man utd stroll to cup win wayne rooney made a winning return to everton as manchester united cruised into the fa cup quarter-finals.  rooney received a hostile reception  but goals in each half from quinton fortune and cristiano ronaldo silenced the jeers at goodison park. fortune headed home after 23 minutes before ronaldo scored when nigel martyn parried paul scholes  free-kick. marcus bent missed everton s best chance when roy carroll  who was later struck by a missile  saved at his feet.  rooney s return was always going to be a potential flashpoint  and he was involved in an angry exchange with a spectator even before kick-off. and rooney s every touch was met with a deafening chorus of jeers from the crowd that once idolised the 19-year-old. everton started brightly and fortune needed to be alert to scramble away a header from bent near the goal-line. but that was the cue for united to take complete control with a supreme passing display on a goodison park pitch that was cutting up. fortune gave united the lead after 23 minutes  rising to meet ronaldo s cross from eight yards after the portuguese youngster had been allowed too much time and space by the hapless gary naysmith. united dominated without creating too many clear-cut chances  and they almost paid the price for not making the most of their domination two minutes before half-time. mikel arteta played a superb ball into the area but bent  played onside by gabriel heintze  hesitated and carroll plunged at his fee to save. united almost doubled their lead after 48 minutes when ronaldo s low drive from 25 yards took a deflection off tony hibbert  but martyn dived to save brilliantly. and martyn came to everton s rescue three minutes later when rooney s big moment almost arrived as he raced clean through  but once again the veteran keeper was in outstanding form. but there was nothing martyn could do when united doubled their lead after 57 minutes as they doubled their advantage. scholes  free-kick took a deflection  and martyn could only parry the ball out for ronaldo  who reacted first to score easily. everton s problems worsened when james mcfadden limped off with an injury. and there may be further trouble ahead for everton after goalkeeper carroll required treatment after he was struck on the head by a missile thrown from behind the goal. rooney s desperate search for a goal on his return to everton was halted again by martyn in injury-time when he outpaced stubbs  but once again martyn denied the england striker.  - manchester united coach sir alex ferguson:  it was a fantastic performance by us. in fairness i think everton have missed a couple of players and got some young players out.  the boy ronaldo is a fantastic player. he s persistent and never gives in.  i don t know how many fouls he had he gets up and wants the ball again  he s truly a fabulous player.  everton: martyn  hibbert  yobo  stubbs  naysmith  osman  carsley  arteta  kilbane  mcfadden  bent. subs: wright  pistone  weir  plessis  vaughan. manchester united: carroll  gary neville  brown  ferdinand  heinze  ronaldo  phil neville  keane  scholes  fortune  rooney. subs: howard  giggs  smith  miller  spector. referee: r styles (hampshire)


gurkhas to help tsunami victims britain has offered to send a company of 120 gurkhas to assist with the tsunami relief effort in indonesia  downing street said.  the deployment would involve troops from the 2nd battalion royal gurkha rifles  based in brunei. discussions have begun with indonesia on the exact timing and location of the deployment  but the government said the offer was aimed at the aceh province. downing st said a similar offer might be made to the sri lankan government.  however a spokesman pointed out that there were particular logistical difficulties in indonesia which the gurkhas might be able to help with. the spokesman said:  following this morning s daily coordination meeting on the post-tsunami relief effort  the government has formally offered the indonesian government the assistance of a company of british army gurkhas from 2nd battalion royal gurkha rifles around 120 personnel and two helicopters.  this is in addition to the ships and aircraft we have already committed to the relief operation in the indian ocean.   indonesia was by far the country worst affected by the tsunami  with 94 000 of the 140 000 confirmed deaths so far. international development minister gareth thomas said the assistance offer would most likely focus on the northern province of aceh.  we have offered the gurkhas to help in the process of scaling up the relief effort  particularly in aceh which is undoubtedly the hardest hit area in the indian ocean at the moment   he said.  we ve also had raf aircraft flying in equipment which the un desperately need in order to set up a truly effective relief operation on the ground in aceh province as well.  the offer comes as the foreign secretary jack straw arrives in indonesia for a special summit meeting on the disaster.


johnson uncertain about euro bid jade johnson is undecided about whether to contest next month s european indoor championships in madrid despite winning the aaas long jump title on saturday.  the 24-year-old delivered a personal best of 6.50m to win the european trials but had to wait until her final jump after four failures.  i don t want to go if i am not going to get a medal   said johnson.  i will have to see how i am jumping in the next competition and i ll have to have a conversation with my coach.  johnson  who finished seventh in last year s olympic games  has not competed indoors since 2000. and the commonwealth and european silver medallist believes her lack of experience in the early part of the season has knocked her confidence.  it s the stress   said johnson.  i am not used to feeling this  this early. i am just used to training.  but if i m doing this kind of thing  then i will have to see how it goes.  johnson next competes in the high-class birmingham grand prix on 18 february.


top gig award for scissor sisters new york band scissor sisters have won a gig of the year award for their performance at this year s v festival.  the award was voted for by listeners of virgin radio  which compiled a top 10 which was mostly dominated by newcomers on the music scene this year. the quirky disco-rock band beat the red hot chili peppers who came second for their hyde park performance in june. virgin radio dj pete mitchell said:  this year has seen an amazing array of talent come into the mainstream.  he added:  the scissor sisters are one of the most original  eccentric bands to come through and it s no surprise the british public are lapping up their performances.  newcomers keane came in third place for their august gig at the v festival  followed by maroon 5 and snow patrol.  music veterans the who and david bowie  both earned places on the list  at number eight and 10 respectively. at number seven was oxfam s make fair trade gig at london s hammersmith apollo in october  which featured performances by rem  razorlight and coldplay s chris martin. glasgow s franz ferdinand earned a place at number nine for their home-town performance in april. the annual survey was voted for by nearly 4 000 listeners.


lords wrong on detainees - straw jack straw has attacked the decision by britain s highest court that detaining foreign terrorist suspects without trial breaks human rights laws.  the foreign secretary said the right to life was the  most important liberty  and the government had a duty to protect people from terrorism. law lords were  simply wrong  to imply the men were being held arbitrarily. new home secretary charles clarke vowed the nine men would remain in prison while the law was being reviewed.  the house of lords ruled by an eight to one majority in favour of appeals by the men - dealing a major blow to the government s anti-terror policy.  but mr straw denied it amounted to a  constitutional crisis . he said those held had a right of appeal to the special immigration appeal tribunal and the decision to hold the suspects was upheld by that court.  the law lords are simply wrong to imply that this is a decision to detain these people on the whim or the certificate of the home secretary   he told bbc radio 4 s today programme. the foreign secretary insisted it was for parliament  and not judges  to decide how best britain could be defended against the threat of terrorism. but liberal democrat peer lord carlile  the government s independent reviewer of anti-terrorism laws  said it was possible some of the detainees could now be released. he said the law lords  ruling was an  embarrassment  for the government and major changes were needed to the law.  the ruling came on charles clarke s first day as home secretary following david blunkett s resignation. in a statement to mps  mr clarke said:  i will be asking parliament to renew this legislation in the new year.   in the meantime  we will be studying the judgment carefully to see whether it is possible to modify our legislation to address the concerns raised by the house of lords.  the detainees took their case to the house of lords after the court of appeal backed the home office s powers to hold them without limit or charge. the government opted out of part of the european convention on human rights concerning the right to a fair trial in order to bring in anti-terrorism legislation in response to the 11 september attacks in the us. any foreign national suspected of links with terrorism can be detained or can opt to be deported. but those detained cannot be deported if this would mean persecution in their homeland. on thursday  lord bingham - a senior law lord - said the rules were incompatible with the european convention on human rights as they allowed detentions  in a way that discriminates on the ground of nationality or immigration status  by justifying detention without trial for foreign suspects  but not britons. lord nicholls of birkenhead  in his ruling  said:  indefinite imprisonment without charge or trial is anathema in any country which observes the rule of law.  in a statement  detainee  a  in woodhill prison said:  i hope now that the government will act upon this decision  scrap this illegal  law  and release me and the other internees to return to our families and loved ones.  the case was heard by a panel of nine law lords rather than the usual five because of the constitutional importance of the case. solicitor gareth pierce  who represents eight of the detainees  claimed the detention had driven four of the detainees to  madness   saying two were being held in broadmoor hospital.


us budget deficit to reach $368bn the us budget deficit is set to hit a worse-than-expected $368bn (£197bn) this year  officials said on tuesday.  the cost of military operations still needs to be factored in  with analysts saying the deficit could end up a further $100bn in the red. past congressional budget office (cbo) forecasts said there would be a $348bn shortfall in the 2005 fiscal year. in recent months  the dollar has weakened amid market jitters about the size of the budget and trade deficits. in november  the gap between us exports and imports widened to more than $60bn  a record figure. the cbo says it envisages a further  orderly  decline in the greenback over the next two years as the twin deficit drives dollar investors away. but the non-partisan fiscal watchdog notes the declines will help exporters and boost us economic growth.  the budget deficit hit a record $412bn in the 12 months to 30 september 2004  after reaching $377bn in the previous fiscal year. the cbo also forecast a total shortfall of $855bn for the years from 2006 to 2015  an improvement on previous projections. however  analysts say the new figures fail to take into account the potential $2-$3.8 trillion costs of the president s plan to revamp state pensions and extend tax cuts. the figure could also be worsened by any further military costs. republicans have blamed the size of the deficit on slow economic conditions after the 11 september attacks and ongoing military operations in iraq and afghanistan. one of president george w bush s election pledges was to halve the budget deficit within five years. but democrats have accused the president of excluding iraq-related costs from previous budgets to meet the aim of reducing the deficit  a charge which the administration denies. on tuesday  the us administration asked congress for additional funds for military operations.


clarke plans migrant point scheme anyone planning to move to the uk will have to pass a test to prove they can contribute to the country  home secretary charles clarke has said.  he is proposing a points system similar to australia s but would avoid the quota system planned by the tories. mr clarke  who will unveil his plans on monday  said economic migration helped the uk but  needed proper policing . the lib dems say they will look at his plans  but tory liam fox said his party offered a  clear choice  on the issue. the conservative party co-chairman said the british electorate had a choice between a labour government that had  done nothing for eight years and will not set a limit  on immigration and a tory one that would impose quotas.  the home secretary said  by 2008  he wanted everyone given a visa and entering the uk to have their fingerprints taken  to  ensure we can know everybody who is in the country . speaking on bbc one s breakfast with frost  he said  economic migrants are of great value to this country   but stressed that proper policing was needed to ensure that they do not become a  burden on society . he said:  we will establish a system ... which looks at the skills  talents and abilities of people seeking to come and work in this country  and ensures that when they come here they have a job and can contribute to the economy of the country.   the home secretary  whose five-year blueprint for immigration and asylum is expected to be published on monday  also rejected claims that the immigration debate encouraged bigotry.  the issue of who does come into this country  and whether they are entitled to be in this country  who does settle here  how we have border controls  is a perfectly legitimate aspect of public debate   he said. liberal democrat home affairs spokesman mark oaten said:  whilst it is good that labour has rejected the tory idea of quotas on asylum  the jury is still out on the home office s ability to deliver a fair and efficient asylum system.   mr howard has said britain should take its fair share of the world s  genuine refugees . but he claims the current asylum system is being abused - and with it britain s generosity. trevor phillips  chairman of the commission for racial equality  called on mr clarke to denounce the suggestion britain s hospitality was being tested by immigration.  tell that to the 44 000 doctors in the nhs and the 70 000 nurses without whom we would really see what pressure on the health service means   he said.  ditto the teachers  from south africa  australia  jamaica  who are reducing the sizes of our classes and schools.  the refugee council said mr howard s proposals would mean there would be no safe haven in the uk.


farrell due to make us tv debut actor colin farrell is to make his debut on us television in medical sitcom scrubs  according to hollywood newspaper daily variety.  the film star  who recently played the title role in historical blockbuster alexander  will make a cameo appearance as an unruly irishman. the episode featuring the 28-year-old will be screened on 25 january. farrell s appearance is said to be a result of his friendship with zach braff  who stars in the programme. it will be the actor s first appearance on the small screen since he appeared in bbc series ballykissangel in 1999. the gentle sunday night drama came to an end in 2001.  he has since become one of hollywood s fastest-rising stars  with a string roles in major league films such as minority report  phone booth and daredevil. farrell is pencilled in to play the role of crockett in a film version of 1980s police drama miami vice. scrubs  which appears on the nbc network in the us and has been shown on channel 4 on british television  is an off-beat comedy about a group of hospital doctors. other film stars to have appeared in scrubs include heather graham  while friends actor matthew perry has guest-starred and directed an episode of the show. its leading star  zach braff  has recently been seen on the big screen in garden state  which he also directed.


berlin cheers for anti-nazi film a german movie about an anti-nazi resistance heroine has drawn loud applause at berlin film festival.  sophie scholl - the final days portrays the final days of the member of the white rose movement. scholl  21  was arrested and beheaded with her brother  hans  in 1943 for distributing leaflets condemning the  abhorrent tyranny  of adolf hitler. director marc rothemund said:  i have a feeling of responsibility to keep the legacy of the scholls going.   we must somehow keep their ideas alive   he added.  the film drew on transcripts of gestapo interrogations and scholl s trial preserved in the archive of communist east germany s secret police. their discovery was the inspiration behind the film for rothemund  who worked closely with surviving relatives  including one of scholl s sisters  to ensure historical accuracy on the film. scholl and other members of the white rose resistance group first started distributing anti-nazi leaflets in the summer of 1942. they were arrested as they dropped leaflets at munich university calling for a  day of reckoning  with adolf hitler s regime. the film focuses on the six days from scholl s arrest to the intense trial which saw scholl initially deny the charges and ended with a defiant appearance. it is one of three german films vying for a top prize at the festival.  a south african film version of bizet s tragic opera carmen shot in cape town in the xhosa language has also premiered at the berlin festival. the film is entitled u-carmen ekhayelitsha or carmen in khayelitsha after the township in which the story is set. it is performed by a 40-strong music and theatre troupe in their debut film performance. the film is the first south african feature in 25 years and only the second to be nominated for a golden bear award.


film row over pirates  cannibals  plans to portray dominica s carib indians as cannibals in the sequel to hit film pirates of the caribbean have been criticised by the group s chief.  carib chief charles williams said talks with disney s producers revealed there was  a strong element of cannibalism in the script which cannot be removed . the caribbean island s government said disney planned to film in dominica. the caribs have long denied their ancestors practised cannibalism. disney was unavailable for comment.  our ancestors stood up against early european conquerors and because they stood up...we were labelled savages and cannibals up to today   said mr williams.   this cannot be perpetuated in movies.  shooting on the sequel is expected to begin in april  with hundreds of dominicans applying to be extras in the movie.  about 3 000 caribs live on the island of dominica  which has a population of 70 000. many caribs were killed by disease and war during colonisation up to the 1600s. mr williams said he had received support from indigenous groups around the world in his efforts to have cannibalism references removed from the film. but he admitted there were some members of the carib council who did not support the campaign. he said some did not  understand our history  they are weak and are not committed to the cause of the carib people . the first pirates of the caribbean film took $305m (£162m) at the box office in the us alone. the cast and crew are to work on two sequels back-to-back  with the first to be released in 2006.


da vinci code is  lousy history  the plot of an international bestseller that thousands of readers are likely to receive as a christmas present is  laughable   a clergyman has said.  the da vinci code claims jesus was not crucified  but married mary magdalene and died a normal death. it claims this was later covered up by the church. the bishop of durham  the rt rev dr tom wright  described the novel as a  great thriller  but  lousy history . the book has sold more than seven million copies worldwide. despite enjoying dan brown s conspiracy theory  the bishop said there was a lack of evidence to back up its claims.  writing his christmas message in the northern echo  the bishop said:  conspiracy theories are always fun - fun to invent  fun to read  fun to fantasise about.  dan brown is the best writer i ve come across in the genre  but anyone who knows anything about 1st century history will see that this underlying material is laughable.  a great deal of credible evidence proves the biblical version of jesus  life was true  according to the bishop.  the evidence for jesus and the origins of christianity is astonishingly good   he said.  we have literally a hundred times more early manuscripts for the gospels and letters in the new testament than we have for the main classical authors like cicero  virgil and tacitus.   historical research shows that they present a coherent and thoroughly credible picture of jesus  with all sorts of incidental details that fit the time when he lived  and don t fit the world of later legend.  brown s book has become a publishing phenomenon  consistently topping book charts in the uk and us. the da vinci code has been translated into 42 languages and has spawned its own cottage industry of publications  including guides on to how to read the book  rebuttals and counter claims. the book  which has become an international best-seller in little over two years  is set to be made into a film starring tom hanks.


wilkinson to lead england fly-half jonny wilkinson has been named as england s new rugby union captain for the three november tests.  the 25-year-old newcastle star takes over from lawrence dallaglio  who retired from internationals in august. england s acting head coach andy robinson said:  he is a natural leader  holds the respect of the squad and is a formidable talent on the pitch.  and he consistently demonstrates the energy and commitment i feel is essential to be captain of england.  robinson added:  there are several players in the squad i would feel comfortable in calling upon to be england captain but for me jonny is in every way the right player to take on this challenge.  captaincy offers a challenging environment for any player  especially following in the footsteps of lawrence dallaglio and before him the world cup captain  martin johnson.   but i am confident jonny has what it takes to do an outstanding job as we look ahead towards the next rugby world cup in france and i look forward to working with him.  wilkinson  who has scored 817 points in 52 internationals  kicked the winning drop-goal in the final seconds of extra-time in england s 2003 rugby world cup triumph against australia. but he then missed the entire 2004 six nations campaign while recuperating from shoulder surgery  before making his comeback for newcastle in the zurich premiership in august.  it s the ambition of so many players to one day be captain of england and today i have realised a dream   he said.  i m honoured andy wants me to be his captain  and to follow lawrence and martin means a lot to me as they are inspirational men who have given so much to england rugby over many years.   getting my first england cap against ireland six years ago was something i ll never forget because to play for your country is very special. taking on the captaincy is another important step in my career and i do so with immense pride.  wilkinson made his international debut in the 1998 six nations championship against ireland when he came off the bench to replace paul grayson.  he has been a regular in the england starting line-up ever since  played in all three lions tests in 2001 and all but one of england s games in the 2003 world cup. he becomes the 117th captain of england since fred stokes held the position in 1871. england s first autumn test is against canada on 13 november  followed by the visit of tri-nations champions south africa a week later and then a world cup re-match with australia.


french wine gets 70m euro top-up the french government is to hand its struggling wine industry 70m euros ($91m) in aid to help it battle falling sales and damaging overproduction.  the financial package is aimed at assisting vintners in financial trouble and improving how its wine is marketed. the french wine industry  the world s second largest  has been hit by declining consumption at home and the growing popularity of new world wines. wine makers  however  claimed the support did not go far enough. the package was announced by agriculture minister dominique bussereau after talks with vintners  representatives.  the bulk of the money - about 40m euros - will be offered in the form of preferential loans to heavily indebted producers to enable them to reschedule their payments. a further 15m euros will be made available to wine cooperatives  which make up the majority of french producers  in low interest loans. efforts to promote french wine abroad are to be boosted by an extra 3.5m euros in funding. france fell behind the  new world  producers of australia  chile and the united states for the first time in 2003 in terms of exports.  domestic consumption  accounting for 70% of sales  has suffered from strict restrictions on advertising and tough drink-driving laws.  the aid package would  create a positive climate around french viticulture   mr bussereau said. however  wine makers and farmers said the support was much less than they had been hoping for.  i am afraid the resources are not up to the ambitions   jean-michel lemetayer  from the fnsea agricultural union  told the associated press news agency. in an effort to tackle overcapacity  the government will agree that vines can be destroyed in areas where growers give their unanimous consent  while 500 vintners will be helped to take early retirement. the government will also seek european union approval to distil about 250 million litres of excess wine into alcohol  with vintners receiving compensation. production is currently outstripping demand by about 30%. the support is designed to make french producers more competitive in the face of increasing global consolidation across the wine industry. wine makers in france s best-known regions  such as burgundy  have found it hard to invest in new technology and to create recognisable brands to appeal to overseas buyers.


argonaut founder rebuilds empire jez san  the man behind the argonaut games group which went into administration a week ago  has bought back most of the company.  the veteran games developer has taken over the cambridge-based just add monsters studios and the london subsidiary morpheme. the argonaut group went into administration due to a severe cash crisis  firing about half of its staff. in august it had warned of annual losses of £6m for the year to 31 july.  jez san is one of the key figures in the uk s games industry. the developer  who received an obe in 2002  was estimated to have been worth more than £200m at the peak of the dotcom boom.  he founded argonaut in 1982 and has been behind titles such as 1993 starfox game. more recently it was behind the harry potter games for the playstation. but  like all software developers  argonaut needed a constant flow of deals with publishers. in august it warned of annual losses of £6m  blaming delays in signing new contracts and tough conditions in the software industry. the group s three subsidiaries were placed in administration a week ago  with mr sans resigning as the company s ceo and some 100 staff being fired. after the latest round of cuts  there were 80 workers 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. mr san has re-emerged  buying back morpheme and just add monsters.  we are pleased to announce the sale of these two businesses as going concerns   said david rubin of administrators david rubin & partners.  this has saved over 40 jobs as well as the substantial employment claims that would have arisen had the sales not been achieved.  mr rubin said the administrators were in talks over the sale of the argonaut software division in edgware and were hopeful of finding a buyer.  this is a very difficult time for all the employees there  but i salute their commitment to the business while we work towards a solution   he said. some former employees are angry at the way cash crisis was handled. one told bbc news online that the staff who had been fired had been  financially ruined in the space of a day .


half-life 2 sweeps bafta awards pc first person shooter half-life 2 has won six bafta awards  including best game and best online game.  the title  developed by valve  was released last year to universal acclaim - receiving special praise for its immersive plot and physics engine. the game also won baftas for best action adventure  best pc game  art direction and animation. burnout 3 won three awards in the categories for racing  technical direction and best playstation 2 game. grant dean  chairman of the bafta games awards  said at a ceremony in london on tuesday:  the last year has been a great year for the interactive entertainment industry.   these awards reflect the enormous achievements  progress and diversity that we have seen in that time.  halo 2 won the best xbox game category  while prince of persia: warrior within was adjudged the best gamecube title. the sports award went to konami s pro evolution soccer 4. bafta said the  significant feature  of this year s awards was the number of  non-traditional games . the originality award was won by playstation 2 title singstar while the children s award went to gamecube bongo rhythm game donkey konga. the handheld award went to colin mcrae rally 2005 while the mobile category was won by blue tooth byplanes. the audio award was won by call of duty: finest hour and hitman: contracts won the music award.


xbox power cable  fire fear  microsoft has said it will replace more than 14 million power cables for its xbox consoles due to safety concerns.  the company said the move was a  preventative step  after reports of fire hazard problems with the cables. it affects xboxes made before 23 october 2003 for all regions but mainland europe - and consoles in that region made before 13 january 2004. microsoft said it had received 30 reports of minor injury or property damage due to faulty cables. the firm said fewer than one in 10 000 consoles had experienced component failures. the recall affects almost three quarters of all xboxes sold around the world since its launch in 2001.  in a statement  it added:  in almost all instances  any damage caused by these failures was contained within the console itself or limited to the tip of the power cord at the back of the console.  but in seven cases  customers reported sustaining a minor burn to their hand. in 23 cases  customers reported smoke damage  or minor damage to a carpet or entertainment centre.  this is a preventative step we re choosing to take despite the rarity of these incidents   said robbie bach  senior vice president  microsoft home and entertainment division.  we regret the inconvenience  but believe offering consumers a free replacement cord is the responsible thing to do.  consumers can order a new cable from the xbox website or by telephoning 0800 028 9276 in the uk. microsoft said customers would get replacement cords within two to four weeks from the time of order. it advised users to turn off their xboxes when not in use. a follow-up to xbox is expected to released at the end of this year or the beginning of 2006.


prop jones ready for hard graft adam jones says the wales forwards are determined to set the perfect attacking platform for the backs by dominating the powerful france pack in paris.  the prop said:  if we get stuffed in the front five our backs have had it.  the mentality of the french is  scrum  scrum  scrum . we will see how good france are and the scrum is the key.  i just hope [the backs] carry on where they left off against italy. it s just up to us in the forwards to win the ball and give them the opportunity.  wales have won two of their last three visits to stade de france  having secured back-to-back wins under graham henry in 1999 and 2001. and with the likes of shane williams and gavin henson finding top form at the right time  mike ruddock s team is now one of international rugby s most potent attacking threats.  gavin is ridiculously talented. he has been bouncing around the place this week  so he is up for it   warned jones.  france have been criticised for their uncharacteristic one-dimensional play in their victories over scotland and france. captain fabien pelous has acknowledged his side needs to show more attacking flair  but stressed the game with be won or lost up front. the lock believes the welsh forwards are not big enough to trouble his side in the scrum or line-out  but jones insisted his fellow front-row colleagues have nothing to fear.   gethin [jenkins] won t be intimidated tomorrow  none of us will   said jones  who will be facing france for the first time.  we will go out there and front up and hopefully get the ball out to the backs.  me and gethin are quite young so it is good to have someone of mefin s experience in there.  mefin is a good thinker who puts things across. but what is the saying  if you are good enough you are old enough and gethin certainly is.  he is a really good player and i imagine he will be on the lions tour [to new zealand this summer].


navratilova hits out at critics martina navratilova has defended her decision to prolong her tennis career at the age of 48.  navratilova  who made a comeback after retiring in 1994  will play doubles and mixed doubles events in 2005.  women s tennis is really strong   she said  dismissing suggestions that the fact she could still win reflected badly on the women s game.  all i can say is i m that damn good. i m sorry but i really have to blow my own horn here. i m still that good.  navratilova has won three grand slam mixed doubles titles since she came out of retirement. and she was so encouraged by her form that she decided to resume playing singles  winning two of her seven matches. she was knocked out in the first round of the french open but reached the second round at wimbledon. navratilova will partner nathalie dechy in the doubles event at the uncle toby s hardcourts tournament on australia s gold coast  which begins on sunday. she will then link up with daniela hantuchova for the australian open doubles  and play in the mixed doubles with leander paes.  i might be playing some singles events this season  depending on the surface   she added.


federer forced to dig deep top seed roger federer had to save two match points before squeezing past juan carlos ferrero at the dubai open.  the world number one took two hours 15 minutes to earn his 4-6 6-3 7-6 victory  saving match points at 6-4 in the tiebreak before claiming it 8-6. federer made a number of unforced errors early on  allowing ferrero to take advantage and claim the first set. but the swiss star hit back to reach the quarter-finals  where he will face seventh seed russian mikhail youzhny. the russian beat germany s rainer schuettler 7-5 6-4. federer was not unduly worried despite being taken to three sets for the third consecutive match. the world number one was forced to go the distance against ivan ljubicic in the rotterdam final and against ivo minar in the first round in dubai.  i definitely had a slow start again and to come back every time is quite an effort   he said.  i haven t been playing well  but i ve been coming through. i m winning the crucial points and that shows i m on top of my game when i have to be.


tough schedule delays elliot show preview performances of the £3m musical billy elliot have been delayed to give the child actors a less arduous rehearsal schedule.  director stephen daldry made the decision to re-schedule the previews to protect the young stars. three boys will rotate the demanding role of ballet dancer billy  which requires them to sing  dance and act. the show s opening night on 12 may at the victoria palace theatre in london remains unaffected by the changes. preview performances will now be held on 14  20 and 27 april.  this is one of the most ambitious projects i have been involved with   said daldry.  the decision has been made to push back our preview performances in order to give our company  with a cast including 45 children  a little extra time so they are as fully prepared as possible.   he added:  the young billy elliots in particular  making their professional stage debuts in the west end  will benefit from a little extra time to familiarise themselves with all aspects of the production.   the three boys playing billy are james lomas  15  george maguire  14  and liam mower  12. the other major child parts will also be rotated between young actors. such are the demands of the show that producers set up a stage school in newcastle to train potential stars for the show. child labour laws also mean the young actors can only work for a limited period each week. adult actors in the show include tim healy as billy s father and haydn gwnne as his dance teacher mrs wilkinson. sir elton john has composed the music. daldry directed the successful film version of billy elliot  adapted from lee hall s script. both were nominated for oscars  alongside julie walters  who played billy s teacher.


when technology gets personal in 2020  whipping out your mobile phone to make a call will be quaintly passé. by then phones will be printed directly on to wrists  or other parts of the body  says ian pearson  bt s resident futurologist.  it s all part of what s known as a  pervasive ambient world   where  chips are everywhere . mr pearson does not have a crystal ball. his job is to formulate ideas based on what science and technology are doing now  to guide industries into the future. inanimate objects will start to interact with us: we will be surrounded - on streets  in homes  in appliances  on our bodies and possibly in our heads - by things that  think . forget local area networks - these will be body area networks. ideas about just how smart  small  or even invisible  technology will get are always floating around. images of devices clumsily bolted on to heads or wrists have pervaded thinking about future technology. but now a new vision is surfacing  where smart fabrics and textiles will be exploited to enhance functionality  form  or aesthetics. such materials are already starting to change how gadgets and electronics are used and designed.  so mp3 players - the mass gadget of the moment - will disappear and instead become integrated into one s clothing  says mr pearson.  so the gadgets that fill up your handbag  when we integrate those into fabric  we can actually get rid of all that stuff. you won t necessarily see the electronics.  wearable technology could exploit body heat to charge it up  while  video tattoos   or intelligent electronic contact lenses  might function as tv screens for those on the move. however  this future of highly personal devices  where technology is worn  or even fuses with the body itself  raises ethical questions. if technology is going to be increasingly part of clothing  jewellery  and skin  there needs to be some serious thinking about what it means for us as humans  says baroness susan greenfield. at a recent conference for technology  engineering  academic and fashion industry experts  at the royal society in london  neuroscientist baroness greenfield cautioned we  can t just sleepwalk into the future .  yet this technology is already upon us. researchers have developed computers and sensors worn in clothing. mp3 jackets  based on the idea that electrically conductive fabric can connect to keyboard sewn into sleeves  have already appeared in shops.  these  smart fabrics  have come about through advances in nano- and micro-engineering - the ability to manipulate and exploit materials at micro or molecular scale. at the nanoscale  materials can be  tuned  to display unusual properties that can be exploited to build faster  lighter  stronger and more efficient devices and systems. the textile and clothing industry has been one of the first to exploit nanotechnology in quite straightforward ways. many developments are appearing in real products in the fields of medicine  defence  healthcare  sports  and communications. professional swimming suits reduce drag by incorporating tiny structures similar to shark skin. nanoscale titanium dioxide (tio2) coatings give fabrics antibacterial and anti-odour properties. these have special properties which can be activated in contact with the air or uv light. such coatings have already been used to stop socks smelling for instance  to turn airline seats into super stain-resistant surfaces  and applied to windows so they clean themselves. dressings for wounds can now incorporate nanoparticles with biocidal properties and smart patches are being developed to deliver drugs through the skin. but baroness greenfield is concerned about how far this more personal contact with technology might affect our very being. if our clothing  skin  and  personal body networks  do the talking and the monitoring  everywhere we go  we have to think about what that means for our concept of privacy. mr pearson picks up the theme  pointing out there are a lot of issues humans have to iron out before we become  cyborgian . his main concern is  privacy .  we are looking at electronics which are really in deep contact with your body and a lot of that information you really don t want every passer-by to know.  so we have to make sure we build security in this. if you are wearing smart make-up  where electronics are controlling the appearance  you don t want people hacking in and writing messages on your forehead.  as technology infiltrates our biology  how will our brains function differently   we cannot arrogantly assume that the human brain will not change with this   warns baroness greenfield. there have already been successful experiments to grow human nerve cells on circuit boards. this paves the way for brain implants to help paralysed people interface directly with computers. clearly  the organic  carbon of our bodies and silicon is increasingly merging. the cyborg - a very familiar part-human  part-inorganic science fiction and academic idea - is on its way.


high fuel costs hit us airlines two of the largest airlines in the us - american and southwest - have blamed record fuel prices for their disappointing quarterly results.  american airlines  parent amr reported a loss of $387m (£206m) for the fourth quarter of 2004  against a $111m loss for the same period a year earlier. meanwhile  southwest airlines saw its fourth-quarter 2004 profits fall 15% to $56m  against $66m a year earlier. both said high fuel bills would continue to pressure revenues in 2005. american  the world s biggest airline by some measures  said it expected to report a loss for the first quarter of 2005. southwest  which has the highest market value of any us carrier  said it would remain profitable despite high fuel prices.  amr s shares were flat in wednesday morning trading on the new york stock exchange  as the results were slightly better than analysts had anticipated. amr s chief executive gerard arpey said the airline s difficulties reflected the situation within the industry.  amr s results for the fourth quarter of 2004 reflect the economic woes that plagued the airline industry throughout 2004 - in particular  high fuel prices and a tough revenue environment   he said. for the full year  amr posted a loss of $761m  lower than 2003 s $1.2bn loss and an indication that the airline has successfully cut costs. amr added that as part of its cost cutting measures  it is postponing the delivery of 54 boeing jets. shares in southwest fell 65 cents to $14.35 as analysts voiced their disappointment.  the results came in below our already conservative estimate for the quarter   said ray neidl  an analyst at calyon securities. both american and southwest have been squeezed by cut-throat competition in the us airline industry  as a glut of available seats has led to fierce price reductions.


uk economy ends year with spurt the uk economy grew by an estimated 3.1% in 2004 after accelerating in the last quarter of the year  says the office for national statistics (ons).  the figure is in line with treasury and bank of england forecasts. the ons says gross domestic product (gdp) rose by a strong 0.7% in the three months to 31 december  compared with 0.5% in the previous quarter. the rise came despite a further decline in production output and the worst christmas for retailers in decades.  the annual figure marked out the best year since 2000  and was also well ahead of the 2.2% recorded in 2003. growth in the final three months of 2004 marked the 50th consecutive quarter of expansion.  on the basis of the latest information the uk has entered 2005 on course to continue its record period of growth   said paul boateng  chief secretary to the treasury in a statement.  the ons said the services sector  which accounts for nearly three-quarters of the uk economy  grew 1.0% in the quarter. the strong services figure was welcomed by analysts  given lacklustre retail sales in december and across the christmas holiday period.  the fact that other services components are doing so well suggests to me that we are back to trend (growth) and i am not particularly concerned about any further slowdown   said ross walker  uk economist at rbs financial markets.  however  output in the production sector contracted 0.5%  the second quarterly fall in row and a state of affairs that some economists classify as a recession. however the ons would not comment on the definition of a recession and whether the manufacturing recovery was over. but steve radley  chief economist at the manufacturers  organisation eef  said:  these figures remain at odds with what is actually happening on the ground.  whilst companies may be experiencing tougher conditions this year   recession  is not a word that manufacturers would currently recognise.  the ons said a sharp fall in mining and quarrying  which was driven by oil and gas extraction  was primarily responsible for the overall contraction in manufacturing production figures.  simon rubinsohn  chief economist at gerrard  said:  this outturn (of 0.7%) was well ahead of the market expectations and cast doubt on the scare stories doing the rounds surrounding the current state of the uk economy.  and he said the gdp figures may help to  push interest rate expectations a little higher along the curve .  the suggestion from the money markets is that the next move is now more likely to be in an upward rather than a downward direction. this is consistent with our own thinking   said mr rubinsohn. the bank of england s nine-strong rate-setting committee voted unanimously earlier this month to keep interest rates steady at 4.75%  minutes of the meeting showed on wednesday.


eastenders  is set for us remake  plans to create a us soap based on the bbc s eastenders have reportedly been drawn up by the fox tv network.  eastenders  head writer tony jordan and music mogul simon fuller are involved in the project  according to reports in the hollywood reporter trade newspaper. it said scripts have been commissioned for a series about a community of working class people in of chicago. the original eastenders was pulled from bbc america last year after it proved a failure in the ratings. us versions of other british hits have proved less successful across the atlantic.  bbc comedy coupling was remade with a us cast  but lost its primetime slot on the nbc network due to disappointing ratings. at home  eastenders has been facing its own ratings battle  recently losing out to rival itv soap emmer dale. primetime soaps on us television have made a recent comeback  following the success of abc serial desperate housewives. the series takes a  darkly comedic  look at the goings-on of a group of characters living in the suburbs.


card fraudsters  targeting web  new safeguards on credit and debit card payments in shops has led fraudsters to focus on internet and phone payments  an anti-fraud agency has said.  anti-fraud consultancy retail decisions says  card-not-present  fraud  where goods are paid for online or by phone  has risen since the start of 2005. the introduction of  chip and pin  cards has tightened security for transactions on the high street. but the clampdown has caused fraudsters to change tack  retail decisions said.  the introduction of chip and pin cards aimed to cut down on credit card fraud in stores by asking shoppers to verify their identity with a confidential personal pin number  instead of a signature. retail decisions chief executive carl clump told the bbc that there was  no doubt  that chip and pin would  reduce card fraud in the card-present environment .  however  it is important to monitor what happens in the card-not-present environment as fraudsters will turn their attention to the internet  mail order  telephone order and interactive tv   he said.  we have seen a 22% uplift in card-not-present fraud here in the uk... since the start of the year.  fraud doesn t just disappear  it mutates to the next weakest link in the chain   he said.  retail decisions  survey on the implementation of chip and pin found that shoppers had adapted easily to the new system  but that banks  performance in distributing the new cards had been patchy  at best.  the main issue is that not everyone has the pins they need   said mr clump. nearly two thirds - 65% - of the 1 000 people interviewed said they had used chip and pin to make payments. of these  83% were happy with the experience  though nearly a quarter said they struggled to remember their pin number. however  only 34% said they had received replacement cards with the necessary  chip  technology from all their card providers. furthermore  16% said that none of their cards had been replaced  while 30% said only some had. uk shoppers spent £5.3bn on plastic cards in 2003  the last full year for which figures are available from the association of payment clearing services (apacs). altogether  card scams on uk-issued cards totalled £402.4m in 2003. card-not-present fraud rose an annual 6% to £116.4m  making it the biggest category even then. within this  internet fraud totalled £43m  apacs  figures show.


s korean consumers spending again south korea looks set to sustain its revival thanks to renewed private consumption  its central bank says.  the country s economy has suffered from an overhang of personal debt after its consumers  credit card spending spree. card use fell sharply last year  but is now picking up again with a rise in spending of 14.8% year-on-year.  the economy is now heading upward rather than downward   said central bank governor park seung.  the worst seems to have passed.  mr park s statement came as the bank decided to keep interest rates at an all-time low of 3.25%. it had cut rates in november to help revive the economy  but rising inflation - reaching 0.7% month-on-month in january - has stopped it from cutting further. economic growth in 2004 was about 4.7%  with the central bank predicting 4% growth this year. other indicators are also suggesting that the country is inching back towards economic health. exports - traditionally the driver for expansion in asian economies - grew slower in january than at any time in 17 months. but domestic demand seems to be taking up the slack. consumer confidence has bounced back from a four-year low in january  and retail sales were up 2.1% in december. credit card debt is falling  with only one in 13 of the 48 million cards now in default - down from one in eight at the end of 2003. one of its biggest card issuers  lg card  was rescued from collapse in december  having almost imploded under the weight of its customers  bad debts. the government last year tightened the rules for card lending to keep the card glut under control.


bollywood draws global stars british actress antonia bernath is making her debut in kisna - the warrior poet  marking a growing trend for non-indian stars to appear in bollywood films.  directed by bollywood veteran subhash ghai  the film is set in the british raj and bernath plays an army general s daughter who falls in love with a rural boy  kisna.  i liked the fluid nature of film-making. we improvised quite a lot   says bernath.  at times it felt very chaotic but mr ghai was quite clear about what he wanted.  picked from more than 200 girls in an audition in london  bernath cut short her education at bristol s old vic theatre school to take up the opportunity. it is not often that somebody gets to play the lead role straight out of a drama school. she spent three weeks learning hindi and taking dance lessons.  initially  i was a bit sceptical about how people would respond to me   bernath says.  but i found the hindi film industry very warm and encouraging. i even had a few offers before the work on kisna was completed.   films are one of india s biggest exports and those like lagaan and monsoon wedding have broken the traditional boundaries of colour and culture. spurred by this  bollywood producers are trying to go global in all aspects of film-making  be it technical or artistic.  from young heart-throbs like nick moran of lock  stock and two smoking barrels to model sophie dahl  many non-indian stars want to make the most of this opportunity.  bollywood has truly gone global   says taran adarsh  editor of indian film journal trade guide.  directors are now attempting to woo non-asian audience to increase their share in the overseas film market.  kisna has been shot simultaneously in hindi and english  with the english print shortened by an hour to accommodate the western audience. the film even has a song composed in english by ar rahman  the director of the popular west end musical  bombay dreams.  identification is a popular cinematic device. use of european or american actors can be viewed as a step in that direction   says adarsh.  the cast of kisna also includes british actors michael maloney  caroline langrishe and polly adams.  another actress  annabelle wallace  plays the lead role in a bilingual romantic comedy dil jo bhi kahey (whatever the heart says)  which also stars indian screen legend amitabh bachchan. actor and producer aamir khan s forthcoming venture the rising is set against the backdrop of the indian mutiny of 1857  with british actor toby stephens in a key role. but it isn t only the western actors looking eastwards. bollywood sweetheart aishwarya rai  recently seen in bride and prejudice alongside new zealand actor martin henderson  is building her international career. and  many other bollywood stars have their eyes set on hollywood.  hollywood or bollywood  it s the box office that determines whether something is a passing phase or a trend   says adarsh.  kisna - the warrior poet opens in the uk on 21 january.


downloads enter us singles chart digital music downloads are being included in the main us singles chart for the first time.  billboard s hot 100 chart now incorporates data from sales of music downloads  previously only assigned to a separate download chart. green day s boulevard of broken dreams is currently number two in billboard s pop chart  and tops its digital chart. download sales are due to be incorporated into the uk singles chart later this year.  digital sales in the us are already used to compile billboard s hot digital sales chart. they will now be tallied with sales of physical singles and airplay information to make up its new hot 100 chart. its second new chart - the pop 100 - also combines airplay  digital and physical sales but confines its airplay information to us radio stations which play chart music. in addition to green day  other artists in the current us digital sales top 10 include kelly clarkson  the game and the killers.  sales of legally downloaded songs shot up more than tenfold in 2004  with 200 million track purchased online in the us and europe in 12 months  the international federation of the phonographic industry (ifpi) reported last month. in the uk sales of song downloads overtook those for physical singles for the first time at the end of last year. the last week of december 2004 saw download sales of 312 000 compared with 282 000 physical singles  according to the british phonographic industry. the uk s first official music download chart was launched last september  compiling the most popular tracks downloaded from legal uk sites - including itunes  od2  mycokemusic.com and napster. westlife s flying without wings - a 1999 track reissued for the occasion - was the first number one of the uk download chart.  a spokesman for the british phonographic industry (bpi) said the first combined uk download and sales chart was due to be compiled  within the first half of this year .  work is going on across the music business right now to make sure the new chart works to plan   he said. the bpi spokesman described the uk music download chart  compiled by the official charts company  as having been  a great success  since its launch.  it has provided a focus for the industry and has really driven interest in downloads among music fans   he said.


hamm bows out for us women s football legend mia hamm has played her final game.  hamm  32  who officially retired after this year s athens olympics  took to the field for the last time to help the us claim a 5-0 win over mexico. hamm ends her career as the most prolific scorer - male or female - in international football  with 158 goals in 276 games for the us. she was twice fifa women s player of the year and won the world cup in 1991 and 1999 and two olympic golds. on her retirement  hamm said:  there are mixed emotions. there are things in your life that you have had to put on the back-burner and you can focus more time and energy on that now.  i have to see what is out there and not commit to everything at the beginning.  the friendly also saw the end of julie foudy and joy fawcett s us careers. hamm will now embark on a new life with husband  chicago cubs shortstop nomar garciaparra  who was in the stands to watch her final game. he has just agreed a new deal with the cubs after joining them in july.


venus stunned by farina elia venus williams suffered a first-round defeat for the first time in four years at the dubai championships.  sylvia farina elia  who had lost all nine of her previous meetings with the american fifth seed  won 7-5 7-6 (8-6). former wimbledon champion conchita martinez and india s sania mirza  the oldest and youngest players in the draw  also reached the second round. martinez  32  beat shinobu asagoe 6-4 6-4 and 18-year-old mirza beat jelena kostanic 6-7 (7-2) 6-4 6-1. mirza  the first indian woman to win a wta tour title this month on home ground at hyderabad  will now face us open champion svetlana kuznetsova.  but she is remaining confident.  she (kuznetsova) is a great player   she said.  but everyone is beatable and i am looking forward to a great match.  williams though blamed her defeat by farina elia on injuries.  blisters were a factor  but mostly my stomach wasn t that great   she said.  i did it in the last tournament in the semi-finals  and i was serving at 40% in the final.  the first time i served again was sunday and there wasn t a lot i could do out there. when your serve isn t good it throws the rest of your game off too.  she will wait to see how she recovers before deciding whether to take part in the nasdaq-100 open in miami  starting on 21 march.


giant waves damage s asia economy governments  aid agencies  insurers and travel firms are among those counting the cost of the massive earthquake and waves that hammered southern asia.  the worst-hit areas are sri lanka  india  indonesia and thailand  with at least 23 000 people killed. early estimates from the world bank put the amount of aid needed at about $5bn (£2.6bn)  similar to the cash offered central america after hurricane mitch. mitch killed about 10 000 people and caused damage of about $10bn in 1998. world bank spokesman damien milverton told the wall street journal that he expected an aid package of financing and debt relief.  tourism is a vital part of the economies of the stricken countries  providing jobs for 19 million people in the south east asian region  according to the world travel and tourism council (wttc). in the maldives islands  in the indian ocean  two-thirds of all jobs depend on tourism.  but the damage covers fishing  farming and businesses too  with hundreds of thousands of buildings and small boats destroyed by the waves. international agencies have pledged their support; most say it is impossible to gauge the extent of the damage yet. the international monetary fund (imf) has promised rapid action to help the governments of the stricken countries cope.   the imf stands ready to do its part to assist these nations with appropriate support in their time of need   said managing director rodrigo rato. only sri lanka and bangladesh currently receive imf support  while indonesia  the quake s epicentre  has recently graduated from imf assistance. it is up to governments to decide if they want imf help. other agencies  such as the asian development bank  have said that it is too early to comment on the amount of aid needed. there is no underestimating the size of the problem  however. the united nations  emergency relief coordinator  jan egeland  said that  this may be the worst national disaster in recent history because it is affecting so many heavily populated coastal areas... so many vulnerable communities.  many people will have [had] their livelihoods  their whole future destroyed in a few seconds.  he warned that  the longer term effects many be as devastating as the tidal wave or the tsunami itself  because of the risks of epidemics from polluted drinking water.  insurers are also struggling to assess the cost of the damage  but several big players believe the final bill is likely to be less than the $27bn cost of the hurricanes that battered the us earlier this year.   the region that s affected is very big so we have to check country-by-country what the situation is   said serge troeber  deputy head of the natural disasters department at swiss re  the world s second biggest reinsurance firm.  i should assume  however  that the overall dimension of insured damages is below the storm damages of the us   he said. munich re  the world s biggest reinsurer  said:  this is primarily a human tragedy. it is too early for us to state what our financial burden will be.  allianz has said it sees no significant impact on its profitability. however  a low insurance bill may simply reflect the general poverty of much of the region  rather than the level of economic devastation for those who live there.  the international federation of the red cross and red crescent societies told the reuters news agency that it was seeking $6.5m for emergency aid.   the biggest health challenges we face is the spread of waterborne diseases  particularly malaria and diarrhoea   the aid agency was quoted as saying. the european union has said it will deliver 3m euros (£2.1m; $4.1m) of aid  according to the wall street journal. the eu s humanitarian aid commissioner  louis michel  was quoted as saying that it was key to bring aid  in those vital hours and days immediately after the disaster . other countries also are reported to have pledged cash  while the us state department said it was examining what aid was needed in the region. getting companies and business up and running also may play a vital role in helping communities recover from the weekend s events.  many of the worst-hit areas  such as sri lanka  thailand s phuket island and the maldives  are popular tourist resorts that are key to local economies.  december and january are two of the busiest months for the travel in southern asia and the damage will be even more keenly felt as the industry was only just beginning to emerge from a post 9/11 slump. growth has been rapid in southeast asia  with the world tourism organisation figures showing a 45% increase in tourist revenues in the region during the first 10 months of 2004. in southern asia that expansion is 23%.  india continues to post excellent results thanks to increased promotion and product development  but also to the upsurge in business travel driven by the rapid economic development of the country   the wto said.  arrivals to other destinations such as... maldives and sri lanka also thrived.  in thailand  tourism accounts for about 6% of the country s annual gross domestic product  or about $8bn. in singapore the figure is close to 5%. tourism also brings in much needed foreign currency. in the short-term  however  travel companies are cancelling flights and trips. that has hit shares across asia and europe  with investors saying that earnings and economic growth are likely to slow.


eminem beats elvis to number one rapper eminem has denied elvis his fourth number one of the year  after his song  like toy soldiers  stormed to the top of the singles charts.  the track claimed the top spot ahead of the king s latest re-release  are you lonesome tonight. it is the fifth in a series of 18 reissues to mark the 70th anniversary of presley s birth. almost here  the duet from former westlife star brian mcfadden and delta goodrem  went in at number three.  like toy soldiers  from eminem s encore album  is sampled from martika s 1980s hit toy soldiers. it takes a swipe at hip-hop feuds and follows the success of just lose it. last week s number one  elvis s it s now or never  slipped 13 places to number 14  but all five of his re-released songs are in the top 40. one world project tsunami fundraiser  grief never grows old  slipped four places to number eight. featuring cliff richard and boy george  the song was written by former dj mike read. in the album charts  athlete s latest offering tourist claimed the top spot  toppling the chemical brother s push the button down  which fell to number six.


krispy kreme shares hit shares in krispy kreme doughnuts have taken a dunking on wall street after the firm revealed it would have to restate its 2004 financial reports.  the company warned the move would cut its profits by $3.8m to $4.9m (£2m to £2.6m) - or between 6.6% and 8.6%. krispy kreme said accounting errors had forced the move  adding that its board of directors made the decision to restate its accounts on 28 december. however  the company was unavailable to comment on why it had delayed the news.  it also warned it might have to further restate results for 2004 and 2005.  shares in krispy kreme sank 14.87% - or $1.83 - to close at $10.48 on the news. the revelation comes just a month after the firm warned earnings would be cut by as much as 7.6% as a result of accounting errors. krispy kreme said the latest adjustments involved the way it accounted for the repurchase of three franchise restaurants. it added it would now be reviewing how it accounts for its leases. in a further blow  the firm said it had been advised that some of its franchise owners were not in compliance with their loan agreements  and warned it might need to borrow extra money if it was required to honour agreements on franchisee debts or operating leases.  krispy kreme added that it had enough cash to fund its current operations  but it could not borrow any more under its existing agreements.  there are many more questions than answers  especially given increased concerns regarding company liquidity   jp morgan securities analyst john ivankoe said in a research note on the firm. the announcement is the latest blow for the one-time darling of wall street  which has lost 80% of its stock value in just over a year. the firm is currently facing securities and exchange commission investigation of its accounts. shareholders have also launched lawsuits against the group  claiming it made false statements and inflated sales.


thompson says gerrard should stay liverpool legend phil thompson has pleaded with steve gerrard to reject any overtures from chelsea.  the ex-reds assistant boss also warned that any honours won at chelsea would be cheapened by the bid to buy success. he told bbc radio five live:  liverpool would think about any bid made but it will all be down to steve in the end.  but it wouldn t have that same sweet feeling at chelsea  where it s all money-orientated and about simply buying the best.  thompson reacted sharply to some liverpool supporters  who criticised gerrard s performance in the carling cup final against chelsea. a number of fans questioned gerrard s commitment and sarcastically branded his own goal in liverpool s 3-2 defeat as his first goal for chelsea.  thompson added:  i heard those comments from so-called supporters and they were diabolical  absolutely outrageous.  stevie carried the club last year and this year. he s always put liverpool first.  thompson  who savoured seven title-winning seasons and two european cup triumphs during his anfield playing career  is confident that the lure of champions league football will keep gerrard at anfield.  i hope champions league football will beckon for liverpool - either as winners or as finishing fourth in the premiership - and he will commit himself.  there has been a lot of soul-searching the way things have gone lately.  i hope he s hardening to the fact he will have big decisions to make but i hope it is to the benefit of steven gerrard and i hope it is worthwhile for liverpool.


benitez delight after crucial win liverpool manager rafael benitez admitted victory against deportivo la coruna was vital in their tight champions league group.  jorge andrade s early own goal gave liverpool a 1-0 win. and benitez said:  we started at a very high tempo and had many chances. it is a very important win for us and we could have scored more goals.  we were very good defensively and also good on the counter attack. we are pleased but move on to the next game.  igor biscan was outstanding in midfield after replacing injured xabi alonso  and benitez said:  he played very well.  it is important to have all the players ready and a good squad so you can play more games at a high level.  benitez added:  it is all back in our own hands now  it was a great win for us and i was delighted with what i feel was the best liverpool i have seen.  as far as my feelings about winning in spain  that is really not important.  i want to see us win away matches in the champions league  that it was in spain was not my first consideration.  as far as i am concerned it is important for liverpool to win  it is not important in what country it is in.  benitez added: benitez said:  we had a problem before the start  it was decided that xabi could not play more than 45 minutes.  but in the end because of the way that (dietmar) hamann and (igor) biscan performed  we did not need to change things until right at the end of the match.  depor are a good team and if you allow them to keep possession they can be very dangerous indeed.  but we knew that if we hit them on the counter-attack it would make them nervous  and that is how it worked out.  deportivo coach javier irureta said:  liverpool played very well and we just could not break them down.  i know we have now gone six games at home in europe without scoring  but that does not reflect our overall performances.  but this time we did not play well and we lacked imagination.  the goal was a bad mistake and a big blow to our confidence. players who usually want the ball at that stage did not want it.  i know we are bottom of the group  but as long as there is hope of qualifying  we will hang on to that.


branson show flops on us screens entrepreneur sir richard branson s us tv show  the rebel billionaire  is proving a flop in the ratings.  the programme suffered poor viewing figures on its debut on the fox network three weeks ago  and has lost one in five of its viewers since then. the show is seen as fox s answer to the apprentice featuring tycoon donald trump  a ratings hit for rivals nbc. sir richard s show sees a group of young entrepreneurs compete to become the president of his business empire. the rebel billionaire has averaged five million viewers and is 91st in the rankings of all prime-time shows. the apprentice  which has already completed its first season  is still managing to pull in 16 million viewers  while its prime-time ranking is number four.  but fox has said it plans to stick with branson s show throughout its 12-episode run.  it s going to remain on the air   said the network s spokesman scott grogin.  creatively we re extremely pleased with the show and hope the audience will find it   he added. contestants on sir richard s show are confronted with business tasks to solve  similar to the apprentice. they are also subjected to stunts like walking a plank suspended in mid-air. the rebel billionaire has marketed itself as a less materialistic version of the apprentice  with sir richard shown jumping out of a taxi  while trump is seen in a limousine.


us  afflicted  with awards fatigue the film world and media may be wild about the oscars but cinema-goers and the tv-viewing public are sick of watching award ceremonies  according to some la film critics.  bob strauss  from the la daily news  thinks there are just too many televised gatherings of stars showering praise on each other. he came up with a colourful but unprintable description for these glitzy events  which roughly translates a  celebrity love-in . this echoed the views of oscars host and comedian chris rock  who whipped up a media storm for saying he rarely watched them  calling award shows  idiotic .  as chris rock accurately said  they re about celebrity and fashion   mr strauss said. the recent grammy music awards proved to be a ratings loser  and it seems oscars organisers are determined not to go the same way.  recently announced changes to the ceremony include lining up all five nominees on stage before announcing the winner.  unsurprisingly  this prompted press speculation that the changes were aimed at boosting flagging advertising revenue. but entertainment weekly s dave karger maintained the oscars only generated excitement outside the industry when a blockbuster  such as titanic or lord of the rings  was nominated. the near constant flow of us film awards  representing directors  actors and producers  guilds  also means  few surprises  are left by the time the oscar ceremony is upon us  he said. a quick scan of the los angeles times and los angeles daily news bears this out - speculation about who will win seems to have ground to a halt.  on thursday  the times simply printed a picture of the plastic tents going up outside the kodak theatre to protect the red carpet from rain. variety and the hollywood reporter have also kept their focus firmly on industry-related news  while in the uk bets have closed on the best actor category  with ray star jamie foxx a dead cert to win.  screen international s us editor mike goodridge thinks 2004 s films have simply not grabbed the public s imagination.  film-makers haven t produced films that people adore this year   he said.  they adored saving private ryan for example - people loved it and it made a ton of money.  2004 s films could be a reaction to 9/11 - there was a realisation in america that things might not be so rosy after all.  audiences don t necessarily want to see darker films such as million dollar baby  aviator and finding neverland  which end with casualty.  as to whether rock could pep up the awards  the critics were not hopeful.  mr strauss doubted whether rock would make an impact  but added:  i m all for lower ratings though - there are far more important things going on than the oscars.  mr karger said the comic might boost younger viewers  but mike goodridge thought rock s humour could prompt america s conservative states to switch off. so despite all this  did the critics have any views on who would win    clint eastwood s million dollar baby affected people emotionally  which is why it will beat aviator  which was about technical artistry not feelings   mr karger said.  eastwood has it in the bag   added mr strauss.  oscar voters often vote with their hearts not their heads.  and mr goodridge said best film and director were between martin scorsese s aviator and million dollar baby. mr karger  whose favourite film of the year was mike leigh s abortion drama vera drake  stayed upbeat about the awards despite his other comments.  i hope this is the year for small films to triumph   he said.  after all  it s still one of the biggest tv events of the year.


nhs waiting time target is cut hospital waiting times for patients in wales are to be cut  but not to the same extent as those in england.  welsh health minister jane hutt said no patient would wait more than 12 months for an outpatient appointment by march 2006  against a current target of 18 months. but she said the target for an inpatient appointment would remain at 12 months for march 2006. the announcement came as new monthly waiting figures showed a drop. this current inpatient target was set when the assembly government extended its second offer guarantee scheme  which gives patients the option of having their treatment outside wales.  details about funding to resource the new targets are expected in the new year. in england  the current target for inpatients - seeing a consultant to having an operation - is six months. dr richard lewis  welsh secretary of the british medical association (bma)  welcomed the new targets  to make further and faster progress on waiting lists .  however  much remains to be done on waiting lists and waiting times because wales still lags a long way behind england   he said.  capacity must be built into the system with sustained investment to ensure that welsh patients don t receive a worse service than patients over the border.  health analyst tony beddow  from the welsh institute for health and social care  called the new targets  reasonably impressive .  on wednesday  ms hutt also announced £264m for health services will be spent reducing waiting times  improving key areas and modernising staff pay structures in wales.  ms hutt said major achievements had been made in cutting  unacceptably long waits for treatment over the past year .  we are turning the corner on long waits in wales. now we need to see those reductions in long waiters being improved again   she said. she added the targets intended to ensure no-one waits more than a year for treatment or to see a consultant.  but let us not forget two thirds of those waiting for treatment now are waiting less than six months  and these targets affect the small minority of patients in wales that are waiting far too long.  rhodri glyn thomas  plaid cymru health spokesman said:  it s exactly the same target she set in 1999  with the qualification that it s dependent on a second offer. it s a failed target  from a failed minister..with a failed policy.  for the welsh liberal democrats  kirsty williams called the new target  hugely unambitious .  it leaves patients in wales still waiting two years before they re treated.  conservative health spokesman jonathan morgan said:  we re spending more money but waiting lists have gone through the roof.  the audit commission has said that the money is not being spent efficiently or effectively  and that s quite a criticism.  meanwhile  the latest monthly waiting list figures showed the total number of people waiting more than 18 months as an inpatient in wales has fallen by 9.8%. statistics to the end of november showed a decline since october from 785 to 708. the number waiting over 12 months also fell from 7 613 to 6 630  or 12.9%. ms hutt said they were  excellent figures . there are 305 775 people on a waiting list of some kind  down from 311 764 last month.


nadal marches on in mexico rafael nadal continued his run of fine form to beat guillermo canas and reach the mexican open semis in acapulco.  eighth seed nadal  who picked up his second atp title when he beat alberto martin in last week s brazil open  saw off the argentine third seed 7-5 6-3. he now meets argentine wild card mariano puerta  who followed up his win over top seed carlos moya by overcoming spain s felix mantilla  6-4 3-6 7-6. czech fifth seed czech jiri novak was eliminated 7-5 6-1 by agustin calleri. the unseeded argentine  who won the tournament two years ago  now plays spain s albert montanes. montanes advanced to his first semi-final of the year with a 4-6 6-3 6-4 triumph over sixth-seeded italian filippo volandri. argentina s agustin calleri beat fourth seed jiri novak 7-5 6-1 in a battle of former champions at the mexican open. calleri won his only atp title in acapulco two years ago while novak won the singles and doubles titles in 1998. calleri will face albert montanes in the semi-finals after the spaniard ousted sixth seed filippo volandri of italy 4-6 6-3 6-4. argentine wild card mariano puerta continued his improbable run  outlasting felix mantilla 6-4 3-6 7-6.


goodrem wins top female mtv prize pop singer delta goodrem has scooped one of the top individual prizes at the first australian mtv music awards.  the 21-year-old singer won the award for best female artist  with australian idol runner-up shannon noll taking the title of best male at the ceremony. goodrem  known in both britain and australia for her role as nina tucker in tv soap neighbours  also performed a duet with boyfriend brian mcfadden. other winners included green day  voted best group  and the black eyed peas. goodrem  green day and the black eyed peas took home two awards each. as well as best female  goodrem also took home the pepsi viewers choice award  whilst green day bagged the prize for best rock video for american idiot. the black eyed peas won awards for best r  n  b video and sexiest video  both for hey mama. local singer and songwriter missy higgins took the title of breakthrough artist of the year  with australian idol winner guy sebastian taking the honours for best pop video. the vh1 first music award went to cher honouring her achievements within the music industry. the ceremony was held at the luna park fairground in sydney harbour and was hosted by the osbourne family. artists including carmen electra  missy higgins  kelly osbourne  green day  ja rule and natalie imbruglia gave live performances at the event.


double injury blow strikes wales wales centre sonny parker and number eight ryan jones will miss saturday s game with italy because of injury.  parker has not recovered from a trapped nerve in his neck that kept him out of the win over england  and tom shanklin is expected to continue at centre. jones damaged his collar bone after coming on as a replacement against england and joins flanker colin charvis (foot injury) on the sidelines. meanwhile  mike ruddock may make gavin henson his first-choice kicker in rome. the centre was wales  hero in the 11-9 six nations win over england  landing a huge late penalty from wide out to clinch the game. first-choice kicker stephen jones handed over responsibility because of henson s greater kicking range  but the fly-half had already missed a number of shots at goal.  our first aim was to get gavin settled into the team  but giving him the kicks is something we ll talk about in selection this week   wales coach mike ruddock told bbc sport wales. henson himself says he is relishing all the media hype that has been heaped on him since last saturday s game.  i thrive on it and think it makes me perform better   he said.  i m glad it s a short week before the italy game. there was so much build-up before england  but we fly out to rome on thursday and we ll be back playing again.


sales  fail to boost high street  the january sales have failed to help the uk high street recover from a poor christmas season  a survey has found.  stores received a boost from bargain hunters but trading then reverted to december levels  the british retail consortium and accountants kpmg said. sales in what is traditionally a strong month rose by 0.5% on a like-for-like basis  compared with a year earlier. consumers remain cautious over buying big-ticket items like furniture  said brc director general kevin hawkins. higher interest rates and uncertainty over the housing market continue to take their toll on the retail sector  the brc said. but clothing and footwear sales were said to be generally better than december  while department stores also had a good month.  in the three-months to january  like-for-like sales showed a growth rate of -0.1%  the same as in the three months to december  the brc said.  following a relatively strong new year s bank holiday  trading then took a downward turn   said mr hawkins.  even extending some promotions and discounts and the pay-day boost later in the month could not tempt customers.  the previous brc survey found christmas 2004 was the worst for 10 years for retailers. and according to office for national statistics data  sales in december failed to meet expectations and by some counts were the worst since 1981.


everton s weir cools euro hopes everton defender david weir has played down talk of european football  despite his team lying in second place in the premiership after beating liverpool.  weir told bbc radio five live:  we don t want to rest on our laurels and say we have achieved anything yet.  i think you start taking your eye off the ball if you make statements and look too far into the future.  if you start making predictions you soon fall back into trouble. the only thing that matters is the next game.  he said:  we are looking after each other and hard work goes a long way in this league. we have definitely shown that.  also injuries and suspensions haven t cost us too badly and we have a lot of self-belief around the place.


us adds more jobs than expected the us economy added 337 000 jobs in october - a seven-month high and far more than wall street expectations.  in a welcome economic boost for newly re-elected president george w bush  the labor department figures come after a slow summer of weak jobs gains. jobs were created in every sector of the us economy except manufacturing. while the separate unemployment rate went up to 5.5% from 5.4% in september  this was because more people were now actively seeking work.  the 337 000 new jobs added to us payrolls in october was twice the 169 000 figure that wall street economists had forecast. in addition  the labor department revised up the number of jobs created in the two previous months - to 139 000 in september instead of 96 000  and to 198 000 in august instead of 128 000. the better than expected jobs data had an immediate upward effect on stocks in new york  with the main dow jones index gaining 45.4 points to 10 360 by late morning trading.  it looks like the job situation is improving and that this will support consumer spending going into the holidays  and offset some of the drag caused by high oil prices this year   said economist gary thayer of ag edwards & sons.  other analysts said the upbeat jobs data made it more likely that the us federal reserve would increase interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point to 2% when it meets next week.  it should empower the fed to clearly do something   said robert macintosh  chief economist with eaton vance management in boston. kathleen utgoff  commissioner of the bureau of labor  said many of the 71 000 new construction jobs added in october were involved in rebuilding and clean-up work in florida  and neighbouring deep south states  following four hurricanes in august and september. the dollar rose temporarily on the job creation news before falling back to a new record low against the euro  as investors returned their attention to other economic factors  such as the us s record trade deficit. there is also speculation that president bush will deliberately try to keep the dollar low in order to assist a growth in exports.


agassi fear for melbourne andre agassi s involvement in the australian open was put in doubt after he pulled out of the kooyong classic with a hip injury.  agassi was serving at 5-6 down in the first set to fellow american andy roddick when he decided to bring a premature end to the match.  my hip was cramping and i just could not continue   said the 34-year-old. agassi  who has won the australian open four times  will have an mri scan to discover the extent of the damage. he said the problem was not the same as the hip injury which forced him to miss wimbledon last year.   the good news is that it didn t just tear  it was tightening up and that can be your body protecting itself  which is hopefully more of the issue   he added.  that wasn t comfortable out there at all  what i was feeling.  i have to wait and see what i m dealing with - it s a pretty scary feeling out there when something doesn t feel right and is getting worse.  it s very disappointing and i ll have to do my best to deal with it. time will shortly tell if it (the australian open) is a possibility or not.  i was not counting on this being the end of the day for me.  maybe in a few days i ll have a much better sense of what my hopes will be.


new  yob  targets to be unveiled fifty new areas getting special help to fight anti-social behaviour in england and wales will be named on thursday.  ten areas have already had access to special prosecutors and local experts and the government is now expanding the crackdown to more towns and cities. details of how many anti-social behaviour orders (asbos) were used in the last year are also being published. labour sees nuisance behaviour as a key election issue but critics claim the record is at best patchy. a year ago  ministers launched their anti-social behaviour plan and thursday s figures offer a progress check. they will say that in the past year more than 2 600 anti-social behaviour orders were issued by the courts - more than double the total used in the previous four years.  police have also closed 150 crack houses and issued more than 400 dispersal orders  breaking up groups of youths in public places. the 50 new pilot areas to get special attention will also receive extra government funding. exeter and cardiff are among cities who have voiced interest in being involved.  prime minister tony blair is also expected to announce new measures to strengthen the use of asbos and fixed penalty notices. there are still concerns that some areas of the country are not using the powers properly.  he is expected to say that the new figures were heartening but he would not rest until similar action was taken in all areas of the country where it was needed.  we have not defeated this problem by any means  but shown together what can be done   he will say. mr blair this week defended the shake-up of the licensing laws  saying it was right to focus on troublemakers rather than treating everybody as a potential drunken nuisance.  ministers also boast of record police numbers and are speeding up plans to put in place 25 000 community support officers (csos). but researchers from leeds university warned that csos could undermine traditional bonds between police officers and communities. more work needed to be done on clarifying the role of different agencies and how they linked together before csos  they argued in a the study. critics of the government say it has announced more than 20 initiatives to tackle nuisance behaviour when the real focus should be on good policing. home office minister hazel blears also revealed this week that  about a third  of asbos were breached - with some people jailed and others not.


solskjaer raises hopes of return manchester united striker ole gunnar solskjaer said he hoped to return next season following a career-threatening injury to his right knee.  the 31-year-old norway international had surgery in sweden in august to transplant cartilage into the joint.  i m in no doubt that i ll play again   solskjaer told aftenposten daily.  the problem will be the speed but we re talking about eight months  time. it s going as it should with the knee. i m slavishly following a programme.  solskjaer last played for united as a late substitute in may s fa cup final win over millwall. his contract with united runs out in 2006  by which time he will have been at the premier league club for 10 years.


t-mobile bets on  pocket office  t-mobile has launched its latest  pocket office  third-generation (3g) device which also has built-in wi-fi - high-speed wireless net access.  unlike other devices where the user has to check which high-speed network is available to transfer data  the device selects the fastest one itself. the mda iv  released in the summer  is an upgrade to the company s existing smartphone  the 2.5g/wi-fi mda iii. it reflects the push by mobile firms for devices that are like mini laptops. the device has a display that can be swivelled and angled so it can be used like a small computer  or as a conventional clamshell phone. the microsoft mobile phone  with two cameras and a qwerty keyboard  reflects the design of similar all-in-one models released this year  such as motorola s mpx.  one in five european workers are already mobile - meaning they spend significant time travelling and out of the office   rene obermann  t-mobile s chief executive  told a press conference at the 3gsm trade show in cannes. he added:  what they need is their office when they are out of the office.  t-mobile said it was seeing increasing take up for what it calls  office in a pocket  devices  with 100 000 mdas sold in europe already.  in response to demand  t-mobile also said it would be adding the latest phone-shaped blackberry to its mobile range. reflecting the growing need to be connected outside the office  it announced it would introduce a flat-fee £20 ($38) a month wi-fi tariff for people in the uk using its wi-fi hotspots. it said it would nearly double the number of its hotspots - places where wi-fi access is available - globally from 12 300 to 20 000.  it also announced it was installing high-speed wi-fi on certain train services  such as the uk s london to brighton service  to provide commuters a fast net connection too. the service  which has been developed with southern trains  nomad digital (who provide the technology)  begins with a free trial on 16 trains on the route from early march to the end of april. a full service is set to follow in the summer. wi-fi access points will be connected to a wimax wireless network - faster than wi-fi - running alongside the train tracks. brian mcbride  managing director of t-mobile in the uk  said:  we see a growing trend for business users needing to access e-mail securely on the move.   we are able to offer this by maintaining a constant data session for the entire journey.  he said this was something other similar in-train wi-fi services  such as that offered on gner trains  did not offer yet. mr obermann added that the mobile industry in general was still growing  with many more opportunities for more services which would bear fruit for mobile companies in future. thousands of mobile industry experts are gathered in cannes  france  for the 3gsm which runs from 14 to 17 february.


ireland surge past scots ireland maintained their six nations grand slam ambitions with an impressive victory over scotland at murrayfield.  hugo southwell s try gave the scots an early 8-0 lead but scores from locks malcolm o kelly and paul o connell put the visitors in command by half-time. a third try from wing denis hickie and third penalty from ronan o gara  who kicked 13 points  extended the lead. jon petrie scored a second try for scotland but late scores from john hayes and gavin duffy sealed victory. after two hard-earned away victories  eddie o sullivan  side can now look forward to welcoming england to lansdowne road in a fortnight. scotland will try to give their coach matt williams a first six nations victory when italy come to edinburgh  but they again struggled to turn pressure into points. the home side started with tremendous intensity and dominated territory and possession in the opening 10 minutes. a powerful charge from flanker jason white was carried on by ali hogg and when ireland conceded a penalty close to their own line  scotland kicked it to touch. the irish defence foiled the home side on that occasion  but a stray hand in a ruck allowed paterson to stroke over a penalty in the eighth minute.  if that was a paltry reward for their early pressure  scotland got the try they deserved when paterson s searing break and andy craig s pass sent southwell streaking to the right corner. paterson was off target with the conversion and fly-half dan parks then missed a presentable drop-goal attempt. ireland got themselves on the scoreboard with an o gara penalty and by the 24th minute the visitors were ahead. stuart grimes pulled down o kelly at a line-out  ireland kicked the penalty to touch and from the set-piece  the big lock was driven over by the rest of his pack.  o gara added the conversion and a further penalty  after shane horgan almost grabbed a second try from o gara s chip to the corner  only for the ball to spill from his hand. but ireland still delivered a hammer blow to scotland s hopes just before the interval. o connell - skipper in the absence of brian o driscoll - powered through parks  weak tackle after a free-kick from a scrummage to burrow over.  scotland suffered a further blow on the resumption when ireland flanker johnny o connor won another vital turnover  and o gara s basketball pass sent hickie over in the left corner. o gara converted and then thumped over a 40m penalty to give the visitors a commanding 28-8 advantage. scotland looked bereft of ideas but a half-break from paterson sparked them back to life just before the hour. stuart grimes won a line-out and a well-worked move saw petrie scuttle round the side of the ruck to dive over in the left corner. but it proved a false dawn  and ireland reasserted their authority in the final 10 minutes. peter stringer and o kelly combined to put giant prop hayes over in the right corner before replacement gavin duffy scorched away on the left  david humphreys adding the final flourish with a touchline conversion.  : c paterson; s danielli  a craig  h southwell  s lamont; d parks  c cusiter; t smith  g bulloch (capt)  g kerr; s grimes  s murray; j white  a hogg  j petrie.  r russell  b douglas  n hines  j dunbar  m blair  g ross  b hinshelwood.  g murphy; g dempsey  s horgan  k maggs  d hickie  r o gara  p stringer; r corrigan  s byrne  j hayes  m o kelly  p o connell  s easterby  j o connor  a foley.  f sheahan  m horan  d o callaghan  e miller  g easterby  d humphreys  g duffy.  joel jutge (france)