o connor aims to grab opportunity johnny o connor is determined to make a big impression when he makes his rbs six nations debut for ireland against scotland on saturday.  the wasps flanker replaces denis leamy but o connor knows that the munster man will be pushing hard for a recall for the following game against england.  it s a  horses for courses  selection really   said o connor.  there s a lot of competition here and i can t just drag my heels around if i don t get picked.  it looks a definite head-to-head battle between himself and 23-year-old leamy - three stone heavier than o connor - for the number seven role against the world champions. nonetheless  all o connor is currently concerned about is making an impression while winning his third cap.   missing the italian game was disappointing certainly  but you can t dwell on these things - it s part and parcel of rugby.  denis has been playing really well and deserved his opportunity.  it s a good situation to be in if there are good players around you  pushing for a place in the side.  o connor  who celebrated his 25th birthday on wednesday  was touted by wasps director of rugby warren gatland as a possible 2005 lions test openside as far back as last september. and his reputation as a breakdown scavenger and heavy hitter has seen him come to the forefront of o sullivan s mind for the scottish tussle. o connor added:  it will be interesting to see how situations on the deck is reffed  with the new laws having come in.   obviously the breakdown a big part of what i do on the pitch so i m hoping to hold some influence there against what is a very solid scottish pack.  o connor will be winning his third cap after making his debut in the victory over south africa last november.


can yahoo dominate next decade  yahoo has reached the grand old age of 10 and  in internet years  that is a long time.  for many  yahoo remains synonymous with the internet - a veteran that managed to ride the dot-com wave and the subsequent crash and maintain itself as one of the web s top brands. but for others there is another  newer net icon threatening to overshadow yahoo in the post dot-com world - google.  the veteran and the upstart have plenty in common - yahoo was the first internet firm to offer initial public shares and google was arguably the most watched ipo (initial public offering) of the post-dot-com era. both began life as search engines although in 2000  when yahoo chose google to power its search facility while it concentrated on its web portal business  it was very much yahoo that commanded press attention. in recent years  the column inches have stacked up in google s favour as the search engine also diversifies with the launch of services such as gmail  its shopping channel froogle and google news.  for jupiter analyst olivier beauvillain  yahoo s initial decision to put its investment on search on hold was an error.  yahoo was busy building a portal and while it was good to diversify they made a big mistake in outsourcing search to google   he said  they thought google would just be a technology provider but it has become a portal in its own right and a direct competitor   he added. he believes yahoo failed to see how crucial search would become to internet users  something it has rediscovered in recent years.  it is interesting that in these last few years  it has refocused on search following the success of google   he said. but for allen weiner  a research director at analyst firm gartner and someone who has followed yahoo s progress since the early years  the future of search is not going to be purely about the technology powering it.  search technology is valuable but the next generation of search is going to be about premium content and the interface that users have to that content   he said. he believes the rivalry between google and yahoo is overblown and instead thinks the real battle is going to be between yahoo and msn. it is a battle that yahoo is currently winning  he believes.  microsoft has amazing assets including software capability and a global name but it has yet to show me it can create a rival product to yahoo   he said.  he is convinced yahoo remains the single most important brand on the world wide web.   i believe yahoo is the seminal brand on the web. if you are looking for a text book definition of web portal then yahoo is it   he said. it has achieved this dominance  mr weiner believes  by a canny combination of acquisitions such as that of inktomi and overture  and by avoiding direct involvement in either content creation or internet access. that is not to say that yahoo hasn t had its dark days. when the dot-com bubble burst  it lost one-third of its revenue in a single year  bore a succession of losses and saw its market value fall from a peak of $120bn to $4.6bn at one point. crucial to its survival was the decision to replace chief executive tim koogle with terry semel in may 2001  thinks mr weiner. his business savvy  coupled with the technical genius of founder jerry yang has proved a winning combination  he says.  so as the internet giant emerges from its first decade as a survivor  how will it fare as it enters its teenage years   the game is theirs to lose and msn is the only one that stands in the way of yahoo s domination   predicted mr weiner. nick hazel  yahoo s head of consumer services in the uk  thinks the fact that yahoo has grown up with the first wave of the internet generation will stand it in good stead. search will be a key focus as will making yahoo messenger available on mobiles  forging new broadband partnerships such as that with bt in the uk and continuing to provide a range of services beyond the desktop  he says. mr weiner thinks yahoo s vision of becoming the ultimate gateway to the web will move increasing towards movies and television as more and more people get broadband access.  it will spread its portal wings to expand into rich media   he predicts.


mourinho plots impressive course chelsea s win at fulham - confirming their position at the premiership summit - proves that they now have everything in place to mount serious challenges on all fronts this season.  they have got strength in depth  great players  an outstanding manager in jose mourinho and finances no other club in the world can match. all they need to add now is the big prizes which  as we all know  is the most difficult part of all. one thing is certain - they have put themselves in a position to make that leap to success very impressively indeed. they beat a very tough everton at stamford bridge  won at newcastle in the carling cup  and then won 4-1 at fulham  which was a great result given that they had been showing good form. as i said  winning the major honours is the hardest task of all  but in mourinho they have a manager who will make it a whole lot easier to handle the anticipation and expectation that will come their way now. mourinho has won the biggest club prize of all  the champions league  and that track record and confidence transmits itself to top players. it is a priceless commodity. no-one can be anything other than highly-impressed by mourinho. he is regarded as a touch arrogant by some people  and maybe he can appear that way  but he has the silverware to back up the talk. mourinho doesn t simply talk a good game - he s won some very big games such as the champions league final with porto. some may criticise his talk  but the words are backed up with actions. i ve also found him to be very realistic whenever i ve heard him. he s spent a lot of money and it seems to be working  and we should remember lots of managers have spent money and it has not worked. the buys are now integrating  and in arjen robben he has the player who is giving them that extra dimension.  in the early games he was slaughtered for defensive tactics  and yet he was winning games. you cannot win titles early on in the season  but you can certainly lose them and those points on the board were vital. i also thought the criticism was very harsh  because even though they were not scoring goals they were creating chances by the hatful. now they are taking those chances  have the double threat of robben and damien duff  and things are looking good. i just wonder if they lack a predator  particularly with didier drogba injured. he was starting to look the part before he was sidelined  but you have to feel if chelsea had a ruud van nistelrooy they would be even more of a safe bet for the title. chelsea also have all the tools to go far in the champions league. i felt they would never have a better chance than last season  but they have swept all before them in europe so far this season. it will now be very interesting to see how mourinho prioritises things  but his life will be made easier by the size of chelsea s squad. i have said i believed chelsea would win the league this season  even when arsenal were flying at the start  and i have seen nothing to make me change me mind.  if anything  what i have seen has confirmed my early impressions. and chelsea would have taken encouragement from arsenal s rocky defensive display at spurs  even though they ran out 5-4 winners. mourinho had his say on that game  complaining:  five-four is a hockey score  not a football score.  in a three-against-three training match  if the score reaches 5-4 i send the players back to the dressing rooms as they are not defending properly.  so to get a result like that in a game of 11 against 11 is disgraceful.   on a more serious note  it was a game that merely confirmed the importance of sol campbell to arsenal. much criticism has been aimed at pascal cygan  but i believe the problem lies with the absence of campbell and its overall effect on arsenal s defence. confidence is a crucial factor in defending. when you start conceding goals  you suddenly get a chill in the bones every time the ball comes into the penalty area. you think  oh no  - then find your worst fears confirmed. arsenal need to reverse the process  with or without campbell  and get some clean sheets on the board. but the return of campbell is key. he solidifies the unit  has pace and is powerful in the air and on the deck. he is vastly experienced and has a calming influence on all around him. campbell pulls it all together at the back and gets the defence playing as a unit. chelsea have no such problems at present  which is why i would still place my money on them to edge out arsenal as champions this season.


jones files lawsuit against conte marion jones has filed a lawsuit for defamation against balco boss victor conte following his allegations that he gave her performance-enhancing drugs.  the sydney olympic gold medallist says conte damaged her reputation and she is seeking $25m (£13m) in the suit. conte  whose company is at the centre of a doping investigation  made the claims in a us television programme. he and three others were indicted in february by a federal grand jury for a variety of alleged offences. in an email to the associated press on wednesday  conte said:  i stand by everything i said . jones won three gold medals and two bronzes in sydney in 2000. her lawsuit  filed in the us district court in san francisco  said the sprinter had passed a lie detector test and that she  has never taken banned performance-enhancing drugs . conte s statements  the suit added  were  false and malicious . after the abc television program earlier this month  jones  lawyer richard nicholls said:  marion has steadfastly maintained her position throughout: she has never  ever used performance-enhancing drugs.  victor conte is a man facing a 42-count federal indictment  while marion jones is one of america s most decorated female athletes. mr conte s statements have been wildly contradictory.  mr conte chose to make unsubstantiated allegations on television  while marion jones demanded to take and then passed a lie detector examination.   mr conte is simply not credible. we challenge him to submit to the same lie detector procedure that marion jones passed.  the sport s ruling body  the iaaf  is taking a cautious approach to conte s allegations but contacted the us anti-doping agency. communications director nick davies said the iaaf would seek to contact conte  for further information . but davies stressed it would be up to the american authorities to decide whether they will take action against jones in light of conte s television interview and the world governing body would monitor the situation closely.  if it is felt there is case to answer  it would be for its national governing body (usa track and field) to take the appropriate disciplinary action   he added.  the us anti-doping agency has proved itself to be very diligent in its anti-doping war.  and i am sure  like ourselves  they will be watching the television programme with great interest.  jones  who is under investigation for steroid use by the us anti-doping agency  has continually denied ever taking illegal substances since being investigated in the balco scandal  although she praised a zinc supplement conte marketed. jones  who did not win any medals in athens in august  has never failed a drugs test. meanwhile  conte  who has been charged along with three other men of distributing illegal steroids and money laundering  is due to face trial in march.


portishead back after eight years cult british group portishead have revealed they are writing their third album  their first in eight years.  founding member geoff barrow told bbc 6 music the record was well on the way to being completed.  we re actually into it as we speak. we took some time off for christmas  but generally we re doing another record   barrow told the digital radio station. news of their album plans comes after confirmation the bristol band will play a tsunami charity show next month. portishead will play alongside fellow bristol band massive attack at oxfam s tsumani appeal  held at the bristol academy on 19 february. barrow said he was surprised people thought the band  who won a mercury music prize in 1995 for their debut album dummy  had split up.   we ve just had our heads down really  we ve never actually broken up  or parted  or whatever.  so for us it just seems  even though we haven t played for years  we still see each other and write - we just haven t released a record for a long time.  portishead will not play any new material at next month s concert  which will feature singer beth gibbons playing with an acoustic backing. other acts appearing include liverpool band the coral and former led zeppelin singer robert plant. portishead became an international success and a deeply influential band despite their scant recorded output. dummy was a critics  favourite in 1994  hailed for its blend of menacing sounds and hip-hop beats married to old soul samples. the follow up  portishead  was released three years later.


g7 backs africa debt relief plan g7 finance ministers have backed plans to write off up to 100% of the debts of some of the world s poorest countries.  uk chancellor gordon brown said the london meeting of the world s seven richest nations would be remembered as  the 100% debt relief summit . some 37 countries could benefit after a case-by-case review by bodies including the world bank and the imf  he said. but the us says it cannot support mr brown s international finance facility to boost aid to developing countries. bbc correspondents said the meeting had produced some movement towards the uk s ambitions  but much work was needed. mr brown said it was a major breakthrough for the international organisations to offer up to 100% multilateral debt relief -  the vast bulk  of money owed by the poorest countries.   we could be at the beginning of the final stage of the process where the debts that were owed by the poorest countries  built up over 20 or 30 years  debts that are simply unpayable in the real world  are finally taken care of   he said. he added:  it is the richest countries hearing the voices of the poor.  but he said they would insist on government reforms and the need for transparency  tackling corruption and openness from both the poorest and richest nations. bbc correspondent patrick bartlett said while it was an agreement in principle  the organisations involved now have to look at how it would work in practice. oxfam senior policy adviser max lawson welcomed the statement and said g7 ministers had  passed the first hurdle of 2005 .  but he added:  they need to move quickly to turn their proposals into real change for the world s poorest.  two million children will die needlessly between now and the next meeting in april. if rich countries are going to keep their promises to tackle obscene poverty they need deliver - and deliver quickly.  talks are continuing on how to finance increased overseas development assistance. the international monetary fund (imf) is to look at a proposal to use its gold supplies to help the debt relief effort when it meets in april. mr brown said g7 ministers had agreed to defer debt interest payments and repayments for some countries affected by the tsunami until the end of 2005. but uk plans for an international finance facility (iff) to help deal with debt in the developing world have not been agreed. mr brown wanted to provide $10bn (£5.38bn) a year over a decade  using g7 backing so the money could be borrowed up front on financial markets.  it is a key element of his proposals for a modern version of the marshall plan  which brought us aid to rebuild europe after world war ii  for the developing world. mr brown said it was  winning support every day  and said a programme had been agreed to draw up more details in time for the g8 summit in july. but us treasury under-secretary john taylor said the us could not support the iff because of its  legislative process .  the us is completely committed to poverty reduction and providing financing to do that   he said.  but this particular mechanism does not work for the united states. it works for other countries  and that is fine.  earlier  he told bbc radio 4 s today programme the us had increased support for africa in the past four years from $1.1bn per year to $4.6bn per year. but south africa finance minister trevor manuel told the bbc s talking point programme what was needed was one approach  with all wealthy nations on board. he said much of the money pledged by the us had not yet been dispensed.  the uk has made poverty in the poorest nations a key theme for its 2005 presidency of the group of eight (g8)  which comprises the g7 and russia. the g8 countries will meet at gleneagles in scotland. at a dinner on friday night  former south african president nelson mandela backed mr brown s plan when he urged the finance chiefs to write-off african debt and provide an extra $50bn (£26.69bn) a year in aid for the next decade. talks also centred on the impact of the rising economies of china and india  the us budget and trade deficits  how the us  europe and japan can act to boost global economic growth  and hiv/aids. g7 ministers called for more flexibility in international exchange rates and said  excess volatility  would impede economic growth. representatives from china  india  russia  south africa and brazil were invited to attend some of the sessions. a g8 summit is set to take place in july.


robertson out to retain euro lure hearts manager john robertson hopes a place in the knock-out stages of the uefa cup could help keep some of his out-of-contract players at the club.   it could help. if we get through and have another european tie it may encourage players to stay at least until the end of the season   he said.  if we manage to get through it shows how well the club s progressing.  they have to think whether they are going to get other clubs like that should they decide to move on.  a win for robertson s side against ferencvaros would put them through to the last 32 if basle fail to beat feyenoord.  it s very much the player s prerogative but the fact that we ve been playing european football for the last three or four years is obviously an incentive   added robertson.  but we want players who want to play for the football club  who are committed and a run in europe always helps a little bit.  with the game being played at murrayfield instead of tynecastle because of uefa regulations  robertson sees both positive and negative aspects to the change of venue.   the pitch is not in the greatest condition. the heineken cup game was there at the weekend and the pitch is a bit threadbare   he said.  it s not ideal but it s the same for both teams so we just have to go out and there and perform. that s the most important thing.  but he added:  if tynecastle could have hosted 30 000 it would have been fantastic but that s one of the benefits of murrayfield - it allows us to bring even more of our supporters into it.  there will be a good atmosphere and the hearts fans have an important role to play.  we need their encouragement  we need them to get right behind the side and make it as good an atmosphere as possible.  hopefully the players will respond to that and i know they will because it s a fantastic european night for the club.


preview: ireland v england (sun) lansdowne road  dublin  sunday  27 february  1500 gmt  bbc1  radio 4 lw and this website  ireland are going for their first grand slam since 1948 after two opening wins  and england represent their sternest test of the championship so far. england were sloppy and leaderless in the defeats against wales and france and another loss would be unthinkable. the pressure is on coach andy robinson and his side have to deliver.  despite england s dramatic dip in form since the world cup final - they have lost eight of their last 13 matches - ireland coach eddie o sullivan says his side should not underestimate the visitors.  had they kicked their points they would have beaten france and that would have created a different landscape for sunday   he said.  this is england we are talking about. they have a depth of talent and a very good record against ireland.  they will target a victory in dublin as the turning point in their six nations.  the differences between the sides is also highlighted in the team selections for the dublin encounter.  ireland  despite having gordon d arcy still out injured  have been boosted by the return of star skipper brian o driscoll who missed the scotland game with a hamstring injury.  the knowledge that the england game was coming up really helped during rehabilitation   he said.  the will to play in this game was enormous. it doesn t get much bigger than england at home.  as well as entering the tournament without players like jonny wilkinson  mike tindall and richard hill  england have now lost two tighthead props in julian white and phil vickery while blind-side flanker lewis moody is a major concern. robinson  who received a lot of flak for the inclusion and then dropping of centre mathew tait  has kept faith with kicking fly-half charlie hodgson despite his horror show at twickenham. if england slump in dublin  it will be their worst run of results in the championship since 1987.  but robinson was bullish during the week about the game  saying that his side  are going there to get in their faces   and has identified the line-out and tackle area as the key to england s chances. and despite the recent results  skipper jason robinson believes there is nothing wrong with the mood in the camp.  there is no lack of confidence in the team   said the sale full-back.  we have had a good week s training and we are all looking forward to the challenge.  i still believe in this team. i know if we get our game right we will win the games.   g murphy; g dempsey  b o driscoll  s horgan  d hickie; r o gara  p stringer; r corrigan  s byrne  j hayes; m o kelly  p o connell; s easterby  j o connor  a foley.  f sheahan  m horan  d o callaghan  e miller  g easterby  d humphreys  k maggs.  j robinson (capt); m cueto  j noon  o barkley  j lewsey; c hodgson  h ellis; g rowntree  s thompson  m stevens; d grewcock  b kay; j worsley  l moody  m corry.  a titterrell  d bell  s borthwick  a hazell  m dawson  a goode  o smith.


pension hitch for long-living men male life expectancy is much higher than originally estimated  leading pension researchers have said.  the pensions policy institute (ppi) said life expectancy for unskilled and professional men has been understated. life expectancy at birth is 71 years for a manual worker and 79 years for a professional - a gap of eight years. but if measured at age 65 instead  the ppi said  a manual worker will live to 81 years and a professional worker to 86 years - a gap of just five years. the ppi s estimate is higher because it excludes people who have died before they reach 65 years of age and also takes into account ongoing improvements in life expectancy.  the government has ruled out raising the state pension age  because it says it would penalise lower-skilled workers who generally have lower life expectancies. chris curry  ppi research director  said its calculations suggested there could be more pressure on state pension spending than originally envisaged.  even people in social class v [unskilled manual workers] who are widely likely to have the lowest life expectancy can still expect to live 16 years after state pension age   he said. researchers have not updated life expectancy projections for women  who on average live longer than men.


kinnock to urge reform in lords neil kinnock has said his acceptance of a seat in the house of lords will allow him to help  achieve further progress with substantial democratic reform.   on the bbc s breakfast with frost it was put to mr kinnock that he had once referred to lords members as  brigands  muggers  bribers and gangsters . but the outgoing european commissioner said his comments - made some 26 years ago - needed to be put in context. he said advocates for reform needed to be inside the lords to vote for it.  it was pointed out to me that if the additional democratic reform is going to take place it is going to require advocates in the lords and people there willing to vote for it.   mr kinnock added that the second factor behind his acceptance of the peerage was his appointment as chairman of the british council.  history demonstrates that it s immensely useful for the british council to have its chairman in the house of lords and that was a conclusive factor.  mr kinnock said he thought about the decision for  quite a long time  because he had long had reservations about the lords. but he added:  the process of reform has developed substantially but not sufficiently  and consequently i did take all these factors into consideration because it s not a decision to be made glibly.  the former labour leader said he would probably take the title of lord kinnock of bedwellty - his first constituency for which he was selected in 1969.


sayeed to stand down as tory mp tory mp jonathan sayeed is to stand down on the grounds of ill health.  the decision comes after mr sayeed survived an attempt to de-select him in a row over allegations he had profited from private tours of parliament. the mid-bedfordshire mp had denied a claim that he was paid for guiding visitors around the palace of westminster. conservative leader michael howard has now accepted the mp s resignation  it has been announced.  mr sayeed was suspended from parliament for two weeks last month after the commons standards and privileges committee said his conduct had fallen  well below the standards expected . the conservative party had already been withdrawn the whip for a month. but his constituency association voted against a move to deselect him  with mr sayeed winning 173 of the 299 votes. after the vote  mr sayeed said only a fifth of association members had voted against him and he intended to get on with winning the election. but the vote prompted constituency association president sir stanley odell to resign in protest. the standards and privileges committee inquiry was launched after the sunday times alleged english manner limited charged clients for access to westminster through mr sayeed. mr sayeed had denied the claims  saying the suspension was  unjust and wrong  but he made an  unreserved  apology to mps in the commons chamber. he insisted that the committee s report had contained a  few errors of fact . mr sayeed has been mp for mid-bedfordshire since 1997. he represented bristol east from 1983 to 1992.


russia gets investment blessing soaring oil sales and a budget surplus mean russian debt is no longer a risky investment  one of the world s leading credit rating agencies says.  standard & poor s has classed russian bonds as  investment grade   up from their former  speculative  rating. russia s reputation among investors has been hurt in recent months by the heavy tax bills and asset seizures imposed on companies such as oil giant yukos. s&p said the solidity of government finances outweighed the risk. russia is now a net creditor rather than a debtor. gold and foreign currency reserves of $119bn beat its foreign public debt of some $113bn.  the other two major ratings agencies - fitch and moody s have long since upped their rating of russia s sovereign debt. s&p had held back through fear that the government was dragging its feet on economic and legal reforms. now  though  it has finally followed suit. but the agency made it clear that the improved rating did not mean that the risks were a thing of the past. instead  with russian government coffers brimming with tax revenues from energy sales  s&p said the government s own debt is looking a good bet.  these improvements are so significant that they now outweight the serious and growing political risk that continues to be a key ratings constraint on russia   wrote s&p credit analyst helena hessel.  the yukos saga is the most high-profile of the political risks to which ms hessel alludes. the company s founder and ex-chief executive  mikhail khodorkovsky  is in jail on trial for tax evasion and fraud. many believe the real motive for his prosecution is that he threatened to use his wealth to set up a political alternative to president vladimir putin. his company  meanwhile  is widely believed to have fallen victim to the kremlin s wish to get russian energy resources as far as possible back under state control.


ukraine revisits state sell-offs ukraine is preparing what could be a wholesale review of the privatisation of thousands of businesses by the previous administration.  the new president  viktor yushchenko  has said a  limited  list of companies is being drawn up. but on wednesday prime minister yulia tymoshenko said the government was planning to renationalise 3 000 firms. the government says many privatised firms were sold to allies of the last administration at rock-bottom prices. 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.  ms tymoshenko said prosecutors had drawn up a list of more than 3 000 businesses which were to be reviewed.  we will return to the state that which was illegally put into private hands.   a day earlier  mr yushchenko - keen to reassure potential investors - had said only 30 to 40 top firms would be targeted. the list  will be limited and final  and will not be extended after its completion   he said. an open-ended list could further damage outside investors  fragile faith in ukraine  said stuart hensel of the economist intelligence unit. but the government seemed keen not to make the review look like the kind of wholesale renationalisation which many fear in russia  mr hensel said. as a result  it was planning to resell rather than keep firms in state hands.  they re aware of the need not to scare investors  and to be careful of internal divides within ukraine   he said.  they don t want to be seen to be transferring assets from one set of oligarchs to a new set.  foreign investment in ukraine  at about $40 a head in 2004  is one of the lowest among ex-soviet states.  mr yushchenko became president after two elections in december  the first of which was annulled amid allegations of voting irregularities and massive street protests.  his opponent  viktor yanukovich  still has huge support in the country s eastern industrial heartland. mr yushchenko s administration has accused its predecessor  led by ex-president leonid kuchma  of corruption. the privatisation review s number one target is a steel mill sold to a consortium which included viktor pinchuk  mr kuchma s son-in-law  for $800m (£424m) despite higher bids from several foreign groups. the mill  krivorizhstal  is one of the world s most profitable.  we say krivorizhstal was stolen  and at any cost we will return it to the state   mr yushchenko told an investors  conference in kiev.  one of the jilted bidders  netherlands-based group lnm  said it welcomed the possibility that the mill might be back on the market.   if the original privatisation is annulled and a new tender issued  then we would look at it with great interest   a spokesman told bbc news. a resale of krivorizhstal could potentially triple the price  according to the economist intelligence unit s mr hensel. but he warned that the government could decide to take the easy route of revaluing the company and charging the existing owners the revised price rather than undertaking a fresh sale.  that way  mr yushchenko can go to the public and say he has forced the oligarchs to play by the rules   he told bbc news.


edwards tips idowu for euro gold world outdoor triple jump record holder and bbc pundit jonathan edwards believes phillips idowu can take gold at the european indoor championships.  idowu landed 17.30m at the british trials in sheffield last month to lead the world triple jump rankings.  it s all down to him  but if he jumps as well as he did in sheffield he could win the gold medal   said edwards.  his ability is undoubted but all his best performances seem to happen in domestic meetings.   idowu made his breakthrough five years ago but so far has only a commonwealth silver medal to his name. edwards himself kept idowu off top spot at the manchester games. but he believes the european indoors in madrid represent a chance for the 26-year-old to prove his credentials as britain s top triple jumper.  he has to start producing at international level and here is the beginning   said edwards.  phillips still needs to be much more consistent. i m sure a victory in madrid will build up his confidence and self-belief that he can be best in the world.  the qualifying round of the men s triple jump in madrid takes place on friday with the final scheduled for saturday. olympic champion christian olsson will not be taking part as he is out for the entire indoor season with an ankle injury.


zambia confident and cautious zambia s technical director  kalusha bwalya is confident and cautious ahead of the cosafa cup final against angola on saturday in lusaka.  bwalya said:  nothing short of victory will do.  however bwalya warned his side not to be too complacent.  i don t want my team to be too comfortable or too sure of victory as it is going to be a difficult game.  for me the main aim of the game is to enjoy and to win.  zambia have shown their determination to win this final by recalling nine of their foreign-based players. however the 41 year-old bwalya  who became the oldest player to appear in the competition when he played and scored against mauritius  is uncertain whether he will take to the field or not. the chipolopolo fans however are not being so cautious with a  victory  concert already scheduled for after the match featuring some of the country s top musicians. both sides are hoping to win the competition for a record third time  and so keep the trophy for good. the chipolopolo won the first two editions of the regional tournament for southern african nations in 1997 and 1998. they were prevented from a third straight win by angola who knocked out the zambians at the semi-final stage in 1999. that victory for angola also marked a first defeat in 14 years for zambia at lusaka s independence stadium  where saturday s game is being played. angola named just four overseas-based players in their preliminary squad. the palancas negras have been unable to secure the release of many of their portugal-based players.


sony psp tipped as a  must-have  sony s playstation portable is the top gadget for 2005  according to a round-up of ultimate gizmos compiled by stuff magazine.  it beats the ipod into second place in the top ten essentials list which predicts what gadget-lovers are likely to covet this year. owning all 10 gadgets will set the gadget lover back £7 455. that is £1 000 cheaper than last year s list due to falling manufacturing costs making gadgets more affordable.  portable gadgets dominate the list  including sharp s 902 3g mobile phone  the pentax optio sv digital camera and samsung s yepp yh-999 video jukebox.   what this year s essentials shows is that gadgets are now cheaper  sexier and more indispensable than ever. we ve got to the point where we can t live our lives without certain technology   said adam vaughan  editor of stuff essentials. the proliferation of gadgets in our homes is inexorably altering the role of the high street in our lives thinks mr vaughan.  take digital cameras  who would now pay to develop an entire film of photos  or legitimate downloads  who would travel miles to a record shop when they could download the song in minutes for 70p   he asks. next year will see a new set of technologies capturing the imaginations of gadget lovers  stuff predicts. the xbox 2  high-definition tv and mp3 mobiles will be among the list of must-haves that will dominate 2006  it says. the spring launch of the psp in the uk is eagerly awaited by gaming fans.


d arcy injury adds to ireland woe gordon d arcy has been ruled out of the ireland team for saturday s six nations clash against scotland in murrayfield.  like skipper brian o driscoll  d arcy failed to recover from a hamstring injury. the side will now be led by munster lock paul o connell. shane horgan switches from wing to centre where he will be joined by ulster s kevin maggs. girvan dempsey comes into the team to take the right wing spot while gavin duffy is called up to the replacements.   we gave gordon a chance but it didn t work out    said ireland coach eddie o sullivan.   in terms of the risk element  it was a sensible precaution. he should be fine for the next game but we do not want to tempt fate.    maggs  who will win his 67th cap  was the obvious replacement at centre while shane horgan was always likely to be moved from the wing. the only other change to the ireland side from last weekend s win in rome sees wasps flanker johnny o connor replacing denis leamy. o connor will be winning his third cap after making his debut in the victory over south africa last november.  : murphy  dempsey  horgan  maggs  hickie  o gara  stringer  corrigan  byrne  hayes  o kelly  o connell  capt  s easterby  o connor  foley.  : sheahan  horan  o callaghan  miller  g easterby  humphreys  duffy.


mitsubishi in peugeot link talks trouble-hit mitsubishi motors is in talks with french carmaker psa peugeot citroen about a possible alliance.  on tuesday mitsubishi  the only major japanese car firm in the red  confirmed earlier reports of negotiations. but a spokesman refused to comment on speculation that mitsubishi could end up building cars for psa and perhaps its japanese rival nissan. mitsubishi has been hit by a recall scandal and the withdrawal of support from shareholder daimlerchrysler. the us-german firm  once a majority shareholder  decided last april to stop providing financial backing. mitsubishi s sales have slid 41% in the past year  catalysed by the revelation that the company had systematically been hiding records of faults and then secretly repairing vehicles. mitsubishi is due to unveil a recovery plan later in january. analysts said that alliances with other carmakers would be a necessary part of whatever it came up with  not least because its own slow sales have left its manufacturing capacity under-used.


us tv special for tsunami relief a us television network will screen a celebrity tv special to benefit the tsunami relief effort in south asia.  nbc will encourage viewer donations during an hour-long show featuring musical performances on 15 january. actress sandra bullock has donated $1m (£525 000) to the american red cross and actor leonardo dicaprio pledged a  sizable  aid contribution to unicef. meanwhile 70 hong kong music and movie stars re-recorded we are the world in mandarin and cantonese to raise funds.  the song will not be released as a single  but will be played regularly during a chinese telethon on friday in aid of victims of the boxing day disaster. around 140 000 people were killed and five million left homeless or without food and water after an earthquake below the indian ocean sent waves crashing into coastal communities in 11 countries.  the united nations warned that the number killed in the disaster could rise sharply  with aid yet to reach some remote areas. performers have yet to be confirmed for nbc s aid relief benefit later this month. it follows a two-hour telethon carried by all four major us television networks 10 days after the 11 september terror attacks in 2001. america: a tribute to heroes raised more than $150m (£79m) to help victims of the suicide attacks on the world trade center and pentagon.


arnesen denies rift with santini tottenham sporting director frank arnesen has denied that coach jacques santini resigned because of a clash of personalities at white hart lane.  there had been newspaper speculation that santini had felt undermined by arnesen s role at the club.  it is absolutely not true   arnesen told bbc radio five live.  there is only one thing that made him resign and that is his own personal problems.  he has talked to me recently and said this matter is absolutely for himself.  arnesen said he was unable to throw any light onto the problems that caused santini to quit after just 13 games in charge. he added:  jacques has never gone into exactly what it was. but i trust him in that; you have to accept it. i think we should respect it.   the plan is now that over the weekend we will have talks with the board and then on monday we will clarify the situation.  arnesen countered criticism at the timing of the announcement  coming less than 24 hours before tottenham s premiership fixture with charlton.  when it comes down to personal problems  i don t think we should talk about timing   he said. and he also denied reports that santini had been given a £3m pay-off.  that is absolute nonsense. he is the one who said  i will go  and so he went    said the spurs sporting director. tottenham s structure of having a sporting director working alongside a coach is based on a continental model and arnesen sees no reason why they should change it.   i have confidence in this structure. i am confident that we have started something here in july and i still have a lot of confidence in tottenham and what we are doing   he said. however  former spurs and england defender gary stevens said he would not be surprised if the system had caused a rift.  i think the problems go a lot deeper  between the director of football at white hart lane and santini   stevens told five live.  on paper they could have worked together. but frank arnesen was a very creative  forward-thinking and expansive player - whereas i think santini was very much the opposite  more a case of being organised  disciplined and happy not conceding goals.  that sort of arrangement can work if the two people have the same principles and ideals and work very closely. but it seems that has not happened.


chinese exports rise 25% in 2004 exports from china leapt during 2004 over the previous year as the country continued to show breakneck growth.  the spurt put china s trade surplus - a sore point with some of its trading partners - at a six-year high. it may also increase pressure on china to relax the peg joining its currency  the yuan  with the weakening dollar. the figures released by the ministry of commerce come as china s tax chief confirmed that growth had topped 9% in 2004 for the second year in a row. state administration of taxation head xie xuren said a tightening of controls on tax evasion had combined with the rapid expansion to produce a 25.7% rise in tax revenues to 2.572 trillion yuan ($311bn; £165bn).  according to the ministry of commerce  china s exports totalled $63.8bn in december  taking the annual total up 35.4% to $593.4bn. with imports rising a similar amount  the deficit rose to $43.4bn. the increased tax take comes despite healthy tax rebates for many exporters totalling 420bn yuan in 2004  according to mr xie. china s exporting success has made the trade deficit of the united states soar even further and made trade with china a sensitive political issue in washington. the peg keeping the yuan around 8.30 to the dollar is often blamed by us lawmakers for job losses at home. a us report issued on tuesday on behalf of a congressionally-mandated panel said almost 1.5 million posts disappeared between 1989 and 2003. the pace accelerated in the final three years of the period  said the report for the us-china economic and security review commission  moving out of labour-intensive industries and into more hi-tech sectors. the us s overall trade deficit with china was $124bn in 2003  and is expected to rise to about $150bn for 2004.


industrial revival hope for japan japanese industry is growing faster than expected  boosting hopes that the country s retreat back into recession is over.  industrial output rose 2.1% - adjusted for the time of year - in january from a month earlier. at the same time  retail sales picked up faster than at any time since 1997. the news sent tokyo shares to an eight-month high  as investors hoped for a recovery from the three quarters of contraction seen from april 2004 on. the nikkei 225 index ended the day up 0.7% at 11 740.60 points  with the yen strengthening 0.7% against the dollar to 104.53 yen. weaker exports  normally the engine for japan s economy in the face of weak domestic demand  had helped trigger a 0.1% contraction in the final three months of last year after two previous quarters of shrinking gdp. only an exceptionally strong performance in the early months of 2004 kept the year as a whole from showing a decline. the output figures brought a cautiously optimistic response from economic officials.  overall i see a low risk of the economy falling into serious recession   said bank of japan chief toshihiko fukui  despite warning that other indicators - such as the growth numbers - had been worrying.  within the overall industrial output figure  there were signs of a pullback from the export slowdown. among the best-performing sectors were key overseas sales areas such as cars  chemicals and electronic goods. with us growth doing better than expected the picture for exports in early 2005 could also be one of sustained demand. electronics were also one of the keys to the improved domestic market  with products such as flat-screen tvs in high demand during january.


howl helps boost japan s cinemas japan s box office received a 3.8% boost last year  with ticket sales worth 211bn yen (£1.08bn).  the surge was led by animated movie howl s moving castle  which took 20bn yen (£102m) to become the biggest film in japan in 2004. it is expected to match the 30.7bn yen (£157m) record of hayao miyazaki s previous film spirited away. japan motion picture producers figures showed that 170 million cinema admissions were made in japan in 2004. the last samurai  starring tom cruise  was the biggest foreign movie hit in japan last year  taking 13.8bn yen (£70.7m).  it was followed by harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban  finding nemo and the lord of the rings: the return of the king. the second highest-grossing japanese film was romantic drama crying out love in the centre of the world  followed by be with you and pocket monsters advanced generation. japanese films accounted for 37.5% of japan s box office total last year  with foreign films taking the remaining 62.5%. this represented a 4.5% gain for the proportion of japanese films in 2004 compared to 2003. the number of japanese films released rose to 310 in 2004 from 287 the previous year. sales of movies on dvd and video amounted to 497bn yen (£2.54bn) for the year.


security warning over  fbi virus  the us federal bureau of investigation is warning that a computer virus is being spread via e-mails that purport to be from the fbi.  the e-mails show that they have come from an fbi.gov address and tell recipients that they have accessed illegal websites. the messages warn that their internet use has been monitored by the fbi s internet fraud complaint center. an attachment in the e-mail contains the virus  the fbi said. the message asks recipients to click on the attachment and answer some questions about their internet use. but rather than being a questionnaire  the attachment contains a virus that infects the recipient s computer  according to the agency. it is not clear what the virus does once it has infected a computer. users are warned never to open attachment from unsolicited e-mails or from people they do not know.   recipients of this or similar solicitations should know that the fbi does not engage in the practice of sending unsolicited e-mails to the public in this manner   the fbi said in a statement. the bureau is investigating the phoney e-mails. the agency earlier this month shut down fbi.gov accounts  used to communicate with the public  because of a security breach. a spokeswoman said the two incidents appear to be unrelated.


brainwave  cap controls computer a team of us researchers has shown that controlling devices with the brain is a step closer.  four people  two of them partly paralysed wheelchair users  successfully moved a computer cursor while wearing a cap with 64 electrodes. previous research has shown that monkeys can control a computer with electrodes implanted into their brain. the new york team reported their findings in the proceedings of the national academy of sciences.  the results show that people can learn to use scalp-recorded electroencephalogram rhythms to control rapid and accurate movement of a cursor in two directions   said jonathan wolpaw and dennis mcfarlane. the research team  from new york state department of health and state university of new york in albany  said the research was another step towards people controlling wheelchairs or other electronic devices by thought.  the four people faced a large video screen wearing a special cap which  meant no surgery or implantation was needed.  brain activity produces electrical signals that can be read by electrodes. complex algorithms then translate those signals into instructions to direct the computer. such brain activity does not require the use of any nerves of muscles  so people with stroke or spinal cord injuries could use the cap effectively.  the impressive non-invasive multidimensional control achieved in the present study suggests that a non-invasive brain control interface could support clinically useful operation of a robotic arm  a motorised wheelchair or a neuroprosthesis   said the researchers. the four volunteers also showed that they could get better at controlling the cursor the more times they tried. although the two partially-paralysed people performed better overall  the researchers said this could be because their brains were more used to adapting or that they were simply more motivated. it is not the first time researchers have had this sort of success in brain-control experiments. some teams have used eye motion and other recording techniques. earlier this year  a team at the mit media labs europe demonstrated a wireless cap which read brain waves to control a computer character.


howard attacks  pay later  budget tory leader michael howard has dismissed gordon brown s budget as  vote now  pay later  spending plans.  the simple fact was that under a new labour government taxes would go up after the election to plug a financial black hole  mr howard said. everyone could see the chancellor s  sweeteners   but these hid tax rises for hard working families  he said. labour s  faltering election campaign  would not be helped by the package of measures  mr howard added.  mr brown s budget was not about what was good for the country  but  all about the interests of the labour party   the tory leader said after mockingly welcoming the chancellor back to the election campaign. he went on to accuse mr brown of giving with one hand while taking away with the other. he urged the chancellor to admit he had been responsible for dragging  millions of people in to the net  to pay stamp duty and inheritance tax.  we can all see the sweeteners  but they hide the crippling tax rises for hard-working families that are inevitable if labour wins.   he also accused the government and the chancellor of running out of solutions to the problems britain faced.  their only answer is to tax  to spend and to waste - to get people to vote now and pay later.  mr brown liked to rattle off  magical balances conjured out of thin air  in a bid to convince people there was no  black hole  in the nation s finances  the tory leader said.  this dodgy government that brought us the dodgy dossier is now publishing a dodgy budget based on dodgy numbers   he said.  you now propose to borrow  over the next six years  no less than £168 billion; so much for prudence.  the chancellor s forecasts of surpluses are no better than the prime minister s forecasts of weapons of mass destruction.   mr brown s council tax rebate for pensioners was £300 less than what the tories were offering  mr howard said. there was nothing in the budget that would put more police on the streets  make hospitals cleaner or give parents and teachers the discipline and skills they wanted in schools. people would face a  clear choice  at the election  either  more waste and higher taxes under labour or lower taxes and value for money with the conservatives   he said.  that s the battleground of this election. that s what this election is going to be all about and i say bring it on   he concluded  to loud tory cheering.


mccall earns tannadice reprieve dundee united manager ian mccall has won a reprieve from the sack  with chairman eddie thompson calling for an end to speculation over his future.  it is understood that mccall would have been sacked if sheffield wednesday manager paul sturrock had been willing to return to tannadice. but sturrock has distanced himself from the position.  we re in a difficult situation. we must get out of it through the efforts of current personnel   said thompson.  ian mccall and i have had a long and detailed talk about a number of areas including the current league position and the manner of the exit from the league cup   he added.  however  the continuing speculation is doing no one any good  especially as we have several crucial games coming up.  the minds of the coaching staff and the players have to be on those games and those games only.  our season would of course improve considerably if in the next few weeks we achieved some improved league results and there is also the potential of another cup semi-final  subject to the draw.   all that matters at the present time - is us all having a total focus on the games ahead and a positive series of results being achieved.  dundee united players had expressed their solidarity with mccall after their side s 3-0 scottish cup win over queen of the south.  we want the boss to stay  we don t want someone else coming in   said jim mcintyre.  hopefully now he gets the chance to stay.  keeper tony bullock echoed mcintyre s sentiments.  i think all the boys are behind ian mccall   he added.  at the moment it is all speculation and we have got to rise above all that and do a job on the pitch.   on saturday  sturrock insisted that he had unfinished business with wednesday  who are fourth in league one.  i ve only been here five months and i don t expect to be leaving very  very soon   he said.  i can appreciate the rumours because i ve emphasised my thoughts and ambitions to go back to dundee united.  i can assure you the timescale is not the right one.  it (dundee united) is my team. i had five years there as a coach  six as a player  two years as a manager - once you ve done that kind of thing  it s the result you look for.  the important thing now is i ve come here to do a job and i m going to try to finish it.


russian film wins bbc world prize russian drama the return (vozvrashchenie) has been named winner of the bbc four world cinema award.  the film tells the story of two adolescent boys who are subjected to a harsh regime when their strict father returns after a 10-year absence. directed by andrey zvyagintsev  the return previously won the 2003 golden lion award at the venice film festival. the prize was presented at an awards ceremony held in london on thursday and hosted by jonathan ross. the winner was chosen by a panel which included x files actress gillian anderson  critic roger clarke and touching the void director kevin mcdonald.  ross  who is the presenter of bbc one s film 2005  was also involved in the deliberations. a shortlist of six films from around the world had been drawn up from which the panel chose. other nominees included the motorcycle diaries  zatoichi and hero. a viewer poll saw director zhang yimou s martial arts epic hero emerge as the favourite with 32% of votes cast. tragedy struck the production of the return when one of the young stars  15-year-old vladimir girin  drowned in a lake where some of the film s scenes were set. the winner of the world cinema award last year was the french animated feature belleville rendezvous


tory leader urges harry apology prince harry should personally make clear how sorry he is about wearing a nazi uniform to a friend s fancy dress party  says tory leader michael howard.  mr howard  whose grandmother died in auschwitz  said many people would be offended by the prince s actions clarence house has issued a statement saying the prince has apologised and realised it had been a poor costume. number 10 said an error was made but now harry had apologised the matter should be left to the palace. that was a message repeated by home secretary charles clarke who said the matter should now be left to lie.  but lib dem leader charles kennedy said harry was in a privileged position and said he should apologise in person.  there is a reservoir of goodwill for prince harry  and prince william with him  in this country  but i think he needs to remember that it can t last forever.  he added that sandhurst would probably be good for harry as it would teach him some self discipline. former labour mp lord janner  who is a high profile member of britain s jewish community  branded harry s action s  stupid and evil . he told itv:  the time has come for him to make a public apology. it is about common decency  of respect to the people who fought the nazis  to the families of those who were killed by the nazis and to people who suffered during the holocaust.  he added:  i would send him in the army as fast as possible. i hope that would teach him not to behave like that.   a photograph of prince harry wearing a swastika armband and german desert uniform at the party appears in thursday s sun newspaper under the headline:  harry the nazi.  mr howard acknowledged the prince s apology and said he had no doubt the prince s father and family would have much to say to him privately about the incident. but he told bbc radio 4 s today programme:  it might be appropriate to tell us himself just how contrite he is.  mr howard declined to say what form the statement should take. but former buckingham palace press spokesman dicky arbiter said the prince should make a personal  broadcast apology. mr clarke said he recognised people s concerns about the costume but argued:  he has apologised and i think we should leave the matter there.


newcastle line up babayaro newcastle manager graeme souness is closing in on signing chelsea defender celestine babayaro when the transfer window reopens.  souness is bidding to bolster his defence and  according to reports  contract negotiations are at an advanced stage with the player. babayaro has been in the premiership since 1997 when he moved to chelsea for £2.25m from anderlecht. but the 26-year-old has been surplus to requirements this season. souness would not be drawn on specifics over individual players.  but he said:  all i can tell you is that the chairman has worked really hard in the last couple of months to try to do deals.  we have said from day one we want to strengthen  and that is what we are hoping to do in the coming weeks.


merritt close to indoor 400m mark teenager lashawn merritt ran the third fastest indoor 400m of all time at the fayetteville invitational meeting.  the world junior champion clocked 44.93 seconds to finish well clear of fellow american bershawn jackson in arkansas. only michael johnson has gone quicker  setting the world record of 44.63secs in 1995 and running 44.66secs in 1996. kenyan bernard lagat missed out on the world record by 1.45secs as he ran the third quickest indoor mile ever to beat canada s nate brannen by almost 10secs. the olympic silver medallist s time of three minutes 49.89secs was inferior only to the 1997 world record of moroccan hicham el guerrouj and former world record holder eamonn coghlan of ireland s 3:49.78. lagat was on course to break el guerrouj s record through 1200m but could not maintain the pace over the final 400m. ireland s  continued his excellent form by winning a tight 3 000m in 7:40.53. cragg  who recently defeated olympic 10 000m champion kenenisa bekele in boston  held off bekele s ethiopian colleague markos geneti by only 0.19secs to secure his victory. mark carroll  who will join cragg in the european indoor championships next month  finished a solid third in 7:46.78. olympic 200m gold medallist  of jamaica ran the fastest women s 60m in the world this year as she equalled her personal best of 7.09secs. world indoor 60m hurdles champion  also won  improving his season-leading time to 7.51secs.


s korean lender faces liquidation creditors of south korea s top credit card firm have said they will put the company into liquidation if its ex-parent firm fails to back a bail-out.  lg card s creditors have given lg group until wednesday to sign up to a $1.1bn rescue package. the firm avoided bankruptcy thanks to a $4.5bn bail-out in january 2004  which gave control to the creditors. lg group has said any package should reflect the firm s new ownership  and it will not accept an unfair burden. at least seven million people in south korea use lg card s plastic for purchases.  lg card s creditors have threatened parent group lg group with penalties if it fails to respond to their demands.   creditors would seek strong financial sanctions against lg group if lg card is liquidated   said yoo ji-chang  governor of korean development bank (kdb) - one of the card firm s major creditors. lg group has said providing further help to the credit card issuer could hurt its corporate credibility and could spark shareholder lawsuits. it says it wants  fair and reasonable guidelines  on splitting the financial burden with the creditors  who now own 99.3% of lg card. the creditors have asked the government to mediate to avoid any risk to the stability of financial markets  kdb said. analysts believe a compromise is likely.  lg group knows the impact on consumer demand and the national economy from a liquidation of lg card   said kim yungmin  an equity strategist at dongwon investment trust management.  lg card almost collapsed in 2003 due to an increase in overdue credit card bills after the bursting of a credit bubble. the firm returned to profit in september 2004  but now needs a capital injection to avoid being delisted from the korea stock exchange. the exchange can delist a company if its debt exceeds its assets for two years running. lg card s creditors fear that such a move would triggered massive debt redemption requests that could bankrupt the firm  which owes about $12.05bn.  eventually  lg group will have to participate  but they have been stalling to try to earn better concessions   said mr kim.


dawson wins england squad recall wasps scrum-half matt dawson has been recalled to england s training squad ahead of the rbs six nations and been reinstated in the elite player squad.  coach andy robinson dropped dawson for the autumn tests after he missed training to film  a question of sport.   i always said i would consider bringing matt back if i felt he was playing well   robinson said.  he merits his return on current form.  newcastle s 18-year-old centre mathew tait is also in the training squad.  it s obviously an honour to be asked to train with england   said tait  who has burst into contention recently.  i look forward to going down and doing the sessions  but the most important thing at the moment is sunday s game against newport  so i m not looking any further than that.  robinson has invited 42 players to attend a three-day session in leeds next week  in which his squad will train in part with the leeds rhinos rugby league squad.  with mike tindall ruled out of the opening two matches and will greenwood sidelined for the entire six nations  tait is one of six or seven contenders for the two centre berths. stuart abbott  jamie noon  ollie smith  olly barkley and henry paul - who retains his place despite his early substitution against australia - are also in the mix. ben cohen could also be considered after switching from the wing for his club northampton recently. prop phil vickery and lock simon shaw both return to the squad after missing the autumn tests through injury  while wasps wing tom voyce is recalled. the group also includes bath flanker andy beattie and leicester hooker george chuter.  beattie has matured greatly as a player these past two seasons   robinson said. jonny wilkinson  tindall and martin corry have all been included despite their unavailability for the opening two matches against wales and france.  the revised 56-man elite squad includes wasps hooker phil greening  who replaces the retired mark regan  and sale wing mark cueto. cueto was selected for the november internationals despite not being part of the group  but scored four tries in three england appearances. leicester scrum-half harry ellis has also been promoted from the senior national academy  and will contest the number nine jersey with dawson and gloucester s andy gomarsall. the players in robinson s elite squad can only play 32 matches for club and country. they can be called up for a total of 16 training days in addition to the recognised international weeks for each of the years leading up to the next world cup.  balshaw  cohen  cueto  lewsey  robinson  simpson-daniel  voyce  abbott  noon  paul  smith  tait  tindall  barkley  hodgson  king  wilkinson  dawson  ellis  gomarsall.  chuter  thompson  titterrell  rowntree  sheridan  stevens  vickery  white  borthwick  brown  l deacon  grewcock  kay  shaw  beattie  corry  forrester  hazell  jones  moody  vyvyan  j worsley.  abbott  balshaw  borthwick  a brown  chuter  cohen  corry  cueto  dawson  ellis  flatman  gomarsall  greening  greenwood  grewcock  hazell  hill  hodgson  kay  king  lewsey  moody  noon  paul  robinson  rowntree  shaw  simpson-daniel  thompson  tindall  titterrell  vickery  vyvyan  white  wilkinson  j worsley  m worsley.  barkley  beattie  christophers  l deacon  forrester  c jones  palmer  rees  sheridan  skinner  smith  stevens  tait  voyce.  dowson  haughton  monye  roques  p sanderson.


download chart debut is delayed the inclusion of downloaded music in the official singles chart has been delayed for a month.  the british phonographic industry (bpi) had planned to include download formats in the chart from 20 march. but the date has been put back to 17 april to create a  level playing field  for independent labels. the bpi is concerned that independent repertoire is not adequately represented online and said they were looking at ways of rectifying it.  bpi chairman peter jamieson said:  the inclusion of download formats in the official uk singles chart is the most significant development in the charts for 20 years.   but for a multitude of reasons the current chart representation of independent repertoire at the major download outlets is poor.  i am very pleased we have secured this delay on behalf of independents. we have to try and establish a realistic  level playing field  of opportunity. the official uk charts are run by the official uk charts company (occ) - a joint venture between the bpi and the british association of record dealers (bard). at an occ board meeting on wednesday  the occ board agreed with bpi members that the 20 march start date be postponed. download formats will now be included in the official uk singles chart for the first time in the chart published on 17 april - the sales week beginning 10 april. the us has already merged downloaded singles into its billboard hot 100 chart.


uk  risks breaking golden rule  the uk government will have to raise taxes or rein in spending if it wants to avoid breaking its  golden rule   a report suggests.  the rule states that the government can borrow cash only to invest  and not to finance its spending projects. the national institute of economic and social research (niesr) claims that taxes need to rise by about £10bn if state finances are to be put in order. the treasury said its plans were on track and funded until 2008. according to niesr  if the government s current economic cycle runs until march 2006 then it is  unlikely  the golden rule will be met. should the cycle end a year earlier  then the chances improve to  50/50 . either way  fiscal tightening is needed  niesr said.  the report is the latest to call into question the viability of government spending projections. earlier this month  accountancy firm ernst & young said that chancellor of the exchequer gordon brown s forecasts for tax revenues were too optimistic.  it claimed revenues were likely to be £6bn below estimates by the end of the tax year despite the economy growing in line with forecasts. a treasury spokesperson dismissed the latest claims  saying it was  on track to meeting spending rules and the golden rule in the current cycle and beyond .  spending plans have been set out until 2008 and they are fully affordable.  other than its warning on possible tax hikes  the niesr report was optimistic about the state of the uk and global economy.  it said the recent record-busting surge in oil prices would have a limited effect on worldwide expansion  saying that if anything the  world economy will continue to grow strongly . global gross domestic product (gdp) is tipped to be 4.1% this year  dipping to 4% in 2005  before picking up again to 4.2% in 2006. the us will continue to drive expansion until 2006  albeit at a slightly slower rate  as will be the case in japan. hinting at better times for uk exporters  niesr said the euro zone  is expected to pick up speed .  growth in britain also is set to accelerate  it forecast.  despite weak growth in the third quarter  the forces sustaining the upswing remain intact and the economy will expand robustly in 2005 and 2006   niesr said  adding that  the economy will become better balanced over the next two years as exports stage a recovery . gdp is expected at 3.2% in 2004  and 2.8% in both 2005 and 2006. the main cloud on the horizon  niesr said  was the uk s much analysed and fretted over property market.


california sets fines for spyware the makers of computer programs that secretly spy on what people do with their home pcs could face hefty fines in california.  from 1 january  a new law is being introduced to protect computer users from software known as spyware. the legislation  which was approved by governor arnold schwarzenegger  is designed to safeguard people from hackers and help protect their personal information. spyware is considered by computer experts to be one of the biggest nuisance and security threats facing pc users in the coming year. the software buries itself in computers and can collect a wide range of information. at its worst  it has the ability to hijack personal data  like passwords  login details and credit card numbers. the programs are so sophisticated they change frequently and become impossible to eradicate.  one form of spyware called adware has the ability to collect information on a computer user s web-surfing. it can result in people being bombarded with pop-up ads that are hard to close. in washington  congress has been debating four anti-spyware bills  but california is a step ahead. the state s consumer protection against spyware act bans the installation of software that takes control of another computer. it also requires companies and websites to disclose whether their systems will install spyware. consumers are able to seek up to $1 000 in damages if they think they have fallen victim to the intrusive software. the new law marks a continuing trend in california towards tougher privacy rights. a recent survey by earthlink and webroot found that 90% of pcs are infested with the surreptitious software and that  on average  each one is harbouring 28 separate spyware programs. currently users wanting protection from spyware have turned to free programs such as spybot and ad-aware.


scotland v italy (sat) murrayfield  edinburgh  saturday  26 february  1400 gmt  bbc1  five live and this website  victory for the azzurri in rome last year saw scotland end their campaign without a victory. and the pressure is on scotland coach matt williams as he seeks a first six nations victory at the eighth attempt. italy have lost both their opening games at home to ireland and wales  but travel to edinburgh with high hopes.  their coach john kirwan has warned his side they must eradicate the errors that blighted their loss to wales however or risk suffering a third successive defeat.  if the defeat against wales has taught us anything  it s that at this level we can t make any mistakes   kirwan said.  in the six nations  every error you make will come at a high price.  we have to be aggressive for 80 minutes  keep calm in every situation and display great maturity on the pitch.   it will be fundamental to keep cool in the difficult moments - in the key situations of the game.  kirwan has recalled the experienced cristian stoica at centre and drafted in david dal maso at open-side after star flanker mauro bergamasco was ruled out for the rest of the tournament. scotland have also made two changes  simon webster replacing simon danielli on the wing and simon taylor returning for his first test in a year  for injured flanker jason white. taylor s recovery from a serious knee injury is a major boost to scottish hopes.  he is one of the world-class players in the tournament and you want them in your team   acknowledged williams.  despite a record of only two victories from 14 tests  williams insists he is revelling in the pressure.  i actually really enjoy seeing how you cope with such pressure as a coach   he said  optimistic despite opening defeats to france and ireland.  we were confident for those two first games and we are confident we can beat italy too   he added.  : c paterson; s webster  a craig  h southwell  s lamont; d parks  c cusiter; t smith  g bulloch (capt)  g kerr; s grimes  s murray; s taylor  j petrie  a hogg.  r russell  b douglas  n hines  j dunbar  m blair  g ross  b hinshelwood.  r de marigny; mirco bergamasco  c stoica  a masi  l nitoglia; l orquera  a troncon; a lo cicero  f ongaro  m castrogiovanni; s dellape  m bortolami (capt); a persico  d dal maso  s parisse.  g intoppa  s perugini  ca del fava  s orlando  p griffen  r pedrazzi  kp robertson.


lions blow to world cup stars british and irish lions coach clive woodward says he is unlikely to select any players not involved in next year s rbs six nations championship.  world cup winners lawrence dallaglio  neil back and martin johnson had all been thought to be in the frame for next summer s tour to new zealand.  i don t think you can ever say never   said woodward.  but i would have to have a compulsive reason to pick any player who is not available to international rugby.  dallaglio  back and johnson have all retired from international rugby over the last 12 months but continue to star for their club sides. but woodward added:  the key thing that i want to stress is that i intend to use the six nations and the players who are available to international rugby as the key benchmark.  my job  along with all the other senior representatives  is to make sure that we pick the strongest possible team.  if you are not playing international rugby then it s still a step up to test rugby. it s definitely a disadvantage.   i think it s absolutely critical and with the history of the lions we have got to take players playing for the four countries.  woodward also revealed that the race for the captaincy was still wide open.  it is an open book   he said.  there are some outstanding candidates from all four countries.  and following the all blacks  impressive displays in europe in recent weeks  including a 45-6 humiliation of france  woodward believes the three-test series in new zealand will provide the ultimate rugby challenge.  their performance in particular against france was simply awesome   said the lions coach.  certain things have been suggested about the potency of their front five  but they re a very powerful unit.  with his customary thoroughness  woodward revealed he had taken soundings from australia coach eddie jones and jake white of south africa following their tour matches in britain and ireland.  as a result  woodward stressed his lions group might not be dominated by players from england and ireland and held out hope for the struggling scots.  scotland s recent results have not been that impressive but there have been some excellent individual performances.  eddie in particular told me how tough they had made it for australia and i will take on board their opinions.  and scotland forward simon taylor looks certain to get the call  provided he recovers from knee and tendon problems.  i took lessons from 2001 in that they did make a mistake in taking lawrence dallaglio when he wasn t fit and went on the trip.  every player has to be looked at on their own merits and simon taylor is an outstanding player and i have no doubts that if he gets back to full fitness he will be on the trip.  i am told he should be back playing by march and he has plenty of time to prove his fitness for the lions - and there are other players like richard hill in the same boat.


giving financial gifts to children your child or grandchild may want the latest toy this christmas  but how about giving them a present that will help their financial future   gifts of the financial variety might have a longer lasting impact. it may encourage children to save or start a fund which could count towards university costs  for example.  the government is trying to encourage saving at an early age  through its new child trust fund. the first vouchers  worth £250 or £500 for low-income families  will be distributed from january. all children born after 1st september 2002 will be eligible. parents will need to decide which financial institution will manage this gift in time for the start of the scheme in april 2005.  parents and relatives will be able to top up the fund with up to £1 200 a year  which will grow free of income and capital gains tax. as the child trust fund will not be in force in time for christmas  relatives could invest their gifts in a higher rate children s deposit account  and use this as a feeder fund.  there are accounts designed to start children off in the savings habit and they often pay a higher rate of interest. some of the best instant-access accounts currently available include the ladybird account from the saffron walden building society  paying 5.35% for a minimum balance of £1 and the alliance & leicester firstsaver which pays 5.25%  also starting at £1.  interest earned by children is subject to income tax. however  children  like adults  have a personal income tax allowance (£4 745 for the current tax year).  if the account holds money gifted by friends and relatives - but not parents - any interest earned from the savings account may be set against the allowance. as long as the total amount of interest falls within the allowance  then no tax will be payable. when the account is opened a form  r85   available from the bank or building society  should be completed. this confirms that the account holder is a non-taxpayer and allows interest to be received without the deduction of income tax.  the tax rules are different for parents who save on behalf of a child. only £100 of interest (per parent) can be tax-free. where interest exceeds this level  the whole of the interest will be taxed on the parent. this is to prevent parents from holding their own cash savings in their children s names and taking advantage of the tax allowances. where both parents and other relatives are saving on behalf of a child  consideration should be given to opening separate accounts - one for parents  gifts and one for gifts from other relatives. therefore  it may be preferable for parents to contribute to the child trust fund which is tax free  with any gifts from relatives that take the total above the annual £1 200 limit being directed to a deposit account.  another favourite solution is premium bonds. with the promise of riches far greater than a mere deposit account  they make great presents. the parent or guardian will be responsible for the bonds and will receive notification of the purchase. any prizes will be sent to the parent or child s guardian. the minimum for each purchase is £100 and bonds are sold in multiples of £10.  there are gift opportunities beyond cash accounts and these should not be ignored.  over the longer term  stock market funds have outperformed other types of investment  although in the shorter term they can be volatile. one of the benefits of investing for children is that investment is generally for the longer term - more than ten years - which helps to reduce the risks associated with investing in shares. one way to spread the risk is to invest in the stock market through a unit or investment trust. these are pooled investment funds which give access to a wide range of shares. these funds may be actively managed  where a fund manager picks individual stocks based on a view of their future potential  or passive  where a manager invests in all the shares that comprise a stock market index  for example  the ftse 100. exchange traded funds offer an alternative way to track a stock market. these are single shares that give the return of an underlying index (so are really another form of tracker). the difference is that the charges are quite low. the only drawback with all financial gifts is that the children gain an absolute right to the money at age 18  and parents will have no control over how it is spent. for larger gifts it may be worthwhile taking professional advice on the establishment of a suitable trust that will allow ongoing control over the capital and income.


no uk apology  for colonial past the days of britain having to apologise for its colonial past are over  gordon brown has said.  the chancellor  speaking during a week-long tour of africa  said it was time to talk about enduring british values of liberty and tolerance. mr brown has signed a debt relief deal with tanzania which could cost the uk £1 billion. south african president thabo mbeki has attacked british imperialists  saying they treated africans like savages. mr brown said that missionairies had come to africa because of their sense of duty. he added that the history of internationalism and enterprise had given britain a greater global reach than any other country. bbc political correspondent mark mardell said britishness had long been a theme of the chancellor s but  never before has he been so outspoken in defending britain s past history .  the uk has pledged to pay 10% of the developing world s foreign debt bill in an attempt to fight poverty. on top of the relief deal with tanzania mr brown said the uk would make similar offers to 70 poorer nations around the world. under the plan - which could cost the uk £1bn - countries must spend the cash saved on health  education and welfare.  we make this offer unilaterally but we are now asking other countries to join us   the chancellor said. mr brown  on a week-long tour of africa  spent two days in tanzania before heading on friday evening to mozambique  a country where more than half of the 17-million population lives below the poverty line.  there he is expected to strike a similar debt relief pact. the chancellor said he hoped other g8 and european countries would follow suit. the uk has already cancelled its bilateral debts - money the uk alone is owed - with the world s poorest nations including tanzania. former international development secretary clare short questioned the effectiveness of debt relief as a means of tackling poverty.


blair  damaged  by blunkett row a majority of voters (68%) believe the prime minister has been damaged by the row over david blunkett s involvement in a visa application  a poll suggests.  but nearly half those surveyed said mr blunkett should return to cabinet if labour won the next election. some 63% of respondents in the sunday times poll thought his former lover - kimberly quinn - acted vindictively and 61% that he had been right to resign. yougov polled a weighted sample of 1 981 voters online on 16-18 december. mr blunkett resigned as home secretary on wednesday after an inquiry uncovered an e-mail showing a visa application by mrs quinn s former nanny had been speeded up. sir alan budd s inquiry also found mr blunkett s account of events had been wrong. almost a quarter (21%) of those polled for the sunday times said he should return to the cabinet straight after the election. one in four said he should be back in the government s top ranks within a year or two while 39% opposed a comeback.  three-quarters said mr blunkett was right to go to court for the right to see mrs quinn s son - whom he says he fathered - and just 14% voiced sympathy for mrs quinn. a total of 53% of those polled said they had sympathy for mr blunkett  with 40% saying they did not. forty-three per cent thought mr blunkett had done a good job as home secretary and 17% disagreed. meantime  32% said mr blair was a good prime minister and 38% disagreed. a majority  52%  said chancellor gordon brown had done a good job and just 16% disagreed.  a second poll for the independent on sunday found that support for all political parties remained largely unchanged after the blunkett controversy. labour lead the conservatives by 39% to 34% with the liberal democrats on 19%. communicateresearch interviewed 401 people before david blunkett s resignation and 601 afterwards. some 82% said mr blunkett had set a good example by wanting to take responsibility for the child he says is his  but 42% backed his legal action compared to 45% who thought it was unbecoming. thirty per cent said the affair showed mr blunkett could not be trusted as a minister while 63%  disagreed.


movie body targets children s pcs the body that represents the us movie industry has released its latest tool in its campaign to clamp down on movie file-sharing  aimed at parents.  the movie association for america s (mpaa) free parent file scan software lets parents check their children s computers for peer-to-peer programs. it will also list all movie and music files they have on their hard drive. parents then have the choice to remove programs and files. the mpaa said files found would not be passed on to it.  our ultimate goal is to help consumers locate the resources and information they need to make appropriate decisions about using and trading illegal files   said dan glickman  mpaa chief.  many parents are concerned about what their children have downloaded and where they ve downloaded it from.   but some computer users who had tested the latest software reported on some technology sites that the program had identified windows default wav files as copyrighted material and wanted to delete them. movie piracy cost the industry £3.7bn ($7bn) in 2003  according to analysts. the mpaa said in a statement that it would continue to provide easy access to similar tools in the coming months to combat  the deleterious effects of peer-to-peer software  including such common problems as viruses  trojan horses and identity theft .  mr glickman said that the film industry was embracing  digital age technologies   like movielink and cinemanow  which are legal movie sites.  but legal services such as these need a chance to grow and thrive without having to compete against illegitimate operations that depend on stolen property to survive   he added. the industry body also said it had launched a second round of legal action against online movie-swappers across the us  but did not say how many were being sued. its first set of lawsuits were filed in november 2004. it also started a campaign against operators of bittorrent  edonkey and directconnect peer-to-peer networks. the first convictions for peer-to-peer piracy were handed out in the us in january. william trowbridge and michael chicoine pleaded guilty to charges that they infringed copyright by illegally sharing music  movies and software.


wenger signs new deal arsenal manager arsene wenger has signed a new contract to stay at the club until may 2008.  wenger has ended speculation about his future by agreeing a long-term contract that takes him beyond the opening of arsenal s new stadium in two years. he said:  signing a new contract just rubber-stamps my desire to take this club forward and fulfil my ambitions.  i still have so much to achieve and my target is to drive this club on. these are exciting times for arsenal.   the 55-year-old frenchman told arsenal s website www.arsenal.com:  my intention has always been clear. i love this club and am very happy here.  wenger has won the title and the fa cup three times each during his reign. chairman peter hill-wood said:  we are absolutely delighted that arsene has signed an extension to his contract.  since his arrival in 1996  he has revolutionised the club both on and off the pitch.  as well as the six major honours he s won during his time here  arsene has been a leading influence behind all the major initiatives at the club including the construction of our new training centre and also our new stadium.   the club has continued to reap the benefits of arsene s natural eye for unearthing footballing talent.  we currently have a fantastic crop of young players coming through the ranks together with a number of world-class players who are playing a wonderful brand of football.  meanwhile  arsenal director danny fiszman is looking for wenger to stay beyond 2008.  when we come towards the end of his contract we will both review the situation. i m sure we will want him to stay on and i hope he will too   said fiszman.


final hunts held as ban looms hunts in england and wales have begun on the last day that hunting with dogs is legal  with more due out later.  thousands of supporters are expected to turn out at more than 250 meets  many of which have altered their normal schedules to be out on a thursday. the ban on hunting with dogs comes into effect from 0001 gmt on friday. the countryside alliance had its latest legal bid to block the ban thwarted on wednesday when the appeal court ruled the hunting act was lawful.  but the group says hunting will continue in some form after the ban comes in  with hunts expected to test the new law to its limits. others are expected to defy the ban by continuing to hunt illegally.  anti-hunt organisations  for whom the ban is the culmination of years of campaigning  say they hope most will stay within the law. mike hobday  of the league against cruel sports  told bbc news:  we ve long urged them to go drag hunting - to follow an artificial scent - and that is what we hope they do.  but if they continue to chase foxes  to chase wild mammals around the countryside  that s against the law and we re confident they ll be brought to justice.  at the headquarters of quorn hunt in leicestershire  feelings were running high as hunt enthusiasts prepared for their final legal hunt. bbc correspondent sarah mukherjee said hunt supporters were in tears.  she said many people did not share the countryside alliance s optimism that hunting would be able to continue. farmer geoff brooks  a senior member of the quorn hunt  told bbc news people s lives  revolved around hunting . he described the ban as  ridiculous  and  badly thought out  but said it would be hard for most people to defy it as they would not want to risk their incomes by getting a criminal record.  at the court of appeal on wednesday  the countryside alliance failed in its attempt to have the hunting act ruled invalid. but it says the ban is unenforceable because the law is unclear and impossible to police.  the alliance says hunt supporters will go out and test this law to its limits on saturday. the league against cruel sports and the rspca say they will monitor hunts and assist police in bringing prosecutions. the association of chief police officers has issued guidance to forces on how to deal with the new rules. a spokesman said:  basically  it s not going to be police officers chasing about in cars across fields  it will be based on intelligence and information received as well.  the decision on how to police individual hunts will be left to local forces  with more officers sent to hunts where disruption is expected. he said police would consider evidence submitted by anti-hunt organisations on its merits.


deutsche attacks yukos case german investment bank deutsche bank has challenged the right of yukos to claim bankruptcy protection in the us.  in a court filing on tuesday  it said the russian oil giant has few texas ties beyond bank accounts and a texas-based finance chief. deutsche bank claimed yukos had artificially manufactured a legal case to stop the sale of its main asset. it had wanted to help fund gazprom s plans for a $10bn (£5.18bn) bid for yukos unit yuganskneftegas.  deutsche bank would have earned large fees from the deal  which could not be carried out because us chapter 11 bankruptcy rules made the kremlin s auction of yuganskneftegas on 19 december illegal under us law.  but the us bankruptcy court judge in texas granted yukos an injunction that barred gazprom and its lenders from taking part. yuganskneftegas will ultimately end up with gazprom. the winning bidder at the auction was a previously unknown firm  baikal finance group  which was snapped up days later by rosneft  a russian oil firm that is in the process of merging with gazprom. the effect of these transactions is to renationalise yuganskneftegas. deutsche bank contends yukos filed for bankruptcy earlier this month in texas in a desperate and unsuccessful bid to stave off the 19 december auction of its top unit by the russian government  which was in a tax dispute with yukos.   this blatant attempt to artificially manufacture a basis for jurisdiction constitutes cause to dismiss this case   deutsche bank said in its court filing. mike lake  a spokesman for yukos  lawyers  said on tuesday that the company stands by its legal action. yukos is confident of its right to us bankruptcy protection  and  we are prepared to be back in court defending that position again   he said. yukos has said it intends to seek $20bn in damages from the buyer of yuganskneftegas once the sale finally goes through. in its filing  deutsche bank said houston was  a jurisdiction in which yukos owns no real or personal property and conducts no business operations.   it also said the us bankruptcy court should not become involved in  a tax dispute between the federation and one of its corporate citizens . it suggested the european court or an international arbitration tribunal were more appropriate jurisdictions for the legal fight between russia and yukos. the next hearing in the bankruptcy is expected on 6 january. analysts believe the tax dispute between the russian government and yukos is partly driven by russian president vladimir putin s hostility hostility to the political ambitions of ex-yukos boss mikhail khordokovsky. mr khodorkovsky is in jail  and on trial for fraud and tax evasion.


collins to compete in birmingham world and commonwealth 100m champion kim collins will compete in the 60m at the norwich union grand prix in birmingham on 18 february.  the st kitts and nevis star joins british olympic relay gold medallists jason gardener and mark lewis-francis. sydney olympic 100m champion and world indoor record holder maurice greene and athens olympic 100m silver medallist francis obikwelu will also take part. collins ran in birmingham at the 2003 world indoor championships.  i m looking forward to competing against such a strong field   he said.  i got a great reception form the crowd at the nia when i won my 60m world indoor silver medal in 2003 and it will be really exciting to return to this venue.  the world champion says he s in good shape but he isn t underestimating the home competition.  jason gardener and mark lewis-francis are olympic gold medallists now and i m sure they ll be aiming to win in front of their home supporters.  i m looking forward to competing against britain s best sprinters and i m sure the 60 metres will be one of the most exciting races of the evening.  collins was sixth in the olympic final in athens but is hoping for a better result at the world championships in finland this summer.  this will be a big year for me and i plan to defend my 100m world title in helsinki in august. before then i want to perform well over 60m indoors and start my year in winning form.