world tour for top video gamers two uk gamers are about to embark on a world tour as part of the most lucrative-ever global games tournament.  aaron foster and david treacy have won the right to take part in a tournament offering $1m in total prize money. the cash will be handed out over 10 separate competitions in a continent-hopping contest organised by the cyberathlete professional league. as part of their prize the pair will have their travel costs paid to ensure they can get to the different bouts.  the cpl world tour kicks off in mid-february and the first leg will be in istanbul. all ten bouts of the tournament will be played throughout 2005  each one in a different country. at each stop $50 000 in prize money will be up for grabs. the tournament champion for each leg of the cpl world tour will walk away with a $15 000 prize. the winner of the grand final will get a prize purse of $150 000 from a total pot of $500 000.  winners of each stage of the tour automatically get a place at the next stop. the world tour stops are open to any keen gamer that registers. online registration for the first stop opens this weekend. some pro-players are winning a spot at the tour destinations through qualifying events organised by cpl partners. winners at these qualifiers get seeded higher in the elimination parts of each tournament. mr foster and mr treacy get the chance to attend the world tour as members of the uk s four-kings gaming clan. towards the end of 2004 four-kings staged a series of online painkiller competitions to reveal the uk s top players of the pc game. the best eight players met face-to-face in a special elimination event in late december where mr foster and mr tracey proved their prowess at painkiller. as part of their prize the pair also get a contract with four-kings intel which is one of the uk s few pro-gaming teams.  there are a lot of people who take gaming very seriously and support their local or national team with the same passion as any other sport   said simon bysshe who filmed the event for four-kings and intel. more than 80 000 people have downloaded the movie of the tournament highlights.  professional gaming is here to stay and will only grow in popularity   he said.


us box office set for record high ticket sales at the us box office are predicted to break records this year  with figures expected to reach $9.4 billion  beating 2002 s all-time high.  overall figures could be dampened by the lack of a christmas hit like last year s oscar-winning lord of the rings. traditionally  ticket sales during the festive season account for 20% of the annual total. although admissions have actually fallen this year  the predicted high is down to increasing ticket prices. according to exhibitor relations president paul dergarabedian  the average cost of a cinema ticket could be as high as $6.25 in 2004  compared to $5.80 in 2002. this year some of the biggest hits such as the passion of the christ and fahrenheit 9/11 came from outside the major studios which are usually responsible for the key blockbusters.   many of the films that did well (with audiences) are not necessarily the films that made a lot of money   said mr dergarabedian. he added that surprise hits had come from some of the more art-house offerings such as napoleon dynamite and critical hit sideways. sony pictures  responsible for hits like spiderman 2 and the grudge  are expected to top domestic market share for the second time in three years  with $1 billion-plus in sales for the third consecutive year. sony pictures entertainment vice chairman. jeff blake said:  we had a really diverse slate this year  and... certainly we pulled off one of the surprises with grudge.  horror movie the grudge cost sony $10 million to make but brought in $110 million. it s the latest in a recent trend for hollywood studios to back the upper and lower ends of the market  whilst ignoring the middle. warner inc are likely to end the year in second place on market share with around $1.25 billion  with disney at number three.


blair rejects tory terror offer tony blair has rejected a conservative compromise offer that could have eased the passage of anti-terror legislation.  the tories wanted a sunset clause inserted in the anti-terrorism bill that would have forced ministers to revisit it in november. mr blair said the bill  which brings in house arrest for terror suspects  had time limiting safeguards already. the tories say they will vote against it unless changes they want are agreed. the lib dems also oppose the plans.  the government has already given way over the role of judges in house arrest cases.  mr blair s refusal to accept the tories  sunset clause proposals means that the government faces concerted opposition from all sides in the lords. peers begin three days of detailed deliberation on the bill on thursday. the bill proposes  control orders   which as well as placing terrorism suspects under house arrest could mean curfews  tagging or bans on telephone and internet use. these would replace current powers to detain foreign terror suspects without trial  which the law lords have ruled against as a breach of human rights.  the tories want judicial oversight of all control orders  not just house arrest. shadow home secretary david davis told bbc radio four s the world at one his primary concern was potential miscarriages of justice. he said if someone was wrongly given a control order it would act as a  recruiting sergeant  for terrorists. he went on to say:  if we don t get the amendments we regard as essential  including the sunset clause  we will vote against the bill.  in the commons  mr howard said it would be  far better if the whole of the legislation was subject to a sunset clause so parliament could consider it all in a proper way instead of it being ramrodded through . mr blair said the house arrest powers were already going to be subject to a sunset clause because it was annually renewable.  the second  less stringent  type of control orders would be subject to a court appeal within 14 days and there would be a three-monthly report on their use by  an eminent and independent person .  i believe (the new powers) are a proper balance between the civil liberties of the subject and the necessary national security of this country that i will not put at risk   said mr blair. the lib dems plan to oppose the bill in the lords on thursday. lib dem home affairs spokesman mark oaten said:  there s a lot of talking left. i would be uneasy about supporting a very bad bill even if it was just for eight months.  a spokeswoman for human rights watch said it was a  basic principle  that people should only be punished after a fair trial. she added:  having a judge impose those punishments without a trial does not sanitise them either.


go-ahead for balkan oil pipeline albania  bulgaria and macedonia has given the go ahead for the construction of a $1.2bn oil pipeline that will pass through the balkan peninsula.  the project aims to allow alternative ports for the shipping of russian and caspian oil  that normally goes through turkish ports. it aims to transport 750 000 daily barrels of oil. the pipeline will be built by the us-registered albanian macedonian bulgarian oil corporation (ambo). the 912km pipeline will run from the bulgarian port of burgas  over the black sea to the albanian city of vlore on the adriatic coast  crossing macedonia.  the project was conceived in 1994 but it was delayed because of the lack of political support. by signing the agreement on tuesday  the prime ministers of bulgaria  albania and macedonia have overcome the problem.  this is one of the most important infrastructure projects for regional  eu  and euro-atlantic integration for the western balkans   said albanian prime minister fatos nano. according to pat ferguson  president of ambo  work on the pipeline will begin in 2005 and it is expected to be ready in three or four years. he added that the company had already raised about $900m from the overseas private investment corporation (opic) - a us development agency - the eximbank and credit suisse first boston  among others. the project has also the support of the european union. analysts have said that oil companies like chevrontexaco  exxon mobil and british petroleum would be happy to find alternative routes to the bosphorus and dardanelles straits.


radcliffe enjoys winning comeback paula radcliffe made a triumphant return to competitive running with victory in the new york marathon.  the briton  running for the first time since dropping out of the olympic marathon and 10 000m  held off kenyan susan chepkemei in a thrilling finish. the pair were locked together for the last few miles before radcliffe finally sprinted clear to win in two hours  23 minutes and 10 seconds.  it s a good way to end the year   she said.  i m ready for a good rest now.  radcliffe decided only recently to run in the race and many had doubted whether she had sufficiently recovered from her olympic ordeal just 11 weeks ago. but the world record-holder was prominent at the head of the field for the whole race as her rivals slowly dropped off the pace. just chepkemei and radcliffe were left in contention as the race came into the final few miles. the kenyan put in several bursts of speed to throw off radcliffe but the briton managed to hang in. both runners looked to be suffering as they reached the final mile in central park. but it was radcliffe who managed to dredge up a final sprint to see off chepkemei in the closest finish in the race s history and in the process make a huge step in erasing the disappointment she suffered in athens.


when invention turns to innovation it is unlikely that future technological inventions are going to have the same kind of transformative impact that they did in the past.  when history takes a look back at great inventions like the car and transistor  they were defining technologies which ultimately changed people s lives substantially. but  says nick donofrio  senior vice-president of technology and manufacturing at ibm  it was not  the thing  itself that actually improved people s lives. it was all the social and cultural changes that the discovery or invention brought with it. the car brought about a crucial change to how people lived in cities  giving them the ability to move out into the suburbs  whilst having mobility and access.  when we talk about innovation and creating real value in the 21st century  we have to think more like this  but faster   mr donofrio told the bbc news website  after giving the royal academy of engineering 2004 hinton lecture.  the invention  discovery is likely not to have the same value as the transistor had or the automobile had.  the equivalent of those things will be invented or discovered  but by themselves  they are just not going to able to generate real business value or wealth as these things did.  these are not altogether new ideas  and academics have been exploring how technologies impact wider society for years. but what it means for technology companies is that a new idea  method  or device  will have to have a different kind thinking behind it so that people see the value that innovative technology has for them.  we are in a different phase now when it comes to technology  argues mr donofrio  industry week s 2003 technology leader of the year. the hype and over-promise is over and now technology leaders have to demonstrate that things work  make sense  make a difference and life gets better as a result.   in the dotcom era  there was something that was jumping up in your face every five minutes.  somebody had a new thing that would awe you. you weren t quite sure that it did anything  you weren t quite sure if you needed it  you weren t quite sure if it had value for it  but it was cool.  but change and innovation in technology that people will see affecting their daily lives  he says  will come about slowly  subtlety  and in ways that will no longer be  in your face . it will creep in pervasively. nanotechnologies will play a key part in this kind of pervasive environment in all sorts of ways  through new superconducting materials  to coatings  power  and memory storage.  i am a very big believer in the evolution of this industry into a pervasive environment  in an incredible network infrastructure   says mr donofrio. pervasive computing is where wireless computing rules  and where jewellery  clothes  and everyday objects become the interfaces instead of bulky wires  screens and keyboards. the net becomes a true network that is taken for granted and just there  like air.  people will not have to do anything to stay connected. people will know their lives are just better   says mr donofrio.  trillions of devices will be connected to the net in ways people will not know.  natural interfaces will develop  devices will shape your persona  and our technologically underused voices could be telling our jewellery to sort out the finances.  ultimately  there will be  says mr donofrio  no value in being  computer illiterate . to some  it sounds like a technological world gone mad. to mr donofrio  it is a vision innovation that will happen. behind this vision should be a rich robust network capability and  deep computing   says mr donofrio. deep computing is the ability to perform lots of complex calculations on massive amounts of data  and integral to this concept is supercomputing. it has value  according to ibm  because it helps humans work out extremely complex problems to come up with valuable solutions  like how to refine millions of net search results  finding cures for diseases  or understanding of exactly how a gene or protein operates.  but pervasive computing presumably means having technologies that are aware of diversity of contexts  commands  and requirements of a diverse world. as computing and technologies become part of the environment  part of furniture  walls  and clothing  physical space becomes a more important consideration.  this is going to need a much broader range of skills and experience.  i am confident that the set [science  engineering and technology] industry is going to be short on skills   he says.  if i am right about what innovation is  you need to be multidisciplinary and collaborative.  women tend to have those traits a lot better than men.  eventually  women could win out in both life and physical sciences  he says. in the uk  a dti-funded resource centre for women has set a target to have 40% representation on set industry boards. ibm  according to mr donofrio  has 30%.  our goal is for our research team to become the preferred organisation for women in science and technology to begin their career.  the whole issue of global diversity is as much a business matter as it is a moral and social concern to mr donofrio.  we believe in the whole issue of global diversity   he says.  our customers are diverse  our clients are diverse. they expect us to look like them.  as more and more women or underrepresented minorities succeed into leadership positions  it becomes and imperative for us to constantly look like them.


game firm holds  cast  auditions video game firm bioware is to hold open auditions for people to become cast members for future games.  the company  which makes role playing games such as knights of the old republic and neverwinter nights  is seeking people aged 18 to 99. the canada-based company says it was looking for  a wide variety of people to use as face models for characters . everyone chosen to appear in a video game will receive a performer s fee for the use of their image. the company is inviting people to come along to a shopping mall in west edmonton  alberta  on friday and saturday  bringing along a piece of photo identification.   there are hundreds and hundreds of characters in a typical bioware game   said shauna perry  bioware s audio and external resources producer.  those people live in any city and village and so we need ordinary people  people with interesting faces.  she added:  not everyone is a model in the world so we don t want just models in our games.  people chosen to appear in a game will have their head scanned in three dimensions. hundreds of photos of the person s head are taken so that a model of the head can be generated in 3d.  the 3d model will look exactly like the person - it s really quite incredible how detailed they are   said ms perry. she said chosen participants will have no control over how the image is used in a computer game.  we cannot give people any control over how the images are used.  but their face could be used in multiple games - so they could be the hero in one  the villain in another and just a merchant in a third.


rover deal  may cost 2 000 jobs  some 2 000 jobs at mg rover s midlands plant may be cut if investment in the firm by a chinese car maker goes ahead  the financial times has reported.  shanghai automotive industry corp plans to shift production of the rover 25 to china and export it to the uk  sources close to the negotiations tell the ft. but rover told bbc news that reports of job cuts were  speculation . a tie-up  seen as rover s last chance to save its longbridge plant  has been pushed by uk chancellor gordon brown. rover confirmed the tie-up would take place  not very far away from this time .  rover bosses have said they are  confident  the £1bn ($1.9bn) investment deal would be signed in march or early april.  transport & general worker s union general secretary tony woodley repeated his view on friday that all mergers led to some job cuts. he said investment in new models was needed to ensure the future of the birmingham plant.  this is a very crucial and delicate time and our efforts are targeted to securing new models for the company which will mean jobs for our people   he said. saic says none of its money will be paid to the four owners of rover  who have been accused by unions of awarding themselves exorbitant salaries  the ft reports.  saic is extremely concerned to ensure that its money is used to invest in the business rather than be distributed to the shareholders   the newspaper quotes a source close to the chinese firm. meanwhile  according to chinese state press reports  small state-owned carmaker nanjing auto is in negotiations with rover and saic to take a 20% stake in the joint venture. saic was unavailable for comment on the job cuts when contacted by bbc news. rover and saic signed a technology-sharing agreement in august.


bmw reveals new models pipeline bmw is preparing to enter the market for car-style people carriers  the firm s chief has told bbc news.  speaking at a bmw event ahead of the geneva motor show  helmut panke predicted demand for such crossover vehicles would soar in europe. in contrast  he said  the popularity of van-style seven-seat vehicles and traditional saloon cars would fade.  customers are moving out of the mini-van (and) traditional concepts are not as attractive anymore   he said.  we have decided that bmw will enter the [crossover] segment   he said in the clearest indication yet about the car maker s intentions.  mr panke praised the honda accura as the  best execution  yet of a crossover vehicle.  we have decided that the bmw brand will enter the segment   he said.  a decision on just how bmw will manage its entry into the new market is due in the first half of 2005. typically it takes about three years from when a decision is taken before a new model hits the streets  mr panke said  implying that a bmw crossover could be on the market by 2008. the coming switch is driven in part by the need for successful carmakers to stay aware of trans-atlantic differences in the car market  mr panke insisted. while in the us drivers tend to prefer sports utility vehicles (suvs)  such as the bmw x5 and its sibling x3  in europe demand for crossover vehicles is likely to be considerable  mr panke said.  there s a growing market here   he said.  we are going to go that way.


elvis fans hold birthday bash elvis fans around the world have been marking the legendary singer s 70th birthday on saturday.  a three-day elvis convention took place in blackpool  england  over the weekend with the aim of finding the best european elvis impersonator. his graceland  tennessee  home was the focus for us celebrations with four days of events including a concert by the memphis symphony orchestra. elvis  single jailhouse rock became the uk s number one on sunday. fans in france celebrated with a tribute concert by elvis cover bands and a special exhibition of memorabilia is on display in bonn  germany.  jailhouse rock is now the 999th number one single in uk pop history. record company sonybmg are releasing elvis  18 number one singles at the rate of one a week in britain  complete with original artwork and a collector s box. hit single one night will follow next week - with the chance of becoming the 1 000th number one as interest surrounding elvis  birthday grows. hmv spokesman gennaro castaldo said:  it would be a fantastic and truly fitting way to celebrate elvis  landmark birthday.


teenager tait picked for england newcastle s teenage centre mathew tait has been named as a centre in england s team to face wales in the six nations opener in cardiff on saturday.  the 18-year-old will play alongside falcons  team-mate jamie noon in england s midfield. scrum-half matt dawson is also recalled  despite been left out of the initial squad after a row over clashing tv and training commitments. bath lock danny grewcock will also start  pending a possible citing. england coach andy robinson has also awarded gloucester flanker andy hazell his first six nations start. in another change to the side that lost to australia in november  leicester lock ben kay replaces bath second row steve borthwick. robinson was already without jonny wilkinson  mike tindall  stuart abbott  richard hill and will greenwood  while mike catt had been left out of england s squad.  j robinson (sale sharks  capt); m cueto (sale sharks)  m tait (newcastle)  j noon (newcastle)  j lewsey (wasps); c hodgson (sale sharks)  m dawson (wasps); g rowntree (leicester)  s thompson (northampton)  j white (leicester)  d grewcock (bath)  b kay (leicester)  l moody (leicester)  a hazell (gloucester)  j worsley (wasps). replacements: a titterrell (sale sharks)  p vickery (gloucester)  s borthwick (bath)  j forrester (gloucester)  h ellis (leicester)  o barkley (bath)  b cohen (northampton).


france starts digital terrestrial france has become the last big european country to launch a digital terrestrial tv (dtt) service.  initially  more than a third of the population will be able to receive 14 free-to-air channels. despite the long wait for a french dtt roll-out  the new platform s backers hope to emulate the success of its uk free-to-air counterpart  freeview. recent figures from the uk s regulator ofcom showed freeview was more popular than the sky digital satellite service. in the three months to september 2004  almost five times as many people signed up to the uk s free-to-air dtt service compared with sky. almost 60% of uk households have gone digital on at least one television set through cable  satellite or freeview.  the french dtt platform is known as tnt  which stands for tv numerique terrestre or digital terrestrial television. but it is being branded as television numerique pour tous  or  digital television for all . tnt is a joint venture between public broadcaster france televisions and a handful of cable and satellite operators. digital terrestrial tv will launch as a free-to-air platform to start with  adding pay-tv channels later. thirty-five contenders have bid for an additional eight frequencies on top of the 14 already allocated.  a couple of years ago  dtt had a bad image   said olivier gerolami  chief operating officer of tnt.   but everyone s impressed with dtt in the uk  italy and germany  and they realise it is a very good idea.  france is the poorest market in europe in terms of free-to-air national channels  so it has the potential to be one of the biggest dtt markets   mr gerolami added in remarks quoted by the us entertainment industry paper variety. tnt aims to reach 35% of france s population at launch  from 17 transmission sites. the transmission area will initially include paris  lille  lyon and toulouse. eventually there will be 115 sites reaching over 80% of homes. digital terrestrial set-top boxes are available from as little as 70 euros (£50). a recent survey by mediametrie found that 70% of people interviewed were aware of dtt  and 25% were planning to buy a digital receiver. consumer electronics companies such as nokia  sagem  sony and thomson are gearing up for production. the conseil superieur de l audiovisuel (csa)  the french broadcasting regulator  said:  following the recent success of freeview in the uk  some manufacturers are optimistic about sales prospects . media analysts believe that initially the majority of viewers will buy inexpensive set-top boxes that are unable to support interactive services. the csa said the current aim of reaching 85% of the population by 2007 was achievable  but the future of the remaining tv viewers required action by the public sector. for the most part  they are people living in mountainous or border areas  which will remain beyond the reach of digital terrestrial tv for years.  up to 15 pay-tv channels will launch on dtt between september 2005 and march 2006. leading pay-tv operators canal plus and tps have submitted bids to market bouquets of channels. free-to-air services will be broadcast in mpeg-2 format. but pay-tv operators will be allowed to broadcast in mpeg-4 - a much better compression technology - which will potentially allow for high-definition (hd) subscription services in the future. tnt expects between 700 000 and one million dtt set-top boxes to be sold in 2005.  it is difficult to tell how quickly it will take off   said mr gerolami   but we re optimistic that it will revolutionise television in france.  other analysts were less optimistic  predicting consumers would now be less likely to sign up for pay-tv subscriptions.  we think free dtt could put brakes on the underlying growth of pay-tv in france   said henri de bodinat  vice-president of the arthur d. little consultancy.


singer knight backs anti-gun song r&b star beverley knight said she sang on an anti-gun single after being  haunted  by the fatal 2003 shooting of two teenage girls in birmingham.  knight and drum  n  bass star roni size have released no more in a bid to reduce gun use among young people. she said she was  horrified  by the deaths of charlene ellis  18  and letisha shakespeare  17. size  whose new forms album won the 1997 mercury music prize  said gun use was  nothing to be glamorised .  there were more than 10 500 firearms offences and 70 gun crime deaths in england and wales between june 2003 and 2004  according to home office figures. knight said the scale of the problem became clear to her after the 2003 shootings in aston  near knight s birmingham home.   it haunted me to be honest  it haunted my sleep   she said. size became involved after two friends  donna small and asha jama  were shot in his bristol hometown in october. jama  25  lost her sight in one eye while 22-year-old small suffered serious head injuries. size said he collaborated on the single  which was released on monday  because he has  a bird s eye view of what s going on .  over the last 10 years  i have seen a lot of things happen and it is nothing to be glamorised  it really isn t   he said.


buyers snap up jet airways  shares investors have snapped up shares in jet airways  india s biggest airline  following the launch of its much anticipated initial public offer (ipo).  the ipo for 17.3 million shares was fully sold within 10 minutes of opening  on friday. analysts expect jet to raise at least 16.4bn rupees ($375m; £198m) from the offering. interest in jet s ipo has been fuelled by hopes for robust growth in india s air travel market.  the share offer  representing about 20% of jet s equity  was oversubscribed  news agency reuters reported. jet  which was founded by london-based travel agent naresh goyal  plans to use the cash to buy new planes and cut its debt. the company has grown rapidly since it launched operations in 1993  overtaking state-owned flag carrier indian airlines. however  it faces stiff competition from rivals and low-cost carriers. jet s ipo is the first in a series of expected share offers from indian companies this year  as they move to raise funds to help them do business in a rapidly-growing economy.


kennedy s cautious optimism charles kennedy is far too canny to make any grand claims about how his party may fare at the general election.  in his 22 years in the commons  he has seen his fair share of such claims dashed on the rocks of bitter experience and  he might say  the uk s political and electoral system. but even his caution cannot hide the fact that this is a party and a leader that believes it may well be on the way to something special in a few months  time.  look  i have already said i am not going to put any artificial limits on our ambitions this time around   he said. he still seems to accept that the most likely outcome is another labour victory of some sort. and his general election pitch is designed around the notion of the lib dems as the  real  opposition.  but doesn t that lead to the jibe that his is a party actively bidding to come second  he is prepared to go this far:  a clear conclusion has been reached  including by conservatives  that the conservatives are not going to win this election.  therefore the potential is there for the liberal democrat advance to be one of the big stories of the election  given that we have the capacity to take on labour and win as well as take on the conservatives and win.  this is really going to be the first modern three party uk election that we have all experienced . but haven t we been here before  with suggestions in the 1980s that labour was finished. won t voters looking for an alternative to labour still naturally gravitate to the conservatives   the problem is that  geographically  the conservative party has melted away in about a third of britain.  we have supplanted them as the main alternative to labour in whole tracts of mainland britain. and they are a party with an ageing and declining membership base and they just do not look vibrant or vital or in touch any longer with contemporary britain .  mr kennedy is also eager to dispel any impression his party is the new party of the left and is likely to attract mostly disillusioned labour voters.  he insists his three headline commitments  to be financed from a 1% tax increase on those earning over £100 000 a year  will appeal right across the political spectrum. they are to replace the council tax with a local income tax  provide free long term care for the elderly and scrap student fees. he also believes being the only major party promising to increases taxes will not land him in the same trouble a similar policy did to old labour.  i think the tax argument has moved on a lot in british politics particularly in the context of the forthcoming general election   he said. under a labour government the tax burden would have to rise  while the tories  plans to increase spending in some areas while also reducing taxes is just incredible  he claims.   we are being straightforward with people  saying you know there is likely to be an increase in the tax burden  we are only recommending one specific tax rise for the top end of income scale earners to fund three specific policies .   that is a clear cut choice for people  one i am very comfortable with and i think will distinguish us from the others . as to his own future  he is clear. if  as expected  his party increases its showing at the election  he intends to go into the next parliament  on the front foot with a view to leading it right through that parliament into the next election because i see that as the decisive opportunity for us . that last remark reflects a view gaining ground in westminster that  if the tories do as badly as some fear  the election after next might really see that historic breakthrough by the third party. perhaps then mr kennedy will be ready to put some of the caution to one side.


safin slumps to shock dubai loss marat safin suffered a shock loss to unseeded nicolas kiefer in round one of the dubai tennis championships.  playing his first match since winning the australian open  safin showed some good touches but was beaten 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 by the in-form kiefer. the german got on top in the first-set tie-break  striking a sweet forehand to win the first point against serve. and he maintained the momentum early in the second set  breaking the russian with the help of an inspired volley. spain s feliciano lopez lined up a second round clash with andre agassi by beating thailand s paradorn srichaphan. lopez  who lost in three sets to roger federer in last year s final  won 6-2 3-6 6-3. former champion fabrice santoro of france was beaten 6-3 6-0 by sixth seeded russian nikolay davydenko. there were also wins for two other russians  igor andreev and seventh seed mikhail youzhny.


lewsey puzzle over disallowed try england s josh lewsey has claimed he was denied a late try in his side s six nations loss to ireland.  the wasps wing insisted he grounded the ball when he was bundled over the line and said referee jonathan kaplan had made a wrong decision.  i m positive i touched the ball down over the line   lewsey told bbc sport.  it certainly wasn t a turnover.  i was driven over and i put the ball on the ground. the whistle went and i let go of the ball.  lewsey added:  one of the irish players scooped it back after the whistle and to our surprise the referee then gave a turnover.  as far as i m concerned  that incident and mark cueto s effort from charlie hodgson s cross-field kick that led to what looked like a good try were the two key elements in the game.   cueto was also puzzled as to why his try had been disallowed by kaplan.  i don t think i could have been offside for  without a doubt  i was behind the ball   said the sale player.  the move was a planned technique  it was not off the cuff. we rehearse it time and time again.  i wouldn t say we were robbed  some decisions go with you and some go against you. today they went against us and that s tough at international level.


why cell will get the hard sell the world is casting its gaze on the cell processor for the first time  but what is so important about it  and why is it so different   the backers of the processor are big names in the computer industry. ibm is one of the largest and most respected chip-makers in the world  providing cutting edge technology to large businesses. sony will be using the chip inside its playstation 3 console  and its dominance of the games market means that it now has a lot of power to dictate the future of computer and gaming platforms. the technology inside the cell is being heralded as revolutionary  from a technical standpoint. traditional computers - whether they are household pcs or playstation 2s - use a single processor to carry out the calculations that run the computer. the cell technology  on the other hand  uses multiple cell processors linked together to run lots of calculations simultaneously.  this gives it processing power an order of magnitude above its competitors. whilst its rivals are working on similar technology  it is sony s which is the most advanced. the speed of computer memory has been slowly increasing over the last few years  but the memory technology that accompanies the cell is a huge leap in performance.  using a technology called xdr  created by american firm rambus  memory can run up to eight times faster than the current standard being promoted by intel. perhaps more important than any of the technology is the cell s role in the imminent  war on living rooms . the big trend predicted for this year is the convergence of computers with home entertainment devices such as dvd players and hi-fis. companies like microsoft and sony believe that there is a lot of money to be made by putting a computer underneath the tv of every household and then offering services such as music and video downloads  as well as giving an individual access to all the media they already own in one place.  microsoft has already made its first tactical move into this area with its windows media center software  which has been adopted by many pc makers. sony had a stab at something similar with the psx - a variation on the playstation - last year in japan  although this attempt was generally seen as a failure. both companies believe that increasing the capabilities of games consoles  to make them as powerful as pcs  will make the technology accessible enough to persuade buyers to give them pride of place on the video rack.  sony and ibm want to make sure that the dominance of the pc market enjoyed by microsoft and intel is not allowed to extend to this market. by creating a radically new architecture  and using that architecture in a games console that is sure to be a huge seller  they hope that the cell processor can become the dominant technology in the living room  shutting out their rivals. once they have established themselves under the tv  there is no doubt that they hope to use this as a base camp to extend their might into our traditional pcs and instigate a regime change on the desktop. cell is  in fact  specifically designed to be deployed throughout the house. the links between the multiple processors can also be extended to reach cell processors in entirely different systems.  sony hopes to put cells in televisions  kitchen appliances and anywhere that could use any sort of computer chip. each cell will be linked to the others  creating a vast home network of computing power. resources of the cells across the house can be pooled to provide more power  and the links can also be used to enable devices to talk to each other  so that you can programme your microwave from your tv  for example. this digital home of the future depends on the widespread adoption of the cell processor and there are  as with all things  a number of reasons it could fail. because the processor is so different  it requires programmers to learn a different way of writing software  and it may be that the changeover is simply too difficult for them to master. you can also guarantee that microsoft and intel are not going to sit around and let cell take over home computing without a fight. microsoft is going to be pushing its xbox 2 as hard as possible to make sure that its technology  not sony s  will be under your tree next christmas. intel will be furiously working on new designs that address the problems of its current chips to create a rival technology to cell  so that it doesn t lose its desktop pc dominance. if cell succeeds in becoming the living room technology of choice  however  it could provide the jump-start to the fully digital home of the future. the revolution might not be televised  but it could well be played with a videogame controller.


japanese growth grinds to a halt growth in japan evaporated in the three months to september  sparking renewed concern about an economy not long out of a decade-long trough.  output in the period grew just 0.1%  an annual rate of 0.3%. exports - the usual engine of recovery - faltered  while domestic demand stayed subdued and corporate investment also fell short. the growth falls well short of expectations  but does mark a sixth straight quarter of expansion.  the economy had stagnated throughout the 1990s  experiencing only brief spurts of expansion amid long periods in the doldrums. one result was deflation - prices falling rather than rising - which made japanese shoppers cautious and kept them from spending.  the effect was to leave the economy more dependent than ever on exports for its recent recovery. but high oil prices have knocked 0.2% off the growth rate  while the falling dollar means products shipped to the us are becoming relatively more expensive.  the performance for the third quarter marks a sharp downturn from earlier in the year. the first quarter showed annual growth of 6.3%  with the second showing 1.1%  and economists had been predicting as much as 2% this time around.  exports slowed while capital spending became weaker   said hiromichi shirakawa  chief economist at ubs securities in tokyo.  personal consumption looks good  but it was mainly due to temporary factors such as the olympics.  the amber light is flashing.  the government may now find it more difficult to raise taxes  a policy it will have to implement when the economy picks up to help deal with japan s massive public debt.


debate needed  on donations cap a cap on donations to political parties should not be introduced yet  the elections watchdog has said.  fears that big donors can buy political favours have sparked calls for a limit. in a new report  the electoral commission says it is worth debating a £10 000 cap for the future but now is not the right time to introduce it. it also says there should be more state funding for political parties and candidates should be able to spend more on election campaigning.  there were almost £68m in reported donations to political parties in 2001  2002 and 2003  with nearly £12m of them from individual gifts worth more than £1m. the rules have already been changed so the public can see who gives how much to the parties but the report says there are still public suspicions. the commission says capping donations would mean taxpayers giving parties more cash - something which would first have to be acceptable to the public and shown to work.  while we are not in principle opposed to the introduction of a donation cap  we do not believe that such a major departure from the existing system now would be sensible   says its report. if there was to be a cap  it should be £10 000 - a small enough amount to make a difference but which would have banned £56m in donations between 2001 and 2003.  even without changes the commission does urge political parties to seek out more small-scale donations and suggests there should be income tax relief for gifts under £200. it also suggests increasing state funding for parties to £3m so help can be extended to all parties with at least two members in the house of commons  european parliament  scottish parliament  welsh assembly or northern ireland assembly. and it suggests new ways of boosting election campaigning  seen as a way of improving voter turnout. all local election candidates should be entitled to a free mailshot for campaign leaflets  says the watchdog. and there should be a shift in the amount of money allowed to be spent at elections from a national level to a local level to help politicians engage better with voters.  the report suggests doubling the money which can be spent by candidates  while cutting national spending limits from £20m to £15m. the commission also says the spending limits for general elections should cover the four months before the poll - as happens with other elections. electoral commission chairman sam younger said:  there is no doubt that political parties have a vital role to play in maintaining the health of our democracy and for this they need to be adequately resourced.  our research has shown that people want to be more informed about party politics and that they want politicians to be more visible and accessible.  the public are reluctant for the state to fund parties but at the same time are unhappy with large private donations.  he called for a wider public debate on party funding to find the consensus needed for radical changes to the current system.


a november to remember last saturday  one newspaper proclaimed that england were still the number one side in the world.  that statement was made to look a little foolish by events later that afternoon at twickenham. but it illustrated the wonderful unpredictability of test rugby at the highest level  at the end of a richly entertaining autumn series. the final weekend threw the world pecking order into renewed confusion  with australia s triumph in london followed by france s capitulation to new zealand.  clearly  there is no number one side in the world at the moment   declared wallabies coach eddie jones on arrival back in sydney.  there are four  five or probably six sides all competing at the same level and on any given day the difference between one side and another is only about 1%.   while that bodes well for rugby as a whole  it also sharpens the sense of excitement ahead of what could be the most open six nations championship for a decade. while the wallabies  all blacks and springboks hit the beach before turning their attention to super 12 matters in the new year  europe s finest have less than 10 weeks before they return to the international fray. and for the first time in more than a decade  it will not simply be a straightforward choice between england and france for the six nations title.  that owes much to ireland s continued progress and the belief that wales are on the verge of delivering a major scalp to cement the promise of their autumn displays.    who secured a first triple crown in 19 years last season  could go one better and win their first five/six nations title since 1985. they start with away games against italy and scotland  before england and france come to lansdowne road.  their momentous victory over the springboks can only bolster ireland s self-belief  while ronan o gara s late drop goal to deliver victory over argentina was further proof that eddie o sullivan s side can now close out tight games. not that england or france  who have won nine of the last 10 six nations titles between them  will lay down quietly.  dismantling of the springboks suggested that even after the loss of such influential figures as martin johnson and lawrence dallaglio  they still have the personnel to prosper.  the narrow defeat to australia was a timely reminder that not everything is blooming in the red rose garden  but the fresh shoots of post-world cup recovery have been sown by new head coach andy robinson. a fresh desire to regain former heights is evident  and if england emerge triumphant from an opening six nations engagement in cardiff  a fourth title in six years is within reach.  are in familiar revival territory  but this time it appears there is substance behind the rediscovered style.  while south africa s over-confidence in cardiff made for a closer scoreline than expected  wales could legitimately claim to have had victory within their grasp against the all blacks in one of the best tests in recent memory. if mike ruddock can coax a reliable set-piece platform from his pack  there is no reason why victories should not ensue come february. the last fortnight has left  in a state of bewilderment after an autumn series that began with a superb victory over australia. a stunning defeat to argentina  their first loss since the world cup  could have been attributed to trademark french inconsistency.  but the manner of new zealand s 45-6 demolition job in paris has coach bernard laporte bemoaning a lack of young talent coming through to replace the old guard. fortunately for the french  the opening match of the six nations sees them entertaining  in paris. after two reasonable performances against australia  the scots  humbling by the springboks forced coach matt williams to reassess his belief that a win over one of the major nations was imminent. while individuals such as chris cusiter and ali hogg enhanced their reputations  a lack of top-class players will continue to undermine their best efforts.    who start with home games against ireland and wales before travelling to scotland  are also hopeful of registering more than one victory for the first time in the championship. as autumn gives way to winter and the heineken cup prepares to resume centre stage meantime  the joy of six will keep the home fires burning until february.


jarre joins fairytale celebration french musician jean-michel jarre is to perform at a concert in copenhagen to mark the bicentennial of the birth of writer hans christian andersen.  denmark is holding a three-day celebration of the life of the fairy-tale author  with a concert at parken stadium on 2 april. other stars are expected to join the line-up in the coming months  and the danish royal family will attend.  christian andersen s fairy tales are timeless and universal   said jarre.  for all of us  at any age there is always - beyond the pure enjoyment of the tale - a message to learn.  there are year-long celebrations planned across the world to celebrate andersen and his work  which includes the emperor s new clothes and the little mermaid. denmark s crown prince frederik and crown princess mary visited new york on monday to help promote the festivities. the pair were at a manhattan library to honour us literary critic harold bloom  the international icon we thought we knew so well .   bloom recognizes the darker aspects of andersen s authorship   prince frederik said. bloom is to be formally presented with the hans christian andersen award this spring in anderson s hometown of odense. the royal couple also visited the hans christian anderson school complex  where queen mary read the ugly duckling to the young audience. later at a gala dinner  danish supermodel helena christensen was named a hans christian andersen ambassador. other ambassadors include actors harvey keitel and sir roger moore  athlete cathy freeman and brazilian soccer legend pele.


uk set to cut back on embassies nine overseas embassies and high commissions will close in an effort to save money  uk foreign secretary jack straw has announced.  the bahamas  east timor  madagascar and swaziland are among the areas affected by the biggest shake-up for the diplomatic service for years. other diplomatic posts are being turned over to local staff. mr straw said the move would save £6m a year to free up cash for priorities such as fighting terrorism.  honorary consuls will be appointed in some of the areas affected by the embassy closures. nine consulates or consulates general will also be closed  mostly in europe and america.  they include dallas in the us  bordeaux in france and oporto in portugal  with local staff replacing uk representation in another 11. the changes are due to be put in place before the end of 2006  with most savings made from cutting staff and running costs. some of the money will have to be used to fund redundancy payments. in a written statement  mr straw said:  the savings made will help to underpin higher priority work in line with the foreign and commonwealth office s strategic priorities  including counter- proliferation  counter-terrorism  energy and climate change.  some of the savings will also be redeployed to strategic priority work within certain regions where we are closing posts.  in africa  for instance  we plan to create new jobs to cover these issues across the region  with a new post in nairobi to help support our work on climate change  one in nigeria to cover energy and one in pretoria to cover regional issues more generally as well as covering maseru and mbabane.   the foreign office currently has about 6 100 uk-based staff. it has opened major new missions on baghdad and basra in iraq  kabul in afghanistan and pyongyang in north korea since 1997 in response to what the government says are changing needs. since 1997 10 overseas posts have been closed - excluding wednesday s cuts - but 18 new embassies or consulates have been opened. the shake-up is aimed at helping making £86m in efficiency savings between 2005 and 2008. the chancellor has demanded all government departments make similar savings. shadow foreign secretary michael ancram said there was a constant need to ensure value for money from foreign missions.  but the government must give a far clearer reason for making the dramatic changes it has announced and must show that british commercial interests and the interests of britons abroad will not be adversely affected   he said.


us peer-to-peer pirates convicted the first convictions for piracy over peer-to-peer networks have been handed down in the us.  new yorker william trowbridge and texan michael chicoine have pleaded guilty to charges that they infringed copyright by illegally sharing music  movies and software. the two men faced charges following raids in august on suspected pirates by the fbi. the pair face jail terms of up to five years and a $250 000 (£130 000) fine.  in a statement the us department of justice said the two men operated the central hubs in a piracy community organised across the direct connect peer-to-peer network. the piracy group called itself the underground network and membership of it demanded that users share between one and 100 gigabytes of files. direct connect allows users to set themselves up as central servers that act as co-ordinating spots for sharers. users would swap files  such as films and music  by exchanging data over the network. during its investigation fbi agents reportedly downloaded 84 movies  40 software programs  13 games and 178  sound recordings  from the five hubs that made up the larger piracy group. the raids were organised under the umbrella of operation digital gridlock which was aimed at fighting  criminal copyright theft on peer-to-peer networks . in total  six raids were carried out in august. five were on the homes of suspected copyright thieves and one on a net service firm. the department of justice said that both men pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit felony copyright infringement. they also pleaded guilty to acting for commercial advantage. the two men are due to be sentenced on 29 april.


takeover offer for sunderland fc bob murray  chairman of sunderland fc  has launched a £1.5m ($2.8m) bid for the club after buying broadcaster bskyb s stake in the business.  mr murray is already sunderland s leading shareholder  holding a 37.6% stake  and now hopes to take full control of the championship side. mr murray said the club would find it easier to attract more investment by having a single majority owner. sunderland delisted its shares from the stock market in august.  a lifetime sunderland supporter and board director since 1984  mr murray agreed to buy bskyb s 4.76% holding in the wearside club on tuesday - taking his stake to 42.3%. under stock market rules  mr murray is required to make an offer for the remaining shares that he does not already own at the same price paid for the bskyb holding of 31p a share.  should the offer be fully accepted  mr murray said he expected to pay a maximum of £1.53m for the remaining shares. he also stressed that fans who wanted to keep in touch with the club s financial affairs could retain a small number of shares  enabling them to attend annual meetings.  the football sector is experiencing significant changes and uncertainty   mr murray said in a statement.  the recent speculation surrounding malcolm glazer and manchester united has shown the unsettling effect possible where there are a number of disparate interests   he added.  i believe that this offer will strengthen the company and remove the potential for that type of uncertainty.   sunderland were relegated from the premiership in 2003 but are currently pushing for promotion. the club managed to reduce its losses last year from £20.6m to £1.2m after selling a host of leading players. however  the club s turnover dropped sharply from £42.5m to £28.5m over the same period  because of a fall in broadcast revenues. bskyb bought its stake in sunderland in 1999 as part of a five year media partnership deal. the deal expired last month.


oscar nominees gear up for lunch leonardo dicaprio  jamie foxx and hilary swank are among those due to attend this year s oscar nominees luncheon on monday.  they will join more than 100 nominees from the 24 oscar categories at the annual event  which will take place at the beverly hilton hotel  los angeles. british hopefuls  including kate winslet  imelda staunton and sophie okonedo are also expected to attend. this year s oscar ceremony will be held on sunday 27 february.  martin scorsese s the aviator is leading the field at this year s oscars with 11 nominations  while other multiple nominees include million dollar baby and sideways. oscar nominees swank and foxx were among the winners at the screen actors guild awards at the weekend  one of the many ceremonies held in the run-up to the oscars. swank won best actress for million dollar baby while foxx triumphed for his performance as ray charles in the biopic ray. sideways was also among the winners  taking the prize for best cast performance. the next major film award ceremony of the season is the bafta awards  which take place at london s odeon leicester square on 12 february. many of those nominated for oscars including dicaprio  foxx and staunton - an oscar nominee for her performance in vera drake - have also been nominated for baftas.


germany nears 1990 jobless level german unemployment rose for the 11th consecutive month in december - making the year s average jobless total the highest since reunification.  the seasonally adjusted jobless total rose a higher than expected 17 000 to 4.483 million  the bundesbank said. allowing for changes in calculating statistics  the average number of people out of work was the highest since 1990 - or a rate of 10.8%. bad weather and a sluggish economy were blamed for the rise. the increase  was due primarily to the onstart of winter   labour office chief frank-juergen weise said.  unadjusted  the figures showed unemployment rose 206 900 to 4.64 million - with many sectors such as construction laying off workers amid bad weather.  the three years of stagnation in the german economy came to an end in 2004. but the upturn is still not strong enough  to boost the labour market  mr weise added. news of the rise came as government welfare reforms came into force  a move that is expected to see unemployment swell still further in coming months. under the hartz iv changes  the previous two tier system of benefits and support for the long term unemployed has been replaced with one flat-rate payout. in turn  that means more people will be classified as looking for work  driving official figures higher.   be prepared for a nasty figure for january 2005  about five million unemployed on a non-seasonally adjusted basis   warned hvb group economist andreas rees. but he did add that the numbers should  subside  throughout the year  to remain near 2004 s level of 4.4 million jobless.  i don t expect a strong and lasting turnaround until 2006   german economy minister wolfgang clement said. by 2010  however  the hartz iv reforms should help cut the average jobless rate to between 3% and 5%  he added. europe s biggest economy has been too weak to create work as it struggles to shake off three years of economic stagnation. in recent months companies such as adam opel - the german arm of us carmaker general motors - and retailer karstadtquelle have slashed jobs.


beer giant swallows russian firm brewing giant inbev has agreed to buy alfa-eco s stake in sun interbrew  russia s second-largest brewer  for up to 259.7m euros ($353.3m; £183.75m).  alfa-eco  the venture capital arm of russian conglomerate alfa group  has a one-fifth stake in sun interbrew. the deal gives inbev  the world s biggest beermaker  near-total control over the russian brewer. inbev bought out another partner in august 2004. inbev brands include bass  stella artois  hoegaarden and staropramen. it employs 77 000 people  running operations in over 30 countries across the americas  europe and asia pacific.  the leuven-based brewery said it would own 97.3% of the voting shares and 98.8% of the non-voting shares of sun interbrew. the deal is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2005. inbev was formed in august 2004 when belgium s interbrew bought brazilian brewer ambev. sun interbrew  which employs 8 000 staff  owns breweries in eight russian cities - klin  ivanovo  saransk  kursk  volzhsky  omsk  perm and novocheboksarsk. there are also three breweries in ukraine  in the cities of chernigov  nikolaev and kharkov.


bbc leads interactive bafta wins the bbc and the national theatre have led the field at this year s interactive bafta awards.  the national theatre s stagework website picked up the prize for best learning as well as top factual site. the bbc collected three awards  including best online entertainment for the hitchhiker s guide to the galaxy adventure game. spooks interactive took the best interactive tv prize. the annual awards recognise the best in digital media. bbc sport interactive fought off competition from cbbc newsround and the guardian to take home the best news and sport trophy for its coverage of england s exit from euro 2004. it was recognised for its  groundbreaking  use of animation. bafta s grant dean  chair of bafta s interactive entertainment committee  said all the entrants had been of  outstanding quality  and that judging had been  enormously difficult .  without a doubt  2005 has been a landmark year for the bafta interactive awards   he added.   many of the top awards this year have gone to the companies we most commonly associate with traditional entertainment  showing how the gap between new media  film and television is closing.   awards were given out in 12 different categories  including interactive tv  film  music  design  as well as technical and social innovation  at a london ceremony. the top music award was given to sseyo minimixa  a mobile music sequencer designed to let people write  edit and share compositions. warner bros was given two prizes for its  inspiring  efforts in film and dvd interactivity. the chaplin collection beat oasis  really bend it like beckham  shaun of the dead and the day today in the dvd category  and trauma won best film. elsewhere  fashionista and clothes designer alexander mcqueen took the accolade for the best-designed website. the awards have been running since 1997  but in 2002 the british academy of film and television decided to split them into separate games and interactive ceremonies. on tuesday half-life 2 dominated the games prizes. it collected six baftas  including best game and best online game.


survey confirms property slowdown government figures have confirmed a widely reported slowdown of the uk s housing market in late 2004.  house prices were 11.8% higher on the year in the last quarter of 2004  down from 16.3% in the july-to-september quarter  the land registry said. the average house price in england and wales was £182 920  down from £187 971 in july-september. the volume of sales between october and december dropped by nearly a quarter from the same period in 2003. the government figures are the first official confirmation of falls in the market at the end of 2004. land registry figures are less up to date than those of banks and building societies  since they record completions not mortgage approvals. however  the figures are viewed as the most accurate measure of house prices as they include all property transactions  including cash sales.  the cost of buying a home fell in seven out of 10 regions between the third and fourth quarters of 2004.  the biggest annual gains were made in wales  where house prices were up by 23% in the fourth quarter. house prices rose the slowest in greater london  being up by 6%. in the capital  the volume of sales fell by 23% from 36 185 in 2003 to 28 041 for the same period in 2004. there was also a decline in the number of million-pound properties sold in the capital  with 436 properties over £1m sold compared to 469 for the same period in 2003. although the figures point to a slowdown in the market  the most recent surveys from nationwide and halifax have indicated the market may be undergoing a revival. after registering falls at the back end of 2004  halifax said house prices rose by 0.8% in january and nationwide reported a rise of 0.4% in the first month of the year. members of the bank of england s rate-setting committee will make their latest decision on interest rates on thursday.


tory expert denies defeat warning the conservatives  campaign director has denied a report claiming he warned michael howard the party could not win the next general election.  the times on monday said australian lynton crosby told the party leader to focus on trying to increase the tories  commons presence by 25 to 30 seats. but mr crosby said in a statement:  i have never had any such conversation... and i do not hold that view.  mr howard later added there was not  one iota  of truth in the report. the strategist helped australia s pm  john howard  win four elections. mr howard appointed mr crosby as his elections chief last october. mr crosby s statement said:  the conservative party has been making an impact on the issues of lower tax and controlled immigration over the past week.  it added:  the labour party will be wanting to do all they can to distract attention away from the issues that really matter to people.


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.


j&j agrees $25bn guidant deal pharmaceutical giant johnson & johnson has agreed to buy medical technology firm guidant for $25.4bn (£13bn).  guidant is a key producer of equipment that combats heart problems such as implant defibrillators and pacemakers. analysts said that the deal is aimed at offsetting johnson & johnson s reliance on a slowing drug business. they also pointed out that more mergers are likely because the drug and healthcare industries are fragmented and are under pressure to cut costs. a number of johnson & johnson s products are facing patent expirations  while the company is also battling fierce competition from generic products. meanwhile  demand for defibrillators  which give the heart a small electric shock when an irregular heartbeat or rhythm is detected  is expected to increase  analysts said. the move by johnson & johnson has been widely expected and the firm will pay $76 for each guidant share  6% more than wednesday s closing price. analysts say that us antitrust regulators could force the firms to shed some overlapping stent operations. stents are tubes that are used to keep an artery open after it has been unblocked.


boogeyman takes box office lead the low-budget horror film boogeyman has knocked robert de niro thriller hide and seek from the top spot at the uk box office.  the film  in which a young man is forced to revisit a traumatic childhood experience  took £788 439 in its first three days on release. hide and seek  which was knocked off the top of the us box office by boogeyman last month  fell one place. oscar nominee hotel rwanda was also a new entry in the chart  at number five. the film  which scored oscar nominations for don cheadle and british actress sophie okonedo  made £507  596 in its first week of nationwide release.  comedy sequel meet the fockers and shall we dance   starring jennifer lopez and richard gere  completed the top five. clint eastwood s million dollar baby re-entered the charts at number eight  following its recent success at the oscars. the boxing drama  which won four awards including best film and best director  has made £4.4m to date. two other new entries  a remake of the 1965 film flight of the phoenix  and the teen comedy harold and kumar get the munchies  debuted outside the top 10.


bellamy fined after row newcastle have fined their welsh striker craig bellamy two weeks  wages - about £80 000 - following his row with manager graeme souness.  but bellamy  25  has not been put on the transfer list  although he did not train with the first team on tuesday. magpies chairman freddy shepherd told the newcastle evening chronicle:  it is not about money. it is about a player thinking he is bigger than this club.  no individual is  be it the chairman  the manager or a player.  souness dropped bellamy for sunday s game against arsenal  claiming the welshman had feigned injury after being asked to play out of position.  when i heard what the manager was saying i was in shock   bellamy said.  i thought  not only has he gone behind my back  he s lying    he said in response to souness  remarks. and the wales international refused to apologise.  i won t apologise because i have done nothing wrong   he told the evening chronicle.  there s no doubt about it  i am out of here.  the difficult relationship between souness and bellamy boiled over at the weekend  and has led to a war of words in the media.  bellamy s claim that souness had lied about the background to the bust-up was strongly denied by shepherd  who accused the striker of  cheating  the club.  i wish to put the record straight regarding the bellamy situation   said shepherd.  craig walked off the training ground saying his hamstring was tight (on friday)  but what he failed to reveal was that he had told other members of the squad before training that he intended to feign injury.  when graeme discovered this he immediately ordered bellamy to attend a meeting in my office.  at that meeting bellamy admitted to graeme and i that he had told the players that he was going to  fake  an injury in training and walk off.  he also agreed at that meeting to apologise to his team-mates for his behaviour. he didn t do this which resulted in the action taken by the manager at the weekend  which i fully support.  in my book this is cheating on the club  the supporters  the manager and his own team-mates.  he is paid extremely well and i consider his behaviour to be totally unacceptable and totally unprofessional.   bellamy s latest outburst would appear to make his chances of a first-team recall remote. but even before newcastle said the player would not be sold  bellamy insisted he had no intention of handing in a transfer request.  i don t want the fans to think for one minute that i wouldn t play for this club   he said.  i d play anywhere for this club  even in goal.  it s a very difficult situation for me at the moment but i d never ask to leave this club.  this club means so much to me. i couldn t do it because i know i couldn t come back here and play against newcastle. it would hurt too much.


s korea spending boost to economy south korea will boost state spending next year in an effort to create jobs and kick start its sputtering economy.  it has earmarked 100 trillion won ($96bn) for the first six months of 2005  60% of its total annual budget. the government s main problems are  slumping consumption and a contraction in the construction industry . it aims to create 400 000 jobs and will focus on infrastructure and home building  as well as providing public firms with money to hire new workers.  the government has set an economic growth rate target of 5% for next year and hinted that would be in danger unless it took action.  internal and external economic conditions are likely to remain unfavourable in 2005   the finance and economy ministry said in a statement.  it blamed  continuing uncertainties such as fluctuating oil prices and foreign exchange rates and stagnant domestic demand that has shown few signs of a quick rebound . in 2004  growth will be between 4.7% and 4.8%  the ministry said. not everyone is convinced the plan will work.  our primary worry centres on the what we believe is the government s overly optimistic view that its front loading of the budget will be enough to turn the economy around   consultancy 4cast said in a report.  the problem facing south korea is that many consumers are reeling from the effects of a credit bubble that only recently burst. millions of south koreans are defaulting on their credit card bills  and the country s biggest card lender has been hovering on the verge of bankruptcy for months. as part of its spending plans  the government said it will ask firms to  roll over mortgage loans that come due in the first half of 2005  . it also pledged to look at ways of helping families on low incomes.  the government voiced concern about the effect of redundancies in the building trade.  given the economic spill over and employment effect in the construction sector  a sharp downturn in the construction industry could have other adverse effects   the ministry said.  as a result  south korea will give private companies also will be given the chance to build schools  hospitals  houses and other public buildings. it also will look at real estate tax system. other plans on the table include promoting new industries such as bio-technology and nano-technology  as well as offering increased support to small and medium sized businesses.  the focus will be on job creation and economic recovery  given that unfavourable domestic and global conditions are likely to dog the korean economy in 2005   the ministry said.


gb select holmes for double bid kelly holmes has been chosen for both the 800m and 1500m at next month s european indoor championships - despite not yet confirming her availability.  the double-olympic champion is still undecided about whether to compete in her first european indoors in madrid. but uk athletics chief max jones believes it is likely holmes will race. he said:  it s worth a punt  isn t it  she s gone back to training. if she s confident she will pick one (distance). the programme does not permit both.  if holmes does take her place in the gb side  she has already indicated that 1500m will be her favoured distance. under championship rules  she does not have to decide until 24 hours before the event begins in madrid on 4 march. jones added:  she was pleased with her run in birmingham (at last weekend s grand prix).  i am inclined to think she will (compete). it could depend on how training goes and she will have to be close to top form.  and he admitted holmes  presence would be a great boost to the rest of the norwich union gb team.  she is a very good team member and is very good to have there   he added. meanwhile  there is no surprises in the rest of the great britain team announced on tuesday.  defending 60m champion jason gardener is included and will be chasing his third successive gold medal. he will be joined in the event by mark lewis-francis - runner-up behind him three years ago in vienna - and new boy darren chin. kelly sotherton has been invited by championship organisers to compete against carolina kluft in the pentathlon. sotherton finished third in the olympic heptathlon in athens  where the swede took gold. there are 16 newcomers at this level of competition in gb s 46-strong team. the championships will be the last to be attended by jones before he retires to be succeeded by dave collins. jones said:  the olympic games is the overwhelming target for uka and therefore it is beneficial to start the next four-year cycle with a not-so-pressurised major games.  the european indoor championships always provide a chance for the young and inexperienced to make a name for themselves and the current indoor season has produced some exciting new talent.  madrid is the first small step on a long journey to beijing and the 2008 olympics but for some of the emerging athletes  this will be a very important step.   60m: d chin (belgrave harriers)  j gardener (wessex and bath)  m lewis-francis (birchfield harriers).  t abeyie (woodford green with essex ladies)  c lambert (belgrave harriers).  d garland (channel islands ac).  j mcilroy (windsor  slough  eton and hounslow ac)  jimmy watkins (cardiff aac).  ed jackson (aldershot  farnham and district)  n speaight (belgrave harriers)  j thie (cardiff aac).  a baddeley (harrow ac)  m farah (windsor  slough  eton and hounslow ac)  j mayock (barnsley ac).  d greaves (newham and essex beagles)  a scott (shaftesbury barnet harriers)  a turner (notts ac).  b challenger (belgrave harriers). pole vault: n buckfield (crawley ac).  n morgan (birchfield harriers)  c tomlinson (newham and essex beagles).  l achike (shaftesbury barnet harriers)  n douglas (oxford city ac)  p idowu (belgrave harriers).  d cossins (birchfield harriers)  r davenport (gloucester ac)  d garland (channel islands ac)  r preddy (gloucester ac)  g warburton (cardiff aac).  k endacott (city of plymouth ac)  j kwakye (woodford green with essex ladies)  j maduaka (woodford green with essex ladies).  k wall (basildon ac).  k holmes (ealing  southall and middlesex ac).  h clitheroe (preston harriers)  k holmes (ealing  southall and middlesex ac).  j pavey (exeter harriers).  d allahgreen (trafford ac)  s claxton (belgrave harriers).  j crane (sale harriers manchester)  s jones (trafford ac).  j whitlock (trafford ac).  j johnson (herne hill harriers).  k sotherton (birchfield harriers).  d fraser (croydon harriers)  l mcconnell (shaftesbury barnet harriers)  c murphy (woodford green with essex ladies)  m purkiss (southampton ac).


straw to attend auschwitz service foreign secretary jack straw will visit auschwitz for the 60th anniversary of the former nazi concentration camp s liberation  it has been announced.  prince edward will also join the uk delegation in poland for national holocaust memorial day on 27 january. between 1.1 and 1.5 million people  mainly jews  were killed at auschwitz. the tories said they were glad mr straw had been  shamed  into going  having earlier criticised the decision to send a lower-ranking official. shadow foreign secretary michael ancram said:  i am glad the foreign secretary has finally been shamed into representing britain at this important act of commemoration.  once again this government has shown crass insensitivity until it has been forced by public opinion into doing what it should have done in the first place.   in britain  the queen and prince philip will lead the nation s commemoration at a service in westminster hall  london. the queen will also host a reception for holocaust survivors at st james s palace. altogether  some six million people  mainly jews  perished in the holocaust. the queen s grandson  prince harry  sparked outrage earlier this week after photographs of him wearing a nazi uniform at a costume party emerged. the prince  20  apologised  but critics have called for him to go to auschwitz for the commemoration of the soviets  1945 liberation of the camp. prince harry should see for himself  the results of the hated symbol he so foolishly and brazenly chose to wear   rabbi marvin hier  founder of jewish human rights group the simon wiesenthal center said.


mps quiz aides over royal income senior officials at the two bodies generating private income for the queen and prince of wales are to be questioned by mps.  aides from the duchy of lancaster and duchy of cornwall will appear before the commons public accounts committee. it has been reported they could be questioned about prince charles  spending on camilla parker bowles. but bbc correspondent peter hunt said they are not responsible for how money is spent and may be unable to answer. duchy officials  who will appear before the committee on monday  are only responsible for generating money. the duchy of lancaster provides the queen s private income  while the duchy of cornwall provides prince charles  annual income. the duchy of cornwall is a 140 000-acre estate across 25 counties  and also includes residential properties  shops  offices  stocks and shares. it was set up in 1337 by king edward iii to provide income for successive heirs to the throne. it covers the cost of the prince s public and private life - neither charles  nor william and harry  receive taxpayers  money from the civil list. however  the prince of wales did receive over £4m from government departments and grants-in-aid in 2003-4. the duchy last year generated almost £12m. the prince has voluntarily paid income tax - currently 40% - since 1993.


ukip mep attacked german  empire  a uk independence party mep suggested germany saw the eu as an  empire  and was cheaper than using tanks  a new documentary has revealed. mike nattrass  ukip s deputy leader  made the comments to an audience at a meeting during last september s hartlepool by-election campaign. but challenged on the remark  he denied accusing germany of using the eu as cover for a  4th german reich . he says he was not  german-bashing  but saying peace was the eu s founding aim. the meeting was shown in a bbc 3 film on ex-ukip mep robert kilroy-silk. the former chat show host quit the party earlier this month  calling it a joke.  the documentary showed mr nattrass  apparently talking about the eu  telling the meeting:  the germans are the big losers here but they don t care because to them the project is worthwhile.  it s like an empire for them spreading in all directions away from germany into hungary  into what they call the sudetenland - czechoslovakia  places like that.  so it s cheaper for them to do it this way than roll the tanks in.  on tuesday  he told the bbc news website he did not think the comments were offensive and worked happily with meps of different nationalities in the european parliament. he argued that peace was the only reason for having the  outdated  eu as there was no economic justification. pointing to germany s trade interests as a country in the centre of europe  mr nattrass said:  the fact is that the eu benefits germany but it does not benefit britain.  i m not at all german-bashing. it s the truth.  a ukip spokesman said:  mike has some passionate beliefs and sometimes uses excessively colourful language with which to express them.   the documentary showed some of the tensions between mr kilroy-silk and his fellow meps after ukip took third place in last year s european elections. he denied wanting to be leader until october 2004  when he told bbc one s breakfast with frost programme he aspired to the job. asked by the documentary makers why he had lied about his leadership ambitions  mr kilroy-silk said:  there was one thing i said that i shouldn t have said at the time.  i was trying to be helpful to the party and it was the wrong thing to do  i should have told the truth.  the film also included footage of a row between mr kilroy-silk  mep nigel farage and party leader roger knapman about rumours that he was about to resign the ukip whip in the european parliament. mr kilroy-silk told them he had not left the ukip group - a move he announced shortly after the meeting. he told mr farage:  don t tell lies nigel  now you ve told too many. most of the trouble had been caused by you.  ukip officials claim it was in fact mr kilroy-silk  not mr farage  who briefed newspapers he was leaving the group of meps.  later in unguarded  off-air comments in a television studio  mr kilroy-silk was heard saying he was irritated by  defending some of these right-wing fascist nutters . mr kilroy-silk separately said he had argued against ukip working with such groups which believed homosexuality was a sin. a ukip spokesman said there were more than 40 meps in the same group in the european parliament. they were from a broad spectrum - some right-wing  some left-wing - but with a shared belief in the  unfeasibility of the eu as it is now . he did not defend other groups  religious beliefs but argued it was their right to hold such views - just as mr kilroy-silk had a right to criticise arab states. london ukip mep gerard batten said:  robert has made a variety of comments about ukip and its meps.  there are of course two sides to every story. what robert does not say is that he was offered several positions which would have given him effective control of the party  but not the title of leader.  mr kilroy-silk is to launch his own parry  veritas  in westminster on wednesday.


air china in $1bn london listing china s national airline is to make its overseas stock market debut with a dual listing in london and hong kong  the london stock exchange (lse) has said.  air china plans to raise $1bn (£514m) from the flotation. share trading will begin on 15 december  the lse said. for china s aviation authorities  the listing is part of the modernisation of its airline sector to cope with soaring demand for air travel. no further details of the share price or number of shares were given.  the lse has been working hard to woo chinese companies to choose london  rather than new york for their listings. it opened an asia-pacific office in hong kong last month.  we are delighted that air china has chosen london for its listing outside china   said lse chief executive clara furse.  the london stock exchange offers ambitious chinese companies access to the world s most international equity market combined with high regulatory and corporate governance standards   she said. a spokesman for the lse said:  we ve been engaged with them (air china) for about 18 months  two years now.  as part of its pitch to bring listings to london  the lse is thought to be highlighting the extra costs and red-tape imposed by new us laws passed since the enron scandal  whilst stressing london s strong regulatory environment.  germany s chancellor gerhard schroeder began a three-day visit to beijing on monday by signing a deal worth 1bn euros ($1.3bn; £690m) for airbus to sell 23 new planes to air china  the deutsche welle radio station reported. china s booming economy has created huge demand for air travel among middle-class chinese  turning the country into a sales battleground between rival plane makers airbus and boeing. air china s long-awaited flotation is part of a strategy to modernise a dozen state-owned carriers  which have been reorganised into three groups under air china  china southern and china eastern. merrill lynch are sole bookrunners for air china s flotation  which will take the form of a share placing with institutional investors in london  though retail investors may be able to buy air china shares in hong kong. air china s primary listing will be in hong kong  with a secondary listing in london. the shares will be denominated in hong kong dollars. however  investors may be wary of chinese stocks. the collapse last week of china aviation oil  the singapore-listed arm of a chinese jet fuel trader  has cast the spotlight on corporate governance shortcomings at chinese firms.


dollar gains on greenspan speech the dollar has hit its highest level against the euro in almost three months after the federal reserve head said the us trade deficit is set to stabilise.  and alan greenspan highlighted the us government s willingness to curb spending and rising household savings as factors which may help to reduce it. in late trading in new york  the dollar reached $1.2871 against the euro  from $1.2974 on thursday. market concerns about the deficit has hit the greenback in recent months. on friday  federal reserve chairman mr greenspan s speech in london ahead of the meeting of g7 finance ministers sent the dollar higher after it had earlier tumbled on the back of worse-than-expected us jobs data.  i think the chairman s taking a much more sanguine view on the current account deficit than he s taken for some time   said robert sinche  head of currency strategy at bank of america in new york.  he s taking a longer-term view  laying out a set of conditions under which the current account deficit can improve this year and next.   worries about the deficit concerns about china do  however  remain. china s currency remains pegged to the dollar and the us currency s sharp falls in recent months have therefore made chinese export prices highly competitive. but calls for a shift in beijing s policy have fallen on deaf ears  despite recent comments in a major chinese newspaper that the  time is ripe  for a loosening of the peg. the g7 meeting is thought unlikely to produce any meaningful movement in chinese policy. in the meantime  the us federal reserve s decision on 2 february to boost interest rates by a quarter of a point - the sixth such move in as many months - has opened up a differential with european rates. the half-point window  some believe  could be enough to keep us assets looking more attractive  and could help prop up the dollar. the recent falls have partly been the result of big budget deficits  as well as the us s yawning current account gap  both of which need to be funded by the buying of us bonds and assets by foreign firms and governments. the white house will announce its budget on monday  and many commentators believe the deficit will remain at close to half a trillion dollars.


hague  given up  his pm ambition former conservative leader william hague says he will not stand for the leadership again  having given up his ambition to be prime minister.  mr hague  43  told the daily telegraph he would now find a life dominated by politics too  boring  and unfulfilling. mr hague  who stepped down after his party s 2001 election defeat  does not rule out a return to the front bench. he also told the paper he hopes to remain mp for richmond  north yorks  and start a family with wife ffion. mr hague  who recently had published the biography of william pitt the younger  also said he wanted to continue writing books and speech-writing.  he told the newspaper:  i don t know whether i will ever go back on to the front  but don t rush me.  asked if he would stand for the leadership again  mr hague replied:  no. definitely not.  his determination to stay away from a central role will disappoint some senior conservative members  who say the party needs him. tim collins  the shadow education secretary  said last week it would be a  huge boost  to the party if mr hague returned to the front bench. mr hague became an mp at 27 and leader of the opposition at 36. he said:  i feel fortunate that  by the age of 40  i had crammed in an entire political career.  i had been in the cabinet and been leader of the party  so now i can branch out into other things...it is a very liberating feeling.  mr hague added that he may have misjudged his own ambition to be prime minister.  maybe i wasn t as driven by politics as i thought i was   he said.


burren awarded egyptian contracts british energy firm burren energy has been awarded two potentially lucrative oil exploration contracts in egypt.  the company successfully bid for the two contracts  granted by government owned oil firms  covering onshore and offshore areas in the gulf of suez. burren energy already has a presence in egypt  having been awarded an exploration contract last year. the firm  which floated in 2003  recently announced a deal to buy 26% of indian firm hindustan oil exploration. the £13.8m deal gives burren energy access to the indian oil and gas industry. this latest contract expands burren energy s global exploration and production portfolio - it also holds contracts in turkmenistan and the republic of congo.  these assets significantly increase our exploration portfolio in egypt and we continue to investigate further opportunities in this region   said chief executive finian o sullivan.