wi-fi web reaches farmers in peru a network of community computer centres  linked by wireless technology  is providing a helping hand for poor farmers in peru.  the pilot scheme in the huaral valley  80 kilometres north of the capital lima  aims to offer the 6 000-strong community up-to-date information on agricultural market prices and trends. the agricultural information project for farmers of the chancay-huaral valley also provides vital links between local organisations in charge of water irrigation  enabling them to coordinate their actions. more than 13 000 rural inhabitants  as well as 18 000 students in the region  will also benefit from the telecoms infrastructure.  the 14 telecentres uses only free open source software and affordable computer equipment. the network has been three years in the making and was officially inaugurated in september.  the non-government organisation  cepes (peruvian centre for social studies) led the $200 000 project  also backed by local institutions  the education and agriculture ministries  and european development organisations.  the plan includes training on computers and internet skills for both operators and users of the system   said carlos saldarriaga  technical coordinator at cepes. farmers are also taking extra lessons on how to apply the new information to make the most of their plots of land. the board of irrigation users which runs the computer centres  aims to make the network self-sustainable within three years  through the cash generated by using the telecentres as internet cafes.  one of the key elements of the project is the agricultural information system  with its flagship huaral.org website. there  farmers can find the prices for local produce  as well as information on topics ranging from plague prevention to the latest farming techniques. the system also helps the inhabitants of the chancay-huaral valley to organise their vital irrigation systems.  water is the main element that unites them all. it is a precious element in peru s coastal areas  because it is so scarce  and therefore it is necessary to have proper irrigation systems to make the most of it   mr saldarriaga told the bbc news website. the information network also allows farmers to look beyond their own region  and share experiences with other colleagues from the rest of peru and even around the world.  cepes says the involvement of the farmers has been key in the project s success.  throughout the last three years  the people have provided a vital thrust to the project; they feel it belongs to them   said mr saldarriaga. the community training sessions  attended by an equal number of men and women  have been the perfect showcase for their enthusiasm.  we have had an excellent response  mainly from young people. but we have also had a great feedback when we trained 40 or 50-year old women  who were seeing a computer for the first time in their lives.  so far  the huaral programme promoters say the experience has been very positive  and are already planning on spreading the model among other farmers  organisations in peru.  this is a pilot project  and we have been very keen on its cloning potential in other places   underlined mr saldarriaga.  the cepes researcher recalls what happened in cuyo  a 50-family community with no electricity  during the construction of the local telecentre site. there it was necessary to build a mini-hydraulic dam in order to generate 2kw worth of power for the computers  the communications equipment and the cabin lights.  it was already dark when the technicians realised they didn t have any light bulbs to test the generator  so they turned up to the local store to buy light bulbs   recalls carlos saldarriaga.  the logical answer was  we don t sell any   so they had to wait until the next morning to do the testing.  now  with the wireless network  cuyo as well as the other communities is no longer isolated.


jowell rejects  las vegas  jibe the secretary of state for culture  media and sport  tessa jowell  has hit out at critics of the gambling bill.  she told the guardian newspaper there would be no  las vegas-style  super-casinos  as rumoured in the press. meanwhile labour backbencher stephen pound labelled casino-related regeneration schemes  a pile of pants . the mp for ealing north claimed the legislation would encourage a mafia-like culture of vice and corruption  in an interview on bbc radio 4.  you look at some of the people who are involved...they aren t in there to regenerate blackpool. they are in it to fill their boots   mr pound told the today programme.  i just really think that we have made a terrible mistake here. and over all of it hangs the shadow of the men in the chalk-stripe suits with names that rhyme with spaghetti   he said.  ms jowell complained of the  scale of misrepresentation  in the media over the bill in her interview with the newspaper  her first since the bill was launched. the culture secretary said a four year consultation period had produced a consensus on the need to  protect children and the vulnerable  in a swiftly changing sector. ms jowell insisted:  we have a good track record for extracting planning gain in this country  for instance in social housing.  and continued:  we can be proud to have one of the lowest rates of problem gambling in the world. i intend to keep it that way.  ms jowell will set out her position when the bill is debated in the commons on monday. in prime minister s questions last week tony blair assured parliament that 90% of the bill was about tightening up the regulation of the gambling industry.


vera drake leads uk oscar hopes mike leigh s film vera drake will lead british hopes at this year s academy awards after getting three nominations.  imelda staunton was nominated for best actress for her role in the abortion drama  while leigh received nods for best director and original screenplay. kate winslet was also nominated in the best actress category for her role in eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. and clive owen and sophie okonedo both got nominated for supporting roles in closer and hotel rwanda respectively. owen has already been made bookmakers  favourite for best supporting actor for the role in closer that has already clinched him a golden globe award.  and it is the first nomination for actress okonedo  chosen for her performance in hotel rwanda  about the 1994 rwandan genocide. it is also a debut nomination for staunton  49  who told bbc news 24 she had not thought the film would appeal to academy voters.  it was an extraordinary time making the film and i can t believe what has happened this morning   she said.  i hope it just shows mike up to be the extraordinary filmmaker he is.  we are also dealing with a very difficult subject matter and it is amazing to have it accepted in this way.  leigh  who had previously received three oscar nominations for secrets and lies and topsy turvy  told bbc news 24 the latest success was  amazing . he said:  we hoped that imelda staunton would get a nomination but i never expected to get director and screenplay. it s just absolutely wonderful.   i think people are aware that it s about life - and i hope it is the warmth and compassion that really talks to people.  winslet said she was  ecstatic  about the fourth nomination of her career.  being nominated means so much to me. to be nominated for a film that was released a while ago  i feel so honoured and overwhelmed   she said. john woodward  chief executive of the uk film council  said it was  extremely heartening  to see british filmmaking talent recognised on the global stage.  britain has a hugely talented industry and these nominations show why national lottery investment in film pays major dividends for our culture and economy.  among a total of 24 british nominees  composer andrew lloyd webber and lyricist charles hart are up for best original song for learn to be lonely  from the phantom of the opera movie.  cinematographer john mathieson  who was nominated for gladiator in 2001  is also up for the phantom of the opera. and finding neverland has garnered two more nominations for brits. gemma jackson  who has also worked on bridget jones s diary and iris  is up for art direction while costume designer alexandra byrne  whose previous films have included captain corelli s mandolin and elizabeth  is in the running. the uk has two contenders in the best live action short film category. wasp was made by ex-children s tv presenter andrea arnold while little terrorist is the work of ashvin kumar. this year s awards will be handed out in hollywood on 27 february.


slowdown hits us factory growth us industrial production increased for the 21st month in a row in february  but at a slower pace than in january  official figures show.  the institute for supply management (ism) index fell to 55.3 in february  from an adjusted 56.4 in january. although the index was lower than in january  the fact that it held above 50 shows continued growth in the sector.  february was another good month in the manufacturing sector   said ism survey chairman norbert ore.   while the overall rate of growth is slowing  the overall picture is improving as price increases and shortages are becoming less of a problem. exports and imports remain strong   he said. analysts had expected february s figure to be stronger than january s and come in at 57. of the 20 manufacturing sectors surveyed by ism  13 reported growth. they included the textiles  apparel  tobacco  chemicals and transportation sectors. the ism s index of national manufacturing activity is compiled from the responses of purchasing executives at more than 400 industrial companies.


talks aim to avert pension strike talks aimed at averting a series of national strikes over pensions reforms will take place this weekend.  five public sector unions will hold private talks with deputy prime minister john prescott at labour s spring conference in gateshead. they want the government to withdraw regulations - due to be introduced in weeks - which would raise the pension age for council workers from 60 to 65. up to 1.4m workers could take part in a strike already earmarked for 23 march. however  all sides are anxious to avoid a major confrontation in the run up to the general election  said bbc labour affairs correspondent stephen cape. in four days  britain s biggest union unison will start balloting 800 000 local government workers on strikes. other public sector unions have pledged to follow. it is just weeks before new regulations are introduced to raise the pension age of local government workers.  the five unions meeting mr prescott want the government to withdraw these regulations. this would allow months of tough negotiations to follow  said our correspondent. but a spokesman for mr prescott warned that the changes to the local government pension scheme would have to go ahead in april. privately ministers believe this will be the  less painful  option  our correspondent added. the public and commercial services union (pcs) will co-ordinate any industrial action with up to six other public sector unions. pcs leader mark serwotka warned last week that there could be further walkouts unless there was a government rethink.  for a government that lectures everyone on choice - choice on public service  choice on this and choice on that - isn t it ironic that they re saying to public sector workers there is no choice   he said.  if you want the pension you were promised when you started you must work for an extra five years - that is working until people drop.  in the 20th century  it s completely unacceptable.   unison s 800 000 workers  the transport and general workers  union s 70 000 and amicus  20 000 are among those being balloted about a 23 march walkout. mr prescott held a private meeting with senior union figures last week. it is understood no deal was offered in that meeting but there was room for further negotiations.


greek sprinters suspended by iaaf greek sprinters kostas kenteris and katerina thanou have been suspended after failing to take drugs tests before the athens olympics.  athletics  ruling body the iaaf said explanations from the pair and their former coach as to why they missed the tests were  unacceptable . it added that kenteris and thanou had been  provisionally suspended pending the resolution of their cases . they face two-year bans if found guilty by the greek athletics federation. the suspension also covers the athletes  controversial coach  christos tzekos. kenteris  the 2000 olympic 200m champion  and thanou  the women s 100m silver medallist from the same games in sydney  also face a criminal hearing in greece over the missed tests. they failed to appear to give samples in chicago and tel aviv shortly before the athens games and again in athens on 12 august  the eve of the opening ceremony. greek prosecutors have also charged them with faking a midnight motorcycle crash which led to them spending four days in hospital. some medical staff have been charged with writing false medical reports. wednesday s statement said the greek federation (segas) would convene a disciplinary hearing for the trio to determine whether there had been doping violations.   there will be a final right of appeal from the decision of the greek federation to the court of arbitration for sport   the iaaf said. tzekos insisted he and the runners had nothing to hide.  the iaaf s decision means nothing   he said.  we ll be presenting all our arguments to segas - we re innocent.


day-lewis set for berlin honour actor daniel day-lewis is to be presented with an award for his career in film at the berlin film festival.  the 47-year-old  whose credits include his oscar-winning performance in my left foot  will be presented with the berlinale camera award on 15 february. the honour  awarded since 1986  honours figures in cinema that the festival feels  particularly indebted to . man to man  a historical epic starring kristin scott thomas  opens the german festival on 10 february. a candid documentary about the life and career of singer george michael  a different story will also be screened at the 10-day event.    day-lewis has competed four times at the berlin film festival  with films in the name of the father (1994)  the crucible (1997)  the boxer (1998) and martin scorsese s gangs of new york (2003). the festival praises him for his  sensational start  with roles in my beautiful launderette and costume classic a room with a view  and a  great number of celebrated roles  in subsequent productions. japan s oldest film studio will also be honoured along with day-lewis. shochiku film studios  which was founded 110 years ago  will become the first cinematic institution to receive the berlinale camera award. famous japanese directors including akira hurosawa have had films produced at the studio.


beattie return calms attack fears everton striker james beattie has been declared fit for training on tuesday  despite suffering an alleged assault last saturday.  beattie  27  is not believed to be as seriously hurt as some reports have suggested after being  the victim of an unprovoked assault  in birmingham. he was on a night out with his girlfriend and two friends following everton s 3-1 win over aston villa.  he was shaken but not badly injured   said everton spokesman ian ross. he added:  he did speak to the police but will not be pressing charges.  he has spoken to manager david moyes about what happened.  beattie was suspended for the win at aston villa after his red card against chelsea and he will be available again for the merseyside derby at liverpool on 20 march.


vera drake s bafta triumph hope at the bafta film awards on saturday night  there is the prospect that a home-grown movie could walk off with a clutch of trophies.  vera drake  mike leigh s tale about a 1950s backstreet abortionist  is nominated in 11 categories. these include best film  best director and best actress shortlist for imelda staunton who plays the eponymous character. the film has spent months being lauded with prizes  from the venice film festival to five awards from the london critics  circle on wednesday night.  the baftas has a tradition of honouring british cinema  and this year vera drake is the obvious candidate to be heaped with praise. empire magazine s reviews editor dan jolin said the film had  a very good chance  of doing well on saturday  predicting that it would collect five or six awards.  i don t think it s going to do a lord of the rings-style sweep  but imelda staunton is a shoo-in for best actress   he said.   a best director prize for mike leigh and best british film are also likely and it could steal some awards from heavily-nominated competitors the aviator and finding neverland.  mr jolin tipped another contender - most likely the aviator - to walk away with the bafta for best film  and added that finding neverland had been lavished with nominations but not trophies. strong oscar contenders million dollar baby and sideways did not figure in the bafta nominations  giving vera drake greater potential to walk away with the big prizes.   there is a sense that this film is ours and we should slap our own guys on the back. out of all the films in the running for the baftas  vera drake is the true blue british one.    if mike leigh is going to win awards for anything  it should be vera drake at this year s baftas   said mr jolin  adding that the film was probably his most technically accomplished and lavish work yet. mr jolin also tipped phil davis for a best supporting actor prize for his role in vera drake but felt that heather craney could be outdone by kate winslet or natalie portman in the supporting actress category.  if there is anywhere where this film is going to win  it will be at the baftas   he said.  the guardian s film critic peter bradshaw felt that there  might well be  a sweep of awards for vera drake on saturday night.  i hope that bafta voters will respond to the extremely high standard of acting from the whole cast of the film. if bafta can t do so  what hope is there   he said. mr bradshaw felt that mike leigh s  masterpiece  was entitled to the best film award - leaving dead man s shoes  harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban  my summer of love and shaun of the dead to slug it out for the best british film trophy.  i will be cheering if vera drake wins a whole host of awards   he added.


green reports shun supply chain nearly 20% more uk top 250 firms produced non-financial reports on social and environment issues than last year.  but of the 145 companies reporting  76% didn t examine their supply chains  says the annual directions survey. green groups say putting pressure on supply chains is a major way companies can reduce their environmental impact. the survey is published by corporate social responsibility firm context and branding firm salterbaxter.  blake lee-harwood  campaigns director at greenpeace in the uk  said:  it s fairly meaningless to talk about your company s direction in terms of sustainability without having detailed knowledge of your supply chain.  it s also important to get some kind of independent assessment of your reporting.   less than a quarter of companies (24%) get their corporate social responsibility (csr) reports independently verified to provide assurances they are accurate and complete  says the survey. to date there are no set standards for non-financial reporting  although the global reporting initiative  an independent pro-sustainability institution  is planning to establish some. the reports surveyed by directions are published voluntarily. they are usually called corporate social responsibility (csr) reports  sustainability reports  or social and environmental reports.  peter knight  director of context  says 24 uk top 250 companies reported for the first time this year and  in general  the quality of reports has improved.  the corporate lexicon of homilies  generalities and soft assurances - fluff - is on its way out. there are less pictures of smiling children and butterflies.  the uk government will soon require all quoted companies to report their social and environmental risks in a chapter in their annual reports  called the operating and financial review. the regulation is not expected until 2005 and the first reports under this scheme will not be published before 2006. the us seems to lag europe in producing corporate social responsibility reports. the majority of european top 50 companies (44) publish them and only 27 of the us top 50.


games maker fights for survival one of britain s largest independent game makers  argonaut games  has been put up for sale.  the london-based company behind the harry potter games has sacked about 100 employees due to a severe cash crisis. the administrators told bbc news online that selling argonaut was the only way to save it as it had run out of cash. argonaut warned that it was low on cash 10 days ago when its shares were suspended from trading on the london stock exchange.  argonaut has been making games for some 18 years and is one the largest independent games developers in the uk.  along with its headquarters in north london  it operates studios in cambridge and sheffield. argonaut was behind the harry potter games which provided a healthy flow of cash into the company. but  like all software developers  argonaut needed a constant flow of deals with publishers. signs that it was in trouble emerged in august  when it warned it was heading for losses of £6m in the financial year due to delays in signing new contracts for games. those new deals were further delayed  leading argonaut to warn in mid-october that it was running out of cash and suspend trading of its shares on the london stock exchange. as part of cost-cutting measures  some 100 employees were fired.  when the news about the £6m loss came out  we knew there were going to be redundancies   said jason parkinson  one of the game developers sacked by argonaut.  a lot of people suspected that argonaut had been in trouble for some time   he told bbc news online. mr parkinson said staff were told the job losses were necessary to save argonaut from going under. at the start of the year  the company employed 268 people. after the latest round of cuts there are 80 staff at argonaut headquarters in edgware in north london  with 17 at its morpheme offices in kentish town  london  and 22 at the just add monsters base in cambridge.  argonaut called in administrators david rubin & partners on friday to find a way to rescue the company from collapse. it spent the weekend going over the company s finances and concluded that the only way to save the business was to put it up for sale. the administrator told bbc news online that the costs of restructuing would be too high  partly because of the overheads from the company s four premises across the uk. it said it was hopeful that it could save some 110 jobs by selling the business  saying it had had expressions of interest from several quarters and were looking for a quick sale. the administrator said it would ensure that staff made redundant would receive any wages  redundancy or holiday pay due to them  hopefully by christmas.


moya emotional at davis cup win carlos moya described spain s davis cup victory as the highlight of his career after he beat andy roddick to end the usa s challenge in seville.  moya made up for missing spain s 2000 victory through injury by beating roddick 6-2 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-5) to give the hosts an unassailable 3-1 lead.  i have woken up so many nights dreaming of this day   said moya.  all my energy has been focused on today.  what i have lived today i do not think i will live again.  spain s only other davis cup title came two years ago in valencia  when they beat australia. and moya  nicknamed charly  admitted:  the davis cup is my dream and i was a bit nervous at the outset.  some people have said that i am obsessed but i think that it is better this way. it helps me reach my goals if i am obsessed.  it s really incredible - to get the winning point is really something.  spanish captain jordi arrese said:  charly played a great game. it was his opportunity and he hasn t let us down.  he had lost three times to roddick  and this was his day to beat him.  he had been waiting years to be in this position.  spain s victory was also remarkable for the performance of rafael nadal  who beat roddick in the opening singles.  aged 18 years and 185 days  the mallorcan became the youngest player to win the davis cup.  what a great way to finish the year   said nadal afterwards. us coach patrick mcenroe wants roddick and the rest of his team to play more tennis on clay and hone their skills on the surface.  i think it will help these guys even on slow hard courts to learn how to mix things up a little bit and to play a little bit smarter and tactically better.   obviously it s unrealistic to say that we re going to just start playing constantly on clay  with the schedule.  but certainly i think we can put the work in at the appropriate time and play a couple more events and play against these guys who are the best on this stuff   said mcenroe. roddick was left frustrated after losing both his singles on the slow clay of seville s olympic stadium.  it s just tough because i felt like i was in it the whole time against one of the top three clay-courters in the world   said the american.  i had my chances and just didn t convert them. the bottom line is they were just better than us this weekend.  they came out  took care of business and they beat us. it s as simple as that.


holmes wins  2004 top tv moment  sprinter kelly holmes  olympic victory has been named the top television moment of 2004 in a bbc poll.  holmes  800m gold medal victory beat favourite moments from drama  comedy and factual programmes  as voted by television viewers. natasha kaplinsky s strictly come dancing win was top entertainment moment and a little britain breast feeding sketch won the comedy prize. the 2004 tv moments will be shown on bbc one at 2000 gmt on wednesday. double gold medal winner holmes topped the best sports moment category  beating maria sharapova s wimbledon triumph and matthew pinsent s rowing victory at the olympics.  she then went on to take the overall prize of golden tv moment. the sight of former royal correspondent jennie bond with dozens of rats crawling over her in itv s i m a celebrity get me out of here was named best factual entertainment moment. michael buerk s return to ethiopia  20 years after originally reporting its famine  topped the factual category for bbc programme this world. long-running soap eastenders won the best popular drama moment title when character dot confided in den watts that she was unwell.


wine comedy wins critics  award quirky comedy sideways was named the best film of the year by the los angeles film critics association.  the us movie also picked up four other accolades including best director for alexander payne and supporting actor for thomas haden church. british actress imelda staunton has again been recognised for her role in vera drake  winning best actress  while liam neeson won best actor for kinsey. the awards will be handed out on 13 january at a ceremony in las vegas.  sideways tells the story of two men who take a road trip through california s wine regions and also stars paul giamatti. virginia madsen was also named best supporting actress for her performance in the film. house of flying daggers  directed by yimou zhang  was named best foreign language film  while the animation award went to the incredibles. unusually  the runners-up in categories were also named with clint eastwood s million dollar baby just missing out on the best film award. the best director runner-up was martin scorsese for the aviator. a career achievement award will be handed to veteran actor and comic jerry lewis at the ceremony next year.


charvis set to lose fitness bid flanker colin charvis is unlikely to play any part in wales  final two games of the six nations.  charvis has missed all three of wales  victories with an ankle injury and his recovery has been slower than expected.  he will not figure in the scotland game and is now thought unlikely to be ready for the final game   said wales physio mark davies. sonny parker is continuing to struggle with a neck injury  but hal luscombe should be fit for the murrayfield trip. centre parker has only a  slim chance  of being involved against the scots on 13 march  so luscombe s return to fitness after missing the france match with hamstring trouble is a timely boost.  said wales assistant coach scott johnson:  we re positive about hal and hope he ll be raring to go.  he comes back into the mix again  adds to the depth and gives us other options.   replacement hooker robin mcbryde remains a doubt after picking up knee ligament damage in paris last saturday.  we re getting that reviewed and we should know more by the end of the week how robin s looking   added johnson.  we re hopeful but it s too early to say at this stage.  steve jones from the dragons is likely to be drafted in if mcbryde fails to recover.


spears seeks aborted tour payment singer britney spears is suing eight insurance companies that have refused to reimburse her for cancelling her 2004 world tour.  the pop star cancelled her onyx hotel tour last june after suffering a knee injury during a video shoot. she is now seeking to be reimbursed for the tour s £5m ($9.3m) costs in a claim filed at new york state supreme court. seven london-based companies and an eighth paris firm have been given up to 30 days to respond to the complaint.  the 22-year-old star initially missed a number of shows on the 82-date tour after injuring her knee during a show in illinois last march. but she was rushed to hospital and needed surgery after a later incident while filming a video for her song outrageous  leading her to cancel the rest of the tour  including dates in china.  she obviously took a wrong step and blew out her knee   a jive spokeswoman said at the time.  it was an old dance injury.  the legal submission described spears as  one of the most recognised performers in her industry . the onyx hotel tour was cited as  a highly crafted production which included the well-known music and dancing of spears  supported by elaborate costumes  complex choreography as well as cutting-edge video production  lighting and other effects . in september spears married kevin federline  who had been a dancer on the aborted tour.


us retail sales surge in december us retail sales ended the year on a high note with solid gains in december  boosted by strong car sales.  seasonally adjusted sales rose 1.2% in the month  compared to 0.1% a month earlier  boosted by a surge in shopping just before and after christmas. sales climbed 8% for the year  the best performance since an 8.5% rise in 1999  the commerce department added. the gains were led by a 4.3% jump in auto sales as dealers used enhanced offers to get cars out of showrooms. dealers were forced to cut prices in december to maintain sales growth in a tough quarter when the usual end-of-year holiday sales boom was slow to get started.  the increase in sales during december pushed total spending for the month to $349.4bn (£265.9bn). sales for the year also broke through the $4 trillion mark for the first time - with annual sales coming in at $4.06 trillion however  if automotives are excluded from december s data  retail sales rose just 0.3% on the month. home furnishings and furniture stores also performed well  rising 2.2%. but as well as hitting the shops  more us consumers were going online or using mail order for their purchases - with non-store retailers seeing sales rise by 1.9%. however  analysts said that the strong figures were unlikely to put the federal reserve bank off its current policy of measured interest rate rises.  consumers for now remain willing to spend freely  sustaining the us expansion. given that attitude  the fed remains likely to continue boosting the fed funds rate at upcoming meetings   ubs economist maury harris told reuters.  retail sales are seen as a major part of consumer spending - which in turn makes up two-thirds of economic output in the us. consumer spending has been picking up in recent years after slumping during 2001 and 2002 as the country battled to recover from its first recession of the decade and the world trade centre attacks. during that time  sales grew a lacklustre 2.9% in 2001 and 2.5% a year later. looking ahead  analysts now expect improvement in jobs growth to feed through to the high street with consumer spending remaining strong. the belief comes despite the latest labor department report showing a surprise rise in unemployment. the number of americans filing initial jobless claims jumped to 367 000  the highest rate since september. however  long-term claims slipped to their lowest level since 2001.


liberian economy starts to grow the liberian economy started to grow in 2004  but  sustained and deep reform efforts  are needed to ensure long term growth  the international monetary fund (imf) has said.  an imf mission made the comments in a report published following 10 days of talks with the transition government. the imf said that  according to data provided by the liberians  the country s gdp rose by 2% in 2004  after a 31% decline in 2003. liberia is recovering from a 14-year civil war that came to an end in 2003. the power-sharing national transition government of liberia will remain in place until elections on 11 october  the first presidential and parliamentary ballots since the conflict ended.  the imf said liberia s economy started to grow last year thanks to a  continued strong recovery in rubber production  domestic manufacturing and local services including post-conflict reconstruction . the imf however remains cautious about what it sees as a lack of transparency in government actions. in particular  it pointed to mystery surrounding the sale of iron ore stockpiles and the alleged disappearance of some import and export permits. these matters are now being investigated by the liberian authorities and the imf has called for their findings to be made public. the imf also said it was crucial that the central bank of liberia be strengthened  the national budget be effectively managed and a sound economic basis built to allow the country s large external debt to be addressed.  the imf team stands ready to assist the (liberian) authorities in strengthening the areas mentioned   said the report.  the team agreed with the (liberian) authorities that the period until elections and the inauguration of a new government will pose exceptional challenges to fiscal management  and expresses its willingness to provide...continued support.


ex-boeing director gets jail term an ex-chief financial officer at boeing has received a four-month jail sentence and a fine of $250 000 (£131 961) for illegally hiring a top air force aide.  michael sears admitted his guilt in breaking conflict of interest laws by recruiting darleen druyun while she still handled military contracts. ms druyun is currently serving a nine month sentence for favouring boeing when awarding lucrative contracts. boeing lost a $23bn government contract after a pentagon inquiry into the case. the contract  to provide refuelling tankers for the us air force  was cancelled last year.  the pentagon revealed earlier this week that it would examine eight other contracts worth $3bn which it believes may have been tainted by ms druyun s role in the procurement process. boeing sacked mr sears and ms druyun in november 2003 after allegations that they had violated company recruitment policy. ms druyun had talks with mr sears in october 2002 about working for boeing  while she was still a top procurement official within the pentagon. she subsequently joined the company in january 2003. ms druyun admitted that she had steered multi-billion dollar contracts to boeing and other favoured companies.  in documents filed in a virginia court ahead of mr sears  sentencing  prosecutors blamed boeing s senior management for failing to ask key questions about the  legal and ethical issues  surrounding ms druyun s appointment. mr sears told prosecutors that no other boeing officials were aware that ms druyun was still responsible for major procurement decisions at the time she was discussing a job with boeing. however  analysts believe boeing may yet face civil charges arising from the scandal. the pentagon has investigated 400 contracts  dating back to 1993  since the allegations against ms druyun came to light.  boeing s corporate ethics have come under scrutiny on several occasions in recent years. boeing was sued by lockheed martin after its rival accused it of industrial espionage during a 1998 contract competition. boeing apologised publicly for the affair - although it claimed it did not gain any unfair advantage - and pledged to improve its procedures. the pentagon subsequently revoked $1bn worth of contracts assigned to boeing and prohibited the seattle-based company from future rocket work.


ronaldo considering new contract manchester united winger cristiano ronaldo said he is close to agreeing to a new contract at old trafford.  the portugal star  who joined in august 2003 on a five-year-deal  is a regular in the united first-team.  the united board have already made an offer to renew the contract but i m trying not to think about it   he told the news of the world.  my agent has spoken with the club and it will be resolved soon. i think we ll reach a good agreement for both sides.  ronaldo refused to commit his long-term future to the club.   nobody knows what will come tomorrow. i like being here  but who knows   he added.  there aren t many bigger and better clubs than this one. it s my ambition to be at a big club. i m happy but nobody knows the future.


venezuela reviews foreign deals venezuela is to review all foreign investment in its mining industries in an effort to strengthen its indigenous industrial output.  president hugo chavez has ordered all existing contracts with foreign firms to be examined to see if they provide maximum benefits to the country. the review will cover production of gold  aluminium and iron ore although it excludes the country s oil sector. chavez has sought to extend the state s role in all sectors of the economy.  the left-wing president is conducting a controversial review of land ownership in the country while also seeking to create a state-run telecoms firm to compete with foreign-owned businesses.  he has argued that major economic reforms are vital to improve the lives of venezuela s poorest citizens. announcing the review of raw material production  minister victor alvarez said the government would seek to transfer technology  training capability and content from projects with foreign partners.  we are defending our national sovereignty over the use of our national resources which must serve the endogenous development of the nation   mr alvarez said.  for this reason we are reviewing all memorandums of understanding  all letters of intent  all agreements that have been signed  all contracts  to check which of these comply with these directives.  everything  absolutely everything  has to be reviewed.   venezuela has previously assured foreign companies with operations in the mineral rich country that it respects existing contracts. however  the government insisted that it needed to develop its own industrial infrastructure in order to create new jobs and lessen its reliance on foreign partners.  if we don t do this  we are just going to carry on being slaves  suppliers of raw materials  all our lives and we will never develop our own productive capacity   mr alvarez added. companies from the united states  canada  france and switzerland all have substantial investments in venezuela s mining sector.


pavey focuses on indoor success jo pavey will miss january s view from great edinburgh international cross country to focus on preparing for the european indoor championships in march.  the 31-year-old was third behind hayley yelling and justyna bak in last week s european cross country championships but she prefers to race on the track.  it was great winning bronze but i m wary of injuries and must concentrate on the indoor season   she said.  because of previous injuries i don t even run up hills in training.  pavey  who came fifth in the 5 000m at the athens olympics  helped the british cross country team win the team silver medal in heringsdorf last week. she is likely to start her 3 000m season with a race in either boston or stuttgart at the end of january.


rusedski angry over supplements greg rusedski has criticised the governing body of men s tennis for not releasing contamination-free supplements in time for the new season.  rusedski said:  i tried to order some but didn t receive any and i haven t got any yet.  you would think they would have been available in december as it can take two months for the body to respond.  this event comes in the hottest period of the year  so you would hope the stuff would be available for it.  the british number two escaped a possible ban last year when he persuaded a tribunal that a positive doping test was the result of contaminated atp supplements. in response  the atp struck a deal with pharmaceutical company glaxosmithkline to provide contamination-free drinks and nutritional bars for the men s tour.  david higdon  vice president of the atp  admitted:  i agree with greg.  i would have loved to have had these things available as soon as possible but it s a lot of work to make sure they have gone through rigorous testing.  the reality is though that the first two weeks of the tour are spread far and wide and part of the distribution agreement we had with gsk has an education component.  we weren t going to just drop these products out there without having a talk with the players about understanding how to use them.   the first chance we will get to do that is at the players meeting on the saturday before the australian open.  and rusedski  who takes on roger federer at the qatar open later on wednesday  conceded that the imminent changes will be beneficial.  the good thing is that there is now a 100% guarantee  so hopefully all this will never happen again   said rusedski.  hopefully after the australian open we won t have to discuss this any more.


france set for new da vinci novel french booksellers are braced for a rush of interest after another book from the author of the da vinci code is translated into french.  angels and demons  by us author dan brown  will go on sale on wednesday. the da vinci code is set in paris - including the louvre - and has sold around one million copies in france. the main character  robert langdon  also appears in angels and demons. the da vinci code is being made into a film starring tom hanks. angels and demons was written before the da vinci code  which has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide  and been translated into more than 40 languages  since it was released in 2003. angels and demons is set mainly in rome as symbologist robert langdon follows a 400-year-old trail to try to uncover a plot by an ancient brotherhood  the illuminati  to blow up the vatican.  the novel deals with moral issues such as the debate between science and religion and also seeks to uncover some of the mysteries surrounding the pope. on his website  brown wrote:  i think the reason angels and demons is raising eyebrows right now is that it opens some vatican closets most people don t even know exist.  but i think most people understand that an organisation as old and powerful as the vatican could not possibly have risen to power without acquiring a few skeletons in their closets.  such is the success of the da vinci code in france  special tours have been organised to trace langdon s footsteps  including the the louvre museum and the saint sulpice church. the louvre has also given permission for parts of the film version to be shot in the museum. the film  to be directed by a beautiful mind s ron howard  is due to start filming at the paris museum in may and stars hanks alongside french actress audrey tautou.


concerns at school diploma plan final appeals are being made for the government not to ditch the reform plan for england s secondary schools put forward by the tomlinson report.  the government s response to the plan for a four-tier diploma to replace all existing 14-19 qualifications is expected next week. some are worried it could be scuppered if  as tony blair and ruth kelly have suggested  gcses and a-levels stay. sir mike tomlinson himself was briefed only this week. he is said to be feeling more comfortable about what the government is likely to say than if he had read only what was in newspapers in the earlier part of the week. but the government was said to be still rewriting its response on friday.  it will be a tragedy if the government comes through with a half-hearted response   said the chairman of the commons education select committee  labour mp barry sheerman.  his main concern was the reports that there would be a diploma - but only to replace existing vocational qualifications.  we must tackle head-on the structural mess that is our secondary education system   he wrote in the times educational supplement.  it is not the case that the academic stream in secondary is fine while the vocational route is desperately weak.  the qualifications and curriculum authority (qca) has also told the government not to  compromise . the qca said the potential  step-change in participation and attainment  lay in the integrity of the whole diploma.  any partial implementation of the proposals would  in our view  compromise that integrity   said its chairman  sir anthony greener. it is a sign of the qca s concern that its advice went to ministers last december but was publicised only recently. but people understand that a white paper response is government policy and has to command wider ministerial support than if it were coming only from the department for education and skills. they may be content if it does not  close too many doors  in writing - whatever spin is put on it.  the chief inspector of schools  david bell  also said recently that gcses and a-levels should go.  one of the reasons why i m so strongly in favour of these terms disappearing over time is that it s good for the symbols of change to be seen right across the system   he said.  if we don t say this is a sea-change in education  we will miss a great opportunity.  universities and head teachers in both the independent and state sectors have also backed the tomlinson proposals  which include having higher grades at advanced level to differentiate between the brightest students. a note of concern has been expressed repeatedly by the employers  organisation  the cbi  which complains of a lack of skills. in an attempt to address this  the tomlinson plan is for tests in  functional  maths and literacy - decidedly not gcses. it has been suggested the government will take steps of some sort to meet firms  concerns on this score. another dissenter is sir mike tomlinson s predecessor as chief schools inspector  professor chris woodhead  who has said there is no need for such a  massive upheaval . the conservative party has put forward plans to revert to a system of having only the brightest percentage of students each year getting the top a-level grade  no matter how well the others have done.


owen delighted with real display michael owen revelled in his return to the to the real madrid starting line-up and inspired a 3-1 win over real betis on wednesday by scoring the first goal.  he said:  i am happy i could play a game from the start again.  i felt good all though the game and it is obvious that i am happy to have scored another goal.  people have talked a lot about my performances and i think i have had some months that were not so good and others that were very good.  owen  starting his third successive la liga match  converted a low cross from santiago solari. robert carlos made it 2-0 at the break  smashing home an indirect free-kick. midfielder edu reduced the deficit after half-time but ivan helguera headed past keeper antonio doblas to seal victory for his team. victory took real to within six points of leaders barcelona and owen is confident real can close the gap. he added:  we had several chances against betis and i think we can get back in touch with barcelona.  it is only six points between barcelona and us and that is nothing. if we can beat them at the bernabeu (on 10 april)  then it will be just three.  owen has scored nine league goals  one behind real s top scorer ronaldo. real had lost their previous two league games.


scots smoking ban details set out smoke-free areas will save lives and improve scotland s health  first minister jack mcconnell has insisted.  he told the scottish parliament on wednesday that a  comprehensive ban  on smoking in public places would be introduced by the spring of 2006. mr mcconnell said the country s health rates were  lamentable  not least because of smoking. he said fines of up to £2 500 would be levied on employers and licences would be removed for non-compliance. earlier  the scottish executive considered a range of options but agreed unanimously to introduce an all-out ban on smoking in public places. in a statement to parliament  mr mcconnell said that the licensed trade would be asked to join an expert committee prior to the ban coming into force.  the health arguments far outweighed lingering public disquiet about a complete ban and claims by the licensed trade that jobs would be lost  he told msps. he said there would be an international marketing campaign whereby  tourists can enjoy smoke free environment and the sick man of europe image becomes a thing of the past .  there are still national habits which hold us back - the time has come for this parliament to accelerate improvements in health   he declared.  health rates are lamentable because of a lack of exercise  drugs abuse  excessive drinking and over-eating.  they all make us one of the most unhealthy countries in europe  and too many smoke.  it is clear that scotland must not be held back by poor public health - the single biggest contribution devolved government can make is to reduce the toll of preventable death caused by smoking.  the legislation will be introduced as part of the health service (miscellaneous provisions) bill  which will be considered by parliament before christmas. main points of the plan:    - a comprehensive ban on smoking in all enclosed public places in scotland   - the legislation will be enforced by environmental health and local licensing officers   - licensees or employers who fail to enforce the law will face fines up to a maximum of £2 500   - licensees who persistently refuse to comply with the law will face the ultimate sanction of losing their liquor licence   - a system of issuing fixed penalty notices for those individuals who break the law will be examined   - individuals who persistently break the law will face a maximum fine of £1 000.     mr mcconnell claimed there was evidence that smoking bans had helped smokers to either give up quicker or smoke less. he said there had been falling cigarette sales of 13% in new york and 16% in ireland. mr mcconnell added that there had been a near nine per cent rise in tax revenues from new york bars and restaurants and  in ireland  only a one point three per cent volume sales fall  where they were declining before the ban. the afternoon announcement  following a cabinet meeting on wednesday morning  won broad support from opposition parties.  the scottish national party s holyrood leader  nicola sturgeon  welcomed the move but added that the public should be consulted as the clock ticked towards the ban date. she said:  the time has come for a ban on smoking in public places.  there is evidence a ban can cut deaths from passive smoking and makes it easier for the 70% of smokers who desperately want to give up the habit.  but we must also recognise that some people have concerns and reservations - there are people who are yet to be persuaded.  the scottish conservative party leader  david mcletchie  questioned what would be exempted from the ban. he was keen to know if inmates in scottish prisons would continue to be allowed to smoke. mr mcletchie asked:  would it not be ironic and perhaps entirely typical of the first minister s brave new scotland that the criminals can be smokers but the smokers will become criminals   the scottish green party s health spokeswoman  eleanor scott  said she was pleased scotland would be following the  success stories of new york and ireland . she believed the majority of people in scotland wanted to go out without having to breathe in harmful tobacco smoke.


labour plans maternity pay rise maternity pay for new mothers is to rise by £1 400 as part of new proposals announced by the trade and industry secretary patricia hewitt.  it would mean paid leave would be increased to nine months by 2007  ms hewitt told gmtv s sunday programme. other plans include letting maternity pay be given to fathers and extending rights to parents of older children. the tories dismissed the maternity pay plan as  desperate   while the liberal democrats said it was misdirected.  ms hewitt said:  we have already doubled the length of maternity pay  it was 13 weeks when we were elected  we have already taken it up to 26 weeks.  we are going to extend the pay to nine months by 2007 and the aim is to get it right up to the full 12 months by the end of the next parliament.  she said new mothers were already entitled to 12 months leave  but that many women could not take it as only six of those months were paid.  we have made a firm commitment. we will definitely extend the maternity pay  from the six months where it now is to nine months  that s the extra £1 400.  she said ministers would consult on other proposals that could see fathers being allowed to take some of their partner s maternity pay or leave period  or extending the rights of flexible working to carers or parents of older children. the shadow secretary of state for the family  theresa may  said:  these plans were announced by gordon brown in his pre-budget review in december and tony blair is now recycling it in his desperate bid to win back women voters.   she said the conservatives would announce their proposals closer to the general election. liberal democrat spokeswoman for women sandra gidley said:  while mothers would welcome any extra maternity pay the liberal democrats feel this money is being misdirected.  she said her party would boost maternity pay in the first six months to allow more women to stay at home in that time.  ms hewitt also stressed the plans would be paid for by taxpayers  not employers. but david frost  director general of the british chambers of commerce  warned that many small firms could be  crippled  by the move.  while the majority of any salary costs may be covered by the government s statutory pay  recruitment costs  advertising costs  retraining costs and the strain on the company will not be   he said. further details of the government s plans will be outlined on monday. new mothers are currently entitled to 90% of average earnings for the first six weeks after giving birth  followed by £102.80 a week until the baby is six months old.


ailing eurodisney vows turnaround eurodisney  the european home of mickey mouse and friends  has said it will sell 253m euros (£175m; $328m) of new shares as it looks to avoid insolvency.  the sale is the last part of a plan to restructure 2.4bn euros-worth of debts. despite struggling since it was opened in 1992  eurodisney has recently made progress in turning its business around and ticket sales have picked up. however  analysts still question whether it attracts enough visitors to stay open  even with the restructuring.  eurodisney remains europe s largest single tourist attraction  attracting some 12.4 million visitors annually. a new attraction - walt disney studios - has recently opened its site near paris. the company s currently traded stock tumbled in paris on the latest news  shedding 15% to 22 euro cents. eurodisney will sell the new shares priced at 9 euros cents each. the us disney corporation and saudi arabian prince al-walid bin talal  the firm s two main shareholders  will buy the new stock. the restructuring deal is the second in the firm s troubled financial history; its finances were first reorganised in 1994.


holmes secures comeback victory britain s kelly holmes marked her first appearance on home soil since winning double olympic gold with 1500m victory at the norwich union international.  holmes hit the front just before the bell in front of a sell-out crowd in glasgow and cruised to victory in a time of four minutes 14.74 seconds.  it was nice to get that out of the way. i was nervous about whether i would actually be able to get round.  i felt good. i just had to relax and use my racing knowledge   said holmes.  it was all about winning in front of my home crowd. the time is irrelevant.  i got round in one piece and didn t disgrace myself. now it s about going forward.  the reception i ve had since the olympics has been amazing and that s why i wanted to keep running this year  because i get a buzz from the crowd.  holmes ran a tactically perfect race to finish clear of france s hind dehiba and russia s svetlana cherkasova. the olympic 800m and 1500m champion s time was inside the qualifying mark for the european indoor championships in madrid in march. but the 34-year-old would not reveal whether she intended to run or not  having previously indicated she would leave a decision until after the birmingham grand prix on 18 february.


brown ally rejects budget spree chancellor gordon brown s closest ally has denied suggestions there will be a budget giveaway on 16 march.  ed balls  ex-chief economic adviser to the treasury  said there would be no spending spree before polling day. but mr balls  a prospective labour mp  said he was confident the chancellor would meet his fiscal rules. he was speaking as sir digby jones  cbi director general  warned mr brown not to be tempted to use any extra cash on pre-election bribes.  mr balls  who stepped down from his treasury post to stand as a labour candidate in the election  had suggested that mr brown would meet his golden economic rule -  with a margin to spare . he said he hoped more would be done to build on current tax credit rules.  he also stressed rise in interest rates ahead of an expected may election would not affect the labour party s chances of winning. expectations of a rate rise have gathered pace after figures showed house prices are still rising. consumer borrowing rose at a near-record pace in january.  if the mpc (the bank of england s monetary policy committee) were to judge that a rate rise was justified before the election because of the strength of the economy - and i m not predicting that they will - i do not believe that this will be a big election issue in britain for labour   he told a parliamentary lunch.  this is a big change in our political culture.   during an interview with bbc radio 4 s today programme  mr balls said he was sure mr brown s budget would not put at risk the stability of the economy.  i don t think we ll see a pre-election spending spree - we certainly did not see that before 2001   he said.  his assurances came after sir digby jones said stability was all important and any extra cash should be spent on improving workers  skills. his message to the chancellor was:  please don t give it away in any form of electioneering.  sir digby added:  i don t think he will. i have to say he has been a prudent chancellor right the way through. stability is the key word - british business needs boring stability more than anything.  we would say to him  don t increase your public spending  don t give it away. but if you are going to anywhere  just add something to the competitiveness of britain  put it into skilling our people .  that would be a good way to spend any excess.   mr balls refused to say whether mr brown would remain as chancellor after the election  amid speculation he will be offered the job of foreign secretary.  i think that gordon brown wants to be part of the successful labour government which delivers in the third term for the priorities of the people and sees off a conservative party that will take britain backwards   mr balls told today. prime minister tony blair has yet to name the date of the election  but most pundits are betting on 5 may.


duff ruled out of barcelona clash chelsea s damien duff has been ruled out of wednesday s champions league clash with barcelona at the nou camp.  duff sustained a knee injury in the fa cup defeat at newcastle and manager jose mourinho said:  he cannot run. his injury is very painful  so he is out.  but mourinho has revealed defender willian gallas and striker didier drogba will be in the starting line-up. the blues boss took the unusual step of naming his side a day before the match  with jole cole named in midfield. mourinho said:  we have one more session but i think drogba will play  and gallas will play.  drogba trained on monday with no problems and will do the same on tuesday. gallas feels he can play and wants to play. we are protecting him still but he will be okay to play.  drogba  chelsea s £24m striker  has missed the last three weeks through injury.  cech  ferreira  carvalho  terry  gallas  tiago  makelele  lampard  cole  drogba  gudjohnsen.


ex-pm lord callaghan dies aged 92 former labour prime minister lord callaghan has died on the eve of his 93rd birthday.  he passed away at home in east sussex  just 11 days after his wife audrey died aged 91. lord callaghan  who leaves a son and two daughters  was the longest living former british pm in history. he entered downing street in 1976 after the resignation of harold wilson. prime minister tony blair called him a  giant  of the labour movement. he held each of the major offices of chancellor  home secretary  foreign secretary and prime minister during his career and became lord callaghan of cardiff in 1987.  chancellor gordon brown said the former pm would be  mourned throughout the world .  it was a commitment to public service that brought jim callaghan into parliament in 1945  and while jim rose to the top he never forgot his roots.  former cabinet colleague lord hattersley said his first reaction on hearing the news was  immense sadness .   it was not a major surprise - i knew what a blow the death of his wife audrey was a few days ago   he said.  he was a decent kindly man who helped me and my generation of politicians immensely.   the labour party and the country will be poorer without him.  conservative peer lord heseltine said that despite their political differences  he and lord callaghan became friends.  you don t get to the premiership unless you have a streak of determination   he said.  but i saw the other side of jim callaghan  he became a personal friend in a way  and my family and i were very fond of him.  tory leader michael howard said he would be remembered with  affection and respect . liberal democrat leader charles kennedy said:  when i was first elected in 1983 as the youngest mp  he was the  father of the house  and as such took a very keen interest in my early days in parliament.   he was always full of warmth and wisdom.  born in 1912 and educated at portsmouth northern secondary school  lord callaghan became a clerk at the inland revenue. he enlisted in the royal navy in 1942 and rose to the rank of lieutenant. elected for a cardiff constituency at the 1945 general election  he represented cardiff seats for more than 40 years. after serving as a junior minister in the attlee government  he became chancellor of the exchequer when labour returned to power in 1964.  with sterling under pressure  he resisted devaluation for three years  before being forced into it in 1967. his political career was not without controversy. when he refused to support prime minister harold wilson and dame barbara castle over the latter s trade union manifesto  in place of strife  in 1968  he said:  i am not going to resign. they will have to throw me out . when home secretary  he ordered british troops to march into the streets of belfast to protect catholic civilians amid rising violence - a decision that has dominated british politics into the 21st century.  as foreign secretary in the early 1970s  lord callaghan kept an open mind about the uk s entry into the common market  seeing the advantages of the uk s entry. he once travelled to idi amin s uganda in 1975 to plead for the life of a british lecturer  dennis hills  who was under a death sentence for treason.  his political life was often tempered by battles against the hard left of the party. in the autumn of 1978  before the  winter of discontent  when trade unions carried out strikes that brought the country to a standstill  lord callaghan refused to hold an early election which may have delivered a labour victory. as garbage lay uncollected in the streets and hospital staff  council workers and even gravediggers stayed off work  lord callaghan failed to predict the mood of the country. when britain went to the polls in 1979  tory leader margaret thatcher was swept into power in a landslide victory  and lord callaghan resigned as labour leader.


us  to raise tv indecency fines  us politicians are proposing a tough new law aimed at cracking down on indecency and bad language on us tv.  fines of up to $500 000 (£266 582) could be imposed each time broadcasters transmit nudity or profanities. the proposal  unveiled in the house of representatives  also seeks to revoke a broadcaster s licence after three violations have been committed. the exposure of janet jackson s breast at last year s superbowl landed cbs with a $550 000 (£293 264) fine. entertainers could also be liable for fines under the proposed legisation from both us politcians and officials from the federal communications commission (fcc). a republican senator from kansas  sam brownbeck  is set to call for a maximum $3 million (£1.6 million) fine for repeated violations.  the current maximum fine stands at $32 500 (£17 320) - 20 of the stations in the cbs network were each penalised these lesser amounts for the jackson incident. republican politician fred upton  who chairs the committee responsible for broadcasting  said current fines are  more of a cost of doing business rather than a deterrent . last year s janet jackson  wardrobe malfunction  encouraged the fcc to impose tougher rules  but the us congress adjourned last year without agreeing on a new level of fines. new figures have to be decided before new legislation can be put before president bush. certain broadcasters  like fox  claim the material they carry does not violate indecency laws and is protected under the right to free speech.


top judge clashes with ministers the uk s top judge has revealed he has clashed with ministers about how the heads of public inquiries are chosen.  lord woolf said he was determined his current veto on whether a judge should chair an inquiry should continue as a guard for judicial independence. but he told mps the lord chancellor  lord falconer  was insisting he should have the final say in such cases. lord hutton s inquiry into the death of dr david kelly sparked debate about who should run inquiries.  the government says the lord chancellor would be unlikely to go against lord woolf s wishes. lord woolf  who is lord chief justice of england and wales  was giving evidence to the commons public administration select committee s inquiry into public inquiries. he said he had not been involved in the choice of lord hutton  who as a law lord did not come under his jurisdiction. but he argued he should have a veto on whether judges generally should chair a particular inquiry and if so  which judge it should be. in written evidence to the committee  lord woolf said:  i have  so far  failed to reach an agreement with the lord chancellor on this issue ... i intend to maintain my position and will press for this safeguard to be in any future legislation.   judges should think carefully before heading an inquiry into a highly political issue  such as the intelligence on iraq s weapons of mass destruction  he said. he argued:  the subject matter of the inquiry may be so political that it would be damaging to the judiciary for a judge to be involved.  in addition  the question of whether there should be an inquiry at all may be highly controversial and if a judge is appointed  the judiciary  as a result of the appointment  may be seen as siding inappropriately with the government.  he told the mps:  anything that tends to undermine the confidence of the public in the judiciary worries me.   lord woolf said the current rules were not written down but it was inconceivable in practice that the lord chancellor would overrule his concerns. but that situation could change with new legal reforms. the issue had been  overlooked  when a new agreement was drawn up about those responsibilities and the dispute had emerged in later discussions.  what i am asking for is a situation where if the lord chancellor cannot obtain my agreement [on appointing a judge]  it doesn t happen   he said.  lord woolf said he did not think there would be difficulties but he wanted to establish the principle. a department for constitutional affairs spokeswoman said lord woolf and lord falconer agreed about what happened in practice.  their disagreement is about whether the legislation should include a requirement for consultation or concurrence - a very narrow dispute  in lord woolf s words   she said.  as lord woolf also acknowledged  it is highly unlikely that the lord chancellor would appoint a judge against the wishes of the lord chief justice.  judges are free to decide for themselves whether to accept positions as inquiry chairs.  parliament will examine the issue next year when it debates a new bill about public inquiries.


remote control rifle range debuts soon you could go hunting via the net.  a texas company is considering letting web users use a remote-controlled rifle to shoot down deer  antelope and wild pigs. for a small fee users will take control of a camera and rifle that they can use to spot and shoot the game animals as they roam around a 133-hectare texas ranch. the live-shot website behind the scheme already lets people practise shooting at targets via the internet.  john underwood  the man behind the live-shot website  said the idea for the remote-control hunting came to him a year ago when he was watching deer via a webcam on another net site.  we were looking at a beautiful white-tail buck and my friend said  if you just had a gun for that . a little light bulb went off in my head   mr underwood told the reuters news agency. a year s work and $10 000 has resulted in a remote-controlled rig on which sits a camera and .22 calibre rifle. mr underwood is planning to put one of these rigs in a concealed location in a small reserve on his texas ranch and let people shoot at a variety of game animals. also needed is a fast net connection so remote hunters can quickly track and aim at passing game animals with the camera and rifle rig. each remote hunting session will cost $150 with additional fees for meat processing and taxidermy work. species that can be shot will include barbary  corsican and mouflon sheep  blackbuck antelope and wild pigs. already the live-shot site lets people shoot 10 rounds at paper and silhouette targets for $5.95 for each 20-minute shooting session. for further fees  users can get the target they shot and a dvd recording of their session. handlers oversee each shooting session and can stop the gun being fired if it is being aimed off-range or at something it should not be. mr underwood said that internet hunting could be popular with disabled hunters unable to get out in the woods or distant hunters who cannot afford a trip to texas. in a statement the rspca said it had  grave concerns  about people being allowed to go online and remotely control a rifle.  we assume it would be extremely difficult to accurately control a gun in this way and therefore it would be difficult to ensure a  clean kill   something the rspca accepts is the intention of those shooting for sport   it said.  animals hit but not killed would without doubt be caused to suffer unnecessarily   said the statement. mike berger  wildlife director of the texas parks and wildlife department  said current hunting statutes did not cover net or remote hunting. he said state laws on hunting only covered  regulated animals  such as native deer and bird species. as such there was nothing to stop mr underwood letting people hunt  unregulated  imported animals and wild pigs. mr underwood also lets people come in person to the ranch to hunt and shoot game animals.


coach ranieri sacked by valencia claudio ranieri has been sacked as valencia coach just eight months after taking charge at the primera liga club for the second time in his career.  the decision was taken at a board meeting following the side s surprise elimination from the uefa cup.  we understand  and he understands  that the results in the last few weeks have not been the most appropriate   said club president juan bautista. former assistant antonio lopez will take over as the new coach. italian ranieri took over the valencia job in june 2004 having been replaced at chelsea by jose mourinho.  things began well but the spanish champions extended their winless streak to six after losing to racing santander last weekend. that defeat was then followed by a uefa cup exit at the hands of steaua bucharest. ranieri first took charge of valencia in 1997  guiding them to the king s cup and helping them to qualify for the champions league. the 54-year-old then moved to atletico madrid in 1999  before joining chelsea the following year.


bortolami predicts dour contest italy skipper marco bortolami believes saturday s six nations contest against scotland will be a scrappy encounter.  with both sides looking for their first win of the championship  the third-round game at murrayfield has been billed as a wooden-spoon decider. and bortolami feels the edinburgh contest could end up being a bruising battle of the packs.  it will not be a pretty game because both teams are desperate to gain their first win   said the lock forward. italy have only recorded three wins since they joined the six nations in 2000  but two of those have come against scotland. this year  italy opened up with a stubborn display against ireland but ended up losing 28-17.  however  they were thoroughly outplayed by an impressive welsh side in rome last time out. now the italians travel to edinburgh hoping to claim their first away win in the six nations.  scotland played extremely well against france in paris but not so well when ireland came to edinburgh   said bortolami.  we are still very disappointed with our last game against wales in rome and we are thoroughly determined to right the wrongs.  as a nation  our quest is to be respected as a team worthy of a place in this tournament and we can only do this by winning games.


henman decides to quit davis cup tim henman has retired from great britain s davis cup team.  the 30-year-old  who made his davis cup debut in 1994  is now set to fully focus on the atp tour and on winning his first grand slam event.  i ve made no secret of the fact that representing great britain has always been a top priority for me throughout my career   henman told his website. captain jeremy bates has touted alex bogdanovic and andrew murray as possible replacements for the veteran. henman added that he was available to help britain in its bid for davis cup success  with the next tie against israel in march .  although i won t be playing  i would still like to make myself available to both jeremy and the lta in the future so that i can draw upon my experience in the hope of trying to help the british players develop their full potential   he added.  i ve really enjoyed playing in front of the thousands of british fans both home and abroad and would like to thank every one of them for their unwavering support over the years.  henman leaves davis cup tennis with an impressive record  having won 36 of his 50 matches. great britain captain jeremy bates paid tribute to henman s efforts over the years.   tim has quite simply had a phenomenal davis cup career and it has been an absolute privilege to have captained the team with him in it   said bates.  tim s magnificent record speaks for itself. while it s a great loss i completely understand and respect his decision to retire from davis cup and focus on the grand slams and tour.    looking to the future this decision obviously marks a watershed in british davis cup tennis but it is also a huge opportunity for the next generation to make their mark.  we have a host of talented players coming through and despite losing someone of tim s calibre  i remain very optimistic about the future.  henman made his davis cup debut in 1994 against romania in manchester. he and partner bates won their doubles rubber on the middle saturday of the tie. britain eventually lost the contest 3-2. henman and britain had little luck in davis cup matches until 1999 when they qualified for the world group. britain drew the usa and lost the tie when greg rusedski fell to jim courier in the deciding rubber. they made the final stages again  in 2002  but this time lost out to the might of sweden.


kerr frustrated at victory margin republic of ireland manager brian kerr admitted he was frustrated his side did not score more than one goal in their friendly win over croatia.  robbie keane took his republic record to 24 with a first-half goal which proved enough for victory.  we had more good chances. it is just a shame we did not take them against such a technically gifted team   said kerr.  but  given the conditions and the standard of the croatian team  we should be very happy with the win.  the republic side kept a clean sheet for the eighth time in 11 matches and are unbeaten in 14 home games since kerr succeeded mick mccarthy. kerr applauded the decisive move which earned the victory.  it was a brilliant goal  fantastic skill by damien duff. robbie might have scuffed it a little but it was a good goal.  matchwinner keane was another full of praise for duff s role in the goal.  it was great play from damien   said the tottenham striker.   i always try to be sniffing around because you know nine times out of 10 duffer is going to get it in the box.  playing three up was something different. brian kerr wanted to try it out and it was good to see young stephen elliott getting a run-out.  the conditions were difficult but he did well and is definitely one for the future. it is nice to see young players coming through.  man-of-the-match duff explained what went wrong when he fluffed a chance to make it 2-0 midway through the second half. he opted to bring steve finnan s cross down and shoot against the bar when a close-range header looked the best option.  i would have headed that every time but i completely lost it in the lights   said the chelsea star.  i was desperate to get on the scoresheet myself but the result is the important thing.  we have had a good year and are going nicely in the qualifiers. hopefully that can continue in 2005.


u2 stars enter rock hall of fame singer bruce springsteen has inducted irish rock band u2 into the rock and roll hall of fame  in new york.  the lavish ceremony  celebrating the 50th anniversary of rock  n  roll  also saw the induction of the pretenders  percy sledge  the o jays and buddy guy.  this was a band that wanted to lay claim to this world and the next one  too   said springsteen. bono  the edge  adam clayton and larry mullen jr  who formed u2 at school in 1977  begin a world tour on 28 march. introducing the band  springsteen mocked bono as the man who  single-handedly pioneered the irish mullet   poking fun at  one of the best and most endearingly messianic complexes in rock  n  roll . but he also spoke of the group s enduring stature  adding that it was the only band of the last 20 years where he knew all four members  names.  u2 s contemporaries  the pretenders  led by chrissie hynde - took to the stage to perform my city was gone with inductee neil young.  we are a tribute band   said hynde  53.  we re paying tribute to james honeyman-scott and pete farndon  without whom we would not have been here   she said  referring to the premature deaths of two of the band s guitarists from drug overdoses.  britain s rod stewart introduced percy sledge  citing his best-known hit when a man loves a woman as  one of the best performances i ve ever heard . justin timberlake introduced soul group the o jays  a gospel-style quartet from ohio  who performed a medley of their best-known songs including back stabbers  love train and for the love of money.  anyone who s ever written  produced or performed something soulful stands in the shadows of these giants   said timberlake.  joining the ceremony at new york s waldorf astoria were legendary r&b star bo diddley  who performed with eric clapton and robbie robertson.  clapton  alongside bb king  also introduced fellow guitarist buddy guy and recalled seeing him play as a teenager in england.  he was for me what elvis was probably like for other people   he said.  my course was set and he was my pilot   said clapton who joined guy and king in a performance of let me love you baby. also performing at the ceremony was veteran musician jerry lee lewis who continued his reputation as a rowdy piano-pounder despite his 69 years  kicking over his stool and sitting on the piano during a rendition of whole lotta shakin  goin  on.


qantas considers offshore option australian airline qantas could transfer as many as 7 000 jobs out of its home country as it seeks to save costs  according to newspaper reports.  chief executive geoff dixon was quoted by the australian newspaper as saying the carrier could no longer afford to remain  all-australian . unions criticised the possible move - which may affect cabin and maintenance staff - saying qantas was profitable. more than 90% of the airline s staff are based in australia.  qantas confirmed it was looking at whether it might recruit and source products overseas - potentially through joint ventures - but said it would continue to create jobs in australia.  despite making a record australian dollars 648m ($492m) profit last year  qantas has argued that it needs to make considerable savings if it is to remain competitive.  we re going to have to get the lowest cost structure we can and that willmean sourcing things more and more from overseas   the newspaper quoted qantas chief executive geoff dixon as saying. early this year  qantas increased the number of flight attendants based in london from 370 to 870. if qantas were to follow the lead of other airlines moving staff  offshore  7 000 jobs could shift overseas  the newspaper reported. in a statement  qantas said it was looking to build its operations overseas. however  it stressed this would not result in large scale redundancies in its home market  where most of its 35 000 staff are employed.  we are totally committed to continuing to grow jobs in australia   mr dixon said.  we are  however  operating in a global market and there is no room for complacency simply because we are currently profitable and successful.   unions reacted angrily to the reported disclosure  arguing that qantas was profitable and did not need to take such action.  we could understand if qantas was a struggling airline about to go under   michael mijatov  international division secretary of the flight attendants association  told agence france presse.  qantas announced a record profit last year and is on course this year for an even greater profit so it is totally unnecessary.  in an effort to meet the challenge posed by low cost carriers  qantas sought a tie-up with air new zealand last year however  the deal was thrown out by the new zealand high court on competition grounds.


ukraine strikes turkmen gas deal ukraine has agreed to pay 30% more for natural gas supplied by turkmenistan.  the deal was sealed three days after turkmenistan cut off gas supplies in a price dispute that threatened the ukrainian economy. supplies from turkmenistan account for 45% of all natural gas imported by ukraine  which has large coal deposits but no gas fields. turkmenistan is also trying to strike a similar deal with russia  which is not so dependent on its gas. turkmen president saparmurat niyazov  who signed the contract  said the turkmen side agreed to lower the price demanded by $2 per 1 000 cubic metres  bringing it down to $58. but the new price is still $14 higher than the price fixed in the contract for 2004. the head of the ukrainian state-owned naftohaz company  yury boyko  said he was  fully happy  with the deal. on friday  turkmenistan acted on a threat and shut off gas supplies to ukraine in attempt to bring the price dispute to a head. mr niyazov said that his government would insist on the same price for supplies to russia. analysts say thay may not happen as russia  the world s leading gas producer  needs the cheap turkmen gas only to relieve is state-owned gazprom from costly investment in the exploration of oil fields in siberia. turkmenistan is the second-largest gas producer in the world.


o connell rejects lions rumours ireland and munster lock paul o connell has dismissed media reports linking him to the captaincy of the lions tour to new zealand this summer.  o connell is rumoured to be among the front-runners for the job  but says he is totally focused on sunday s six nations crunch clash with england.  i honestly don t think about these reports   he told bbc sport.  the lions thing is all speculation and newspaper talk  nothing more. i just ignore it and get on with my job.  he added:  the only thing that annoys me after reading some reports is what the opposition locks think.  i can just imagine them saying  i m going to show this guy what s what about second row play . that s the one thing that makes me cringe.  o connell  who made a try-scoring international debut against wales two years ago  is enjoying his meteoric rise into rugby s shop window - but refuses to be drawn on the lions.   i have spoken to sir clive woodward a few times  but not for very long  certainly nothing about summer holidays   he joked. he also said he remains wary of wounded england s abilities coming into sunday s game after two straight defeats  dismissing predictions of a certain irish victory.  it s very dangerous to think that. this england team has so much experience and skill. you do not become a bad team overnight.  they have two world class game-breakers in josh lewsey and jason robinson  while charlie hodgson is just ready to click into place.  he insisted ireland will not make the mistake of being over-confident.  that s not going to happen in our squad. no ireland team lining up to play england will ever fall into that trap   he said.  every time we play england we know what a big task it is. look at what they did to us two years ago. i remember that game all too well  and it was not a good feeling.  i came on as a replacement and we were losing 13-6  and ended up getting hammered 42-6  so i know what can happen when england come to dublin.  they could so easily have been coming to dublin with two wins and staring a grand slam in the face as well.


media seek jackson  juror  notes reporters covering singer michael jackson s trial in california have asked to see questionnaires completed by potential jurors.  lawyers for news organisations said it was  really vital  for the responses of 250 potential jurors to be made public  to serve as a check on the process . santa barbara county superior court is due to consider the request on monday. mr jackson denies child molestation. it is estimated his trial will cost santa barbara county up to $4m (£2.13m).  meanwhile michael jackson s mother has said she is  100% certain  her son did not commit the child abuse charges he faces. the court is currently selecting 12 jurors and eight stand-by jurors for the trial  a process delayed until at least thursday after a member of the star s legal team was hit by family illness. defence lawyers argued against the bid by associated press and other news organisations to have potential jurors  responses made public.   the release of the completed jury questionnaires does not serve any purpose other than to add to the sensationalist coverage of this case   a motion by mr jackson s lawyers stated. the estimated total costs of the trial  expected to last five months  range from $2.5m (£1.33m) to $4m (£2.13m) of local taxpayers  money. those estimates do not include costs to the city of santa maria  the superior court or for the investigation and prosecution of the case. the cost of security and other needs around the courthouse has been estimated at $40 000 (£21 000) per day  said jason stilwell  a special projects manager at the county administrator s office.  mr jackson  46  denies plying a boy with alcohol and molesting him. his mother katherine jackson told us tv network fox news on sunday that her pop star son told her he was innocent.  i believe that for one reason - i know his character   she said.  he loves children. you don t molest anything that you love.  describing mr jackson as  a good person   the mother-of-nine said she feared he would not be given a fair trial.  i can t sleep thinking about what these wicked people might try to do to him   she said.


thomas out of six nations wales captain gareth thomas has been ruled out of the rest of the six nations with a broken thumb.  the full-back will have surgery on monday after fracturing his thumb in the 24-18 win over france on saturday. but welsh legend phil bennett insisted wales can cope without thomas as they chase a first grand slam in 27 years. bennett told bbc sport:  such is the spirit in the camp  they ll put kevin morgan at 15  rhys williams at wing and just carry on.  thomas will miss the match against scotland on 13 march  and what promises to be a huge encounter against the irish six days later. bennett added:  it s a setback. he s a great captain  he leads from the front and the boys love him.  thomas was replaced at half-time by williams as his side turned around a 15-6 deficit in paris.   with gareth missing i would think michael owen will be our captain   said wales coach mike ruddock.  he did a great job in the second half in france. he has been vice-captain all along throughout the championship.  wales travel to edinburgh to take on scotland in a fortnight and then host ireland in cardiff in the final round of matches in what could be the grand slam and championship decider. bennett  an inspirational fly-half for llanelli and wales in the 1970s  insisted the national team were entering a new golden period.  it was a great game and a magnificent result for wales   bennett told bbc radio five live s sportsweek programme.   the way this young team are blending  the glory days are on their way back.  we couldn t get possession early on and france dominated and scored two tries.  had they been ruthless  wales could have gone into the interval 30 points down. but they didn t take their chances.  wales defended fairly well but you cannot give that sort of quality ball to good sides.  the all blacks would have been ruthless and buried us in the first half. but the character we showed in the second half was quite outstanding.


vickery upbeat about arm injury england prop phil vickery is staying positive despite a broken arm ruling him out of the rbs six nations.  the 28-year-old fractured the radius in his right forearm during gloucester s 17-16 win over bath on saturday. he will undergo an operation on monday and is expected to be out for at least six weeks. he said:  this isn t an injury that will stop me from working hard on the fitness elements and being around the lads.  he added:  i ve got the operation this afternoon and i could be back doing fitness work after a week.   as frustrating as it is  i ve got to be positive.   after the game  vickery spoke with bath prop david barnes  who also broke his arm recently.  i had a chat with david barnes and it looks like a similar injury to him   he said.  he said he had the operation and he was back running after a week.  there s no doubt that i m going to get involved and be around this place as soon as i can after the operation.  gloucester director of rugby nigel melville said:  phil has broken his radius  which is the large bone in his forearm.  i don t really know how it happened  but phil will definitely be out of action for at least six weeks.  i feel very sorry for him  as he has been in great shape. he really needed 80 minutes of rugby this weekend  and then this happened. mentally  it must be very hard for him.


more movies head to sony s psp movies open water and saw are among those to be made available for sony s psp games console.  film studio lions gate entertainment has announced an initial list of 12 movies that will be on the umd format used by the handheld.  the typical buyer of the machine [is] the core demographic to whom our films generally appeal   said steve beeks  president of lions gate. already available in japan  the psp is released in the us on 24 march. spider-man 2 on umd will be given to the first million customers in the us.  the punisher and house of the dead along with older titles such as total recall and rambo: first blood  will be in the umd format  with disks costing between $20 (£10.40) to $30 (£15.60) for new titles and $10 (£5.20) to $20 for older films.   when we first saw the machine and started talking to sony  we immediately decided it was going to be a winner  both from the gaming perspective and from the perspective of people watching movies on the go   mr beeks said. the disks  which are smaller than dvds  only work in sony s psp and can hold up to 1.8gb of data.  we actually believe people who buy the umd would not have bought it on dvd   he said.  there are people who will want umd because of the portability. maybe they re already taking the games with them out of the house  and they re bigger gamers than they are movie watchers.  four movies have already been announced for psp. they are: xxx  hellboy  resident evil: apocalypse and once upon a time in mexico.


rich grab half colombia poor fund half of the money put aside by the colombian government to help the country s poor is benefiting people who do not need it  a study has found.  a total of 24.2 trillion pesos ($10.2bn; £5.5bn) is earmarked for subsidies for the poor  the government department for planning said. but it also found 12.1 trillion pesos was going to the richest part of the population  rather than to those in need. sound distribution of the cash could cut poverty levels to 36% from 53%  the government believes.  resources are more than enough to reduce poverty and there is no need for more tax reforms but a better distribution   deputy planning director jose leibovich said.  colombia has a population of about 44 million and half lives below poverty line. however  some large properties are paying less in tax as they are situated inside poor areas  which benefit from cheaper utilities such as electricity and water  government research found. government expenditure in areas such as pensions  public services  education  property and health should be revised  mr leibovich said. he added that the government is now examining the report  but warned there would be no easy solution to the problem. with a good distribution of such subsidies and economic growth of just 2%  by 2019 poverty could fall as low as 15.3%  he said.


whitehall cuts  ahead of target  thousands of civil service jobs have already been cut or moved out of london as part of a major cost-cutting drive.  chancellor gordon brown said 12 500 jobs had gone while 7 800 were being moved out of the south east. he plans to axe 104 000 jobs to free up money for education  health  defence  housing and overseas aid. unions oppose the plans but mr brown said £2bn savings had already been made and more jobs had been cut than had been expected at this stage. a further 200 jobs at the department of the environment  food and rural affairs have been earmarked to be cut. at the department for work and pensions  30 000 jobs are to go  560 will be lost by the end of the month at the department of trade and industry and 400 are to go at the inland revenue and customs.  in his budget statement  the chancellor said the first 12 500 civil service jobs had been cut  on target. about 4 300 civil servants will leave london and the south east by the end of march 2005 and there are plans to relocate another 3 500. of those 300 department of health posts will go to yorkshire while hundreds at the department of culture will move to birmingham and newcastle.  mr brown also announced plans to merge 35 agencies into nine - described by one civil service union as a  bonfire of the quangos . mark serwotka  the leader of the public and commercial services union said:  in last year s budget we had the day of the long knifes as the chancellor kicked off the crude game of who could cut the most civil service jobs between the government and the tories.  there was a time when the only worry thousands of hard working civil and public servants had on budget day was whether petrol or taxes would go up  nowadays the worry is whether they will have a job by the end of it.  he said mr brown had made welcome announcements on closing tax loopholes and extending the new deal  while cutting  the very people who deliver them.  the treasury also announced plans to reduce the number of public sector workers on sick leave with a new system of checks and tougher measures against those suspected of abusing the system.