oscar nominees lack pulling power this year s clutch of oscar nominees have been the least popular for 20 years according to box office figures.  in the us the five nominated for best film have been seen by 50% fewer people than movies in previous years. while the awards are not based on box office popularity there is concern for the ratings of the televised ceremony.  we don t have a titanic or a lord of the rings out there. i think it s fair to say it does concern us a bit   said academy executive director bruce davis. about 51 million people in the us have seen this year s nominees  compared with between 100 million and 118 million in recent years. the last time combined attendance was so low was in 1984 when amadeus beat the killing fields  a passage to india  places in the heart and a soldier s story to best picture  when 41 million saw the five films. last year s ceremony attracted the highest audience in four years as viewers tuned in to see lord of the ring: return of the king sweep the board.  and the show reaped its biggest audience in 1997 when titanic took home 11 oscars.  the film had taken $500m (£264m) worldwide before the ceremony  and eventually took $1.8bn (£952m).  eyeballs starring at the movie screen translates to eyeballs staring at the tv screen   said paul dergarabedian of box office tracker exhibitor relations.  people like to have a vested interest in what they re watching.  when titanic does $1.8bn in worldwide box office  you ve got a lot of people with a vested interest.  past years have also seen blockbusters such as saving private ryan  forrest gump and ghost compete for oscars. the biggest box office hitter among this year s nominees is the aviator  which has taken $90m (£48m) in the us  although takings in the uk have reached only £7m so far.  low-budget move sideways and finding neverland have so far grossed about $45m (£24m) each. the year s biggest blockbusters do actually feature in the oscar nominees but in the animation category. shrek 2 and the incredibles took $436m (£231m) while the incredibles took $259m (£137m). mel gibson s the passion of the christ  which took $370m (£196m) in the us  was largely ignored by academy voters.  but many in the film industry do not equate award and box office success.  i have never equated the academy awards with how much money a movie takes in   said nikki rocco  head of distribution at universal which released nominee ray.  that s the people s choice awards. this is not about the public. this is about the industry bestowing awards on what they think are the best films of the year.


murray returns to scotland fold euan murray has been named in the scotland training squad after an eight-week ban  ahead of saturday s six nations match with ireland.  the glasgow forward s ban for stamping ended on 2 february.  i m just happy to be back playing and be involved with the squad   said murray on monday.  hopefully i can get a couple of games under my belt and i might have a chance of playing later in the six nations. i m just glad to be part of it all.   backs: mike blair (edinburgh rugby)  andy craig (glasgow rugby)  chris cusiter (the borders)  simon danielli (the borders)  marcus di rollo (edinburgh rugby)  phil godman (edinburgh rugby)  calvin howarth (glasgow rugby)  ben hinshelwood (worcester warriors)  andrew henderson (glasgow rugby)  rory lamont (glasgow rugby)  sean lamont (glasgow rugby)  dan parks (glasgow rugby)  chris paterson (edinburgh rugby)  gordon ross (leeds tykes)  hugo southwell (edinburgh rugby)  simon webster (edinburgh rugby) forwards: ross beattie (northampton saints)  gordon bulloch (captain  glasgow rugby)  david callam (edinburgh rugby)  bruce douglas (the borders)  jon dunbar (leeds tykes)  iain fullarton (saracens)  stuart grimes (newcastle falcons)  nathan hines (edinburgh rugby)  allister hogg (edinburgh rugby)  gavin kerr (leeds tykes)  nick lloyd (saracens)  scott lawson (glasgow rugby)  euan murray (glasgow rugby)  scott murray (edinburgh rugby)  jon petrie (glasgow rugby)  robbie russell (london irish)  tom smith (northampton saints)  jason white (sale sharks).


thousands join strike in wales thousands of civil servants were on strike across wales on friday in protest at planned job cuts.  a range of services in wales were affected as civil servants in wales joined the uk-wide strike. the strike  called by the public and commercial services union  was the biggest by civil servants in a decade. the action follows chancellor gordon brown s announcement in july that 104 000 jobs would be cut  with around 6 000 of those expected in wales. the worst-affected area in wales will be the department of work and pensions where 2 000 jobs are threatened. across wales  pickets were held by striking civil servants with protests in towns and cities including cardiff  bangor  aberystwyth and wrexham. gordon brown issued a defiant statement about the strike  saying the action would not affect the government s  determination  to make savings in order to increase investment in healthcare  education  transport and the fight against crime.  our decisions mean more police  more teachers  more doctors and more nurses   he said.  we will provide help with information  relocation and retraining to help staff move into frontline work within the public sector  but we will not be diverted from these necessary changes so that we can make this essential investment.  the uk-wide action hit jobcentres  benefit agencies  pensions offices and driving test centres. the strike also affected the welsh assembly building in cardiff bay  where only pass-holders were allowed in.  pickets were in place across wales  with protests around the country. pcs union spokesman jeff evans said:  in wales the civil service is major employer  there are more civil servants employed in wales proportionately than in any other part of the country.  our protest is about defending jobs and also local services across the country.  parts of objective one areas and welsh-speaking areas will be particularly affected by these cuts.  the chancellor has said that the cuts will allow funding for more teachers and police. piers freelove is senior benefit officer on the picket line at companies house  in cardiff. he said:  the majority of people have decided not to come in because of the threat to their jobs.  i joined the civil service to provide services as well as get a decent pension  as we thought  and pay  and it s those services that are being threatened as well as our jobs.  people like pensioners need a face-to-face service not an impersonal service on the phone which is what they want to impose.  pcsu deputy general secretary hugh lanning  who was on the same picket line  said:  we re asking for them to negotiate not just to make announcements.  there s a sensible way to do things and at the moment they re not even talking about how to go about it sensibly.   the ballot was for one day s action. no further action is anticipated without a further ballot of staff.  the welsh assembly government said:  this is a strike about national civil service issues. it is not about specific issues local to wales or the assembly.


howard rebuts asylum criticisms tory leader michael howard has gone on the offensive in response to people questioning how a son of immigrants can propose asylum quotas.  mr howard  whose parents fled the nazi threat to come to the uk  says the claim would mean no-one from an immigrant family could become premier. his comments come in a bbc documentary called  no more mr nasty . tv presenter anne robinson said as home secretary he gave the impression he would  like to kick your cat . ms robinson  a friend of the tory leader  also revealed that as a cambridge student mr howard was  much loved by women and he was a courteous and kind and rather dashing lover  - although she denied having personal experience.  i wasn t at cambridge - and it s not personal experience - but i know people who were.   documentary maker michael cockerell was given behind-the-scenes access to mr howard for his film portrait. the tory leader was asked about to respond to people who said that if there had there been a quota on immigration and asylum in the 1930s  his parents might not have been allowed into the country.  he replies:  what is the inference of that   that if you reach the view that you need to control immigration in the interests of the country you re not allowed to put a view forward if you happen to be descended from immigrants   that seems to me an absolutely extraordinary proposition  it would certainly mean no one from immigrant parents could be prime minister.   ms robinson  who presents the weakest link tells cockerell that she despaired at his hardline image when he was home secretary in john major s government.  i used to have to sit on my hands because he d get on television and give a passable impression of someone who d like to kick your cat or would put your baby in prison if he cried. i mean it was very  very draconian.  the film shows mr howard laughing at rory bremner s impression of him as dracula  which he calls  good fun   apart from the serious falsehood of a comment suggesting he wants fewer black people in the uk. the film shows the private side of the tory leader watching television at home or playing table tennis with his wife  ex-model sandra. asked if she enjoys a game of ping pong she confesses:  yeah  it would be more enjoyable if i could win occasionally too  but otherwise it s quite fun.   former downing street communications chief alastair campbell  now working on labour s election campaign  says a  touchy-feely  image does not fit mr howard. he says tony blair was not worried by his opponents  early performance in their commons clashes because mr howard lacked a  big strategy   including on issues like iraq. the tory leader brands such criticisms as  absolutely rubbish   arguing that he has been consistent on his support for the war but critical of mr blair s failure to tell the truth on intelligence. former tory chancellor ken clarke says mr howard has a bigger problem changing perceptions of the tory party than his personal image. mr clarke says the party is improving and it is  conceivable  it could win the next election. but he adds:  it has got to change itself a bit and broaden its appeal.   - michael howard: no more mr nasty is being shown on bbc2 on saturday 12 february at 2005 gmt.


robinson ready for difficult task england coach andy robinson faces the first major test of his tenure as he tries to get back to winning ways after the six nations defeat by wales.  robinson is likely to make changes in the back row and centre after the 11-9 loss as he contemplates sunday s set-to with france at twickenham. lewis moody and martin corry could both return after missing the game with hamstring and shoulder problems. and the midfield pairing of mathew tait and jamie noon is also under threat. olly barkley immediately allowed england to generate better field position with his kicking game after replacing debutant tait just before the hour. the bath fly-half-cum-centre is likely to start against france  with either tait or noon dropping out.  tait  given little opportunity to shine in attack  received praise from robinson afterwards  even if the coach admitted cardiff was an  unforgiving place  for the teenage prodigy. robinson now has a tricky decision over whether to withdraw from the firing line  after just one outing  a player he regards as central to england s future. tait himself  at least outwardly  appeared unaffected by the punishing treatment dished out to him by gavin henson in particular.  i want more of that definitely   he said.  hopefully i can train hard this week and get selected for next week but we ll have to look at the video and wait and see.  we were playing on our own 22 for a lot of the first half so it was quite difficult. i thought we defended reasonably well but we ve just got to pick it up for france.   his newcastle team-mate noon hardly covered himself in glory in his first major test. he missed a tackle on michael owen in the build-up to wales  try  conceded a penalty at the breakdown  was turned over in another tackle and fumbled gavin henson s cross-kick into touch  all inside the first quarter. his contribution improved in the second half  but england clearly need more of a playmaker in the inside centre role. up front  the line-out remains fallible  despite a superb performance from chris jones  whose athleticism came to the fore after stepping into the side for moody. it is more likely the leicester flanker will return on the open side for the more physical challenge posed by the french forwards  with andy hazell likely to make way. lock ben kay also justified his recall with an impressive all-round display on his return to the side  but elsewhere england positives were thin on the ground.


terror detainees win lords appeal detaining foreign terrorist suspects without trial breaks human rights laws  the uk s highest court has ruled.  in a blow to the government s anti-terror measures  the house of lords law lords ruled by an eight to one majority in favour of appeals by nine detainees. most of the men are being indefinitely held in belmarsh prison  south london. the law lords said the measures were incompatible with european human rights laws. the men will stay behind bars while ministers decide how to react. the ruling creates a major problem for charles clarke on his first day as home secretary following david blunkett s resignation. the liberal democrats say mr clarke should use the fact he is new to the job to take issue with a law established by his predecessor  david blunkett. belmarsh prison has been dubbed britain s guantanamo bay by civil rights campaigners opposed to the use of emergency anti-terror laws.  the detainees took their case to the house of lords after the court of appeal backed the home office s powers to hold them without limit or charge. the government opted out of part of the european convention on human rights concerning the right to a fair trial in order to bring in anti-terrorism legislation in response to the 11 september attacks in the us. any foreign national suspected of links with terrorism can be detained or can opt to be deported. however those detained cannot be deported if this would mean persecution in their homeland.  on thursday  senior law lord lord bingham said the rules were incompatible with the european convention on human rights as they allowed detentions  in a way that discriminates on the ground of nationality or immigration status . lord nicholls of birkenhead  in his ruling  said:  indefinite imprisonment without charge or trial is anathema in any country which observes the rule of law.  it deprives the detained person of the protection a criminal trial is intended to afford.   he said the weakness for the government s case was that it was trying to justify detention without trial for foreign suspects - but not for british suspects. lord hoffmann said:  the real threat to the life of the nation  in the sense of a people living in accordance with its traditional laws and political values  comes not from terrorism but from laws such as these.  but lord walker of gestingthorpe  the one law lord to oppose the appeal  said the anti-terror laws contained important safeguards against oppression.  in a statement  detainee  a  in woodhill prison said:  i hope now that the government will act upon this decision  scrap this illegal  law  and release me and the other internees to return to our families and loved ones.  the case was heard by a panel of nine law lords rather than the usual five because of the constitutional importance of the case. ben emmerson qc  representing seven of the detainees  said the men had already been in custody for nearly three years. he said they had been given no idea when  if ever  they would be released  had never been formally interviewed and there was no prospect they would ever be put on trial. when the men were first held  they took their cases to the special immigration appeals commission (siac). the commission ruled on 30 july  2002 that the anti-terror act unjustifiably discriminated against foreign nationals as british people could not be held in the same way. but that ruling was later overturned by the court of appeal who said there was a state of emergency threatening the life of the nation.


sony psp handheld console hits us the latest handheld gaming gadget  sony s playstation portable  goes on sale in the us on thursday.  the entertainment device  which also stores images  music and video  is intended to compete with nintendo s ds  released earlier this month in the uk. gamers have been queuing outside shops across the us to get their hands on the gadget  which costs $250 (about £132). the first million sold will come with the spider-man 2 film on umd  sony s own disc format for the device. the psp can be linked up with others for multiplayer gaming  via a wireless connection. sony has touted the machine as the walkman of the 21st century and has sold more than 800 000 units in japan since its launch there last year.  but it faces stiff competition from the nintendo ds  which sold more than the gamecube in its first few days on release in europe. it too allows for multiplayer gaming over the air. nintendo dominates the handheld market  with more than a 90% share of the market in the us alone. the gizmondo combined media player  phone and gaming gadget also went on sale in the uk last week. it hopes to take a share of the handheld gaming market too.   the story of the psp is it s not a gaming device as much as it is a portable entertainment device   said michael pachter  analyst at wedbush morgan securities. he told the reuters news agency that he expected sony to sell about 10 million psps in enough time to rival apple s ipod. there is no date for the psp s release in europe yet. sony has promised to have a million units ready for its us launch  but there are fears demand may not be met. it also said it expected to ship three million psps worldwide by the end of its fiscal year ending 31 march.  the machine s european launch was put back  a few months  last week in order to make sure enough of the devices were ready for its us launch  as well as satisfying the japanese market. the psp has almost as much processing power in it as the playstation 2 console. hundreds of gamers gathered at us shops  some waiting for more than 36 hours  to be the first to get their hands on the gadget. a spokesman for one us shop said it expected the device to sell out on its first day. the 24 games for the mini console include ape academy  formula one  wipeout pure and fired up. movie studios  including lions gate entertainment and disney  have also announced forthcoming film titles that will be made available on the umd format.


henin-hardenne beaten on comeback justine henin-hardenne lost to elena dementieva in a comeback exhibition match in belgium on sunday for her second defeat in two days.  and the belgian  who has slipped to eight in the world after struggling with a virus  faces a tough australian open title defence next month.  i will be heading to australia with a lot of question marks over me  i know that   she said.  but i think there ll be less pressure than last time even if i am champion.  henin-hardenne was speaking after a 6-2 5-7 6-2 loss to world number six dementieva in charleroi  belgium  on sunday. the previous day  the olympic champion went down 6-2 7-5 to france s nathalie dechy.   i have to be positive  i still have a few weeks   she said.  my body has to get accustomed again to the stress  the rhythm.  henin-hardenne slid down the world rankings in the second half of 2004 after contracting the illness in april. after an initial lay-off  she was forced off the circuit for a second time after being knocked out of the french open in the second round. a comeback at the us open after a three-month absence ended when she crashed out at the fourth-round stage. but despite her problems  she still won five of the nine official tournaments she entered in 2004 and won olympic gold in athens  an achievement which saw her named belgian sportswoman of the year on friday.  physically  it s obvious that i hit rock bottom   said the 22-year-old  who will make her comeback in the sydney international from 10-16 january.  since april  with the exception of the olympics  i have not done much.  all the successes i had prior to that were mainly due to the work i put in on building up my fitness.  now it s time to get back to putting in 200% effort and i think i am capable of doing that.


rank  set to sell off film unit  leisure group rank could unveil plans to demerge its film services unit and sell its media business  reports claim.  rank  formerly famous for the carry on series  will expose the shake-up at the announcement of its results on friday  the sunday telegraph reported. advisors goldman sachs are understood to have valued its demerged deluxe film unit at £300m  the report added. speculation of a possible shake-up has mounted since rank announced a study into a possible demerger in september. since mike smith s appointment as chief executive in 1999  the group has focused on fewer businesses and embarked on a major cost-cutting programme which has seen it dispose of a number of businesses  including the odeon cinema chain and the pinewood studios. the move left the group with three core divisions: gaming  hard rock and deluxe films  which provides technical services to hollywood studios.  rank now aims to concentrate on its gaming  bars and hotels business  including extending its hard rock brand to its casinos - trials of which have been a success. it also owns deluxe media  which makes and distributes dvds and videos. however  that business is seen as less successful. last year it made profits of £21.5m on a turnover of £392.1m and experts suggest its success in moving to dvds from vhs video could make it an attractive target for a private equity buyer. a spokesman for the firm refused to comment on the reports  but said any results from the demerger study were likely to be set out when it unveiled its results on friday. analysts predict the firm is likely to report a slight drop in annual pre-tax profits to £170m from £194m last year. formed in the 1940s the firm was a leading uk film producer and cinema owner for many years. it has now diversified into a range of other leisure activities - mainly in the uk - including hotels  roadside service areas and holiday centres. it now owns 34 grosvenor casinos  the mecca bingo chain and more than 100 hard rock cafes in 38 countries.


johnson accuses british sprinters former olympic champion michael johnson has accused britain s top sprinters of lacking pride and ambition.   at the moment  the biggest factor on the mind of british sprinters is to be number one in britain   the world 200m and 400m record holder told five live.  athletics at the moment is all about international competitions and they need to show a little more pride.  however  linford christie countered:  it s easy to criticise when you haven t gone through the system here.  johnson was involved in a verbal spat with britain s darren campbell earlier this year. the american had cast doubt on campbell s claims he had torn a hamstring in the wake of his failure to reach the olympic 100m and 200m finals.  and the american remains highly critical of aspects of british sprinting.  the only time you see british sprinters getting upset or riled is when there is a debate as to which one is better than the other   he claimed.  athletes here have to compete more outside the uk. their focus has to be on being the best in the world and not just on being the top british sprinter.  speaking at an elite coaches  conference in birmingham  johnson also argued that although there has been more investment in the sport in britain  it had not necessarily reaped the rewards.  you can t fix everything with money   he admitted.  you contrast the situation here to that of some us athletes who have no funding.  those who aren t funded might be hungrier and more motivated because their road to success is a lot more difficult and challenging.  so when they get to the top they are more appreciative.


borders 19-20 ulster ulster clung on for a morale-boosting celtic league win over bottom club borders at netherdale on friday night.  a late try by borders substitute jonny weston had set up a dramatic finish  but the scottish side could not complete the fightback. ulster had led 20-6 with tries from paul steinmetz and bryn cunningham. but the irish province failed to add to the tally in the second half and ended up relieved to get the win to lift them to eighth place in the table. borders had edged ahead with a sixth-minute penalty by charlie hore - only to hand the visitors the initiative via a gift try. calum macrae surrendered possession before centre steinmetz sent a chip into the danger zone. substitute joe pattison - who had come on for the injured gareth morton - wrongly thought the ball was trickling out of play and eased up on the chase.  the speedy steinmetz had other ideas and he raced up to get the vital touch in the nick of time  giving adam larkin an easy conversion. ally warnock clawed back three points for borders  but they were soon hit by another double-blow. first  mark blair was yellow carded for killing the ball on the ground and then full-back cunningham bagged the second touchdown in the wake of fine work by skipper andy ward. larkin again added the extras. even worse was to come for borders when larkin kicked two more penalties just before the break  the second of which also led to kelly brown being sin-binned. the hosts gave themselves a glimmer of hope immediately after the restart  however  when warnock struck a penalty at the other end. and he repeated the feat to set up the tense finale. ulster coach mark mccall said he was delighted to get the victory.  borders are a tougher proposition this year in spite of the fact that they have not had a victory in some time   said mccall.  in the first 20 minutes we were edgy but in the second 20 minutes we played some of our best rugby this season and scored two good tries.   morton  moffat  macrae  hore  berthinussen  warnock  moore  thomson  ford  douglas  blair  stewart  gray  brown  mcentee.  kay  parr  mcgee  rennick  weston  millar  pattison.  cunningham  maxwell  bell  steinmetz  howe  larkin  campbell  s. best  shields  moore  frost  mccullough  ward  feather  n. best.  brady  mccormick  longwell  browne  doak  s. young  bowe.  phil fear (wru)


sluggish economy hits german jobs the number of people out of work in europe s largest economy has risen for the tenth straight month as growth remains stubbornly slow.  german unemployment rose 7 000 in november to 4.464 million people  or 10.8% of the workforce. the seasonally adjusted rise showed a smaller rise than expected  as government measures to encourage job creation began to take effect. but officials said stagnant growth was still stifling the job market.  there are clear signs of a revival in domestic demand   said frank-juergen weise  head of the federal labour agency  in a statement.  but growth of 0.1%... in the third quarter is still insufficient to deliver positive momentum to the labour market.  high oil prices and the soaring euro - which damages the competitiveness of exporters - were also having a negative effect  he said. the brunt of the unemployment is still being felt in the eastern part of germany  where the rate is 18.8%.  with unemployment stuck above 4 million for years  the government of chancellor gerhard schroeder has put job creation at the top of the agenda. a controversial package of measures to shake up incentives to get back to work  paid for by cutting some cherished benefits  has sparked anger among some german workers. strikes in a number of industries  notably among the country s iconic carmakers  have demonstrated the displeasure - as well as fears about further job losses as outsourcing takes hold. among the new initiatives are the so-called  one-euro jobs  which top up unemployment benefit. the scheme s formal launch is january  but hirings for these positions are already taking place and affecting the unemployment statistics  economists said.  the deterioration of the labour market does not come as a surprise   said isabelle kronawitter at hypovereinsbank.  job creation measures probably prevented a stronger increase in the seasonally adjusted numbers.


ukraine steel sell-off  illegal  the controversial sell-off of a ukrainian steel mill to a relative of the former president was illegal  a court has ruled.  the mill  krivorizhstal  was sold in june 2004 for $800m (£424m) - well below other offers. president viktor yushchenko  elected in december  is planning to revisit many of ukraine s recent privatisations. krivorizhstal is one of dozens of firms which he says were sold cheaply to friends of the previous administration.  on wednesday  prime minister yulia tymoshenko said as many as 3 000 firms could be included on the list of firms whose sale was being reviewed.  mr yushchenko had previously said the list would be limited to 30-40 enterprises. more than 90 000 businesses in all  from massive corporations to tiny shopfronts  have been sold off since 1992  as the command economy built up when ukraine was part of the soviet union was dismantled. analysts have suggested that the government needs to avoid the impression of an open-ended list  so as to preserve investor confidence.  thursday s ruling by a district court in perchesk overturned a previous decision in a lower court permitting the sale. the consortium which won the auction for the mill was created by viktor pinchuk  son-in-law of former-president leonid kuchma  and rinat akhmetov  the country s richest man. the next step is for the supreme court to annul the sale altogether  opening the way for krivorizhstal to be resold. mr yushchenko has suggested a fair valuation could be as much as $3bn. one of the foreign bidders who lost out  steel giant lnm  told bbc news that it would be interested in any renewed sale.


wada will appeal against ruling the world anti-doping agency (wada) will appeal against the acquittal of kostas kenteris and katerina thanou on doping charges  if the iaaf does not.  the pair were cleared of charges relating to missing dope tests by the greek athletics federation last week. wada chairman dick pound said:  i am convinced the iaaf will appeal against the decision  and we will support them.  but if they accept the federation s ruling we will go before the court of arbitration for sport   he added. kenteris s lawyer  gregory ioannidis  reacted angrily to pound s comments.  comments like these only help to embarrass the sporting governing bodies  create a hostage situation for the iaaf and strengthen our case further   he told bbc sport. kenteris  31  and thanou  30  had been charged with avoiding drugs tests in tel aviv  chicago and athens and failing to notify anti-doping officials of their whereabouts before the olympics. they withdrew from the athens games after missing a drugs test at the olympic village on 12 august.  but an independent tribunal ruled that the duo had not been informed that they needed to attend a drugs test in athens.  however  their former coach christos tzekos was banned for four years by the tribunal. kenteris and thanou still have to face trial on charges brought separately by greek prosecutors of missing the drugs tests and faking a motorcycle accident to avoid testing at the athens games.


air jamaica back in state control the jamaican government is regaining control of air jamaica in an bid to help the ailing company out of its financial difficulties.  the firm has failed to make money since the state sold a majority stake to hotel tycoon gordon stewart in 1994. in common with many carriers  air jamaica  with debts of $560m (£291m)  has been hit by high fuel costs and the impact of the 11 september attacks. the company will be restructured with the aim of finding a new buyer.  the administration is committed to a viable national airline that will serve as a major catalyst for our economy   said finance minister omar davies. the 35-year-old airline transports about 55% of all passengers to the island and its pilots are reportedly among the best paid in the industry  with senior members of staff earning in excess of $234 000 a year.


india to deport bollywood actress india has ordered the deportation of iranian-born model and actress negar khan to norway after saying she was working illegally on her visa.  khan has had raunchy roles in music videos and bollywood films over the past two years. the distressed actress told media she was being driven straight to the airport after a routine appointment at the bombay immigration office. immigration officials said she had been warned about her visa last year.  khan told an indian news channel on her mobile phone:  they are not even letting me go home to get my bags. i have no clothes or money on me.  they did not give me any notice. i don t know why they are taking me away like this. there is nothing wrong with my visa. it says i work here... they are not allowing me to even call a lawyer.  bipin bihari  deputy police chief in bombay  said khan was being sent back to norway  from which she holds a passport  on the first available flight.  she was on a visitor s visa but she has engaged in several commercial ventures   he said.  we issued notices last year  in view of which she had gone back to norway  but she has returned again this year to work.  one of khan s biggest successes was the steamy hindi song chadti jawani (rising youth). khan was involved in controversy when topless photos alleged to be of her appeared in a norwegian magazine.


plan to give elderly care control elderly and disabled people would choose how their own budget for personal care was spent and organised under government plans.  ministers say elderly and disabled people themselves  not social workers  should be able to decide on their care and stay in their own homes. they also plan a supremo for adult services in each english area to get different agencies working together. but the government shunned opponents  calls for free long-term care.  there are 1.7m people needing care in england and ministers suggest the number could quadruple by 2050. monday s consultation paper on social care for adults in england is aimed at ending a system which generates dependency. health minister stephen ladyman said:  this document is the antithesis of the nanny state.   it s about taking power away from the state and giving it to individuals and saying that we will help you make these decisions but we are not going to make them for you any more.  the government has already allowed local councils to give people money so they can pay for their services directly but take-up of the scheme has been  disappointing .  ministers say the new plans would make direct payments simpler and try to counter reluctance in some local councils to use the payments. they also want to set up a new  half-way house  where social workers tell people how much money is available for their care and help them choose how to spend that  individual budget . the scheme will be funded on existing budgets set until 2008. but mr ladyman said the plans could deliver savings in some areas  such as freeing up nhs beds and preventing illnesses. he ruled out free personal care in england - which is on offer in scotland and wales  saying it was  unsustainable .  david rogers  from the local government association  said agencies were working together on the kind of innovation proposed by the government. and tony hunter  president of the association of directors of social services  said the plans could improve dignity and well-being for thousands of people. but age concern argued social care was chronically under-funded and older people were being offered choice in principle  but not in practice. its director general  gordon lishman  said:  direct payments will not work if there are no services for people to choose from locally.   the tories say people who pay for three years  long-term care directly or through insurance should be guaranteed free care for the rest of their lives. tory spokesman simon burns said more than 80 000 long term care places had been lost since 1997.  after eight years of persistent change  dogmatic enforcement of regulation  and overbearing government initiatives - we need action  not a vision   said mr burns. the lib dems say they would fund free personal care by a new 50% tax rate on incomes over £100 000. health spokesman paul burstow said:  promoting independence sounds good and helping people to live in their own homes is a goal we share.  but the risk is that independence can turn into isolation if the right support and care is not available.


tories opposing 24-hour drinking the tories say plans to extend pub opening times should be put on hold until binge drinking is under control  despite backing a law change last year.  spokesman david davis said ministers had failed to make his party aware of concern among senior police that plans would cause more anti-social behaviour. notts police chief steve green said innocent people would suffer. but culture secretary tessa jowell said a delay would be  disastrous  and she accused the tories of opportunism. the government would go ahead with the changes which would give police more power to tackle excessive drinking  she added. earlier chief constable green questioned how his officers would be able to practically apply powers allowing them to shut down problem premises.  if you look at the market square in nottingham  if a fight takes place which licensed premises do you go and lay the responsibilty at the door of   he asked on bbc radio 4 s world at one programme.  he warned that if drinking establishments were allowed to open until three or four in the morning the police would have to take officers off day shifts in order to do their job effectively at night. earlier this year the royal college of physicians said it opposed the plan to extend drinking hours when there was already an  epidemic  of binge drinking. minister richard caborn said the government was tackling the causes and the symptoms of the problem by allowing more powers to close down problem premises. it is hoped that allowing pubs and clubs to stay open longer will stagger closing times and end the current situation where drinkers spill on to the streets all at once. earlier tony blair defended the plans against criticism from one of his own backbenchers.   my view of this is very clear: we should have the same flexibility that other countries have and then we should come down really hard on those who abuse that freedom and don t show the responsibility   he told mps.  the law-abiding majority who want the ability  after going to the cinema or theatre say  to have a drink at the time they want should not be inconvenienced  we shouldn t have to have restrictions that no other city in europe has  just in order to do something for that tiny minority who abuse alcohol  who go out and fight and cause disturbances.  to take away that ability for all the population - even the vast majority who are law abiding - is not  in my view  sensible.  this week a judge claimed easy access to drink was breeding  urban savages  and turning town centres into no go areas. judge charles harris qc made his remarks as he sentenced three men for assaults carried out while drunk and high on drugs after a night out.


sky takes over oscar night mantle sky has signed a major new deal to broadcast this year s academy awards  taking over from three years of live oscar coverage on the bbc.  sky said it was  honoured to have won exclusive broadcasting rights  and promised to cover the event  in a way no other broadcaster could . the bbc denied it had lost a bidding war  saying it had  decided to pass the mantle to another broadcaster . the ceremony  hosted by newcomer chris rock  takes place on 27 february 2005.  sky s coverage will launch with the nominations on 25 january and will include themed programming across sky channels including sky news  sky travel and the biography channel. there will also be a month-long season of oscar-winning films on sky movies in the run up to the event and live uninterrupted coverage on the night.  we are honoured to have won the live and exclusive broadcasting rights for the academy awards   said sky networks  sophie turner laing.  sky is the natural place to see the biggest and most prestigious film event of the year  and will cover the event in a way that no other broadcaster could.   sky first scooped oscar rights from the bbc in 1999  but the bbc won them back in 2001 when sky was forced to pull out of a bidding war due to financial constraints.  bbc viewers will of course be able to watch quality coverage of the 2005 academy awards on the bbc s bulletins and news programmes   a spokesman said. among the films tipped to do well at this year s academy awards are martin scorsese s the aviator  jean-pierre jeunet s a very long engagement and the ray charles biopic  ray.


japanese mogul arrested for fraud one of japan s best-known businessmen was arrested on thursday on charges of falsifying shareholder information and selling shares based on the false data.  yoshiaki tsutsumi was once ranked as the world s richest man and ran a business spanning hotels  railways  construction and a baseball team. his is the latest in a series of arrests of top executives in japan over business scandals. he was taken away in a van outside one of his prince hotels in tokyo.  there was a time when mr tsutsumi seemed untouchable. inheriting a large property business from his father in the 1960s  he became one of japan s most powerful industrialists  with close connections to many of the country s leading politicians. he used his wealth and influence to bring the winter olympic games to nagano in 1998. but last year  he was forced to resign from all the posts he held in his business empire  after being accused of falsifying the share-ownership structure of seibu railways  one of his companies. under japanese stock market rules  no listed company can be more than 80% owned by its 10 largest shareholders. now mr tsutsumi faces criminal charges and the possibility of a prison sentence because he made it look as if the 10 biggest shareholders owned less than this amount. seibu railways has been delisted from the stock exchange  its share value has plunged and it is the target of a takeover bid.  mr tsutsumi s fall from grace follows the arrests of several other top executives in japan as the authorities try to curb the murky business practices which were once widespread in japanese companies. his determination to stay at the top at all costs may have had its roots in his childhood. the illegitimate third son of a rich father  who made his money buying up property as japan rebuilt after world war ii  he has described the demands his father made.  i felt enormous pressure when i dined with him and it was nothing but pain   tsutsumi told a weekly magazine in 1987.  he scolded me for pouring too much soy sauce or told me fruit was not for children. he didn t let me use the silk futon  saying it s a luxury.  there have been corporate governance issues at some other japanese companies too. last year  twelve managers from mitsubishi motors were charged with covering up safety defects in their vehicles and three executives from japan s troubled ufj bank were charged with concealing the extent of the bank s bad loans.


video phone help for deaf people deaf people who prefer to communicate using british sign language (bsl) could soon be having their phone conversations relayed using webcams or videophones and an interpreter.  the video relay service is being piloted by the royal national institute for deaf people (rnid)  but the organisation says unless the service is provided at the same rate as voice calls it will be beyond most people s pockets. the rnid is urging telecoms regulator  ofcom  to reduce the cost of the service from the current £7.00 per minute and make it the same as ordinary phone calls. the service works by putting a deaf person in visual contact with a bsl interpreter via a webcam or video phone  and the interpreter then relays the deaf person s conversation using a telephone and translates the other person s response into sign language.  for many deaf people  especially those born deaf  bsl is a first and preferred means of communication.  until now  the only alternative has been to use textphones which means having to type a message and have it relayed via an operator.  in the past  i ve used textphones but they have problems   said robert currington who is taking part in the pilot.  i communicate in bsl; my written english is not very good and it takes me longer to think in english and type my message.   i sometimes find it difficult to understand the reply.  the rnid says the uk is lagging behind other countries which are already making relay services available at the cost of an ordinary phone call.  there are no technical or economic reasons for not providing equivalent access to services for deaf people   said rnid technology director  guido gybels.  in the us and australia  sign language relay services have already been made universally available at the same cost as a voice call.  by failing to provide and fund the video relay service for sign language users  the telecommunications sector is effectively discriminating against an already disenfranchised group.   ofcom says it has plans to review the services that telecoms companies are obliged to provide early next year. and new technology  including the video relay service  will be discussed with interested parties in the near future. but a spokesman said its powers were limited by legislation.  any proposals to extend existing arrangements to cover new services would be for government to consider   he said. mr currington  like many of the uk s 70 000 bsl users  will be hoping that a way can be found to make a cost-effective service available.  the relay service makes phone conversations a pleasure   he said.  i can show my emotions more easily in bsl in the same way hearing people express emotions through voice calls.


brewers  profits lose their fizz heineken and carlsberg  two of the world s largest brewers  have reported falling profits after beer sales in western europe fell flat.  dutch firm heineken saw its annual profits drop 33% and warned that earnings in 2005 may also slide. danish brewer carlsberg suffered a 3% fall in profits due to waning demand and increased marketing costs. both are looking to russia and china to provide future growth as western european markets are largely mature.  heineken s net income fell to 537m euros ($701m; £371m) during 2004  from 798m euro a year ago. it blamed weak demand in western europe and currency losses. it had warned in september that the weakening us dollar  which has cut the value of foreign sales  would knock 125m euros off its operating profits. despite the dip in profits  heineken s sales have been improving and total revenue for the year was 10bn euros  up 8.1% from 9.26bn euros in 2003. heineken said it now plans to invest 100m euros in  aggressive  and  high-impact  marketing in europe and the us in 2005. heineken  which also owns the amstel and murphy s stout brands  said it would also seek to cut costs. this may involve closing down breweries.  heineken increased its dividend payment by 25% to 40 euro cents  but warned that the continued impact of a weaker dollar and an increased marketing spend may lead to a drop in 2005 net profit.  carlsberg  the world s fifth-largest brewer  saw annual pre-tax profits fall to 3.4bn danish kroner (456m euros). its beer sales have been affected by the sluggish european economy and by the banning of smoking in pubs in several european countries. nevertheless  total sales increased 4% to 36bn kroner  thanks to strong sales of carlsberg lager in russia and poland. carlsberg is more optimistic than heineken about 2005  projecting a 15% rise in net profits for the year. however  it also plans to cut 200 jobs in sweden  where sales have been hit by demand for cheap  imported brands.  we remain cautious about the medium-to-long term outlook for revenue growth across western europe for a host of economic  social and structural reasons   investment bank merrill lynch said of carlsberg.


claxton hunting first major medal british hurdler sarah claxton is confident she can win her first major medal at next month s european indoor championships in madrid.  the 25-year-old has already smashed the british record over 60m hurdles twice this season  setting a new mark of 7.96 seconds to win the aaas title.  i am quite confident   said claxton.  but i take each race as it comes.  as long as i keep up my training but not do too much i think there is a chance of a medal.  claxton has won the national 60m hurdles title for the past three years but has struggled to translate her domestic success to the international stage. now  the scotland-born athlete owns the equal fifth-fastest time in the world this year. and at last week s birmingham grand prix  claxton left european medal favourite russian irina shevchenko trailing in sixth spot.  for the first time  claxton has only been preparing for a campaign over the hurdles - which could explain her leap in form. in previous seasons  the 25-year-old also contested the long jump but since moving from colchester to london she has re-focused her attentions. claxton will see if her new training regime pays dividends at the european indoors which take place on 5-6 march.


uk heading wrong way - howard tony blair has had the chance to tackle the problems facing britain and has failed  michael howard has said.   britain is heading in the wrong direction   the conservative leader said in his new year message. mr blair s government was a  bossy  interfering government that takes decisions that should be made by individuals   he added. but labour s campaign spokesman fraser kemp responded:  britain is working  don t let the tories wreck it again . mr howard also paid tribute to the nation s character for its generous response to the asian quake disaster. the catastrophe was overshadowing the hopes for the future at this usually positive time of the year  mr howard said.   we watched the scenes of destruction with a sense of disbelief. the scale  the speed  the ferocity of what happened on boxing day is difficult to grasp.  yet britain s response has shone a light on our nation s character. the last week has shown that the warm  caring heart of britain beats as strong as ever.  he went on to reflect on the values that  most britons hold dear . looking ahead to the coming general election  he pledged to  turn these beliefs into reality  and set out the choices he says are facing britain.  how much tax do people want to pay  who will give taxpayers value for money  the clean hospitals and good  disciplined schools they want   who can be trusted to get a grip on the disorder on our streets and the chaos in our immigration system    mr blair has failed to tackle these problems  he claimed  saying he has the  wrong solution  to them.   the result is big government and higher taxes eroding incentives  undermining enterprise and denying people choice.  worst of all  it is a government that has wasted people s money and failed to tackle the problems families face today.  the tories  he said  can cut crime and improve public services without asking people to pay more taxes.  we can have progress without losing what makes britain great - its tolerance  the respect for the rule of law  the ability of everyone to fulfil their potential.  we simply need to change direction. the election will give britain the chance to change.  this is the record mr blair will have to defend in the coming months  he said  urging voters to hold him to account.  but labour spokesman mr kemp said:  it would be more appropriate for this message to come out on 1 april  not 1 january.   let us never forget that when michael howard was in government britain suffered mass unemployment  15% interest rates  record home repossessions  and the introduction of the poll tax.  with labour britain is working. rather than alluding to false promises michael howard should be starting 2005 with an apology to the british people for the misery that the government  of which he was a member  inflicted upon the country.


wenger rules out new keeper arsenal boss arsene wenger says he has no plans to sign a new goalkeeper during the january transfer window.  wenger has brought in manuel almunia for the last three games for the out-of-form jens lehmann - but the spaniard himself has been prone to mistakes. there have been suggestions that wenger will swoop for a high-quality shot-stopper in the new year. but he told the evening standard:  i don t feel it will be necessary to bring in a new goalkeeper in january.  the gunners manager refused to comment on the difficult start that 27-year-old almunia has made to his career at highbury. and he would not be drawn on whether lehmann would return for the top-of-the table clash with chelsea on sunday.  almunia was at fault for rosenborg s goal in arsenal s 5-1 champions league win on tuesday and had some hairy moments in last week s win over birmingham. but wenger said earlier this week that his indifferent form was down to pressure caused by being under scrutiny from the media.  the debate has gone on too long. everyone has an opinion and i do not have to add to it   wenger added. arsenal have been linked with middlesbrough keeper mark schwarzer  fulham s edwin van der sar and parma s sebastien frey. and wenger has no immediate plans to recall former england under-21 international stuart taylor from his loan spell at leicester.


india s reliance family feud heats up the ongoing public spat between the two heirs of india s biggest conglomerate  reliance group  has spilled over to the board meeting of a leading company within the group.  anil ambani  vice-chairman of india petrochemicals limited (ipcl)  stayed away from a gathering of senior managers on thursday. the move follows a decision earlier this month by anil - the younger brother of reliance group president mukesh ambani - to resign from his post. his resignation was not accepted by his brother  who is also the boss of ipcl. the ipcl board met in mumbai to discuss the company s results for the october-to-december quarter.  it is understood that the board also considered anil s resignation and asked him to reconsider his decision. however  anil s demand that anand jain - another ipcl board member accused by anil of creating a rift in the ambani family - be thrown out  was not met. anil has accused anand jain  a confidant of his brother mukesh  of playing a negative role in the ambani family  and being responsible for the trouble between the brothers. on wednesday  the board of reliance energy  another reliance group company  reaffirmed its faith in anil  who is the company s chief. reliance group acquired the government s 26% stake in ipcl - india s second-largest petrochemicals company - in 2002  as part of the privatisation drive. meanwhile  the group s flagship company  reliance industries  has its board meeting on friday to consider its financial results. mukesh is the company s chairman and anil its deputy  and it is expected that both brothers will come face to face in the meeting. the ambani family controls 48% of the group  which is worth $17bn (£9.1bn; 745bn indian rupees). it was founded by their father  dhiru bhai ambani  who died two years ago.


khodorkovsky ally denies charges a close associate of former yukos boss mikhail khodorkovsky has told a court that fraud charges levelled against him are  false .  platon lebedev has been on trial alongside mr khodorkovsky since june in a case centring around the privatisation of a fertiliser firm. the pair claim they are being punished by the authorities for the political ambitions of mr khodorkovsky. mr lebedev said there were  absurd contradictions  in the case. opening his defence  he said he could not see the legal basis of the charges he faced  which also include allegations of tax evasion.  to my embarrassment  i could not understand the file of complaints against me   he told a moscow court. mr lebedev headed the menatep group  the parent company of yukos.  mr lebedev and mr khodorkovsky  who each face a possible 10 year jail sentence if convicted  will be questioned by a judge over the next few days. mr khodorkovsky began his testimony last week  telling the court that he objected to the way that the  running of a normal business has been presented as a work of criminal fiction . the charges are seen by supporters as politically motivated and part of a drive by russian president vladimir putin to rein in the country s super-rich business leaders  the so-called oligarchs. yukos has been presented with a $27.5bn (£13bn) tax demand by the russian authorities and its key yugansk division was auctioned off to part settle the bill. the company s effort to gain bankruptcy protection in the us - in a bid to win damages for the sale - were dismissed by a court in texas.


china continues rapid growth china s economy has expanded by a breakneck 9.5% during 2004  faster than predicted and well above 2003 s 9.1%.  the news may mean more limits on investment and lending as beijing tries to take the economy off the boil. china has sucked in raw materials and energy to feed its expansion  which could have knock-on effects on the rest of the world if it overheats. but officials pointed out that industrial growth had slowed  with services providing much of the impetus. growth in industrial output - the main target of government efforts to impose curbs on credit and investments - was 11.5% in 2004  down from 17% the previous year.  still  consumer prices - at 2.4% - rose faster than in 2004  adding to concern that a sharp rise in producer prices of 7.1% could stoke inflation. and overall investment in fixed assets was still high  up 21.3% from the previous year - although some way off the peak of 43% seen in the first quarter of 2004. the result could be higher interest rates. china raised rates by 0.27 percentage points to 5.8% - its first hike in nine years - in october 2004.  despite the apparent rebalancing of the economy the overall growth picture remains strong  economists said.  there is no sign of a slowdown in 2005   said tim congdon  economist at ing barings.  china s economy is not only gathering speed thanks to domestic demand  but also from soaring sales overseas. figures released earlier this year showed exports at a six-year high in 2004  up 35%. part of the impetus comes from the relative cheapness of the yuan  china s currency. the government keeps it pegged close to a rate of 8.28 to the us dollar  - much to the chagrin of many us lawmakers who blame china for lost jobs and competitiveness. despite urging to ease the peg  officials insist they are a long way from ready to make a shift to a more market-set rate.  we need a good and feasible plan and formulating such a plan also needs time   national bureau of statistics chief li deshui told reuters.  those who hope to make a fortune by speculating on a renminbi revaluation will not succeed in making a profit.


have hackers recruited your pc  more than one million computers on the net have been hijacked to attack websites and pump out spam and viruses.  the huge number was revealed by security researchers who have spent months tracking more than 100 networks of remotely-controlled machines. the largest network of so-called zombie networks spied on by the team was made up of 50 000 hijacked home computers. data was gathered using machines that looked innocent but which logged everything hackers did to them.  the detailed look at zombie or  bot nets of hijacked computers was done by the honeynet project - a group of security researchers that gather information using networks of computers that act as  honey pots  to attract hackers and gather information about how they work. while  bot nets have been known about for some time  estimates of how widespread they are from security firms have varied widely.  to gather its information the german arm of the honeynet project created software tools to log what happened to the machines they put on the web. getting the machines hijacked was worryingly easy. the longest time a honeynet machine survived without being found by an automatic attack tool was only a few minutes. the shortest compromise time was only a few seconds. the research found that  once compromised machines tend to report in to chat channels on irc servers and wait instructions from the malicious hacker behind the tools used to recruit the machine. many well-known vulnerabilities in the windows operating system were exploited by  bot net controllers to find and take over target machines. especially coveted were home pcs sitting on broadband connections that are never turned off.  the months of surveillance revealed that the different  bot nets - which involve a few hundred to tens of thousands of machines - are used for a variety of purposes. many are used as relays for spam  to route unwanted adverts to pc users or as launch platforms for viruses. but the research team found that many are put to very different uses. during the monitoring period  the team saw  bot nets used to launch 226 distributed denial-of-service attacks on 99 separate targets. these attacks bombard websites with data in an attempt to overwhelm the target. using a  bot net of machines spread around different networks and nations makes such attacks hard to defend against. one ddos attack was used by one firm to knock its competitors offline. other  bot nets were used to abuse the google adsense program that rewards websites for displaying adverts from the search engine. some networks were used to abuse or manipulate online polls and games. criminals also seem to be starting to use  bot nets for mass identity theft  to host websites that look like those of banks so confidential information can be gathered and to peep into online traffic to steal sensitive data.  leveraging the power of several thousand bots  it is viable to take down almost any website or network instantly   said the researchers.  even in unskilled hands  it should be obvious that  bot nets are a loaded and powerful weapon.


tigers wary of farrell  gamble  leicester say they will not be rushed into making a bid for andy farrell should the great britain rugby league captain decide to switch codes.   we and anybody else involved in the process are still some way away from going to the next stage   tigers boss john wells told bbc radio leicester.  at the moment  there are still a lot of unknowns about andy farrell  not least his medical situation.  whoever does take him on is going to take a big  big gamble.  farrell  who has had persistent knee problems  had an operation on his knee five weeks ago and is expected to be out for another three months. leicester and saracens are believed to head the list of rugby union clubs interested in signing farrell if he decides to move to the 15-man game.  if he does move across to union  wells believes he would better off playing in the backs  at least initially.  i m sure he could make the step between league and union by being involved in the centre   said wells.  i think england would prefer him to progress to a position in the back row where they can make use of some of his rugby league skills within the forwards.  the jury is out on whether he can cross that divide.  at this club  the balance will have to be struck between the cost of that gamble and the option of bringing in a ready-made replacement.


vibe awards back despite violence the us vibe awards will be held again next year despite a stabbing which happened during the ceremony.  vibe magazine president kenard gibbs said the attack earlier this month in santa monica was  sickening . he said not holding the awards would be counter to the work the magazine has done to promote hip hop music. rapper young buck has been charged after allegedly stabbing a man who hit dr dre as he was about to receive a lifetime achievement award.  the rapper  whose real name is david darnell brown  is due in court on 20 december after being arrested on one charge of attempted murder and a second charge of assault with a deadly weapon. the performer is one of the members of 50 cent s g-unit group  which is signed to dr dre s record label. the man who was stabbed  jimmy james johnson  suffered a collapsed lung and is in a stable condition at a los angeles hospital. mr johnson allegedly approached dr dre  who was seated at a table in front of the stage  and appeared to ask for an autograph before punching him. during the ensuing scuffle - which involved many of the 1 000-strong crowd - mr johnson was stabbed as he was being dragged away by security staff


security scares spark browser fix microsoft is working on a new version of its internet explorer web browser.  the revamp has been prompted by microsoft s growing concern with security as well as increased competition from rival browsers. microsoft said the new version will be far less vulnerable to the bugs that make its current browser a favourite of tech-savvy criminals. test versions of the new program  called ie 7  are due to be released by the summer.  the announcement about internet explorer was made by bill gates  microsoft chairman and chief software architect  during a keynote speech at the rsa security conference currently being held in san francisco. although details were scant  mr gates  said ie7 would include new protections against viruses  spyware and phishing scams. this last category of threats involves criminals setting up spoof websites that look identical to those of banks and try to trick people into handing over login and account information.  in a bid to shore up the poor security in ie 6  microsoft has regularly issued updates to patch loopholes exploited by criminals and the makers of nuisance programs such as spyware. earlier this month it released a security bulletin that patched eight critical security holes - some of which were found in the ie browser. microsoft has also made a series of acquisitions of small firms that specialise in computer security. one of the first fruits of these acquisitions appeared last month with the release of a microsoft anti-spyware program. an own-brand anti-virus program is due to follow by the end of 2005. the decision to make internet explorer 7 is widely seen as a u-turn because  before now  microsoft said it had no need to update the browser. typically new versions of its browser appear with successive versions of the windows operating system. a new version of ie was widely expected to debut with the next version of windows  codenamed longhorn  which is due to appear in 2006. the current version of internet explorer is four years old  and is widely seen as falling behind rivals such as firefox and opera. there are also persistent rumours that search engine google is poised to produce its own brand browser based on firefox. in particular the firefox browser has been winning fans and users since its first full version was released in november 2004. estimates of how many users firefox has won over vary widely. according to market statistics gathered by websidestory  firefox s market share is now about 5% of all users. however  other browser stat gatherers say the figure is closer to 15%. some technical websites report that a majority of their visitors use the firefox browser. internet explorer still dominates with a share of about 90% but this is down from a peak of almost 96% in mid-2004.


dunne keen to commit to man city richard dunne is ready to commit his long-term future to manchester city after turning his career around.  he was once threatened with the sack by city boss kevin keegan but has since responded with impressive performances  prompting interest from other clubs. early talks have taken place and the defender said:  hopefully something will be sorted out as soon as possible.  i definitely want to stay at city because i have really improved as a player here.  newcastle boss graeme souness is said to have been impressed enough by dunne s turnaround in form to be ready to make a bid for the big stopper in the january transfer window. but the 25-year-old dubliner underlined his intention to stay at eastlands. he added:  it s nice to be linked with top clubs but the important thing is this one and what we do.  i really enjoy it at city and i want to keep that going.  keegan is expected to be told there will be no funds to bring in fresh faces in january. dunne s professionalism was famously questioned by keegan  who ordered the defender home after he allegedly turned up for training in a dishevelled state.  but dunne is keen to put that period of his life behind him and said:  i ve grown up a lot and the manager sees me as one of the most experienced players in the squad.  i ve played more games than any other outfield players this season so i can t be regarded as being a kid any more.  i have to use that as added pressure to perform and apart from the games at newcastle and middlesbrough  defensively we ve done quite well.  keegan is set for another boost when goalkeeper nicky weaver makes his long-awaited return in a reserve game at blackburn on tuesday. former england under-21 keeper weaver has missed nearly three full seasons with a succession of knee injuries  which eventually needed pioneering transplant surgery earlier this year.


snicket tops us box office chart the film adaptation of lemony snicket novels has topped the north america box office chart  displacing ocean s 12.  a series of unfortunate events  starring jim carrey  took $30.2m (£15.5m) in its debut weekend. ocean s 12 fell to number two while new entry spanglish entered the chart at number three  taking $9m (£4.6m). a series of unfortunate events also stars scottish comedian billy connelly  while carrey takes on a number of different roles in the surreal film. the only other new entry in the top 10 was re-make  flight of the phoenix  at number eight  starring dennis quaid. carrey entertained crowds at the uk premiere of lemony snicket in london on friday. the actor grabbed co-star meryl streep and whisked her around leicester square. based on the cult children s books by author daniel handler  the film follows three children who are orphaned when their parents die in a fire. they are taken in by their wicked uncle count olaf  played by carrey  who schemes to get his hands on their fortune.


us trade deficit widens sharply the gap between us exports and imports has widened to more than $60bn (£31.7bn)  an all-time record.  figures from the commerce department for november showed exports down 2.3% to $95.6bn  while imports grew 1.3% to $155.8bn on rising consumer demand. part of the expanding deficit came from high prices for oil imports. but the numbers suggested the sliding dollar - which makes exports less expensive - has had little impact  and could indicate slowing economic growth.  the trade deficit - far bigger than the $54bn widely expected on wall street - prompted a rapid response from the currency markets.  by 1650 gmt  the dollar was trading against the euro at $1.3280  almost a cent and a half weaker than before the announcement. against the pound  the dollar was down about 0.7% at $1 8923.  the dollar s fall has been sudden  violent and appropriate given this number   said brian taylor of wells fargo in minneapolis.  recent exchange rate movements certainly haven t had any impact yet.  treasury secretary john snow put a brave face on the news  saying it was a sign of strong economic expansion.  the economy is growing at such a fast rate that it is generating lots of disposable income... some of which is used to buy goods from our trading partners.   although the white house officially still backs the us s traditional  strong dollar  policy  it has tacitly indicated that it would be happy if the slide continued. the dollar has fallen by 50% against the euro - as well as by 30% against the yen - in the past three years. the main catalyst  most economists accept  is the large budget deficit on the one hand  and the current account deficit - the difference between the flow of money in and out of the us - on the other. the trade deficit is a large part of the latter. in november  the fall in exports was largely due to a decline in sales of industrial supplies and materials such as chemicals  as well as of cars  consumer goods and food. one small bright spot for us policy-makers was a slight decline in the deficit with china  often blamed for job losses and other economic woes. although china s overall trade surplus is expanding  according to chinese government figures  the commerce department revealed the us s deficit with china was $19.6bn in november  down from $19.7bn the month before. but the deficit with japan was at its worst in more than four years.


us top of supercomputing charts the us has pushed japan off the top of the supercomputing chart with ibm s prototype blue gene/l machine.  it is being assembled for the lawrence livermore national laboratory  under the us department of energy. ibm test results show that blue gene/l has managed speeds of 70.72 teraflops. the previous top machine  japan s nec earth simulator  clocked up 35.86. the top 500 list was announced on monday and officially charts the fastest computers in the world.  it is announced every six months and is worked out using an officially recognised mathematical speed test called linpack which measures calculations per second.  once completed in 2005  blue gene/l will be more powerful than its current prototype.  next year with the final blue gene  four times what it is this year  it is going to be a real step up and will be hard to beat   said erich strohmaier  one of the co-founders of the top500 list. it will help scientists work out the safety  security and reliability requirements for the us s nuclear weapons stockpile  without the need for underground nuclear testing. it will also cut down on the amount of heat generated by the massive power  a big problem for supercomputers.  in second place was silicon graphics  columbia supercomputer based at the us space agency s (nasa) ames research center in california. the linux-based machine was reported to have reached a top speed of 42.7 trillion calculations per second (teraflops) in october. it will be used to model flight missions  climate research  and aerospace engineering. the defeated japanese contender  the earth simulator  which was listed in third place  losing the top spot it had held since june 2002. it is dedicated to climate modelling and simulating seismic activity.  since the first supercomputer  the cray-1  was installed at los alamos national laboratory  us  in 1976  computational speed has leaped 500 000 times. the cray-1 was capable of 80 megaflops (80 million operations a second). the blue gene/l machine that will be completed next year will be five million times faster. started in 1993  the top 500 list is decided by a group of computer science academics from around the world. it is presented at the international supercomputer conference in pittsburgh.


mac mini heralds mini revolution the mac mini was launched amid much fanfare by apple and great excitement by apple watchers last month. but does the latest macintosh justify the hype  let us get a few things dealt with at the outset - yes  the mac mini is really  really small  and yes  it is another piece of inspired apple design. there is more to be said on the computer s size and design but it is worth highlighting that the mac mini is a just a computer. inside that small box there is a g4 processor  a cd/dvd player  a hard drive  some other technical bits and bobs and an operating system. a dvd burner  wireless and bluetooth technologies can be bought at extra cost. and if you do not have a monitor  keyboard or mouse then you will need to purchase those also.  it is not the fastest computer for the money but for under £400 you are getting something more interesting than mere technical specifications - apple software. the mac mini comes bundled with mac os x  the operating system  as well as ilife 05  a suite of software which includes itunes  web browser safari  iphoto  garage band and idvd. i doubt many pc lovers would seriously argue that windows xp comes with a better suite of programs than mac os x.  of course  users of open source operating system linux draw up their own menu of programs. for people who want to do interesting things with their music  photos and home movies then a mac mini is an ideal first computer or companion to a main computer.  it s a good little machine with a reasonable amount of power and just perfect for the average computer user who wants to leave the tyranny of window and viruses   said mark sparrow  technical and reviews editor at mac format magazine. he added:  in essence  it s a laptop in a biscuit tin  minus the screen and the keyboard.  the software bundle that comes with the mini makes your average budget pc look a bit sick.  the relatively low price of the machine has also encouraged the more technically-savvy to experiment with their macs. one user has already created a  dock  to enable him to plug in and out his mac mini in his car.  the small size of the machine makes it a practical solution for in-car entertainment - playing movies and music - as well as navigation. another user has mounted his mac mini to the back of his large plasma screen and then controls the computer via a wireless keyboard and mouse. when it was first announced some pundits thought the mini was designed as a sort of stealth media centre - ie the machine would be used to serve tv programmes  music  films and photos - partly due to its small  living room friendly design. but there are obvious reasons why this is not the case - at least not in the here and now the hard drive - at 80gb for the larger model - is too small to be realistically used as media centre.  while commercial personal video recorders are on the market with smaller than 80gb hard drives it is worth remembering that they only store tv content. a media centre computer has to store music  files and photos and as such 80gb just seems too small. most pcs running windows media center have at least 120gb hard disks. coupled with the lack of a tv tuner card  a digital audio out and any kind of media centre software bundled with the machine then the mac mini should be judged on what it is  not what it is not. but that has not stopped more enterprising users from adapting the mac mini to media centre uses. so - is the mac mini just another computer or a revolution in computing  graham barlow  editor of mac format  understandably has a rather partisan viewpoint.  it s just a mac  but we should be very excited - it s revolutionary in its size (smaller than pcs)  looks (looks better than pcs)  and the fact that it s the first mac designed to really go for the low-cost pc market.  the design of the mac mini is further evidence of a future when pcs are more than just bland  bulky boxes. there are a number of companies who already produce miniature pcs based on mini-itx motherboards. but at the moment these pcs tend to be either for the home-build enthusiast or expensive pre-built options based around microsoft s media center software. but for the value the mac mini offers  bringing some of the best software packages within reach of more consumers than ever before  apple is to be congratulated. let us say then that if the mac mini is not a fully fledged revolution - it is a mini revolution.


holmes starts 2005 with gb events kelly holmes will start 2005 with a series of races in britain.  holmes will make her first track appearance on home soil since winning double olympic gold in january s norwich union international in glasgow. she will also run in the grand prix in birmingham in february and may defend her indoor aaa 800m title in sheffield earlier that month.  i am still competitive and still want to win   she said.  i m an athlete and i can t wait to get back on the track.  she added:  these events are also a great opportunity to thank the british public for the enormous levels of support they have given me from the moment i stepped off that plane from greece.  the glasgow meeting will see holmes compete over 1500m in a five-way match against sweden  france  russia and italy.


wood - ireland can win grand slam former captain keith wood believes ireland can win only their second grand slam - and first since 1948 - in this year s rbs six nations championship.  after claiming their first triple crown for 19 years last season  wood tips his former team-mates to go one better.  things have been building up over the past few years and i think this is the year for ireland   he told bbc sport.  there is a great chance to win a grand slam. a lot of things are in our favour with england and france at home.  ireland have finished runners-up three times  including last year  since the old five nations became six in 2000  and not finished outside the top three in the past five years.  despite being without flanker keith gleeson  coach eddie o sullivan has not had to contend with the sort of casualty lists that have hit england and scotland in particular prior to the tournament.  for ireland to win it we need to stay relatively injury free  and fortunately we are one of the few teams that have done that so far   wood added.  it is going to be tough and we need to take all the luck and opportunities that come our way.  ireland s last game of the tournament is against wales in cardiff - a fixture they have not lost since 1983.  but despite their traditional hospitality when the irish are visiting  wood believes wales might end their four-match losing run against england in cardiff.  so many of the major england players have either retired in the last year or are injured that i think it will be very hard for them down in cardiff   wood added.  wales have had four brilliant games in the last year or so and lost all four  so the time is right for them now to beat one of the major teams.


novartis hits acquisition trail swiss drugmaker novartis has announced 5.65bn euros ($7.4bn; £3.9bn) of purchases to make its sandoz unit the world s biggest generic drug producer.  novartis  which last month forecast record sales for 2005  said it had bought all of germany s hexal. it also acquired 67.7% of hexal s us affiliate eon labs  and offered to buy the remaining shares for $31 each. novartis said that it would be able to make cost savings of about $200m a year following the acquisitions. novartis  shares rose 1% to 57.85 swiss francs in early trading.  the deal will see novartis  sandoz business overtake israel s teva pharmaceuticals as the world s biggest maker of generics. based on 2004 figures the newly merged producer would have sales of more than $5bn  the company estimated. novartis said that it would merge a number of departments  adding that there may be job cuts.   the strong growth outlook for sandoz  which will create jobs  is expected to partially compensate for necessary reductions in the work force   the firm said in a statement. generic drugs are chemically identical to their more expensive branded rivals. producers such as sandoz can copy the branded products usually after their patent protection expires and can sell them more cheaply as they do not have to pay research and development cost.  there are more than 150 generic drugmakers worldwide and analysts have predicted consolidation in a market that they call fragmented. however  not all analysts were initially convinced about the deal.  this is a very expensive acquisition   birgit kuhlhoff  from sal oppenheim investment bank  told reuters.  i find it strange that they are making acquisitions in exactly those markets where they suffered price pressure.


stalemate in pension strike talks talks aimed at averting national strikes over pension reforms have ended without agreement after 90 minutes.  five public sector unions met deputy prime minister john prescott at the labour spring conference in gateshead. they want the government to withdraw regulations - due to be introduced in weeks - which would raise the pension age for council workers from 60 to 65. up to 1.4 million workers could take part in strikes earmarked for 23 march. discussions will resume next week.  a spokesman for unison  britain s biggest union  said after saturday s meeting:  at least we are still talking.  all sides are anxious to avoid a major confrontation in the run up to the general election  said bbc labour affairs correspondent stephen cape. in four days  unison will start balloting 800 000 local government workers on strikes. other public sector unions have pledged to follow. the five unions which met mr prescott want the government to withdraw these regulations. this would allow months of tough negotiations to follow  said our correspondent. but a spokesman for mr prescott warned that the changes to the local government pension scheme would have to go ahead in april.  privately ministers believe this will be the  less painful  option  our correspondent added. the public and commercial services union (pcs) will co-ordinate any industrial action with up to six other public sector unions. pcs leader mark serwotka warned last week that there could be further walkouts unless there was a government rethink.  for a government that lectures everyone on choice - choice on public service  choice on this and choice on that - isn t it ironic that they re saying to public sector workers there is no choice   he said.  if you want the pension you were promised when you started you must work for an extra five years - that is working until people drop.  in the 20th century  it s completely unacceptable.   unison s 800 000 workers  the transport and general workers  union s 70 000 and amicus  20 000 are among those being balloted about a 23 march walkout. mr prescott held a private meeting with senior union figures last week. it is understood no deal was offered in that meeting but there was room for further negotiations.


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.


bristol city 2-1 milton keynes leroy lita took his goal tally to 13 for the season as his double earned city an ldv vans trophy win.  the striker finished off scott murray cross from close range just seconds before half-time. lita then made it 2-0 on 52 minutes  but dons  substitute serge makofo then netted a great volley to make it 2-1. the visitors almost took the tie to extra time with a late 30-yard bullet from richard johnson which was well held by steve phillips.  phillips  amankwaah  coles  hill  fortune  murray (anyinsah 59)  doherty (harley 45)  dinning  bell  lita (cotterill 72)  gillespie. subs not used: orr  brown.  hill.  lita 45  52.  bevan  oyedele  ntimban-zeh  crooks  puncheon  kamara (makofo 64)  chorley  herve (mckoy 45)  tapp (johnson 45)  mackie  pacquette. subs not used: martin  palmer.  pacquette  chorley  johnson  mckoy.  makofo 66.  3 367  j ross (essex).


straw backs ending china embargo uk foreign secretary jack straw has defended plans to end the european union s arms embargo on china  despite opposition from the us and japan.  mr straw  visiting beijing  noted arms embargoes applied to china  burma and zimbabwe but not to north korea  which he said had a terrible rights record. the eu imposed its arms ban on china in 1989 after troops opened fire on protestors in tiananmen square. mr straw also signed a deal on china-uk tourism. it is expected this would increase the number of chinese tourists by 40 000 per year  providing $120m in revenue. china has in the past said it sees the weapons ban as politically driven  and does not want it lifted in order to buy more weapons. mr straw  speaking at a joint news conference with chinese foreign minister li zhaoxing  stressed this point.  the result of any decision [to lift the arms embargo] should not be an increase in arms exports from european union member states to china  either in quantitative or qualitative terms   mr straw said. earlier this week he said he expected the embargo to be lifted within six months.  but mr straw faces tough opposition to the move. tory foreign affairs spokesman michael ancram said lifting the arms embargo would be  irresponsible  and would damage britain s relations with the us. he said mr straw was  naive beyond belief  if he accepted china s claim it does not want the ban lifted in order to buy weapons. the french want the embargo lifted because they want to sell arms to china; the chinese want it lifted because they want to buy arms and battlefield technology from europe.  when he was in tokyo earlier this week  japanese foreign minister nobutaka machimura told the british minister that his plan to remove the embargo was   a worrying issue that concerns the security and environment of not only japan  but also east asia overall . washington argues that if the embargo is lifted  it could lead to a buying spree for arms that china could use to threaten its diplomatic rival taiwan. beijing says taiwan is part of chinese territory and wants to unite it with the mainland  by force if necessary. the us is bound by law to help taiwan defend itself. washington has also voiced concern that the human rights conditions in china have not improved enough to merit an end to the embargo. it is an issue raised by human rights groups too. brad adams  from the uk s human rights watch  said:  this is a huge political signal from europe that they are willing to forget about tiananmen square.  but mr straw insisted the eu s code of conduct on arms exports meant tough criteria on human rights still had to be met if the embargo was lifted.


hobbit picture  four years away  lord of the rings director peter jackson has said that it will be up to four years before he starts work on a film version of the hobbit.  the oscar winner said on a visit to sydney there was a  desire  to make it  but not before lengthy negotiations.  i think it s gonna be a lot of lawyers sitting in a room trying to thrash out a deal before it will ever happen   said the new zealander. the rights to jrr tolkien s book are split between two major film studios. jackson  who is currently filming a remake of hollywood classic king kong  said he thought that the sale of mgm studios to the sony corporation would cast further uncertainty on the project. the 43-year-old was in the australian city to visit a lord of the rings exhibition  which has attracted 140 000 visitors since it opened in december.  the film-maker recently sued film company new line cinema for undisclosed damages over alleged withheld profits and lost revenue from the first part of the middle earth trilogy. the fellowship of the ring from 2001 went on to make worldwide profits of $291 million (£152 million). jackson is thought to have secured the most lucrative film directing deal in history to remake king kong  which is currently in production in wellington. the picture  which stars naomi watts and oscar winner adrien brody  is due to be released in december. jackson has also committed to making a film version of lovely bones  based on the best-selling book by alice sebold.


what now for british tennis  tim henman s decision to quit davis cup tennis has left the british team with a gargantuan void to fill.  the world number seven is tied for fourth among his countrymen for wins in the history of the tournament (he has 36 from his 50 rubbers). and great britain s last davis cup win without henman came against slovenia as far back as 1996. worse could follow  according to former british team member chris bailey. bailey told bbc sport:  after tim s announcement  i doubt greg rusedski will be that far behind him.  but without their top two  where does that leave british ambitions in the sport s premier team event  captain jeremy bates has singled out alex bogdanovic and andrew murray as potential replacements. the yugoslavian-born bogdanovic  though  is 184 places below henman in the world rankings and has played just two cup ties - winning one and losing the other.  murray  on the other hand  is 407th in the current atp entry list and yet to make his cup debut. but bailey does see some hope for the future. he said:  now we ve dropped down to the euro-africa zone  the time was right for him to step down and let the young guys come to the fore.  britain s next opponents  israel  are hardly likely to be quaking in their boots ahead of the 4-6 march match against a likely trio of bogdanovic  murray and the 187th-ranked arvind parmar. bailey said:  it will be tough for gb to move up  but there comes a time when our young players have to step up. this was always going to be inevitable with tim and greg s growing years.  i m confident about the future. i wouldn t lay money on us getting back into the world group next year  but i d imagine in five years time we ll be competing for the major honours.  of those lining up to replace henman  the 17-year-old murray  with four futures titles under his belt last year  looks the best long-term bet.  murray is the one that looks likeliest to take over tim s mantle   said bailey.  he has an enormous amount of self-confidence  judging by what he s said in the past.  bogdanovic  three years murray s senior  has had a more troubled time under britain s davis cup umbrella.  while murray has been marked out as britain s golden boy  bogdanovic was warned by the lawn tennis association for a lack of drive at the end of 2003. and bailey said:  despite that  alex is clearly talented as well  while arvind is another contender.  they re among the guys who have experienced the intensity of davis cup tennis - whether as players or on the sidelines.  the lta has always done an exceptional job of ensuring that.  now they ll finally get to play regularly in the cauldron of the cup. and i m confident that will springboard team gb to greater success.


souness delight at euro progress boss graeme souness felt newcastle were never really in danger of going out of the uefa cup against heerenveen.  an early own goal followed by an alan shearer strike earned them a 2-1 win and a place in the uefa cup last 16.  obviously with winning in the first leg it gave us a great advantage   he said after the 4-2 aggregate victory.  we got our goals early and in the minds of some players the job was done but then they got a goal and perhaps made us a bit nervous.  shearer s goal moved him within 12 of jackie milburn s club scoring record of 200 for the magpies. but souness said he did not think beating the record would have any bearing on his decision to retire at the end of the season.  i think if he got it this year he would want to stay next year anyway   he added.   he struck the ball very well - he always has done - and i think it was the power and pace that beat the goalkeeper.  souness also paid tribute to laurent robert  who was at the heart of much of united s attacking play.  in the first half he did really well and did everything you want from a wide player. more of the same in future please   he said.