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522 | Neeson in bid to revive theatre
Hollywood film star Liam Neeson has held a dinner party in New York to promote Belfast's Lyric Theatre.
The Ballymena-born actor said that the theatre on Ridgeway Street was in a "very dilapidated condition". Lyric chairman David Johnston has said that rebuilding the theatre, at a cost of £8m is the only answer. Mr Neeson said that the idea was to get a bunch of "healthy, wealthy Irish Americans" in one room and ask them to help with fundraising.
The Oscar-nominated actor, whose films include Schindler's List, Michael Collins and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, said: "The Lyric is too important to the cultural and social life of Northern Ireland for this building to crumble and fall apart. "It gave me a start professionally. Mary O'Malley, the founder of the theatre, gave me my future. "In those days, in the mid-70s, when I was there, we were doing a play every four weeks. "Belfast was not a pretty town to be living in. "There was serious trouble, as you know, but this theatre was like a Belisha beacon of light and hope six nights a week, doing everything from Shakespeare to Yeats to O'Casey with a group of actors and actresses that affected me very deeply and still do." The Lyric began 50 years ago but the doors opened at its present site on the Stranmillis embankment overlooking the River Lagan in 1968.
As well as Liam Neeson, it also launched the careers of Adrian Dunbar and Stephen Rea and playwrights such as Martin Lynch and Gary Mitchell. Speaking to BBC Northern Ireland before the event at New York's SoHo House, Mr Neeson said that his spirit belonged to the Glens of Antrim. And he said that there was one figure from his childhood that he would love to portray on the big screen - Ian Paisley. He said that the DUP leader and preacher was a "very dynamic, extraordinary figure". Neeson used to listen to his sermons on a Friday night in Ballymena. He said: "What an orator. He was from that old school of bible-thumping righteousness. But it was so dramatic. I found him very powerful. "I'd love to get a chance to play him some time."
| The Ballymena-born actor said that the theatre on Ridgeway Street was in a "very dilapidated condition".Mr Neeson said that the idea was to get a bunch of "healthy, wealthy Irish Americans" in one room and ask them to help with fundraising.He said that the DUP leader and preacher was a "very dynamic, extraordinary figure".But it was so dramatic.And he said that there was one figure from his childhood that he would love to portray on the big screen - Ian Paisley."There was serious trouble, as you know, but this theatre was like a Belisha beacon of light and hope six nights a week, doing everything from Shakespeare to Yeats to O'Casey with a group of actors and actresses that affected me very deeply and still do."Lyric chairman David Johnston has said that rebuilding the theatre, at a cost of £8m is the only answer.Hollywood film star Liam Neeson has held a dinner party in New York to promote Belfast's Lyric Theatre.He said: "What an orator. |
413 | EC calls truce in deficit battle
The European Commission (EC) has called a truce in its battle with France and Germany over breaching deficit limits.
The move came after France and Germany vowed to run their budget deficits below the EU cap in 2005 - for the first time in four years. But, the EC did warn the two were under close scrutiny and it would act if their fiscal situations deteriorated. Under EU rules, member countries must keep their deficits below 3%. France and Germany will breach that this year. It will be the third year in a row that the two countries have broken the European Union's Stability and Growth Pact rules.
The eurozone's two biggest economies left the pact in tatters in November 2003 when they persuaded fellow EU members to put the threat of penalties for deficit breaches on hold.
The commission then took the pair to the European Court of Human Justice - which ruled EU countries could not put the pact "in abeyance", and confirmed the EC's right to launch "excessive debt procedures". After announcing its decision to erase France and Germany from its list of deficit rule breakers, the EU said that the time lag created by the ruling meant that 2005 should be the target year for the pair to bring their budget's below 3%. "The commission concludes that the two countries appear to be on track to correct their excessive deficits by 2005," it said in a statement. The EU expects the German deficit to fall to fall to 2.9% of GDP next year from 3.9% this year, while France's is forecast to drop to 3% from an expected 3.7% this year. The forecasts are based on EC predictions of GDP growth of 1.5% in Germany next year and 2.2% in France.
Berlin welcomed the decision, with finance minister Hans Eichel saying it showed that the EC recognised Germany's fiscal policy was "on the right track even amid very difficult economic conditions". However Paris was more subdued, with finance minister Herve Gaymard telling parliament: "We must continue along this path of saving money." However, the move still had its critics, with the European People's Party (EPP) attacking the EC for backing down from punitive action. "The Commission is buckling under the pressure from Germany and France, " EPP spokesman Alexander Radwan said. "The scary fact is that budget sinners, despite having repeatedly exceeded the 3% deficit limit, do not have to fear any sanctions." Despite the commission delivering its decision on the two biggest eurozone economies, it refused to comment on similar action against Greece which has also broken the 3% deficit ceiling. Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said that it was a matter for next week.
| The European Commission (EC) has called a truce in its battle with France and Germany over breaching deficit limits.After announcing its decision to erase France and Germany from its list of deficit rule breakers, the EU said that the time lag created by the ruling meant that 2005 should be the target year for the pair to bring their budget's below 3%.The forecasts are based on EC predictions of GDP growth of 1.5% in Germany next year and 2.2% in France.France and Germany will breach that this year."The commission concludes that the two countries appear to be on track to correct their excessive deficits by 2005," it said in a statement.The move came after France and Germany vowed to run their budget deficits below the EU cap in 2005 - for the first time in four years.Under EU rules, member countries must keep their deficits below 3%.The EU expects the German deficit to fall to fall to 2.9% of GDP next year from 3.9% this year, while France's is forecast to drop to 3% from an expected 3.7% this year. |
1,066 | Hospital suspends 'no Welsh' plan
An English hospital has suspended plans to stop treating Welsh patients who have waited more than three months.
Hereford County Hospital had earlier said that from the new year patients waiting longer than this would be taken off waiting lists for hip and knee operations. GPs in Wales had feared patients could be pushed to the back of another queue. But after talks with Powys Health Board the hospital called off its plan until health chiefs meet early in January. Hereford Hospital Trust caused an outcry when it sent out a letter telling patients that for financial and administrative reasons it planned to turn down some orthopaedic patients. Shocked health officials in Powys said this meant they would be left with the prospect of patients and doctors having to find new appointments in other hospitals. Andy Williams, chief executive of Powys Local Health Board, had said it was "a totally unacceptable way to behave".
Mr Williams had said he did not think it was a Welsh-English issue, but said Hereford hospital was "struggling financially and trying to pass the problem back to Powys". He had told BBC Radio Wales: "I have written straight back to the trust... to insist they withdraw this threat and treat the patients I am paying them to treat." But after the hospital had agreed to the suspension, Mr Williams said he was optimistic a compromise could be reached which would ensure Welsh patients continued to be treated there. He said the problem had been caused by the difference in waiting time targets between England and Wales.
The target is 12 months for Welsh patients, but just three months in England. The contract with the Powys health board was worth £7m a year for the hospital and accounts for 12% of its patients. In a statement before the suspension of the idea, the Welsh Assembly Government said the situation was "unacceptable". "But Powys Local Health Board is committed to ensuring our patients receive the care that is appropriate," said the assembly government. "Although we will be challenging Hereford's decision we will put in place appropriate care for our patients. They will be contacted by their GPs in the next week." Earlier, David Rose, Chief Executive of Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust, had said: "It is with real regret that we have taken this step. "We want to continue providing an excellent and fast service to Powys people but can only do this if we are paid to provide the service. "In 2005 our waiting time will fall to a maximum of 6-months and we want Powys people to ask to be referred to our modern hospital. "We appeal to Powys Local Health Board to allow Powys people to choose Hereford for their treatment."
| "But Powys Local Health Board is committed to ensuring our patients receive the care that is appropriate," said the assembly government.The contract with the Powys health board was worth £7m a year for the hospital and accounts for 12% of its patients.Mr Williams had said he did not think it was a Welsh-English issue, but said Hereford hospital was "struggling financially and trying to pass the problem back to Powys".Andy Williams, chief executive of Powys Local Health Board, had said it was "a totally unacceptable way to behave".But after the hospital had agreed to the suspension, Mr Williams said he was optimistic a compromise could be reached which would ensure Welsh patients continued to be treated there."We appeal to Powys Local Health Board to allow Powys people to choose Hereford for their treatment."Shocked health officials in Powys said this meant they would be left with the prospect of patients and doctors having to find new appointments in other hospitals.But after talks with Powys Health Board the hospital called off its plan until health chiefs meet early in January.Hereford County Hospital had earlier said that from the new year patients waiting longer than this would be taken off waiting lists for hip and knee operations. |
567 | Dutch watch Van Gogh's last film
The last film to be made by the slain Dutch director Theo van Gogh, called 06/05, has been premiered in The Hague.
Members of Van Gogh's family and celebrities attended the screening of 06/05, based on the murder of the anti-immigration politician Pim Fortuyn. Van Gogh was shot and stabbed to death in Amsterdam six weeks ago. A Dutch-Moroccan man suspected of radical Islamist links has been charged. The killing, and Fortuyn's death in 2002, convulsed the Netherlands. Many Dutch people have questioned their country's self-image as a peaceful, tolerant nation in the wake of the murders, which triggered heated debate about immigration.
An animal rights activist was sentenced to 18 years in prison last year for killing Fortuyn. Earlier this year, Van Gogh made a film accusing Islam of promoting violence against women. It caused outrage among Muslims and death threats were made against him. The film 06/05 will become available on the internet on Wednesday and go on general release in Dutch cinemas in January. Van Gogh's movie mixes real images of the day of Fortuyn's murder with a fictional plot about Dutch intelligence services conspiring to silence the politician. The story unfolds through the eyes of a freelance photographer who unwittingly takes pictures revealing the involvement of Dutch authorities in Fortuyn's murder. Photographer Jim de Booy then goes on the run from secret service agents who burgle his home and threaten his family.
| The last film to be made by the slain Dutch director Theo van Gogh, called 06/05, has been premiered in The Hague.Van Gogh's movie mixes real images of the day of Fortuyn's murder with a fictional plot about Dutch intelligence services conspiring to silence the politician.Earlier this year, Van Gogh made a film accusing Islam of promoting violence against women.Van Gogh was shot and stabbed to death in Amsterdam six weeks ago.Members of Van Gogh's family and celebrities attended the screening of 06/05, based on the murder of the anti-immigration politician Pim Fortuyn.The story unfolds through the eyes of a freelance photographer who unwittingly takes pictures revealing the involvement of Dutch authorities in Fortuyn's murder. |
1,861 | US woman sues over cartridges
A US woman is suing Hewlett Packard (HP), saying its printer ink cartridges are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date.
The unnamed woman from Georgia says that a chip inside the cartridge tells the printer that it needs re-filling even when it does not. The lawsuit seeks to represent anyone in the US who has purchased an HP inkjet printer since February 2001. HP, the world's biggest printer firm, declined to comment on the lawsuit. HP ink cartridges use a chip technology to sense when they are low on ink and advise the user to make a change.
But the suit claims the chips also shut down the cartridges at a predetermined date regardless of whether they are empty. "The smart chip is dually engineered to prematurely register ink depletion and to render a cartridge unusable through the use of a built-in expiration date that is not revealed to the consumer," the suit said. The lawsuit is asking for restitution, damages and other compensation. The cost of printer cartridges has been a contentious issue in Europe for the last 18 months. The price of inkjet printers has come down to as little as £34 but it could cost up to £1,700 in running costs over an 18-month period due to cartridge, a study by Computeractive Magazine revealed last year. The inkjet printer market has been the subject of an investigation by the UK's Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which concluded in a 2002 report that retailers and manufacturers needed to make pricing more transparent for consumers.
| A US woman is suing Hewlett Packard (HP), saying its printer ink cartridges are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date.The cost of printer cartridges has been a contentious issue in Europe for the last 18 months.The lawsuit seeks to represent anyone in the US who has purchased an HP inkjet printer since February 2001.The price of inkjet printers has come down to as little as £34 but it could cost up to £1,700 in running costs over an 18-month period due to cartridge, a study by Computeractive Magazine revealed last year.HP ink cartridges use a chip technology to sense when they are low on ink and advise the user to make a change. |
773 | Lasting influence of legend Charles
Ray Charles, who has won a string of posthumous Grammy Awards, belonged to a pioneering generation of artists that had a huge influence on the course of rock and pop music.
His sound encompassed so many styles - blues, gospel, jazz, rock 'n' roll, even country - and had a real impact on the nascent UK beat and R&B scenes.
Compared in stature to Elvis Presley by some commentators, Charles' songs cast their spell on such 1960s stalwarts as Joe Cocker, Steve Winwood, Eric Burdon and Van Morrison. His influence has extended to contemporary artists such as Norah Jones, with whom he recently recorded a duet. If James Brown was the godfather of soul, then Ray Charles was indisputably one of its founding fathers. Along with Sam Cooke, he was instrumental in bringing together the gospel fervour of the deep south Baptist church with the "devil's" music of R&B to pave the way for a new generation of soul artists.
Without Charles, it is hard to imagine the tear-stained Atlantic R&B sound of Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding or Wilson Pickett. He was also a talented jazz composer, arranger and band leader, playing at the Newport Jazz Festival and Carnegie Hall and recording with noted jazz musicians such as Milt Jackson and David "Fathead" Newman. Unfortunately, he also shared another trait common among many jazz artists of the era - that of heroin addiction, which led to him being arrested in 1965. His string of 1950s Atlantic R&B successes included songs that would be covered by the first-generation rock 'n' roll greats, including I've Got A Woman (Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley) and Hallelujah, I Love Her So (Eddie Cochran). After the exuberance of his 1959 signature song What'd I Say, Charles turned towards a more pop-oriented style, recording Hoagy Carmichael's sentimental string ballad Georgia On My Mind, and the upbeat Hit The Road Jack.
He also won acclaim in the country arena with his interpretations of Hank Williams standards such as Your Cheating Heart and You Win Again. More than 40 years after its release, his 1962 ABC album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music is still regarded as a classic. His version of Don Gibson's I Can't Stop Loving You topped the pop and R&B charts in the US. In 1972, he made a rare foray into protest songs with his album A Message from the People.
On it, he took a stand on poverty and civil rights - echoing similar recordings of the era from progeny such as Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye. More than 20 years later, he would embrace contemporary production with his 1993 album My World, which featured hip-hop beats - although Charles claimed at the time not to know what hip-hop was. Among the tributes that poured in from all sections of the music world when Charles died aged 73 in June 2004 was one from his friend, the producer Quincy Jones, who described him as a "brother in every sense of the word". "There will never be another musician who did as much to break down the perceived walls of musical genres as much as Ray Charles did," he said. Former Manfred Mann singer Paul Jones, who sang on 1960s hits such as Come Tomorrow and Sha La La, said Charles was one of his heroes. "I'm quite sure my own writing was influenced by him," he told BBC News Online. "I would put money on the proposition that Ray Charles will have an influence on music forever."
| If James Brown was the godfather of soul, then Ray Charles was indisputably one of its founding fathers.Ray Charles, who has won a string of posthumous Grammy Awards, belonged to a pioneering generation of artists that had a huge influence on the course of rock and pop music."I would put money on the proposition that Ray Charles will have an influence on music forever."Among the tributes that poured in from all sections of the music world when Charles died aged 73 in June 2004 was one from his friend, the producer Quincy Jones, who described him as a "brother in every sense of the word".Former Manfred Mann singer Paul Jones, who sang on 1960s hits such as Come Tomorrow and Sha La La, said Charles was one of his heroes.His sound encompassed so many styles - blues, gospel, jazz, rock 'n' roll, even country - and had a real impact on the nascent UK beat and R&B scenes.More than 20 years later, he would embrace contemporary production with his 1993 album My World, which featured hip-hop beats - although Charles claimed at the time not to know what hip-hop was.Without Charles, it is hard to imagine the tear-stained Atlantic R&B sound of Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding or Wilson Pickett.After the exuberance of his 1959 signature song What'd I Say, Charles turned towards a more pop-oriented style, recording Hoagy Carmichael's sentimental string ballad Georgia On My Mind, and the upbeat Hit The Road Jack. |
2,183 | Gizmondo gadget hits the shelves
The Gizmondo combined media player, phone and gaming gadget goes on sale on Saturday.
Priced at £229, the handheld device is debuting in the UK and goes on sale in the US and mainland Europe in the next few weeks. A catalogue of about 20 games is being prepared for the gadget including The Great Escape and Conflict Vietnam. The British-backed gadget faces stiff competition from handheld gaming devices made by Nintendo and Sony.
The Gizmondo device packs a lot of functions inside its black cover and is aimed at gamers and those that want more from their game-playing gadgets.
It can be used to play games, music tracks and movies. It can take and store digital photos and be used like a mobile phone to send text, multimedia and e-mail messages. The phone service to enable people to send messages is being provided by pre-pay Vodafone accounts bundled in with the device. It also works with GPS (Global Position System) so can also be used as a navigation aid or to support a variety of location-based services. The GPRS and Bluetooth wireless data systems onboard mean that it can be used for multi-player gaming. The gadget will be available from the Gizmondo store on London's Regent Street and from several other retail partners. Although the device rolls together an impressive list of functions, it will face serious competition from three established names in mobile gaming: Nintendo, Nokia and Sony.
The main competition is likely to come from Nintendo and Sony. Nintendo's DS handheld went on sale on 11 March and priced at £99 costs far less than the Gizmondo. It also has a ready pool of fans of earlier Nintendo handhelds to draw on. In the first two days it was on sale in Europe the 87,000 DS handhelds were sold - a better debut than the GameCube enjoyed. Sony's PSP was due to make its European debut in March but now this is likely to be delayed by a few months. The PSP is due to go on sale in the US later this month and a bundle including the player, accessories and a copy of Spiderman 2 is expected to cost about $250 (£129). The PSP can also play music and movies and supports wireless multiplayer gaming. Nokia's N-Gage could also be a competitor on the telecommunications side. This too crams a fully functional phone into a gadget that also plays games.
| The British-backed gadget faces stiff competition from handheld gaming devices made by Nintendo and Sony.The Gizmondo combined media player, phone and gaming gadget goes on sale on Saturday.The PSP can also play music and movies and supports wireless multiplayer gaming.This too crams a fully functional phone into a gadget that also plays games.Although the device rolls together an impressive list of functions, it will face serious competition from three established names in mobile gaming: Nintendo, Nokia and Sony.Priced at £229, the handheld device is debuting in the UK and goes on sale in the US and mainland Europe in the next few weeks.Nintendo's DS handheld went on sale on 11 March and priced at £99 costs far less than the Gizmondo.It also works with GPS (Global Position System) so can also be used as a navigation aid or to support a variety of location-based services.The PSP is due to go on sale in the US later this month and a bundle including the player, accessories and a copy of Spiderman 2 is expected to cost about $250 (£129). |
1,771 | Hewitt falls to Dent in Adelaide
Lleyton Hewitt suffered a shock defeat to Taylor Dent in the quarter-finals of the Australian Hardcourt Championships in Adelaide on Friday.
The top seed was a strong favourite for the title but went down 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to the American. Dent will face Juan Ignacio Chela next after the fourth seed was too strong for Jurgen Melzer. Olivier Rochus beat third seed Nicolas Kiefer 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 and will take on second seed Joachim Johansson. The Swede reached the last four by beating compatriot Thomas Enqvist 6-3 4-6 6-1. "I felt like I was striking the ball much better," said Johansson.
"I felt like I had a lot of break chances, I didn't take care of them all, but I broke him four times and he only broke me once. "I felt that was the key to get up in the set early." Hewitt played down his defeat and insisted he is focused solely on the Australian Open, which starts on 17 January. "When you've been number one in the world for a couple of years and won a couple of slams, you look at the big picture and what motivates you," said Hewitt. "That's the Grand Slams and Melbourne's as big for me as any of the four. Even if I don't win Sydney next week it's no big deal."
| Dent will face Juan Ignacio Chela next after the fourth seed was too strong for Jurgen Melzer."I felt like I was striking the ball much better," said Johansson.The top seed was a strong favourite for the title but went down 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to the American."That's the Grand Slams and Melbourne's as big for me as any of the four."I felt that was the key to get up in the set early." |
1,331 | Merritt close to indoor 400m mark
Teenager LaShawn Merritt ran the third fastest indoor 400m of all time at the Fayetteville Invitational meeting.
The world junior champion clocked 44.93 seconds to finish well clear of fellow American Bershawn Jackson in Arkansas. Only Michael Johnson has gone quicker, setting the world record of 44.63secs in 1995 and running 44.66secs in 1996. Kenyan Bernard Lagat missed out on the world record by 1.45secs as he ran the third quickest indoor mile ever to beat Canada's Nate Brannen by almost 10secs. The Olympic silver medallist's time of three minutes 49.89secs was inferior only to the 1997 world record of Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj and former world record holder Eamonn Coghlan of Ireland's 3:49.78. Lagat was on course to break El Guerrouj's record through 1200m but could not maintain the pace over the final 400m. Ireland's
continued his excellent form by winning a tight 3,000m in 7:40.53. Cragg, who recently defeated Olympic 10,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele in Boston, held off Bekele's Ethiopian colleague Markos Geneti by only 0.19secs to secure his victory. Mark Carroll, who will join Cragg in the European Indoor Championships next month, finished a solid third in 7:46.78. Olympic 200m gold medallist
of Jamaica ran the fastest women's 60m in the world this year as she equalled her personal best of 7.09secs. World indoor 60m hurdles champion
also won, improving his season-leading time to 7.51secs.
| Kenyan Bernard Lagat missed out on the world record by 1.45secs as he ran the third quickest indoor mile ever to beat Canada's Nate Brannen by almost 10secs.The Olympic silver medallist's time of three minutes 49.89secs was inferior only to the 1997 world record of Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj and former world record holder Eamonn Coghlan of Ireland's 3:49.78.World indoor 60m hurdles champion also won, improving his season-leading time to 7.51secs.Only Michael Johnson has gone quicker, setting the world record of 44.63secs in 1995 and running 44.66secs in 1996.Olympic 200m gold medallist of Jamaica ran the fastest women's 60m in the world this year as she equalled her personal best of 7.09secs. |
1,668 | Wales get Williams fitness boost
Wales are hopeful that openside flanker Martyn Williams could be fit for Saturday's RBS 6 Nations championship opener against England in Cardiff.
Williams was expected to miss the match with a disc problem in his neck, but has been making a speedy recovery. "He will have tests in the next 48 hours and we are pretty optimistic he is getting there," Wales' team physiotherapist Mark Davies said. "It has been frustrating but he is on the mend, he has made good progress." Last week Williams, along with fellow flanker Colin Charvis - who is unlikely to play for at least a month while he recovers from a foot injury - was all but ruled out of the Millennium Stadium clash. With Williams initially thought to be struggling, the signs pointed towards Wales coach Mike Ruddock handing a first cap to former Wales Under-21 skipper Richie Pugh.
Cardiff Blues flanker Williams, 29, offers considerable experience and if he is declared fit then Ruddock might be tempted to include him in the back row. Charvis will be reviewed by the Wales medical staff next Monday, but Davies admitted that there was only an "outside chance" of him being fit to face France in Wales' third championship game on 26 February. Wales' other injury concern is Pugh's fellow Neath-Swansea Ospreys player Sonny Parker, as the centre has a trapped nerve in his neck. "Sonny's injury is still an issue," Davies said. "It is still painful and irritable. We will run the rule of thumb over him in the next couple of days." Ruddock will name his starting line-up for the England game at 1830 GMT on Tuesday evening, as Wales target their first victory in Cardiff over the world champions since 1993.
| Charvis will be reviewed by the Wales medical staff next Monday, but Davies admitted that there was only an "outside chance" of him being fit to face France in Wales' third championship game on 26 February.Wales are hopeful that openside flanker Martyn Williams could be fit for Saturday's RBS 6 Nations championship opener against England in Cardiff.Wales' other injury concern is Pugh's fellow Neath-Swansea Ospreys player Sonny Parker, as the centre has a trapped nerve in his neck.With Williams initially thought to be struggling, the signs pointed towards Wales coach Mike Ruddock handing a first cap to former Wales Under-21 skipper Richie Pugh."He will have tests in the next 48 hours and we are pretty optimistic he is getting there," Wales' team physiotherapist Mark Davies said."Sonny's injury is still an issue," Davies said. |
119 | Bank opts to leave rates on hold
The Bank of England has left interest rates on hold at 4.75% for a sixth month in a row.
The Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) decided to take no action amid mixed signals from the economy. But some economists predict a further rise in the cost of borrowing will come later this year. Interest rates rose five times between November 2003 and August 2004 as soaring house prices and buoyant consumer data sparked inflation fears. Bank of England governor Mervyn King has recently warned against placing too much weight on one month's economic data, suggesting the MPC is waiting for a clearer picture to emerge. Economists see next week's inflation report from the MPC as key in assessing whether a further interest rate rise is necessary to keep the economy in check.
Slower consumer spending and a quieter housing market are likely to have convinced the MPC that rates should be left unchanged in recent months. Inflation, however, has been rising faster than expected, hitting an annual rate of 1.6% in December - its highest level in six months. Data on Wednesday also showed manufacturing output rose at its fastest rate since May last month, reinforcing a view that economic growth was stronger than forecasts.
And recent house surveys from the Halifax and Nationwide have indicated prices are still rising, albeit at a slower pace than in recent years. Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec Securities, said he believed rates would remain at 4.75% for the rest of the year although strong economic data could lead to a further hike. "The economic landscape has changed quite considerably over the last couple of months, " he said. "Growth appears stronger and the MPC may become more concerned about inflation trends." Howard Archer, economist at Global Insight said the MPC "may well consider that the balance of risks to the growth and inflation outlook have moved from the downside to the upside".
Business groups welcomed the MPC's widely-expected move to leave rates on hold and cautioned against further rises. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said it was "concerned by the clamour in some quarters" for early interest rate increases. "We believe that these demands should be firmly resisted," said David Frost, BCC director general. "Manufacturing still faces extremely serious problems and is performing poorly, in spite of the recent revised figures." Ian McCafferty, chief economist at the CBI, said the MPC faced an "interesting" challenge. "Consumers appear to have pulled in their horns over the holiday period, and exporters are struggling with the strength of sterling," he said. "However, the broader economy continues to show healthy growth, and the tight labour market and buoyant commodity prices are nudging inflation higher."
| Slower consumer spending and a quieter housing market are likely to have convinced the MPC that rates should be left unchanged in recent months.Howard Archer, economist at Global Insight said the MPC "may well consider that the balance of risks to the growth and inflation outlook have moved from the downside to the upside".Economists see next week's inflation report from the MPC as key in assessing whether a further interest rate rise is necessary to keep the economy in check.Interest rates rose five times between November 2003 and August 2004 as soaring house prices and buoyant consumer data sparked inflation fears.Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec Securities, said he believed rates would remain at 4.75% for the rest of the year although strong economic data could lead to a further hike.The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said it was "concerned by the clamour in some quarters" for early interest rate increases.The Bank of England has left interest rates on hold at 4.75% for a sixth month in a row.Data on Wednesday also showed manufacturing output rose at its fastest rate since May last month, reinforcing a view that economic growth was stronger than forecasts."Growth appears stronger and the MPC may become more concerned about inflation trends." |
1,443 | Weir poised for Sunderland move
Larne's teenage star Robbie Weir is poised to join Sunderland after turning down a move to Stoke City.
The 17-year-old Irish League midfielder was also being chased by Rangers and Fulham, but Mick McCarthy's side appear to have won the race. But Larne boss Jimmy McGeough has yet to confirm that Weir is on his way from Inver Park. "I heard on Sunday that he has joined Sunderland, but not from the lad himself," he said. ''Robbie has an agreement with Larne that he can negotiate with interested clubs.
''Personally, I would rather see him making an impact at local level to build up his physique before moving into the full-time game. ''He has been on trial with a number of clubs. But it would be great to see him making it at Sunderland.''
| ''Robbie has an agreement with Larne that he can negotiate with interested clubs.But it would be great to see him making it at Sunderland.''"I heard on Sunday that he has joined Sunderland, but not from the lad himself," he said.''He has been on trial with a number of clubs. |
1,566 | Old Firm pair handed suspensions
Celtic's Henri Camara and Nacho Novo of Rangers have both been suspended for offences missed by the referee in a recent Old Firm game.
Both were given automatic one-match bans and 12 additional disciplinary points for their actions. That means Novo will miss a further two games because of his prior record. Camara will miss one additional game. Novo was found guilty of stamping on Celtic's Stephen Pearson. Camara was punished for kicking Gregory Vignal. "I'm extremely disappointed. I don't know if there's a lot to add to that," said Rangers manager Alex McLeish of Novo's punishment. "But what I will say is that I'm at a loss as to why that incident should be picked up and highlighted when there were so many other incidents during the game." Both players will miss this weekend's games when Celtic host Dundee United and Rangers visit Kilmarnock unless they decide to appeal.
The additional bans come into effect from 28 December meaning Camara will also be unavailable for the home game against Livingston while Novo will miss the meetings with Dundee United and Dunfermline. An SFA spokesman said: "They have seven days to appeal but with matches coming along at the weekend they would need to do so before Friday. "But if they do appeal it won't be heard before this weekend because it takes a bit of time to seat up an appeals tribunal." Meanwhile, Bob Malcolm and Rangers have been informed by letter as to the outcome of the hearing regarding his reaction to Rangers being awarded a penalty in the same game. Malcolm, a substitute on the day, was taken from the Rangers dug-out and spoken to by police about an alleged gesture he made. But the SFA would not detail what, if any, punishment Malcolm would receive. "Once Rangers receive our letter we will be in a position to make a comment on the findings," added the spokesman.
| Camara will miss one additional game.Both players will miss this weekend's games when Celtic host Dundee United and Rangers visit Kilmarnock unless they decide to appeal.The additional bans come into effect from 28 December meaning Camara will also be unavailable for the home game against Livingston while Novo will miss the meetings with Dundee United and Dunfermline.Celtic's Henri Camara and Nacho Novo of Rangers have both been suspended for offences missed by the referee in a recent Old Firm game.Meanwhile, Bob Malcolm and Rangers have been informed by letter as to the outcome of the hearing regarding his reaction to Rangers being awarded a penalty in the same game.That means Novo will miss a further two games because of his prior record.Malcolm, a substitute on the day, was taken from the Rangers dug-out and spoken to by police about an alleged gesture he made. |
1,589 | Mexicans tracking unhappy Juninho
Mexican outfit Red Sharks Veracruz hope to sign Juninho if the Brazilian decides to leave Celtic frustrated at his lack of first-team action.
Their president, Gustavo Parente Sanchez, says Juninho "does not wish to remain in Scottish football anymore". Agent Brian Hassell insists that the 31-year-old Brazilian midfielder is determined to win back his place. "But, if the manager is not going to pick him, that's a different ball game," he told The Sun. "That's something we'd have to look at. Juninho deserves respect. He is not a little kid." Hassell warns that Juninho could reconsider his future at Celtic unless he is given a run of games by the end of the January transfer window.
Juninho was signed from Middlesbrough during the summer, but he has failed to live up to high expectations and has lost his place to 18-year-old Aiden McGeady. "He has 50 caps for Brazil and he's the best signing Celtic ever made," insisted Hassell. "He wants to play for Martin O'Neill, but does Martin O'Neill want to play him? "Juninho is not someone who has come through the Celtic ranks. He deserves much more respect." Sanchez is bullish about his hopes of prising Juninho from the Scottish champions, although Hassell believes Mexico would not be his preferred destination. "We have already spoken with Juninho and he said, if he has no firm offer from a club in Spain, Veracruz will be his destination," Sanchez told his club's official website. Celtic manager O'Neill is no respecter of reputations. "The onus is on Juninho to force his way into the team," he said. "Players get a game on merit. That's the way it has always been and that is certainly the case at Celtic Park."
| "Juninho is not someone who has come through the Celtic ranks.Juninho deserves respect.Hassell warns that Juninho could reconsider his future at Celtic unless he is given a run of games by the end of the January transfer window.That's the way it has always been and that is certainly the case at Celtic Park.""We have already spoken with Juninho and he said, if he has no firm offer from a club in Spain, Veracruz will be his destination," Sanchez told his club's official website.Juninho was signed from Middlesbrough during the summer, but he has failed to live up to high expectations and has lost his place to 18-year-old Aiden McGeady.Mexican outfit Red Sharks Veracruz hope to sign Juninho if the Brazilian decides to leave Celtic frustrated at his lack of first-team action.Sanchez is bullish about his hopes of prising Juninho from the Scottish champions, although Hassell believes Mexico would not be his preferred destination. |
2,064 | Set your television to wow
Television started off as a magical blurry image. Then came the sharpness, the colour and the widescreen format. Now the TV set is taking another leap forward into a crystal clear future, although those in Europe will have to be patient.
After years of buzz about high-definition TV (HDTV) it is finally taking off in a handful of countries around the world, mainly the US and Japan. If you believe the hype, then HDTV will so wow you, that you will never want to go back to your old telly. "HDTV is just the latest must-have technology in viewers' homes," says Jo Flaherty, a senior broadcaster with the CBS network in the US. All television images are made up of pixels, going across the screen, and scan lines going down. British TV pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. By contrast, HDTV offers up to 1,080 active lines, with each line made up of 1,920 pixels. The result is a picture which can be up to six times as sharp as standard TV. But to get the full impact, programmes need to be broadcast in this format and you need a HDTV set to receive them. Most new computer displays are already capable of handling high-resolution pictures. Viewers in Japan, the US, Australia, Canada and South Korea are already embracing the new TV technology, with a selection of primetime programmes being broadcast in the new format, which includes 5.1 digital surround sound.
But TV viewers in Europe will have to wait to enjoy the eye-blasting high-definition images.
Many high-end European TV programmes, such as the recent Athens Olympics, are already being produced in high-definition. But they still reach your screen in the old 625 lines. The prospects for getting sharper images soon do not seem very encouraging. According to consultants Strategy Analytics, only 12% of homes in Europe will have TVs capable of showing programmes in high-definition by 2008. But the HDTV hype spilling out of the US and Japan has spurred European broadcasters and consumer electronic companies to push for change. Big sports and entertainment events are set to help trigger the general public's attention. The 2006 World Cup in Germany will be broadcast in high-definition.
In the UK, satellite broadcaster BSkyB is planning HDTV services in 2006. There is already a HDTV service in Europe called Euro1080. Other European broadcasters, especially in France and Germany, also aiming to launch similar services.
In Britain, digital satellite and cable are largely seen as the natural home for HDTV, at least while a decision is taken regarding terrestrial broadcast options. The communications watchdog Ofcom could hand over some terrestrial frequencies freed up when the UK switches off its analogue TV signal. For now, broadcasters like the BBC are working on their own HDTV plans, although with no launch date in sight. "The BBC will start broadcasting in HDTV when the time is right, and it would not be just a showcase, but a whole set of programming," says Andy Quested, from the BBC's high-definition support group. "We have made the commitment to produce all our output in high-definition by 2010, which would put us on the leading edge." One of the options under consideration is to offer high-definition pictures on the web. The BBC has already dipped its toe into this, including some HDTV content in recent trials of its interactive media player - a video player for PCs. It is planning to offer special releases of selected flagship programmes online in the near future. According to Mr Quested, this could help put Europe back into the running in the race to switch to HDTV. This is backed by recent research which suggests that the number of Europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months, with the web eating into TV viewing habits.
| After years of buzz about high-definition TV (HDTV) it is finally taking off in a handful of countries around the world, mainly the US and Japan.By contrast, HDTV offers up to 1,080 active lines, with each line made up of 1,920 pixels.There is already a HDTV service in Europe called Euro1080.British TV pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels.Many high-end European TV programmes, such as the recent Athens Olympics, are already being produced in high-definition.In the UK, satellite broadcaster BSkyB is planning HDTV services in 2006.But TV viewers in Europe will have to wait to enjoy the eye-blasting high-definition images."The BBC will start broadcasting in HDTV when the time is right, and it would not be just a showcase, but a whole set of programming," says Andy Quested, from the BBC's high-definition support group.But to get the full impact, programmes need to be broadcast in this format and you need a HDTV set to receive them.According to Mr Quested, this could help put Europe back into the running in the race to switch to HDTV.Viewers in Japan, the US, Australia, Canada and South Korea are already embracing the new TV technology, with a selection of primetime programmes being broadcast in the new format, which includes 5.1 digital surround sound.But the HDTV hype spilling out of the US and Japan has spurred European broadcasters and consumer electronic companies to push for change.For now, broadcasters like the BBC are working on their own HDTV plans, although with no launch date in sight.All television images are made up of pixels, going across the screen, and scan lines going down. |
1,431 | Parry relishes Anfield challenge
BBC Sport reflects on the future for Liverpool after our exclusive interview with chief executive Rick Parry.
Chief executive Parry is the man at the helm as Liverpool reach the most crucial point in their recent history. Parry has to deliver a new 60,000-seat stadium in Stanley Park by 2007 amid claims of costs spiralling above £120m. He is also searching for an investment package of a size and stature that will restore Liverpool to their place at European football's top table. But it is a challenge that appears to sit easily with Parry, who has forged a reputation as one of football's most respected administrators since his days at the fledgling Premier League.
Liverpool have not won the championship since 1990, a fact that causes deep discomfort inside Anfield as they attempt to muscle in on the top three of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal. Throw in the small matter of warding off every top club in world football as they eye captain Steven Gerrard, and you can see Parry is a man with a lot on his plate. But in the comfort of a conference room deep inside Liverpool's heartbeat - The Kop end - Parry spoke to us with brutal honesty about the crucial months ahead. He only dodged one question - when asked to reveal the name of the mystery investor currently courting Liverpool, a polite smile deflected the inquiry. But to his credit, he met everything else head on in measured tones that underscore the belief that Liverpool still mean business.
By business he means becoming title challengers again, and locking the pieces together that will help return the trophy to Liverpool is Parry's mission. Parry has already successfully put one of those planks in place in the form of new manager Rafael Benitez. And his enthusiasm for the Spaniard's personality and methods is an indication of his clear feeling that he has struck gold. Benitez's early work has given Parry renewed optimism about the years ahead. But it remains a massive task at a club with a unique history and expectations. This will not come as news to Parry, a lifelong Liverpool supporter, but his quiet determination suggests he is no mood to be found wanting...
Captain Gerrard is central to Liverpool's plans and Parry's insistence that all offers will be refused is a firm statement of intent. As ever, the player will have the final say, and Parry acknowledges that, but he is determined to provide the framework and environment for Liverpool and Gerrard to flourish.
In terms of the search for new investment, Hawkpoint were appointed as advisors to flush out interest in March 2004. Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shiniwatra came and went, while the most serious statement of intent came from tycoon and lifelong fan Steve Morgan. Morgan had a succession of bids rejected, having come close in the summer only for talks to break down over potential costs for the new stadium. BBC Sport understands Morgan is still ready and willing to invest in Liverpool, and Parry has kept the door ajar despite currently seeking investment elsewhere.
Morgan, however, has had no formal contact with Liverpool or their advisors since last December, blaming indecision at board level as he publicly withdrew his £70m offer. He was also convinced his interest was being used to lure in others, so any new approach would now have to come from Liverpool. Morgan will certainly not be making another call. So speculation continues about the new benefactor, with trails leading to the Middle East and America, but all met with an understandable veil of secrecy from Anfield.
Parry meanwhile sees the new ground as crucial to Liverpool's future, but is refusing to become emotionally attached to the idea. He is determined the ground will only be built on an affordable basis and will not make future Liverpool management hostages to the new stadium. Parry will pull back the moment the figures do not stack up, but there has been a vital new development in North London that has re-shaped Liverpool's thinking.
Liverpool have publicly refused to entertain the idea of stadium sponsorship and potential naming rights - but the realism of Arsenal's stunning £100m deal for their new Emirates Stadium at Ashburton has changed the landscape. Parry labelled the deal "an eye-opener" and admits Liverpool would be missing a trick not to explore the possibilities. He knows some traditionalist Liverpool fans will reel at any attempt to call the new stadium anything other than just 'Anfield', but the maths of modern-day football decree that multi-millions for stadium and team could ease the pain.
I would take £50m if we had no investment, but if we did, keep him. As for the stadium, if it gets us cash what difference does it make really?
£50m for Gerrard? I don't care who you are, the Directors would take the money and it is the way it should be. We cannot let that sum of money go, despite Gerrard's quality.
Through a cleverly worded statement, the club has effectively forced Gerrard to publicly make the decision for himself, which I think is the right thing to do.
Critical time for Liverpool with regards to Gerrard. Ideally we would want to secure his future to the club for the long term. I am hoping he doesn't walk out of the club like Michael Owen did for very little cash.
£50m realistically would allow Rafa to completely rebuild the squad, however, if we can afford to do this AND keep Gerrard we will be better for it. I would however be happy with Gerrard's transfer for any fee over £35m.
Parry's statements are clever in that any future Gerrard transfer cannot be construed as a lack of ambition by the club to not try and keep their best players. Upping the ante is another smart move by Parry.
I would keep Gerrard. No amount of money could replace his obvious love of the club and determination to succeed.
The key is if Gerrard comes out and says that he is happy. Clearly, if he isn't, then we would be foolish not to sell. The worrying thing is who would you buy (or who would come) pending possible non-Champions League football.
| I would keep Gerrard.Parry labelled the deal "an eye-opener" and admits Liverpool would be missing a trick not to explore the possibilities.BBC Sport understands Morgan is still ready and willing to invest in Liverpool, and Parry has kept the door ajar despite currently seeking investment elsewhere.This will not come as news to Parry, a lifelong Liverpool supporter, but his quiet determination suggests he is no mood to be found wanting... Captain Gerrard is central to Liverpool's plans and Parry's insistence that all offers will be refused is a firm statement of intent.As ever, the player will have the final say, and Parry acknowledges that, but he is determined to provide the framework and environment for Liverpool and Gerrard to flourish.Critical time for Liverpool with regards to Gerrard.Parry has to deliver a new 60,000-seat stadium in Stanley Park by 2007 amid claims of costs spiralling above £120m.He was also convinced his interest was being used to lure in others, so any new approach would now have to come from Liverpool.He is determined the ground will only be built on an affordable basis and will not make future Liverpool management hostages to the new stadium.Liverpool have publicly refused to entertain the idea of stadium sponsorship and potential naming rights - but the realism of Arsenal's stunning £100m deal for their new Emirates Stadium at Ashburton has changed the landscape.BBC Sport reflects on the future for Liverpool after our exclusive interview with chief executive Rick Parry.Chief executive Parry is the man at the helm as Liverpool reach the most crucial point in their recent history.Through a cleverly worded statement, the club has effectively forced Gerrard to publicly make the decision for himself, which I think is the right thing to do.I would take £50m if we had no investment, but if we did, keep him.Parry will pull back the moment the figures do not stack up, but there has been a vital new development in North London that has re-shaped Liverpool's thinking.£50m for Gerrard?Parry has already successfully put one of those planks in place in the form of new manager Rafael Benitez.He knows some traditionalist Liverpool fans will reel at any attempt to call the new stadium anything other than just 'Anfield', but the maths of modern-day football decree that multi-millions for stadium and team could ease the pain.Parry's statements are clever in that any future Gerrard transfer cannot be construed as a lack of ambition by the club to not try and keep their best players.Throw in the small matter of warding off every top club in world football as they eye captain Steven Gerrard, and you can see Parry is a man with a lot on his plate. |
2,113 | Mobiles rack up 20 years of use
Mobile phones in the UK are celebrating their 20th anniversary this weekend.
Britain's first mobile phone call was made across the Vodafone network on 1 January 1985 by veteran comedian Ernie Wise. In the 20 years since that day, mobile phones have become an integral part of modern life and now almost 90% of Britons own a handset. Mobiles have become so popular that many people use their handset as their only phone and rarely use a landline.
The first ever call over a portable phone was made in 1973 in New York but it took 10 years for the first commercial mobile service to be launched. The UK was not far behind the rest of the world in setting up networks in 1985 that let people make calls while they walked. The first call was made from St Katherine's dock to Vodafone's head office in Newbury which at the time was over a curry house. For the first nine days of 1985 Vodafone was the only firm with a mobile network in the UK. Then on 10 January Cellnet (now O2) launched its service. Mike Caudwell, spokesman for Vodafone, said that when phones were launched they were the size of a briefcase, cost about £2,000 and had a battery life of little more than 20 minutes.
"Despite that they were hugely popular in the mid-80s," he said. "They became a yuppy must-have and a status symbol among young wealthy business folk." This was also despite the fact that the phones used analogue radio signals to communicate which made them very easy to eavesdrop on. He said it took Vodafone almost nine years to rack up its first million customers but only 18 months to get the second million. "It's very easy to forget that in 1983 when we put the bid document in we were forecasting that the total market would be two million people," he said. "Cellnet was forecasting half that." Now Vodafone has 14m customers in the UK alone. Cellnet and Vodafone were the only mobile phone operators in the UK until 1993 when One2One (now T-Mobile) was launched. Orange had its UK launch in 1994. Both newcomers operated digital mobile networks and now all operators use this technology. The analogue spectrum for the old phones has been retired. Called Global System for Mobiles (GSM) this is now the most widely used phone technology on the planet and is used to help more than 1.2 billion people make calls. Mr Caudwell said the advent of digital technology also helped to introduce all those things, such as text messaging and roaming that have made mobiles so popular.
| Cellnet and Vodafone were the only mobile phone operators in the UK until 1993 when One2One (now T-Mobile) was launched.For the first nine days of 1985 Vodafone was the only firm with a mobile network in the UK.Britain's first mobile phone call was made across the Vodafone network on 1 January 1985 by veteran comedian Ernie Wise.The first ever call over a portable phone was made in 1973 in New York but it took 10 years for the first commercial mobile service to be launched.Mobile phones in the UK are celebrating their 20th anniversary this weekend.This was also despite the fact that the phones used analogue radio signals to communicate which made them very easy to eavesdrop on.The UK was not far behind the rest of the world in setting up networks in 1985 that let people make calls while they walked.Mike Caudwell, spokesman for Vodafone, said that when phones were launched they were the size of a briefcase, cost about £2,000 and had a battery life of little more than 20 minutes.In the 20 years since that day, mobile phones have become an integral part of modern life and now almost 90% of Britons own a handset.Now Vodafone has 14m customers in the UK alone. |
2,110 | Peer-to-peer nets 'here to stay'
Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are here to stay, and are on the verge of being exploited by commercial media firms, says a panel of industry experts.
Once several high-profile legal cases against file-sharers are resolved this year, firms will be very keen to try and make money from P2P technology. The expert panel probed the future of P2P at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier in January. The first convictions for P2P piracy were handed out in the US in January. William Trowbridge and Michael Chicoine pleaded guilty to charges that they infringed copyright by illegally sharing music, movies and software. Since the first successful file-sharing network Napster was forced to close down, the entertainment industry has been nervous and critical of P2P technology, blaming it for falling sales and piracy. But that is going to change very soon, according to the panel.
The music and film industries have started some big legal cases against owners of legitimate P2P networks - which are not illegal in themselves - and of individuals accused of distributing pirated content over networks. But they have slowly realised that P2P is a good way to distribute content, said Travis Kalanick, founder and chairman of P2P network Red Swoosh, and soon they are all going to want a slice of it. They are just waiting to come up with "business models" that work for them, which includes digital rights management and copy-protection standards.
But, until the legal actions are resolved, experimentation with P2P cannot not happen, said Michael Weiss, president of StreamCast Networks. Remembering the furore around VCRs when they first came out, Mr Weiss said: "Old media always tries to stop new media. "When they can't stop it, they try to control it. Then they figure out how to make money and they always make a lot of money." Once the courts decided that the VCR in itself was not an illegal technology, the film studios turned it into an extremely lucrative business. In August 2004, the San Francisco-based US Court of Appeals ruled in favour of Grokster and StreamCast, two file-sharing networks. The court said they were essentially in the same position that Sony was in the 1980s VCR battle, and said that the networks themselves could not be deemed as illegal.
P2P networks usually do not rely on dedicated servers for the transfer of files. Instead it uses direct connections between computers - or clients. There are now many different types of P2P systems than work in different ways. P2P nets can be used to share any kind of file, like photos, free software, licensed music and any other digital content. The BBC has already decided to embrace the technology. It aims to offer most of its own programmes for download this year and it will use P2P technology to distribute them. The files would be locked seven days after a programme aired making rights management easier to control. But the technology is still demonised and misunderstood by many. The global entertainment industry says more than 2.6 billion copyrighted music files are downloaded every month, and about half a million films are downloaded a day. Legal music download services, like Apple iTunes, Napster, have rushed into the music marketplace to try and lure file-sharers away from free content. Sales of legally-downloaded songs grew tenfold in 2004, with 200 million tracks bought online in the US and Europe in 12 months, the IFPI reported this week. But such download services are very different from P2P networks, not least because of the financial aspect.
There are several money-spinning models that could turn P2P into a golden egg for commercial entertainment companies. Paid-for-pass-along, in which firms receive money each time a file is shared, along with various DRM solutions and advertiser-based options are all being considered. "We see there are going to be different models for commoditising P2P," said Marc Morgenstern, vice president of anti-piracy firm Overpeer.
"Consumers are hungry for it and we will discover new models together," agreed Mr Morgenstern. But many net users will continue to ignore the entertainment industry's potential controlling grip on content and P2P technology by continuing to use it for their own creations. Unsigned bands, for example, use P2P networks to distribute their music effectively, which also draws the attention of record companies looking for new artists to sign. "Increasingly, what you are seeing on P2P is consumer-created content," said Derek Broes, from Microsoft. "They will probably pay an increasing role in helping P2P spread," he said. Looking into P2P's future, file sharing is just the beginning for P2P networks, as far as Mr Broes is concerned. "Once some of these issues are resolved, you are going to see aggressive movement to protect content, but also in ways that are unimaginable now," he said. "File-sharing is the tip of the iceberg."
| But they have slowly realised that P2P is a good way to distribute content, said Travis Kalanick, founder and chairman of P2P network Red Swoosh, and soon they are all going to want a slice of it.Once several high-profile legal cases against file-sharers are resolved this year, firms will be very keen to try and make money from P2P technology.The music and film industries have started some big legal cases against owners of legitimate P2P networks - which are not illegal in themselves - and of individuals accused of distributing pirated content over networks.Since the first successful file-sharing network Napster was forced to close down, the entertainment industry has been nervous and critical of P2P technology, blaming it for falling sales and piracy.It aims to offer most of its own programmes for download this year and it will use P2P technology to distribute them."We see there are going to be different models for commoditising P2P," said Marc Morgenstern, vice president of anti-piracy firm Overpeer.But, until the legal actions are resolved, experimentation with P2P cannot not happen, said Michael Weiss, president of StreamCast Networks."Increasingly, what you are seeing on P2P is consumer-created content," said Derek Broes, from Microsoft.P2P nets can be used to share any kind of file, like photos, free software, licensed music and any other digital content.The first convictions for P2P piracy were handed out in the US in January.But many net users will continue to ignore the entertainment industry's potential controlling grip on content and P2P technology by continuing to use it for their own creations.Looking into P2P's future, file sharing is just the beginning for P2P networks, as far as Mr Broes is concerned.But such download services are very different from P2P networks, not least because of the financial aspect."They will probably pay an increasing role in helping P2P spread," he said.Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are here to stay, and are on the verge of being exploited by commercial media firms, says a panel of industry experts.Unsigned bands, for example, use P2P networks to distribute their music effectively, which also draws the attention of record companies looking for new artists to sign. |
1,107 | Top judge clashes with ministers
The UK's top judge has revealed he has clashed with ministers about how the heads of public inquiries are chosen.
Lord Woolf said he was determined his current veto on whether a judge should chair an inquiry should continue as a guard for judicial independence. But he told MPs the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, was insisting he should have the final say in such cases. Lord Hutton's inquiry into the death of Dr David Kelly sparked debate about who should run inquiries.
The government says the lord chancellor would be unlikely to go against Lord Woolf's wishes. Lord Woolf, who is Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, was giving evidence to the Commons public administration select committee's inquiry into public inquiries. He said he had not been involved in the choice of Lord Hutton, who as a law lord did not come under his jurisdiction. But he argued he should have a veto on whether judges generally should chair a particular inquiry and if so, which judge it should be. In written evidence to the committee, Lord Woolf said: "I have, so far, failed to reach an agreement with the lord chancellor on this issue ... I intend to maintain my position and will press for this safeguard to be in any future legislation."
Judges should think carefully before heading an inquiry into a highly political issue, such as the intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, he said. He argued: "The subject matter of the inquiry may be so political that it would be damaging to the judiciary for a judge to be involved. "In addition, the question of whether there should be an inquiry at all may be highly controversial and if a judge is appointed, the judiciary, as a result of the appointment, may be seen as siding inappropriately with the government." He told the MPs: "Anything that tends to undermine the confidence of the public in the judiciary worries me."
Lord Woolf said the current rules were not written down but it was inconceivable in practice that the lord chancellor would overrule his concerns. But that situation could change with new legal reforms. The issue had been "overlooked" when a new agreement was drawn up about those responsibilities and the dispute had emerged in later discussions. "What I am asking for is a situation where if the lord chancellor cannot obtain my agreement [on appointing a judge], it doesn't happen," he said.
Lord Woolf said he did not think there would be difficulties but he wanted to establish the principle. A Department for Constitutional Affairs spokeswoman said Lord Woolf and Lord Falconer agreed about what happened in practice. "Their disagreement is about whether the legislation should include a requirement for consultation or concurrence - a very narrow dispute, in Lord Woolf's words," she said. "As Lord Woolf also acknowledged, it is highly unlikely that the lord chancellor would appoint a judge against the wishes of the lord chief justice. "Judges are free to decide for themselves whether to accept positions as inquiry chairs." Parliament will examine the issue next year when it debates a new bill about public inquiries.
| "As Lord Woolf also acknowledged, it is highly unlikely that the lord chancellor would appoint a judge against the wishes of the lord chief justice.Lord Woolf said the current rules were not written down but it was inconceivable in practice that the lord chancellor would overrule his concerns.In written evidence to the committee, Lord Woolf said: "I have, so far, failed to reach an agreement with the lord chancellor on this issue ...Lord Woolf said he was determined his current veto on whether a judge should chair an inquiry should continue as a guard for judicial independence.Lord Woolf, who is Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, was giving evidence to the Commons public administration select committee's inquiry into public inquiries.But he told MPs the Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, was insisting he should have the final say in such cases.The government says the lord chancellor would be unlikely to go against Lord Woolf's wishes.A Department for Constitutional Affairs spokeswoman said Lord Woolf and Lord Falconer agreed about what happened in practice.He said he had not been involved in the choice of Lord Hutton, who as a law lord did not come under his jurisdiction."What I am asking for is a situation where if the lord chancellor cannot obtain my agreement [on appointing a judge], it doesn't happen," he said. |
167 | Hariri killing hits Beirut shares
Shares in Solidere, the Lebanese company founded by assassinated former prime minister Rafik Hariri, fell 15% in renewed trading in Beirut.
The real estate firm, which dominates Lebanon's stock exchange, ended the day down at $8.08. Traders said there was some panic selling during Friday's session, the first since a three-day market closure to mourn the death of Mr Hariri. Beirut's benchmark BLOM stock index closed down 7.9% at 642.80.
Solidere, in which Mr Hariri was a major shareholder, was the major drag on the index. The company owns much of the property in central Beirut, which it restored and redeveloped following the end of Lebanon's bitter 15-year civil war. "Solidere should be above $10 but because of this disaster it is falling," said one trader. "If Solidere drops much lower I would consider it a buying opportunity. This is a very big company held by many Lebanese." Critics had accused Mr Hariri of using Lebanon's post-war reconstruction drive for his personal financial gain. But his assassination on Monday sent shudders through Lebanon's business community, which saw the billionaire tycoon as the country's best hope for economic revival. Solidere posted profits of $12.5m in the first half of 2004, and its shares had been gaining in recent months.
| Solidere, in which Mr Hariri was a major shareholder, was the major drag on the index.Shares in Solidere, the Lebanese company founded by assassinated former prime minister Rafik Hariri, fell 15% in renewed trading in Beirut.Critics had accused Mr Hariri of using Lebanon's post-war reconstruction drive for his personal financial gain.Traders said there was some panic selling during Friday's session, the first since a three-day market closure to mourn the death of Mr Hariri.The company owns much of the property in central Beirut, which it restored and redeveloped following the end of Lebanon's bitter 15-year civil war. |
2,146 | Mobiles 'not media players yet'
Mobiles are not yet ready to be all-singing, all-dancing multimedia devices which will replace portable media players, say two reports.
Despite moves to bring music download services to mobiles, people do not want to trade multimedia services with size and battery life, said Jupiter. A separate study by Gartner has also said real-time TV broadcasts to mobiles is "unlikely" in Europe until 2007. Technical issues and standards must be resolved first, said the report. Batteries already have to cope with other services that operators offer, like video playback, video messaging, megapixel cameras and games amongst others. Bringing music download services based on the success of computer-based download services will put more demands on battery life.
Fifty percent of Europeans said the size of a mobile was the most important factor when it came to choosing their phone, but more power demands tend to mean larger handsets. "Mobile phone music services must not be positioned to compete with the PC music experience as the handsets are not yet ready," said Thomas Husson, mobile analyst at Jupiter research. "Mobile music services should be new and different, and enable operators to differentiate their brands and support third generation network launches." Other problems facing mobile music include limited storage on phones, compared to portable players which can hold up to 40GB of music. The mobile industry is keen to get into music downloading, after the success of Apple's iTunes, Napster and other net music download services.
With phones getting smarter and more powerful, there are also demands to be able to watch TV on the move. In the US, services like TiVo To Go let people transfer pre-recorded TV content onto their phones. But, the Gartner report on mobile TV broadcasting in Europe suggests direct broadcasting will have to wait. Currently, TV-like services, where clips are downloaded, are offered by several European operators, like Italy's TIM and 3. Mobile TV will have to overcome several barriers before it is widely taken up though, said the report.
Various standards and ways of getting TV signals to mobiles are being worked on globally. In Europe, trials in Berlin and Helsinki are making use of terrestrial TV masts to broadcast compressed signals to handsets with extra receivers. A service from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation lets people watch TV programmes on their mobiles 24 hours a day. The service uses 3GP technology, one of the standards for mobile TV. But at the end of 2004, the European Telecommunications Institute (Etsi) formally adopted Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld (DVB-H) as the mobile TV broadcasting standard for Europe. Operators will be working on the standard as a way to bring real-time broadcasts to mobiles, as well as trying to overcome several other barriers. The cost and infrastructure needs to set up the services will need to be addressed. Handsets also need to be able to work with the DVB-H standard. TV services will have to live up to the expectations of the digital TV generation too, which expects good quality images at low prices, according to analysts. People are also likely to be put off watching TV on such small screens, said Gartner. Digital video recorders, like Europe's Sky+ box, and video-on-demand services mean people have much more control over what TV they watch. As a result, people may see broadcasting straight to mobiles as taking away that control. More powerful smartphones like the XDA II, Nokia 6600, SonyEricsson P900 and the Orange E200, offering web access, text and multimedia messaging, e-mail, calendar and gaming are becoming increasingly common. A report by analysts InStat/MDR has predicted that smartphone shipments will grow by 44% over the next five years. It says that smartphones will make up 117 million out of 833 million handsets shipped globally by 2009.
| The service uses 3GP technology, one of the standards for mobile TV.A service from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation lets people watch TV programmes on their mobiles 24 hours a day."Mobile phone music services must not be positioned to compete with the PC music experience as the handsets are not yet ready," said Thomas Husson, mobile analyst at Jupiter research.A separate study by Gartner has also said real-time TV broadcasts to mobiles is "unlikely" in Europe until 2007.Mobile TV will have to overcome several barriers before it is widely taken up though, said the report.Despite moves to bring music download services to mobiles, people do not want to trade multimedia services with size and battery life, said Jupiter.Various standards and ways of getting TV signals to mobiles are being worked on globally.But, the Gartner report on mobile TV broadcasting in Europe suggests direct broadcasting will have to wait.But at the end of 2004, the European Telecommunications Institute (Etsi) formally adopted Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld (DVB-H) as the mobile TV broadcasting standard for Europe.Digital video recorders, like Europe's Sky+ box, and video-on-demand services mean people have much more control over what TV they watch.In the US, services like TiVo To Go let people transfer pre-recorded TV content onto their phones.People are also likely to be put off watching TV on such small screens, said Gartner.TV services will have to live up to the expectations of the digital TV generation too, which expects good quality images at low prices, according to analysts. |
759 | Soul sensation ready for awards
South West teenage singing sensation, Joss Stone, has been nominated in three categories in Wednesday's Brit awards.
The 17-year-old from a small east Devon village near Cullumpton, received nominations for Best Solo Female, Best Urban Act and Best Breakthrough Artist. Her second album Mind, Body & Soul reached number one in the UK charts last October and went straight into the US charts at number 11. Ms Stone is due to perform at the 25th award ceremony at London's Earls Court. The teenager also has Grammy nominations in the US, normally dominated by home-grown acts. Born Jocelyn Stoker, the Devon diva started her career in a BBC talent programme, and was then discovered at a New York audition by a US record executive, Steve Greenberg. The 17-year-old singer is hoping to tour in Japan, Australia and the US in 2005.
| The teenager also has Grammy nominations in the US, normally dominated by home-grown acts.The 17-year-old singer is hoping to tour in Japan, Australia and the US in 2005.Born Jocelyn Stoker, the Devon diva started her career in a BBC talent programme, and was then discovered at a New York audition by a US record executive, Steve Greenberg. |
603 | Godzilla gets Hollywood fame star
Movie monster Godzilla has received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, honouring both his 50th birthday and the launch of his 28th film.
An actor dressed as the giant creature breathed smoke over photographers on Monday as Godzilla received the 2,271st star on Hollywood Boulevard. "Godzilla should thank you for this historical and monumental star," said Final Wars producer Shogo Tomiyama. "But unfortunately, he cannot speak English," he added. Hollywood's honorary mayor, Johnny Grant, said: "I do hereby proclaim this Godzilla Day in Hollywood.
"He's loose, he's wild, and I'm getting the hell out of here," he added. The premiere of Godzilla: Final Wars at Grauman's Chinese Theatre followed the ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard. The monster was joined by co-stars including Japanese pop star and actor Masahiro Matsuoka. Director Ryuhei Kitamura said it may not be Godzilla's final outing, as it has been billed. "That's what the producers say. But the producer's a liar," he said. "[Godzilla's] been working for the last 50 years. So, I think Godzilla just deserves a vacation." And producer Shogo Tomiyama added: "So long as Godzilla can fascinate people, I believe he will be resurrected by new generations of filmmakers in the future." Godzilla first appeared in 1954 as a prehistoric lizard woken by atomic bomb tests.
| "Godzilla should thank you for this historical and monumental star," said Final Wars producer Shogo Tomiyama.And producer Shogo Tomiyama added: "So long as Godzilla can fascinate people, I believe he will be resurrected by new generations of filmmakers in the future."Hollywood's honorary mayor, Johnny Grant, said: "I do hereby proclaim this Godzilla Day in Hollywood.An actor dressed as the giant creature breathed smoke over photographers on Monday as Godzilla received the 2,271st star on Hollywood Boulevard.The premiere of Godzilla: Final Wars at Grauman's Chinese Theatre followed the ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard.Movie monster Godzilla has received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, honouring both his 50th birthday and the launch of his 28th film. |
2,218 | TV's future down the phone line
Internet TV has been talked about since the start of the web as we know it now.
But any early attempts to do it - the UK's Home Choice started in 1992 - were thwarted by the lack of a fast network. Now that broadband networks are bedding down, and it is becoming essential for millions, the big telcos are keen to start shooting video down the line. In the face of competition from cable companies offering net voice calls, they are keen to be the top IPTV dogs. Software giant Microsoft thinks IPTV - Internet Protocol TV - is the future of television, and it sits neatly with its vision of the "connected entertainment experience". "Telcos have been wanting to do video for a long time," Ed Graczyk, director of marketing for Microsoft IPTV, told the BBC News website. "The challenge has been the broadband network, and the state of technology up until not so long ago did not add up to a feasible solution. "Compression technology was not efficient enough, the net was not good enough. A lot of stars have aligned in the last 18 months to make it a reality."
Last year, he said, was all about deal making and partnering up; shaping the "IPTV ecosystem". This year, those deals will start to play out and more services will come online. "2006 is where it starts ramping up and expanding to other geographies - over time as broadband becomes more prevalent in South America, and other parts of Asia, it will expand," he added. What telcos really want to do is to send the "triple-play" of video, voice, and data down one single line, be it cable or DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). Some are talking about "quadruple play", too, with mobile services added into the mix. It is an emerging new breed of competition for satellite and cable broadcasters and operators. According to technology analysts, TDG Research, there will be 20 million subscribers to IPTV services in under six years.
Key to the appeal of sending TV programmes down the same line as the web data, whenever a viewer wants it, is that it uses the same technology as the internet. It means there is not just a one-way relationship between the viewer and the "broadcaster". This allows for more DVD-like interactivity, limitless storage and broadcast space, bespoke channel "playlists", and thousands of hours of programmes or films at a viewer's fingertips. It potentially lets operators target programmes to smaller, niche or localised audiences, sending films to Bollywood fans for instance, as well as individual devices.
Operators could also send high-definition programmes straight to the viewer, bypassing the need for a special broadcast receiver. Perhaps most compelling - yet some might say insignificant - is instantaneous channel flicking. Currently, there is a delay when you try to do this on satellite, cable or Freeview. With IPTV, the speed is 15 milliseconds. "That gets rounds of applause," according to Mr Graczyk. Microsoft is one of the companies that started thinking about IPTV some time ago. "We believe this will be the way all TV is delivered in the future - but that is several years away," said Mr Graczyk. "As with music, TV has moved to digital formats. "The things software can do to integrate media into devices means a whole new generation of connected entertainment experiences that cross devices from the TV, to the mobile, to the gaming console and so on." The company intends its Microsoft's IPTV Edition software, an end-to-end management and delivery platform, to let telcos to do exactly that, seamlessly. It has netted seven major telcos as customers, representing a potential audience of 25 million existing broadband subscribers. Its deal with US telco SBC was the largest TV software deal to date, said Mr Graczyk.
IPTV is about more than telcos, though. There are several web-based offerings that aim to put control in the hands of the consumer by exploiting the net's power. Jeremy Allaire, chief of Brightcove, told the BBC News website that it would be a flavour of IPTV that was about harnessing the web as a "channel".
"It is not just niches, but about exploiting content not usually viewed," he said. "We are focussed on the owners of video content who have rights to digitally distribute content, and who often see unencumbered distribution. "For them to do it through cable and so on is price-prohibitive," he said. This type of IPTV service might also be a distribution channel for more established publishers who have unique types of content that they cannot offer through cable and satellite operators - history channel archives, for instance. What is a clear sign that IPTV has a future is that Microsoft is not the only player in the field. There are a lot of other "middleware" players providing similar management services as Microsoft, like Myrio and C-Cor. But it will up to the viewer to decide if it really is to be successful.
| Last year, he said, was all about deal making and partnering up; shaping the "IPTV ecosystem".This type of IPTV service might also be a distribution channel for more established publishers who have unique types of content that they cannot offer through cable and satellite operators - history channel archives, for instance.Its deal with US telco SBC was the largest TV software deal to date, said Mr Graczyk.What is a clear sign that IPTV has a future is that Microsoft is not the only player in the field.Microsoft is one of the companies that started thinking about IPTV some time ago."Telcos have been wanting to do video for a long time," Ed Graczyk, director of marketing for Microsoft IPTV, told the BBC News website.Software giant Microsoft thinks IPTV - Internet Protocol TV - is the future of television, and it sits neatly with its vision of the "connected entertainment experience".Key to the appeal of sending TV programmes down the same line as the web data, whenever a viewer wants it, is that it uses the same technology as the internet.In the face of competition from cable companies offering net voice calls, they are keen to be the top IPTV dogs."We believe this will be the way all TV is delivered in the future - but that is several years away," said Mr Graczyk.According to technology analysts, TDG Research, there will be 20 million subscribers to IPTV services in under six years.IPTV is about more than telcos, though.Jeremy Allaire, chief of Brightcove, told the BBC News website that it would be a flavour of IPTV that was about harnessing the web as a "channel".What telcos really want to do is to send the "triple-play" of video, voice, and data down one single line, be it cable or DSL (Digital Subscriber Line).With IPTV, the speed is 15 milliseconds.Internet TV has been talked about since the start of the web as we know it now.The company intends its Microsoft's IPTV Edition software, an end-to-end management and delivery platform, to let telcos to do exactly that, seamlessly. |
1,559 | Chelsea hold Arsenal
A gripping game between Arsenal and Chelsea ended with the honours finishing even at Highbury.
Thierry Henry produced a sublime strike to put Arsenal ahead but John Terry levelled with a powerful header. Henry's quickly-taken free-kick put Arsenal back in front but Eidur Gudjohnsen equalised with a header from William Gallas' knockback. Henry missed a golden chance when he blazed a shot high late on and Arsenal also had a penalty appeal rejected. Henry's opener had given Arsenal the perfect start and set up an enthralling affair. The French striker headed a long Cesc Faregas ball back to Jose Antonio Reyes from the edge of the Chelsea area and immediately saw it headed back into his path from the Spaniard. And, with his back to goal, Henry finished with aplomb when he took one touch, turned and struck an angled strike past the despairing dive of keeper Petr Cech. Henry epitomised a determination about the Arsenal side but Chelsea appeared unruffled and equalised after 16 minutes.
Gunners keeper Manuel Almunia, who got the nod ahead of Jens Lehmann, did well to save a well-struck Frank Lampard shot. But he could not keep out Terry's powered header from the resultant corner as Arsenal's weakness at set-pieces was again exposed. Almost immediately, Henry went close and Chelsea gathered the loose ball before going straight up the other end where Gudjohnsen fluffed an effort. Gudjohnsen did not make the same error minutes later when he struck a sweet shot only for Almunia to be equal to the task and save. The homes side regained the lead in controversial fashion when Robert Pires won a dubious free-kick. And, given the option to take the 25-yard set-piece quickly, Henry curled in a shot with Cech still organising his wall.
This time Arsenal did not allow Chelsea to level so soon as they went into the break ahead. Chelsea brought striker Didier Drogba on to partner Gudjohnsen up front after the interval and the move reaped immediate reward. Lampard swung in a cross which Gallas knocked back across goal and a deft header from Gudjohnsen levelled matters again. Chelsea's main threat was coming from crosses and Lampard missed a great opportunity as he headed wide when left unmarked at the far post. The second half failed to live up to the thrilling pace of the opening period but there were flashes of brilliance. One of them came from the enigmatic Robben when he jinked his way through two Arsenal defenders only to see his poked shot saved by Almunia.
Arsenal ended the match the stronger and worked a excellent chance for Henry who put a left-foot shot high from eight yards. Subtitute Robin van Persie could also have nicked a win for the Highbury outfit but frustratingly sidefooted just wide. Matthieu Flamini had a late penal appeal waved away before the final whistle which maintained Chelsea five-point Premiership lead over Arsenal.
Almunia, Lauren, Toure, Campbell, Cole, Pires, Flamini, Fabregas, Reyes (Clichy 82), Bergkamp (Van Persie 82), Henry. Subs Not Used: Senderos, Hoyte, Lehmann.
Cole.
Henry 2, 29.
Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho (Drogba 45), Terry, Gallas, Duff, Tiago (Bridge 45), Makelele, Lampard, Robben, Gudjohnsen (Parker 77). Subs Not Used: Kezman, Cudicini.
Robben, Drogba, Lampard.
Terry 17, Gudjohnsen 46.
38,153
G Poll (Hertfordshire).
| Thierry Henry produced a sublime strike to put Arsenal ahead but John Terry levelled with a powerful header.Henry epitomised a determination about the Arsenal side but Chelsea appeared unruffled and equalised after 16 minutes.Henry's quickly-taken free-kick put Arsenal back in front but Eidur Gudjohnsen equalised with a header from William Gallas' knockback.Henry missed a golden chance when he blazed a shot high late on and Arsenal also had a penalty appeal rejected.Arsenal ended the match the stronger and worked a excellent chance for Henry who put a left-foot shot high from eight yards.Henry 2, 29.Almunia, Lauren, Toure, Campbell, Cole, Pires, Flamini, Fabregas, Reyes (Clichy 82), Bergkamp (Van Persie 82), Henry.Almost immediately, Henry went close and Chelsea gathered the loose ball before going straight up the other end where Gudjohnsen fluffed an effort.Lampard swung in a cross which Gallas knocked back across goal and a deft header from Gudjohnsen levelled matters again.Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho (Drogba 45), Terry, Gallas, Duff, Tiago (Bridge 45), Makelele, Lampard, Robben, Gudjohnsen (Parker 77).This time Arsenal did not allow Chelsea to level so soon as they went into the break ahead.A gripping game between Arsenal and Chelsea ended with the honours finishing even at Highbury.One of them came from the enigmatic Robben when he jinked his way through two Arsenal defenders only to see his poked shot saved by Almunia. |
1,924 | Honour for UK games maker
Leading British computer games maker Peter Molyneux has been made an OBE in the New Year Honours list.
The head of Surrey's Lionhead Studios was granted the honour for services to the computer games industry. Mr Molyneux has been behind many of the ground-breaking games of the last 15 years such as Populous, Theme Park, Dungeon Keeper and Black and White. He is widely credited with helping to create and popularise the so-called god-game genre.
Speaking to the BBC News website Mr Molyneux said receiving the honour was something of a surprise. It's come completely out of the blue," he said, "I never would have guessed that I'd have that kind of honour." He said he was surprised as much because, not too long ago, many people thought computer gaming was a fad.
"It was thought to be like skateboarding," he said, "a craze that everyone thought would go away." Now, he said, the gaming world rivals the movie industry for sales and cultural influence. "Britain plays a big part in it," he said. "It's one of the founding nations that made the industry what it is." Mr Molyneux has been a pivotal figure in the computer games industry for almost 20 years. His career started at Bullfrog Studios which in 1987 produced Populous one of the first God-games. The title gave players control over the lives a small population of computerised people. Mr Molyneux said that his involvement with the games industry started almost by accident as back in the early days game making was more a hobby than a career. "I thought everyone would treat Populous as weird," he said, "but it became a huge international success." He left Bullfrog in 1997 to set up Lionhead Studios which was behind the ambitous and widely acclaimed game Black & White. One of the next titles to come from Lionhead puts players in charge of a movie studio and tasks them with producing and directing a hit film. The veteran game maker says he has one problem still to solve. "Being an absolute geek I've got no idea what I'm going to wear when I go and pick it up," he said.
| Mr Molyneux said that his involvement with the games industry started almost by accident as back in the early days game making was more a hobby than a career.The head of Surrey's Lionhead Studios was granted the honour for services to the computer games industry.Mr Molyneux has been a pivotal figure in the computer games industry for almost 20 years.He said he was surprised as much because, not too long ago, many people thought computer gaming was a fad.He left Bullfrog in 1997 to set up Lionhead Studios which was behind the ambitous and widely acclaimed game Black & White.Speaking to the BBC News website Mr Molyneux said receiving the honour was something of a surprise."It was thought to be like skateboarding," he said, "a craze that everyone thought would go away."Mr Molyneux has been behind many of the ground-breaking games of the last 15 years such as Populous, Theme Park, Dungeon Keeper and Black and White. |
1,000 | Royal couple watch nation's mood
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles are awaiting the nation's reaction after announcing they are to be married on 8 April.
Mrs Parker Bowles will take the title HRH Duchess of Cornwall after a civil ceremony to be held at Windsor Castle. A Daily Telegraph poll of 1,313 people suggests two-thirds of Britons support the couple's decision to marry. But only 40% think Mrs Parker Bowles should become Princess Consort as planned after Charles becomes king. Some 47% believe she should have no title, while 7% think she should become queen.
The poll also found that the majority of Britons would prefer the monarchy to miss a generation, with the Queen handing the throne to her grandson Prince William, 22, on her death or abdication. On Thursday night, Prince Charles, 56, and Mrs Parker Bowles, 57, hosted a dinner at Windsor Castle, their first public appearance since announcing their engagement. Mrs Parker Bowles said the prince went down on one knee to propose and added: "I'm just coming down to earth." She displayed her diamond engagement ring - a Royal Family heirloom - to reporters. Charles said he and his wife-to-be were "absolutely delighted". Their marriage will end years of speculation on a relationship which dates back to 1970.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh said the news had made them "very happy". Princes William and Harry said they are "very happy" and wish the couple "all the luck in the future". The wedding will be a civil ceremony followed by a service of prayer and dedication in St George's Chapel at which the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, will preside.
The marriage is likely to be a sensitive issue because Mrs Parker Bowles is divorced and her former husband is still alive. If he became king, Charles would be the supreme governor of the Church of England and some Anglicans remain opposed to the remarriage of divorcees. "His divorce from Diana and the disappointment the country felt over how Diana had been treated... opened up a sense of disillusionment with [Prince Charles]," said Ros Coward, who wrote the authorised biography of Diana, princess of Wales. The Archbishop of Canterbury said: "I am pleased that Prince Charles and Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles have decided to take this important step." Tony Blair said he was "delighted" for the couple and offered his congratulations, as did Conservative leader Michael Howard and Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy. Australia's Prime Minister John Howard also offered his congratulations, adding that their decision to marry was a "sensible and a good thing". Mrs Parker Bowles has joined the prince at numerous engagements in recent years - mostly at evening events for The Prince's Trust. Clarence House staff were at pains to point out that she attended these events in a private capacity.
| The Archbishop of Canterbury said: "I am pleased that Prince Charles and Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles have decided to take this important step."But only 40% think Mrs Parker Bowles should become Princess Consort as planned after Charles becomes king.On Thursday night, Prince Charles, 56, and Mrs Parker Bowles, 57, hosted a dinner at Windsor Castle, their first public appearance since announcing their engagement.Mrs Parker Bowles has joined the prince at numerous engagements in recent years - mostly at evening events for The Prince's Trust.Mrs Parker Bowles said the prince went down on one knee to propose and added: "I'm just coming down to earth."Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles are awaiting the nation's reaction after announcing they are to be married on 8 April.Mrs Parker Bowles will take the title HRH Duchess of Cornwall after a civil ceremony to be held at Windsor Castle.Charles said he and his wife-to-be were "absolutely delighted".The marriage is likely to be a sensitive issue because Mrs Parker Bowles is divorced and her former husband is still alive. |
170 | House prices suffer festive fall
UK house prices fell 0.7% in December, according to figures from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Nationally, house prices rose at an annual rate of 10.7% in December, less than the 13.7% rise the previous month. The average UK house price fell from £180,126 in November to £178,906, reflecting recent Land Registry figures confirming a slowdown in late 2004. All major UK regions, apart from Northern Ireland, experienced a fall in annual growth during December.
December is traditionally a quiet month for the housing market because of Christmas celebrations. However, recent figures from the Land Registry - showing a big drop in sales between the last quarter of 2004 and the previous year - suggested the slowdown could be more than a seasonal blip. The volume of sales between October and December dropped by nearly a quarter from the same period in 2003, the Land Registry said. Although both the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and the Land Registry figures point to a slowdown in the market, the most recent surveys from Nationwide and Halifax have indicated the market may be undergoing a revival. After registering falls at the back-end of 2004, Halifax said house prices rose by 0.8% in January and Nationwide reported a rise of 0.4% in the first month of the year.
| UK house prices fell 0.7% in December, according to figures from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.The average UK house price fell from £180,126 in November to £178,906, reflecting recent Land Registry figures confirming a slowdown in late 2004.Nationally, house prices rose at an annual rate of 10.7% in December, less than the 13.7% rise the previous month.Although both the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and the Land Registry figures point to a slowdown in the market, the most recent surveys from Nationwide and Halifax have indicated the market may be undergoing a revival. |
87 | Worldcom boss 'left books alone'
Former Worldcom boss Bernie Ebbers, who is accused of overseeing an $11bn (£5.8bn) fraud, never made accounting decisions, a witness has told jurors.
David Myers made the comments under questioning by defence lawyers who have been arguing that Mr Ebbers was not responsible for Worldcom's problems. The phone company collapsed in 2002 and prosecutors claim that losses were hidden to protect the firm's shares. Mr Myers has already pleaded guilty to fraud and is assisting prosecutors.
On Monday, defence lawyer Reid Weingarten tried to distance his client from the allegations. During cross examination, he asked Mr Myers if he ever knew Mr Ebbers "make an accounting decision?". "Not that I am aware of," Mr Myers replied. "Did you ever know Mr Ebbers to make an accounting entry into Worldcom books?" Mr Weingarten pressed. "No," replied the witness. Mr Myers has admitted that he ordered false accounting entries at the request of former Worldcom chief financial officer Scott Sullivan. Defence lawyers have been trying to paint Mr Sullivan, who has admitted fraud and will testify later in the trial, as the mastermind behind Worldcom's accounting house of cards.
Mr Ebbers' team, meanwhile, are looking to portray him as an affable boss, who by his own admission is more PE graduate than economist. Whatever his abilities, Mr Ebbers transformed Worldcom from a relative unknown into a $160bn telecoms giant and investor darling of the late 1990s. Worldcom's problems mounted, however, as competition increased and the telecoms boom petered out. When the firm finally collapsed, shareholders lost about $180bn and 20,000 workers lost their jobs. Mr Ebbers' trial is expected to last two months and if found guilty the former CEO faces a substantial jail sentence. He has firmly declared his innocence.
| During cross examination, he asked Mr Myers if he ever knew Mr Ebbers "make an accounting decision?"."Not that I am aware of," Mr Myers replied."Did you ever know Mr Ebbers to make an accounting entry into Worldcom books?"Mr Myers has admitted that he ordered false accounting entries at the request of former Worldcom chief financial officer Scott Sullivan.David Myers made the comments under questioning by defence lawyers who have been arguing that Mr Ebbers was not responsible for Worldcom's problems.Defence lawyers have been trying to paint Mr Sullivan, who has admitted fraud and will testify later in the trial, as the mastermind behind Worldcom's accounting house of cards.Mr Myers has already pleaded guilty to fraud and is assisting prosecutors.Former Worldcom boss Bernie Ebbers, who is accused of overseeing an $11bn (£5.8bn) fraud, never made accounting decisions, a witness has told jurors. |
2,176 | Slow start to speedy net services
Faster broadband in the UK is becoming a reality as more internet providers offer super-fast services.
Some lucky Britons can already take advantage of UK Online's 8 megabits per second service, which was launched in November 2004. BT Retail has announced that it will trial the same speed service, with a national rollout by year end. Other service providers are expected to follow suit and a glut of new voice and video services will follow.
"If the bandwidth is there then ISPs will buy it," said Jill Finger, a research director at analyst firm IDC. Others will be watching BT Retail's trials, which is initially for employees and later in the summer for customers, with interest. For BT Retail, she said, the super-fast service could be a way of differentiating it from other players. "It has been losing market share and this could be one way of gaining some of that back," said Ms Finger. Wanadoo is set to trial an 8Mbps service in the summer and also plans to roll out unbundled services - which means it takes over the network from BT - which will provide speeds of up to 15Mbps. There is no timetable for this at the moment. Cable firms ntl and Telewest are also bound to increase bandwidth at some time in the future and, according to an ntl spokesman, are in a better position than BT in the long term. "BT's network is limited compared to that of cable. With all the other services coming on stream such as video on demand, the question is will 8Mbps be enough?" he asked.
| For BT Retail, she said, the super-fast service could be a way of differentiating it from other players.Wanadoo is set to trial an 8Mbps service in the summer and also plans to roll out unbundled services - which means it takes over the network from BT - which will provide speeds of up to 15Mbps.BT Retail has announced that it will trial the same speed service, with a national rollout by year end.Other service providers are expected to follow suit and a glut of new voice and video services will follow.With all the other services coming on stream such as video on demand, the question is will 8Mbps be enough?"Some lucky Britons can already take advantage of UK Online's 8 megabits per second service, which was launched in November 2004. |
2,154 | EU software patent law faces axe
The European Parliament has thrown out a bill that would have allowed software to be patented.
Politicians unanimously rejected the bill and now it must go through another round of consultation if it is to have a chance of becoming law. During consultation the software patents bill could be substantially re-drafted or even scrapped. The bill was backed by some hi-tech firms, saying they needed protections it offered to make research worthwhile.
Hugo Lueders, European director for public policy at CompTIA, an umbrella organization for technology companies, said only when intellectual property was adequately protected would European inventors prosper. He said the benefits of the bill had been obscured by special interest groups which muddied debate over the rights and wrongs of software patents. Other proponents of the bill said it was a good compromise that avoided the excesses of the American system which allows the patenting of business practices as well as software. But opponents of the bill said that it could stifle innovation, be abused by firms keen to protect existing monopolies and could hamper the growth of the open source movement. The proposed law had a troubled passage through the European parliament. Its progress was delayed twice when Polish MEPs rejected plans to adopt it. Also earlier this month the influential European Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) said the law should be re-drafted after it failed to win the support of MEPs. To become law both the European Parliament and a qualified majority of EU states have to approve of the draft wording of the bill. The latest rejection means that now the bill on computer inventions must go back to the EU for re-consideration.
| The European Parliament has thrown out a bill that would have allowed software to be patented.To become law both the European Parliament and a qualified majority of EU states have to approve of the draft wording of the bill.During consultation the software patents bill could be substantially re-drafted or even scrapped.Politicians unanimously rejected the bill and now it must go through another round of consultation if it is to have a chance of becoming law.Other proponents of the bill said it was a good compromise that avoided the excesses of the American system which allows the patenting of business practices as well as software.He said the benefits of the bill had been obscured by special interest groups which muddied debate over the rights and wrongs of software patents. |
1,654 | Charvis set to lose fitness bid
Flanker Colin Charvis is unlikely to play any part in Wales' final two games of the Six Nations.
Charvis has missed all three of Wales' victories with an ankle injury and his recovery has been slower than expected. "He will not figure in the Scotland game and is now thought unlikely to be ready for the final game," said Wales physio Mark Davies. Sonny Parker is continuing to struggle with a neck injury, but Hal Luscombe should be fit for the Murrayfield trip. Centre Parker has only a "slim chance" of being involved against the Scots on 13 March, so Luscombe's return to fitness after missing the France match with hamstring trouble is a timely boost.
Said Wales assistant coach Scott Johnson: "We're positive about Hal and hope he'll be raring to go. "He comes back into the mix again, adds to the depth and gives us other options. " Replacement hooker Robin McBryde remains a doubt after picking up knee ligament damage in Paris last Saturday. "We're getting that reviewed and we should know more by the end of the week how Robin's looking," added Johnson. "We're hopeful but it's too early to say at this stage." Steve Jones from the Dragons is likely to be drafted in if McBryde fails to recover.
| Flanker Colin Charvis is unlikely to play any part in Wales' final two games of the Six Nations."He will not figure in the Scotland game and is now thought unlikely to be ready for the final game," said Wales physio Mark Davies.Said Wales assistant coach Scott Johnson: "We're positive about Hal and hope he'll be raring to go.Charvis has missed all three of Wales' victories with an ankle injury and his recovery has been slower than expected.Replacement hooker Robin McBryde remains a doubt after picking up knee ligament damage in Paris last Saturday. |
225 | Sales 'fail to boost High Street'
The January sales have failed to help the UK High Street recover from a poor Christmas season, a survey has found.
Stores received a boost from bargain hunters but trading then reverted to December levels, the British Retail Consortium and accountants KPMG said. Sales in what is traditionally a strong month rose by 0.5% on a like-for-like basis, compared with a year earlier. Consumers remain cautious over buying big-ticket items like furniture, said BRC director general Kevin Hawkins. Higher interest rates and uncertainty over the housing market continue to take their toll on the retail sector, the BRC said. But clothing and footwear sales were said to be generally better than December, while department stores also had a good month.
In the three-months to January, like-for-like sales showed a growth rate of -0.1%, the same as in the three months to December, the BRC said. "Following a relatively strong New Year's bank holiday, trading then took a downward turn," said Mr Hawkins. "Even extending some promotions and discounts and the pay-day boost later in the month could not tempt customers." The previous BRC survey found Christmas 2004 was the worst for 10 years for retailers. And according to Office for National Statistics data, sales in December failed to meet expectations and by some counts were the worst since 1981.
| In the three-months to January, like-for-like sales showed a growth rate of -0.1%, the same as in the three months to December, the BRC said.But clothing and footwear sales were said to be generally better than December, while department stores also had a good month.Stores received a boost from bargain hunters but trading then reverted to December levels, the British Retail Consortium and accountants KPMG said.Higher interest rates and uncertainty over the housing market continue to take their toll on the retail sector, the BRC said.The previous BRC survey found Christmas 2004 was the worst for 10 years for retailers. |
518 | West End to honour finest shows
The West End is honouring its finest stars and shows at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards in London on Monday.
The Producers, starring Nathan Lane and Lee Evans, is up for best musical at the ceremony at the National Theatre. It is competing against Sweeney Todd and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum for the award. The Goat or Who is Sylvia? by Edward Albee, The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh and Alan Bennett's The History Boys are shortlisted in the best play category.
Pam Ferris, Victoria Hamilton and Kelly Reilly are nominated for best actress. Ferris - best known for her television roles in programmes such as The Darling Buds of May - has made the shortlist for her role in Notes on Falling Leaves, at the Royal Court Theatre. Meanwhile, Richard Griffiths, who plays Hector in The History Boys at the National Theatre, will battle it out for the best actor award with Douglas Hodge (Dumb Show) and Stanley Townsend (Shining City). The best director shortlist includes Luc Bondy for Cruel and Tender, Simon McBurney for Measure for Measure, and Rufus Norris for Festen.
Festen is also shortlisted in the best designer category where Ian MacNeil, Jean Kalman and Paul Arditti will be up against Hildegard Bechtler, for Iphigenia at Aulis, and Paul Brown, for False Servant. The Milton Shulman Award for outstanding newcomer will be presented to Dominic Cooper (His Dark Materials and The History Boys), Romola Garai (Calico), Eddie Redmayne (The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?) or Ben Wishaw (Hamlet). And playwrights David Eldridge, Rebecca Lenkiewicz and Owen McCafferty will fight it out for The Charles Wintour Award and a £30,000 bursary. Three 50th Anniversary Special Awards will also be presented to an institution, a playwright and an individual.
| Meanwhile, Richard Griffiths, who plays Hector in The History Boys at the National Theatre, will battle it out for the best actor award with Douglas Hodge (Dumb Show) and Stanley Townsend (Shining City).The Milton Shulman Award for outstanding newcomer will be presented to Dominic Cooper (His Dark Materials and The History Boys), Romola Garai (Calico), Eddie Redmayne (The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?)by Edward Albee, The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh and Alan Bennett's The History Boys are shortlisted in the best play category.The Producers, starring Nathan Lane and Lee Evans, is up for best musical at the ceremony at the National Theatre.Ferris - best known for her television roles in programmes such as The Darling Buds of May - has made the shortlist for her role in Notes on Falling Leaves, at the Royal Court Theatre.Festen is also shortlisted in the best designer category where Ian MacNeil, Jean Kalman and Paul Arditti will be up against Hildegard Bechtler, for Iphigenia at Aulis, and Paul Brown, for False Servant. |
694 | Top of the Pops leaves BBC One
The BBC's flagship pop music programme Top of the Pops is to move from BBC One on Fridays to Sundays on BBC Two.
The new programme will combine with archive show TOTP2, mixing new music with footage of classic bands. The corporation said the new show "aims to appeal to a diverse audience of music lovers". The move is the biggest shake-up in the history of the show, which was first broadcast in 1964 and has always been on BBC One. Top of the Pops was relaunched in a blaze of publicity in December last year in an attempt to reverse a long-term decline in audience figures.
The All New Top of the Pops was fronted by newcomer Tim Kash and was put together by producer Andi Peters, who was brought back to the BBC from Channel 4 to revitalise the series.
About three million people a week were watching the show on Fridays - less than half the total it was attracting in the mid-1990s - as the programme went up against popular ITV soap Coronation Street. But despite the relaunch audience figures failed to rise and still remain around the three million mark. Tim Kash has since been replaced as host by Fearne Cotton. The new show will launch in Spring next year in an extended format. BBC Two controller Roly Keating: "It's an exciting new era for Top of the Pops. We want to make it bigger and better so that it becomes the ultimate pop music show for music lovers of every generation." Mr Keating described BBC Two as the "natural home" of Top of the Pops. He added: "The addition of Top of the Pops will also extend BBC Two's offering to younger audiences."
A BBC spokeswoman said Andi Peters would continue as executive producer on the show. She said that issues over the exact format of the programme and a time slot were still to be decided. The programme will have a close relationship with the BBC Radio 1 chart show, which suggests the relaunched show may be transmitted at about 1900 on Sundays. "Hopefully the audience for Top of the Pops will find it on BBC Two. "We think that the new slot will create a buzz around the programme as for the first time viewers will discover the news of who is number one as it happens."
| The BBC's flagship pop music programme Top of the Pops is to move from BBC One on Fridays to Sundays on BBC Two."Hopefully the audience for Top of the Pops will find it on BBC Two.BBC Two controller Roly Keating: "It's an exciting new era for Top of the Pops.The All New Top of the Pops was fronted by newcomer Tim Kash and was put together by producer Andi Peters, who was brought back to the BBC from Channel 4 to revitalise the series.Mr Keating described BBC Two as the "natural home" of Top of the Pops.The programme will have a close relationship with the BBC Radio 1 chart show, which suggests the relaunched show may be transmitted at about 1900 on Sundays.The move is the biggest shake-up in the history of the show, which was first broadcast in 1964 and has always been on BBC One.The corporation said the new show "aims to appeal to a diverse audience of music lovers". |
1,978 | No half measures with Half-Life 2
Could Half-Life 2 possibly live up to the hype? After almost two years of tantalising previews and infuriating delays it's safe to say that this is the most highly-anticipated computer game of all time.
Fortunately, it doesn't merely live up to its promise, but exceeds it. No-one who plays the finished product will wonder why it took so long. The impression is of a game that has been endlessly refined to get as close to perfection as could realistically be hoped. All the money - or indeed time - is on the screen. The player sees things through the eyes of Gordon Freeman, the bespectacled scientist who starred in the original 1998 Half-Life. Having survived that skirmish in an desolate monster-infested research facility, he's back in another foreboding troublespot - the enigmatic City 17. It has the look of a beautiful Eastern European city, but as soon as your train pulls in to the station, it's clear that all is not well here. Sinister police patrol the unkempt streets, and the oppressive atmosphere clobbers you like a sledgehammer. A casual smattering of the nightmarish creatures from the first game makes this an even less pleasant place to be.
You are herded around like a prisoner and have to mingle with a few freedom-fighting civilians to gather information and progress in your task. It is not immediately explained what your objectives are, nor precisely why everything is so ravaged. Finding out step-by-step is all part of the experience, although you never fully get to understand what it was all about. That does not really matter. HL2 does not waste energy blinding you with plot. Underplaying the narrative in this way is gloriously effective, and immerses the player in the most vivid, convincing and impressive virtual world they are likely to have seen. There are no cut-scenes to interrupt the flow. Exposition is accomplished by other characters stopping to talk directly to you.
Whereas the highly impressive Doom III felt like a top-notch theme park thrill-ride, wandering through Half-Life's world truly does feel like being part of a movie.
Considering its sophistication, the game runs surprisingly well on computers that only just match the modest minimum specifications. But if ever there was an incentive to upgrade your PC's components, this is it. On our test machine - an Alienware system with an Athlon 3500+ processor and ATI's Radeon X800 video card - everything ran at full quality without trouble, and the visual experience was simply jaw-dropping. It is not simply that the surfaces, textures and light effects push the technical envelope without mercy, but that such care and artistic flair has gone into designing them. The haunting, grim landscapes become strangely beautiful. Luckily you get time to pause mid-task and marvel at the awesome graphical flourishes of your surroundings. So impressive are the physics that you'll find yourself hurling bits of rubbish around and prodding floating corpses just to marvel at the lifelike way they move. There are puzzles to be solved along the way, pitched at about the right difficulty, but most progress is achieved by force. Freeman is quickly reunited with the original game's famous crowbar, and an array of more sophisticated weapons soon follow.
Virtually anything not nailed to the floor can be interacted with, and in realistic fashion. You will be wowed by the attention-to-detail as you chip bits of plaster off walls, chase a pigeon out of your way, or dodge exploding barrels as they ping around at deadly speed. At times Half-Life 2 feels like one of those annoying people who are unfeasibly brilliant at everything they turn their hand to, and in a curious way, its unrelenting goodness actually becomes almost tiresome. Running around on foot is great enough, but jumping into vehicles proves even more fun. Human foes are rendered just as well as alien ones. The stealth sections are as exhilarating as the open gun battles. In gameplay terms, HL2 somehow gets almost everything perfect. And without resorting to the zombies-leaping-out-of-shadows approach of Doom III, it's all incredibly unsettling. The vacant environment is distinctly eerie, and at one point I even caught myself hesitating to go down a murky tunnel for fear of what might be inside.
The game does have a couple of problems. Firstly, the carefully-scripted way that you progress through each level might irk some people.
A lot of things are meticulously choreographed to happen on cue, which makes for exciting moments, but may be an annoyance to some players and limit the appeal of playing again once you've completed it. If you like things open-ended and free-ranging, Far Cry will be a lot more pleasing. But the real downside is the hassle of getting the game to run. Installing it proved a life-draining siege that would test a saint's patience. Developer Valve has rashly assumed that everyone wanting to play the game will have an internet connection and it forces you to go online to authenticate your copy. The box does warn you of this anti-piracy measure, but does not say just how many components have to be downloaded. The time spent doing this will depend on your connection speed, the temperamental Valve servers and the time of day, but it can take hours. It would take a mighty piece of work to feel worthwhile after such annoyances - but luckily, Half-Life 2 is up to the challenge. It is surely the best thing in its genre, and possibly, many will feel, of any genre. The bar has been raised, and so far out of sight that you have to sympathise with any game that tries to do anything remotely similar in the near future.
Half-Life 2 is out now for the PC
| At times Half-Life 2 feels like one of those annoying people who are unfeasibly brilliant at everything they turn their hand to, and in a curious way, its unrelenting goodness actually becomes almost tiresome.The game does have a couple of problems.Whereas the highly impressive Doom III felt like a top-notch theme park thrill-ride, wandering through Half-Life's world truly does feel like being part of a movie.The impression is of a game that has been endlessly refined to get as close to perfection as could realistically be hoped.Developer Valve has rashly assumed that everyone wanting to play the game will have an internet connection and it forces you to go online to authenticate your copy.After almost two years of tantalising previews and infuriating delays it's safe to say that this is the most highly-anticipated computer game of all time.The bar has been raised, and so far out of sight that you have to sympathise with any game that tries to do anything remotely similar in the near future.Could Half-Life 2 possibly live up to the hype?It has the look of a beautiful Eastern European city, but as soon as your train pulls in to the station, it's clear that all is not well here.The player sees things through the eyes of Gordon Freeman, the bespectacled scientist who starred in the original 1998 Half-Life.Considering its sophistication, the game runs surprisingly well on computers that only just match the modest minimum specifications.It would take a mighty piece of work to feel worthwhile after such annoyances - but luckily, Half-Life 2 is up to the challenge.The box does warn you of this anti-piracy measure, but does not say just how many components have to be downloaded.But the real downside is the hassle of getting the game to run.In gameplay terms, HL2 somehow gets almost everything perfect.Luckily you get time to pause mid-task and marvel at the awesome graphical flourishes of your surroundings.The time spent doing this will depend on your connection speed, the temperamental Valve servers and the time of day, but it can take hours.If you like things open-ended and free-ranging, Far Cry will be a lot more pleasing.A casual smattering of the nightmarish creatures from the first game makes this an even less pleasant place to be.Half-Life 2 is out now for the PCOn our test machine - an Alienware system with an Athlon 3500+ processor and ATI's Radeon X800 video card - everything ran at full quality without trouble, and the visual experience was simply jaw-dropping. |
1,887 | Digital guru floats sub-$100 PC
Nicholas Negroponte, chairman and founder of MIT's Media Labs, says he is developing a laptop PC that will go on sale for less than $100 (£53).
He told the BBC World Service programme Go Digital he hoped it would become an education tool in developing countries. He said one laptop per child could be " very important to the development of not just that child but now the whole family, village and neighbourhood". He said the child could use the laptop like a text book. He described the device as a stripped down laptop, which would run a Linux-based operating system, "We have to get the display down to below $20, to do this we need to rear project the image rather than using an ordinary flat panel.
"The second trick is to get rid of the fat , if you can skinny it down you can gain speed and the ability to use smaller processors and slower memory." The device will probably be exported as a kit of parts to be assembled locally to keep costs down. Mr Negroponte said this was a not for profit venture, though he recognised that the manufacturers of the components would be making money. In 1995 Mr Negroponte published the bestselling Being Digital, now widely seen as predicting the digital age. The concept is based on experiments in the US state of Maine, where children were given laptop computers to take home and do their work on.
While the idea was popular amongst the children, it initially received some resistance from the teachers and there were problems with laptops getting broken. However, Mr Negroponte has adapted the idea to his own work in Cambodia where he set up two schools together with his wife and gave the children laptops. "We put in 25 laptops three years ago , only one has been broken, the kids cherish these things, it's also a TV a telephone and a games machine, not just a textbook." Mr Negroponte wants the laptops to become more common than mobile phones but conceded this was ambitious. "Nokia make 200 million cell phones a year, so for us to claim we're going to make 200 million laptops is a big number, but we're not talking about doing it in three or five years, we're talking about months." He plans to be distributing them by the end of 2006 and is already in discussion with the Chinese education ministry who are expected to make a large order. "In China they spend $17 per child per year on textbooks. That's for five or six years, so if we can distribute and sell laptops in quantities of one million or more to ministries of education that's cheaper and the marketing overheads go away."
| He said one laptop per child could be " very important to the development of not just that child but now the whole family, village and neighbourhood".He said the child could use the laptop like a text book.Mr Negroponte wants the laptops to become more common than mobile phones but conceded this was ambitious.That's for five or six years, so if we can distribute and sell laptops in quantities of one million or more to ministries of education that's cheaper and the marketing overheads go away."Nicholas Negroponte, chairman and founder of MIT's Media Labs, says he is developing a laptop PC that will go on sale for less than $100 (£53).The concept is based on experiments in the US state of Maine, where children were given laptop computers to take home and do their work on.However, Mr Negroponte has adapted the idea to his own work in Cambodia where he set up two schools together with his wife and gave the children laptops."Nokia make 200 million cell phones a year, so for us to claim we're going to make 200 million laptops is a big number, but we're not talking about doing it in three or five years, we're talking about months." |
1,370 | What now for Kelly Holmes?
Last April, Kelly Holmes spoke to the BBC Sport website about her loneliness, her fight to stay fit and her decision not to contest both the 800m and 1500m at the Olympics.
It just goes to show even the most meticulous and measured athletes cannot predict what fate has in store for them. Four months later, Holmes stormed to double Olympic gold and has since been made a Dame, won the BBC Sport Personality of the Year and written a book whilst still finding time to coach aspiring athletes. With so much time spent in the spotlight, Holmes has increasingly dropped hints that her ambition on the track has begun to wilt. And when asked about her plans for both the indoor and outdoor seasons ahead, the 34-year-old has repeatedly chosen to tick the "don't know" box. Holmes has now pulled out of this weekend's European Indoor Championships, where she was selected for both the 800m and 1500m, because of a hamstring injury. But should we be surprised if the Olympic champion over both those distances decides she just does not feel like racing anymore? "Well, it's a lot easier being the double Olympic champion, being feted by everybody, than training to be at the top in middle distance running," points out former Olympian and BBC pundit Steve Cram. "You have to have a real strong desire to carry on doing it even if you're very talented."
Holmes' drive and determination have always been unquestionable - that is the reason she has battled back from a string of injuries that threatened to see her finish her career empty-handed. But alarm bells start ringing when the Kent athlete begins questioning herself. "Will I have as much commitment, desire and energy to go through a major championship?" Holmes asked in the New Year. "That is what I don't know." At 34, Holmes will also be aware that time is running out. US 400m and 200m legend Michael Johnson, a five-time Olympic gold medallist, retired shortly after his 34th birthday as did Britain's double Olympic champion decathlete Daley Thompson. The physical demands of the day-to-day grind will only get harder for Holmes, who has already admitted she "doesn't like the training anymore." Whilst out on the circuit the allure of defeating a double Olympic champion will spur her opponents on. Holmes will not want to needlessly suffer the indignity of being beaten. Unless she is certain she has a strong chance of winning any race, she will not step onto the track. But if the Kent athlete finds the form that fuelled her ambitions last summer, there are more prizes up for grabs. The day after completing her double in Athens, the 34-year-old revealed she would still like to win her first indoors title.
Holmes' wish could easily be met in Madrid before she goes on to prepare for the outdoor season where there are still scores to be settled, such as a first gold at the World Championships in Helsinki. There is just one small truth which could gnaw away at Holmes' motivation - the realisation that no matter how hard she trains, nothing she wins now can surpass her achievements in Athens. On the other hand, if those achievements cannot be matched shouldn't they be at least shared and celebrated? "You don't get the chance very often in your career to step onto the track as the double Olympic champion," agreed Cram. "You want to be able to take your bow in front of the fans because it's a fantastic feeling. "I think deep down Kelly wants to run. I think she will compete and run races on the circuits but whether or not she runs in the major championships is much less certain."
Athletics fans had every reason to believe they would see the new-look Kelly Holmes tearing up the track again. After her Olympic glory she emphatically denied she planned to retire. So, why is Holmes dragging her heels about making a decision on where, when or whether to even bother competing again? "That's just Kelly," explains Cram. "She's always been like that. "She enjoys people trying to guess what she is going to do next. She knows every time she makes a pronouncement now it's headline news. "Kelly has to figure out for herself what it is she wants and that will be based on athletics decisions, whether she can be competitive, if she is fit enough to put her neck on the line. "And if she decides not to run again, no-one is going to turn round and say 'you're making the wrong decision.'"
| With so much time spent in the spotlight, Holmes has increasingly dropped hints that her ambition on the track has begun to wilt.Four months later, Holmes stormed to double Olympic gold and has since been made a Dame, won the BBC Sport Personality of the Year and written a book whilst still finding time to coach aspiring athletes."You don't get the chance very often in your career to step onto the track as the double Olympic champion," agreed Cram.Athletics fans had every reason to believe they would see the new-look Kelly Holmes tearing up the track again.The physical demands of the day-to-day grind will only get harder for Holmes, who has already admitted she "doesn't like the training anymore."So, why is Holmes dragging her heels about making a decision on where, when or whether to even bother competing again?Holmes has now pulled out of this weekend's European Indoor Championships, where she was selected for both the 800m and 1500m, because of a hamstring injury.At 34, Holmes will also be aware that time is running out.Holmes' drive and determination have always been unquestionable - that is the reason she has battled back from a string of injuries that threatened to see her finish her career empty-handed.Holmes asked in the New Year.Holmes will not want to needlessly suffer the indignity of being beaten.Last April, Kelly Holmes spoke to the BBC Sport website about her loneliness, her fight to stay fit and her decision not to contest both the 800m and 1500m at the Olympics.It just goes to show even the most meticulous and measured athletes cannot predict what fate has in store for them."Kelly has to figure out for herself what it is she wants and that will be based on athletics decisions, whether she can be competitive, if she is fit enough to put her neck on the line."I think deep down Kelly wants to run.And when asked about her plans for both the indoor and outdoor seasons ahead, the 34-year-old has repeatedly chosen to tick the "don't know" box. |
1,121 | Blair to face MPs amid feud talk
Tony Blair faces his first prime minister's questions of 2005 after a week of renewed speculation about his relationship with Gordon Brown.
Meanwhile, the chancellor is leaving Britain on a high-profile tour of Africa to highlight poverty issues. But before doing so, he insisted he still trusted Mr Blair, despite claims to the contrary in a new book. Labour MPs have warned against disunity and Tory leader Michael Howard may well take up the theme in the Commons. The Tories have already accused the prime minister and his chancellor of behaving like "schoolboys squabbling in a playground".
Michael Howard is likely to want to capitalise further on the spat when he goes head-to-head with the prime minister in the Commons. At a campaign poster launch on Tuesday, Mr Brown was joined by Alan Milburn, who Mr Blair controversially put in charge of election planning in place of the chancellor.
Later this week the prime minister is due to set out the themes of his party's next election manifesto, which for the past two polls have been drawn up by the chancellor. Mr Brown, meanwhile, is visiting Tanzania, Mozambique and Kenya to highlight the plight of many Africans hit by Aids, war and famine - issues which Mr Blair has also spoken out on. The prime minister and chancellor faced backbench discontent at Monday's meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party over claims made in journalist Robert Peston's new book. Mr Blair told MPs and peers: "I know from everyone here, in Cabinet and government, nothing is going to get in the way of a unified Labour Party with a unified position and winning the third term people desperately need." Labour's Paul Flynn said the pair had had a "scorching" from MPs.
On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Mr Prescott told BBC News: "They told us very clearly, it was the troops telling the leaders: get in line." The new book claims Mr Prescott hosted a dinner in November 2003 where the prime minister told Mr Brown he would stand down before the next election because he had lost trust over the Iraq war. Mr Blair then changed his mind in June 2004, after Cabinet allies intervened and amid suspicion the chancellor was manoeuvring against him, writes Mr Peston. In Mr Peston's book Mr Brown is alleged to have told the prime minister: "There is nothing you could ever say to me now that I could ever believe."
| The new book claims Mr Prescott hosted a dinner in November 2003 where the prime minister told Mr Brown he would stand down before the next election because he had lost trust over the Iraq war.In Mr Peston's book Mr Brown is alleged to have told the prime minister: "There is nothing you could ever say to me now that I could ever believe."At a campaign poster launch on Tuesday, Mr Brown was joined by Alan Milburn, who Mr Blair controversially put in charge of election planning in place of the chancellor.Mr Blair then changed his mind in June 2004, after Cabinet allies intervened and amid suspicion the chancellor was manoeuvring against him, writes Mr Peston.On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Mr Prescott told BBC News: "They told us very clearly, it was the troops telling the leaders: get in line."The prime minister and chancellor faced backbench discontent at Monday's meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party over claims made in journalist Robert Peston's new book.Mr Brown, meanwhile, is visiting Tanzania, Mozambique and Kenya to highlight the plight of many Africans hit by Aids, war and famine - issues which Mr Blair has also spoken out on. |
748 | Portishead back after eight years
Cult British group Portishead have revealed they are writing their third album, their first in eight years.
Founding member Geoff Barrow told BBC 6 Music the record was well on the way to being completed. "We're actually into it as we speak. We took some time off for Christmas, but generally we're doing another record," Barrow told the digital radio station. News of their album plans comes after confirmation the Bristol band will play a tsunami charity show next month. Portishead will play alongside fellow Bristol band Massive Attack at Oxfam's Tsumani appeal, held at the Bristol Academy on 19 February. Barrow said he was surprised people thought the band, who won a Mercury Music Prize in 1995 for their debut album Dummy, had split up.
"We've just had our heads down really, we've never actually broken up, or parted, or whatever. "So for us it just seems, even though we haven't played for years, we still see each other and write - we just haven't released a record for a long time." Portishead will not play any new material at next month's concert, which will feature singer Beth Gibbons playing with an acoustic backing. Other acts appearing include Liverpool band The Coral and former Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant. Portishead became an international success and a deeply influential band despite their scant recorded output. Dummy was a critics' favourite in 1994, hailed for its blend of menacing sounds and hip-hop beats married to old soul samples. The follow up, Portishead, was released three years later.
| Barrow said he was surprised people thought the band, who won a Mercury Music Prize in 1995 for their debut album Dummy, had split up.The follow up, Portishead, was released three years later.Portishead will play alongside fellow Bristol band Massive Attack at Oxfam's Tsumani appeal, held at the Bristol Academy on 19 February.News of their album plans comes after confirmation the Bristol band will play a tsunami charity show next month.Founding member Geoff Barrow told BBC 6 Music the record was well on the way to being completed.Portishead became an international success and a deeply influential band despite their scant recorded output. |
606 | Singer's film to show at festival
A documentary which takes a candid look at the life of chart-topping singer George Michael will be shown at this year's Berlin Film Festival.
A Different Story will screen in the Panorama section of the festival, which runs from 10-20 February. It features the singer talking about both his career and his personal life, from his days in Wham! through to more recent events. Michael will attend the festival to introduce the screening on 16 February. Director Southan Morris and executive producer Andy Stephens will also attend the festival.
The 93 minute film will see Michael discussing his early days in Wham! along with his later career, including his legal battles with record label Sony and his stance against the Iraq war and American politics. It will also touch upon his turbulent personal life, including his arrest in a Beverly Hills park toilet in 1998 for "lewd behaviour", and the death of his boyfriend Anselmo Feleppa from Aids. The film, which includes previously unseen footage of the singer also features contributions from Michael's former Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley, as well as ex-Wham! backing singers Pepsi and Shirlie. Other contributors include Sting, Mariah Carey, Elton John, Noel Gallagher, Geri Halliwell and Simon Cowell. This year's festival will open with Man To Man, a historical epic starring Joseph Fiennes and Kristin Scott-Thomas. It will be one of 21 films competing for the festival's top prize, the Golden Bear. Other films in competition will include The Life Aquatic, a quirky comedy starring Bill Murray, and the biopic Kinsey, which features Liam Neeson. The full programme will be announced on 1 February.
| A documentary which takes a candid look at the life of chart-topping singer George Michael will be shown at this year's Berlin Film Festival.It features the singer talking about both his career and his personal life, from his days in Wham!Michael will attend the festival to introduce the screening on 16 February.The film, which includes previously unseen footage of the singer also features contributions from Michael's former Wham!The 93 minute film will see Michael discussing his early days in Wham!Other films in competition will include The Life Aquatic, a quirky comedy starring Bill Murray, and the biopic Kinsey, which features Liam Neeson.A Different Story will screen in the Panorama section of the festival, which runs from 10-20 February. |
535 | New Harry Potter tops book chart
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has topped Amazon's book chart less than 24 hours after its release date - 16 July - was announced.
Thousands of customers placed pre-orders on the amazon.co.uk website for the sixth book in the series. Rowling revealed she had completed the novel on Tuesday, ahead of the scheduled announcement on 25 December. It will be published simultaneously in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. JK Rowling's fifth book in the wizard series, Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix was Amazon's largest pre-ordered item ever, with 420,000 copies pre-ordered prior to its release in June 2003. Customers who pre-order Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince avoid standing in long queues at bookshops on the day of the book's release next July. "The fact that the book has already hit number one in our Hot 100 books chart shows how incredibly excited customers are about the sixth Harry Potter," said Amazon's Robin Terrell.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince takes up the story of Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as Lord Voldemort grows stronger. Rowling has already revealed that the Half-Blood Prince is neither Harry nor Voldemort. And she added that the opening chapter of the book had been brewing in her mind for 13 years. Rowling said she had plenty of time while pregnant "to tinker with the manuscript to my satisfaction and I am as happy as I have ever been with the end result". She also previously revealed that a character will be killed in the sixth book, but she has given no hints as to who it might be. Following publication of the sixth book, just one novel remains to complete the series.
| "The fact that the book has already hit number one in our Hot 100 books chart shows how incredibly excited customers are about the sixth Harry Potter," said Amazon's Robin Terrell.Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has topped Amazon's book chart less than 24 hours after its release date - 16 July - was announced.Rowling has already revealed that the Half-Blood Prince is neither Harry nor Voldemort.Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince takes up the story of Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as Lord Voldemort grows stronger.JK Rowling's fifth book in the wizard series, Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix was Amazon's largest pre-ordered item ever, with 420,000 copies pre-ordered prior to its release in June 2003.Following publication of the sixth book, just one novel remains to complete the series. |
1,505 | Redknapp's Saints face Pompey tie
New Southampton manager Harry Redknapp faces an immediate reunion with his old club Portsmouth after they were drawn together in the FA Cup fourth round.
Exeter City face a home tie against Middlesbrough if they can see off holders Manchester United in a replay. Oldham's reward for beating Manchester City is a home tie with Bolton, while Yeovil will be away to Charlton. Chelsea host Birmingham, Tottenham travel to West Brom and Arsenal will entertain Championship side Wolves. Saints boss Redknapp was upbeat about the draw despite having to face the club he walked out on just six weeks ago. "I've said before, I can walk away from Portsmouth with my head held high, I'm proud of what I did there and no one can take that away from me," said Redknapp. "Maybe I'll be in for some stick, there's always some of that but we'll get on with it and it's only a game of football." Birmingham manager Steve Bruce admitted their trip to Stamford Bridge to face Premiership leaders Chelsea was the toughest draw possible. Bruce said: "I'm still in shock. We've given good accounts of ourselves against Chelsea in the past and played well when we lost 1-0 at home at the start of the season - but that's the past. "But it's the best competition in the world as far as I am concerned and we will give it our best shot." Brentford boss Martin Allen remained cautious despite his side's favourable draw - a home tie with either Hartlepool or Boston. "The best thing is, it's a home game. However, we know that whoever we play it is going to be a really tough game," said Allen. "But it's not about the opposition, it's about us. We all want to get through to the next round and face a massive team, that's the way it is."
Meanwhile, the BBC has confirmed it will be televising Exeter's replay with Man Utd live on Wednesday 19 January, from 1930 on BBC One.
Derby v Watford or Fulham
Man Utd or Exeter v Middlesbrough
Cardiff or Blackburn v Colchester
Chelsea v Birmingham
West Ham v Sheff Utd
Oldham v Bolton
Arsenal v Wolverhampton
Everton v Sunderland
Nottm Forest v Peterborough
Brentford v Hartlepool or Boston
Reading or Swansea v Leicester or Blackpool
Burnley or Liverpool v Bournemouth
Southampton v Portsmouth
West Brom v Tottenham
Newcastle v Coventry
Charlton v Yeovil
| "The best thing is, it's a home game.Exeter City face a home tie against Middlesbrough if they can see off holders Manchester United in a replay.Birmingham manager Steve Bruce admitted their trip to Stamford Bridge to face Premiership leaders Chelsea was the toughest draw possible.Oldham's reward for beating Manchester City is a home tie with Bolton, while Yeovil will be away to Charlton.Brentford boss Martin Allen remained cautious despite his side's favourable draw - a home tie with either Hartlepool or Boston."I've said before, I can walk away from Portsmouth with my head held high, I'm proud of what I did there and no one can take that away from me," said Redknapp.Saints boss Redknapp was upbeat about the draw despite having to face the club he walked out on just six weeks ago.New Southampton manager Harry Redknapp faces an immediate reunion with his old club Portsmouth after they were drawn together in the FA Cup fourth round. |
432 | BA to suspend two Saudi services
British Airways is to halt its flights from London Heathrow to Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia from 27 March.
The airline said the decision was a commercial one due to reduced passenger demand for the services. BA currently operates four flights per week from Heathrow to Jeddah, and three weekly journeys to Riyadh. It suspended flights to Saudi Arabia for three weeks in autumn 2003 after a government warning about a "threat to UK aviation interests in Saudi Arabia".
BA will now suspend the Saudi flights - which it says will remain "under constant review" - from 27 March. "The decision to suspend flights between the UK and Saudi Arabia is a difficult one to make as we have enjoyed a long history of flying between the two countries," said BA director of commercial planning, Robert Boyle. "However, the routes don't currently make a profitable contribution to our business and we are unable to sustain them while this remains the case." Passengers with flights booked after the suspension date will be contacted by BA for alternative arrangements to be made.
| "The decision to suspend flights between the UK and Saudi Arabia is a difficult one to make as we have enjoyed a long history of flying between the two countries," said BA director of commercial planning, Robert Boyle.British Airways is to halt its flights from London Heathrow to Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia from 27 March.BA will now suspend the Saudi flights - which it says will remain "under constant review" - from 27 March.BA currently operates four flights per week from Heathrow to Jeddah, and three weekly journeys to Riyadh. |
2,059 | Internet boom for gift shopping
Cyberspace is becoming a very popular destination for Christmas shoppers.
Forecasts predict that British people will spend £4bn buying gifts online during the festive season, an increase of 64% on 2003. Surveys also show that the average amount that people are spending is rising, as is the range of goods that they are happy to buy online. Savvy shoppers are also using the net to find the hot presents that are all but sold out in High Street stores.
Almost half of the UK population now shop online according to figures collected by the Interactive Media in Retail Group which represents web retailers. About 85% of this group, 18m people, expect to do a lot of their Christmas gift buying online this year, reports the industry group. On average each shopper will spend £220 and Britons lead Europe in their affection for online shopping.
Almost a third of all the money spent online this Christmas will come out of British wallets and purses compared to 29% from German shoppers and only 4% from Italian gift buyers. James Roper, director of the IMRG, said shoppers were now much happier to buy so-called big ticket items such as LCD television sets and digital cameras. Mr Roper added that many retailers were working hard to reassure consumers that online shopping was safe and that goods ordered as presents would arrive in time for Christmas. He advised consumers to give shops a little more time than usual to fulfil orders given that online buying is proving so popular. A survey by Hostway suggests that many men prefer to shop online to avoid the embarrassment of buying some types of presents, such as lingerie, for wives and girlfriends. Much of this online shopping is likely to be done during work time, according to research carried out by security firm Saint Bernard Software. The research reveals that up to two working days will be lost by staff who do their shopping via their work computer. Worst offenders will be those in the 18-35 age bracket, suggests the research, who will spend up to five hours per week in December browsing and buying at online shops.
Iggy Fanlo, chief revenue officer at Shopping.com, said that the growing numbers of people using broadband was driving interest in online shopping. "When you consider narrowband and broadband the conversion to sale is two times higher," he said. Higher speeds meant that everything happened much faster, he said, which let people spend time browsing and finding out about products before they buy.
The behaviour of online shoppers was also changing, he said. "The single biggest reason people went online before this year was price," he said. "The number one reason now is convenience." "Very few consumers click on the lowest price," he said. "They are looking for good prices and merchant reliability." Consumer comments and reviews were also proving popular with shoppers keen to find out who had the most reliable customer service. Data collected by eBay suggests that some smart shoppers are getting round the shortages of hot presents by buying them direct through the auction site. According to eBay UK there are now more than 150 Robosapiens remote control robots for sale via the site. The Robosapiens toy is almost impossible to find in online and offline stores. Similarly many shoppers are turning to eBay to help them get hold of the hard-to-find slimline PlayStation 2, which many retailers are only selling as part of an expensive bundle. The high demand for the PlayStation 2 has meant that prices for it are being driven up. In shops the PS2 is supposed to sell for £104.99. In some eBay UK auctions the price has risen to more than double this figure. Many people are also using eBay to get hold of gadgets not even released in this country. The portable version of the PlayStation has only just gone on sale in Japan yet some enterprising eBay users are selling the device to UK gadget fans.
| The behaviour of online shoppers was also changing, he said."The single biggest reason people went online before this year was price," he said.Mr Roper added that many retailers were working hard to reassure consumers that online shopping was safe and that goods ordered as presents would arrive in time for Christmas.Iggy Fanlo, chief revenue officer at Shopping.com, said that the growing numbers of people using broadband was driving interest in online shopping.On average each shopper will spend £220 and Britons lead Europe in their affection for online shopping.He advised consumers to give shops a little more time than usual to fulfil orders given that online buying is proving so popular.About 85% of this group, 18m people, expect to do a lot of their Christmas gift buying online this year, reports the industry group.Forecasts predict that British people will spend £4bn buying gifts online during the festive season, an increase of 64% on 2003.Surveys also show that the average amount that people are spending is rising, as is the range of goods that they are happy to buy online.Almost half of the UK population now shop online according to figures collected by the Interactive Media in Retail Group which represents web retailers.Much of this online shopping is likely to be done during work time, according to research carried out by security firm Saint Bernard Software.Almost a third of all the money spent online this Christmas will come out of British wallets and purses compared to 29% from German shoppers and only 4% from Italian gift buyers.A survey by Hostway suggests that many men prefer to shop online to avoid the embarrassment of buying some types of presents, such as lingerie, for wives and girlfriends.Many people are also using eBay to get hold of gadgets not even released in this country. |
1,662 | Italy aim to rattle England
Italy coach John Kirwan believes his side can upset England as the Six Nations wooden spoon battle hots up.
The two sides, both without a win, meet on 12 March at Twickenham and Kirwan says his side will be hoping to make the most of England's current slump. "We have to make sure the England and France games are tough for them. "England have not been having the best of championships. That is a big one for us and them and I am sure my players will rise to the occasion," he said. But Kirwan admits that a lot of hard work will be needed with his kickers before the trip to London. Roland de Marigny and Luciano Orquera had a miserable time with the boot in the dire defeat to Scotland as Chris Paterson stole the show to give the hosts a much-needed 18-10 victory. Kirwan said: "The kicking was the decisive factor in Scotland which cost us and it could go down to the kicking again next time. "But I have a lot of confidence in my players and I am positive we can put everything together against England." England, meanwhile, are licking their wounds and rueing what might have been had two decisions from referee Jonathan Kaplan not gone against them in the second half in Dublin. First Mark Cueto was judged offside as he chased fly-half Charlie Hodgson's kick, and then Kaplan opted not to call upon video evidence to see if Josh Lewsey had touched down after being driven over Ireland's line.
But centre Jamie Noon believes the side at least showed better form than their previous two defeats. "We definitely improved against an in-form Irish side," he said. "We went to Dublin quietly confident that we would be able to compete, and I think we showed that. "We have got to make sure we now take the form and positives into the Italy game. We are under no illusions that it is going to be easy, but we definitely need a win." England have now equalled an 18-year low of four successive championship defeats, including France in Paris last season, and have lost four in a row under Andy Robinson. His predecessor, Sir Clive Woodward, began his seven-year reign with three defeats and two draws.
| "We have to make sure the England and France games are tough for them.Italy coach John Kirwan believes his side can upset England as the Six Nations wooden spoon battle hots up.The two sides, both without a win, meet on 12 March at Twickenham and Kirwan says his side will be hoping to make the most of England's current slump."But I have a lot of confidence in my players and I am positive we can put everything together against England."England, meanwhile, are licking their wounds and rueing what might have been had two decisions from referee Jonathan Kaplan not gone against them in the second half in Dublin.But centre Jamie Noon believes the side at least showed better form than their previous two defeats."We have got to make sure we now take the form and positives into the Italy game."England have not been having the best of championships. |
1,757 | Hewitt falls to Dent
Lleyton Hewitt suffered a shock defeat to Taylor Dent in the quarter-finals of the Australian Hardcourt Championships in Adelaide on Friday.
The top seed was a strong favourite for the title but went down 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to the American. Dent will face Juan Ignacio Chela next after the fourth seed was too strong for Jurgen Melzer. Olivier Rochus beat third seed Nicolas Kiefer 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 and will take on second seed Joachim Johansson. The Swede reached the last four by beating compatriot Thomas Enqvist 6-3 4-6 6-1. "I felt like I was striking the ball much better," said Johansson. "I felt like I had a lot of break chances, I didn't take care of them all, but I broke him four times and he only broke me once. "I felt that was the key to get up in the set early."
| Dent will face Juan Ignacio Chela next after the fourth seed was too strong for Jurgen Melzer."I felt like I was striking the ball much better," said Johansson.The top seed was a strong favourite for the title but went down 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to the American."I felt that was the key to get up in the set early." |
326 | Senior Fannie Mae bosses resign
The two most senior executives at US mortgage giant Fannie Mae have resigned after accounting irregularities were uncovered at the company.
Chief executive Franklin Raines, a former senior official in the Clinton administration, and chief financial officer Tim Howard have left the firm. Fannie Mae was criticised by financial regulators and could have to restate its earnings by up to $9bn (£4.6bn). It is America's second largest financial institution.
Recent investigations have exposed extensive accounting errors at Fannie Mae, which supplies funds to America's $8 trillion mortgage market. Last week, the firm was admonished by the Securities and Exchange Commission which said it had made major errors in its financial reporting.
The financial regulator said Fannie Mae would have to raise substantial new capital to restore its balance sheet. Analysts said the SEC's criticism made it impossible for Fannie Mae's senior executives to remain. Mr Raines, head of the Office of Management and Budget under President Clinton, has taken early retirement while Mr Howard has also stepped down, the company said on Tuesday. KPMG, Fannie Mae's independent auditor, will also be replaced. "By my early retirement, I have held myself accountable," Mr Raines said in a statement.
Fannie Mae was found to have violated accounting rules relating to derivatives - financial instruments used to hedge against fluctuations in interest rates - and some pre-paid loans. As a result, it could be forced to restate $9bn in earnings over the past four years, effectively wiping out a third of the company's profits since 2001. Although not making loans directly to buyers, Fannie Mae is the largest single player in the mortgage market, underwriting half of all US house purchases. The firm operates under charter from the US Congress. It has faced stinging criticism from Congressional leaders who held hearings into its finances earlier this year and from government regulator, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO). "We are encouraged that the board's announcement signals a new culture and a new direction for Fannie Mae," Armando Falcon, OFHEO director said. The problems afflicting Fannie Mae are just the latest to hit the US mortgage industry. Freddie Mac, the country's other largest mortgage firm, was forced to restate its earnings by $4.4bn last year and pay a $125m fine after an investigation of its books.
| Fannie Mae was criticised by financial regulators and could have to restate its earnings by up to $9bn (£4.6bn).The financial regulator said Fannie Mae would have to raise substantial new capital to restore its balance sheet.The two most senior executives at US mortgage giant Fannie Mae have resigned after accounting irregularities were uncovered at the company.The problems afflicting Fannie Mae are just the latest to hit the US mortgage industry.Recent investigations have exposed extensive accounting errors at Fannie Mae, which supplies funds to America's $8 trillion mortgage market.Although not making loans directly to buyers, Fannie Mae is the largest single player in the mortgage market, underwriting half of all US house purchases.Analysts said the SEC's criticism made it impossible for Fannie Mae's senior executives to remain.Fannie Mae was found to have violated accounting rules relating to derivatives - financial instruments used to hedge against fluctuations in interest rates - and some pre-paid loans. |
649 | U2 to play at Grammy awards show
Irish rock band U2 are to play live at the Grammy Awards presentation in the US next month, organisers have said.
Other acts to play include soul singer Alicia Keys, country singer Tim McGraw and punk band Green Day at the event on 13 February in Los Angeles. U2 are nominated twice for their recent single Vertigo, including a nomination for best rock song. This year the Grammys have been dominated by rap star Kanye West, who is in contention for 10 awards. US comedian Ellen Degeneres and singer Christine Milian will present awards at the event. Last week Grammy producers announced the show will be hosted by rap star and Chicago actress Queen Latifah. It will be held at the Staples Center. U2 had number one success in the album charts on both sides of the Atlantic in November when their latest studio album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, topped the US and UK charts. The band, who are also dominated for best international album at this year's Brit Awards, are to undertake a major world tour this year, their first for four years.
| Irish rock band U2 are to play live at the Grammy Awards presentation in the US next month, organisers have said.The band, who are also dominated for best international album at this year's Brit Awards, are to undertake a major world tour this year, their first for four years.This year the Grammys have been dominated by rap star Kanye West, who is in contention for 10 awards.Other acts to play include soul singer Alicia Keys, country singer Tim McGraw and punk band Green Day at the event on 13 February in Los Angeles. |
11 | Ask Jeeves tips online ad revival
Ask Jeeves has become the third leading online search firm this week to thank a revival in internet advertising for improving fortunes.
The firm's revenue nearly tripled in the fourth quarter of 2004, exceeding $86m (£46m). Ask Jeeves, once among the best-known names on the web, is now a relatively modest player. Its $17m profit for the quarter was dwarfed by the $204m announced by rival Google earlier in the week. During the same quarter, Yahoo earned $187m, again tipping a resurgence in online advertising.
The trend has taken hold relatively quickly. Late last year, marketing company Doubleclick, one of the leading providers of online advertising, warned that some or all of its business would have to be put up for sale. But on Thursday, it announced that a sharp turnaround had brought about an unexpected increase in profits. Neither Ask Jeeves nor Doubleclick thrilled investors with their profit news, however. In both cases, their shares fell by some 4%. Analysts attributed the falls to excessive expectations in some quarters, fuelled by the dramatic outperformance of Google on Tuesday.
| Ask Jeeves has become the third leading online search firm this week to thank a revival in internet advertising for improving fortunes.Its $17m profit for the quarter was dwarfed by the $204m announced by rival Google earlier in the week.During the same quarter, Yahoo earned $187m, again tipping a resurgence in online advertising.Neither Ask Jeeves nor Doubleclick thrilled investors with their profit news, however.Ask Jeeves, once among the best-known names on the web, is now a relatively modest player. |
598 | Ocean's Twelve raids box office
Ocean's Twelve, the crime caper sequel starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, has gone straight to number one in the US box office chart.
It took $40.8m (£21m) in weekend ticket sales, according to studio estimates. The sequel follows the master criminals as they try to pull off three major heists across Europe. It knocked last week's number one, National Treasure, into third place. Wesley Snipes' Blade: Trinity was in second, taking $16.1m (£8.4m). Rounding out the top five was animated fable The Polar Express, starring Tom Hanks, and festive comedy Christmas with the Kranks.
Ocean's Twelve box office triumph marks the fourth-biggest opening for a December release in the US, after the three films in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The sequel narrowly beat its 2001 predecessor, Ocean's Eleven which took $38.1m (£19.8m) on its opening weekend and $184m (£95.8m) in total. A remake of the 1960s film, starring Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, Ocean's Eleven was directed by Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh. Soderbergh returns to direct the hit sequel which reunites Clooney, Pitt and Roberts with Matt Damon, Andy Garcia and Elliott Gould. Catherine Zeta-Jones joins the all-star cast. "It's just a fun, good holiday movie," said Dan Fellman, president of distribution at Warner Bros. However, US critics were less complimentary about the $110m (£57.2m) project, with the Los Angeles Times labelling it a "dispiriting vanity project". A milder review in the New York Times dubbed the sequel "unabashedly trivial".
| Ocean's Twelve, the crime caper sequel starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, has gone straight to number one in the US box office chart.The sequel narrowly beat its 2001 predecessor, Ocean's Eleven which took $38.1m (£19.8m) on its opening weekend and $184m (£95.8m) in total.A remake of the 1960s film, starring Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, Ocean's Eleven was directed by Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh.Ocean's Twelve box office triumph marks the fourth-biggest opening for a December release in the US, after the three films in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.Soderbergh returns to direct the hit sequel which reunites Clooney, Pitt and Roberts with Matt Damon, Andy Garcia and Elliott Gould.A milder review in the New York Times dubbed the sequel "unabashedly trivial". |
1,264 | Act on detention ruling, UK urged
The government must act quickly on the Law Lords' ruling that detention of foreign terror suspects without trial is unlawful, Mary Robinson has said.
The former UN commissioner for human rights and Irish president told Radio 4's Today the government's response would be scrutinised internationally. "It would be very troubling if the government did not accept the judgement and then work within it," she said. Home Secretary Charles Clarke has said detainees will not be freed at present. Speaking to Parliament on his first day in office as home secretary following David Blunkett's resignation, Mr Clarke said: "I will be asking Parliament to renew this legislation in the New Year. "In the meantime, we will be studying the judgement carefully to see whether it is possible to modify our legislation to address the concerns raised by the House of Lords."
Mrs Robinson said the Law Lords' ruling was "in line with international legal opinion" and praised their "very decisive" eight to one majority. "What the Law Lords did was acknowledge the role of the government, but say that there had been a disproportionate use, that it amounted to executive detention and it was discriminatory because it didn't apply to British citizens," she said.
Mrs Robinson warned that a lack of action by the British government could lead to further action in legal arenas such as the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. "If the government were not to accept this ruling then there is further redress, including possible damages for the individuals who could claim that the government either was tardy or was resisting the implications of the judgement of the Law Lords." She said a meeting of the Club of Madrid - a group of former world leaders - to be held in the Spanish capital on the March anniversary of the train bombings there would probably discuss the ruling and its implications. "I have no doubt that this judgement will be looked at, both as a very positive step in clarifying the law and restating the fundamental principles, but also the response of the British government will be under quite a clear international scrutiny there."
The detainees took their case to the House of Lords after the Court of Appeal backed the Home Office's powers to hold them without limit or charge. The government opted out of part of the European Convention on Human Rights concerning the right to a fair trial in order to bring in anti-terrorism legislation in response to the 11 September attacks in the US. Any foreign national suspected of links with terrorism can be detained or can opt to be deported. The Law Lords said the rules were incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights as they allowed detentions "in a way that discriminates on the ground of nationality or immigration status". The case was heard by a panel of nine law lords rather than the usual five because of the constitutional importance of the case.
| The government must act quickly on the Law Lords' ruling that detention of foreign terror suspects without trial is unlawful, Mary Robinson has said."If the government were not to accept this ruling then there is further redress, including possible damages for the individuals who could claim that the government either was tardy or was resisting the implications of the judgement of the Law Lords.""What the Law Lords did was acknowledge the role of the government, but say that there had been a disproportionate use, that it amounted to executive detention and it was discriminatory because it didn't apply to British citizens," she said.Mrs Robinson said the Law Lords' ruling was "in line with international legal opinion" and praised their "very decisive" eight to one majority.The Law Lords said the rules were incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights as they allowed detentions "in a way that discriminates on the ground of nationality or immigration status"."It would be very troubling if the government did not accept the judgement and then work within it," she said.Mrs Robinson warned that a lack of action by the British government could lead to further action in legal arenas such as the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. |
1,804 | Nadal puts Spain 2-0 up
Result: Nadal 6-7 (6/8) 6-2 7-6 (8/6) 6-2 Roddick
Spain's Rafael Nadal beats Andy Roddick of the USA in the second singles match rubber of the 2004 Davis Cup final in Seville. Spain lead 1-0 after Carlos Moya beat Mardy Fish in straight sets in the opening match of the tie.
Nadal holds his nerve and the crowd goes wild as Spain go 2-0 up in the tie.
Roddick holds serve to force Nadal to serve for the match but the American surely cannot turn things around now.
Nadal works Roddick around the court on two consecutive points to earn two break points. One is enough, the Spaniard secures the double-break and Roddick is now teetering on the edge.
Roddick is trying to gee himself up but the clay surface is taking its toll on his game and he is looking tired. Nadal wins the game to love.
Nadal steps up the pressure to break and Spain have the early initiative in the fourth set.
Nadal also holds convincingly as both players feel their way into the fourth set.
Roddick shrugs off the disappointment of losing the third-set tiebreak and breezes through his first service game of the fourth set.
Nadal earns the first mini-break in the tiebreak as the match enters its fourth hour. A couple of stunning points follow, one where Nadal chases down a Roddick shot and turns into a passing winner. Then Roddick produces some amazing defence at the net to take the score to 4-4. Roddick has two serves for the set but double-faults to take the score to 5-5. Nadal saves a Roddick set point then earns his own with a drive volley - and a crosscourt passing winner sends the crowd wild.
Nadal tries to up his aggression and he passes Roddick down the line to go 15-40 and two set points up. Roddick saves the first with a desperate lunge volley and smacks a volley winner across the court to take the score back to deuce before securing the game. The set will go to another tiebreak.
Nadal enjoys another straightforward hold and Roddick must once again serve to stay in the set.
Roddick again holds on, despite some brilliant shot-making from his opponent.
Nadal races through his service game to put the pressure straight back onto Roddick.
Roddick hangs in on his serve to level matters but Nadal is making him fight for every point.
Nadal could be suffering a disappointment hangover from the previous game as he goes 0-30 down and then has to save a break point after a tremendous rally in which he is forced into some brilliant defence. But it pays off and the Spaniard edges ahead in the set.
Roddick's serve is not firing as ferociously as usual and has to rely on his sheer competitive determination to stay in the set. Three times, Nadal forces a break point and three times the world number two hangs in. And Roddick's grit pays off as he manages to hold.
Roddick still looks a bit sluggish but he attacks the net and is rewarded with a break point, which Nadal saves with a good first serve and the Spaniard goes on to hold.
There is a disruption in play as Roddick is upset about something in the crowd. The Spanish captain gets involved as does the match referee but it is unclear what the problem is. One thing for certain is that the crowd are roused into support of Nadal and they go wild when Roddick loses the next point and goes break point down. Roddick saves the break point and then bangs down his ninth ace before clinching the game with a service winner.
The game passes the two-hour mark as Nadal holds serve to edge ahead in the third set.
Now Roddick has to defend a break point and he produces a characteristic ace to save it. It is immediately followed by another and he holds with a little dinked half-volley winner.
Roddick is looking a little leaden-footed but does carve out a break point for himself. But he plays it poorly and Nadal avoids the danger.
Roddick has gone off the boil and again struggles. He fails to get down properly for a low forehand volley and gives Nadal three break points. The American blasts an ace to save one but follows up with a double fault and the rubber is level.
Nadal edges towards taking the second set with a comfortable hold.
Two good serves put Roddick 30-0 up but he then makes a couple of errors to find himself 30-40 down. He saves the break point with an ace and then manages to hold.
Roddick's level has dropped while Nadal is on a hot streak. The Spaniard includes a superb crosscourt winner off the back foot as he races through his service game without dropping a point.
Roddick double-faults twice and Nadal takes full advantage of the break point offered, powering a passing winner past Roddick.
Nadal wins another tight game. Neither player has dipped from the high standard of play in the first set.
Nadal puts the American under pressure and Roddick saves a break point with a superb stop volley before going on to hold.
Nadal puts the disappointment of losing the first-set tiebreak to claim the opening game in the second.
Roddick double-faults to concede the first mini-break and then Nadal loops a crosscourt winner to seize advantage in the tiebreak. He lets one slip but wins his next serve to earn three set points. But Roddick saves them and then earns one himself. Nadal comes up with a down-the-line winner but then nets tamely on Roddick's next set point.
Nadal's nerve is tested as he tries to force a tiebreak. Both players come up with some scintillating tennis and the Spaniard has several chances to clinch the game before finally doing so when Roddick drives wide.
A pulsating game sees Nadal racing round the court retrieving and refusing to give Roddick any easy points. The point of the match so far involves Roddick's slam-dunk smash being returned by Nadal before Roddick finally manages to end the rally. On the very next point, Nadal blasts a forehand service return from right of court that passes Roddick and even the American is forced to applaud. But Roddick comes up with two big serves to polish off the game.
Nadal outplays Roddick to reach 40-0 but the American fights back to 40-30 before Nadal's powerful crosscourt forehand winner secures the game.
The crowd are getting very involved, cheering between Roddick's first and second serves. But the American comes through to hold and edge ahead in the set.
Nadal manages to hold again despite Roddick piling the pressure on his serve. The Spaniard wins the game courtesy of another lucky net cord.
Roddick double faults buts manages to keep his composure. A well-placed serve is unreturnable and Roddick holds.
A powerful ace down the middle gives Nadal a simple love service game - the first time he has held serve so far in the match. If Roddick didn't know before, he knows now that he is in a real contest.
Another superb game as Nadal breaks to once again lift the roof. He produces some fine groundstrokes to leave Roddick chasing shadows. Four of the first five games have seen a break of serve.
Despite the disappointment of losing his serve, Roddick is not phased and storms into a 40-15 lead when the umpire leaves his seat to confirm a close line-call. Nadal takes the next point but Roddick breaks again with a sharp volley at the net.
Roddick's advantage is short lived as Nadal breaks back immediately. A fortunate net cord helps the Spaniard on his way and when Roddick fires a forehand cross court shot wide to lose his serve, Nadal pumps his fist in celebration.
The American is pumped up for this clash and takes on Nadal's serve from the start. Nadal's drop shot is agonisingly called out and Roddick claims the vital first break.
After Moya's win in the opening rubber, a raucous Seville crowd is buoyed by Nadal's impressive start which sees him race into a 30-0 lead. However Roddick fights back to hold his serve.
| Nadal puts the American under pressure and Roddick saves a break point with a superb stop volley before going on to hold.Nadal takes the next point but Roddick breaks again with a sharp volley at the net.Nadal enjoys another straightforward hold and Roddick must once again serve to stay in the set.Roddick still looks a bit sluggish but he attacks the net and is rewarded with a break point, which Nadal saves with a good first serve and the Spaniard goes on to hold.Roddick double-faults twice and Nadal takes full advantage of the break point offered, powering a passing winner past Roddick.Nadal manages to hold again despite Roddick piling the pressure on his serve.Nadal tries to up his aggression and he passes Roddick down the line to go 15-40 and two set points up.Nadal saves a Roddick set point then earns his own with a drive volley - and a crosscourt passing winner sends the crowd wild.Result: Nadal 6-7 (6/8) 6-2 7-6 (8/6) 6-2 Roddick Spain's Rafael Nadal beats Andy Roddick of the USA in the second singles match rubber of the 2004 Davis Cup final in Seville.Roddick hangs in on his serve to level matters but Nadal is making him fight for every point.Roddick holds serve to force Nadal to serve for the match but the American surely cannot turn things around now.Nadal races through his service game to put the pressure straight back onto Roddick.Roddick saves the break point and then bangs down his ninth ace before clinching the game with a service winner.One thing for certain is that the crowd are roused into support of Nadal and they go wild when Roddick loses the next point and goes break point down.Nadal outplays Roddick to reach 40-0 but the American fights back to 40-30 before Nadal's powerful crosscourt forehand winner secures the game.Nadal works Roddick around the court on two consecutive points to earn two break points.The game passes the two-hour mark as Nadal holds serve to edge ahead in the third set.A couple of stunning points follow, one where Nadal chases down a Roddick shot and turns into a passing winner.Now Roddick has to defend a break point and he produces a characteristic ace to save it.However Roddick fights back to hold his serve.Roddick double-faults to concede the first mini-break and then Nadal loops a crosscourt winner to seize advantage in the tiebreak.The point of the match so far involves Roddick's slam-dunk smash being returned by Nadal before Roddick finally manages to end the rally.On the very next point, Nadal blasts a forehand service return from right of court that passes Roddick and even the American is forced to applaud.Nadal comes up with a down-the-line winner but then nets tamely on Roddick's next set point.Roddick shrugs off the disappointment of losing the third-set tiebreak and breezes through his first service game of the fourth set.Roddick has two serves for the set but double-faults to take the score to 5-5.A pulsating game sees Nadal racing round the court retrieving and refusing to give Roddick any easy points.Another superb game as Nadal breaks to once again lift the roof.Nadal wins the game to love.Nadal wins another tight game.Nadal could be suffering a disappointment hangover from the previous game as he goes 0-30 down and then has to save a break point after a tremendous rally in which he is forced into some brilliant defence.But Roddick saves them and then earns one himself.Roddick is looking a little leaden-footed but does carve out a break point for himself. |
1,989 | 'Brainwave' cap controls computer
A team of US researchers has shown that controlling devices with the brain is a step closer.
Four people, two of them partly paralysed wheelchair users, successfully moved a computer cursor while wearing a cap with 64 electrodes. Previous research has shown that monkeys can control a computer with electrodes implanted into their brain. The New York team reported their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "The results show that people can learn to use scalp-recorded electroencephalogram rhythms to control rapid and accurate movement of a cursor in two directions," said Jonathan Wolpaw and Dennis McFarlane. The research team, from New York State Department of Health and State University of New York in Albany, said the research was another step towards people controlling wheelchairs or other electronic devices by thought.
The four people faced a large video screen wearing a special cap which, meant no surgery or implantation was needed.
Brain activity produces electrical signals that can be read by electrodes. Complex algorithms then translate those signals into instructions to direct the computer. Such brain activity does not require the use of any nerves of muscles, so people with stroke or spinal cord injuries could use the cap effectively. "The impressive non-invasive multidimensional control achieved in the present study suggests that a non-invasive brain control interface could support clinically useful operation of a robotic arm, a motorised wheelchair or a neuroprosthesis," said the researchers. The four volunteers also showed that they could get better at controlling the cursor the more times they tried. Although the two partially-paralysed people performed better overall, the researchers said this could be because their brains were more used to adapting or that they were simply more motivated. It is not the first time researchers have had this sort of success in brain-control experiments. Some teams have used eye motion and other recording techniques. Earlier this year, a team at the MIT Media Labs Europe demonstrated a wireless cap which read brain waves to control a computer character.
| Although the two partially-paralysed people performed better overall, the researchers said this could be because their brains were more used to adapting or that they were simply more motivated.A team of US researchers has shown that controlling devices with the brain is a step closer.Earlier this year, a team at the MIT Media Labs Europe demonstrated a wireless cap which read brain waves to control a computer character.Four people, two of them partly paralysed wheelchair users, successfully moved a computer cursor while wearing a cap with 64 electrodes.Previous research has shown that monkeys can control a computer with electrodes implanted into their brain.The research team, from New York State Department of Health and State University of New York in Albany, said the research was another step towards people controlling wheelchairs or other electronic devices by thought.Such brain activity does not require the use of any nerves of muscles, so people with stroke or spinal cord injuries could use the cap effectively. |
2,102 | Web photo storage market hots up
An increasing number of firms are offering web storage for people with digital photo collections.
Digital cameras were the hot gadget of Christmas 2004 and worldwide sales of the cameras totalled $24bn last year. Many people's hard drives are bulging with photos and services which allow them to store and share their pictures online are becoming popular. Search firms such as Google are also offering more complex tools for managing personal photo libraries. Photo giants such as Kodak offer website storage which manages photo collections, lets users edit pictures online and provides print-ordering services. Some services, such as Kodak's Ofoto and Snapfish, offer unlimited storage space but they do require users to buy some prints online. Other sites, such as Pixagogo, charge a monthly fee. Marcus Hawkins, editor of Digital Camera magazine, said: "As file sizes of pictures increase, storage becomes a problem. "People are using their hard drives, backing up on CD and DVD and now they are using online storage solutions.
"They are a place to store pictures, to share their pictures with families and friends and they can print out their photos."
While many of the services are aimed at the amateur and casual digital photographer, other websites are geared up for enthusiasts who want to share tips and information. Photosig is an online community of photographers who can critique each other's work. On Tuesday, Google released free software for organising and finding digital photos stored on a computer's hard drive. The tool, called Picasa, automatically detects photos as they are added to a PC - whether sent via e-mail or transferred from a digital camera.
The software includes tools for restoring colour and removing red eye, as well as sharpening images. Photos can then be uploaded to sites such as Ofoto. Many people use the sites to edit and improve their favourite photographs before ordering prints. Mr Hawkins added: "The growth area is that you can order your prints online. Friends and family can also access pictures you want them to see and they can print them out too. "Rather than just a place to dump your pictures, it's about sharing them."
The vast majority of pictures remain on a PC's hard drive, which is why search tools, such as those offered by Google, become increasingly important. But some historians and archivists are concerned that the need for perfect pictures will mean that those poor quality prints which offered a tantilising glimpse of the past may disappear forever. "It's one thing taking pictures, it's another finding them," said Mr Hawkins. "But this is the same problem that has always existed - how many of us have photos in wallets tucked away somewhere?"
| Many people's hard drives are bulging with photos and services which allow them to store and share their pictures online are becoming popular.Photo giants such as Kodak offer website storage which manages photo collections, lets users edit pictures online and provides print-ordering services."They are a place to store pictures, to share their pictures with families and friends and they can print out their photos."An increasing number of firms are offering web storage for people with digital photo collections.Marcus Hawkins, editor of Digital Camera magazine, said: "As file sizes of pictures increase, storage becomes a problem.On Tuesday, Google released free software for organising and finding digital photos stored on a computer's hard drive.Some services, such as Kodak's Ofoto and Snapfish, offer unlimited storage space but they do require users to buy some prints online.Mr Hawkins added: "The growth area is that you can order your prints online.The tool, called Picasa, automatically detects photos as they are added to a PC - whether sent via e-mail or transferred from a digital camera.Friends and family can also access pictures you want them to see and they can print them out too. |
2,079 | Hollywood campaign hits websites
Movie studio efforts to stop pirated films being shared on peer-to-peer networks have claimed a high-profile victim.
The campaign of legal action is thought to be behind the closure of the widely used Suprnova.org website. The site was the most popular place for people swapping and sharing links for the BitTorrent network. A recent study showed that more than half of the peer-to-peer traffic during June was for the BitTorrent system.
In a message posted on Suprnova.org on Sunday, the site's controllers said the site was "closing down for good in the way that we all know it". If the site did return, the message said, it would not be hosting any more torrent links. It continued: "We are very sorry for this, but there was no other way, we have tried everything. " The only parts that would keep going, said the operators of the Suprnova site, were the discussion forums and net chat channels. The site is thought to have closed following an announcement by the Motion Picture Association of America that it was launching legal action against those operating BitTorrent servers rather than end users. Because of the way that BitTorrent works, server sites do not host the actual file being shared, instead they host a link that points people to others that have it. By targeting servers, the MPAA hopes to cripple BitTorrent's ability to share files. In the opening days of the MPAA campaign, the organisation filed 100 lawsuits against operators of BitTorrent server site. The launching of the legal seems to be having an effect. Phoenix Torrents, another popular BitTorrent site, has also decided to shut down and, though it gave no reasons for the closure, it is thought to be motivated by the threat of legal action. Last week Finnish police raided a BitTorrent site based in the country that, according to reports, let 10,000 users shared pirated films, software, music and games.
| The site is thought to have closed following an announcement by the Motion Picture Association of America that it was launching legal action against those operating BitTorrent servers rather than end users.The site was the most popular place for people swapping and sharing links for the BitTorrent network.In the opening days of the MPAA campaign, the organisation filed 100 lawsuits against operators of BitTorrent server site.Phoenix Torrents, another popular BitTorrent site, has also decided to shut down and, though it gave no reasons for the closure, it is thought to be motivated by the threat of legal action.Because of the way that BitTorrent works, server sites do not host the actual file being shared, instead they host a link that points people to others that have it.In a message posted on Suprnova.org on Sunday, the site's controllers said the site was "closing down for good in the way that we all know it". |
351 | Mild winter drives US oil down 6%
US oil prices have fallen by 6%, driven down by forecasts of a mild winter in the densely populated northeast.
Light crude oil futures fell $2.86 to $41.32 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), and have now lost $4 in five days. Nonetheless, US crude is still 30% more expensive than at the beginning of 2004, boosted by growing demand and bottlenecks at refineries. Traders ignored the possible effects of Asia's tidal waves on global supplies.
Instead, the focus is now on US consumption, which is heavily influenced in the short term by the weather. "With the revised milder temperatures... I'm more inclined to think we'll push lower and test the $40-40.25 range," said John Brady of ABN AMRO. "The market definitely feels to be on the defensive." Statistics released last week showed that stockpiles of oil products in the US had risen, an indication that severe supply disruptions may not arise this winter, barring any serious incident. Oil prices have broken records in 2004, topping $50 a barrel at one point, driven up by a welter of worries about unrest in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, rising demand and supply bottlenecks. London's International Petroleum Exchange remained closed for the Christmas holiday.
| US oil prices have fallen by 6%, driven down by forecasts of a mild winter in the densely populated northeast.Statistics released last week showed that stockpiles of oil products in the US had risen, an indication that severe supply disruptions may not arise this winter, barring any serious incident.Oil prices have broken records in 2004, topping $50 a barrel at one point, driven up by a welter of worries about unrest in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, rising demand and supply bottlenecks.Light crude oil futures fell $2.86 to $41.32 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), and have now lost $4 in five days.Nonetheless, US crude is still 30% more expensive than at the beginning of 2004, boosted by growing demand and bottlenecks at refineries. |
490 | Brazil jobless rate hits new low
Brazil's unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in three years in December, according to the government.
The Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (IBGE) said it fell to 9.6% in December from 10.6% in November and 10.9% in December 2003. IBGE also said that average monthly salaries grew 1.9% in December 2004 from December 2003. However, average monthly wages fell 1.8% in December to 895.4 reais ($332; £179.3) from November. Tuesday's figures represent the first time that the unemployment rate has fallen to a single digit since new measurement rules were introduced in 2001. The unemployment rate has been falling gradually since April 2004 when it reached a peak of 13.1%. The jobless rate average for the whole of 2004 was 11.5%, down from 12.3% in 2003, the IBGE said.
This improvement can be attributed to the country's strong economic growth, with the economy registering growth of 5.2% in 2004, the government said. The economy is expected to grow by about 4% this year. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva promised to reduce unemployment when he was elected two years ago. Nevertheless, some analysts say that unemployment could increase in the next months. "The data is favourable, but a lot of jobs are temporary for the (Christmas) holiday season, so we may see slightly higher joblessness in January and February," Julio Hegedus, chief economist with Lopes Filho & Associates consultancy in Rio de Janeir, told Reuters news agency. Despite his leftist background, President Lula has pursued a surprisingly conservative economic policy, arguing that in order to meet its social promises, the government needs to first reach a sustained economic growth. The unemployment rate is measured in the six main metropolitan areas of Brazil (Sao Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Recife, Salvador and Porto Alegre), where most of the population is concentrated.
| Brazil's unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in three years in December, according to the government.IBGE also said that average monthly salaries grew 1.9% in December 2004 from December 2003.The Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (IBGE) said it fell to 9.6% in December from 10.6% in November and 10.9% in December 2003.The jobless rate average for the whole of 2004 was 11.5%, down from 12.3% in 2003, the IBGE said.The unemployment rate has been falling gradually since April 2004 when it reached a peak of 13.1%.However, average monthly wages fell 1.8% in December to 895.4 reais ($332; £179.3) from November. |
1,772 | Federer breezes into semi-finals
Roger Federer reached the last four of the Qatar Open with an easy 6-1 6-2 win over seventh seed Feliciano Lopez.
The Swiss world number one reeled off a series winners to outclass the Spaniard and set up a semi-final match against Russian Nikolay Davydenko. Federer, who lost in the quarter-final in his last Qatar appearance in 2003, was happy with his form. "I think I played better than against Greg Rusedski and I am happy I am playing so well," said the top seed. Lopez showed glimpses of resolve early in the second set when he held his first service game and came close to breaking Federer. But the Swiss saved a break point and promptly broke serve in the following game to seize control. Davydenko, meanwhile, upset French third seed Sebastien Grosjean 2-6 6-3 6-2. Fabrice Santoro completed a miserable day for France when he was forced to retire when 6-2 3-0 down to Albert Costa. Spaniard Costa will next face Croatian Ivan Ljubicic after the sixth seed beat Rafael Nadal 6-2 6-7 (3/7) 6-3.
| Roger Federer reached the last four of the Qatar Open with an easy 6-1 6-2 win over seventh seed Feliciano Lopez.Federer, who lost in the quarter-final in his last Qatar appearance in 2003, was happy with his form.Spaniard Costa will next face Croatian Ivan Ljubicic after the sixth seed beat Rafael Nadal 6-2 6-7 (3/7) 6-3.Davydenko, meanwhile, upset French third seed Sebastien Grosjean 2-6 6-3 6-2. |
1,378 | Radcliffe will compete in London
Paula Radcliffe will compete in the Flora London Marathon this year after deciding her schedule for 2005.
The 31-year-old won the race in 2002 on her marathon debut, defended her title 12 months later and will now seek a third title in the 17 April race. "It doesn't get any better than this for the 25th anniversary," said race director David Bedford. "After announcing the greatest men's field ever we now have the greatest women's distance runner ever." Three years ago Radcliffe smashed the women's world record in two hours 18 minutes 15 seconds.
The Bedford star returned to London 12 months later, lowering her mixed-race world record of 2:17:18, which she set in Chicago in October 2003, by one minute 53 secs. Radcliffe's career took a setback when she failed to complete the Olympic marathon and later dropped out of the Athens 10,000m last August. But the 31-year-old bounced back to win the New York Marathon in November. Radcliffe, however, passed up the chance to go for the "Big City" marathon grand slam. With wins in Chicago, London and New York, only the Boston Marathon remains to be conquered but that takes place a day after London. "Boston is definitely a race I want to do at some point, but London is very special to me," said Radcliffe. "I don't pick races thinking about things like pressure. I pick the ones in my heart I really want to do. "I love the atmosphere, crowds and course and know it will always be a great quality race. "It is also the 25th anniversary this year which adds to the occasion."
| "Boston is definitely a race I want to do at some point, but London is very special to me," said Radcliffe.Paula Radcliffe will compete in the Flora London Marathon this year after deciding her schedule for 2005.The 31-year-old won the race in 2002 on her marathon debut, defended her title 12 months later and will now seek a third title in the 17 April race.With wins in Chicago, London and New York, only the Boston Marathon remains to be conquered but that takes place a day after London.The Bedford star returned to London 12 months later, lowering her mixed-race world record of 2:17:18, which she set in Chicago in October 2003, by one minute 53 secs."It doesn't get any better than this for the 25th anniversary," said race director David Bedford. |
1,596 | TV calls after Carroll error
Spurs boss Martin Jol said his team were "robbed" at Manchester United after Pedro Mendes' shot clearly crossed the line but was not given.
"The referee is already wearing an earpiece so why can't we just stop the game and get the decision right," said Jol after the 0-0 draw. "But at the end of the day it's so obvious that Pedro's shot was over the line it's incredible. "We feel robbed but it's difficult for the linesman and referee to see it." Mendes shot from 50 yards and United goalkeeper Roy Carroll spilled the ball into his own net before hooking it clear. Jol added: "We are not talking about the ball being a couple of centimetres or an inch or two over the line, it was a metre inside the goal. "What really annoys me is that we are here in 2005, watching something on a TV monitor within two seconds of the incident occurring and the referee isn't told about it.
"We didn't play particularly well but I am pleased - even now - with a point, although we should have had three." Mendes could not believe the 'goal' was not given after seeing a replay. He said: "My reaction on the pitch was to celebrate. "It was a very nice goal, it was clearly over the line - I've never seen one so over the line and not given in my career. "It's really, really over. What can you do but laugh about it? It's a nice goal and one to keep in my memory even though it didn't count. "It's not every game you score from the halfway line." Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson sympathised with Tottenham and said the incident highlighted the need for video technology. "I think it hammers home what a lot of people have been asking for and that's that technology should play a part in the game," Ferguson told MUTV. "What I was against originally was the time factor in video replays. "But I read an article the other day which suggested that if a referee can't make up his mind after 30 seconds of watching a video replay then the game should carry on.
"Thirty seconds is about the same amount of time it takes to organise a free-kick or take a corner or a goal-kick. So you wouldn't be wasting a lot of time. "I think you could start off by using it for goal-line decisions. I think that would be an opening into a new area of football." Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger also used the incident to highlight the need for video technology. "When the whole world apart from the referee has seen there should be a goal at Old Trafford, that just reinforces what I feel - there should be video evidence," said Wenger. "It's a great example of where the referee could have asked to see a replay and would have seen in five seconds that it was a goal."
| "It's a great example of where the referee could have asked to see a replay and would have seen in five seconds that it was a goal.""It was a very nice goal, it was clearly over the line - I've never seen one so over the line and not given in my career.Spurs boss Martin Jol said his team were "robbed" at Manchester United after Pedro Mendes' shot clearly crossed the line but was not given."What I was against originally was the time factor in video replays.Mendes could not believe the 'goal' was not given after seeing a replay.Jol added: "We are not talking about the ball being a couple of centimetres or an inch or two over the line, it was a metre inside the goal."When the whole world apart from the referee has seen there should be a goal at Old Trafford, that just reinforces what I feel - there should be video evidence," said Wenger."But I read an article the other day which suggested that if a referee can't make up his mind after 30 seconds of watching a video replay then the game should carry on."But at the end of the day it's so obvious that Pedro's shot was over the line it's incredible.He said: "My reaction on the pitch was to celebrate."What really annoys me is that we are here in 2005, watching something on a TV monitor within two seconds of the incident occurring and the referee isn't told about it. |
2,200 | T-Mobile bets on 'pocket office'
T-Mobile has launched its latest "pocket office" third-generation (3G) device which also has built-in wi-fi - high-speed wireless net access.
Unlike other devices where the user has to check which high-speed network is available to transfer data, the device selects the fastest one itself. The MDA IV, released in the summer, is an upgrade to the company's existing smartphone, the 2.5G/wi-fi MDA III. It reflects the push by mobile firms for devices that are like mini laptops. The device has a display that can be swivelled and angled so it can be used like a small computer, or as a conventional clamshell phone. The Microsoft Mobile phone, with two cameras and a Qwerty keyboard, reflects the design of similar all-in-one models released this year, such as Motorola's MPx. "One in five European workers are already mobile - meaning they spend significant time travelling and out of the office," Rene Obermann, T-Mobile's chief executive, told a press conference at the 3GSM trade show in Cannes. He added: "What they need is their office when they are out of the office." T-Mobile said it was seeing increasing take up for what it calls "Office in a Pocket" devices, with 100,000 MDAs sold in Europe already.
In response to demand, T-Mobile also said it would be adding the latest phone-shaped Blackberry to its mobile range. Reflecting the growing need to be connected outside the office, it announced it would introduce a flat-fee £20 ($38) a month wi-fi tariff for people in the UK using its wi-fi hotspots. It said it would nearly double the number of its hotspots - places where wi-fi access is available - globally from 12,300 to 20,000.
It also announced it was installing high-speed wi-fi on certain train services, such as the UK's London to Brighton service, to provide commuters a fast net connection too. The service, which has been developed with Southern trains, Nomad Digital (who provide the technology), begins with a free trial on 16 trains on the route from early March to the end of April. A full service is set to follow in the summer. Wi-fi access points will be connected to a Wimax wireless network - faster than wi-fi - running alongside the train tracks. Brian McBride, managing director of T-Mobile in the UK, said: "We see a growing trend for business users needing to access e-mail securely on the move.
"We are able to offer this by maintaining a constant data session for the entire journey." He said this was something other similar in-train wi-fi services, such as that offered on GNER trains, did not offer yet. Mr Obermann added that the mobile industry in general was still growing, with many more opportunities for more services which would bear fruit for mobile companies in future. Thousands of mobile industry experts are gathered in Cannes, France, for the 3GSM which runs from 14 to 17 February.
| T-Mobile has launched its latest "pocket office" third-generation (3G) device which also has built-in wi-fi - high-speed wireless net access.Mr Obermann added that the mobile industry in general was still growing, with many more opportunities for more services which would bear fruit for mobile companies in future.Reflecting the growing need to be connected outside the office, it announced it would introduce a flat-fee £20 ($38) a month wi-fi tariff for people in the UK using its wi-fi hotspots.It also announced it was installing high-speed wi-fi on certain train services, such as the UK's London to Brighton service, to provide commuters a fast net connection too.In response to demand, T-Mobile also said it would be adding the latest phone-shaped Blackberry to its mobile range.He said this was something other similar in-train wi-fi services, such as that offered on GNER trains, did not offer yet.It said it would nearly double the number of its hotspots - places where wi-fi access is available - globally from 12,300 to 20,000.Wi-fi access points will be connected to a Wimax wireless network - faster than wi-fi - running alongside the train tracks.Unlike other devices where the user has to check which high-speed network is available to transfer data, the device selects the fastest one itself. |
878 | Critics back Aviator for Oscars
Martin Scorsese's The Aviator will win best film at the Oscars, according to the UK's leading movie critics.
But several of those surveyed by the BBC News website think the veteran film-maker will lose the best director prize to Clint Eastwood. Most of the critics tipped Jamie Foxx and Hilary Swank to scoop best actor and actress for Ray and Million Dollar Baby respectively. The jury comprised experts and critics from the top UK film publications. The panel also revealed which nominees they would personally prefer to win.
All expect The Aviator to win best film, but many think it will be a close race between Scorsese's Howard Hughes biopic and Eastwood's boxing drama Million Dollar Baby. The other films nominated are wine comedy Sideways, factual drama Finding Neverland, and Ray Charles biopic Ray.
"I'm pretty sure this is the year of The Aviator, though my own choice would be Sideways," said the Observer's Philip French. "Sideways should win but it doesn't have a hope," said Jamie Graham of Total Film, a position shared by Film 2005 presenter Jonathan Ross. "The form going in to the Oscars points to The Aviator, but I liked Million Dollar Baby more," said Tim Dams, news editor of trade weekly Screen International.
Five of the eight critics tipped Scorsese to win best director, with Mr Dams, Heat's Charles Gant and Empire's Angie Errigo plumping for Eastwood. Sideway's Alexander Payne, Ray's Taylor Hackford and British director Mike Leigh - nominated for period drama Vera Drake - are considered outsiders in this category. "Up until recently I could have sworn Scorsese would get it just for being Scorsese," Ms Errigo told the BBC News website. "But I'm beginning to think Eastwood will get it."
"I'd be very happy for Mike Leigh to win, but I don't think he has any chance," said Charles Gant, film editor of Heat. Foxx's portrayal of Ray Charles has already seen him win prizes at the Golden Globes, Baftas and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Mr Dams said this made him "out-and-out favourite" to be named best actor on Oscar night. "Everyone would be incredibly surprised if he didn't win," he said. "If you're a betting man, he's as close as you get to a certainty." "If Paul Giamatti was nominated for Sideways it would be a different game," says Total Film's Jamie Graham. "But Foxx will and should win."
With Vera Drake star Imelda Staunton nominated for best actress alongside Kate Winslet, Britain has a good chance of victory - on paper. Jonathan Ross, for one, will be very happy if Winslet wins for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But while Wendy Ide of The Times still thinks Staunton has a chance, Heat's Charles Gant believes her Bafta win will cut little ice with Academy voters. "I'd like Staunton to win, but her chances are not that great," said Mr Gant, who predicted a second Oscar for Hilary Swank.
"I think Swank will win," said Mr French. "Imelda has got as far as she's going to get playing that role." Staunton is also the personal choice of Steven Gaydos, executive editor of industry magazine Variety. But while he tipped Swank to win, he predicted it would be a close contest. "Everything has the ability to flip by one vote and go the other way," he told the BBC News website. "There's not a sense that it's obvious how it's going to go." Meanwhile, thousands of people have voted in a BBC Radio Five Live poll to find the best film never to have won a best picture Oscar. The audience voted overwhelmingly for The Shawshank Redemption, the 1994 Frank Darabont tale of hope and humanity, which received 52% of the online votes and 68% of the text messages. The other two finalists, Citizen Kane and A Matter of Life and Death split the remaining votes roughly equally. This year's Academy Awards will be shown in the UK by Sky Movies 1 at 0130 GMT on Monday.
- Tim Dams, Screen International: Film - The Aviator; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.
- Angie Errigo, Empire: Film - The Aviator; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.
- Philip French, The Observer: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.
- Charles Gant, Heat: Film - The Aviator; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.
- Steven Gaydos, Variety: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.
- Jamie Graham, Total Film: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.
- Wendy Ide, The Times: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Imelda Staunton.
- Jonathan Ross, Film 2005: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.
- Tim Dams, Screen International: Film - Million Dollar Baby; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.
- Angie Errigo, Empire: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.
- Philip French, The Observer: Film - Sideways; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Imelda Staunton.
- Charles Gant, Heat: Film - Sideways; director - Mike Leigh; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Imelda Staunton.
- Steven Gaydos, Variety: Film - Million Dollar Baby; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Don Cheadle; actress - Imelda Staunton.
- Jamie Graham, Total Film: Film - Sideways; director - Alexander Payne; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.
- Wendy Ide, The Times: Film - Sideways; director - Alexander Payne; actor - Don Cheadle; actress - Imelda Staunton.
- Jonathan Ross, Film 2005: Film - Sideways; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Kate Winslet.
| - Jonathan Ross, Film 2005: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.- Jamie Graham, Total Film: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.- Charles Gant, Heat: Film - The Aviator; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.- Steven Gaydos, Variety: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.- Philip French, The Observer: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.- Angie Errigo, Empire: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.- Jamie Graham, Total Film: Film - Sideways; director - Alexander Payne; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.- Tim Dams, Screen International: Film - The Aviator; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.- Angie Errigo, Empire: Film - The Aviator; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.- Wendy Ide, The Times: Film - The Aviator; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Imelda Staunton.- Jonathan Ross, Film 2005: Film - Sideways; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Kate Winslet.- Philip French, The Observer: Film - Sideways; director - Martin Scorsese; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Imelda Staunton.- Tim Dams, Screen International: Film - Million Dollar Baby; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Hilary Swank.- Charles Gant, Heat: Film - Sideways; director - Mike Leigh; actor - Jamie Foxx; actress - Imelda Staunton.- Steven Gaydos, Variety: Film - Million Dollar Baby; director - Clint Eastwood; actor - Don Cheadle; actress - Imelda Staunton.- Wendy Ide, The Times: Film - Sideways; director - Alexander Payne; actor - Don Cheadle; actress - Imelda Staunton."Sideways should win but it doesn't have a hope," said Jamie Graham of Total Film, a position shared by Film 2005 presenter Jonathan Ross.Most of the critics tipped Jamie Foxx and Hilary Swank to scoop best actor and actress for Ray and Million Dollar Baby respectively."I'd be very happy for Mike Leigh to win, but I don't think he has any chance," said Charles Gant, film editor of Heat.Five of the eight critics tipped Scorsese to win best director, with Mr Dams, Heat's Charles Gant and Empire's Angie Errigo plumping for Eastwood."I think Swank will win," said Mr French. |
758 | Deal to ban 'homophobic' reggae
The reggae industry is to refuse to release or stage concerts featuring homophobic songs under a global deal struck with gay rights groups.
A damaging campaign against stars such as Beenie Man and Sizzla has been waged over lyrics that allegedly call for gay people to be killed or assaulted. The campaign, which led to gigs being scrapped and a UK police investigation, will now be dropped under the truce. Brett Lock of gay group OutRage! said they were "wiping the slate clean". The protests had been led by the Stop Murder Music coalition, an umbrella group including OutRage!, the Black Gay Men's Advisory Group and Jamaican movement J-Flag.
That coalition has reached a verbal agreement with major dancehall reggae record labels and concert promoters covering eight of the scene's biggest stars. But the artists themselves were not involved in the negotiations and have not directly signed up. Instead, the record companies have pledged not to release or re-release any offensive songs - many of which date back a number of years. And it is believed promoters will make stars agree not to perform such tunes on stage. "The reggae industry will work with the artists while still maintaining their freedom of speech and artistic freedom," according to media and PR strategist Glen Yearwood, who is representing the reggae industry.
The industry would halt any attempt by an artist to perform or release a song inciting violence against any group or gender, he said. "We'll advise them this is not the way forward in a civilised society." The Stop Murder Music campaign saw protesters picket gigs, resulted in Sizzla's UK tour being cancelled in November, forced Mobo award organisers to drop artists from nominations and saw Beenie Man dropped from an MTV show in August. Police have also been investigating whether lyrics incite the assault and murder of gay people. The campaign was a blow to the reggae industry, Mr Yearwood admitted. "If you can't have major stars touring, then you don't sell many albums," he said.
But the artists - Beenie Man, Sizzla, Elephant Man, Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, TOK, Capleton and Vybz Kartel - will not have to apologise for past songs or comments. OutRage!'s Mr Lock said: "The main players in the dancehall reggae industry will attempt to regulate the industry themselves to ensure that there aren't any violently homophobic or gay-bashing lyrics in the future. "As a gesture of good faith, the Stop Murder Music coalition has agreed to suspend our aggressive campaigning against murder music. "So we shall not be picketing concerts or calling for prosecutions to give the industry the space to regulate and reform itself." Record companies VP and Greensleeves, distributor Jet Star and concert promoters including Jammins and Apollo Entertainment are all on board.
| The industry would halt any attempt by an artist to perform or release a song inciting violence against any group or gender, he said.The reggae industry is to refuse to release or stage concerts featuring homophobic songs under a global deal struck with gay rights groups.'s Mr Lock said: "The main players in the dancehall reggae industry will attempt to regulate the industry themselves to ensure that there aren't any violently homophobic or gay-bashing lyrics in the future.The protests had been led by the Stop Murder Music coalition, an umbrella group including OutRage!, the Black Gay Men's Advisory Group and Jamaican movement J-Flag.A damaging campaign against stars such as Beenie Man and Sizzla has been waged over lyrics that allegedly call for gay people to be killed or assaulted.Brett Lock of gay group OutRage!The campaign was a blow to the reggae industry, Mr Yearwood admitted."The reggae industry will work with the artists while still maintaining their freedom of speech and artistic freedom," according to media and PR strategist Glen Yearwood, who is representing the reggae industry.The Stop Murder Music campaign saw protesters picket gigs, resulted in Sizzla's UK tour being cancelled in November, forced Mobo award organisers to drop artists from nominations and saw Beenie Man dropped from an MTV show in August.That coalition has reached a verbal agreement with major dancehall reggae record labels and concert promoters covering eight of the scene's biggest stars. |
1,598 | Vickery out of Six Nations
England tight-head prop Phil Vickery has been ruled out of the rest of the 2005 RBS Six Nations after breaking a bone in his right forearm.
Vickery was injured as his club side, Gloucester, beat Bath 17-16 in the West country derby on Saturday. He could be joined on the sidelines by Bath centre Olly Barkley, who sat out the derby due to a leg injury. Barkley will have a scan on Sunday and might miss England's trip to Six Nations leaders Ireland next weekend. The news is just the latest blow for coach Andy Robinson, who has seen his side lose their opening two matches in the 2005 Six Nations. Robinson is already without World Cup winners Jonny Wilkinson, Will Greenwood, Mike Tindall, Richard Hill and Trevor Woodman through injury. Vickery has broken the radius, a large bone in his forearm. He only returned to the England side last weekend after a long-term back injury, which was followed by a fractured eye socket. And the Gloucester prop was only recalled after Leicester tight-head Julian White suffered a neck injury which has already seen him ruled out of the Ireland game.
Bath prop Matt Stevens is the only remaining tight-head in England's training squad and could be involved against Ireland. But he has to play second fiddle at club level to Duncan Bell, who excelled for England A against France and may now be called into the squad. The extent of Barkley's injury is not yet clear but Bath boss John Connolly rates him no better than "50-50" to face Ireland. Barkley played at inside cente in England's defeat by France and if he is unable to play, England's constantly-changing midfield will once again have to be altered.
Robinson could choose to recall Mathew Tait or Henry Paul, although Tait endured a nightmare for Newcastle against Leicester on Saturday and Paul limped off with an ankle injury against Bath. In-form Leicester centre Ollie Smith is the other outstanding candidate, and two tries against Newcastle will have boosted his chances. Fly-half Andy Goode is also a strong contender for the match-day 22 after an immaculate kicking display on Saturday. England, fourth in the Six Nations table with zero points, play Ireland, top of the table, in Dublin on 27 February, kick-off 1500 GMT.
| And the Gloucester prop was only recalled after Leicester tight-head Julian White suffered a neck injury which has already seen him ruled out of the Ireland game.England tight-head prop Phil Vickery has been ruled out of the rest of the 2005 RBS Six Nations after breaking a bone in his right forearm.Bath prop Matt Stevens is the only remaining tight-head in England's training squad and could be involved against Ireland.The news is just the latest blow for coach Andy Robinson, who has seen his side lose their opening two matches in the 2005 Six Nations.Vickery was injured as his club side, Gloucester, beat Bath 17-16 in the West country derby on Saturday.He could be joined on the sidelines by Bath centre Olly Barkley, who sat out the derby due to a leg injury.Barkley will have a scan on Sunday and might miss England's trip to Six Nations leaders Ireland next weekend. |
1,714 | Wales hails new superstar
One game into his Six Nations career, and Gavin Henson is already a Welsh legend.
A mesmeric display against England, topped off by his howitzer of a match-winning penalty, has secured life membership of that particular club. At 23, Henson has the rugby world at his silver-booted feet. And if his natural self-assurance and swagger is shared by his Wales team-mates, then a full-blown revival could be more than just a lot of hot air drifting up from the Valleys. The "Red Dragonhood" subdued the "Red Rose Army" in most areas of the field, but Henson's stellar performance ensured their efforts yielded the win they craved above all others. He announced himself in the game's opening salvo with a "Welcome to Cardiff" greeting for Mark Cueto on the gain line. And his defence was a major feature of the match, his principal victim poor old, or rather young, Mathew Tait. The England centre will have spent his 19th birthday on Sunday shuddering at the memory of how he was up-ended not just once, but twice, by Henson's all-enveloping tackles.
The second time, after the interval, single-handedly lifted the record Millennium Stadium crowd at a time when England were starting to show menace. Showing awesome strength, Henson nonchantly held the bewildered debutant in mid-air, a master predator toying with his helpless prey, savouring the kill. His kicking game also prospered, particularly when he moved to full-back for 10 minutes either side of half-time when his captain Gareth Thomas was in the sin-bin. One huge clearance from Tait's kick sent England retreating rapidly while another booming punt to the right corner kept the visitors pinned in their own half. Henson was also creativity personified: one little chip ahead for Shane Williams narrowly missed its target; a precise cross-kick forcing Jamie Noon to fumble the ball into touch. He also had a hand in the game's only try, finished superbly by Williams, and might have scored himself on the half-hour as he glided into space, only to be scragged by Tait. Henson was twice repelled as Wales laid siege to the English line after Charlie Hodgson's penalty had edged the visitors in front for the first time. But he was not to be denied as the crescendo rose to a deafening din, and the outcome of the match fell to him. Replacement Gareth Cooper made the most of a poor Welsh scrum by chipping into space, where Jason Robinson was penalised for holding on in the tackle.
Five metres in from the right touchline, 44 metres out, it was not a kick Stephen Jones, who had seen a long-range effort fall agonisingly under the bar, would have approached with confidence. "It was out of Steve's range but I looked at Gavin, and he gave me a reassuring nod," said Thomas. Henson, surveying his date with destiny, positively relished the responsibility, and the chance to make himself a hero. Without further ado, he nervelessly slotted the kick that ended five years of English dominance and 12 years of waiting in Cardiff. "I knew I was going to get it before I even took the kick," he said later, his distinct spikey locks freshly gelled into an appropriate star shape. "I have been getting them from that distance all year so it wasn't a problem." There were still four minutes for Wales to hold out, and the frenzy was such that Henson could not even hear Jones shouting instructions at him from three yards away. But it was Wales who finished the game on the attack, almost snatching a second try in a thunderous climax. "Just Do It" implored the front page headline on Saturday's Western Mail newspaper. And, thanks to Henson, Wales did.
| Henson was twice repelled as Wales laid siege to the English line after Charlie Hodgson's penalty had edged the visitors in front for the first time.There were still four minutes for Wales to hold out, and the frenzy was such that Henson could not even hear Jones shouting instructions at him from three yards away.And, thanks to Henson, Wales did.But it was Wales who finished the game on the attack, almost snatching a second try in a thunderous climax.Henson was also creativity personified: one little chip ahead for Shane Williams narrowly missed its target; a precise cross-kick forcing Jamie Noon to fumble the ball into touch.One game into his Six Nations career, and Gavin Henson is already a Welsh legend.His kicking game also prospered, particularly when he moved to full-back for 10 minutes either side of half-time when his captain Gareth Thomas was in the sin-bin.The England centre will have spent his 19th birthday on Sunday shuddering at the memory of how he was up-ended not just once, but twice, by Henson's all-enveloping tackles.But he was not to be denied as the crescendo rose to a deafening din, and the outcome of the match fell to him."It was out of Steve's range but I looked at Gavin, and he gave me a reassuring nod," said Thomas.Five metres in from the right touchline, 44 metres out, it was not a kick Stephen Jones, who had seen a long-range effort fall agonisingly under the bar, would have approached with confidence. |
1,035 | Straw praises Kashmir moves
The UK has welcomed the decision by India and Pakistan to open a bus link across the ceasefire line dividing the disputed region of Kashmir.
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, touring South East Asian countries, praised the "spirit of cooperation" in achieving the breakthrough. Media reports in both countries describe the deal as a major step in the ongoing peace process. Mr Straw said he hoped the agreement would make a difference to Kashmiris. The bus service was one of several announcements made after a meeting of foreign ministers of both countries in Islamabad on Wednesday. Kashmiri politicians on both sides of the Line of Control which divides the region welcomed the move.
In a statement, Mr Straw said the bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad "will be able to reunite families that have been divided for decades". "This will make a real difference to the lives of Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control," he said. "I warmly applaud the efforts of both India and Pakistan to make this happen. "This spirit of cooperation will, I hope, lead to many more measures that will benefit all in the region."
On Thursday Mr Straw was in India visiting Sikhism's holiest shrine, the Golden Temple in Amritsar where he tried his hand at making Indian bread or roti. He is due to take part in talks with the Indian government on Friday. A second bus service linking the Pakistani city of Lahore with Amritsar in India was also announced as well as a rail link between Rajasthan state and Pakistan's Sindh province. Both sides agreed to begin talks on reducing the risk of nuclear accidents and also said they planned to reopen their respective consulates in Karachi and Mumbai (Bombay). The mountainous region of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between the two nuclear powers for more than 50 years.
| The UK has welcomed the decision by India and Pakistan to open a bus link across the ceasefire line dividing the disputed region of Kashmir."This will make a real difference to the lives of Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control," he said.Mr Straw said he hoped the agreement would make a difference to Kashmiris.In a statement, Mr Straw said the bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad "will be able to reunite families that have been divided for decades".Kashmiri politicians on both sides of the Line of Control which divides the region welcomed the move.On Thursday Mr Straw was in India visiting Sikhism's holiest shrine, the Golden Temple in Amritsar where he tried his hand at making Indian bread or roti. |
141 | BMW reveals new models pipeline
BMW is preparing to enter the market for car-style people carriers, the firm's chief has told BBC News.
Speaking at a BMW event ahead of the Geneva motor show, Helmut Panke predicted demand for such crossover vehicles would soar in Europe. In contrast, he said, the popularity of van-style seven-seat vehicles and traditional saloon cars would fade. "Customers are moving out of the mini-van (and) traditional concepts are not as attractive anymore," he said. "We have decided that BMW will enter the [crossover] segment," he said in the clearest indication yet about the car maker's intentions.
Mr Panke praised the Honda Accura as the "best execution" yet of a crossover vehicle. "We have decided that the BMW brand will enter the segment," he said.
A decision on just how BMW will manage its entry into the new market is due in the first half of 2005. Typically it takes about three years from when a decision is taken before a new model hits the streets, Mr Panke said, implying that a BMW crossover could be on the market by 2008. The coming switch is driven in part by the need for successful carmakers to stay aware of trans-Atlantic differences in the car market, Mr Panke insisted. While in the US drivers tend to prefer sports utility vehicles (SUVs), such as the BMW X5 and its sibling X3, in Europe demand for crossover vehicles is likely to be considerable, Mr Panke said. "There's a growing market here," he said. "We are going to go that way."
| Typically it takes about three years from when a decision is taken before a new model hits the streets, Mr Panke said, implying that a BMW crossover could be on the market by 2008."We have decided that BMW will enter the [crossover] segment," he said in the clearest indication yet about the car maker's intentions."We have decided that the BMW brand will enter the segment," he said.While in the US drivers tend to prefer sports utility vehicles (SUVs), such as the BMW X5 and its sibling X3, in Europe demand for crossover vehicles is likely to be considerable, Mr Panke said."There's a growing market here," he said.Speaking at a BMW event ahead of the Geneva motor show, Helmut Panke predicted demand for such crossover vehicles would soar in Europe. |
1,262 | Brown calls for £5.5bn Aids fund
Gordon Brown has called on rich nations to fund a £5.5bn ($10bn) plan to fight the Aids epidemic and find a vaccine.
On the fourth day of his six-day tour of Africa, the UK chancellor predicted a vaccine could be found by 2012 if the world stepped up its funding pledges. Doubling the £400m being spent yearly on finding such a vaccine could advance it by three years and save six million lives, Mr Brown said on Thursday. He hopes to use the UK's G8 presidency to push the issue forward.
"I believe that the generation that provided the finance to combat, cure and eradicate the world's deadliest disease of today - and today the world's least curable disease - HIV/Aids - will rightly earn the title 'the great generation'," Mr Brown said in a speech during his African tour. The problems of HIV/Aids were inseparable from poverty, he added. "At least $10 billion per annum (£5.5bn) is needed to address the HIV/Aids crisis in low and middle income countries. "Existing financial commitments on their own will not stop the pandemic. "The UK's proposal for an International Finance Facility is so important - increasing world aid flows by over $50 billion (£27bn). A doubling of world aid to halve world poverty." Mr Brown also said he had agreed with the Italian finance minister Domenico Siniscalco to push forward with plans for the world-wide sharing and co-ordination of research into the disease.
Currently the private sector was only spending £60m a year on seeking an inoculation and the market needed boosting, Mr Brown said. He called on industrialised nations to commit themselves to buying the first 300m vaccines at a cost of $20 each, thereby boosting the market for inoculations. This would be a "large enough inducement to create much stronger interest from both large and small pharmaceutical firms", Mr Brown added.
More must also be done to finance the treatment and care of those living with HIV/Aids and their families, he said. But Aid charity Actionaid criticised Mr Brown's preoccupation with finding a vaccine and called on G8 nations to fund HIV/Aids treatments. The charity's head of HIV/Aids in Britain, Simon Wright said: "While encouraging the pharmaceutical industry to discover an HIV vaccine is important, a failure to provide any funding for HIV treatments condemns a generation of people to death. "HIV is decimating African countries, killing the most productive adults who should be working, caring for children and building the economy. An HIV vaccine is probably at least 10 years away. Treatments are needed now." On Wednesday, Mr Brown visited slums in the Kenyan capital Nairobi . He will visit an HIV/Aids orphanage in Tanzania and a women's credit union in Mozambique before chairing a meeting of the Commission for Africa in Cape Town. The chancellor has already unveiled proposals for a G8 aid package which he has likened to the Marshall Plan used by the United States to rebuild Europe after World War Two.
| But Aid charity Actionaid criticised Mr Brown's preoccupation with finding a vaccine and called on G8 nations to fund HIV/Aids treatments.Doubling the £400m being spent yearly on finding such a vaccine could advance it by three years and save six million lives, Mr Brown said on Thursday.Currently the private sector was only spending £60m a year on seeking an inoculation and the market needed boosting, Mr Brown said.Mr Brown also said he had agreed with the Italian finance minister Domenico Siniscalco to push forward with plans for the world-wide sharing and co-ordination of research into the disease.Gordon Brown has called on rich nations to fund a £5.5bn ($10bn) plan to fight the Aids epidemic and find a vaccine.The charity's head of HIV/Aids in Britain, Simon Wright said: "While encouraging the pharmaceutical industry to discover an HIV vaccine is important, a failure to provide any funding for HIV treatments condemns a generation of people to death."I believe that the generation that provided the finance to combat, cure and eradicate the world's deadliest disease of today - and today the world's least curable disease - HIV/Aids - will rightly earn the title 'the great generation'," Mr Brown said in a speech during his African tour."The UK's proposal for an International Finance Facility is so important - increasing world aid flows by over $50 billion (£27bn)."At least $10 billion per annum (£5.5bn) is needed to address the HIV/Aids crisis in low and middle income countries.An HIV vaccine is probably at least 10 years away. |
1,118 | Voters 'reject EU by two to one'
British voters would reject the European constitution by two to one, according to a poll posing the question the government will put to the country.
The Daily Telegraph poll suggests that 45% of people would vote against the constitution and 24% in favour. However the YouGov poll, which questioned 1,943 British adults online, found 25% did not know how they would vote if forced to decide tomorrow. Only 51% of those polled had made up their minds about the constitution. Another 7% said they would not vote at all. The poll is believed to be the first to pose the question which the government has chosen for the upcoming referendum, expected in 2006. The constitution will be incorporated into UK law if there is a yes vote.
Ballot papers in the poll will ask: "Should the United Kingdom approve the treaty establishing a constitution for the European Union?" The government unveiled the question which will be asked earlier in the week.
The treaty was signed by all 25 current EU members in Rome last October and is due to come into force in November 2006, providing it is ratified by all member states - several of which will hold a referendum. Critics say the constitution is a further step towards a federal Europe, but advocates say it ensures effective operation of the enlarged 25-state EU. "If we reject this treaty, Britain will be isolated and weak in Europe," said Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, after the question was unveiled. Mr Straw, along with the rest of the Cabinet, will back a "yes" vote. Meanwhile, Conservative shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram said the referendum question "seems straightforward". But he accused the government of trying to confuse the issue by putting the EU referendum question in the same bill as the ratification of the constitution, when they should be treated as "two separate issues".
| British voters would reject the European constitution by two to one, according to a poll posing the question the government will put to the country.The Daily Telegraph poll suggests that 45% of people would vote against the constitution and 24% in favour.But he accused the government of trying to confuse the issue by putting the EU referendum question in the same bill as the ratification of the constitution, when they should be treated as "two separate issues".The constitution will be incorporated into UK law if there is a yes vote.Another 7% said they would not vote at all."If we reject this treaty, Britain will be isolated and weak in Europe," said Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, after the question was unveiled. |
2,073 | Gamer buys $26,500 virtual land
A 22-year-old gamer has spent $26,500 (£13,700) on an island that exists only in a computer role-playing game (RPG).
The Australian gamer, known only by his gaming moniker Deathifier, bought the island in an online auction. The land exists within the game Project Entropia, an RPG which allows thousands of players to interact with each other. Entropia allows gamers to buy and sell virtual items using real cash, while fans of other titles often use auction site eBay to sell their virtual wares. Earlier this year economists calculated that these massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs) have a gross economic impact equivalent to the GDP of the African nation of Namibia.
"This is a historic moment in gaming history, and this sale only goes to prove that massive multi-player online gaming has reached a new plateau," said Marco Behrmann, director of community relations at Mindark, the game's developer.
The virtual island includes a gigantic abandoned castle and beautiful beaches which are described as ripe for developing beachfront property. Deathifier will make money from his investment as he is able to tax other gamers who come to his virtual land to hunt or mine for gold. He has also begun to sell plots to people who wish to build virtual homes. "This type of investment will definitely become a trend in online gaming," said Deathifier. The Entopia economy lets gamers exchange real currency into PED (Project Entropia Dollars) and back again into real money. Ten PEDs are the equivalent to one US dollar and typical items sold include iron ingots ($5) and shogun armour ($1.70) Gamers can theoretically earn money by accumulating PEDs through the acquisition of goods, buildings, and land in the Entropia universe. MMORPGs have become enormously popular in the last 10 years with hundreds of thousands of gamers living out alternate lives in fantasy worlds. Almost 200,000 people are registered players on Project Entropia.
| The land exists within the game Project Entropia, an RPG which allows thousands of players to interact with each other.Entropia allows gamers to buy and sell virtual items using real cash, while fans of other titles often use auction site eBay to sell their virtual wares.Deathifier will make money from his investment as he is able to tax other gamers who come to his virtual land to hunt or mine for gold.The Australian gamer, known only by his gaming moniker Deathifier, bought the island in an online auction."This type of investment will definitely become a trend in online gaming," said Deathifier.A 22-year-old gamer has spent $26,500 (£13,700) on an island that exists only in a computer role-playing game (RPG). |
1,244 | TV debate urged for party chiefs
Broadcasters should fix a date for a pre-election televised debate between the three main political leaders, according to the Hansard Society.
It would then be up to Tony Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy to decide whether to take part, the non-partisan charity said. Chairman Lord Holme argued that prime ministers should not have the right of veto on a matter "of public interest". "The broadcasters should make the decision to go ahead," he said.
Lord Holme's proposal for a televised debate comes just four months after millions of viewers were able to watch US President George W Bush slug it out verbally with his Democratic challenger John Kerry. He said it was a "democratically dubious proposition" that it was up to the incumbent prime minister to decide whether a similar event takes place here.
If Mr Blair did not want to take part, the broadcasters could go ahead with an empty chair or cancel the event and explain their reasons why, Lord Holme said. "What makes the present situation even less acceptable is that although Mr Howard and Mr Kennedy have said they would welcome a debate, no-one has heard directly from the prime minister," he said. "It has been left to nudges and winks, hints and briefings from his aides and campaign managers to imply that Mr Blair doesn't want one, but we haven't heard from the prime minister himself."
Lord Holme, who has campaigned for televised debates at previous elections, said broadcasters were "more than willing to cooperate with the arrangements". Opinion polls suggested that the idea had the backing of the public who like comparing the personalities and policies of the contenders in their own homes, he said.
Lord Holme argued that as part of their public service obligations, broadcasters "should make the decision to go ahead" as soon as the election is called. An independent third-party body such as the Hansard Society or Electoral Commission could work out the ground rules so they were fair to participants and informative to the public, he said. "It would be up to each party leader to accept or refuse," said Lord Holme.
"If the prime minister's reported position is true and he does want to take part, he would then be obliged to say why publicly. "The broadcasters would then have the option of cancelling the event for obvious and well-understood reasons, or going ahead with an empty chair. "Either way would be preferable to the present hidden veto." The Hansard Society has long campaigned for televised debates and has published reports on the issue in 1997 and 2001. Tony Blair has already ruled out taking part in a televised debate during the forthcoming election campaign. Last month he said: "We answer this every election campaign and, for the reasons I have given before, the answer is no," he said at his monthly news conference."
| If Mr Blair did not want to take part, the broadcasters could go ahead with an empty chair or cancel the event and explain their reasons why, Lord Holme said.Lord Holme, who has campaigned for televised debates at previous elections, said broadcasters were "more than willing to cooperate with the arrangements"."What makes the present situation even less acceptable is that although Mr Howard and Mr Kennedy have said they would welcome a debate, no-one has heard directly from the prime minister," he said."It would be up to each party leader to accept or refuse," said Lord Holme."The broadcasters should make the decision to go ahead," he said.Lord Holme argued that as part of their public service obligations, broadcasters "should make the decision to go ahead" as soon as the election is called.It would then be up to Tony Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy to decide whether to take part, the non-partisan charity said.Tony Blair has already ruled out taking part in a televised debate during the forthcoming election campaign. |
462 | GM issues 2005 profits warning
General Motors has warned that it expects earnings this year be lower than in 2004.
The world's biggest car maker is grappling with losses in its European business, and weak US sales. GM said higher healthcare costs in North America, and lower profits at its financial services subsidiary would hurt its performance in 2005. GM said it expects to meet its 2004 earnings targets "despite a tough competitive environment".
GM, whose brands include Buick, Cadillac and Chevrolet in the US and Opel, Saab and Vauxhall in Europe, is due to reveal 2004 earnings on 19 January.
It said it would deliver a shareholder payout of $6.0-$6.5 per share this year, as promised, but that next year's earnings per share would be lower, at between $4.0-$5.0. "We're following a roadmap that we believe will deliver strong results," said GM chief executive Rick Waggoner. GM said it was expecting "reduced financial losses" in Europe in 2005. It is in the midst of cutting 12,000 jobs - one fifth of the European total - in a bid to cut costs. The biggest job losses are in Germany. Its vehicle businesses have gained market share in three out of four regions in 2004, achieving record profitability in Asia Pacific and returning to profit in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. The car maker has diversified into financial services, and is extending the reach of General Motors Acceptance Corp (GMAC), which has said it may enter the home loans market. GMAC has been a strong contributor to profits in 2004 but GM said it will do less well this year, delivering net income of $2.5bn. "Attaining earnings of $10 a share remains GM's goal," the company said, adding it believes it can achieve this in 2007.
| GMAC has been a strong contributor to profits in 2004 but GM said it will do less well this year, delivering net income of $2.5bn.GM said it expects to meet its 2004 earnings targets "despite a tough competitive environment".GM said higher healthcare costs in North America, and lower profits at its financial services subsidiary would hurt its performance in 2005.GM said it was expecting "reduced financial losses" in Europe in 2005.It said it would deliver a shareholder payout of $6.0-$6.5 per share this year, as promised, but that next year's earnings per share would be lower, at between $4.0-$5.0.The car maker has diversified into financial services, and is extending the reach of General Motors Acceptance Corp (GMAC), which has said it may enter the home loans market. |
1,087 | Short attacks US over tsunami aid
Former Cabinet minister Clare Short has criticised the US-led tsunami aid coalition, saying the UN should be leading efforts.
President Bush has announced that an alliance of the US, India, Australia and Japan will co-ordinate a humanitarian drive. But Ms Short said the effect of the parallel coalition would be to undermine the UN. She said only the UN had the "moral authority" to lead the relief work. Ms Short resigned as international development secretary over the Iraq war. "I think this initiative from America to set up four countries claiming to co-ordinate sounds like yet another attempt to undermine the UN when it is the best system we have got and the one that needs building up," she said. "Only really the UN can do that job," she told BBC Radio Four's PM programme. "It is the only body that has the moral authority. But it can only do it well if it is backed up by the authority of the great powers." Ms Short said the countries involved could not boast good records on their response to major disasters. The US was "very bad at coordinating with anyone" and India had its own problems, Ms Short said. "I don't know what that is about but it sounds very much, I am afraid, like the US trying to have a separate operation and not work with the rest of the world through the UN system," she added.
| But Ms Short said the effect of the parallel coalition would be to undermine the UN.She said only the UN had the "moral authority" to lead the relief work.The US was "very bad at coordinating with anyone" and India had its own problems, Ms Short said.Ms Short said the countries involved could not boast good records on their response to major disasters.Former Cabinet minister Clare Short has criticised the US-led tsunami aid coalition, saying the UN should be leading efforts. |
1,207 | Talks aim to avert pension strike
Talks aimed at averting a series of national strikes over pensions reforms will take place this weekend.
Five public sector unions will hold private talks with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at Labour's spring conference in Gateshead. They want the government to withdraw regulations - due to be introduced in weeks - which would raise the pension age for council workers from 60 to 65. Up to 1.4m workers could take part in a strike already earmarked for 23 March. However, all sides are anxious to avoid a major confrontation in the run up to the general election, said BBC labour affairs correspondent Stephen Cape. In four days, Britain's biggest union Unison will start balloting 800,000 local government workers on strikes. Other public sector unions have pledged to follow. It is just weeks before new regulations are introduced to raise the pension age of local government workers.
The five unions meeting Mr Prescott want the government to withdraw these regulations. This would allow months of tough negotiations to follow, said our correspondent. But a spokesman for Mr Prescott warned that the changes to the local government pension scheme would have to go ahead in April. Privately ministers believe this will be the "less painful" option, our correspondent added. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) will co-ordinate any industrial action with up to six other public sector unions. PCS leader Mark Serwotka warned last week that there could be further walkouts unless there was a government rethink. "For a government that lectures everyone on choice - choice on public service, choice on this and choice on that - isn't it ironic that they're saying to public sector workers there is no choice," he said. "If you want the pension you were promised when you started you must work for an extra five years - that is working until people drop. "In the 20th century, it's completely unacceptable."
Unison's 800,000 workers, the Transport and General Workers' Union's 70,000 and Amicus' 20,000 are among those being balloted about a 23 March walkout. Mr Prescott held a private meeting with senior union figures last week. It is understood no deal was offered in that meeting but there was room for further negotiations.
| The five unions meeting Mr Prescott want the government to withdraw these regulations.They want the government to withdraw regulations - due to be introduced in weeks - which would raise the pension age for council workers from 60 to 65.It is just weeks before new regulations are introduced to raise the pension age of local government workers.But a spokesman for Mr Prescott warned that the changes to the local government pension scheme would have to go ahead in April.Other public sector unions have pledged to follow.Mr Prescott held a private meeting with senior union figures last week.Five public sector unions will hold private talks with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at Labour's spring conference in Gateshead.The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) will co-ordinate any industrial action with up to six other public sector unions. |
866 | Stars pay tribute to actor Davis
Hollywood stars including Spike Lee, Burt Reynolds and Oscar nominee Alan Alda have paid tribute to actor Ossie Davis at a funeral in New York.
Veteran star Ossie Davis, a well-known civil rights activist, died in Miami at the age of 87 on 4 February 2005. Friends and family, including actress Ruby Dee his wife of 56 years, gathered at the Riverside Church on Saturday. Also present at the service was former US president Bill Clinton and singer Harry Belafonte, who gave the eulogy. "He would have been a very good president of the United States," said Mr Clinton. "Like most of you here, he gave more to me than I gave to him."
The 87-year-old was found dead last weekend in his hotel room in Florida, where he was making a film. Police said that he appeared to have died of natural causes. Davis made his acting debut in 1950 in No Way Out starring Sidney Poiter. He frequently collaborated with director Spike Lee, starring in seven Lee films including Jungle Fever, Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X. Attallah Shabazz, the daughter of activist Malcolm X, recalled the famous eulogy delivered by Davis at her father's funeral. "Harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its finest hopes," she said, quoting the man she knew as Uncle Ossie. "Ditto." "Ossie was my hero, and he still is," said Aviator star Alan Alda, a family friend for over forty years. "Ossie was a thing of beauty."
"I want so badly someday to have his dignity - a little of it anyway," added Burt Reynolds, Davis's co-star in the 90s TV comedy Evening Shade. Before the midday funeral, scores of Harlem residents formed a queue outside the church to pay their respects to Davis. "It is hard to fathom that we will no longer be able to call on his wisdom, his humour, his loyalty and his moral strength to guide us in the choices that are yet to be made and the battles that are yet to be fought," said Belafonte, himself an ardent civil rights activist who had been friends with Davis for over 60 years. "But how fortunate we were to have him as long as we did."
| "Ossie was my hero, and he still is," said Aviator star Alan Alda, a family friend for over forty years.Hollywood stars including Spike Lee, Burt Reynolds and Oscar nominee Alan Alda have paid tribute to actor Ossie Davis at a funeral in New York.Veteran star Ossie Davis, a well-known civil rights activist, died in Miami at the age of 87 on 4 February 2005."Ossie was a thing of beauty.""It is hard to fathom that we will no longer be able to call on his wisdom, his humour, his loyalty and his moral strength to guide us in the choices that are yet to be made and the battles that are yet to be fought," said Belafonte, himself an ardent civil rights activist who had been friends with Davis for over 60 years.Also present at the service was former US president Bill Clinton and singer Harry Belafonte, who gave the eulogy.He frequently collaborated with director Spike Lee, starring in seven Lee films including Jungle Fever, Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X. Attallah Shabazz, the daughter of activist Malcolm X, recalled the famous eulogy delivered by Davis at her father's funeral."Harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its finest hopes," she said, quoting the man she knew as Uncle Ossie. |
112 | France Telecom gets Orange boost
Strong growth in subscriptions to mobile phone network Orange has helped boost profits at owner France Telecom.
Orange added more than five million new customers in 2004, leading to a 10% increase in its revenues. Increased take-up of broadband telecoms services also boosted France Telecom's profits, which showed a 5.5% rise to 18.3bn euros ($23.4bn; £12.5bn). France Telecom is to spend 578m euros on buying out minority shareholders in data services provider Equant.
France Telecom, one of the world's largest telecoms and internet service providers, saw its full-year sales rise 2.2% to 47.2bn euros in 2004.
Orange enjoyed strong growth outside France and the United Kingdom - its core markets - swelling its subscriber base to 5.4 million. France Telecom's broadband customers also increased, rising to 5.1 million across Europe by the end of the year. The firm said it had met its main strategic objectives of growing its individual businesses and further reducing its large debt. An ill-fated expansion drive in the late 1990s saw France Telecom's debt soar to 72bn euros by 2002. However, this has now been reduced to 43.9bn euros. "Our results for 2004 allow us to improve our financial structure while focusing on the innovation that drives our strategy," said chief executive Thierry Breton.
Looking ahead, the company forecast like-for-like sales growth of between 3% and 5% over the next three years. France Telecom is consolidating its interest in Equant, which provides telecoms and data services to businesses. Subject to approval by shareholders of the two firms, it will buy the shares in Equant it does not already own. France Telecom said it would fund the deal by selling an 8% stake in telephone directory company PagesJaunes.
| France Telecom, one of the world's largest telecoms and internet service providers, saw its full-year sales rise 2.2% to 47.2bn euros in 2004.Increased take-up of broadband telecoms services also boosted France Telecom's profits, which showed a 5.5% rise to 18.3bn euros ($23.4bn; £12.5bn).France Telecom is to spend 578m euros on buying out minority shareholders in data services provider Equant.France Telecom is consolidating its interest in Equant, which provides telecoms and data services to businesses.An ill-fated expansion drive in the late 1990s saw France Telecom's debt soar to 72bn euros by 2002.Strong growth in subscriptions to mobile phone network Orange has helped boost profits at owner France Telecom. |
1,591 | Robben and Cole earn Chelsea win
Cheslea salvaged a win against a battling Portsmouth side just as it looked like the Premiership leaders would have to settle for a point.
Arjen Robben curled in a late deflected left-footed shot from the right side of Pompey's box to break the home side's brave resistance. Chelsea had been continually frustrated but Joe Cole added a second with a 20-yard shot in injury-time. Nigel Quashie had Pompey's best chance when his effort was tipped over. The Fratton Park crowd were in good voice as usual and, even though Portsmouth more than held their own, Chelsea still managed to carve out two early chances. Striker Didier Drogba snapped in an angled shot to force home keeper Shaka Hislop into a smart save while an unmarked Frank Lampard had a strike blocked by Arjan De Zeeuw. But Pompey chased, harried and unsettled a Chelsea side as the south-coast side started to gain the upper hand and almost took the lead through Quashie.
The midfielder struck a swerving long range shot which keeper Petr Cech tipped over at full stretch. Pompey stretched Arsenal to the limit recently and were providing a similarly tough obstacle to overcome for a Chelsea team struggling to exert any pressure. Velimir Zajec's players stood firm as the visitors came out in lively fashion after the break but, just as they took a stranglehold of the match, the visitors launched a counter-attack. Drogba spun to get a sight of goal and struck a fierce shot which rocked keeper Hislop back as he blocked before Arjan de Zeeuw cleared the danger.
The home side were also left breathing a sigh of relief when a Glen Johnson header fell to Gudjohnsen who had his back to goal in a crowded Pompey goalmouth. The Icelandic forward tried to acrobatically direct the ball into goal but put his effort over. But, just like against Arsenal, Portsmouth let in a late goal when Robben's shot took a deflection off Matthew Taylor on its way past a wrong-footed Hislop. And Cole put a bit of gloss on a hard-fought win when he put a low shot into the bottom of the Pompey net.
Hislop, Griffin, Primus, De Zeeuw, Taylor, Stone (Cisse 76), Quashie (Berkovic 83), Faye, O'Neil, Kamara (Fuller 65), Yakubu.
Subs Not Used: Berger, Ashdown.
Kamara.
Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Gallas, Terry, Johnson, Duff, Makelele, Smertin (Cole 73), Lampard, Robben (Geremi 81), Drogba (Gudjohnsen 58).
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Bridge.
Paulo Ferreira, Robben, Lampard.
Robben 79, Cole 90.
20,210
A Wiley (Staffordshire).
| Drogba spun to get a sight of goal and struck a fierce shot which rocked keeper Hislop back as he blocked before Arjan de Zeeuw cleared the danger.But, just like against Arsenal, Portsmouth let in a late goal when Robben's shot took a deflection off Matthew Taylor on its way past a wrong-footed Hislop.Arjen Robben curled in a late deflected left-footed shot from the right side of Pompey's box to break the home side's brave resistance.Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Gallas, Terry, Johnson, Duff, Makelele, Smertin (Cole 73), Lampard, Robben (Geremi 81), Drogba (Gudjohnsen 58).Striker Didier Drogba snapped in an angled shot to force home keeper Shaka Hislop into a smart save while an unmarked Frank Lampard had a strike blocked by Arjan De Zeeuw.And Cole put a bit of gloss on a hard-fought win when he put a low shot into the bottom of the Pompey net.Robben 79, Cole 90.But Pompey chased, harried and unsettled a Chelsea side as the south-coast side started to gain the upper hand and almost took the lead through Quashie.Chelsea had been continually frustrated but Joe Cole added a second with a 20-yard shot in injury-time.Hislop, Griffin, Primus, De Zeeuw, Taylor, Stone (Cisse 76), Quashie (Berkovic 83), Faye, O'Neil, Kamara (Fuller 65), Yakubu. |
129 | Iraq to invite phone licence bids
Iraq is to invite bids for two telephone licences, saying it wants to significantly boost nationwide coverage over the next decade.
Bids have been invited from local, Arab and foreign companies, Iraq's Ministry of Communications said. The winner will work in partnership with the Iraqi Telecommunications and Post Company (ITPC). The firms will install and operate a fixed phone network, providing voice, fax and internet services.
The ministry said that it wanted to increase Iraq's "very low telephone service penetration rate from about 4.5% today to about 25% within 10 years." It also hopes to develop a "highly visible and changeable telecommunication sector". Details of the bidding and tender process will be published on the ministry's website on 9 February. It also is planning a road-show for investors in Amman, Jordan. The ministry said it would base its selection on criteria including the speed of implementation, tariff rates, coverage, and the firm's experience and financial strength.
| The ministry said that it wanted to increase Iraq's "very low telephone service penetration rate from about 4.5% today to about 25% within 10 years."Bids have been invited from local, Arab and foreign companies, Iraq's Ministry of Communications said.The ministry said it would base its selection on criteria including the speed of implementation, tariff rates, coverage, and the firm's experience and financial strength.It also hopes to develop a "highly visible and changeable telecommunication sector". |
1,866 | Hotspot users gain free net calls
People using wireless net hotspots will soon be able to make free phone calls as well as surf the net.
Wireless provider Broadreach and net telephony firm Skype are rolling out a service at 350 hotspots around the UK this week. Users will need a Skype account - downloadable for free - and they will then be able to make net calls via wi-fi without paying for net access. Skype allows people to make free PC-based calls to other Skype users.
Users of the system can also make calls to landlines and mobiles for a fee. The system is gaining in popularity and now has 28 million users around the world. Its paid service - dubbed Skype Out - has so far attracted 940,000 users. It plans to add more paid services with forthcoming launches of video conferencing, voice mail and Skype In, a service which would allow users to receive phone calls from landlines and mobiles. London-based software developer Connectotel has unveiled software that will expand the SMS functions of Skype, allowing users to send text messages to mobile phones from the service. Broadreach Networks has around two million users and hotspots in places such as Virgin Megastores, the Travelodge chain of hotels and all London's major rail terminals. The company is due to launch wi-fi on Virgin Trains later in the year. "Skype's success at spreading the world about internet telephony is well-known and we are delighted to be offering free access to Skype users in our hotspots," commented Broadreach chief executive Magnus McEwen-King.
| Skype allows people to make free PC-based calls to other Skype users.Users will need a Skype account - downloadable for free - and they will then be able to make net calls via wi-fi without paying for net access.Its paid service - dubbed Skype Out - has so far attracted 940,000 users.Wireless provider Broadreach and net telephony firm Skype are rolling out a service at 350 hotspots around the UK this week.It plans to add more paid services with forthcoming launches of video conferencing, voice mail and Skype In, a service which would allow users to receive phone calls from landlines and mobiles. |
1,686 | Wilkinson to lead England
Fly-half Jonny Wilkinson has been named as England's new rugby union captain for the three November Tests.
The 25-year-old Newcastle star takes over from Lawrence Dallaglio, who retired from internationals in August. England's acting head coach Andy Robinson said: "He is a natural leader, holds the respect of the squad and is a formidable talent on the pitch. "And he consistently demonstrates the energy and commitment I feel is essential to be captain of England." Robinson added: "There are several players in the squad I would feel comfortable in calling upon to be England captain but for me Jonny is in every way the right player to take on this challenge. "Captaincy offers a challenging environment for any player, especially following in the footsteps of Lawrence Dallaglio and before him the World Cup captain, Martin Johnson.
"But I am confident Jonny has what it takes to do an outstanding job as we look ahead towards the next Rugby World Cup in France and I look forward to working with him." Wilkinson, who has scored 817 points in 52 internationals, kicked the winning drop-goal in the final seconds of extra-time in England's 2003 Rugby World Cup triumph against Australia. But he then missed the entire 2004 Six Nations campaign while recuperating from shoulder surgery, before making his comeback for Newcastle in the Zurich Premiership in August. "It's the ambition of so many players to one day be captain of England and today I have realised a dream," he said. "I'm honoured Andy wants me to be his captain, and to follow Lawrence and Martin means a lot to me as they are inspirational men who have given so much to England rugby over many years.
"Getting my first England cap against Ireland six years ago was something I'll never forget because to play for your country is very special. Taking on the captaincy is another important step in my career and I do so with immense pride." Wilkinson made his international debut in the 1998 Six Nations Championship against Ireland when he came off the bench to replace Paul Grayson.
He has been a regular in the England starting line-up ever since, played in all three Lions Tests in 2001 and all but one of England's games in the 2003 World Cup. He becomes the 117th captain of England since Fred Stokes held the position in 1871. England's first autumn Test is against Canada on 13 November, followed by the visit of Tri-Nations champions South Africa a week later and then a World Cup re-match with Australia.
| "Captaincy offers a challenging environment for any player, especially following in the footsteps of Lawrence Dallaglio and before him the World Cup captain, Martin Johnson.He has been a regular in the England starting line-up ever since, played in all three Lions Tests in 2001 and all but one of England's games in the 2003 World Cup.Fly-half Jonny Wilkinson has been named as England's new rugby union captain for the three November Tests.Robinson added: "There are several players in the squad I would feel comfortable in calling upon to be England captain but for me Jonny is in every way the right player to take on this challenge."It's the ambition of so many players to one day be captain of England and today I have realised a dream," he said."I'm honoured Andy wants me to be his captain, and to follow Lawrence and Martin means a lot to me as they are inspirational men who have given so much to England rugby over many years.Wilkinson, who has scored 817 points in 52 internationals, kicked the winning drop-goal in the final seconds of extra-time in England's 2003 Rugby World Cup triumph against Australia. |
880 | Sideways dominates Spirit awards
The comedy Sideways has dominated this year's Independent Spirit Awards, winning all six of the awards for which it was nominated.
It was named best film while Alexander Payne won best director and best screenplay, along with writing partner Jim Taylor. It also won acting awards for stars Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church and Virginia Madsen. Sideways is tipped to do well at Sunday's Oscars, with five nominations.
The awards, now in their 20th year, are given to films made outside the traditional studio system, and are traditionally held the day before the Oscars. Other winners included Catalina Sandino Moreno, who took best actress for her role as a drug smuggler in the Colombian drama Maria Full of Grace. Moreno is also nominated for best actress at the Oscars. The best first screenplay award went to Joshua Marston for Maria Full of Grace. Scrubs star Zach Braff won the award for best first feature for Garden State, which he wrote, directed and starred in. Oscar-nominated euthanasia film The Sea Inside from Spain won best foreign film, while Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster was awarded best documentary. Actor Rodrigo de la Serna took the best debut performance prize for The Motorcycle Diaries. The awards are voted for by the 9,000 members of the Independent Feature Project/Los Angeles, which includes actors, directors, writers and other industry professionals. Last year's big winner, Lost In Translation, went on to win the Oscar for best original screenplay, for writer-director Sofia Coppola.
| It was named best film while Alexander Payne won best director and best screenplay, along with writing partner Jim Taylor.Moreno is also nominated for best actress at the Oscars.The best first screenplay award went to Joshua Marston for Maria Full of Grace.Oscar-nominated euthanasia film The Sea Inside from Spain won best foreign film, while Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster was awarded best documentary.Scrubs star Zach Braff won the award for best first feature for Garden State, which he wrote, directed and starred in.Other winners included Catalina Sandino Moreno, who took best actress for her role as a drug smuggler in the Colombian drama Maria Full of Grace. |
304 | Bombardier chief to leave company
Shares in train and plane-making giant Bombardier have fallen to a 10-year low following the departure of its chief executive and two members of the board.
Paul Tellier, who was also Bombardier's president, left the company amid an ongoing restructuring. Laurent Beaudoin, part of the family that controls the Montreal-based firm, will take on the role of CEO under a newly created management structure. Analysts said the resignations seem to have stemmed from a boardroom dispute. Under Mr Tellier's tenure at the company, which began in January 2003, plans to cut the worldwide workforce of 75,000 by almost a third by 2006 were announced. The firm's snowmobile division and defence services unit were also sold and Bombardier started the development of a new aircraft seating 110 to 135 passengers.
Mr Tellier had indicated he wanted to stay at the world's top train maker and third largest manufacturer of civil aircraft until the restructuring was complete. But Bombardier has been faced with a declining share price and profits. Earlier this month the firm said it earned $10m (£19.2m) in the third quarter, down from a profit of $133m a year ago. "I understand the board's concern that I would not be there for the long-term and the need to develop and execute strategies, and the need to reshape the management structure at this time," Mr Tellier said in a statement on Monday. Bombardier said restructuring plans drawn up by Mr Tellier's would continue to be implemented. Shares in Bombardier lost 65 Canadian cents or 25% on the news to 1.90 Canadian dollars before rallying to 2.20 Canadian dollars.
| Bombardier said restructuring plans drawn up by Mr Tellier's would continue to be implemented.Mr Tellier had indicated he wanted to stay at the world's top train maker and third largest manufacturer of civil aircraft until the restructuring was complete."I understand the board's concern that I would not be there for the long-term and the need to develop and execute strategies, and the need to reshape the management structure at this time," Mr Tellier said in a statement on Monday.Earlier this month the firm said it earned $10m (£19.2m) in the third quarter, down from a profit of $133m a year ago.Under Mr Tellier's tenure at the company, which began in January 2003, plans to cut the worldwide workforce of 75,000 by almost a third by 2006 were announced. |
713 | Greer attacks 'bully' Big Brother
Germaine Greer has criticised Celebrity Big Brother's "bullying" of housemates after quitting the reality TV show.
She said "superior" bullying tactics, like making housemates cold and hungry, could encourage playground bullying. She also condemned the "complete irresponsibility" of adding Brigitte Nielsen's former mother-in-law Jackie Stallone to the house on Monday. Nielsen had panicked that if she reacted badly it could harm her access to her children, Greer said. The feminist writer and broadcaster said Big Brother had behaved "like a child rather than a parent" by taunting contestant John McCririck after denying him a cola drink. "I thought it was actually demonstrating the role of taunting in the playground and there are so many children whose lives have actually been destroyed by taunting in the playground," Greer said. She also said that her fellow housemates had publicity-seeking "agendas".
"I had no idea who would be in here and it's wrong for me to present myself in the same context as they are." Media observers had been surprised by Greer's initial decision to join the third celebrity version of the Channel 4 reality TV show, given that she has written critical articles about the format in the past. As she packed her suitcase to leave the house she told fellow housemates: "I'm leaving over specific issues, but best for everyone if I don't discuss them. "I have a problem with decisions, I make them fast and when I make them, I stick to them." Greer had earlier failed to persuade other contestants to stage a naked protest against Big Brother.
Other celebrities to walk out of a reality show TV include Sex Pistol John Lydon, former EastEnders actress Danniella Westbrook and ex-E17 singer Brian Harvey who all left I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here. Previous Big Brother housemates to leave before their time were Sunita Sharma and Sandy Cumming from the third series of the non-celebrity version of the show.
VOTE Was Germaine Greer right to leave Celebrity Big Brother? Yes No Results are indicative and may not reflect public opinion
Happy Mondays dancer Bez is now 2-1 favourite to win the show, followed by Blazin' Squad singer Kenzie at 5-2 and actor Jeremy Edwards at 4-1. Ladbrokes spokesman Warren Lush said that the series was still "wide open", adding that the last 24 hours had also seen a rush of bets on McCririck slashing his odds to 8-1. DJ Lisa I'Anson is the outsider with odds of 40-1, while Jackie Stallone, who joined the house on Monday, is also one of the less popular housemates at 20-1. The first eviction of the series has now been postponed after Greer's exit unexpectedly reduced the number of competitors. The eight remaining contestants are competing for a £50,000 prize, to be donated to the charity of their choice, if they survive a series of public votes. For every 50p vote cast by viewers by telephone or text during the programme's run, 9p will go to a tsunami charity appeal.
| Germaine Greer has criticised Celebrity Big Brother's "bullying" of housemates after quitting the reality TV show.VOTE Was Germaine Greer right to leave Celebrity Big Brother?Previous Big Brother housemates to leave before their time were Sunita Sharma and Sandy Cumming from the third series of the non-celebrity version of the show.She also said that her fellow housemates had publicity-seeking "agendas".The feminist writer and broadcaster said Big Brother had behaved "like a child rather than a parent" by taunting contestant John McCririck after denying him a cola drink.Greer had earlier failed to persuade other contestants to stage a naked protest against Big Brother.She said "superior" bullying tactics, like making housemates cold and hungry, could encourage playground bullying.DJ Lisa I'Anson is the outsider with odds of 40-1, while Jackie Stallone, who joined the house on Monday, is also one of the less popular housemates at 20-1.Ladbrokes spokesman Warren Lush said that the series was still "wide open", adding that the last 24 hours had also seen a rush of bets on McCririck slashing his odds to 8-1. |
2,204 | Sun offers processing by the hour
Sun Microsystems has launched a pay-as-you-go service which will allow customers requiring huge computing power to rent it by the hour.
Sun Grid costs users $1 (53p) for an hour's worth of processing and storage power on systems maintained by Sun. So-called grid computing is the latest buzz phrase in a company which believes that computing capacity is as important a commodity as hardware and software. Sun likened grid computing to the development of electricity.
The system could mature in the same way utilities such as electricity and water have developed, said Sun's chief operating officer Jonathan Schwartz. "Why build your own grid when you can use ours for a buck an hour?" he asked in a webcast launching Sun's quarterly Network Computing event in California. The company will have to persuade data centre managers to adopt a new model but it said it already had interest from customers in the oil, gas and financial services industries.
Some of them want to book computing capacity of more than 5,000 processors each, Sun said. Mr Schwartz ran a demonstration of the service, showing how data could be processed in a protein folding experiment. Hundreds of servers were used simultaneously, working on the problem for a few seconds each.
Although it only took a few seconds, the experiment cost $12 (£6.30) because it had used up 12 hours' worth of computing power. The Sun Grid relies on Solaris, the operating system owned by Sun. Initially it will house the grid in existing premises and will use idle servers to test software before shipping it to customers. It has not said how much the system will cost to develop but it already has a rival in IBM, which argues that its capacity on-demand service is cheaper than that offered by Sun.
| Sun likened grid computing to the development of electricity.Sun Grid costs users $1 (53p) for an hour's worth of processing and storage power on systems maintained by Sun.The Sun Grid relies on Solaris, the operating system owned by Sun.Some of them want to book computing capacity of more than 5,000 processors each, Sun said.Sun Microsystems has launched a pay-as-you-go service which will allow customers requiring huge computing power to rent it by the hour.So-called grid computing is the latest buzz phrase in a company which believes that computing capacity is as important a commodity as hardware and software. |
1,883 | Mobiles 'not media players yet'
Mobiles are not yet ready to be all-singing, all-dancing multimedia devices which will replace portable media players, say two reports.
Despite moves to bring music download services to mobiles, people do not want to trade multimedia services with size and battery life, said Jupiter. A separate study by Gartner has also said real-time TV broadcasts to mobiles is "unlikely" in Europe until 2007. Technical issues and standards must be resolved first, said the report. Batteries already have to cope with other services that operators offer, like video playback, video messaging, megapixel cameras and games amongst others. Bringing music download services based on the success of computer-based download services will put more demands on battery life.
Fifty percent of Europeans said the size of a mobile was the most important factor when it came to choosing their phone, but more power demands tend to mean larger handsets. "Mobile phone music services must not be positioned to compete with the PC music experience as the handsets are not yet ready," said Thomas Husson, mobile analyst at Jupiter research. "Mobile music services should be new and different, and enable operators to differentiate their brands and support third generation network launches." Other problems facing mobile music include limited storage on phones, compared to portable players which can hold up to 40GB of music. The mobile industry is keen to get into music downloading, after the success of Apple's iTunes, Napster and other net music download services.
With phones getting smarter and more powerful, there are also demands to be able to watch TV on the move. In the US, services like TiVo To Go let people transfer pre-recorded TV content onto their phones. But, the Gartner report on mobile TV broadcasting in Europe suggests direct broadcasting will have to wait. Currently, TV-like services, where clips are downloaded, are offered by several European operators, like Italy's TIM and 3. Mobile TV will have to overcome several barriers before it is widely taken up though, said the report.
Various standards and ways of getting TV signals to mobiles are being worked on globally. In Europe, trials in Berlin and Helsinki are making use of terrestrial TV masts to broadcast compressed signals to handsets with extra receivers. A service from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation lets people watch TV programmes on their mobiles 24 hours a day. The service uses 3GP technology, one of the standards for mobile TV. But at the end of 2004, the European Telecommunications Institute (Etsi) formally adopted Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld (DVB-H) as the mobile TV broadcasting standard for Europe. Operators will be working on the standard as a way to bring real-time broadcasts to mobiles, as well as trying to overcome several other barriers. The cost and infrastructure needs to set up the services will need to be addressed. Handsets also need to be able to work with the DVB-H standard. TV services will have to live up to the expectations of the digital TV generation too, which expects good quality images at low prices, according to analysts. People are also likely to be put off watching TV on such small screens, said Gartner. Digital video recorders, like Europe's Sky+ box, and video-on-demand services mean people have much more control over what TV they watch. As a result, people may see broadcasting straight to mobiles as taking away that control. More powerful smartphones like the XDA II, Nokia 6600, SonyEricsson P900 and the Orange E200, offering web access, text and multimedia messaging, e-mail, calendar and gaming are becoming increasingly common. A report by analysts InStat/MDR has predicted that smartphone shipments will grow by 44% over the next five years. It says that smartphones will make up 117 million out of 833 million handsets shipped globally by 2009.
| The service uses 3GP technology, one of the standards for mobile TV.A service from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation lets people watch TV programmes on their mobiles 24 hours a day."Mobile phone music services must not be positioned to compete with the PC music experience as the handsets are not yet ready," said Thomas Husson, mobile analyst at Jupiter research.A separate study by Gartner has also said real-time TV broadcasts to mobiles is "unlikely" in Europe until 2007.Mobile TV will have to overcome several barriers before it is widely taken up though, said the report.Despite moves to bring music download services to mobiles, people do not want to trade multimedia services with size and battery life, said Jupiter.Various standards and ways of getting TV signals to mobiles are being worked on globally.But, the Gartner report on mobile TV broadcasting in Europe suggests direct broadcasting will have to wait.But at the end of 2004, the European Telecommunications Institute (Etsi) formally adopted Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld (DVB-H) as the mobile TV broadcasting standard for Europe.Digital video recorders, like Europe's Sky+ box, and video-on-demand services mean people have much more control over what TV they watch.In the US, services like TiVo To Go let people transfer pre-recorded TV content onto their phones.People are also likely to be put off watching TV on such small screens, said Gartner.TV services will have to live up to the expectations of the digital TV generation too, which expects good quality images at low prices, according to analysts. |
1,392 | Wada will appeal against ruling
The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) will appeal against the acquittal of Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou on doping charges, if the IAAF does not.
The pair were cleared of charges relating to missing dope tests by the Greek Athletics Federation last week. Wada chairman Dick Pound said: "I am convinced the IAAF will appeal against the decision, and we will support them. "But if they accept the federation's ruling we will go before the Court of Arbitration for Sport," he added. Kenteris's lawyer, Gregory Ioannidis, reacted angrily to Pound's comments. "Comments like these only help to embarrass the sporting governing bodies, create a hostage situation for the IAAF and strengthen our case further," he told BBC Sport. Kenteris, 31, and Thanou, 30, had been charged with avoiding drugs tests in Tel Aviv, Chicago and Athens and failing to notify anti-doping officials of their whereabouts before the Olympics. They withdrew from the Athens Games after missing a drugs test at the Olympic village on 12 August.
But an independent tribunal ruled that the duo had not been informed that they needed to attend a drugs test in Athens.
However, their former coach Christos Tzekos was banned for four years by the tribunal. Kenteris and Thanou still have to face trial on charges brought separately by Greek prosecutors of missing the drugs tests and faking a motorcycle accident to avoid testing at the Athens Games.
| Kenteris and Thanou still have to face trial on charges brought separately by Greek prosecutors of missing the drugs tests and faking a motorcycle accident to avoid testing at the Athens Games.They withdrew from the Athens Games after missing a drugs test at the Olympic village on 12 August.Kenteris, 31, and Thanou, 30, had been charged with avoiding drugs tests in Tel Aviv, Chicago and Athens and failing to notify anti-doping officials of their whereabouts before the Olympics.But an independent tribunal ruled that the duo had not been informed that they needed to attend a drugs test in Athens.The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) will appeal against the acquittal of Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou on doping charges, if the IAAF does not. |
1,076 | Falconer rebuts 'charade' claims
Concessions on a bill which critics claim would allow euthanasia "through the back door" were not a political ploy, the lord chancellor has said.
Ministers have been accused of panic in offering last minute changes to the Mental Capacity Bill amid chaotic scenes in the Commons on Tuesday. Lord Falconer said it was fair to criticise the late timing of the offer. He said the changes provided a solution to a very difficult issue but some MPs argue the situation is still unclear.
The bill allows people to give somebody the power of attorney to make decisions on their behalf if they become too ill to decide for themselves. Ministers insist the plans would not change laws on euthanasia and would improve safeguards. Critics fear it could allow "killing by omission" through withdrawing treatment, including food and fluids.
Tony Blair said he would do everything he could to meet concerns about the bill. But changes to the bill must not overturn the law set when a court ruled that doctors could withdraw artificial feeding and hydration from Hillsborough coma victim Tony Bland. "It is important we don't end up in the situation where doctors and consultants are confused about the law and may lay themselves open to prosecution in circumstances where no sensible person would want that to happen," he said.
On Tuesday, the government saw off a backbench attempt to force changes to the bill by 297 votes to 203, despite rebellion by 34 Labour MPs. The revolt was also reduced by news that Lord Falconer had promised the Catholic archbishop of Cardiff to strengthen safeguards in the bill. But that only came after MPs bombarded Constitutional Affairs Minister David Lammy with a barrage of requests for him to read the letter as they complained they had been left in the dark. Eventually, he was hurriedly handed the letter to read out five minutes before the crunch votes, prompting claims of a shambles. The deputy speaker later said the debate had not been handled as it should have been.
Lord Falconer says there will be amendments when the bill goes to the House of Lords. He told BBC News: "We have given a commitment to put into the bill a clause that says that nothing in the bill authorises any act where the motive of the person authorising the decision is to end life. "The motive has got to be to end suffering." He denied the concessions were a "political manoeuvre" forced by panic about the rebellion. It was inevitable that minds became more focused as the bill went through Parliament but the result was a "sensible solution", he said. "I don't think it is something to be embarrassed about. These issues are not easy to deal with," he went on. BBC political editor Andrew Marr said Mr Lammy was "waste deep in quicksand and sinking fast" after his performance. But Lord Falconer praised his minister for an "excellent job". Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, one of the chief critics of the plans, condemned the debate as a "charade" and complained the promises of changes to the bill were vague.
| Concessions on a bill which critics claim would allow euthanasia "through the back door" were not a political ploy, the lord chancellor has said.Tony Blair said he would do everything he could to meet concerns about the bill.It was inevitable that minds became more focused as the bill went through Parliament but the result was a "sensible solution", he said.Lord Falconer said it was fair to criticise the late timing of the offer.Lord Falconer says there will be amendments when the bill goes to the House of Lords.The revolt was also reduced by news that Lord Falconer had promised the Catholic archbishop of Cardiff to strengthen safeguards in the bill.He told BBC News: "We have given a commitment to put into the bill a clause that says that nothing in the bill authorises any act where the motive of the person authorising the decision is to end life."It is important we don't end up in the situation where doctors and consultants are confused about the law and may lay themselves open to prosecution in circumstances where no sensible person would want that to happen," he said.He said the changes provided a solution to a very difficult issue but some MPs argue the situation is still unclear.On Tuesday, the government saw off a backbench attempt to force changes to the bill by 297 votes to 203, despite rebellion by 34 Labour MPs. |
1,774 | Rusedski angry over supplements
Greg Rusedski has criticised the governing body of men's tennis for not releasing contamination-free supplements in time for the new season.
Rusedski said: "I tried to order some but didn't receive any and I haven't got any yet. "You would think they would have been available in December as it can take two months for the body to respond. "This event comes in the hottest period of the year, so you would hope the stuff would be available for it." The British number two escaped a possible ban last year when he persuaded a tribunal that a positive doping test was the result of contaminated ATP supplements. In response, the ATP struck a deal with pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline to provide contamination-free drinks and nutritional bars for the men's tour.
David Higdon, Vice President of the ATP, admitted: "I agree with Greg. "I would have loved to have had these things available as soon as possible but it's a lot of work to make sure they have gone through rigorous testing. "The reality is though that the first two weeks of the tour are spread far and wide and part of the distribution agreement we had with GSK has an education component. "We weren't going to just drop these products out there without having a talk with the players about understanding how to use them.
"The first chance we will get to do that is at the players meeting on the Saturday before the Australian Open." And Rusedski, who takes on Roger Federer at the Qatar Open later on Wednesday, conceded that the imminent changes will be beneficial. "The good thing is that there is now a 100% guarantee, so hopefully all this will never happen again," said Rusedski. "Hopefully after the Australian Open we won't have to discuss this any more."
| "You would think they would have been available in December as it can take two months for the body to respond."The first chance we will get to do that is at the players meeting on the Saturday before the Australian Open.""The good thing is that there is now a 100% guarantee, so hopefully all this will never happen again," said Rusedski.Greg Rusedski has criticised the governing body of men's tennis for not releasing contamination-free supplements in time for the new season."This event comes in the hottest period of the year, so you would hope the stuff would be available for it.""Hopefully after the Australian Open we won't have to discuss this any more." |
1,926 | Blogger grounded by her airline
A US airline attendant is fighting for her job after she was suspended over postings on her blog, or online diary.
Queen of the Sky, otherwise known as Ellen Simonetti, evolved into an anonymous semi-fictional account of life in the sky. But after she posted pictures of herself in uniform, Delta Airlines suspended her indefinitely without pay. Ms Simonetti was told her suspension was a result of "inappropriate" images. Delta Airlines declined to comment.
"I was really shocked, I had no warning," Ms Simonetti told BBC News Online. "I never thought I would get in trouble because of the blog. I thought if they had a problem, someone would have said something before taking action." The issue has highlighted concerns amongst the growing blogging community about conflicts of interest, employment law and free speech on personal websites. Ms Simonetti was suspended on 25 September pending an investigation and has since lodged a complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). A spokesperson for Delta Airlines told BBC News Online: "All I can tell you is we do not discuss internal employee issues with the media." She added she could not say whether a similar situation over personal websites had occurred in the past.
Ms Simonetti started her personal blog in January to help her get over her mother's death. She had ensured she made no mention of which airline she worked for, and created fictional names for cities and companies. The airline's name was changed to Anonymous Airline and the city in which she was based was called Quirksville. A large part of the blog contained fictional stories because Queen of the Sky developed over the months as a character in her own right, according to Ms Simonetti.
The images were taken from a digital camera she had inherited from her mother. "We often take pictures on flight or on layovers. I just though why not include them on my blog for fun. "I never meant it as something to harm my company and don't understand how they think it did harm them," Ms Simonetti said. She has also claimed that pictures of male Delta Airline employees in uniform are freely available on the web. Of the 10 or so images on the site, only one showed Ms Simonetti's flight "wings". "They did not tell me which pictures they had a problem with. I am just assuming it was the one of me posing on seats where my skirt rode up," she said. The images were removed as soon as she learned she had been suspended. As far as Ms Simonetti knows, there is no company anti-blogging policy. There is guidance which suggests the company uniform cannot be used without approval from management, but use in personal pictures on websites is unclear.
Jeffrey Matsuura, director of the law and technology programme at the University of Dayton, said personal websites can be hazardous for both employers and their employees. "There are many examples of employees who have presented some kind of material online that have gotten them in trouble with employers," he said. It was crucial that any policy about what was and what was not acceptable was expressed clearly, was reasonable, and enforced fairly in company policy. "You have to remember that as an employee, you don't have total free speech anymore," he said. Mr Matsuura added that some companies actively encouraged employees to blog. "One of the areas where it does become a problem is that they encourage this when it suits them, but they may not be particularly clear when they [employees] do cross the line." He speculated that Delta might be concerned that the fictional content on the blog may be linked back to the airline after the images of Ms Simonetti in uniform were posted. "Whether or not that is successful will depend on what exactly is prohibited, and whether you can reasonably say this content now crosses that line," he said. Ms Simonetti said her suspension has caused two of her friends to discontinue their blogs. One of them was asked to stop blogging by his company before any action was taken. "If they had asked me just take down the blog, I would have done it, but that was not been given to me as an option," she said. "This blogging thing is obviously a new problem for employers and they need to get a policy about it. If I had known it would cost me my job, I would not have done that."
| Ms Simonetti was told her suspension was a result of "inappropriate" images."If they had asked me just take down the blog, I would have done it, but that was not been given to me as an option," she said.He speculated that Delta might be concerned that the fictional content on the blog may be linked back to the airline after the images of Ms Simonetti in uniform were posted."I was really shocked, I had no warning," Ms Simonetti told BBC News Online.One of them was asked to stop blogging by his company before any action was taken.The airline's name was changed to Anonymous Airline and the city in which she was based was called Quirksville.It was crucial that any policy about what was and what was not acceptable was expressed clearly, was reasonable, and enforced fairly in company policy.Ms Simonetti started her personal blog in January to help her get over her mother's death.A US airline attendant is fighting for her job after she was suspended over postings on her blog, or online diary.Ms Simonetti was suspended on 25 September pending an investigation and has since lodged a complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)."I never meant it as something to harm my company and don't understand how they think it did harm them," Ms Simonetti said.Ms Simonetti said her suspension has caused two of her friends to discontinue their blogs.As far as Ms Simonetti knows, there is no company anti-blogging policy.I am just assuming it was the one of me posing on seats where my skirt rode up," she said.A large part of the blog contained fictional stories because Queen of the Sky developed over the months as a character in her own right, according to Ms Simonetti.But after she posted pictures of herself in uniform, Delta Airlines suspended her indefinitely without pay. |
1,319 | Isinbayeva claims new world best
Pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva broke her own indoor world record by clearing 4.89 metres in Lievin on Saturday.
It was the Russian's 12th world record of her career and came just a few days after she cleared 4.88m at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham. The Olympic champion went on to attempt 5.05m at the meeting on France but failed to clear that height. In the men's 60m, former Olympic 100m champion Maurice Greene could only finish second to Leonard Scott. It was Greene's second consecutive defeat at the hands of his fellow American, who also won in Birmingham last week. "I ran my race perfectly," said Scott, who won in 6.46secs, his best time indoors. "I am happy even if I know that Maurice is a long way from being at his peak at the start of the season."
| In the men's 60m, former Olympic 100m champion Maurice Greene could only finish second to Leonard Scott.It was the Russian's 12th world record of her career and came just a few days after she cleared 4.88m at the Norwich Union Grand Prix in Birmingham.It was Greene's second consecutive defeat at the hands of his fellow American, who also won in Birmingham last week. |
152 | Crude oil prices back above $50
Cold weather across parts of the United States and much of Europe has pushed US crude oil prices above $50 a barrel for the first time in almost three months.
Freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall have increased demand for heating fuel in the US, where stocks are low. Fresh falls in the value of the dollar helped carry prices above the $50 mark for the first time since November. A barrel of US crude oil closed up $2.80 to $51.15 in New York on Tuesday. Opec members said on Tuesday that it saw no reason to cut its output.
Although below last year's peak of $55.67 a barrel, which was reached in October, prices are now well above 2004's average of $41.48.
Brent crude also rose in London trading, adding $1.89 to $48.62 at the close. Much of western Europe and the north east of America has been shivering under unseasonably low temperatures in recent days. The decline in the US dollar to a five-week low against the euro has also served to inflate prices. "The dollar moved sharply overnight and oil is following it," said Chris Furness, senior market strategist at 4Cast. "If the dollar continues to weaken, oil will be obviously higher."
Several Opec members said a cut in production was unlikely, citing rising prices and strong demand for oil from Asia. "I agree that we do not need to cut supply if the prices are as much as this," Fathi Bin Shatwan, Libya's oil minister, told Reuters. "I do not think we need to cut unless the prices are falling below $35 a barrel," he added. Opec closely watches global stocks to ensure that there is not an excessive supply in the market. The arrival of spring in the northern hemisphere will focus attention on stockpiles of US crude and gasoline, which are up to 9% higher than at this time last year. Heavy stockpiles could help force prices lower when demand eases.
| Cold weather across parts of the United States and much of Europe has pushed US crude oil prices above $50 a barrel for the first time in almost three months.Several Opec members said a cut in production was unlikely, citing rising prices and strong demand for oil from Asia.A barrel of US crude oil closed up $2.80 to $51.15 in New York on Tuesday."I agree that we do not need to cut supply if the prices are as much as this," Fathi Bin Shatwan, Libya's oil minister, told Reuters."I do not think we need to cut unless the prices are falling below $35 a barrel," he added.The decline in the US dollar to a five-week low against the euro has also served to inflate prices.Freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall have increased demand for heating fuel in the US, where stocks are low. |
1,904 | New delay hits EU software laws
A fresh delay has hit controversial new European Union rules which govern computer-based inventions.
The draft law was not adopted by EU ministers as planned at a Brussels meeting on Monday during which it was supposed to have been discussed. The fresh delay came after Polish officials had raised concerns about the law for the second time in two months. Critics say the law would favour large companies over small ones and could impact open-source software innovation. "There was at one point the intention to put the item on today's agenda. But in the end we could not put it on," an EU spokesman told the Reuters agency. He added that no date had been chosen for more discussion of the law.
In December, Poland requested more time to consider the issue because it was concerned that the law could lead to the patenting of pure computer software. Its ministers want to see the phrasing of the text of the Directive on the Patentability of Computer-Implemented Inventions changed so that it excludes software patenting. Poland is a large EU member, so its backing for the legislation is vital. The EU says the law would bring Europe more in line with how such laws work in the US, but this has caused some angry debate amongst critics and supporters. In the US, the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods is permitted. This means that the US-based Amazon.com holds a patent for its "one-click shopping" service. Critics say a similar model in Europe would hurt small software developers which do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies. But supporters say current law does not let big companies protect inventions which they have spent years developing.
| Critics say the law would favour large companies over small ones and could impact open-source software innovation.In December, Poland requested more time to consider the issue because it was concerned that the law could lead to the patenting of pure computer software.The EU says the law would bring Europe more in line with how such laws work in the US, but this has caused some angry debate amongst critics and supporters.The draft law was not adopted by EU ministers as planned at a Brussels meeting on Monday during which it was supposed to have been discussed.The fresh delay came after Polish officials had raised concerns about the law for the second time in two months.But supporters say current law does not let big companies protect inventions which they have spent years developing. |
1,709 | Wales silent on Grand Slam talk
Rhys Williams says Wales are still not thinking of winning the Grand Slam despite a third Six Nations win.
"That's the last thing on our minds at the moment," said Williams, a second- half replacement in Saturday's 24-18 win over France in Paris. "We all realise how difficult a task it is to go up to Scotland and beat them. "We've come unstuck there a couple of times recently so our focus is on that game and we'll worry about Ireland hopefully after we've beaten Scotland." With captain Gareth Thomas ruled out of the rest of the campaign with a broken thumb, Williams is vying for his first start in the championship so far.
Kevin Morgan is probably favourite to replace Thomas at full-back, leaving Williams and Hal Luscombe to battle for the right wing berth. A hamstring injury denied Luscombe the opportunity to make a third successive start, but the Dragons winger is expected to be fit for the trip to Murrayfield on 13 March. Hooker Robin McBryde is doubtful after picking up a knee injury in Paris, but centre Sonny Parker and flanker Colin Charvis are set to recover from injury to be in contention for selection. Said Wales assistant coach Scott Johnson: "They've worked through the weekend and the reports are a bit more positive. "So we're getting a couple back and that adds to the depth of the squad." Scotland secured their first win of the campaign on Saturday by grinding out an 18-10 win over Italy.
Matt Williams' side has shown little in attack, but Johnson insisted the Scots will be difficult opposition to break down. "Italy are really brave opposition and sometimes it's very hard to win," he said. "So an ugly win can be just as effective as a 30 or 40 point victory. "Scotland are a hard side and very underrated so we're not taking anything for granted. "We're not basking in the glory of winning our first three games. We've got to be diligent in our preparation. "That's my job and we've got to make sure we're focused."
| Scotland secured their first win of the campaign on Saturday by grinding out an 18-10 win over Italy."That's the last thing on our minds at the moment," said Williams, a second- half replacement in Saturday's 24-18 win over France in Paris."Italy are really brave opposition and sometimes it's very hard to win," he said.Rhys Williams says Wales are still not thinking of winning the Grand Slam despite a third Six Nations win."We've come unstuck there a couple of times recently so our focus is on that game and we'll worry about Ireland hopefully after we've beaten Scotland.""That's my job and we've got to make sure we're focused."With captain Gareth Thomas ruled out of the rest of the campaign with a broken thumb, Williams is vying for his first start in the championship so far.Matt Williams' side has shown little in attack, but Johnson insisted the Scots will be difficult opposition to break down. |
1,444 | Newry to fight cup exit in courts
Newry City are expected to discuss legal avenues on Friday regarding overturning their ejection from the Nationwide Irish Cup.
The IFA upheld its original decision to throw Newry out of the cup following the Andy Crawford registration row. ''A law firm will put a case forward for Newry FC, and see what the legal implications of all this is are,'' said Newry boss Roy McCreadie. ''This is a big issue, now that we have an appeal pending,'' On Wednesday, a fresh IFA hearing into Crawford registration saga, ruled that last week's original verdict had been correct. It meant that Bangor, beaten 5-1 by Newry on the field, will take on Portadown in the sixth round. Newry had claimed they had uncovered "fresh evidence", in respect of the dates relating to the registration. But McCreadie is not further annoyed that full details of Wednesday's meeting was not relayed to the club. ''Even to this day, we have as much information about what happened during the meeting on Wednesday as that told to the media. We are being kept in the dark,'' McCreadie told the
News Letter
. ''We want an explanation. There is no good sending us the same fax message the press people received. ''It's a real sad case. If we are not back in the Irish Cup after our appeal, and guided by our legal advise, we will seek to lodge an injunction in the courts to stop Bangor playing Portadown.''
| ''A law firm will put a case forward for Newry FC, and see what the legal implications of all this is are,'' said Newry boss Roy McCreadie.The IFA upheld its original decision to throw Newry out of the cup following the Andy Crawford registration row.Newry City are expected to discuss legal avenues on Friday regarding overturning their ejection from the Nationwide Irish Cup.Newry had claimed they had uncovered "fresh evidence", in respect of the dates relating to the registration.It meant that Bangor, beaten 5-1 by Newry on the field, will take on Portadown in the sixth round.''This is a big issue, now that we have an appeal pending,'' On Wednesday, a fresh IFA hearing into Crawford registration saga, ruled that last week's original verdict had been correct. |
1,018 | Tories plan migrant health checks
Non-European Union citizens wanting to work in the UK will have to undergo tests for Tuberculosis and HIV, under plans unveiled by the Conservatives.
A positive test for TB would mean visa applications being turned down, while HIV would be dealt with case by case. Leader Michael Howard said the checks on new arrivals would help protect public health and the NHS. Labour said many tests were already done. The Lib Dems warned both parties against "pandering to prejudice".
The proposals, which would be brought in if the Conservatives won the General Election, would not apply to people coming to the UK for less than six months unless they intended to work in health or childcare or teaching. Mr Howard said the plans were based on policies already in action in Canada, New Zealand and Australia. "It's very important that we should safeguard the good standards of public health that Britain enjoys," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Government figures suggest TB in England has increased by 25% over the past 10 years. "Nearly two thirds of people with TB are born abroad," said Mr Howard.
"I don't think a responsible government can stand aside and do nothing in the face of this problem." But Mr Howard said the plans would not affect asylum applicants' claims. The proposals include:
- People coming to the UK from outside the EU for between six and 12 months from a "high incidence TB country" will have to undergo a chest X-ray.
- People coming to settle in the UK permanently from outside the EU will have to "demonstrate they have an acceptable standard of health".
- They will also have to show they are unlikely to be a danger to public health and are unlikely to "impose significant costs or demands" on the NHS.
- The tests will include a health check, chest X-rays for TB (except for children and pregnant women) and tests for hepatitis and HIV for over 16-year-olds. Only the discovery of TB will mean people will be automatically denied a visa, other conditions will be dealt with on a "case by case basis".
There is already some screening in place. Last year 185,000 people were tested for TB at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, only about 200 were found to be infected. And Dr John Moore-Gillon, of the British Lung Foundation, said: "TB is not simply imported, we are seeing a rise in many sections of the UK-born population as well." The government says the Tories are "a bit late" to the issue. Immigration minister Des Browne quoted its five-year plan for immigration and asylum, as saying: "We are implementing our existing powers by targeted health screening for TB in high-risk areas at the entry clearance stage. "Those who are diagnosed would then need to seek treatment at home before being allowed to enter the UK." Meanwhile Mark Oaten, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, said: "This is another worrying step in the war of words over asylum and immigration between Labour and the Conservatives. "Michael Howard knows perfectly well what bigger game he is playing, and history proves it is a very dangerous one." Lisa Power, head of policy at Aids charity the Terrence Higgins Trust said the policy was prejudice-based rather than evidence-based. "In fact, it would be more likely to drive people with health conditions to falsify tests while others gain entry by simple dint of their EU status," she said.
| "Nearly two thirds of people with TB are born abroad," said Mr Howard.Leader Michael Howard said the checks on new arrivals would help protect public health and the NHS."In fact, it would be more likely to drive people with health conditions to falsify tests while others gain entry by simple dint of their EU status," she said.But Mr Howard said the plans would not affect asylum applicants' claims.A positive test for TB would mean visa applications being turned down, while HIV would be dealt with case by case.The proposals, which would be brought in if the Conservatives won the General Election, would not apply to people coming to the UK for less than six months unless they intended to work in health or childcare or teaching.Labour said many tests were already done.Mr Howard said the plans were based on policies already in action in Canada, New Zealand and Australia.The proposals include: - People coming to the UK from outside the EU for between six and 12 months from a "high incidence TB country" will have to undergo a chest X-ray.- The tests will include a health check, chest X-rays for TB (except for children and pregnant women) and tests for hepatitis and HIV for over 16-year-olds.- People coming to settle in the UK permanently from outside the EU will have to "demonstrate they have an acceptable standard of health". |
2,135 | Mobile games come of age
The BBC News website takes a look at how games on mobile phones are maturing. A brief round-up follows but you can skip straight to the reviews by clicking on the links below. Part two will follow on Monday.
Reviews of Call of Duty, Splinter Cell - Pandora Tomorrow, Lord of the Rings and Pocket Kingdom will follow on Monday If you think of Snake when some mentions "mobile games" then you could be in for a bit of a surprise. This is because mobile games have come a long way in a very short time. Even before Nokia's N-Gage game phone launched in late 2003, many mobile operators were realising that there was an audience looking for something to play on their handset.
And given that many more people own handsets than own portable game playing gadgets such as the GameBoy it could be a very lucrative market. That audience includes commuters wanting something to fill their time on the way home, game fans looking for a bit of variety and hard core gamers who like to play every moment they can. Life for all these types of player has got immeasurably better in the last year as the numbers of titles you can download to your phone has snowballed. Now sites such as Wireless Gaming Review list more than 200 different titles for some UK networks and the ranges suit every possible taste. There are ports of PC and arcade classics such as Space Invaders, Lunar Lander and Bejewelled. There are also versions of titles, such as Colin McRae Rally, that you typically find on PCs and consoles.
There are shoot-em-ups, adventure games, strategy titles and many novel games only found on handsets. Rarely now does an action movie launch without a mobile game tie-in. Increasingly such launches are all part of the promotional campaign for a film, understandable when you realise that a good game can rack up millions of downloads. The returns can be pretty good when you consider that some games cost £5. What has also helped games on mobiles thrive is the fact that it is easier than ever to get hold of them thanks to technology known as Wap push. By sending a text message to a game maker you can have the title downloaded to your handset. Far better than having to navigate through the menus of most mobile operator portals. The number of handsets that can play games has grown hugely too. Almost half of all phones now have Java onboard meaning that they can play the increasingly sophisticated games that are available - even the ones that use 3D graphics.
The minimum technology specifications that phones should adhere to are getting more sophisticated which means that games are too. Now double key presses are possible making familiar tactics such as moving and strafing a real option. The processing power on handsets means that physics on mobile games is getting more convincing and the graphics are improving too. Some game makers are also starting to take advantage of the extra capabilities in a mobile. Many titles, particularly racing games, let you upload your best time to see how you compare to others. Usually you can get hold of their best time and race against a "ghost" or "shadow" to see if you can beat them. A few games also let you take on people in real time via the network or, if you are sitting close to them, via Bluetooth short-range radio technology. With so much going on it is hard to do justice to the sheer diversity of what is happening. But these two features should help point you in the direction of the game makers and give you an idea of where to look and how to get playing.
TOO FAST TOO FURIOUS (DIGITAL BRIDGES)
As soon as I start playing this I remember why I never play driving games - because I'm rubbish at them. No matter if I drive the car via joystick or keypad I just cannot get the hang of braking for corners or timing a rush to pass other drivers. The game rewards replay because to advance you have to complete every section within a time limit. Winning gives you cash for upgrades. Graphically the rolling road is a convincing enough evocation of speed as the palm trees and cactus whip by and the city scrolls past in the background. The cars handle pretty well despite my uselessness but it was not clear if the different models of cars were appreciably different on the track. The only niggle was that the interface was a bit confusing especially when using a joystick rather than the keypad to play.
FATAL FORCE (MACROSPACE)
A futuristic shooter that lets you either play various deathmatch modes against your phone or run through a series of scenarios that involves killing aliens invading Earth. Graphics are a bit cartoon-like but only helps to make clear what is going on and levels are well laid out and encourage you to leap about exploring. Both background music and sounds effects work well. The scenarios are well scripted and you regularly get hints from the Fatal Force commanders. Weapons include flamethrowers, rocket launchers, grenades and at a couple of points you even get chance to use a mech for a short while. With the right power-up you can go into a Matrix-style bullet time to cope with the onslaught of aliens. The game lets you play via Bluetooth if others are in range. Online the game has quite a following with clans, player rankings and even new downloadable maps.
| Even before Nokia's N-Gage game phone launched in late 2003, many mobile operators were realising that there was an audience looking for something to play on their handset.This is because mobile games have come a long way in a very short time.The game lets you play via Bluetooth if others are in range.The number of handsets that can play games has grown hugely too.But these two features should help point you in the direction of the game makers and give you an idea of where to look and how to get playing.Some game makers are also starting to take advantage of the extra capabilities in a mobile.The BBC News website takes a look at how games on mobile phones are maturing.A few games also let you take on people in real time via the network or, if you are sitting close to them, via Bluetooth short-range radio technology.What has also helped games on mobiles thrive is the fact that it is easier than ever to get hold of them thanks to technology known as Wap push.The processing power on handsets means that physics on mobile games is getting more convincing and the graphics are improving too.By sending a text message to a game maker you can have the title downloaded to your handset.That audience includes commuters wanting something to fill their time on the way home, game fans looking for a bit of variety and hard core gamers who like to play every moment they can.Almost half of all phones now have Java onboard meaning that they can play the increasingly sophisticated games that are available - even the ones that use 3D graphics.Rarely now does an action movie launch without a mobile game tie-in.The minimum technology specifications that phones should adhere to are getting more sophisticated which means that games are too.The game rewards replay because to advance you have to complete every section within a time limit.The returns can be pretty good when you consider that some games cost £5.There are shoot-em-ups, adventure games, strategy titles and many novel games only found on handsets. |
604 | God cut from Dark Materials film
The director and screenwriter of the film adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials is to remove references to God and the church in the movie.
Chris Weitz, director of About a Boy, said the changes were being made after film studio New Line expressed concern. The books tell of a battle against the church and a fight to overthrow God. "They have expressed worry about the possibility of perceived anti-religiosity," Weitz told a His Dark Materials fans' website. Pullman's trilogy has been attacked by some Christian teachers and by the Catholic press as blasphemy. Weitz, who admitted he would not be many people's first choice to direct the films, said he regarded the film adaptation as "the most important work of my life".
"In part because it is one of the few books to have changed my life," he told bridgetothestars.net. The award-winning trilogy - Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass - tell the story of Oxford school child Lyra Belacqua. She is drawn into an epic struggle against the Church, which has been carrying out experiments on children in an attempt to remove original sin.
As the books progress the struggle turns into a battle to overthrow the Authority, a figure who is God-like in the books. Weitz, who directed American Pie and About A Boy, said New Line feared that any anti-religiosity in the film would make the project "unviable financially". He said: "All my best efforts will be directed towards keeping the film as liberating and iconoclastic an experience as I can. "But there may be some modification of terms."
Weitz said he had visited Pullman, who had told him that the Authority could "represent any arbitrary establishment that curtails the freedom of the individual, whether it be religious, political, totalitarian, fundamentalist, communist, what have you". He added: "I have no desire to change the nature or intentions of the villains of the piece, but they may appear in more subtle guises." There are a number of Christian websites which attack the trilogy for their depiction of the church and of God, but Pullman has denied his books are anti-religious. His agent told the Times newspaper that Pullman was happy with the adaptation so far. "Of course New Line want to make money, but Mr Weitz is a wonderful director and Philip is very supportive. "You have to recognise that it is a challenge in the climate of Bush's America,"
| Chris Weitz, director of About a Boy, said the changes were being made after film studio New Line expressed concern.There are a number of Christian websites which attack the trilogy for their depiction of the church and of God, but Pullman has denied his books are anti-religious.The director and screenwriter of the film adaptation of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials is to remove references to God and the church in the movie.Weitz, who directed American Pie and About A Boy, said New Line feared that any anti-religiosity in the film would make the project "unviable financially".The books tell of a battle against the church and a fight to overthrow God.Weitz, who admitted he would not be many people's first choice to direct the films, said he regarded the film adaptation as "the most important work of my life"."They have expressed worry about the possibility of perceived anti-religiosity," Weitz told a His Dark Materials fans' website.Weitz said he had visited Pullman, who had told him that the Authority could "represent any arbitrary establishment that curtails the freedom of the individual, whether it be religious, political, totalitarian, fundamentalist, communist, what have you". |
2,062 | Gamers snap up new Sony PSP
Gamers have bought almost all of the first batch of Sony's new PlayStation Portable (PSP) games console, which went on sale in Japan on Sunday.
Thousands of people queued for hours to get hold of one of the 200,000 PSPs which were shipped to retailers. The handheld console can play games, music and movies and goes on sale in Europe and North America next year. Despite the demand Sony said it would not increase the 500,000-strong stock of PSPs it plans to ship by year's end.
Sony says it intends to ship three million of the consoles by March 2005. The company is hoping to challenge the dominance of Nintendo in the handheld market. Nintendo released its new DS console earlier this year and has already raised shipment targets for the device by 40%. The PSP is selling in Japan for 19,800 yen ($188; £98) while Nintendo's DS console sells in the US and Japan for $150 (£78). Nintendo's goal is to ship 5 million of its new Nintendo DS handheld consoles by March 2005.
| Nintendo's goal is to ship 5 million of its new Nintendo DS handheld consoles by March 2005.Sony says it intends to ship three million of the consoles by March 2005.Nintendo released its new DS console earlier this year and has already raised shipment targets for the device by 40%.The PSP is selling in Japan for 19,800 yen ($188; £98) while Nintendo's DS console sells in the US and Japan for $150 (£78). |
1,442 | Injury doubts beset Wales squad
Wales have a clutch of injury worries before Wednesday's international friendly against Hungary in Cardiff.
West Ham's Gavin Williams (ankle) looks certain to be out, so uncapped Wrexham defender Stephen Roberts is drafted in. Defenders Danny Gabbidon and Gareth Roberts, plus Ryan Giggs have hamstring concerns, while there are also doubts over Robbie Savage (groin). However, Manchester United winger Giggs is expected to recover in time to earn his 50th cap at the Millennium Stadium. There were also doubts over Gabbidon's fellow Cardiff defender Rhys Weston, but the full-back appears to have shrugged off the knock he picked up in the Bluebirds' 1-0 loss to West Ham on Sunday. The news leaves Wales boss John Toshack short in defence for his first game in charge, with Aston Villa's Mark Delaney injured and James Collins with the Under-21s. That could clear the way for new faces Danny Collins and Dave Partridge to make their Wales debuts.
Coyne (Burnley), Jones (Wolves), Roberts (Wrexham), Collins (Sunderland), Edwards (Wolves), Gabbidon (Cardiff), Page (Cardiff), Partridge (Motherwell), Ricketts (Swansea), Roberts (Tranmere), Weston (Cardiff), Davies (Tottenham), Fletcher (West Ham), Giggs (Man Utd), Koumas (West Brom), Robinson (Sunderland), Savage (Blackburn), Williams (West Ham), Bellamy (Newcastle), Earnshaw (West Brom), Hartson (Celtic).
| Coyne (Burnley), Jones (Wolves), Roberts (Wrexham), Collins (Sunderland), Edwards (Wolves), Gabbidon (Cardiff), Page (Cardiff), Partridge (Motherwell), Ricketts (Swansea), Roberts (Tranmere), Weston (Cardiff), Davies (Tottenham), Fletcher (West Ham), Giggs (Man Utd), Koumas (West Brom), Robinson (Sunderland), Savage (Blackburn), Williams (West Ham), Bellamy (Newcastle), Earnshaw (West Brom), Hartson (Celtic).There were also doubts over Gabbidon's fellow Cardiff defender Rhys Weston, but the full-back appears to have shrugged off the knock he picked up in the Bluebirds' 1-0 loss to West Ham on Sunday.Defenders Danny Gabbidon and Gareth Roberts, plus Ryan Giggs have hamstring concerns, while there are also doubts over Robbie Savage (groin).West Ham's Gavin Williams (ankle) looks certain to be out, so uncapped Wrexham defender Stephen Roberts is drafted in. |
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