hitler  row over welsh arts cash an artist critical of welsh arts funding being brought under assembly government control has denied comparing the idea with dictatorships in russia and germany.  shani rhys james is worried that the arts council of wales may be taken over by the welsh assembly government. culture minister alun pugh said it would be  crass and ignorant  to liken a quango review to hitler s germany. but ms james emphasised she had actually said artists needed freedom. the future of the arts council of wales has been in question since it was announced that most welsh quangos would eventually be abolished.  it was announced last july that three welsh quangos  education and training body elwa  the wales tourist board and the welsh development agency  would be brought under assembly government control. the arts council of wales may be among the next to come under the assembly government s umbrella. but ms james  who won the £30 000 jerwood painting prize in 2003  said arts funding should be separate from government. ms james told bbc radio wales:  it s quite dangerous when you involve politicians because it s not like the health service and it s not like the railways.  free expression is absolutely vital in a democratic society. you need distance  you do not need government interference because it could be taken the wrong way.   but she said reports that she had likened the assembly government to totalitarian regimes were inaccurate.  she told good morning wales:  just to put the record straight  that business in the paper where it said i likened the government to bolshevik russia or hitler s germany  the actual quote i gave was:  it is vital to a civilised society that we allow artists to express themselves without government control .  as we know from past european history  i.e. russia and germany in the early 20th century  artists will go underground or leave the country or rather than compromise their expression .  artists need a free voice to express themselves - they reflect a truth through their own art forms.   she said the assembly government was not best placed to run the arts in wales.  she added:  it would be a momentous change and devastating to the arts. it would set the arts scene back 60 years  because i really don t think the government has the expertise.  if you have the national assembly taking control  i fear you are going to be going back to the dragons and leeks and the choirs.   wales has moved on. it is international now. it is not set back in how green was my valley   responding to ms james  criticisms  mr pugh said:  the structure of unelected quangos is under review and we have made it clear that further announcements are due shortly.  comparing the welsh assembly government to hitler s germany is a crass and ignorant response to a real issue about democratic accountability.  ms james  whose father was welsh  was born in melbourne where her parents worked in the theatre. she moved to powys nearly 20 years ago where she works from her studio near llangadfan. she has won a number of arts prizes including the wales open in 1989 and the mostyn open in 1991.


peugeot deal boosts mitsubishi struggling japanese car maker mitsubishi motors has struck a deal to supply french car maker peugeot with 30 000 sports utility vehicles (suv).  the two firms signed a memorandum of understanding  and say they expect to seal a final agreement by spring 2005. the alliance comes as a badly-needed boost for loss-making mitsubishi  after several profit warnings and poor sales. the suvs will be built in japan using peugeot s diesel engines and sold mainly in the european market. falling sales have left mitsubishi motors with underused capacity  and the production deal with peugeot gives it a chance to utilise some of it.  in january  mitsubishi motors issued its third profits warning in nine months  and cut its sales forecasts for the year to march 2005. its sales have slid 41% in the past year  catalysed by the revelation that the company had systematically been hiding records of faults and then secretly repairing vehicles. as a result  the japanese car maker has sought a series of financial bailouts. last month it said it was looking for a further 540bn yen ($5.2bn; £2.77bn) in fresh financial backing  half of it from other companies in the mitsubishi group. us-german carmaker daimlerchrylser  a 30% shareholder in mitsubishi motors  decided in april 2004 not to pump in any more money. the deal with peugeot was celebrated by mitsubishi s newly-appointed chief executive takashi nishioka  who took over after three top bosses stood down last month to shoulder responsibility for the firm s troubles. mitsubishi motors has forecast a net loss of 472bn yen in its current financial year to march 2005. last month  it signed a production agreement with japanese rival nissan motor to supply it with 36 000 small cars for sale in japan. it has been making cars for nissan since 2003.


pupils to get anti-piracy lessons lessons on music piracy and copyright issues are to be taught to secondary school pupils in the uk.  the lessons  aimed at 11 to 14-year-olds  will introduce them to copyright - including the issues of downloading from the internet and the illegal copying of cds - and its role in protecting creativity.  music piracy  including illegally swapping music online  costs the uk music industry millions every year and has been blamed for a decline in world-wide cd sales. british music rights (bmr) - which was formed to represent the interests of songwriters and composers - worked with education experts to put together a learning pack.  songwriter guy chambers  who has worked with stars including robbie williams  has thrown his support behind the scheme. he said as well as educating children about music piracy  it would also protect young people planning a career in the music industry from  unscrupulous  individuals. at a debate in london to launch the scheme  chambers said:  i think it is important that young people receive practical and engaging learning in schools.  these lessons will give them an insight into how the creative industries work which will help them in possible future careers.  the education pack  which has already been requested by more than 1 600 secondary schools  is aimed at giving children an understanding of copyright in relation to the music industry. it will also teach children about the importance of royalties and raises awareness of different careers in the music industry  particularly in the digital age.  henri yoxall  general manager of british music rights  told bbc news schools had been crying out for a resource to help them educate pupils about the issues. the scheme - which is an extension of bmr s respect the value of music campaign - is also being backed by singer-songwriters feargal sharkey  lucie silvas and grammy award-winning composer david arnold. silvas said:  i think it is so important that students gain an understanding of how the music industry works when they are at a young age.  i wish i had been given an opportunity like this when i was at school.  emma pike  director general of british music rights  said:  we believe that copyright is an essential part of teaching music in schools. it is vital that the creatives of the future know how to turn their ideas into value.  copyright education has always been important... creatives are facing more challenges and more opportunities from technological change.  technology is allowing people to create music and distribute their music to the public in a whole host of new ways.


fosters buys stake in winemaker australian brewer fosters has bought a large stake in australian winemaker southcorp  sparking rumours of a possible takeover.  fosters bought 18.8% of southcorp  the global winemaker behind the penfolds  lindemans and rosemount brands  for 4.17 australian dollars per share. a bid at that price would value the company at a$3.1bn ($2.4bn; £1.25bn ). fosters said it was currently in discussions  which may lead to a major corporate announcement .  in a separate statement  southcorp confirmed the brewer had asked for talks. both firms asked the sydney stock market to suspend trading in their shares until monday. southcorp s shares were suspended at a$4.25.  fosters bought the 18.8% stake from reline investments  the family investment firm for the oatleys  who founded the rosemount estates label and sold it to southcorp in 2001. robert oatley and his son sandy oatley have both resigned from southcorp s board following the share deal. southcorp employs 2 700 people and is the largest single investor in rural australia  according to its website. the prospect of fosters launching a major acquisition startled investors  as the brewer said last summer that it was not looking to expand through a big buy in the near future. it has cash available  after getting a$846m from selling property business lensworth  but it has been widely expected to return cash to shareholders.   people will scratching their heads over this one. fosters has done a back-flip   said shawn burns  a fund manger at deutsche asset management. southcorp s shares have risen in recent months on speculation that it could become a takeover target. it spent two years in the red  returning to profit in 2004. consolidation in the wine industry is being driven by constellation  the world s biggest winemaker. it seized the top spot when it bought australian firm brl hardy for just over $1bn in 2003. since then  it has paid $1bn for us wine maker robert mondavi  bought last month. fosters  main wine business is beringer blass wine estate. its best known brand is fosters lager  though it makes a clutch of beer brands  and spirits. analysts were divided on thursday about whether fosters was more likely to go for a takeover or merely wanted to take a big enough chunk of southcorp to prevent it falling to a rival.  currently  i think the strategic position is more sensible rather than an outright takeover   said one analyst quoted by the agence france presse news agency. however  matt williams  a fund manager at perpetual trustees said taking the stake  is definitely a precursor to a takeover .


india s maruti sees profits jump india s biggest carmaker maruti has reported a sharp increase in quarterly profit after a booming economy and low interest rates boosted demand.  net profit surged 70% to 2.39bn rupees ($54.98m; £29.32m) in the last three months of 2004 compared with 1.41bn rupees a year earlier. total sales were 30.1bn rupees  up 27% from the same 2004 period. maruti accounts for half of india s domestic car sales  luring consumers with cheap  fuel-efficient vehicles.  demand in india also has been driven by the poor state of public transport and the very low level of car ownership  analysts said.  figures show that only eight people per thousand are car owners. maruti beat market expectations despite an increase in raw materials costs. the company  majority-owned by japan s suzuki  said an increase in steel and other raw material prices was partially offset by cost cutting. sales in the fiscal third quarter  including vans and utility vehicles  rose by 17.8% to 136.069 units. maruti is not the only company benefiting as indian s economic growth gives consumer greater spending power. utility vehicle and tractor maker mahindra has reported a 52% rise in net profit during the last three months of 2004. profit was 1.33bn rupees compared with 874.2m rupees a year earlier.


obituary: dame alicia markova dame alicia markova  who has died in bath aged 94  was the uk s first prima ballerina of the modern age  and  in her heyday  the greatest in the western world.  she was born lilian alicia marks in london in 1910. her parents were comfortably off - her father  a mining engineer  drove a rolls royce. when she was eight  her mother took a decision which changed her life. fearing that she had flat feet and weak legs  she arranged for her to have ballet lessons. very quickly it became apparent that she was something special. she was spotted by the russian artistic impresario  sergei diaghilev  who wanted her to dance for his company  ballets russes. she became ill with diphtheria but kept in touch  and  eventually  with a governess in tow  joined diaghilev in monte carlo when she was 14.  from here  she toured europe  playing in all the top venues. it was diaghilev who changed her name without even consulting her. her life was one of great excitement. people such as matisse and stravinsky became like uncles to her  the latter put in charge of her musical education. soon after diaghilev s death in 1929  alicia markova returned to england and became britain s first international ballerina. she helped launch the ballet club at the mercury theatre (later the ballet rambert)  the vic wells ballet  and then  with anton dolin  the markova-dolin ballet of 1935-37. she also began working with young choreographers such as anthony tudor and frederick ashton who became huge influences on the direction of ballet in the west.  her version of giselle  all lightness and grace  is still considered to be among the finest ever. she was also outstanding in the dying swan. she was one of the first british ballerinas to take a major part in les sylphides. she  above all  helped popularise ballet both in britain and in america.  alicia markova spent world war ii in the united states where  in a re-formed ballets russes  she played to huge audiences. she even appeared in hollywood movies. in 1950  back in england  she and anton dolin jointly established the festival ballet. she retired in 1963  an  instant decision  she said   largely because of a leg injury . created a dame  she made a new career for herself as a teacher. she also travelled the world directing ballet companies and putting on shows. she became director of ballet for the metropolitan opera ballet in new york  and for some years was full-time professor of ballet and performing arts in the university of cincinnati. a critic once said of dame alicia markova s dancing:  she gave the illusion of moving as if she had no weight to get off the ground.


sa unveils  more for all  budget the south african government has put tax cuts and increased social spending at the centre of its latest budget.  aiming to both stir economic growth and aid the country s poor  finance minister trevor manuel said the focus of the 2005 budget was  more for all . the tax cuts target firms and individuals  cutting corporate tax from 30% to 29% and offering income tax cuts worth 6.8bn rand ($1.2bn; £910m). spending on health and education will rise by 9.4% and 8.1% respectively. spending on housing and sanitation will rise by 12%. all the spending increases will run over the next three years.  unveiling the 418bn-rand budget to parliament  mr manuel said the south african economy had grown by an average of 3.2% over the past four years  slightly below the african average of 4%.  he predicted that the south african economy would grow by 4.3% in 2005 and 4.2% in 2006. mr manuel added that inflation fell to 4.3% in 2004 and is expected to remain at between 3% and 6% from now until at least 2008  helped by interest rates which are at their lowest level in 24 years. given that both corporate and personal taxes are being cut - under the new measures  those earning less than 35 000 rand a year will be exempt from income tax - the extra 22.3bn rand in social spending will be partly met by higher fuel  tobacco and alcohol taxes.   in this budget  the focus is on more for all  not more for some  and not a hell of a lot more for a few  but spread across all of south africa   said mr manuel. he said that the economic situation was a  marked improvement  on the position at the end of apartheid  but acknowledged that more needed to be done to improve the lives and livelihoods of the disadvantaged. about 280 000 jobs a year have been created in south africa since 2000 but unemployment remains high  currently close to 30%. economist colen garrow said the budget looked as if it would stimulate economic growth.  it s pleasant to see the cut in company taxes  it s a good incentive for business   he said.


few ready  for information act thousands of public bodies are ill-prepared for the freedom of information act  due to come into force next month  because of government failures  say mps.  from next month anyone will have the power to demand information from a range of public bodies - from whitehall departments to doctors  surgeries. but an all-party committee said it was  not confident  many would be ready. it blamed the department for constitutional affairs for a  lack of consistent leadership .  the act comes into effect in england  wales and northern ireland  on 1 january while similar measures are being brought in at the same time in scotland. it provides the public with a right of access to information held by about 100 000 public bodies  subject to various exemptions.  but the government department responsible for implementing the change suffered from an  unusually high turnover  of staff within the department  which had  seriously interfered  with its work  said the constitutional affairs select committee. it said  despite four years of preparations  some local authorities and parts of the health sector were still not ready. the dca had  failed  to provide early guidance on technical matters and shown a  lack of consistent leadership   the mps found. committee chairman alan beith said:  the dca has had four years to prepare for freedom of information  but with less than a month to go it appears that some bodies may not be well enough prepared.  our report shows that in the past support and guidance from the dca  which has overall responsibility for guiding the public sector through the process of implementation for the freedom of information regime  has been lacking.  a spokesman for the dca said:  the dca has provided - and will continue to provide - strong  clear leadership.  it has delivered a simple  liberal fees regime  guidance on the act which has been widely praised  and expert networks of staff working on freedom of information implementation.


elvis regains top chart position elvis presley has scored his 19th number one single in the uk charts with the re-release of jailhouse rock  27 years after his death.  elvis knocked x factor winner steve brookstein down into second place after three weeks in the charts. in at number three was iron maiden for the number of the beast and erasure entered the chart at four with breathe. elvis s number one is the 999th in chart history and comes the day after what would have been his 70th birthday. fans around the world held tribute events for the singer on saturday  ranging from concerts to memorabilia exhibitions. meanwhile  a poll carried out by royalty payments group the performing right society found that the wonder of you is the elvis song most performed by live bands and tribute acts.  record company sonybmg are releasing elvis s 18 number one singles at the rate of one a week in britain  complete with original artwork and a collector s box. hit single one night will follow next week - with the chance of becoming the 1 000th number one as interest surrounding elvis s birthday grows. elsewhere in the singles charts  the scissor sisters went straight in at number five with filthy/gorgeous. band aid 20 slipped to six after seven weeks in the chart with do they know it s christmas. the other two new entries are dana rayne with object of my desire at seven and kasabian who are at number eight with cut off. making up the top 10 are boulevard of broken dreams by green day  down three places to number nine  and out of touch by uniting nations  also down three places to 10. in the album charts  the scissor sisters went to number one with their self-titled release  knocking green day s american idiot to third place. the killers  album hot fuss moved up three to number two.


labour mps  fears over squabbling if there is one thing certain to stiffen the spines of labour mps it is the prospect of losing their seats at a general election.  and it was largely that fear that led to tony blair and gordon brown being read the riot act during a meeting of the parliamentary labour party. the views expressed by both backbenchers and labour peers over the claimed squabbling between the two men starkly demonstrated the widely-held view within the labour party that the two most powerful figures in the government are jeopardising the next election. as one hugely-disgruntled backbencher said before the meeting:  it is time they realised it s not just my seat they are threatening but if they go on like this they could put the election in doubt.  it is a sentiment that is now running throughout the labour benches with mps eager to underline the message to their leaders to stop the squabbling and get on with the job at hand.  as paul flynn said:  what has deeply upset the party is in this time of all times  when we wanted to come together  we wanted to lead on the global issues  to change politics for the next decade  the whole thing was wrecked by a piece of childishness by the two main people in the party  two people we greatly respect.   stephen pound echoed the message  saying:  we know that the one thing that could entirely jeopardise what we are trying to achieve  not for the labour party but for this country  is the appearance of division. we remember the 1980s . they backed the suggestion that unless the squabbling stopped  the people briefing on behalf of the two men would be  named and shamed . the dressing down appears to have done the trick  with mr brown joining his alleged rival alan milburn - who the prime minister put in charge of election planning in mr brown s stead - and deputy prime minister john prescott at an election poster launch. but the effect of all this is to have achieved two things. firstly  nobody is attempting to suggest any more that the stories of the rift between the chancellor and the prime minister are fictions created by the media and authors. even mr prescott admitted that  had he still been a backbencher  he would have been giving mr blair and mr brown the same message.  secondly it has also underlined the view that the election campaign has  to all intents and purposes  kicked off. but whether the telling off and the subsequent change in behaviour by the two men will do any good - or can even be sustained through the campaign - remains to be seen.  even as the mps were expressing their fears it emerged that  while mr brown is in africa for a week  the prime minister is to deliver a keynote speech on election themes for a third term. and he is expected to repeat his recent insistence that the next manifesto will be  new  labour through and through. similarly  some were pointing out that the chancellor  during the election poster launch  once again refused to deny the claim that he told the prime minister he could never trust anything he said. none the less  what some believe now is that the effect of the warnings from the backbenchers will actually be to silence the brown camp  effectively strengthening the prime minister s hand. for example  will those brownite briefers suggest their man is unhappy at the prime minister s timing or subject matter  as may have been the case in the past  what all seem agreed on  however  is that this sniping simply cannot be allowed to go on through the election campaign. mind you  we have heard similar pledges before.


microsoft debuts security tools microsoft is releasing tools that clean up pcs harbouring viruses and spyware.  the virus-fighting program will be updated monthly and is a precursor to microsoft releasing dedicated anti-virus software. also being released is a software utility that will help users find and remove any spyware on their home computer. although initially free it is thought that soon microsoft will be charging users for the anti-spyware tool.  the anti-spyware tool is available now and the anti-virus utility is expected to be available later this month. microsoft s windows operating system has long been a favourite of people who write computer viruses because it is so ubiquitous and has many loopholes that can be exploited. it has proved such a tempting target that there are now thought to be more than 100 000 viruses and other malicious programs in existence. latest research suggests that new variants of viruses are being cranked out at a rate of up to 200 per week. spyware is surreptitious software that sneaks on to home computers  often without users  knowledge. in its most benign form it just bombards users with pop-up adverts or hijacks web browser settings. the most malicious forms steal confidential information or log every keystroke that users make. surveys have shown that most pcs are infested with spyware. research by technology firms earthlink and webroot revealed that 90% of windows machine have the malicious software on board and  on average  each one harbours 28 separate spyware programs. before now microsoft has left the market for pc security software to specialist firms such as symantec  mcafee  trend micro and many others. it said that its virus cleaning program would not stop machines being infected nor remove the need for other anti-virus programs. on spyware freely available programs such as ad-aware and spybot have become widely used by people keen to keep the latest variants at bay. microsoft s two security tools have emerged as a result of acquisitions the company has made over the last two years. in 2003 it bought romanian firm gecad software to get hold of its anti-virus technology. in december 2004 it bought new york-based anti-spyware firm giant company software. last year microsoft also released the sp2 upgrade for windows xp that closed many security loopholes in the software and made it easier for people to manage their anti-virus and firewall programs.


sporting rivals go to extra time the current slew of sports games offers unparalleled opportunities for fans who like to emulate on-field action without ever moving from the couch.  the two giants in the field - espn and ea sports - have been locked in a heavyweight battle for years. the latter is the world s largest games manufacturer. years of experience mean that the titles in their steady flow of sport sims are finely honed  massively entertaining and ooze flair. sports broadcaster espn  meanwhile  has leant its name to a series of games that are similarly classy but lower in profile and price. but that status quo was changed forever - or for the next 15 years at least - by a deal earlier this year when espn sold ea the rights to its tv branding and on-air talent  meaning the espn games presently developed by sega will have to come to and end in their present form.  it was a massive-money deal that not only raised eyebrows but stirred active indignation in many quarters  with fans concerned that it is set to enable ea to monopolise the sports gaming landscape to an unhealthy degree. some particularly disgruntled fans set up an online petition that notched more than 18 000 virtual signatures. many of those clicking to complain were already rankled  for the espn coup happened just weeks after ea had pulled off another enormous licensing deal  controversially giving them exclusive rights to teams and personnel from america¿s national football league (nfl). so  will the sega - espn range be missed  a key reason for answering  yes  is that liking or disliking a sports game regularly comes down to personal taste  and having some options available always proves hugely handy. online soccer fans will testify to that  between bouts of arguing over which high-profile title rules supreme out of the similar-yet-hugely-different fifa 2005 and pro evolution soccer 4. on the same note  the espn 2k5 and ea sports games have so little to choose between them that picking favourites will come down to players  personal preferences and spending budget rather than any technical elements. taking hockey and basketball as examples  both publishers  efforts are phenomenally entertaining and fairly accessible. they also both look awesome  with the sega / espn versions perhaps shading things on a graphical front.  in terms of gameplay  i marginally preferred ea s nba live 2005 for basketball  and was more satisfied ice hockey-wise by espn s nhl 2k5. the espn games are a touch more arcade-like in look and feel and are slightly easier to get into  although like their rivals  they also offer a dizzyingly-extensive array of in-game tricks and overall challenge modes that should be enough to quench thirsts of even the most die-hard of sports fans. perhaps the most interesting aspect of the espn deal will be seeing how it affects the presentation of ea s future titles. the front-end decoration of ea s games has become something of an art-form in itself  loaded with slick visuals and oodles of licensed music. they are also immediately identifiable as coming from the ea stable  and the inevitable compulsion to add an espn look will no doubt change that in various ways. what is a shame is that the espn titles took similar care about framing the gameplay with an authentic setting - their preambles look and sound much like they would on tv. they are neat and excellent-value games in their current form  and combining them with ea s own established brand should produce a truly formidable beast.


mp s shock at long lost daughter labour mp stephen pound has told of his shock and his joy on learning he fathered a daughter when he was  out of control  during the  wild  1960s.  lucy  36  tracked down mr pound after her birth mother told her he was known as  precious  at school. despite being told he was a  nutter who died at sea  she found a reference to mr pound on friends reunited. lucy s mother kept her pregnancy secret and had her adopted at four weeks. mr pound found out about it last year. that happened when lucy wrote to his parliamentary office saying she believed he was her father.  mr pound  who is now married with two other teenage children  said:  i was a nutter and i was a sailor but i wasn t dead.  he said his first reaction was to wonder if he was victim of a  set-up  but he then realised all the dates fitted.  it was a pretty horrible thing with a pretty happy ending. i felt guilt in the marrow of my bones   said the ealing north mp.  i don t blame lucy s mother. i was pretty much out of control. i was 18 when she was conceived. it was a different time - it was pretty wild.   mr pound says he rang lucy as soon as he got her letter  they met up and have been in contact ever since. describing that first meeting at london s king cross station  he said:  the earth went from under my feet ... we were walking across the euston road and i took her arm to take her across and there was an immediate connection.  we were finishing each other sentences.  lucy  who was adopted by a family from essex  wants to remain anonymous for the sake of her adoptive father and her children. mr pound said his wife maggie had been fully supportive and their two children emily  16  and pelham  14 were pleased to have an older sister.


no half measures with half-life 2 could half-life 2 possibly live up to the hype  after almost two years of tantalising previews and infuriating delays it s safe to say that this is the most highly-anticipated computer game of all time.  fortunately  it doesn t merely live up to its promise  but exceeds it. no-one who plays the finished product will wonder why it took so long. the impression is of a game that has been endlessly refined to get as close to perfection as could realistically be hoped. all the money - or indeed time - is on the screen. the player sees things through the eyes of gordon freeman  the bespectacled scientist who starred in the original 1998 half-life. having survived that skirmish in an desolate monster-infested research facility  he s back in another foreboding troublespot - the enigmatic city 17. it has the look of a beautiful eastern european city  but as soon as your train pulls in to the station  it s clear that all is not well here. sinister police patrol the unkempt streets  and the oppressive atmosphere clobbers you like a sledgehammer. a casual smattering of the nightmarish creatures from the first game makes this an even less pleasant place to be.  you are herded around like a prisoner and have to mingle with a few freedom-fighting civilians to gather information and progress in your task. it is not immediately explained what your objectives are  nor precisely why everything is so ravaged. finding out step-by-step is all part of the experience  although you never fully get to understand what it was all about. that does not really matter. hl2 does not waste energy blinding you with plot. underplaying the narrative in this way is gloriously effective  and immerses the player in the most vivid  convincing and impressive virtual world they are likely to have seen. there are no cut-scenes to interrupt the flow. exposition is accomplished by other characters stopping to talk directly to you.  whereas the highly impressive doom iii felt like a top-notch theme park thrill-ride  wandering through half-life s world truly does feel like being part of a movie.  considering its sophistication  the game runs surprisingly well on computers that only just match the modest minimum specifications. but if ever there was an incentive to upgrade your pc s components  this is it. on our test machine - an alienware system with an athlon 3500+ processor and ati s radeon x800 video card - everything ran at full quality without trouble  and the visual experience was simply jaw-dropping. it is not simply that the surfaces  textures and light effects push the technical envelope without mercy  but that such care and artistic flair has gone into designing them. the haunting  grim landscapes become strangely beautiful. luckily you get time to pause mid-task and marvel at the awesome graphical flourishes of your surroundings. so impressive are the physics that you ll find yourself hurling bits of rubbish around and prodding floating corpses just to marvel at the lifelike way they move. there are puzzles to be solved along the way  pitched at about the right difficulty  but most progress is achieved by force. freeman is quickly reunited with the original game s famous crowbar  and an array of more sophisticated weapons soon follow.  virtually anything not nailed to the floor can be interacted with  and in realistic fashion. you will be wowed by the attention-to-detail as you chip bits of plaster off walls  chase a pigeon out of your way  or dodge exploding barrels as they ping around at deadly speed. at times half-life 2 feels like one of those annoying people who are unfeasibly brilliant at everything they turn their hand to  and in a curious way  its unrelenting goodness actually becomes almost tiresome. running around on foot is great enough  but jumping into vehicles proves even more fun. human foes are rendered just as well as alien ones. the stealth sections are as exhilarating as the open gun battles. in gameplay terms  hl2 somehow gets almost everything perfect. and without resorting to the zombies-leaping-out-of-shadows approach of doom iii  it s all incredibly unsettling. the vacant environment is distinctly eerie  and at one point i even caught myself hesitating to go down a murky tunnel for fear of what might be inside.  the game does have a couple of problems. firstly  the carefully-scripted way that you progress through each level might irk some people.  a lot of things are meticulously choreographed to happen on cue  which makes for exciting moments  but may be an annoyance to some players and limit the appeal of playing again once you ve completed it. if you like things open-ended and free-ranging  far cry will be a lot more pleasing. but the real downside is the hassle of getting the game to run. installing it proved a life-draining siege that would test a saint s patience. developer valve has rashly assumed that everyone wanting to play the game will have an internet connection and it forces you to go online to authenticate your copy. the box does warn you of this anti-piracy measure  but does not say just how many components have to be downloaded. the time spent doing this will depend on your connection speed  the temperamental valve servers and the time of day  but it can take hours. it would take a mighty piece of work to feel worthwhile after such annoyances - but luckily  half-life 2 is up to the challenge. it is surely the best thing in its genre  and possibly  many will feel  of any genre. the bar has been raised  and so far out of sight that you have to sympathise with any game that tries to do anything remotely similar in the near future.  half-life 2 is out now for the pc


ultimate game  award for doom 3 sci-fi shooter doom 3 has blasted away the competition at a major games ceremony  the golden joystick awards.  it was the only title to win twice  winning ultimate game of the year and best pc game at the awards  presented by little britain star matt lucas. the much-anticipated sci-fi horror doom 3 shot straight to the top of the uk games charts on its release in august. other winners included grand theft auto: san andreas which took the most wanted for christmas prize. only released last week  it was closely followed by halo 2 and half-life 2  which are expected to be big hits when they are unleashed later this month.  but they missed out on the prize for the most wanted game of 2005  which went to the nintendo title  the legend of zelda. the original doom  released in 1994  heralded a new era in computer games and introduced 3d graphics. it helped to establish the concept of the first-person shooter. doom 3 was developed over four years and is thought to have cost around $15m (£8.3m). the top honour for the best online game of the year went to battlefield vietnam. the chronicles of riddick: escape from butcher bay was handed the unsung hero game of 2004. its release was somewhat eclipsed by doom 3  which was released on the same week. it was  however  very well received by gamers and was praised for its storyline which differed from the film released around the same time. electronic arts was named top publisher of the year  taking the crown from nintendo which won in 2003. the annual awards are voted for by more than 200 000 readers of computer and video games magazines. games awards like this have grown in importance. over the last six years  the uk market for games grew by 100% and was worth a record £1 152m in 2003  according to a recent report by analysts screen digest.


china  ripe  for media explosion asia is set to drive global media growth to 2008 and beyond  with china and india filling the two top spots  analysts have predicted.  japan  south korea and singapore will also be strong players  but china s demographics give it the edge  a media conference in london heard. the world s most populous country - population 1.3bn - now has about 200 million middle-class consumers. forty per cent fall in the key 16 to 35-year-old demographic. as a result  it is attracting huge foreign investment in media and communications  analysts told the financial times new media and broadcasting conference last week. interest in china among international media groups has surged in recent months after beijing issued rules allowing foreign investment in joint-venture television  radio and film production companies. news corporation  viacom and sony pictures are among the big names involved in joint ventures with chinese players.  more than 700 million chinese listen to 1 000 radio stations  while 200 tv stations broadcast 2 900 channels. china central television (cctv)  the state broadcaster  claims an audience of more than a billion people. of the country s 360 million households  100 million receive cable tv programmes. the rest could be a potential audience for satellite broadcasting which china plans to launch in 2006. the state administration of radio  film and television (sarft)  which regulates broadcasting  plans to move all programmes to digital by 2015. the continuing roll-out of new digital channels has boosted demand for quality content  creating significant opportunities for both chinese and foreign content providers.  but according to recent reports from china  the authorities have tightened controls over foreign investment in tv production joint ventures. it has limited most foreign companies to only one joint venture and banned the involvement of any found to be  unfriendly   according to reports. the sarft said:  there is a very strong ideological component to production of broadcast television programmes.  it added:  china must understand the political tendencies and background of overseas partners and prevent joint ventures or cooperation from bringing harmful foreign thinking or culture into our production sector.  according to the financial times  china correspondent  the new rules highlight the political sensitivities that surround foreign involvement in china s media sector. this is despite beijing s decision to open the state-dominated sector to international investment.  as well as traditional broadcasting  chinese and foreign entrepreneurs alike see fortunes waiting to be made in new media  like mobile services and online gaming. mobile games already account for 15% of revenues from china s 340 million mobile users.  online gaming sales are predicted to top a billion us dollars next year  according to the uk-based journal screen digest. the video market is also seen as a big opportunity  although piracy levels are still very high despite an anti-piracy drive during the past year. in the cinema industry the deployment of digital screens is being accelerated. this is not just to modernise venues but also to curb piracy and regulate distribution. li ruigang  president of the commercial broadcaster shanghai media group  told the conference that china s new media market  is already experiencing explosive growth . it was particularly strong in charged broadband services and mobile value-added services. leading china-watcher  and founder of the cga consultancy jeanne-marie gescher  agreed that the time was ripe for foreign media groups to tap china s huge media market potential.  china s media are now driven by investors who do not care how people consume media - they just want people to consume more of it   mrs gescher concluded.


malaysia lifts islamic bank limit malaysia s central bank is to relax restrictions on foreign ownership to encourage islamic banking.  banks in malaysia will now be able to sell up to 49% of their islamic banking units  while the limit on other kinds of bank remains at 30%. rhb  malaysia s third-biggest lender  is already scouting for a foreign partner for its new islamic banking unit  the firm told reuters. the moves put malaysia ahead of a 2007 deadline to open up the sector. the country s deal to join the world trade organisation set that year as a deadline for liberalisation of islamic banking. also on tuesday  the central bank released growth figures showing malaysia s economy expanded 7.1% in 2004. but growth slowed sharply in the fourth quarter to 5.6%  and the central bank said it expected 6% expansion in 2005.  malaysia changed the law to allow islamic banking in 1983. it has granted licences to three middle eastern groups  which - along with local players - mean there are eight fully-operational islamic banking groups in the country. islamic banks offer services which permit modern banking principles while sticking to islamic law s ban on the payment of interest. most of the malays which make up half the country s population are muslims.


microsoft gets the blogging bug software giant microsoft is taking the plunge into the world of blogging.  it is launching a test service to allow people to publish blogs  or online journals  called msn spaces. microsoft is trailing behind competitors like google and aol  which already offer services which make it easy for people to set up web journals. blogs  short for web logs  have become a popular way for people to talk about their lives and express opinions online.  msn spaces is free to anyone with a hotmail or msn messenger account. people will be able to choose a layout for the page  upload images and share photo albums and music playlists. the service will be supported by banner ads.  this is a simple tool for people to express themselves   said msn s blake irving. this is microsoft s first foray into blogging  which has taken off as a web phenomenon in the past year. competitors like google already offer free services through its blogger site  while aol provides its members with journals. accurate figures for the number of blogs in existence are hard to come by. according to blog analysis firm technorati  the so-called blogosphere  has doubled every five and a half months for the last 18 months. it now estimates that the number of blogs in existence has exceeded 4.8 million  although some speculate that less than a quarter are regularly maintained.


weak end-of-year sales hit next next has said its annual profit will be £5m lower than previously expected because its end-of-year clearance sale has proved disappointing.   clearance rates in our end-of-season sale have been below our expectations   the company said. the high street retailer said it now expected to report annual profits of between £415m and £425m ($779m-798m). next s shares fell more than 3% following the release of the trading statement.  next chief executive simon wolfson admitted that festive sales were  below where we would expect a normal christmas to be   but said sales should still top analyst expectations.  among areas where next could have done better  mr wolfson said menswear ranges were  a little bit too similar to the previous year . mr wolfson also said that disappointing pre-christmas sales were  more to do with the fact that we went in with too much stock rather than (the fact that) demand wasn t there for the stock . next s like-for-like store sales in the five months from 3 august to 24 december were up 2.9% on a year earlier. this figure is for existing next stores  which were unaffected by new next store openings. like-for-like sales growth at the 49 next stores directly affected by new store openings in their locality was 0.5%.  overall sales across both its retail and mail order divisions were up 12.4%  next said. its next directory mail order division saw sales rise 13.4% during the five-month period.  in terms of all the worries about their trading pre-christmas  it s a result   said nick bubb  an analyst at evolution securities.  profits of around £420m would be well within the comfort zone.  however  one dealer  who asked not to be named  told reuters the seasonal sales performance was  not what people had hoped for .  christmas has been tough for the whole sector  and this is one of the best retailers   he said. next s trading statement comes a day after house of fraser and woolworths disappointed investors with their figures.


richard and judy choose top books the 10 authors shortlisted for a richard and judy book award in 2005 are hoping for a boost in sales following the success of this year s winner.  the tv couple s interest in the book world coined the term  the richard & judy effect  and created the top two best-selling paperbacks of 2004 so far. the finalists for 2005 include andrew taylor s the american boy and robbie williams  autobiography feel. this year s winner  alice sebold s the lovely bones  sold over one million. joseph o connor s star of the sea came second and saw sales increase by 350%. the best read award  on richard madeley and judy finnigan s channel 4 show  is part of the british book awards. david mitchell s booker-shortlisted novel  cloud atlas  makes it into this year s top 10 along with several lesser known works.   there s no doubt that this year s selection of book club entries is the best yet. if anything  the choice is even wider than last time   said madeley.  it was very hard to follow last year s extremely successful list  but we think this year s books will do even better   said richard and judy executive producer amanda ross.  we were spoiled for choice and it was tough getting down to only 10 from the 301 submitted.


abbas  will not tolerate  attacks palestinian leader mahmoud abbas has said he will not tolerate attacks such as last friday s suicide bombing in the israeli city of tel aviv.  in an interview ahead of a meeting in london to discuss palestinian reforms  mr abbas said such attacks were against palestinian interests. the palestinian authority (pa) was exerting  a 100% effort  to end the violence  mr abbas added. the attack  which killed five  was the first of its kind since he took office. mr abbas confirmed israel shared information with the pa in the hunt for the organisers of the attack. the israeli government refuses to accept syria s denials that it was implicated in the nightclub bombing. israeli officials gave an intelligence briefing to foreign ambassadors on monday  explaining syria s alleged involvement. british foreign minister jack straw said there had been a  continuing stream  of information suggesting palestinian militant groups were operating from within syria.  in an email interview in the british newspaper the independent  mr abbas said:  we believe peace is possible now and we are ready to negotiate with israel to reach a true and lasting peace based on justice and international legitimacy.  he added:  we have an opportunity and it would be irresponsible if we  the israelis  or the world allow it to slip away.  tuesday s meeting on palestinian reform is being hosted by british prime minister tony blair. also due to attend are us secretary of state condoleezza rice  un secretary general kofi annan  world bank officials and foreign ministers from 23 european and arab countries. the conference was a  vital step  in renewing the peace process  mr straw said.  it s a high-level attendance  which reflects the sense of momentum and opportunity created by recent events   he added. a spokesman for mr blair said the prime minister expected the conference to discuss  a comprehensive  co-ordinated and  above all  practical work plan for both the palestinian authority and the international community . israel will not attend  but is said to be closely watching the outcome.


search wars hit desktop pcs another front in the on-going battle between microsoft and google is about to be opened.  by the end of 2004 microsoft aims to launch search software to find any kind of file on a pc hard drive. the move is in answer to google s release of its own search tool that catalogues data on desktop pcs. the desktop search market is becoming increasingly crowded as google  aol  yahoo and many smaller firms tout programs that help people find files.  microsoft made the announcement about its forthcoming search software during a call to financial analysts to talk about its first quarter results. john connors  microsoft s chief financial officer said a test version of its desktop search software should be available for download by the end of the year.   we re going to have a heck of a great race in search between google  microsoft and yahoo   he said.  it s going to be really fun to follow.  microsoft is coming late to the desktop search arena and its software will have to compare favourably with programs from a large number of rivals  many of which have fiercely dedicated populations of users. the program could be based on the software microsoft owns as a result of its purchase of lookout software in early october. on 14 october google released desktop search software that catalogues all the files on a pc and lets users use one tool to find e-mail messages  spreadsheets  text files and presentations. the software will also find webpages and messages sent via aol instant messenger.  many other firms have released desktop search systems recently too. companies such as blinkx  copernic  enfish x1 technologies and x-friend all do the same job of cataloguing the huge amounts of information that people increasingly store on their desktop or home computer.  apple has also debuted a similar search system for its computers called spotlight that is due to debut with the release of the tiger operating system. due to follow are net giants aol and yahoo. the latter recently bought stata labs to get its hands on search software that people can use. microsoft is also reputedly working on a novel search system for the next version of windows (codenamed longhorn). however this is not likely to appear until 2006.  the recent activity in the search industry shows that there is a need to move beyond simple keyword-based web search   said kathy rittweger  co-founder of blinkx.  finding information of our own computers is becoming as difficult as it is to find the relevant webpage amongst the billions that exist.   desktop search has become important for several reasons. according to research by message analysts the radicati group up to 45% of the information critical to keeping many businesses running sits in e-mail messages and attachments. jf sullivan  spokesman for e-mail software firm sendmail said many organisations were starting to realise how important messaging was to their organisation and the way the work.  the key thing is being able to manage all this information   he said. also search is increasingly key to the way that people get around the internet. many people use a search engine as the first page they go to when getting on the net. many others use desktop toolbars that let them search for information no matter what other program they are using. having a tool on a desktop can be a lucrative way to control where people go online. for companies such as google which relies on revenue from adverts this knowledge about what people are looking for is worth huge amounts of money. but this invasiveness has already led some to ask about the privacy implications of such tools.


circuit city gets takeover offer circuit city stores  the second-largest electronics retailer in the us  has received a $3.25bn (£1.7bn) takeover offer.  the bid has come from boston-based private investment firm highfields capital management  which already owns 6.7% of circuit city s shares. shares in the retailer were up 19.6% at $17.04 in tuesday morning trading in new york following the announcement. highfield said that it intends to take the virginia-based firm private.   such a transformation would eliminate the public-company transparency into the company s operating strategy that is uniquely damaging in a highly competitive industry where circuit city is going head-to-head with a tough and entrenched rival   highfield said. one analyst suggested that a bidding battle may now begin for the company. bill armstrong  a retail analyst at cl king & associates  said he expected to see other private investment firms come forward for circuit city. the retailer is debt free with a good cash flow  despite the fact that it is said to be struggling to keep up with market leader best buy and cut-price competition from the likes of wal-mart  said mr armstrong.


finding new homes for old phones re-using old mobile phones is not just good for the environment  it has social benefits too.  research has found that in some developing nations old mobile phones can help close the digital divide. the forum for the future research found that the low cost of these recycled handsets means they can have a very useful second life in poorer nations. but the forum found that more needed to be done to collect old phones rather than let them rot in landfill sites.  the report reveals that approximately 15 million mobile phones go out of use every year in the uk. of the 15 million that are swapped for newer models each year  only 25% get returned to mobile phone firms for recycling or re-use. the slowly growing mass of unrecycled  discarded phones has now reached 90 million handsets  the equivalent of 9 000 tonnes of waste  estimates james goodman  report author and a senior adviser at the forum for the future.  it s quite common for people to have two or three phones just lying around   said mr goodman.  many of these older phones could end up in landfill sites leaking the potentially toxic materials they are made of into the wider world  said mr goodman. far better  he said  to hand the phone back to an operator who can send it overseas where it can enjoy a second lease of life.  we ve heard the environmental argument for handing a phone back   said mr goodman   but there s a strong social argument too.  older mobile phones are proving particularly useful in poorer nations where people want to use a mobile and keep in touch with friends and family but do not have the income to buy the most up to date model. the forum for the future report took an in-depth look at romania where reconditioned mobile phones were proving very popular.  it s an interesting country because it has a really crap fixed line network   said mr goodman   and there s a real desire for people to get mobile phones.  but the relatively low wages in romania  which is one of the poorest countries in europe  mean few people can afford a shiny new phone.  the affordability of the handsets is a real barrier to getting one   he said. reconditioned handsets have boosted take-up of mobiles as the report revealed that almost one-third of romanian pre-pay mobile phone users were using reconditioned handsets. the re-used handsets tend to be about one-third of the price of a new handset. georgeta minciu  a romanian part-time cleaner  said:  normally a mobile phone would not be possible on my wages. i am a single parent - keeping in touch with my daughter is important to me.   this is the only way i can afford to have a phone   she said. mr goodman said phone operators and consumers needed to do more to ensure that more of britain s mobile mountain made it overseas. but  he added  those keen to use a mobile will not accept any old handset.  if its more than a few years old people are not going to want it   he said.


no more concessions  on terror charles clarke says he has  no desire  to offer more concessions on his controversial anti-terror plans to get them on to the statute book.  mps voted in favour of the prevention of terrorism bill after mr clarke agreed to key changes - but labour s majority was reduced to 14. the bill now faces opposition from peers angry at house arrest proposals. lord strathclyde  tory leader in the lords  said ministers should expect it to be  substantially re-written .  the bill proposes  control orders   which as well as house arrest could impose curfews  tagging or bans on telephone and internet use. they would replace current powers to detain foreign terror suspects without trial  which the law lords have ruled against.  on monday  mps voted 272-219 in favour of the bill after key concessions from mr clarke. the government earlier saw its 161-strong majority cut to just 14 as a cross-party amendment was narrowly rejected by the commons despite the support of 62 labour rebels. mr clarke won over critics by announcing he would introduce an amendment in the lords to ensure the most controversial control order  amounting to house arrest  would be imposed by judges and not politicians. lord strathclyde warned ministers that they should  prepare themselves for substantial rewriting of various aspects of the bill .  they should consider far more seriously the use of intercept evidence in any trial and i think they should drop the most objectionable proposals  which are for house arrest.   but mr clarke told bbc radio 4 s today programme he believed the changes he had made to the bill to win over critics in the commons should be sufficient to satisfy colleagues in the lords.  no bill goes through parliament without detailed consideration being made  but i believe that what i announced yesterday will be sufficient to secure the agreement of the house of lords   he said.   i have no desire to make further so-called concessions on the bill.  mr clarke s proposed amendment will be debated by the lords on tuesday without having been considered by mps. the debate is unlikely to result in a vote. speaking after the commons debate  shadow home secretary david davies said the bill had been  clearly very badly drawn-up  and that the government was trying to rush it through too quickly. he said it would be possible to  rescue  the government and make the law  tolerable  by amending it in the lords.  the scope for miscarriages of justice is enormous   he told bbc news.  mark oaten  for the liberal democrats  said monday night s vote showed the government had  lost the confidence of all sides of the house . he said:  they need to rethink the bill  and extend the power of a judge to decide on all control orders  build safeguards on evidence and create charges against suspects.  unless there is a major movement  this bill is doomed to fail.   bbc news political editor andrew marr said:  i think that this is a bill in deep trouble. it s been unravelling in the house of commons - it may unravel further.  the government wants the new bill to pass into law by 14 march  when the current powers expire.


lesotho textile workers lose jobs six foreign-owned textile factories have closed in lesotho  leaving 6 650 garment workers jobless  union officers told the ap news agency.  factory workers union secretary general billy macaefa blamed the closures on the end of worldwide textile quotas. the quotas for developing nations  ended on 1 january  gave them a set share of the rich countries  markets. they also limited the amount countries like china could export to the big markets of the united states and eu.   we understand that some (owners)... were complaining that the south african rand was strong against the us dollar  and they were losing when exporting textiles and clothing to the united states   mr macaefa said at a news briefing in the capital  maseru. lesotho s currency  the maloti  is fixed to the rand.  but we suspect that they left the country unceremoniously because of the end of quotas introduced by the world trade organization.  he said the six factories were leisure garments  modern garments  precious six garments  tw garments  lesotho hats and vogue landmark. the owners - two from taiwan  two from china  one from mauritius and one from malaysia - left over the december holiday period without informing or paying their employees  he said.  union leaders and trade campaigners have been warning that developing nations such as lesotho  sri lanka  and bangaldesh could lose thousands of jobs once the quotas were lifted. in the mountainous country surrounded by south africa  it is feared as many as 50 000 textile workers could lose their jobs  and mr mafeca said he expected more companies to leave. the assistance of a us law had given lesotho s textiles duty-free access to north american markets. the african growth and opportunity act (agoa)  gave sub-saharan countries preferential access to the us market for apparel and textile products as well as a wide range of other goods. a lesotho government news briefing is expected on wednesday.


hingis hints at playing comeback martina hingis has admitted that she might consider a competitive return to tennis if an appearance in thailand later this month goes well.  the former world number one will play at the volvo women s open in pattaya  which starts on 31 january  as part of her charity work in the region.  the tournament is a test   she said.  i don t know how my body will react.  i support several charities in thailand. i m also playing to see where i am.  speaking to le matin  the 24-year-old swiss added:  at pattaya there will not be as many people and the players are ranked between the 30th and 95th in the world.  hingis was 22 when she retired after having surgery on both ankles  and her last wta event was in filderstadt  germany  in october 2002  when she lost to elena dementieva.


all black magic: new zealand rugby playing colours:  all black  the haka and more!  the all blacks  charles john munro discovered rugby at london s christ college  and on his return to nelson he staged new zealand s first game. nelson town met nelson college on 14 may  1870  the town triumphing by two goals to nil  instigating a game that would become a national obsession and come to dominate the country s sporting passions. the game appealed to the kiwi psyche and quickly spread  the native maoris finding a particular empathy with the sport s warrior ethos. in 1888 a british team led by ae stoddart toured new zealand and australia  and soon after a maori named joe warbrick and an english ex-pat called thomas eyton decided to gather a combined new zealand team.  twenty-two maori and four  pakiha  formed the  new zealand native team   who played a total of 107 matches in new zealand  australia and the uk. the integration of white and maori was a reflecion of enlightened new zealand rugby and society  even if the british press were somewhat mystified by the pre-match tradition of the maori war dance  the haka! the other great symbol of new zealand rugby  the all black kit with the silver fern on the breast  was proposed by tom ellison at the first annual meeting of the new zealand rugby football union in 1893. new zealand played their first international against australia in 1903  the kiwis triumphing 22-3 in sydney  and the following year an official british touring team came to new zealand for the first time. the tourists had gone through australia undefeated but their captain  david revell bedell-sivright  created animosity in new zealand with his patronising attitude. the kiwis shocked the rugby world with a 9-3 triumph in wellington  sparking great celebrations across the country  but bedell-sivright churlishly suggested that the victors would have no chance when they visited the uk.  their opportunity to prove him wrong came in 1905 with the first official new zealand tour to europe. the tourists won their early games with a quick-thinking  inventive approach  but press criticism began to grow over their 2-3-2 scrum formation that left a  roving  forward free to disrupt opposition attacks. the tactic was effective  two late tries seeing the kiwis to a 12-7 win over scotland  before ireland were despatched 15-0 in dublin. a huge crowd at crystal palace convulsed with laughter at the sight of the haka - but the smiles were soon wiped from their faces when the tourists ran in five tries in a 15-0 hammering of england. new zealand headed to wales to meet a country in the midst of its first  golden age   and the encounter would be the first in a series of controversial clashes between the sides. an excellent try on the left wing by teddy morgan sealed a 3-0 win in a hard-fought encounter at cardiff arms park  but post-match talk was dominated by a bob deans try that was ruled out by scottish referee john dallas. dallas said that deans was tackled short  but the kiwi said he was dragged back into the field of play after grounding a try - on his death-bed three years later he exclaimed:  i did score that try in cardiff.   four of the 1905 all blacks went over to the newly formed  all golds  rugby league side soon after the tour  but new zealand were strong enough to crush an anglo-welsh touring team in 1908. the first south africa tour of new zealand in 1921 saw honours shared in a three-test series  starting the greatest rivalry in rugby - and the long-running controversy between the countries over the all blacks  inclusion of maori players. the awesome 1924-5 all black tourists became known as  the invincibles  after winning all 30 of their games in france  britain and ireland  including a crushing 19-0 victory over wales at st helen s. despite their success  the all blacks  2-3-2 scrum formation left them somewhat short of possession at times  and the flaws were exploited by the springboks in south africa in 1928. employing the modern 3-4-1 scrum line-up against the new zealand  rover  system for the first time  south african teams defeated the all blacks in five games and the test series was drawn two-all. the controversial new zealand scrum method finally disappeared after the 1930 lions tour (a series won 3-1 by new zealand)  the lions manager describing the tactic as  cheating   prompting the international rugby board to rule that three men had to pack down in the front row of the scrum.  the all blacks  1935 european tour started inauspiciously with an 11-3 loss to a swansea side inspired by teenage  schoolboy half-backs hayden tanner and willie davies. a thrilling test at cardiff arms park went to wales 13-12  although the winning try from geoffrey rees-jones was controversial following an illegal claude davey tackle in the build-up. new zealand s next visit to wales in 1953 proved difficult as they lost 8-3 to cardiff and drew 6-6 at swansea. the all blacks were on top in the test with wales at the arms park  but the teams were locked at 8-8 when a clem thomas cross kick was gathered by ken jones for a famous  match-winning try. the tourists made some amends with wins over the other home nations  before a 19-5 success over the barbarians in an arms park thriller. new zealand built from that tour  and by the time they returned in 1963-4 they were undoubtedly the leading side in the world.  that made the shock all the greater when a drop goal by student john uzzell gave newport an unlikely 3-0 win over the tourists at rodney parade. wilson whinneray s side rallied to beat wales 6-0  their first win at the arms park in four attempts  and went unbeaten through the rest of the tour  but when they returned home the first question put to them was:  what happened in newport   the only blemish on the record of the awesome 1967 tourists was a draw with east wales  as they beat the full wales team 13-6 in cardiff to take the lead in the series between the countries for the first time. that lead was increased with two comfortable wins for the home side in new zealand in 1969  the first time wales had toured the country as an independent team.  a ferocious game at the arms park in 1972 was edged 19-16 by the all blacks  a measure of revenge for the defeat inflicted on new zealand by the carwyn james-inspired lions of 1971.  james guided llanelli to a famous 9-3 win over the tourists at stradey park  though  and in the final game of the tour the barbarians defeated the all blacks 23-11 in cardiff in a game regarded by many as the greatest ever played. new zealand defeated a wales xv 12-3 at the arms park in a non-cap game in 1974  but it was the 1978 game in cardiff that would reignite the history of controversy between the two countries.  wales were leading 12-10 with one minute left when andy haden flew to the floor from a line-out. television pictures clearly showed that he dived  but english referee roger quittenton was fooled and awarded a penalty  duly converted by brian mckechnie for a 13-12 win. since that infamous game  the competition has largely left wales v new zealand fixtures as the men in red have slipped from the pinnacle of the world game. a crushing 23-3 win for new zealand in cardiff in the welsh rugby union s 1980 centenary game was a sign of things to come. the new professionalism in the southern hemisphere game that had left europe behind was shown as the all blacks swatted wales aside 49-6 in brisbane in the semi-final of the inaugural world cup. the kiwis went on to claim the cup  and would inflict further misery on wales on their ill-fated 1988 tour of new zealand.  a young  talented wales side left britain full of confidence as triple crown winners  but one of the greatest ever new zealand teams demolished them 52-3 and 54-9. after also taking some fearful beatings in the provincial games  wales captain jonathan davies returned home calling for urgent change in the national game  but as his views were ignored he - along with a generation of wales  best players - chose to head north to rugby league.  a 34-9 win in cardiff followed for new zealand in 1989  and at the 1995 world cup wales  big talk was made to look embarrassing as the all blacks eased to victory in johannesburg. a crushing 42-7 kiwi triumph in wembley followed in 1997  and as wales  misery increased they turned to new zealand for their salvation in the shape of coaches graham henry and steve hansen. there was a temporary resurgence in the welsh game  but when an experimental new zealand side came to cardiff s new millennium stadium in 2002 they left with a 43-17 victory.  a bruising 55-3 defeat followed for wales in hamilton in 2003 as hansen built towards the world cup  but in australia it was a remarkable performance against the all blacks that gave his side renewed hope. wales were given no chance going into the game  but in the course of the match they rediscovered the value of attacking flair to lead 37-33 early in the second half. new zealand rallied to a 53-37 win  but the style shown by wales has been used as an inspiration as they look to a better future. they now face an all blacks team led by henry and hansen  coming to europe with a weakened squad at the end of a long season. an encouraging display against south africa has inspired a confident wales camp to believe they can claim their first win over the men in black for over 50 years. they have a chance  but clearly history is not on their side.


jack cunningham to stand down veteran labour mp and former cabinet minister jack cunningham has said he will stand down at the next election.  one of the few blair-era ministers to serve under jim callaghan  he was given the agriculture portfolio when labour regained power in 1997. mr cunningham went on to become tony blair s  cabinet enforcer . he has represented the constituency now known as copeland since 1970. mr blair said he was a  huge figure  in labour and a  valued  personal friend .  during labour s long period in opposition  mr cunningham held a number of shadow roles including foreign affairs  the environment and as trade spokesman. as agriculture minister he caused controversy when he decided to ban beef on the bone in the wake of fears over bse. he quit the government in 1999 and in recent years has served as the chairman of the all-party committee on lords reform and has been a loyal supporter of the government from the backbenches.


games  deserve a place in class  computer games could enhance learning and have a legitimate place in the classroom  say researchers.  academics from the institute of education at london university found that  games literacy  was a key skill for youngsters. as well as being used in different areas of the curriculum  games are a legitimate area of study in their own right  researchers say. pupils should also be able to create their own games  they say.   like all games  computer and video games entertain while promoting social development  and playing and talking about games is an important part of young people s lives   said project manager caroline pelletier.   games literacy is a way of investigating how games are means of expression and representation  just like writing or drawing   she said. the researchers conducted two studies into the impact of games on education  the first looking at how they can be used in different curriculum subjects to enhance learning. researchers found that girls were often excluded from the male-dominated world of game playing.  without first-hand experience of how much fun a game can be  they have little motivation to play and remain disengaged from an engrossing and sociable activity   said research fellow diane carr.  the second project looked at how games can be integrated into media education and concluded that writing games should be a core part of studying them. sixth-form teacher barney oram already teaches computer games alongside the more traditional study of film  tv and popular music at the a-level course he runs at long road sixth form college in cambridge.  for parents  the idea that computer games could be brought into the classroom environment  could cause controversy. dr andrew burn  associate director of the institute of education s centre for the study of children  youth and media moved to reassure anxious parents.  games are a legitimate cultural form that deserve critical analysis in schools just as film  television and literature do   he said.  but we also want to argue that full understanding only comes when children have the tools to create their own games.  the games industry welcomed the report  saying it showed how games had a positive impact on children.  at a time of hysterical and inaccurate reporting it is heartening to see the cultural  social and educational value of computer and video games being assessed intelligently   said roger bennett  director general of the entertainment and leisure software publishers association.  this report is further evidence  if it were needed  about the excellence and imagination that thrives in gaming. they have much to offer to the education of our children and they have much to offer as a career.  the three-year research project  which is being presented at a seminar on tuesday in london  was partly funded by the department of trade and industry.


balco case trial date pushed back the trial date for the bay area laboratory cooperative (balco) steroid distribution case has been postponed.  us judge susan illston pushed back a preliminary evidentiary hearing - which was due to take place on wednesday - until 6 june. no official trial date has been set but it is expected to begin in september. balco founder victor conte along with james valente  coach remy korchemny and trainer greg anderson are charged with distributing steroids to athletes.  anderson s clients include barry bonds  and several other baseball stars have been asked to appear before a congressional inquiry into steroid use in the major leagues. the balco defence team have already lost their appeal to have the case dismissed at a pre-trial hearing in san francisco but will still argue the case should not go to trial. the hearing in june will focus on the admissibility of evidence gathered during police raids on balco s offices and anderson s home. conte and anderson were not arrested at that point but federal agents did obtain statements from them. the defence are expected to challenge the legality of those interviews and if ilston agrees she could could reject all the evidence from the raids. balco has been accused by the united states anti-doping agency (usada) of being the source of the banned steroid thg and modafinil.  former double world champion kelli white and olympic relay star alvin harrison have both been banned on the basis of materials discovered during the balco investigation. britain s former european 100m champion dwain chambers is currently serving a two-year ban after testing positive for thg in an out-of-competition test in 2003. and american sprinter marion jones has filed a lawsuit for defamation against conte following his allegations that he gave her performance-enhancing drugs.


weak dollar trims cadbury profits the world s biggest confectionery firm  cadbury schweppes  has reported a modest rise in profits after the weak dollar took a bite out of its results.  underlying pre-tax profits rose 1% to £933m ($1.78bn) in 2004  but would have been 8% higher if currency movements were stripped out. the owner of brands such as dairy milk  dr pepper and snapple generates more than 80% of its sales outside the uk. cadbury said it was confident it would hit its targets for 2005.  while the external commercial environment remains competitive  we are confident that we have the strategy  brands and people to deliver within our goal ranges in 2005   said chief executive todd stitzer.  the modest profit rise had been expected by analysts after the company said in december that the poor summer weather had hit soft drink sales in europe.  cadbury said its underlying sales were up by 4% in 2004. growth was helped by its confectionery brands - including cadbury  trident and halls - which enjoyed a  successful  year  with like-for-like sales up 6%. drinks sales were up 2% with strong growth in us carbonated soft drinks  led by dr pepper and diet drinks  offset by the weaker sales in europe. cadbury added that its fuel for growth cost-cutting programme had saved £75m in 2004  bringing total cost savings to £100m since the scheme began in mid-2003. the programme is set to close 20% of the group s factories and shed 10% of the workforce. cadbury schweppes employs more than 50 000 people worldwide  with about 7 000 in the uk.


campbell: e-mail row  silly fuss  ex-no 10 media chief alastair campbell is at the centre of a new political row over an e-mail containing a four-letter outburst aimed at bbc journalists.  mr campbell sent the missive by mistake to bbc2 s newsnight after it sought to question his role in labour s controversial poster campaign. he later contacted the show saying the original e-mail had been sent in error and that it was all a  silly fuss . mr campbell has recently re-joined labour s election campaign.  the e-mail was revealed the day after peter mandelson  former labour minister and now a european commissioner  warned the bbc to steer away from  demonising  mr campbell. mr campbell messaged newsnight after the programme investigated claims that labour s advertising agency tbwa was blaming him for controversy over its campaign posters. the images  including one of flying pigs and another of what critics claim depicted tory leader michael howard as fagin  prompted accusations of anti-semitism  claims denied by labour.  mr campbell s e-mail  which was apparently intended for a party official  suggested they should get trevor beattie  tbwa s boss  to issue a statement. in it  he said:  just spoke to trev. think tbwa shd give statement to newsnight saying party and agency work together well and nobody here has spoken to standard. posters done by by tbwa according to political brief. now fuck off and cover something important you twats!  the e-mail was sent by mistake to newsnight journalist andrew mcfadyen. realising his error  mr campbell then e-mailed mr mcfadyen pointing out the mistake  but suggesting presenter jeremy paxman would have seen the funny side.  he said:  not very good at this e-mail blackberry malarkey. just looked at log of sent messages  have realised e-mail meant for colleagues at tbwa has gone to you. for the record  first three sentences of email spot on. no row between me and trevor.  posters done by them according to our brief. i dreamt up flying pigs. pigs not great but okay in the circs of tories promising tax cuts and spending rises with the same money. tbwa made production.  campbell swears shock. final sentence of earlier e-mail probably a bit colourful and personal considering we have never actually met but i m sure you share the same sense of humour as your star presenter mr p.  never known such a silly fuss since the last silly fuss but there we go. must look forward not back.   later the prime minister s spokesman was asked by journalists about his view on mr campbell s use of abusive language. the spokesman said:  the person you are referring to is capable of speaking for himself and he no longer works in government.  foreign secretary jack straw said he had always had  very good and polite relations  with mr campbell  who he described as  very talented . but on the former spin doctor s use of language  mr straw said:  i do know the odd journalist who has occasionally used the odd word that would probably be inappropriate in some circumstances. maybe i mix with the wrong kind of journalists.  liam fox  tory co-chairman  said the return of mr campbell was a sign of new  sinister and underhand tactics  by labour.


palestinian economy in decline despite a short-lived increase in palestinian jobs in 2003  the economy is performing well below its potential  said a world bank report.  unemployment stood at 25%  compared with 10% before the uprising against israeli occupation four years ago. young people are particularly hard hit with 37% out of work  compared with 14% four years ago. but 104 000 new jobs were created last year during a brief easing of violence and closures. however  during the first half of this year  the palestinian economy lost more than 22 000 jobs. last year s growth rate of 6% can also be attributed to this temporary gap in violence  the report said. according to the report  intifada  closures and palestinian economic crisis: an assessment  there is a close link between the number of closures - both border closures and internal closures between cities - and palestinian economic problems. the closures arranged by israel restrict the movement of palestinian people and goods  slowing down trade.   closures are a key factor behind today s economic crisis in the west bank   said nigel roberts  world bank country director for the west bank and gaza. nearly half of all palestinians - some 47% - live below the poverty line and are particularly vulnerable to economic shocks. the report said even more would be on the poverty line without an average of $950m a year from international donors  some of which goes towards job creation. it also called on the palestinian authority to revive its reform programme and maintain financial discipline to create an investment-friendly climate. this week colin powell  us secretary of state was visiting the west bank to stress us support for a smooth palestinian election in january.


millions buy mp3 players in us one in 10 adult americans - equivalent to 22 million people - owns an mp3 player  according to a survey.  a study by the pew internet and american life project found that mp3 players are the gadget of choice among affluent young americans. the survey did not interview teenagers but it is likely that millions of under-18s also have mp3 players. the american love affair with digital music players has been made possible as more and more homes get broadband.  of the 22 million americans who own mp3 players  59% are men compared to 41% of women. those on high income - judged to be $75 000 (£39 000) or above - are four times more likely to have players than those earning less than $30  000 ( £15 000). broadband access plays a big part in ownership too. almost a quarter of those with broadband at home have players  compared to 9% of those who have dial-up access. mp3 players are still the gadget of choice for younger adults. almost one in five us citizens aged under 30 have one. this compares to 14% of those aged 30-39 and 14% of those aged 40-48. the influence of children also plays a part. sixteen percent of parents living with children under 18 have digital players compared to 9% of those who don t. the ease of use and growth of music available on the net are the main factors for the upsurge in ownership  the survey found. people are beginning to use them as instruments of social activity - sharing songs and taking part in podcasting - the survey found.  ipods and mp3 players are becoming a mainstream technology for consumers  said lee rainie  director of the pew internet and american life project.  more growth in the market is inevitable as new devices become available  as new players enter the market  and as new social uses for ipods/mp3 players become popular   he added.


protesters plan airport challenge campaigners against the expansion of britain s airports have begun challenging the government s plans in the high court.  baa s expansion of stansted airport in essex by building an extra runway is one of the most fiercely opposed plans. opponents say the £2bn cost of the new runway could not be met unless cash from heathrow and gatwick was used. they said this is illegal under current rules and are trying to block the government from changing legislation. baa are also owners of the airports at heathrow and gatwick. they have said they cannot raise the money needed for the stansted upgrades from current landing charges. baa also says it has attempted to involve communities in any future airport plans.  groups challenging the plans include stop stansted expansion  heathrow anti-noise campaigners hacan clearskies and the london boroughs of hillingdon and wandsworth. their opponents are also likely to complain there was no public consultation before an extra runway was built at luton airport  or when it changed take-off and landing procedures at heathrow. if the group wins  the government s future aviation plans outlined in last year s transport white paper could be left in ruins.  the campaigners will say the government did not adequately consider the building of new airports  such as one planned for the isle of sheppey east of london. lord hanningfield  leader of essex county council  told bbc radio 4 s today programme:  we are going to the high court because we want a judge to rule there should be a proper inquiry.  we want a judge to say there has been inadequate preparation  consultation and thought before the government came out with its green paper.  then there could be a proper debate nationally about where this extra capacity should go.  he added:  politicians should not decide where runways should be.  the stansted expansion  apart from the building of the new runway  would also need to include new terminal buildings to deal with the projected 50m passengers who will use it every year.  the airport is the hub of many of the no-frills airlines operating in the uk. but baa has said it has attempted to involve communities in any future airport plans. at heathrow  gatwick  edinburgh and glasgow airports  baa launched a series of consultations on blight to properties from the proposed expansion in september 2004  which will close next week. baa is also offering to buy noise-hit properties for an index-linked  unblighted price. at heathrow  baa said it was working closely with all interested parties to see how the strict environmental  air quality and noise targets for a third runway can be met. at gatwick  the company has written to homes and business likely to be affected by any extra runway.


neeson in bid to revive theatre hollywood film star liam neeson has held a dinner party in new york to promote belfast s lyric theatre.  the ballymena-born actor said that the theatre on ridgeway street was in a  very dilapidated condition . lyric chairman david johnston has said that rebuilding the theatre  at a cost of £8m is the only answer. mr neeson said that the idea was to get a bunch of  healthy  wealthy irish americans  in one room and ask them to help with fundraising.  the oscar-nominated actor  whose films include schindler s list  michael collins and star wars: the phantom menace  said:  the lyric is too important to the cultural and social life of northern ireland for this building to crumble and fall apart.  it gave me a start professionally. mary o malley  the founder of the theatre  gave me my future.  in those days  in the mid-70s  when i was there  we were doing a play every four weeks.  belfast was not a pretty town to be living in.  there was serious trouble  as you know  but this theatre was like a belisha beacon of light and hope six nights a week  doing everything from shakespeare to yeats to o casey with a group of actors and actresses that affected me very deeply and still do.  the lyric began 50 years ago but the doors opened at its present site on the stranmillis embankment overlooking the river lagan in 1968.  as well as liam neeson  it also launched the careers of adrian dunbar and stephen rea and playwrights such as martin lynch and gary mitchell. speaking to bbc northern ireland before the event at new york s soho house  mr neeson said that his spirit belonged to the glens of antrim. and he said that there was one figure from his childhood that he would love to portray on the big screen - ian paisley. he said that the dup leader and preacher was a  very dynamic  extraordinary figure . neeson used to listen to his sermons on a friday night in ballymena. he said:  what an orator. he was from that old school of bible-thumping righteousness. but it was so dramatic. i found him very powerful.  i d love to get a chance to play him some time.


wales hails new superstar one game into his six nations career  and gavin henson is already a welsh legend.  a mesmeric display against england  topped off by his howitzer of a match-winning penalty  has secured life membership of that particular club. at 23  henson has the rugby world at his silver-booted feet. and if his natural self-assurance and swagger is shared by his wales team-mates  then a full-blown revival could be more than just a lot of hot air drifting up from the valleys. the  red dragonhood  subdued the  red rose army  in most areas of the field  but henson s stellar performance ensured their efforts yielded the win they craved above all others. he announced himself in the game s opening salvo with a  welcome to cardiff  greeting for mark cueto on the gain line. and his defence was a major feature of the match  his principal victim poor old  or rather young  mathew tait. the england centre will have spent his 19th birthday on sunday shuddering at the memory of how he was up-ended not just once  but twice  by henson s all-enveloping tackles.  the second time  after the interval  single-handedly lifted the record millennium stadium crowd at a time when england were starting to show menace. showing awesome strength  henson nonchantly held the bewildered debutant in mid-air  a master predator toying with his helpless prey  savouring the kill. his kicking game also prospered  particularly when he moved to full-back for 10 minutes either side of half-time when his captain gareth thomas was in the sin-bin. one huge clearance from tait s kick sent england retreating rapidly while another booming punt to the right corner kept the visitors pinned in their own half. henson was also creativity personified: one little chip ahead for shane williams narrowly missed its target; a precise cross-kick forcing jamie noon to fumble the ball into touch. he also had a hand in the game s only try  finished superbly by williams  and might have scored himself on the half-hour as he glided into space  only to be scragged by tait. henson was twice repelled as wales laid siege to the english line after charlie hodgson s penalty had edged the visitors in front for the first time. but he was not to be denied as the crescendo rose to a deafening din  and the outcome of the match fell to him. replacement gareth cooper made the most of a poor welsh scrum by chipping into space  where jason robinson was penalised for holding on in the tackle.  five metres in from the right touchline  44 metres out  it was not a kick stephen jones  who had seen a long-range effort fall agonisingly under the bar  would have approached with confidence.  it was out of steve s range but i looked at gavin  and he gave me a reassuring nod   said thomas. henson  surveying his date with destiny  positively relished the responsibility  and the chance to make himself a hero. without further ado  he nervelessly slotted the kick that ended five years of english dominance and 12 years of waiting in cardiff.  i knew i was going to get it before i even took the kick   he said later  his distinct spikey locks freshly gelled into an appropriate star shape.  i have been getting them from that distance all year so it wasn t a problem.  there were still four minutes for wales to hold out  and the frenzy was such that henson could not even hear jones shouting instructions at him from three yards away. but it was wales who finished the game on the attack  almost snatching a second try in a thunderous climax.  just do it  implored the front page headline on saturday s western mail newspaper. and  thanks to henson  wales did.


parmalat bank barred from suing bank of america has been banned from suing parmalat  the food group which went bust in 2003 after an accounting scandal.  the bank - along with investors  auditors and the group s managers - wants damages for being a victim of fraud at the hands of the italian firm. but a judge has barred bank of america and two auditors from the case. the bank  and italaudit - formerly the italian arm of auditor grant thornton - face lawsuits and possible prosecution. a second auditor  deloitte & touche  has also been banned from the case. grant thornton - now rid of the italian unit at the centre of the case - is still being permitted to sue  as are consob  italy s stock market regulator  hundreds of small investors and parmalat s new managers. parmalat collapsed in december 2003 after it emerged that the 4bn euros ($5.2bn; £2.8bn) it supposedly held in a bank of american offshore account did not in fact exist.


santy worm makes unwelcome visit thousands of website bulletin boards have been defaced by a virus that used google to spread across the net.  the santy worm first appeared on 20 december and within 24 hours had successfully hit more than 40 000 websites. the malicious program exploits a vulnerability in the widely used phpbb software. santy s spread has now been stopped after google began blocking infected sites searching for new victims.  the worm replaces chat forums with a webpage announcing that the site had been defaced by the malicious program. soon after being infected  sites hit by the worm started randomly searching for other websites running the vulnerable phpbb software. once google started blocking these search queries the rate of infection tailed off sharply. a message sent to finnish security firm f-secure by google s security team said:  while a seven hour response for something like this is not outrageous  we think we can and should do better.   we will be reviewing our procedures to improve our response time in the future to similar problems   the google team said. security firms estimate that about 1m websites run their discussion groups and forums with the open source phpbb program. the worst of the attack now seems to be over as a search conducted on the morning of the 22 december produced only 1 440 hits for sites showing the text used in the defacement message. people using the sites hit by santy will not be affected by the worm. santy is not the first malicious program to use google to help it spread. in july a variant of the mydoom virus slowed down searches on google as the program flooded the search site with queries looking for new e-mail addresses to send itself to.