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Kenyan school turns to handhelds At the Mbita Point primary school in western Kenya students click away at a handheld computer with a stylus. They are doing exercises in their school textbooks which have been digitised. It is a pilot project run by EduVision, which is looking at ways to use low cost computer systems to get up-to-date information to students who are currently stuck with ancient textbooks. Matthew Herren from EduVision told the BBC programme Go Digital how the non-governmental organisation uses a combination of satellite radio and handheld computers called E-slates. "The E-slates connect via a wireless connection to a base station in the school. This in turn is connected to a satellite radio receiver. The data is transmitted alongside audio signals." The base station processes the information from the satellite transmission and turns it into a form that can be read by the handheld E-slates. "It downloads from the satellite and every day processes the stream, sorts through content for the material destined for the users connected to it. It also stores this on its hard disc." The system is cheaper than installing and maintaining an internet connection and conventional computer network. But Mr Herren says there are both pros and cons to the project. "It's very simple to set up, just a satellite antenna on the roof of the school, but it's also a one-way connection, so getting feedback or specific requests from end users is difficult." The project is still at the pilot stage and EduVision staff are on the ground to attend to teething problems with the Linux-based system. "The content is divided into visual information, textual information and questions. Users can scroll through these sections independently of each other." EduVision is planning to include audio and video files as the system develops and add more content. Mr Herren says this would vastly increase the opportunities available to the students. He is currently in negotiations to take advantage of a project being organised by search site Google to digitise some of the world's largest university libraries. "All books in the public domain, something like 15 million, could be put on the base stations as we manufacture them. Then every rural school in Africa would have access to the same libraries as the students in Oxford and Harvard" Currently the project is operating in an area where there is mains electricity. But Mr Herren says EduVision already has plans to extend it to more remote regions. "We plan to put a solar panel at the school with the base station, have the E-slates charge during the day when the children are in school, then they can take them home at night and continue working." Maciej Sundra, who designed the user interface for the E-slates, says the project's ultimate goal is levelling access to knowledge around the world. "Why in this age when most people do most research using the internet are students still using textbooks? The fact that we are doing this in a rural developing country is very exciting - as they need it most."

Tory candidate quits over remark A Conservative election challenger is quitting after being quoted as wanting a "period of creative destruction in the public services". Danny Kruger, who also works in the Tory research unit, had been due to take on Tony Blair in Sedgefield. He says his remark last week was misrepresented but he will not contest the election for fear of damaging the Conservative cause. Tory leader Michael Howard accepted his decision "with regret". Mr Kruger was quoted in the Guardian newspaper saying: "We plan to introduce a period of creative destruction in the public services." In a statement, the party said the comment had been taken out of context. "He fully supports the party's policies on, and approach to, the public services," said the statement. "However, in order to avoid any further misrepresentation of his views and any damage to the Party, he has decided not to stand in the Sedgefield constituency at the next election." Mr Kruger is continuing in his job at the Tory campaign headquarters. Labour election coordinator Alan Milburn claimed Mr Kruger had exposed the Tory agenda for £35bn of cuts to public services. Mr Milburn said: "He is not some unknown hopeful fighting an unwinnable seat. He is a man who has worked at the heart of Conservative policy development... "His claim that the Tories were planning 'a period of creative destruction in the public services' is not a rogue claim. "It is the authentic and shocking voice of the Conservative Party. It reveals the true picture of what they would do."

What the election should really be about? A general election is the best chance most pressure groups get to make a real impact on government policy. Here is how six leading lobbies plan to make sure their cause is being debated ahead of an expected Spring poll. We've called for the state pension to be increased from £79.60 to the pensioner credit guarantee level of £105.45. That's what we're calling for. Many pensioners are disadvantaged by the current system. If we've got one in five pensioners below the poverty line, we've got to make it more generous or have these people living in poverty. We've drawn up a pensioners' manifesto. This will be sent to each of the candidates in the 659 constituencies. They will be asked which of the top five issues, including the pension issue, they would support. Once we've got their responses we will publish the results within the constituencies and nationally as well. It's our way of putting the politicians on notice. We are trying to get across the fact that there are 11m voters over 60 in the country, they are more likely to vote than other sections of society and thirdly they are true swing voters. Before 1997 most pensioners voted Conservative. In 1997 and 2001 they voted Labour. But there is no guarantee they will vote for a Labour government this time around. They cannot take that vote for granted. Pensions generally will certainly be a big election issue even though the government has postponed the publication of Adair Turner's full report into the issue. He said the UK had one of the least generous pensions systems in the developed world. That the government takes seriously the impact of aviation on the environment. We haven't worked out specific plans but I imagine we will lobby political parties and incumbent MPs. Various local groups will do that in their particular areas and we will provide a national briefing. We don't have any large demonstrations planned but they can't be ruled out. It is hard to say whether we will be successful. We have got the issue in the public consciousness to an extent, but it is difficult to say whether an election will raise its importance in the public mind or whether it will be pushed out by big issues like Iraq. Repealing the Hunting Bill. We are challenging the use of the Parliament Act 1949 in a High Court action. We are hoping to hear in the New Year. Whichever way the court rules the other side will appeal so we expect it to fall plumb in electioneering time. When the ban comes into force on 18 February we will be going to the European Court because no compensation is being paid. So there's a lot of legal territory to go. We are trying to engage with the ministers by demonstrating and talking. Whatever intelligence we get we will try to turn up and speak to whoever it is. (Rural affairs minister) Alun Michael has avoided us and cancelled engagements so that makes it difficult. It is not intimidatory - on the whole it is groups of angry housewives. Of course there is an element of shouting because people are angry but there is no violence because that does not achieve anything. It will fall plumb in the run up to the most important general election Tony Blair will ever face. It's exactly what the prime minister did not want. He wanted the issue off the table until after the election. People using live animals as targets for sport both here and abroad. The reason for including abroad is because of trophy hunting. It is another sort of form of shooting for sport. The principle is the same whether it's a tiger or a pheasant. We will widely publicise what's happening in relation to trophy hunting. We will publicise the darker aspects of the target animal industry the UK. We will seek to get pledges from individual MPs and would-be MPs saying that they are against the use of animals as targets for sports. We would like the support of political parties but I think a general election is very much to do with pledges MPs make to their electors. With hunting we had many MPs who were happy to say they were against it. I think what we will get is a very real climbing up the agenda. Whether or not we will get a ban I am not sure. But it will mobilise public opinion. Everything we do will reduce animal suffering and in time that will lead to a ban. The issue that we think is the most important for this election is choice. The language of consumerism is very commonplace in government and across the political spectrum. Choice as an ideology is beginning to be the privatisation of this decade. It's become an issue in itself but what's really missing from the debate is the consumer's choice in that. Choice is not choice at all if all you have to choose from is two failing schools. We have seen so many pensions mis-selling scandals and in the pensions industry there's a maximum of choice but a minimum quality in that. We want choice on the consumer's terms - that means clear and accessible information to operate that choice. Firstly, we have our website. It features our campaigns and changes every day. Secondly through our 700,000 members who communicate with us. Thirdly through the media and also what we will be doing is holding a pre-election conference. We will invite the opinion formers, MPs, journalists and others. The idea is that we open up communications between members of the public and the politicians. I think we will be successful. It's very much the language being used by the main political parties. Politicians on all sides are very sensitive to this issue they want to be seen to be responding to this issue. Fuel duty is a large part of operational costs for road haulage workers. We have been hearing about this proposed increase of 1.92p per litre that Gordon Brown has been postponing and postponing. Tuppence does not sound like a great deal but every year if you operate one vehicle that's an increase of about £750. If you're running 10 vehicles it's obviously 10 times that. If fuel duty does rise we will be absolutely horrified. There will be a huge effect throughout the industry and I would not be surprised if you see widespread demonstrations. What it will mean is there will be a number of firms going out of business. We will continue to do what we have always done we keep the issue in the trade press. Regrettably it's one of those stories that it is getting harder to get into the national press. Whatever we do, the public don't like lorries - they see us as a complaining minority. But they don't realise that when you see a car on the road it is probably going to work, when you see a lorry it's already at work.

Domain system scam fear A system to make it easier to create website addresses using alphabets like Cyrillic could open a back door for scammers, a trade body has warned. The Internationalised Domain Names system has been a work in progress for years and has recently been approved by the Internet Electronic Task Force. But the UK Internet Forum (UKIF) is concerned that the system will let scammers create fake sites more easily. The problem lies in the computer codes used to represent language. Registering names that look like that of legitimate companies but lead users to fake sites designed to steal passwords and credit card details could become a whole lot easier for determined scammers, says Stephen Dyer, director of UKIF. Domain names are the "real language" addresses of websites, rather than their internet protocol address, which is a series of numbers. They are used so people can more easily navigate the web. So-called ASCII codes are used to represent European languages but for other languages a hybrid of a system called Unicode is used. So, for example, website PayPal could now be coded using a mixture of the Latin alphabet and the Russian alphabet. The resulting domain as displayed to the users would look identical to the real site as a Russian 'a' look just like an English 'a'. But the computer code would be different, and the site it would lead users to could be a fake. This is more than just a theory. A fake Paypal.com has already been registered with net domain giant Verisign by someone who has followed the debate around the Internationalised Domain Name (IDN) system, said Mr Dyer. As the idea was to prove a point rather than be malicious the fake domain has now been handed back to Paypal but it sets a worrying precedent, Mr Dyer said. "Although the IDN problem is well known in technical circles, the commercial world is totally unaware how easily their websites can be faked," said Mr Dyer. "It is important to alert users that there is a new and invisible and almost undetectable way of diverting them to what looks like a perfectly genuine site," he added. There are solutions. For instance, browsers could spot domains that use mixed characters and display them in different colours as a warning to users. Mr Dyer acknowledged that it would be a huge undertaking to update all the world's browsers. Another solution, to introduce IDN-disabled browsers could be a case of "throwing out the baby with the bath water," he said. CENTR, the Council of European National Top Level Domain Registries, agrees. "A rush to introduce IDN-disabled browsers into the marketplace is an overly-zealous step that will harm public confidence in IDNs - a technology that is desperately needed in the non-English speaking world," the organisation said in a statement.

Palestinian economy in decline Despite a short-lived increase in Palestinian jobs in 2003, the economy is performing well below its potential, said a World Bank report. Unemployment stood at 25%, compared with 10% before the uprising against Israeli occupation four years ago. Young people are particularly hard hit with 37% out of work, compared with 14% four years ago. But 104,000 new jobs were created last year during a brief easing of violence and closures. However, during the first half of this year, the Palestinian economy lost more than 22,000 jobs. Last year's growth rate of 6% can also be attributed to this temporary gap in violence, the report said. According to the report, Intifada, Closures and Palestinian Economic Crisis: An Assessment, there is a close link between the number of closures - both border closures and internal closures between cities - and Palestinian economic problems. The closures arranged by Israel restrict the movement of Palestinian people and goods, slowing down trade. "Closures are a key factor behind today's economic crisis in the West Bank," said Nigel Roberts, World Bank country director for the West Bank and Gaza. Nearly half of all Palestinians - some 47% - live below the poverty line and are particularly vulnerable to economic shocks. The report said even more would be on the poverty line without an average of $950m a year from international donors, some of which goes towards job creation. It also called on the Palestinian Authority to revive its reform programme and maintain financial discipline to create an investment-friendly climate. This week Colin Powell, US Secretary of State was visiting the West Bank to stress US support for a smooth Palestinian election in January.

Lost Doors frontman movie found Historians in Florida have discovered a 40-year-old clip of a clean-cut Jim Morrison appearing in a promotional film for his university. The 1964 film shows the Doors frontman, who died aged 27 in 1971, playing the part of a young man who had been rejected by Florida State University. Morrison is seen quizzing a college administrator on why he was refused. "But what happened? How come my parents and the state and the university didn't look ahead?" he is seen asking. "It's incredible. He's so clean cut and soft-spoken," said Florida state archivist Jody Norman. "We know he was at Florida State University for a period of time and he did some acting when he was there," Norman added. The Doors were one of the most influential bands of the 1960s, with hits including Light My Fire and Riders On The Storm. Morrison was notorious for his wild lifestyle - and was accused of exposing himself and simulating a sex act at a Miami concert in 1969. He was found dead in the bath of his Paris apartment and died from heart problems, aggravated by alcohol. A coroner recorded a verdict of death by natural causes and his grave at the city's Pere Lachaise ceremony has become a shrine for fans.

Peugeot deal boosts Mitsubishi Struggling Japanese car maker Mitsubishi Motors has struck a deal to supply French car maker Peugeot with 30,000 sports utility vehicles (SUV). The two firms signed a Memorandum of Understanding, and say they expect to seal a final agreement by Spring 2005. The alliance comes as a badly-needed boost for loss-making Mitsubishi, after several profit warnings and poor sales. The SUVs will be built in Japan using Peugeot's diesel engines and sold mainly in the European market. Falling sales have left Mitsubishi Motors with underused capacity, and the production deal with Peugeot gives it a chance to utilise some of it. In January, Mitsubishi Motors issued its third profits warning in nine months, and cut its sales forecasts for the year to March 2005. Its sales have slid 41% in the past year, catalysed by the revelation that the company had systematically been hiding records of faults and then secretly repairing vehicles. As a result, the Japanese car maker has sought a series of financial bailouts. Last month it said it was looking for a further 540bn yen ($5.2bn; £2.77bn) in fresh financial backing, half of it from other companies in the Mitsubishi group. US-German carmaker DaimlerChrylser, a 30% shareholder in Mitsubishi Motors, decided in April 2004 not to pump in any more money. The deal with Peugeot was celebrated by Mitsubishi's newly-appointed chief executive Takashi Nishioka, who took over after three top bosses stood down last month to shoulder responsibility for the firm's troubles. Mitsubishi Motors has forecast a net loss of 472bn yen in its current financial year to March 2005. Last month, it signed a production agreement with Japanese rival Nissan Motor to supply it with 36,000 small cars for sale in Japan. It has been making cars for Nissan since 2003.

DVD copy protection strengthened DVDs will be harder to copy thanks to new anti-piracy measures devised by copy protection firm Macrovision. The pirated DVD market is enormous because current copy protection was hacked more than five years ago. Macrovision says its new RipGuard technology will thwart most, but not all, of the current DVD ripping (copying) programs used to pirate DVDs. "RipGuard is designed to... reduce DVD ripping and the resulting supply of illegal peer to peer," said the firm. Macrovision said the new technology will work in "nearly all" current DVD players when applied to the discs, but it did not specify how many machines could have a problem with RipGuard. Some BBC News website users have expressed concerns that the new technology will mean that DVDs will not work on PCs running the operating system Linux. The new technology will be welcomed by Hollywood film studios which are increasingly relying on revenue from DVD sales. The film industry has stepped up efforts to fight DVD piracy in the last 12 months, taking legal action against websites which offer pirated copies of DVD movies for download. "Ultimately, we see RipGuard DVD... evolving beyond anti-piracy, and towards enablement of legitimate online transactions, interoperability in tomorrow's digital home, and the upcoming high-definition formats," said Steve Weinstein, executive vice president and general manager of Macrovision's Entertainment Technologies Group. Macrovision said RipGuard would also prevent against "rent, rip and return" - where people would rent a DVD, copy it and then return the original. RipGuard is expected to be rolled out on DVDs from the middle of 2005, the company said. The new system works specifically to block most ripping programs - if used, those programs will now most likely crash, the company said. Macrovision has said that Rip Guard can be updated if hackers find a way around the new anti-copying measures.

Multi-purpose TV aids India Two-thirds of the world's population, 4 billion people, live on $2,000 a year or less. You might think that the last thing on their minds would be getting a television set or a computer. But that's not the case. Many people in the developing world give up one of their daily meals so they can afford to buy a TV. And now, an Indian-born computer engineer thinks he's come up with a way to give them cheap access to the internet. Carnegie Mellon Professor Raj Reddy has spent the bulk of his professional career trying to find ways to make technology accessible to poor people. The first step is to figure out why poor people would want a personal computer and Professor Reddy thinks he has a pretty good idea of why they might. "I come from a village," says Prof Reddy, "I know what the population is like, many of them are illiterate, and many of them have other concerns." "There, nobody will use it for the conventional uses of a PC, word processing and Powerpoint," he said. "So it's clear to me that if people wanted to use PCs in a village - it has to usable by illiterate people and it must be primarily for entertainment, education, telemedicine, and access to expert advice." Prof Reddy also thinks that tying it into some kind of aid package was the wrong approach. After all, he asked -- what aid group could possibly give expensive computers to 250 million less fortunate Indians, let alone the billions of poor people around the world? Instead, Prof Reddy decided to think of those 250 million Indians as a potential market. The problem then becomes one of making the product compelling enough. "It must be so compelling that you would give up your third meal in order to have this," Prof Reddy says. "People do this today with television sets. If you go to India, and many other countries, they will first go get a television set before they worry about one more meal. Why? Because personalized entertainment has become very important." This hatched a completely new idea. He calls it a PCtvt - A personal computer, television and telephone all in one that runs on a normal desktop machine. Literate users can surf through the applications with a keyboard and mouse but illiterate users can use what looks like a television remote control. On the screen, pictures - not words - designate applications like TV, voice mail, and video e-mail. This dependence on graphics, video and audio means that a computer for an illiterate person needs 100 times more power and more memory than one for a PhD. Prassana Rambathla, one of Prof Reddy's graduate students, says that "when you're talking illiterate you're talking audio and video, and that demands exponentially high bandwidth.' "It can't choke at any point in time, and it has to withstand anything no matter what you're pressing." "The major part is making it foolproof, very tough, so that it never breaks," he says. The Carnegie Mellon team says this project is only possible because PCs are now so much cheaper and have built-in audio and video hardware and software. Limited trials of the PCtvt are due to start this month in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Although Andhra Pradesh has a fairly good infrastructure but work has to be done to ensure reliable connections to the net. Prof Reddy has teamed up with Eric Brewer at the University of California at Berkeley. The answer, says Prof Brewer, is wi-fi. "We're looking at the thing you'll see in Starbuck's or many other hotspots," he says. "We're doing a lot of work on long-distance wireless and how to make the network work better in the presence of intermittency, when the power goes up and down, and the links go up and down, and the computers you're connected to just get turned off for no reason." Prof Reddy says he hopes to lease the PCtvts for about $10 a month, and thinks Indians will rent the units for the television and DVD capabilities. Reddy says he can then introduce the PCtvt's other technologies - such as video mail. For example, a farmer could use the PCtvt's webcam to send a picture of a harmful insect to a local official who could send back a proposed course of action to the farmer. Prof Reddy thinks this kind of communication is the real pay-off. "The underlying problem," he says, "is how you can increase their wealth and reduce their poverty and reduce their illiteracy, and improve their health care.' "And what I'm postulating is that this is the technology that will enable them. If I didn't have it, it would be an uphill battle. Even with the technology it's an uphill battle. But I have a tool. There is hope. I can reach them in ways that have not been possible before." Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH-Boston co-production

Fear will help France - Laporte France coach Bernard Laporte believes his team will be scared going into their game with England on Sunday, but claims it will work in their favour. The French turned in a stuttering performance as they limped to a 16-9 win against Scotland in the opening match of the Six Nations on Saturday. "We will go to Twickenham with a little fear and it'll give us a boost," said the French coach. He added: "We are never good enough when we are favourites." Meanwhile, Perpignan centre Jean-Philippe Granclaude is delighted to have received his first call-up to the France squad. "It's incredible," the youngster said. "I was not expecting it at all. "Playing with the France team has always been a dream and now it has come true and I am about to face England at Twickenham in the Six Nations." Laporte will announce his starting line-up on Wednesday at the French team's training centre in Marcoussis, near Paris.

Berlin cheers for anti-Nazi film A German movie about an anti-Nazi resistance heroine has drawn loud applause at Berlin Film Festival. Sophie Scholl - The Final Days portrays the final days of the member of the White Rose movement. Scholl, 21, was arrested and beheaded with her brother, Hans, in 1943 for distributing leaflets condemning the "abhorrent tyranny" of Adolf Hitler. Director Marc Rothemund said: "I have a feeling of responsibility to keep the legacy of the Scholls going." "We must somehow keep their ideas alive," he added. The film drew on transcripts of Gestapo interrogations and Scholl's trial preserved in the archive of communist East Germany's secret police. Their discovery was the inspiration behind the film for Rothemund, who worked closely with surviving relatives, including one of Scholl's sisters, to ensure historical accuracy on the film. Scholl and other members of the White Rose resistance group first started distributing anti-Nazi leaflets in the summer of 1942. They were arrested as they dropped leaflets at Munich University calling for a "day of reckoning" with Adolf Hitler's regime. The film focuses on the six days from Scholl's arrest to the intense trial which saw Scholl initially deny the charges and ended with a defiant appearance. It is one of three German films vying for a top prize at the Festival. A South African film version of Bizet's tragic opera Carmen shot in Cape Town in the Xhosa language has also premiered at the Berlin Festival. The film is entitled U-Carmen eKhayelitsha or Carmen in Khayelitsha after the township in which the story is set. It is performed by a 40-strong music and theatre troupe in their debut film performance. The film is the first South African feature in 25 years and only the second to be nominated for a Golden Bear Award.

REM concerts blighted by illness US rock band REM have been forced to cancel concerts after bass player Mike Mills was taken to hospital suffering from "severe flu-like symptoms". The band were forced to cut short Monday night's show in Sheffield, and have cancelled Tuesday's Glasgow date. Mills could "hardly stand up, let alone play", said an REM spokesman, who added he is now "resting" in hospital. The remainder of the band played a short acoustic set on Monday. Tuesday's gig has been rescheduled for 15 June. Those who had a ticket for the show in Glasgow are being advised to retain their ticket stub so they can attend the new date. The band's spokesman said that they would review their remaining dates on a "day-to-day basis", based on doctors' advice to Mills. "Obviously we all want Mike to get better, and clearly we all want to play the shows. Rest assured we will do so as soon as possible," he said. The band were still hopeful they would be able to make their Wednesday date, added the spokesman. REM played accoustic versions of their hits Losing My Religion, I've Been High, Leaving New York and The One I Love to the Sheffield Arena audience on Monday. The band had originally been scheduled to play four dates in the UK as part of a world tour. In 1995 former drummer Bill Berry collapsed in Switzerland while the band was on tour, having suffered a ruptured aneurysm. He made a full recovery, only to leave the band two years later.

Preview: Ireland v England (Sun) Lansdowne Road, Dublin Sunday, 27 February 1500 GMT BBC1, Radio 4 LW and this website Ireland are going for their first Grand Slam since 1948 after two opening wins, and England represent their sternest test of the Championship so far. England were sloppy and leaderless in the defeats against Wales and France and another loss would be unthinkable. The pressure is on coach Andy Robinson and his side have to deliver. Despite England's dramatic dip in form since the World Cup final - they have lost eight of their last 13 matches - Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan says his side should not underestimate the visitors. "Had they kicked their points they would have beaten France and that would have created a different landscape for Sunday," he said. "This is England we are talking about. They have a depth of talent and a very good record against Ireland. "They will target a victory in Dublin as the turning point in their Six Nations." The differences between the sides is also highlighted in the team selections for the Dublin encounter. Ireland, despite having Gordon D'Arcy still out injured, have been boosted by the return of star skipper Brian O'Driscoll who missed the Scotland game with a hamstring injury. "The knowledge that the England game was coming up really helped during rehabilitation," he said. "The will to play in this game was enormous. It doesn't get much bigger than England at home." As well as entering the tournament without players like Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall and Richard Hill, England have now lost two tighthead props in Julian White and Phil Vickery while blind-side flanker Lewis Moody is a major concern. Robinson, who received a lot of flak for the inclusion and then dropping of centre Mathew Tait, has kept faith with kicking fly-half Charlie Hodgson despite his horror show at Twickenham. If England slump in Dublin, it will be their worst run of results in the Championship since 1987. But Robinson was bullish during the week about the game, saying that his side "are going there to get in their faces", and has identified the line-out and tackle area as the key to England's chances. And despite the recent results, skipper Jason Robinson believes there is nothing wrong with the mood in the camp. "There is no lack of confidence in the team," said the Sale full-back. "We have had a good week's training and we are all looking forward to the challenge. "I still believe in this team. I know if we get our game right we will win the games." G Murphy; G Dempsey, B O'Driscoll, S Horgan, D Hickie; R O'Gara, P Stringer; R Corrigan, S Byrne, J Hayes; M O'Kelly, P O'Connell; S Easterby, J O'Connor, A Foley. F Sheahan, M Horan, D O'Callaghan, E Miller, G Easterby, D Humphreys, K Maggs. J Robinson (capt); M Cueto, J Noon, O Barkley, J Lewsey; C Hodgson, H Ellis; G Rowntree, S Thompson, M Stevens; D Grewcock, B Kay; J Worsley, L Moody, M Corry. A Titterrell, D Bell, S Borthwick, A Hazell, M Dawson, A Goode, O Smith.

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.

France v Wales (Sat) Stade de France, Paris Saturday, 26 February 1600 GMT BBC1, Radio 4 LW and this website France may have beaten Scotland and England but they were tedious and uninspired throughout both matches. Wales, on the other hand, have played some fine rugby and have made their best start since they last won the title in 1994. They also have a good record at the Stade de France, having won their first two games there, in 1999 and 2001. Wales have made two changes from the team that thrashed Italy 38-8 in Rome. Kevin Morgan takes over from his injured Newport-Gwent Dragons colleague Hal Luscombe on the right wing. In the pack Neath-Swansea Ospreys forward Ryan Jones bas been brought on the blind-side flank to beef up the Wales back row in place of Jonathan Thomas. Wales coach Mike Ruddock is determined that his team will not go into their shells after their promising start to the championship. "Graham Henry (former Wales coach) said a couple of years ago that we should 'be bold' when going to France, and he was proved right," said Ruddock. "That is a great way to approach the game, and something we will further endorse with the players this week." Despite their stuttering displays in their first two games defending champions France are also unbeaten. Under-pressure coach Bernard Laporte has made four changes, with Yannick Nyanga, the debutant Julien Laharrague, Aurelien Rougerie and Yannick Jauzion coming into the side. France have been criticised for the absence of traditional "French flair" as they have ground their way to victory so far this year but captain Fabien Pelous sees hope on the horizon. "I get the impression we are getting better," he said. "Against Wales, which is different from the teams we have beaten, I hope we can show our proper game." J Laharrague; A Rougerie, Y Jauzion, D Traille, C Dominici; Y Delaigue, D Yachvili; S Marconnet, S Bruno, N Mas; F Pelous (capt), J Thion; S Betsen, Y Nyanga, J Bonnaire (Bourgoin). W Servat, O Milloud, G Lamboley, I Harinordoquy, P Mignoni, F Michalak, J-P Grandclaude. G Thomas (capt); K Morgan, T Shanklin, G Henson, S Williams; S Jones, D Peel; G Jenkins, M Davies, A Jones; B Cockbain, R Sidoli; R Jones, M Williams, M Owen. R McBryde, J Yapp, J Thomas, R Sowden-Taylor, G Cooper, C Sweeney, R Williams.

Reyes tricked into Real admission Jose Antonio Reyes has added to speculation linking him with a move from Arsenal to Real Madrid after falling victim to a radio prank. The Spaniard believed he was talking to Real Madrid sporting director Emilio Butragueno when he allegedly berated his team-mates as "bad people". "I wish I was playing for Real Madrid," the 21-year-old told Cadena Cope. "Hopefully it could happen. I love the way Madrid play. I'm not happy with the way things are." The striker joined the Gunners from Seville for £17m at the start of 2004, but it has frequently been reported that he is homesick. He began the season in superb form but has struggled to maintain his high standards as Arsenal have gradually lost the Premiership initiative to Manchester United and Chelsea. "If I'm not (playing for Real) I'm going to have to carry on playing with some bad people," he added. "I'm sure there are none in the Real dressing room. "I'm happy Madrid is interested in me because it has always been my dream since I was little to play there." Before the story surfaced, Reyes had moved to play down reports linking him with the Spanish giants, issuing a statement through Arsenal describing the speculation as "flattering". "I have seen the stories in the media linking me with Real Madrid," he had said on Thursday lunchtime. "But not only am I under contract at Arsenal, I am happy here and committed to helping the team win more trophies." Butragueno, meanwhile, was angry at being impersonated by the radio disc jockey. "It is a disgrace, there is no foundation to this," he said. "He is an Arsenal player and we have to be respectful. We have to be careful because of the rumours that appear in the news."

Software watching while you work Software that can not only monitor every keystroke and action performed at a PC but also be used as legally binding evidence of wrong-doing has been unveiled. Worries about cyber-crime and sabotage have prompted many employers to consider monitoring employees. The developers behind the system claim it is a break-through in the way data is monitored and stored. But privacy advocates are concerned by the invasive nature of such software. The system is a joint venture between security firm 3ami and storage specialists BridgeHead Software. They have joined forces to create a system which can monitor computer activity, store it and retrieve disputed files within minutes. More and more firms are finding themselves in deep water as a result of data misuse. Sabotage and data theft are most commonly committed from within an organisation according to the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) A survey conducted on its behalf by NOP found evidence that more than 80% of medium and large companies have been victims of some form of cyber-crime. BridgeHead Software has come up with techniques to prove, to a legal standard, that any stored file on a PC has not been tampered with. Ironically the impetus for developing the system came as a result of the Freedom of Information Act, which requires companies to store all data for a certain amount of time. The storage system has been incorporated into an application developed by security firm 3ami which allows every action on a computer to be logged. Potentially it could help employers to follow the trail of stolen files and pinpoint whether they had been emailed to a third party, copied, printed, deleted or saved to CD, floppy disk, memory stick or flash card. Other activities the system can monitor include the downloading of pornography, the use of racist or bullying language or the copying of applications for personal use. Increasingly organisations that handle sensitive data, such as governments, are using biometric log-ins such as fingerprinting to provide conclusive proof of who was using a particular machine at any given time. Privacy advocates are concerned that monitoring at work is not only damaging to employee's privacy but also to the relationship between employers and their staff. "That is not the case," said Tim Ellsmore, managing director of 3ami. "It is not about replacing dialogue but there are issues that you can talk through but you still need proof," he said. "People need to recognise that you are using a PC as a representative of a company and that employers have a legal requirement to store data," he added.

Saudi investor picks up the Savoy London's famous Savoy hotel has been sold to a group combining Saudi billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and a unit of HBOS bank. Financial details of the deal, which includes the nearby Simpson's in the Strand restaurant, were not disclosed. The seller - Irish-based property firm Quinlan Private - bought the Savoy along with the Berkeley, Claridge's and the Connaught for £750m last year. Prince Alwaleed's hotel investments include the luxury George V in Paris. He also has substantial stakes in Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, which will manage the Savoy and Simpson's in the Strand, and Four Seasons. Fairmont said it planned to invest $48m (£26m) in renovating parts of the Savoy including the River Room and suites with views over the River Thames. Work was expected to be completed by summer 2006, Fairmont said.

Wall Street cheers Bush victory The US stock market has closed higher in response to George W Bush's victory in the presidential elections. The benchmark Dow Jones share index closed more than 1% higher at 10,137, while the Nasdaq rose 0.9% to 2,004. Many investors believe that Mr Bush's policies are more business-friendly than those of his Democrat challenger, John Kerry. The higher share prices also reflect relief that a clear winner has emerged from what proved to be a tight poll. Investors had worried that the outcome of the poll would be inconclusive, paving the way for a repeat of the legal wrangling that marred the 2000 election. The Dow lost 5% of its value in the three weeks immediately after that election, when it was unclear who would occupy the White House. Mr Kerry conceded defeat on Wednesday, abandoning last-ditch hopes of carrying the vote in the swing state of Ohio. "The relief for the markets may be that we have a decision and can move forward," said Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of Solaris Asset Management. Some analysts predicted that the jump in share prices would be short-lived, saying investors would quickly focus once again on the health of the US economy. "I would look at the stock market rally for Bush as kind of a one-day event," said Ken Mayland at Clearview Economics. The US' recent economic performance has been mixed, with solid growth offset by disappointingly low job creation figures, and mounting worries over a record budget deficit. Elsewhere in the financial markets on Wednesday, the dollar dipped slightly against the euro and climbed against the yen, while US oil prices closed up $1.26 at $50.88 a barrel in New York. The rise in oil prices partly reflects the view that President Bush is less likely than Mr Kerry to release supplies from the US' strategic oil reserve. Share prices in London, Frankfurt and Paris also closed higher. Successive polls in the run-up to Tuesday's election had shown the two candidates running neck and neck. Economic issues, as well as the war in Iraq, were the forefront of the campaign. In key swing states such as Ohio, which has suffered substantial job losses in the past four years, President Bush's handling of the economy became a crucial election issue. Senator Kerry attacked President Bush's economic record during his campaign, hammering home the fact that a net 800,000 jobs were lost during his term in office. President Bush focused on the fact that two million jobs have been created in the past year, claiming that it has vindicated his tax-cutting agenda. As for future policies, both candidates pledged to bring America's $422bn federal budget deficit under control. Senator Kerry planned to increase taxes on those earning more than $200,000 a year. President Bush has placed reform of the pensions system at the heart of his economic agenda for a second term. However, economists have said both candidates' economic programmes rested on questionable assumptions about future growth.

Doors open at biggest gadget fair Thousands of technology lovers and industry experts have gathered in Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The fair showcases the latest technologies and gadgets that will hit the shops in the next year. About 50,000 new products will be unveiled as the show unfolds. Microsoft chief Bill Gates is to make a pre-show keynote speech on Wednesday when he is expected to announce details of the next generation Xbox. The thrust of this year's show will be on technologies which put people in charge of multimedia content so they can store, listen to, and watch what they want on devices any time, anywhere. About 120,000 people are expected to attend the trade show which stretches over more than 1.5 million square feet. Highlights will include the latest trends in digital imaging, storage technologies, thinner flat screen and high-definition TVs, wireless and portable technologies, gaming, and broadband technologies. The show also includes several speeches from key technology companies such as Intel, Microsoft, and Hewlett Packard among others. "The story this year remains all about digital and how that is completely transforming and revolutionising products and the way people interact with them," Jeff Joseph, from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) told the BBC News website. "It is about personalisation - taking your MP3 player and creating your own playlist, taking your digital video recorder and watch what you want to watch when - you are no longer at the whim of the broadcasters." Consumer electronics and gadgets had a phenomenal year in 2004, according to figures released by CES organisers, the CEA, on Tuesday. The gadget explosion signalled the strongest growth yet in the US in 2004. Shipments of consumer electronics rose by almost 11% between 2003 and 2004. That trend is predicted to continue, according to CEA analysts, with wholesale shipments of consumer technologies expected to grow by 11% again in 2005. The fastest-growing technologies in 2004 included blank DVD media, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TVs, digital video recorders (DVRs), and portable music players. "This year we will really begin to see that come to life in what we call place shifting - so if you have your PVR [personal video recorder] in your living room, you can move that content around the house. "Some exhibitors will be showcasing how you can take that content anywhere," said Mr Joseph. He said the products which will be making waves in the next year will be about the "democratisation" of content - devices and technologies that will give people the freedom to do more with music, video, and images. There will also be more focus on the design of technologies, following the lead that Apple's iPod made, with ease of use and good looks which appeal to a wider range of people a key concern. The CEA predicted that there would be several key technology trends to watch in the coming year. Gaming would continue to thrive, especially on mobile devices, and would reach out to more diverse gamers such as women. Games consoles sales have been declining, but the launch of next generation consoles, such as Microsoft's Xbox and PlayStation, could buoy up sales. Although it has been widely predicted that Mr Gates would be showcasing the new Xbox, some media reports have cast doubt on what he would be talking about in the keynote. Some have suggested the announcement may take place at the Games Developers Conference in the summer instead. With more than 52% of US homes expected to have home networks, the CEA suggested hard drive boxes - or media servers - capable of storing thousands of images, video and audio files to be accessed through other devices around the home, will be more commonplace. Portable devices that combine mobile telephony, digital music and video players, will also be more popular in 2005. Their popularity will be driven by more multimedia content and services which will let people watch and listen to films, TV, and audio wherever they are. This means more storage technologies will be in demand, such as external hard drives, and flash memory like SD cards. CES runs officially from 6 to 9 January.

Sony PSP handheld console hits US The latest handheld gaming gadget, Sony's PlayStation Portable, goes on sale in the US on Thursday. The entertainment device, which also stores images, music and video, is intended to compete with Nintendo's DS, released earlier this month in the UK. Gamers have been queuing outside shops across the US to get their hands on the gadget, which costs $250 (about £132). The first million sold will come with the Spider-Man 2 film on UMD, Sony's own disc format for the device. The PSP can be linked up with others for multiplayer gaming, via a wireless connection. Sony has touted the machine as the Walkman of the 21st Century and has sold more than 800,000 units in Japan since its launch there last year. But it faces stiff competition from the Nintendo DS, which sold more than the GameCube in its first few days on release in Europe. It too allows for multiplayer gaming over the air. Nintendo dominates the handheld market, with more than a 90% share of the market in the US alone. The Gizmondo combined media player, phone and gaming gadget also went on sale in the UK last week. It hopes to take a share of the handheld gaming market too. "The story of the PSP is it's not a gaming device as much as it is a portable entertainment device," said Michael Pachter, analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities. He told the Reuters news agency that he expected Sony to sell about 10 million PSPs in enough time to rival Apple's iPod. There is no date for the PSP's release in Europe yet. Sony has promised to have a million units ready for its US launch, but there are fears demand may not be met. It also said it expected to ship three million PSPs worldwide by the end of its fiscal year ending 31 March. The machine's European launch was put back "a few months" last week in order to make sure enough of the devices were ready for its US launch, as well as satisfying the Japanese market. The PSP has almost as much processing power in it as the PlayStation 2 console. Hundreds of gamers gathered at US shops, some waiting for more than 36 hours, to be the first to get their hands on the gadget. A spokesman for one US shop said it expected the device to sell out on its first day. The 24 games for the mini console include Ape Academy, Formula One, Wipeout Pure and Fired Up. Movie studios, including Lions Gate Entertainment and Disney, have also announced forthcoming film titles that will be made available on the UMD format.

India's Maruti sees profits jump India's biggest carmaker Maruti has reported a sharp increase in quarterly profit after a booming economy and low interest rates boosted demand. Net profit surged 70% to 2.39bn rupees ($54.98m; £29.32m) in the last three months of 2004 compared with 1.41bn rupees a year earlier. Total sales were 30.1bn rupees, up 27% from the same 2004 period. Maruti accounts for half of India's domestic car sales, luring consumers with cheap, fuel-efficient vehicles. Demand in India also has been driven by the poor state of public transport and the very low level of car ownership, analysts said. Figures show that only eight people per thousand are car owners. Maruti beat market expectations despite an increase in raw materials costs. The company, majority-owned by Japan's Suzuki, said an increase in steel and other raw material prices was partially offset by cost cutting. Sales in the fiscal third quarter, including vans and utility vehicles, rose by 17.8% to 136.069 units. Maruti is not the only company benefiting as Indian's economic growth gives consumer greater spending power. Utility vehicle and tractor maker Mahindra has reported a 52% rise in net profit during the last three months of 2004. Profit was 1.33bn rupees compared with 874.2m rupees a year earlier.

Ministers lose slopping out case The Scottish Executive has lost an appeal against an inmate's compensation for being forced to slop out in prison. Armed robber Robert Napier, 25, won £2,450 after he claimed he suffered an outbreak of the skin complaint, eczema, when slopping out at Barlinnie Prison. Napier said that the practice, where prisoners use buckets in their cells as toilets, breached his human rights. On Thursday, the Court of Session threw out a move by the executive to apply a more rigorous standard of proof. The executive faces more than 1,000 similar claims for damages from prisoners and former inmates. More than 310 actions have already been raised in the Court of Session and sheriff courts in Scotland. An executive spokesman said: "We will study this judgement in detail. Much has changed to address the issues raised in the Napier case, for example, slopping out has ended at Barlinnie and work in other prisons is being accelerated. "Today's judgement does not affect the outcome of other cases." Napier, a remand prisoner at the time, raised a legal challenge in 2001 under the European Convention on Human Rights, in which he sought £5,000. He was awarded compensation last April after winning his case. Executive ministers raised an appeal arguing that the standard of proof to be applied in cases alleging a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights through degrading and inhumane treatment should "be beyond reasonable doubt". This is the standard normally applied in criminal trials in Scotland. However, civil litigation is settled on the test of "a balance of probabilities". Judge Lord Cullen, sitting with Lord Osborne and Lord Hamilton, ruled that alleged human rights breaches involving degrading treatment should be dealt with on the normal civil standard. Napier's lawyer Tony Kelly believes the action will soon be followed by others. Mr Kelly said: "There are hundreds of people still undergoing slopping out, overcrowding and poor regime and those people will certainly be heartened by today's judgement." Scottish National Party Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill said that the slopping out case had been "a fiasco from start to finish". He said: "Ministers were fully aware of the state of Scotland's jails. Funds were available but they chose to ignore the problem and after this ruling I suspect we will be faced with even more claims and no doubt more payouts. "A short term executive saving has resulted in a long term public cost."

Gaming firm to sell UK dog tracks Six UK greyhound tracks have been put up for sale by gaming group Wembley as part of a move which will lead to the break-up of the group. Wembley announced the planned sale as it revealed it was to offload its US gaming division to BLB Investors. US gaming consortium BLB will pay $339m (£182.5m) for the US unit, although the deal is subject to certain conditions. BLB holds a 22% stake in Wembley and last year came close to buying the whole firm in a £308m takeover deal. Shares in Wembley were up 56 pence, or 7.6%, at 797p by mid-morning. The sale of the US gaming unit will leave Wembley with its UK business. This includes greyhound tracks at Wimbledon in London, Belle Vue in Manchester, Perry Barr and Hall Green in Birmingham, Oxford and Portsmouth. Analysts have valued the six tracks at between £40m-£50m. The US business accounts for about 90% of Wembley's operating profit and consists of operations in Rhode Island and Colorado. BLB's purchase of the US unit is subject to the agreement of a revenue-sharing deal being struck with Rhode Island authorities. Wembley said that, once the deal was completed, it anticipated returning surplus cash to shareholders. "Whilst the completion of the sale of the US Gaming Division remains subject to a number of conditions, we believe this development is a positive step towards the maximisation of value for shareholders," said Wembley chairman Claes Hultman. Wembley sold the English national football stadium in 1999 to concentrate on its gaming operations.

Aviator 'creator' in Oscars snub The man who said he got Oscar-nominated movie The Aviator off the ground and signed up Leonardo DiCaprio has been shut out of the Academy Awards race. Charles Evans Jr battled over his role with the people who eventually made the film, and won a producer's credit. But he is not on the list of producers who can win a best film Oscar due to a limit on the number of nominees. The Oscars organisers have picked two of The Aviator's four producers to be nominated for best film. Up to three producers can be named per film but the studios behind The Aviator and Million Dollar Baby failed to trim their credits - so the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (Ampas) has done it for them. The Aviator's nominated producers are Michael Mann and Graham King - with Mr Evans and Sandy Climan, Mr Mann's former deputy, left off. Mr Evans sued Mr Mann in 2001, claiming he came up with the idea, spent years developing it and persuaded DiCaprio to play Hughes - but said he was later excluded from the project. The two sides settled out of court in a deal that has remained secret apart from the fact Mr Evans' name has appeared as a producer when the film's credits roll. At the Golden Globes, Mr Evans - who was named among the winners when the film won best drama film - evaded a security guard to have his photo taken with DiCaprio, director Martin Scorsese, Mr Mann and Mr King. Ampas decided to limit the number of producers who could be nominated after Shakespeare in Love's victory in 1999 saw five producers collect awards. The eligible names for The Aviator and Million Dollar Baby were decided by Ampas' producers branch executive committee on Wednesday. The decision also saw Clint Eastwood get his third personal nomination for Million Dollar Baby. He is now named in the best film category as well as being nominated for best director and best lead actor. The Academy Awards ceremony will be held in Hollywood on 27 February. Chinese actress Ziyi Zhang, star of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero and House of Flying Daggers, is the latest name to be added to the list of presenters on the night.

Ronaldo considering new contract Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo said he is close to agreeing to a new contract at Old Trafford. The Portugal star, who joined in August 2003 on a five-year-deal, is a regular in the United first-team. "The United board have already made an offer to renew the contract but I'm trying not to think about it," he told the News of the World. "My agent has spoken with the club and it will be resolved soon. I think we'll reach a good agreement for both sides." Ronaldo refused to commit his long-term future to the club. "Nobody knows what will come tomorrow. I like being here, but who knows," he added. "There aren't many bigger and better clubs than this one. It's my ambition to be at a big club. I'm happy but nobody knows the future."

Brizzel to run AAA's in Sheffield Ballymena sprinter Paul Brizzel will be among eight of Ireland's European Indoor hopefuls competing in this weekend's AAA's Championships. US-based Alistair Cragg and Mark Carroll are the only Irish athletes selected so far for the Europeans who will not run in Sheffield. Brizzel will defend his 200m title in the British trials. In-form James McIlroy will hope to confirm his place in the British team for Madrid by winning the 800m title. McIlroy has been in tremendous form on the European circuit in recent weeks. He is one of the fastest 800m runners in the world this winter and already seems assured of a place in Madrid. Corkman Mark Carroll confirmed in midweek that he would join Cragg in the European Championships. Carroll is ranked number three in the world 3000m ranking at the moment with Cragg occupying top spot. Meanwhile, nine-times champion Dermot Donnelly will not be coming out of retirement to compete in the Northern Ireland Cross Country Championships in Coleraine on Saturday. An injury crisis in the Annadale Striders squad led to Donnelly being entered by coach John McLaughlin but the athlete told BBC Sport on Friday evening that he would not be running. Willowfield's Paul Rowan will go in as individual favourite but Annadale could have a tough job holding on to their team title as Andrew Dunwoody and Noel Pollock are unlikely to run.

'UK will stand firm on EU rebate' Britain's £3bn EU rebate is not up for renegotiation at next week's European Council summit, Jack Straw said. The foreign secretary told MPs the rebate, secured by Margaret Thatcher in 1984, was "entirely justified". New European commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has suggested the cash could be shared out among net contributors to the EU budget. Mr Straw acknowledged some countries in the newly enlarged 25 nation EU still had to "see the light" on the rebate. But the foreign secretary told the Commons foreign affairs committee: "Our position is very clear: it is entirely justified and it is not for negotiation." He added that he did not think there would be a political price to pay for the UK's stance - Britain contributed more and received less than other EU states. The two-day European Council summit in Brussels begins on 16 December and is widely expected to mark the beginning of a lengthy negotiating period over the EU's budget for 2007-13. The wrangling could stretch into 2005, even 2006. The UK, France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Sweden want the EU budget to be capped at 1% of member states' combined national incomes - the Commission wants it to be 1.26%. Mr Straw said the EU commission's proposal would mean a 35% hike in the budget. "I don't know of any national government thinking of increasing its budget by that amount," he added. The foreign secretary said he hoped the talks next week could produce a date in 2005 for the beginning of negotiations with Turkey about possible EU membership although that there would be no prospect of a date for joining for some time.

Athens memories soar above lows Well, it's goodbye to another Olympic year and as usual there were plenty of highs and lows in Athens. Obviously, there's no getting away from the differing fortunes of Kelly Holmes and Paula Radcliffe. But I want to remind you of a few more events that made 2004 another year to remember - or forget - for athletics. One of my favourite Olympic moments was Kelly's success in the 800m. Winning that race was the key to her success because if she won that then the 1500m would be a bit of a formality. Kelly had been full of "should I, shouldn't I?" thoughts about going for the double in Athens. I thought why wouldn't you do the 800m, it's your best event? It was such good fun to commentate on her 1500m and it was nice to be able to be part of her Athens story. The victory for the British men's 4x100m relay team was a bit of a surprise but a great climax to the Games. I think the four of them - Jason Gardener, Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish and Mark Lewis-Francis - knew deep down that it was their best chance of a medal. The lads had run poorly in the individual sprints so maybe they did lift their game when they knew something was really at stake. Hicham El Guerrouj's Olympic double is a much bigger achievement than Kelly's on a global scale. He was the first man since for 80 years to win both the 1500m and 5,000m titles. As soon as he had added the 5,000m crown and I had finished commentating, I jumped up, ran down the stairs, pushed everyone out the way and just gave him a big hug. He is one of the few African runners who has embraced the tradition of the mile and he loves to hear all the Roger Bannister stories. Hicham is someone I enjoy having a bit of time with, even though my French and his English are not very good. What happened to Paula in Athens this year is the obvious low on a personal level and for the expectations of the nation as well. There were a set of circumstances around Athens that conspired to produce a very dramatic ending which I think has been greatly misunderstood. Dropping out of the marathon was the right thing to do but starting in the 10,000m five days later was not wise. That was her heart and not her head reacting. Paula had a lot of little things going wrong in her preparation and on the day. Things like niggling injuries, not being able to do all her running sessions and feeling the pressure of the race looming ahead of her. I think she came to the start line in Athens physically and emotionally drained. And if even the smallest thing doesn't feel right when you are preparing to race a marathon, 10 miles down the road it will hit you like a brick wall. The positive thing to take from Paula's Olympics it that she will have learned a lot from it and so will a lot of people - including me. Purely as a race, Paula's victory in the New York Marathon has to go down as one of the most thrilling. It was so nip-and-tuck between her and Kenya's Susan Chepkemei and you don't usually get that kind of excitement in marathons. It was also a real delight for all athletics fans because, to use one of my favourite words, Paula showed real "bouncebackability". And it was a bit of a rarity for me too because I genuinely did not have an inkling how the race was going to pan out. Kelly and the 4x100m boys' victories papered over the cracks in the general performance of the British team. We should be concerned that we're not producing enough people who are capable of reaching finals at senior level. The only individual men's finalist on the track was Michael East in the 1500m. I am beginning to look down and wonder where are the new breed? And that's where things begin to look even gloomier for British athletics as we did not win any medals at the world junior championships in Italy. Dani Barnes came fourth in the 1500m and she was the highest finisher for Team GB. The thing is if we don't have athletes getting into the finals at junior level then it really doesn't look good for the Beijing Olympics and beyond. I tell you what I really enjoyed this year, Benita Johnson winning the world cross country championships back in March. In the absence of Paula, we tend to think of the event as something of an African preserve. So to have an Australian come up and deliver such a surprise was something special. To be honest, I'm getting bored with all the drug scandals, especially Balco. I just wish the whole thing would come to a head so we can move on. Having said that, I'm always pleased when drugs cheats are caught because it shows the sport is standing up to it and not turning a blind eye anymore. And one of the positive things to come out of Balco is people are starting to blow the whistle. We need more people to come forward and help the authorities kick out the cheats. As regards the case against Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou, well suspicions have been hanging over Kenteris for a while. The bottom line is we cannot keep letting drugs damage the sport because if we do then it stops everyone enjoying it.

Wright-Phillips to start on right England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has revealed Shaun Wright-Phillips will start against the Netherlands. But Wright-Phillips will not make his first start for England playing on the left, as had been widely expected. "Shaun Wright-Phillips will probably start the game," said Eriksson. "But I'm not going to start Wright-Phillips on the left." Eriksson also revealed that Wes Brown will start alongside Jamie Carragher in the injury-hit centre of defence. When asked if Brown and Carragher would start Eriksson replied: "I could tell you yes. "It's a blow that four or five central defenders are away because of injuries. "On the other hand it's good for Carragher and Brown to show what they can do at this level. That's positive." The England coach said that he had been impressed by Wright-Phillips' form for Manchester City. "He deserves his chance. He has been playing well all season and I look forward to seeing him." And he added that Andy Johnson and Stewart Downing - the other two new players in the squad - would also get a chance to impress. "Wright-Phillips, Downing and Johnson will start or get the chance to play some part. "Johnson was not in my plans a year ago but he is doing a great season and scoring a lot of goals. "Downing is another one making a great season. He is young, talented and there are not too many left-footed players in the squad."

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. 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.

Greek duo cleared in doping case Sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou have been cleared of doping offences by an independent tribunal. The duo had been provisionally suspended by the IAAF for allegedly missing three drugs tests, including one on the eve of the Athens Olympics. But the Greek Athletics Federation tribunal has overturned the bans - a decision which the IAAF can now contest at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The pair's former coach, Christos Tzekos, has been banned for four years. Kenteris, 31, and Thanou, 30, had been charged with avoiding drug tests in Tel Aviv, Chicago and Athens and failing to notify anti-doping officials of their whereabouts before the Olympics. They withdrew from the Olympics after missing a drugs test at the Olympic Village on 12 August. The pair then spent four days in a hospital, claiming they had been injured in a motorcycle crash. It was the International Olympic Committee's demand that the IAAF investigate the affair that led to the hearing of the Greek tribunal. The head of that tribunal, Kostas Panagopoulos, said it had not been proven that the athletes refused to take the test in Athens. "The charge cannot be substantiated," he said. "In no way was he (Kenteris) informed to appear for a doping test. The same goes for Thanou." Kenteris's lawyer, Gregory Ioannidis, said: "The decision means Mr Kenteris has been exonerated of highly damaging and unfounded charges which have been extremely harmful for his career. "He has consistently maintained his innocence and this was substantiated by further evidence we were able to submit to the tribunal following its deliberations in January. "This evidence shows Mr Kenteris was never asked to submit to a test by the International Olympic Committee so he could not possibly have been guilty of deliberately avoiding one. It shows he has no case to answer. "Mr Kenteris should now be given the opportunity he deserves to rebuild his career in the full knowledge that there is no stain on his character. "He has suffered greatly throughout this ordeal that has exposed both himself and his family to enormous pressures." But the IAAF said it was "very surprised" by the verdict. Spokesman Nick Davies said: "We note the decision of the Greek authorities with interest. "Our doping review board will now consider the English version of the decision."

Brit awards for Devon music acts Devon singer Joss Stone and rock band Muse won coveted Brit awards during the event's 25th anniversary. Seventeen-year-old Stone, from near Cullumpton, won two awards: best British female act, and best urban act out of three award nominations. Muse, whose members met in south Devon, beat Franz Ferdinand, Jamie Cullum, Kasabian and The Libertines for best British live act. The band has sold about two million records worldwide. After beating Amy Winehouse, Jamelia, Natasha Bedingfield and PJ Harvey to the best British female prize, Joss Stone said: "I don't know what to say. I don't like doing this at all. I'd like to thank my family for being really supportive and everybody that made my record with me." "I don't even know what to do right now. Thank you all you guys for voting for me, I feel sick right now." Viewers of digital music TV channel MTV Base voted Stone the winner in the best urban act category. Ms Stone also performed her song Right To Be Wrong, backed by a gospel choir, at the 25th award ceremony at London's Earls Court. 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. 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. Indie Rock group Muse consists of Matthew Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard who met in their early teens in Teignmouth, south Devon. Dominic Howard said of winning: "We love playing live, it's very important for our band. So to win something like this really feels great." The trio met aged 13 and formed the band Gothic Plague, changing its name to Fixed Penalty, Rocket Baby Dolls and finally Muse. The band released its first self-titled EP in 1998. The third studio album, Absolution, was released in 2003, providing the hit singles Time Is Running Out, Hysteria, and Butterflies And Hurricanes.

Quake's economic costs emerging Asian governments and international agencies are reeling at the potential economic devastation left by the Asian tsunami and floods. World Bank president James Wolfensohn has said his agency is "only beginning to grasp the magnitude of the disaster" and its economic impact. The tragedy has left at least 25,000 people dead, with Sri Lanka, Thailand, India and Indonesia worst hit. Some early estimates of reconstruction costs are starting to emerge. Millions have been left homeless, while businesses and infrastructure have been washed away. Economists believe several of the 10 countries hit by the giant waves could see a slowdown in growth. In Sri Lanka, some observers have said that as much as 1% of annual growth may be lost. For Thailand, that figure is much lower at 0.1%. Governments are expected to take steps, such as cutting taxes and increasing spending, to facilitate a recovery. "With the enormous displacement of people...there will be a serious relaxation of fiscal policy," Glenn Maguire, chief economist for the region at Societe Generale, told Agence France Presse. "The economic impact of it will certainly be large, but it should not be enough to derail the momentum of the region in 2005," he said. "First and foremost this is a human tragedy." India's economy, however, is less likely to slow because the areas hit are some of the least developed. The regional giant has enjoyed strong growth in 2004. But India now faces other problems, with aid workers under pressure to ensure a clean supply of water and sanitation to prevent an outbreak of disease. Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has estimated the destruction at 20bn baht ($510m). Analysts said that figure is likely to rise and the country's tourist industry is likely to be hardest hit. Thailand's fishing and real estate sectors also will be affected by Sunday's 9.0 magnitude earthquake, which sent huge waves from Malaysia to Africa. Malaysia said as many as 1,000 fishermen will be affected and that damage to the industry will be "significant", Agence France Presse reported. Rapid rebuilding will be key to limiting the impact of the tragedy. "In three months, we should rebuild 70% of the damage in the three worst hit provinces," said Juthamas Siriwan, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The outlook for Sri Lanka is less optimistic, with analysts predicting that the country's tourist industry will struggle to recovery quickly. Tourism is a vital to many developing countries, providing jobs for 19 million people in the south east Asian region, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

Johansson takes Adelaide victory Second seed Joachim Johansson won his second career title with a 7-5 6-3 win over Taylor Dent at the Australian hardcourt championships in Adelaide. The Swede was made to graft, American Dent surviving three break points in the fifth game of the match. But Johansson got the breakthrough with a sublime backhand return winner and won the second set with more ease. His first tournament win was at Memphis in 2004, helping him leap from 113th in the world rankings to number 11. Afterwards, Dent said he rated US Open semi-finalist Johansson as a top contender at the Australian Open, which starts on 17 January. "I believe men's tennis is all about holding serve and if he's playing like that on his own serve I don't see how guys are going to break him," said Dent. Johansson was more restrained in his assessment: "I have to improve my serve if I'm going to go all the way in Melbourne."

Barclays shares up on merger talk Shares in UK banking group Barclays have risen on Monday following a weekend press report that it had held merger talks with US bank Wells Fargo. A tie-up between Barclays and California-based Wells Fargo would create the world's fourth biggest bank, valued at $180bn (£96bn). Barclays has declined to comment on the report in the Sunday Express, saying it does not respond to market speculation. The two banks reportedly held talks in October and November 2004. Barclays shares were up 8 pence, or 1.3%, at 605 pence by late morning in London on Monday, making it the second biggest gainer in the FTSE 100 index. UK banking icon Barclays was founded more than 300 years ago; it has operations in over 60 countries and employs 76,200 staff worldwide. Its North American divisions focus on business banking, whereas Wells Fargo operates retail and business banking services from 6,000 branches. In 2003, Barclays reported a 20% rise in pre-tax profits to £3.8bn, and it has recently forecast similar gains in 2004, predicting that full year pre-tax profits would rise 18% to £4.5bn. Wells Fargo had net income of $6.2bn in its last financial year, a 9% increase on the previous year, and revenues of $28.4bn. Barclays was the focus of takeover speculation in August, when it was linked to Citigroup, though no bid has ever materialised. Stock market traders were sceptical that the latest reports heralded a deal. "The chief executive would be abandoning his duty if he didn't talk to rivals, but a deal doesn't seem likely," Reuters quoted one trader as saying.

Navratilova hits out at critics Martina Navratilova has defended her decision to prolong her tennis career at the age of 48. Navratilova, who made a comeback after retiring in 1994, will play doubles and mixed doubles events in 2005. "Women's tennis is really strong," she said, dismissing suggestions that the fact she could still win reflected badly on the women's game. "All I can say is I'm that damn good. I'm sorry but I really have to blow my own horn here. I'm still that good." Navratilova has won three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles since she came out of retirement. And she was so encouraged by her form that she decided to resume playing singles, winning two of her seven matches. She was knocked out in the first round of the French Open but reached the second round at Wimbledon. Navratilova will partner Nathalie Dechy in the doubles event at the Uncle Toby's Hardcourts tournament on Australia's Gold Coast, which begins on Sunday. She will then link up with Daniela Hantuchova for the Australian Open doubles, and play in the mixed doubles with Leander Paes. "I might be playing some singles events this season, depending on the surface," she added.

Labour targets 'hardcore truants' A fresh crackdown on persistent truants in England has been launched by Education Secretary Ruth Kelly. Serial truants make up one in 13 pupils. Previous initiatives brought 40,000 pupils back to school since 1997, according to official statistics. Parenting contracts, penalty notices and "fast track" prosecution systems have been used to tackle what has been a stubborn problem. It is thought that nearly half a million children skip school each day. Tories say Labour's previous success regarding the issue came because it tackled the easy part of the problem by reducing authorised absence, where parents are permitted to take children out of school. Such absences are often due to family holidays. However, serial truants avoid the classroom despite government schemes costing £885m. Those missing classes are more likely to become involved in crime as well as failing academically. Measures such as parenting contracts and penalty notices were adopted by most local education authorities last term and come into force in the remainder this term. In one local education authority alone 800 parents were warned they would receive a penalty notice unless their child's attendance improved. The tough stance paid off with just 24 issued, while attendance improved in 776 cases. Truancy has been reduced by 5% at the 128 worst hit schools through the government's Behaviour Improvement Programme. This is the equivalent of 200 pupils back in classes since September. The new measures come on top of national truancy sweeps - the sixth of which will take place on Monday. Police and education welfare officers patrol problem hotspots picking up truants and returning them to school. Held twice each year, in addition to routine local patrols, previous country-wide sweeps have apprehended 31,000 pupils dodging school. In almost 14,000 of those cases, the youngsters were accompanied by their parents. A Department for Education and Skills source said: "Every day in school counts. "It is clear form these figures that schools and local education authorities are now seizing the tools we have given them to improve school attendance and crack down hard on the very small numbers of pupils which account for almost half of the nation's truancy."

Yukos unit buyer faces loan claim The owners of embattled Russian oil giant Yukos are to ask the buyer of its former production unit to pay back a $900m (£479m) loan. State-owned Rosneft bought the Yugansk unit for $9.3bn in a sale forced by Russia to part settle a $27.5bn tax claim against Yukos. Yukos' owner Menatep Group says it will ask Rosneft to repay a loan that Yugansk had secured on its assets. Rosneft already faces a similar $540m repayment demand from foreign banks. Legal experts said Rosneft's purchase of Yugansk would include such obligations. "The pledged assets are with Rosneft, so it will have to pay real money to the creditors to avoid seizure of Yugansk assets," said Moscow-based US lawyer Jamie Firestone, who is not connected to the case. Menatep Group's managing director Tim Osborne told the Reuters news agency: "If they default, we will fight them where the rule of law exists under the international arbitration clauses of the credit." Rosneft officials were unavailable for comment. But the company has said it intends to take action against Menatep to recover some of the tax claims and debts owed by Yugansk. Yukos had filed for bankruptcy protection in a US court in an attempt to prevent the forced sale of its main production arm. The sale went ahead in December and Yugansk was sold to a little-known shell company which in turn was bought by Rosneft. Yukos claims its downfall was punishment for the political ambitions of its founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky and has vowed to sue any participant in the sale.

IAAF to rule on Greek sprint pair Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou are expected to find out on Wednesday if they will be banned for missing drugs tests this summer. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) council held a conference call on Tuesday and are set to announce their decision. Kenteris and Thanou could be suspended for up to two years. The duo withdrew from the Olympics after missing a test but claimed they had suffered a motorcycle crash. The Greek authorities have also brought criminal charges against the sprinters for avoiding a drugs test and faking an accident. Their former coach Christos Tzekos is also facing charges and all three are awaiting a trial date. However, the IAAF will determine the sprinters' future on the track after carefully considering all the evidence. The sport's ruling body is expected to direct the Greek federation in what action it should take against the sprinters. Kenteris and Thanou can appeal against any decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The sprinters both sent written explanations to the IAAF, which have been taken into account. The IAAF sent an official warning to the sprinters and coach Tzekos after they were discovered training in Qatar rather than in Crete, where they had said they would be. But Kenteris and Thanou then went on to skip tests in Tel Aviv and Chicago, when they decided to fly back to Greece early. Just before the Olympics, the pair dramatically missed another test in Athens before withdrawing from the Games. Kenteris, 31, won gold in the 200m at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, where Thanou, 29, won silver in the 100m.

Movie body targets children's PCs The body that represents the US movie industry has released its latest tool in its campaign to clamp down on movie file-sharing, aimed at parents. The Movie Association for America's (MPAA) free Parent File Scan software lets parents check their children's computers for peer-to-peer programs. It will also list all movie and music files they have on their hard drive. Parents then have the choice to remove programs and files. The MPAA said files found would not be passed on to it. "Our ultimate goal is to help consumers locate the resources and information they need to make appropriate decisions about using and trading illegal files," said Dan Glickman, MPAA chief. "Many parents are concerned about what their children have downloaded and where they've downloaded it from." But some computer users who had tested the latest software reported on some technology sites that the program had identified Windows default wav files as copyrighted material and wanted to delete them. Movie piracy cost the industry £3.7bn ($7bn) in 2003, according to analysts. The MPAA said in a statement that it would continue to provide easy access to similar tools in the coming months to combat "the deleterious effects of peer-to-peer software, including such common problems as viruses, Trojan horses and identity theft". Mr Glickman said that the film industry was embracing "digital age technologies", like Movielink and CinemaNow, which are legal movie sites. "But legal services such as these need a chance to grow and thrive without having to compete against illegitimate operations that depend on stolen property to survive," he added. The industry body also said it had launched a second round of legal action against online movie-swappers across the US, but did not say how many were being sued. Its first set of lawsuits were filed in November 2004. It also started a campaign against operators of BitTorrent, eDonkey and DirectConnect peer-to-peer networks. The first convictions for peer-to-peer 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.

Ray DVD beats box office takings Oscar-nominated film biopic Ray has surpassed its US box office takings with a combined tally of $80m (£43m) from DVD and video sales and rentals. Ray's success on DVD outstripped its $74m (£40m) US box office total, earning more than $40m (£22m) on the first day of the DVD's release alone. Ray has been nominated in six Oscar categories including best film and best actor for Jamie Foxx. The film recounts the life of blues singer Ray Charles, who died in 2004. In its first week on home entertainment release the film was the number one selling DVD, with the limited edition version coming in at number 11. Sony horror film The Grudge, starring Michelle Gellar, was the US' second best-selling DVD, with Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere's romantic comedy Shall We Dance? at number three. Foxx's critically acclaimed performance as Ray has already earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award for best actor, as well as a prestigious Golden Globe. Ray director Taylor Hackford, responsible for the classic 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman, has also received an Oscar nomination in the best director category. The film's three other Oscar nominations are for costume, film editing and sound mixing.

Dawson joins England injury list Scrum-half Matt Dawson is an injury doubt for England's Six Nations opener against Wales next weekend. The World Cup winner missed Wasps' 12-9 loss to Bath on Saturday after injuring his right calf. Wasps coach Warren Gatland said: "He's got a fitness test in the week but he's got a good chance of playing." Gloucester's Andy Hazell and Leicester star Lewis Moody also received knocks during their respective league matches, but should be fit for Wales next week. If Dawson is not fit to face Wales, Robinson will have to choose from Gloucester's Andy Gomarsall or Leicester youngster Harry Ellis. Jamie Noon is another player on the sidelines after he limped off in the first half against Saracens on Friday with a dead leg. The centre, who is in line for a first Six Nations start against Wales, will have to wait 48 hours before knowing the state of his injury.

Games win for Blu-ray DVD format The next-generation DVD format Blu-ray is winning more supporters than its rival, according to its backers. Blu-ray, backed by 100 firms including Sony, is competing against Toshiba and NEC-backed HD-DVD to be the format of choice for future films and games. The Blu-Ray Association said on Thursday that games giants Electronic Arts and Vivendi would both support its DVD format. The next generation of DVDs will hold high-definition video and sound. This offers incredible 3D-like quality of pictures which major Hollywood studios and games publishers are extremely keen to exploit in the coming year. In a separate press conference at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Toshiba announced that DVD players for its technology would be on the market by the end of 2005. "As we move from standard definition video images to high-definition images, we have a much greater need for storage," Richard Doherty, from Panasonic's Hollywood Laboratories, one of the pioneers of Blu-ray, told the BBC news website. "So by utilising blue laser-based technology we can make an optical laser disc that can hold six times as much as today's DVD." A Blu-ray disc will be able to store 50GB of high-quality data, while Toshiba's HD-DVD will hold 30GB. Mr Doherty added that it was making sure the discs could satisfy all high-definition needs, including the ability to record onto the DVDs and smaller discs to fit into camcorders. Both Toshiba and Blu-ray are hopeful that the emerging DVD format war, akin to the Betamax and VHS fight in the 1980s, can be resolved over the next year when next-generation DVD players start to come out. When players do come out, they will be able to play standard DVDs too, which is good news for those who have huge libraries of current DVDs. But the support from Vivendi and Electronics Arts is a big boost to Blu-ray in the battle for supremacy. Gaming is a $20 billion industry worldwide, so is as crucial as the film industry in terms of money to be made. "The technical requirement for game development today demands more advanced optical-disc technologies," said Michael Heilmann, chief technology officer for Vivendi Universal. "Blu-ray offers the capacity, performance and high-speed internet connectivity to take us into the future of gaming." EA, a leading games developer and publisher, added that the delivery of high-definition games of the future was vital and Blu-ray had the capacity, functionality and interactivity needed for the kinds of projects it was planning. Sony recently announced it would be using the technology in its next generation of PlayStations. Mr Doherty said gamers were "ravenous" for high-quality graphics and technology for the next generation of titles. "Gamers, especially those working on PCs, are always focused on more capacity to deliver textures, deeper levels, for delivering higher-resolution playback." He added: "The focus for games moving forward is on increased immersion. "Gaming companies really like to focus on creating a world which involves creating complicated 3D models and textures and increasing the resolution, increasing the frame rate - all of these are part of getting a more immersive experience." Fitting these models on current DVD technologies means compressing the graphics so much that much of this quality is lost. As games move to more photo-real capability, the current technology is limiting. "They are thrilled at the advanced capacity to start to build these immersive environments," said Mr Doherty. Currently, graphics-intensive PC games also require multiple discs for installation. High-definition DVDs will cut down on that need. Likewise, consoles rely on single discs, so DVDs that can hold six times more data mean much better, high-resolution games. Blu-ray has already won backing from major Hollywood studios, such as MGM Studios, Disney, and Buena Vista, as well as top technology firms like Dell, LG, Samsung and Phillips amongst others. While Toshiba's HD-DVD technology has won backing from Paramount, Universal and Warner Bros. "The real world benefits (of HD-DVD) are apparent and obvious," said Jim Cardwell, president of Warner Home Video. Mr Cardwell added that rapid time to market and dependability were significant factors in choosing to go with HD-DVD. Both formats are courting Microsoft to be the format of choice for the next generation Xbox, but discussions are still on-going. Next generation DVDs will also be able to store images and other data. CES is the largest consumer electronics show in the world, and runs from 6 to 9 January.

Sydney to host north v south game Sydney will host a northern versus southern hemisphere charity match in June or July, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) said on Wednesday. The match will include players from the Lions tour of New Zealand. "The Australian Rugby Union has thrown its support behind a proposed North-South match to raise funds for the tsunami appeals," the ARU said. The date is yet to be decided but the most likely venue is Sydney's Olympic Stadium. ARU chief executive Gary Flowers said the world cricket charity match in Melbourne earlier this month had inspired the ARU. "We still need to discuss the options with the IRB (International Rugby Board), the Lions and our SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby) partners, but June or July is seen as a better option than March to ensure we have the cream of southern hemisphere rugby available," he said. Wallabies captain George Gregan said the charity match was a "great initiative". Tri-Nations rivals Australia, New Zealand and South Africa would feature prominently in a southern team against a northern side comprised of Six Nations teams France, Ireland, England, Wales, Italy and Scotland. Coach Clive Woodward's Lions squad will tour New Zealand in June and July, including Tests on 25 June, 2 and 9 July. Almost 80,000 fans packed into Melbourne Cricket Ground on 10 January for a charity match that raised £5.9m for victims of the Asian tsunami.

Lifestyle 'governs mobile choice' Faster, better or funkier hardware alone is not going to help phone firms sell more handsets, research suggests. Instead, phone firms keen to get more out of their customers should not just be pushing the technology for its own sake. Consumers are far more interested in how handsets fit in with their lifestyle than they are in screen size, onboard memory or the chip inside, shows an in-depth study by handset maker Ericsson. "Historically in the industry there has been too much focus on using technology," said Dr Michael Bjorn, senior advisor on mobile media at Ericsson's consumer and enterprise lab. "We have to stop saying that these technologies will change their lives," he said. "We should try to speak to consumers in their own language and help them see how it fits in with what they are doing," he told the BBC News website. For the study, Ericsson interviewed 14,000 mobile phone owners on the ways they use their phone. "People's habits remain the same," said Dr Bjorn. "They just move the activity into the mobile phone as it's a much more convenient way to do it." One good example of this was diary-writing among younger people, he said. While diaries have always been popular, a mobile phone -- especially one equipped with a camera -- helps them keep it in a different form. Youngsters' use of text messages also reflects their desire to chat and keep in contact with friends and again just lets them do it in a slightly changed way. Dr Bjorn said that although consumers do what they always did but use a phone to do it, the sheer variety of what the new handset technologies make possible does gradually drive new habits and lifestyles. Ericsson's research has shown that consumers divide into different "tribes" that use phones in different ways. Dr Bjorn said groups dubbed "pioneers" and "materialists" were most interested in trying new things and were behind the start of many trends in phone use. "For instance," he said, "older people are using SMS much more than they did five years ago." This was because younger users, often the children of ageing mobile owners, encouraged older people to try it so they could keep in touch. Another factor governing the speed of change in mobile phone use was the simple speed with which new devices are bought by pioneers and materialists. Only when about 25% of people have handsets with new innovations on them, such as cameras, can consumers stop worrying that if they send a picture message the person at the other end will be able to see it. Once this significant number of users is passed, use of new innovations tends to take off. Dr Bjorn said that early reports of camera phone usage in Japan seemed to imply that the innovation was going to be a flop. However, he said, now 45% of the Japanese people Ericsson questioned use their camera phone at least once a month. In 2003 the figure was 29%. Similarly, across Europe the numbers of people taking snaps with cameras is starting to rise. In 2003 only 4% of the people in the UK took a phonecam snap at least once a month. Now the figure is 14%. Similar rises have been seen in many other European nations. Dr Bjorn said that people also used their camera phones in very different ways to film and even digital cameras. "Usage patterns for digital cameras are almost exactly replacing usage patterns for analogue cameras," he said. Digital cameras tend to be used on significant events such as weddings, holidays and birthdays. By contrast, he said, camera phones were being used much more to capture a moment and were being woven into everyday life.

Stalemate in pension strike talks Talks aimed at averting national strikes over pension reforms have ended without agreement after 90 minutes. Five public sector unions met Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at the Labour 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 1.4 million workers could take part in strikes earmarked for 23 March. Discussions will resume next week. A spokesman for Unison, Britain's biggest union, said after Saturday's meeting: "At least we are still talking." 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, Unison will start balloting 800,000 local government workers on strikes. Other public sector unions have pledged to follow. The five unions which met 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.

Blind student 'hears in colour' A blind student has developed software that turns colours into musical notes so that he can read weather maps. Victor Wong, a graduate student from Hong Kong studying at Cornell University in New York State, had to read coloured maps of the upper atmosphere as part of his research. To study "space weather" Mr Wong needed to explore minute fluctuations in order to create mathematical models. A number of solutions were tried, including having a colleague describe the maps and attempting to print them in Braille. Mr Wong eventually hit upon the idea of translating individual colours into music, and enlisted the help of a computer graphics specialist and another student to do the programming work. "The images have three dimensions and I had to find a way of reading them myself," Mr Wong told the BBC News website. "For the sake of my own study - and for the sake of blind scientists generally - I felt it would be good to develop software that could help us to read colour images." He tried a prototype version of the software to explore a photograph of a parrot. In order to have an exact reference to the screen, a pen and tablet device is used. The software then assigns one of 88 piano notes to individually coloured pixels - ranging from blue at the lower end of this scale to red at the upper end. Mr Wong says the application is still very much in its infancy and is only useful for reading images that have been created digitally. "If I took a random picture and scanned it and then used my software to recognise it, it wouldn't work that well." Mr Wong has been blind from the age of seven and he thinks that having a "colour memory" makes the software more useful than it would be to a scientist who had never had any vision. "As the notes increase in pitch I know the colour's getting redder and redder, and in my mind's eye a patch of red appears." The colour to music software has not yet been made available commercially, and Mr Wong believes that several people would have to work together to make it viable. But he hopes that one day it can be developed to give blind people access to photographs and other images.

Glazer makes new Man Utd approach Malcolm Glazer has made a fresh approach to buy Manchester United, which could lead to a bid valuing the Premiership club at £800m. The US tycoon, who has been wooing the club for the last 12 months, has approached the United board with "detailed proposals", it has confirmed. Mr Glazer, who owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, hopes this will lead to a formal bid being accepted. His new offer is expected to contain substantially less debt. Mr Glazer has already had one takeover attempt turned down by the Red Devils and responded by using his 28.1% shareholding to vote off three board members last November. Man United had turned down the bid because it was based on a high level of borrowing. But newspapers have speculated recently that the tycoon had gained the support of leading banks to come up with a stronger and less debt-laden bid. Last week, however, Mr Glazer issued a statement to the Stock Exchange distancing himself from a new bid. Meanwhile, United's chief executive David Gill said in December that talks would not resume unless Glazer came up with "definitive proposals". Now the board has confirmed that the US bidder is back, with a statement issued on Sunday reading: "The board can confirm it has now received a detailed proposal subject to various preconditions which may form the basis of an offer. "A further announcement will be made in due course." To succeed Malcolm Glazer will still need the approval of major shareholders John Magnier and JP McManus, who own 28.9% of the club. But the Irish duo have cut off talks with Glazer over the proposed sale of their stake and have so far made no comment on his latest approach. United fans have reacted with anger at the announcement. They have vehemently opposed any proposed takeover by Glazer since he first showed interest in the club in September 2003 and after Sunday's announcement they vowed to fight on. "We will fight tooth and nail to stop him whatever his offer says. We do not want him or anybody else taking over United," said Mark Longden of the Independent Manchester United Supporters' Association. "The campaign against this proposed takeover will continue as it has done since Glazer first showed interest in the club."

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.

Fiat mulls Ferrari market listing Ferrari could be listed on the stock market as part of an overhaul of Fiat's carmaking operations, the Financial Times has reported. It said Fiat was set to restructure its business after reaching a $2bn (1.53bn euros; £1.05bn) settlement with GM about Fiat's ownership. Steps being considered include listing Ferrari and bringing Maserati and Alfa Romeo closer together, it said. Despite strong sales of Alfa Romeo, Fiat's car business is making a loss. Under the proposals - which the paper said could be announced within days - the iconic sportscar maker could be listed separately on the market. Fiat owns a 56% stake in Ferrari -best known for its dominant Formula One motor racing team - having first bought into the business in 1969. It considered floating Ferrari in 2002 but opted to sell a minority stake to Italian bank Mediobanca for 775m euros ($1bn). That sale valued Ferrari - which owns the Maserati brand - at 2.3bn euros. The price tag would change if Maserati was stripped out. The Financial Times said Fiat may transfer Maserati within its wholly- owned Alfa Romeo division in an effort to exploit commercial synergies. Such a move would help Alfa Romeo and Maserati to share marketing, distribution and research & development costs. Maserati and Ferrari sell about 10,000 cars between them and both companies broke even in 2003. Fiat, Italy's largest private sector employer, did not comment on the reported changes. Fiat recently negotiated an end to its alliance with General Motors. The US firm agreed to pay $2bn to exit an agreement under which it could have been liable to buy Fiat outright. Analysts said the reported restructuring was evidence of the greater flexibility which Fiat now had to develop the business.

O'Sullivan could run in Worlds Sonia O'Sullivan has indicated that she would like to participate in next month's World Cross Country Championships in St Etienne. Athletics Ireland have hinted that the 35-year-old Cobh runner may be included in the official line-up for the event in France on 19-20 March. Provincial teams were selected after last Saturday's Nationals in Santry and will be officially announced this week. O'Sullivan is at present preparing for the London marathon on 17 April. The participation of O'Sullivan, currentily training at her base in Australia, would boost the Ireland team who won the bronze three years agio. The first three at Santry last Saturday, Jolene Byrne, Maria McCambridge and Fionnualla Britton, are automatic selections and will most likely form part of the long-course team. O'Sullivan will also take part in the Bupa Great Ireland Run on 9 April in Dublin.

Muslim police stops 'more likely' UK Muslims should accept that people of Islamic appearance are more likely to be stopped and searched by police, a Home Office minister has said. Hazel Blears said innocent Muslims would be targeted because of the search for Islamic extremists. Qualifications for religious leaders to enter the UK could also be made tougher, she told a Commons inquiry. Her comments have been described as "irresponsible" and "outrageous" by the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC). "The threat is most likely to come from those people associated with an extreme form of Islam, or who are falsely hiding behind Islam," the Salford MP told the Commons home affairs committee. "It means that some of our counter-terrorism powers will be disproportionately experienced by the Muslim community." It was a reality that should be recognised, she said. "If a threat is from a particular place then our action is going to be targeted at that area," she added. On ministers of religions, such as imams, she said faith groups would be asked what other qualifications and skills, such as civic knowledge and ability to engage the community, should be demanded. Last year, ministers introduced a requirement that ministers should speak English to a certain level. IHRC chairman Massoud Shadjareh accused Ms Blears of "playing an Islamophobia card" in the run-up to a general election. "She is demonising and alienating our community," he said. "It is a legitimisation for a backlash and for racists to have an onslaught on our community. "This sort of comment is just music to the ears of racists." Later, the prime minister's official spokesman urged people to put Ms Blears' comments into context. The minister had been saying she understood there was a perception that stop and search was aimed at one community, but that was not what was happening, the spokesman said. "What is happening is that those powers are aimed at those who are suspected of carrying out or planning certain activity who happen to come from one community. "It is not aimed at a particular community, it is not police policy to aim these powers at a particular community," he added. Statistics showed that of the 17 people found guilty of terrorist acts in the UK since the 11 September attacks, only four of the 12 whose ethnic backgrounds were known were Muslim, he added Figures published last week showed that people from ethnic minorities were increasingly likely to be targeted by police stop and search tactics. Figures showed that, for 2003/2004, Asians were 1.9 times more likely to be stopped and searched, compared with 1.7 times more likely in the previous year. Separate figures on police searches in England and Wales carried out under the Terrorism Act 2000 showed that ethnic minorities were more likely to be targeted. Muslim groups have repeatedly claimed that their communities are being victimised under terror laws. In 2003/2004, 12.5% searches under the laws were on Asian people, even though they make up 4.7% of the population. Last July, the police were accused of Islamophobia by Muslim groups after stop and search figures showed the numbers of Asians targeted had risen by 300% since the introduction of anti-terror laws.

Costin aims for comeback in 2006 Jamie Costin should be paralysed. He says so himself in a matter-of-fact way as he recalls the car accident which occurred nine days before he was scheduled to step out into the Olympic Stadium in Athens for the 50K Walk. There is an ironic chuckle as he talks of his immediate thoughts after a lorry, driving on the wrong side of the road, had ploughed into his rental car. "I was in a lot of pain and I guessed that one of my toes was broken," says the Waterford man. "But I was thinking maybe with a cortisone injection you never know. "In my back, it felt as though all the muscles had been ripped off my pelvis but I was thinking maybe we could do something with laser therapy and ultra sound and hopefully I'd be able to race." It took over 10 hours before Jamie knew with certainty that he would not be competing in his second Olympics. "My back had been broken in two places and with one of my vertebrae, the bottom part had exploded so I'm fierce lucky not be paralysed. "I'd fractured my big toe as well which was on the brake." Jamie didn't finally arrive at hospital in Athens until some nine and a half hours after the accident. "For the first nine hours, I had no pain killers which was ridiculous in 35 degrees heat. "But once I got the scans and saw them it was a case of moving on and thinking:'OK, I've got a different set of circumstances now'." Within three days he was arriving back in Ireland by air ambulance. Doctors in Athens had wanted to operate on Jamie's back immediately but he insisted on delaying any surgery until he arrived back home - something he is now very relieved about. "The Greek doctors were going to put three or four inch titanium rods either side of my spinal cord up through my vertebrae. "That would have fused all my lower back and I would never have been able to race again. They were really putting a lot of pressure on me to agree to the surgery. "But when I got to the Mater in Dublin they said it was possible for it to heal totally naturally which is giving me the chance to get back into competition which is very important to me. The people at the Mater have been absolutely fantastic." Jamie had to wear a body cast for three and a half months after the accident and spent most of that time flat on his back. He then progressed to crutches for six weeks until he was finally able to walk unaided on 10 January. "Walking without the crutches seemed like something finally really measurable in terms of my recovery." Physio sessions with Johnston McEvoy in Limerick have been a vital part of his recovery. "Johnston uses an advanced type of acupuncture and it's very effective. "Needles get put right close up to my spine. A two and a half inch needle went in yesterday and I'm fairly incapacitated today as a result." Jamie has also travelled to receive treatment at the Polish training centre in Spala where he has trained with triple Olympic champion Robert Korzeniowski over the past five years. "I was there for over a fortnight earlier this month and underwent a fair extreme treatment called cryotherapy. "Basically, there's a small room which is cooled by liquid nitrogen to minus 160 degrees centigrade and it promotes deep healing." Jamie heads to Poland again on Sunday where he will be having daily cryotherapy in addition to twice-daily physio sessions and pool-work. All these sessions are small steps on the way to what Jamie hopes will be a return to racing in 2006. "It's all about trying to get mobility in my back. Lying down for three and a half months didn't really help with the strength. "There's a lot of work involved in my recovery. I'm doing about six hours a day between physio and pool work. "I'm also going to the gym to lift very light weights to try and build up my muscles. I'm fairly full on with everything I do. "I'd hope to be training regularly by March. But training is just part of the process of getting back. "At the moment, every time I go and do a big bit of movement, my whole pelvic area all down my lower back just tightens up. "It's a case of waiting and seeing how it reacts. Hopefully, after four or five months my back won't tighten up as much."

Gerrard happy at Anfield Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has reiterated his desire to stay at Anfield and win trophies with the club. The 24-year-old England midfielder is determined to see out his contract, despite reported interest from Chelsea. He said: "I'm signed here for this season and another two so there is no situation. There's a lot of speculation but that's not down to me. "As club captain all I want to do is help us get back up the table and into the Champions League again." Gerrard looked set to move to Chelsea during the summer and speculation of a switch to Stamford Bridge has again arisen, with the January transfer window approaching. He raised doubts about his Reds future when he said he wanted the club to prove they were title challengers in the very near future or he might leave. Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has insisted that Gerrard has promised him he wants to stay at Anfield. Benitez said: "I said to Steven that I was sure he wanted to stay here and he said 'I do'. "I then said to him 'Look, if you want to win titles, you want medals and you want Liverpool to have these things then I am going to need your help'. "I really think he wants to stay so now what we must do is make the squad stronger for him." Meanwhile, Gerrard has urged the Anfield board to sign Real Madrid striker Fernando Morientes in the January transfer window. Morientes, 28, has already expressed a willingness to come to England. Gerrard added: "He's a great player. He scores goals in the league, in cup competitions and also in the Champions League. "I don't think he'd be able to play for us in Europe this season but if we are able to get hold of him, we'd be getting ourselves a great player. "He'd have Spanish coaches, a Spanish manager and we have got three or four Spanish players here now so they'll help him settle in. "Rafael Benitez knows what he wants and he knows how to strengthen the squad he's got and if the right players become available at the right price I am sure we will strengthen. "It would certainly be nice to see a few new faces in January to freshen things up."

Intel unveils laser breakthrough Intel has said it has found a way to put a silicon-based laser on a chip, raising hopes of much faster networks. Scientists at Intel have overcome a fundamental problem that before now has prevented silicon being used to generate and amplify laser light. The breakthrough should make it easier to interconnect data networks with the chips that process the information. The Intel researchers said products exploiting the breakthrough should appear by the end of the decade. "We've overcome a fundamental limit," said Dr Mario Paniccia, director of Intel's photonics technology lab. Writing in the journal Nature, Dr Paniccia - and colleagues Haisheng Rong, Richard Jones, Ansheng Liu, Oded Cohen, Dani Hak and Alexander Fang - show how they have made a continuous laser from the same material used to make computer processors. Currently, says Dr Paniccia, telecommunications equipment that amplifies the laser light that travels down fibre optic cables is very expensive because of the exotic materials, such as gallium arsenide, used to make it. Telecommunications firms and chip makers would prefer to use silicon for these light-moving elements because it is cheap and many of the problems of using it in high-volume manufacturing have been solved. "We're trying to take our silicon competency in manufacturing and apply it to new areas," said Dr Paniccia. While work has been done to make some of the components that can move light around, before now silicon has not successfully been used to generate or amplify the laser light pulses used to send data over long distances. This is despite the fact that silicon is a much better amplifier of light pulses than the form of the material used in fibre optic cables. This improved amplification is due to the crystalline structure of the silicon used to make computer chips. Dr Paniccia said that the structure of silicon meant that when laser light passed through it, some colliding photons rip electrons off the atoms within the material. "It creates a cloud of electrons sitting in the silicon and that absorbs all the light," he said. But the Intel researchers have found a way to suck away these errant electrons and turn silicon into a material that can both generate and amplify laser light. Even better, the laser light produced in this way can, with the help of easy-to-make filters, be tuned across a very wide range of frequencies. Semi-conductor lasers made before now have only produced light in a narrow frequency ranges. The result could be the close integration of the fibre optic cables that carry data as light with the computer chips that process it. Dr Paniccia said the work was the one of several steps needed if silicon was to be used to make components that could carry and process light in the form of data pulses. "It's a technical validation that it can work," he said.

UKIP's secret weapon? By any measure, New Yorker Dick Morris is that thing Americans love over everything else - a winner. This is the man who, some pundits believe, was almost single-handedly responsible for Bill Clinton's sensational 1992 comeback victory. But Morris is no ideologue. He has worked as election strategist for any number of Republicans as well and, more recently, politicians from Mexico to Uruguay. Now he is back in London as the UK Independence Party's not-so-secret electoral weapon after returning from the Ukraine where he helped - you guessed it - opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko. If there is one regular criticism levelled at Morris, it is that he is too ready to switch allegiances. That he enjoys the game more than the politics. So why Britain and why UKIP which, despite its recent EU election successes, is not likely to pull off a sensational victory in the looming general election. On this subject, Morris appears almost evangelical. "I was on a cruise in the Mediterranean and, coincidentally, so was UKIP leader Roger Knapman. "I had just written a piece saying how the English Channel was now wider than the Atlantic which he liked and it went from there". But what is it about UKIP that particularly attracts him? Many might think it is simply another chance to practice his art, irrespective of the politics. "I think the greatest threat to democracy in the world is not terrorism but bureaucratism". A great soundbite, but a surprise coming from a New Yorker post 11 September. "It is the growth of these bodies composed of experts who know better, who don't believe in letting democracy govern but believe in letting the correct solution be determined. "That's international bankers, the World Trade Organisation, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and, primarily, the European Union". So he is out to help UKIP take Britain out of this organisation which he believes is unreformable and inherently undemocratic. And he is scathing of the Tory party which he also appears to believe is unreformable. "The Tory party is schizophrenic about Europe. But until somebody says they are willing to leave the EU they can't possibly re-negotiate anything (as Michael Howard is pledged to do). "It's like walking into a liquor store with a gun to rob it and saying: 'before I can proceed with the robbery I want to make clear I am not going to shoot anybody'". Possibly a very American analogy, but another great soundbite. "The basic point is that the EU seeks political integration to move the entire nexus of decision making away from Britain - and we oppose that and the Tories cannot be trusted to oppose it". So is UKIP's job to destroy the Tories, as former member Robert Kilroy-Silk once notoriously declared? "No. The aim of UKIP is to withdraw from the EU and if it has any relation to the Tories it is to stiffen the Tories' spine on the issue by having a large enough UKIP vote so that we move the Tories in the direction they are refusing to move. "But it's not just to shift the Tories. I think UKIP had a huge amount to do with Tony Blair's decision to hold a referendum on the European constitution and I think it had a huge amount to do with his refusal to go into the euro". And, while we are on the subject of Mr Kilroy-Silk, Mr Morris despatches him with another of his neat soundbites. "Robert Kilroy Silk is not a team player - it is a good idea our party stands for some thing and not some one". So what is the big plan for the general election. How will he achieve the breakthrough? "Look, we are not going to be forming the next government," he said. Neither does UKIP have to fight every seat. As with the 2004 US presidential election, he says, the outcome will be decided by a small number of swing seats - just as he believes it will in Britain. So, with limited resources, the aim is to target those seats and end the day with a significant group in the Commons. He also believes it is possible the internet could have a big part in the poll. "The internet was a decisive factor in the 2004 presidential election - through blogs (individuals posting their views in online diaries). People just did it". "Anything can happen in the next general election. There is an inherent instability at the moment. "Labour and the Tories have drawn the consensus so tightly and to the left there is room for another voice". That might, he suggests, lead to a hung parliament with UKIP and others holding the balance of power. It is a huge task, surely. But there is undoubtedly a sense that the next general election may indeed produce some surprises - even while most still believe it is Labour's for the taking. UKIP's performance in last year's European elections was just such a shocker and showed that Mr Morris may have a point about the new consensus. And after all, he has a reputation to sustain.

'My memories of Marley...' To mark the 60th anniversary of the birth of reggae star Bob Marley, Rob Partridge - Marley's former head of press at Island Records - remembers the man behind the legend. Partridge worked with Marley from 1977 until the Jamaican musician's death in 1981. : "I joined Island Records in 1977 and the first week I was there I worked on his show at the Rainbow Theatre. It was one of the last dates he did in London." : The album Exodus came out in 1977 and that provided five hits and confirmed his global superstar status. "By 1979 he was the biggest touring attraction in the world. I remember going to see dates in Milan and Turin and they were enormous concerts." : Bob was one of the most mesmeric people I've ever had the privilege to work with. "He must have had an iron will to succeed. Bob was a very driven individual. You realised from the start there was a manifest destiny within him that he believed in. He didn't suffer fools gladly. At the risk of stating the obvious, he was an extraordinary song writer and his stage act was perhaps the greatest I've ever seen. I saw him many times." : "I recall in 1978 he came to the UK for Top of the Pops and a Daily Mirror journalist did a half-hour interview. It was interrupted to do a rehearsal. He came back into the dressing room to resume the interview but saw a World Cup match on TV. "He sat down in front of the TV and after 10 minutes it was obvious he wasn't going to move. That was the end of it. The Mirror had a very truncated interview. "The last time I saw him was in London in 1980. I arranged for him to play four days of football indoors in Fulham. "Bob was a good player. We are talking about Jamaican-style football. He was an attacking midfield player. His team assembled wherever his gigs were. We played in Brazil against some World Cup-winning players." : It was always a struggle for him to connect with Black America. Reggae did not correspond with disco in the 70s. But Bob in the 1990s became one of the great icons in America and the Third World. "In 1991, ten years after his death, he sold more records than at any time during his life. "We saw Black America taking Bob into their hearts for the first time." : "Bob, in worldwide terms, is the greatest music star there has ever been. If you went to Africa he would be recognised everywhere, in places John Lennon or Elvis wouldn't be. "No disrespect to the other artists but a case can be made for him as the greatest, the best and the most influential artist in popular music." : Well 1981 was to be the year he toured Africa with Stevie Wonder. He had only performed in Zimbabwe and Guinea before. "Of course the 1981 tour never happened, but the whole of Africa would have embraced him. We can't speculate but he was at the height of his powers and just 36 years old. I had no sense his career was going to go downhill." : "Bob was endlessly optimistic about the way Africa would turn out. He realised that nothing was perfect but he had total belief in the power of mankind. "I'm sure if he were alive today he would believe Africa would firstly become politically free and secondly be able to defeat the Aids epidemic." : "The final tune of his final album was Redemption Song - one of the most incredible classics of all time."

Asia shares defy post-quake gloom Thailand has become the first of the 10 southern Asian nations battered by giant waves at the weekend to cut its economic forecast. Thailand's economy is now expected to grow by 5.7% in 2005, rather than 6% as forecast before tsunamis hit six tourist provinces. The full economic costs of the disaster remain unclear. In part, this is because of its scale, and because delivering aid and recovering the dead remain priorities. But Indonesian, Indian and Hong Kong stock markets reached record highs on Wednesday, suggesting that investors do not fear a major economic impact. The highs showed the gap in outlook between investors in large firms and individuals who have lost their livelihoods. Investors seemed to feel that some of the worst-affected areas - such as Aceh in Indonesia - were so under-developed that the tragedy would little impact on Asia's listed companies, according to analysts. "Obviously with a lot of loss of life, a lot of time is needed to clean up the mess, bury the people and find the missing. But it's not necessarily a really big thing in the economic sense," said ABN Amro chief Asian strategist Eddie Wong. India's Bombay Stock Exchange inched slightly above its previous record close on Wednesday. Expectations of strong corporate earnings in 2005 drove the Indonesian stock exchange in Jakarta to a record high on Wednesday. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index may be benefiting in part from the potential for its listed property companies to gain from rebuilding contracts in the tsunami-affected regions of South East Asia. In Sri Lanka, some economists have said that as much as 1% of annual growth may be lost. Sri Lanka's stock market has fallen about 5% since the weekend, but it is still 40% higher than at the start of 2004. Thailand may lose 30bn baht (£398m; $768m) in earnings from tourism over the next three months, according to tourism minister Sontaya Kunplome. In the affected provinces, he expects the loss of tourism revenue to be offset by government reconstruction spending. Thailand intends to spend a similar sum - around 30bn baht - on the rebuilding work. "It will take until the fourth quarter of next year before tourist visitors in Phuket and five other provinces return to their normal level," said Naris Chaiyasoot, director general at the ministry's fiscal policy office. In the Maldives the cost of reconstruction could wipe out economic growth, according to a government spokesman. "Our nation is in peril here," said Ahmed Shaheed, the chief government spokesman. He estimated the economic cost of the disaster at hundreds of millions of dollars. The Maldives has gross domestic product of $660m. "It won't be surprising if the cost exceeds our GDP," he said. "In the last few years, we made great progress in our standard of living - the United Nations recognised this. Now we see this can disappear in a few days, a few minutes." Shaheed noted that investment in a single tourist resort - the economic mainstay - could run to $40m. Between 10 and 12 of the 80-odd resorts have been severely damaged, and a similar number have suffered significant damage. However, many experts, including the World Bank, have pointed out that it is still difficult to assess the magnitude of the disaster and its likely economic impact.

Mumbai bombs movie postponed The release of a film about the Mumbai (Bombay) blasts in 1993 has been postponed following protests by those on trial for the bombings. Investigating the blasts which killed more than 250 people and wounded 1,000, the film Black Friday had been due to open across India on Friday. But 36 people accused in connection with the blasts said it should not be screened until the trial is over. Mumbai High Court postponed the film's launch until 3 February. Black Friday is based upon the novel of the same name written by journalist S Hussain Zaidi, which looks at the 15 explosions which rocked Mumbai on 12 March 1993. Director Anurag Kashyap said the film's release should not be delayed as the book has already been on sale for two years. "If you have not gone against the book, then how can you go against the movie?" Mr Kashyap's lawyer Mihir Desai said. This is the second time that those accused in connection with the blasts have sought legal intervention regarding the film. They previously asked that a line from the movie's poster, which claimed the film portrayed "the true story of the Bombay bomb blasts", be removed. Their lawyer, Majeed Memon, said: "We had argued that how can a film say it is telling the true story when the court itself is struggling to find the truth? "So we said they should remove the line from their promotional posters and they did give us an assurance that they would do so." The Mumbai bombings case is one of India's longest-running trials. A special court was set up to hear the case and regular hearings have taken place there for the last nine years, with more than six hundred witnesses questioned.

Fit-again Betsen in France squad France have brought flanker Serge Betsen back into their squad to face England at Twickenham on Sunday. But the player, who missed the victory over Scotland through injury, must attend a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday after being cited by Wasps. "Serge has a good case so we are confident he will play," said France coach Bernard Laporte. The inexperienced Nicolas Mas, Jimmy Marlu and Jean-Philippe Grandclaude are also included in a 22-man squad. The trio have been called up after Pieter de Villiers, Ludovic Valbon and Aurelien Rougerie all picked up injuries in France's 16-9 win on Saturday. Laporte said he was confident that Betsen would be cleared by the panel investigating his alleged trip that broke Wasps centre Stuart Abbott's leg. "If he was to be suspended, we would call up Imanol Harinordoquy or Thomas Lievremont," said Laporte, who has dropped Patrick Tabacco. "We missed Serge badly against Scotland. He has now recovered from his thigh injury and played on Saturday with Biarritz." France's regular back-row combination of Betsen, Harinordoquy and Olivier Magne were all missing from France's side at the weekend because of injury. Laporte is expected to announce France's starting line-up on Wednesday. Forwards: Nicolas Mas, Sylvain Marconnet, Olivier Milloud, William Servat, Sebastien Bruno, Fabien Pelous, Jerome Thion, Gregory Lamboley, Serge Betsen, Julien Bonnaire, Sebastien Chabal, Yannick Nyanga. Backs: Dimitri Yachvili, Pierre Mignoni, Frederic Michalak, Yann Delaigue, Damien Traille, Brian Liebenberg, Jean-Philippe Grandclaude, Christophe Dominici, Jimmy Marlu, Pepito Elhorga.

Bush website blocked outside US Surfers outside the US have been unable to visit the official re-election site of President George W Bush. The blocking of browsers sited outside the US began in the early hours of Monday morning. Since then people outside the US trying to browse the site get a message saying they are not authorised to view it. The blocking does not appear to be due to an attack by vandals or malicious hackers, but as a result of a policy decision by the Bush camp. The international exclusion zone around georgewbush.com was spotted by net monitoring firm Netcraft which keeps an eye on traffic patterns across many different sites. Netcraft said that since the early hours of 25 October attempts to view the site through its monitoring stations in London, Amsterdam and Sydney failed. By contrast Netcraft's four monitoring stations in the US managed to view the site with no problems. The site can still be seen using anonymous proxy services that are based in the US. Some web users in Canada also report that they can browse the site. The pattern of traffic to the website suggests that the blocking was not due to an attack by vandals or politically motivated hackers. Geographic blocking works because the numerical addresses that the net uses to organise itself are handed out on a regional basis. On 21 October, the George W Bush website began using the services of a company called Akamai to ensure that the pages, videos and other content on its site reaches visitors. Mike Prettejohn, president of Netcraft, speculated that the blocking decision might have been taken to cut costs, and traffic, in the run-up to the election on 2 November. He said the site may see no reason to distribute content to people who will not be voting next week. Managing traffic could also be a good way to ensure that the site stays working in the closing days of the election campaign. However, simply blocking non-US visitors also means that Americans overseas are barred too. Akamai declined to comment, saying it could not talk about customer websites.

Libya takes $1bn in unfrozen funds Libya has withdrawn $1bn in assets from the US, assets which had previously been frozen for almost 20 years, the Libyan central bank has said. The move came after the US lifted a trade ban to reward Tripoli for giving up weapons of mass destruction and vowing to compensate Lockerbie victims. The original size of Libya's funds was $400m, the central bank told Reuters. However, the withdrawal did not mean that Libya had cut its ties with the US, he added. "We are in the process of opening accounts in banks in the United States," the central bank's vice president Farhat Omar Ben Gadaravice said. The previously frozen assets had been invested in various countries and are believed to have included equity holdings in banks. The US ban on trade and economic activity with Tripoli - imposed by then president Ronald Regan in 1986 after a series of what the US deemed terrorist acts, including the 1988 Lockerbie air crash - was suspended in April. Bankers from the two country's had been working on how to unfreeze Libya's assets.

Warning over tsunami aid website Net users are being told to avoid a scam website that claims to collect cash on behalf of tsunami victims. The site looks plausible because it uses an old version of the official Disasters Emergency Committee webpage. However, DEC has no connection with the fake site and says it has contacted the police about it. The site is just the latest in a long list of scams that try to cash in on the goodwill generated by the tsunami disaster. The link to the website is contained in a spam e-mail that is currently circulating. The message's subject line reads "Urgent Tsunami Earthquake Appeal" and its text bears all the poor grammar and bad spelling that characterises many other phishing attempts. The web address of the fake site is decuk.org which could be close enough to the official www.dec.org.uk address to confuse some people keen to donate. Patricia Sanders, spokeswoman for the Disaster Emergency Committee said it was aware of the site and had contacted the Computer Crime Unit at Scotland Yard to help get it shut down. She said the spam e-mails directing people to the site started circulating two days ago shortly after the domain name of the site was registered. It is thought that the fake site is being run from Romania. Ms Sanders said DEC had contacted US net registrars who handle domain ownership and the net hosting firm that is keeping the site on the web. DEC was going to push for all cash donated via the site to be handed over to the official organisation. BT and DEC's hosting company were also making efforts to get the site shut down, she said. Ms Sanders said sending out spam e-mail to solicit donations was not DEC's style and that it would never canvass support in this way. She said that DEC hoped to get the fake site shut down as soon as possible. All attempts by the BBC News website to contact the people behind the site have failed. None of the e-mail addresses supplied on the site work and the real owner of the domain is obscured in publicly available net records. This is not the first attempt to cash in on the outpouring of goodwill that has accompanied appeals for tsunami aid. One e-mail sent out in early January came from someone who claimed that he had lost his parents in the disaster and was asking for help moving an inheritance from a bank account in the Netherlands. The con was very similar to the familiar Nigerian forward fee fraud e-mails that milk money out of people by promising them a cut of a much larger cash pile. Other scam e-mails included a link to a website that supposedly let people donate money but instead loaded spyware on their computers that grabbed confidential information. In a monthly report anti-virus firm Sophos said that two e-mail messages about the tsunami made it to the top 10 hoax list during January. Another tsunami-related e-mail is also circulating that carries the Zar worm which tries to spread via the familiar route of Microsoft's Outlook e-mail program. Anyone opening the attachment of the mail will have their contact list plundered by the worm keen to find new addresses to send itself to.

Rich pickings for hi-tech thieves Viruses, trojans and other malicious programs sent on to the net to catch you out are undergoing a subtle change. The shift is happening as tech savvy criminals turn to technology to help them con people out of cash, steal valuable data or take over home PCs. Viruses written to make headlines by infecting millions are getting rarer. Instead programs are now crafted for directly criminal ends and firms are tightening up networks with defences to combat the new wave of malicious code. The growing criminal use of malware has meant the end of the neat categorisation of different sorts of viruses and malicious programs. Before now it has been broadly possible to name and categorise viruses by the method they use to spread and how they infect machines. But many of the viruses written by criminals roll lots of technical tricks together into one nasty package. "You cannot put them in to the neat little box that you used to," said Pete Simpson, head of the threat laboratory at security firm Clearswift. Now viruses are just as likely to spread by themselves like worms, or to exploit loopholes in browsers or hide in e-mail message attachments. "It's about outright criminality now," said Mr Simpson, explaining why this change has come about. He said many of the criminal programs came from Eastern Europe where cash-rich organised gangs can find a ready supply of technical experts that will crank out code to order. Former virus writer Marek Strihavka, aka Benny from the 29A virus writing group, recently quit the malware scene partly because it was being taken over by spyware writers, phishing gangs, and spammers who are more interested in money rather than the technology. No longer do virus writers produce programs to show off their technical prowess to rivals in the underground world of malware authors. Not least, said Paul King, principal security consultant at Cisco, because the defences against such attacks are so common. "In many ways the least likely way to do it is e-mail because most of us have got anti-virus and firewalls now," he said. Few of the malicious programs written by hi-tech thieves are cleverly written, many are much more pragmatic and use tried and tested techniques to infect machines or to trick users into installing a program or handing over important data. "If you think of criminals they do not do clever," said Mr King, "they just do what works." As the tactics used by malicious programs change, said Mr King, so many firms were changing the way they defend themselves. Now many scan machines that connect to the corporate networks to ensure they have not been compromised while off the core network. Many will not let a machine connect and a worker get on with their job before the latest patches and settings have been uploaded. As well as using different tactics, criminals also use technology for reasons that are much more transparent. "The main motivation now is money," said Gary Stowell, spokesman for St Bernard software. Mr Stowell said organised crime gangs were turning to computer crime because the risks of being caught were low and the rates of return were very high. With almost any phishing or spyware attack, criminals are guaranteed to catch some people out and have the contacts to exploit what they recover. So-called spyware was proving very popular with criminals because it allowed them to take over machines for their own ends, to steal key data from users or to hijack web browsing sessions to point people at particular sites. In some cases spyware was being written that searched for rival malicious programs on PCs it infects and then trying to erase them so it has sole ownership of that machine.

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."

Strike threat over pension plans Millions of public service workers could strike if ministers scrap their final salary pension scheme and make them work longer, warn union leaders. The Cabinet Office has confirmed it is reviewing the current pension system, prompting unions representing 4.5m workers to threaten united action. They believe the plans include raising the mandatory retirement age for public service workers from 60 to 65. The government says unions will be consulted before any changes are made. It is thought the proposed overhaul, due on Thursday, could mean pensions could be based on a "career average" salary. For each year served, staff currently get one eightieth of their highest salary in the final three years. Ministers will be anxious to avoid mass strike action in the lead-up to the next general election, which is widely expected next May. In a statement on Sunday, the Cabinet Office said it was reviewing the Civil Service Pension Scheme, and hoped to announce proposals soon. "Unions will of course be consulted about any proposed changes. "Public sector pension schemes need to remain affordable and sustainable. People are living longer and pensions are getting more expensive. "To maintain the long-term affordability of our pension scheme, the government announced in its Green Paper on pensions that pension age would rise from 60 to 65." On Monday, Tony Blair's official spokesman declined to say whether the prime minister backed the plans. He said: "What's important is that there's a process going on, it's out for consultation at the moment, let's wait for that process to complete itself." There is already widespread anger over the chancellor's plans to get rid of more than 100,000 civil servants. Now public service unions are united against the plans and the Trades Union Congress is discussing the issue next Monday. Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said changes to pension provisions for workers in the public sector would mean they had to pay in more but would still face a raw deal. "Members working in the NHS or for local government have never had high pay or city bonuses, but they could look forward to a decent pension - now all that is being taken away," he said. "What really riles me is the breathtaking hypocrisy of MPs who recently voted themselves the best pension scheme in Europe, but say they can't afford it for anyone else. "This is a position that Unison cannot accept and will oppose. It will lead to conflict between Unison and the government, if not this year then next." Mr Prentis said workers did not want to go on strike and called for talks between unions and the highest level of government. Mark Serwotka, from the Public and Commercial Services union said there should be a co-ordinated one day strike unless there was a government rethink. The Fire Brigades Union said the government was planning to cut ill health retirement benefits for firefighters and other measures to chip away at pensions. Pensions officer Paul Woolstenholmes said: "The pensions of millions of public sector workers are under threat - apart from MPs and judges who have the most generous pensions arrangements in the country."

Hitch holds on to US box office Will Smith's first romantic comedy, Hitch, has topped the North American box office for a second weekend. Smith plays a New York "date doctor" with love worries of his own in the movie, which took $31.8m (£16.8m). It held off a strong challenge from the new Keanu Reeves sci-fi thriller Constantine which opened at number two with $30.5m (£16.1m) Constantine, based on the Hellblazer comics, stars Reeves as an exorcist who must send Satan's minions back to hell. Two family films came next in the chart, with Wayne Wang's comedy Because of Winn-Dixie, about a young girl and an abandoned dog, in third position with $10.85m (£5.73m). Comedy adventure Son of the Mask, came in at number four with $7.7m (£4.1m), just ahead of Oscar favourite Million Dollar Baby at five. Smith's comedy will be the first US movie released this year to top the $100m (£52.7m) mark. It's success continues a strong trend of Hollwood movie-going this year with figures for the popular President's Day weekend 13% greater than last year. Oscar contenders The Aviator, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes and wine-tasting comedy Sideways, both held onto positions in the top 10.

US manufacturing expands US industrial production increased in December, according to the latest survey from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). Its index of national manufacturing activity rose to 58.6 last month from 57.8 in November. A reading above 50 indicates a level of growth. The result for December was slightly better than analysts' expectations and the 19th consecutive expansion. The ISM said the growth was driven by a "significant" rise in the new orders. "This completes a strong year for manufacturing based on the ISM data," said chairman of the ISM's survey committee. "While there is continuing upward pressure on prices, the rate of increase is slowing and definitely trending in the right direction." The ISM's index of national manufacturing activity is compiled from monthly responses of purchasing executives at more than 400 industrial companies, ranging from textiles to chemicals to paper, and has now been above 50 since June 2003. Analysts expected December's figure to come in at 58.1. The ISM manufacturing index's main sister survey - the employment index - eased to 52.7 in December from 57.6 in November, while its "prices paid" index, measuring the cost to businesses of their inputs, also eased to 72.0 from 74.0. The ISM's "new orders" index rose to 67.4 from 61.5.

Labour pig poster 'anti-Semitic' The Labour Party has been accused of anti-Semitism over a poster depicting Michael Howard and Oliver Letwin - who are both Jewish - as flying pigs. Prospective Tory candidate Andrew Mennear, whose Finchley constituency contains a large Jewish community, branded it "tasteless" and offensive. The poster shows the two men's faces superimposed on winged pigs and says "the day the Tory sums add up". Labour said the poster was "not anti-Jewish, but anti-Tory". It is one of four designs e-mailed to Labour members, who were asked to vote for their favourite. Mr Mennear, who was sent the e-mail by a friend, said he had been "shocked" by the image and had shown it to friends who were similarly horrified. He said there was nothing more distasteful for a Jewish person than to be associated with a pig. "I am not suggesting there is any deliberate intent, but these sort of things can cause great offence. It clearly wasn't thought through. "It is possible the posters were designed for maximum impact, but this one clearly overstepped the mark and should be withdrawn." The campaign was particularly insensitive as it had come out at the same time as Holocaust Day, a "difficult" time for many Jewish people, Mr Mennear added. A Labour spokesman denied the campaign was anti-Semitic. "As we said at the time the James report (the Tory backed inquiry into possible public spending savings) was published pigs will fly before the Tory's sums will add up. This poster is making a serious point," he said. A Conservative Party spokesman said: "While the Conservatives are concentrating on the issues that matter to people, such as lower taxes and controlled immigration, it is clear to see that the Labour Party is not. People will not be fooled."

Moya fights back for Indian title Carlos Moya became the first man to successfully defend the Chennai Open title by beating four-times finalist Paradorn Srichaphan 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7/5). The Spaniard then donated his £28,000 prize money to relief efforts for the victims of the Asian tsunami. The final was close throughout, with Thai second seed Srichaphan - the 2003 winner - closing out the first set. But Moya took the second set, before bouncing back from 5-2 down in the decider to force and win a tie-break. Moya confirmed afterwards: "I'm donating my prize money from this tournament for the tsunami victims, hoping it makes some difference to their lives. His contribution follows pledges by four other players to donate their prize money from the tournament, which went ahead after the 26 December disaster which has so far claimed at least 150,000 lives. Scrichapan said he would donate an unspecified amount for relief work in Thailand, where more than 5,000 people were killed. The ATP has announced that it would contribute the US$25,000 tournament fee to Unicef's emergency relief fund in Tamil Nadu. The ATP Tour's sponsor, Mercedes, said it would also contribute, increasing the ATP donation to US$40,000.

Britons growing 'digitally obese' Gadget lovers are so hungry for digital data many are carrying the equivalent of 10 trucks full of paper in "weight". Music, images, e-mails, and texts are being hoarded on mobiles, cameras laptops and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), a Toshiba study found. It found that more than 60% kept 1,000 to 2,000 music files on their devices, making the UK "digitally fat". "Virtual weight" measurements are based on research by California Institute of Technology professor Roy Williams. He calculated physical comparisons for digital data in the mid-1990s. He worked out that one gigabyte (1,000,000,000 bytes) was the equivalent of a pick-up truck filled with paper. The amount of data people are squirreling away on their gadgets is clearly a sign that people are finding more things to do with their shiny things. If digital hoarding habits continue on this scale, people could be carrying around a "digitally obese" 20 gigabytes by next year. "Britain has become a nation of information hoarders with a ferocious appetite for data," said Martin Larsson, general manager of Toshiba's European storage device division. "As storage capabilities increase and the features and functionalities of mobile devices expand to support movie files and entire libraries of multi-media content, we will all become virtually obese," he told the BBC News website. The survey reflects the increasing trend for portable devices with built-in hard drives like music and media players from Apple, Creative Labs, Archos, iRiver and others. This trend is set to grow, according to analysts. They suggest the number of hard drives in consumer electronics gadgets could grow from 17 million last year to 55 million in 2006. "Consumers are driving the move towards smaller devices that have greater functionality, and industry is trying to keep up," said Mr Larsson. "People are looking for more than just phone calls and text messages on the move, they want things like web browsing, e-mailing, music, photos and more." Many are finding memory keys and memory sticks are simply not big enough to hold everything. "Floppies and memory keys have their place, but they don't have anything like the capacity or flexibility of a hard drive so are unable to meet the demand for more and more storage capacity in consumer devices," said Mr Larsson. The cost of making hard drives has dropped and is continuing to do so because of improved technologies so they are proving to be more cost-effective than other forms of memory, he added. The amount of data that can be stored has grown by 400% in the last three years, while the cost for every gigabyte has fallen by 80%. It is also getting easier to transfer files from one device to another, which has traditionally been a slow and problematic area. "Transfer of data between different memory types has improved significantly in recent times, and will be further helped by the standards for hard drives which are currently being developed by the major manufacturers," said Mr Larsson. According to technology analysts IDC, a fifth of all hard drives produced will be used in consumer electronics by 2007.

US to probe airline travel chaos The US government is to investigate two airlines- US Airways and Delta Air Lines' Comair subsidiary - after travel chaos over the Christmas weekend. Staff calling in sick at US Airways and computer failures at Comair left 30,000 passengers stranded and 10,000 pieces of baggage undelivered. US Airways is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in two years, and battling to cut costs. It is currently trying to negotiate pay cuts with flight and baggage staff. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said he was "deeply concerned" at the disruption to passengers, and ordered a thorough investigation. Comair's computer breakdown plunged its flight-crew scheduling system into disarray. Altogether, some 1,100 flights were cancelled over the holiday long weekend. Mr Mineta said it was important to understand "what happened, why it happened and whether the carriers properly planned for the holiday travel period and responded appropriately to consumer needs in the aftermath". Adding to the atmosphere of chaos were mountains of luggage left to pile up when a third of US Airways' baggage handling staff called in sick. There was also a shortage of US Airways flight attendants, with nearly a fifth saying they were too sick to work, leading to many flight cancellations. However, union officials denied there had been a deliberate "sickout". They said that many people have flu at this time of year and that the airline is chronically understaffed. US Airways ended up cancelling over 100 flights on Christmas Day, stranding passengers in as many as 119 airports. Ground crews at US Airways, the seventh-largest US airline, which is now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, face a court-imposed pay cut next month. The airline needs to negotiate other paycuts if it is to find a route out of bankruptcy. It is looking for paycuts totalling $800m. "US Airways has a full-scale employee mutiny on its hands," commented Michael Boyd, an industry consultant. Disruptions to flight schedules could discourage customers from flying with US Airways, reducing revenues. US Airways had to cancel approximately 65 flights on Thursday, 180 on Friday, 140 on Saturday, 43 on Sunday and 15 on Monday, said industry officials. The airline said it was "embarrassed by the situation" and "deeply regrets any inconvenience caused to customers," The probe will focus on the industry's compliance with a 1999 agreement aimed at improving the quality of passenger service that has so far allowed airlines to avoid congressionally-mandated standards. Analysts said the Christmas chaos cast doubt on US Airway's ability to emerge from bankruptcy - and was likely to worsen the finances of troubled Delta, parent of Comair. Comair "deeply regrets the inconvenience to all of our customers caused by the severe winter storm in the Ohio River Valley during the busy holiday season, exacerbated by problems with the airline's crew scheduling system, causing additional flight delays and cancellations," the Delta subsidiary said in a statement.

Microsoft debuts security tools Microsoft is releasing tools that clean up PCs harbouring viruses and spyware. The virus-fighting program will be updated monthly and is a precursor to Microsoft releasing dedicated anti-virus software. Also being released is a software utility that will help users find and remove any spyware on their home computer. Although initially free it is thought that soon Microsoft will be charging users for the anti-spyware tool. The anti-spyware tool is available now and the anti-virus utility is expected to be available later this month. Microsoft's Windows operating system has long been a favourite of people who write computer viruses because it is so ubiquitous and has many loopholes that can be exploited. It has proved such a tempting target that there are now thought to be more than 100,000 viruses and other malicious programs in existence. Latest research suggests that new variants of viruses are being cranked out at a rate of up to 200 per week. Spyware is surreptitious software that sneaks on to home computers, often without users' knowledge. In its most benign form it just bombards users with pop-up adverts or hijacks web browser settings. The most malicious forms steal confidential information or log every keystroke that users make. Surveys have shown that most PCs are infested with spyware. Research by technology firms Earthlink and Webroot revealed that 90% of Windows machine have the malicious software on board and, on average, each one harbours 28 separate spyware programs. Before now Microsoft has left the market for PC security software to specialist firms such as Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro and many others. It said that its virus cleaning program would not stop machines being infected nor remove the need for other anti-virus programs. On spyware freely available programs such as Ad-Aware and Spybot have become widely used by people keen to keep the latest variants at bay. Microsoft's two security tools have emerged as a result of acquisitions the company has made over the last two years. In 2003 it bought Romanian firm GeCAD Software to get hold of its anti-virus technology. In December 2004 it bought New York-based anti-spyware firm Giant Company Software. Last year Microsoft also released the SP2 upgrade for Windows XP that closed many security loopholes in the software and made it easier for people to manage their anti-virus and firewall programs.

Johnson accuses British sprinters Former Olympic champion Michael Johnson has accused Britain's top sprinters of lacking pride and ambition. "At the moment, the biggest factor on the mind of British sprinters is to be number one in Britain," the world 200m and 400m record holder told Five Live. "Athletics at the moment is all about international competitions and they need to show a little more pride." However, Linford Christie countered: "It's easy to criticise when you haven't gone through the system here." Johnson was involved in a verbal spat with Britain's Darren Campbell earlier this year. The American had cast doubt on Campbell's claims he had torn a hamstring in the wake of his failure to reach the Olympic 100m and 200m finals. And the American remains highly critical of aspects of British sprinting. "The only time you see British sprinters getting upset or riled is when there is a debate as to which one is better than the other," he claimed. "Athletes here have to compete more outside the UK. Their focus has to be on being the best in the world and not just on being the top British sprinter." Speaking at an elite coaches' conference in Birmingham, Johnson also argued that although there has been more investment in the sport in Britain, it had not necessarily reaped the rewards. "You can't fix everything with money," he admitted. "You contrast the situation here to that of some US athletes who have no funding. "Those who aren't funded might be hungrier and more motivated because their road to success is a lot more difficult and challenging. "So when they get to the top they are more appreciative."

Dollar slides ahead of New Year The US dollar has hit a new record low against the euro and analysts predict that more declines are likely in 2005. Disappointing economic reports dented the currency, which had been rallying after European policy makers said they were worried about the euro's strength. Earlier on Thursday, the Japanese yen touched its lowest versus the euro on concerns about economic growth in Asia. Currency markets have been volatile over the past week because of technical and automated trading and light demand. This has amplified reactions, analysts said, adding that they expect markets to become less jumpy in January. "People want to go into the weekend and the New Year positioned for a weaker buck," said Tim Mazanec, director of foreign exchange at Investors Bank and Trust. The dollar slid to a record $1.3666 versus the euro on Thursday, before bouncing back to $1.3636. Against the yen the dollar was trading down at $103.05. The yen, meanwhile, dropped to 141.60 per euro in afternoon trading. It later strengthened to 140.55. Investors are concerned about the size of the US trade and budget deficits and are betting that George W Bush's administration will allow the dollar to weaken despite saying they favour a strong currency. Also playing on investors' minds are mixed reports about the state of the US economy. On Thursday, disappointing business figures from Chicago brought a sudden end to a rally in the value of the dollar. The National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said its index dropped to 61.2, more than analysts had expected. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi voiced concerns about the strength of the euro. Mr Berlusconi said the euro's strength was "absolutely worrying" for Italian exports. Mr Schroeder said in a newspaper article that stability in foreign exchange markets required a correction of global economic imbalances.

Animation charms Japan box office Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazaki's latest film has set a new Japanese box office record, with 1.5bn yen ($14.3m) in two days, according to reports. Howl's Moving Castle is the follow-up to Miyazaki's Spirited Away, which won best animation at last year's Oscars. It is based on the children's book by English writer Diana Wynne Jones. It has registered the highest opening weekend takings of any Japanese film in the country, according to trade publication Screen Daily. The film is about an 18-year-old girl who is trapped in an old woman's body after being put under a spell by a witch. Its two-day takings represented 1.1 million cinema admissions, Screen Daily said. The film's distributor Toho expects 40 million people to see it in total - almost one third of the country's population - it added. The film won the Golden Osella for outstanding technical contribution at this year's Venice Film Festival.

'No re-draft' for EU patent law A proposed European law on software patents will not be re-drafted by the European Commission (EC) despite requests by MEPs. The law is proving controversial and has been in limbo for a year. Some major tech firms say it is needed to protect inventions, while others fear it will hurt smaller tech firms. The EC says the Council of Ministers will adopt a draft version that was agreed upon last May but said it would review "all aspects of the directive". The directive is intended to offer patent protection to inventions that use software to achieve their effect, in other words, "computer implemented invention". In a letter, EC President José Manuel Barroso told the President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell, that the Commission "did not intend to refer a new proposal to the Parliament and the Council (of ministers)" as it had supported the agreement reached by ministers in May 2004. If the European Council agrees on the draft directive it will then return for a second reading at the European Parliament. But that will not guarantee that the directive will become law - instead it will probably mean further delays and controversy over the directive. Most EU legislation now needs the approval of both parliament and the Council of Ministers before it becomes law. French Green MEP Alain Lipietz warned two weeks ago that if the Commission ignored the Parliament's request it would be an "insult" to the assembly. He said that the parliament would then reject the Council's version of the legislation as part of the final or conciliation stage of the decision procedure. 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, for example. Critics are concerned that the directive could lead to a similar model happening in Europe. This, they fear, could hurt small software developers because they do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies if they had to fight patent legal action in court. Supporters say current laws are inefficient and it would serve to even up a playing field without bringing EU laws in line with the US.

Moving mobile improves golf swing A mobile phone that recognises and responds to movements has been launched in Japan. The motion-sensitive phone - officially titled the V603SH - was developed by Sharp and launched by Vodafone's Japanese division. Devised mainly for mobile gaming, users can also access other phone functions using a pre-set pattern of arm movements. The phone will allow golf fans to improve their swing via a golfing game. Those who prefer shoot-'em-ups will be able to use the phone like a gun to shoot the zombies in the mobile version of Sega's House of the Dead. The phone comes with a tiny motion-control sensor, a computer chip that responds to movement. Other features include a display screen that allows users to watch TV and can rotate 180 degrees. It also doubles up as an electronic musical instrument. Users have to select a sound from a menu that includes clapping, tambourine and maracas and shake their phone to create a beat. It is being recommended for the karaoke market. The phone will initially be available in Japan only and is due to go on sale in mid-February. The new gadget could make for interesting people-watching among Japanese commuters, who are able to access their mobiles on the subway. Fishing afficiandos in South Korea are already using a phone that allows them to simulate the movement of a rod. The PH-S6500 phone, dubbed a sports-leisure gadget, was developed by Korean phone giant Pantech and can also be used by runners to measure calorie consumption and distance run.

Rich grab half Colombia poor fund Half of the money put aside by the Colombian government to help the country's poor is benefiting people who do not need it, a study has found. A total of 24.2 trillion pesos ($10.2bn; £5.5bn) is earmarked for subsidies for the poor, the government department for planning said. But it also found 12.1 trillion pesos was going to the richest part of the population, rather than to those in need. Sound distribution of the cash could cut poverty levels to 36% from 53%, the government believes. "Resources are more than enough to reduce poverty and there is no need for more tax reforms but a better distribution," deputy planning director Jose Leibovich said. Colombia has a population of about 44 million and half lives below poverty line. However, some large properties are paying less in tax as they are situated inside poor areas, which benefit from cheaper utilities such as electricity and water, government research found. Government expenditure in areas such as pensions, public services, education, property and health should be revised, Mr Leibovich said. He added that the government is now examining the report, but warned there would be no easy solution to the problem. With a good distribution of such subsidies and economic growth of just 2%, by 2019 poverty could fall as low as 15.3%, he said.

File-swappers ready new network Legal attacks on websites that help people swap pirated films have forced the development of a system that could be harder to shut down. One site behind the success of the BitTorrent file-swapping system is producing its own software that avoids the pitfalls of the earlier program. A test version of the new Exeem program will be released in late January. But doubts remain about the new networks ability to ensure files being swapped are "quality copies". In late December movie studios launched a legal campaign against websites that helped people swap pirated movies using the BitTorrent network. The legal campaign worked because of the way that BitTorrent is organised. That file-sharing system relies on links called "trackers" that point users to others happy to share the file they are looking for. Shutting down sites that listed trackers crippled the BitTorrent network. One of the sites shut down by the legal campaign was suprnova.org which helped boost the popularity of the BitTorrent system by checking that trackers led to the movies or TV programmes they claimed to. Now the man behind suprnova.org, who goes by the nickname Sloncek, is preparing to release software for a new file-swapping network dubbed Exeem. In an interview with Novastream web radio, Sloncek said Exeem would combine ideas from the BitTorrent and Kazaa file-sharing systems. Like BitTorrent, Exeem will have trackers that help point people toward the file they want. Like Kazaa these trackers will be held by everyone. There will be no centrally maintained list. This, said Sloncek, should make the system less vulnerable to legal action aimed at stopping people swapping pirated movies and music. The Exeem software has been under development for a few months and is currently being tested by a closed group of users. An early public version of the software should be available before February. Sloncek said that currently only a Windows version of the software was in development. There were no plans for a Linux or Mac version. He said that costs of writing the software will be paid for by adverts appearing in the finished version of the program. Despite Suprnova administrator Sloncek's involvement with Exeem, the basic technology appears to have been developed by a firm called Swarm Systems that is based on Caribbean island Saint Kitts and Nevis. Users of the Exeem system will be able to rate files being swapped to help stop the spread of fake files, Sloncek told Novastream. Dr Johan Pouwelse, a researcher at the Delft University of Technology who studies peer-to-peer networks, said Exeem was the next evolution in file-sharing systems. But, he said, it would struggle to be as popular as BitTorrent and Suprnova because early versions were not taking enough care to make sure good copies of files were being shared. "Exeem cannot prevent pollution," he said. "The rating system in Exeem seems flawed because it is easy to insert both fake files and fake ratings," he said. Studies have shown that organisations working for record labels and movie studios have worked to undermine Kazaa by putting in fakes. By contrast moderators on Suprnova made sure files being shared were high quality. "The moderators are the difference between having a system that works and one that's full of crap like Kazaa," he said. "There is a fundamental tension between distribution and integrity," he said. Mr Pouwelse said that future versions of file-sharing systems are likely to incorporate some kind of distributed reputation system that lets moderators prove who they are to the network and rate which files are worth downloading. When big files were being shared moderation systems were key, said Mr Pouwelse. He added that the legal attacks on BitTorrent had driven people away from sites such as Suprnova but many users had simply migrated to other tracker listing sites many of which have seen huge increases in traffic. "It's hard to compete with free," he said. No-one from the Motion Picture Association of America was immediately available for comment on the file-sharing development.

Cup holders Man Utd visit Everton Holders Manchester United and Premiership leaders Chelsea both face difficult away ties against Premiership opposition in the FA Cup fifth round. United were drawn against Everton, while Chelsea face a trip to Newcastle. Brentford and Hartlepool - the only sides left from outside the top two divisions - will replay for the right to travel to Southampton. Burnley's reward for a place in the last 16 was a home tie against Lancashire rivals Blackburn. The tie between Manchester United and Everton could see the return of teenage striker Wayne Rooney to his former club for the first time since his acrimonious £27m move. Nottingham Forest boss Gary Megson could face a trip back to old club West Brom if they come through their fourth-round replay against Tottenham. Arsenal were handed a potential home tie against fellow Londoners West Ham, providing the Hammers come through their replay against Sheffield United. Charlton will play Leicester and Bolton await the winners of the Derby-Fulham replay. : Bolton v Derby or Fulham West Bromwich Albion or Tottenham v Nottingham Forest Everton v Manchester United Charlton Athletic v Leicester City Burnley v Blackburn Southampton v Brentford or Hartlepool Newcastle v Chelsea Arsenal v West Ham or Sheffield United Ties to be played on 19/20 February.

Wal-Mart fights back at accusers Two big US names have launched advertising campaigns to "set the record straight" about their products and corporate behaviour. The world's biggest retailer Wal-Mart took out more than 100 full page adverts in national newspapers. The group is trying to see off criticism over it pay deals, benefits package and promotion strategy. Meanwhile, drugs group Eli Lilly is planning a campaign against "false" claims about its product Prozac. Wal-Mart kicked off the battle with adverts in newspapers like the Wall Street Journal, using an open letter from company president Lee Scott saying it was time for the public to hear the "unfiltered truth". "There are lots of 'urban legends' going around these days about Wal-Mart, but facts are facts. Wal-Mart is good for consumers, good for communities and good for the US economy," Mr Scott said in a separate statement. Its adverts - and a new website - outlined the group's plans to create more than 10,000 US jobs in 2005. Wal-Mart's average pay is almost twice the national minimum wage of $5.15 (£3.90) an hour, while employees are offered health and life insurance, company stock and a retirement plan, the adverts say. Unions accuse Wal-Mart of paying staff less than its rivals do, with fewer benefits. In California, the company is fighting opposition to new stores amid allegations it forces local competitors out of business. Lawmakers in the state are also examining allegations that the firm burdens the state with an unfair proportion of employee health care costs. "I think they are going to have a tough time suddenly overcoming the perceptions of some people," said Larry Bevington, chairman of Save Our Community - a group fighting to prevent Wal-Mart opening a store in Rosemead, California. Wal-Mart is also fighting two lawsuits - one accusing it of discriminating against women and another alleging it discriminates against black employees. Meanwhile Eli Lilly is launching a series of adverts in a dozen major newspapers, to present what is says are the true facts about its anti-depressant drug Prozac. The move is in response to a British Medical Journal article that claimed "missing" Lilly documents linked Prozac to suicide and violent behaviour. In the averts, entitled An Open Letter from chief executive Sidney Taurel, the company says the article continues to "needlessly spread fear among patients who take Prozac". "It was simply wrong to suggest that information on Prozac was missing, or that important research data on the benefits and possible side effects of the drug were not available to doctors and regulators," the letter added. Eli Lilly's chief medical officer Alan Breier said that the article was "false and misleading" as the documents it referred to were actually created by officials at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and presented to an FDA meeting in 1991. Later, FDA medical advisors agreed the claims were based on faulty data and there was no increased risk of suicide.

Metlife buys up Citigroup insurer US banking giant Citigroup has sold its Travelers Life & Annuity insurance arm to Metlife for $11.5bn (£6.1bn). The sale is a further move by Citigroup away from its 1990s strategy of offering every financial service - insurance, broking and banking. Profit growth in the insurance market has not matched expansion at Citigroup's other businesses. For Metlife, the US's leading insurance company, the purchase gives it access to a much larger distribution network. Robert Benmosche, Metlife's chairman and chief executive, said that it was a "great opportunity for the brand of Metlife to be distributed through Citigroup". Under the agreement, Metlife will be able to sell its products through Citigroup over the next 10 years. The deal includes Smith Barney retail brokerages and Citibank branches. The company will pay between $1bn and $3bn in Metlife stock with the rest being made up of cash. Travelers had sales of $5.2bn in 2004 and made a profit of $901m. It has total net assets of $96bn. "This deal employs some of Metlife's excess capital in a potentially higher-return business and gives it more distribution," said Stuart Quint, an analyst at Gartmore.

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".

Disappointed Scott in solid start Allan Scott is confident of winning a medal at next week's European Indoor Championships after a solid debut on the international circuit. The 22-year-old Scot finished fourth in the 60m hurdles at the Jose M Cagigal Memorial meeting in Madrid. "It was definitely a learning curve and I certainly haven't ruled out challenging for a medal next week," said the East Kilbride athlete. The race was won by Felipe Vivancos, who equalled the Spanish record. Sweden's Robert Kronberg was second, with Haiti's Dudley Dorival in third. Scott was slightly disappointed with his run in the final. He won his heat in 7.64secs but ran 0.04secs slower in his first IAAF Indoor Grand Prix circuit final. "I should have done better than that," he said. "I felt I could have won it. I got a poor start - but I still felt I should have ran faster." Vivancos slashed his personal best to equal the Spanish record with a time of 7.60secs while Kronberg and Dorival clocked 7.62secs and 7.63secs respectively.

Howard dismisses Tory tax fears Michael Howard has dismissed fears from some Conservatives that his plans for £4bn tax cuts are too modest. He defended the package, saying it was a plan for the Tories' first Budget and he hoped to be able to go further. The Tories on Monday highlighted £35bn in "wasteful" spending they would stop to allow tax cuts, reduced borrowing and more spending on key services. Labour and the Liberal Democrats say the party's sums do not add up and claim it would cut frontline services. The Tory tax plan follows complaints from some of the party's MPs that Mr Howard and shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin have taken too long to unveil the proposals. Now they have promised a figure but have yet to reveal which taxes would be targeted. Tory backbencher Edward Leigh said the proposals were a step in the right direction but he told the Financial Times: "I would come up sooner with much greater tax cuts." Interviewed on BBC Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show, Mr Howard said: "It is perfectly true that I am being attacked on one side by people who think we ought to be promising much, much bigger tax cuts and spending cuts. "On the other side, there are people who say we won't be able to achieve these tax cuts. "I think we have got it about right." Mr Howard said voters faced a clear choice at the next election between more waste and more tax under Labour and Tory value for money and lower taxes. He added: "I would like to be able to do more, and over time I am sure we will be able to do more, but at the start, we have got to recognise there is a limit to what we can do in one go, in our first Budget. "I have got to be responsible about this." The latest Tory plans came as campaigning for the election - widely expected in May - gathered pace. The Liberal Democrats launched their pre-election platform, with leader Charles Kennedy saying his party was the "authentic opposition", particularly on the Iraq war, council tax and university tuition fees. Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Vince Cable also branded the Tory plans as "fantasy economics". Labour hit back at the Tory proposals even before their publication with election coordinator Alan Milburn accusing Mr Howard of producing a "fraudulent prospectus". The party on Tuesday challenged the Tories to publish the full report from David James, the trouble-shooter they asked to identify possible savings. But the Tories are in turn demanding that Tony Blair spell out which taxes he would raise if he wins the election.

Israel looks to US for bank chief Israel has asked a US banker and former International Monetary Fund director to run its central bank. Stanley Fischer, vice chairman of banking giant Citigroup, has agreed to take the Bank of Israel job subject to approval from parliament and cabinet. His nomination by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon came as a surprise, and led to gains on the Tel Aviv stock market. Mr Fischer, who speaks fluent Hebrew, will have to become an Israeli citizen to take the job. The US says he will not have to give up US citizenship to do so. Previous incumbent David Klein, who often argued with the Finance Ministry, steps down on 16 January. Mr Fischer will face a delicate balancing act - both in political and economic terms - between Mr Sharon and finance minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who also backed his nomination. But his appointment has also raised hopes that it could bring in fresh investment - and perhaps even an improvement in the country's credit rating Mr Fischer first went to Israel for six months in 1973, and almost emigrated there before deciding finally to return to the US. While teaching at the Massachussetts Institute of Technology he spent a month seconded to the Bank of Israel in 1979, beginning a long-time involvement in studying Israel's economy. In 1983 Mr Fischer became adviser on Israel's economy to then-US secretary of state George Shultz. At the World Bank in 1985, he participated in drawing up an economic stabilisation package for Israel.

Gallas sees two-horse race Chelsea's William Gallas believes they will battle it out with Arsenal for the Premiership in the coming months. "It'll be a two-horse race all the way to the end of the season because we are both going to give it everything," he told BBC Sport. "You need to be good and you need a lot of luck. You need a bit of both but it will be as hard for the Arsenal players as it is for the Chelsea boys." "We know that we have got the power in our hands just now," added Gallas. "But you never know what is going to happen in football - two seasons ago Manchester United picked up so many points towards the end of the season when they won the title. "Obviously, nobody at Chelsea wants to come second but you never know what happens in football. "We will be challenging to come first as much as every Arsenal player will be challenging to come first." Gallas has been given extra confidence by the impact manager Jose Mourinho has had since taking over as manager during the summer. And the French international defender believes Mourinho is perfectly suited to boss the squad of Chelsea stars and says his managerial expertise will prevent any player revolt. "It's only normal when you have got a team put together of such big names that you put the finishing touch to it and the finishing touch at Chelsea is a fantastic manager like Mourinho," he said. "He is the icing on the cake at the club. He has this fantastic knack of thinking of everything. "Another incredible quality that Mourinho has is that every player, even though the fans may consider them to be a stars, within the dressing-room they are absolutely equal. "Mourinho reminds everyone but he doesn't have to because he has created a wonderful atmosphere where everybody is playing and laughing every day. "It is a changed dressing-room from the atmosphere there was last year."

Ebbers denies WorldCom fraud Former WorldCom chief Bernie Ebbers has denied claims that he knew accountants were doctoring the books at the firm. Speaking in court, Mr Ebbers rejected allegations he pressured ex-chief financial officer Scott Sullivan to falsify company financial statements. Mr Sullivan "made accounting decisions," he told the federal court, saying his finance chief had "a keen command of the numbers". Mr Ebbers has denied charges of fraud and conspiracy. During his second day of questioning in the New York trial Mr Ebbers played down his working relationship with Mr Sullivan and denied he frequently met him to discuss company business when questioned by the prosecution. "In a lot of weeks, we would speak ... three or four times," Mr Ebbers said, adding that conversations about finances were rarely one-on-one and were usually discussed by a "group of people" instead. Mr Ebbers relationship to Mr Sullivan is key to the case surrounding financial corruption that led to the collapse of the firm in 2002 following the discovery of an $11bn accounting fraud. The prosecution's star witness is Mr Sullivan, one of six WorldCom executives indicted in the case, He has pleaded guilty to fraud and appeared as a prosecution witness as part of an agreement with prosecutors. During his time on the witness stand Mr Sullivan repeatedly told jurors he met frequently with Mr Ebbers, told him about changes made to WorldCom's accounts to hide costs and had warned him such practises were improper. However during the case on Tuesday Mr Ebbers denied the allegations. "I wasn't advised by Scott Sullivan of anything ever being wrong," he told the court. "He's never told me he made an entry that wasn't right. If he had, we wouldn't be here today." Mr Ebbers could face a jail sentence of up to 85 years if convicted of all the charges he is facing. Shareholders lost about $180bn in WorldCom's collapse, 20,000 workers lost their jobs and the company went bankrupt. The company emerged from bankruptcy last year and is now known as MCI.

Musical treatment for Capra film The classic film It's A Wonderful Life is to be turned into a musical by the producer of the controversial hit show Jerry Springer - The Opera. Frank Capra's 1946 movie starring James Stewart, is being turned into a £7m musical by producer Jon Thoday. He is working with Steve Brown, who wrote the award-winning musical Spend Spend Spend. A spokeswoman said the plans were in the "very early stages", with no cast, opening date or theatre announced. A series of workshops have been held in London, and on Wednesday a cast of singers unveiled the musical to a select group of potential investors. Mr Thoday said the idea of turning the film into a musical had been an ambition of his for almost 20 years. It's a Wonderful Life was based on a short story, The Greatest Gift, by Philip van Doren Stern. Mr Thoday managed to buy the rights to the story from Van Doren Stern's family in 1999, following Mr Brown's success with Spend Spend Spend. He later secured the film rights from Paramount, enabling them to use the title It's A Wonderful Life.

French suitor holds LSE meeting European stock market Euronext has met with the London Stock Exchange (LSE) amid speculation that it may be ready to launch a cash bid. Euronext chief Jean-Francois Theodore held talks with LSE boss Clara Furse the day after rival Deutsche Boerse put forward its own bid case. The German exchange said it had held "constructive, professional and friendly" talks with the LSE. But Euronext declined to comment after the talks ended on Friday. Speculation is mounting that the Germans may raise their bid to £1.5bn. Deutsche Boerse previously offered £1.3bn, which was rejected by the LSE, while Euronext is rumoured to have facilities in place to fund a £1.4bn cash bid. So far, however, neither have tabled a formal bid. But a deal with either bidder would create the biggest stock market operator in Europe and the second biggest in the world after the New York Stock Exchange. There was speculation Euronext would use Friday's meeting as an opportunity to take advantage of growing disquiet over Deutsche Boerse's own plans for dominance over the London market. Unions for Deutsche Boerse staff in Frankfurt has reportedly expressed fears that up to 300 jobs would be moved to London if the takeover is successful. "The works council has expressed concerns that the equities and derivatives trade could be managed from London in the future," Reuters news agency reports a union source as saying. German politicians are also said to be angry over the market operator's promise to move its headquarters to London if a bid were successful. Meanwhile, LSE shareholders fear that Deutsche Boerse's control over its Clearstream unit - the clearing house that processes securities transactions - would create a monopoly situation. This would weaken the position of shareholders when negotiating lower transaction fees for share dealings. LSE and Euronext do not have control over their clearing and settlement operations, a situation which critics say is more transparent and competitive. The German group's ownership of Clearstream has been seen as the main stumbling block to a London-Frankfurt merger. Commentators believe Deutsche Boerse, which has now formally asked German authorities to approve its plan to buy the LSE, may offer to sell Clearstream to gain shareholder approval. Euronext, so far, has given little away as to what sweeteners it will offer the LSE - Europe's biggest equity market - into a deal.

Snow Patrol bassist exits group Snow Patrol had "no other course of action" but to ask their co-founder and bassist to leave the band, lead singer Gary Lightbody has said. Mark McClelland had been in the band for more than 10 years since its formation at Dundee University. Lightbody said "over the last 18 months touring has taken its toll on the rest of the band's relationship with him". He said: "This is the hardest decision we have ever had to make and believe us when we say we didn't make it lightly." The group, originally from Northern Ireland, has only achieved mainstream success in the last year with the single Run and award-winning album Final Straw. In a statement on the band's website, Lightbody said: "I started the group with Mark 10 years ago and he was a massive part of Snow Patrol and my life throughout that decade." He added: "It got to the stage that things couldn't go on as they were, so we felt there was no other course of action but this. "I know you will all be distressed and may not understand this news but we had to do what was best for the band." Snow Patrol are currently working on the follow-up to their breakthrough third album. The band is set to play support to U2 on a number of summer stadium gigs. Last month, they were the big winners in Ireland's top music honours, the Meteor Awards, picking up accolades for best band and album. It followed nominations for the Brit Awards and the Mercury Music Prize. The band formed in 1994 when Lightbody and McClelland met as students at Dundee University.

Business confidence dips in Japan Business confidence among Japanese manufacturers has weakened for the first time since March 2003, the quarterly Tankan survey has found. Slower economic growth, rising oil prices, a stronger yen and weaker exports were blamed for the fall. December's confidence level was below that seen in September, the Bank of Japan said. However, September's reading was the strongest for 13 years. "The economy is at a pause but unlikely to fall", the economy minister said. "It will feel a bit slower (next year) than this year, and growth may be a bit more gentle but the situation is that the recovery will continue," said economy minister Heizo Takenaka. In the Bank of Japan's December survey, the balance of big manufacturers saying business conditions are better, minus those saying they are worse, was 22, down from 26 in September. Japan's economy grew by just 0.1% in the three months to September, according revised data issued this month. With the recovery slowing, the world's second biggest economy is now expected grow by 0.2% in 2004. The Tankan index is based on a survey of 10,227 firms. Big manufacturers were even more pessimistic about the first quarter of 2005; their views suggest the March reading could go as low as 15 - still in positive territory, but weaker. The dollar's decline has strengthened the yen, making Japanese exports more expensive in the US. China's attempts to cool down its fast-growing economy have also hit Japanese industry's sales abroad. Confidence among non-manufacturers was unchanged in the final quarter of 2004, but it is forecast to drop one point in the March survey. Nonetheless, Japanese firms have been stepping up capital investment, and the survey found the pace is quickening. Companies reported they expect to invest 7.7% more in the year to March 2005 than the previous year - up from expectations of 6.1% increase in the September Tankan.

New York rockers top talent poll New York electro-rock group The Bravery have come top of the BBC News website's Sound of 2005 poll to find the music scene's most promising new act. The Bravery, who have been compared to The Cure and New Order, were the most heavily-tipped act in the survey of 110 impartial critics and broadcasters. Rock band Keane won Sound of 2004 while US rapper 50 Cent topped Sound of 2003. Other new artists in this year's list include London indie group Bloc Party at second and UK rapper Kano third. The Bravery played their first gig in 2003 and have since supported bands including The Libertines, Interpol and Echo and the Bunnymen. They were the subject of a record company bidding war in 2004 and their debut single, Unconditional, caused a huge buzz when it was released in the UK in November. Singer Sam Endicott said he felt "great" about coming top of the Sound of 2005 list. "Anyone that says they don't want a zillion screaming fans is a jackass, a liar," he said. One of the experts to tip The Bravery was The Times' music critic Paul Connolly, who said they were "spiky but in love with pop". Chris Hawkins, host of BBC 6 Music's chart show, said the band had "great guitars and a mastery of the electro-clash sound". "The Bravery are proof alone that New York City is still home to hot new talent," he said. Alison Howe, producer of TV show Later... With Jools Holland, booked the group to appear the day after seeing them at a west London pub. "They played like they were headlining the main stage at Glastonbury," she said. "Great songs, a good look, a touch of attitude and a cracking live band." Q magazine reviews editor Ted Kessler said they were "pretty-boy New York clothes horses" with "an unusually nimble ear for concise, yearning pop in the mould of Duran Duran or The Strokes". Other pundits to take part in the survey included BBC Radio 1 DJ Trevor Nelson, NME editor Conor McNicholas, Top of the Pops presenter Fearne Cotton, Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis and BBC Radio 2 music editor Colin Martin. Elsewhere on the top 10, second-placed rock band Bloc Party began their rise after supporting Franz Ferdinand and UK garage MC Kano, in third, is signed to The Streets' record label. US rapper The Game is hip-hop great Dr Dre's latest protege while Leeds group Kaiser Chiefs came fifth with a promise to lead a Britpop revival. In last year's survey, Keane were followed by Franz Ferdinand, Razorlight and Joss Stone in the top five - all of whom were virtually unknown outside the music industry at that point. Boy band McFly were sixth while Scissor Sisters, who had the UK's best-selling album of 2004, were seventh. In the survey, the pundits were asked for tips for three acts they thought were capable of reaching the top in their chosen genre, either in terms of sales or critical acclaim. The artists could be from any country and any musical genre, but must not have had a UK top 20 single, been a contestant on a TV talent show or already be famous for doing something else, such as a soap actor. Those tips were then counted and compiled to make the top 10.

Greek pair set for hearing Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou will fight the provisional two-year bans imposed on them by the IAAF at an independent tribunal this weekend. Athletics' ruling body took action against the pair for failing to take drugs tests before the Athens Olympics. An independent tribunal of the Greek Track and Field Federation will meet to decide whether to ratify the sanction. The sprint duo face charges of failing to give information on their location and refusing to submit to a drugs test. Kenteris' lawyer Gregory Ioannidis told BBC Sport: "We refute both charges as unsubstantiated and illogical. "There have been certain breaches in the correct application of the rules on behalf of the sporting authorities and their officials, and these procedural breaches have also violated my client's rights. "There is also evidence that proves the fact that my client has been persecuted." Ioannidis, who is a law lecturer at the University of Buckingham, added: "One of the important rights and foundations of law and justice - that the accused should be presumed innocent unless proved otherwise - has been tarnished." The panel will also decide on the two-year ban imposed on the athletes' controversial coach Christos Tzekos by the IAAF. Kenteris, the 2000 Olympic 200m champion, and Thanou, the women's 100m silver medallist from the same Games in Sydney, quit the Olympics on 18 August after failing to give samples on the eve of the opening ceremony. Testers could not find them at the Olympic village and the duo were later admitted to hospital after claiming to have been involved in a motorcycle accident. They also missed tests in Tel Aviv, Chicago and Athens before the Games. In imposing two-year suspensions on the duo on 22 December, the IAAF described their explanations for missing the tests as "unacceptable". Whatever the findings of the independent tribunal, all parties will have the right to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The tribunal hearing will take place at the Hellenic Olympic Committee building. It will start at 1200 GMT on Saturday and is expected to finish early next week. The tribunal panel will consist of five members - president Konstantinos Panagopoulos and Panagiotis Dimakos, Haralabos Hrisanthakis, Stilianos Perakis and Ioannis Karmis. Kenteris and Thanou also face criminal charges in Greece for allegedly faking the motorcycle accident. Eight criminal charges have been laid against the sprinters as well as Tzekos, an eyewitness to the accident and hospital officials. But there has been speculation that the charges could be dropped.

Whitehall cuts 'ahead of target' Thousands of civil service jobs have already been cut or moved out of London as part of a major cost-cutting drive. Chancellor Gordon Brown said 12,500 jobs had gone while 7,800 were being moved out of the South East. He plans to axe 104,000 jobs to free up money for education, health, defence, housing and overseas aid. Unions oppose the plans but Mr Brown said £2bn savings had already been made and more jobs had been cut than had been expected at this stage. A further 200 jobs at the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have been earmarked to be cut. At the Department for Work and Pensions, 30,000 jobs are to go, 560 will be lost by the end of the month at the Department of Trade and Industry and 400 are to go at the Inland Revenue and Customs. In his Budget statement, the chancellor said the first 12,500 civil service jobs had been cut, on target. About 4,300 civil servants will leave London and the South East by the end of March 2005 and there are plans to relocate another 3,500. Of those 300 Department of Health posts will go to Yorkshire while hundreds at the Department of Culture will move to Birmingham and Newcastle. Mr Brown also announced plans to merge 35 agencies into nine - described by one civil service union as a "bonfire of the quangos". Mark Serwotka, the leader of the Public and Commercial Services Union said: "In last year's budget we had the day of the long knifes as the chancellor kicked off the crude game of who could cut the most civil service jobs between the government and the Tories. "There was a time when the only worry thousands of hard working civil and public servants had on budget day was whether petrol or taxes would go up, nowadays the worry is whether they will have a job by the end of it." He said Mr Brown had made welcome announcements on closing tax loopholes and extending the New Deal, while cutting "the very people who deliver them." The Treasury also announced plans to reduce the number of public sector workers on sick leave with a new system of checks and tougher measures against those suspected of abusing the system.

Q&A: Malcolm Glazer and Man Utd The battle for control of Manchester United has taken another turn after the club confirmed it had received a fresh takeover approach from US business tycoon Malcolm Glazer. No formal offer has been made yet, but Manchester United have confirmed they have received a "detailed proposal" from the US entrepreneur which could lead to a bid. Reports have put the offer at 300p per share, which would value Manchester United at about £800m ($1.5bn). The approach by the 76-year-old owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers American football team is reportedly being led by his two sons, Avi and Joel. A previous approach to the United board by Mr Glazer in October last year was turned down. However, the BBC has learnt that the club is unlikely to reject the latest plan out of hand. Mr Glazer's previous offer involved borrowing large amounts of money to finance any takeover. That would have left the club with debt levels which were deemed "not... in the best interests of the company" by Manchester United's board when they rejected his approach last year. However, Mr Glazer's latest offer is reported to have cut the amount of borrowing needed by £200m. While United's board may be casting a serious eye over Mr Glazer's latest proposals, supporters remain fiercely opposed to any deal. Supporters' group Shareholders United - which has proved adept in rallying opposition to Mr Glazer's campaign - said it would fight any move. "Manchester United are a debt-free company. We don't want to fall into debt and we don't need to fall into debt," Shareholders United's Sean Bones told the BBC. United's players also appear unhappy at the prospect of a takeover. "A lot of people want the club's interest to be with people who have grown up with the club and got its interests at heart," Rio Ferdinand told BBC Radio Five Live. "No-one knows what this guy will be bringing to the table." The key to any successful bid will be attracting the support of United's largest shareholders, the Irish horse racing tycoons John Magnier and JP McManus. Through their Cubic Expression vehicle they own 28.9% of the club. Mr Glazer owns 28.1%. Joe McLean, a football specialist at accountancy firm Grant Thornton, said the support of Mr Magnier and Mr McManus was "utterly crucial". "Mr Glazer's bid will not proceed without their support and they have previously indicated that they are holding their stake as an investment. "If that's the case, the shares will therefore need a price attachment of about 300 pence, maybe 305. "If that's the case then Mr Glazer might well secure their support - if he does, this bid could well go ahead." Indeed it is. Malcolm Glazer was little-known in the UK until he started to build up his stake in Manchester United in late 2003. In February 2004 he said he was "considering" whether to bid for the club. No bid emerged, but Mr Glazer continued to increase his holding in the club. In October 2004, Manchester United said they had received a "preliminary approach", which turned out to have come from Mr Glazer. However, the board rejected the move because of the amount of debt it would involve. At the club's annual general meeting in November, Mr Glazer took revenge by using his hefty stake in the club to oust three directors from the board. Legal adviser Maurice Watkins, commercial director Andy Anson and non-executive director Philip Yea were voted out, against the wishes of chief executive David Gill. But the move led to bankers JP Morgan and public relations firm Brunswick withdrawing from the Glazer bid team.

Queen recruit singer for new tour The remaining members of rock band Queen are to go on tour next year with former Free and Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers taking Freddie Mercury's place. Guitarist Brian May has said he expects to be on the road with Rodgers and drummer Roger Taylor from April. May said: "Suddenly the Queen Phoenix is rising again from the ashes and will take precedence over... our lives." Queen have played with many different singers since Mercury's death in 1991 but have reportedly not toured. May performed with Rodgers at a concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Fender Stratocaster guitar in London in September. "We were both so amazed at the chemistry that was going on in [Free hit] All Right Now, that suddenly it seems blindingly obvious that there was 'something happening here,'" May wrote on his website. They teamed up again for a concert to mark their induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame, and were joined by Taylor. "The show went so incredibly well from our point of view, and we got so many rave reactions from out there, we decided almost then and there that we would look at a tour together," May wrote. Queen went to number one in 2000 with a version of We Will Rock You sung by boy band 5ive and they have also played with Robbie Williams, Will Young and Bob Geldof. Queen bassist John Deacon has currently retired from the stage. Rodgers was singer with early 1970s rockers Free, who had a global hit with All Right Now, before forming Bad Company, a successful "supergroup" with members of King Crimson and Mott the Hoople. He has also been in The Firm with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and The Law with The Small Faces and The Who drummer Kenny Jones.

Takeover rumour lifts Exel shares Shares in storage and delivery firm Exel closed up 9% at a two-and-a-half year high on Tuesday on speculation it is to receive an imminent takeover bid. The talk in the City is that US giant United Parcel Services (UPS) is the most likely bidder for the firm. Yet other names mentioned in connection to buying Exel are DHL-owner Deutsche Post and finance firm GE Capital. With its shares closing Tuesday at 873p, Bracknell-based Exel is currently valued at £2.6bn ($6.3bn). Exel employs 109,000 people in more than 120 countries and has itself been active in the consolidation of the logistics sector, paying £328m to buy fellow UK firm Tibbett & Britten last August. Its customers include Boots, Burberry, Mothercare and consumer products giant Procter & Gamble. Andrew Beh, of brokers ING, said UPS and Deutsche Post were the most likely bidders and an offer of 950p a share would be fair if a bidding battle did not break out. "It's a great strategic fit for both companies," he said. "Both are interested in expanding in logistics and you can make a decent case for cost synergies which could justify the premium and that's before you make any argument about revenue synergies."