ireland call up uncapped campbell ulster scrum-half kieran campbell is one of five uncapped players included in ireland s rbs six nations squad.  campbell is joined by ulster colleagues roger wilson and ronan mccormack along with connacht s bernard jackman and munster s shaun payne. gordon d arcy is back after injury while munster flanker alan quinlan also returns to international consideration.  the squad is selected purely on form. a lot of players put their hands up   coach eddie o sullivan told bbc sport.  kieran campbell was just one of those players. he has been playing very well in the heineken cup and deserves his call-up.  there is big competition in some departments and not so much in others. there were one or two players who were unfortunate just to miss out.  back-row forwards david wallace and victor costello are omitted  with o sullivan having quinlan  wilson  simon easterby  anthony foley  denis leamy and johnny o connor vying for the three positions.  with david humphreys  kevin maggs  simon best and tommy bowe again included  it is ulster s biggest representation in a training panel for quite some time. munster and leinster have 12 and 11 players in the squad respectively while jackman is the sole connacht representative. four british-based players are also included. ulster forward ronan mccormack said he was  totally shocked  to be included.  i m really looking forward to it   said mccormack.  i played with guys like brian o driscoll and denis hickie back in my school days in leinster so i do know a few of them although not that well.  it will be great to work with them.   s best (ulster)  s byrne (leinster)  r corrigan (leinster)  l cullen (leinster)  s easterby (llanelli)  a foley (munster)  j hayes (munster)  m horan (munster)  b jackman (connacht)  d leamy (munster)  e miller (leinster)  r mccormack (ulster)  d o callaghan (munster)  p o connell (munster)  j o connor (wasps)  m o kelly (leinster)  f sheahan (munster)  r wilson (ulster)  a quinlan (munster).  t bowe (ulster)  k campbell (ulster)  g d arcy (ulster)  g dempsey (leinster)  g duffy (harlequins)  g easterby (leinster)  d hickie (leinster)  a horgan (munster)  s horgan (leinster)  d humphreys (ulster)  k maggs (ulster)  g murphy (leicester)  b o driscoll  (leinster)  r o gara (munster)  s payne (munster)  p stringer (munster).  k gleeson (leinster)  t howe (ulster)  j kelly (munster)  n mcmillan (ulster).


global release for japan hit film oscar-winning animator hayao miyazaki s latest film  howl s moving castle  is to be released in 50 countries around the world  its distributor has said.  howl s moving castle set a japanese box office record last week  taking 1.5bn yen (£7.7m) in its first two days. miyazaki won an oscar earlier this year for spirited away  japan s first academy award for nearly 50 years. howl s moving castle is based on a children s fantasy novel by uk author diana wynne jones. it tells the story of an 18-year-old woman who ages dramatically after falling under a witch s spell. she heads to a moving castle kept by howl  a wizard  and searches for a way to become normal again. a spokesman for distributor toho said the film  has received strong interest from domestic audiences and foreign media and viewers alike .  we have a good feeling about this film. we saw very good viewer response   he added. the film s worldwide release will start in south korea on 24 december  and france on 12 january.


call to overhaul uk state pension the uk pension system has been branded inadequate and too complex by a leading retirement think-tank.  the pensions policy institute (ppi) said replacing the state pension with a  citizen s pension  would help tackle inequality and complexity. the change would see pensions being calculated on length of residency in the uk rather than national insurance (ni) contributions. reform could reduce poverty by aiding people with broken employment records.  the ppi added that once the state system was reformed the government should look at options to overhaul private and workplace pensions. the think tank s proposals were made in response to the recent publication of the pensions commission s initial report into uk retirement savings. according to the pensions commission s report 12 million working people are not saving enough for their retirement. as a result  living standards could fall for the next generation of uk pensioners. the report added that a combination of higher taxes  higher savings and/or a higher average retirement age was needed to solve the uk pension crisis.


talks held on gibraltar s future two days of talks on the future of gibraltar begin at jack straw s country residence later on wednesday.  officials at the two-day summit at the foreign secretary s official kent house  chevening  will plan a new forum on the rock s future. in october  mr straw and his spanish counterpart miguel moratinos agreed to establish a body that would give gibraltarians a voice in their future. most gibraltarians said in a referendum they wanted to remain british.  gibraltar s chief minister peter caruana will represent the british citizens living on the rock  while britain s europe director dominick chilcott will represent the uk. madrid is being represented by spain s director general for europe  jose maria pons. the initiative follows spain s socialist government s decision to put its long-standing sovereignty ambitions on hold. gibraltarians rejected plans for the rock s sovereignty to be shared between britain and spain in a referendum organised by gibraltar government.


fry set for role in hitchhiker s actor stephen fry is joining the cast of the forthcoming film adaptation of the hitchhiker s guide to the galaxy.  fry will provide the voice of the guide  an electronic book which accompanies the story s hero arthur dent on his travels around the galaxy. martin freeman  john malkovich  bill nighy and alan rickman are co-starring in the film  due for release in may. the late douglas adams  original 1977 scripts have also been turned into a series of successful books.   being asked to do the voice of the guide is like having your birthday on christmas day  discovering a winning lottery ticket in your stocking and having chocolate poured all over you   said fry  a self-confessed fan of the book. the film s executive producer robbie stamp said that adams  who died in 2001  would have been  delighted  with the choice of fry for the role.   his humour and intelligence are perfect for the voice of the guide   added mr stamp. adams wrote the screenplay based on his book before his premature death  while a new radio series was aired 26 years after the first broadcast and included many of the original cast members. hollywood star malkovich will play religious cult leader humma kavula  which was especially created by adams for the new film. freeman  who starred in hit bbc comedy the office  will play the role of arthur dent  who begins his intergalactic voyage following the destruction of the earth.


bosvelt optimistic over new deal manchester city s paul bosvelt will find out  within a month  whether he is to be offered a new one-year deal.  the 34-year-old dutch midfielder is out of contract in the summer and  although his age may count against him  he feels he can play on for another season.  i told the club i would like to stay for one more year. they promised me an answer within the next month so i am waiting to see   he said.  the main concern is my age but i think i have proved i am fit enough. bosvelt joined city from feyenoord in 2003 and at first he struggled to adapt to life in england. but his professionalism and dedication impressed manager kevin keegan.  he realised the pace of the game was faster than anything he was used to but he drove himself back into the team. he is an unsung hero   said keegan.


hansen  delays return until 2006  british triple jumper ashia hansen has ruled out a comeback this year after a setback in her recovery from a bad knee injury  according to reports.  hansen  the commonwealth and european champion  has been sidelined since the european cup in poland in june 2004. it was hoped she would be able to return this summer  but the wound from the injury has been very slow to heal. her coach aston moore told the times:  we re not looking at any sooner than 2006  not as a triple jumper.  moore said hansen may be able to return to sprinting and long jumping sooner  but there is no short-term prospect of her being involved again in her specialist event.  there was a problem with the wound healing and it set back her rehabilitation by about two months  but that has been solved and we can push ahead now   he said.  the aim is for her to get fit as an athlete - then we will start looking at sprinting and the long jump as an introduction back to the competitive arena.  moore said he is confident hansen can make it back to top-level competition  though it is unclear if that will be in time for the commonwealth games in melbourne next march  when she will be 34.  it s been a frustrating time for her  but it has not fazed her determination   he added.


crude oil prices back above $50 cold weather across parts of the united states and much of europe has pushed us crude oil prices above $50 a barrel for the first time in almost three months.  freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall have increased demand for heating fuel in the us  where stocks are low. fresh falls in the value of the dollar helped carry prices above the $50 mark for the first time since november. a barrel of us crude oil closed up $2.80 to $51.15 in new york on tuesday. opec members said on tuesday that it saw no reason to cut its output.  although below last year s peak of $55.67 a barrel  which was reached in october  prices are now well above 2004 s average of $41.48.  brent crude also rose in london trading  adding $1.89 to $48.62 at the close. much of western europe and the north east of america has been shivering under unseasonably low temperatures in recent days. the decline in the us dollar to a five-week low against the euro has also served to inflate prices.  the dollar moved sharply overnight and oil is following it   said chris furness  senior market strategist at 4cast.  if the dollar continues to weaken  oil will be obviously higher.   several opec members said a cut in production was unlikely  citing rising prices and strong demand for oil from asia.  i agree that we do not need to cut supply if the prices are as much as this   fathi bin shatwan  libya s oil minister  told reuters.  i do not think we need to cut unless the prices are falling below $35 a barrel   he added. opec closely watches global stocks to ensure that there is not an excessive supply in the market. the arrival of spring in the northern hemisphere will focus attention on stockpiles of us crude and gasoline  which are up to 9% higher than at this time last year. heavy stockpiles could help force prices lower when demand eases.


huge rush for jet airways shares indian airline jet airways  initial public offering was oversubscribed 16.2 times  bankers said on friday.  over 85% of the bids were at the higher end of the price range of 1 050-1 125 rupees ($24-$26). jet airways  a low-fare airline  was founded by london-based ex-travel agent naresh goya  and controls 45% of the indian domestic airline market. it sold 20% of its equity or 17.2 million shares in a bid to raise up to $443m (£230.8m). the price at which its shares will begin trading will be agreed over the weekend  bankers said.  the demand for the ipo was impressive. we believe that over the next two years  the domestic aviation sector promises strong growth  even though fuel prices could be high   said hiten mehta  manager of merchant banking firm  fortune financial services. india began to open up its domestic airline market - previously dominated by state-run carrier indian airlines - in the 1990s. jet began flying in 1993 and now has competitors including air deccan and air sahara. budget carriers kingfisher airlines and spicejet are planning to launch operations in may this year. jet has 42 aircraft and runs 271 scheduled flights daily within india. it recently won government permission to fly to london  singapore and kuala lumpur.


cuba winds back economic clock fidel castro s decision to ban all cash transactions in us dollars in cuba has once more turned the spotlight on cuba s ailing economy.  all conversions between the us dollar and cuba s  convertible  peso will from 8 november be subject to a 10% tax. cuban citizens  who receive money from overseas  and foreign visitors  who change dollars in cuba  will be affected. critics of the measure argue that it is a step backwards  reflecting the cuban president s desire to increase his control of the economy and to clamp down on private enterprise. in a live television broadcast announcing the measure  president castro s chief aide said it was necessary because of the united states  increasing  economic aggression .  the ten percent obligation applies exclusively to the dollar by virtue of the situation created by the new measures of the us government to suffocate our country   he said.  the bush administration has taken an increasingly harsh line on cuba in recent months. president bush s government  which has been a strong supporter of the 40-year-old trade embargo on cuba  introduced even tighter restrictions on cuba in may.  cubans living in the us are now limited to one visit to cuba every three years and they can only send money to their immediate relatives. a leading expert on the cuban economy says that castro s tax plan smacks more of a desperate economic measure than a political gesture.  i think it is primarily an effort to raise some cash   says jose barrionuevo  head of strategy for latin american emerging markets for barclays capital.  it underscores the fact that the economy is in very bad shape and the government is looking for sources of revenue.   the tax will hit the families of cuban exiles hardest as they benefit from the money their displaced relatives send home. this money  known as remittances  can amount to as much as $1bn a year. those remaining in cuba will have to pay the tax. their relatives abroad may choose to send money in other currencies which are not subject to the tax  such as euros  or increase their dollar payments to compensate. however  many of cuban s poorest citizens could be worse off as a result. the tax will also affect the two million tourists who visit cuba every year  particularly those americans who continue to defy a ban on travel there.  cuba s tourist industry has been one of its few economic success stories over the last ten years and  according to the un economic commission for latin america  is now worth $3bn to the country.  the tax is designed to provide much-needed revenue for cuba s cash-strapped economy. cuba badly needs dollars to pay for essential items such as food  fuel and medicine. much of cuba s basic infrastructure is in a state of disrepair. in recent weeks  cuba has suffered its most serious power cuts in a decade and there have also been water shortages in parts of the island. cuba s economy had staged a modest recovery during the mid 1990s as the collapse of the soviet union forced it to embrace foreign capital  decentralise trade and permit limited private enterprise. however  a decline in foreign tourism since 2002  periodic hurricanes and the increasing costs of importing oil have put a strain on the economy. it has however yet to be seen if the tax will provide a solution to the government s economic problems. the tax could fuel an active black market in currency trading  mr barrionuevo said.  the main impact could be that it will create a black market which you typically see in countries  like venezuela  which have restrictions on capital   he says. mr barrioneuvo says the measure could be dropped if it has a damaging effect on economic activity.  it is intended to be a permanent measure but i am not sure it can last too long.


wal-mart to pay $14m in gun suit the world s largest retailer  wal-mart  has agreed to pay a total of $14.5m (£7.74m) to settle a lawsuit over gun sales violations in california.  the lawsuit alleged wal-mart committed thousands of gun sales violations in california between 2000 and 2003. the total payment includes $5m in fines and more than $4m to fund state compliance checks with gun laws and prevent ammunition sales to minors. wal-mart agreed to suspend firearms sales in its california stores in 2003   the alleged violations included the sale of guns to 23 people who were not allowed to possess them  and delivering 36 guns to customers who acquired them for people not allowed to own firearms. although wal-mart has suspended firearms sales in the state  california attorney general bill lockyer said he wanted to be sure the giant supermarket chain would follow state rules in future.  wal-mart s failure to comply with gun safety laws put the lives of all californians at risk by placing guns in the hands of criminals and other prohibited persons   said mr lockyer.  although wal-mart has suspended gun sales in california  this settlement will ensure that it follows state law if it renews sales and will also provide valuable public education about the importance of gun safety.  the world s largest retailer has not yet decided whether to resume firearms sales in california  company spokesman gus whitcomb said.


labour targets  hardcore truants  a fresh crackdown on persistent truants in england has been launched by education secretary ruth kelly.  serial truants make up one in 13 pupils. previous initiatives brought 40 000 pupils back to school since 1997  according to official statistics. parenting contracts  penalty notices and  fast track  prosecution systems have been used to tackle what has been a stubborn problem. it is thought that nearly half a million children skip school each day. tories say labour s previous success regarding the issue came because it tackled the easy part of the problem by reducing authorised absence  where parents are permitted to take children out of school. such absences are often due to family holidays.  however  serial truants avoid the classroom despite government schemes costing £885m. those missing classes are more likely to become involved in crime as well as failing academically. measures such as parenting contracts and penalty notices were adopted by most local education authorities last term and come into force in the remainder this term. in one local education authority alone 800 parents were warned they would receive a penalty notice unless their child s attendance improved. the tough stance paid off with just 24 issued  while attendance improved in 776 cases. truancy has been reduced by 5% at the 128 worst hit schools through the government s behaviour improvement programme. this is the equivalent of 200 pupils back in classes since september.  the new measures come on top of national truancy sweeps - the sixth of which will take place on monday. police and education welfare officers patrol problem hotspots picking up truants and returning them to school. held twice each year  in addition to routine local patrols  previous country-wide sweeps have apprehended 31 000 pupils dodging school. in almost 14 000 of those cases  the youngsters were accompanied by their parents. a department for education and skills source said:  every day in school counts.  it is clear form these figures that schools and local education authorities are now seizing the tools we have given them to improve school attendance and crack down hard on the very small numbers of pupils which account for almost half of the nation s truancy.


can smith work scottish wonders  the worst kept secret in scottish football was revealed on thursday when walter smith was named as the new national manager.  from the moment berti vogts  miserable tenure in charge of scotland ended  the former rangers and everton boss has been the overwhelming favourite for the post. but is smith the man for what must be one of the hardest jobs in football  the 56-year-old takes over at a time when the national side is in the doldrums. scotland have not reached a major finals since the world cup in 1998 and reaching germany 2006 looks near impossible  having picked up just two points from the opening three games in the qualifying race. and the fifa rankings see scotland listed at an all time low of 77th  below the likes of estonia  ghana  angola and thailand. scotland are not blessed with quality players with experience at the top level  so smith will have to get the best out of meagre resources. smith s track record make impressive reading and he is widely respected within the game. the man who was alex ferguson s assistant when scotland played at the 1986 world cup won seven league titles with rangers. and his appointment has been widely endorsed by many of the games  top names  including ferguson and graeme souness  who took him to ibrox as his assistant in 1986. characters like souness  ferguson and current ibrox manager alex mcleish all cite smith s experience and his expansive knowledge of the scottish game.  much was made of vogts  inability to express himself to the players and media. that will certainly not be the case with smith. the former dundee united and dumbarton full-back is from the managerial old school - straight talking and never slow to let players know when he expects better (often with the use of some colourful invective). but it should be remembered vogts came to scotland with an impressive curriculum vitae - a world cup winner as a player and a european championships winner as a manager. smith will inherit the same problems vogts had - a callow squad of players with no exceptional talents. and it remains to be seen if smith will experience the rash of call-offs that blighted so much of vogts  preparation work. a fresh start for the scottish national team was imperative and smith is widely regarded as a safe pair of hands. but will a safe pair of hands be enough when the adroit hands of a magician might be required...


pompeii gets digital make-over the old-fashioned audio tour of historical places could soon be replaced with computer-generated images that bring the site to life.  a european union-funded project is looking at providing tourists with computer-augmented versions of archaeological attractions. it would allow visitors a glimpse of life as it was originally lived in places such as pompeii. it could pave the way for a new form of cultural tourism.  the technology would allow digital people and other computer-generated elements to be combined with the actual view seen by tourists as they walk around an historical site.  the lifeplus project is part of the eu s information society technologies initiative aimed at promoting user-friendly technology and enhancing european cultural heritage. engineers and researchers working in the europe-wide consortium have come up with a prototype augmented-reality system. it would require the visitor to wear a head-mounted display with a miniature camera and a backpack computer. the camera captures the view and feeds it to software on the computer where the visitor s viewpoint is combined with animated virtual elements. at pompeii for example  the visitor would not just see the frescos  taverns and villas that have been excavated  but also people going about their daily life. augmented reality has been used to create special effects in films such as troy and lord of the rings and in computer gaming.   this technology can now be used for much more than just computer games   said professor nadia magnenat-thalman of the swiss research group miralab.   we are  for the first time  able to run this combination of software processes to create walking  talking people with believable clothing  skin and hair in real-time   she said. unlike virtual reality  which delivers an entirely computer-generated scene to the viewer  the lifeplus project is about combining digital and real views. crucial to the technique is the software that interprets the visitor s view and provides an accurate match between the real and virtual elements. the software capable of doing this has been developed by a uk company  2d3. andrew stoddart  chief scientist at 2d3  said that the eu project has been driven by a new desire to bring the past to life.  the popularity of television documentaries and dramatisations using computer-generated imagery to recreate scenes from ancient history demonstrates the widespread appeal of bringing ancient cultures to life   he said.


kenyan school turns to handhelds at the mbita point primary school in western kenya students click away at a handheld computer with a stylus.  they are doing exercises in their school textbooks which have been digitised. it is a pilot project run by eduvision  which is looking at ways to use low cost computer systems to get up-to-date information to students who are currently stuck with ancient textbooks. matthew herren from eduvision told the bbc programme go digital how the non-governmental organisation uses a combination of satellite radio and handheld computers called e-slates.  the e-slates connect via a wireless connection to a base station in the school. this in turn is connected to a satellite radio receiver. the data is transmitted alongside audio signals.  the base station processes the information from the satellite transmission and turns it into a form that can be read by the handheld e-slates.  it downloads from the satellite and every day processes the stream  sorts through content for the material destined for the users connected to it. it also stores this on its hard disc.   the system is cheaper than installing and maintaining an internet connection and conventional computer network. but mr herren says there are both pros and cons to the project.  it s very simple to set up  just a satellite antenna on the roof of the school  but it s also a one-way connection  so getting feedback or specific requests from end users is difficult.   the project is still at the pilot stage and eduvision staff are on the ground to attend to teething problems with the linux-based system.  the content is divided into visual information  textual information and questions. users can scroll through these sections independently of each other.  eduvision is planning to include audio and video files as the system develops and add more content. mr herren says this would vastly increase the opportunities available to the students. he is currently in negotiations to take advantage of a project being organised by search site google to digitise some of the world s largest university libraries.  all books in the public domain  something like 15 million  could be put on the base stations as we manufacture them. then every rural school in africa would have access to the same libraries as the students in oxford and harvard  currently the project is operating in an area where there is mains electricity. but mr herren says eduvision already has plans to extend it to more remote regions.  we plan to put a solar panel at the school with the base station  have the e-slates charge during the day when the children are in school  then they can take them home at night and continue working.  maciej sundra  who designed the user interface for the e-slates  says the project s ultimate goal is levelling access to knowledge around the world.  why in this age when most people do most research using the internet are students still using textbooks  the fact that we are doing this in a rural developing country is very exciting - as they need it most.


new year s texting breaks record a mobile phone was as essential to the recent new year s festivities as a party mood and auld lang syne  if the number of text messages sent is anything to go by.  between midnight on 31 december and midnight on 1 january  133m text messages were sent in the uk. it is the highest ever daily total recorded by the mobile data association (mda). it represents an increase of 20% on last year s figures.  wishing a happy new year to friends and family via text message has become a staple ingredient of the year s largest party. while texting has not quite overtaken the old-fashioned phone call  it is heading that way  said mike short  chairman of the mda.  in the case of a new years eve party  texting is useful if you are unable to speak or hear because of a noisy background   he said. there were also lots of messages sent internationally  where different time zones made traditional calls unfeasible  he said. the british love affair with texting shows no signs of abating and the annual total for 2004 is set to exceed 25bn  according to mda. the mda predicts that 2005 could see more than 30bn text messages sent in the uk.  we thought texting might slow down as mms took off but we have seen no sign of that   said mr short. more and more firms are seeing the value in mobile marketing. restaurants are using text messages to tell customers about special offers and promotions.  anyone in need of a bit of january cheer now the party season is over  can use a service set up by jongleurs comedy club  which will text them a joke a day. for those still wanting to drink and be merry as the long days of winter draw in  the good pub guide offers a service giving the location and address of their nearest recommended pub. users need to text the word goodpub to 85130. if they want to turn the evening into a pub crawl  they simply text the word next. and for those still standing at the end of the night  a taxi service in london is available via text  which will locate the nearest available black cab.


little britain two top comic list little britain stars matt lucas and david walliams have been named the most powerful people in tv comedy  in a poll by listings magazine radio times.  the duo kept phoenix nights creator peter kay at number two and the office star ricky gervais in third place. a radio times panel compiled the list  taking the comedians  critical acclaim and financial success into account. newcomers to the annual list included nighty night star julia davis at seven and black books  tamsin greig at 19.  lucas and walliams won numerous awards for little britain in 2004  including national television  royal television society and british comedy awards. more than 1.8 million people watched the first episode of the latest series of little britain on bbc three in october  giving the digital channel its highest rating ever.  they topped the radio times list after rising from 10th position last year. other big risers over the past year included presenting duo ant and dec at five  up from 13 in 2004  stephen fry rising nine places to 15 and bbc three controller stuart murphy  who moves to number 18 from 32 last year. last year s winner  chat show host graham norton  fell to number 16 following relatively few television appearances in 2004. production companies also featured in the top 50  including steve coogan s baby cow  which created nighty night among others  hat trick - behind the kumars at number 42 - and the vicar of dibley production company tiger aspect.


benitez deflects blame from dudek liverpool manager rafael benitez has refused to point the finger of blame at goalkeeper jerzy dudek after portsmouth claimed a draw at anfield.  dudek fumbled a cross before lomana lualua headed home an injury-time equaliser  levelling after steven gerrard put liverpool ahead. benitez said:  it was difficult for jerzy. it was an unlucky moment.  he was expecting a cross from matthew taylor and it ended up like a shot  so i don t blame him for what happened.  benitez admitted it was a costly loss of two points by liverpool  who followed up their derby defeat against everton with a disappointing draw. he said:  we had many opportunities but didn t score and  in the end  a 1-0 lead was not enough.  if you don t have any chances you have to think of other things  but when you are creating so many chances as we are there is nothing you can say to the players. it was a pity.  we lost two points  but we have one more point in the table. now we have another difficult game against newcastle and we have to recover quickly from that.


japan s ageing workforce: built to last in his twenties he battled tuberculosis for eight years  then went on to run his own clothing business before marrying in his late thirties. and the 101-year-old torao toshitsune has eaten raw fish pretty much every day throughout his life.  mr toshitsune is one of japan s 23 000 centenarians - a club that is growing by 13% annually  and where the oldest member is 114. at his neat osaka detached house  where he lives with one of his sexagenarian daughters  mr toshitsune keeps a regular routine of copying out buddhist sutras and preparing the traditional japanese tea ceremony. between tasks  this remarkably active senior citizen reveals what his next goal is:  well  what s most important for me is to be japan s number one.  mr toshitsune wants to outlive everyone. and when it comes to longevity  japan  as a country  appears to be doing just that. women can expect to live until 85  men until 78  four years longer than americans and europeans.  on the outskirts of kyoto  83-year-old yuji shimizu contemplates this phenomenon during a round of golf with his younger friends  who are in their seventies.   i think this is because the food industry and the environment have improved   he remarks.  on average  we can live longer.  whether it s the diet  or the traditional family structure where roles were clearly defined  or just something in the genes  japan s elderly are remarkable. but while life may be a game of golf for mr shimizu  his grandchildren have huge problems ahead. japan is the world s least fertile nation with childbirth rates of just two thirds of that in the us.  by 2007  japan s population is expected to peak at 127 million  then shrink to under 100 million by the middle of the century. this means 30 million fewer workers at a time when the number of elderly will have almost doubled.   in the year 2050  if the birth rate remains the same people over 60 will make up over 30% of the population   explains shigeo morioka of the international longevity centre in tokyo. so how will japan s finances stay on track  after a decade of economic stagnation and huge deficit spending  the public sector debt is already about 140% of the country s gross domestic product (gdp)  the highest rate among industrialised countries. the international monetary fund predicts that as the falling birth rate takes grip from 2010  the cost of running japan s welfare state will double to more than 5% of gdp  while current account balances will deteriorate by over 2%. but unfortunately  japan appears poorly prepared both financially and politically. glen wood  vice president of deutsche securities japan  asks;  who s going to fund the pension fund for the next generation and indeed who are going to be the new japanese worker   who is going to build the economy  who are going to be the leaders  who are going to be the producers of the gdp going forward   one option is further welfare reform. another is immigration  possibly from the philippines and indonesia. but so far  any emerging policy appears restricted to a limited number of nursing staff.  standing next to tokyo harbour is a version of new york s statue of liberty. but  as yet  japan is not ready for an ellis island.   japan has never really liked that option in its history and i think it s an option that s becoming more and more plausible and necessary   insists mr wood. in japan  as in europe which also faces a workforce decline  immigration is a very sensitive subject. but for the japanese economy  facing 8% fewer consumers by 2050 means slumping domestic sales of cars  hi-tech kit and home appliances  perhaps even another property crash.  of course the japanese could always have more children. the government is currently considering financial rewards for procreative couples similar to those in operation in australia. but there would be no pay back until 2030  when today s babies are taxpayers  and the demographic crisis  like in europe  starts to unfold in 2010. in contrast to japan - and of course the european union - the us population is expected to increase by 46% to 420 million by the middle of the century. although president bush must re-devise social security to take account of a 130% rise in america s over 65s  the imf foresees a positive contribution to the us current account balance from the combined forces of fertility and immigration.  some voices in japanese industry are calling for radical changes to the nature of the japanese labour market. they want a shift towards financial services  though doubts persist over the country s ability  let alone willingness  to move away from manufacturing.  japan still has problems getting a viable banking system  let alone shifting their auto business or their semi-conductor business or the broad based tech manufacturing business overseas   says mr wood. japan can either drive some radical reforms or else run the risk of a vicious ageing recession. falling demand and a lower tax take could result in soaring budget pressures and a basket case currency. come 2020  japan could be more dependent on a shrinking workforce than any other industrialised power. there are fears that the world s number two economy is doomed to a permanent recession. but none of this is mr toshitsune s concern anymore. at 101  he chuckles that  he feels fine.


blair told to double overseas aid tony blair is being urged to use all his negotiating powers to end poor countries  debt and double aid.  some 45 million children will die needlessly before 2015 and aid budgets are half their 1960 levels  oxfam says in a report  paying the price. the call comes as the prime minister prepares to assume the presidency of the g8 of top industrialised nations.  as rich countries get richer  they re giving less and less. this scandal must stop   oxfam s barbara stocking said.   the world s poorest children are paying for rich countries  policies in aid and debt with their lives.  2005 offers the chance for an historic breakthrough  but unless world leaders act now the year will end in shameful failure   the charity s director added. the report said:  for rich countries  providing aid to help to end global poverty is an obligation and a matter of justice  not an act of charity.  it also points out that in 1970 the g8 of top industrialised nations agreed to spend 0.7% of their incomes on aid. but 34 years later none of the organisations members have reached this target and many have not yet set a timetable  the report says.  it argues that the price of not investing in poor countries  sustainable development will be felt across the world. the report said:  global poverty threatens our shared prosperity and security.  environmental crises and natural disasters  disease and drug trafficking know no national borders. poverty heightens the likelihood of conflict and unrest.  new threats to the peace and security of rich nations arise from poverty and gross inequalities.  criminal and terrorist networks are more likely to operate where state institutions are weak.   both the prime minister and chancellor gordon brown have called for urgent action to fight world poverty. mr blair  who has described africa as a  scar  on the world s conscience  has already said tackling world poverty would be one his g8 priorities along with climate change and the aids epidemic. mr brown has also pledged to write off the debt owed to britain by the world s poor nations. a spokeswoman for the department for international development said:  the government had made a clear commitment to reaching 0.7% of gross national income for overseas development aid by 2013.  if britain s proposal for an international finance facility were adopted  the objective of 0.7% could be achieved earlier  by 2008-09.  these additional resources will be used to increase uk bilateral aid to africa to at least £1.25bn a year by 2008 and spend at least £1.5bn on hiv/aids related work over the next three years.


eu referendum question unveiled the question to be asked in the referendum on the eu constitution has been unveiled by the government.  it will be:  should the united kingdom approve the treaty establishing a constitution for the european union   the constitution will be incorporated into uk law if there is a yes vote in the referendum  expected in 2006. critics say the constitution is a further step towards a federal europe  but advocates say it ensures effective operation of the enlarged 25-state eu.  if we reject this treaty  britain will be isolated and weak in europe   said foreign secretary jack straw  who along with the rest of the cabinet  will back a  yes  vote.  patriots by definition wanted the uk to be prosperous at home and strong and influential abroad  mr straw said.  our role as a leading member of the eu is a crucial part of securing that.   conservative shadow foreign secretary michael ancram said the referendum question  seems straightforward . but he accused the government of trying to confuse the issue by putting the eu referendum question in the same bill as the ratification of the constitution  when they should be treated as  two separate issues . despite this  underhand trick   the referendum bill stood  no chance of becoming law before the election   he added.  this is tony blair s cheap gesture to the pro-constitution lobby while he runs scared of a debate on europe he knows he cannot win.  neil o brien  director of anti-constitution group vote no  said:  the reality is that the government doesn t want to discuss the eu constitution ahead of the election because they know it is extremely unpopular with voters and with business.   the uk independence party said:  if the government believes that a no vote would mean that we should leave the european union  they should just ask us if we want to leave the eu. then we can be out of it and better off much sooner.   liberal democrat leader charles kennedy  who backs the constitution  said he expected the referendum would come in the first half of next year. he told bbc radio 4 s today programme:  the sooner we get on with this  the better.  he said the question sounded  very neutral  and  balanced   adding it would enable the argument  to be enjoined fairly and squarely on both sides . green mep caroline lucas welcomed tony blair s  courage in keeping his word  on holding a referendum. but she added:  this treaty is a flawed document that will make the eu less accountable  less sustainable  and less just.   mr blair signed the constitution at a ceremony in rome in november  but had already made it clear the issue would be put to voters in a referendum. that promise came after sustained pressure from opposition parties. jack straw  who argues the constitution reflected a  british vision for europe  and gives  national governments a stronger grip   has said the referendum could be held in spring 2006. but in an interview with the financial times  mr blair refused to be pinned down to that date  saying britain would hold a poll  some time in 2006 but when  i don t know . the paper said the prime minister  claimed ignorance  of when other countries were planning to hold their referendums.


minimum wage increased to £5.05 the minimum wage will rise in october  benefiting more than 1m people  the government has announced.  adults must be paid at least £5.05 an hour  up from £4.85  while 18 to 21 year olds will be paid £4.25. the recommendations came from the low pay commission which said the number of jobs had continued to grow since the minimum wage was introduced in 1999. businesses wanted it frozen  warning more rises could damage competitiveness but the unions want a £6 rate.  a further increase in the adult rate to £5.35 an hour is provisionally scheduled for october 2006. according to the commission  many businesses had found the last two significant increases in the minimum wage  challenging .  we have therefore recommended only a slight increase above average earnings  and concentrated it in the second year to allow business more time to absorb the impact   said chairman adair turner. the government says most of those on the minimum wage are women - with many working in cleaning  catering  shops and hairdressing.  unveiling the latest increase  mr blair said he wanted the minimum wage to become a  symbol of decency and fairness .  for too long  poverty pay capped the aspiration and prosperity of far too many hard-working families   he said.  too often  people were told to make a choice between the indignity of unemployment or the humiliation of poverty pay.  chancellor gordon brown and transport secretary alistair darling promoted the news in edinburgh  wales secretary peter hain and welsh first minister rhodri morgan in cardiff and northern ireland minister john spellar in belfast. the government has not accepted the commission s recommendation that 21-year-olds should be paid at the adult rate  but says it will look again at the rate later on. mr brown said:  we want to do nothing that can damage the employment opportunities for young people  particularly young people entering the labour market for the first time.  the government has said it will look at tougher action against the small number of employers who consistently refuse to pay the minimum wage.  the national minimum wage is currently set at £4.85 per hour for those aged 22 and above  and at £4.10 for those aged 18 to 21. a £3 per hour minimum wage was introduced last october for 16 to 17-year-olds  but apprentices are exempt. the trade unions congress welcomed the increase  but has called for a £6 minimum wage by next year. but the confederation of british industry (cbi) called for a  pause year  to assess the impact of the above inflation rise in the minimum wage in october. and david frost  director of the british chambers of commerce  said:  the level of increase each year has increased by rates far outstripping the rates of inflation.  what employers are saying to us now is that it s at a level where it s starting to bite into the competitiveness of companies right across the country.   the liberal democrats  economics spokesman vincent cable said he supported the move to raise the minimum wage.  it s not just good for the workers themselves but it lifts them out of benefits and therefore is good for the exchequer too   he said. conservative leader michael howard said he accepted the principle of the minimum wage and would not  seek to disturb  the increase. speaking on bbc radio 4 s woman s hour  mr howard hinted the tories might go into the general election with a promise to cancel income tax for the lowest-paid workers.  there are people on very low salaries  very low incomes indeed who really shouldn t be paying income tax   he said.  it would be better to decrease taxes on earnings below £12 000 a year  with say no tax on below £6 000. the losses in tax can be recouped by having a 50pc tax band for people making over £100 000. our minimum wage is going to be effectively almost twice the us minimum wage  yet our economy per person is only 2/3rds of the us! perhaps  we have to really starting questioning why some products cost 50-60% more here than they do in the us. this combined with the tax decreases would make the pounds the low-paid people do make go much further.  it s still not good enough! i got a part time job at 16 when i was doing my a-levels in an attempt to get a little money saved for uni. this was only 2 years ago and i was getting paid £2.75 an hour  and working as hard as any of the older staff  maybe it s about time 16 - 21 year olds got a fair wage!  we must remember that the minimum wage is only part of the picture and must not rise to a level that makes employing people unattractive and encourages businesses to send work and therefore jobs abroad. still government and local councils employ staff via their contractors that pay at the minimum wage or very close to it. an easy way for the government to do as it preaches would be to insist on floor pay levels for all government workers and take tens of thousand of civil servants out of the social security system all together.  any increase is certainly welcome news. however for all those whining about the pressures of an increase in the minimum wage i would simply ask them:  would you be happy to work for less than £5.05 an hour  . thought not ... so then  don t expect others to either.  i can t believe that so many of these comments are against the minimum wage! also i personally take great offence at the insinuation that people earning minimum wage were lazy at school if everyone went to university then who would serve you in the supermarkets and clean up after you  it s about time that these hardworking people are rewarded with only what they deserve and have earned fair pay and a bit of respect wouldn t go a miss either. br />  this is good news. the minimum wage has put a sense of equality back into a worker s relationship with their employer. wages are supposed to be a fair reflection of an employee s efforts. for too long wages were a point of exploitation - what could an employer get away with. in very simplistic terms this put a pressure to keep low-paid wages low. with the minimum wage this downward pressure is at least partly removed.  it is also interesting to read the comments from so called business leaders. they are the first to defend the rights and privileges of boards to award fat-cat salaries  bonuses and pension rights to the select few but they are the first to attack policies that are put in place to merely defend the rights of those that really make those fat cats purr!  i feel there are both negatives and positives to the increase  on one hand some businesses will struggle to stay afloat but on the other hand in today world many young people can t afford to move out as property costs too much and only by earning more will they be able to get on in life. its true many may get complacent but the minimum wage could be looked at as more of a stepping stone rather than a hand out.  here come the usual whines about how difficult it will be for businesses! we all remember michael howard s protestations that the minimum wage would cost a million jobs when it was introduced - funny how he s gone quiet on that one! jobs have continued to increase since this humane legislation was brought in. i think if any job is worth doing then it s worth being paid a fair wage for  and £5.05 is hardly a fortune. if your business cannot pay its workers a decent wage then maybe it s not being run properly and if it folds  a better-run company will take over its duties and employ more people  so everybody wins except incompetent business owners!  great keep at it tony  i remember the despair of the 80s and the low wages employers got away with. at last we can make a difference to people and reward them for working. we can t afford not to pay a decent wage. it s not a jobs at any price economy  goodbye sweatshops hello decency.  the increase in minimum wage is a good thing. living in the southwest where house prices and rent have increased hugely (like the rest of the country) over the past 5 years has made living for you average 18-21 years old very difficult. in the south west the increase in living costs have not been matched by an increase in pay  for example a job i did in plymouth was underpaid to an equivalent worker in exeter by 75p an hour. hopefully the increase in the minimum wage will bring in to balance pay on a regional and national level  and in turn allow people like myself who do work hard  but might never earn a 6 figure salary the chance to branch out on our own.  i work at a large hospital where the contractors providing all ancillary services - domestic  catering & portering etc - pay the minimum wage of £4.85 as the basic rate. someone has to do these unglamorous jobs and earn enough to live decently. how dare people suggest we are lazy or complacent for accepting these jobs and these wages  who do they think will be carrying out these public service jobs if contractors are allowed to pay as little as their consciences allow   this is definitely the right step in the right direction. it shows that this government cares for the low income earners as well. this is a million votes more. good strategy isn t it   although i would not deny people the minimum wage increase  its timing stinks. i am quite prepared for a raft of  bribes  to come from the government before the election and a raft of taxes afterwards  they are playing us for the fools they think we are.  this is extremely bad news for any business - whether they are small and medium enterprises or even large companies. by increasing overheads  for business  there will be an almost certain rise in costs to the consumer who while they openly welcome the idea of an increase in the minimum wage are the same people who still want to buy that shirt  or that pair of trainers for next to nothing. the extra cost this increase will bring  will only be reflected in the price of the goods we buy  which  in turn will only serve to discourage companies from setting-up business in the uk  or encourage those companies already based here to look elsewhere. the jubilation felt by  low-paid  workers here will soon give way to misery as they lose their jobs.  this will only lead to a reduction in jobs. why have many of the call centre jobs gone to india. blair say s the economy is  strong and stable economy  however consumer debt and the country s debt is at its highest and now they heap this onto businesses  that will have no choice but to cut the workforce.  the timing cannot be coincidental. this is blatant electioneering and should be exposed as such.  andrew in derby complains that raising the minimum wage is  blatant electioneering . i don t mind if it is. in our degraded democracy  elections are the one time when elites really have to worry about doing something concrete for the majority. my only complaint is the paltry figures being discussed. if my maths is right  a 35 hour week at £5.05 gives you an annual income just over £9 000 and raising it to £6 leaves it under £11 000. the unions should be putting the government under pressure for much more. businesses complaining might like to take a look at corporate pay  shareholder payouts and profits before wondering if paying a living wage is really a controlling factor in the viability of their firm.  i am all for lifting the minimum wage of workers to a reasonable level  but we have to accept that with this will come competition from overseas workers. also small businesses will have to be able to afford this manpower cost. we are already seeing a sweeping change in it work being lost to india where people are paid much less. it is difficult for me to understand that only five years ago cheap labour abroad was classified as  sweat shop   but now we are told it is global competition. with our manufacturing industry in serious decline the country cannot be entirely service industries without something tangible to serve. there has to be something at the top of the food chain and that is manufacturing. the whole picture needs to be looked at.  this is great news  but that might be because i work for minimum wage. seems a good idea and will hopefully be an incentive to those who live to claim to actually get a job. when you can  earn  more from claiming than you can from work  there is no incentive. perhaps a step in the right direction.  if the tuc get their way a very large number of smes will have to close - this will put more people out of work. how then will the government fudge the unemployment figures! the government know it is not big business that keeps the economy going but the smes but we always get overlooked  they will only take notice if these large corporations close and move to other countries  after all they are predominantly owned by foreign companies. we are a specialist company but with these increases have already had an effect on us and we have lost work another one will close us.  while i m delighted for those on low pay that this increase is being put forward  i am extremely concerned at the implications for small businesses. as an employee for a small nursery  i know this increase will cause great hardship for my employer  who has been unable to increase salaries for higher paid employees because of last october s increase for the lower paid employees - who were originally being paid slightly above the minimum but are now on the minimum. this latest increase of 20p an hour will cause even more financial hardship. if the rate rises to £6 then i can foresee many small businesses having to pay off employees.  the increase in minimum wage will have a serious effect on my business. although we pay above the minimum level we will have to increase our pay rates to maintain the differential. the raise is well above inflation and without significant increases in sales  it will mean that i will not be taking on a new member of staff as planned and i will be looking to reduce the total hours worked by the other members of staff  overtime being the first to go.  i currently employ 42 staff whose wages mirror the national minimum wage. increases above inflation are fine but all of my business is conducted with local authorities who will not accept above inflation rises in my service delivery. 80% of my costs are labour. the other aspect that is always hidden is that the thresholds for tax credits do not move in line with these increases so that all that happens is that employees tax credit support is reduced by the amount of the increase  thereby saving the government money but increasing the financial burden on small to medium businesses  it is very good that the government has decided to increase the minimum wage - this should hopefully motivate people to undertake the  lower status  jobs.  i know about this great idea - don t bother getting qualifications  laze about at school  no need to do anything other than attend so your parents don t get fined because remember  when you do eventually start working  doesn t matter how lazy you are  you ll be guaranteed a decent wage. the ones who suffer are the employers.  i hope that if industry and business have to pay this new rate that mr blair and mr brown will increase tax allowances and raise national insurance thresholds so that the treasury won t take some of this increase off the people they say they are helping  or is this just another form of stealth tax on business through the back door   i don t believe in the minimum wage at all! i think jobs should create their own wage value and that if people want higher wages they should earn them. now  before everyone thinks that i am some  rich-kid   i can assure you i am not. i came from a very much working class background and started work 20 years ago on a youth opportunity program earning £25 per week. i worked hard  went to college part time  got my a-levels and degree & bettered myself. i now earn a 6 figure salary. i did that through hard work and getting off my backside. a minimum wage just makes people complacent.  to ashley  of swindon: when you earned £25 per week  it was worth something. these days that £25 would need to be near to £60 to have the equivalent buying power. i might add  that thanks to successive governments holding down the tax allowance threshold below inflation  people earning the minimum wage are paying taxes that they never would have done 10 years ago at equivalent wages.  in my day  type arguments are a view that belong in the  your day  - 20 years ago!  as a graduate working for minimum wage  i welcome any increase of pay i can get. i disagree with ashley  swindon saying i have to work harder to get more pay. i have my gcse s a-levels and a degree and have chosen to work for a small business that can t afford the wages i should be getting  i should be on at least 3x what i m getting but they can t afford it. we all work hard but the money is just not there. but on the plus side i love my job and wouldn t change it just to get more pay.  as an employer of staff in several shops the last rise in the minimum wage cost my company an additional £5000 per year. these next rises will cost me more. i have to get the money from somewhere so pass it on to customers. so no one really wins in the end.  in answer to emma from sleaford regarding no one really wins in the end... on the contrary mr blair wins - he wins because he obviously has announced this to be a vote winner and his treasury wins because as an employer you will know that the amount of tax and national insurance that the government will receive from all the minimum wage increases will rise and of course not only will be paying out higher wages but as an employer higher employer ni contributions as well. if the minimum wage increases again and if it hits anywhere near the £6.00 mark there will be 12 more people on the employment line and one more small business going bankrupt - namely mine. think of us employers as well mr blair  we are not all big corporations earning millions.  all workers should be entitled to a fair day s pay for a fair day s work. how many people on the minimum wage have any hope of obtaining a mortgage or saving towards retirement   it is good news for many asians living in uk. students who do odd jobs can increase their income and can help there family in their home country. i thank mr. blair and his government for increase in the national minimum wage.


baghdad blogger on big screen a film based on the internet musings of the  baghdad blogger  has been shown at the rotterdam film festival.  the film has been directed by the man who calls himself salam pax  the author of the weblog about iraqi life during and after the war. the movie version comes in the form of a series of shorts made by pax on a hand-held camera. baghdad blogger is among a number of films about iraq showcased at the dutch festival  which runs until sunday. following the fascination with the writing of salam pax - not his real name - he began a regular column in the guardian newspaper and was given a crash course in documentary film-making. for the film he travelled iraq to document the changing landscape of the country and the problems it has faced since the invasion  speaking to ordinary iraqis about their experiences. the festival will also see the screening of underexposure  one of iraq s first features to emerge since the toppling of saddam hussein.  director oday rasheed made the film on discarded 1980s kodak film taken from the remains for the former ministry of culture building. it centres on the lives of families and strangers going about their everyday business as baghdad is under siege. rasheed said the title was refers to the isolation felt by iraqis under saddam s regime and the difficult time the country is now experiencing.  saddam s regime was hell  but now i think the hell has doubled   rasheed said. the festival was also due to screen murdered dutch film-maker theo van gogh s film about the treatment of woman under islam  but it was withdrawn due to safety fears. van gogh was shot and stabbed in november 2004  following death threats he received about his film submission.


wasps 31-37 leicester leicester withstood a stunning wasps comeback to win a pulsating heineken cup encounter at the causeway stadium.  the tigers stormed 22-6 ahead within 18 minutes through tries from lewis moody  geordan murphy and martin corry. european champions wasps fought back through a josh lewsey try and mark van gisbergen s boot  and they were level at 31-31 with five minutes remaining. but it was the visitors who kept their cool as andy goode kicked the tigers to victory with a penalty and a drop goal. the closing moments saw desperate defence from leicester as wasps turned down several penalties to go for the try they needed. wasps pounded the line and a penalty try looked likely before referee nigel williams controversially blew for full-time. fly-half goode was the tigers hero  kicking 22 points in total  while leicester s overwhelming domination in the scrums ultimately told. even their lack of discipline in defence - which presented the admirable van ginsberg with 26 points - could not undo them as they held out for a famous win.  lawrence dallaglio s team have now got it all to do in the quest for a quarter-final place given that two of their last three games are away - against leicester and biarritz. however  wasps rugby director warren gatland warned his side will will not relinquish their european title without a fight.  if we lose next week  then we are struggling   said gatland.  but we don t want to give this trophy away. we worked so hard to win it last season  we will go down fighting.  we have got to get our scrum right next week  it is the biggest cause for concern.  leicester coach john wells saluted the outstanding work of graham rowntree and julian white  who were magnificent up front.  they were the backbone of our performance today   said wells.  and to score three tries against the european champions at home was also something i am pleased about.   van gisbergen; lewsey  erinle  abbott  voyce; king  dawson; dowd  greening  green; shaw  birkett; worsley  o connor  dallaglio (capt).  replacements: gotting  mckenzie  lock  hart  biljon  brooks  hoadley.  murphy; rabeni  smith  gibson  healey; goode  ellis; rowntree  chuter  white  m johnson (capt)  l deacon; moody  back  corry.  replacements (from): buckland/cockerill  morris  kay  w johnson/b deacon  h tuilagi  bemand  a tuiliagi  lloyd  vesty.


set your television to wow television started off as a magical blurry image. then came the sharpness  the colour and the widescreen format. now the tv set is taking another leap forward into a crystal clear future  although those in europe will have to be patient.  after years of buzz about high-definition tv (hdtv) it is finally taking off in a handful of countries around the world  mainly the us and japan. if you believe the hype  then hdtv will so wow you  that you will never want to go back to your old telly.  hdtv is just the latest must-have technology in viewers  homes   says jo flaherty  a senior broadcaster with the cbs network in the us. all television images are made up of pixels  going across the screen  and scan lines going down. british tv pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. by contrast  hdtv offers up to 1 080 active lines  with each line made up of 1 920 pixels. the result is a picture which can be up to six times as sharp as standard tv. but to get the full impact  programmes need to be broadcast in this format and you need a hdtv set to receive them. most new computer displays are already capable of handling high-resolution pictures. viewers in japan  the us  australia  canada and south korea are already embracing the new tv technology  with a selection of primetime programmes being broadcast in the new format  which includes 5.1 digital surround sound.  but tv viewers in europe will have to wait to enjoy the eye-blasting high-definition images.  many high-end european tv programmes  such as the recent athens olympics  are already being produced in high-definition. but they still reach your screen in the old 625 lines. the prospects for getting sharper images soon do not seem very encouraging. according to consultants strategy analytics  only 12% of homes in europe will have tvs capable of showing programmes in high-definition by 2008. but the hdtv hype spilling out of the us and japan has spurred european broadcasters and consumer electronic companies to push for change. big sports and entertainment events are set to help trigger the general public s attention. the 2006 world cup in germany will be broadcast in high-definition.  in the uk  satellite broadcaster bskyb is planning hdtv services in 2006. there is already a hdtv service in europe called euro1080. other european broadcasters  especially in france and germany  also aiming to launch similar services.  in britain  digital satellite and cable are largely seen as the natural home for hdtv  at least while a decision is taken regarding terrestrial broadcast options. the communications watchdog ofcom could hand over some terrestrial frequencies freed up when the uk switches off its analogue tv signal. for now  broadcasters like the bbc are working on their own hdtv plans  although with no launch date in sight.  the bbc will start broadcasting in hdtv when the time is right  and it would not be just a showcase  but a whole set of programming   says andy quested  from the bbc s high-definition support group.  we have made the commitment to produce all our output in high-definition by 2010  which would put us on the leading edge.  one of the options under consideration is to offer high-definition pictures on the web. the bbc has already dipped its toe into this  including some hdtv content in recent trials of its interactive media player - a video player for pcs. it is planning to offer special releases of selected flagship programmes online in the near future. according to mr quested  this could help put europe back into the running in the race to switch to hdtv. this is backed by recent research which suggests that the number of europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months  with the web eating into tv viewing habits.


sa return to mauritius top seeds south africa return to the scene of one of their most embarrassing failures when they face the seychelles in the cosafa cup next month.  last year bafana bafana were humbled in the first by minnows mauritius who beat them 2-0 in curepipe. coach stuart baxter and his squad will return to curepipe face the seychelles in their first game of the new-look regional competition. the format of the event has been changed this year after the entry of the seychelles  who have taken the number of participants to 13. the teams are now divided into three group of four and play knock-out matches on successive days to determine the group champions. mauritius host the first group  and their opponents are madagascar  the seychelles and south africa. bafana bafana play the seychelles before mauritius take on madagascar in a double-header on 26 february. the two winners return to the new george v stadium the next day and the victor of the group decider advances to august s final mini-tournament. the second group will be hosted in namibia in april. it comprises zimbabwe  botswana  mozambique and the hosts. in june  former champions zambia will host lesotho  malawi and swaziland in the third group in lusaka. the three group winners will then join title holders angola for the last of the mini-tournaments in august  where the winners will be crowned.  seychelles v south africa  mauritius v madagascar  winners meet in final match  mozambique v zimbabwe  namibia v botswana  winners meet in final match  lesotho v malawi  zambia v swaziland  winners meet in final match


mobile picture power in your pocket how many times have you wanted to have a camera to hand to catch an unexpected event that would make headlines   with a modern mobile phone that has a camera built in  you no longer need to curse  you can capture the action as it happens. already on-the-spot snappers are helping newspapers add immediacy to their breaking news stories headlines  where professional photographers only arrive in time for the aftermath. celebrities might not welcome such a change because they may never be free of a new breed of mobile phone paparazzi making their lives a bit more difficult. already one tabloid newspaper in la is issuing photographers with camera phones to help them catch celebrities at play. it could be the start of a trend that only increases as higher resolution phone cameras become more widespread; as video phones catch on and millions of people start carrying the gadgets around.  only last week  the world media highlighted the killing of the dutch film maker theo van gogh  notorious after making a controversial film about islamic culture.  one day later de telegraaf  a daily amsterdam newspaper  became news on its own when it published a picture taken with a mobile phone of mr van gogh s body moments after he was killed.  this picture was the story   said de telegraaf s image editor  peter schoonen. other accounts of such picture phone users witnessing news events  include:    - a flight from switzerland to the dominican republic which turned around after someone took a picture of a piece of metal falling from the plane as it took off from zurich (reported by the swiss daily le matin).   - two crooks who robbed a bank in denmark were snapped before they carried out the crime waiting for the doors of the building to be opened (reported by the danish regional paper aarhus stiftstidende).     but this is not just about traditional media lending immediacy to their stories with content from ordinary people  it is also about first-hand journalism in the form of online diaries or weblogs.  it has been called  open source news  or even  moblog journalism  and it has flourished in the recent us election campaign.  not many people walk around with their cameras  but they always have their mobile phones with them. if something happens  suddenly all these mobiles sort of appear from nowhere  and start taking pictures   said digital artist henry reichhold. he himself uses mobile phone pictures to create huge panoramic images of events and places.  you see it in bars  you see it everywhere. it s a massive thing   mr reichhold told the bbc news website.  with some picture agencies already paying for exclusive phone pictures  especially of celebrities  there are also fears about the possible downside of this phenomenon.  it could become a nuisance for public figures as higher resolution picture phones hit the market  with five megapixel models already being launched in asia. already on us photojournal site  buzznet  there is a public album full of snaps of celebrities  many of which were taken with camera phones. tabloid newspapers in the uk and many monthly magazines invite readers to send in images of famous people they have seen and snapped. but there are other positive uses of picture mobile phones that may balance these uses. for instance  in alabama  in the us  camera phones will be used to take snaps at crime scenes involving children  and help the authorities to arrest and prosecute paedophiles. and in china s capital beijing  courts have adopted mobile phone photos as formal evidence. for henry reichhold  this is progress:  that s the whole thing about the immediacy of the thing. i can see that happening a lot more.


incredibles win animation awards the incredibles movie has beaten shrek 2 to the main prizes at hollywood s animation awards  the annies.  the superhero film was named best animated feature while brad bird won best director  writer and voice actor for his role as designer edna mode. the incredibles won a total of 10 awards - but shrek 2  which had seven nominations  went home empty-handed. the two movies will compete with shark tale in the best animated film category of the oscars at the end of february.  the incredibles  awards came despite shrek 2 s greater box office success. shrek 2 took $881m (£468m) around the world  compared with $576m (£306m) for the incredibles. spongebob squarepants was named best animated tv show while tv comedy king of the hill picked up two prizes including one for actress brittany murphy s voice work. tom kenny  who provides the voice for spongebob squarepants  hosted sunday s ceremony at the alex theater  los angeles. the awards are handed out by the international animated film society. finding nemo won nine annies last year.


roddick splits from coach gilbert andy roddick has ended an 18-month association with coach brad gilbert which yielded the us open title and saw the american become world number one.  roddick released a statement through the sfx sports group with the news but did not give a reason for the split.  the decision to not re-hire brad gilbert for the 2005 season is based on what i think is best for my game at this time   said roddick.  any more on this situation s a private matter between coach and player.  roddick won 121 of his 147 matches while working with gilbert  and said he had enjoyed their time together. he won his first grand slam event at flushing meadows last year  and finished 2003 on top of the atp tour rankings.  but roddick slipped to second this year behind roger federer  who became the first man since 1988 to win three majors in a season. federer  who has not had a coach since he split from peter lundgren at the end of last year  beat roddick to win the wimbledon title and in two other tournament finals. roddick hired gilbert after deciding to part from coach tarik benhabiles in the wake of his first-round exit at the 2003 french open. he went on to win the us open and four other titles for the year. he has won four events this season.  i have enjoyed all of my time with andy   gilbert said on his personal website.  he has been a great student of the game during the time that we worked together and i am very proud of the results that were achieved.  while i believe that there is still a great deal of work to be done  andy clearly does not feel that way.


£1.8m indecency fine for viacom media giant viacom has paid out $3.5m (£1.8m) to end investigations into indecency in its us radio and tv shows.  the settlement to the federal communications commission (fcc) ends a long-running saga dating back to 2001. the fcc was looking into 50 shows  including those by  shock jock  howard stern and two new york djs. stern recently announced he was leaving viacom while the two djs were sacked after their show featured a couple purporting to have sex in a church. after the church incident two years ago viacom agreed to install audio delay equipment at its radio stations that broadcast live programming.  it also agreed to train its broadcasters and employees about indecency laws. the agreement cancels investigations into about 50 radio and television shows  said richard diamond  fcc deputy secretary of communications. the shows were broadcast by viacom-owned stations across the united states. viacom has five days to pay the $3.5m fine  according to the agreement. the payment is not related to the fcc s $550 000 (£293 000) fine levied against viacom after the exposure of singer janet jackson s breast during the cbs super bowl halftime show in january. viacom is contesting that fine. it is not the first time that viacom has paid out over indecency charges. infinity broadcasting  which is owned by viacom  paid cumulative fines totalling $1.7m (£907 000) in 1995 to settle fcc violations by stern.


broadband steams ahead in the us more and more americans are joining the internet s fast lane  according to official figures.  the number of people and business connected to broadband jumped by 38% in a year  said the us federal communications commission (fcc). in a report  it said there were more than 32 million broadband connections by the end of june 2004. but the us is still behind compared to other nations  ranked 13th in the world by a un telecoms body.  during his 2004 re-election campaign  president george w bush pledge to ensure that affordable high-speed net access would be available to all americans by 2007.  according to the report by the fcc  broadband is becoming increasingly popular  with people using it for research and shopping  as well as downloading music and watching video. the total number of people and businesses on broadband rose by to 32.5 million in the year ending june 2004  compared to 23.5 million in june 2003. whereas in the uk  most people hook up to broadband via asymmetric digital subscriber line (adsl) technology which lets ordinary copper phone lines support high data speeds. but in the us  cable leads the way  accounting for 18.6 million lines. broadband over the phone line makes up 11.4 million connections  according to the fcc figures.


ruddock backs yapp s credentials wales coach mike ruddock says john yapp has what it takes as an international.  the 21-year-old blues prop is the only uncapped player in wales  six nations squad  gaining a chance in the absence of ospreys loose-head duncan jones.  john is a young man with a big future. he has been playing with the blues for two years and has racked up mileage on his playing clock   said ruddock.  he has international size  is a big  physical lad and a good ball-carrier with a high tackle-count.  ruddock s assessment was backed up by yapp s coach at the blues  former wales and lions prop dai young.   john s been on an upward curve all season and is going from strength to strength   young told bbc sport wales.  his ball carrying gives us good go-forward  he impresses in defence and his work-rate is excellent.  he s working hard on his scrummaging technique  which he is keen to improve to become a destroyer on the loose-head.  to be fair to him he s not quite there with the scrummaging yet  but nobody can fault his effort  commitment and attitude.  john s a very strong man and is eager for the challenge  if he s pitched in he won t let anyone down.  he s developing quickly  but i hope he isn t pushed too quickly in a way that would hurt his development.   ruddock hopes that the selection of yapp and dragons lock ian gough - out of the international reckoning since falling out with former coach steve hansen - will send a message to other players in wales.  john and ian have been rewarded for impressing during the heineken cup competition   said ruddock.  both of them have played well  and we want to send a message out that consistently playing well gets you in the squad.  we believe this is an exciting squad representing traditional values of welsh rugby  and based on the performances in the november internationals.  we have strength and experience up front  and well-recognised talent  pace and skill behind.  the management team just want to get hold of the players and get out on the training pitch at the moment.  they are all due in on sunday  and that s when the hard work starts.


mobile games come of age the bbc news website takes a look at how games on mobile phones are maturing. a brief round-up follows but you can skip straight to the reviews by clicking on the links below.  if you think of snake when some mentions  mobile games  then you could be in for a bit of a surprise. this is because mobile games have come a long way in a very short time. even before nokia s n-gage game phone launched in late 2003  many mobile operators were realising that there was an audience looking for something to play on their handset.  and given that many more people own handsets than own portable game playing gadgets such as the gameboy it could be a very lucrative market. that audience includes commuters wanting something to fill their time on the way home  game fans looking for a bit of variety and hard core gamers who like to play every moment they can. life for all these types of player has got immeasurably better in the last year as the numbers of titles you can download to your phone has snowballed. now sites such as wireless gaming review list more than 200 different titles for some uk networks and the ranges suit every possible taste. there are ports of pc and arcade classics such as space invaders  lunar lander and bejewelled. there are also versions of titles  such as colin mcrae rally  that you typically find on pcs and consoles.  there are shoot-em-ups  adventure games  strategy titles and many novel games only found on handsets. rarely now does an action movie launch without a mobile game tie-in. increasingly such launches are all part of the promotional campaign for a film  understandable when you realise that a good game can rack up millions of downloads. the returns can be pretty good when you consider that some games cost £5. what has also helped games on mobiles thrive is the fact that it is easier than ever to get hold of them thanks to technology known as wap push. by sending a text message to a game maker you can have the title downloaded to your handset. far better than having to navigate through the menus of most mobile operator portals. the number of handsets that can play games has grown hugely too. almost half of all phones now have java onboard meaning that they can play the increasingly sophisticated games that are available - even the ones that use 3d graphics.  the minimum technology specifications that phones should adhere to are getting more sophisticated which means that games are too. now double key presses are possible making familiar tactics such as moving and strafing a real option. the processing power on handsets means that physics on mobile games is getting more convincing and the graphics are improving too. some game makers are also starting to take advantage of the extra capabilities in a mobile. many titles  particularly racing games  let you upload your best time to see how you compare to others. usually you can get hold of their best time and race against a  ghost  or  shadow  to see if you can beat them. a few games also let you take on people in real time via the network or  if you are sitting close to them  via bluetooth short-range radio technology. with so much going on it is hard to do justice to the sheer diversity of what is happening. but these two features should help point you in the direction of the game makers and give you an idea of where to look and how to get playing.   too fast too furious (digital bridges)   as soon as i start playing this i remember why i never play driving games - because i m rubbish at them. no matter if i drive the car via joystick or keypad i just cannot get the hang of braking for corners or timing a rush to pass other drivers. the game rewards replay because to advance you have to complete every section within a time limit. winning gives you cash for upgrades. graphically the rolling road is a convincing enough evocation of speed as the palm trees and cactus whip by and the city scrolls past in the background. the cars handle pretty well despite my uselessness but it was not clear if the different models of cars were appreciably different on the track. the only niggle was that the interface was a bit confusing especially when using a joystick rather than the keypad to play.   fatal force (macrospace)   a futuristic shooter that lets you either play various deathmatch modes against your phone or run through a series of scenarios that involves killing aliens invading earth. graphics are a bit cartoon-like but only helps to make clear what is going on and levels are well laid out and encourage you to leap about exploring. both background music and sounds effects work well. the scenarios are well scripted and you regularly get hints from the fatal force commanders. weapons include flamethrowers  rocket launchers  grenades and at a couple of points you even get chance to use a mech for a short while. with the right power-up you can go into a matrix-style bullet time to cope with the onslaught of aliens. the game lets you play via bluetooth if others are in range. online the game has quite a following with clans  player rankings and even new downloadable maps.


economy  strong  in election year uk businesses are set to prosper during the next few months - but this could trigger more interest rate rises  according to a report.  optimism is at its highest since 1997 and business will reap the benefits of a continuing rise in public spending  say researchers at bdo stoy hayward. the bank of england is expected to keep rates on hold this week - but they could go up later in the year. rates are likely to rise after the anticipated general election in may. the bdo optimism index - a leading indicator of gdp growth two quarters ahead edged up in january to 102.5  from 102.2 in october. the rise is due  in part  to an increase in public spending and increased merger and acquisition activity.  the only thing blighting business optimism this year will be uncertainties associated with the general election  bdo said. its bdo s output index - which predicts gdp movements a quarter in advance - remained at 100.8 for january  implying gdp growth at 2.9% in the second quarter of 2005. however  the output index is being held back by recent interest rate rises  sterling s strength against the dollar and high oil prices  the group noted. its inflation index  which has risen continuously over the last 8 months  climbed to 110.0 in january from 108.0 in october last year.  the uk is looking strong going into the general election  but businesses need to prepare themselves for a jolt ahead as the bank of england reacts to growth and inflationary pressures   said peter hemington  partner at bdo stoy hayward.  growth will probably slow by the end of 2005 and it is likely that we will see higher interest rates or a sharp drop in demand for products and services.


tarantino  to make friday sequel  director quentin tarantino is in talks to write and direct a new instalment in the friday the 13th horror franchise  according to the hollywood reporter.  the film-maker will reportedly meet executives from new line cinema this week to discuss the 12th film in the long-running  stalk and slash  series. the original film  released in 1980  has spawned ten sequels based around mask-wearing murderer jason voorhees. the most recent  freddy vs jason  was released in summer 2003. that film saw jason battle freddy krueger  star of the nightmare on elm street franchise. according to the industry newspaper  new line had been trying to make another sequel involving ash  the hero of the evil dead movies  but was unable to agree terms with director sam raimi. tarantino is said to be intrigued by the prospect of building a new film around one of the horror genre s most recognised figures. first  however  he is scheduled to direct the season finale of us television series csi: crime scene investigation. filming is due to start in early april. tarantino s episode  for which he also wrote the original story  will be broadcast in the us on 19 may.


asylum children to face returns the uk government is planning to return asylum seeker children without parents to albania.  the trial scheme  which could start in weeks  may be extended to apply to children from other countries. children s charities have reacted with alarm  saying the policy amounts to forcible removal and may not guarantee the safety of those affected. but the home office says it may be in the children s best interests if it reunites them with their communities.  the pilot  included in the government s five-year immigration plan  aims to return unaccompanied asylum-seeking children from albania who have failed in their asylum claims.  since 2002  at least 9 000 under-18s have arrived in the uk to seek asylum without other family members. these children automatically become the responsibility of social services. up to now  ministers have held back from final removal orders against unaccompanied children until after they are legally adults at 18. at least a dozen albanian-born teenagers are thought to have been identified for return  according to sources  although there is no public confirmation of numbers. those selected could either be returned to their families  should they be traced  or placed in the care of other albanian authorities. separate negotiations to establish a family tracing and returns scheme are believed to be underway with another country.  under the 1989 children act  public bodies have a duty to act in the  best interest  of a child in their care. laura brownlees of save the children said there were grave concerns  not least because of the well-documented trafficking of children into crime and prostitution in albania.   if children are going to be returned then there should be proper assessments and decisions on a case by case basis   she said.  we do not think there are structures in place [to receive returning children in albania].  if these decisions are not in the best interests of the child  then that is a forced removal because the child will not have any choice in the final decision.  in its five-year immigration plan  announced on tuesday  the government said it was addressing  the difficult issue  of returning unaccompanied asylum seeking children. a spokesman for the home office said it was wholly wrong to suggest that the plan was to return children  and leave them to rot .  we are developing a returns programme for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children whose asylum and humanitarian protection claims have been refused   said the spokesman.  we have been exploring how we can establish reception and longer-term care arrangements in countries of origin and believe that it s possible to return children in a way that is in their best interests and is safe and sustainable.   we do not believe that it is right  or in keeping with children s legislation  that children who can return should remain in the uk indefinitely separated from their families and communities.  the spokesman stressed the uk would abide by its international human rights obligations. only those children who could be provided with a carefully planned reintegration package would be returned  he said. but andrew hogg  spokesman for the medical foundation for the care of victims of torture  said ministers had so far failed to reassure agencies.  from what is so far known  we strongly oppose the scheme because the welfare and best interests of the child will not properly be taken into account   said mr hogg.  in albania particularly there is no statutory child care or protection structure.  the medical foundation has many serious concerns  including the assessment process for suitability for return  the degrading of best interests of the child principles and of child welfare  and the lack of safeguards in the chosen countries.  a spokesman for the albanian embassy in london said it was the first it had heard of a scheme  but did not rule out that there had been an agreement between the two countries.


landmark movies  of 2004 hailed us film professionals have declared fahrenheit 9/11 and the passion of the christ as two of the most significant cultural milestones of 2004.  the american film institute (afi) hailed mel gibson s biblical epic and michael moore s political documentary as inspiring national debate. it claimed both film-makers  tossed hollywood convention out the window . the institute also cited the death of actor marlon brando and the changing landscape of tv news in the us. in referring to marlon brando s death on 1 july at the age of 80  the 13-strong afi jury concluded  the art of screen acting has two chapters -  before brando  and  after brando .  it credited the screen legend s  raw hypnotic energy  and his ability to create characters like stanley kowalski and terry malloy  that will live forever in the annals of film history . the list also acknowledges key influences and trends in the world of film and broadcasting. among current trends  it highlighted the final broadcasts of veteran newscasters tom brokaw  barbara walters and the impending retirement of cbs news anchor dan rather. it its place  the afi fears  is a news landscape where  newscasters are more personalities than journalists  and balance and integrity are increasingly ignored.  the afi also questioned  the long-term viability of evening news broadcasts   in the light of 24-hour news channels and the internet. the list also draws attention to the growing influence of us broadcasting regulator  the federal communications commission (fcc)  the institute concluded the threat of regulation  which went into freefall following janet jackson s  wardrobe malfunction  during a live super bowl performance in february   had a profound effect on television .  unsure of how the fcc will rule on an issue  the creative community has begun to self-censor their shows  a disturbing trend in a country founded on free expression   the afi jury declared. to illustrate their point  the afi cited abc affiliates refusal to air steven spielberg s film saving private ryan in an unedited form over fears of possible fines.


barbarians 19-47 new zealand new zealand proved too strong for an australian-dominated barbarians to round off their unbeaten northern hemisphere tour with an easy win.  rico gear ran in two of the all blacks  seven tries in what was a predominantly second-string line-up. the baa-baas did threaten  scoring tries through albert van den bergh  xavier rush and andrea lo cicero  but never looked like winning. all black aaron mauger was in good form with the boot  adding 10 points. the all blacks featured only two of the side which started last weekend s emphatic test victory over france in paris  while the baa-baas had nine wallabies in their starting line-up. and new zealand coach graham henry said:  it was a quality performance against a very experienced side and a number of young guys came through very well.  they learnt from the older players and this was a way of thanking the guys who had been mentoring them on the tour.  but the running rugby the crowd had been hoping for rarely materialised. marty holah got the all blacks onslaught under way with his fifth-minute try before rush hit back moments later. but new zealand went ahead once more as gear made use of the space vacated by a temporarily injured chris latham to slide in. ma a nonu then found his way through the barbarians defence to give his side a 19-7 half-time lead. the hosts failed to ignite in the second half and  the moment gear scored his second just after the interval  there was only ever going to be one winner. lo cicero  the sole european for the barbarians  bundled over for a try to briefly curtail the deficit. but the match was blighted by controversy moments later when justin marshall  was felled with a high tackle by jimmy cowan. referee andy turner waved play on and casey laulala coasted in for his side s fifth try. jermoe keino and piri weepu both added tries to the all blacks  tally before the final whistle  while van den bergh gained some consolation for the baa-baas. after the match  barbarians coach bob dwyer warned that south african flanker schalk burger needed a proper off-season break to maintain his standards. burger  21  was recently crowned player of the year by both his peers and the international rugby board  but has struggled for form in recent weeks.  it s his first year at that level and he was phenomenal up until the end of the southern hemisphere season.  i don t think he s played anywhere near that level on tour   he said.