 8.8% as it battled fierce competition. Leading electronics chain Best Buy, meanwhile, missed its sales target of a 3-5% rise in sales, turning in a 2.5% increase over the Christmas period. Accessory vendor Claire's Stores also suffered as an expected last minute shopping rush never materialised, leaving its same store sales 5% higher, compared to a 6% rise last year. Jeweller Zale also felt little Christmas cheer with December sales down 0.7% on the same month last year. "This was not a good period for retailers or shoppers. We saw a dearth of exciting, new items," Kurt Barnard, president of industry forecaster Retail Consulting Group, said. However, one beneficiary of the desertion of the High Street is expected to be online stores. According to a survey by Goldman Sachs & Co, Harris Interactive and Neilsen/Net Ratings sales surged 25% over the holiday season to $23.2bn.
| Upscale department store Nordstrom said same store sales were 9.3% higher than during the same period last year.Accessory vendor Claire's Stores also suffered as an expected last minute shopping rush never materialised, leaving its same store sales 5% higher, compared to a 6% rise last year.Overall, December sales are forecast to rise by 4.5% to $220bn - less than the 5.1% increase seen a year earlier.But Wal-Mart only saw its sales rise after it cut prices.Jeweller Zale also felt little Christmas cheer with December sales down 0.7% on the same month last year.And for stores that have been doing well over the last several months, December was a good month."The company saw a 3% rise in December sales, less than the 4.3% rise seen a year earlier.One discount retailer to fare well in December was Costco Wholesale, which continued a recent run of upbeat results with a better-than-expected 8% jump in same store sales.However, experts added that if prices had not been cut across the sector, Christmas sales - which account for nearly 23% of annual retail sales - would have been far worse.US retailers posted mixed results for December - with luxury retailers faring well while many others were forced to slash prices to lift sales. |
2,124 | Apple Mac mini gets warm welcome
The Mac mini has been welcomed by Apple fans, industry experts and PC users.
The release of the tiny, low-cost machine is seen as a good move for Apple which currently has a small share of the desktop computer market. Mac watchers and some analysts say the Mac mini will go a long way to help Apple appeal to the mass of consumers. They speculate that the Mac mini will be bought by iPod owners and those wanting an easy-to-use and administer second home computer.
"It's the bravest move they have made yet," said Jonny Evans, news editor at Macworld magazine. Mr Evans said the combination of low cost, small size and huge numbers of iPod users could make it a big success.
He thought that the machine would appeal to those that like Apple technology but who before now have balked at paying high prices for its hardware. "It's deeply affordable," he said. "Plus you know that you do not get viruses or all of the associated problems." Already, he said, PC owning friends had declared that they would be buying one. Interest in the new products launched at Macworld expo was so strong that websites for Apple's store and the show struggled to cope with demand. According to response statistics gathered by Netcraft many visiting the Apple store in the wake of Mr Jobs' speech suffered lengthy response times. The Macworld Expo site was completely overwhelmed and went offline.
"I think fundamentally it's a good idea because it's cheap even for a PC," said Nick Ross, deputy labs editor at PC Pro. Apple's work on making things easy to use would also help the Mac mini win fans, he said. "I think people expect it just to work now and really it should," hesaid. The Mac mini could find a role in homes that need a second computer that is easy to install and administer, he said. "For browsing the web, e-mail and all kinds of basic duties it's going to be absolutely adequate," said Mr Ross. Ian Fogg, broadband and personal technology analyst at Jupiter Research, agreed that the Mac mini could be very popular. "Apple has been hoping that sales of the iPod will have a halo effect on the sales of the Mac," he said.
Before now, he said, Apple has been seen as a premium brand. But, he said, the Mac mini changed that perception. "It's a particularly good price when you see that it's Apple that is doing it," he said. Apple expects the Mac mini to sell for £339 in the UK and $499 in the US. Adding extras such as a larger hard drive, more memory and networking options will increase the basic price. It will go on sale from 22 January. "For consumers interested in style, design and small size - which is what the majority of iPod customers are interested in - it's a natural next step," said Mr Fogg. Apple has traditionally done well in the market that the Mac mini is aimed at, said Mr Fogg, who also expected many PC makers to release copycat devices in reaction.
His only misgivings were over how easy other consumers, other than iPod owners, would find using the machine. He said anyone wanting to use the Mac mini with the peripherals from an old computer may find it odd to have something so small and sleek next to a hulking monitor. "They'd be much more likely to pair a Mac mini with a LCD or flat panel monitor which increases the upgrade cost," he said. Those with flat screens and LCD monitors are likely to have bought them recently and not be in the market for a new machine.
There are also questions over whether the Mac mini will work with very old peripherals, such as display, keyboard and mouse. The Mac mini also fell short of being a media server that can be a video recorder as well as a store for all the digital music, movies and images people accumulate, said Mr Fogg. "The Mac mini is not quite ready for that yet," he said. "It does not have the right connectors that fit a TV screen or enough storage." Said Mr Fogg: "It's very much a computer." One dissenting opinion came from Brian Gammage, vice-president of research at analysts Gartner. He said: "I don't think it changes the world." Although the Mac mini was very cheap for an Apple computer, it was still expensive compared to many PCs. Also, he said, it appealed in categories that few consumers care about when buying a home computer. "The PC world is a pile-em-high, sell-em-cheap market," he said, "and all of them are pretty interchangeable." "Since the days when Apple ruled the personal computing world its market share has been on a long, slow decline," he said. "Every few years it does something to give its market share a kick then it starts to go back down again," said Mr Gammage. The release of the Mac mini fit perfectly with this trend, he said.
| But, he said, the Mac mini changed that perception."The Mac mini is not quite ready for that yet," he said.The release of the Mac mini fit perfectly with this trend, he said.Apple has traditionally done well in the market that the Mac mini is aimed at, said Mr Fogg, who also expected many PC makers to release copycat devices in reaction.The Mac mini could find a role in homes that need a second computer that is easy to install and administer, he said."Apple has been hoping that sales of the iPod will have a halo effect on the sales of the Mac," he said.Apple's work on making things easy to use would also help the Mac mini win fans, he said.Said Mr Fogg: "It's very much a computer.""They'd be much more likely to pair a Mac mini with a LCD or flat panel monitor which increases the upgrade cost," he said.He said anyone wanting to use the Mac mini with the peripherals from an old computer may find it odd to have something so small and sleek next to a hulking monitor.The Mac mini also fell short of being a media server that can be a video recorder as well as a store for all the digital music, movies and images people accumulate, said Mr Fogg.Mac watchers and some analysts say the Mac mini will go a long way to help Apple appeal to the mass of consumers.Before now, he said, Apple has been seen as a premium brand."It's a particularly good price when you see that it's Apple that is doing it," he said.The Mac mini has been welcomed by Apple fans, industry experts and PC users.Apple expects the Mac mini to sell for £339 in the UK and $499 in the US.Although the Mac mini was very cheap for an Apple computer, it was still expensive compared to many PCs."It's deeply affordable," he said. |
1,763 | Hewitt overcomes wobble in Sydney
Lleyton Hewitt gave himself the perfect preparation for next week's Australian Open with victory over Ivo Minar in the final of the Sydney International.
The defending champion brushed aside the Czech qualifier 7-5 6-0. The Australian world number three strolled to the first five games of the match but was shocked as Minar won the next five. The top seed was rattled but recovered to close out the set and raced to victory in exactly an hour. "It was a strange match . . . momentum swings," said Hewitt. "I felt like I came out of the blocks extremely well, but then he loosened up a bit. "When he got back to 5-5, I had to try to settle down and take it up a notch, and I was able to do that."
Hewitt has now lifted the Sydney title four times in the last six years. "It just keeps getting better and better every year," Hewitt said. "I've only played this tournament four times and I've won it four times." Hewitt went into the final as a short-priced favourite to clinch his 24th career title after dropping only one set all week. He is set to meet Frenchman Arnaud Clement in the first round of the Australian Open. Minar, ranked 158th in the world, was forced to pull out of the Australian Open qualifying draw to play in his first ATP final. "For me, this was a big success," said the 20-year-old. "I was so nervous last night I couldn't sleep. I've never played a top-10 player before. "I wanted to play qualifying in Melbourne, but it's Saturday and I'm still here. But this is a main draw and I need the points and the money." Alicia Molik takes on Samantha Stosur in an all-Australian women's final later on Saturday.
| Minar, ranked 158th in the world, was forced to pull out of the Australian Open qualifying draw to play in his first ATP final.Lleyton Hewitt gave himself the perfect preparation for next week's Australian Open with victory over Ivo Minar in the final of the Sydney International.The Australian world number three strolled to the first five games of the match but was shocked as Minar won the next five."For me, this was a big success," said the 20-year-old."It was a strange match .The top seed was rattled but recovered to close out the set and raced to victory in exactly an hour.Hewitt has now lifted the Sydney title four times in the last six years."I was so nervous last night I couldn't sleep.Hewitt went into the final as a short-priced favourite to clinch his 24th career title after dropping only one set all week. |
1,372 | European medal chances improve
What have the European Indoor trials told us? Well, I think we could be heading to the European Championships with half a dozen medal prospects.
It was good to see athletes beginning to make steps forward, to see a few new faces and there were lots of personal bests kicking around.
The best performance on the track for me was Sarah Claxton's win in the 60m hurdles. Running sub-eight seconds twice in a week puts her right up there and if she repeats that in Madrid she will be close to picking up a medal. But what was great about Sunday's performance was that she was under pressure to produce the goods when it counted. Diane Allahgreen has been our best hurdler for some time now and I think she was surprised to be beaten by Sarah. And knowing that she got the better of Diane in a head-to-head race will give Sarah confidence. In the men's race on Saturday, Allan Scott was right in there and there is definitely more to come from him. In fact, the men's 60m hurdles is so strong, I think the selectors will pick three hurdlers to go to Madrid.
Phillips Idowu lit up the field events, not only with his hair, but also with his leap of 17.30m, which puts him at the top of the world rankings. I had a chat with him before the competition and he was really looking forward to getting out there. He feels he is in great shape and has some big jumps inside him - but then Phillips always has. A lot of the athletes said the runway was not very helpful, so for Phillips to jump like that is a good performance. He is such a huge talent but just needs some consistency - and if he does that then the big jumps will get even further. Across the board I thought Kelly Sotherton had a great weekend and continued to show she is developing. She picked up three personal bests in the long jump, high jump and 60m hurdles and you can't ask for more than that. Kelly will be up against Carolina Kluft in the pentathlon at the European Championships but she has every chance of a medal on the basis of what we've seen so far.
She has a complicated training regime where different people help her with different disciplines but it seems to be working really well. It wasn't all good news in Sheffield. I thought both the 60m races were disappointing in different ways. Jason Gardener may have won but he wasn't at his best. I chatted to him afterwards and he knows it was an off-day for him. He's there to be shot at and the other lads nearly got a big scalp out there. In the women's race, Jeanette Kwayke was hoping to run against defending champion Joice Maduaka. The pair are enjoying a bit of rivalry but Joice had to pull out with a chest infection. If she had made the final I think Jeanette would have gone a bit quicker.
Janine Whitlock competed well in the pole vault on her return following a two-year drugs ban. But the most disappointing thing in the wider view is that she is our best pole vaulter by a long way and that shouldn't be the case. The event has moved on immensely since Janine has been away and if there was more domestic competition I think that would help her. A couple of other interesting topics to look out for are the citizenship issues surrounding Mark Findlay and Rabah Yusuf. Findlay is a Londoner who has chosen to represent Trinidad and Tobago but has never run for them so he could still compete for Great Britain. Yusuf, who came third in the 400m, is from the Sudan but is trying to gain British citizenship. He came to Britain as a high jumper but damaged his toe, started doing more running and found his talent. So we shall have to see what happens to both of them.
| Diane Allahgreen has been our best hurdler for some time now and I think she was surprised to be beaten by Sarah.But what was great about Sunday's performance was that she was under pressure to produce the goods when it counted.The event has moved on immensely since Janine has been away and if there was more domestic competition I think that would help her.A lot of the athletes said the runway was not very helpful, so for Phillips to jump like that is a good performance.It was good to see athletes beginning to make steps forward, to see a few new faces and there were lots of personal bests kicking around.The best performance on the track for me was Sarah Claxton's win in the 60m hurdles.He feels he is in great shape and has some big jumps inside him - but then Phillips always has.In the women's race, Jeanette Kwayke was hoping to run against defending champion Joice Maduaka.In the men's race on Saturday, Allan Scott was right in there and there is definitely more to come from him.She picked up three personal bests in the long jump, high jump and 60m hurdles and you can't ask for more than that.Findlay is a Londoner who has chosen to represent Trinidad and Tobago but has never run for them so he could still compete for Great Britain.I had a chat with him before the competition and he was really looking forward to getting out there.Well, I think we could be heading to the European Championships with half a dozen medal prospects.I chatted to him afterwards and he knows it was an off-day for him. |
1,949 | The Force is strong in Battlefront
The warm reception that has greeted Star Wars: Battlefront is a reflection not of any ingenious innovation in its gameplay, but of its back-to-basics approach and immense nostalgia quotient.
Geared towards online gamers, it is based around little more than a series of all-out gunfights, set in an array of locations all featured in, or hinted at during, the two blockbusting film trilogies. Previous Star Wars titles like the acclaimed Knights Of The Old Republic and Jedi Knight have regularly impressed with their imaginative forays into the far corners of the franchise's extensive universe, and their use of weird and wonderful new characters. Battlefront on the other hand wholeheartedly revisits the most recognisable elements of the hit movies themselves.
The sights, sounds and protagonists on show here will all be instantly familiar to fans, who may well feel that the opportunity to relive Star Wars' most memorable screen skirmishes makes this the game they have always waited for. The mayhem can be viewed from either a third or first-person perspective, and you can either fight for the forces of freedom or join Darth Vader on the Dark Side, depending on the episode and type of campaign as well as the player's personal propensity for good or evil.
There is ample chance to be a Wookie, shoot Ewoks and rush into battle alongside a fired-up Luke Skywalker. In each section, the task is simply to wipe out enemy troops, seize strategic waypoints and move on to the next planet. It really is no more complicated than that. Locations include the frozen wastes of Hoth, the ice planet from The Empire Strikes Back, complete with massive mechanical AT-ATs on the march. There are also the dusty, sinister deserts of Tatooine and Geonosis, as well as the forest moon of Endor, where Return Of The Jedi's much-maligned Ewoks lived. The feel of those places is well and truly captured, with both backdrops and characters looking good and very authentic. It is worth noting though that on the PlayStation 2, the game's graphics are a curiously long way behind those of the Xbox version. The pivotal element behind Battlefront's success is that it successfully gives you the feel of being of being plunged into the midst of large-scale war. The number of combatants, noise and abundance of laser fire see to that, and the sense of chaos really comes over.
Speaking of noise, Battlefront is a real testament to the strength of the Star Wars galaxy's audio motifs.
The multitude of distinctive weapon and vehicle noises are immensely familiar, as are the stirring John Williams symphonies that never let up. There is also a particularly snazzy remix of one of his themes in the menu section. It has to be said if the game did not have the boon of being Star Wars, it would not stand up for long. The gameplay is reliable, bog-standard stuff, short on originality. There are also odd annoyances, like the game's insistence on re-spawning you miles away from the action, an irritating price to pay for not getting blown up the second you appear. And some of the weapons and vehicles are not as responsive and fluid to operate as they might be. That said, it is still great fun to pilot a Scout Walker or Speeder Bike, however non user-friendly they prove. Whilst it is firmly designed with multiplayer action in mind, Battlefront is actually perfectly good fun as an offline game. The above-average AI of the enemy sees to that, although given the frenetic environments they operate in, their strategic behaviour does not need to be all that sophisticated. Battlefront's novelty value will doubtless wear off relatively fast, leaving behind a slightly empty one-trick-pony of a game. But for a while, it is an absolute blast, and one of the most immediately satisfying video game offerings yet from George Lucas' stable.
| It has to be said if the game did not have the boon of being Star Wars, it would not stand up for long.The sights, sounds and protagonists on show here will all be instantly familiar to fans, who may well feel that the opportunity to relive Star Wars' most memorable screen skirmishes makes this the game they have always waited for.Speaking of noise, Battlefront is a real testament to the strength of the Star Wars galaxy's audio motifs.The warm reception that has greeted Star Wars: Battlefront is a reflection not of any ingenious innovation in its gameplay, but of its back-to-basics approach and immense nostalgia quotient.Whilst it is firmly designed with multiplayer action in mind, Battlefront is actually perfectly good fun as an offline game.The number of combatants, noise and abundance of laser fire see to that, and the sense of chaos really comes over.The feel of those places is well and truly captured, with both backdrops and characters looking good and very authentic.There are also the dusty, sinister deserts of Tatooine and Geonosis, as well as the forest moon of Endor, where Return Of The Jedi's much-maligned Ewoks lived.Battlefront's novelty value will doubtless wear off relatively fast, leaving behind a slightly empty one-trick-pony of a game.In each section, the task is simply to wipe out enemy troops, seize strategic waypoints and move on to the next planet.The multitude of distinctive weapon and vehicle noises are immensely familiar, as are the stirring John Williams symphonies that never let up. |
1,486 | QPR keeper Day heads for Preston
Queens Park Rangers keeper Chris Day is set to join Preston on a month's loan.
Day has been displaced by the arrival of Simon Royce, who is in his second month on loan from Charlton. QPR have also signed Italian Generoso Rossi. R's manager Ian Holloway said: "Some might say it's a risk as he can't be recalled during that month and Simon Royce can now be recalled by Charlton. "But I have other irons in the fire. I have had a 'yes' from a couple of others should I need them."
Day's Rangers contract expires in the summer. Meanwhile, Holloway is hoping to complete the signing of Middlesbrough defender Andy Davies - either permanently or again on loan - before Saturday's match at Ipswich. Davies impressed during a recent loan spell at Loftus Road. Holloway is also chasing Bristol City midfielder Tom Doherty.
| Day has been displaced by the arrival of Simon Royce, who is in his second month on loan from Charlton.Queens Park Rangers keeper Chris Day is set to join Preston on a month's loan.Meanwhile, Holloway is hoping to complete the signing of Middlesbrough defender Andy Davies - either permanently or again on loan - before Saturday's match at Ipswich.R's manager Ian Holloway said: "Some might say it's a risk as he can't be recalled during that month and Simon Royce can now be recalled by Charlton. |
1,174 | What really divides the parties
So what is the gap between Labour and the Tories nowadays?
One Starbucks, one Rymans and one small Greek cafe as it happens. Both parties have now completed their moves to new headquarters, with Labour creating its election hub just three doors away from the Tories' new headquarters in Victoria Street, just down the road from the Commons. That should make things a little easier if and when the crack-of-dawn election press conferences kick off. Unlike 2001, there should be no need for colleagues to have taxis gunning their engines outside, or to buy scooters, to get themselves between the tightly-timetabled events.
And, to all intents and purposes, we already appear to be in that general election campaign. Certainly the press conference hosted by election co-ordinator Alan Milburn, in the rather compact new conference room - still smelling of new carpet and with the garish New Labour coffee mugs as yet unstained - had all the hallmarks of an election event.
"Welcome to the unremittingly New Labour media centre," he said. And I'll bet he hadn't checked that one with Gordon Brown. Along with Work and Pensions Secretary Alan Johnson and Minister for Work Jane Kennedy, he then went on to tear into the Tory plans to scrap the New Deal welfare-to-work scheme, which they claimed would lead to an increase of almost 300,000 in unemployment. And they ridiculed the claims made on Monday by Michael Howard that he could save £35 billion of Labour waste and inefficiency to spend on public services while also offering £4 billion of tax cuts. Labour has come up with a figure of £22 billions worth of efficiency savings so, understandably perhaps, believe Mr Howard must be planning cuts to squeeze the extra £13 billion. These figures, based on the two parties' own detailed studies, will be battered to within an inch of their lives during the campaign. Wednesday was just the start.
| Certainly the press conference hosted by election co-ordinator Alan Milburn, in the rather compact new conference room - still smelling of new carpet and with the garish New Labour coffee mugs as yet unstained - had all the hallmarks of an election event.Both parties have now completed their moves to new headquarters, with Labour creating its election hub just three doors away from the Tories' new headquarters in Victoria Street, just down the road from the Commons."Welcome to the unremittingly New Labour media centre," he said.So what is the gap between Labour and the Tories nowadays?One Starbucks, one Rymans and one small Greek cafe as it happens.And I'll bet he hadn't checked that one with Gordon Brown. |
61 | Further rise in UK jobless total
The UK's jobless total rose for the second month in a row in December, official figures show.
The number of people out of work rose 32,000 to 1.41 million in the last three months of 2004, even as 90,000 more people were in employment. Average earnings rose by 4.3% in the year to December up from November's 4.2%, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) added. Meanwhile, the benefit claimant total fell 11,000 to 813,200 last month. Throughout 2004, the number of people in work increased by 296,000 to 28.52 million - the highest figure since records began in 1971.
The apparent discrepancy between rising unemployment and record numbers in work can be explained by an increase in the working population and a fall in those who are economically inactive. While the UK's jobless rate rose to 4.7% from 4.6% in the previous quarter, the rate still remains one of the lowest in the world, compared with 12.1% in Germany, 10.4% in Spain and 9.7% in France. But, despite more people being in work, the manufacturing sector continued to suffer, with 104,000 workers axed during the last quarter of 2004 - pushing employment in the sector to a record low of 3.24 million by the end of last year. The figures prompted some analysts to forecast that the Bank of England will almost certainly raise rates this year. Marc Ostwald, a strategist at Monument Securities told Reuters that while no immediate market impact could be expected, "it is enough to underline that they (the BoE) will be more hawkish on rates".
| The number of people out of work rose 32,000 to 1.41 million in the last three months of 2004, even as 90,000 more people were in employment.Throughout 2004, the number of people in work increased by 296,000 to 28.52 million - the highest figure since records began in 1971.But, despite more people being in work, the manufacturing sector continued to suffer, with 104,000 workers axed during the last quarter of 2004 - pushing employment in the sector to a record low of 3.24 million by the end of last year.The UK's jobless total rose for the second month in a row in December, official figures show. |
1,969 | Musicians 'upbeat' about the net
Musicians are embracing the internet as a way of reaching new fans and selling more music, a survey has found.
The study by US researchers, Pew Internet, suggests musicians do not agree with the tactics adopted by the music industry against file-sharing. While most considered file-sharing as illegal, many disagreed with the lawsuits launched against downloaders. "Even successful artists don't think the lawsuits will benefit musicians," said report author Mary Madden.
For part of the study, Pew Internet conducted an online survey of 2,755 musicians, songwriters and music publishers via musician membership organisations between March and April 2004.
They ranged from full-time, successful musicians to artists struggling to make a living from their music. "We looked at more of the independent musicians, rather than the rockstars of this industry but that reflects more accurately the state of the music industry," Ms Madden told the BBC News website. "We always hear the views of successful artists like the Britneys of the world but the less successful artists rarely get represented." The survey found that musicians were overwhelming positive about the internet, rather than seeing it as just a threat to their livelihood. Almost all of them used the net for ideas and inspiration, with nine out of 10 going online to promote, advertise and post their music on the web. More than 80% offered free samples online, while two-thirds sold their music via the net. Independent musicians, in particular, saw the internet as a way to get around the need to land a record contract and reach fans directly. "Musicians are embracing the internet enthusiastically," said Ms Madden. "They are using the internet to gain inspiration, sell it online, tracking royalties, learning about copyright."
Perhaps surprisingly, opinions about online file-sharing were diverse and not as clear cut as those of the record industry.
Through the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), it has pursued an aggressive campaign through the courts to sue people suspected of sharing copyrighted music. But the report suggests this campaign does not have the wholehearted backing of musicians in the US. It found that most artists saw file-sharing as both good and bad, though most agreed that it should be illegal. "Free downloading has killed opportunities for new bands to break without major funding and backing," said one musician quoted by the report. "It's hard to keep making records if they don't pay for themselves through sales." However 60% said they did not think the lawsuits against song swappers would benefit musicians and songwriters. Many suggested that rather than fighting file-sharing, the music industry needed to recognise the changes it has brought and embrace it. "Both successful and struggling musicians were more likely to say that the internet has made it possible for them to make more money from their music, rather than make it harder for them to protect their material from piracy," said Ms Madden.
| The study by US researchers, Pew Internet, suggests musicians do not agree with the tactics adopted by the music industry against file-sharing."Both successful and struggling musicians were more likely to say that the internet has made it possible for them to make more money from their music, rather than make it harder for them to protect their material from piracy," said Ms Madden.Musicians are embracing the internet as a way of reaching new fans and selling more music, a survey has found.For part of the study, Pew Internet conducted an online survey of 2,755 musicians, songwriters and music publishers via musician membership organisations between March and April 2004.They ranged from full-time, successful musicians to artists struggling to make a living from their music."Even successful artists don't think the lawsuits will benefit musicians," said report author Mary Madden."Musicians are embracing the internet enthusiastically," said Ms Madden.Many suggested that rather than fighting file-sharing, the music industry needed to recognise the changes it has brought and embrace it."We looked at more of the independent musicians, rather than the rockstars of this industry but that reflects more accurately the state of the music industry," Ms Madden told the BBC News website.The survey found that musicians were overwhelming positive about the internet, rather than seeing it as just a threat to their livelihood. |
1,789 | Henman to face Saulnier test
British number one Tim Henman will face France's Cyril Saulnier in the first round of next week's Australian Open.
Greg Rusedski, the British number two, is in the same quarter of the draw and could face Andy Roddick in the second round if he beats Swede Jonas Bjorkman. Local favourite Lleyton Hewitt will meet France's Arnaud Clement, while defending champion and world number one Roger Federer faces Fabrice Santoro. Women's top seed Lindsay Davenport drew Spanish veteran Conchita Martinez.
Henman came from two sets down to defeat Saulnier in the first round of the French Open last year, so he knows he faces a tough test in Melbourne. The seventh seed, who has never gone beyond the quarter-finals in the year's first major and is lined up to meet Roddick in the last eight, is looking forward to the match. "He's tough player on any surface, he's got a lot of ability," he said. "We had a really tight one in Paris that went my way so I'm going to need to play well from the outset because he's a dangerous competitor." Switzerland's Federer, seeded one, is the hot favourite having won three of the four grand slam titles in 2004. He has beaten Santoro in five of their seven previous encounters, but is taking nothing for granted. "It's a tricky match," Federer said. "I played him at the US Open and won quite comfortably then. But you never know, if the rhythm is a bit off, he can keep you guessing and make it difficult. "The most important thing, though, is to get used to playing five-set matches and winning them." The 23-year-old could meet four-time champion Andre Agassi in the quarter-finals before meeting Russian Marat Safin, the player he beat in last year's final.
Eighth-seeded American Agassi is set to play a qualifier in round one if he can shake off a hip injury which ruled him out of the Kooyong Classic. Second seed Andy Roddick will open his campaign against Irakli Labadze of Georgia. The American could meet Rusedski in the second round, seventh seed Henman in the quarter-finals and Hewitt in the last four. Hewitt is hoping to become the first Australian man to win the event since Mark Edmondson in 1976. The 23-year-old has never been beyond round four in eight attempts at Melbourne Park but has at least secured the opposite half of the draw to Federer, who beat him in the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open last year. Safin, seeded four, opens his campaign against a qualifier with 16th seed Tommy Haas, the player he beat in the semi-finals in 2002, a possible fourth-round opponent.
In the women's draw, Davenport could encounter eighth-seeded Venus Williams in the quarter-finals and third-ranked Anastasia Myskina, the French Open champion, in the semi-finals. Bronchitis ruled Davenport, the 2000 Australian Open champion, out of her Sydney quarter-final on Thursday. Venus Williams, who lost to younger sister Serena in the Melbourne final two years ago, opens against Eleni Daniilidou of Greece. Serena Williams, who won her fourth consecutive grand slam at the 2003 Australian Open, was drawn in the bottom quarter with second seed Amelie Mauresmo, a runner-up in 1999. Serena will open against another Frenchwoman Camille Pin, while Mauresmo plays Australia's Samantha Stosur. Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova, seeded fourth, drew a qualifier in the first round but could meet fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, the US Open winner, in the last eight
1 Roger Federer (Switzerland)
2 Andy Roddick (US)
3 Lleyton Hewitt (Australia)
4 Marat Safin (Russia)
5 Carlos Moya (Spain)
6 Guillermo Coria (Argentina)
7 Tim Henman (Britain)
8 Andre Agassi (US)
9 David Nalbandian (Argentina)
10 Gaston Gaudio (Argentina)
11 Joachim Johansson (Sweden)
12 Guillermo Canas (Argentina)
13 Tommy Robredo (Spain)
14 Sebastien Grosjean (France)
15 Mikhail Youzhny (Russia)
16 Tommy Haas (Germany)
17 Andrei Pavel (Romania)
18 Nicolas Massu (Chile)
19 Vincent Spadea (US)
20 Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia)
21 Nicolas Kiefer (Germany)
22 Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia)
23 Fernando Gonzalez (Chile)
24 Feliciano Lopez (Spain)
25 Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina)
26 Nikolay Davydenko (Russia)
27 Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand)
28 Mario Ancic (Croatia)
29 Taylor Dent (US)
30 Thomas Johansson (Sweden)
31 Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain)
32 Jurgen Melzer (Austria)
1 Lindsay Davenport (US)
2 Amelie Mauresmo (France)
3 Anastasia Myskina (Russia)
4 Maria Sharapova (Russia)
5 Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia)
6 Elena Dementieva (Russia)
7 Serena Williams (US)
8 Venus Williams (US)
9 Vera Zvonareva (Russia)
10 Alicia Molik (Australia)
11 Nadia Petrova (Russia)
12 Patty Schnyder (Switzerland)
13 Karolina Sprem (Croatia)
14 Francesca Schiavone (Italy)
15 Silvia Farina Elia (Italy)
16 Ai Sugiyama (Japan)
17 Fabiola Zuluaga (Colombia)
18 Elena Likhovtseva (Russia)
19 Nathalie Dechy (France)
20 Tatiana Golovin (France)
21 Amy Frazier (US)
22 Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria)
23 Jelena Jankovic (Serbia and Montenegro)
24 Mary Pierce (France)
25 Lisa Raymond (US)
26 Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia)
27 Anna Smashnova (Israel)
28 Shinobu Asagoe (Japan)
29 Gisela Dulko (Argentina)
30 Flavia Pennetta (Italy)
31 Jelena Kostanic (Croatia)
32 Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic)
| The 23-year-old has never been beyond round four in eight attempts at Melbourne Park but has at least secured the opposite half of the draw to Federer, who beat him in the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open last year.The American could meet Rusedski in the second round, seventh seed Henman in the quarter-finals and Hewitt in the last four.Henman came from two sets down to defeat Saulnier in the first round of the French Open last year, so he knows he faces a tough test in Melbourne.British number one Tim Henman will face France's Cyril Saulnier in the first round of next week's Australian Open.The seventh seed, who has never gone beyond the quarter-finals in the year's first major and is lined up to meet Roddick in the last eight, is looking forward to the match.In the women's draw, Davenport could encounter eighth-seeded Venus Williams in the quarter-finals and third-ranked Anastasia Myskina, the French Open champion, in the semi-finals.Serena Williams, who won her fourth consecutive grand slam at the 2003 Australian Open, was drawn in the bottom quarter with second seed Amelie Mauresmo, a runner-up in 1999.Safin, seeded four, opens his campaign against a qualifier with 16th seed Tommy Haas, the player he beat in the semi-finals in 2002, a possible fourth-round opponent.Second seed Andy Roddick will open his campaign against Irakli Labadze of Georgia.Bronchitis ruled Davenport, the 2000 Australian Open champion, out of her Sydney quarter-final on Thursday.Greg Rusedski, the British number two, is in the same quarter of the draw and could face Andy Roddick in the second round if he beats Swede Jonas Bjorkman. |
1,301 | Abortion not a poll issue - Blair
Tony Blair does not believe abortion should be an election issue, arguing it is a matter for individual conscience.
The prime minister's spokesman set out Mr Blair's view after the top Catholic in England and Wales backed Michael Howard's stance on abortions. The Tory leader supports a reduction in the legal limit from 24 weeks to 20 and has said current rules are "tantamount to abortion on demand". The prime minister has made it clear he has no plans to the change the law.
Mr Blair's spokesman said: "The Catholic church has a well-known position on this issue and it was one of many issues the Cardinal mentioned and therefore it should be seen in that context." His words came as Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster, backed Mr Howard's stance and distanced himself from Labour. In a statement, he said abortion was a "very key issue", saying: "The policy supported by Mr Howard is one that we would commend, on the way to a full abandonment of abortion."
Cardinal O'Connor claimed Labour had "developed" the notion that it was the natural party of Catholics, but he said: "We are not going to suggest people support one particular party." The Family Planning Association says a reduction would particularly affect young women who often seek help later. More than 180,000 women in England and Wales had terminations last year, of which fewer than 1% were carried out between 22 and 24 weeks.
In the Cosmopolitan interview Mr Howard said: "I believe abortion should be available to everyone, but the law should be changed. "In the past I voted for a restriction to 22 weeks and I would be prepared to go down to 20." All three main parties say the issue is one for each MP's conscience, rather than one where there is a party-wide policy. Mr Howard stressed his views were his personal views. Shadow home secretary David Davis said he understood Mr Howard had been signalling that a Conservative government would allow a Commons vote on the issue. Mr Blair and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy also gave their views during interviews, conducted as part of the magazine's "High Heeled Vote" campaign.
Mr Blair, who last year denied he planned to join his wife and four children in the Catholic faith despite regularly taking communion, said abortion was a "difficult issue". "However much I dislike the idea of abortion, you should not criminalise a woman who, in very difficult circumstances, makes that choice. "Obviously there is a time beyond which you can't have an abortion, and we have no plans to change that although the debate will continue." Mr Kennedy said he had previously voted for a 22-week limit but medical advances mean "I don't know what I would do now". The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cardiff, the Most Reverend Peter Smith, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the church merely wanted people to "reflect on issues in light of the gospel" before voting. Anne Weyman, chief executive of the Family Planning Association, asked: "What is the benefit to women, or to the potential child, of forcing a woman to have a baby?" Anti-abortion group the Pro-Life Alliance "congratulated" Mr Howard on his new stance, but said it did not go far enough.
| In a statement, he said abortion was a "very key issue", saying: "The policy supported by Mr Howard is one that we would commend, on the way to a full abandonment of abortion."Mr Blair's spokesman said: "The Catholic church has a well-known position on this issue and it was one of many issues the Cardinal mentioned and therefore it should be seen in that context."Mr Blair, who last year denied he planned to join his wife and four children in the Catholic faith despite regularly taking communion, said abortion was a "difficult issue".In the Cosmopolitan interview Mr Howard said: "I believe abortion should be available to everyone, but the law should be changed.Shadow home secretary David Davis said he understood Mr Howard had been signalling that a Conservative government would allow a Commons vote on the issue.Mr Kennedy said he had previously voted for a 22-week limit but medical advances mean "I don't know what I would do now".Anti-abortion group the Pro-Life Alliance "congratulated" Mr Howard on his new stance, but said it did not go far enough.The Tory leader supports a reduction in the legal limit from 24 weeks to 20 and has said current rules are "tantamount to abortion on demand".The prime minister's spokesman set out Mr Blair's view after the top Catholic in England and Wales backed Michael Howard's stance on abortions.Mr Howard stressed his views were his personal views. |
988 | New 'yob' targets to be unveiled
Fifty new areas getting special help to fight anti-social behaviour in England and Wales will be named on Thursday.
Ten areas have already had access to special prosecutors and local experts and the government is now expanding the crackdown to more towns and cities. Details of how many anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos) were used in the last year are also being published. Labour sees nuisance behaviour as a key election issue but critics claim the record is at best patchy. A year ago, ministers launched their anti-social behaviour plan and Thursday's figures offer a progress check. They will say that in the past year more than 2,600 anti-social behaviour orders were issued by the courts - more than double the total used in the previous four years.
Police have also closed 150 crack houses and issued more than 400 dispersal orders, breaking up groups of youths in public places. The 50 new pilot areas to get special attention will also receive extra government funding. Exeter and Cardiff are among cities who have voiced interest in being involved.
Prime Minister Tony Blair is also expected to announce new measures to strengthen the use of Asbos and fixed penalty notices. There are still concerns that some areas of the country are not using the powers properly.
He is expected to say that the new figures were heartening but he would not rest until similar action was taken in all areas of the country where it was needed. "We have not defeated this problem by any means, but shown together what can be done," he will say. Mr Blair this week defended the shake-up of the licensing laws, saying it was right to focus on troublemakers rather than treating everybody as a potential drunken nuisance.
Ministers also boast of record police numbers and are speeding up plans to put in place 25,000 community support officers (CSOs). But researchers from Leeds University warned that CSOs could undermine traditional bonds between police officers and communities. More work needed to be done on clarifying the role of different agencies and how they linked together before CSOs, they argued in a the study. Critics of the government say it has announced more than 20 initiatives to tackle nuisance behaviour when the real focus should be on good policing. Home Office Minister Hazel Blears also revealed this week that "about a third" of Asbos were breached - with some people jailed and others not.
| Details of how many anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos) were used in the last year are also being published.The 50 new pilot areas to get special attention will also receive extra government funding.Fifty new areas getting special help to fight anti-social behaviour in England and Wales will be named on Thursday.They will say that in the past year more than 2,600 anti-social behaviour orders were issued by the courts - more than double the total used in the previous four years.He is expected to say that the new figures were heartening but he would not rest until similar action was taken in all areas of the country where it was needed.A year ago, ministers launched their anti-social behaviour plan and Thursday's figures offer a progress check.Critics of the government say it has announced more than 20 initiatives to tackle nuisance behaviour when the real focus should be on good policing.Ministers also boast of record police numbers and are speeding up plans to put in place 25,000 community support officers (CSOs). |
368 | Warning over US pensions deficit
Taxpayers may have to bail out the US agency that protects workers' pension funds, leading economists have warned.
With the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) some £23bn (£12m) in deficit, the Financial Economists Roundtable (FER) wants Congress to act. Instead of taxpayers having to pick up the bill, the FER wants Congressmen to change the PBGC's funding rules. The FER says firms should not have been allowed to reduce the insurance premiums they pay into the PBGC fund. The FER blames this on a 2004 law, in a statement signed by several members, who include Nobel economics laureate William Sharpe. It said it was "dismayed" at the situation and wants Congress to overturn the legislation.
Cash-strapped US companies, including those in the airline, car-making and steel industries, had argued in favour of the 2004 rule change, claiming that funding the insurance premiums adequately would force them to have to cut jobs. "With a little firmer hand on the pensions issues in the US, I think that Congress could avoid having to turn to the taxpayer and instead turn the obligations back onto the companies that deserve to pay them," said Professor Dennis Logue, dean of Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma. The PBGC was founded in 1974 to protect workers' retirement rights. Its most recent action came last week when it took control of the pilots' pension scheme at United Airlines. With United battling bankruptcy, the carrier had wanted to use the money set aside for pensions to finance running costs. The company has an estimated $2.9bn hole in its pilots' pension scheme, which the PBGC will now guarantee.
| With the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) some £23bn (£12m) in deficit, the Financial Economists Roundtable (FER) wants Congress to act.The company has an estimated $2.9bn hole in its pilots' pension scheme, which the PBGC will now guarantee.The FER says firms should not have been allowed to reduce the insurance premiums they pay into the PBGC fund."With a little firmer hand on the pensions issues in the US, I think that Congress could avoid having to turn to the taxpayer and instead turn the obligations back onto the companies that deserve to pay them," said Professor Dennis Logue, dean of Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma.Instead of taxpayers having to pick up the bill, the FER wants Congressmen to change the PBGC's funding rules. |
331 | Disney settles disclosure charges
Walt Disney has settled charges from US federal regulators that it failed to disclose how family members of directors were employed by the company.
The media giant was not fined by the Securities and Exchange Commission, but has agreed to refrain from any future violations of securities law. Disney failed to tell investors that between 1999 and 2001 it employed three adult children of three then directors. The firm has neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing in the settlement.
The three Disney directors in question in the central matter of the SEC's investigation - Reveta Bowers, Stanley Gold and Raymond Watson - have all since left the company, with Ms Bowers and Mr Watson both retiring, and Mr Gold quitting in 2003. Their children were paid between $60,000 (£30,800) and $150,000 a year, with shareholders not being informed. The SEC also found that Disney did not disclose that a 50% Disney-owned subsidiary company - Lifetime - employed the wife of current Disney director John Bryson, and that she earned more than $1m a year. Louise Bryson remains with Lifetime.
Disney also failed to disclose payments to Air Shamrock, an airline owned by Mr Gold and fellow former Disney directors Roy Disney. Finally, Disney also did not reveal that it provided more than $200,000 annually for office space, secretarial services, and a leased car and driver to former director Thomas Murphy. "Shareholders have a significant interest in information regarding relationships between the company and its directors," said SEC deputy enforcement director Linda Thomsen. "Failure to comply with the SEC's disclosure rules in this area impedes shareholders' ability to evaluate the objectivity and independence of directors."
| The SEC also found that Disney did not disclose that a 50% Disney-owned subsidiary company - Lifetime - employed the wife of current Disney director John Bryson, and that she earned more than $1m a year.Disney also failed to disclose payments to Air Shamrock, an airline owned by Mr Gold and fellow former Disney directors Roy Disney.Walt Disney has settled charges from US federal regulators that it failed to disclose how family members of directors were employed by the company.Disney failed to tell investors that between 1999 and 2001 it employed three adult children of three then directors.The three Disney directors in question in the central matter of the SEC's investigation - Reveta Bowers, Stanley Gold and Raymond Watson - have all since left the company, with Ms Bowers and Mr Watson both retiring, and Mr Gold quitting in 2003. |
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