reyes tricked into real admission jose antonio reyes has added to speculation linking him with a move from arsenal to real madrid after falling victim to a radio prank.  the spaniard believed he was talking to real madrid sporting director emilio butragueno when he allegedly berated his team-mates as  bad people .  i wish i was playing for real madrid   the 21-year-old told cadena cope.  hopefully it could happen. i love the way madrid play. i m not happy with the way things are.  the striker joined the gunners from seville for £17m at the start of 2004  but it has frequently been reported that he is homesick. he began the season in superb form but has struggled to maintain his high standards as arsenal have gradually lost the premiership initiative to manchester united and chelsea.  if i m not (playing for real) i m going to have to carry on playing with some bad people   he added.   i m sure there are none in the real dressing room.  i m happy madrid is interested in me because it has always been my dream since i was little to play there.  before the story surfaced  reyes had moved to play down reports linking him with the spanish giants  issuing a statement through arsenal describing the speculation as  flattering .  i have seen the stories in the media linking me with real madrid   he had said on thursday lunchtime.  but not only am i under contract at arsenal  i am happy here and committed to helping the team win more trophies.  butragueno  meanwhile  was angry at being impersonated by the radio disc jockey.  it is a disgrace  there is no foundation to this   he said.  he is an arsenal player and we have to be respectful. we have to be careful because of the rumours that appear in the news.


tobacco giants hail court ruling us tobacco companies have welcomed an appeal court s decision to reject the government s $280bn (£155bn) claim for alleged deceit about smoking dangers.  tobacco stocks rose sharply on wall street after the 2-1 decision. the court in washington found the case - filed by the clinton administration in 1999 - could not be brought under federal anti-racketeering laws. anti-smoking groups urge the government to fight on  but the justice department has not said if it will appeal. among the accused were altria group  rj reynolds tobacco  lorillard tobacco  liggett group and brown and williamson. they were delighted by the decision  which sent reynolds shares up 4.5% and altria shares up 5.11%.  charles a blixt  executive vice-president of rj reynolds tobacco  said the ruling  dramatically transforms  the government s lawsuit. altria group said  in a statement  the government now  must not only prove that the companies have engaged in fraudulent behaviour in the past  but that they are likely to do so in the future.   the government had claimed tobacco firms    - manipulated nicotine levels to increase addiction   - targeted teenagers with multi-billion dollar advertising campaigns   - lied about the dangers of smoking and ignored research to the contrary.     prosecutors wanted the cigarette firms to  disgorge  $280bn in profits accumulated over the past 50 years and impose tougher rules on marketing their products. they brought the case under racketeering laws  which were passed to deny mafia gangs the profits of their crimes. but the tobacco companies denied that they illegally conspired to promote smoking and defraud the public. they also said they had already met many of the government s demands in a landmark $206bn settlement reached with 46 states in 1998. the three-judge panel in the district of columbia s court of appeals ruled on friday that the us government could not sue the firms under the anti-racketeering laws. judge david sentelle  in his ruling  said such laws were aimed at putting an end to illegal conduct going forward.  we hold that the language of (the law) and the comprehensive remedial scheme of (the law) preclude disgorgement as a possible remedy in this case   he wrote. the justice department refused to say if it would appeal.  all we re saying today is that we have received the ruling and are reviewing it   a spokeswoman said on friday. but william corr of the campaign for tobacco-free kids urged the government to continue pressing its case.  today s ruling should not be an excuse for this administration to seek a weak settlement that lets the tobacco industry off the hook   he said.


tulu to appear at caledonian run two-time olympic 10 000 metres champion derartu tulu has confirmed she will take part in the bupa great caledonian run in edinburgh on 8 may.  the 32-year-old ethiopian is the first star name to enter the event. tulu has won the boston  london and tokyo marathons  as well as the world 10 000m title in 2001.  we are delighted to have secured the services of one the most decorated competitors the sport has ever seen   said race director matthew turnbull.  her record speaks for herself and there are few other women distance runners who would dare compare their pedigree with tulu s   he added.  she might be 33 next month  but that didn t stop her winning the olympic 10 000m bronze medal last summer. she s an ultra-consistent championships racer.


rock star sued by ex-girlfriend motley crue guitarist mick mars is being sued by his ex-girlfriend for $10 million (£5.4 million)  claiming he broke a promise to take care of her.  the woman  robin mantooth  said mars promised her repeatedly that he would provide financial support in the event of the couple breaking up. when they split in december  mantooth says mars denied any such agreement. she is asking a los angeles court to award her half the musician s property  a monthly allowance and damages. mantooth added that the pair became lovers in 1990  after which she abandoned her career as a documentary film-maker to move in with the guitarist at his malibu home.  she is also claiming that mars  53  has failed to provide her with any material support since they ceased to be a couple. motley crue recently reunited after being apart for a period of five years. they originally formed in the early 1980s and scored six hits in the uk  including girls girls girls in 1987. they are embarking on a world tour later this year which will take in 60 cities across the us  europe  asia and australia. mars - real name bob allen deal - underwent hip replacement surgery in october. he suffers from a degenerative rheumatic disease which causes ligaments and tendons to attach to the bone.


blair and blunkett sheffield trip tony blair is to join home secretary david blunkett in a visit to sheffield on thursday.  mr blunkett s conduct is being looked at to establish whether he abused his position in relation to his ex-lover. the parliamentary standards watchdog is looking at his decision to give kimberly quinn free rail tickets. he is also being investigated over the visa application of mrs quinn s ex-nanny. the visit to sheffield will be seen as a show of unity by mr blair.  on wednesday during prime minister s questions  tory leader michael howard went on the offensive over comments mr blunkett is alleged to have made in a new biography. he is understood to have made a series of criticisms about his cabinet colleagues from the prime minister down. mr howard said mr blunkett had complained he had inherited a  giant mess  when he took over at the home office from jack straw  now foreign secretary. the tory leader went on:  he doesn t stop there: he thinks the culture secretary s weak; he thinks the trade secretary doesn t think strategically and he thinks the education secretary hasn t developed as expected.  he says the prime minister doesn t like being told the truth and the chancellor - no doubt the prime minister will agree with this - is a bully.  mr blair retorted voters remembered the record of a government and no comments by politicians.  the home secretary has already admitted he was wrong to give the two first class tickets  given to him as an mp  to mrs quinn and has since paid the £180 back. he has apologised for  a genuine mistake  and says he will write to the watchdog to answer further questions. the rail tickets are meant to help mps  spouses get between westminster and their constituencies. after his inquiry  parliamentary watchdog sir philip mawer will report to the commons standards and privileges committee  the group of mps who will recommend to the full house of commons what action - if any - should be taken against mr blunkett.  the separate inquiry by ex-senior civil servant sir alan budd is investigating whether the home secretary helped fast-track a bid by mrs quinn s nanny  leoncia casalme  to stay in the uk. last week  mr blunkett won the first round of a high court battle with mrs quinn for access to her son. mr blunkett declined to comment about his own position  saying the inquiry was under way and the high court had stressed his right to privacy did not affect his job in improving security and stability. downing street has stressed mr blair s support for the home secretary.


sydney return for henin-hardenne olympic champion justine henin-hardenne will return to action in january s sydney international tournament.  the belgian has not competed since losing her top world ranking at the us open in september  where she was beaten in the fourth round by nadia petrova. she took time out to shake off a virus but will defend her titles in sydney and at the australian open. women s world number one lindsay davenport and french open champion anastasia myskina will also compete.  in the men s event  world number three lleyton hewitt returns to defend his title  along with runner-up carlos moya. moya  spain s davis cup final hero in their recent win over the us  had to retire with an ankle injury in the first set of the final.  tournament director craig watson said:  i had a message relayed to me from him after spain s davis cup victory  saying he was looking forward to trying to make up for his disappointment in the (2004) final. the tournament will take place from 9-15 january.


capriati to miss melbourne jennifer capriati has become the third leading lady to withdraw from the australian open because of injury.  the organisers of the first grand slam of 2005  which begins on 17 january  said the american has a problem with her right shoulder. it comes as a blow to the women s draw as last year s champion  justin henin-hardenne  and runner-up  kim clijsters  will also be absent. capriati is a two-time champion in melbourne with wins in 2001 and 2002. she is believed to have picked up the injury at the advanta championships at philadelphia in november and had to pull out of an exhibition match with wimbledon champion maria sharapova on 17 december. capriati also decided against competing in the australian open warm-up event  the sydney international.


asian banks halt dollar s slide the dollar regained some lost ground against most major currencies on wednesday after south korea and japan denied they were planning a sell-off.  the dollar suffered its biggest one-day fall in four months on tuesday on fears that asian central banks were about to lower their reserves of dollars. japan is the biggest holder of dollar reserves in the world  with south korea the fourth largest. the dollar was buying 104.76 yen at 0950 gmt  0.5% stronger on the day. it also edged higher against both the euro and the pound  with one euro worth $1.3218  and one pound buying $1.9094. concerns over rising oil prices and the outlook for the dollar pushed down us stock markets on tuesday; the dow jones industrial average closed down 1.6%  while the nasdaq lost 1.3%.  the dollar s latest slide began after a south korean parliamentary report suggested the country  which has about $200bn in foreign reserves  had plans to boost holdings of currencies such as the australian and canadian dollar. on wednesday  however  south korea moved to steady the financial markets. it issued a statement that  the bank of korea will not change the portfolio of currencies in its reserves due to short term market factors . japan  too  steadied nerves. a senior japanese finance ministry official told reuters  we have no plans to change the composition of currency holdings in the foreign reserves  and we are not thinking about expanding our euro holdings . japan has $850bn in foreign exchange reserves. at the start of the year  the us currency  which had lost 7% against the euro in the final three months of 2004 and had fallen to record lows  staged something of a recovery. analysts  however  pointed to the dollar s inability recently to extend that rally despite positive economic and corporate data  and highlighted the fact that many of the us s economic problems had not disappeared. the focus has been on the country s massive trade and budget deficits  and analysts have predicted more dollar weakness to come.


dj double act revamp chart show dj duo jk and joel are taking over bbc radio 1 s flagship chart show on sunday  adding showbiz news  celebrity interviews and between-song banter.  they hope to boost ratings for the long-running show  which has been overtaken in popularity by independent radio s hit 40 uk rundown.  radio 1 s chart show is an institution and remains the station s single most popular show   says jk  also known as jason king.  for years people have been tuning in at four o clock with their tape recorders ready to record their favourite tunes. not that i ever did that.  but things have moved on a lot now so it was time for a change.   that change involved ejecting previous host wes butters and relocating king and dj partner joel ross from their weekend afternoon radio 1 slot. the pair have worked together for a decade - meeting on viking radio in hull before moving to manchester station key 103 and winning two sony radio awards. they also presented gadget series playboyz and car show motor maniacs for cable tv channel granada men and motors  and pure soap on bbc three.  on the revamped chart show their cheeky  laddish banter will punctuate star interviews and competitions  film and dvd charts plus a look at future single releases  in addition to the singles chart itself.  the chart rundown is no longer the only point of the programme   says ross.  the show used to be the only way to discover who was in the top 40. now you can just click on the internet to find that out  so the show has plenty of extra items too.  the show s reduced reliance upon the top 40 also reflects the fact that music fans are now more likely to download songs in digital format rather than buy them on compact disc  vinyl or cassette.   i personally buy downloads rather than cd singles   says 27-year-old ross.  even my grandma can download songs now. jk is still struggling with the technology  though.   but it s premature for people to say that the singles chart is dead   ross adds.  while sales of singles on traditional formats are down  interest in songs has been revived by download sales  which will be incorporated into our main chart rundown from april.  music fans still want to know what is the most popular song of the week.   ross will be plumping for chart success from rapper verbalicious and the stereophonics on sunday  while king is more of an r&b and dance music fan.  so listeners will get the advantage of both our music tastes   says king  30  who describes outgoing host butters as  an extremely professional and competent broadcaster .   the advantage joel and i have is that we re a double act  with a rapport between us that makes the show much more interactive   king says.  wes has a great broadcasting career ahead of him. and if not  i could always use a cleaner   he jokes. ross says the pair have done their best to ignore the weight of expectation placed upon the revamped show.  other people can worry about that  we are going to continue doing what we do well   he says.  at the end of the day this is a radio show that is meant to be entertaining. nobody died.


giggs handed wales leading role ryan giggs will captain wales as he wins his 50th cap in wednesday s friendly against hungary in cardiff.  john toshack  in his first game as coach after succeeding mark hughes  admits he is surprised that giggs has only just reached the landmark.  with the games he s played for united  proportionately it doesn t seem that many for wales   toshack said.  but he s one of the greatest of all welsh internationals and on his 50th cap it s appropriate he s captain.  giggs admits he had briefly considered retirement from the international game  but is now targetting playing for wales in the 2008 european championships. the manchester united wing revealed how club manager sir alex ferguson talked him into extending his wales career.  i briefly discussed my international future with sir alex  but he urged me to carry on   giggs said.  he feels  like myself  that i have no weight problems and keep myself fit  so in three or four years  time i will be able to play in the european finals if we get there.  the manager has always wanted me to play for my club and country and he was keen for me to continue because i am fit enough.   giggs admits he was wavering and considering joining the likes of former wales skipper gary speed and united team-mate paul scholes in committing the remaining years of his career to club football. but giggs is now focussed on making the toshack era even more successful than the time hughes spent at the helm. the manchester united winger won his first cap as a 17-year-old in 1991  an away loss to germany  and now faces his landmark appearance at the age of 31. with giggs leading wales out against hungary  there is every chance that he will become the permanent successor to speed. however  toshack refused to reveal whether he sees giggs as a long-term option.  for this particular game i think it is appropriate that ryan giggs will be captain  it s his 50th cap and he s known for some time about that   toshack said. on wednesday night toshack takes charge of his first match since replacing hughes  and giggs said:  it s my 50th cap and i am looking forward to it  and i hope to play a lot more times from here on in.  it s important to be here  all the players feel the same. it s a new start and all the top players certainly see it as important.  i see myself leading by example  it is something i have taken on for wales as well as united these past few seasons.  the way john is looking at things  he is aiming to build his side around the experienced lads right up to the next tournament  the euro 2006 event.  i have told john i will be around for the next european tournament  by then i will be 35 so hopefully i will still be okay.  a lot can happen  but i m hoping to be around.  giggs  own personal future at old trafford is still up in the air as he has yet to reach agreement on a new contract  with manchester united offering one extra year and giggs seeking two.  i have put the contract thing to the back of my mind at the moment   said giggs.  it is an important period for the club and i am just concentrated on that.  i ve heard the suggestions  hopefully there is a two-year deal about to be offered because that is what i am looking for  to get it sorted out.  i m enjoying my football  the way united have been playing and my own form  you have to enjoy it.  we have massive games coming up: manchester city this week  then the everton cup tie  followed by ac milan in the champions league  and my first wales game under john toshack  so it s an important time.


henman overcomes rival rusedski tim henman saved a match point before fighting back to defeat british rival greg rusedski 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 at the dubai tennis championships on tuesday.  world number 46 rusedski broke in the ninth game to take a tight opening set. rusedski had match point at 6-5 in the second set tie-break after henman double-faulted  but missed his chance and henman rallied to clinch the set. the british number one then showed his superior strength to take the decider and earn his sixth win over rusedski. serve was held by both players with few alarms until the seventh game of the final set  when rusedski s wild volley gave henman a vital break. a furious rusedski slammed his racket onto the ground in disgust and was warned by the umpire.  henman  seeded three  then held his serve comfortably thanks to four serve-and-volley winners to take a clear 5-3 lead. rusedski won his service game but henman took the first of his three match points with a service winner to secure his place in the second round at dubai for the first time in three years. it was the first match between the pair for three years - henman last lost to rusedski six years ago - and lasted two hours and 40 minutes. the pair are now likely to only face each other on court as rivals - rather than as team-mates - after henman decided to retire from davis cup tennis leaving rusedski to lead the team out against israel on 4-6 march. henman  who now faces russian igor andreev in the last 16  admitted afterwards it was difficult coming up against his compatriot on a fast surface.  you just take it point by point when you re fighting to stay in the match   he said.  i had to keep playing aggressively and competing to get a chance.  i now have to recover in time for the next match because the body doesn t recover as quick as it used to  especially after two hours and 40 minutes.


blair moves to woo jewish voters tony blair has pledged to  never  ever  ever  attack tory leader michael howard over his jewish beliefs.  the prime minister told the jewish chronicle:  if you look at what i do  i attack michael howard politically.  mr blair also distanced himself from recent labour campaign posters featuring mr howard  which critics claimed were  anti-semitic . these were  not intended to cause any offence to anyone on the jewish community   mr blair insisted.  one poster depicted mr howard and his shadow chancellor oliver letwin  who is also jewish  as flying pigs. another pictured the tory leader swinging a pocket watch on a chain  which critics said echoed the jewish money lender shylock in shakespeare s merchant of venice.  others compared the image to the character fagin in charles dickens  oliver twist. labour has since taken the designs of its website  saying members had preferred other designs. during his interview with the jewish chronicle  mr blair said:  i ve been a very strong supporter of the jewish community and israel  and will always be so.  pressed on whether he would draw attention to mr howard s jewish beliefs in an attempt to attract muslim support  he replied:  the idea that i would allow anybody to make such a charge is outrageous. it s untrue.  if you look what i do  i attack michael howard politically. i would never  ever  ever attack him on that basis.   mr blair also defended his party s attitude towards the jewish community  pointing out that it was his government that had introduced the holocaust memorial day. he added that labour also aggressively fought all forms of racism.  neither the conservatives nor the liberal democrats wished to comment on mr blair s words. the prime minister was speaking as london s labour mayor ken livingstone remains embroiled in a row over comments he made to a jewish reporter from the city s evening standard newspaper. mr blair repeated calls for the mayor to apologise for likening the reporter  oliver finegold  to a concentration camp guard. mr livingstone  should have withdrawn the comment immediately  once he realised the journalist was jewish  said mr blair.  i m sure that is what in truth he wants to do. well  he should do it.  mr livingstone has said he could not sincerely say sorry for the comments he made  and claims he has been targeted by the newspaper. he conceded his comments may have been offensive but were not racist  and said earlier this week he would not apologise even if mr blair asked.


spider-man creator wins profits spider-man creator stan lee is to get a multi-million dollar windfall after winning a court battle with comic book company marvel.  a judge has upheld lee s demand for 10% of marvel s profits from the hugely successful spider-man films. spider-man and its sequel made $1.6bn (£857m) at box offices worldwide. of the cut now due to lee  82  who created spider-man in 1962  his lawyer said:  it could be tens of millions of dollars  that s no exaggeration.  us district court judge robert w sweet ruled lee should get a tenth of profits generated since november 1998 by marvel tv and movie productions involving the company s characters. lee took legal action in 2002  saying marvel shut him out of  jackpot  profits from the first blockbuster film.  he said the company - where he worked for more than 60 years - had gone back on agreement to give him the 10%. as well as spider-man  lee co-created the incredible hulk  x-men  daredevil and fantastic four characters. he said:  i am gratified by the judge s decision although  since i am deeply fond of marvel and the people there  i sincerely regret that the situation had to come to this.  the ruling also means he is entitled to a slice of profits from dvd sales and certain merchandise. marvel said it would appeal and did not expect the decision to impact on financial forecasts for 2004 and beyond. the new york court did not rule on lee s claims to a share of profits from some spider-man and hulk movie merchandise  which will be decided at a future trial  marvel said.


camera phones are  must-haves  four times more mobiles with cameras in them will be sold in europe by the end of 2004 than last year  says a report from analysts gartner.  globally  the number sold will reach 159 million  an increase of 104%. the report predicts that nearly 70% of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008. improving imaging technology in mobiles is making them an increasingly  must-have  buy. in europe  cameras on mobiles can take 1.3 megapixel images. but in japan and asia pacific  where camera phone technology is much more advanced  mobiles have already been released which can take 3.2 megapixel images. japan still dominates mobile phone technology  and the uptake there is huge. by 2008  according to gartner  95% of all mobiles sold there will have cameras on them.  camera phones had some teething problems when they were first launched as people struggled with poor quality images and uses for them  as well as the complexity and expense of sending them via mms (multimedia messaging services). this has changed in the last 18 months. handset makers have concentrated on trying to make phones easier to use. realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways  they have introduced more design features  like rotating screens and viewfinders  removable memory cards and easier controls to send picture messages.  mobile companies have introduced more ways for people to share photos with other people. these have included giving people easier ways to publish them on websites  or mobile blogs - moblogs. but the report suggests that until image quality increases more  people will not be interested in printing out pictures at kiosks. image sensor technology inside cameras phones is improving. the gartner report suggests that by mid-2005  it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two megapixels. consumer digital cameras images range from two to four megapixels in quality  and up to six megapixels on a high-end camera. but a lot of work is being done to make camera phones more like digital cameras. some handsets already feature limited zoom capability  and manufacturers are looking into technological improvements that will let people take more photos in poorly-lit conditions  like nightclubs. other developments include wide-angle modes  basic editing features  and better sensors and processors for recording film clips.  images from camera phones have even made it into the art world. an exhibition next month in aid of the charity mencap  will feature snaps taken from the camera phones of top artists.  the exhibition  fonetography  will feature images taken by photographers david bailey  rankin and nan goldin  and artists sir peter blake  tracey emin and jack vettriano. but some uses for them have worried many organisations. intel  samsung  the uk s foreign office and lawrence livermore national laboratories in the us  have decided to ban camera phones from their buildings for fear of sensitive information being snapped and leaked. many schools  fitness centres and local councils have also banned them over fears about privacy and misuse. italy s information commissioner has also voiced concern and has issued guidelines on where and how the phones can be used. but camera phone fears have not dampened the manufacturers  profits. according to recent figures  sony ericsson s profits tripled in the third-quarter because of new camera phones. over 60% of mobiles sold during the three months through to september featured integrated cameras  it said.


broadband fuels online change fast web access is encouraging more people to express themselves online  research suggests.  a quarter of broadband users in britain regularly upload content and have personal sites  according to a report by uk think-tank demos. it said that having an always-on  fast connection is changing the way people use the internet. more than five million households in the uk have broadband and that number is growing fast.  the demos report looked at the impact of broadband on people s net habits. it found that more than half of those with broadband logged on to the web before breakfast. one in five even admitted to getting up in the middle of the night to browse the web.  more significantly  argues the report  broadband is encouraging people to take a more active role online. it found that one in five post something on the net everyday  ranging from comments or opinions on sites to uploading photographs.  broadband is putting the  me  in media as it shifts power from institutions and into the hands of the individual   said john craig  co-author of the demos report.  from self-diagnosis to online education  broadband creates social innovation that moves the debate beyond simple questions of access and speed.  the demos report  entitled broadband britain: the end of asymmetry   was commissioned by net provider aol.  broadband is moving the perception of the internet as a piece of technology to an integral part of home life in the uk   said karen thomson  chief executive of aol uk   with many people spending time on their computers as automatically as they might switch on the television or radio.  according to analysts nielsen//netratings  more than 50% of the 22.8 million uk net users regularly accessing the web from home each month are logging on at high speed they spend twice as long online than people on dial-up connections  viewing an average of 1 444 pages per month. the popularity of fast net access is growing  partly fuelled by fierce competition over prices and services.


brits return keane to number one brits success has helped return keane s award-winning album hopes and fears back to the top of the uk album chart.  the debut album  which took the best british album title at the brits on tuesday  moved up seven places from number eight to number one. also capitalising on brits success were the scissor sisters whose eponymous album moved three places to number two. u2 s latest single sometimes you can t make it on your own took the top spot in the singles chart  ahead of elvis. the track  from their current album how to dismantle an atomic bomb  pushed eminem s like toy soldiers from number one to number three.  elvis  wooden heart  which entered the chart at number two  is the sixth in a series of 18 reissues to mark the 70th anniversary of presley s birth. there are currently six re-released elvis  tracks occupying spots in the top 40 singles chart including are you lonesome tonight at number 20  it s now or never at number 27 and jailhouse rock at number 37. soldier  by destiny s child  ti and lil wayne  debuted at number four  while almost here  the duet from former westlife star brian mcfadden and delta goodrem  fell from number three to number five. there was more follow up to brits success for franz ferdinand won best rock act and best british group last week. their self-titled album moved from 13 to number four. last week s number one album tourist  by athlete  fell to number three.


uk s  useless  quangos under fire the uk has 529 quangos financed with billions of pounds of taxpayers  cash - many of which are useless or duplicate each other s efforts  a report claims.  essential guide to british quangos 2005 author dan lewis said at least 111 of the appointed bodies had been set up since labour won power in 1997. he urged a limit on the number of quangos that could be set up by any individual government department. tories and lib dems welcomed the report and called for a  slimming down .  conservative deregulation spokesman john redwood said:  the research endorses our policy of destroying unwanted and unnecessary quangos  and slimming down the rest.   a conservative government will axe 162 quangos  as part of its drive for more efficient and more accountable government.  lib dem spokesman ed davey meanwhile said instead of the  bonfire of quangos  new labour had promised  there had been an  explosion  of them.  for over two decades  under both tory and labour governments  these unaccountable agencies have mushroomed.  liberal democrats would abolish many  merge others  and make any that remain properly accountable.  labour representatives were unavailable for comment. the quango guide follows last year s government-commissioned gershon report which recommended significant cuts in bureaucracy across the public sector.  mr lewis wants a public inquiry into regional development agencies which cost £1.8bn a year - cash he says which  appears to be almost entirely wasted . as well as a departmental limit on quangos he also wants a statutory five-year limit on any such body with executive powers. he also listed what he dubbed the nine  most useless quangos . they were the british potato council  the milk development council  the energy savings trust  agricultural wages committees  the wine standards board  the westminster foundation for democracy  the football licensing authority  investors in people uk and the economic and social research council. mr lewis branded the existence of the 60-employee potato council  set up in 1997 to research and promote overseas potato markets   surprising . he said the £80m spent annually on the energy savings trust  which promotes renewable energy  would be better spent on eight million boiler jackets for british homes.  and he argued it was  absurd  to charge farmers for agricultural wages committees  which set working and wage standards in the industry  when many were prepared to take advantage of immigrant labour prepared to work for £1 an hour.  if a football team can afford to pay £27m for wayne rooney  why should the taxpayer - not all of whom like football - be forced to fund the football licensing authority to the tune of over £1.1m a year   mr lewis asked. the report is published by the efficiency in government unit - a joint effort by right of centre think tanks the economic research council and the centre for policy studies. it says before a new public body is set up  an assessment should be made whether its proposed role is already carried out by an existing charity or other private organisation.


china  to overtake us net use  the chinese net-using population looks set to exceed that of the us in less than three years  says a report.  china s net users number 100m but this represents less than 8% of the country s 1.3 billion people. market analysts panlogic predicts that net users in china will exceed the 137 million us users of the net by 2008. the report says that the country s culture will mean that chinese people will use the net for very different ends than in many other nations.  already net use in china has a very different character than in many western nations  said william makower  chief executive of panlogic. in many western nations desktop computers that can access the net are hard to escape at work. by contrast in china workplace machines are relatively rare. this  combined with the relatively high cost of pcs in china and the time it takes to get phone lines installed  helps to explains the huge number of net cafes in china. only 36% of chinese homes have telephones according to reports.  net usage tends to happen in the evening   said mr makower   they get access only when they go home and go off to the internet café.   its fundamentally different usage to what we have here   he said.  net use in china was still very much an urban phenomenon with most users living on the country s eastern seaboard or in its three biggest cities. the net is key to helping chinese people keep in touch with friends  said mr makower. many people use it in preference to the phone or arrange to meet up with friends at net cafes. what people can do on the net is also limited by aspects of chinese life. for instance  said mr makower  credit cards are rare in china partly because of fears people have about getting in to debt.  the most popular way to pay is cash-on-delivery   he said   and that s quite a brake to the development of e-commerce.  the arrival of foreign banks in china  due in 2006  could mean greater use of credit cards but for the moment they are rare  said mr makower. but if chinese people are not spending cash online they are interested in the news they can get via the net and the view it gives them on western ways of living.  a large part of the attraction of the internet is that it goes below the radar   he said.  generally it s more difficult for the government to be able to control it.   its real value is as an open window onto what s happening elsewhere in the world   he said. government restrictions on how much advertising can appear on television means that the net is a source of many commercial messages chinese people would not see anywhere else. familiarity with the net also has a certain social cachet.  it s a sign of them having made it that they can use the internet and navigate around it   said mr makower.


clijsters set for february return tennis star kim clijsters will make her return from a career-threatening injury at the antwerp wta event in february.   kim had considered returning to action in paris on 7 february   a statement on her website said.  she s decided against this so that she does not risk the final phase of her recovery. if all goes well  kim will make her return on february 15.  the 21-year-old has not played since last october after aggravating a wrist injury at the belgian open. back then  a doctor treating the belgian feared that her career may be over  with the player having already endured an operation earlier in the season to cure her wrist problem.  i hope she comes back  but i m pessimistic   said bruno willems. clijsters was also due to marry fellow tennis star lleyton hewitt in february but the pair split  for private reasons  back in october.


charity single for quake relief singers including sir cliff richard and boy george are recording a charity single to help raise funds for victims of the asian tsunami.  they hope the song will raise more than £2m for the relief fund. the song  titled grief never grows old and described as a melancholy ballad  was written by radio dj mike read. former boyzone singer ronan keating may also take part if a studio can be found close to where he is holidaying in switzerland. other music stars being approached include robin and barry gibb of the bee gees  jazz sensation jamie cullum  chris rea and olivia newton-john.  sir cliff has recorded his vocal part in barbados  while boy george has recorded his in new york. read wrote the song before the boxing day tragedy but had thought it was too gloomy to release. now he plans to have it recorded by a collection of pop stars under the name one world project.  it s a natural home for it because people kept saying to me   it s such a good song   but it s such a sad song   read said.  he said the song was a slow ballad and would work with around 10 singers  rather than a  sing-along  like the band aid 20 single raising money for famine relief in africa. the backing track has already been recorded and organisers hope it can be finished within the next week to get it into record shops as soon as possible. read went to the disasters emergency committee (dec)  which is co-ordinating the british relief effort  with the idea the day after boxing day.  i was totally shocked at the enormity and suddenness of the disaster and in tears on seeing the orphaned children wandering aimlessly in search of their parents   he said. read said all the funds raised by the record would go to the dec.  i d only be pleased in terms of what it meant for sales if it got to number one   he added. the charity welcomed the news of the single and said money raised would help its agencies working in the affected region to rebuild survivors  lives and livelihoods.


belle named  best scottish band  belle & sebastian have been named the best scottish band of all time after a three month-long public poll.  the group beat travis and idlewild into second and third place respectively. franz ferdinand  who recently picked up five brit award nominations  ended up in 15th place  while the eurythmics wound up at a lowly 38. other scottish acts  such as the mull historical society who also featured in the top 50  performed at a party in glasgow where the result was announced. scottish-based band snow patrol  who finished 14th in the vote and have been nominated for a pair of brit awards  were among the performers who covered well-known scottish pop songs at the party on wednesday night.  indie stalwarts belle & sebastian have enjoyed a chart career stretching back to 1997. they were the surprise winners of the brit award for best breakthrough act two years later. scottish bands from earlier musical eras also made it into the final list  including 1970s tartan boy band the bay city rollers and goth favourites the jesus and mary chain.  scottish magazine the list recently compiled a list of the top 50 scottish bands of all time  but left the final decision to the public. the magazine s music editor mark robertson said:  the idea behind the project was simple - to rediscover the very best of scottish music  from the finest musical talent spanning from the age of 70s rock through to 80s pop  right up to today s international stars.   everyone has strong opinions about this and we wanted to open it up to the public to decide   he added. bbc radio scotland presenter vic galloway  who has been involved in the project  said it had been  great fun  to look back at scotland s musical heritage and take note of up-and-coming scottish acts.


houllier praises benitez regime former liverpool manager gerard houllier has praised the work of his anfield successor rafael benitez.  houllier was angry at reports that he has been critical of benitez since the spaniard took over at liverpool. but houllier told bbc sport:  in private and in public  i have stressed i believe rafa is doing a good job. he is the right man at the right place.  rafa is a good coach and a good man. i ve spoken to him since he has been at liverpool and never criticised him.  houllier also revealed he is now ready to return to the game after leaving liverpool in may following six years at anfield.  the former france boss has been linked with a host of jobs and pulled out of the race to succeed mark hughes as wales national coach. he has been working for uefa  covering the premiership for french television and also coaching in brazil with national coach carlos alberto perreira. houllier said:  if a good club comes up at the right time then yes  i am ready to come back.  it has been interesting to watch games from a different perspective and i have learned things.  i have been involved in football since leaving liverpool and my batteries are recharged.   houllier has been impressed with the quality in the premiership after watching as a pundit - particularly with jose mourinho s work at leaders chelsea. he said:  chelsea are doing very well. they have some very good creative players in damien duff and arjen robben and didier drogba showed he can change the face of a game when he came on against newcastle.  they have got a good team spirit and are strong mentally. they have shown they can cope with all the pressure put on them because of the expectations and cope well with jose s principles.  jose had results before he came to chelsea and i think he will have an impact in the premiership because he manages his team very cleverly.  and houllier  away from his brief at liverpool  has been hugely impressed with the premiership. he said:  it is a very exciting league. it is entertaining  goals are scored and teams are always trying to win.  it has been very interesting to watch the game from a different perspective.  games switch from end-to-end and there is more pace to the premiership than other leagues. it is a very good product.


spam e-mails tempt net shoppers computer users across the world continue to ignore security warnings about spam e-mails and are being lured into buying goods  a report suggests.  more than a quarter have bought software through spam e-mails and 24% have bought clothes or jewellery. as well as profiting from selling goods or services and driving advertising traffic  organised crime rings can use spam to glean personal information. the business software alliance (bsa) warned that people should  stay alert .  many online consumers don t consider the true motives of spammers   said mike newton  a spokesperson for the bsa which commissioned the survey.   by selling software that appears to be legitimate in genuine looking packaging or through sophisticated websites  spammers are hiding spyware without consumers  knowledge.  once the software is installed on pcs and networks  information that is given over the internet can be obtained and abused.   the results also showed that the proportion of people reading - or admitting to reading - and taking advantage of adult entertainment spam e-mails is low  at one in 10. the research  which covered 6 000 people in six countries and their attitudes towards junk e-mails  revealed that brazilians were the most likely to read spam. a third of them read unsolicited junk e-mail and 66% buy goods or services after receiving spam.  the french were the second most likely to buy something (48%)  with 44% of britons taking advantage of products and services. this was despite 38% of people in all countries being worried about their net security because of the amount of spam they get. more than a third of respondents said they were concerned that spam e-mails contained viruses or programs that attempted to collect personal information.  both industry and the media have helped to raise awareness of the issues that surround illegitimate e-mail  helping to reduce the potential financial damage and nuisance from phishing attacks and spoof websites   said william plante  director of corporate security and fraud protection at security firm symantec.  at the same time  consumers need to continue exercising caution and protect themselves from harm with a mixture of spam filters  spyware detection software and sound judgement.


t in the park sells out in days tickets for scotland s biggest music festival have sold out in record time  five months before the event is held.  the 12th annual t in the park festival  which takes place at balado near kinross in july  sold out just four days after the line-up was announced. green day  the foo fighters and keane are among the acts that had already been lined up to appear at the event. however  the organisers have revealed scots favourites travis as well as soulman james brown will also appear.  last year tickets sold out 10 weeks before the festival but organisers confirmed that all 130 000 for the two-day event had been sold. geoff ellis  ceo of festival organisers big day out ltd  said this year s event promises to be the best yet.  after last year s sell-out  we did think this year s event would sell slightly earlier  however this is way beyond our expectations   mr ellis said.   we are extremely proud that fans are so excited about t in the park that they have made absolutely sure that their place at balado is booked for 2005  and we will deliver one of the greatest events yet for them in july.  more than 120 acts will play on eight stages over the weekend of 9 and 10 july. brit award winners keane and the streets are among the main attractions  while the killers and dance act the prodigy are also on the bill. both green day and the foo fighters last played at the festival in 2002  the same year oasis and basement jaxx were among the headline acts.


drive to  save  festive holidays efforts are being made to  protect  workers  days off on christmas day and new year s day.  support is being sought for a bill which would ensure that large retailers in scotland remain closed on christmas day and 1 january. the usdaw trade union said shop workers should be able to enjoy a break with their families. msp karen whitefield wants to ensure only those whose roles are essential are at work over the festive season. in recent years  more stores have been opening on traditional holidays  with some starting their end-of-year sale on christmas day or new year s day. ms whitefield said:  i have found members of the public to be very supportive when i have been campaigning on the streets.   the early evidence shows quite clearly that the vast majority of people believe that shop workers should be given these two special days to spend with friends and family.  usdaw general secretary john hannett added:  christmas day and new year s day are special days for everyone in scotland and the fact that shops do not open is an important part of making them special. they are largely collective days of rest.  we want people to tell karen  through her consultation  whether they want the special nature of these days to remain  or whether they want them to become like any other trading day  with shops open for business as usual.  the consultation on a christmas & new year s day trading bill has so far attracted almost 500 responses and closes on 7 february.


gebrselassie in london triple bid double olympic 10 000m champion haile gebrselassie will race in the london marathon for the next three years.  the ethiopian legend won sunday s almeria half-marathon in spain on his return from an operation on his achilles tendon. he was third in london in 2002 in his first serious attempt at the marathon.  it is a coup for us to secure haile s presence for the next three years and it guarantees a quality race   said race director david bedford. gebrselassie will face olympic champion stefano baldini  world champion jaouad gharib  and arch-rival paul tergat  the current world record holder.  if i didn t think i could win i would not be here   said gebrselassie  who has set world records on 18 occasions in his illustrious career and is keen to add the marathon record to his collection.  there are a lot of fantastic runners in the race but i shall be doing my utmost to upset them.


slovakia seal hopman cup success slovakia clinched the hopman cup for the second time by beating argentina 3-0 in saturday s final in perth.  daniela hantuchova put the third seeds ahead  recovering from a terrible start to beat gisela dulko 1-6 6-4 6-4. dominik hrbaty  who had not lost a set in his three singles matches in the group stages  then upset world number seven guillermo coria 6-4 6-1. hantuchova and hrbaty then won the mixed doubles after coria was forced to withdraw because of a sore back. slovakia s win made up for last year s final defeat to the united states.  i would like to congratulate daniela   hrbaty said.  i was so nervous watching her today  i almost had a heart attack.  i also feel a little sorry for guillermo because i get very excited whenever i play for my country. i show lots of emotions and played such good tennis.   world number 31 hantuchova  ranked two places above dulko  looked nervous as she dropped the first four games of the match. dulko  who had lost all three of her singles matches in the group stages  grew in confidence and took the opening set in just 27 minutes. but hantuchova hit back to take the next two and the match.  i was so nervous because i really wanted to win for the team and for dominik as he played so well all week   she said.  i didn t think i was playing my best but i just tried to hang in there and fight hard for every point for my country.  slovakia won the cup on their first appearance in 1998 when karol kucera and karina habsudova beat france.


tories outlining policing plans local communities would be asked to go to the polls to elect their own area police commissioner  under plans unveiled by the conservatives.  party leader michael howard said the new role would replace  inconspicuous  police authorities. he said the new office would not supersede the job of a chief constable. the lib dems said the plan could let extreme groups run policing  while labour criticised  extravagant  tory promises on policing.  responding to the plans  the chairman of the police federation of england and wales  which represents rank and file officers  said it was essential operational independence was retained.  jan berry said:  it is a service  not a political football to be kicked around every time an election approaches.  these plans could result in those with extreme political views dictating what actually happens on the ground   she warned. outlining his crime manifesto  mr howard said elected police commissioners would be more accountable than police authorities which are made up of local councillors and magistrates.  the commissioner will have the powers which existing police authorities have   he told bbc radio 4 s today programme.  the trouble is  and it s no reflection on the people who are on the police authority - they are good people - but hardly anyone knows who they are.  mr howard said the authorities were not  providing the local accountability that we want to see  and that elected police commissioners would be more visible.  critics fear the move could hand control of the police to single-issue campaigners who would ignore the needs of the wider community. lord harris  who sits on the executive of association of police authorities  said the plans seemed to suggest chief constables should be told what to do by a single politician.  that is overturning nearly 200 years of the way in which we have organised policing in this country to avoid the politicisation of policing decisions   he said.  liberal democrat home affairs spokesman mark oaten said the plan was dangerous and  could create conflict between chief constables and elected officials . mr oaten said local people had too little control over policing but a far better solution would be for elected councillors to draw up a  minimum policing guarantee  with their chief constables. a labour party spokesman criticised michael howard s record  saying police numbers had fallen by 1 132 when he was home secretary. he said:  today the tories are making more extravagant promises on the police without making clear how they would pay for them  other than through fantasy savings to the asylum system.  the tories insists the commissioner role would not be like that of an american sheriff. other tory law and order plans include building more prisons and making criminals serve full jail sentences.


joke e-mail virus tricks users a virus that disguises itself as a joke is spreading rapidly across the net.  anti-virus firms are issuing high-level warnings about the new version of the bagle e-mail program that seems to be catching a lot of people out. the windows virus grabs e-mail addresses from microsoft outlook and uses its own mail sending software to spread itself to new victims. when it infects a machine  the bagle variant turns off security measures that usually protect pcs.  the new variant is called bagle.at  bagle.bb and bagle.au and the attachment bearing the virus code is labelled as either  joke  or  price .  the body of the virus usually contains nothing but a smiley or emoticon. the virus can strike computers running windows 95  98  me  nt  2000 and xp. users will be infected if they open the attachment that travels with the e-mail. as well as plundering microsoft outlook for e-mail addresses to send itself to  bagle.at also tries to turn off the firewall and security centre services on windows xp machines. bbc news online has received five warnings about the virus from security companies. finnish company f-secure gave the virus its second highest threat level.  we ve had several reports all over the world   said mikko hypponen  director of anti-virus research for f-secure. security firm network box said that it stopped more than 30 000 copies an hour of the virus as the outbreak reached a peak. black spider said it had stopped more than 1 million copies of bagle.at since the outbreak began at 0630 bst (0530 gmt). anti-virus firms urged users to be wary of unexpected e-mail messages bearing attachments and to update their software to ensure they are protected against the latest threats.


irish company hit by iraqi report shares in irish oil company petrel resources have lost more than 50% of their value on a report that the firm has failed to win a contract in iraq.  reuters news agency reported that iraq s oil ministry has awarded the first post-war oilfield contracts to a canadian and a turkish company. by 1700 gmt  petrel s shares fell from 97p ($1.87) to 44p ($0.85). petrel said that it has not received any information from iraqi authorities to confirm or deny the report.  iraq is seeking to award contracts for three projects  valued at $500m (£258.5m). turkey s everasia is reported by reuters to have won a contract to develop the khurmala dome field in the north of the country. a canadian company  named iog  is reported to have won the contract to run the himrin field. ironhorse oil and gas has denied to reuters that it is the company in question. these two projects aim to develop khurmala field to produce 100 000 barrels per day and raise the output of himrin. the winners of the contract are to build new flow lines and build gas separation stations. the contract to develop the suba-luhais field has not yet been awarded as iraq s oil ministry is studying the offers. if iraq s cabinet approves the oil ministry s choice of companies  then this will be the first deal that iraq has signed with a foreign oil company. iraq is still trying to boost its production capacity to match levels last seen in the eighties  before the war with iran. oil officials hope to double iraq s output by the end of the decade.


black sabbath top rock album poll black sabbath have topped a list of the best british rock albums of all time.  the band once fronted by ozzy osbourne led a poll of kerrang! magazine readers with their 1970 self-titled debut. the band have three more efforts on the list  including fifth-placed paranoid. osbourne appears more than any other act  with two solo records featured. the top five includes led zeppelin  iron maiden and sex pistols. queen  muse  manic street preachers and the clash complete the top 10. a mix of heavy metal  punk  glam rock and even dance music makes up the list. motorhead  judas priest and prodigy are included along with newer acts like the darkness and lostprophets.  kerrang! editor ashley bird said:  it s amazing to see so many incredible homegrown albums in one list  and without any of the abysmal fashion bands that currently clog up the music scene.  these are the real opinions of proper rock fans.   formed by four teenage friends in the west midlands in the late 1960s  black sabbath are one of britain s most successful heavy rock bands. their debut was a uk top 10 hit in 1970 and sold more than a million copies in the us. osbourne said the band s success in the kerrang! poll was a triumph for british rock. he said:  back then you d hear:  if you go to san francisco  be sure to wear a flower in your hair .  we lived in aston  birmingham. the only flowers i ever saw were on a gravestone in our local cemetery.  despite being disliked by many critics  black sabbath s subsequent albums included multi-million sellers but internal rows led to osbourne leaving in 1979. the band continued without osbourne  who went on to solo success but also had to battle alcoholism and legal action over his music allegedly inciting teenagers to commit suicide. he was eventually cleared of the charges. osbourne  who bit off the head of a live bat on stage in 1982  rejoined the band to play the live aid charity concert in 1985. after many changes in line-up  the original four members reunited to play live dates in 1997. black sabbath have reunited regularly in recent years while osbourne has gone on to wider fame with his family through mtv documentary series the osbournes.


brown outlines third term vision gordon brown has outlined what he thinks should be the key themes of new labour s next general election bid.  he said ensuring every child in britain had the best start in life could be a legacy to match the nhs s creation. the chancellor has previously planned the party s election strategy but this time the role will be filled by alan milburn - a key ally of tony blair. the premier insisted mr brown will have a key role in labour s campaign  and praised his handling of the economy.  writing in the guardian newspaper  mr brown outlined his view of the direction new labour should be taking.  as our manifesto and our programme for the coming decade should make clear  labour s ambition is not simply tackling idleness but delivering full employment; not just attacking ignorance  disease and squalor but promoting lifelong education  good health and sustainable communities.  bbc political editor andrew marr said that mr brown s article was  a warning shot  to mr blair not to try and cut him out of the manifesto writing process.  it was  as always  coded and careful... but entirely deliberate   was mr marr s assessment. the prime minister was asked about mr brown s article and about his election role when he appeared on bbc radio 4 s today programme. mr blair said a decision had yet to be taken over how the election would be run but the chancellor s role would be  central . mr blair argued that under new labour the country had changed for the better and that was  in part  because of mr brown s management of the economy. and he pledged childcare would be a  centrepiece  of labour s manifesto. he also predicted the next general election will be a  tough  tough fight  for new labour. but the prime minister insisted he did not know what date the poll would take place despite speculation about 5 may. mr blair said he was taking  nothing for granted  ahead of the vote - warning that the tory strategy was to win power via the back door by hinting they were aiming to cut labour s majority instead of hoping for an outright win.


oscar nominee dan o herlihy dies irish actor dan o herlihy  who was nominated for best actor at the 1955 oscars  has died at the age of 85.  o herlihy  whose oscar nomination was for luis bunuel s the adventures of robinson crusoe  died at his home in malibu  california  a spokesman said. the actor began his film career in the 1940s  playing macduff to orson welles  macbeth in 1948  and was also a regular in on the dublin stage. he later appeared in robocop and its sequel and cult tv show twin peaks. he played the ceo of omni consumer products in 1987 s robocop and robocop 2 three years later  and was saw mill owner andrew packard in twin peaks  also in 1990. despite his oscar nomination  he had few other lead roles and became a familiar supporting actor on tv and in film. the year he was nominated  the academy award was won by marlon brando for on the waterfront.


russia wto talks  make progress  talks on russia s proposed membership of the world trade organisation (wto) have been  making good progress  say those behind the negotiations.  but the chairman of the working party  ambassador stefan johannesson of iceland  warned that there was  still a lot of work has to be done . his comments came as president george w bush said the us backed russian entry. but he said for russia to make progress the government must  renew a commitment to democracy and the rule of law . his comments come three days before he is due to meet president vladimir putin.  russia has been waiting for a decade to join the wto and hopes to finally become a member by early 2006. a decision could be reached in december  when the wto s 148 current members gather for a summit in hong kong. that would allow an earliest date for membership of january 2006  if the hong kong summit gave its approval. while pinpointing several areas in which there are difficulties in the bilateral and multilateral work with russia  the us said the meeting was  much more efficient than we ve seen for some time . and australia said it was  one of the best (meetings) we can recall in terms of substance . mr johannesson also said progress  on the bilateral market access side is accelerating . sticking points to membership have included limits on foreign ownership in the telecommunications and life insurance businesses  as well as issues surrounding counterfeiting  piracy  and data protection. some wto members also dislike russia s energy price subsidies  which competitors say give russian businesses an unfair advantage.


police praise  courageous  ozzy rock star ozzy osbourne has been praised by police for  very courageously  tackling a burglar who stole jewellery from his house.  the singer grabbed an intruder who then jumped 30ft (10m) from a first floor window as the star gave chase at his buckinghamshire home on monday.  i acted on impulse   osbourne said.  in hindsight  it could have been a lot worse. it could ve got really ugly.  a £100 000 reward has been offered for information leading to a conviction. his wife sharon  who called the police  said her wedding rings were taken from her bedside table as she slept.  the heavy metal star said he could have met the same fate as late beatle george harrison  who was repeatedly stabbed in a break-in in 1999.  i could have been badly injured or shot or anything   osbourne said.  i just thank god that no-one got injured.  he added he was glad the intruders were not hurt.  i wouldn t want anyone to get injured.  the singer did not want to talk in detail about his actions but when asked whether he would do the same again replied:  is the pope a catholic   the incident happened at 0400 gmt on monday in chalfont st peter. detective inspector paul miller of thames valley police said it appeared a man used a ladder to get into the house through a first floor bedroom window.  whilst selecting items of jewellery  the burglar was disturbed by ozzy who very courageously tackled this burglar and pursued him from the house   he said. ozzy said he was  just coming to grips  with what had happened and his opinion of the uk had been lowered after 12 relatively trouble-free years in the us.   we lived in los angeles where people get shot every day and have been trailed by lots of different stalkers - and yet we come back to england and i m very disappointed.  at a press conference on tuesday  sharon osbourne gave details of nine stolen items. they included a diamond wedding ring and two handmade wedding bands ozzy gave her when they renewed their vows two years ago. she said she wished she had worn them at night.  i always take them off and put them beside my bed and that s where they were  right beside me on my bedside table.  also taken were a pearl necklace and a sapphire bought as an investment for their daughters described by sharon as  one of the only 24-carat sapphires that is absolutely pure .  a daisy chain necklace that was a 20th anniversary present and a franck muller watch sharon said was one of only 10 made were also stolen. she expressed her anger at the person who  hasn t worked and wants to take what s yours .  but the thing is  we worked for everything. i came from brixton. ozzy came from not a very nice part of birmingham and everything we ve got we have worked our arses off for.   if i choose to make an investment for my kids in whatever way i choose to make it  that s my business and i worked for every god damn penny.  ozzy also lamented two years in which the family has been plagued by problems  including his critical injury in a quad bike accident  his wife s colon cancer  their childrens  drug problems and now the burglary.  on sunday night  the osbournes had been celebrating the birthday of singer sir elton john s partner david furnish. police described the intruder as well-built  about 5  10  tall and said he was wearing a ski-mask  a light-coloured jacket and trainers. they believe he may have injured himself when he jumped from the window. there is no description of his accomplice. police think the pair were driving a large vehicle  possibly a van  and are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen one leaving chalfont st peter at speed. police appealed for public help to find the perpetrators and stolen items on 0845 8 505 505 or 0800 555 111.


rings of steel combat net attacks gambling is hugely popular  especially with tech-savvy criminals.  many extortionists are targeting net-based betting firms and threatening to cripple their websites with deluges of data unless a ransom is paid. but now deep defences are being put in place by some of the uk s biggest net firms to stop these attacks. increasing numbers of attacks and the huge amounts of data being used to try to bump a site off the web are prompting firms to adopt the measures.  net firms are realising that it s not just about anti-virus and firewalls   said paul king  chief security architect at cisco.  there are more things that can be done in the network to protect data centres.  mr king said the only way to properly combat these so-called distributed denial-of-service attacks was with intelligent net-based systems. many of the gambling sites suffering ddos attacks are in offshore data and hosting centres  so any large scale data flood could knock out access to many more sites than just the one the criminals were targeting  said mr king. this overspill effect was only likely to grow as attacks grow in size and scale.  malcolm seagrave  security expert at energis  said the most common types of attacks hit sites with 10 megabytes of data over short periods of time. bigger attacks sending down 200 megabytes of traffic or more were rarely seen  he said.  it does feel like they are turning the dial because you see this traffic gradually growing   he said.  so far there have been no attacks involving gigabytes of data  said mr seagrave. however  he added that it was only a matter of time before such large attacks were mounted. maria capella  spokeswoman for net provider pipex  said that when ddos attacks were at their height  customers were getting hit every four to five days. the defences being put in place constantly monitor the streams of data flowing across networks and pluck out the traffic destined for target sites.  it s about understanding what s genuine traffic and keeping attack traffic from going to the site   she said.  we study the profile of their traffic and as soon as we see an anomaly in the profile that s when we start to get the backbone engineering boys to see if we are going to sustain an attack   said ms capella. this traffic can be hard to spot because ddos attacks typically use thousands of computers in many different countries  each participating machine only sends a small part of the entire data flood.  typically these computers have been infected by a virus or worm which reports its success and the net address of compromised machines back to the malicious hacker or hi-tech criminal that set off the virus. hijacked computers are known as zombies or  bots and collections of them are called  bot nets. many spammers rent out  bot nets to help them anonymously send junk mail.  most of the zombies are based outside the country that hosts the target site so getting the attacking pcs shut off can be difficult. often pipex and other net suppliers do get advance notice that an attack is about to happen.  the serious players tend to precede an attack with some kind of ransom e-mail   said ms capella.  we ask  as part of the service we provide  that customers notify us of anything they have in advance that would give us forewarning.  once an attack is spotted dedicated net hardware takes over to remove the attack traffic and ensure that sites stay up. energis took a similar approach  said mr seagrave.  we have technology out there that allows us to detect attacks in minutes rather than let network engineers spend hours pulling the information together   said mr seagrave. also net firms were starting to work more closely together on the problem of ddos attacks and pool information about where they are coming from. information gathered on attacks and where they originated has led to some arrests. he said energis also did its own intelligence work to get in insight into which sites criminal gangs plan to target.  we have people in places where they shouldn t be  monitoring tech sites   he said. sometimes though  he said  spotting the next victim was easy.  you can see them going alphabetically through the list with the gambling sites  trying one after another   said mr seagrave.


keegan hails comeback king fowler manchester city boss kevin keegan has praised striker robbie fowler for his landmark return to form.  the 29-year-old  out of favour at city earlier this season  took his premiership goal tally past 150 with a brace in monday s 3-2 win at norwich.  he is still a quality player and knows where the net is - we have just got to supply him with ammunition and  in the end  we did   keegan said.  he has worked hard to get back to where he is now.  the former liverpool striker  who moved to city in 2003 after a poor stint at leeds  has battled back into first-team contention after struggling with fitness at the start of the season.  fowler overtook les ferdinand on tuesday evening to become the third highest scorer of all time in the premiership  with 151 goals  and he only trails alan shearer (250) and andy cole (173). and keegan believes there is still more to come from the former england forward.  he can get better if we can supply him better   added keegan.  people want to write him off but if he has kept the articles of those people who have written him off he could throw them back at them and they would be left with a bit of egg on their face.  fowler s double strike helped city come back from two goals down to clinch a dramatic win at carrow road and keegan sympathised with norwich boss nigel worthington afterwards.  i feel a bit for nigel worthington   he said.  his team have got great character  they have a lot of drive and enthusiasm.  i know it is a killer blow for norwich but i really think they have brought something to the premiership.  the stadium and the atmosphere is great  it is just a tough league to stay in - as they are finding out and as we know.


van gogh festival film withdrawn murdered director theo van gogh s controversial film submission has been pulled from the rotterdam film festival because of security fears.  it was one of three of his works to be shown as part of a freedom of expression event in tribute to the late film-maker s life. the film is critical of the treatment of women under islam. its tv screening is thought to have led to his murder. the 10-day dutch festival begins on wednesday. submission was made with liberal somali-dutch politician ayaan hirsi ali and was due to be shown on 30 january. van gogh was shot and stabbed to death in november 2004 several months after receiving death threats following submission s first broadcast on dutch television. two of van gogh s other films will be shown as planned  including the theatrical world premiere of his last feature 06/05.  festival director sandra den hamer said:  the festival reflects what happens around us and within cinema itself.  the festival opens with the french film the 10th district court  moments of trials made by raymond depardon. the event sees 14 films competing to win three top tiger awards which aim to introduce promising new talent. new sections added to this year s festival include cinema of the future and cinema of the world  with special focus on russian and south-east asian productions. there is also an iraqi-german offering entitled underexposure  which looks at life in iraq after saddam hussein.


tech helps disabled speed demons an organisation has been launched to encourage disabled people to get involved in all aspects of motorsport  which is now increasingly possible thanks to technological innovations.  the motorsport endeavour club left the starting grid yesterday at the autosport international 2005 show at birmingham s nec  with several technologies to adapt vehicles on display.  motorcycle racer  roy tansley  from derby developed his electronic sequential gear changer following an accident which resulted in part of his left leg being amputated.  i needed to find a way of changing gear and generally you do that with your left leg   mr tansley told the bbc news website.  in simple terms  i needed to invent a left foot - initially it was quite a heath robinson device.  mr tansley had to argue his case to be allowed to continue competing with motorcycle racing s governing body  the autocycle union.  at that time they wouldn t let any amputee race at all  but eventually they told me i could have a licence as long as i raced sidecars.  mr tansley s invention  the pro-shift  is designed to work with hewland gearboxes which are widely used in motorcycle racing. in addition to helping disabled riders to compete  mr tansley reckons that the pro-shift saves at least 20 seconds per lap when he competes in the isle of man tt. as a result  there has been considerable interest in the product from other riders keen to improve their performance.  i m not prejudiced  i ll sell to able-bodied people if i have to!  he joked.  another exhibit on the motorsport endeavour stand is a subaru impreza rally car  adapted to accommodate a variety of disabilities. the vehicle belongs to pararallying  the world s only rally school for disabled drivers which is based in lincolnshire.   we use the latest technology supplied by an italian company   said rally driver dave hawkins who runs the company.  the cars have electronic throttles  electronic brakes  electronic clutches - we ve yet to turn anybody away.  mr hawkins - a paraplegic himself - says his customers have included right or left arm amputees  quadriplegics  people who have had strokes and a woman who had had all four limbs amputated. pararallying uses a vauxhall astra gsi with an automatic gearbox and manual subaru imprezas. the car on display is fitted with a  duck clutch  - a switch on the gear stick used instead of the clutch pedal. it also has a second ring behind the steering wheel to operate the throttle and a hand operated brake bar.  when joy rainey started competing in motorsport in 1974 she was continuing the family tradition - her father  murray  is a former australian formula 3 champion.  and it was rainey senior who modified a sports racer to accommodate his daughter s small stature so that she could take part in hill climbs. she uses an ordinary road car by putting extensions on the pedals  a cushion behind her back and raising the seat.  but in a competition car you have to have everything right or you ll lose the balance of the car   she said.  i bring everything back to me - steering wheel  steering column  gear lever and pedals.  when she recently took part in the london to sydney marathon she shared the driving with her partner  trevor  who now does the engineering work. he designed a system for their morris minor so that the adaptations could be totally removed in under a minute. the motorsport endeavour club is hoping that putting such technologies on display will result in more disabled people becoming involved in all areas of the sport and at every level.


rem announce new glasgow concert us band rem have announced plans to perform for 10 000 scottish fans in a rescheduled gig.  the band will play in what has been dubbed europe s biggest tent on glasgow green on tuesday  14 june. they were forced to pull out of a concert at the secc in glasgow last month after bassist mike mills contracted flu. fans who bought tickets for the original 22 february show can attend the rescheduled concert. the june gig will act as a warm-up for rem s open air concert at balloch castle country park  on the banks of loch lomond  four days later.  promoters regular music booked glasgow green as the secc was not available on the most suitable date. mark mackie  director of regular music  said:  it is fantastic news and it really shows rem s commitment to their scottish fans that they are coming back to glasgow for what will be a truly unique gig.  the rem gigs will kick-start what promises to be a memorable summer for scottish music lovers.  grammy award winners u2 will play hampden on 21 june while oasis will also perform at the national stadium in glasgow on 29 june. coldplay have announced a concert at bellahouston park in glasgow on 1 july and t in the park will be held at balado  near kinross  from 9-10 july. ticketweb and the secc box office will write to customers who bought tickets for the february gig asking if they want to attend the new show. those who bought tickets in person are being urged to return to the point of purchase. anyone who cannot make the concert will be given a refund. the cut-off date for swapping tickets is 1 april  when those remaining will go on sale to the public.


manics in charge of bbc 6 music the manic street preachers are to take over the helm of bbc digital radio station 6 music for a week in december.  the welsh band  whose hits include design for life and if you tolerate this  have already chosen which records to play between 6 and 12 december. their albums of the day include who s next by the who and u2 s joshua tree. the group will also perform their own live session. they follow in the footsteps of radiohead  who took over the station for a week last year.  bass player nicky wire will join phil jupitus on his morning show on monday 6 december  while vocalist and guitarist james dean bradfield will appear on andrew collins  afternoon show on thursday 9. the group have also chosen documentaries to air  such as the leonard cohen story and guitar greats - jimmy page. the live concert session tracks they have picked include the specials  rat race recorded at hammersmith odeon in london and public enemy s fight the power and rebel without a pause. the band will also answer questions e-mailed in by 6 music listeners.


mci shareholder sues to stop bid a shareholder in us phone firm mci has taken legal action to halt a $6.75bn (£3.6bn) buyout by telecoms giant verizon  hoping to get a better deal.  the lawsuit was filed on friday after qwest communications  which had an earlier offer for mci rejected  said it would submit an improved bid. mci s directors have backed verizon  despite it tabling less money. they are accused of breaching their fiduciary duties by depriving mci shareholders  of maximum value .  according the legal papers filed in a delaware court  verizon is set to pay an   unconscionable  unfair and grossly inadequate  sum for mci  which was formerly known as worldcom. qwest said on wednesday that mci had rejected a deal worth $8bn. a number of large mci shareholders expressed unhappiness at the decision  saying that verizon s offer  made up of cash  shares and dividends  undervalued the company. friday s lawsuit argues that the verizon offer makes no provision for future growth prospects and that consolidation in the us phone industry will put a premium on mci s network  assets and clients. mci s directors have argued that verizon is bigger than qwest  has fewer debts and has built a successful mobile division. chief executive michael capellas spent last week meeting with shareholders in an effort to win their backing.  in 2002  investors in the then-named worldcom lost millions when the company filed for bankruptcy following an accounting scandal. however  the firm - now renamed mci - has put its operations in order and emerged from bankruptcy protection last april. it is a long-distance and corporate phone firm  and would provide the buyer with access to a global telecommunications network and a large number of business-based subscribers. mci shares jumped on friday  hitting their highest level since april 2004 amid speculation that it would be the focus of a bidding war. a takeover of mci would be the fifth billion-dollar telecoms deal since october as companies look to cut costs and boost client bases. earlier this month  sbc communications agreed to buy its former parent and phone pioneer at&t for about $16bn.


howard dismisses tory tax fears michael howard has dismissed fears from some conservatives that his plans for £4bn tax cuts are too modest.  he defended the package  saying it was a plan for the tories  first budget and he hoped to be able to go further. the tories on monday highlighted £35bn in  wasteful  spending they would stop to allow tax cuts  reduced borrowing and more spending on key services. labour and the liberal democrats say the party s sums do not add up and claim it would cut frontline services. the tory tax plan follows complaints from some of the party s mps that mr howard and shadow chancellor oliver letwin have taken too long to unveil the proposals. now they have promised a figure but have yet to reveal which taxes would be targeted.  tory backbencher edward leigh said the proposals were a step in the right direction but he told the financial times:  i would come up sooner with much greater tax cuts.  interviewed on bbc radio 2 s jeremy vine show  mr howard said:  it is perfectly true that i am being attacked on one side by people who think we ought to be promising much  much bigger tax cuts and spending cuts.   on the other side  there are people who say we won t be able to achieve these tax cuts.  i think we have got it about right.  mr howard said voters faced a clear choice at the next election between more waste and more tax under labour and tory value for money and lower taxes. he added:  i would like to be able to do more  and over time i am sure we will be able to do more  but at the start  we have got to recognise there is a limit to what we can do in one go  in our first budget.  i have got to be responsible about this.   the latest tory plans came as campaigning for the election - widely expected in may - gathered pace. the liberal democrats launched their pre-election platform  with leader charles kennedy saying his party was the  authentic opposition   particularly on the iraq war  council tax and university tuition fees. lib dem treasury spokesman vince cable also branded the tory plans as  fantasy economics . labour hit back at the tory proposals even before their publication with election coordinator alan milburn accusing mr howard of producing a  fraudulent prospectus . the party on tuesday challenged the tories to publish the full report from david james  the trouble-shooter they asked to identify possible savings. but the tories are in turn demanding that tony blair spell out which taxes he would raise if he wins the election.


hyundai to build new india plant south korea s hyundai motor has announced that it plans to build a second plant in india to meet the country s growing demand for cars.  the company didn t give details of its investment but it said the new plant would produce 150 000 cars a year. this will boost the annual production capacity of the company - india s second-largest car manufacturer - to 400 000 units. hyundai expects its sales in india to grow 16% to 250 000 in 2005. by 2010  it expects to nearly double sales to 400 000 cars. the new plant will be built close to the existing one in chennai  in the southern province of tamil nadu.  south korea s top car maker estimates that the indian market will grow 15% this year  to 920 000 vehicles  reaching 1.6 million vehicles by 2010. demand in india has been driven by the poor state of public transport and the very low level of car ownership  analysts said. figures show that currently only eight people per thousand are car owners.  we desperately need to expand our production in order to meet growing demand in the indian auto market  which is growing over 12 percent every year  and to top our competitors   chairman chung mong-koo said in the statement. he said the company plans to use india as a base for exports to europe  latin america and the middle east. the company - which controls half of the south korean s market - aims to become a global top five auto maker by 2010.


kilroy launches  veritas  party ex-bbc chat show host and east midlands mep robert kilroy-silk has said he wants to  change the face of british politics  as he launched his new party.  mr kilroy-silk  who recently quit the uk independence party said  our country  was being  stolen from us  by mass immigration. he told a london news conference that veritas - latin for  truth  - would avoid the old parties   lies and spin . ukip leader roger knapman says he was glad to see the back of mr kilroy-silk.  mr kilroy-silk promised a  firm but fair  policy on immigration and said they hoped to contest most seats at the forthcoming general election. he said veritas would also announce detailed policies on crime  tax  pensions  health and defence over the next few weeks. and he announced the party would be holding a leadership election. on thursday he is due to announce which constituency he will run in at the next general election - that will come amid speculation he has his sights set on defence secretary geoff hoon s ashfield seat. he was joined in the new venture by one of ukip s two london assembly members  damien hockney who is now veritas  deputy leader. ukip s chairman petrina holdsworth has said the group will just be a parody of the party the men have left.  mr kilroy-silk announced his decision to quit ukip at a public meeting in hinckley  leicestershire last week. it came after months of tension as he vied unsuccessfully for the leadership of that party. he said he was ashamed to be a member of a ukip whose leadership had  gone awol  after the great opportunity offered by its third place at last june s european elections.  while ukip has turned its back on the british people  i shall not   he said.  i will be standing at the next general election. i shall be leading a vigorous campaign for the causes i believe in.  and  unlike the old parties  we shall be honest  open and straight.   mr hockney also left ukip saying mr kilroy-silk would  deliver better  as the leader of a eurosceptic party. a spokesman for ukip called on mr hockney to quit the london assembly. the party asserts that mr hockney  has a moral obligation  if not a legal one  to stand down. its leader  roger knapman  has said he is glad to see the back of mr kilroy-silk.  he has remarkable ability to influence people but  sadly  after the [european] election it became clear that he was more interested in the robert kilroy-silk party than the uk independence party so it was nice knowing him  now  goodbye    he said. ukip officials also argue mr kilroy-silk has not been  straightforward  in attacking the party he once wanted to lead.  this is just what the europhiles pray for. as the main eurosceptic party  ukip should try to resolve its differences with kilroy to show a united front and give the uk public a serious political voice against europe. having multiple parties with the same view point just splits the vote further.  thank goodness that kilroy-silk has gone - now ukip at least has a chance in the election!  it is very sad to see the cause of britain regaining its proper relationship with europe damaged by this split within ukip. robert kilroy-silk could have a lot to offer. instead we have a split party and a damaged cause. under the present electoral system  people must work together  and small parties have no hope of representation. last summer  ukip achieved a major advance  partly and only partly due to kilroy-silk. it is a great shame this has been dissipated in in-fighting.  ukip has a wide platform of policies  not just withdrawal from the eu. this kilroy-silk conveniently ignores in the comments surrounding the launch of his own party. neither the english democrats nor the new party were interested in letting him join them and take over their leadership speaks volumes. veritas is the beginning of the end for kilroy-silk.  if he believes in truth and democracy then he and the two assembly members should resign and force a by-elections to stand on their own platform rather than this backdoor approach to politics of being elected for one party then defecting to another.  so ukip was good enough for him to lead  not good enough for him to follow!  interesting that a party committed to plain speaking should have a latin name!  every opinion poll points to an overwhelming anti-europe feeling in this country. kilroy-silk could be on the verge of something huge if he can broaden his appeal beyond this one issue. he is an extremely able communicator with years of political experience. we wants quality schools  top hospitals  clean and efficient public transport  punishments that fit the crime  limited asylum  a purge on bureaucracy and less taxes. it needs courage and honesty  two qualities sadly lacking in our politicians. kilroy-silk may just have those very qualities. recruit the right colleagues  robert  and your time may have come!  well if you cannot get enough limelight being an ordinary mp then go out and start up your own party. it s all flash and no real policy here  let s hope this is the start of both ukip and kilroy-silk slipping into obscurity.  veritas  the name will doom it. but perhaps i am wrong for surely all modern schoolchildren will understand it since they do still learn latin in the classroom do they not  the whole essence of what rks represents is euroscepticism  so explain to me how the too-twee label of veritas symbolises that


blair  up for it  ahead of poll tony blair says his personal standing in the eyes of voters will be  an issue  in the general election.  the prime minister said he was  up for it  as the country waits to go to the polls  possibly in a matter of weeks. he told the observer government life was a  constant barrage of attack  but said he would not stay in charge if he felt unable to contribute. mr blair also spoke of meeting many people across the country with concerns about the compensation culture.  he said britain was in danger of needless panic over public safety issues.  speaking amid a flurry of pre-election campaigning  the prime minister said:  i am an issue  i always will be. whoever is the prime minister will be.  he added:  if you are afraid to take criticism  you should go and do another job.  asked if he would quit as leader if he felt like a liability to labour  he said:  it s important always not to do the job unless you feel you have something to contribute.  whether he still had something to offer  he said  was a judgement for people to make. mr blair s assessment is likely to be seen as a signal that replacing him would not bring an upsurge in fortunes for the labour administration.  his comments come as the co-chairman of the conservative party  liam fox  on saturday called him  a disappointment of historic proportions  as a prime minister. mr blair said he had learned from a series of at times tough encounters with members of the public  during question and answer sessions across the country in recent weeks. he pledged to clamp down on britain s growing compensation culture  which has brought concerns that doctors  teachers and other professionals are being hampered in their work by the fear of frivolous lawsuits.   i was quite shocked to be told by people who were running a nursery that they were worried about letting the kids out into the playground when it was wet in case one of them slipped and fell and they ended up having a legal case [against them]   he said.   we have got to look at a way of getting people protection on that.  mr blair said the government was also looking at  how to make sure that legal aid is not abused with actions against doctors and others   as part of a review being carried out by the lord chancellor s department. and there should be  real debate  about the risk posed by public safety threats  he said.  we are in danger of - depending on whatever is the media campaign of the day - ending up spending literally hundreds  sometimes millions of pounds meeting quite a small risk.   his comments come after the government announced it is to spend £200m on drugs to treat a possible outbreak of bird flu  and the sudan 1 food scare. meanwhile  commons leader peter hain has warned that on the campaign trail he has seen  dangerous complacency  being displayed by labour voters convinced of a general election victory. if labour voters  stayed at home  in marginal seats they could see tory leader michael howard  coming in the back door to number 10 with the tradesman s key to number 10  getting into power   he added.