uk pioneers digital film network the world s first digital cinema network will be established in the uk over the next 18 months.  the uk film council has awarded a contract worth £11.5m to arts alliance digital cinema (aadc)  who will set up the network of up to 250 screens. aadc will oversee the selection of cinemas across the uk which will use the digital equipment. high definition projectors and computer servers will be installed to show mainly british and specialist films. most cinemas currently have mechanical projectors but the new network will see up to 250 screens in up to 150 cinemas fitted with digital projectors capable of displaying high definition images. the new network will double the world s total of digital screens. cinemas will be given the film on a portable hard drive and they will then copy the content to a computer server.  each film is about 100 gigabytes and has been compressed from an original one terabyte-size file. fiona deans  associate director of aadc  said the compression was visually lossless so no picture degradation will occur.  the film will all be encrypted to prevent piracy and each cinema will have an individual key which will unlock the movie.  people will see the picture quality is a bit clearer with no scratches.  the picture will look exactly the same as when the print was first made - there is no degradation in quality over time.   the key benefit of the digital network will be an increase in the distribution and screening of british films  documentaries and foreign language films.   access to specialised film is currently restricted across the uk   said pete buckingham  head of distribution and exhibition at the uk film council.  although a genuine variety of films is available in central london and a few other metropolitan areas  the choice for many outside these areas remains limited  and the digital screen network will improve access for audiences across the uk   digital prints costs less than a traditional 35mm print - giving distributors more flexibility in how they screen films  said ms deans.  it can cost up to £1 500 to make a copy of a print for specialist films.  in the digital world you can make prints for considerably less than that.  distributors can then send out prints to more cinemas and prints can stay in cinemas for much longer.  the uk digital network will be the first to employ 2k projectors - which are capable of showing films at resolutions of 2048 * 1080 pixels. a separate competitive process to determine which cinemas will receive the digital screening technology will conclude in may. the sheer cost of traditional prints means that some cinemas need to show them twice a day in order to recoup costs.  some films need word of mouth and time to build momentum - they don t need to be shown twice a day   explained ms deans.  a cinema will often book a 35mm print in for two weeks - even if the film is a roaring success they cannot hold on to the print because it will have to go to another cinema.  with digital prints  every cinema will have its own copy.


rocker doherty in on-stage fight rock singer pete doherty has been involved in a fight with his band s guitarist at their biggest gig to date.  babyshambles played for 5 000 fans at london s brixton academy on tuesday. the former libertines singer traded blows with guitarist patrick walden. they were separated and bundled off stage before returning to end the set. the show was earlier held up due to audience overcrowding. on monday doherty faced blackmail and robbery charges in court  which he denies. he is out on £50 000 bail and the judge agreed to extend his 2200 gmt curfew deadline by two hours so he could play the brixton gig.  babyshambles  which he formed after his acrimonious departure from the libertines  played a warm-up show at the garage  north london  on monday. on tuesday  doherty and his three bandmates were introduced to the crowd by mick jones  the former clash guitarist who produced the libertines  second album. babyshambles took the stage to a frenzied reception at 2200 gmt  launching into their last single  killamangiro  which reached number eight in december. but the group had to stop during the next song to persuade fans not to push forward and allow security guards to pull people out of the crush. doherty appealed to fans to calm down  saying:  there s a few people getting hurt down the front  you ve got to move back.   the music resumed minutes later but after several more songs  the singer appeared to accidentally disconnect walden s guitar  leading the pair to trade kicks and punches. bouncers stepped in and the band left the stage  but returned after five minutes and finished their 50-minute performance with no further trouble. doherty  25  had to be home by midnight to observe the curfew  which is one of the conditions of his bail. on monday  the judge agreed to allow him to perform on condition that requests for changes to his bail terms were  not too regular an occurrence . the singer was arrested with fellow musician alan wass on 2 february after an alleged dispute with documentary-maker max carlish at a london hotel. they are next due in court on 18 april.


howard attacks cost of asylum michael howard has launched an attack on the cost of britain s  chaotic  asylum system under tony blair.  the tory leader said english local authorities have spent more than £3bn - or £140 per household - on asylum since labour won power in 1997. mr howard is expected to tell activists in kent that voters  tolerance and desire to help others are being abused. other parties and refugee agencies have already attacked tory plans for annual limits on numbers.  mr howard said britain should take its fair share of the world s  genuine refugees .   the anniversary of the liberation of auschwitz - where my grandmother was murdered along with over a million others - has reminded all of us that we have a moral responsibility to those fleeing persecution   he was due to say.  but if we are to fulfil responsibility  we have to get a grip of the system.  fair play matters. people want a government that upholds the rules - not one that turns a blind eye when they are bent and abused   he said.  and let s be clear. our asylum system is being abused - and with it britain s generosity.  earlier this week  mr howard said his party s plans to cut immigration were not racist  arguing they would make the asylum system fairer for genuine refugees. if elected  his party would institute an annual limit on asylum and all claims would be processed overseas.  that prompted some charities to say the plans would put refugees  lives at risk if they were turned away once quotas were filled.  if we have a moral responsibility towards people fleeing persecution  then these policies will not provide a safe haven   said hannah ward of the refugee council.  if people turn up in the uk asking for help they will be turned away. michael howard s policy effectively means there is no safe haven in the uk.  when it comes to costs  then perhaps we should start with how decisions are made on asylum seekers. so many of them are shown to be wrong - one in five decisions that are appealed are successfully overturned  rising to half for some nationalities.  we need good quality decision-making on asylum applications because it is delays in the system which cost so much.   tony blair said labour would set out workable plans for tackling immigration abuse in the next few weeks and attacked the tory plans.  by cutting the number of front-line immigration staff at our borders  they will actually make the problem worse   said mr blair. liberal democrat chairman matthew taylor said there needed to be a quick  fair and firm asylum system. but he said it was  absolutely disgusting  to propose a system which could turn away genuine refugees. the conservatives say there is little risk of this happening as demand for asylum will be considered when quotas are set. on monday  mr howard said:  it s not racist  as some people to claim  to talk about controlling immigration far from it.


campaign  cold calls  questioned labour and the conservatives are still telephoning the millions of people who have signed up to make sure they do not get marketing  cold calls .  the parties say they can stick to the rules by ensuring that their calls are not marketing - for instance by asking about people s voting intentions. the lib dems are asking the watchdog overseeing the rules to stop the calls. the information commissioner s office says surveys are allowed but people had to be told if personal data was kept. telephone call centres are expected to be used as never before by all the three major parties in the run-up to the general election.  but seven million telephone numbers are on the telephone preference service (tps) lists  which ban unsolicited sales and marketing calls. both schemes are run by the direct marketing association and backed by eu directives on privacy and electronic communications.  the rules on marketing calls apply as much to politicians as to private sector companies. but that does not mean labour and the tories are not calling people signed up to the tps. a labour party spokesman told the bbc news website the party avoided those on tps lists when telephoning people about membership or fundraising. but that did not happen for  voter identification  calls.  when we ask which party they will vote for  that is not marketing and we have very clear legal advice that it is not   he said.  so it is not covered by the telephone preference service.   he said the party always asked people if they would be happy to be contacted again and if they said no  they were not rung again. a conservative spokeswoman said the party stuck to the rules when it rang tps subscribers. she said:  we do apply tps but in line with the law. we would not do things that are not allowed in the law.  assistant information commissioner phil jones said it was classed as marketing if political parties telephoned people to encourage them to vote for them. but  classic market research   such as a poll of voter intentions  did not constitute direct marketing  he said.  if a party is calling someone who is registered on tps and records their voting intention with a view to using this information in the future  this should be clear to the voter concerned   said mr jones.  if a party rings a person who is registered on tps to ask about their voting intention and goes on to encourage that voter to support them  the party may well be in breach of the regulations.  in summary  whether a party calling tps registered voters to check their voting intentions will breach regulations will depend on the script used and whether the script is followed.  mr jones said the watchdog received  very few complaints  on the issue.  earlier  lib dem chairman matthew taylor wrote to the watchdog saying:  the advice we have received on several previous occasions is that such phone calls are illegal.  he says evidence from local lib dem parties around the country suggests there are  significant  numbers of such calls.  i hope you can therefore take swift and efficient action to ensure that this ceases   he tells the commissioner. mr taylor argues there should be new guidelines so all parties can act in the same way if the watchdog believes the rules allow parties to ring tps numbers about voting intentions and later urge those people to vote for them.


children vote shrek 2 best film young uk film fans voted animated hollywood hit shrek 2 best film at the children s bafta awards on sunday.  more than 6 000 children voted in the only category chosen by fans. harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban  runner-up in the poll  was the choice of the bafta experts who named it best feature film. bbc one saturday morning show dick and dom in da bungalow won two awards - best entertainment and best presenters for richard mccourt and dominic wood.  former playschool presenter floella benjamin was awarded the special award for outstanding creative contribution to children s film and television. she first appeared on playschool 25 years ago and was made an obe in 2001 for services to broadcasting. south american-themed cartoon joko! jakamoko! toto! won the honour for pre-school animation and its writer tony collingwood for original writer. debbie isitt won the award for best adapted writer for her work with jacqueline wilson s the illustrated mum  which won the award for best schools drama.  schools  factual (primary) - thinking skills: think about it - hiding places  schools  factual (secondary) - in search of the tartan turban  pre-school live action - balamory  animation - brush head  drama - featherboy  factual - serious desert interactive bafta - king arthur international category - 8 simple rules for dating my teenage daughter


tory leader unveils spending plan tory leader michael howard says his party can save £35bn in government spending by tackling waste.  the money would be ploughed back into frontline services like the nhs and schools with the rest used to cut government borrowing and reduce taxes. the tory leader has also shrugged off the defection of one of his mps  robert jackson  a former minister  to labour. mr howard said that these things happened in politics and it would not affect the outcome of the election.  let s be realistic - the election is not going to be decided on the basis of what mr jackson did   he told bbc 1 s breakfast with frost programme. however the defection on saturday has cast a shadow over the launch of the conservatives  spending plans. fuller details are due to be unveiled on monday.  the bulk of the £35bn saved by tackling bureaucracy and inefficient systems will go back into frontline services  mr howard said. the £12bn left over would then be spent on reducing government borrowing  he added. however  the remainder would deal with some of the  unfair taxes .  almost every independent expert says if you get another labour government you are going to have to pay higher taxes   mr howard insisted.  because borrowing is going up  it is out of control  that is bound to lead to higher taxes or higher interest rates or both.  so part of the £12bn we are going to apply to filling the government s black hole  reducing the borrowing.  the rest will be used to reduce these unfair taxes which are bearing so heavily on the people of our country today.   mr howard is expected to say that around £6bn will be available for tax cuts when he makes his announcement on monday. the cuts will be paid for out of the savings identified by business trouble-shooter david james. home office spending could be cut by £1.6bn  according to the final instalment of his year-long review. savings of £153m at the foreign office and £336m at the department for culture media and sport  have also been identified. in all  almost a quarter of a million jobs and 168 public bodies would go under mr james  proposals.  mr howard said:  all this adds up to a bottom line and the bottom line is at this election people will have a clear choice between mr blair  who will waste more and tax more  and a conservative government that will give them value for money and tax less.  however  chief treasury secretary paul boateng said:  none of the tories  figures add up so they can t make these savings and can t pay for any tax cuts  which means the only guaranteed cut from the tories is £35bn of cuts  hitting frontline public services hard.  liberal democrat leader charles kennedy added:  people will not be taken in by michael howard s claims of £35bn worth of savings.  this can t be achieved without drastic cuts in local services in their own communities.  a poll for the news of the world newspaper suggests the conservatives are on course for their worst election defeat in a century. labour will hold key marginal constituencies  winning a majority of 160  the populus survey suggests. and the liberal democrats will take three key seats from the conservatives  leaving the tories with just 163 mps  two less than they returned atlabour s 1997 landslide and their worst showing since 1906.


chinese wine tempts italy s illva italy s illva saronno has agreed to buy 33% of changyu  the largest wine maker in china.  changyu said in a statement to the shenzhen stock exchange that illva will pay 481.42m yuan ($58.16m; £30.7m)  once the government approves the deal. the italian liqueur maker will acquire the shares from the yantai state asset management bureau. chinese wine sales are growing  the us agriculture department said  with wine sales in 2003 up 25% at 61.1bn yuan.  china is encouraging state-owned companies to sell shares to foreign investors. anheuser-busch  heineken and scottish & newcastle have all invested in the chinese beer industry in the last two years and now illva saronno is betting on the chinese wine market. yantai state asset management bureau - a government agency in the north-eastern city of yantai - owns 55% of changyu. the state agency will also sell 10% of its stake in changyu to another overseas company  although it didn t say who. the remaining 12% will be retained by the yantai city government. the consumption of wine in china is still low  at just 0.22 litres per capita  said the us agriculture department. this compares with 59 litres in france  12 litres in the us and three litres in japan.


edgy agassi struggles past dent andre agassi put in an erratic display before edging into the fourth round of the australian open with victory over taylor dent.  the 34-year-old american  seeded eighth  made a poor start  dropping serve early on and later needing two chances to serve out the set. having secured the lead  agassi still failed to take control as both players forced a succession of breaks. but agassi won the tie-break before wrapping up a 7-5 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 win. fourth seed  survived an injury scare as he battled past mario ancic 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4. the russian turned his right ankle in the third game of the fourth set and called for treatment immediately. but he showed no sign of the problem when he returned to the court to wrap up victory in two hours 45 minutes.  ancic  wimbledon semi-finalist in 2004  looked set to push safin all the way when he took the second set but safin raised his game to sink the croatian. safin said he was trying to keep his temper under control at this year s tournament. the russian hit himself on the head repeatedly in one second-set outburst but was otherwise largely calm in his victory.  i try to stay calm because if you go crazy against players like ancic  you might never come back because he s a tough opponent   he said.  i m a little bit calmer than i was before because i d had enough.  the russian added that he was not worried by his ankle injury.  i have had a lot of problems with that ankle before - it will be ok   he said.   s route to the fourth round was made easy when opponent jarkko nieminen was forced to retire from their match.  the top seed and defending champion was leading 6-3 5-2 when nieminen pulled out with an abdominal injury. federer had been in patchy form until then - mixing 19 unforced errors with 19 winners. the world number one will play cypriot  next after the former world junior champion beat tommy robredo 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 6-1. federer admitted he was under extra pressure after extending his winning streak to a career-best 24.  they are so used to me winning  but it s not that simple   he said.  i had a feeling this could be a tough match. i had a bad start but i bounced back. i always want to play better than i am  but i thought i was pretty ok.  french open champion  is out of the tournament after a five-set defeat by dominik hrbaty. hrbaty defeated the 10th seed 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (8-10) 6-7 (3-7) 6-1 6-3 in a match lasting four hours and 21 minutes. the pair traded 16 service breaks during an exhausting baseline battle  with hrbaty taking a decisive advantage in the eighth game of the final set. hrbaty will now play 2002 champion    who outlasted american kevin kim 3-6 6-2 6-7 6-2 6-2.


ukip outspent labour on eu poll the uk independence party outspent both labour and the liberal democrats in the european elections  new figures show.  ukip  which campaigned on a slogan of  say no to europe   spent £2.36m on the campaign - second only to the conservatives  £3.13m. the campaign took ukip into third place with an extra 10 meps. labour s campaign cost £1.7m  the lib dems  £1.19m and the greens  £404 000  according to figures revealed by the electoral commission on wednesday. much of the ukip funding came from yorkshire millionaire sir paul sykes  who helped bankroll the party s billboard campaign. critics have accused the party of effectively buying votes. but a ukip spokesman said labour and the conservatives had spent £10m between them on the last general election.  with the advantages of public money the others have  the only way the smaller parties can get their message across is by buying the advertising space   he added.


us prepares for hybrid onslaught sales of hybrid cars in the us are set to double in 2005  research suggests.  research group jd power estimates sales will hit 200 000 in 2005  despite higher prices and customer scepticism. carmakers are starting to build hybrid sports utility vehicles (suvs)  the four-wheel-drive vehicles which now dominate the us car market. hybrids cut both petrol consumption and emissions by combining a petrol engine with an electric motor constantly kept charged by extra engine power. several jurisdictions  notably the state of california  mandate low emissions for new cars. equally  the rise in oil prices over the past year has sparked hopes that consumers may be tempted by potential savings of a few hundred dollars a year on fuel.  at the detroit motor show  a range of manufacturers are prominently displaying their hybrid credentials. toyota has led the market to date with the prius  popularised by a number of celebrities keen to burnish their  green  credentials. in april it will launch a hybrid version of its highlander suv  with an suv from its luxury lexus marque due later in the year.  honda has three hybrids on the market  and between them the two japanese carmakers sold more than 80 000 units last year. ford  which has sold 4 000 of its first hybrid since its launch in august  is bringing a hybrid suv - the mariner - to market a year ahead of schedule  with plans for three more models by 2008. gm has a hybrid pickup on the market and is showing two concept suvs in detroit. even sports car maker porsche may join the race  although it insists it is still considering whether to hybridise its cayenne suv.  others remain more sceptical. nissan has bought toyota s hybrid technology  but plans to bring out its first model only in 2006.  we want to make sure we are not concentrating on one technology   nissan chief executive carlos ghosn said.  we will not be surprised by any acceleration or deceleration in the hybrid market.  volkswagen  meanwhile  says it will focus on clean-burning diesel engines instead. and some watchers point out that the price tag on a hybrid - upwards of $3 000 above that of an equivalent normal-engined car  and suspicion of the technology - may still cool its attraction.  the average consumers aren t willing to pay that premium for a car they won t drive more than six years   said anthony pratt from jd power.


eminem secret gig venue revealed rapper eminem is to play an intimate gig in london on saturday  following a show on the river thames on friday.  the us star will play just two songs at a night showcasing his label shady records at the islington academy. eminem performed on hms belfast on friday  which is docked on the river thames  where he filmed two songs for bbc one s top of the pops. he arrived in the uk on friday following his appearance at the mtv europe music awards in rome. other rap acts who may appear at the islington gig include stat quo  proof  dj green lantern  swift and obie trice.  eminem s latest album soared to the top of the us chart after just three days on sale in record shops. encore is now a chart-topper on both sides of the atlantic following its debut at number one in the uk. the fourth album from the rap star was on sale for two days before it outsold all of its rivals. the album was released early in an effort to combat both physical and online piracy.  eminem s album includes the track mosh  which is a tirade against us president bush and the presence of us troops in iraq. the rapper was criticised earlier this year after a performance on bbc one s top of the pops in april led 12 viewers to complain he was  lewd  and  offensive . the complaints about the star grabbing his crotch were upheld by the bbc.  the performer had been asked to tone his act down after rehearsal but ignored this request during the live broadcast   a bbc statement read.  although his gestures were part of the rap culture  they had gone beyond what is expected.


businesses fail to plan for hiv companies fail to draw up plans to cope with hiv/aids until it affects 20% of people in a country  new research says.  the finding comes in a report published on thursday by the world economic forum  harvard and the un aids agency.  too few companies are responding proactively to the social and business threats   said dr kate taylor  head of the wef s global health initiative. nearly 9 000 business leaders in 104 countries were surveyed for business and hiv/aids: commitment and action   dr taylor described the level of action taken by businesses as revealed by the report as  too little  too late . the issue will be highlighted to business and world leaders at the world economic forum  which meets in davos  switzerland  next week. the wef report shows that despite the fact that 14 000 people contract hiv/aids every day  concern among businesses has dropped by 23% in the last 12 months. most (71%) have no policies in place to address the disease. nor could over 65% of the business leaders surveyed say or estimate the prevalence of hiv among their staff. the un programme tackling aids  unaids  pointed out that having a clear strategy for dealing with hiv/aids was a good investment as well as being socially responsible.  one company that does have a plan is anglo-american  the international mining company  which estimates an hiv prevalence of 24% among its 130 000-strong southern african workforce.  over the last two years the company has implemented extensive voluntary counselling and testing for hiv infection  coupled with anti-retroviral therapy for employees progressing to aids. over 90% of the 2 200 employees who have accessed and remained on treatment are well and have returned to normal work.  effective action on hiv/aids is synonymous with good business management and leads to more profitable and sustainable operations   said brian brink  senior vice-president  health  at anglo-american.   companies should encourage all workers to know their hiv status  making it as routine as monitoring blood pressure or cholesterol   he said.  providing access to treatment is a critical part of this.  across sub-saharan africa  even in countries with an hiv prevalence of 10-19%  only around 7% of companies have formal hiv/aids policies in place  according to the report. the gap is even wider in china  ethiopia  india  nigeria and russia  the so-called  next wave  countries  which are predicted to experience the highest numbers of new hiv/aids cases worldwide by 2010. the report adds  an important building block to our understanding of how the business community is experiencing the hiv/aids epidemic and to whether and how it is reacting   said david bloom  professor of economics and demography at the harvard school of public health.  the wef report concludes that businesses need to understand their exposure to hiv/aids risks and come up with good local practices to manage them. a key priority  in both high and low-prevalence settings  said the wef is to establish a policy based on non-discrimination and confidentiality.


nasdaq planning $100m-share sale the owner of the technology-dominated nasdaq stock index plans to sell shares to the public and list itself on the market it operates.  according to a registration document filed with the securities and exchange commission  nasdaq stock market plans to raise $100m (£52m) from the sale. some observers see this as another step closer to a full public listing. however nasdaq  an icon of the 1990s technology boom  recently poured cold water on those suggestions.  the company first sold shares in private placements during 2000 and 2001. it technically went public in 2002 when the stock started trading on the otc bulletin board  which lists equities that trade only occasionally. nasdaq will not make money from the sale  only investors who bought shares in the private placings  the filing documents said. the nasdaq is made up shares in technology firms and other companies with high growth potential. it was the most potent symbol of the 1990s internet and telecoms boom  nose-diving after the bubble burst. a recovery in the fortunes of tech giants such as intel  and dot.com survivors such as amazon has helped revive its fortunes.


blair  said he would stand down  tony blair promised gordon brown he would stand down before the next election  a new book about the chancellor claims.  but the prime minister changed his mind following intervention from allies in the cabinet  according to the book. the book by sunday telegraph journalist robert peston said the pair had  mutual animosity and contempt  for each other. the book  brown s britain  said tony blair felt by november 2003 he had lost voters  trust.  the author s sources  all unnamed  allies  of mr blair and mr brown  said the prime minister felt the iraq war had undermined him and that he was no longer an asset to the labour party.  the book  serialised in the sunday telegraph  alleges that mr blair told the chancellor at a dinner hosted by deputy pm john prescott in november 2003 of his intention to stand down.  at that stage he saw gordon brown and said   look you are the next most influential member of the government  i need your help to get through the next year   mr peston said.  i myself recognise that i m going to have to stand down before the election but help me to get through the year and i will then stand down.   but he changed his mind in june 2004  following intervention from allies in the cabinet and the suspicion that the chancellor was deliberately manoeuvring against him  the book claims.  mr peston told bbc news:  my understanding is that they are not nearly as close or as friendly as they once were.  what the book says is there now a pretty profound mutual mistrust  mutual animosity.  i think in public you see this double act pretending everything is alright but in private i don t think the relationship is good because brown  understandably  feels deeply betrayed - particularly over this issue of the leadership.  there has been fresh speculation of a rift recently  following their separate responses to the asian tsunami. rumours of a rift were fuelled by the sudden decision to hold mr blair s monthly media conference at the same time as a long-planned speech by mr brown on uk plans to tackle global poverty with a new  marshall plan  for africa. there was speculation the pair were trying to outdo each other s response to the disaster.  former welfare minister frank field mp criticised the reported rivalry between the pair on gmtv s sunday programme.   what sort of model does it give to the nation when the two most important political leaders do nothing but fight it out together or use their aides to fight it out   the labour mp for birkenhead asked. he said the prime minister should sack mr brown  but did not believe mr blair was strong enough to do so. conservative policy co-ordinator david cameron  mp for witney  added:  if it wasn t so serious it would be funny.  but it is serious - you ve got the two most senior people in the government not concentrating on fighting crime  poverty or dirty hospitals - they are fighting each other.  carol walker  bbc news 24 political correspondent  added:  there is a real concern that this could undermine the general election campaign.  and clearly it is very bad news for the government at a time when it is trying to explain what it is doing to respond to the terrible problems thrown up by the tsunami disaster.


u2 to play at grammy awards show irish rock band u2 are to play live at the grammy awards presentation in the us next month  organisers have said.  other acts to play include soul singer alicia keys  country singer tim mcgraw and punk band green day at the event on 13 february in los angeles. u2 are nominated twice for their recent single vertigo  including a nomination for best rock song. this year the grammys have been dominated by rap star kanye west  who is in contention for 10 awards. us comedian ellen degeneres and singer christine milian will present awards at the event. last week grammy producers announced the show will be hosted by rap star and chicago actress queen latifah. it will be held at the staples center. u2 had number one success in the album charts on both sides of the atlantic in november when their latest studio album  how to dismantle an atomic bomb  topped the us and uk charts. the band  who are also dominated for best international album at this year s brit awards  are to undertake a major world tour this year  their first for four years.


stern dropped from radio stations controversial dj howard stern has been dropped from four us radio stations because he keeps promoting his move to a network broadcasting on satellite.  cidatel broadcasting said stern had transformed his show into a  continuous infomercial promoting sirius  his new satellite radio employer . stern will join the sirius subscription service  which is not governed by us regulators  next year. citadel pulled stern s show from stations in new york and pennsylvania. stern had been holiday for two weeks but his show did not return to the four stations as expected on 3 january. citadel said it did not yet know whether it would return to its network.  stern announced in october that he was leaving conventional radio  where his syndicated show goes out across the us  for the relatively restriction-free satellite service. the dj s broadcasts are well known for landing in trouble with regulators for obscene and sexually explicit rantings. stern was dropped by six stations owned by media giant clear channel in 2004 after it had to pay the federal communications commission $1.75m (£950 000)  over breaches indecency laws. media giant viacom has also reportedly agreed to the fcc s demands that if stern is issued with another indecency violation then his show must be pulled from all of its stations. viacom has also been hit with record fines of $3.5m (£1.8m) over stern and two other new york djs. but stern continues to be one of the most popular talk show hosts  particularly in the 25-54 age category.


cyber criminals step up the pace so-called phishing attacks that try to trick people into handing over confidential details have boomed in 2004  say security experts.  the number of phishing e-mail messages stopped by security firm messagelabs has risen more than tenfold in less than 12 months. in 2004 it detected more than 18 million phishing e-mail messages. other statistics show that in 2004 73% of all e-mail was spam and one in 16 messages were infected with a virus.  in its end-of-year report  messagelabs said that phishing had become the top security threat and most popular form of attack among cyber criminals. in september 2003  messagelabs caught only 273 phishing e-mails that tried to make people visit fake versions of the websites run by real banks and financial organisations. but by september 2004 it was stopping more than two million phishing related e-mail messages per month. worryingly  said the firm  phishing gangs were using increasingly sophisticated techniques to harvest useful information such as login details or personal data.  older attacks relied on users not spotting the fact that the site they were visiting was fake  but more recent phishing e-mails simply try to steal details as soon as a message is opened. other phishing scams try to recruit innocent people into acting as middlemen for laundering money or goods bought with stolen credit cards.  e-mail security attacks remain unabated in their persistence and ferocity   said mark sunner  chief technology officer at messagelabs.  in just 12 months phishing has firmly established itself as a threat to any organisation or individual conducting business online   he said. mr sunner said messagelabs was starting to see some phishing attacks become very focused on one company or organisation.  already particular businesses are threatened and blackmailed  indicating a shift from the random  scattergun approach  to customised attacks designed to take advantage of the perceived weaknesses of some businesses   he said. although phishing attacks grew substantially throughout 2004  viruses and spam remain popular with cyber-criminals and vandals. one of the biggest outbreaks took place in january when the mydoom virus started circulating. to date the company has caught more than 60 million copies of the virus. also up this year was the amount of spam in circulation. in 2003 only 40% of messages were spam. but by the end of 2004  almost three-quarters of messages were junk.


spark heads world booker list dame muriel spark is among three british authors who have made the shortlist for the inaugural international booker prize.  doris lessing and ian mcewan have also been nominated. mcewan and margaret atwood are the only nominees to have previously won the main booker prize. the new £60 000 award is open to writers of all nationalities who write in english or are widely translated. the prize commends an author for their body of work instead of one book.  gabriel garcia marquez  saul bellow  milan kundera and john updike also feature on the 18-strong list of world literary figures.  but other past winners of the regular booker prize  such as salman rushdie  jm coetzee and kazuo ishiguro have failed to make the shortlist. the prize  which will be awarded in london in june  will be given once every two years. it will reward an author - who must be living - for  continued creativity  development and overall contribution to fiction on the world stage . an author can only win once. the international award was started in response to criticisms that the booker prize is only open to british and commonwealth authors.    margaret atwood (canada) saul bellow (canada) gabriel garcia marquez (colombia) gunter grass (germany) ismail kadare (albania) milan kundera (czech republic) stanislaw lem (poland) doris lessing (uk) ian mcewan (uk) naguib mahfouz (egypt) tomas eloy martinez (argentina) kenzaburo oe (japan) cynthia ozick (us) philip roth (us) muriel spark (uk) antonio tabucchi (italy) john updike (us) abraham b yehoshua (israel)


ferguson hails man utd s resolve manchester united s alex ferguson has praised his players  gutsy performance in the 1-0 win at aston villa.   that was our hardest away game of the season and it was a fantastic game of football  end-to-end with lots of good passing   said the old trafford boss.  we showed lots of character and guts and we weren t going to lose.  i look at that fixture and think we ve been there and won  while arsenal and chelsea have yet to come and villa may have some players back when they do.  ferguson also hailed senior stars ryan giggs and roy keane  who came off the bench for the injured john o shea.  roy came on and brought a bit of composure to the midfield which we needed and which no other player has got.  giggs was a tremendous threat and he brings tremendous penetration.  all we can do is maintain our form  play as we are and we ll get our rewards.


youssou n dour wins music prize senegalese musician youssou n dour has been named a winner of a bbc radio 3 world music award.  his album egypt won the critics  award for album of the year  while the best newcomer accolade went to argentine chango spasiuk. winners were chosen from ten categories to reflect different continents. a special poll winners concert  hosted by eliza carthy and benjamin zephaniah will take place at the sage in gateshead on 5 march.  the concert will be broadcast on radio 3 s world music day the following evening and will feature performances by many of the award winners. it will also include the announcement of the audience award  chosen by radio 3 and bbc world service listeners  alongside bbc four viewers.  winner in the africa category was malian desert blues band tinariwen  formed from the nomadic people of the southern sahara. cuban pianist bebo valdes and flamenco singer diego el cigala  responsible for critically acclaimed album lagrimas negrasmusic  won an award in the  boundary crossing  category. each winner will receive a specially commissioned sculpture entitled planet by anita sulimanovic who won a competition to design the award. highlights of the poll winners concert  to be held at the sage  gateshead  will be televised on bbc four on 11 march.


super union  merger plan touted two of britain s big trade unions could merge to form a  super union  of two million members.  the move by amicus and the transport and general workers union (tgwu) would be a seen as a bid to carry more weight with ministers and employers. amicus has 1.2 million members and the tgwu has 800 000. any merger would have to be approved by the unions  executives and their membership. it is understood meetings will be held on wednesday about the proposal. along with the gmb and unison  the tgwu and amicus worked closely together in the last year to hammer out a 56-point deal with labour s leadership over equality at work  holidays and pensions - the warwick agreement. both unions are remaining tight-lipped about the merger rumours  but one insider pointed out to the bbc news website that  nobody is denying suggestions a merger could be on the agenda  when the two unions  executives hold their meetings on wednesday. amicus s executive was due to meet in any case although the tgwu is holding specially scheduled talks.


home phones face unclear future the fixed line phone in your home could soon be an endangered species.  research by handset maker nokia shows that more and more people are using their mobile phone for every call they make or take. according to the study  more than 45 million people in the uk  germany  us and south korea now only use a mobile. it showed that people keep their fixed line phone because call charges are lower  but most of those questioned said the future was definitely mobile.  the nokia-sponsored research showed that mobiles and fixed phones were used for different purposes. home phones were used for longer calls but conversations on mobiles tended to be shorter  between mobiles and to friends. in the uk 69% of those questioned said they turned to their fixed phone because it was still cheaper to use than a mobile. however  when pressed few could say with accuracy how tariffs on fixed and mobile phones compared. in the us and germany many of those interviewed said they used the fixed phone because it was more reliable than a mobile handset and let them get access to the net at relatively high speeds. in all the countries where interviews were carried out  older people were more likely to use a fixed line phone more than a mobile. women aged 50 or above almost never use a mobile phone  the research found.  the move to mobile was most pronounced in south korea where 65% of those questioned said they already make most of their calls from a mobile. 18% said they would not get a landline if they moved house.  many of those questioned said they had an emotional connection to their fixed phone that drew on its position in the home and the  cosiness  of making a call there. nokia said these findings had implications for mobile operators who must work hard to ensure that mobiles are seen as cheap  reliable and providing good call quality. the survey also showed that it is not just voice calls that are going wireless. some of those questioned said they were looking to use a mobile or wireless service to get net access within the next couple of years. polling firm mori interviewed more than 6 000 people in the uk  us  germany and south korea for the survey.


paraguay novel wins us book prize a novel set in 19th century paraguay has won the $10 000 (£5 390) fiction prize at the us national book awards.  lily tuck s the news from paraguay is a fictionalised tale about paraguayan leader francisco solano lopez and his irish mistress. but the annual awards  which were presented in new york on wednesday  were not without controversy. children s author judy blume  who was given an honourary medal  used the ceremony to speak out over censorship.  sales of blume s books have exceeded 75 million  but her work - which features frank narratives about families  religion and sexuality - is closely watched by the censors. blume said:  the urge to ban is contagious. it spreads like wildfire from community to community. please speak out. censors hate publicity.  her medal marks the second year in a row the honourary prize went to someone as notable for popular success as literary greatness. last year s honorary winner  stephen king  accused the industry during the 2003 ceremony of snobbery against popular writers. but his argument that the award should help sell books instead of honouring excellence is not shared by everyone.  this year s fiction panel overlooked high-profile works such as philip roth s the plot against america and instead chose five little-known books  all by new york-based women. one fiction judge  stewart o nan  carried around a note written on a napkin that said:  i would hope that our caring more for the quality of a work than its sales figures make us a friend of books  not an enemy.  the national book awards non-fiction prize was awarded to kevin boyle s for arc of justice  which focuses on a black family s fight to live in a white detroit neighbourhood in the 1920s. the award had created a lot of interest this year after the surprise inclusion of the of the 9-11 commission report looking into the events of the 11 september terrorist attacks on the us. pete hautman won the young people s literature prize for his novel godless. the winner in the poetry category was jean valentine for door in the mountain: new and collected poems  1965-2003.


gadget show heralds mp3 season partners of those who love their hi-tech gear may want to get their presents in early as experts predict a gadget shortage this christmas.  with apple s ipod topping wish lists again  there may not be enough ipod minis to go round  predicts oliver irish  editor of gadget magazine stuff.  the ipod mini is likely to be this year s tracey island   said mr irish. stuff has compiled a list of the top 10 gadgets for 2004 and the ipod is at number one.  for anyone bewildered by the choice of gadgets on the market  stuff and what hi-fi  are hosting a best-of gadget show in london this weekend. star of the show will be sony s qrio robot  an all-singing  all-dancing  football-playing man-machine who can even hold intelligent conversations.  but he is not for sale and sony has no commercial plans for the robot.  he will greet visitors and is flying in from japan. he probably has his own airplane seat  that is how highly sony prize him   said mr irish. also on display will be a virtual keyboard which projects itself onto any flat surface. the event will play host to a large collection of digital music players  from companies such as creative  sony and philips as well as the ubiquitously fashionable ipod from apple. suggestions that it could be a gaming or wireless christmas are unlikely to come true as mp3 players remain the most popular stocking filler  said mr irish.  demand is huge and apple has promised that it can supply enough but people might struggle to get their hands on ipod minis   said mr irish.  for those who like their gadgets to be multi-talented  the gizmondo  a powerful gaming console with gps and gprs  that also doubles up as an mp3 player  movie player and camera  could be a must-have.  what is impressive is how much it can do and how well it can do them   said mr irish. this christmas  gadgets will not be an all-male preserve.  women will be getting gadgets from husbands and boyfriends as well as buying them for themselves   said mr irish.  gadgets nowadays are lifestyle products rather than just for geeks.


beijingers fume over parking fees choking traffic jams in beijing are prompting officials to look at reorganising car parking charges.  car ownership has risen fast in recent years  and there are now two and a half million cars on the city s roads. the trouble is that the high status of car ownership is matched by expensive fees at indoor car parks  making motorists reluctant to use them. instead roads are being clogged by drivers circling in search of a cheaper outdoor option.  the price differences between indoor and outdoor lots are unreasonable   said wang yan  an official from the beijing municipal commission for development and reform quoted in the state-run china daily newspaper. mr wang  who is in charge of collecting car parking fees  said his team would be looking at adjusting parking prices to close the gap. indoor parking bays can cost up to 250% more than outdoor ones.  sports fans who drive to matches may also find themselves the target of the commission s road rage. it wants them to use public transport  and is considering jacking up the prices of car parks near sports grounds. mr wang said his review team may scrap the relatively cheap hourly fee near such places and impose a higher flat rate during matches. indoor parking may be costly  but it is not always secure. mr wang s team are also going to look into complaints from residents about poor service received in exchange for compulsory monthly fees of up to 400 yuan ($48; £26). the beijing authorities decided two years ago that visiting foreign dignitaries  motorcades should not longer get motorcycle outriders as they blocked the traffic. unclogging beijing s increasingly impassable streets is a major concern for the chinese authorities  who are building dozens of new roads to create a showcase modern city ahead of the 2008 olympic games.


gsk aims to stop aids profiteers one of the world s largest manufacturers of hiv/aids drugs has launched an initiative to combat the smuggling of cheaper pills - supplied to poorer african countries - back into europe for resale at far higher price.  the company  glaxosmithkline  is to alter the packaging and change the colour of the pills  currently provided to developing nations under a humanitarian agreement. it is estimated that drugs companies are losing hundreds of millions of dollars each year as a result of the diversion of their products in this way. this is a very sensitive area for the big drugs companies. they want to maintain their profits  but have been put under tremendous pressure to provide cheap anti-aids drugs to the world s poorest nations.  the result is that drugs supplied to africa are now more than thirty times cheaper than those sold in europe; bringing these medicines within the reach of millions of hiv-positive africans through their government s health care systems.  but the wide difference in price also means that there are big gains to be made from illegally diverting these cheaper drugs back into wealthier countries and re-selling them at a higher price. glaxosmithkline believes that by coating the pills destined for africa in a red dye and adding new identification codes both onto the pills and on the packaging  then this trade can be substantially reduced. the company says that it will then be possible to identify specific distributors in africa who have re-sold humanitarian drugs for profit  as well as those suppliers in europe that have also been involved in the trade. glaxo says distribution of the new-look drugs has already begun and that their chemical content is identical to those currently being sold in europe.


football manager scores big time for the past decade or so the virtual football fans among us will have become used to the annual helping of championship manager (cm). indeed  it seems like there has been a cm game for as many years as there have been pcs.  however  last year was the final time that developers sports interactive (si) and publishers eidos would work together. they decided to go their separate ways  and each kept a piece of the franchise. si kept the game s code and database  and eidos retained rights to the cm brand  and the look and feel of the game. so at the beginning of this year  fans faced a new situation. eidos announced the next cm game  with a new team to develop it from scratch  whilst si developed the existing code further to be released  with new publishers sega  under the name football manager. so what does this mean  well  football manager is the spiritual successor to the cm series  and it has been released earlier than expected. at this point cm5 looks like it will ship early next year. but given that football manager 2005 is by and large the game that everybody knows and loves  how does this new version shape up   a game like fm2005 could blind you with statistics. it has an obscene number of playable leagues  an obscene number of manageable teams and a really obscene number of players and staff from around the world in the database  with stats faithfully researched and compiled by a loyal army of fans. but that does not do justice to the game really. what we are talking about is the most realistic and satisfying football management game to ever grace the earth.  you begin by picking the nations and leagues you want to manage teams from  for instance england and scotland. that will give you a choice not just of the four main scottish leagues  but the english premiership all the way down to the conference north and south. of course you might be looking for european glory  or to get hold of abramovich s millions  in which case you can take control at chelsea  or even barcelona  real madrid  ac milan ... the list goes on a very long way. once in a team you will be told by the board what they expect of you. sometimes it is promotion  or a place in europe  sometimes it is consolidation or a brave relegation battle. it might even be a case of champions or else. obviously the expectations are linked to the team you choose  so choose wisely. then it is time to look at your squad  work out your tactics  seeing how much cash  if any  you have got to splash  having a look at the transfer market  sorting out the training schedule and making sure your backroom staff are up to it. then bring on the matches  which are once more available in the ever-improving top down 2d view. with the exception of the improved user interface on the surface  not much else seems to have changed.  however  there have been a lot of changes under the bonnet as well - things like the manager mind-games  which let you talk to the media about the opposition bosses. the match engine is also much improved  and it is more of a joy than ever to watch. in fact just about every area of the game has been tweaked  and it leads to an ever more immersive experience.  with a game that is so complex and so open-ended  there are of course a few glitches  but nowhere near the sorts of problems that have blighted previous releases. with so many calculations to perform the game can take some time to process in between matches  though there have been improvements in this area. and a sport like football  which is so high profile and unpredictable itself  can never be modelled quite to everybody s satisfaction. but this time around a great deal of hard work has been put in to ensure that any oddities that do crop up are cosmetic only  and do not affect gameplay. and if there are problems further down the line  sports interactive have indicated their usual willingness to support and develop the game as far as possible. in all there are many more tweaks and improvements. if you were a fan of the previous cm games  then fm2005 might make you forget there was anything else before it. if you are new to the genre but like the idea of trying to take margate into the premiership  spurs into europe  or even putting rangers back on the top of the tree  fm2005 could be the best purchase you ever made. just be warned that the family might not see you much at christmas.  football manager 2005 out now for the pc and the mac


file-swappers ready new network legal attacks on websites that help people swap pirated films have forced the development of a system that could be harder to shut down.  one site behind the success of the bittorrent file-swapping system is producing its own software that avoids the pitfalls of the earlier program. a test version of the new exeem program will be released in late january. but doubts remain about the new networks ability to ensure files being swapped are  quality copies .  in late december movie studios launched a legal campaign against websites that helped people swap pirated movies using the bittorrent network. the legal campaign worked because of the way that bittorrent is organised. that file-sharing system relies on links called  trackers  that point users to others happy to share the file they are looking for. shutting down sites that listed trackers crippled the bittorrent network. one of the sites shut down by the legal campaign was suprnova.org which helped boost the popularity of the bittorrent system by checking that trackers led to the movies or tv programmes they claimed to.  now the man behind suprnova.org  who goes by the nickname sloncek  is preparing to release software for a new file-swapping network dubbed exeem. in an interview with novastream web radio  sloncek said exeem would combine ideas from the bittorrent and kazaa file-sharing systems. like bittorrent  exeem will have trackers that help point people toward the file they want. like kazaa these trackers will be held by everyone. there will be no centrally maintained list. this  said sloncek  should make the system less vulnerable to legal action aimed at stopping people swapping pirated movies and music. the exeem software has been under development for a few months and is currently being tested by a closed group of users. an early public version of the software should be available before february. sloncek said that currently only a windows version of the software was in development. there were no plans for a linux or mac version. he said that costs of writing the software will be paid for by adverts appearing in the finished version of the program. despite suprnova administrator sloncek s involvement with exeem  the basic technology appears to have been developed by a firm called swarm systems that is based on caribbean island saint kitts and nevis.  users of the exeem system will be able to rate files being swapped to help stop the spread of fake files  sloncek told novastream.  dr johan pouwelse  a researcher at the delft university of technology who studies peer-to-peer networks  said exeem was the next evolution in file-sharing systems. but  he said  it would struggle to be as popular as bittorrent and suprnova because early versions were not taking enough care to make sure good copies of files were being shared.  exeem cannot prevent pollution   he said.  the rating system in exeem seems flawed because it is easy to insert both fake files and fake ratings   he said. studies have shown that organisations working for record labels and movie studios have worked to undermine kazaa by putting in fakes. by contrast moderators on suprnova made sure files being shared were high quality.  the moderators are the difference between having a system that works and one that s full of crap like kazaa   he said.  there is a fundamental tension between distribution and integrity   he said. mr pouwelse said that future versions of file-sharing systems are likely to incorporate some kind of distributed reputation system that lets moderators prove who they are to the network and rate which files are worth downloading. when big files were being shared moderation systems were key  said mr pouwelse. he added that the legal attacks on bittorrent had driven people away from sites such as suprnova but many users had simply migrated to other tracker listing sites many of which have seen huge increases in traffic.  it s hard to compete with free   he said. no-one from the motion picture association of america was immediately available for comment on the file-sharing development.


no jail for singer courtney love singer courtney love has been spared jail for assault and drug offences  but must serve three years probation.  she had back-to-back court appearances in two separate cases in los angeles  first pleading no contest to attacking a woman with a whisky bottle. in the second  ms love  40  pleaded guilty to possessing a forged prescription and painkiller oxycodone. she must also do 100 hours community service  have drug treatment  attend narcotics anonymous and pay a fine. the ex-hole singer s lawyer howard weitzman said ms love had  turned her life around  and she was  clean and sober .  the assault charge stemmed from april 2004  when ms love found musician kristin king in her boyfriend s home. ms king said the singer  threw the bottle at the left side of my face  in an  angry  vicious and erratic  attack. ms love was originally charged with the more serious offence of assault with a deadly weapon  but that was reduced to assault. judge rand rubin said she must:  - spend three years on probation   - have one year s anger management counselling   - have one year s drug rehabilitation   - do 100 hours community service   - pay $1 000 (£535) fine   - have random drug tests   - go to three narcotics anonymous meetings per week  in the drugs case  she was sentenced to 18 months probation  to run concurrently with the probation for the assault. that offence stemmed from october 2003  when she suffered an overdose after breaking a window at her boyfriend s home. in a separate case relating to the same incident  ms love was sentenced to 18 months in drug rehabilitation for being under the influence of cocaine and opiates. in another case last october  she pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct for hitting a man on the head with a microphone stand at a new york city nightclub. last month her lawyers said she had won back custody of frances bean  her 12-year-old daughter with former nirvana frontman kurt cobain. the girl was removed from her care following her double arrest in october 2003. cobain committed suicide in 1994.


kennedy begins pre-election tour liberal democrat leader charles kennedy has begun a week-long tour to persuade voters they are the  real opposition .  mr kennedy is visiting constituencies in somerset and hampshire on monday - rural seats where his party is hoping to make gains from the conservatives. later he will visit places  such as liverpool  where labour is targeted. labour say a lib dem vote could  let the tories in   while the tories say the lib dems would mean  higher taxes  soft crime laws  more power to europe . mr kennedy s tour comes as he  labour leader tony blair and conservative leader michael howard all step up campaigning ahead of the next general election  widely expected to be held on 5 may. on tuesday mr kennedy will visit leicester south  where lib dem mp parmjit singh gill overturned a big labour majority to win the seat in last year s by-election.  stops in shrewsbury  north dorset  liverpool  manchester  basingstoke and west london are planned for later in the week. the liberal democrats say in the northern cities  the race is between them and labour  while in southern seats - particularly the south west - it is between them and the tories. speaking to the bbc s westminster hour on sunday  mr kennedy said the upcoming general election - widely tipped for 5 may - would be much more unpredictable than any others in  recent experience . asked whether it was realistic to assume the liberal democrats could win the general election  he said:  there s no limit to the ambitions we have as a party.  but we have got to be responsible  we have got to be credible  we have got to demonstrate to people that we are up to that task.   mr kennedy said the british public felt let down by labour on issues from iraq to top-up fees and the conservatives were not  asking the critical questions . and he said people were  highly sceptical  about labour and conservative promises on tax. but he brushed off labour suggestions a vote for his party would mean letting the tories in  by the back door .  if you look at the four previous parliamentary by-elections  the liberal democrats have demonstrated that  not only can we leapfrog the conservatives where we start in a third place position  but we can go on to defeat the government.  that s going to be the story  i think  of this coming general election.


macy s owner buys rival for $11bn us retail giant federated department stores is to buy rival may department stores for $11bn (£5.7bn).  the deal will bring together famous stores like macy s  bloomingdale s and marshall field s  creating the largest department store chain in the us. the combined firm will operate about 1 000 stores across the us  with combined annual sales of $30bn. the two companies  facing competition from the likes of wal-mart  tried to merge two years ago but talks failed. sources familiar with the deal said that negotiations between the two companies sped up after may s chairman and chief executive gene kahn resigned in january. as part of the deal  federated - owner of macy s and bloomingdale s - will assume $6bn of may s debt  bringing the deal s total value to $17bn. directors at both companies have approved the deal and it is expected to conclude by the third quarter of this year.  may has struggled to compete against larger department store groups such as federated and other retailers such as wal-mart. federated expects the merger to boost earnings from 2007 but the deal will cost it $1bn in one-off charges.   we have taken the first step toward combining two of the best department store companies in america  creating a new retail company with truly national scope and presence   said terry lundgren  federated s chairman. some analysts see the merger as a rescue deal for may.  without this deal may would have been  to put it bluntly  washed up   said kurt barnard  president of barnard s retail consulting group. federated has annual sales of $15.6bn  while may s yearly sales are $14.4bn.


howard unveils election platform the conservatives would stand up for the  forgotten majority   michael howard pledged as he unveiled the first part of the tory election manifesto.  the tory leader argued there was a mass of people whom he says feel let down by tony blair and who share tory values. in the foreword to the manifesto  he promises to focus on restoring order  trying to lower taxes and giving power back to the people. labour says the document offers only a return to a  failed tory past . the liberal democrats say the conservatives cannot win what they predict will be a three-party contest.  campaigning activity is accelerating ahead of the general election  which is widely tipped for may but could be any time before june 2006. labour on monday postponed a launch of election posters because of the asian tsunami disaster. mr howard published the introduction to the tory manifesto. other chapters will follow in coming weeks.  in a speech in northamptonshire  he said the  forgotten majority  made up the backbone of britain. they were people who were saving for their first home or their retirement  working hard and accepting their responsibilities. he says in the manifesto foreword:  they have been forgotten  neglected and taken for granted by mr blair.   saying britain must change direction  mr howard argues government is too big and cannot continue  down the path of ever rising taxes . he promises to ensure frontline professionals  parents and patients make the key decisions rather than whitehall  bureaucrats . and he says the tories would get a grip on crime  immigration and disorder.  the decline of responsibility and the proliferation of so-called  human rights  have left us in a moral quagmire  unable to get a grip on rising crime and disorder   he says.  mr howard says he will produce a timetable for action so people can hold him to account but on issues like taxation he has so far only published options  not specific plans. mr howard told bbc news:  i m determined to lower taxes but i m also determined not to make any promises i can t keep.  the tories were unveiling material months ahead of the expected election because they needed time to make voters aware of their policies  he said. he was asked if tory support for the government on iraq and identity cards had given the lib dems the chance to portray themselves as the opposition to labour. mr howard argued the only test for his policies was whether they were best for britain. it had nothing to do with putting  clear blue water  between himself and his opponents.  labour s election slogan will be:  britain s working  don t let the tories wreck it again . campaign coordinator alan milburn accused the tories of  launching thatcherism in instalments  while labour helped the hard working majority of families. lib dem president simon hughes said his party had set out its election stance in september.  the liberal democrats will ask the british people for support this year as the party with the policies best able to deliver freedom and fairness and to restore trust   he said.


uk gets official virus alert site a rapid alerting service that tells home computer users about serious internet security problems is being launched by the uk government.  the service  it safe  will issue warnings about damaging viruses  software vulnerabilities and weaknesses on devices such as mobile phones. alerts tell people how the threats affect them and what they can do to avoid trouble and protect themselves. the service will be free and those who sign up can get e-mail or text alerts. the scheme is aimed at home users and small businesses. the government estimates it will issue security alerts about six to 10 times a year  based on previous experience of virus outbreaks.  there is a clear need for easy-to-understand and simple independent advice for non-technically minded people who use computers either at home or at work   said home office minister hazel blears.  the purpose of this new government service is to ensure computer users are aware of the risks involved and how to deal with them easily and effectively without causing alarm.  those signing up will only be told about the most serious security threats that have the potential to affect millions of people.  full-time staff are being employed to comb through the many hundreds of alerts issued each year by computer security firms to spot which ones have the potential to catch out a large number of people between alerts the service will occasionally send messages giving people advice about safe ways to use their computers and phones.  it safe will take our technical expertise and use it to help home users understand the risks and keep their computer systems  mobile phones and a range of related consumer electronic items  safe   said roger cumming  director of the national infrastructure security coordination centre (niscc).  the niscc  which is running the service  also stressed that those signing up would still need to use anti-virus software  firewalls  and software updates to stay secure. warnings about security problems will tell people what the problem is  how it affects them and what they can do to avoid trouble. alerts will not be issued unless users can do something to protect themselves against the threat. this might include downloading an update from an anti-virus vendor or updating software to close loopholes and fix vulnerabilities. however no software patches or programs will actually be dispensed through the site. the alerts will tell people how to go about getting hold of patches from security firms. the niscc spokesman said the site and alerting service would stay in existence for as long as there were security bugs on home computers and other gadgets.  government statistics show that more than half of all uk households own a home computer. it was estimated that almost 13 million of these were able to access the internet in 2004. the launch comes as the number of viruses and other malicious programs in existence is reaching unprecedented numbers. in september 2004  the number of malicious programs circulating topped the 100 000 mark. some fear that this figure could hit 150 000 by september 2005. the creation of the national alert service follows similar efforts in the netherlands and us. the national alerting service for the netherlands (aka de waarschuwingsdienst) and the us national cyber alerting service also tell citizens of serious security threats.


apple unveils low-cost  mac mini  apple has unveiled a new  low-cost macintosh computer for the masses  billed as the mac mini.  chief executive steve jobs showed off the new machine at his annual macworld speech  in san francisco. the $499 macintosh  sold for £339 in the uk  was described by jobs as the  most important mac  made by apple. mr jobs also unveiled the ipod shuffle  a new music player using cheaper flash memory rather than hard drives  which are used in more expensive ipods.  the new computer shifts the company into new territory - traditionally  the firm is known as a design and innovation-led firm rather than as a mass-market manufacturer. the mac mini comes without a monitor  keyboard and mouse  and a second version with a larger hard drive will also be sold for $599.  the machine - which will be available from 22 january - was described by jobs as  byodkm... bring your own display  keyboard  and mouse . in an attempt to win over windows pc customers  mr jobs said it would appeal to people thinking of changing operating systems.  people who are thinking of switching will have no more excuses   he said.  it s the newest and most affordable mac ever.  the new computer has been the subject of speculation for several weeks and while few people will be surprised by the announcement many analysts had already said it was a sensible move. in january  apple sued a website after it published what it said were specifications for the new computer. ian harris  deputy editor of uk magazine mac format  said the machine would appeal to pc-owning consumers who had purchased an ipod.   they want a further taste of mac because they like what they have seen with ipod.  harris added:  everybody thought that apple was happy to remain a niche maker of luxury computers  and moving into a market dominated by low margin manufacturers like dell is a bold move.  but it shows that apple is keen to capitalise on the mass market success it s had with the ipod. the mac mini will appeal to pc users looking for an attractive   no fuss  computer.  the new ipod shuffle comes in two versions - one offering 512mb of storage for $99 (£69 in the uk) and a second with one gigabyte of storage for $149 (£99) - and went on sale tuesday. the music player has no display and will play songs either consecutively or shuffled. the smaller ipod will hold about 120 songs  said mr jobs. mr jobs told the delegates at macworld that ipod already had a 65% market share of all digital music players.


internet boom for gift shopping cyberspace is becoming a very popular destination for christmas shoppers.  forecasts predict that british people will spend £4bn buying gifts online during the festive season  an increase of 64% on 2003. surveys also show that the average amount that people are spending is rising  as is the range of goods that they are happy to buy online. savvy shoppers are also using the net to find the hot presents that are all but sold out in high street stores.  almost half of the uk population now shop online according to figures collected by the interactive media in retail group which represents web retailers. about 85% of this group  18m people  expect to do a lot of their christmas gift buying online this year  reports the industry group. on average each shopper will spend £220 and britons lead europe in their affection for online shopping.  almost a third of all the money spent online this christmas will come out of british wallets and purses compared to 29% from german shoppers and only 4% from italian gift buyers. james roper  director of the imrg  said shoppers were now much happier to buy so-called big ticket items such as lcd television sets and digital cameras. mr roper added that many retailers were working hard to reassure consumers that online shopping was safe and that goods ordered as presents would arrive in time for christmas. he advised consumers to give shops a little more time than usual to fulfil orders given that online buying is proving so popular. a survey by hostway suggests that many men prefer to shop online to avoid the embarrassment of buying some types of presents  such as lingerie  for wives and girlfriends. much of this online shopping is likely to be done during work time  according to research carried out by security firm saint bernard software. the research reveals that up to two working days will be lost by staff who do their shopping via their work computer. worst offenders will be those in the 18-35 age bracket  suggests the research  who will spend up to five hours per week in december browsing and buying at online shops.  iggy fanlo  chief revenue officer at shopping.com  said that the growing numbers of people using broadband was driving interest in online shopping.  when you consider narrowband and broadband the conversion to sale is two times higher   he said. higher speeds meant that everything happened much faster  he said  which let people spend time browsing and finding out about products before they buy.  the behaviour of online shoppers was also changing  he said.  the single biggest reason people went online before this year was price   he said.  the number one reason now is convenience.   very few consumers click on the lowest price   he said.  they are looking for good prices and merchant reliability.  consumer comments and reviews were also proving popular with shoppers keen to find out who had the most reliable customer service. data collected by ebay suggests that some smart shoppers are getting round the shortages of hot presents by buying them direct through the auction site. according to ebay uk there are now more than 150 robosapiens remote control robots for sale via the site. the robosapiens toy is almost impossible to find in online and offline stores. similarly many shoppers are turning to ebay to help them get hold of the hard-to-find slimline playstation 2  which many retailers are only selling as part of an expensive bundle. the high demand for the playstation 2 has meant that prices for it are being driven up. in shops the ps2 is supposed to sell for £104.99. in some ebay uk auctions the price has risen to more than double this figure. many people are also using ebay to get hold of gadgets not even released in this country. the portable version of the playstation has only just gone on sale in japan yet some enterprising ebay users are selling the device to uk gadget fans.


us economy still growing says fed most areas of the us saw their economy continue to expand in december and early january  the us federal reserve said in its latest beige book report.  of the 12 us regions it identifies for the study  11 showed stronger economic growth  with only the cleveland area falling behind with a  mixed  rating. consumer spending was higher in december than november  and festive sales were also up on 2003. the employment picture also improved  the fed said.   labour markets firmed in a number of districts  but wage pressures generally remained modest   the beige book said.  several districts reported higher prices for building materials and manufacturing inputs  but most reported steady or only slightly higher overall price levels.  the report added that residential real estate activity remained strong and that commercial real estate activity strengthened in most districts.  office leasing was especially brisk in washington dc  and new york city  two of the nation s strongest commercial markets   the fed said.


home loan approvals rising again the number of mortgages approved in the uk has risen for the first time since may last year  according to lending figures from the bank of england.  new loans in december rose to 83 000  slightly higher than november s nine-year low of 77 000. mortgage lending rose by £7.1bn in december  up from a £6.4bn rise in november. the figures contradict a survey from the british bankers  association  which said approvals were at a five-year low.  analysts say the figures show the market may be stabilising but still point to further house price softness.  the modest rise in mortgage approvals and lending in december reinforces the impression that the housing market is currently slowing steadily rather than sharply   said global insight analyst howard archer  commenting on the boe s figures. the bba believes that the property market is continuing to cool down. changes to mortgage regulation may have artificially depressed figures in november  thus flattering the december figures  analysts said. in october last year  new rules came into force  which meant some lenders were forced to withdraw mortgage products temporarily in november and defer some lending until they had made sure they had complied with the rules properly. separately  the bank of england said that consumer credit rose by £1.5bn in december  more than the £1.4bn expected and above the £1.4bn reported in the previous month.


film production  falls  40% in uk the number of british films produced in the uk fell 40% in 2004  with movies starring johnny depp and jude law among those affected  screen daily has said.  twenty-seven british films were made in the uk last year following a drop in funding  compared with 45 in 2003  according to the trade weekly. it attributed the drop to tighter tax laws and reduced funding from sources such as the national lottery. uk and us co-productions in britain fell from 102 in 2003 to 81 last year.  last year the government closed tax loopholes that many film investors had taken advantage of to fund films in the uk. several projects were shelved as they faced the implications of this clampdown  coupled with the reduction in movie funding from traditional sources including the lottery and miramax films. shooting on period drama tulip fever  which was to star jude law and keira knightley  was postponed indefinitely while shooting of the libertine starring johnny depp was moved to the isle of man.   there isn t anything coming in to replace (the funds)   said the libertine s executive producer marc samuelson.  we are in a hiatus.  films with  medium  budgets of up to £9m  a similar level to box office hits vera drake  calendar girls and enduring love  are expected to be worst hit by the tax clampdown. the strength of the pound against the dollar is expected to have resulted in a fall in the number of us films shot in the uk during 2004  screen international added. big budget co-productions  such as the harry potter series  continued to be shot in the uk  however. the uk film council said the drop was partly due to 2003 being an especially good year for british film production  when bridget jones: the edge of reason  wimbledon and thunderbirds were all filmed in the uk.   the drop was expected as there was no way 2003 s record level of production could be bettered   the council s spokesperson said.  the reduction in indigenous film production in 2004 was due to a variety of factors  including the continuing long-term trend towards co-production of films in more than one country and changes to financing arrangements.  it was  too early  to predict whether the downward trend in uk production would continue throughout 2005  the uk film council said. in september the government introduced subsidies worth up to £4m per film for medium budget films  under new treasury measures. it is also due to announce a replacement for uk film tax relief scheme section 48 in july.


umaga ready for  fearsome  lions all blacks captain tama umaga has warned the british and irish lions will be his most fearsome opponents yet ahead of their summer tour.  but umaga  in england for saturday s irb rugby aid match  also backed new zealand to win the three-test series against the lions. he told bbc sport:  it s potentially the most fearsome line-up i ve ever come up against. they re awesome.  but i d back us all the way to beat them when they come over.  lions boss sir clive woodward is set to announce his squad for the june-july tour next month.  when woodward was appointed last year  it was widely believed he would rely heavily on his former england players. but umaga said:  he d be hard pushed to do that now considering the shape of the six nations.  don t get me wrong  england have got a lot of talented guys and i m sure there are some of them who ll make the lions test xv.  but you can t disguise wales and ireland in particular. some of the tries they ve scored have been great. i ll admit it ll be fairly awesome lining up against the likes of brian o driscoll.   umaga will meet o driscoll in saturday s rugby aid match at twickenham  with the irish captain leading the northern hemisphere side. o driscoll is among a host of players in the northern hemisphere squad  coached by woodward  that are tipped for lions call-ups.  it ll be good for us to get an early idea of some of these guys  although a lot can change between now and june   umaga said. the 31-year-old admitted interest in the lions tour was immense  calling it  the biggest thing to hit new zealand since lord of the rings . he added:  as players  it s enough for us to be driven by the rarity of playing the lions. in fact  it s not just us all blacks - it s the talk of the country.   umaga admitted the fear of injury weighed on his mind ahead of saturday s charity game  which features a host of big names including george gregan  andrew mehrtens and chris latham. but he admitted the value of the cause - proceeds of the match will go to aiding victims of the tsunami - easily won him over.  the second [southern hemisphere coach] rod macqueen made the approach  i didn t hesitate. it was great when new zealand rugby then gave me the all clear.  thankfully i didn t know anyone that was involved in the tragedy of the tsunami but you couldn t miss all the horrific reports on the news.  there are so many people that were affected  are still affected and will be affected for a long time. it s just good to know we can do something minor to help out.   - the match will be televised on bbc one at 1400 gmt on saturday.


france v wales (sat) stade de france  paris  saturday  26 february  1600 gmt  bbc1  radio 4 lw and this website  france may have beaten scotland and england but they were tedious and uninspired throughout both matches. wales  on the other hand  have played some fine rugby and have made their best start since they last won the title in 1994. they also have a good record at the stade de france  having won their first two games there  in 1999 and 2001. wales have made two changes from the team that thrashed italy 38-8 in rome.  kevin morgan takes over from his injured newport-gwent dragons colleague hal luscombe on the right wing. in the pack neath-swansea ospreys forward ryan jones bas been brought on the blind-side flank to beef up the wales back row in place of jonathan thomas. wales coach mike ruddock is determined that his team will not go into their shells after their promising start to the championship.  graham henry (former wales coach) said a couple of years ago that we should  be bold  when going to france  and he was proved right   said ruddock.  that is a great way to approach the game  and something we will further endorse with the players this week.   despite their stuttering displays in their first two games defending champions france are also unbeaten. under-pressure coach bernard laporte has made four changes  with yannick nyanga  the debutant julien laharrague  aurelien rougerie and yannick jauzion coming into the side. france have been criticised for the absence of traditional  french flair  as they have ground their way to victory so far this year but captain fabien pelous sees hope on the horizon.  i get the impression we are getting better   he said.  against wales  which is different from the teams we have beaten  i hope we can show our proper game.   j laharrague; a rougerie  y jauzion  d traille  c dominici; y delaigue  d yachvili; s marconnet  s bruno  n mas; f pelous (capt)  j thion; s betsen  y nyanga  j bonnaire (bourgoin).  w servat  o milloud  g lamboley  i harinordoquy  p mignoni  f michalak  j-p grandclaude.  g thomas (capt); k morgan  t shanklin  g henson  s williams; s jones  d peel; g jenkins  m davies  a jones; b cockbain  r sidoli; r jones  m williams  m owen.  r mcbryde  j yapp  j thomas  r sowden-taylor  g cooper  c sweeney  r williams.


brown visits slum on africa trip chancellor gordon brown has visited kenya s biggest shantytown as he opened a week-long visit to africa.  mr brown s trip is designed to highlight how the uk wants to make africa s problems a priority of its chairmanship of the g8 this year. he will see an hiv/aids orphanage in tanzania and a women s credit union in mozambique before chairing a meeting of the commission for africa in cape town. at slums in narobi on wednesday  he said education needs had to be tackled.  speaking outside the olympic primary school  mr brown said:  it is simply not acceptable in the modern age for the rest of the world to stand by and have hundreds of millions of children not getting the chance at education.  he pointed to international plans to invest $10bn for education in africa over the next decade. the school is on the edge of kibera  where 800 000 live often in huts made of mud  scrap metal and cardboard. mr brown s aides say he wants to find out more about the kenyan government s education policies  which included introducing free primary education in early 2003. the chancellor has already unveiled proposals for a g8 aid package which he has likened to the marshall plan used by the united states to rebuild europe after world war two. the trip follows claims of infighting between mr brown and tony blair detailed in a new book. conservative leader michael howard is expected to seize on those reports at prime minister s questions at 1200 gmt on wednesday.


williams stays on despite dispute matt williams insists he has no thoughts of quitting as national coach as a result of the power struggle currently gripping scottish rugby.  the chairman  chief executive and three non-executive directors all departed in a row over the game s future direction. but williams said:  i want to make it clear that i m committed totally to scottish rugby.  i ve brought my family here and we ve immersed ourselves in scottish life. there s no way that i m walking away.  however  he attempted to steer clear of taking sides in the dispute.  i d like to stress that the national team is separate to the political situation   he said.   when you come to an undertaking like this and you are trying to make a difference then there are always people who will begrudge you  who are jealous and want to try to drag you down.  when you have that situation  you have to have the courage of your convictions to see it through.  there was some very unhelpful and uninformed comment that the national team had received a massive increase in budget at the expense of other parts of scottish rugby and that is simply not the case.  like all good coaches  you go and ask for an increase. but we were told in no uncertain terms that the financial situation did not allow that.  the idea that we are lighting cigars with £20 notes while the rest of scottish rugby flounders is absolutely untrue.  we also attracted criticism because of the number of days players spent with the national team.  but let me give you the truth. our irish counterparts  whom we have to compete with in a few days  time  had 70 days together at the summer.  they are currently in camp now and they will have another 21 days in camp before the six nations.  that means they will have 91 days away from their club from july until the six nations. we  on the other hand  will have 16.  there must be a win-win philosophy and attitude within scottish rugby and that is what we are after - both groups winning  not competing.


gazprom  in $36m back-tax claim  the nuclear unit of russian energy giant gazprom is reportedly facing a 1bn rouble ($35.7m; £19.1m) back-tax claim for the 2001-2003 period.  vedomosti newspaper reported that russian authorities made the demand at the end of last year. the paper added that most of the taxes claimed are linked to the company s export activity. gazprom  the biggest gas company in the world  took over nuclear fuel giant atomstroieksport in october 2004. the main project of atomstroieksport is the building of a nuclear plant in iran  which has been a source of tension between russia and the us.  gazprom is one of the key players in the complex russian energy market  where the government of vladimir putin has made moves to regain state influence over the sector. gazprom is set to merge with state oil firm rosneft  the company that eventually acquired yuganskneftegas  the main unit of embattled oil giant yukos. claims for back-taxes was a tool used against yukos  and led to the enforced sale yuganskneftegas. some analysts fear the kremlin will continue to use these sort of moves to boost the efforts of the state to regain control over strategically important sectors such as oil.


gadget market  to grow in 2005  the explosion in consumer technology is to continue into 2005  delegates at the world s largest gadget show  in las vegas  have been told.  the number of gadgets in the shops is predicted to grow by 11%  while devices which talk to each other will become increasingly important.  everything is going digital   kirsten pfeifer from the consumer electronics association  told the bbc news website. the consumer electronics show (ces) featured the pick of 2005 s products.  consumers are controlling what they want and technologies like hdtvs [high-definition tvs]  digital radio  and digital cameras will remain strong in 2005.  all the products on show really showed the breadth and depth of the industry.  despite showing diversity  some delegates attending complained that the showcase lacked as much  wow factor  as in previous years.  the portable technologies on show also reflected one of the buzzwords of ces  which was the  time and place shifting  of multimedia content - being able to watch and listen to video and music anywhere  at any time. at the start of last year s ces  the cea predicted there would be an average growth of 4% in 2004. that figure was surpassed with the rise in popularity of portable digital music players  personal video recorders and digital cameras. it was clear also that gadgets are becoming a lot more about lifestyle choice  with fashion and personalisation becoming increasingly key to the way gadgets are designed. part of this has been the rise in spending power of the  generation x-ers  who have grown up with technology and who now have the spending power and desire for more devices that suit them. more than 57% of the consumer electronics market is made up of female buyers  according to cea research. hybrid devices  which combine a number of multimedia functions  were also in evidence on the show floor.  a lot of this is driven by just the ability to do it   said stephen baker  a consumer electronics analyst with retail research firm npd group.  some of these functions cost next to nothing to add.   as well as the show floor showcasing everything from tiny wearable mp3 players to giant high-definition tvs  several keynote speeches were made by industry leaders  such as microsoft chief bill gates. despite several embarrassing technical glitches during mr gate s pre-show speech  he announced several new partnerships - mainly for the us market. he unveiled new ways of letting people take tv shows recorded on personal video recorders and watch them back on portable devices. he disappointed some  however  by failing to announce any details of the next generation of the xbox games console. another disappointment was the lack of exposure sony s new portable games device  the psp  had at the show. sony said the much-anticipated gadget would most likely start shipping in march for the us and europe. it went on sale in japan before christmas. there were only two psps embedded in glass cabinets at the show though and no representatives to discuss further details. a sony representative told the bbc news website this was because sony did not consider it to be part of their  consumer technology  offering.  elsewhere at the show  there was a plethora of colour and plasma screens  including samsung s 102-inch (2.6 metre) plasma - the largest in the world. industry experts were also excited about high-definition technologies coming to the fore in 2005  with new formats for dvds coming out which will hold six times as much data as conventional dvds. with so many devices on the move there were a lot of products on show offering external storage  like seagate s 5gb pocket sized external hard drive  which won an innovation for engineering and design prize. more than 120 000 trade professionals attended ces in las vegas  which officially ran from 6 to 9 january.