yukos bankruptcy  not us matter  russian authorities do not have to abide by any us court decisions taken with regard to troubled oil giant yukos  a houston court has been told.  legal expert william butler said there was no treaty between the us and russia to recognise the other s legal rulings. that meant moscow would not have to adhere to us rulings in the yukos case. yukos says a us court was entitled to declare it bankrupt before its yugansk unit was sold  since it has a us subsidiary and local bank accounts.  yukos made its surprise chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in houston in december in an unsuccessful attempt to halt the auction of yugansk  its main oil producing unit  by russian authorities. yugansk was sold to help pay off a $27.5bn (£14.5bn) back tax bill. it was bought for $9.4bn by a previously unknown group  which was in turn bought by state-controlled oil company rosneft. the us court s jurisdiction has been challenged by deutsche bank and gazpromneft  a former unit of russian gas monopoly gazprom which is due to merge with rosneft. deutsche bank maintains the case has no place in a us court because yukos has no assets in the us  apart from two bank accounts and a house in houston owned by its chief finance officer bruce misamore. deutsche bank is involved in the case because it is itself being sued by yukos. it had agreed to loan gazpromneft the money to bid for yugansk. us bankruptcy judge letitia clark  who issued an injunction in december to try and prevent the yugansk sale  has said she will rule  pretty promptly  however i do not anticipate ruling on it before next tuesday .  yukos has claimed it sought help in the us because other forums - russian courts and the european court of human rights - were either unfriendly or offered less protection. it has claimed that russia imposed the huge tax bill and forced the sale of yugansk as part of a campaign to destroy yukos and its former owner mihkail khodorkovsky  who is facing a 10-year prison term in russia for fraud and tax evasion. yukos  parent company  the gibraltar-based menatep group  is suing russia in europe for $28.3bn in financial damages. the company is also seeking $20bn in a separate us lawsuit against rosneft and gazprom for their role in the sale of yugansk.


bmw cash to fuel mini production less than four years after the new mini was launched  german car maker bmw has announced £100m of new investment.  some 200 new jobs are to be created at the oxford factory  including modernised machinery and a new body shell production building. the result of the investment could be to raise output to more than 200 000 cars from 2007. the rise  from 189 000 last year  is a response to rapidly-rising demand and could help wipe out waiting lists. before wednesday s announcement  bmw had invested some £280m in mini production.  since its launch during summer 2001  the new mini has gone from strength to strength.  last year  almost one in six cars sold by the bmw group was a mini. the company admits that the success of the brand came despite scepticism from many in the industry.  our decision to produce a new mini was not received well right away   said norbert reithofer  a member of the bmw management board. initially  bmw said it would produce 100 000 mini models a year at its vast cowley factory on the outskirts of oxford  but the target was quickly reached  then raised  time and time again. not everyone is convinced that the boom can continue.  the risk is that after they ve invested massively in the brand  demand tapers off like it did with the new vw beetle   said brad wernle  from automotive news europe.  the price of the car has also gone up. when it was launched  the cheapest mini cost just more than £10 000. these days  buyers will have to fork out almost £11 500 to own a new mini one  or even more for the cooper s which costs up to £17 730. the mini convertible  which was launched last spring  costs up to £15 690 for the top model  and there is even a waiting list. second-hand minis are not cheap either. a mini one bought when the model was launched should still fetch at least £8 000 for the cheapest model  while a used cooper s is likely to be priced from £12 556  according to the-car buying website parker s. the consumers  association which operates with slightly different numbers  yet it confirms that the mini cooper 1.6 depreciates slower than any other car  other than the mercedes benz c180 se and the bmw 1 series 116i se.  the cowley factory  which initially seemed far too large a production plant for just 100 000 minis  is increasingly being put to good use.  there are plans to tear down old buildings and build new ones and there are rumours that a new paint shop could be included in the plans. bmw s mini adventure has made good much of what went wrong during its stewardship of the uk car maker rover which it sold for £10 five years ago to the phoenix consortium. in 1999  when bmw still owned rover  the oxford factory was producing the award-winning rover 75. during that year  3 500 people produced 56 000 cars. last year  in the same factory  almost four times as many vehicles were produced by just 4 500 mini-workers. the mini factory s current output is equally impressive when compared with the main rover factory in longbridge  which in 1999 produced 180 000 rover cars. last year  mg rover  which employs more than 6 000 people  produced just 110 000 cars  though it hopes to land a deal with shanghai automotive industry corporation (saic) that could help double the number of cars produced at longbridge. indeed  mini is not only producing more cars than mg rover does; it remains ahead even when the current sales of land rovers and range rovers (which are made by the former rover unit that bmw sold to ford) are taken into account.


libya takes $1bn in unfrozen funds libya has withdrawn $1bn in assets from the us  assets which had previously been frozen for almost 20 years  the libyan central bank has said.  the move came after the us lifted a trade ban to reward tripoli for giving up weapons of mass destruction and vowing to compensate lockerbie victims. the original size of libya s funds was $400m  the central bank told reuters. however  the withdrawal did not mean that libya had cut its ties with the us  he added.   we are in the process of opening accounts in banks in the united states   the central bank s vice president farhat omar ben gadaravice said. the previously frozen assets had been invested in various countries and are believed to have included equity holdings in banks. the us ban on trade and economic activity with tripoli - imposed by then president ronald regan in 1986 after a series of what the us deemed terrorist acts  including the 1988 lockerbie air crash - was suspended in april. bankers from the two country s had been working on how to unfreeze libya s assets.


tv debate urged for party chiefs broadcasters should fix a date for a pre-election televised debate between the three main political leaders  according to the hansard society.  it would then be up to tony blair  michael howard and charles kennedy to decide whether to take part  the non-partisan charity said. chairman lord holme argued that prime ministers should not have the right of veto on a matter  of public interest .  the broadcasters should make the decision to go ahead   he said.  lord holme s proposal for a televised debate comes just four months after millions of viewers were able to watch us president george w bush slug it out verbally with his democratic challenger john kerry. he said it was a  democratically dubious proposition  that it was up to the incumbent prime minister to decide whether a similar event takes place here.  if mr blair did not want to take part  the broadcasters could go ahead with an empty chair or cancel the event and explain their reasons why  lord holme said.  what makes the present situation even less acceptable is that although mr howard and mr kennedy have said they would welcome a debate  no-one has heard directly from the prime minister   he said.  it has been left to nudges and winks  hints and briefings from his aides and campaign managers to imply that mr blair doesn t want one  but we haven t heard from the prime minister himself.   lord holme  who has campaigned for televised debates at previous elections  said broadcasters were  more than willing to cooperate with the arrangements . opinion polls suggested that the idea had the backing of the public who like comparing the personalities and policies of the contenders in their own homes  he said.  lord holme argued that as part of their public service obligations  broadcasters  should make the decision to go ahead  as soon as the election is called. an independent third-party body such as the hansard society or electoral commission could work out the ground rules so they were fair to participants and informative to the public  he said.  it would be up to each party leader to accept or refuse   said lord holme.   if the prime minister s reported position is true and he does want to take part  he would then be obliged to say why publicly.  the broadcasters would then have the option of cancelling the event for obvious and well-understood reasons  or going ahead with an empty chair.  either way would be preferable to the present hidden veto.  the hansard society has long campaigned for televised debates and has published reports on the issue in 1997 and 2001. tony blair has already ruled out taking part in a televised debate during the forthcoming election campaign. last month he said:  we answer this every election campaign and  for the reasons i have given before  the answer is no   he said at his monthly news conference.


spain coach faces racism inquiry spain s football federation has initiated disciplinary action against national coach luis aragones over racist comments about thierry henry.  if found guilty aragones could lose his job or face a fine of about £22 000. the federation had initially declined to take action against aragones after comments he made during a national team training session in october. but its president angel maria villar changed his mind after a request by spain s anti-violence commission. aragones insisted the comments  made to henry s arsenal club-mate jose antonio reyes  were meant to motivate the player  and were not intended to be offensive.   i never intended to offend anyone  and for that reason i have a very easy conscience   he said at the time.  i m obliged to motivate my players to get the best results.  as part of that job  i use colloquial language  with which we can all understand each other within the framework of the football world.   england s players made a point of wearing anti-racism t-shirts when training before their friendly against spain in madrid last month.  but the storm increased following racist chanting by spanish fans at england s black players during the game  which spain won 1-0. spain s minister of sport jaime lissavetzky was quick to give his backing to the federation s decision.  everyone who has a public function has to consider their declarations  and make sure they do not give a negative image   he said.  we are going to have zero tolerance in questions of racism.


pete doherty misses bail deadline singer pete doherty will have to spend the weekend in jail because he could not come up with £150 000 bond money for his bail on time.  the former libertines singer had been granted bail with curfew restrictions at highbury corner magistrates court on charges of robbery and blackmail. but his lawyer said the money could not be raised on time. mr doherty  25  was arrested following an alleged incident in a london hotel on wednesday evening. musician alan wass  23  also of north london  appeared in court accused of the same offences.  magistrates imposed a range of bail conditions on mr doherty including a curfew between 2200 and 0700  except when he attends a drug rehabilitation centre. he was told he would not be able to leave his home without being accompanied by a security firm. he must also surrender his passport and report daily to a local police station. mr wass was also given a curfew and told to surrender his passport. mr doherty left the libertines at the end of june 2004  but continued performing with his band babyshambles. the singer  who has been linked to supermodel kate moss  was arrested after police were called to the islington hotel in response to claims that a man had been assaulted. a man in his 30s was later taken to university college hospital  london  with facial injuries  before being discharged. a lawyer representing mr doherty and mr wass said outside court the pair strenuously denied the charges.


roddick into san jose final andy roddick will play cyril saulnier in the final of the sap open in san jose on sunday.  the american top seed and defending champion overcame germany s tommy haas  the third seed  7-6 (7-3) 6-3. and saulnier survived an injury scare in his semi-final with seventh-seeded austrian jurgen melzer. the frenchman twisted his ankle early in the second set but overcame melzer  who was left fuming over a series of line calls  6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-3.  i was feeling horrible earlier in the week   roddick said.  i thought tonight was another step in the right direction.  on my returns  i was standing in more and i m getting a little more depth  even if i don t hit a perfect return.   roddick won the last four points of the first-set tie-break before being broken at the start of the second set. but he broke straight back and then broke haas again to lead 4-2.  it s extremely frustrating when you have chances against a top-five player and don t do anything with them   admitted haas.  i rushed a few backhands and he took advantage.  saulnier will move into the world s top 50 for the first time after his passage through to the final.  it s taken a lot of work and a lot of fighting in my mind   he revealed.  sometimes i didn t believe i could get to a final and now i am here. i ve stayed mentally strong.  i m on the way. i ll keep fighting and work a lot and i ll be up there.


trade gap narrows as exports rise the uk s trade gap narrowed in november  helped by a 7.5% rise in exports outside the european union.  according to the office for national statistics  the difference between what the uk exported and imported was £3.1bn ($5.8bn)  down from october s £3.6bn. overall uk exports - including both goods and services - rose by more than 3.2% to £24.8bn  although total imports rose again to a new record of £27.9bn. the deficit for goods alone was £4.6bn  down from october s £5bn. during november the uk exported £16.9bn worth of goods  but imported £21.5bn. the cumulative deficit for the first eleven months of 2004 now stands at £36.3bn  £4.5bn higher than the same period in 2003.  november saw an improvement in export levels to both the european union and the rest of the world  the office for national statistics (ons) said. eu exports rose 2%  fuelled by an increase in sales of chemicals. non-eu exports shot up 7.5%  with growth seen across a range of manufacturing sectors including cars  consumer durables and chemicals. the export boost offset a 1% rise in imports. non-eu imports rose 3%  but the growth in goods entering the uk from the eu slowed to 0.5%.  the uk s deficit with the eu fell to £1.9bn from £2.1bn  while its non-eu shortfall dropped to £2.7bn from £2.9bn in october.  the country s surplus on trade-in-services remained steady at £1.5bn for the fifth month in a row. paul dales  uk economist for capital economics  said the figures represented an improvement on recent months. however  he stressed that the long-term prognosis for exports was still uncertain.  the figures are a lot better than expected but the trend still remains poor   he said.  there have been some very encouraging signs that the uk export recovery is starting to take hold. but there is a danger that this could be held back by the ongoing weakness of domestic demand on the continent.


safin cool on wimbledon newly-crowned australian open champion marat safin has ruled out any chance of winning wimbledon in the future.  after losing in round one last year  safin said he had  given up  on wimbledon and winning his second grand slam title has not changed his mind.  i ll play  but with no expectations. i feel like i can t waste my time  my energy on that surface   he said.  some people  they cannot play on clay. some people  they cannot play on a hard court. me  i can t play on grass.  however  safin is hopeful that winning the australian open will give him the belief he needs to win more grand slam titles.  it s a relief for me. two grand slams  it s already something. but with this one i worked really hard for it   he said.  basically  i would love to win a couple more. i think i have a chance if i continue this way.   if (coach) peter lundgren will stick around with me and wants to work with me for a bit longer  i think i can make it.  the 25-year-old shocked pete sampras in the 2000 us open final to win his first major title but then lost in two australian open finals. safin admitted he had begun to doubt whether he would win another grand slam.  i didn t expect that (to win the 2000 us open) - it was against sampras  i wasn t the favourite so i had no pressure whatsoever   he said.  after the first final that i didn t win against thomas johansson (in 2002)  i couldn t see myself winning the grand slams anymore.  i was once in the semi-finals of the french open  but i didn t believe i can win it.  i just couldn t handle the pressure. you need to believe in yourself  and i didn t.   and after losing the first set 6-1 to lleyton hewitt in sunday s final  safin said he began to doubt himself again.  i am 25. i m playing against hewitt. at least you have to have the opportunity to win it  at least have a chance   he said.  it s like you go there and you lose first set 6-1  then you start to think:  this is not my day. the way i m playing is ridiculous.   but then you start to really be a little bit more selfish and try to find a way out of there.  and i found it. i was like really much i was much happier than in 2000  that s for sure  because i get over it.


foxx and swank take actors awards jamie foxx and hilary swank have won the screen actors guild awards for best male and female film actors  boosting their oscars hopes this month.  foxx s portrayal of late soul-singer ray charles in ray had already earned him a prestigious golden globe award. swank triumphed for playing a gutsy female boxer in million dollar baby. modest wine country comedy sideways knocked out favourites million dollar baby and the aviator by taking the top prize for best cast performance.  the screen actors guild (sag) represents us film and tv actors. its winners often go on to win oscars. in other nominations  cate blanchett triumphed as the best supporting actress for her role as katharine hepburn in the aviator. veteran actor morgan freeman took the best supporting actor award for playing a prize-fighter turned gym manager in million dollar baby.   thank you for ray charles for just living so complex and so interesting  and making us all just come together   said foxx  accepting his award in los angeles on saturday.  he also praised the film director:  thank you for taylor hackford for taking a chance with an african-american film. taylor  you re my director of the year.  swank  too  was full of praise for her director and co-star clint eastwood.  i bow down to you   swank said to the 74-year-old eastwood.  you are a talent beyond compare. if i m half the person you are and half the talent you are when i m 74  i will know that i ve accomplished something great.   both foxx and swank are now considered to be among the favourites to get oscars - the hollywood s ultimate prize. however  swank has to overcome a strong challenge from annette bening  a nominee for the theatre farce being julia. meanwhile  ballots for oscars - the hollywood s top honours - were mailed earlier this week to members of the academy of motion picture arts and sciences. the voting is due to end on 22 february - five days before the ceremony.


2d metal slug offers retro fun like some drill sergeant from the past  metal slug 3 is a wake-up call to today s gamers molly-coddled with slick visuals and fancy trimmings.  with its hand-animated sprites and 2d side-scrolling  this was even considered retro when released in arcades four years ago. but a more frantic shooter you will not find at the end of your joypad this year. and yes  that includes halo 2. simply choose your grunt and wade through five 2d side-scrolling levels of the most hectic video game blasting you will ever encounter. it is also the toughest game you are likely to play  as hordes of enemies and few lives pile the pressure on.  players must battle soldiers  snowmen  zombies  giant crabs and aliens  not to mention the huge  screen-filling bosses that guard each of the five levels.  the shoot-anything-that-moves gameplay is peppered with moments of old-school genius. fans of robotic gastropods should note the title refers  instead  to the vast array of vehicles on offer in a game stuffed with bizarre hardware. tanks  jets and submarines can be commandeered  as well as cannon-toting camels  elephants and ostriches - more weaponry on offer than in an acre of iraq. doling out justice is a joy thanks to ultra responsive controls  and while this is a tough nut to crack  it is addictive enough to have you gagging for that one last go. and at a mere £20  metal slug 3 is as cheap as sliced  fried spuds  as the man says. of course  most of you will ignore this  lacking as it does the visual fireworks of modern blasters. but at a time when blockbuster titles offer only a fresh lick of paint in favour of real innovation  metal slug 3 is a fresh gasp of air from an era when the xbox was not even a twinkle in bill gates  eye.


us woman sues over ink cartridges a us woman is suing hewlett packard (hp)  saying its printer ink cartridges are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date.  the unnamed woman from georgia says that a chip inside the cartridge tells the printer that it needs re-filling even when it does not. the lawsuit seeks to represent anyone in the us who has purchased an hp inkjet printer since february 2001. hp  the world s biggest printer firm  declined to comment on the lawsuit. hp ink cartridges use a chip technology to sense when they are low on ink and advise the user to make a change.  but the suit claims the chips also shut down the cartridges at a predetermined date regardless of whether they are empty.  the smart chip is dually engineered to prematurely register ink depletion and to render a cartridge unusable through the use of a built-in expiration date that is not revealed to the consumer   the suit said. the lawsuit is asking for restitution  damages and other compensation. the cost of printer cartridges has been a contentious issue in europe for the last 18 months. the price of inkjet printers has come down to as little as £34 but it could cost up to £1 700 in running costs over an 18-month period due to cartridge  a study by computeractive magazine revealed last year. the inkjet printer market has been the subject of an investigation by the uk s office of fair trading (oft)  which concluded in a 2002 report that retailers and manufacturers needed to make pricing more transparent for consumers.


roddick in talks over new coach andy roddick is reportedly close to confirming us davis cup assistant dean goldfine as his new coach.  roddick ended his 18-month partnership with brad gilbert on monday  and goldfine admits talks have taken place.  we had a really good conversation and we re on the same page in terms of what i expect from a player in commitment and what he wants   said goldfine.  the reading i got from him is that i would have a lot of the qualities he s looking for in a coach.  speaking to told south florida s sun-sentinel newspaper  goldfine added:  that being said  from his standpoint  which is smart  he wants to cover all his bases.  i think andy wants a long-term relationship and wants to make sure it s the right fit... the best fit.  goldfine  39  has worked with todd martin and roddick s close friend mardy fish  and was an assistant coach with the us olympic team. martin is the other name to have been linked to the vacant post alongside roddick.


god cut from dark materials film the director and screenwriter of the film adaptation of philip pullman s his dark materials is to remove references to god and the church in the movie.  chris weitz  director of about a boy  said the changes were being made after film studio new line expressed concern. the books tell of a battle against the church and a fight to overthrow god.  they have expressed worry about the possibility of perceived anti-religiosity   weitz told a his dark materials fans  website. pullman s trilogy has been attacked by some christian teachers and by the catholic press as blasphemy. weitz  who admitted he would not be many people s first choice to direct the films  said he regarded the film adaptation as  the most important work of my life .   in part because it is one of the few books to have changed my life   he told bridgetothestars.net. the award-winning trilogy - northern lights  the subtle knife and the amber spyglass - tell the story of oxford school child lyra belacqua. she is drawn into an epic struggle against the church  which has been carrying out experiments on children in an attempt to remove original sin.  as the books progress the struggle turns into a battle to overthrow the authority  a figure who is god-like in the books. weitz  who directed american pie and about a boy  said new line feared that any anti-religiosity in the film would make the project  unviable financially . he said:  all my best efforts will be directed towards keeping the film as liberating and iconoclastic an experience as i can.  but there may be some modification of terms.   weitz said he had visited pullman  who had told him that the authority could  represent any arbitrary establishment that curtails the freedom of the individual  whether it be religious  political  totalitarian  fundamentalist  communist  what have you . he added:  i have no desire to change the nature or intentions of the villains of the piece  but they may appear in more subtle guises.  there are a number of christian websites which attack the trilogy for their depiction of the church and of god  but pullman has denied his books are anti-religious. his agent told the times newspaper that pullman was happy with the adaptation so far.  of course new line want to make money  but mr weitz is a wonderful director and philip is very supportive.  you have to recognise that it is a challenge in the climate of bush s america


owen set for skipper role wales number eight michael owen says replacing gareth thomas as wales  captain will be straightforward because of the leadership quality in the squad.   you dream about playing for wales  but it never enters your head that you will one day captain your country   he said.  it s an easy job really because there are so many experienced players in the side  but it will be a massive honour.  coach mike ruddock says the 24-year-old should take the armband from broken thumb victim thomas against scotland. ruddock praised owen s contribution as vice-captain and pack leader in this year s wins over england  italy and france  notably his role in the second-half in paris following thomas  injury. the 22-cap dragons man says that thomas will be badly missed  though.  gareth is going to be a massive loss because he is a brilliant player and he has done a fantastic job since he has been captain   said owen.  he has put his own unique stamp on things. we are going to miss him but the strength of the squad is shown when you have someone like kevin morgan to step in.   owen admitted the grand slam had been mentioned within the squad but that no-one was getting carried away with the three victories over england  italy and france.  we can t get ahead of ourselves   he said.  we have a massive game next up and we are just looking forward to preparing for that.  scotland are improving all the time. like us they did well in france and were unlucky not to get a win.  against ireland they played fantastically well in the first 15 minutes before falling away.  they are probably going on a similar journey to the one we have been on in the last couple of years.


progress on new internet domains by early 2005 the net could have two new domain names.  the .post and .travel net domains have been given preliminary approval by the net s administrative body. the names are just two of a total of 10 proposed domains that are being considered by the internet corporation for assigned names and numbers  icann. the other proposed names include a domain for pornography  asia  mobile phones  an anti-spam domain and one for the catalan language and culture.  the .post domain is backed by the universal postal union that wants to use it as the online marker for every type of postal service and to help co-ordinate the e-commerce efforts of national post offices.  the .travel domain would be used by hotels  travel firms  airlines  tourism offices and would help such organisations distinguish themselves online. it is backed by a new york-based trade group called the travel partnership. icann said its early decision on the two domains was in response to the detailed technical and commercial information the organisations behind the names had submitted. despite this initial approval  icann cautioned that there was no guarantee that the domains would actually go into service. at the same time icann is considering proposals for another eight domains. one that may not win approval is a proposal to set up a .xxx domain for pornographic websites. a similar proposal has been made many times in the past. but icann has been reluctant to approve it because of the difficulty of making pornographers sign up and use it. in 2000 icann approved seven other new domains that have had varying degrees of success. three of the new so-called top level domains were for specific industries or organisations such as .museum and .aero. others such as .info and .biz were intended to be more generic. in total there are in excess of 200 domain names and the majority of these are for nations. but domains that end in the .com suffix are by far the most numerous.


call to save manufacturing jobs the trades union congress (tuc) is calling on the government to stem job losses in manufacturing firms by reviewing the help it gives companies.  the tuc said in its submission before the budget that action is needed because of 105 000 jobs lost from the sector over the last year. it calls for better pensions  child care provision and decent wages. the 36-page submission also urges the government to examine support other european countries provide to industry. tuc general secretary brendan barber called for  a commitment to policies that will make a real difference to the lives of working people.    greater investment in childcare strategies and the people delivering that childcare will increases the options available to working parents   he said.  a commitment to our public services and manufacturing sector ensures that we can continue to compete on a global level and deliver the frontline services that this country needs.  he also called for  practical measures  to help pensioners  especially women who he said  are most likely to retire in poverty . the submission also calls for decent wages and training for people working in the manufacturing sector.


aviator and vera take bafta glory hollywood blockbuster the aviator and low-budget british movie vera drake have shared the main honours at the 2005 bafta film awards. the aviator was declared best film  and its star cate blanchett won best supporting actress. but vera drake scored best director for mike leigh while imelda staunton took the hotly contested best actress award. jamie foxx won best actor for ray  while british actor clive owen took best supporting actor for closer. the two actors have repeated their success at the golden globes in january. but big british hope kate winslet walked away empty-handed on saturday despite two nominations for best actress. celebrating his win  the oscar-nominated owen told reporters:  the whole award season is new to me because i haven t won anything before. all of that is a bit overwhelming.  blanchett  who won a bafta in 1999 for her leading role in elizabeth  said:  winning a bafta means an enormous amount to me.  she thanked the woman she played  katharine hepburn  for paving the way for women to work in film.  thank you very much  i m sure you re pleased  although you re not able to see this   she said.  the aviator took four awards in all  also collecting best make-up and hair and production design  while vera drake also scooped best costume design. staunton  who is up for an oscar for her role in vera drake  arrived wearing a green silk and chiffon beaded evening dress.  thank you very much. i m so thrilled and so grateful and i m delighted that the success of vera drake has boosted sales of hair nets and pinnies  which is very good   she said on accepting her award. her director leigh  who beat martin scorsese to the best director award  told the audience:  we always say it was a surprise and sometimes i ve said it and not meant it. on this occasion  given the other names  it s a real surprise and an extraordinary honour.  it s an immense privilege to have been allowed the freedom to make as uncompromising a film as i think vera drake is and an epic with such a small budget.  best actor foxx could not make the ceremony  but actress helen mirren read out his acceptance speech.  i m honoured and proud to receive this bafta. i d like to thank the late ray charles himself.  he apologised for not being in london  joking:  unfortunately i m stuck driving a car in la at gunpoint and i can t get away.  dicaprio  who lost out on the best actor bafta to foxx  will face him again at the academy awards in two weeks  time.   it s the first time i ve come to the baftas because it s the first time i ve been nominated   he told reporters on the red carpet.  i ve appreciated british cinema for a long time and to be recognised like this is a special honour.  other winners included the motorcycle diaries which took best foreign film and best music  while eternal sunshine of the spotless mind won best original screenplay and best editing. best british film was my summer of love  the story of two young women and their developing relationship  while foxx s movie ray  a bio-pic of late singer ray charles  also took best sound. harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban won the orange film of the year  voted for by the public.  the orange british academy film awards are being shown on bbc one from 2010 gmt.


profile: gordon brown the ultimate prize of 10 downing street may continue to elude him but  as he prepares to deliver a record-breaking ninth budget  gordon brown can at least console himself with the thought that he is the longest serving chancellor of modern times.  he reached that milestone last june  when he overtook david lloyd george  who served for seven years and 43 days between 1908 and 1915. how much longer mr brown will continue in the job is not clear (he once said there are two types of chancellor:  those who fail and those who get out in time. ) there are rumours he will be moved to the foreign office if labour wins the general election. but  for now  mr brown dominates the domestic political scene like few chancellors - or politicians - before him.  gordon brown was born in glasgow on 20 february 1951  the son of a church of scotland minister in the small fife town of kirkcaldy. at 12  he was canvassing for labour and by his 20s he was a leading political activist in scotland. he achieved a first class degree in history from edinburgh university  where he went on to complete a phd. his early career was spent lecturing  working in television and making a name for himself in the scottish labour party.  his first attempt to enter westminster  for edinburgh south in 1979  was thwarted by the present tory spokesman on foreign affairs  michael ancram. but in 1983  he took dunfermline east  a new constituency including rosyth naval base  pit villages and coastal towns.  entering westminster  he came to share an office with the newly elected mp for sedgefield  tony blair. within four years  mr brown had gained his first frontbench post as shadow chief secretary to the treasury. he became shadow chancellor under john smith s leadership in 1992. after the death of leader john smith in 1994 he stood aside  agreeing to give tony blair a clear run at the leadership during a now infamous meal at the granita restaurant in islington.  the other part of the deal  that mr blair will one day stand down in favour of the chancellor  is the stuff of westminster legend. mr blair s supporters say such a deal never existed and endless newspaper columns - and even a television film - have been devoted to the alleged deal. but if his leadership ambitions were at least temporarily thwarted in 1994  mr brown continued his devotion to politics. during the 1997 election campaign  he is said to have worked an average of 18 hours a day  six days a week after running on a treadmill for an hour each morning.  this dedication to his career was underlined by a comment by mr brown s former girlfriend of five years  princess marguerite of romania  the eldest daughter of ex-king michael of romania  who said a relationship with him was  politics  politics  politics .  if that was true then  mr brown  who married pr executive sarah macaulay in 2000  changed his perspective when the couple were hit by tragedy early in 2002. their daughter jennifer died in edinburgh royal infirmary  10 days after being born seven weeks prematurely. a year later  in october 2003  the couple had a son - john - an event which again gave the chancellor an opportunity to show his softer side. a trip to africa earlier this year  to publicise his scheme to cancel the debt of poor nations  also gave the chancellor an opportunity to show his more human side.  the ideological differences between mr brown and mr blair remain relatively modest. the chancellor opposes the further encroachment of the market into the nhs and is seen as being more  old labour  than mr blair in his approach to wealth redistribution. but their shared belief that market economics are compatible with social justice continues to form the ideological heart of the new labour project. yet they are portrayed by the media as being locked in almost permanent conflict  with mr brown supposedly nursing resentment at being betrayed by his younger downing street neighbour over the succession. mr blair  for his part  is said to be frustrated that his public service reforms are being thwarted by a vengeful mr brown  who reportedly delights in keeping the prime minister in the dark over the contents of his budget until the last possible minute. after a recent run of negative headlines  labour mps took the unprecedented step of making a direct appeal to the two men stop bickering  for the good of the party. events like this  and the testimony of former ministerial colleagues  make it impossible to dismiss the brown/blair feud as just journalistic hearsay  cooked up by hacks and camp followers in the hothouse atmosphere of westminster. how much it damages the ability of government to do its job is open to question.  a truce appears to have been called in the run up to the general election after a fresh spat was sparked by blairite alan milburn being brought in over the head of mr brown to run the election campaign. but with the tories having appeared to get the better of the pre-election campaign thus far there are reports that mr brown - using the budget as a springboard - is to revitalise labour s campaign. amid all this it is easy to forget that mr brown remains the man most likely to succeed mr blair as labour leader. there may be no shortage of possible contenders for the crown - including mr milburn - but none can command the sort of support in the parliamentary party and beyond that mr brown can. and mr blair s decision to name his own retirement date has at least given mr brown something to aim for - even if the prime minister s intention to  serve a full third term  if elected  took the shine off the announcement for the chancellor and his supporters.


musical treatment for capra film the classic film it s a wonderful life is to be turned into a musical by the producer of the controversial hit show jerry springer - the opera.  frank capra s 1946 movie starring james stewart  is being turned into a £7m musical by producer jon thoday. he is working with steve brown  who wrote the award-winning musical spend spend spend. a spokeswoman said the plans were in the  very early stages   with no cast  opening date or theatre announced.  a series of workshops have been held in london  and on wednesday a cast of singers unveiled the musical to a select group of potential investors. mr thoday said the idea of turning the film into a musical had been an ambition of his for almost 20 years. it s a wonderful life was based on a short story  the greatest gift  by philip van doren stern. mr thoday managed to buy the rights to the story from van doren stern s family in 1999  following mr brown s success with spend spend spend. he later secured the film rights from paramount  enabling them to use the title it s a wonderful life.


rem concerts blighted by illness us rock band rem have been forced to cancel concerts after bass player mike mills was taken to hospital suffering from  severe flu-like symptoms .  the band were forced to cut short monday night s show in sheffield  and have cancelled tuesday s glasgow date. mills could  hardly stand up  let alone play   said an rem spokesman  who added he is now  resting  in hospital. the remainder of the band played a short acoustic set on monday. tuesday s gig has been rescheduled for 15 june. those who had a ticket for the show in glasgow are being advised to retain their ticket stub so they can attend the new date. the band s spokesman said that they would review their remaining dates on a  day-to-day basis   based on doctors  advice to mills.  obviously we all want mike to get better  and clearly we all want to play the shows. rest assured we will do so as soon as possible   he said.  the band were still hopeful they would be able to make their wednesday date  added the spokesman. rem played accoustic versions of their hits losing my religion  i ve been high  leaving new york and the one i love to the sheffield arena audience on monday. the band had originally been scheduled to play four dates in the uk as part of a world tour. in 1995 former drummer bill berry collapsed in switzerland while the band was on tour  having suffered a ruptured aneurysm. he made a full recovery  only to leave the band two years later.


game makers get xbox 2 sneak peek microsoft has given game makers a glimpse of the new xbox 2 console.  some details of the xbox s performance and what gaming will be like with the device were given at the annual game developers conference in the us. xbox frontman j. allard said the console looked set to be capable of one trillion calculations per second. also all titles for the new xbox will have the same interface to make it easy to play online and buy extras for characters or other add-ons for games.  microsoft is saving the official unveiling of the xbox 2  codenamed xenon  for the e3 show in may and the device could be on shop shelves by november. however  during his keynote speech at gdc mr allard  who heads development of game-making tools for the console  gave a glimpse into how some of its core software will work. he said gaming was entering a  high-definition  era that demanded detailed and convincing graphics that could adequately compete with the hdtv people were starting to watch as well as the hd dvds that will soon start to appear.  industry watchers took this to mean that the xbox 2 will push for hdtv quality graphics as standard as well as multi-channel audio to give gamers an authentic experience. mr allard said microsoft had to work hard to ensure that it was easy for game makers to produce titles for the xbox 2 and for players to get playing. to this end microsoft was building in to xbox hardware systems to support headset chat  buddy list controls and custom soundtracks so developers were free to concentrate on the games. the xbox would also support well-known industry specifications  such as directx  to make it simple for game studios to make titles for the console. for gamers this emphasis on ease of use would mean every xbox title uses the same interface to set up online play and get at music stored on the hardware. this interface will hold details of a player s statistics and skill level on a  gamer card  as well as give access to a store where people can spend small amounts of cash to buy extras for their avatars or add-ons  such as new maps or vehicles  for games they possess. this ability to personalise games and in-game characters would be key in the future  said mr allard. only with such consistency would the xbox be able to support the 10-20 million subscribers that it was aiming for  said mr allard. during his speech mr allard took several swipes at the playstation and said processors for consoles had to be made with developers  not just engineers  in mind.  our approach is bruce lee  not brute force   he said.


english clubs make euro history all four of england s champions league representatives have reached the knockout stages for the first time.  arsenal and chelsea are seeded as group winners  while runners-up manchester united and liverpool are not. rules stipulate that teams from the same country or group will be kept apart in the draw on 17 december. the favourites are chelsea and barcelona  and real madrid  the two milan sides  juventus and bayern munich are among the 16 still in the hat.  steven gerrard s last-gasp wonder-strike secured qualification for  against olympiakos on wednesday evening.  ac milan  bayer leverkusen  internazionale  juventus  lyon.  who had already qualified  fielded a second-string side and went down 3-0 to fenerbahce.  ac milan  bayer leverkusen  internazionale  juventus  monaco.  on tuesday   finished top of their group with a 5-1 win over the rosenborg after drawing four of their first five matches.  barcelona  bayern munich  porto  real madrid  werder bremen    who had already qualified lost 2-1 to porto as jose mourinho made an unhappy return to his former club.  barcelona  bayern munich  psv eindhoven  real madrid  werder bremen.


mobile music challenges  ipod age  nokia and microsoft have agreed a deal to work on delivery of music to handsets  while sony ericsson has unveiled its phone walkman and motorola is working on an itunes phone.  can mobile phones replace the mp3 player in your pocket  the music download market has been growing steadily since record firms embraced digital distribution. ease of use  relative low price and increased access to broadband has helped drive the phenomenal growth of mp3 players.  full-length music downloads on mobile phones have not taken off so quickly - held back by technical challenges as well as issues over music availability. but the mobile music industry is confident that the days of dedicated mp3 players are numbered.  gilles babinet  chief executive of mobile music firm musiwave  said:  music downloads on mobiles have the potential to be the biggest-ever medium for music.   musiwave provides downloading infrastructure for the mobile phone market and mr babinet said the industry was enjoying  definite momentum.  but there are hurdles to overcome. mobile phones offer limited storage for music - certainly nothing to rival apple s 60gb ipod. but the first mobile phones with hard disk players will be on the market soon and the current generation of mobiles using flash technology can store up to one gigabyte of music - enough for 250 songs.  we are working in the hard disk area and we will be bringing out exciting devices   jonas guest  vice president for entertainment at nokia  told the bbc news website. but will mobiles become mere storage devices   one of the problems we could have is that mobiles are used just for storage and playback while pcs are used for downloading   said mr babinet   we don t want people to cast aside their pcs - we want mobile users to hook up into the existing ecosystems   explained mr guest.  you must enable people to transfer music from a pc to a handset and vice versa.   one of the key elements of the nokia and microsoft deal is the agreed ability to transfer songs between a handset and a pc. microsoft will adopt open standards allowing music to cross boundaries for the first time. songs can be downloaded on pc or mobile and transferred between the platforms.  the line between online and wireless is going to blur   predicted ted cohen  senior vice president of digital development and distribution at emi. he said:  the market is more regional in its maturity. in asia it is beyond belief.  the majority of our digital revenues in asia comes from mobiles. in north america it is fixed line while there is equilibrium in europe.   emi currently offers its entire 200 000 download catalogue for use by both by pcs and mobile phones. mr cohen said:  it s going to be just as important to connect through 3g or wireless as it is through your pc.  we want music to be a continuum.  the seamless experience of mobiles and pc downloads is approaching  he predicted. mr babinet said the mobile phone had a number of advantages over pcs which would see it become the focus for music downloading in the future.  getting music from your pc onto a device is not an easy experience. you have to switch the pc on  load the operating system  load the program  buy the music  download the music  and then transfer the music.  all of these steps can be done in one step on a mobile phone.  he said the mobile phone s billing system would make it easier for teenagers to embrace downloads  because pre-paid cards were already accepted by the age group.   certainly  we have a problem with battery  memory and bandwidth. but it s not about the current status. it s about the potential.  you will have all of your music on your mobile.  all three men said that the social interaction of mobile music would drive the market. mr cohen said:  i can send you the song and it is either billed to me or i send it to you and if you listen to it and want to keep  it is billed to you.  it s a social phenomenon.  mr babinet said:  today you use radio and tv to discover music. tomorrow you will discover and consume music via one device - the mobile.


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


officials respond in court row australian tennis  top official has defended the australian open courts at melbourne park after criticism of the playing surface by lleyton hewitt.  hewitt said he had had a  gutful  of trying to persuade them to make the surface faster but tennis australia s geoff pollard rejected his comments.  we did ask for it to be made faster than last year and  to my knowledge  it is faster   he said.  we spent a substantial amount of money on modifications to make it faster.  hewitt  who has not got past the fourth round at melbourne in seven attempts  had earlier said the surface was not worthy of such a prestigious tournament. but he said he would play on whatever surface he had to in order to have a chance of winning. the tournament starts on 17 january  and pollard said the surface had been speeded up since last year s tournament following complaints by several australian players. but he refused to accept that the melbourne surface may have had a bearing on hewitt s performances over the years.  lleyton s proving how versatile he is on all surfaces   he said.  it is faster than last year and that ll be faster than the one lleyton beat roger federer on in the davis cup in 2003.


call for kenteris to be cleared kostas kenteris  lawyer has called for the doping charges against the greek sprinter to be dropped.  gregory ioannidis has submitted new evidence to a greek athletics tribunal which he claims proves the former olympic champion has no case to answer. kenteris and compatriot katerina thanou were given provisional suspensions in december for failing to take drugs tests before the athens olympics. the greek tribunal is expected to give its verdict early next week. kenteris and thanou withdrew from the athens olympics last august after missing drugs tests on the eve of the opening ceremony. they were also alleged to have avoided tests in tel aviv and chicago before the games.  but ioannidis said:  everything overwhelmingly shows that the charges should be dropped.  ioannidis also said he has presented evidence that will throw a different light on the events leading up to the pair s sensational withdrawal from the athens games. the lawyer added that he has proof the authorities  knew  kenteris was in germany at the time he was alleged to have missed a test in chicago. nick davies  spokesman for athletics  ruling body the iaaf  which handed out the provisional bans  said:  we can t comment because we were not present at the hearing and don t know what was said behind closed doors.  we expect a verdict from the greek athletics federation before the end of february and will obviously be making a statement then.  kenteris won 200m gold at the 2000 sydney olympics  while thanou won silver in the 100m.


blair labour s longest-serving pm tony blair has become the labour party s longest-serving prime minister.  the 51-year-old premier has marked his 2 838th day in the post  overtaking the combined length of harold wilson s two terms during the 1960s and 1970s. if mr blair wins the next election and fulfils his promise to serve a full third term  he will surpass margaret thatcher s 11 years by the end of 2008. in 1997  mr blair became the youngest premier of the 20th century  when he came to power at the age of 43. the last prime minister to be installed at a younger age was lord liverpool  who was a year his junior in 1812.  mr blair s other political firsts include becoming the first labour leader to win two successive full terms in power after the 2001 labour landslide. and the birth of the blairs  fourth child  leo  on 20 may  2000  was the first child born to a serving prime minister in more than 150 years. the last  downing street dad  was lord john russell in 1848. labour won a huge majority of 167 over the conservatives in 2001  but mr blair has since been criticised by many in his own party. the war in iraq and reforms of the health service and education system have provoked dissent from backbenchers.  gordon brown  chancellor of the exchequer under mr blair  became britain s longest-serving chancellor of modern times in 2004. former labour leader lord kinnock said the chancellor would be best placed to take over from mr blair. when asked about the future leadership of the party  he told itv wales  waterfront programme:  that contest is a long way away and it will occur only when the prime minister  tony blair  decides he s subscribed all he can and then wants to go.  i think that the main contender will be gordon brown  who is a man of virtually unmatched capability and now great experience.  both mr brown and mr blair rose to prominence when lord kinnock led labour between 1983 and 1992.


qwest may spark mci bidding war us phone company qwest has said it will table a new offer for mci after losing out to larger rival verizon  setting the scene for a possible bidding war.  mci accepted a $6.75bn (£3.6bn) buyout from telecoms giant verizon on monday  rejecting a higher offer from qwest. qwest chairman richard notebaert sent a letter to mci s board on thursday saying that it plans to submit a new offer after examining verizon s bid. formerly known as worldcom  mci is a long-distance and corporate phone firm. snapping up mci would give the buyer access to a global telecommunications network and a large number of business-based subscribers. shares of mci were up more than 4% in electronic trading after the close of new york markets.  qwest said on wednesday that mci had rejected a deal worth $8bn.  we would like to advise you that once we have completed our review of the verizon merger agreement  we do intend to submit a modified offer to acquire mci   the letter from qwest said. verizon s offer is made up of cash  shares and dividends  and a number of investors have said that it undervalues mci. verizon plans to swap 0.41 of its shares and $1.50 in cash for each mci share  as well as offering special dividends of $4.50 a share. both company boards have backed the deal  but regulators will still need to give their approval. as well as trying to lure investors with the promise of better returns  qwest also reckons that its offer will face less regulatory scrutiny than verizon s.  the takeover would be the fifth billion-dollar telecoms deal since october as companies look to cut costs and boost client bases. earlier this month  sbc communications agreed to buy its former parent and phone trailblazer at&t for about $16bn. there may be concerns other than cash  however  especially as mci only emerged from bankruptcy protection last april. verizon is far bigger than qwest  has fewer debts and has built a successful mobile division. also  mci  while trading under the name worldcom  became the biggest corporate bankruptcy in us history after admitting that it illegally booked expenses and inflated profits. former worldcom boss bernie ebbers is currently standing trial  accused of overseeing an $11bn fraud. qwest  meanwhile  had to pay the securities and exchange commission $250m in october to settle charges that it massaged earnings to keep wall street happy.


mobile gig aims to rock 3g forget about going to a crowded bar to enjoy a gig by the latest darlings of the music press.  now you could also be at a live gig on your mobile  via the latest third generation (3g) video phones. rock outfit rooster are playing what has been billed as the first ever concert broadcast by phone on tuesday evening from a london venue. the 45-minute gig is due to be  phone cast  by the 3g mobile phone operator  3. 3g technology lets people take  watch and send video clips on their phones  as well as swap data much faster than with 2g networks like gsm. people with 3g phones in the uk can already download football and music clips on their handsets.  some 1 000 fans of the london-based band will have to pay five pounds for a ticket and need a 3g handset.   once you have paid  you can come and go as much as you like  because we expect the customers to be mobile   said 3 spokesperson belinda henderson.  it s like going to a concert hall  except that you are virtually there.  the company behind the trial hopes to learn more about how people use their video phones.  we are looking on how long people will stay on average on the streams. some people may stay the whole time  some may dip in and out   said ms henderson.  we actually expect people to dip in and out because they are mobile and they will be doing other things.  3 is looking to music as a way of persuading more people to take up the latest video phones. it is already planning regular gigs throughout 2005. and during the intermission  of course  you would still be able to make a phone call.


doors open at biggest gadget fair thousands of technology lovers and industry experts have gathered in las vegas for the annual consumer electronics show (ces).  the fair showcases the latest technologies and gadgets that will hit the shops in the next year. about 50 000 new products will be unveiled as the show unfolds. microsoft chief bill gates is to make a pre-show keynote speech on wednesday when he is expected to announce details of the next generation xbox.  the thrust of this year s show will be on technologies which put people in charge of multimedia content so they can store  listen to  and watch what they want on devices any time  anywhere. about 120 000 people are expected to attend the trade show which stretches over more than 1.5 million square feet. highlights will include the latest trends in digital imaging  storage technologies  thinner flat screen and high-definition tvs  wireless and portable technologies  gaming  and broadband technologies. the show also includes several speeches from key technology companies such as intel  microsoft  and hewlett packard among others.  the story this year remains all about digital and how that is completely transforming and revolutionising products and the way people interact with them   jeff joseph  from the consumer electronics association (cea) told the bbc news website.  it is about personalisation - taking your mp3 player and creating your own playlist  taking your digital video recorder and watch what you want to watch when - you are no longer at the whim of the broadcasters.   consumer electronics and gadgets had a phenomenal year in 2004  according to figures released by ces organisers  the cea  on tuesday. the gadget explosion signalled the strongest growth yet in the us in 2004. shipments of consumer electronics rose by almost 11% between 2003 and 2004. that trend is predicted to continue  according to cea analysts  with wholesale shipments of consumer technologies expected to grow by 11% again in 2005. the fastest-growing technologies in 2004 included blank dvd media  liquid crystal display (lcd) tvs  digital video recorders (dvrs)  and portable music players.  this year we will really begin to see that come to life in what we call place shifting - so if you have your pvr [personal video recorder] in your living room  you can move that content around the house.  some exhibitors will be showcasing how you can take that content anywhere   said mr joseph. he said the products which will be making waves in the next year will be about the  democratisation  of content - devices and technologies that will give people the freedom to do more with music  video  and images. there will also be more focus on the design of technologies  following the lead that apple s ipod made  with ease of use and good looks which appeal to a wider range of people a key concern.  the cea predicted that there would be several key technology trends to watch in the coming year. gaming would continue to thrive  especially on mobile devices  and would reach out to more diverse gamers such as women. games consoles sales have been declining  but the launch of next generation consoles  such as microsoft s xbox and playstation  could buoy up sales. although it has been widely predicted that mr gates would be showcasing the new xbox  some media reports have cast doubt on what he would be talking about in the keynote. some have suggested the announcement may take place at the games developers conference in the summer instead. with more than 52% of us homes expected to have home networks  the cea suggested hard drive boxes - or media servers - capable of storing thousands of images  video and audio files to be accessed through other devices around the home  will be more commonplace. portable devices that combine mobile telephony  digital music and video players  will also be more popular in 2005. their popularity will be driven by more multimedia content and services which will let people watch and listen to films  tv  and audio wherever they are. this means more storage technologies will be in demand  such as external hard drives  and flash memory like sd cards. ces runs officially from 6 to 9 january.


worcester v sale (fri) sixways  friday  25 february  2000 gmt  they make just one change  with tim collier replacing phil murphy in the second row. in contrast  sale are missing 14 players due to a combination of international call-ups and injuries. john payne and chris rhys jones come into the centres while scrum-half richard wigglesworth looks set to play on the wing.  delport; pieters  rasmussen  lombard  o leary; brown  powell; windo  van niekerk  horsman; collier  gillies; hickey  sanderson  macleod- henderson.  replacements: fortey  murphy  daly  vaili  cole  hayes  trueman.  hanley; mayor  payne  rhys jones  wigglesworth; hercus  redpath (capt); turner  roddam  stewart; day  schofield; caillet  carter  chabal.  replacements (from): bozzi  coutts  anglesea  lund  martens  riley  duffy  c jones.


european losses hit gm s profits general motors (gm) saw its net profits fall 37% in the last quarter of 2004  as it continued to be hit by losses at its european operations.  the us giant earned $630m (£481.5m) in the october-to-december period  down from $1bn in the fourth quarter of 2003. gm s revenues rose 4.7% to $51.2bn from $48.8bn a year earlier. the fourth-quarter losses at general motors europe totalled $345m  up from $66m during the same period in 2003. gm s main european brands are opel and vauxhall.  excluding special items  gm s global income from continuing operations totalled $569m during the quarter  down from $838m a year earlier. the results were in line with wall street expectations and shares in gm rose by about 1% in pre-market trade. for the whole of 2004  gm earned $3.7bn  down from $3.8bn in 2003  while its annual revenue rose 4.5% to $193bn. gm said its profits were also hit by higher healthcare costs in the us.  gm reported solid overall results in 2004  despite challenging competitive conditions in many markets around the globe   gm chairman and chief executive rick wagoner said in a statement. the company recently announced that it expected profits in 2005 to be lower than in 2004.


brown to outline presidency goals next year will be  make or break  for development in poorer countries gordon brown will say as he sets out uk goals for its eu and g8 presidencies.  the chancellor is due to outline a series of key targets the government will be judged on in 2005. they will include doubling aid from donor countries and eliminating debt owed by the poorest nations. mr brown also wants other g8 nations to match his target for overseas aid - spending 0.7% of national income.  he also wants the richer countries to do more to help the development of vaccines for aids and malaria. the chancellor is travelling to america next week as part of his persuasion drive over the issue. he told bbc radio 4 s today programme:  we need more resources allied to progress on trade and progress on debt relief if we are going to make an impact on the problems of ill health  of illiteracy  of poverty  particularly in africa but right through the developing countries.   his proposals were effectively a new  marshall plan  for the world  including an international finance facility  which would issue bonds in an attempt to double global aid cash to $100bn a year. agreement in the doha development talks could also give developing nations the trading ability they needed  he argued. the european union s common agricultural policy had caused aggravated trade problems  he said  but there was now an agreement to end export subsidies.  mr brown said much had been achieved on issues such as debt relief in the last seven years. but with 30 000 children were dying unnecessarily every day more was needed  including 100% debt relief multilaterally.  that is why next year is a test   he said.  if after five years of making promises the world is not prepared to honour them  then people will be justified in saying they promised but they did not produce results.  the catholic aid agency cafod will host mr brown s speech on wednesday.  cafod wants britain to use its influence to pressure countries like the us to make firm commitments to tackle global poverty. mr brown said america too needed to take more action but defended president george bush for guaranteeing resources to countries which introduced reforms to tackle corruption. oxfam s paying the price report this week said 45 million children will die needlessly before 2015 and aid budgets are half their 1960 levels. the charity s director  barbara stocking  said:  2005 offers the chance for an historic breakthrough  but unless world leaders act now the year will end in shameful failure.  the report said the g8 of top industrialised nations had agreed in 1970 to spend 0.7% of their incomes on aid.  but 34 years later none of the organisations members had reached this target and many had not yet set a timetable. mr blair  who has described africa as a  scar  on the world s conscience  has already said tackling world poverty would be one his g8 priorities along with climate change and the aids epidemic. but band aid founder bob geldof in july said he was sick of hearing  guff  about scars on the world. it was pathetic that britain was the 4th richest country in the world but only the 11th most generous aid donor  he added. conservative shadow international development secretary alan duncan accused mr brown of missing his target on providing anti-retroviral drug treatment to three million africans by 2005. instead  only 500 000 people would benefit  he said.  there s no point in him demanding praise and adulation for setting a whole new raft of targets when he has so woefully failed to meet the ones he already has   added mr duncan.


brown names 16 march for budget chancellor gordon brown will deliver his budget to the house of commons on 16 march  the treasury has announced.  the budget  likely to be the last before the general election  will be at about 1230 gmt on that wednesday  just after prime minister s question time. the annual event is when the chancellor outlines the government s taxation and broader economic predictions. the tories say it is likely the budget will contain measures to attract votes. the election is expected on 5 may.  next month s budget will be mr brown s ninth since labour came to power in 1997. if a may election is called  there could be as little as 18 days between the budget and the announcement of a date for the election. a shortened finance bill would have to be rushed through parliament with all-party support to allow the government to continue collecting revenue.  the full finance bill  with the budget measures in it  would then be returned to the commons after the election  if labour secures another term in office. tory shadow chancellor oliver letwin said:  we can be sure of two things: the budget will contain measures to attract votes  and it will not contain the £8 billion of tax rises which independent experts say are inevitable if labour wins the election.  as mr brown announced the budget date in a short ministerial statement  accountancy firm ernst & young urged him to put politics aside and focus on the long-term requirements of the economy.  in the budgets that were given immediately before the last six elections  taxes were cut by the incumbent chancellor and  in many cases  taxes were increased soon after the election result   said aidan o carroll  e&y s uk head of tax.


gold falls on imf sale concerns the price of gold has fallen after the international monetary fund (imf) said it will look at ways of using its gold reserves to provide debt relief.  by revaluing its holdings  the imf may be able to sell billions of dollars of gold and use the cash to cancel debts owed by the world s poorest nations. the plan was put forward by g7 finance ministers over the weekend. the price of gold fell to $413.50 an ounce in asia  before rebounding slightly in early european trading.  imf boss rodrigo rato was asked by g7 ministers to carry out a study into the feasibility of revaluing and selling gold reserves.  he is expected to present his conclusions at an imf meeting in washington during april.  whatever happens the market is going to be disconcerted and on the back foot until the april imf meetings   said john reade  an analyst at ubs. the imf values its gold reserves at between $40 and $50 an ounce  a price that was fixed in the 1970s and is about a tenth of the metal s current market value. the imf has 3 217 tonnes of gold  or about 113.5m ounces. bringing the book price of the gold in line with market value would boost the imf s balance sheet  giving it more money to distribute.  this idea has been put forward before  but there now seems to be a more committed political drive to address the issue of global poverty.  this is the first time there has been a mention of the use of gold in a g7 communiqué for achieving debt relief   said uk chancellor of the exchequer gordon brown. at their meeting in london  g7 finance ministers backed plans to write off up to 100% of the debts owed by some of the world s poorest countries. mr brown said the meeting would be remembered as  the 100% debt relief summit . while debt relief seems to have jumped to the top of the global agenda  not everyone is convinced that selling imf gold is the best way forward. the us  which can veto any plan to sell imf gold should it so choose  said it is looking at other ways of solving the problem.  the us is not convinced that s the necessary way to do it   said treasury under secretary john taylor. canada  a key gold producer  also expressed reservations.


humanoid robot learns how to run car-maker honda s humanoid robot asimo has just got faster and smarter.  the japanese firm is a leader in developing two-legged robots and the new  improved asimo (advanced step in innovative mobility) can now run  find his way around obstacles as well as interact with people. eventually asimo could find gainful employment in homes and offices.  the aim is to develop a robot that can help people in their daily lives   said a honda spokesman.  to get the robot running for the first time was not an easy process as it involved asimo making an accurate leap and absorbing the impact of landing without slipping or spinning. the  run  he is now capable of is perhaps not quite up to olympic star kelly holmes  standard. at 3km/h  it is closer to a leisurely jog. its makers claim that it is almost four times as fast as sony s qrio  which became the first robot to run last year. the criteria for running robots is defined by engineers as having both feet off the ground between strides. asimo has improved in other ways too  increasing his walking speed  from 1.6km/h to 2.5km  growing 10cm to 130cm and putting on 2kg in weight. while he may not quite be ready for yoga  he does have more freedom of movement  being able to twist his hips and bend his wrists  thumbs and neck.  asimo has already made his mark on the international robot scene and in november was inducted into the robot hall of fame. he has wowed audiences around the world with his ability to walk upstairs  recognise faces and come when beckoned. in august 2003 he even attended a state dinner in the czech republic  travelling with the japanese prime minister as a goodwill envoy. he is one of a handful of robots used by tech firms to trumpet their technological advances. technology developed for asimo could be used in the automobile industry as electronics increasingly take over from mechanics in car design. for the moment asimo s biggest role is an entertainer and the audience gathered to see his first public run greeted his slightly comical gait with amusement  according to reports. robots can fulfil serious functions in society and the united nations economic commission for europe predicts that the worldwide market for industrial robots will swell from 81 000 units in 2003 to 106 000 in 2007.


comeback  show for friends star friends actress lisa kudrow is to play the lead role in a new series about a one-time sitcom star  according to the hollywood reporter.  thirteen episodes of comeback have been commissioned by cable channel hbo  home of hits such as sex and the city. kudrow  who played phoebe in friends  co-wrote the pilot episode and will also act as executive producer. hbo has been looking for its next big comedy hit since sex and the city drew to a close in the us in february. comeback is the first 30-minute comedy series that the channel has picked up since the sex and the city drew to the end of its six-year-run. friends ended its 10-year run on the nbc network in may  and attentions have turned to which projects its six individual stars would pursue.  matt leblanc is starring in a friends spin-off sitcom  charting joey s fortunes in los angeles as he pursues his acting career. jennifer aniston  who was rachel in the long-running show  has enjoyed a series of successful film appearances  with further projects in the pipeline. courteney cox arquette (monica) has been working on a drama project along with husband david arquette for hbo  called the rise and fall of taylor kennedy. matthew perry  who played chandler  has appeared on the west end stage  and has a film  the beginning of wisdom  currently in production. and david schwimmer (ross) directed during his time on friends  and has also worked on joey.


mourinho defiant on chelsea form chelsea boss jose mourinho has insisted that sir alex ferguson and arsene wenger would swap places with him.  mourinho s side were knocked out of the fa cup by newcastle last sunday before seeing barcelona secure a 2-1 champions league first-leg lead in the nou camp. but he denied his club was suffering a dip in form which league rivals arsenal and manchester united could exploit.  they cannot speak to us about blips because they re not in a better position than us   mourinho said.  do they want to change positions with us  we are top of the league by nine points and in the carling cup final.  the only thing they can say they are in a better position than us in is the fa cup.  in the champions league all three teams can either go through or go out but the one team that is in the best position is still chelsea.   mourinho said it was important to keep his team s results in perspective.  don t try to put pressure on me because i am never under pressure   he warned.  we have lost one important game this week - at newcastle - and we re out of the fa cup but i don t think a defeat in a first-leg tie is a real defeat. we are just 2-1 down at half-time.  asked if his chelsea honeymoon was now over  mourinho replied:  i have had 20 years of honeymoons with my wife.  the day that this club is not happy with me is the day that i go.


new foot and mouth action urged a senior tory mp has criticised agriculture department defra s  lackadaisical  approach to planning for a future foot and mouth outbreak.  public accounts committee chairman edward leigh was giving his reaction to a report by a government watchdog on lessons to be learnt from the crisis. the national audit office said defra had improved its capacity to deal with future livestock disease outbreaks. but mr leigh said the department was  dragging its heels .  that comment referred to the setting up of a scheme to share any future compensation costs with industry. he also said defra had been  dreadfully slow  in paying some of its bills dating from the foot and mouth crisis.  the outbreak  which began in 2001  led to the slaughter of 6.5 million animals  devastated many farms and rural businesses  and is estimated to have cost the uk up to £8bn.  four years after the outbreak  defra is yet to begin its planned review of some of its contractors  costs  and £40m of invoices remain unpaid   mr leigh said. mr leigh also pointed out that the introduction of an it system to help control future outbreaks had been delayed. in november it emerged european commission compensation amounted to just over a third of the money the uk government had hoped to get as reimbursement for the billions lost through the foot and mouth crisis.  ministers had hoped to get £900m from the european union vet fund to help with animal slaughter and other costs but in the end was granted £349m. that was because the uk had valued the culled animals at between  two and three times  the commission s assessment of their likely market value. national audit office chief sir john bourn said a new compensation scheme was now being looked at. on the issue of the unpaid invoices  sir john said defra had paid 97% of the £1.3bn submitted by contractors since 2001   but has not agreed a final settlement with 57 contractors pending the results of its investigations .  mr leigh said being  better prepared  would also help avoid the need for  mass funeral pyres which provided an unsettling images of the 2001 outbreak . a defra spokesman said:  we welcome the report. it acknowledges the progress the department has made since 2001 - particularly on contingency planning and our improved capacity and preparedness for combating another major disease outbreak.  however  the department is aware that there are some areas requiring further work and we are working to resolve them as soon as is practicable.


taxes must be trusted - kennedy public trust in taxes is breaking down because labour and tories are not being straight with people on the issue  lib dem leader charles kennedy has said.  a day ahead of the government s pre-budget report  mr kennedy used a speech to say his party was facing up to  painful economic realities . he said the current level of taxation was about right  although he would put a new 50% tax on top earners. other parties have accused the lib dems of making uncosted promises. mr kennedy made it clear he was determined to counter that accusation. the lib dems have already published what they say are the full costings for all their plans and wednesday s speech did not announce new policies.  speaking at the commonwealth club  mr kennedy said it was critical for a political party to have economic credibility  both on what it promised and what it was expected to deliver. he said.  budgets have to add up. tough choices are needed in public spending.  the lib dems would cut  low priority  spending  including the government s id cards scheme and the child trust fund.  those cutbacks would free up funds for increasing basic state pensions for over-75s  putting more police on the streets and reintroducing fee eye and dental checks  he said. the lib dems argue they were honest about taxes in the past by calling for a 1p rise on income tax. now they say the only simple tax rise they want is a new 50% tax band for top earners to pay for scrapping university tuition fees  providing free personal care for elderly and disabled people and keeping local taxes down. there would also be a local income tax to replace council tax and a number of changes to environmental taxes to ensure it is the  polluter who pays .  the lib dems say the tories have only laid out possible options for cutting taxes to grab headlines while labour has hidden most of its tax rises. mr kennedy said:  that contract with the people - that the government will only tax fairly and will spend their money wisely - can only be sustained if the political parties are straightforward about their plans.  with the stealth tax strategy of gordon brown  the obvious unfairness of our current tax system - especially the council tax  and the empty promises of the conservative party on this issue - it is no wonder that trust in taxation is breaking down.  he challenged the treasury to open up its books so the national audit office can report on the government s performance.  conservative co-chairman liam fox said: liam fox said  if charles kennedy is serious about making his budgets add up he should start by explaining how they would fund their 100 spending commitments.  the reality is  the lib dems lack the courage to tackle waste and bureaucracy  and the only people who would face  tough choices  would be the families who would be £630 worse off a year.   and chancellor gordon brown said the lib dem figures did not add up. he accused the party of claiming it would spend less while across the country committing itself to spend more.


the sound of music is coming home the original stage production of the sound of music is to be performed for the first time in the austrian capital  40 years after the film was released.  the first full-scale theatrical production of the musical will make its debut in vienna on saturday. julie andrews starred in the 1965 film version of the rogers and hammerstein classic set in the alpine country. but despite being one of the most successful musicals of all time  it is barely known inside austria.  the film was never shown in any cinema in austria and was not broadcast on television until the early 1990s. the musical is based on the true story of the von trapp family who formed a singing troupe and escaped from nazi-occupied austria in 1938.  sensitivities about nazism during wartime austria and issues towards the von trapp family themselves could explain austria s reluctance to embrace the musical. another source of irritation for austrians is the song edelweiss  which is considered an traditional folk song by many filmgoers. the song was actually an invention by rodgers and hammerstein. many also consider the film to portray a kitsch image of austria  including yodelling  goat-herds and lederhosen. the production is being staged at a viennese opera house  the volksoper  beginning on saturday. maria  the novice nun who falls in love with baron von trapp  will be played by austro-australian actress and singer sandra pires.


iraqis win death test case probe the family of an iraqi civilian allegedly killed by uk troops have won a challenge against the government s refusal to order a full inquiry.  the high court ruled on tuesday that baha mousa s death in british custody in iraq fell within the european convention on human rights. and the judges paved the way for an independent inquiry by saying previous investigations were inadequate. but judicial reviews into five other deaths in southern iraq were ruled out. their families will be appealing against the judgement.  the families  solicitor phil shiner described it as  a historic day for human rights and the rule of law in the uk . father-of-two mr mousa  28  a hotel receptionist  was arrested with eight men seized at a hotel in basra in september 2003. he was allegedly beaten to death while in the custody of the queen s lancashire regiment. the iraqi families  lawyer argued that failing to adequately investigate the death breached the european convention on human rights.  ministry of defence lawyers argued the uk-controlled area of southern iraq was outside european jurisdiction. but lord justice rix and mr justice forbes ruled that uk jurisdiction could extend to a uk-run prison  but did not apply  to the total territory of another state . they said as mr mousa was in custody when he died  his case came within the uk s jurisdiction. the other five iraqis did not die in custody  so their cases had to fail  they said.  and it was difficult to say that the investigation which had already occurred  has been timely  open or effective   the judges said. after the ruling carla ferstman  legal director of the human rights organisation redress  said:  it is not enough for the military to investigate behind closed doors.  there must be an effective public investigation by an independent official body. only such an investigation could reveal what really happened and who might be responsible.  other allegations involving british soldiers included the shooting of an iraqi police commissioner and the shooting of four iraqi civilians in may 2003. both sides were granted permission to appeal.  prime minister tony blair s official spokesman said:  obviously we will need to study this detailed judgment. i would point out  however  that a separate criminal case is currently being considered by the army prosecuting authority.  i can t say anything further for obvious reasons. the mod are considering whether to appeal.  but former british commander colonel bob stewart said :  anyone at the top [of the military] will be saddened by the verdict that has taken place but will say:  if there s a case to answer  let s have it out. because we don t want people thinking that british soldiers beat up civilians and get away with it    he said.  the ministry of defence does everything in its power to try to prove we act ethically and properly under the rules of war.


mcclaren targets champions league middlesbrough boss steve mcclaren believes his side can clinch a top-four spot in the premiership and secure qualification for the champions league.  after their 3-2 win over manchester city  mcclaren said:  we are playing exciting football  it s a magnificent result to keep us in the top five.  but how well we do depends how often we can get our best team out.  once we got the third goal it should have been four or five but we nearly paid for it in the end.  mcclaren also praised winger stewart downing and strikers jimmy floyd hasselbaink and mark viduka  who both ended barren runs in front of goal. he added:  if stewart keeps playing like this sven-goran eriksson has got to pick him.  and the strikers scored great goals  the combination play between them shows they want to play with each other and they are trying.


redknapp s saints face pompey tie new southampton manager harry redknapp faces an immediate reunion with his old club portsmouth after they were drawn together in the fa cup fourth round.  exeter city face a home tie against middlesbrough if they can see off holders manchester united in a replay. oldham s reward for beating manchester city is a home tie with bolton  while yeovil will be away to charlton. chelsea host birmingham  tottenham travel to west brom and arsenal will entertain championship side wolves. saints boss redknapp was upbeat about the draw despite having to face the club he walked out on just six weeks ago.  i ve said before  i can walk away from portsmouth with my head held high  i m proud of what i did there and no one can take that away from me   said redknapp.  maybe i ll be in for some stick  there s always some of that but we ll get on with it and it s only a game of football.  birmingham manager steve bruce admitted their trip to stamford bridge to face premiership leaders chelsea was the toughest draw possible. bruce said:  i m still in shock. we ve given good accounts of ourselves against chelsea in the past and played well when we lost 1-0 at home at the start of the season - but that s the past.  but it s the best competition in the world as far as i am concerned and we will give it our best shot.  brentford boss martin allen remained cautious despite his side s favourable draw - a home tie with either hartlepool or boston.  the best thing is  it s a home game. however  we know that whoever we play it is going to be a really tough game   said allen.  but it s not about the opposition  it s about us. we all want to get through to the next round and face a massive team  that s the way it is.   meanwhile  the bbc has confirmed it will be televising exeter s replay with man utd live on wednesday 19 january  from 1930 on bbc one.  derby v watford or fulham  man utd or exeter v middlesbrough  cardiff or blackburn v colchester  chelsea v birmingham  west ham v sheff utd  oldham v bolton  arsenal v wolverhampton  everton v sunderland  nottm forest v peterborough  brentford v hartlepool or boston  reading or swansea v leicester or blackpool  burnley or liverpool v bournemouth  southampton v portsmouth  west brom v tottenham  newcastle v coventry  charlton v yeovil


tough rules for ringtone sellers firms that flout rules on how ringtones and other mobile extras are sold could be cut off from all uk phone networks.  the rules allow offenders to be cut off if they do not let consumers know exactly what they get for their money and how to turn off the services. the first month under the new rules has seen at least ten firms suspended while they clean up the way they work. the rules have been brought in to ensure that the problems plaguing net users do not spread to mobile phones.  in the last couple of years ringtones  wallpapers  screensavers and lots of other extras for phones have become hugely popular. but fierce competition is making it difficult for firms to get their wares in front of consumers  said jeremy flynn  head of third party services at vodafone.   if you are not on the operator s portal you are going to have quite heavy marketing costs because it s a problem of how people discover your services   he said. to combat this many ringtone and other mobile content sellers started using a new tactic to squeeze more cash out of customers. this tactic involved signing people up for a subscription to give them  for instance  several ringtones per week or month instead of the single track they thought they were getting. mr flynn said that the move to using subscriptions happened over the space of a few weeks at the end of 2004. websites such as grumbletext.co.uk started getting reports from customers who were racking up large bills for phone content they did not know they had signed up for.  what made us uncomfortable was that these services were not being marketed transparently   said mr flynn.  people did not know they were being offered a subscription service.   we saw potential for substantial consumer harm here   he added.  the swift adoption of subscription services led to the creation of a new code of conduct for firms that want to sell content for mobile phones. the drafting of the new rules was led by the mobile entertainment forum and the uk s phone firms.  everyone is required to conform to this code of conduct   said andrew bud  regulatory head of the mef and executive chairman of messaging firm mblox.   it s all about transparency   he said.  consumers have to be told what they have got themselves into and how to get out of it.   the consumer has a right to be protected   he said. christian harris  partnership manager of mobile content firm zed  said the new system was essential if consumers were to trust companies that sell ringtones and other downloads.  the groundrules must be applied across the whole industry and if that s done effectively we will see the cowboys driven out   he said. the new rules came in to force on 15 january and the first month under the new regime has seen many firms cautioned for not honouring them. some have been told to revamp websites so customers know what they get for their money and what they are signing up for  said mr flynn. also  said mr flynn  vodafone has briefly cut off between eight and ten content sellers flouting the rules.  we have quite draconian contracts with firms   he said.  we do not have to say why. we can just cut them off.  under the rules consumers must be able to switch off the services by using a universal  stop  command sent via text message. he said the system had been designed to limit how much a consumer will pay if they inadvertently signed up for a service.  the mobile is so personal that people really resent the abuse of what is effectively part of their personality   said mr flynn.


galloway plea for hostage release ex-labour mp george galloway has appealed for the release of aid worker margaret hassan  kidnapped in iraq.  mrs hassan  59  who led care international operations in iraq  was abducted in baghdad on 19 october. mr galloway was expelled from the labour party because of his staunch opposition to the war on iraq. he denied an earlier report that he planned to make a direct appeal to the kidnappers via the al-jazeera arabic television channel.  speaking in london on saturday at the first annual delegate conference of his newly-founded party  the respect coalition  he said:  i have deliberately not involved myself before in any of these situations.  but this woman has been a prominent opponent of both the war and the preceding years of sanctions.  i am prepared to do anything i can to help save her life.  a spokesman later said mr galloway had friends in common with ms hassan  who he described as a prominent anti-war activist  and that he was  willing to do anything - go to iraq or be an intermediary or anything that s necessary . since her abduction  several videos of mrs hassan have been broadcast by al-jazeera. the latest footage showed mrs hassan asking for british troops to be pulled out of iraq. she also urged care international  the aid agency she works for  to close its office in baghdad  and appealed for iraqi women prisoners to be freed. care has since closed down all its operations in iraq.