{"text": "carry on star patsy rowlands dies actress patsy rowlands  known to millions for her roles in the carry on films  has died at the age of 71.  rowlands starred in nine of the popular carry on films  alongside fellow regulars sid james  kenneth williams and barbara windsor. she also carved out a successful television career  appearing for many years in itv s well-loved comedy bless this house. rowlands died in hove on saturday morning  her agent said.  born in january 1934  rowlands won a scholarship to the guildhall school of speech and drama scholarship when she was just 15.  after spending several years at the players theatre in london  she made her film debut in 1963 in tom jones  directed by tony richardson. she made her first carry on film in 1969 where she appeared in carry on again doctor. rowlands played the hard-done-by wife or the put-upon employee as a regular carry on star. she also appeared in carry on at your convenience  carry on matron and carry on loving  as well as others.  in recent years she appeared in bbc mini-series the cazalets and played mrs potts in the london stage version of beauty and the beast. agent simon beresford said:  she was just an absolutely favourite client she never complained about anything  particularly when she was ill  she was an old trouper.  she was of the old school - she had skills from musical theatre and high drama  that is why she worked with the great and the good of directors.  she didn t mind always being recognised for the carry on films because she thoroughly enjoyed making them. she was a really lovely person and she will be much missed.  her last appearance on stage was as mrs pearce in the award-winning production of my fair lady at the national theatre. previously married  she leaves one son  alan. her funeral will be a private  family occasion  with a memorial service at a later date.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "sydney to host north v south game sydney will host a northern versus southern hemisphere charity match in june or july  the australian rugby union (aru) said on wednesday.  the match will include players from the lions tour of new zealand.  the australian rugby union has thrown its support behind a proposed north-south match to raise funds for the tsunami appeals   the aru said. the date is yet to be decided but the most likely venue is sydney s olympic stadium. aru chief executive gary flowers said the world cricket charity match in melbourne earlier this month had inspired the aru.  we still need to discuss the options with the irb (international rugby board)  the lions and our sanzar (south africa  new zealand and australia rugby) partners  but june or july is seen as a better option than march to ensure we have the cream of southern hemisphere rugby available   he said. wallabies captain george gregan said the charity match was a  great initiative . tri-nations rivals australia  new zealand and south africa would feature prominently in a southern team against a northern side comprised of six nations teams france  ireland  england  wales  italy and scotland. coach clive woodward s lions squad will tour new zealand in june and july  including tests on 25 june  2 and 9 july.  almost 80 000 fans packed into melbourne cricket ground on 10 january for a charity match that raised \u00a35.9m for victims of the asian tsunami.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "uk coal plunges into deeper loss shares in uk coal have fallen after the mining group reported losses had deepened to \u00a351.6m in 2004 from \u00a31.2m.  the uk s biggest coal producer blamed geological problems  industrial action and  operating flaws  at its deep mines for its worsening fortunes. the south yorkshire company  led by new chief executive gerry spindler  said it hoped to return to profit in 2006. in early trade on thursday  its shares were down 10% at 119 pence. uk coal said it was making  significant progress  in shaking up the business. it had introduced new wage structures  a new daily maintenance regime for machinery at its mines and methods to continue mining in adverse conditions. the company said these actions should  significantly uplift earnings . it expected 2005 to be a  transitional year  and to return to profitability in 2006.  the recent rise in coal prices has failed to benefit the company as most of its output had already been sold  it said. total production costs were \u00a31.30 per gigajoule  uk coal said  but the average selling price was just \u00a31.18 per gigajoule.  we have a long journey ahead to fix these issues. we continue to make progress and great strides have already been made   said mr spindler. uk coal operates 15 deep and surface mines across nottinghamshire  derbyshire  leicestershire  yorkshire  the west midlands  northumberland and durham.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "blair joins school sailing trip the prime minister has donned a life jacket and joined school children in a sailing dinghy as he sought to sell his party s education policies.  tony blair sailed across the lake in bromsgrove  worcestershire  while on a visit with education secretary ruth kelly to back school outings. mr blair later stressed labour s election pledge to focus on education  when he met parents in the area. the conservatives and lib dems both say his pledges are  worthless . all the parties are stepping up campaigning ahead of a general election widely expected to be held on 5 may. mr blair  looking a little windswept  joined two girls from st egwin s middle school in evesham and an instructor for a trip in the wayfarer dinghy  closely followed by a boat full of photographers.  afterwards he said outdoor activities were beneficial for children but accepted that lots of teachers now worried about taking part for fear of being sued if something went wrong.  what we re doing is introducing some simple guidelines so if teachers follow those they are not going to be at risk of legal action   mr blair said.  when you are doing these types of activities you ve got to exercise some common sense there obviously.  you can t have a situation where parents or teachers end up being worried that they re going to be subject to all sorts of legal action if they take children sailing or doing outdoor activity that is actually good for the kids and good for their health and their character.   the pledge on education -  your child achieving more  - was one of six election pledges unveiled by mr blair last week. if it wins a third term in the general election expected this year  labour is committed to giving parents more choice between schools; allowing all secondary schools to take on specialist status; opening 200 city academies and creating 100 000 more sixth-form places. it aims to improve discipline in schools by adopting a  zero tolerance  approach to disruption of classes and introducing fixed penalty notices for truants. labour also plans to give head teachers at groups of local schools control over funding for units to handle disruptive pupils.  parents and teachers who met mr blair on tuesday were invited to the informal discussion after writing to their mps to raise concerns about education. it is the latest in a series of events designed to show the prime minister is speaking directly to voters in the run-up to the election - and that he has not lost touch. for the conservatives  shadow education secretary tim collins said:  mr blair¿s government is all talk. he must be judged on what he has done in two terms  not what he mendaciously claims he would do in a third. that judgment will be damning.  the liberal democrats are promising to cut class sizes for the youngest children and ensure all children are taught by a qualified teacher in each subject.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "bath faced with tindall ultimatum mike tindall s agent has warned bath they have until next week to improve their contract offer to the england man or risk losing him to a rival club.  dipo alli says he has received an offer for tindall which dwarfs bath s deal and that two other clubs want to talk.  mike does not want to go into the six nations worrying about where he will be playing his club rugby next season   alli told the guardian newspaper.  it is up to (bath owner) andrew brownsword. he has to make it happen.  tindall is out of contract at the end of the season but it is understood that brownsword is unwilling to break the club s salary structure to accommodate the 26-year-old s demands. but alli insists the player is worth more than bath have put on the table.  mike has been at bath for eight years and wants to remain with the club and his demands are anything but excessive   the agent added.  but brownsword has to recognise mike s value and we want to resolve things by the end of next week.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "banker loses sexism claim a former executive at the london offices of merrill lynch has lost her \u00a37.5m ($14.6m) sex discrimination case against the us investment bank.  an employment tribunal dismissed stephanie villalba s allegations of sexual discrimination and unequal pay. but the 42-year-old won her claim of unfair dismissal  resulting from her sacking in august 2003. her partial victory is likely to cap her compensation to about \u00a355 000  a tiny fraction of what she asked for. the extent of damages will be assessed in the new year. the action - the biggest claim heard by an employment tribunal in the uk - had been viewed as something of a test case.  the tribunal decided that ms villalba had been unfairly dismissed because  having been removed from a senior post  she was entitled to wait to see if a suitable alternative position could be found in the organisation. ms villalba  the former head of merrill s private client business in europe  has made no decision on whether to appeal.  a spokesman for her lawyers described the decision as  very disappointing   but pointed to some criticism of merrill s procedures within the lengthy judgement. the tribunal upheld ms villalba s claim of victimisation on certain specific issues  including bullying e-mails in connection with a contract  but said it found no evidence of  laddish culture  at the bank.  we said from the start that this case was about performance not gender   merrill said in a statement.  ms villalba was removed by the very same person who had promoted her into the position and who then replaced her with another woman.  merrill lynch is dedicated to creating a true meritocracy where every employee has the opportunity to advance based on their skills and hard work.   based in london s financial district  ms villalba worked for merrill s global private client business in europe  investing funds for some of merrill s most important customers. but in 2003 her employers told her she had no future after 17 years with the company  and she was made redundant. merrill lynch denied ms villalba s claims and said she was removed from her post because of the extensive losses the firm was suffering on the continent. the firm had told the tribunal that ms villalba s division had been losing about $1m a week. merrill said ms villalba lacked the leadership skills to turn around the unit.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "hewitt survives nalbandian epic home favourite lleyton hewitt came through a dramatic five-set battle with argentine david nalbandian to reach the australian open semi-finals.  hewitt looked to be cruising to victory after racing into a two-set lead. but nalbandian broke his serve three times in both of the next two sets to set up a nailbiting decider. hewitt eventually grabbed the vital break in the 17th game and served out to win 6-3 6-2 1-6 3-6 10-8 and set up a meeting with andy roddick. the winner of that match will face either roger federer or marat safin in the final. ninth seed nalbandian had never come back from two sets down to win a match  and there was no indication he would do so as hewitt dominated the first two sets.  the argentine had stoked up the temperature ahead of the match by saying hewitt s exuberant on-court celebrations were  not very good for the sport . and he had words with hewitt during one change of ends in the second set when the australian appeared to brush shoulders with him as they went to their chairs. the balance of power changed completely in the third set as hewitt allowed his level to dip  and he double-faulted twice as nalbandian broke on the way to taking the fourth set. but the tiring third seed showed incredible reserves of strength to force the break despite being outplayed for much of the final set and three times coming within two points of defeat. he then produced a love service game to finish off the match in four hours and five minutes.  i just kept hanging in there. it was always tough serving second in the fifth set   said hewitt  who had never reached the last four at his home grand slam.  i told myself to give everything and in the end it paid off once again.  it s a long way from holding that trophy up there but i m hanging in there.  only four guys left that can win and we re the top four in the world. it s set up for a pretty good showdown in the semis and finals.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "saab to build cadillacs in sweden general motors  the world s largest car maker  has confirmed that it will build a new medium-sized cadillac bls at its loss-making saab factory in sweden.  the car  unveiled at the geneva motor show  is intended to compete in the medium-sized luxury car market. it will not be sold in the us  said gm europe president carl-peter forster. as part of its efforts to make the us marque appeal to european drivers  the car will be the first cadillac with a diesel engine.  gm s announcement should go some way to allay fears of the saab factory s closure. the factory in trollhaettan has been at the centre of rumours about gm s planned severe cutbacks in its troubled european operations. but the group s new commitment to the swedish factory may not be welcomed by the group s opel workers in ruesselsheim  germany. they may now have to face a larger proportion of gm s cuts.  neither will the announcement be seen as unalloyed good news in sweden  since it reflects saab s failure to make significant inroads into the lucrative european luxury car market. for years  saab has consistently said it is competing head-on with bmw  mercedes and jaguar. the segment s leaders do not agree.  gm s plans to build the american marque in sweden is part of its efforts to push it as an alternative luxury brand for european drivers. in the us  it has long been established as an upmarket brand - even the presidential limousine carries the badge. yet it could prove tough for cadillac to steal market share from the majors in europe. other luxury car makers  most notably the toyota subsidiary lexus  have enjoyed tremendous success in the us without managing to make significant inroads in europe. there  german marques mercedes benz and bmw have retained their stranglehold on the luxury market.  bringing cadillac production to sweden should help introduce desperately-needed scale to the saab factory  which currently produces fewer than 130 000 cars per year. that is about half of what major car makers consider sufficient numbers for profitable operations  and saab is losing money fast - albeit with losses halved in 2004 to $200m (\u00a3104m; 151m euros) from $500m the previous year. beyond the 12 000 job cuts announced last year at its european operations  gm is reducing expenditure by building saabs  opels - badged as vauxhalls in the uk - and now cadillacs on the same framework  and by allowing the different brands to share parts. another way to further reduce saab s losses could be to shift some of the production of saabs to the us  a market where drivers have adopted it as an upmarket european car. doing so would remove the exposure to the weak us dollar  which is making saabs more expensive to us consumers. but not everyone in the industry agree that it would be the best way forward.  we know that in five years the us dollar will be stronger than it is today   the chief executive of a leading european car maker told bbc news. the current trend towards us production was  stupid   he said.  in a separate announcement  gm unveiled a new scheme to allow european consumers the chance to test drive its opel and vauxhall models. it is to deploy a fleet of 35 000 test cars across 40 countries  inviting potential buyers to try out a vehicle for 24-hours. it follows a similar initiative by gm in the us. gm said it wanted to change  customers  perceptions  about opel and vauxhall cars  showing them that the quality had improved in recent years.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "blair pledges unity to labour mps tony blair has sought to reassure labour backbenchers that nothing will stand in the way of the party s bid for a third term in power.  mr blair was speaking to mps amid fresh rumours of a rift with gordon brown. a new book says the prime minister went back on a pledge to mr brown to stand down before the next general election. the chancellor has said he is focused on winning the poll and is due to join election supremo alan milburn for a labour poster launch this week. mr blair told the parliamentary labour party (plp) on monday:  i know from everyone here  in cabinet and government  nothing is going to get in the way of a unified labour party with a unified position and winning the third term people desperately need.  the prime minister and his chancellor arrived within seconds of each other and seemingly in good spirits at the start of the meeting which lasted around an hour. a new book  brown s britain by sunday telegraph journalist robert peston  says mr blair went back on a pledge to make way for mr brown after cabinet allies intervened in june 2004.  it has caused a new wave of concern among labour mps gearing up to defend their seats in an election  widely expected to be held in may  and several members are understood to have lined up to express their discontent at the plp meeting. health secretary john reid earlier warned that labour members would not easily forgive anybody fuelling damaging speculation. he told bbc news:  those who co-operate or inspire these books  in my view  have to know that  whatever the short-term political or personal advantage that they think they might secure  they always do it by damaging the record  the unity and the re-election chances of the labour party and the government.  mr blair on sunday dismissed claims of broken promises  saying:  i ve dealt with this six months ago. i said then you don t do deals over jobs like this - you don t.   in a separate bbc interview  mr brown said he and the prime minister would not be distracted by  gossip .  it s very important that we all do what we can in a unified way to ensure the election of a labour government   he said.  on monday  mr blair s spokesman said:  the prime minister is determined that he will get on with the business of government because he believes that what people want.  mr brown says he discussed the election campaign with mr blair on saturday and promised to play his part.  mr peston said the pair had  mutual animosity and contempt . mr blair had decided in november 2003 he would quit because he felt he had lost voters  trust because of the iraq war.  he had then changed his mind in june 2004  following intervention from cabinet allies and suspicion that the chancellor was manoeuvring against him. mr brown allegedly said he could no longer believe anything mr blair told him. conservative co-chairman liam fox likened the two men to  self-obsessed schoolboys . liberal democrat parliamentary chairman matthew taylor said their personal ambition was  getting in the way of good government . ex-labour leader neil kinnock said mr blair and mr brown could only deal with the media frenzy by continuing to say they would not allow a row to damage labour or british interests. he told bbc radio five live that mr brown would never encourage any kind of insurrection or coup.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "minimum rate for foster parents foster carers are to be guaranteed a minimum allowance to help cover their costs  the government has announced.  payment levels vary from area to area  with some carers getting just \u00a350 a week for clothes  food and other costs. minister for children  young people and families margaret hodge said new plans will ensure fosterers  allowances would be as fair as possible. however local authorities  which set and pay the allowances  are concerned about how the extra cash will be found. about 50 000 children live with foster families in the uk and carers have said they need more money to make ends meet.  ms hodge said:  foster carers must not be out of pocket when meeting the costs of caring for a looked after child - a crucial role in society.  we need to make sure that arrangements for paying foster carers are as fair and transparent as possible.  our proposal for a national minimum rate shows we are serious about creating a better deal for foster carers and about encouraging more people to come forward and consider fostering as a worthwhile and rewarding opportunity.  the government is seeking to amend the children bill  which passes through the commons next week  to establish a national minimum payment.  fostering network executive director robert tapsfield criticised the existing system.  there is just no logic to a system which values children differently depending on where they live.  and with a shortage of over 8 000 foster carers in england  it s not a sustainable situation to expect carers to fund foster care from their own pockets.  the charity recommends a weekly payment of \u00a3108.49 for looking after a baby. in a survey  it discovered that rates paid by neighbouring authorities could vary by as much as \u00a3100 per week.  the association of directors of social services (adss) said it agreed in principle with the government s plans. tony hunter  the organisation s president  said:  there are many devils and lots of details hidden within the government s proposals.  but adss fully supports proper remuneration for valued foster carers and looks forward to working with ministers  local government and the fostering organisations themselves in order to make sure a sensible and practicable policy emerges.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "kenyon denies robben barca return chelsea chief executive peter kenyon has played down reports that arjen robben will return for the champions league match against barcelona.   he s been responding well to treatment and started running on friday  but we ll have to wait and see   he told bbc five live s sportsweek.  we re looking to getting him back as soon as possible  but he ll be back when it s right for him and for us.  there s no plans at the moment around the barcelona game.  his comments contradict those of chiropractor jean pierre meersseman who treated the dutchman after he fractured his foot at the start of february. robben had been expected to be out for six weeks  but meersseman hinted that the winger could be fit for the vital stamford bridge game on 8 march.  i hope he can be back and i will try to help him make that happen   meersseman told the mail on sunday.  i put everything right with arjen s foot the last time i saw him 12 days ago. it was an obvious correction and easy to perform.  i know he was pleased with what i did and now that he is running again. i am due to see him one more time again in the next few days.  meersseman is the medical co-ordinator at italian side ac milan.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "franz man seeks government help franz ferdinand frontman alex kapranos has called for more government help for musicians  while taking part in an edinburgh lectures discussion.   for any cultural output to thrive there needs to be some kind of state input to that as well   he said. but kapranos warned against musicians being too closely linked with mps  at the university of edinburgh event.  i think the role of musicians is to question politicians rather than to go to bed with them   he said.  kapranos joined the prestigious lecture series to discuss scotland s role in making 21st century music.  there are elements of our musical output which require sustenance because they aren t self-sufficient   he said.  but so-called commercial music would benefit from investment as well.  he warned musicians against being allied to a particular party  however.  i don t know if having tea with politicians is always a good idea.   kapranos and his glasgow four-piece band have been nominated for five prizes at next week s brit awards  including best group and best album. their self-titled debut album won last year s mercury music prize and spawned three top 20 singles. he told the 300-strong audience at the university s reid hall that musicians should listen to a wide range of music and should not be restricted by stereotypes.  we say  i like this . because i listen to nirvana and korn i am a troubled individual  i m riddled with angst because i listen to chopin and debussy  i listen to kylie minogue and scissor sisters because i m upbeat and i like to party  i listen to wagner because i like the smell of napalm in the morning.  kapranos said there was a general  hostility  towards classical music  adding:  there is very little done to break that hostility other than classic fm.   he concluded:  we define ourselves as a nation by the way we encourage our creativity.  fellow speaker and classical composer james macmillan agreed:  we need to rediscover our ability to listen.  previous speakers at the edinburgh lectures series have included former soviet leader mikhail gorbachev and author professor stephen hawking. kapranos described his appearance on wednesday as  more daunting by a long way  than their upcoming brits performance.  i don t really care about the brits   he said.  it s going to be great to go down but i have actually had to exercise part of my brain tonight.   i think the government should do more to help up-and-coming artists be discovered by scrapping the entertainment licences for live venues. also they should do more to help independent record labels have a louder voice within an industry dominated by commercialised major labels.  rather than expecting the government - i.e. the taxpayer - to fork out  why don t some of the megastars put something back in  some of britain s wealthiest people are musicians who have raked it in from albums  concerts etc. there are far more important demands on government funds.  if they can fund football  why not fund music   areas of the arts are funded by government and lottery grants  so why not music  we already have the opera receiving huge grants and it would clearly be beneficial for diversity in music to have the same opportunities in other areas of the music. the only problem would be how to judge what merits state cash.  the government has enough problems funding schools and health services. if alex kapranos genuinely thinks a multi-billion pound industry should also have government funding then his own education was seriously lacking and more money should be put into that.  as a scot living in england  i appreciate the value of scottish music and culture being a success  so i can see no problem with it! franz ferdinand  travis and snow patrol are just recent examples of the success scottish music can have in the world  so we should do what we scots are good at and support our own goods!  i think the issue is more fundamental: should the government be spending money on subsidising a multi-million pound industry when health and education are in such a sorry state  the answer is most definitely no. those people who are lucky enough to pursue their passion to get their pay cheque shouldn t be looking for government subsidies. i know that if i was lucky enough to be able to pursue my dream of show jumping i would want to finance myself until i was in a position to pursue corporate sponsorship.  yes the government should fund music - it brings joy to the masses.  there are already thousands of state-funded musicians out there sitting around  twiddling their thumbs on the  new deal . getting the government even more involved would only waste money that could be put to better use.  as long as the government was funding real talent it would be a great move. i would hate to see more pop idol-type funding of music though  as it would only serve to reinforce the stereotypes that alex talked about.  only if the proposals make financial sense. franz ferdinand must be paying serious amounts of tax on their record sales - if they d had a government grant to get started they d have more than paid it back by now  so the treasury would be making far more than it paid out. however  the government has better things to spend its money on than to give charity to everyone who decides they re a musician. the government shouldn t  fund  music - it should  invest  in music and those investments should be treated like any other investment.  i think the government needs to provide facilities and for young groups and bands to form and practise. the equipment is not cheap and can be well beyond the means of many people. however  i do feel this should be the extent of their role  to provide the conditions for the talent to flourish and let it go from there.  i do agree that the government should help to fund music but there is also a responsibility held by record companies! they generally always opt for the tried and tested and tend not to want to break any moulds or risk losing any money which ultimately  the directors are in the business for! if labels were more willing to put money forward towards smaller breakthrough acts then the government wouldn t have to fork out a great deal.  yeah  why not  music should be government funded  particularly the work of modern composers and veteran bands/artists and stuff. pop music pretty much rules the earth  so more attention should go to the other fraternities  i agree with funding the arts to make it more accessible to the public but i am not convinced that pop music requires financial support from the taxpayer. there is a great deal of money generated through pop music - perhaps a tax on pop could be ploughed into the public performance of other forms of music for everyone to enjoy. perhaps we could financially penalise really bad pop idol-style music - that is  the music industry sector without any artistic merit or originality whatsoever and that which is specifically designed to line the pockets of music producers. call it a tax on music  pollution   if you like.  though i really like franz ferdinand  i have to disagree with mr kapranos. once government gets their hand into the private sector  it will destroy the creative and possibly controversial avenues the artist pursues. many years ago  this was the case with the us nea  when the government started to question what was considered art for the money they were allotting. the solution mr kapranos should pursue would be privately-funded organizations  like save the music in the us.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "levy takes whitbread novel prize orange prize winner andrea levy has seen her book small island win the whitbread novel of the year award.  she is now favourite to win the overall prize after beating booker winner alan hollinghurst s the line of beauty. geraldine mccaughrean has picked up the children s fiction award for the third time for not the end of the world. all the category winners go through to compete for the whitbread book of the year title  which carries with it a \u00a325 000 prize. a panel of judges including sir trevor mcdonald  actor hugh grant and writer joanne harris will meet up on 25 january to decide the overall winner  with the announcement being made later that evening.  bookmaker william hill has placed london-based levy s novel as the 6/4 favourite to win.  small island  levy s fourth novel  is set in post-war england and centres on a landlady and her lodgers. one is a jamaican who joined british troops to fight hitler but finds life difficult out of uniform when he settles in london. the judges  who included authors jenny colgan and amanda craig  were full of praise for her writing.  what could have been a didactic or preachy prospect turns out to hilarious  moving humane and eye-popping. it s hard to think of anybody not enjoying it   wrote the judges. the first novel section was won by susan fletcher for eve green  beating the favourite jonathan strange and mr norrell by susanna clarke. fletcher has recently graduated from graduated from the university of east anglia creative writing course. waterstone s fiction writer buyer suzie doore said:  it is great to see susan fletcher win in the first novel category. as a relatively unknown author this award will give her exposure to a wider and mass audience that she may not have reached and is a perfect example of the influence of the whitbread.  fresh out of university she is certainly one to watch.   in the biography category it was john guy s the life of mary queen of scots that was picked as winner. the judges called it  an impressive and readable piece of scholarship  which cannot fail but leave the reader moved and intrigued by this most tragic and likeable of queens . guy has published many histories  including tudor england. he is a fellow at clare college  cambridge and became a honorary research professor of the university of st andrews in 2003. michael symmons roberts  fourth collection of poems scooped the poetry award. his works mixes mysticism  erotica and philosophy through life  death and resurrection. as well as writing poetry  symmons roberts also makes documentary films. children s winner mccaughrean  who went into magazine publishing after studying teaching  previously won the whitbread prize in 1987 with a little lower than angels and in 1994 with gold dust. she has previously been the winner of the blue peter book of the year.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "mobiles rack up 20 years of use mobile phones in the uk are celebrating their 20th anniversary this weekend.  britain s first mobile phone call was made across the vodafone network on 1 january 1985 by veteran comedian ernie wise. in the 20 years since that day  mobile phones have become an integral part of modern life and now almost 90% of britons own a handset. mobiles have become so popular that many people use their handset as their only phone and rarely use a landline.  the first ever call over a portable phone was made in 1973 in new york but it took 10 years for the first commercial mobile service to be launched. the uk was not far behind the rest of the world in setting up networks in 1985 that let people make calls while they walked. the first call was made from st katherine s dock to vodafone s head office in newbury which at the time was over a curry house. for the first nine days of 1985 vodafone was the only firm with a mobile network in the uk. then on 10 january cellnet (now o2) launched its service. mike caudwell  spokesman for vodafone  said that when phones were launched they were the size of a briefcase  cost about \u00a32 000 and had a battery life of little more than 20 minutes.   despite that they were hugely popular in the mid-80s   he said.  they became a yuppy must-have and a status symbol among young wealthy business folk.  this was also despite the fact that the phones used analogue radio signals to communicate which made them very easy to eavesdrop on. he said it took vodafone almost nine years to rack up its first million customers but only 18 months to get the second million.  it s very easy to forget that in 1983 when we put the bid document in we were forecasting that the total market would be two million people   he said.  cellnet was forecasting half that.  now vodafone has 14m customers in the uk alone. cellnet and vodafone were the only mobile phone operators in the uk until 1993 when one2one (now t-mobile) was launched. orange had its uk launch in 1994. both newcomers operated digital mobile networks and now all operators use this technology. the analogue spectrum for the old phones has been retired. called global system for mobiles (gsm) this is now the most widely used phone technology on the planet and is used to help more than 1.2 billion people make calls. mr caudwell said the advent of digital technology also helped to introduce all those things  such as text messaging and roaming that have made mobiles so popular.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "poppins musical gets flying start the stage adaptation of children s film mary poppins has had its opening night in london s west end.  sir cameron mackintosh s lavish production  which has cost \u00a39m to bring to the stage  was given a 10-minute standing ovation. lead actress laura michelle kelly soared over the heads of the audience holding the nanny s trademark umbrella. technical hitches had prevented mary poppins  flight into the auditorium during preview performances. a number of celebrities turned out for the musical s premiere  including actress barbara windsor  comic graham norton and sir richard attenborough.  the show s director richard eyre issued a warning earlier in the week that the show was unsuitable for children under seven  while under-threes are barred. mary poppins was originally created by author pamela travers  who is said to have cried when she saw disney s 1964 film starring julie andrews. travers had intended the story to be a lot darker than the perennial family favourite. theatre impresario sir cameron mackintosh has said he hopes the musical is a blend of the sweet-natured film and the original book.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "elton plays paris charity concert sir elton john has performed at a special concert in paris to raise money for the victims of the asian tsunami.  the british singer played to a 2 700-strong audience on sunday at the french capital s bastille opera house. the concert was also part of an attempt to bring a broader range of events to the famous venue. money raised will go to the fondation pour l enfance (foundation for childhood) which aims to rebuild a children s shelter in sri lanka. sir elton played hits from his vast back catalogue to a sell-out crowd which included former french president valery giscard d estaing and his wife anne-aymone. the veteran pop star played piano accompaniment throughout the concert which lasted for three hours without an interval.  he told the crowd:  throughout the years  i ve done a lot of drugs and alcohol. it s true that i was a nightmare  impossible. for the last 14 years i ve been normal. now my drug is called david  - a reference to david furnish  his partner. the crowd  who greeted each song with a standing ovation  also included french singer charles aznavour and british ambassador sir john holmes. sir elton has also teamed up with phil collins to record a version of eric clapton s 1991 hit tears in heaven to raise money for the relief fund. a release date has yet to be set for the recording  which was organised by sharon osbourne.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "rock group korn s guitarist quits the guitarist with us rock band korn has quit the music business  saying he made the decision after experiencing a religious awakening.  brian  head  welch told a radio station in california that his bandmates respected his decision to leave. a replacement guitarist has yet to be named by korn  who are currently at work on their eighth studio album. welch added that he would appear at a church in bakersfield to explain how he  got to this place in life . the remaining members of korn  who are known for their hardcore brand of rock  said they hoped welch  finds the happiness he is looking for .  the 34-year-old made reference to the band s aggressive brand of music and its young fans in his parting statement.  anger is a good thing  and if kids want to listen to korn  good  but there s happiness after the anger   he told his local radio station in bakersfield.  i m going to show it through my actions  how much i love my fans   added welch. korn have enjoyed a moderate degree of chart success in the uk  with 10 singles breaking into the top 40. their best performance to date in the uk has been 2002 s here to stay  which reached number 12  while their album untouchables  released in the same year  made it to number four.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "dawson joins england injury list scrum-half matt dawson is an injury doubt for england s six nations opener against wales next weekend.  the world cup winner missed wasps  12-9 loss to bath on saturday after injuring his right calf. wasps coach warren gatland said:  he s got a fitness test in the week but he s got a good chance of playing.  gloucester s andy hazell and leicester star lewis moody also received knocks during their respective league matches  but should be fit for wales next week. if dawson is not fit to face wales  robinson will have to choose from gloucester s andy gomarsall or leicester youngster harry ellis.  jamie noon is another player on the sidelines after he limped off in the first half against saracens on friday with a dead leg. the centre  who is in line for a first six nations start against wales  will have to wait 48 hours before knowing the state of his injury.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "yukos drops banks from court bid russian oil company yukos has dropped the threat of legal action against five banks it had accused of involvement in the sale of its key yugansk unit.  state-owned rosneft bought the unit for $9.3bn (\u00a35bn) after yukos was forced to sell assets to meet a $27.5bn tax bill. yukos says the sale was illegal and is pursuing damages in a us court. its lawyers now accept abn amro  bnp paribas  calyon  jp morgan chase bank  and dresdner kleinwort wasserstein were not involved in the sale financing. however  yukos still has an outstanding complaint against deutsche bank  which it alleges to be the leader of a consortium that was behind a bid for yugansk by state gas monopoly gazprom. the company has also accused gazprom  the russian federation and two other russian firms.  gazprom had been expected to win the december auction  but ended up not bidding. yugansk was sold to a little-known shell company  which in turn was bought by rosneft. yukos claims its downfall was punishment for the political ambitions of its founder mikhail khodorkovsky. the firm  whose finance chief is now based in the us  filed for bankruptcy in houston  texas  and sought a court injunction against the sale. but deutsche bank has suggested yukos artificially manufactured a legal case to stop the sale of its main asset. a hearing scheduled for february 16 and 17 will rule on whether the us court has jurisdiction in the case.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "stars gear up for bafta ceremony film stars from across the globe are preparing to walk the red carpet at this year s bafta award ceremony.  the 2005 orange british academy film awards are being held at the odeon in london s leicester square. a host of hollywood stars  including cate blanchett  leonardo dicaprio  keanu reeves and richard gere  are expected to attend saturday s ceremony. hosted by stephen fry  the glittering ceremony will be broadcast on bbc one at 2010 gmt.  other actors expected to add to the glamour of the biggest night in uk film are gael garcia bernal  imelda staunton  diane kruger  christian slater  anjelica huston  helen mirren and former james bond star pierce brosnan. hollywood blockbuster the aviator  starring dicaprio  leads the field with 14 nominations  including best film.  it is up against eternal sunshine of the spotless mind  finding neverland  the motorcycle diaries and british film vera drake  which has 11 nominations. british hope imelda staunton is one of the favourites to land the best actress award for her gritty role as a backstreet abortionist in the small-budget film. other nominees in the best actress category include charlize theron for monster  ziyi zhang for house of flying daggers and uk star kate winslet  who has two nods for her roles in eternal sunshine of the spotless mind and finding neverland.  dicaprio faces competition from bernal  jamie foxx  jim carrey and johnny depp in the best actor category. and british actor clive owen is hoping to repeat his golden globe success with a best supporting actor award for his role in closer. his co-star natalie portman is up against blanchett  heather craney  julie cristie and meryl streep in the best supporting actress category. mike leigh is up for the best director award for vera drake  alongside martin scorsese for the aviator  michael mann for collateral  michel gondry for eternal sunshine of the spotless mind and marc forster for finding neverland.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "sir paul rocks super bowl crowds sir paul mccartney wowed fans with a live mini-concert at american football s super bowl - and avoided any janet jackson-style controversies.  the 62-year-old sang hey jude and other beatles songs in a 12-minute set at half-time during the game in florida. last year  jackson exposed a breast during a dance routine  causing outrage among millions of tv viewers and landing the cbs tv network a fine. sir paul  however  did nothing more racy than remove his jacket as he sang. organisers were widely considered to be playing it safe this year by booking 62-year-old sir paul for his second super bowl show.  three years ago  he was invited to perform at the first super bowl after the september 11 attacks and performed his specially-written song freedom. this time  he started off the show  at the alltel stadium in jacksonville  florida  with the beatles numbers drive my car and get back. he then performed a mellow version of live and let die  the james bond theme he recorded with the band wings. finally  he closed the show with a rousing version of hey jude. the former beatle resisted any temptation to refer to janet jackson s headline-grabbing performance last year  instead keeping banter between songs to a minimum in order to squeeze as much music as he could into his slot. the singer removed his black jacket halfway through the show - but any fans hoping for a second  nipple-gate  were to be disappointed as he kept his red sweatshirt on underneath.  earlier  the black eyed peas and alicia keys had provided the night s other high-profile entertainment by performing in a pre-game show. black eyed peas singer fergie was dressed in a tight orange top and purple hotpants  but nothing in her performance was likely to upset tv watchdogs. after the controversy last year - which saw cbs fined a record $550 000 (\u00a3292 000) by federal regulators - super bowl organisers had turned to producer don mischer to oversee this year s half-time show. his previous production credits included olympic opening and closing ceremonies. the super bowl is watched by an audience of 144.4 million in the us  with many of the people watching are said to tune in specifically to see the entertainment put on around the event. michael jackson  aerosmith  diana ross  gloria estefan and phil collins are among the stars who have previously graced the super bowl stage.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "blair to face trust issue head on tony blair says he will be facing the issue of trust and his own integrity head on during the election campaign.  during a question and answer session with first-time voters on five news  mr blair said he had no option but to  confront it  by talking to people. he also dismissed claims government plans to get 50% of young people into university would devalue degrees. he was not  forcing  anyone to go to university  but places should be there for those who wanted them  he said. in answer to a question from 22-year-old liverpool student david dunne about concerns over the prime minister s personal integrity  mr blair said talking was the only answer.  you ve just got to confront it and say to people let s have a discussion on the things that worry you  the things that make you say  i can t trust you  or  i am against you on this.   the  worst thing in politics  was that the electorate only got  little snatches of policy  from things like prime minister s questions and the news headlines. this was why he wanted to  get out of the 30 seconds on the news   he added.  by talking through policies at least people understood the reason for them  even if they did not agree with them  he said. mr blair also faced questions about british policy on iran and its alleged nuclear weapons programme. he insisted there was no plan for an invasion of the country saying:  sometimes people say because of what has happened in iraq this is the next place.  instead there was a real chance of a  peaceful resolution  to the problem  he said.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "spurs to sign iceland u21 star tottenham are primed to snap up iceland under-21 international emil hallfredsson after he impressed on trial at white hart lane.  the 20-year-old midfielder  who plays for fh hafnarfjordur  also starred in the uefa cup match against scottish side dunfermline earlier this season. spurs have agreed a fee for the player  who has yet to agree personal terms.  he had offers from two other clubs but he decided to come to tottenham   said spurs sporting director frank arnesen.  he is a left-sided player  a position we have been looking at and he showed so much talent in his time here that we decided to take him.  it s down the road of bringing in talent  good prospects and giving them a place at tottenham where they can improve.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "ec calls truce in deficit battle the european commission (ec) has called a truce in its battle with france and germany over breaching deficit limits.  the move came after france and germany vowed to run their budget deficits below the eu cap in 2005 - for the first time in four years. but  the ec did warn the two were under close scrutiny and it would act if their fiscal situations deteriorated. under eu rules  member countries must keep their deficits below 3%. france and germany will breach that this year. it will be the third year in a row that the two countries have broken the european union s stability and growth pact rules.  the eurozone s two biggest economies left the pact in tatters in november 2003 when they persuaded fellow eu members to put the threat of penalties for deficit breaches on hold.  the commission then took the pair to the european court of human justice - which ruled eu countries could not put the pact  in abeyance   and confirmed the ec s right to launch  excessive debt procedures . after announcing its decision to erase france and germany from its list of deficit rule breakers  the eu said that the time lag created by the ruling meant that 2005 should be the target year for the pair to bring their budget s below 3%.  the commission concludes that the two countries appear to be on track to correct their excessive deficits by 2005   it said in a statement. the eu expects the german deficit to fall to fall to 2.9% of gdp next year from 3.9% this year  while france s is forecast to drop to 3% from an expected 3.7% this year. the forecasts are based on ec predictions of gdp growth of 1.5% in germany next year and 2.2% in france.  berlin welcomed the decision  with finance minister hans eichel saying it showed that the ec recognised germany s fiscal policy was  on the right track even amid very difficult economic conditions . however paris was more subdued  with finance minister herve gaymard telling parliament:  we must continue along this path of saving money.  however  the move still had its critics  with the european people s party (epp) attacking the ec for backing down from punitive action.  the commission is buckling under the pressure from germany and france    epp spokesman alexander radwan said.  the scary fact is that budget sinners  despite having repeatedly exceeded the 3% deficit limit  do not have to fear any sanctions.  despite the commission delivering its decision on the two biggest eurozone economies  it refused to comment on similar action against greece which has also broken the 3% deficit ceiling. monetary affairs commissioner joaquin almunia said that it was a matter for next week.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "computer grid to help the world your computer can now help solve the world s most difficult health and social problems.  launched this week  the world community grid will use idle computer time to test solutions to these problems. the donated processor cycles will help the wcg create virtual supercomputers via the net. the idea follows the success of other similar projects that have used the untapped processing power of millions of desktop pcs. one of the most successful collaboration projects was seti@home  run by the search for extra terrestrial life project  which sorted through radio signals looking for signs of alien communication.  anyone can volunteer to donate the spare time of their computers by downloading a special screensaver from the wgc website. once installed  the virtual terminal gets a chunk of the computational task to process  and reports back after completing that task. the first wcg problem being tackled will be the human proteome folding project  which hopes to identify the ways that the proteins in our body fold.  the subjects of study are being selected by an international advisory board of experts specializing in health sciences  and technology. the body will evaluate proposals from leading research  public and not-for-profit organizations  and is expected to oversee up to six projects a year. organisations also represented on the board include the united nations development programme and the world health organisation.   the world community grid will enable researchers around the globe to gather and analyze unprecedented quantities of data to help address important global issues   said elain gallin  program director for medical research at the doris duke charitable foundation.  [it] will inspire us to look beyond the technological limitations that have historically restricted us from addressing some of our most intractable problems   she added. ibm has donated the hardware  software  technical services and expertise to build the basic infrastructure for the grid. the computer company  working with united devices  previously developed the smallpox research grid  which linked together more than two million volunteers from 226 countries to speed the analysis of some 35 million drug molecules in the search for a treatment for smallpox.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "japanese banking battle at an end japan s sumitomo mitsui financial has withdrawn its takeover offer for rival bank ufj holdings  enabling the latter to merge with mitsubishi tokyo.  sumitomo bosses told counterparts at ufj of its decision on friday  clearing the way for it to conclude a 3 trillion yen ($29bn) deal with mitsubishi. the deal would create the world s biggest bank with assets of about 189 trillion yen ($1.8 trillion). sumitomo s exit ends the most high profile fight in japanese bank history.  ufj holdings  japan s fourth-largest bank  has been at the centre of a fierce bid battle over the last year. sumitomo  japan s third-largest bank  tabled a higher offer for ufj than its rival  valuing the company at $35bn.  however  ufj s management was known to prefer the offer from mitsubishi tokyo financial group (mtfg)  japan s second-largest bank. concerns were also raised about sumitomo s ability to absorb ufj and the former has now admitted defeat.  we believe the market and most investors accept a ufj-mtfg merger   sumitomo said in a statement.  given the ongoing integration of ufj and mtfg operations  persisting with our proposal may not be in the best interests of our shareholders or ufj s.   mitsubishi s takeover of ufj - which will be japan s largest-ever takeover deal - will still have to be approved by shareholders of the two firms. however  this is expected to be a formality. sumitomo may now turn its attention to deepening its ties with daiwa securities  another japanese financial firm. the two are set to merge their venture capital operations and there has been speculation that this could lead to a full-blown merger. japanese banks are increasingly seeking alliances to boost profits.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "takeover rumour lifts exel shares shares in storage and delivery firm exel closed up 9% at a two-and-a-half year high on tuesday on speculation it is to receive an imminent takeover bid.  the talk in the city is that us giant united parcel services (ups) is the most likely bidder for the firm. yet other names mentioned in connection to buying exel are dhl-owner deutsche post and finance firm ge capital. with its shares closing tuesday at 873p  bracknell-based exel is currently valued at \u00a32.6bn ($6.3bn).  exel employs 109 000 people in more than 120 countries and has itself been active in the consolidation of the logistics sector  paying \u00a3328m to buy fellow uk firm tibbett & britten last august. its customers include boots  burberry  mothercare and consumer products giant procter & gamble. andrew beh  of brokers ing  said ups and deutsche post were the most likely bidders and an offer of 950p a share would be fair if a bidding battle did not break out.  it s a great strategic fit for both companies   he said.  both are interested in expanding in logistics and you can make a decent case for cost synergies which could justify the premium and that s before you make any argument about revenue synergies.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "cairn shares up on new oil find shares in cairn energy have jumped 6% after the firm said an indian oilfield was larger than previously thought.  cairn said drilling to the north-west of its development site in rajasthan had produced  very strong results . the company also said it now believed the development area would be able to produce oil for more than 25 years. cairn s share price rose 300% last year after a number of oil finds  but its shares were hit in december following a disappointing drilling update. december s share fall means that cairn is still in danger of being relegated from the ftse 100 when the index is reshuffled next month. cairn s shares closed up 64 pence  or 6%  at 1130p on thursday.  before christmas  cairn revealed that drilling to the north of the field in rajasthan had been disappointing  which caused its shares to lose 18% in one day.  however  on thursday  the group said its belief that the path of oil in the area actually moved further to the west had proved correct.  this area does need more appraisal drilling but it looks very strong   dr mike watts head of exploration said. chief executive bill gammell added:  the more we progress in rajasthan the better we feel about it.  cairn made the discovery after having been granted an extension to their drilling licence in january by indian authorities. the firm has applied for a 30-month extension to scout for oil outside its main development area  which includes the mangala and aishwariya fields where cairn has previously announced major discoveries. it also said production at its other fields across the globe was likely to surpass levels seen in 2004.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "soderling wins tense milan final fifth seed robin soderling took the milan indoors title with a dramatic win over radek stepanek in sunday s final.  the 20-year-old swede edged the final set tie-break for a 6-3 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-5) victory and his second tour title after winning in lyon last year.  i m delighted to have won against such a good opponent in a tournament of this importance   said soderling.  i was really on form  my service was good and i really liked playing on the synthetic surface.  soderling  the world number 37  shrugged off a nervous start to take the opening set on his first set point. a change in approach from fourth seed stepanek in the second set paid dividends as he took it on a tie-break  but soderling s superior power proved too much in the third.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "smith loses us box office crown new comedy diary of a mad black woman has ended will smith s reign at the top of the north american box office.  based on a play by tyler perry  who also stars as a gun-toting grandmother  the film took $22.7m (\u00a311.8m) in its first three days of release. after topping the chart for two consecutive weeks  smith s romantic comedy hitch dropped to second place with takings of $21m (\u00a310.9m). keanu reeves  supernatural thriller constantine dropped a place to three. based on the hellblazer comics  the film took $11.8m (\u00a36.1m) on its second week of release. two new entries came next in the chart  with wes craven s horror movie cursed  about a werewolf loose in los angeles  in fourth position with $9.5m (\u00a34.9m).  action comedy man of the house  starring tommy lee jones as a texas ranger assigned to protect a cheerleader squad  came in at fifth with $9m (\u00a34.6m). clint eastwood s boxing drama million dollar baby - recipient of four academy awards  including best picture - continued to perform well in sixth place with takings of $7.2m (\u00a33.74m). martin scorsese s hollywood biopic the aviator - which won five oscars  all in minor categories - held on in ninth place. the low-budget feature diary of a mad black woman stars kimberly elise as a woman thrown out on the streets by her philandering husband. with the help of her grandmother madea (one of three roles played by perry)  she plots revenge. perry  34  is one of america s best-known black playwrights but is a newcomer to film. once made homeless after investing his own money in unsuccessful productions of his work  he now lives in the mansion in which diary of a mad black woman was filmed.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "eu aiming to fuel development aid european union finance ministers meet on thursday to discuss proposals  including a tax on jet fuel  to boost development aid for poorer nations.  the policy makers are to ask for a report into how more development money can be raised  the eu said. the world s richest countries have said they want to increase the amount of aid they give to 0.7% of their annual gross national income by 2015. airlines have reacted strongly against the proposed fuel levy.  profits have been under pressure in the airline industry  with low-cost firms driving down prices and demand dipping after the 11 september terrorist attacks and the outbreak of the killer sars virus.  things have picked up  but some european and us companies are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. at present  the fuel used by airlines enjoys either a very low tax rate or is untaxed in eu member states.  of course we applaud humanitarian initiatives  but why target the airlines   said ulrich schulte-strathaus  secretary general of the association of european airlines.  our industry is in the midst of a fundamental crisis...only to be once again confronted with a measure designed to increase our costs   he continued.  the eu sought to allay the airlines  fears  stressing that thursday s meeting was only a first step and that other proposals were also under consideration. it added that any plan to levy taxes on jet fuel  should not hinder the competitiveness of the airlines and that they themselves will not be solely funding development . any tax would only be implemented after full consultation with the airlines  the eu said. there is thought to be widespread support for the plan - tabled by france and germany following the recent g7 meeting of the world s richest nations - from eu ministers. the issue of poverty in africa and south asia has forced itself to the top of the politicial agenda  with politicians and campaigners calling for more to be done. at their meeting in london  g7 finance ministers backed plans to write off up to 100% of the debts of some of the world s poorest countries.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "candela completes bolton switch bolton boss sam allardyce has signed roma defender vincent candela on a five-month deal.  the 31-year-old former france international gave his last press conference as a roma player on monday  anouncing his move to bolton.  i have signed a five-month contract with bolton   said candela  who will travel to england on tuesday.  in june i will decide whether to continue to play for bolton or retire from professional football.  allardyce hopes candela s arrival will relieve bolton s injury crisis after defender nicky hunt limped out injured during oldham s 1-0 win against oldham in the fa cup on sunday.  in light of what has happened to nicky hunt  with his injury  it might be a blessing in disguise that we can bring in a highly-experienced full-back to help with our injuries at the back   allardyce said.  he has an outstanding pedigree in the game and has won honours at the highest level including the world cup in 1998.  he has not played regular football this year but is eager to impress in the premiership.  he can play in any position at the back and despite him being predominately right-footed he has played the majority of his career at left-back.  candela  who was a member of the roma side that won the title in 2001  has made only seven league appearances this season for luigi del neri s side.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "sun offers processing by the hour sun microsystems has launched a pay-as-you-go service which will allow customers requiring huge computing power to rent it by the hour.  sun grid costs users $1 (53p) for an hour s worth of processing and storage power on systems maintained by sun. so-called grid computing is the latest buzz phrase in a company which believes that computing capacity is as important a commodity as hardware and software. sun likened grid computing to the development of electricity.  the system could mature in the same way utilities such as electricity and water have developed  said sun s chief operating officer jonathan schwartz.  why build your own grid when you can use ours for a buck an hour   he asked in a webcast launching sun s quarterly network computing event in california. the company will have to persuade data centre managers to adopt a new model but it said it already had interest from customers in the oil  gas and financial services industries.  some of them want to book computing capacity of more than 5 000 processors each  sun said. mr schwartz ran a demonstration of the service  showing how data could be processed in a protein folding experiment. hundreds of servers were used simultaneously  working on the problem for a few seconds each.  although it only took a few seconds  the experiment cost $12 (\u00a36.30) because it had used up 12 hours  worth of computing power. the sun grid relies on solaris  the operating system owned by sun. initially it will house the grid in existing premises and will use idle servers to test software before shipping it to customers. it has not said how much the system will cost to develop but it already has a rival in ibm  which argues that its capacity on-demand service is cheaper than that offered by sun.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "bangkok film festival battles on organisers of the third bangkok international film festival have been determined to carry on with this year s event despite the ravages of the asian tsunami disaster.  the festivities have been scaled down  red carpets have been mothballed and profits from ticket sales are being donated to the tsunami relief fund. apart from this  however  the festival has continued as originally planned.  when the disaster happened  we naturally asked ourselves if we should cancel   said the festival s executive director  craig prater.  the decision was made that we would continue  but that the focus would change.   our premieres became fundraisers  the opening night was visibly toned down and 10% of every ticket sold goes to the disaster fund   he continued.  but we feel like we ve turned a page. we ve acknowledged our position  and now it s business as usual.   mr prater s sentiments were echoed by christine rush  director of the festival s sister event  the bangkok film market.  we have been careful to be respectful of the thai nation s recovery from this terrible disaster   she said.   however  the nation s recovery very much depends upon it continuing its economic life.  we are encouraging attendees to keep the victims in mind and aggressively support the aid organisations helping out   she added. given the conspicuously low audience figures  that support may be more symbolic than significant. however  poor ticket sales have less to do with any fallout from the disaster and more to do with administrative and promotional difficulties.  the eclectic programme contains a wide range of titles  including such oscar hopefuls as ray charles biopic ray and mike leigh s abortion drama vera drake. that said  the absence of thai subtitles on most film prints might have proved offputting to local cinemagoers.  on a more positive note  the celebrity guests attending the event have generated huge media interest in this busy capital city. problems securing air transport  the clash with last sunday s golden globes ceremony in los angeles and other factors have forced some big names to cancel.  but the festival has still attracted such hollywood directors as oliver stone and joel schumacher  alongside such screen stars as michael douglas  jeremy irons and jean-claude van damme. irons  whose film being julia is in competition for the festival s golden kinnaree awards  said he had wondered whether he should attend after december s catastrophe.  i questioned whether i should come when such a tragedy had happened   the british actor said.  i thought it might be in rather bad taste. but then i spoke to the organisers and i was encouraged to let life go on.  now i ve come here i m very glad. what impresses me about thai culture is they get over these things far quicker than we do in the west   he continued.  basically i was invited here by thailand. if they still want you to come  you should.   now in its third year  bangkok is a relatively recent addition to the hectic film festival calendar. and while it has yet to attain the stature of more established events held in hong kong  tokyo and pusan in south korea  mr prater predicts it will soon become their equal.  it s grown awfully fast in three years - maybe too fast   he concedes.  we ve had some bumps in the road  but that s only because the festival is still a baby.  i have no doubt in my mind that in five years  this will be the top asian film festival in the world.  the golden kinnarees will be awarded on friday. the festival itself runs until 24 january.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "liverpool pledge to keep gerrard liverpool chief executive rick parry insists the club will never sell steven gerrard amid reports chelsea will renew their bid to lure him from anfield.  gerrard reiterated his desire to win trophies with the reds after his superb champions league winner on wednesday. and parry has moved to scotch claims that chelsea could launch a \u00a335m bid.  there is no chance of stevie going in january   said parry.  that just won t happen. our intention is that we will never let him go.  gerrard scored a spectacular late goal to give liverpool a 3-1 win over olympiakos and book their place in the knockout stages.  of course he is ambitious but so are we   parry added.  we firmly believe that if we can satisfy his ambition he will remain a liverpool player.  we have an open and straightforward relationship. we both know where we stand and that played a big part in his decision to stay last summer. if he was not so committed to liverpool he would have gone by now.  gerrard had said before wednesday s game he would consider leaving if the club was knocked out of europe  with real madrid also believed to be monitoring his situation.   the main point i have made is i want to be in a liverpool side which challenges for the champions league and the title all the time   he said afterwards.  i want to be winning things with liverpool  not somewhere else.  i am a fan as well and i think what i have said the supporters will agree with.  we have to build on wins like that  not just settle for a great win and then not progress any further.  my goal was one of the most important i have ever scored and i hope it turns out to be one of the most important for the club for a long time.  i know i put a lot of pressure on myself because of what i said  and i felt i needed a big performance  but i am not going to go around telling lies about how i feel.   reds manager rafael benitez believes gerrard can win everything he wants to without moving clubs.  steven can win all he wants with us and we need him. he has seen that we have a good team and we can do more things in the future   said benitez.  but if we want to win more games  important games  we need steven in the team.  we need his strength  the strong mentality he has and his quality. i think he likes and wants the responsibility of leading this team.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "wenger handed summer war chest arsenal boss arsene wenger has been guaranteed transfer funds to boost his squad the summer.  the club s managing director  keith edelman  stressed that the development of their new \u00a3350m stadium had no affect on wenger s spending power.  the money is there. don t worry we ve got it   edelman told bbc sport.  hopefully  we ll spend it this summer and in the coming years. arsene attends all our board meetings and he knows our finances are very strong.   edelman added that it was pointless having a brand new stadium if the team did not match the surroundings.  its great to have nice  new surroundings  but if the team aren t performing on the pitch  then there isn t great respect in having a fabulous stadium   he said.  it s important that we had sufficient funds for our team in place  before we began on the stadium.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "how to smash a home computer an executive who froze his broken hard disk thinking it would be fixed has topped a list of the weirdest computer mishaps.  although computer malfunctions remain the most common cause of file loss  data recovery experts say human behaviour still is to blame in many cases. they say that no matter how effective technology is at rescuing files  users should take more time to back-up and protect important files. the list of the top 10 global data disasters was compiled by recovery company ontrack.  careless - and preventable - mistakes that result in data loss range from reckless file maintenance practices to episodes of pure rage towards a computer. this last category includes the case of a man who became so mad with his malfunctioning laptop that he threw it in the lavatory and flushed a couple of times.  data can disappear as a result of natural disaster  system fault or computer virus  but human error  including  computer rage   seems to be a growing problem   said adrian palmer  managing director of ontrack data recovery.   nevertheless  victims soon calm down when they realise the damage they ve done and come to us with pleas for help to retrieve their valuable information.  a far more common situation is when a computer virus strikes and leads to precious files being corrupted or deleted entirely. mr palmer recalled the case of a couple who had hundreds of pictures of their baby s first three months on their computer  but managed to reformat the hard drive and erase all the precious memories.  data can be recovered from computers  servers and even memory cards used in digital devices in most cases   said mr palmer.  however  individuals and companies can avoid the hassle and stress this can cause by backing up data on a regular basis.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "consumer concern over rfid tags consumers are very concerned about the use of radio frequency id (rfid) tags in shops  a survey says.  more than half of 2 000 people surveyed said they had privacy worries about the tags  which can be used to monitor stock on shelves or in warehouses. some consumer groups have expressed concern that the tags could be used to monitor shoppers once they had left shops with their purchases. the survey showed that awareness of tags among consumers in europe was low. the survey of consumers in the uk  france  germany and the netherlands was carried out by consultancy group capgemini. the firm works on behalf of more than 30 firms who are seeking to promote the growth of rfid technology. the tags are a combination of computer chip and antenna which can be read by a scanner - each item contains a unique identification number.  more than half (55%) of the respondents said they were either concerned or very concerned that rfid tags would allow businesses to track consumers via product purchases. fifty nine percent of people said they were worried that rfid tags would allow data to be used more freely by third parties. ard jan vetham  capgemini s principal consultant on rfid  said the survey showed that retailers needed to inform and educate people about rfid before it would become accepted technology.  acceptance of new technologies always has a tipping point at which consumers believe that benefits outweigh concerns.  with the right rfid approach and ongoing communication with consumers  the industry can reach this point.  he said that the survey also showed people would accept rfid if they felt that the technology could mean a reduction in car theft or faster recovery of stolen items. the tags are currently being used at one tesco distribution centre in the uk - the tags allow the rapid inventory of bulk items. they are also in use as a passcard for the m6 toll in the midlands  in the uk. mr vetham said the majority of people surveyed (52%) believed that rfid tags could be read from a distance. he said that was a misconception based on a lack of awareness of the technology. at least once consumer group - consumers against supermarket privacy invasion and numbering (caspian) - has claimed that rfid chips could be used to secretly identify people and the things they are carrying or wearing. all kinds of personal belongings  including clothes  could constantly broadcast messages about their whereabouts and their owners  it warned.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "senior fannie mae bosses resign the two most senior executives at us mortgage giant fannie mae have resigned after accounting irregularities were uncovered at the company.  chief executive franklin raines  a former senior official in the clinton administration  and chief financial officer tim howard have left the firm. fannie mae was criticised by financial regulators and could have to restate its earnings by up to $9bn (\u00a34.6bn). it is america s second largest financial institution.  recent investigations have exposed extensive accounting errors at fannie mae  which supplies funds to america s $8 trillion mortgage market. last week  the firm was admonished by the securities and exchange commission which said it had made major errors in its financial reporting.  the financial regulator said fannie mae would have to raise substantial new capital to restore its balance sheet. analysts said the sec s criticism made it impossible for fannie mae s senior executives to remain. mr raines  head of the office of management and budget under president clinton  has taken early retirement while mr howard has also stepped down  the company said on tuesday. kpmg  fannie mae s independent auditor  will also be replaced.  by my early retirement  i have held myself accountable   mr raines said in a statement.  fannie mae was found to have violated accounting rules relating to derivatives - financial instruments used to hedge against fluctuations in interest rates - and some pre-paid loans. as a result  it could be forced to restate $9bn in earnings over the past four years  effectively wiping out a third of the company s profits since 2001. although not making loans directly to buyers  fannie mae is the largest single player in the mortgage market  underwriting half of all us house purchases. the firm operates under charter from the us congress. it has faced stinging criticism from congressional leaders who held hearings into its finances earlier this year and from government regulator  the office of federal housing enterprise oversight (ofheo).  we are encouraged that the board s announcement signals a new culture and a new direction for fannie mae   armando falcon  ofheo director said. the problems afflicting fannie mae are just the latest to hit the us mortgage industry. freddie mac  the country s other largest mortgage firm  was forced to restate its earnings by $4.4bn last year and pay a $125m fine after an investigation of its books.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "de niro completes box office coup robert de niro has completed a transatlantic box office double by topping the uk and us film charts with two different films at the same time.  comedy sequel meet the fockers  in which he stars with ben stiller  dustin hoffman and barbra streisand  shot to the top of the uk chart at the weekend. it took \u00a37.2m in three days - eight times more than the number two  closer. assault on precinct 13 was in third. at the same time  us audiences were won over by his new thriller hide and seek. in meet the fockers  he picks up the role of an uptight father and ex-cia agent from 2000 hit comedy  meet the parents.  it is a big leap to his role in hide and seek  a supernatural horror in which he plays a widower whose daughter s imaginary friend turns nasty. in the uk box office chart  meet the fockers pushed closer off the top spot while police action movie assault on precinct 13  starring rapper ja rule  made \u00a3750 000 in its first weekend. london underground thriller creep was another new entry at six while quirky comedy sideways  which got five oscar nominations last week  entered in eighth place. the oscar nominations do not seem to have had an impact on fans  choices at cinemas. leading contenders the aviator  million dollar baby and ray all suffered substantial drops in takings compared with the previous weekend.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "stars pay tribute to actor davis hollywood stars including spike lee  burt reynolds and oscar nominee alan alda have paid tribute to actor ossie davis at a funeral in new york.  veteran star ossie davis  a well-known civil rights activist  died in miami at the age of 87 on 4 february 2005. friends and family  including actress ruby dee his wife of 56 years  gathered at the riverside church on saturday. also present at the service was former us president bill clinton and singer harry belafonte  who gave the eulogy.  he would have been a very good president of the united states   said mr clinton.  like most of you here  he gave more to me than i gave to him.   the 87-year-old was found dead last weekend in his hotel room in florida  where he was making a film. police said that he appeared to have died of natural causes. davis made his acting debut in 1950 in no way out starring sidney poiter. he frequently collaborated with director spike lee  starring in seven lee films including jungle fever  do the right thing and malcolm x. attallah shabazz  the daughter of activist malcolm x  recalled the famous eulogy delivered by davis at her father s funeral.  harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its finest hopes   she said  quoting the man she knew as uncle ossie.  ditto.   ossie was my hero  and he still is   said aviator star alan alda  a family friend for over forty years.  ossie was a thing of beauty.    i want so badly someday to have his dignity - a little of it anyway   added burt reynolds  davis s co-star in the 90s tv comedy evening shade. before the midday funeral  scores of harlem residents formed a queue outside the church to pay their respects to davis.  it is hard to fathom that we will no longer be able to call on his wisdom  his humour  his loyalty and his moral strength to guide us in the choices that are yet to be made and the battles that are yet to be fought   said belafonte  himself an ardent civil rights activist who had been friends with davis for over 60 years.  but how fortunate we were to have him as long as we did.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "lib dems demand new inquiry a judge should look into the david blunkett controversy as key questions remain unanswered  the lib dems say.  sir alan budd s inquiry linked the ex-home secretary to the speeding up of a visa claim by his ex-lover s nanny. but he could not say whether mr blunkett had treated the nanny as a special case or had used her as an example of immigration problems. lib dem spokesman mark oaten said the number of officials who had forgotten what happened was worrying. he told bbc news:  i m extremely concerned that 20 individuals appear to have forgotten what happened or more suspiciously are not prepared to say what happened.  that must be bad for government  it must be bad for public confidence in the system.   mr oaten said people would be mystified why sir alan s inquiry failed to uncover why processing of the visa application was speeded up. he said:  there is a strong case for a judge-led judicial review of this because  of course  next time it happens it may not be about a nanny and their visa. it may be about something even more important than that.  so we do need to understand what took place and who was involved.  the tories criticised the lib dem stance  saying mr oaten had initially said he accepted mr blunkett s word unless further evidence emerged. but lib dem officials say mr oaten was speaking when an inquiry was under way and was avoiding rushing to judgement.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "further rise in uk jobless total the uk s jobless total rose for the second month in a row in december  official figures show.  the number of people out of work rose 32 000 to 1.41 million in the last three months of 2004  even as 90 000 more people were in employment. average earnings rose by 4.3% in the year to december up from november s 4.2%  the office for national statistics (ons) added. meanwhile  the benefit claimant total fell 11 000 to 813 200 last month. throughout 2004  the number of people in work increased by 296 000 to 28.52 million - the highest figure since records began in 1971.  the apparent discrepancy between rising unemployment and record numbers in work can be explained by an increase in the working population and a fall in those who are economically inactive. while the uk s jobless rate rose to 4.7% from 4.6% in the previous quarter  the rate still remains one of the lowest in the world  compared with 12.1% in germany  10.4% in spain and 9.7% in france. but  despite more people being in work  the manufacturing sector continued to suffer  with 104 000 workers axed during the last quarter of 2004 - pushing employment in the sector to a record low of 3.24 million by the end of last year. the figures prompted some analysts to forecast that the bank of england will almost certainly raise rates this year. marc ostwald  a strategist at monument securities told reuters that while no immediate market impact could be expected   it is enough to underline that they (the boe) will be more hawkish on rates .", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "kennedy questions trust of blair lib dem leader charles kennedy has said voters now have a  fundamental lack of trust  of tony blair as prime minister.  he said backing his party was not a wasted vote  adding that with the lib dems  what you see is what you get . he made his comments at the start of a day of appearances on channel five in a session on the wright stuff programme. questions from callers  a studio audience and the show s presenter covered lib dem tax plans  anti-terror laws and immigration.  mr kennedy said during his nearly 22 years in parliament he had seen prime ministers and party leaders come and go and knew the pitfalls of british politics.  1983 was when i was first elected as an mp - so tony blair  michael howard and myself were all class of  83 - and over that nearly quarter of a century the world has changed out of recognition   he said.  we don t actually hear the argument any longer:  lib dems  good people  reasonable ideas but only if we thought they could win around here - it s a wasted vote .  you don t hear that because the evidence of people s senses demonstrates that it isn t a wasted vote.  but he said mr blair had lost the trust of the british people.  there is a fundamental lack of trust in tony blair as prime minister and in his government   he said.   what we ve got to do as a party - what i ve got to do as a leader of this party - is to convey to people that what you see is what you get.  mr kennedy also used his tv appearance to defend his party s plans to increase income tax to 50% for those earning more than \u00a3100 000  saying it would apply to just 1% of the population. he said the extra revenue would allow his party to get rid of tuition and top-up fees  introduce free personal care for the elderly and replace the council tax with a local income tax. mr blair has already spent a day with five and michael howard is booked for a similar session.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "first look at playstation 3 chip some details of the chip inside sony s playstation 3 have been revealed.  sony  ibm and toshiba have released limited data about the so-called cell chip that will be able to carry out trillions of calculations per second. the chip will be made of several different processing cores that work on tasks together. the playstation 3 is expected in 2006 but developers are expecting to get prototypes early next year to tune games that will appear on it at launch.  the three firms have been working on the chip since 2001 but before now few details have been released about how it might function. in a joint statement the three firms gave hints about how the chip will work but fuller details will be released in february next year at the international solid state circuits conference in san francisco.  the three firms claim that the cell chip will be up to 10 times more powerful than existing processors. when put inside powerful computer servers  the cell consortium expects it to be capable of handling 16 trillion floating point operations  or calculations  every second. the chip has also been refined to be able to handle the detailed graphics common in games and the data demands of films and broadband media. ibm said it would start producing the chip in early 2005 at manufacturing plants in the us. the first machines off the line using the cell processor will be computer workstations and servers. a working version of the ps3 is due to be shown off in may 2005 but a full launch of the next generation console is not expected to start until 2006. as well as being inside the playstation 3  the chip will also be used inside high-definition tvs and powerful computers.  in the future  all forms of digital content will be converged and fused onto the broadband network   said ken kutaragi  chief operating officer of sony.  current pc architecture is nearing its limits.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "pc ownership to  double by 2010  the number of personal computers worldwide is expected to double by 2010 to 1.3 billion machines  according to a report by analysts forrester research.  the growth will be driven by emerging markets such as china  russia and india  the report predicted. more than a third of all new pcs will be in these markets  with china adding 178 million new pcs by 2010  it said. low-priced computers made by local companies are expected to dominate in such territories  forrester said. the report comes less than a week after ibm  a pioneer of the pc business  sold its pc hardware division to china s number one computer maker lenovo.  the $1.75bn (\u00a3900m) deal will make the combined operation the third biggest pc vendor in the world.  today s products from western pc vendors won t dominate in those markets in the long term   simon yates  a senior analyst for forrester  said.  instead local pc makers like lenovo group in china and aquarius in russia that can better tailor the pc form factor  price point and applications to their local markets will ultimately win the market share battle   he said. there are currently 575 million pcs in use globally. the united states  europe and asia-pacific are expected to add 150 million new pcs by 2010  according to the study. the report forecast that there will be 80 million new pc users in india by 2010 and 40 million new users in indonesia.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "wenger dejected as arsenal slump arsenal manager arsene wenger claimed their display in the 3-1 defeat against bayern munich was  our worst peformance in the champions league .  kolo toure s late goal gives the gunners hope for the second leg  but wenger said:  the only positive is that we are still in the tie.  the players are really down in the dressing-room. i feel we really turned in a bad performance.  at 3-0 we faced a real struggle  but 3-1 at least gives us a chance.   goalscorer toure was also at fault for two goals  and wenger said:  we need to help toure rebuild his confidence as he is low at the moment.  wenger also tried to stay upbeat himself  adding:  but there is enough time for crying. i could cry - maybe it would be easier - but life goes on.  in this job  you have good and bad nights. this was a bad night - but i still have confidence in the quality of my players  as well as their spirit and desire.  but wenger s bayern counterpart felix magath was in no mood to celebrate either. he said:  i am far from happy despite the win. my players failed to try and score a fourth to kill the tie and then conceded the late goal.   arsenal are fully capable of scoring several goals against us on their own turf.  arsenal keeper jens lehmann  whose personal rivalry with bayern goalkeeper oliver kahn was not helped by the result  said:  do i blame myself for the third goal  as a goalkeeper  i always blame myself.  i just know the goals were very easy against us. in my time here  we have never conceded three easy goals like that - but sometimes it happens.  it would have been impossible to go through at 3-0 - but with the goal we have chances. everything is now possible.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "sony psp console hits us in march us gamers will be able to buy sony s playstation portable from 24 march  but there is no news of a europe debut.  the handheld console will go on sale for $250 (\u00a3132) and the first million sold will come with spider-man 2 on umd  the disc format for the machine. sony has billed the machine as the walkman of the 21st century and has sold more than 800 000 units in japan. the console (12cm by 7.4cm) will play games  movies and music and also offers support for wireless gaming. sony is entering a market which has been dominated by nintendo for many years.  it launched its ds handheld in japan and the us last year and has sold 2.8 million units. sony has said it wanted to launch the psp in europe at roughly the same time as the us  but gamers will now fear that the launch has been put back. nintendo has said it will release the ds in europe from 11 march.  it has gaming at its core  but it s not a gaming device. it s an entertainment device   said kaz hirai  president of sony computer entertainment america.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "munster cup tie switched to spain munster s heineken cup quarter-final tie against biarritz on 3 april has been switched to real sociedad s paseo de anoeta stadium in san sebastian.  real s ground holds 32 000 whereas the parc des sports aguilera in biarritz has a capacity of just 12 667. the irish province will be given at least 8 000 tickets.  the decision to move was a difficult one  but as we considered the fans as one of our primary objectives   said biarritz chairman marcel martin.  we hope we will be rewarded as a huge crowd behaving in the best rugby tradition.  the match will be the first heineken cup fixture to be played in spain  and is expected to attract the biggest-ever attendance for a rugby match in the country. ulster were the last irish team to play at the paseo de anoeta stadium where they faced a euskarians side during a pre-season tour in 1998.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "telegraph newspapers axe 90 jobs the daily and sunday telegraph newspapers are axing 90 journalist jobs - 17% of their editorial staff.  the telegraph group says the cuts are needed to fund an \u00a3150m investment in new printing facilities. journalists at the firm met on friday afternoon to discuss how to react to the surprise announcement. the cuts come against a background of fierce competition for readers and sluggish advertising revenues amid competition from online advertising. the national union of journalists has called on the management to recall the notice of redundancy by midday on monday or face a strike ballot.  pearson s financial times said last week it was offering voluntary redundancy to about 30 reporters.  the national union of journalists said it stood strongly behind the journalists and did not rule out a strike.  managers have torn up agreed procedures and kicked staff in the teeth by sacking people to pay for printing facilities   said jeremy dear  nuj general secretary. nuj official barry fitzpatrick said the company had ignored the 90-day consultation period required for companies planning more than 10 redundancies.  they have shown a complete disregard for the consultative rights of our members   said mr fitzpatrick  who added that the company now planned to observe the consultation procedures. the two telegraph titles currently employ 521 journalists.  some broadsheet newspapers - especially those which have not moved to a tabloid format - have suffered circulation declines  which are hitting revenues. the telegraph has announced no plans to go tabloid although both the independent and the times have seen circulation rise since shrinking in size.  the guardian is hedging its bets  planning a larger tabloid format like those popular in continental europe. the telegraph group was bought by the barclay twins - frederick and david - last year  having previously been owned by lord conrad black s hollinger international. the brothers are currently mulling the sale of another of their businesses  retailer littlewoods.  telegraph executive murdoch maclennan said the two newspapers would add eight colour pages in the coming months.   journalists are the lifeblood of any newspaper  and maintaining the quality of the daily telegraph and the sunday telegraph for our readers is vital   he said.  however  action to improve our production capability and secure our titles against the competition is also vital.  many newspapers are investing in new printing machinery that enables them to print more colour pages  or in some cases  have colour on every page. they are hoping that by boosting colour it will make their publications more attractive to advertisers and readers alike. in recent months news corp s news international unit  which publishes the sun and the news of the world  the guardian media group  trinity mirror and the daily mail & general trust have all announced substantial investments in new printing plants.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "rovers reject third ferguson bid blackburn have rejected a third bid from rangers for scotland captain barry ferguson  bbc sport has learnt.  it is thought blackburn want \u00a36m for the midfielder but chief executive john williams has confirmed the club are still  in dialogue  with rangers. the 26-year-old has already handed in a transfer request at ewood park as he seeks a return to ibrox. but the clubs have been unable to reach agreement over a fee for ferguson  who moved to lancashire in 2003 for \u00a36.5m. on thursday rangers said they would not be increasing their offer of \u00a34m.  blackburn have said all along that they want \u00a36m for the midfielder and williams has rejected proposals from rangers over a player-swap deal. williams said:  we are in dialogue with glasgow rangers but we have no agreement.  the negotiations will have to be concluded by midnight on monday  when the winter transfer window shuts. williams conceded any deal for ferguson was looking  unlikely  before the close of the transfer window but rangers still had a chance to seal the deal.  we have no comment to make other than we have not got an agreement with glasgow rangers   he added.  the way things are looking  i think it is unlikely we are going to.  the ball is in their court but we have not got an offer that is acceptable at this moment.  it is understood that blackburn accepted a \u00a35m offer for ferguson from everton at the weekend. but the player is determined to return to scotland and rejected a move to goodison park. ferguson did not play in the fa cup win over colchester on saturday despite recovering from a groin injury with rovers boss mark hughes claiming it had been an  emotional and difficult time  for the player.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "yukos unit fetches $9bn at auction a little-known russian company has bought the main production unit of oil giant yukos at auction in moscow.  baikal finance group outbid favourite gazprom  the state-controlled gas monopoly  to buy yuganskneftegas. baikal paid 260.75bn roubles ($9.37bn: \u00a34.8bn) for yugansk - nowhere near the $27bn russia says yukos owes in taxes. yukos reacted immediately by repeating its view that the auction was illegal in international and russian law  and said baikal had bought itself trouble.   the company considers that the victor of today s auction has bought itself a serious $9bn headache   said yukos spokesman alexander shadrin. he said the company would continue to make  every lawful move  to protect tens of thousands of shareholders in yukos from  this forcible and illegitimate removal of their property . meanwhile  tim osborne  head of yukos main shareholders  group menatep  said that yukos may have to declare itself bankrupt  and that legal action would be taken  outside russia  against the auction winners. reports from russia say baikal has paid a deposit of nearly $1.7bn from a sberbank (savings bank) account to the russian federal property fund  for yugansk.  the sale came despite a restraining order issued by a us court dealing with the firm s bankruptcy application for chapter 11 protection. yukos has always insisted the auction was state-sponsored theft but russian authorities argued they were imposing the law  trying to recover billions in unpaid taxes. there were originally four registered bidders  and with its close ties to the kremlin  state-backed gas monopoly gazprom had been seen as favourite. but just two companies turned up for the auction  gazprom and the unknown baikal finance group  named after a large freshwater lake in siberia. and  according to tass news agency  gazprom did not make a single bid  leaving the way open for baikal  which paid above the auction start price of 246.75bn roubles.  mystery firm baikal finance group is officially registered in the central russian region of tver  but many analysts believe it may be linked to gazprom. kaha kiknavelidze  analyst at troika dialog  said:  i think a decision that yugansk should end up with gazprom was taken a long time ago. so the main question was how to structure this transaction.   i would not exclude that the structure of the deal has slightly changed and gazprom now has a partner.  i would also not exclude that baikal will decline to pay in 14 days  that are given by law  and gazprom is then recognised as the winner. this would give gazprom an extra 14 days to accumulate the needed funds.  another surprise was that the winner paid a significant premium above the starting price.  however  gazprom has announced it is not linked to baikal in any way. and paul collison  chief analyst at brunswick ubs  said:  i see no plausible explanation for the theory that baikal was representing competing interests.  yugansk will most likely end up with gazprom but could still end up with the government. there is still potential for surprises.  yugansk is at the heart of yukos - pumping close to a million barrels of oil a day. the unit was seized by the government which claims the oil giant owes more than $27bn in taxes and fines. yukos says those tax demands are exorbitant  and had sought refuge in us courts.  the us bankruptcy court s initial order on thursday - to temporarily block the sale - in response to yukos filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection  was upheld in a second ruling on saturday. the protection  if recognised by the russian authorities  would have allowed yukos  current management to retain control of the business and block the sale of any company assets. yukos has said the sale amounts to expropriation - punishment for the political ambitions of its founder  mikhail khodorkovsky. mr khodorkovsky is now in jail  on separate fraud charges. but president vladimir putin has described the affair as a crackdown on corruption - and the bbc s sarah rainsford in moscow says most russians believe the destruction of yukos is now inevitable. hours before the auction lawyers for menatep  a group through which mr khodorkovsky and his associates control yukos  said they would take legal action in other countries. menatep lawyers  who were excluded from observing the auction  said they would retaliate by seeking injunctions in foreign courts to impound russian oil and gas exports.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "o sullivan commits to dublin race sonia o sullivan will seek to regain her title at the bupa great ireland run on 9 april in dublin.  the 35-year-old was beaten into fourth at last year s event  having won it a year earlier.  i understand she s had a solid winter s training down in australia after recovering from a minor injury   said race director matthew turnbull. mark carroll  irish record holder at 3km  5km and 10km  will make his debut in the mass participation 10km race. carroll has stepped up his form in recent weeks and in late january scored an impressive 3 000m victory over leading american alan webb in boston. carroll will be facing stiff competition from australian craig mottram  winner in dublin for the last two years.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "apple sues  tiger  file sharers apple has taken more legal action to stop online leaks of its new products.  the computer giant has sued three men for releasing preview versions of its latest mac osx software onto file-sharing sites prior to its release. it said two versions of the operating system  codenamed tiger  were put onto the net in october and december. it is the second time in two weeks apple has taken legal action to protect its future products. tiger is due to be shipped in early 2005. last week  it filed a lawsuit against  unnamed individuals  who leaked details about new products onto the web.  the latest action was against members of the apple developer connection  a group of programmers which gets to see test versions of upcoming software so they can develop or change their own programs to work with them.  members of apple developer connection receive advance copies of apple software under strict confidentiality agreements  which we take very seriously to protect our intellectual property   apple said in a statement.  it added that its future financial results were very much dependent on developing and improving its operating systems and other software. it is thought the men used sites which employ bittorrent technology. with bittorrent technology  sites do not host actual files being shared  instead they host a link that points people to others that have the particular file. last week  the motion picture association of america launched a legal campaign targeting websites that operate using the bittorrent system in an effort to clamp down on movie piracy. apple is no stranger to taking legal action against those who leak product information. in december 2002  it sued a former contractor who allegedly put drawings  images and engineering details of its powermac g4 computer online. the latest action was filed on monday in the us district court in california. it comes just weeks before the macworld conference in san francisco  used to showcase new products.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "parmalat to return to stockmarket parmalat  the italian dairy company which went bust after an accounting scandal  hopes to be back on the italian stock exchange in july.  the firm gained protection from creditors in 2003 after revealing debts of 14bn euros ($18.34bn; \u00a39.6bn). this was eight times higher than it had previously stated. in a statement issued on wednesday night  parmalat finanziaria detailed administrators  latest plans for re-listing the shares of the group.  as part of the re-listing on the italian stock exchange  creditors  debts are expected to be converted into shares through two new share issues amounting to more than 2bn euros. the company s creditors will be asked to vote on the plan later this year. the plan is likely to give creditors of parmalat finanziaria shares worth about 5.7% of the debts they are owed. this is lower than the 11.3% creditors previously hoped to receive. creditors of parmalat  the main operating company  are likely to see the percentage of debt they receive fall from 7.3% to 6.9%.  several former top parmalat executives are under investigation for the fraud scandal. lawmakers said on wednesday night enrico bondi  the turnaround specialist appointed by the italian government as parmalat s chief executive  spoke positively about the company during a closed-door hearing of the chamber of deputies industry commission.  bondi supplied us with elements of positive results on the industrial positions and on the history of debt which will find a point of solution through the parmalat group s quotation on the market in july   italian news agency apcom quoted several lawmakers as saying in a statement.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "irish finish with home game republic of ireland manager brian kerr has been granted his wish for a home game as the final world cup qualifier.  ireland will close their bid to reach the 2006 finals by playing switzerland in dublin on 12 october 2005. the republic met the swiss in their final euro 2004 qualifier  losing 2-0 away and missing out on a place in the finals in portugal. the group four fixtures were hammered out at a meeting in dublin on tuesday. the irish open their campaign on 4 september at home to cyprus and wrap up the 10-match series on 12 october 2005  with the visit of switzerland. manager brian kerr and fai officials met representatives from switzerland  france  cyprus  israel and the faroe islands to arrange the fixture schedule. kerr had hoped to finish with a clash against france  but got the reigning european champions as their penultimate home match on 7 september 2005. the manager got his wish to avoid a repeat of finishing their bid to qualify with too many away matches.  republic of ireland v cyprus; france v israel; switzerland v faroe islands.  switzerland v republic of ireland; israel v cyprus; faroe islands v france.  france v republic of ireland; israel v switzerland; cyprus v faroe islands.  republic of ireland v faroe islands; cyprus v france.  cyprus v israel.  france v switzerland; israel v republic of ireland.  switzerland v cyprus; israel v france.  republic of ireland v israel; faroe islands v switzerland.  faroe islands v republic of ireland. august 17 - faroe islands v cyprus.  france v faroe islands; switzerland v israel.  republic of ireland v france; cyprus v switzerland; faroe islands v israel.  switzerland v france; israel v faroe islands; cyprus v republic of ireland.  france v cyprus; republic of ireland v switzerland.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "worldcom boss  left books alone  former worldcom boss bernie ebbers  who is accused of overseeing an $11bn (\u00a35.8bn) fraud  never made accounting decisions  a witness has told jurors.  david myers made the comments under questioning by defence lawyers who have been arguing that mr ebbers was not responsible for worldcom s problems. the phone company collapsed in 2002 and prosecutors claim that losses were hidden to protect the firm s shares. mr myers has already pleaded guilty to fraud and is assisting prosecutors.  on monday  defence lawyer reid weingarten tried to distance his client from the allegations. during cross examination  he asked mr myers if he ever knew mr ebbers  make an accounting decision  .  not that i am aware of   mr myers replied.  did you ever know mr ebbers to make an accounting entry into worldcom books   mr weingarten pressed.  no   replied the witness. mr myers has admitted that he ordered false accounting entries at the request of former worldcom chief financial officer scott sullivan. defence lawyers have been trying to paint mr sullivan  who has admitted fraud and will testify later in the trial  as the mastermind behind worldcom s accounting house of cards.  mr ebbers  team  meanwhile  are looking to portray him as an affable boss  who by his own admission is more pe graduate than economist. whatever his abilities  mr ebbers transformed worldcom from a relative unknown into a $160bn telecoms giant and investor darling of the late 1990s. worldcom s problems mounted  however  as competition increased and the telecoms boom petered out. when the firm finally collapsed  shareholders lost about $180bn and 20 000 workers lost their jobs. mr ebbers  trial is expected to last two months and if found guilty the former ceo faces a substantial jail sentence. he has firmly declared his innocence.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "housewives lift channel 4 ratings the debut of us television hit desperate housewives has helped lift channel 4 s january audience share by 12% compared to last year.  other successes such as celebrity big brother and the simpsons have enabled the broadcaster to surpass bbc two for the first month since last july. bbc two s share of the audience fell from 11.2% to 9.6% last month in comparison with january 2004. celebrity big brother attracted fewer viewers than its 2002 series.  comedy drama desperate housewives managed to pull in five million viewers at one point during its run to date  attracting a quarter of the television audience. the two main television channels  bbc1 and itv1  have both seen their monthly audience share decline in a year on year comparison for january  while five s proportion remained the same at a slender 6.3%. digital multi-channel tv is continuing to be the strongest area of growth  with the bbc reporting freeview box ownership of five million  including one million sales in the last portion of 2004. its share of the audience soared by 20% in january 2005 compared with last year  and currently stands at an average of 28.6%.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "johnny and denise lose passport johnny vaughan and denise van outen s saturday night entertainment show passport to paradise will not return to screens  the bbc has said.  the ex-big breakfast presenters were recruited to host the bbc one family variety show last july.  there are currently no plans for another series   a spokeswoman said. she added the pair  brought a real warmth to saturday night  but in the end we felt we had done enough with the format of the show .  passport to paradise involved a combination of games and outside broadcasts with a high level of audience participation. the first instalment attracted more than 4.1 million viewers - but that had dropped to fewer than 2.7 million by the time it ended. the bbc spokeswoman said graham norton s strictly dance fever would be a priority for 2005.  that s very much on the cards for next year  and we re concentrating at the moment on strictly come dancing  which is doing phenomenally well   she said.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "car giant hit by mercedes slump a slump in profitability at luxury car maker mercedes has prompted a big drop in profits at parent daimlerchrysler.  the german-us carmaker saw fourth quarter operating profits fall to 785m euros ($1bn) from 2.4bn euros in 2003. mercedes-benz s woes - its profits slid to just 20m euros - obscured a strong performance from the chrysler group whose returns met market expectations. mercedes faces fierce competition in the luxury car sector from bmw and but hopes to revive its fortunes by 2006.  mercedes  profits over the period compared unfavourably with 2003 s 784m euro figure and were well below analyst expectations of 374m euros. for the year as a whole  its operating profits fell 46% to 1.6bn euros. sales of mercedes  brands fell 2% as demand cooled  while revenues were affected by the weakness of the us dollar.  the carmaker blamed the fall in profits on high launch costs for new models and losses from its mercedes smart mini-car range. mercedes is hoping to increase productivity by 3bn euros  having negotiated 500m euros in annual savings with german workers last year. the firm said it was determined to retain mercedes  position as the world s most successful luxury brand. however  daimlerchrysler s shares fell 1.5% on the news.  while all these divisions are doing well the big worries continue to surround mercedes-benz   michael rabb  an analyst with bank sal oppenheim  told reuters.  in contrast  chrysler enjoyed a 5% annual increase in unit sales while revenues - calculated in us dollars - rose 10%. the us division - whose marques include dodge and jeep - transformed a full year operating loss of 506m euros in 2003 into a 1.4bn euros profit last year.  overall  daimlerchrysler saw worldwide vehicle sales rise 8% to 4.7 million in 2004 while total revenues added 4% to 142bn euros. chrysler s strong performance helped the world s fifth largest carmaker boost net income by 400m euros to 2.5bn euros.   the year 2004 shows that our strategy works well - even in such a challenging competitive environment   said jurgen schrempp  daimlerchrysler s chairman. daimlerchrysler took a 475m euro hit in costs stemming from a defects scandal at its joint venture  japanese subsidiary fuso. daimlerchrysler last week agreed a compensation package with partner mitsubishi motors which will see it buy out its stake in fuso. looking forward  daimerchrysler s profits are expected to be slightly higher in 2005. however  it is expecting  significant improvements  in profitability in 2006 as a result of a major investment in the mercedes product range.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "anelka apologises for criticism manchester city striker nicolas anelka has issued an apology for criticising the ambitions of the club.  anelka was quoted in a french newspaper as saying he would like to play in the champions league for a bigger club. but chairman john wardle said:  i ve spoken to nicolas and he s apologised for anything that might have been mistakenly taken from the french press.  we are a big club. nicolas told me that he agrees with me that we are a big club.  wardle was speaking at the club s annual general meeting  where he also confirmed the club had not received any bids for the former arsenal and real madrid striker. the club still owe french club psg \u00a35m from the purchase of anelka in may 2002. he has been linked with a move to barcelona and liverpool  and reds skipper steven gerrard also revealed he is an admirer from his time on loan at anfield. but wardle added:  there s been no bids for nicolas anelka. no-one has come to me and said i would like to buy nicolas anelka.   if a bid comes in for nicolas anelka i will speak to the board and then speak to kevin keegan.  if there was a bid and it was a bid of substance and worth taking then between us we d decide.  we still owe some money on nicolas which we have clear out  so it would have to be above that.  wardle did stress that the club was not inviting any offers for england winger shaun wright-phillips. he added:  i ve no intention of selling shaun wright-phillips.  if someone comes with a silly bid i ll have to discuss it.  but we re not putting him on the shelf to sell. he is the heart and soul of this club and has his heart and sole in this club  and he would be very upset if i put him in the shop window.  he was an academy kid here  he s just signed a new four-year deal  i don t think he d do that unless he wanted to play for manchester city football club.  city recently announced debts of \u00a362m  but wardle confirmed they would try and find funds to bring in players in the january transfer window. he said:  like kevin i d like to see some players come in. we ve got to see what we can do - whether it s a on a bosman or not.  we will try to be creative to generate some funds. but maybe we have to start looking at clubs like everton and bolton to see how they have been dealing in the transfer market and do a similar type of thing.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "dance music not dead says fatboy dj norman cook - aka fatboy slim - has said that dance music is not dead  but has admitted it is currently going through a  fallow patch .  the commercial failure of the latest albums by britain s two biggest dance acts - fatboy slim s palookaville and the prodigy s always outnumbered never outgunned - has been coupled with the closure of many  superclubs   and the folding of three dance music magazines. last month the brit awards announced they would no longer be awarding a best dance act prize  with the brits committee announcing that  dance music is no longer where it s happening in music.  these developments lead some to suggest that dance was finished as a popular music genre. cook acknowledged that much change in the dance world in the four years since his last album  halfway between the gutter and the stars  but he stressed this did not mean the dance scene was permanently over.  every week when i was making the album  i was reading articles about the demise of dance music - and obviously that affects you somewhat   he told bbc world service s the ticket programme.  i personally don t believe it s either dead or going to die  but it s going through a bit of a fallow patch.  so i think  consciously or subconsciously  reading every week that dance music was dead i would think  right  scrub that track then .   although his album sales in the uk are down - palookaville stayed in the uk top 75 for just three weeks - cook has achieved recent global success with his beach parties. and event on brighton sea front in 2002 attracted 250 000  people  while a later one in rio achieved a crowd of 360 000. the dvd of the rio set was the biggest seller of that year.   with a crowd that big  if the weather s nice  the atmosphere before i even go is so good that about halfway through the first record i think  i ve got them    cook said.  i m always really really nervous before the big ones - they had to give me valium before rio  because two hours before i was literally just pacing the floor.  for some reason  especially now i ve got a reputation for it  the atmosphere and the joie de vivre that s already going on means all i have to do is play  up  records.  he promised more such parties in more locations around the world - despite problems after the brighton event  which ended in chaos with many revellers finding themselves stranded as transport ground to a halt. one man also died of a heart attack  and a woman fell to her death during the free party.  we re having to widen our horizons from just beaches  because there s landlocked countries that want to get involved   cook said.  we re doing rio at the carnival  at the maracana  and sao paolo - our new gig is famous football stadiums.   the dj admitted  however  that his massive worldwide success had a downside  with intense media interest in his personal life. in particular  he said he had struggled to cope with tabloid intrusion during the temporary break-up of his marriage to radio one presenter zoe ball  after she was linked with dj dan peppe.   the tabloid thing has been difficult at times   cook said.  especially the me-and-zoe-gate - it s quite scary.  he said that he had been  determined  that what had happened with ball did not affect the album.  at first i was doing deliberately jolly tunes so that people wouldn t think i was depressed   he explained.  then i thought   that s not right .  and he highlighted a bizarre coincidence - that one song written before they split had turned out to have a great deal more meaning than intended.  i said to zoe   i did this track called my masochistic baby went and left me  do you mind if it s on the album    he recalled.  she said   yeah  it s hilarious  because your masochistic baby did leave you .  cook also added that he had some ways of coping with the intense paparazzi pressure  which accumulates at the end of the private road he lives on - where paul mccartney is a neighbour.  it s almost like prisoners rattling the bars with their mugs   cook explained.  if there s a pap at the end of the road  everyone knocks on each other s doors - paul comes round  and we warn him  because we don t know who they re after.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "jugnot  tops french actor league  actor gerard jugnot - star of the oscar-nominated film the chorus - has beaten gerard depardieu to become france s best-paid actor of 2004.  jugnot made 5.45m euros (\u00a33.77m) last year  according to a table drawn up by france s le figaro newspaper. in the chorus (les choristes)  jugnot plays an inspiring music teacher at a school for troubled boys in 1949. despite starring in five films in 2004  depardieu made 3.35m euros (\u00a32.31m) putting him third place in the chart.  his name [depardieu] is no longer sufficient to guarantee the success of a film   said le figaro newspaper. the chorus  which jugnot also co-produced  has drawn an audience of nearly nine million people since its release last year.  godzilla star jean reno was france s second best-paid actor in 2004  earning 3.55m euros (\u00a32.45m) . his roles include a recent uncredited cameo in the oscar-nominated hotel rwanda. the highest-ranking woman on le figaro s list was audrey tautou in 10th place  earning 885 000 euros (\u00a3611 000). she starred in jean-pierre jeunet s a very long engagement (un long dimanche de fiancailles) and is also lined up to co-star with tom hanks in ron howard s the da vinci code. the chorus is nominated for best foreign film at sunday s oscar ceremony. on saturday  it will compete for the title of best film against fellow nominee a very long engagement in france s cesar film awards.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "tories attack eu asylum moves david blunkett has been accused of using the  politics of confusion  to disguise new eu immigration measures.  tory spokesman david davis told mps the uk was losing its power of veto over who was allowed to come to britain. the eu has opted to adopt qualified majority voting in this area - previously measures needed unanimous agreement from all member states. mr blunkett told mps the uk would still be able to reject proposals on immigration it did not agree with.  he argued closer co-operation with europe over asylum and immigration was crucial to controlling the flow of people into the uk.  if we don t like what other eu countries do on immigration and nationality we have the right to opt-in or out to suit the british people   he said. the home secretary was responding to an emergency question from his tory opposite number mr davis.  the government is employing the politics of confusion - i think  deliberately   argued mr davis.  by confusing the country it hopes no one will notice the disappearance of the asylum and immigration veto.  on monday tony blair insisted closer co-operation did not mean losing control of british borders. he said an enlarged 25-member eu needs a streamlined decision making process. mr davis said once britain had opted into policies then it could not opt out - leaving the uk open to unfavourable interpretations of what those policies actually meant.  he accused the government of being  pathetic  when it came to its efforts over immigration and asylum and of  surrendering  on the issue. and he asked why the government was agreeing to the measure on asylum and immigration now when the whole issue was part of the eu constitution  which voters in the uk had been promised a referendum over. mr blair told his monthly news conference britain had the  best of both worlds  and would keep the veto.  there is no question of britain giving up our veto on our border controls   he said.  with the treaty of amsterdam seven years ago  we secured the absolute right to opt in to any of the asylum and immigration provisions that we wanted to in europe.  mr blunkett met his eu counterparts in luxembourg on monday to consider proposals aimed at streamlining decision making on the issue.  the 25 member-states are expected to scrap the requirement for unanimous agreement on immigration policy  in favour of the qualified majority voting (qmv) system. under this scheme larger states such as britain are expected to have more power than the smaller eu states. britain is expected to retain an  opt-in  right which will allow it to ignore any measures it disagrees with. liberal democrat spokesman mark oaten called the change pragmatic and argued it gave a better chance of producing a european asylum solution.  if we don t work together it means some countries can ignore their responsibilities at the expense of their neighbours   said mr oaten.  the liberal democrats have long argued that britain should be a safe haven for asylum seekers but it s right that we don t do this in isolation.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "finnan says irish can win group steve finnan believes the republic of ireland can qualify directly for the world cup finals.  after saturday s superb display in the draw in paris  ireland face minnows the faroe islands in dublin on wednesday. the versatile finnan  who starred against the french  is confident the group is ireland s for the taking.  there is a chance for us now to go on  win our home games and why not win the group  even though it s a tough one   said the liverpool player. switzerland  ireland  france and israel are all now tied on five points from three matches - although the republic look to have a slight edge after claiming away draws in basel and paris.  in basel we did not play great football  but when you to go to these places the other teams are going to have the majority of the game.  in paris  we looked good throughout the team and a point was the least we deserved because we had a number of chances.   looking back  we had an opportunity to get the three points  but we are happy with a point and that will give us confidence going into wednesday s game.  on paper  we have got the toughest matches out of the way and we have set standards for ourselves.  automatic qualification is there. it would certainly be good to avoid a play-off  but on the back of a couple of good results i don t see why we can t win the group.  manager brian kerr was keen to mention the contribution of stephen carr and finnan on ireland s right flank at the stade de france. finnan s normal position is right-back but he looked assured in a more advanced position against the french.  as i play on the right for my club and being a natural right-back  it was something he (kerr) looked at because france play strongly down the left-hand side.  so i was happy to play and stephen carr and i enjoyed the game  particularly as the defence and midfield held together well and nullified their attacks.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "lib dems   bold  election policy charles kennedy has told voters his liberal democrats will offer them an  honest choice  at the next general election.  with the other two big parties battling over which will impose the lowest taxes  mr kennedy is going into the looming election pledged to increase taxation. it is a bold policy and certainly ensures there is that choice between the lib dems and the other two. with his party s previous pledge to increase taxes by one penny in the pound to spend on public services already adopted by the government  he has switched tack. now he is promising to levy a  modest  increase of the same amount on earnings over \u00a3100 000 a year to allow him to finance a series of pledges. they are to scrap student fees  finance free long term care for the elderly and replace the council tax with a local income tax. that last policy will also see about 3% of the most well off paying more while others  pensioners in particular  will pay less.  labour and the tories have attacked his policies as both unworkable and not properly costed.  inevitably they insist there is no need to raise taxes to fund improvements in services. the tories claim they can improve services and cut taxes through \u00a335bn efficiency savings  while labour has offered \u00a322bn savings but has yet to map out precise tax proposals  although there is little chance they will propose increases. in many ways the argument between the lib dems and the others over taxation and spending echo the sort of arguments that raged between labour and the tories in the 1980s and early 1990s. but  unlike the old tory-labour debate  he believes voters are ready to see  modest  tax increases on the well off in order to fund improvements in services. that is a view partly endorsed by recent polls suggesting people would rather have cash spent on public services than tax cuts.  similarly there is a different tone to the lib dem approach to asylum and immigration  with mr kennedy stressing politicians should not  foment an artificial debate  about immigration and attacking michael howard s proposals for quotas. once again  with the two other big parties singing similar songs on immigration  mr kennedy is stressing the different  more liberal approach of his party. mr kennedy was also in buoyant mood over his party s election chances  declaring the tories were not going to be  significant players  in the poll. he repeated his pledge not to do post-election deals with either party after the election. mr kennedy went on to suggest the re-election of a labour government with a small majority would amount to a  massive vote of no confidence   in tony blair s government. that suggests the lib dem leader believes he may well find himself in a powerful  even pivotal position in a vastly different house of commons after the next election. it is a dream the third party has dreamed many times before.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "us charity anthem is re-released we are the world  the american charity anthem inspired by the success of band aid  has been re-issued to raise money for aids research and tsunami victims.  more than 40 stars sang as group usa for africa  including lionel richie  diana ross  ray charles  bob dylan  michael jackson and bruce springsteen. it topped the charts in the us and uk  raising millions of dollars for african famine relief. the re-release also marks the 20th anniversary of the original recording. it has been re-issued as part of a two-disc dvd set  which will also feature footage from the recording session of the track in january 1985. the single was originally released in the us on 7 march 1985 and sold 800 000 copies in its first week. it went on to win grammys for song of the year and record of the year.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "moyes u-turn on beattie dismissal everton manager david moyes will discipline striker james beattie after all for his headbutt on chelsea defender william gallas.  the scot initially defended beattie  whose dismissal put everton on the back foot in a game they ultimately lost 1-0  saying gallas overreacted. but he has had a rethink after looking over the video evidence again. he said:  i believe that i should set the record straight by conceding that the dismissal was right and correct.  moyes added:  my comments on saturday came immediately after the final whistle and at a point when i had only had the opportunity to see one  very quick re-run of the incident.   the club website also reported that beattie  who seemed unrepentant after saturday s match  insisting gallas  would have stayed down a lot longer  if he had headbutted him  has now apologised. moyes continued:  although the incident was totally out of character - james has never even been suspended before in his career - his actions were unacceptable and had a detrimental effect on his team-mates.  james did issue a formal apology to myself  his team-mates and to the everton supporters immediately after the game and that was the right thing to have done. he will now be subjected to the normal club discipline.  he is a competitive player but a fair player and i know how upset he is by what has happened. however  i must say that i do still believe the chelsea player in question did go down too easily.  speaking immediately after the game  moyes said:  i don t think it was a sending-off  i have been a centre-half in my time and i would have been ashamed to have gone down as easily as that.   not in a million years would john terry have gone down in the same way. i have never heard of anybody butting somebody from behind while you are running after them.  what has happened to big  strong centre-halves  i thought it was a push initially and i still don t think it was a sending-off.  an angry beattie initially said:  he (gallas) would have stayed down a lot longer if i had headbutted him.  i can tell you it wasn t an intentional headbutt. we were chasing a ball into the corner and william gallas was looking over his shoulder and blocking me off.  he was stopping as we were running and i said to myself  if you re going to stay in my way i ll go straight over you . our heads barely touched and it wasn t an intentional headbutt.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "search sites get closer to users search sites want to get to know you better.  not content with providing access to the millions of websites  many now offer ways that do a better job of remembering  cataloguing and managing all the information you come across. some of the latest to update their search systems are ask jeeves and blinkx  which have both released a series of utilities that try to help people get more from the web.  the future is all about developing your own personal web   said tony macklin  spokesman for ask jeeves.  mr macklin said that too often when people use a search engine it was like the first time they ever used it  because there was no memory of what they had searched for before.  each time you go back in you have to start all over again   he said. the series of updates to its service  collected under the my ask jeeves banner  would help people remember where they had been before.  ask jeeves has added the ability to  save  websites of interest so the next time a users visits the site they can search through the sites they have previously found. sites saved in this way can be arranged in folders and have notes attached to them to explain why they were saved. mr macklin said many people wanted to save sites they had seen but did not want to add them to their bookmarks or favourites not least because such lists cannot be easily searched. on average  said mr macklin  users conduct between five and 10 searches per day and the tools in my ask jeeves should stop them having to do searches twice and get to what they want much more easily. under my ask jeeves users can search the web or through the results they have already noted as interesting.  it s about finding again what you found before   he said. the my ask jeeves service lets people store up to a 1000 web links or 5000 if they sign up to the free service. by way of comparison google s desktop search tool catalogues search histories informally and lets people look through the sites they have visited.  at the same time  search start-up blinkx has released a second version of its eponymous software. blinkx is desktop search software that watches what someone is working on  be it a document or e-mail  and suggests websites  video clips  blogs or documents on a pc that are relevant to it.  since blinkx launched it has faced increased competition from firms such as google  copernic  enfish  x1 and apple all of whom now have programs that let people search their pc as well as the web.  the competition has validated the problem we tackle   said suranga chandratillake  co-founder of blinkx. in the latest release of blinkx  the company has added what it calls smart folders. once created the folders act as persistent queries that automatically sweep the web for pages related to their subject and catalogues relevant information  documents or incoming e-mails  on hard drives too. what users do with blinkx and other desktop search engines shows that people tend to be very promiscuous in their use of search engines.  blinkx users do not stop using other web search systems   he said.  they might use google to look up a company  or yahoo for travel because they know they are good at that   he said.  the classic thing we have seen recently  is people using blinkx to look at the things they have searched on   he said. the variety of ways to search data was only helping users  said mr chandratillake and that it was likely that in the future people would use different ones for different tasks.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "double eviction from big brother model caprice and holby city actor jeremy edwards have both left the celebrity big brother house in a surprise double eviction on friday.  caprice  who left in the scheduled fourth eviction having gained just 5% of the public vote  afterwards said:  i am so happy  i am so glad i m out.  edwards then left in a surprise eviction  with 12% of the vote. nineteen-year-old blazin  squad singer kenzie is currently favourite to win the \u00a350 000 charity prize. caprice had been the pre-show favourite to be voted out of the house  with bookmakers ladbrokes offering odds of 1/5 on her departure. ladbrokes spokesman warren lush had said she was  the hottest eviction favourite so far this series .  odds on kenzie s victory have been slashed from 4/6 to 1/2  although bookmakers have said they are not ruling out a late rally from former happy mondays star bez. the other remaining housemate is actress brigitte nielsen. dj lisa i anson became the third housemate to be voted out on wednesday when she became the victim of a surprise eviction during a game of hide-and-seek on the channel 4 show. i anson said she was  glad to be out  and predicted that kenzie would emerge as the winner. the winner is due to be announced on sunday night.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "o sullivan keeps his powder dry when you are gunning for glory and ultimate success keeping the gunpowder dry is essential.  ireland coach eddie o sullivan appears to have done that quite successfully in the run-up to this season s six nations championship. he decreed after the 2003 world cup that players should have a decent conditioning period during the year. that became a reality at the end of last summer with a 10-week period at the start of the this season. it may have annoyed his scottish  and in particularly welsh  cousins who huffed and puffed at the disrespect apparently shown to the celtic league. we will say nothing of mike ruddock   poaching   eight of the dragons side that faced leinster on sunday. but  like o sullivan  he was well within his rights  particularly when you are talking about the national side and pride that goes along with it. the irfu has thrown their weight behind o sullivan  who must be glad that in the main  there is centrally-controlled contracts. bar keith gleeson who is just returning from a broken leg  everyone of o sullivan s squad is fit  fresh and standing at the oche ready to launch this season s campaign.  but i doubt whether o sullivan is going to gloat about the handling of his players. he is not that sort of person. however  he may look at the overworked and injury-hit england  wales and france squads whose players have been overworked  and then pat himself on the back for his foresight. but there is still the question of turning up and transferring that freshness into positive results when the referee signals the start of the game. already ireland are being earmarked as hot favourites in many quarters to go the whole hog this season. a first grand slam since karl mullen s led the team to a clean sweep in 1948. with england and france visiting lansdowne road for the last time before the old darling is pulled down  everything looks perfectly placed. but in the days of yore that frightened the life out of any irishman.  under the burden of great expectations  ireland have crumpled. take the triple crown-winning side of 1985 under mick doyle. they were expected to up the ante further for a grand slam  only the second in ireland s history. what happened in 1986  whitewashed. you see  ireland  in any sport  love to be downsized. then they can go out and prove a point to the contrary. it is the nature of the beast. but o sullivan s side are very capable of proving a salient point this season. after their first triple crown for 19 years  they can live up to their success and take a further step up the ladder. o sullivan has kept faith and displayed loyalty to his players  and they have repaid him in spades ... and there is more to come. he has some old dogs in his squad  but he will come to this season s championship with a different box of tricks  and a new verve to succeed. ireland can indeed succeed  but just whisper it.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "lib dems highlight problem debt people vulnerable to problem debts should be afforded greater protection from banks aggressively promoting financial products  the lib dems say.  vincent cable says one in eight households already struggle with debt and that will worsen if there is a hike in interest rates or unemployment. the lib dems  treasury spokesman is unveiling a policy aimed at the issue. he wants to see  proper health checks  when loans are marketed so people know to take out payment protection.   were economic conditions to deteriorate at all  large numbers of people could be affected because they have borrowed to the limit   mr cable told bbc news.  banks are very aggressively promoting debt in many cases there is a bigger problem ahead.  mr cable said the government s consumer credit bill would target some of the  extreme problems  such as loan sharking  but ministers had been  a bit complacent  about the wider issue of debt levels. he said much of the payment protection currently available was  extremely expensive  and there were  lots of exclusions .  mr cable added that the office of fair trading should investigate the market. lib dem leader charles kennedy meanwhile is in the middle of a tour of the uk aimed at persuading voters his is the  real opposition . mr kennedy is visiting a mixture of rural seats  where his party is hoping to make gains from the conservatives  and urban areas traditionally associated with labour. labour say a lib dem vote could  let the tories in   while the tories say the lib dems would mean  higher taxes  soft crime laws  more power to europe . mr kennedy s tour comes as he  labour leader tony blair and conservative leader michael howard all step up campaigning ahead of the next general election  widely expected to be held on 5 may.  the liberal democrats say in the northern cities  the race is between them and labour  while in southern seats - particularly the south west - it is between them and the tories. speaking to the bbc s westminster hour on sunday  mr kennedy said the upcoming general election - widely tipped for 5 may - would be much more unpredictable than any others in  recent experience . and he brushed off labour suggestions a vote for his party would mean letting the tories in  by the back door .  if you look at the four previous parliamentary by-elections  the liberal democrats have demonstrated that  not only can we leapfrog the conservatives where we start in a third place position  but we can go on to defeat the government.  that s going to be the story  i think  of this coming general election.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "a decade of good website design the web looks very different today than it did 10 years ago.  back in 1994  yahoo had only just launched  most websites were text-based and amazon  google and ebay had yet to appear. but  says usability guru dr jakob nielsen  some things have stayed constant in that decade  namely the principles of what makes a site easy to use. dr nielsen has looked back at a decade of work on usability and considered whether the 34 core guidelines drawn up back then are relevant to the web of today.  roughly 80% of the things we found 10 years ago are still an issue today   he said.  some have gone away because users have changed and 10% have changed because technology has changed.   some design crimes  such as splash screens that get between a user and the site they are trying to visit  and web designers indulging their artistic urges have almost disappeared  said dr nielsen.   but there s great stability on usability concerns   he told the bbc news website. dr nielsen said the basic principles of usability  centring around ease of use and clear thinking about a site s total design  were as important as ever.  it s necessary to be aware of these things as issues because they remain as such   he said. they are still important because the net has not changed as much as people thought it would.  a lot of people thought that design and usability was only a temporary problem because broadband was taking off   he said.  but there are a very small number of cases where usability issues go away because you have broadband.   dr nielsen said the success of sites such as google  amazon  ebay and yahoo showed that close attention to design and user needs was important.  those four sites are extremely profitable and extremely successful   said dr nielsen  adding that they have largely defined commercial success on the net.   all are based on user empowerment and make it easy for people to do things on the internet   he said.  they are making simple but powerful tools available to the user.  none of them have a fancy or glamorous look   he added  declaring himself surprised that these sites have not been more widely copied. in the future  dr nielsen believes that search engines will play an even bigger part in helping people get to grips with the huge amount of information online.  they are becoming like the operating system to the internet   he said. but  he said  the fact that they are useful now does not meant that they could not do better. currently  he said  search sites did not do a very good job of describing the information that they return in response to queries. often people had to look at a website just to judge whether it was useful or not. tools that watch the behaviour of people on websites to see what they actually find useful could also help refine results. research by dr nielsen shows that people are getting more sophisticated in their use of search engines. the latest statistics on how many words people use on search engines shows that  on average  they use 2.2 terms. in 1994 only 1.3 words were used.  i think it s amazing that we have seen a doubling in a 10-year period of those search terms   said dr nielsen.  you can hear more from jakob nielsen and web design on the bbc world service programme  go digital", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "england given tough sevens draw england will have to negotiate their way through a tough draw if they are to win the rugby world cup sevens in hong kong next month.  the second seeds have been drawn against samoa  france  italy  georgia and chinese taipei. the top two sides in each pool qualify but england could face 2001 winners new zealand in the quarter-finals if they stumble against samoa. scotland and ireland are in pool a together with the all blacks. england won the first event of the international rugby board world sevens series in dubai but have slipped to fourth in the table after failing to build on that victory.  however  they beat samoa in the recent los angeles sevens before losing to argentina in the semi-finals.  england have the ability and determination to win this world cup and create sporting history by being the only nation to hold both the 15s and sevens world cups at the same time   said england sevens coach mike friday.  england have a fantastic record in hong kong and have won there the last three years  but the world cup is on a different level.  every pool contains teams who have caused upsets before and we will have to work hard to ensure we progress from our group.  we have not performed consistently to our true potential so far in the irb sevens which has been disappointing - but we can only look forward.  england won the first rugby world cup sevens in 1993 with a side that included the likes of lawrence dallaglio and matt dawson. in 1997 and 2001  england lost in the quarter-finals.  (seeds in brackets)  new zealand (1)  scotland (8)  tonga  ireland  korea  usa.  england (2)  samoa (7)  france  italy  georgia  chinese taipei.  fiji (3)  australia (6)  canada  portugal  japan  hong kong.  argentina (4)  south africa (5)  kenya  tunisia  russia  uruguay.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "stars pay tribute to actor davis hollywood stars including spike lee  burt reynolds and oscar nominee alan alda have paid tribute to actor ossie davis at a funeral in new york.  veteran star ossie davis  a well-known civil rights activist  died in miami at the age of 87 on 4 february 2005. friends and family  including actress ruby dee his wife of 56 years  gathered at the riverside church on saturday. also present at the service was former us president bill clinton and singer harry belafonte  who gave the eulogy.  he would have been a very good president of the united states   said mr clinton.  like most of you here  he gave more to me than i gave to him.   the 87-year-old was found dead last weekend in his hotel room in florida  where he was making a film. police said that he appeared to have died of natural causes. davis made his acting debut in 1950 in no way out starring sidney poiter. he frequently collaborated with director spike lee  starring in seven lee films including jungle fever  do the right thing and malcolm x. attallah shabazz  the daughter of activist malcolm x  recalled the famous eulogy delivered by davis at her father s funeral.  harlem has come to bid farewell to one of its finest hopes   she said  quoting the man she knew as uncle ossie.  ditto.   ossie was my hero  and he still is   said aviator star alan alda  a family friend for over forty years.  ossie was a thing of beauty.    i want so badly someday to have his dignity - a little of it anyway   added burt reynolds  davis s co-star in the 90s tv comedy evening shade. before the midday funeral  scores of harlem residents formed a queue outside the church to pay their respects to davis.  it is hard to fathom that we will no longer be able to call on his wisdom  his humour  his loyalty and his moral strength to guide us in the choices that are yet to be made and the battles that are yet to be fought   said belafonte  himself an ardent civil rights activist who had been friends with davis for over 60 years.  but how fortunate we were to have him as long as we did.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "apple attacked over sources row civil liberties group the electronic frontier foundation (eff) has joined a legal fight between three us online journalists and apple.  apple wants the reporters to reveal 20 sources used for stories which leaked information about forthcoming products  including the mac mini. the eff  representing the reporters  has asked california s superior court to stop apple pursuing the sources. it argues that the journalists are protected by the american constitution. the eff says the case threatens the basic freedoms of the press.  apple is particularly keen to find the source for information about an unreleased product code-named asteroid and has asked the journalists  e-mail providers to hand over communications relevant to that.  rather than confronting the issue of reporter s privilege head-on  apple is going to the journalist s isps for his e-mails   said eff lawyer kurt opsahl.  this undermines a fundamental first amendment right that protects all reporters.  if the court lets apple get away with this  and exposes the confidences gained by these reporters  potential confidential sources will be deterred from providing information to the media and the public will lose a vital outlet for independent news  analysis and commentary   he said. the case began in december 2004 when apple asked a local californian court to get the journalists to reveal their sources for articles published on websites appleinsider.com and powerpage.org.  apple also sent requested information from the nfox.com  the internet service provider of powerpage s publisher jason o-grady. as well as looking at how far corporations can go in preventing information from being published  the case will also examine whether online journalists have the same privileges and protections as those writing for newspapers and magazines. the eff has gained some powerful allies in its legal battle with apple  including professor tom goldstein  former dean of the journalism school at the university of california and dan gillmor  a well-known silicon valley journalist. apple was not immediately available for comment.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "moody joins up with england lewis moody has flown to dublin to join england s camp ahead of their rbs six nations game against ireland on sunday.  despite joining the squad  the leicester flanker only has a  slim  chance of playing because of an infection in his finger. a decision will be taken on saturday as to whether the 26-year-old will be declared fit. if he fails to recover in time for the game  his place at the back of the pack will be taken by andy hazell. chris jones will then start the game on the bench.  the chances of him playing are very slim   said coach andy robinson.  the infection is deeper than was thought.   moody had to be put on a drip in an attempt to force antibiotics through his infected finger. he suffered the cut playing against france at twickenham and it became infected during a 10-minute outing as a replacement for leicester against newcastle last saturday.  the mud got into it   robinson added.  he has had a big course of antibiotics but they haven t done the job we hoped they would.  robinson has already been forced to make one change to the starting line-up with bath prop matt stevens coming in for the injured phil vickery.  the 22-year-old has only made 10 starts for his club but has made 49 appearances from the bench.  it can be frustrating but i ve had a lot more game time this season and i m ready for it   stevens said.  i ve been on tour with these boys and i ve been in the england set-up for two years so i know the calls and the way they play.  stevens will be winning his third cap on sunday after coming on twice as a replacement on the tour to new zealand last year.  robinson has confirmed that fly-half charlie hodgson will be the first-choice kicker despite his three missed penalties and a drop goal against france.  charlie s state of mind is very good   said robinson.  obviously  we are all disappointed we lost the french game and the circumstances in which we did.  but he responded well last week in his goalkicking for sale and he will be our first-choice kicker this week.   robinson also admits his side must improve their line-out work against irish duo malcolm o kelly and paul o connell  one of the most effective partnerships in the game.  in each game we ve missed a number of line-outs   he added.  it cost us the game against wales but it has improved.  it was better against france and will have to go up another notch against ireland. it will be a huge battle.  look at the way they tore us apart last year. if it doesn t function  we will be in for a torrid time.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "iraqi voters turn to economic issues beyond the desperate security situation in iraq lies an economy in tatters.  a vicious cycle of unemployment  poor social services and poverty has been made worse by a lack of investment. so there is much hope that an elected government will break the deadlock.  first rule of law  then the economy   says radwan hadi  deputy managing director of aberdeen-based oil and gas consultancy blackwatch petroleum services  which entered iraq in 2003. mr hadi s view about what the new government s priorities should be is shared by many iraqis. the economy has become the second-most dominant issue for many political parties ahead of sunday s election  according to bristol university political scientist anne alexander  who is working on a project that looks at governance and security in post-war iraq.  job creation ranks high both on election manifestos and on the iraqi people s wish list. nobody knows exactly how many iraqis are out of work  but it is clear that the situation is dire.  estimates of iraq s unemployment rate vary  but we estimate it to be between 30-40%   the washington-based independent think-tank the brookings institution says in its iraq index. but some progress has been made  largely thanks to the country s oil revenues which have exceeded $22bn since june 2003.  iraq s infrastructure is on the mend  with notable improvements having been made in areas such as electricity supply  irrigation  telephone networks and the re-opening of hospitals. but serious problems remain and the growing divide between haves and have-nots is angering voters. one iraqi woman told ms alexander about her frustration as she watched tv adverts for private hospitals soon after having failed to track down basic medicines from baghdad s pharmacies. observes mr hadi:  the economy at present marks a big divide; the rich get richer  the poor get poorer.  an indication of this can be seen in the world of finance where  in contrast with the daily plight of ordinary people  19 private banks operate  only one of which is run in accordance with islamic banking principles. hopes are high for the future of finance  so foreign banks have been buying into the sector. national bank of kuwait has bought a majority stake in credit bank of iraq  the jordanian investment bank export & finance bank has bought 49% of national bank of iraq.  foreign firms also hope to cash in on the reconstruction effort. bechtel s efforts to rebuild schools and restore power have attracted controversy as well as boosting its bottom line while halliburton has enjoyed a wealth of military contracts. but the involvement of foreign firms in the health and banking sectors and beyond sits uneasily with many iraqis who are accustomed to the state taking responsibility for functions that are essential to making society work  observes ms alexander.  it is seen as a selling off of iraq s assets and bringing in multinationals at the expense of iraqi businesses and iraqi workers   she says. consequently  the transitional government has been forced to backtrack in recent months over its proposal to allow 100% foreign ownership of iraqi assets  she explains. in the west  it is easy to forget that the otherwise brutal baathist regime used to look after the majority of iraq s citizens rather well in terms of job creation  social security and healthcare. opinion polls suggest that  people still want the state to take a leading role in providing these things   ms alexander says.  yet in some areas of the economy  investment from abroad is still warmly welcomed  insists mr hadi  an iraqi who left the country three decades ago.  i think the private sector will evolve incredibly fast   mr hadi says.  iraq s vast natural resources can support any magnitude of economic growth.   many foreign companies say they are keen to get in on the act  yet few are actually entering the country in any meaningful way. but there are exceptions. mr hadi s blackwatch is just one of many small operators preparing for a much bigger future. blackwatch s baghdad-based affiliate falcon group has dozens of people working for it across the country in kirkuk and baghdad  and its engineers and geo-scientists work with the iraqi oil ministry to hammer out technology transfer issues  mr hadi points out.  these guys are trying to work. the iraqi business people will do business at all times.  life goes on in iraq  the people take responsibility  they want to live normal lives.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "johnson too strong for gb runners britain s kathy butler and hayley yelling were no match for benita johnson in the 51st cross international zornotza in amorebieta  spain.  butler and yelling finished fourth and fifth as australian world champion johnson romped to a five-second victory in the 6km race ahead of edith masai. masai s fellow kenyan alice timbilil finished third. johnson said:  i ran comfortably for the first 3km and then i tried to leave the others but it wasn t an easy task.  butler clocked a time of 22 minutes 45 seconds - 22secs behind the winner but four ahead of yelling  who last month succeeded paula radcliffe as european champion. johnson  will be one of the star attractions at the great edinburghinternational cross country on 15 january.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "more reforms ahead says milburn labour will continue to pursue controversial reforms if it wins a third term in power  the party s election chief alan milburn has said.  he pledged labour would encourage more people to achieve their aspirations.  what we want is for more people to earn and own   mr milburn told bbc radio 4 s today show. tory shadow chancellor oliver letwin called labour  a brilliant machine for talking about things  but said it did not deliver policies the country needs. meanwhile  the liberal democrats  president simon hughes said:  new labour has lost people s confidence in a way old labour never did.  mr milburn told today that labour wanted policies which encouraged increased social mobility in britain.  pressed on incapacity benefits  he said the tax and welfare system must  provide the right incentives to people .  no-one is talking about driving people into work but what we do know is there are one million people on incapacity benefit who want the opportunity to work  providing the right level of support is there for them . however  backbench labour mp karen buck warned against proposed changes in such benefits. she told the today programme:  if the policy is seen as being about how do you make the feckless poor go back to work then it is not going to work  on the one hand. and it is not going to improve our electoral chances on the other.  mr milburn also sought to draw a line under the controversy about reports of a feud between gordon brown and prime minister tony blair.  he stressed that mr brown would play the same role that he did in the last election. mr milburn gave more details of planned reforms in a speech to labour s fabian society  in which he also praised mr brown as one of the leaders of the party s reform process. in the speech  he backed choice in schools and hospitals  wider home ownership and changes to the welfare system. mr milburn insisted that government reform must continue.  our task is to rebuild the new labour coalition around  one nation politics  that recognise  while life is hard for many  all should have the chance to succeed   he said.  there is a glass ceiling on opportunity in this country. in our first two terms we have raised it. in our third term we have to break it.  voters turned on the party when it failed to reform industrial relations in the 1960s  he also told his audience.  oliver letwin said the government had failed to deliver in any of the key public services  such as cleaner hospitals  discipline in schools and putting more police on the streets. he said ministers had not delivered cleaner hospitals  with 5 000 people dying from infections last year. new labour had failed on school discipline because it had not implemented serious reforms so that teachers could run schools  and which would give parents choice  he went on. for the lib dems  simon hughes said many pensioners are means tested for the money they needed and students who were told there wouldn t be tuition fees and more debt  have been given exactly the opposite . he added:  under new labour  all households are still paying unfair council tax rather than a fairer alternative.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "brizzel to run aaa s in sheffield ballymena sprinter paul brizzel will be among eight of ireland s european indoor hopefuls competing in this weekend s aaa s championships.  us-based alistair cragg and mark carroll are the only irish athletes selected so far for the europeans who will not run in sheffield. brizzel will defend his 200m title in the british trials. in-form james mcilroy will hope to confirm his place in the british team for madrid by winning the 800m title. mcilroy has been in tremendous form on the european circuit in recent weeks. he is one of the fastest 800m runners in the world this winter and already seems assured of a place in madrid. corkman mark carroll confirmed in midweek that he would join cragg in the european championships. carroll is ranked number three in the world 3000m ranking at the moment with cragg occupying top spot. meanwhile  nine-times champion dermot donnelly will not be coming out of retirement to compete in the northern ireland cross country championships in coleraine on saturday. an injury crisis in the annadale striders squad led to donnelly being entered by coach john mclaughlin but the athlete told bbc sport on friday evening that he would not be running. willowfield s paul rowan will go in as individual favourite but annadale could have a tough job holding on to their team title as andrew dunwoody and noel pollock are unlikely to run.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "lit idol begins search for author the second pop idol-style search for literary talent has begun with the help of the brother of simon cowell.  writer tony cowell is among the judges who will hear aspiring writers read their work aloud. the winner gets a deal with literary agency curtis brown.  i m not going to be the mr nasty of books   said cowell  54  in reference to his brother s caustic remarks on tv shows pop idol and the x-factor. the 2004 winner  paul cavanagh  went on to sign a deal with harper collins.  this year  the competition is specifically looking for a crime writer. writers must submit up to 10 000 words from the opening chapters of their novels and a synopsis. professional readers will choose a shortlist of five following the competition closing date on 14 january.  the final five will then have to read their work in front of judging panel. a public vote will also take place  which will account for 25% of the final decision. the winner will be announced at the london book fair on 14 march next year and could be screened on tv.  it s very  very hard to find an agent and extremely difficult  without an agent  to get a publisher to look at your work   said cowell.  people do fall by the wayside and the more avenues we can provide for aspiring authors  the better   he added. paul cavanagh  a former university professor and health care consultant from ontario in canada  was one of 1 466 aspiring novelists to enter the first contest. he lifted the inaugural lit idol prize after reading aloud an excerpt of his work northwest passage. three film studios are said to be interested in buying film rights for the book  even though it is not finished yet.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "hollywood to sue net film pirates the us movie industry has launched legal action to sue people who facilitate illegal film downloading.  the motion picture association of america wants to stop people using the program bittorrent to swap movies. the industry is targeting people who run websites which provide information and internet links to movies which have been copied or filmed in cinemas. more than 100 server operators have been targeted in the actions launched in the us and uk  the mpaa added. the suits were filed against users of the file-sharing programs bittorrent  edonkey and directconnect in the united states  united kingdom  france  finland and the netherlands  the mpaa said.  bittorrent users can download movies by following a link to files which are found on websites called trackers. unlike most peer-to-peer programs bittorrent works by sharing a file  which could be anything from a legitimate digital photo to a copied movie  among multiple users at the same time. the movie industry hopes that suing the people who run the trackers will cut bittorrent users off from illegal movies at source. last month major film studios started legal action against 200 individuals who were swapping films online. the growth in broadband has made it quicker for people to download movies and the industry fears that if it does not take action now  it could suffer the same downturn as the music industry.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "a-listers flock to gervais sitcom hollywood actors samuel l jackson and ben stiller have signed up for ricky gervais  new sitcom  the comedian has told bbc news.  he said they had both seen the scripts and had agreed to appear in an episode each of the sitcom extras. they join british stars jude law and kate winslet who have been booked for guest roles. the comic and actor said he had drawn up an a-list of stars he wanted and all had agreed to be in it.  we wanted actors who had iconic status but that we could also deconstruct   gervais told bbc news.   it s not about the zeitgeist. we wanted people who would still be around in 20 years  not just the winner of big brother to take part.  gervais admitted he was cautious about revealing who would be taking part until they had all signed on the dotted line. but he has met with stiller and jackson and they enjoyed the scripts enough to commit to it.   i didn t want to start revealing names until it was all sorted because people just mention people who haven t even been asked.  i have been linked with ridiculous stories recently such as i m going to be in a remake of 10 taking dudley moore s part. i haven t been approached and i wouldn t take it anyway.   he said stiller and jackson would be playing  twisted  versions of themselves in extras and that the jokes about them  would sail pretty close to the bone . gervais and his writing partner stephen merchant are currently refining the scripts for the six-part series  in which gervais plays a struggling actor who bitches about the stars. meanwhile  gervais is gearing up to promote his cartoon book flanimals which is released in the us in march  around the same time as nbc begin showing the us version of the office. the film rights to flanimals have already been snapped up but gervais is keen for the project to be taken slowly.  a film will happen over the next three years but i don t want it to be a $50m movie straight away because it is not well enough known and it wouldn t be another spider-man or batman. i would like to do something small on tv with it first.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "outkast win at mtv europe awards us hip-hop duo outkast have capped a year of award glory with three prizes at the mtv europe music awards in rome.  they won best group  best video and best song for hit hey ya! after getting five nominations. r&b singer usher won best male and best album for confessions  while uk rock band muse were named best alternative act and best british artists. outkast will add their awards to the four they won at the us mtv awards in august and three grammys in february. not only was hey ya! one of the biggest global hits of last year  but outkast have been widely acclaimed as one of the most exciting and innovative acts in music. their double cd album speakerboxxx/the love below  which saw andre 3000 and big boi each produce one disc  was hailed as the album of 2003 by many critics.  andre 3000 thanked fans  for supporting outkast throughout the years .  we really appreciate it   he said.  i hope you don t get tired of us  but we only do what we do.  also competing for best group had been the beastie boys  the black eyed peas  d12 and maroon 5. and anastacia  britney spears  maroon 5 and ludacris had been on the shortlist for best song.  outkast did lose out in the contest for best album - which was won by usher  another award favourite. usher  who performed a duet with alicia keys  also beat off competition from justin timberlake  jay-z  nelly and robbie williams to take the best male crown. he had four nominations going into the ceremony  with seven artists nominated in three categories.  eminem s group  d12  were surprise winners in the best hip-hop category  beating the beastie boys  jay-z  kanye west and nelly. eminem told the crowd:  d12 finally won an award  thank you very much.  the rapper opened the show with a performance of his songs like toy soldiers and just lose it  for which he was joined on stage by a crowd of children. the black eyed peas - who had a global hit with where is the love  - picked up the prize for best pop act  beating anastacia  avril lavigne  robbie williams and britney spears. spears was named best female  sending a message of thanks on video saying the award  means so much to me . alicia keys  anastasia  avril lavigne and beyonce knowles had featured alongside her in that contest.  linkin park singer chester bennington described their prize for best rock band as  quite an honour  while muse said their win for best alternative act was  a real surprise for us . muse were also named best uk and ireland act  ahead of franz ferdinand  natasha bedingfield  jamelia and the streets. referring to the fact that winners of 11 of the 12 main awards were from the us  muse singer matt bellamy said:  there needs to be more european bands.  the 11th annual awards were hosted by hip-hop artist xzibit and watched by 6 000 people at the tor di valle arena  plus millions more on tv around the world. the ceremony featured performances from the beastie boys  who entered the stage on bicycles and skateboards  no doubt singer gwen stefani being lowered from a giant clock and nelly doing a duet with pharrell williams. mtv also organised a huge open-air concert featuring anastacia and the cure outside the italian capital s ancient colosseum  with some estimates putting the attendance there at 200 000. last year s big winner at the mtv europe awards  held in edinburgh  scotland  was justin timberlake  who walked away with three trophies.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "junk e-mails on relentless rise spam traffic is up by 40%  putting the total amount of e-mail that is junk up to an astonishing 90%.  the figures  from e-mail management firm email systems  will alarm firms attempting to cope with the amount of spam in their in-boxes. while virus traffic has slowed down  denial of service attacks are on the increase according to the firm. virus mail accounts for just over 15% of all e-mail traffic analysis by the firm has found.  it is no longer just multi-nationals that are in danger of so-called denial of service attacks  in which websites are bombarded by requests for information and rendered inaccessible. email systems refers to a small uk-based engineering firm  which received a staggering 12 million e-mails in january. the type of spam currently being sent has subtlety altered in the last few months  according to email systems analysis. half of spam received since christmas has been health-related with gambling and porn also on the increase. scam mails  offering ways to make a quick buck  have declined by 40%.  january is clearly a month when consumers are less motivated to purchase financial products or put money into dubious financial opportunities   said neil hammerton  managing director of email systems.  spammers seem to have adapted their output to reflect this  focussing instead on medically motivated and pornographic offers  presumably intentionally intended to coincide with what is traditionally considered to be the bleakest month in the calendar   he said.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "kewell waits as injury drags on liverpool winger harry kewell is struggling to recover from his achilles tendinitis problem and may not recover until march  claims his agent.  kewell  26  had hoped to play against fulham last weekend and to be ready for the champions league tie against bayer leverkusen on 22 february. but bernie mandic said:  he s had scans which don t show anything substantial.  but despite his best efforts at the moment he simply can t shake off the discomfort and get back on the park.   mandic continued in the sydney morning herald:  harry s struggling a bit but the club are doing everything they can to get him right.  harry was desperate to be fit for the fulham game as part of his plan to play himself in for the leverkusen match.  kewell has not played since december 19 and misses out on international duty this week  with australia facing south africa in durban on wednesday.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "telewest to challenge sky plus cable firm telewest is to offer a personal video recorder (pvr) in a set -top box to challenge sky plus.  sky plus is the market leader in the field of digital video recorders in the uk  with 474 000 subscribers. pvrs record tv programmes to a hard drive  letting viewers pause  and rewind live television and effectively  time shift  the viewing experience. a number of pvrs incorporating freeview digital terrestrial tv are also on the market but their success is limited. telewest s pvr will offer a 160gb hard drive  which has storage for up to 80 hours of programmes. the box has three tuners  which means viewers can record two channels simultaneously while watching a third channel.  sky plus boxes come in two versions - a 20gb version for \u00a399 and a 160gb version for \u00a3399. sky also charges a \u00a310 subscription fee to the service  unless viewers have a subscription to one of its premium packages. telewest has yet to reveal pricing for the new box or if it will be charging a subscription fee for the service.  eric tveter  president and chief operating officer at telewest broadband  said:  we will make our pvr set-top box available later this year  putting a stop to missed soaps  interrupted films and arguments over which programmes to record.  pvrs and recordable dvd players are set to replace video recorders as the standard method of recording and saving favourite tv programmes. last year  high street retailer dixons said it was going to stop selling vhs machines in favour of pvrs and recordable dvd machines. sky has said it aims to have 25% of its subscribers using sky plus by 2010 - it is predicting 10 million total subscribers by that date. it currently has 7.4 million subscribers  while telewest provides digital cable to 1.7 million customers.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "satellite mapping aids darfur relief aid workers trying to house  feed and clothe millions of homeless refugees in the sudanese region of darfur are getting a helping hand from advanced mapping technology.  a european consortium of companies and university groups known as respond is working to provide accurate and up to date maps. the aim is to overcome some of the huge logistical challenges in getting supplies to where they are needed. respond is using satellite imagery to produce accurate maps that can be used in the field rapidly.  respond has produced very detailed maps for example for the road networks  for the rivers and for the villages  to more large-scale maps useful for very general planning purposes   said einar bjorgo from unosat  the un satellite mapping organisation that is part of the respond consortium.  the group uses satellites from nasa  the european space agency and the disaster monitoring constellation. the satellite data is transmitted to ground stations. from there  the information makes its way to respond organisations that specialise in interpreting such data.  you have to convert the data into images  then the interpreter has to convert all this into crisis  damage  or situation maps   said stefan voigt  who works in the remote sensing department of one of those organisations  the german aerospace centre.  this kind of detailed analysis usually takes a couple of months but respond gets it done in about 12 hours.  our users are usually not so much familiar with reading satellite imagery  reading satellite maps  so it s our task to transfer the data into information that non-technical people can read and understand easily and very  very efficiently   said mr voigt. respond supplies maps to aid groups via the web  and on compact disc. but the best map is one you can hold in your hands  especially in remote areas where internet connections and laptops are scarce.  a map is a working document   explains herbert hansen of respond s belgian partner keyobs.  you need to use it  you need to write on it  correct  give feedback and so on  so you need paper to write on.  we print maps  we laminate the maps  we encapsulate the maps if needed so you can take a shower with the map  it s completely protected.   humanitarian groups in darfur have been making good use of respond s maps. they have come in especially handy during sudan s rainy season  when normally dry riverbeds  or wadis  became flooded.  these wadis had a very small amount of flooding  generally  in terms of depth  but greatly impeded the transport capabilities and capacities of the humanitarian groups on the ground   says stephen candillon of respond imaging partner sertit. respond s rapid imaging has allowed aid groups to find ways around the wadis  allowing then to mark on their maps which roads were washed out at which times. aid groups say that combination of satellite technology and on-the-ground observation helped keep relief flowing to those who needed it.  clark boyd is technology correspondent for the world  a bbc world service and wgbh-boston co-production", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "gm in crunch talks on fiat future fiat will meet car giant general motors (gm) on tuesday in an attempt to reach agreement over the future of the italian firm s loss-making auto group.  fiat claims that gm is legally obliged to buy the 90% of the car unit it does not already own; gm says the contract  signed in 2000  is no longer valid. press reports have speculated that fiat may be willing to accept a cash payment in return for dropping its claim. both companies want to cut costs as the car industry adjusts to waning demand.  the meeting between fiat boss sergio marchionne and gm s rick wagoner is due to take place at 1330 gmt in zurich  according to the reuters news agency.  mr marchionne is confident of his firm s legal position  saying in an interview with the financial times that gm s argument  has no legs . the agreement in question dates back to gm s decision to buy 20% of fiat s auto division in 2000. at the time  it gave the italian firm the right  via a  put option   to sell the remaining stake to gm. in recent weeks  fiat has reiterated its claims that this  put  is still valid and legally binding. however  gm argues that a fiat share sale made last year  which cut gm s holding to 10%  together with asset sales made by fiat have terminated the agreement.  selling the fiat s car-making unit may not prove so simple  analysts say  especially as it is a company that is so closely linked to italy s industrial heritage. political and public pressure may well push the two firms to reach a compromise.  we are not expecting fiat to exercise its put of the auto business against an unwilling gm at this point   brokerage merrill lynch said in a note to investors  adding that any legal battle would be protracted and damaging to the business.  as far as we are aware  the agnelli family  which indirectly controls at least 30% of fiat  has not given a firm public indication that it wants to sell the auto business.  fiat may be willing to cancel the  put  in exchange for money.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "highbury tunnel players in clear the football association has said it will not be bringing charges over the tunnel incident prior to the arsenal and manchester united game.  arsenal s patrick vieira had earlier denied accusations that he threatened gary neville before the 4-2 defeat. vieira also clashed with opposing skipper roy keane and referee graham poll had to separate them.  the referee has confirmed that he is satisfied he dealt with the incident at the time   said an fa statement. it means united s win will pass off without further intervention from the governing body  whose new chief executive brian barwick was in the highbury stands.   i didn t threaten anybody. they are big enough players to handle themselves   said vieira.  i had a talk with roy keane and that s it. gary neville is a big lad  he can handle himself.  they just played better than us and deserved to win.  neville admitted there had been incidents before the game  but insisted it had not distracted his focus.  there were a couple of things that did happen before the game which disappoint you   he said.  especially from players of that calibre  but it s a tough game and we ve been around a long time.  neville admitted that he had not enjoyed the match  which was punctuated by fouls and the sending off of mikael silvestre for head-butting freddie ljungberg .  i thought it was a horrible game in the first half  and it was not much better in the second   he said.  there is no way that should have happened in a football match.   after the match  keane accused vieira of starting the row.  patrick vieira is 6ft 4in and having a go at gary neville. so i said   have a go at me    he said.  if he wants to intimidate our players and thinks that gary neville is an easy target  i m not having it.  manchester united manager sir alex ferguson added:  vieira was well wound up for it.  i ve heard different stories. patrick vieira has apparently threatened some of our players and things like that.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "london hope over chepkemei london marathon organisers are hoping that banned athlete susan chepkemei will still take part in this year s race on 17 april.  chepkemei was suspended from all competition until the end of the year by athletics kenya after failing to report to a national training camp.  we are watching it closely   said london race director david bedford.  there is a long way to go before the race and we are hoping the situation will be satisfactorily resolved.  the camp in embu was to prepare for the iaaf world cross country championships later this month. chepkemei however took part and finished third in last sunday s world best 10k race in puerto rico. the 29-year-old has finished second to paula radcliffe in the 2002 and 2003 london races as well as in november s new york city marathon.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "brown targets oaps and homebuyers gordon brown has doubled the level at which house buyers pay stamp duty to \u00a3120 000 as he put the economy at the heart of labour s election campaign.  the chancellor also unveiled a one-off \u00a3200 council tax refund for pensioners and a rise in child tax credit. mr brown put 1p a pint on beer  4p on a bottle of wine and 7p on 20 cigarettes but froze petrol duty until september. the tories called it a  vote now  pay later  budget. the lib dems branded it a  sticking plaster  for the election.  tory leader michael howard predicted the budget would do nothing to help labour s  faltering  election campaign.   this government and this chancellor have run out of solutions to the problems britain faces   mr howard told mps.  their only answer is to tax  to spend and to waste - to get people to vote now and pay later.  he ended his response with an election challenge to labour  saying  bring it on . liberal democrat leader charles kennedy attacked mr brown for failing to mention the environment and for his record on social justice.  how can it be right in britain today that the poorest 20% pay more in tax  as a proportion of their income  than the richest 20%   he asked.  mr kennedy criticised mr brown for failing to mention the  ticking bomb  of council tax revaluation  saying it was  high time  the system was replaced by a  local tax based on the ability to pay . during his 49 minute speech mr brown told mps he had defied the pundits by hitting his growth target of 3.1% for 2004.  he said his budget struck a balance  between tax cuts that are affordable  investments that are essential and stability that is paramount . he rejected across-the-board tax cuts in favour of targeted help for families. the child tax credit will rise in line with earnings  giving families an extra \u00a35 a week. in contrast  the personal income tax allowance will rise only in line with inflation from \u00a34 745 to \u00a34 895 next month. mr brown told mps child benefit would rise to a maximum of \u00a363 a week for the first child and \u00a3111 for two children. despite his giveaways  budget documents show mr brown clawed back \u00a3265m through a clampdown on tax avoidance and increased revenue from a windfall tax on oil companies. he also scrapped stamp duty relief for commercial property in disadvantaged areas - a measure brought in just over three years ago. bbc political editor andrew marr suggested the sweeteners were not big enough to have a transforming effect on voters. but trust in mr brown s economic stewardship would be a central election issue  he said.  mr brown also unveiled plans for a memorial to the queen mother  funded through a special coin to celebrate the queen s 80th birthday. other measures include equal tax status for same-sex couples and a deal with the council of mortgage lenders to boost low cost home ownership. the level where people start paying inheritance tax will also rise from \u00a3263 000 to \u00a3275 000 from april. mr brown said he had met his financial  golden rule  with a \u00a36bn surplus and he said public borrowing would continue to fall over the next five years.  the economy had grown for 50 consecutive quarters  he said  and was forecast to continue doing so over the next year  with a forecast of 3% to 3.5% in 2005 and 2.5% to 3% in 2006. the first \u00a32bn of value-for-money savings identified in the gershon review have been achieved  the chancellor said. some 12 500 civil servant posts have been axed  and 7 800 relocated out of the south east of england  he added. snp leader alex salmond said mr brown had failed the  tartan test  as there were no measures to boost the scottish economy. simon thomas  of plaid cymru  called it a budget for middle england. uk independence party leader roger knapman attacked the plans for pensioners saying they needed  more money and the dignity of being allowed to spend it how they want   not  free bus rides . the green party said the budget was a  wasted opportunity  for environmental protection  adding:  brown obviously has an eye on the coming election  and has taken his eye off the needs of the planet.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "bt program to beat dialler scams bt is introducing two initiatives to help beat rogue dialler scams  which can cost dial-up net users thousands.  from may  dial-up net users will be able to download free software to stop computers using numbers not on a user s  pre-approved list . inadvertently downloaded by surfers  rogue diallers are programs which hijack modems and dial up a premium rate number when users log on. thousands of uk dial-up users are believed to have been hit by the scam. some people have faced phone bills of up to \u00a32 000. bt s modem protection program will check numbers that are dialled by a computer and will block them if they have not been pre-approved  such as national and net service provider numbers. icstis  the uk s premium rate services watchdog  said it had been looking for companies to take the lead in initiatives.  the initiatives are very welcome   a spokesperson from icstis told the bbc news website.  we are very pleased to see they are putting into place new measures to protect consumers.   the second initiative bt announced is an early warning system which will alert bt customers if there is unusual activity on their phone bills. if a bill rises substantially above its usual daily average  or if a call is made to a suspect number  a text or voice alert will be sent to the user s landline phone. as part of the clamp-down on rogue diallers  companies must now satisfy stringent conditions  including clear terms and conditions  information about how to delete diallers and responsibility for customer refunds. any firm running a dialler without permission can now be closed down by icstis. the watchdog brought in the action last october following a decision to license all companies which wanted to operate legitimate premium rate dialler services.  there are legitimate companies who offer services such as adult content  sports results and music downloads by charging a premium rate rather than by credit card bt said it had ploughed an enormous amount of effort into protecting people from the problem. it has already barred more than 1 000 premium rate numbers and has tried to raise public awareness about the scams.  we now want to ensure there are even stronger safeguards for our customers  who we would urge to make use of these new options to protect themselves   said gavin patterson  group managing director for consumer the arm of bt. both schemes have been undergoing trials in ireland  and will be made available to 20 million bt customers from may.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "asia shares defy post-quake gloom indonesian  indian and hong kong stock markets reached record highs.  investors seemed to feel that some of the worst-affected areas were so under-developed that the tragedy would have little impact on asia s listed firms.  obviously with a lot of loss of life  a lot of time is needed to clean up the mess  bury the people and find the missing   said abn amro s eddie wong.  [but] it s not necessarily a really big thing in the economic sense.   india s bombay stock exchange inched slightly above its previous record close on wednesday. expectations of strong corporate earnings in 2005 drove the indonesian stock exchange in jakarta to a record high on wednesday. in hong kong  the hang seng index may be benefiting in part from the potential for its listed property companies to gain from rebuilding contracts in the tsunami-affected regions of south east asia. in sri lanka  some economists have said that as much as 1% of annual growth may be lost. sri lanka s stock market has fallen about 5% since the weekend  but it is still 40% higher than at the start of 2004.  thailand may lose 30bn baht (\u00a3398m; $768m) in earnings from tourism over the next three months  according to tourism minister sontaya kunplome.  in the affected provinces  he expects the loss of tourism revenue to be offset by government reconstruction spending. thailand intends to spend a similar sum - around 30bn baht - on the rebuilding work.  it will take until the fourth quarter of next year before tourist visitors in phuket and five other provinces return to their normal level   said naris chaiyasoot  director general at the ministry s fiscal policy office. in the maldives the cost of reconstruction could wipe out economic growth  according to a government spokesman.  our nation is in peril here   said ahmed shaheed  the chief government spokesman. he estimated the economic cost of the disaster at hundreds of millions of dollars. the maldives has gross domestic product of $660m.  it won t be surprising if the cost exceeds our gdp   he said.  in the last few years  we made great progress in our standard of living - the united nations recognised this. now we see this can disappear in a few days  a few minutes.  shaheed noted that investment in a single tourist resort - the economic mainstay - could run to $40m. between 10 and 12 of the 80-odd resorts have been severely damaged  and a similar number have suffered significant damage.  however  many experts  including the world bank  have pointed out that it is still difficult to assess the magnitude of the disaster and its likely economic impact. in part  this is because of its scale  and because delivering aid and recovering the dead remain priorities.  calculators will have to wait   said an imf official in a briefing on wednesday.  the financial and world community will be turning toward reconstruction efforts and at that point people will begin to have a sense of the financial impact.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "world leaders gather to face uncertainty more than 2 000 business and political leaders from around the globe are arriving in the swiss mountain resort davos for the annual world economic forum (wef). for five days  they will discuss issues ranging from china s economic power to iraq s future after this sunday s elections. uk prime minister tony blair and south african president thabo mbeki are among the more than 20 government leaders and heads of state leaders attending the meeting. unlike previous years  protests against the wef are expected to be muted. anti-globalisation campaigners have called off a demonstration planned for the weekend.  the brazilian city of porto alegre will host the rival world social forum  timed to run in parallel with the wef s ritzier event in davos.  the organisers of the brazilian gathering  which brings together thousands of campaigners against globalisation  for fair trade  and many other causes  have promised to set an alternative agenda to that of the swiss summit. however  many of the issues discussed in porto alegre are davos talking points as well.  global warming  features particularly high. wef participants are being asked to offset the carbon emissions they cause by travelling to the event. davos itself is in deep frost. the snow is piled high across the mountain village  and at night the wind chill takes temperatures down to minus 20c and less.  ultimately  the forum will be dominated by business issues - from outsourcing to corporate leadership - with bosses of more than a fifth of the world s 500 largest companies scheduled to attend.  but much of the media focus will be on the political leaders coming to davos  not least because the agenda of this year s forum seems to lack an overarching theme.  taking responsibility for tough choices  is this year s official talking point  hinting at a welter of knotty problems. one thing seems sure  though: transatlantic disagreements over how to deal with iran  iraq and china are set to dominate discussions. pointedly  only one senior official from president bush s new administration is scheduled to attend. the us government may still make a conciliatory gesture  just as happened a year ago when vice president dick cheney made a surprise appearance in davos.  ukraine s new president  viktor yushchenko  is to speak  just days after his inauguration  an event that crowned the civil protests against the rigged first election that had tried to keep him from power.  the european union s top leaders  among them german chancellor gerhard schroeder and european commission president manuel barosso  will be here too. mr blair will formally open the proceedings  although his speech will be pre-empted by french president jacques chirac  who announced his attendance at the last minute and secured a slot for a  special message  two hours before mr blair speaks. the organisers also hope that the new palestinian leader  mahmoud abbas  will use the opportunity for talks with at least one of the three israeli deputy prime ministers coming to the event  a list that includes shimon peres. davos fans still hark back to 1994  when talks between yassir arafat and mr peres came close to a peace deal. mr blair s appearance will be keenly watched too  as political observers in the uk claim it is a calculated snub against political rival chancellor gordon brown  who was supposed to lead the uk government delegation.  microsoft founder bill gates  the world s richest man and a regular at davos  will focus on campaigning for good causes  though business interests will not be wholly absent either. having already donated billions of dollars to the fight against aids and malaria  mr gates will call on world leaders to support a global vaccination campaign to protect children in developing countries from easily preventable diseases. on tuesday  mr gates pledged $750m (\u00a3400m) of his own money to support the cause. mr gates  company  software giant microsoft  also hopes to use davos to shore up its defences against open source software like linux  which threaten microsoft s near monopoly on computer desktops. mr gates is said to be trying to arrange a meeting with brazil s president lula da silva. the brazilian government has plans to switch all government computers from microsoft to linux. at davos  global problem solving and networking are never far apart.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "cole faces lengthy injury lay-off aston villa s carlton cole could be out for six weeks with a knee injury.  the striker  who is on a season-long loan from chelsea  picked up the knock in an england under-21 match against holland earlier this month.  carlton will be out of action for four to six weeks after a bad challenge   said villa boss david o leary.  i won t be able to tell you whether he will need an operation until maybe next week. whether he has an operation has got to be left to chelsea.  cole  who also struggled with an ankle problem earlier in the season  was unable to rest because o leary had a shortage of strikers. the return to fitness of darius vassell after four months out with a broken ankle and the emergence of luke moore has alleviated some of the villa s manager s problems in that department.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "news corp eyes video games market news corp  the media company controlled by australian billionaire rupert murdoch  is eyeing a move into the video games market.  according to the financial times  chief operating officer peter chernin said that news corp is  kicking the tires of pretty much all video games companies . santa monica-based activison is said to be one firm on its takeover list. video games are  big business   the paper quoted mr chernin as saying. we  would like to get into it .  the success of products such as sony s playstation  microsoft s x-box and nintendo s game cube have boosted demand for video games.  the days of arcade classics such as space invaders  pac-man and donkey kong are long gone. today  games often have budgets big enough for feature films and look to give gamers as real an experience as possible. and with their price tags reflecting the heavy investment by development companies  video games are proving almost as profitable as they are fun. mr chernin  however  told the ft that news corp was finding it difficult to identify a suitable target.  we are struggling with the gap between companies like electronic arts  which comes with a high price tag  and the next tier of companies   he explained during a conference in phoenix  arizona.  these may be too focused on one or two product lines.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "elvis  set for chart hat-trick  the late us legend elvis presley is likely to score his third uk number one single in three weeks on sunday  according to early sales figures.  the king of rock  n  roll has already had consecutive chart-toppers with jailhouse rock and one night. a fool such as i  the next in a series of 18 reissues  is on course to beat the chemical brothers to the top. but his next single  it s now or never  will face a challenge from tsunami charity single grief never grows old. sir cliff richard  russell watson  boy george  bill wyman and members of the bee gees  the beach boys  america and the eagles are expected to feature on the charity song.  bookmakers have offered odds of 10/1 for all presley s 18 hits to go back to number one. a fool such as i would become the 1 001st number one single in uk chart history after one night took the 1 000th place on sunday. the latest release is currently outselling the chemical brothers  comeback single galvanize plus other new releases from athlete  ciara and feeder. presley s 18 original number ones are being reissued as limited release singles  with fans eager to buy the set to fill a collector s box that went on sale in the first week. record company sony bmg is now manufacturing 5 000 more copies of each single than originally planned to meet demand  taking the total number of copies of each song on sale to about 28 000.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "2d metal slug offers retro fun like some drill sergeant from the past  metal slug 3 is a wake-up call to today s gamers molly-coddled with slick visuals and fancy trimmings.  with its hand-animated sprites and 2d side-scrolling  this was even considered retro when released in arcades four years ago. but a more frantic shooter you will not find at the end of your joypad this year. and yes  that includes halo 2. simply choose your grunt and wade through five 2d side-scrolling levels of the most hectic video game blasting you will ever encounter. it is also the toughest game you are likely to play  as hordes of enemies and few lives pile the pressure on.  players must battle soldiers  snowmen  zombies  giant crabs and aliens  not to mention the huge  screen-filling bosses that guard each of the five levels.  the shoot-anything-that-moves gameplay is peppered with moments of old-school genius. fans of robotic gastropods should note the title refers  instead  to the vast array of vehicles on offer in a game stuffed with bizarre hardware. tanks  jets and submarines can be commandeered  as well as cannon-toting camels  elephants and ostriches - more weaponry on offer than in an acre of iraq. doling out justice is a joy thanks to ultra responsive controls  and while this is a tough nut to crack  it is addictive enough to have you gagging for that one last go. and at a mere \u00a320  metal slug 3 is as cheap as sliced  fried spuds  as the man says. of course  most of you will ignore this  lacking as it does the visual fireworks of modern blasters. but at a time when blockbuster titles offer only a fresh lick of paint in favour of real innovation  metal slug 3 is a fresh gasp of air from an era when the xbox was not even a twinkle in bill gates  eye.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "argentina  venezuela in oil deal argentina and venezuela have extended a food-for-oil deal  which helped the former to overcome a severe energy crisis last year.  argentine president nestor kirchner and venezuelan president hugo chavez signed the deal in buenos aires on tuesday. last april  argentina signed a $240m agreement to import venezuelan fuel in exchange for agricultural goods and this deal has now been extended. venezuela will now import cattle  medicines and medical equipment. last year  argentina s severe energy crisis forced president kirchner to suspend gas exports to chile. argentina fears that rising demand could spark another crisis and wants to prevent it by signing this deal. the two countries also formalised a co-operation deal between venezuelan energy firm pdvsa and argentina s enarsa. under this deal  the argentine market will be opened to venezuelan investment. president chavez added that brazil s petrobras could join soon the co-operation deal. president chavez is an ardent promoter of the concept of a south american oil company  which could include the state-owned companies of venezuela  argentina  brazil and bolivia. the two presidents also agreed to create  television sur   a latin american network of state-owned television channels.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "snow patrol bassist exits group snow patrol had  no other course of action  but to ask their co-founder and bassist to leave the band  lead singer gary lightbody has said.  mark mcclelland had been in the band for more than 10 years since its formation at dundee university. lightbody said  over the last 18 months touring has taken its toll on the rest of the band s relationship with him . he said:  this is the hardest decision we have ever had to make and believe us when we say we didn t make it lightly.  the group  originally from northern ireland  has only achieved mainstream success in the last year with the single run and award-winning album final straw. in a statement on the band s website  lightbody said:  i started the group with mark 10 years ago and he was a massive part of snow patrol and my life throughout that decade.   he added:  it got to the stage that things couldn t go on as they were  so we felt there was no other course of action but this.  i know you will all be distressed and may not understand this news but we had to do what was best for the band.  snow patrol are currently working on the follow-up to their breakthrough third album. the band is set to play support to u2 on a number of summer stadium gigs. last month  they were the big winners in ireland s top music honours  the meteor awards  picking up accolades for best band and album. it followed nominations for the brit awards and the mercury music prize. the band formed in 1994 when lightbody and mcclelland met as students at dundee university.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "peer-to-peer nets  here to stay  peer-to-peer (p2p) networks are here to stay  and are on the verge of being exploited by commercial media firms  says a panel of industry experts.  once several high-profile legal cases against file-sharers are resolved this year  firms will be very keen to try and make money from p2p technology. the expert panel probed the future of p2p at the consumer electronics show in las vegas earlier in january. the first convictions for p2p piracy were handed out in the us in january. william trowbridge and michael chicoine pleaded guilty to charges that they infringed copyright by illegally sharing music  movies and software. since the first successful file-sharing network napster was forced to close down  the entertainment industry has been nervous and critical of p2p technology  blaming it for falling sales and piracy. but that is going to change very soon  according to the panel.  the music and film industries have started some big legal cases against owners of legitimate p2p networks - which are not illegal in themselves - and of individuals accused of distributing pirated content over networks. but they have slowly realised that p2p is a good way to distribute content  said travis kalanick  founder and chairman of p2p network red swoosh  and soon they are all going to want a slice of it. they are just waiting to come up with  business models  that work for them  which includes digital rights management and copy-protection standards.  but  until the legal actions are resolved  experimentation with p2p cannot not happen  said michael weiss  president of streamcast networks. remembering the furore around vcrs when they first came out  mr weiss said:  old media always tries to stop new media.  when they can t stop it  they try to control it. then they figure out how to make money and they always make a lot of money.  once the courts decided that the vcr in itself was not an illegal technology  the film studios turned it into an extremely lucrative business. in august 2004  the san francisco-based us court of appeals ruled in favour of grokster and streamcast  two file-sharing networks. the court said they were essentially in the same position that sony was in the 1980s vcr battle  and said that the networks themselves could not be deemed as illegal.  p2p networks usually do not rely on dedicated servers for the transfer of files. instead it uses direct connections between computers - or clients. there are now many different types of p2p systems than work in different ways. p2p nets can be used to share any kind of file  like photos  free software  licensed music and any other digital content. the bbc has already decided to embrace the technology. it aims to offer most of its own programmes for download this year and it will use p2p technology to distribute them. the files would be locked seven days after a programme aired making rights management easier to control. but the technology is still demonised and misunderstood by many. the global entertainment industry says more than 2.6 billion copyrighted music files are downloaded every month  and about half a million films are downloaded a day. legal music download services  like apple itunes  napster  have rushed into the music marketplace to try and lure file-sharers away from free content. sales of legally-downloaded songs grew tenfold in 2004  with 200 million tracks bought online in the us and europe in 12 months  the ifpi reported this week. but such download services are very different from p2p networks  not least because of the financial aspect.  there are several money-spinning models that could turn p2p into a golden egg for commercial entertainment companies. paid-for-pass-along  in which firms receive money each time a file is shared  along with various drm solutions and advertiser-based options are all being considered.  we see there are going to be different models for commoditising p2p   said marc morgenstern  vice president of anti-piracy firm overpeer.   consumers are hungry for it and we will discover new models together   agreed mr morgenstern. but many net users will continue to ignore the entertainment industry s potential controlling grip on content and p2p technology by continuing to use it for their own creations. unsigned bands  for example  use p2p networks to distribute their music effectively  which also draws the attention of record companies looking for new artists to sign.  increasingly  what you are seeing on p2p is consumer-created content   said derek broes  from microsoft.  they will probably play an increasing role in helping p2p spread   he said. looking into p2p s future  file sharing is just the beginning for p2p networks  as far as mr broes is concerned.  once some of these issues are resolved  you are going to see aggressive movement to protect content  but also in ways that are unimaginable now   he said.  file-sharing is the tip of the iceberg.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "format wars could  confuse users  technology firms sony  philips  matsushita and samsung are developing a common way to stop people pirating digital music and video.  the firms want to make a system that ensures files play on the hardware they make but also thwarts illegal copying. the move could mean more confusion for consumers already faced by many different  and conflicting  content control systems  experts warned. they say there are no guarantees the system will even prevent piracy.  currently many online stores wrap up downloadable files in an own-brand control system that means they can only be played on a small number of media players. systems that limit what people can do with the files they download are known as digital rights management systems. by setting up the alliance to work on a common control system  the firms said they hope to end this current fragmentation of file formats. in a joint statement the firms said they wanted to let consumers enjoy  appropriately licensed video and music on any device  independent of how they originally obtained that content . the firms hope that it will also make it harder for consumers to make illegal copies of the music  movies and other digital content they have bought. called the marlin joint development association  the alliance will define basic specifications that every device made by the electronics firms will conform to. marlin will be built on technology from rights management firm intertrust as well as an earlier drm system developed by a group known as the coral consortium.  the move is widely seen as a way for the four firms to decide their own destiny on content control systems instead of having to sign up for those being pushed by apple and microsoft. confusingly for consumers  the technology that comes out of the alliance will sit alongside the content control systems of rival firms such as microsoft and apple.  in many ways the different drm systems are akin to the different physical formats  such as betamax and vhs  that consumers have seen in the past   said ian fogg  personal technology and broadband analyst at jupiter research.  the difference is that it is very fragmented   he said.  it s not a two-horse race  it s a five  six  seven or even eight-horse race  mr fogg said consumers had to be very careful when buying digital content to ensure that it would play on the devices they own. he said currently there were even incompatibilities within drm families. although initiatives such as microsoft s  plays for sure  program could help remove some of the uncertainty  he said  life was likely to be confusing for consumers for some time to come.  shelley taylor  analyst and author of a report about online music services  said the locks and limits on digital files were done to maximise the cash that firms can make from consumers. apple s itunes service was a perfect example of this  she said.  although itunes has been hugely successful  apple could not justify its existence if it did not help sell all those ipods   she said.  she said rampant competition between online music services  of which there are now 230 according to recent figures  could drive more openness and freer file formats.  it always works out that consumer needs win out in the long run   she said   and the services that win in the long run are the ones that listen to consumers earliest.  ms taylor said the limits legal download services place on files could help explain the continuing popularity of file-sharing systems that let people get hold of pirated pop.  people want portability   she said   and with peer-to-peer they have 100% portability.  cory doctorow  european co-ordinator for the electronic frontier foundation which campaigns for consumers on many cyber-rights issues  expressed doubts that the marlin system would achieve its aims.  not one of these systems has ever prevented piracy or illegal copying   he said. he said many firms readily admit that their drm systems are little protection against skilled attackers such as the organised crime gangs that are responsible for most piracy. instead  said mr doctorow  drm systems were intended to control the group that electronics firms have most hold over - consumers.  the studios and labels perceive an opportunity to sell you your media again and again - the ipod version  the auto version  the american and uk version  the ringtone version  and so on.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "labour s four little words labour has unveiled the four little words that will form the heart of its general election campaign which  for those just returned from the planet galifray  is  looming .  the slogan  britain forward not back  (no  it s not an instruction from one of those inter-planetary time lords) is to become as much a part of our daily lives as the sky - it s always there but we mostly stop noticing. the word  britain  is cast on a red background - a nod to old labour.  forward  is in italics and cunningly slopes forward and  along with  not back   is set against a mushy pea green background. as one of the journalists assembled at the unveiling declared  it was all very post modern  or something. great use of colour. those ad men really do earn their money. and  coincidentally  the ad men who came up with the abandoned flying pigs and so-called  fagin  posters which caused tory protests have not been sacked but  as election supremo alan milburn declared   are doing a very good job .  mr milburn  in the latest in his series of pre-election-campaign campaigning  explained the slogan was the reaction to polling which suggests the public believe labour and tony blair are the future while michael howard and the tories would take the country backwards.  not many people talk about the years before 1997 as the good old days   he declared. it would be an aggressive campaign because things would inevitably boil down to a choice between labour and the tories.  nobody  he claimed  could picture liberal democrat leader charles kennedy walking up downing street the day after polling. they could  however  picture michael howard or  of course  tony blair doing it. so it was only right that the campaign concentrated on rigorously examining the opposition s policies and past record. and tony blair would be in the very front line of that campaign  he said.  between now and the election the prime minister will be spending more time out of london than in it but in britain  not overseas   he promised.  he will be leading the domestic debate from the front  listening  taking the flak.  so  let s get on with it then.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "african double in edinburgh world 5000m champion eliud kipchoge won the 9.2km race at the view from great edinburgh cross country.  the kenyan  who was second when newcastle hosted the race last year  was in front from the outset. ethiopian duo gebre gebremariam and dejene berhanu made last-gasp efforts to overtake him  but kipchoge responded and a burst of speed clinched victory. gavin thompson was the first briton in 12th place while nick mccormick held of his british rivals to win the 4km race. the morpeth harrier led from the end of the first lap and ended mike skinner and andrew baddeley s hopes with a surge in the lasp lap.  my training has gone so well i wasn t really worried about the opposition asi knew i was in great shape   said mccormick  who now hopes to earn a 1 500m place in the british team for the world championships in helsinki. in the women s race  ethiopia s tirunesh dibaba won a battle with world cross country champion benita johnson to retain her title. australian johnson  who shocked her african rivals in brussels last march  looked to be on course for another win in the 6.2km race. but world 5000m champion dibaba make a telling strike for the finishing line in the final 20 metres. britons kathy butler and hayley yelling were out of contention early on.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "uk  needs true immigration data  a former home office minister has called for an independent body to be set up to monitor uk immigration.  barbara roche said an organisation should monitor and publish figures and be independent of government. she said this would counter  so-called independent  groups like migration watch  which she described as an anti-immigration body posing as independent. migration watch says it is not against all immigration and the government already publishes accurate figures. sir andrew green  chairman of the organisation  says there is no need for an independent body because office of national statistics data are accurate. he says he opposes large-scale immigration  both on the grounds of overcrowding and culture .  he said:  for example  over the next 20 years one household in three will be due to immigration.  we are already more overcrowded than india and we are four times more overcrowded than france.  ms roche  labour mp for hornsey and wood green  believes legal migration is something we should welcome. she said her proposals mean  we wouldn t have so-called independent experts  like migration watch  who come into this debate from an anti-immigration point of view.  she went on:  what i would like to see is there being a body which actually looked at the figures  published them  and was independent of government.  i think that would go a long way to allaying some of the fears that are sometimes whipped up during this debate.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "new consoles promise big problems making games for future consoles will require more graphic artists and more money  an industry conference has been told.  sony  microsoft and nintendo will debut their new consoles at the annual e3 games expo in los angeles in may. these so-called  next generation  machines will be faster than current consoles  and capable of displaying much higher-quality visuals. for gamers  this should make for better  more immersive games. in a pre-recorded video slot during microsoft s keynote address at the game developers conference  held last week in san francisco  famed director james cameron revealed he is making a game in tandem with his next film - believed to be battle angel alita. the game s visual quality would be  like a lucid dream   said mr cameron. but numerous speakers warned that creating such graphics will require more artists  and so next generation console games will be much more expensive to develop. the first new console  microsoft s xbox 2  is not expected to reach the shops until the end of 2005. games typically take at least 18 months to create  however  so developers are grappling with the hardware today.  according to robert walsh  head of brisbane-based game developer krome studios  next generation games will cost between $10-25m to make  with teams averaging 80 staff in size taking two years to complete a title. such sums mean it will be difficult for anyone to start a new game studio  said mr walsh.  if you re a start-up  i doubt that a publisher is going to walk in and give you a cheque for $10m  however good you are   he said. mr walsh suggested that new studios should make games for mobile phones and handheld consoles like the sony psp and the nintendo ds  since they are cheaper and easier to create than console games.  one developer bucking the trend towards big art teams is will wright  the creator of the best-selling the sims games. the founder of california s maxis studio surprised the conference with a world exclusive preview of his next game  spore. spore will allow players to experiment with the evolution of digital creatures. starting with an amoeba-sized organism  the player will guide the physical development of their creature by selecting how its limbs  jaws and other body parts evolve.  eventually the creature will become capable of establishing cities  trading and fighting  and even building space ships. advanced players will visit the home planets of creatures created by other spore players. these worlds will be automatically swapped across the internet. mr wright said that enabling players to devise and share their creatures would make them care more about the game.  i don t want to put the player in the role of luke skywalker or frodo baggins - i want them to be george lucas or dr seuss   explained mr wright. few games have hinted at the scope of spore  but mr wright explained that he has nevertheless kept his development team small by hiring expert programmers. instead of employing lots of artists to create 3d models of the digital creatures  spore generates and displays the creatures according to rules devised by the programmers.  the thing i am coming away with [from the conference] is that next generation content is going to be really expensive  and creating it will drive the smaller players out of the market   said mr wright.  i d like to offer an alternative to that.   new development tools will be another important aid in making next generation games  and dozens of companies demonstrated their latest products at the conference.  oxford-based natural motion launched endorphin v2.0  which enables artists to direct a 3d  virtual actor . the actor is realistically modelled according to the laws of physics. endorphin simulates how the actor falls down stairs  for instance  or crumples up after a gunshot. artists can blend together these visual sequences  and include the results in their games. the process is much quicker than having an artist animate each movement by hand  and so lessens the need for larger art teams. another british company aiming to reduce the workload of artists is manchester start-up genemation. its latest tool  gencrowd  enables artists to create unique  photo-realistic human faces for games involving lots of people. gencrowd works by blending together elements of an in-built supply of stock faces of differing ages and ethnicities. the software can create up to 2 000 new heads an hour.  one area not yet dominated by graphical blockbusters is mobile phone games. even the latest phones are not as powerful as the consoles of a decade ago  so smaller teams of half a dozen people can still create complete games for the devices.  the game developers conference included a special two-day summit dedicated to creating mobile games. a niche attraction for a few dozen conference attendees when it began five years ago  gdc s mobile summit this year drew several hundred delegates. mobile games are a fast-growing sector because newer phones have better graphics and sound  and are thus more suitable for playing games. furthermore  the adoption of mobile phones continues to spread across the world. it s predicted that by 2006 two billion people will own a mobile phone. the growing importance of mobile gaming was reflected by a keynote given by john batter  general manager at ea mobile. ea mobile is a division of electronic arts  the biggest games publisher. until recently electronic arts had been dismissive of games for phones.  the last time you checked  ea wasn t in this business   mr batter admitted. but he said ea now planned on dominating the market by releasing mobile versions of its most popular franchises. ea plans to release up to 20 mobile games over the next 12 months. the first will be a version of its need for speed racing game  created by ea mobile s 30-person development team. mr batter predicted that by 2006  mobile phones would be capable of running games of comparable quality to those on sony s upcoming psp handheld console.  owain bennallack is the editor of develop magazine.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "podcasts mark rise of diy radio an apple ipod or other digital music players can hold anything up to 10 000 songs  which is a lot of space to fill.  but more and more ipod owners are filling that space with audio content created by an unpredictable assortment of producers. it is called  podcasting  and its strongest proponent is former mtv host and vj (video jockey) adam curry. podcasting takes its name from the apple ipod  although you do not need an ipod to create one or to listen to a podcast. a podcast is basically an internet-based radio show which podcasters create  usually in the comfort of their own home. they need only a microphone  a pc  and some editing software. they then upload their shows to the internet and others can download and listen to them  all for free. using technology based on xml computer code and rss - really simple syndication - listeners can subscribe to podcasts collected automatically in a bit of software  which mr curry has pioneered. the latest mp3 files of shows can then be picked up by a music playing device automatically.  mr curry records  hosts  edits and produce a daily  40 minute podcast called the daily source code. he wants to make podcasting  the next big thing  and says it is an extension of his childhood love of radio gadgetry.  i was always into technologies and wires   he explains.  my parents gave me the radio shack 101 project kit  which allows you to build an am transmitter and subsequently an fm transmitter.  i had my mom drive me around the block  see how far it would reach on the car radio.   mr curry is american  but he grew up in the netherlands where he hosted illegal  pirate radio shows in the dutch capital. he tried university in the us  and ended up back in holland where he hosted a music video show. he spent the next seven years in new york where he worked at mtv hosting the top 20 video countdown  but spent most of his hours tinkering with this new thing called the internet.  at a certain point in 1995  i was driving in on a friday afternoon  beautiful blue sky  one of those beautiful days thinking  this is so stupid.  you know  i m going do the top 20 countdown  take the cheque  go home  and sit on the internet until three in the morning.  so  after i finished the show  i quit. i said  on air  it s been great  i ve been here for seven years at that point  there s something on the internet  i ve got to go find it  and i ll see you later.   but mr curry s technology and broadcast interests started to gel a couple of years ago when computer storage was growing exponentially and high-speed internet connections were becoming more widely available. the mp3 format also meant that people could create and upload audio more cheaply and efficiently than ever before.  most importantly  mr curry says  people across the globe were bored with the radio they were hearing.  listen to 99% of the radio that you hear today  it s radio voices  and it s fake  it s just fake.  he wanted to make it easier for people to find  real voices  on the internet. he wanted software that would automatically download new audio content directly onto players like  ipods. mr curry is not a computer programmer  so he asked others to create one for him. no one did  so he tried to write one himself. he finished it a few months ago and says it  totally sucked.  he put it up on the net as open source software and now dozens of coders and audio junkies are refining it; the result is a work in progress called  ipodder . doug kaye  a california-based podcaster  praises the former mtv vj for what he has done.  adam created a simple script that solved what we call the last mile problem. ipodder takes audio from the web and brings it all the way down to the mp3 player   he explains.  people can wake up in the morning  pick up their ipods as they go to work or before they go exercise  and discover that there s all this new content automatically put onto their players.  it is created an explosion in podcasting content and podcasters are springing up in australia  finland  brazil  even malaysia. one couple broadcasts theirs  the dawn and drew show  from wisconsin in the us  sometimes even from the comfort of their own bed. topics range from the comfort of their bed  to the latest films or music and have thousands of listeners.  already  websites are springing up that point listeners in the right direction of good podcasts.  chris mcintyre runs podcast alley and says that there are good sites out there but that not everyone has the technological know-how to simply listen.  if i were to tell my mom  or my mother-in-law to copy an xml or rss file to their podcast aggregator  they would think i was speaking a foreign language   mr mcintyre says. along with technical challenges  there may be legal challenges to podcasters who air their favourite  albeit copyrighted  music. some in podcasting also worry that too much attention may turn what they see as the  anti-radio  into something that is more like conventional broadcasting. already there is interest in podcasting from the corporate world. heineken is doing its own podcast now  and so is playboy. for his part  adam curry s pressing ahead with his own vision of what podcasting should be. he loves doing the daily source code because it is about introducing good music and cool ideas to new audiences. he has even been called the ed sullivan or johnny carson of podcasting which  he says   is a badge i ll wear with great honour.  to be the johnny carson  or ed sullivan of anything is wonderful. and you know what  you don t need a hell of a lot of talent.  you just have to be nice  have your ears open  and let people shine. and that s good for me.   clark boyd is technology correspondent for the world  a bbc world service and wgbh-boston co-production.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "britannia members  \u00a342m windfall more than 800 000 britannia building society members are to receive a profit share worth on average \u00a352 each.  members of the uk s second largest building society will share \u00a342m  with 100 000 receiving a windfall of more than \u00a3100. depending on how much they borrow or invest  members earn  reward  points which entitle them to a share of the society s profits. the payouts are bigger than last year  because of stricter eligibility rules. last year  britannia members shared \u00a342m  but the average payment was only \u00a338.  to qualify for this year s payment  customers must have been members for at least two years on 31 december 2004. britannia has also stopped making payments to members if they are worth less than \u00a35.  to qualify for the profit share  members must have either a mortgage  or an investment account other than a deposit account. customers can also qualify if they have permanent interest bearing shares (pibs). the profit share scheme was introduced in 1997 and has paid out more than \u00a3370m. britannia will unveil its results on wednesday.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "help for indies in download sales a campaign has been launched to help independent labels get their music online and benefit from the growing trend for downloading music.  the british phonographic industry has identified a lack of independent music available for download.  we want to ensure that independent repertoire is as successful in the download world as it is in the physical world   said bpi chief peter jamieson. downloaded singles have now overtaken physical singles in the uk. mr jamieson said his organisation was lobbying music service providers  which include itunes and napster  to urge them to promote independent releases. download sales are due to be incorporated into the uk singles chart later this year.  with downloads shortly to be eligible for the singles chart  this is a key commercial issue on which the bpi committed to assisting its members   added mr jamieson. as part of the campaign the bpi is running a series of seminars entitled getting your music online  focusing on how independent labels can embrace digital music. the us has already begun incorporating download sales in the billboard s hot 100 chart.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "fa probes crowd trouble the fa is to take action after trouble marred wednesday s carling cup tie between chelsea and west ham.  police in riot gear were confronted by a section of the west ham support after the match which the blues won 1-0. mateja kezman  the scorer of chelsea s goal  needed treatment on a head injury during the match after being hit by a missile  believed to be a coin. a spokeswoman for chelsea said the club would await the referee s report before deciding on its course of action. kezman was forced off the field to receive treatment on a cut above his eye but was able to continue.  chelsea assistant boss steve clarke said:  i would rather talk about the football but we think it was something thrown from the crowd. he did not require stitches.  west ham boss alan pardew said:  it s a shame because i thought there was good english banter in the crowd.  there s big rivalry between the two clubs and it is a shame if that s happened. from where i was standing i didn t see any trouble.  former hammers star joe cole also had a plastic bottle thrown at him  while frank lampard was pelted with coins as he was preparing to take a penalty. lampard s spot-kick was saved to the delight of the hammers  fans  who have still not forgiven him for leaving upton park. the fa will seek reports from the clubs and the police  and will review video evidence and the referee s report. police in riot gear battled with west ham fans in the matthew harding stand and at least one supporter required treatment. fans are also thought to have clashed outside the ground after the game. scotland yard said there had been 11 arrests for alleged public order  drugs and offensive weapon offences.  the fa is already looking into the trouble at tuesday s heated carling cup tie between millwall and liverpool.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "brainwave  cap controls computer a team of us researchers has shown that controlling devices with the brain is a step closer.  four people  two of them partly paralysed wheelchair users  successfully moved a computer cursor while wearing a cap with 64 electrodes. previous research has shown that monkeys can control a computer with electrodes implanted into their brain. the new york team reported their findings in the proceedings of the national academy of sciences.  the results show that people can learn to use scalp-recorded electroencephalogram rhythms to control rapid and accurate movement of a cursor in two directions   said jonathan wolpaw and dennis mcfarlane. the research team  from new york state department of health and state university of new york in albany  said the research was another step towards people controlling wheelchairs or other electronic devices by thought.  the four people faced a large video screen wearing a special cap which  meant no surgery or implantation was needed.  brain activity produces electrical signals that can be read by electrodes. complex algorithms then translate those signals into instructions to direct the computer. such brain activity does not require the use of any nerves of muscles  so people with stroke or spinal cord injuries could use the cap effectively.  the impressive non-invasive multidimensional control achieved in the present study suggests that a non-invasive brain control interface could support clinically useful operation of a robotic arm  a motorised wheelchair or a neuroprosthesis   said the researchers. the four volunteers also showed that they could get better at controlling the cursor the more times they tried. although the two partially-paralysed people performed better overall  the researchers said this could be because their brains were more used to adapting or that they were simply more motivated. it is not the first time researchers have had this sort of success in brain-control experiments. some teams have used eye motion and other recording techniques. earlier this year  a team at the mit media labs europe demonstrated a wireless cap which read brain waves to control a computer character.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "half of uk s mobiles  go online  multimedia mobile phones are finally showing signs of taking off  with more britons using them to go online.  figures from industry monitor  the mobile data association (mda)  show the number of phones with gprs and mms technology has doubled since last year. gprs lets people browse the web  access news services  mobile music and other applications like mobile chat. by the end of 2005  the mda predicts that 75% of all mobiles in the uk will be able to access the net via gprs. the mda say the figures for the three months up to 30 september are a  rapid increase  on the figure for the same time the previous year. about 53 million people own a mobile in the uk  so the figures mean that half of those phones use gprs. gprs is often described as 2.5g technology - 2.5 generation - sitting between 2g and 3g technology  which is like a fast  high-quality broadband internet for phones.  with more services being offered by mobile operators  people are finding more reasons to go online via their mobile. downloadable ringtones are still proving highly popular  but so is mobile chat. bandaid was the fastest ever-selling ringtone this year  according to the mda  and chat was given some publicity when prime minister tony blair answered questions through mobile text chat. multimedia messaging services also looked brighter with 32% of all mobiles in the uk able to send or receive picture messages. this is a 14% rise from last september s figures. but a recent report from continental research reflects the continuing battle mobile companies have to actually persuade people to go online and to use mms. it said that 36% of uk camera phone users had never sent a multimedia message  or mms. that was 7% more than in 2003. mobile companies are keen for people to use multimedia functions their phones  like sending mms and going online  as this generates more money for them. but critics say that mms is confusing and some mobiles are too difficult to use. there have also been some issues over interoperability  and being able to send mms form a mobile using one network to a different one.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "henson stakes early lions claim the six nations may be a glittering prize in itself but every player from the four home unions will also have one eye on a possible trip to new zealand with the lions this summer.  the player who staked the biggest claim for a place in the starting xv over the weekend was gavin henson. he s very confident. you just had to listen to his interview afterwards - he beamed with confidence - but although there s an element of arrogance it s good arrogance. he certainly showed some nice touches. he once showed a clean pair of heels to mathew tait when he got outside him  his defence was very good and he made some great kicks out of hand. and that s without even mentioning his majestic match-winning penalty. but i think we need to wait and see what happens because he needs to be put to the test. he needs to come up against brian o driscoll or a big french midfield. wales fly-half stephen jones was another player who impressed me. he gave good direction  he was very confident and he was a nice general for his side. he showed he can control a game. with jonny wilkinson not playing at the moment due to inury the number 10 shirt could be up for grabs and jones  or maybe even henson  could make the lions team at fly-half.  jones stuck his hand up and he certainly looks a better bet than charlie hodgson after saturday s game. some of the wales forwards surprised me because i thought they would be out-muscled in the tight five. england prop julian white is a capable player but when it comes down to selection gethin jenkins is now going to have the upper hand because he came out on top. however  i still think white and phil vickery will be in the frame. some english players did their cause no harm. i thought joe worsley had a solid game and jason robinson and josh lewsey both did nothing wrong. but it looked too soon for young mathew tait and i think it will be a while before we see him again. despite being written off beforehand several scots caught my eye against france.  tom smith has been there and done it before  but the likes of chris cusiter  jason white and ally hogg all made their mark. hogg made a couple of good runs while white had a pretty robust game - his defence is right up there. cusiter looked very lively and he could be a very good option for lions coach sir clive woodward. the star of ireland s win over italy in rome looks like a certainty to make the starting xv against new zealand. brian o driscoll is a class act. he ran some good lines against italy  made the breaks and fed his outside backs  although italy defended man on man which made it easy for him. gordon d arcy was unlucky to go off injured early on but i think you could get a henson  d arcy  o driscoll combination in the lions midfield. paul o connell just needs to add a hard edge to his game and malcolm o kelly keeps on going and seems to be putting his hand up  while shane byrne seems to be a lively character. but they will be a bit worried after the italian pack drove them off their own ball on sunday  although i used to play in italy and i know how difficult it can be. one player who didn t impress me was wales scrum-half dwayne peel. he choked late on in the second half when wales were trailing. they had good possession and he kicked the ball away - i wouldn t want him as my lions scrum-half after that.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "shares hit by ms drug suspension shares in elan and biogen idec plunged on monday as the firms suspended sales of new multiple sclerosis drug tysabri after a patient s death in the us.  on the new york stock exchange  shares in ireland-based elan lost 70% while us partner biogen idec shed 43%. the firms took action after the death from a central nervous system disease and a suspected case of the condition. the cases cited involved the use of both tysabri and avonex  biogen idec s existing multiple sclerosis drug. the companies said they have no reports of the rare condition - progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (pml) - in patients taking either tysabri or avonex alone. tysabri was approved for use in the us last november and was widely tipped to become the world s leading multiple sclerosis treatment.   the companies will work with clinical investigators to evaluate tysabri-treated patients and will consult with leading experts to better understand the possible risk of pml   the two firms said in a statement.  the outcome of these evaluations will be used to determine possible re-initiation of dosing in clinical trials and future commercial availability.   analysts had believed the product would provide a new growth opportunity for biogen idec  which had faced increased competition from rivals to avonex. elan  once the biggest firm on the irish stock exchange  was also expected to receive a boost  from the new product. an inquiry into elan s accounts in 2002 brought the group close to bankruptcy but the firm has been rebuilding itself since  with its share price increasing by almost four-fold last year.  most of the value in the company was in tysabri   said ian hunter at goodbody stockbrokers in dublin.  now there s a question mark over it.  elan finished down $18.90 at $8  while biogen fell $28.63 to $38.65.  - shares in uk pharmaceutical firm phytopharm closed down 19.84% at 151.5 pence on the london stock exchange on monday  after it said a partner was set to pull out of a deal on an experimental alzheimer s disease treatment. phytopharm said japan s yamanouchi pharmaceutical was likely to end a licensing agreement  prompting analysts to raise questions over the level of its future cash reserves.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "hillbillies singer scoggins dies country and western musician jerry scoggins has died in los angeles at the age of 93  his family has said.  scoggins was best remembered for singing the theme tune to popular us tv show the beverly hillbillies. the texan-born singer approached the producers of the programme with theme tune the ballad of jed clampett for the pilot which was screened in 1962. the show  which told the story of a poor man striking oil and moving to beverly hills  ran until 1971.  scoggins  daugher jane kelly misel said that her father never tired of the song and would sing it at least once a day.  he d sing it at birthdays and anniversaries and variety shows. he never stopped performing it   she said. when a film version of the beverly hillbillies was made in 1993  scoggins came out of retirement to perform the theme tune. scoggins sang the lyrics while bluegrass stars lester flatt and earl scruggs played guitar and banjo.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "man auctions ad space on forehead a 20-year-old us man is selling advertising space on his forehead to the highest bidder on website ebay.  andrew fisher  from omaha  nebraska  said he would have a non-permanent logo or brand name tattooed on his head for 30 days.  the way i see it i m selling something i already own; after 30 days i get it back   he told the bbc today programme. mr fisher has received 39 bids so far  with the largest bid currently at more than $322 (\u00a3171).  the winner will be able to send me a tattoo or have me go to a tattoo parlour and get a temporary ink tattoo on my forehead and this will be something they choose  a company name or domain name  perhaps their logo   he told the radio 4 programme.  on the online auction  mr fisher describes himself as an  average american joe  give or take . his sales pitch adds:  take advantage of this radical advertising campaign and become a part of history.  mr fisher said that while he would accept any brand name or logo   i wouldn t go around with a swastika or anything racial . he added:  i wouldn t go around with 666  the mark of the beast.  other than that i wouldn t promote anything socially unacceptable such as adult websites or stores.  he said he would use the money to pay college - he is planning to study graphic design. the entrepreneur said his mother was initially surprised by his decision but following all the media attention she felt he was  thinking outside the box .", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "downloads enter us singles chart digital music downloads are being included in the main us singles chart for the first time.  billboard s hot 100 chart now incorporates data from sales of music downloads  previously only assigned to a separate download chart. green day s boulevard of broken dreams is currently number two in billboard s pop chart  and tops its digital chart. download sales are due to be incorporated into the uk singles chart later this year.  digital sales in the us are already used to compile billboard s hot digital sales chart. they will now be tallied with sales of physical singles and airplay information to make up its new hot 100 chart. its second new chart - the pop 100 - also combines airplay  digital and physical sales but confines its airplay information to us radio stations which play chart music. in addition to green day  other artists in the current us digital sales top 10 include kelly clarkson  the game and the killers.  sales of legally downloaded songs shot up more than tenfold in 2004  with 200 million track purchased online in the us and europe in 12 months  the international federation of the phonographic industry (ifpi) reported last month. in the uk sales of song downloads overtook those for physical singles for the first time at the end of last year. the last week of december 2004 saw download sales of 312 000 compared with 282 000 physical singles  according to the british phonographic industry. the uk s first official music download chart was launched last september  compiling the most popular tracks downloaded from legal uk sites - including itunes  od2  mycokemusic.com and napster. westlife s flying without wings - a 1999 track reissued for the occasion - was the first number one of the uk download chart.  a spokesman for the british phonographic industry (bpi) said the first combined uk download and sales chart was due to be compiled  within the first half of this year .  work is going on across the music business right now to make sure the new chart works to plan   he said. the bpi spokesman described the uk music download chart  compiled by the official charts company  as having been  a great success  since its launch.  it has provided a focus for the industry and has really driven interest in downloads among music fans   he said.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "dozens held over id fraud site twenty-eight people  including a briton  have been arrested after a global operation against a website allegedly involved in identity fraud.  those arrested are accused of operating shadowcrew.com  which investigators claim was a global clearing house for criminals involved in credit card fraud. a 19-year-old man from camberley  surrey  was arrested by the national hi-tech crime unit but has been bailed. operation firewall  led by the us secret service  involved seven nations. the british teenager was arrested on wednesday but details only emerged on friday. he has now been bailed to return to a surrey police station in december. all 28 people detained globally are suspected of being involved in an internet-based network which stole people s identities and used computers and websites to defraud credit card companies. the authorities in the us  who have indicted 19 people in newark  new jersey  estimate the fraud caused losses of more than $4m. assistant us attorney scott christie said several people had been arrested in argentina  bulgaria  canada  estonia  poland and sweden. mr christie said one of the ringleaders was believed to be a russian  anatoly tyukanov.  investigators from 30 law enforcement agencies worldwide spent 15 months looking into the activities of three websites - shadowcrew  carderplanet and darkprofits. the us secret service was first tipped off in july 2003. an nhtcu spokeswoman said the american investigators went undercover on the shadowcrew website and discovered some of the site s 4 000 members were using it for organised crime purposes.  she said criminals were using the websites to traffic counterfeit credit cards and false identification information and documents such as credit cards  driver s licences  passports and birth certificates. the websites shared tips on how to commit fraud and provided a forum by which people could buy the information and tools they needed to commit such crime  she said. the shadowcrew site  which has now been taken over by the us secret service  listed several discussion groups  in english and russian  including one on hacking  spam and online anonymity tools. the head of the nhtcu  acting detective chief superintendent  mick deats  said:  this investigation has resulted in the significant disruption of organised criminals using the internet for profit.   we believe that the suspects have trafficked at least 1.7 million stolen credit card numbers  leading to losses by financial institutions running into the millions.  chief supt deats went on to warn:  the internet offers huge legitimate benefits for modern society; however with it brings powerful opportunities for those seeking to abuse those benefits for criminal gain.  your identity is one of the most precious commodities. criminals who try to steal the personal and financial information of ordinary citizens as well as the confidential and proprietary information of companies engaged in e-commerce  will be targeted by law enforcement.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "stock market eyes japan recovery japanese shares have ended the year at their highest level since 13 july amidst hopes of an economic recovery during 2005.  the nikkei index of leading shares gained 7.6% during the year to close at 11 488.76 points. in 2005 it  will rise toward 13 000   predicted morgan stanley equity strategist naoki kamiyama. the optimism in the financial markets contrast sharply with pessimism in the japanese business community. earlier this month  the quarterly tankan survey of japanese manufacturers found that business confidence had weakened for the first time since march 2003.  slower economic growth  rising oil prices  a stronger yen and weaker exports were blamed for the fall in confidence. despite this  traders expect strength in the global economy to benefit japan  which has been close to sliding into recession in recent months. structural reform within japan and an anticipated end to the banking sector s bad debt problems should also help  they say.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "critics back aviator for oscars martin scorsese s the aviator will win best film at the oscars  according to the uk s leading movie critics.  but several of those surveyed by the bbc news website think the veteran film-maker will lose the best director prize to clint eastwood. most of the critics tipped jamie foxx and hilary swank to scoop best actor and actress for ray and million dollar baby respectively. the jury comprised experts and critics from the top uk film publications. the panel also revealed which nominees they would personally prefer to win.  all expect the aviator to win best film  but many think it will be a close race between scorsese s howard hughes biopic and eastwood s boxing drama million dollar baby. the other films nominated are wine comedy sideways  factual drama finding neverland  and ray charles biopic ray.   i m pretty sure this is the year of the aviator  though my own choice would be sideways   said the observer s philip french.  sideways should win but it doesn t have a hope   said jamie graham of total film  a position shared by film 2005 presenter jonathan ross.  the form going in to the oscars points to the aviator  but i liked million dollar baby more   said tim dams  news editor of trade weekly screen international.  five of the eight critics tipped scorsese to win best director  with mr dams  heat s charles gant and empire s angie errigo plumping for eastwood. sideway s alexander payne  ray s taylor hackford and british director mike leigh - nominated for period drama vera drake - are considered outsiders in this category.  up until recently i could have sworn scorsese would get it just for being scorsese   ms errigo told the bbc news website.  but i m beginning to think eastwood will get it.    i d be very happy for mike leigh to win  but i don t think he has any chance   said charles gant  film editor of heat. foxx s portrayal of ray charles has already seen him win prizes at the golden globes  baftas and screen actors guild awards. mr dams said this made him  out-and-out favourite  to be named best actor on oscar night.  everyone would be incredibly surprised if he didn t win   he said.  if you re a betting man  he s as close as you get to a certainty.   if paul giamatti was nominated for sideways it would be a different game   says total film s jamie graham.  but foxx will and should win.   with vera drake star imelda staunton nominated for best actress alongside kate winslet  britain has a good chance of victory - on paper. jonathan ross  for one  will be very happy if winslet wins for eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. but while wendy ide of the times still thinks staunton has a chance  heat s charles gant believes her bafta win will cut little ice with academy voters.  i d like staunton to win  but her chances are not that great   said mr gant  who predicted a second oscar for hilary swank.   i think swank will win   said mr french.  imelda has got as far as she s going to get playing that role.  staunton is also the personal choice of steven gaydos  executive editor of industry magazine variety. but while he tipped swank to win  he predicted it would be a close contest.  everything has the ability to flip by one vote and go the other way   he told the bbc news website.  there s not a sense that it s obvious how it s going to go.  meanwhile  thousands of people have voted in a bbc radio five live poll to find the best film never to have won a best picture oscar. the audience voted overwhelmingly for the shawshank redemption  the 1994 frank darabont tale of hope and humanity  which received 52% of the online votes and 68% of the text messages. the other two finalists  citizen kane and a matter of life and death split the remaining votes roughly equally. this year s academy awards will be shown in the uk by sky movies 1 at 0130 gmt on monday.  - tim dams  screen international: film - the aviator; director - clint eastwood; actor - jamie foxx; actress - hilary swank.  - angie errigo  empire: film - the aviator; director - clint eastwood; actor - jamie foxx; actress - hilary swank.  - philip french  the observer: film - the aviator; director - martin scorsese; actor - jamie foxx; actress - hilary swank.  - charles gant  heat: film - the aviator; director - clint eastwood; actor - jamie foxx; actress - hilary swank.  - steven gaydos  variety: film - the aviator; director - martin scorsese; actor - jamie foxx; actress - hilary swank.  - jamie graham  total film: film - the aviator; director - martin scorsese; actor - jamie foxx; actress - hilary swank.  - wendy ide  the times: film - the aviator; director - martin scorsese; actor - jamie foxx; actress - imelda staunton.  - jonathan ross  film 2005: film - the aviator; director - martin scorsese; actor - jamie foxx; actress - hilary swank.  - tim dams  screen international: film - million dollar baby; director - clint eastwood; actor - jamie foxx; actress - hilary swank.  - angie errigo  empire: film - the aviator; director - martin scorsese; actor - jamie foxx; actress - hilary swank.  - philip french  the observer: film - sideways; director - martin scorsese; actor - jamie foxx; actress - imelda staunton.  - charles gant  heat: film - sideways; director - mike leigh; actor - jamie foxx; actress - imelda staunton.  - steven gaydos  variety: film - million dollar baby; director - clint eastwood; actor - don cheadle; actress - imelda staunton.  - jamie graham  total film: film - sideways; director - alexander payne; actor - jamie foxx; actress - hilary swank.  - wendy ide  the times: film - sideways; director - alexander payne; actor - don cheadle; actress - imelda staunton.  - jonathan ross  film 2005: film - sideways; director - clint eastwood; actor - jamie foxx; actress - kate winslet.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "tory leader  cleared  over work scottish conservative party leader david mcletchie claims he has been cleared over a potential conflict of interest.  the edinburgh msp earns up to \u00a330 000 a year from the law firm tods murray  where he is a partner. mr mcletchie said he has taken advice from holyrood officials about what details he needs to declare. he was advised to exercise judgement to avoid the perception of a conflict and said he had done nothing wrong. as an msp  mr mcletchie signed a parliamentary motion questioning expansion plans for edinburgh airport.  it then emerged tods murray has a client which opposes the development. mr mcletchie then sought guidance from the standards committee to clarify his position. bbc scotland s political correspondent glenn campbell said no complaint had been made against mr mcletchie  but questions were raised about his dual role. glenn said msps are advised to guard against a conflict of interests and a perception of a conflict.  mr mcletchie said:  i m quite clear that no conflicts of interest arise in my case  that the judgement i took has effectively been vindicated when you look at the advice that has been given to me and that these allegations are unfounded.  he said nothing had changed in respect of his work with the law firm and it was a matter he would have to discuss with the other partners at tods murray.  the firm and i have a very good working relationship and we have done for the last six years   said mr mcletchie.  i don t suppose i ll be working forever as a lawyer or a politician. i deserve to retire from both  but i m not willing to put time limits on them.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "tories plan migrant health checks non-european union citizens wanting to work in the uk will have to undergo tests for tuberculosis and hiv  under plans unveiled by the conservatives.  a positive test for tb would mean visa applications being turned down  while hiv would be dealt with case by case. leader michael howard said the checks on new arrivals would help protect public health and the nhs. labour said many tests were already done. the lib dems warned both parties against  pandering to prejudice .  the proposals  which would be brought in if the conservatives won the general election  would not apply to people coming to the uk for less than six months unless they intended to work in health or childcare or teaching. mr howard said the plans were based on policies already in action in canada  new zealand and australia.  it s very important that we should safeguard the good standards of public health that britain enjoys   he told bbc radio 4 s today programme. government figures suggest tb in england has increased by 25% over the past 10 years.  nearly two thirds of people with tb are born abroad   said mr howard.   i don t think a responsible government can stand aside and do nothing in the face of this problem.  but mr howard said the plans would not affect asylum applicants  claims. the proposals include:  - people coming to the uk from outside the eu for between six and 12 months from a  high incidence tb country  will have to undergo a chest x-ray.   - people coming to settle in the uk permanently from outside the eu will have to  demonstrate they have an acceptable standard of health .   - they will also have to show they are unlikely to be a danger to public health and are unlikely to  impose significant costs or demands  on the nhs.   - the tests will include a health check  chest x-rays for tb (except for children and pregnant women) and tests for hepatitis and hiv for over 16-year-olds. only the discovery of tb will mean people will be automatically denied a visa  other conditions will be dealt with on a  case by case basis .  there is already some screening in place. last year 185 000 people were tested for tb at heathrow and gatwick airports  only about 200 were found to be infected. and dr john moore-gillon  of the british lung foundation  said:  tb is not simply imported  we are seeing a rise in many sections of the uk-born population as well.  the government says the tories are  a bit late  to the issue. immigration minister des browne quoted its five-year plan for immigration and asylum  as saying:  we are implementing our existing powers by targeted health screening for tb in high-risk areas at the entry clearance stage.  those who are diagnosed would then need to seek treatment at home before being allowed to enter the uk.  meanwhile mark oaten  liberal democrat home affairs spokesman  said:  this is another worrying step in the war of words over asylum and immigration between labour and the conservatives.  michael howard knows perfectly well what bigger game he is playing  and history proves it is a very dangerous one.  lisa power  head of policy at aids charity the terrence higgins trust said the policy was prejudice-based rather than evidence-based.  in fact  it would be more likely to drive people with health conditions to falsify tests while others gain entry by simple dint of their eu status   she said.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "johnny depp: the acting outlaw johnny depp  whose latest role was peter pan creator jm barrie in finding neverland  is celebrated as one of hollywood s most maverick talents. depp has become an unlikely major star  given his preference for taking dark and idiosyncratic roles instead of surefire box office hits. he has had a long-running working relationship with the equally unconventional director tim burton. depp was born in kentucky in 1963 and at first wanted to be a rock star  playing in a number of bands and supporting acts such as iggy pop and the b-52s in florida. on a visit to los angeles  his former wife introduced him to actor nicolas cage.  in 1984 he started his film career playing a doomed teenager in horror film nightmare on elm street. two years later he played a soldier in oliver stone s vietnam epic platoon. but it was tv that first made depp a star. he played undercover cop tommy hanson in the us series 21 jump street for three years from 1987.  in 1990 he began his partnership with burton in the dark fairy tale edward scissorhands  about a young man with blades for hands. he won plaudits in 1993 for the downbeat film what s eating gilbert grape  where he played a sensitive youth looking after an overweight mother and a retarded younger brother  played by leonardo dicaprio. another role under burton  ed wood  starred depp as the crazed cult film-maker wood  in 1994. he played a much more serious  sensitive role in his next major film  donnie brasco  where he portrayed an undercover cop infiltrating a mafia ring. in 1997 he directed his only film to date - the brave  the story of an indian man offered money to appear in a snuff film.  two years later he played hunter s thompson in terry gilliam s ambitious but poorly-received big screen adaptation of fear and loathing in las vegas. he worked again with tim burton in the 1999 horror film sleepy hollow  and appeared opposite dame judi dench and juliette binoche in chocolat. his performance in pirates of the caribbean  which earned him golden globe and bafta nominations  had many critics thinking he based it upon the mannerisms of his friend  rolling stones guitarist keith richards. his latest role in finding neverland explored jm barrie s relationship with sylvia (kate winslet) and her children. depp s charismatic performance drew an audience of adults and children alike into barrie s vivid imagination  and he was called the  fifth child of the group  by the film s director marc forster.  he has two children of his own with french singer vanessa paradis  having previously been in a long-term relationship with british model kate moss. the theme of children s literature in depp s career - and his long association with tim burton - are set to continue in his next role  playing willy wonka in a remake of roald dahl s classic charlie and the chocolate factory. british tv comedy fans might also remember depp s guest role in the final episode of bbc sketch programme the fast show  cited as his favourite show. it was another surprise move in depp s varied and intriguing career.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "cannabis hopes for drug firm a prescription cannabis drug made by uk biotech firm gw pharmaceuticals is set to be approved in canada.  the drug is used to treat the central nervous system and alleviate the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (ms). a few weeks ago  shares in gw pharma lost a third of their value after uk regulators said they wanted more evidence about the drug s benefits. but now canadian authorities have said the sativex drug will be considered for approval.  approximately 50 000 people in canada have been diagnosed with ms and 85 000 people are suffering from the condition in the uk. many patients already smoke cannabis to relieve their symptoms.  now  gw pharma s sativex mouth spray could be legally available to ms sufferers in canada within the next few months. this will be the first time a cannabis-based drug has been approved anywhere in the world  representing a landmark for gw pharma and for patients with ms. final approval in canada should now be little more than a formality  analysts said  and the company expects full approval for sativex early in 2005.  we are delighted to receive this qualifying notice from health canada and look forward to receiving regulatory approval for sativex in canada in the early part of 2005   said gw pharma executive chairman dr geoffrey guy.  the uk government granted gw pharma a licence to grow the cannabis plant for medical research purposes. satifex consists of a cannabis extract containing tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol  a cocktail that has also proved effective in treating patients with arthritis. thousands of plants are grown at a secret location somewhere in the english countryside. despite hopes of regulatory approval last year  a series of delays has put back sativex s launch in the uk. the latest news sent shares in gw pharma up 8.5p  or 8.1%  to 113.5p.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "india s deccan gets more planes air deccan has signed a deal to acquire 36 planes from avions de transport regional (atr).  the value of the deal has not been revealed  because of a confidentiality clause in the agreement. but air deccan s managing director gorur gopinath has said the price agreed was less than the catalogue price of $17.6m (\u00a39.49m) per plane. recently  india s first low-cost airline ordered 30 airbus a320 planes for $1.8bn.  under the agreement  air deccan will buy 15 new atr 72-500 and lease another 15. atr will also provide six second hand airplanes. in a statement  atr has said deliveries of the aircraft will begin in 2005 and will continue over a five-year period.  mr gopinath said the planes will connect regional indian cities.  after an evaluation of both atr and bombardier aircraft  we have chosen the atr aircraft as we find it most suitable for our operations and for the indian market for short haul routes.  filippo bagnato  atr s chief executive  has said that his firm will also work with air deccan to create a training centre in bangalore.  the potential of the indian budget market has attracted attention from businesses at home and abroad. air deccan has said it will base its business model on european firms such as ireland s ryanair. beer magnate vijay mallya recently set up kingfisher airlines  while uk entrepreneur richard branson has said he is keen to start a local operation. india s government has given its backing to cheaper and more accessible air travel.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "robotic pods take on car design a new breed of wearable robotic vehicles that envelop drivers are being developed by japanese car giant toyota.  the company s vision for the single passenger in the 21st century involves the driver cruising by in a four-wheeled leaf-like device or strolling along encased in an egg-shaped cocoon that walks upright on two feet. both these prototypes will be demonstrated  along with other concept vehicles and helper robots  at the toyota stand at the expo 2005 in aichi  japan  in march 2005. the models are being positioned as so-called personal mobility devices  which have few limits. the open leaf-like  i-unit  vehicle is the latest version of the concept which the company introduced last year. built using environmentally friendly plant-based materials  the single passenger unit is equipped with intelligent transport system technologies that allow for safe autopilot driving in specially equipped lanes. the model allows the user to make tight on-the-spot turns  move upright amongst other people at low speeds and can be easily switched into a reclining position at higher speeds. body colours can be customized to suit individual preferences and a personal recognition system offers both information and music.  also on display at the show will be the egg-shaped  i-foot . this is a two-legged mountable robot like device that can be controlled with a joystick.  standing at a height of well over seven feet (2.1 metres)  the unit can walk along at a speed of about 1.35km/h (0.83mph) and navigate staircases into the bargain. mounting and dismounting is accomplished with the aid of the bird-like legs that bend over backwards.  they are clearly what we call concept vehicles  innovative ideas which have yet to be transformed into potential products and which are a few years away from actual production   said dr david gillingwater from the transport studies group at loughborough university.  they clearly have eye-catching appeal  which is in part the name of the game here  and are linked to the imac and ipod-type niche which apple have been responsible for developing and leading in recent years - new  different  hi-tech  image conscious products.  as always with these concept vehicles  it is difficult to see  who  they would appeal to and what their role would be in the  personal transport  marketplace.   the personal transport arena is taking on a new dimension though with futuristic devices that augment human capabilities. toyota s prototypes represent the latest incarnation of wearable exoskeletons in a vehicular form that is specially focused on transport. powered robotic exoskeletons have been the focus of much us military research over the years and japan seems to have jumped onto the bandwagon with a wave of products being developed for specific applications. with an emerging range of devices targeted towards the ageing world population  care giving and the military  wearable exoskeletons seem to represent a new line of future technologies that meet an individual s particular mobility needs. while toyota s prototypes are geared towards mass transport  the company says that the vehicles will allow the elderly and the disabled to achieve independent mobility.  experts  though  are a bit sceptical of their acceptance in this area.   those with arguably the greatest needs for this sort of assistance  now and certainly in the future  are the elderly and infirm people   dr gillingwater told the bbc news website.  you have to ask whether these sorts of vehicles will appeal to these groups.  design considerations also exist. dr erel avineri  of the centre for transport and society at the university of the west of england in bristol said:  the design of the introduced mobility devices is not completely adjusted to the specific needs of the elderly and the disabled.  for example  one problem that many older passengers experience is limited ability to rotate the neck and upper body  making it difficult to look to the side and back when backing up.  it looks like the visual design of the device interior does not consider this need. this and other human-factors related issues in the design of such devices are not the only issues that should be considered   said dr avineri.  in general  introducing a new technology requires the passenger to change behaviour patterns that have served the older passenger for decades. elderly users might not necessarily accept such innovation.  this may be another barrier to the commercial success of such a vehicle.  such single-person vehicles may find a relatively small market niche and may be more suited towards specialised applications rather than revolutionising the face of mass transport.  the concept of personal mobility behind these sorts of innovations is great but they beg a huge number of questions   said dr gillingwater.  what s their range  how user-friendly will they really be  what infrastructure will be required to allow these vehicles to be used.  overall i think these vehicles pose a number of important questions than provide answers or solutions.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "davenport hits out at wimbledon world number one lindsay davenport has criticised wimbledon over the issue of equal prize money for women.  reacting to a disputed comment by all england club chairman tim phillips  the american said:  i think it is highly insulting if prize money is taken away.  somebody  i think it was mr phillips  said they won t have money for flowers at wimbledon. that s insulting.  an all england club spokesperson denied phillips made the remark  insisting:  he definitely didn t say it.  the statement added:  it was said by someone else and was a humorous aside at the end of a radio interview when the conversation had moved to talking about the wimbledon grounds.   davenport was speaking following the announcement that this week s dubai duty free event will join the us and australian opens in offering equal prize money for women.  you hear about women playing only three sets while men play five   said daveport.  and the best women are never going to beat the best men.  but it s a different game you go to watch with the women - it doesn t make it better or worse.  hopefully we will be able to change people s minds.   serena williams  who is also in dubai  added:  i m obviously for equal prize money.  women s tennis is exciting. men s tennis is exciting as well  but the women have it right now.  if you are bringing in the spectators you should be able to reap what everyone else is able to reap.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "serena becomes world number two serena williams has moved up five places to second in the world rankings after her australian open win.  williams won her first grand slam title since 2003 with victory over lindsay davenport  the world number one. men s champion marat safin remains fourth in the atp rankings while beaten finalist lleyton hewitt replaces andy roddick as world number two. roger federer retains top spot  but safin has overtaken hewitt to become the new leader of the champions race. alicia molik  who lost a three-set thriller against davenport in the quarter-finals  is in the women s top 10 for the first time in her career. her rise means australia have a player in the top 10 of the men s and women s rankings for the first time in 21 years. and britain s elena baltacha  who qualified and then reached the third round  has risen to 120 in the world - a leap of 65 places and her highest ranking yet.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "gamers snap up new sony psp gamers have bought almost all of the first batch of sony s new playstation portable (psp) games console  which went on sale in japan on sunday.  thousands of people queued for hours to get hold of one of the 200 000 psps which were shipped to retailers. the handheld console can play games  music and movies and goes on sale in europe and north america next year. despite the demand sony said it would not increase the 500 000-strong stock of psps it plans to ship by year s end.  sony says it intends to ship three million of the consoles by march 2005. the company is hoping to challenge the dominance of nintendo in the handheld market. nintendo released its new ds console earlier this year and has already raised shipment targets for the device by 40%. the psp is selling in japan for 19 800 yen ($188; \u00a398) while nintendo s ds console sells in the us and japan for $150 (\u00a378). nintendo s goal is to ship 5 million of its new nintendo ds handheld consoles by march 2005.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "napster offers rented music to go music downloading  for those that have rejected the free peer to peer services  can be a costly business.  the cost of paying even as little as 70p per track can add up  particularly for those people who own one of the new generation of players that can store thousands of songs. paying per track for music is becoming as outmoded as paying per minute for internet access and alternative monthly or yearly subscription models are springing up as a more convenient  and ultimately cheaper way of owning music.   music fans are moving away from buying the traditional bundled package of a dozen or more songs that we used to call an album to newer ways that fit their lifestyle; either single tracks or subscriptions services   said paul myers  chief executive of wippit  a uk-based music download service. while itunes is doing good business with its sales of individual tracks to ipod owners  others are questioning whether the concept of owning music is even valid in the digital age. napster is due to launch a new rental subscription service - dubbed napster to go in the uk in the next few months. the service can be used on players that support microsoft windows latest digital rights management technology known as janus. this includes players made by samsung  rio and creative.  currently on offer in beta-version in the us  the service costs $15 per month for unlimited downloads. the technology ensures that music downloaded to the player only remains playable while the user subscribes to the service. users need to update their license on a monthly basis or the tunes will no longer play.  this has outraged some digital music lovers  especially as napster already offers a cheaper service for downloading music to the pc. napster claims the higher price is a result of record labels charging more for the to-go service and says it also offers  greater value  for customers. mr myers is not convinced a rental model will work for consumers.  we ve been offering our unlimited music subscription service for more than three years now and our customers know what they want. format interoperability  excellent value and the reassurance that music purchased from wippit is theirs to keep and enjoy on whatever device they choose   he said.  who wants to download a track that won t play next month if you decide to unsubscribe to the service or change portable player for an ipod or the latest mobile phone   wippit offers a download subscription service for \u00a34.99 per month or \u00a350 per year. it has a catalogue of around 60 000 songs.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "campbell lifts lid on united feud arsenal s sol campbell has called the rivalry between manchester united and the gunners  bitter and personal .  past encounters have stirred up plenty of ill-feeling between the sides and they meet again at highbury on tuesday.  it is just more bitter and personal against united   the defender told the guardian newspaper.  there s an edge.  after all that has happened  if we beat them it will be one of our sweetest ever wins  especially because of how we lost to them up there.  last october  arsenal lost 2-0 at old trafford  which ended a record 49-match unbeaten league run and sparked a mini-crisis  with the gunners winning only three of their next 10 games.   it had a psychological impact on us  but again because of the way we were defeated   added the 30-year-old  referring to a controversial penalty award for united s first goal.  that was far more upsetting  losing like that  because they just seem to get away with it. you try and balance out over the course of a season but i ve had so many rough decisions against them you begin to wonder.  with tensions spilling over afterwards - united boss sir alex ferguson was allegedly pelted with pizza in the players  tunnel - there is little surprise that so much is riding on the return encounter on.  everyone at arsenal has been waiting for this game   said campbell.  we are up for this one.   speaking on his long-term plans  campbell signalled his intent to move abroad before he turns 35.  i m 30 now and in five years  time i won t be in this country - that s definite.  italy looks good to me because it would suit my kind of football. spain is an option but the idea of tasting a new culture and learning another language excites me the most. i m starting a little with french  of course.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "castaignede fires laporte warning former france fly-half thomas castaignede has warned the pressure is mounting on coach bernard laporte following their defeat by wales.  france suffered a shock loss against the welsh at the weekend after looking on course for an easy win. castaignede told bbc sport:  the pressure is big on laporte after a huge loss to new zealand  a slim win over scotland and a miracle against england.  but the french have to get behind him and the team at lansdowne road.  following victories over south africa and australia in november  france were deemed by many to be the world s leading side. but they were then trounced 45-6 by new zealand and only just beat scotland after the scots had a try disallowed in their six nations opener. it then took some woeful spot kicking from charlie hodgson and olly barkley to help them to victory against england at twickenham. <  castaignede said:  you can t say any of those results have eased the pressure on laporte.  had england s kickers not been so bad  the position in the six nations would be very different now.  laporte has been criticised for france s negative tactics in their wins over scotland and england. but his side played a more free-flowing style against wales  making a mockery of the opposition s defence in the first half before suffering a shock turnaround in fortunes after the interval.  all the chat in france has been about how france will play against ireland   said castaignede ahead of the 12 march tie.  everyone wants to see the sort of play we saw against wales. but everyone also wants a win.  castaignede  a veteran of 43 international caps  admitted the french would go in as underdogs against ireland.   going to ireland is never easy but the way they re playing right now  it s harder than ever   said castaignede.  they re very experienced and don t often lose at home. they ve got some great forwards and some electric runners on the break.  despite praising the irish he claimed the welsh had the upper hand in the six nations run-in.  ireland have such a good pack but wales are something else on the break   he added.  at the weekend they were simply awesome. as a frenchman it was disappointing to see  but you had to admire it.  their commitment to every cause can make them win this championship.  the 30-year-old also tipped yann delaigue to start ahead of frederic michalak at number 10 after an impressive display in paris last weekend.  delaigue played really well and admittedly michalak played well too   said castaignede.  i m just glad i m not the one who has to make the decision.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "us blogger fired by her airline a us airline attendant suspended over  inappropriate images  on her blog - web diary - says she has been fired.  ellen simonetti  known as queen of the sky  wrote an anonymous semi-fictional account of her life in the sky. she was suspended by delta in september. in a statement  she said she was initiating legal action against the airline for  wrongful termination . a delta spokesperson confirmed on wednesday that ms simonetti was no longer an employee. delta has repeatedly declined to elaborate on what it calls  internal employee matters . a spokesperson reiterated this position on wednesday  confirming only that ms simonetti was no longer with the company. the spokesperson also confirmed that there were  very clear rules  attached to the unauthorised use of delta branding  including uniforms. ms simonetti announced on her blog she had been fired on 1 november.  she said in an official statement:  as a result of my suspension and subsequent termination without cause by delta airlines i am moving forward with filing a discrimination complaint with the federal government eeoc [us equal employment opportunity commission].  she added she had also hired a texas-based law firm to initiate legal action for  wrongful termination  defamation of character and lost future wages.  ms simonetti told the bbc news website she had received no warning or further explanation when she was suspended on 25 september. queen of the sky has received a lot of support and advice from the global blogging community since news of her suspension was brought to light on the bbc news website and others.  her story has highlighted concerns amongst the growing blogging community about conflicts of interest  employment law and free speech on personal websites. the blog  which she started in january as a way of getting over her mother s death  contains a mix of fictional and non-fictional accounts. queen of the sky developed over the months as a character in her own right  according to ms simonetti. in the postings  she made up fictional names for cities and other companies she mentioned to protect anonymity. but some postings contained images of herself in uniform. of the 10 or so images only one showed ms simonetti s flight  wings . she removed them as soon as she was informed of her suspension.  i never meant it as something to harm my company and don t understand how they think it did harm them   ms simonetti said. a legal expert in the us speculated that delta might be concerned that the fictional content on the blog may be linked back to the airline after the images were posted.  delta has been hit recently by pressures of rising fuel costs and fierce competition. it has said it needs to cut between 6 000 and 7 000 jobs and reduce costs by $5bn (\u00a32.7bn) a year. analysts had warned recently that the airline might have to seek chapter 11 bankruptcy prevention. last week  it struck a $1bn cost-cutting deal with its pilots which could save it from bankruptcy. the deal would see pilots accept a 32% pay cut in return for the right to buy 30 million delta shares  unions said. and on monday  it negotiated a deal to defer about $135m in debt which was due next year  until 2007. the airline also said it had agreed the terms of a $600m loan from american express.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "salary scandal in cameroon cameroon says widespread corruption in its finance ministry has cost it 1bn cfa francs ($2m; \u00a31m) a month.  about 500 officials are accused of either awarding themselves extra money or claiming salaries for  non-existent  workers. prime minister ephraim inoni  who vowed to tackle corruption when he came to office last year  said those found guilty would face tough punishments. the scam is believed to have begun in 1994.  the prime minister s office said the alleged fraud was uncovered during an investigation into the payroll at the ministry. in certain cases  staff are said to have lied about their rank and delayed their retirement in order to boost their earnings. the prime minister s office said auditors had found  irregularities in the career structure of certain civil servants . it added that the staff in question  appear to have received unearned salaries  boosting the payroll .  fidelis nanga  a journalist based in the cameroon capital yaounde  said the government was considering taking criminal action against those found guilty and forcing them to repay any money owed.  the prime minister has given instructions for exemplary penalties to be meted out against the accused and their accomplices if found guilty   he told the bbc s network africa programme.  mr inoni launched an anti-corruption drive in december after foreign investors criticised a lack of transparency in the country s public finances. in one initiative designed to improve efficiency  civil servants who arrived late for work were locked out of their offices. the government now intends to carry out an audit of payrolls at all other government ministries. in a report compiled by anti-corruption body transparency international in 2003  graft was said to be  pervasive  in cameroon.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "$1m payoff for former shell boss shell is to pay $1m (\u00a3522 000) to the ex-finance chief who stepped down from her post in april 2004 after the firm over-stated its reserves.  judy boynton finally left the firm on 31 december  having spent the intervening time as a special advisor to chief executive jeroen van der veer. in january 2004  shell told shocked investors that its reserves were 20% smaller than previously thought. shell said the pay-off was in line with ms boynton s contract. she was leaving  by mutual agreement to pursue other career opportunities   the firm said in a statement. the severance package means she keeps long-term share options  but fails to collect on a 2003 incentive plan since the firm has failed to meet the targets included in it.  the revelation that shell had inflated its reserves led to the resignation of its chairman  sir phil watts  and production chief walter van der vijver.  an investigation commissioned by shell found that ms boynton had to share responsibility for the company s behaviour. despite receiving an email from mr van de vijver which said the firm had  fooled  the market about its reserves  the investigation said  she did nothing to inquire further. in all  shell restated its reserves four times during 2003. in september  it paid \u00a382.7m in fines to regulators on both sides of the atlantic for violating market rules in its reporting of its reserves.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "mixed reaction to man utd offer shares in manchester united were up over 5% by noon on monday following a new offer from malcolm glazer.  the board of man utd is expected to meet early this week to discuss the latest proposal from the us tycoon that values the club at \u00a3800m ($1.5bn). manchester united revealed on sunday that it had received a detailed proposal from mr glazer. a senior source at the club told the bbc:  this time it s different . the board is obliged to consider this deal. but the man utd supporters club urged the club to reject the new deal. manchester united past and present footballers eric cantona and ole gunnar solskjaer  and club manager sir alex ferguson  have lent their backing to the supporters  group  shareholders united. they have all spoken out against the bid.  a spokesman for the supporters club said:  i can t see any difference (compared to mr glazer s previous proposals) other than \u00a3200m less debt.  he isn t bringing any money into the club; he ll use our money to buy it.   mr glazer s latest move is being led by mr glazer s two sons  avi and joel  according to the financial times. a proposal was received by david gill  united s chief executive  at the end of last week  pitched at about 300p a share. david cummings  head of uk equities for standard life investments  said he believed a  well funded  300p a share bid would be enough for mr glazer to take control of the club.  i do not think there is anything that manchester united fans can do about it   he told the bbc.  they can complain about it but it is curtains for them. they may not want him but they are going to get him.  the us tycoon  who has been wooing the club for the last 12 months  has approached the united board with  detailed proposals   it has confirmed.  mr glazer  who owns the tampa bay buccaneers team  hopes this will lead to a formal bid being accepted. he is believed to have increased the amount of equity in the new proposal  though it is not clear by how much. for his proposal to succeed  he needs the support of united s largest shareholders  the irish horseracing tycoons jp mcmanus and john magnier. they own 29% of united through their cubic expression investment vehicle. mr glazer and his family hold a stake of 28.1%. but it is not yet known whether mr mcmanus and mr magnier would support a glazer bid. nm rothschild  the investment bank  is advising mr glazer  according to the financial times. his previous adviser  jpmorgan  quit last year when mr glazer went ahead and voted against the appointment of three united directors to the board  against its advice. but the ft said it thought jp morgan may still have had some role in financing mr glazer s latest financial proposal.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "uk helps raped rwandan women britain is to give a \u00a34m grant to help women survivors of the rwandan genocide who were raped and often deliberately infected with hiv/aids.  an estimated 25 000 girls and women were raped during the 1994 genocide. about 800 000 tutsis and moderate hutus were killed by hutu militias after the assassination of an ethnic hutu leader. the five-year department for international development funding will enable more survivors to have access to anti-retroviral treatment.  the plight of the infected women was overshadowed for a long time. it was overshadowed by rwanda s emergence from the 100 days of slaughter  during which time the mass killings took place  and the women s fate was largely a taboo subject. but many of the women were widowed and they now not only have their own children to care for but  in many cases  orphans too.  as the women die  the number of rwanda s orphans rises. until recently  very few of the women have had access to anti-retroviral treatment. that is now starting to change. this funding is intended to make anti-retrovirals and other care available for some 2 500 women. mary kayitesi blewitt  founder of the survivors fund (surf)  one of the organisations through which the funds are being channelled  said it was a recognition  before it was too late  that the survivors should be a priority for help.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "tautou  to star in da vinci film  french actress audrey tautou  star of hit film amelie  will play the female lead in the film adaptation of the da vinci code  it has been reported.  the movie version of dan brown s best-selling novel is being directed by ron howard and also stars tom hanks. tautou will play hanks  code-cracking partner  according to various newspapers. she is currently starring in a very long engagement  directed by jean-pierre jeunet. jeunet was also responsible for directing tautou in amelie in 2001  which launched the actress into the mainstream.  she also starred as the lead role in critically-acclaimed film dirty pretty things in 2002. oscar-winning director ron howard chose tautou for the part  preferring a french actress to a big name hollywood star. uk actress kate beckinsale had been widely tipped as a possibility for the role alongside vanessa paradis and juliette binoche. the thriller upon which the movie is based has sold more than 17 million copies and is centred on a global conspiracy surrounding the holy grail mythology. the louvre museum  scene of the gruesome murder at the beginning of the novel  recently gave permission for filming to take place there  showbusiness newspaper variety reported. the $100m movie will be produced by columbia/sony pictures and is due for release on may 19  2006 in the united states and france.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "record year for chilean copper chile s copper industry has registered record earnings of $14.2bn in 2004  the governmental chilean copper commission (cochilco) has reported.  strong demand from china s fast-growing economy and high prices have fuelled production  said cochilco vice president patricio cartagena. he added that the boom has allowed the government to collect $950m in taxes. mr cartagena said the industry expects to see investment worth $10bn over the next three years.   with these investments  clearly we are going to continue being the principle actor in the mining of copper. it s a consolidation of the industry with new projects and expansions that will support greater production.  australia s bhp billiton - which operates la escondida  the world s largest open pit copper mine - is planning to invest $1.9bn between now and 2007  while state-owned codelco will spend about $1bn on various projects. chile  the biggest copper producer in the world  is now analyzing ways of to keep prices stable at their current high levels  without killing off demand or leading customers to look for substitutes for copper. the copper price reached a 16-year high in october 2004. production in chile is expected rise 3.5% in 2005 to 5.5 million tonnes  said mr cartagena. cochilco expects for 2005 a slight reduction on copper prices and forecasts export earnings will fall 10.7%.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "blair congratulates bush on win tony blair has said he looks forward to continuing his strong relationship with george bush and working with him during his second term as president.  mr bush s re-election came at a crucial time for a world that was  fractured  divided and uncertain   mr blair said. it had to be brought together  he added  saying action was needed on poverty  the middle east and the conditions on which terrorists prey. mr blair said states had to work with the us to fight global terrorism.  but there was a need to recognise it would not be defeated by  military might alone but also by demonstrating the strength of our common values  he added. solving the conflict in the middle east was the world s single most  pressing political challenge  of the present day  mr blair warned. the prime minister also urged europe and the us to  build anew their alliance .   all of us in positions of leadership  not just president bush  have a responsibility to rise to this challenge. it is urgent that we do so.  mr blair also paid tribute to democrat john kerry s campaign  saying he had helped make the presidential election  a true celebration of american democracy . the election of the us president was significant for the world but particularly so for britain because of its special relationship  he added. earlier tory leader michael howard sent mr bush his  warmest congratulations   saying:  we look to the president to be a unifying force for those all over the world who share our determination to defend freedom.  liberal democrat leader charles kennedy welcomed the fact there had been a quick conclusion to the election  unlike in 2000.  mr bush s first task was to  rebuild a sense of domestic purpose  within the us  he said. mr kennedy said:  internationally  it is to be hoped that a second term will see a more sensitive approach to relations with long-standing allies  not least for the global efforts to combat terrorism.  lib dem foreign affairs spokesman menzies campbell said a win by mr kerry would have given mr blair the chance of a fresh start  adding it was almost as if there was an  umbilical cord  between mr bush and the uk premier.   europeans must hope that his administration will be much more multilateral in character  and that he will act swiftly to rebuild the atlantic partnership which is so vital to security.  iraq will remain an issue of potential division for some time to come.  even before the result became clear  mr blair was being urged to push for action on climate change at his first meeting with whichever candidate won.  liberal democrat environment spokesman norman baker underlined the issue of global warming during a commons debate on anglo-american relations on wednesday. environment secretary margaret beckett has said the us will act on global warming despite george bush s refusal to sign up to the kyoto protocol on carbon emissions. public opinion would force change  she told bbc news. but myron ebell  an adviser on climate change to president bush  has said there would be no change in the us stance and rejected the threat of climate change. he claimed the us was the only country with independent scientists.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "army chiefs in regiments decision military chiefs are expected to meet to make a final decision on the future of scotland s army regiments.  a committee of the army board  which is made up of the most senior defence figures  will discuss plans for restructuring regiments on monday. the proposals include cutting scotland s six single-battalion regiments to five and merging these into a super regiment. the plans have faced stiff opposition from campaigners and politicians alike. the committee s decision must be ratified by defence secretary geoff hoon and prime minister tony blair. it is expected that it will be made public next week. when ministers announced a reorganisation of the army it drew a question mark over the futures of the black watch  the kings own scottish borderers  the royal scots  the royal highland fusiliers and the argyll and sutherland highlanders. in october  the council of scottish colonels proposed the merger of the royal scots and the king s own scottish borderers into a single battalion.  under their vision  it would be one of five in the new super regiment. the proposals to either merge or amalgamate the six regiments into a super regiment sparked a political outcry  with labour backbenchers and opposition politicians opposing the plan. they felt the timing was insensitive because the black watch was in the frontline in iraq  suffering casualties. the save the scottish regiments campaigners were so angered they threatened to stand against labour at the next general election.  speaking ahead of the expected army board meeting  a spokesman said:  the government and the army board have spent the past four months attempting to trick serving soldiers and the public into thinking their planned changes for the scottish regiments are for the good of the army and for that of the serving soldier.  they are very much not for the good and will destroy scotland s regiments by moulding them into a single super regiment which will lead to severe recruitment problems  a loss of local connections to those regiments and a loss to scotland of an important part of her heritage and  most importantly  her future - the regiments are the envy of armies around the world.  an alternative blueprint had been put forward by labour mp eric joyce  who proposed going ahead with the merger while preserving the other regiments. for a brief time  there was speculation the prime minister might consider the plan  but that now seems unlikely. speaking in scotland last week  mr blair said the aim was to preserve tradition but introduce a more effective structure and hinted that a super regiment was likely. he said:  they don t want to get rid of the history or the traditions of the regiment or the local connections - far from it  all they want to do is make sure they can transfer people easily across regiments and deploy them more flexibly.  the prime minister said he hoped campaigners  concerns would be taken into account but the need for effective change had to be paramount.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "smart search lets art fans browse if you don t know art but know what you like  new search technology could prove a useful gateway to painting.  artgarden  developed by bt s research unit  is being tested by the tate as a new way of browsing its online collection of paintings. rather than search by the name of an artist or painting  users are shown a selection of pictures. clicking on their favourite will change the gallery in front of them to a selection of similar works.  the technology uses a system dubbed smart serendipity  which is a combination of artificial intelligence and random selection. it  chooses  a selection of pictures  by scoring paintings based on a selection of keywords associated with them. so  for instance a whistler painting of a bridge may have the obvious keywords such as bridge and whistler associated to it but will also widen the search net with terms such as aesthetic movement  19th century and water. a variety of paintings will then be shown to the user  based partly on the keywords and partly on luck.  it is much more akin to wandering through the gallery   said jemima rellie  head of the tate s digital programme. for richard tateson  who worked on the artgarden project  the need for a new way to search grew out of personal frustration.  i went to an online clothes store to find something to buy my wife for christmas but i didn t have a clue what i wanted   he said. the text-based search was restricted to looking either by type of garment or designer  neither of which he found helpful. he ended up doing his present shopping on the high street instead.  he thinks the dominance of text-based searching is not necessarily appealing to the majority of online shoppers. similarly  with art  browsing is often more important than finding a particular object.  you don t arrive at tate britain and tell people what you want to see. one of the skills of showing off the collection is to introduce people to things they wouldn t have asked for   he said. the tate is committed to making its art more accessible and technology such as artgarden can help with that  said ms rellie. she hopes the technology can be incorporated on to the website in the near future. bt research is looking at extending the technology to other searching  such as for music and films.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "japan bank shares up on link talk shares of sumitomo mitsui financial (smfg)  and daiwa securities jumped amid speculation that two of japan s biggest financial companies will merge.  financial newspaper nihon keizai shimbun claimed that the firms will join up next year and already have held discussions with japanese regulators. the firms denied that they are about to link up  but said they are examining ways of working more closely together. smfg shares climbed by 2.7% to 717 000  and daiwa added 5.3% to 740 yen.  combining smfg  japan s third-biggest lender  and daiwa  the country s second-largest brokerage firm  would create a company with assets of more than $1 000bn (\u00a3537bn). smfg president yoshifumi nishikawa said that the companies needed to bolster their businesses.  both companies need to strengthen retail and other operations   he said  adding that  it s an issue we have in common . daiwa said that  although it is true that the two groups have been engaging in various discussions to enhance cooperation  there are no plans to enter into negotiations to consolidate the two businesses . analysts said that consolidation in japan s financial sector was likely to continue and that it was likely to have a positive impact on earnings.  cross-selling opportunities between banks and brokers are increasing thanks to deregulation  so we can expect the relationship to get even stronger   said heronry nozaki  an analyst at nikkocitigroup. the merger  would be a good move   he added.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "uganda bans vagina monologues uganda s authorities have banned the play the vagina monologues  due to open in the capital  kampala this weekend.  the ugandan media council said the performance would not be put on as it promoted and glorified acts such as lesbianism and homosexuality. it said the production could go ahead if the organisers  expunge all the offending parts . but the organisers of the play say it raises awareness of sexual abuse against women.  the play promotes illegal  unnatural sexual acts  homosexuality and prostitution  it should be and is hereby banned   the council s ruling said.  the show  which has been a controversial sell-out around the world  explores female sexuality and strength through individual women telling their stories through monologues. some parliamentarians and church leaders are also siding with the media council  uganda s new vision newspaper reports.  the play is obscene and pornographic although it was under the guise of women s liberation   mp kefa ssempgani told parliament.  but the work s author  us playwright eve ensler  says it is all about women s empowerment.  there is obviously some fear of the vagina and saying the word vagina   ms ensler told the bbc.  it s not a slang word or dirty word it s a biological  anatomical word.  she said the play is being produced and performed by ugandan women and it is not being forced on them. the four ugandan ngos organising the play intended to raise money to campaign to stop violence against women and to raise funds for the war-torn north of the country.  i m extremely outraged at the hypocrisy   the play s organiser in uganda  sarah mukasa  told the bbc s focus on africa programme.  i m amazed that this country uganda gives the impression that it is progressive and supports women s rights and the notions of free speech; yet when women want to share their stories the government uses the apparatus of state to shut us up.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "sport betting rules in spotlight a group of mps and peers has called for a tightening of regulations controlling betting on sport.  the parliamentary group on betting and gaming held a substantial inquiry into betting last year. it followed fears that a massive increase in betting on sport  such as that done using the internet and mobile phones  has led to more cheating. the all-party group recommended 15 ways to protect punters and improve the integrity of sports betting. they include a proposal for raising the maximum jail sentence for gambling cheats above the current two years. lord condon  head of the international cricket council s anti-corruption unit  who originally made the call for longer prison sentences  said the two-year penalty was  derisory .  you could get a bigger sentence for failing to pay your hotel bill criminally than you could for corruption in major sports.  symbolically  a higher penalty  perhaps as the bill passes through the two houses  might be appropriate.   the report recommended the governing bodies of sports have a say in the type of bets offered to punters  and for bookmakers to set up  audit trails  - something the new betting exchanges already do - to allow suspicious betting patterns to be traced.  lord faulkner of worcester  who chaired the inquiry  said:  whilst we accept that the greater part of sports betting is neither corrupt nor unfair to punters  the evidence convinces us that the growth of betting exchanges - because of the facility they provide to bet against a result - has increased the potential for corruption.  it is important that the government works with sporting administrators to review the difficulties faced by governing bodies in convicting the guilty and penalising them appropriately.  the panel s aim was to try to define what constitutes cheating  assess how much might be going on and suggest what the government might do to put it right. as well as the growth of internet and mobile phone betting  there has been the creation of betting exchanges which allow punters to fix odds between themselves. betting exchanges allow punters to back (to win) but also lay (to lose) a horse. this means they can control their odds at winning by placing their money both ways.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "blues slam blackburn over savage birmingham have confirmed blackburn made a bid for robbie savage - but managing director karen brady has called it  derisory .  rovers have reportedly offered \u00a3500 000 up front for the wales star  30  with the fee rising to \u00a32.2m. but brady told the sun the bid was  a waste of fax paper and my time . she added:  the way things are going all this could affect the relationship between the clubs. they ve got into robbie s head. but he s not for sale.  savage s future at birmingham has been the source of speculation for several weeks  with some fans criticising his performances for the club earlier in the season. however  good displays against west brom and aston villa have impressed blues fans.  the crowd gave me a massive standing ovation when i came off on saturday which was nice   he said.  it was fantastic even though i was criticised by a number of them in recent weeks and on saturday it showed how much i mean to them.  it s not for me to say (about transfer rumours)  it s between the two clubs.  i haven t created the speculation myself  i haven t phoned every national newspaper saying   blackburn are trying to buy me . it s not up to me.  birmingham manager steve bruce insists he does not want to sell savage.  a lot is said and written about sav but he has been terrific for birmingham city the last two and a half years   he said.   the fans love him because he epitomises them. he works hard  they like people like that and there are not many like him.  and why the hell should i sell him to someone else  i am not interested.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "nortel in $300m profit revision telecoms equipment maker nortel networks has sharply revised downwards its profits for the 2003 fiscal year.  in a long-awaited filing  nortel said it had made $434m (\u00a3231m)  compared to the previously reported $732m. but the figures - revised after an audit which led to the sacking of the canadian firm s chief - showed revenue was about 4% higher than first thought. nortel shares  which have lost nearly 50% of their value since last year  climbed 1.46% in toronto on tuesday. nortel s head frank dunn and two other executives were fired in january last year after the company announced it had conducted the internal audit. securities and police authorities in both the us and canada are still conducting inquiries into the accounts.  nortel also issued new figures for the 2001-2002 period  which they had previously indicated had understated losses.  with the completion of our restatements we have a solid foundation on which to move forward with our business   said nortel president and chief executive bill owens.  the restatement has been a monumental task  both complex and demanding.  the company also said 12 senior executives - none of whom were involved directly in the accounting of the revised figures - have voluntarily agreed to repay to bonuses awarded in 2003 totalling $8.6m. nortel added:  these members of the core executive team share the board s deep disappointment over the circumstances that led to the restatement.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "gm  ford cut output as sales fall us car firms general motors (gm) and ford have been forced to cut production in the face of falling car sales.  us sales at gm sank 12.7% in february compared to a year ago while ford sales dropped 3% as foreign rivals took a bigger share of the market. meanwhile  asian carmakers fared well - toyota sales jumped 11% while rival nissan notched up a 10% increase. overall. sales across the industry also fell to 1.25 million vehicles from 1.27 million a year earlier.  gm and ford blamed high fuel prices for low sales of big trucks and gas-guzzling sports utility vehicles (suvs) - the vehicles that provide the biggest profits.  gm added that us truck sales fell 9% in february while car business tumbled 17%  however it did acknowledge that some new products - such as the pontiac g6 and chevrolet cobalt - had put in solid performances.  the calendar year is starting off slower than expected  both for gm and the industry   said mark laneve  gm s vice president for north american sales  service and marketing. the slump in sales prompted the group to cut production in north america by 3% - it has already reduced output by around 9% in the face of growing stockpiles. meanwhile  ford which posted its ninth consecutive drop in monthly us sales  said it was cutting first-quarter north american production by another 10 000 vehicles  or 1.2%. chrysler  the us unit of germany s daimlerchrysler  was the only detroit based automaker to boast an increase in market share during the month - with sales rising 8%.  but america s loss was its foreign rivals  gain as they continued to nibble away at the us market. while japan s top car maker toyota and nissan saw sales accelerate  even the smaller suzuki motor corp snapped up a more business with sales improving 17.6% on a year ago. in 2003  the firm launched an ambitious plan to triple us sales by 2007 as it seeks to become a bigger player in the asian assault on the us market. korea s hyundai was another big gainer  turning in a 19% surge in february sales. toyota put its rise in sales down to strong results for its redesigned avalon sedan and a 120% surge in sales of its gas-electric prius hybrid mid-size sedan as petrol-price conscious consumers looked to vehicles that were cheaper to run.  as gas prices continue their upward march  fuel efficiency catches the public eye   jim press  vice president and chief operating officer of toyota s us sales arm  said in a statement.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "juninho demand for o neill talks juninho s agent has confirmed that the player is hoping for talks with martin o neill as the brazilian midfielder comes closer to departing celtic.  brian hassell says no official approach has been received from manchester city but that the english club had been earmarked as a possible destination. but it was being stressed to bbc sport that juninho would prefer to remain with the scottish champions. juninho wants assurances that he will return to o neill s first-team plans. he has become frustrated with his lack of first-team action since his move from middlesbrough in the summer. hassel says juninho  who has just bought a new home  would  desperately like to stay at celtic  but will seek a move if it is made clear that he is not wanted.  the agent also stressed that nothing should be read into the 30-year-old s father being in scotland and talk of a move back to botafogo in brazil. juninho s father was simply in the country to see his son and grandchildren.  i know there is interest from a brazilian club  but i know juninho doesn t want to go there   said hassel.  he wants to stay in britain. in fact  he wants to stay at celtic.  hassall made it clear that a move to manchester city  who are badly in need of a midfield play-maker  was more of a possibility than botafogo  or mexican outfit red sharks veracruz  who also expressed an interest.  it was a thought at one stage   he said.  if you are not going to get a game under one manager  you look for another whose style of play suits you.  he is a fan of kevin keegan s style of play. it would not be a bad move for him.  juninho had earlier told the daily record:  the manager has had a lot of chances to put me in his team but it hasn t happened.  if that is the case then this is the opportunity for me to go. that would be good for the club and good for me.  if i have no part in his plans  there is no point in remaining here waiting for a chance that never comes.  the attacking midfielder also claims he has not had the backing of boss martin o neill since his move to celtic park.  i can t understand why i am in this situation   he continued.  when a manager brings a new player to the club  he gives that player support.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "t-mobile bets on  pocket office  t-mobile has launched its latest  pocket office  third-generation (3g) device which also has built-in wi-fi - high-speed wireless net access.  unlike other devices where the user has to check which high-speed network is available to transfer data  the device selects the fastest one itself. the mda iv  released in the summer  is an upgrade to the company s existing smartphone  the 2.5g/wi-fi mda iii. it reflects the push by mobile firms for devices that are like mini laptops. the device has a display that can be swivelled and angled so it can be used like a small computer  or as a conventional clamshell phone. the microsoft mobile phone  with two cameras and a qwerty keyboard  reflects the design of similar all-in-one models released this year  such as motorola s mpx.  one in five european workers are already mobile - meaning they spend significant time travelling and out of the office   rene obermann  t-mobile s chief executive  told a press conference at the 3gsm trade show in cannes. he added:  what they need is their office when they are out of the office.  t-mobile said it was seeing increasing take up for what it calls  office in a pocket  devices  with 100 000 mdas sold in europe already.  in response to demand  t-mobile also said it would be adding the latest phone-shaped blackberry to its mobile range. reflecting the growing need to be connected outside the office  it announced it would introduce a flat-fee \u00a320 ($38) a month wi-fi tariff for people in the uk using its wi-fi hotspots. it said it would nearly double the number of its hotspots - places where wi-fi access is available - globally from 12 300 to 20 000.  it also announced it was installing high-speed wi-fi on certain train services  such as the uk s london to brighton service  to provide commuters a fast net connection too. the service  which has been developed with southern trains  nomad digital (who provide the technology)  begins with a free trial on 16 trains on the route from early march to the end of april. a full service is set to follow in the summer. wi-fi access points will be connected to a wimax wireless network - faster than wi-fi - running alongside the train tracks. brian mcbride  managing director of t-mobile in the uk  said:  we see a growing trend for business users needing to access e-mail securely on the move.   we are able to offer this by maintaining a constant data session for the entire journey.  he said this was something other similar in-train wi-fi services  such as that offered on gner trains  did not offer yet. mr obermann added that the mobile industry in general was still growing  with many more opportunities for more services which would bear fruit for mobile companies in future. thousands of mobile industry experts are gathered in cannes  france  for the 3gsm which runs from 14 to 17 february.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "uk heading wrong way  says howard tony blair has had the chance to tackle the problems facing britain and has failed  michael howard has said.   britain is heading in the wrong direction   the conservative leader said in his new year message. mr blair s government was a  bossy  interfering government that takes decisions that should be made by individuals   he added. but labour s campaign spokesman fraser kemp responded:  britain is working  don t let the tories wreck it again . mr howard also paid tribute to the nation s character for its generous response to the asian quake disaster. the catastrophe was overshadowing the hopes for the future at this usually positive time of the year  mr howard said.   we watched the scenes of destruction with a sense of disbelief. the scale  the speed  the ferocity of what happened on boxing day is difficult to grasp.  yet britain s response has shone a light on our nation s character. the last week has shown that the warm  caring heart of britain beats as strong as ever.  he went on to reflect on the values that  most britons hold dear . looking ahead to the coming general election  he pledged to  turn these beliefs into reality  and set out the choices he says are facing britain.  how much tax do people want to pay  who will give taxpayers value for money  the clean hospitals and good  disciplined schools they want   who can be trusted to get a grip on the disorder on our streets and the chaos in our immigration system    mr blair has failed to tackle these problems  he claimed  saying he has the  wrong solution  to them.   the result is big government and higher taxes eroding incentives  undermining enterprise and denying people choice.  worst of all  it is a government that has wasted people s money and failed to tackle the problems families face today.  the tories  he said  can cut crime and improve public services without asking people to pay more taxes.  we can have progress without losing what makes britain great - its tolerance  the respect for the rule of law  the ability of everyone to fulfil their potential.  we simply need to change direction. the election will give britain the chance to change.  this is the record mr blair will have to defend in the coming months  he said  urging voters to hold him to account.  but labour spokesman mr kemp said:  it would be more appropriate for this message to come out on 1 april  not 1 january.   let us never forget that when michael howard was in government britain suffered mass unemployment  15% interest rates  record home repossessions  and the introduction of the poll tax.  with labour britain is working. rather than alluding to false promises michael howard should be starting 2005 with an apology to the british people for the misery that the government  of which he was a member  inflicted upon the country.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "nuclear strike  key terror risk  the uk and us must realise they cannot prevent all terror attacks and should focus on making sure they are not nuclear strikes  says a top academic.  amitai etzioni  a key influence on new labour thinking  says the us emphasis on an  axis of evil  is misplaced. the priority should instead be on  failing states   including russia and pakistan  who cannot properly control their nuclear material  he argues. his report demands a major overhaul of world rules on nuclear technology.  professor etzioni was a senior adviser to president carter s white house and is the guru behind communitarian ideas which influenced the development of blairite third way politics. in a report for the foreign policy centre think tank  he says a nuclear terrorist attack is the main danger faced by many nations.   attempts to defend against it by hardening domestic targets cannot work  nor can one rely on pre-emption by taking the war to the terrorists before they attack   he says. that means there is an urgent need to curb terrorists  access to nuclear arms and the materials used to make them.  we must recognise that we will be unable to stop all attacks and thus ensure terrorists will not be able to strike with weapons of mass destruction   prof etzioni continues.  he suggests so-called rogue states such as iran and north korea are less of a problem than  failed and failing states   which are more likely to be a source of nuclear materials. he names russia as the  failing state  of gravest concern as it has an estimated 90% of all fissile material outside america. and he is also worried about pakistan after one of its top nuclear scientists  abdul qadeer khan  admitted leaking nuclear secrets. prof etzioni criticises the us for overlooking those reports  suggesting it was done in return for pakistani help in hunting osama bin laden.  this is like letting a serial killer go because he promised to catch some jay-walkers   he says.    - upgrading security at nuclear arms stores as a temporary measure   - creating a new global safety authority to tackle nuclear terrorism  using the intelligence links established in the wake of 11 september - backed by the united nations  authority   - encouraging  pressuring and using  all available means  to persuade countries to switch their highly-enriched uranium for less dangerous less-enriched uranium   - when possible  taking fissile material away from failing states to safe havens where it can be blended down or converted   - compelling  failing and rogue states   and eventually all states  to destroy their nuclear bombs.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "scots suffer another injury blow scotland s back row crisis has worsened ahead of the rbs six nations with news that scott gray will miss out on the opening matches.  the borders flanker has a knee injury and joins donnie macfadyen and allister hogg on the sidelines. star number eight simon taylor will miss at least the first two games after damaging an ankle during his comeback. scott macleod (ankle ligaments) and jon petrie (cartilage) are also doubtful for the opener in paris on 5 february. gray  26  who won his first cap against australia at murrayfield last year  was hurt in club action at the weekend. scotland doctor james robson said:  a scan has shown damage to the medial ligaments of scott s right knee ruling him out of the first part of the championship.  we will seek further specialist advice in due course to determine just how long scott may be out for.  another potential option  glasgow flanker andrew wilson  has been ruled out for a month after damaging ligaments in both knees against northampton recently.  flanker jason white and prop tom smith have also been suffering from flu and missed this week s training sessions.  we have got plenty of good  young players coming through and we have got to look at the opportunities it represents for them  rather than the negatives   williams added. williams could now turn to edinburgh pair alasdair strokosch and simon cross. leeds tykes flanker jon dunbar also trained with the squad but is still awaiting verification of his eligibility to qualify for scotland.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "dvd copy protection strengthened dvds will be harder to copy thanks to new anti-piracy measures devised by copy protection firm macrovision.  the pirated dvd market is enormous because current copy protection was hacked more than five years ago. macrovision says its new ripguard technology will thwart most  but not all  of the current dvd ripping (copying) programs used to pirate dvds.  ripguard is designed to... reduce dvd ripping and the resulting supply of illegal peer to peer   said the firm. macrovision said the new technology will work in  nearly all  current dvd players when applied to the discs  but it did not specify how many machines could have a problem with ripguard. some bbc news website users have expressed concerns that the new technology will mean that dvds will not work on pcs running the operating system linux. the new technology will be welcomed by hollywood film studios which are increasingly relying on revenue from dvd sales.  the film industry has stepped up efforts to fight dvd piracy in the last 12 months  taking legal action against websites which offer pirated copies of dvd movies for download.   ultimately  we see ripguard dvd... evolving beyond anti-piracy  and towards enablement of legitimate online transactions  interoperability in tomorrow s digital home  and the upcoming high-definition formats   said steve weinstein  executive vice president and general manager of macrovision s entertainment technologies group. macrovision said ripguard would also prevent against  rent  rip and return  - where people would rent a dvd  copy it and then return the original. ripguard is expected to be rolled out on dvds from the middle of 2005  the company said. the new system works specifically to block most ripping programs - if used  those programs will now most likely crash  the company said. macrovision has said that rip guard can be updated if hackers find a way around the new anti-copying measures.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "tv s future down the phone line internet tv has been talked about since the start of the web as we know it now.  but any early attempts to do it - the uk s home choice started in 1992 - were thwarted by the lack of a fast network. now that broadband networks are bedding down  and it is becoming essential for millions  the big telcos are keen to start shooting video down the line. in the face of competition from cable companies offering net voice calls  they are keen to be the top iptv dogs. software giant microsoft thinks iptv - internet protocol tv - is the future of television  and it sits neatly with its vision of the  connected entertainment experience .  telcos have been wanting to do video for a long time   ed graczyk  director of marketing for microsoft iptv  told the bbc news website.  the challenge has been the broadband network  and the state of technology up until not so long ago did not add up to a feasible solution.  compression technology was not efficient enough  the net was not good enough. a lot of stars have aligned in the last 18 months to make it a reality.   last year  he said  was all about deal making and partnering up; shaping the  iptv ecosystem . this year  those deals will start to play out and more services will come online.  2006 is where it starts ramping up and expanding to other geographies - over time as broadband becomes more prevalent in south america  and other parts of asia  it will expand   he added. what telcos really want to do is to send the  triple-play  of video  voice  and data down one single line  be it cable or dsl (digital subscriber line). some are talking about  quadruple play   too  with mobile services added into the mix. it is an emerging new breed of competition for satellite and cable broadcasters and operators. according to technology analysts  tdg research  there will be 20 million subscribers to iptv services in under six years.  key to the appeal of sending tv programmes down the same line as the web data  whenever a viewer wants it  is that it uses the same technology as the internet. it means there is not just a one-way relationship between the viewer and the  broadcaster . this allows for more dvd-like interactivity  limitless storage and broadcast space  bespoke channel  playlists   and thousands of hours of programmes or films at a viewer s fingertips. it potentially lets operators target programmes to smaller  niche or localised audiences  sending films to bollywood fans for instance  as well as individual devices.  operators could also send high-definition programmes straight to the viewer  bypassing the need for a special broadcast receiver. perhaps most compelling - yet some might say insignificant - is instantaneous channel flicking. currently  there is a delay when you try to do this on satellite  cable or freeview. with iptv  the speed is 15 milliseconds.  that gets rounds of applause   according to mr graczyk. microsoft is one of the companies that started thinking about iptv some time ago.  we believe this will be the way all tv is delivered in the future - but that is several years away   said mr graczyk.  as with music  tv has moved to digital formats.  the things software can do to integrate media into devices means a whole new generation of connected entertainment experiences that cross devices from the tv  to the mobile  to the gaming console and so on.  the company intends its microsoft s iptv edition software  an end-to-end management and delivery platform  to let telcos to do exactly that  seamlessly. it has netted seven major telcos as customers  representing a potential audience of 25 million existing broadband subscribers. its deal with us telco sbc was the largest tv software deal to date  said mr graczyk.  iptv is about more than telcos  though. there are several web-based offerings that aim to put control in the hands of the consumer by exploiting the net s power. jeremy allaire  chief of brightcove  told the bbc news website that it would be a flavour of iptv that was about harnessing the web as a  channel .   it is not just niches  but about exploiting content not usually viewed   he said.  we are focussed on the owners of video content who have rights to digitally distribute content  and who often see unencumbered distribution.  for them to do it through cable and so on is price-prohibitive   he said. this type of iptv service might also be a distribution channel for more established publishers who have unique types of content that they cannot offer through cable and satellite operators - history channel archives  for instance. what is a clear sign that iptv has a future is that microsoft is not the only player in the field. there are a lot of other  middleware  players providing similar management services as microsoft  like myrio and c-cor. but it will up to the viewer to decide if it really is to be successful.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "cudicini misses carling cup final chelsea goalkeeper carlo cudicini will miss sunday s carling cup final after the club dropped their appeal against his red card against newcastle.  the italian was sent off for bringing down shola ameobi in the final minute of sunday s match. blues boss jose mourinho had promised to pick cudicini for the final instead of first-choice keeper petr cech. the 31-year-old will now serve a one-match suspension commencing with immediate effect.  cudicini kept a club record 24 clean sheets last season for chelsea  but petr cech has established himself as first choice for mourinho since moving to stamford bridge in summer 2004. the 22-year-old czech republic international has set a new premiership record of 961 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal  a mark which is still running. but mourinho has used cudicini regularly in the carling cup  and the italian has only let in one goal in his four appearances during chelsea s run to the final.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "markets fall on weak dollar fears rising oil prices and the sinking dollar hit shares on monday after a finance ministers  meeting and stern words from fed chief alan greenspan.  the london ftse fell 0.8% while tokyo s nikkei 225 dropped 2.11%  its steepest fall in three months. g20 finance ministers said nothing about supporting the dollar  whose slide could further jeopardise growth in japan and europe. and mr greenspan warned asian states could soon stop funding the us deficit.  on monday afternoon  the euro was close to an all-time high against the dollar at above $1.30. oil pushed higher too on monday  as investors fretted about cold weather in the us and europe and a potential output cut from oil producers  group opec  although prices had cooled by the end of the day. in london  the benchmark brent crude price closed down 51 cents at $44.38 a barrel  while new york light sweet crude closed down 25 cents at $48.64 a barrel. the slide comes as the us has been attempting to talk up the traditional  strong dollar  policy.  the latest to pitch in has been president george w bush himself  who told the asia pacific economic co-operation (apec) summit in chile that he remained committed to halving the budget deficit. together with a $500bn trade gap  the red ink spreading across america s public finances is widely seen as a key factor driving the dollar lower. and last week us treasury secretary john snow told an audience in the uk that the policy remained unaltered. but he also said that the rate was entirely up to the markets - a signal which traders took as advice to sell the dollar. some had looked to the g20 meeting for direction. but mr snow made clear exchange rates had not been on the agenda.  for the us government  letting the dollar drift is a useful short-term fix.  us exports get more affordable  helping perhaps to close the trade gap. in the meantime  the debt keeps getting bigger  with congress authorising an $800bn rise in what the us can owe - taking the total to $8.2 trillion. but in a speech on friday  federal reserve chairman alan greenspan warned that in the longer term things are likely to get tricky. at present  much of gap in both public debt is covered by selling bonds to asian states such as japan and china  since the dollar is seen as the world s reserve currency. similarly  asian investment helps bridge the gap in the current account - the deficit between what the us as a whole spends and what it earns. but already they are turning more cautious - an auction of debt in august found few takers. and mr greenspan said that could turn into a trend  if the fall of the dollar kept eating into the value of those investments.  it seems persuasive that  given the size of the us current account deficit  a diminished appetite for adding to dollar balances must occur at some point   he said.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "domain system scam fear a system to make it easier to create website addresses using alphabets like cyrillic could open a back door for scammers  a trade body has warned.  the internationalised domain names system has been a work in progress for years and has recently been approved by the internet electronic task force. but the uk internet forum (ukif) is concerned that the system will let scammers create fake sites more easily. the problem lies in the computer codes used to represent language.  registering names that look like that of legitimate companies but lead users to fake sites designed to steal passwords and credit card details could become a whole lot easier for determined scammers  says stephen dyer  director of ukif. domain names are the  real language  addresses of websites  rather than their internet protocol address  which is a series of numbers. they are used so people can more easily navigate the web. so-called ascii codes are used to represent european languages but for other languages a hybrid of a system called unicode is used. so  for example  website paypal could now be coded using a mixture of the latin alphabet and the russian alphabet. the resulting domain as displayed to the users would look identical to the real site as a russian  a  look just like an english  a . but the computer code would be different  and the site it would lead users to could be a fake. this is more than just a theory. a fake paypal.com has already been registered with net domain giant verisign by someone who has followed the debate around the internationalised domain name (idn) system  said mr dyer. as the idea was to prove a point rather than be malicious the fake domain has now been handed back to paypal but it sets a worrying precedent  mr dyer said.  although the idn problem is well known in technical circles  the commercial world is totally unaware how easily their websites can be faked   said mr dyer.   it is important to alert users that there is a new and invisible and almost undetectable way of diverting them to what looks like a perfectly genuine site   he added. there are solutions. for instance  browsers could spot domains that use mixed characters and display them in different colours as a warning to users. mr dyer acknowledged that it would be a huge undertaking to update all the world s browsers. another solution  to introduce idn-disabled browsers could be a case of  throwing out the baby with the bath water   he said. centr  the council of european national top level domain registries  agrees.  a rush to introduce idn-disabled browsers into the marketplace is an overly-zealous step that will harm public confidence in idns - a technology that is desperately needed in the non-english speaking world   the organisation said in a statement.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "bad e-mail habits sustains spam the  bad behaviour  of e-mail users is helping to sustain the spam industry  a new study has found.  according to a survey conducted by security firm mirapoint and market research company the radicati group  nearly a third of e-mail users have clicked on links in spam messages. one in ten users have bought products advertised in junk mail. clicking on a link in a spam message can expose people to viruses and alert spammers to live e-mail accounts.  the fact that one in ten e-mail users are buying things advertised in spam continues to make it an attractive business  especially given that sending out huge amounts of spam costs very little  the report concludes.  this preliminary data is surprising and somewhat shocking to us   said marcel nienhuis  market analyst at the radicati group.  it explains why e-mail security threats including spam  viruses and phishing scams continue to proliferate   he said  accusing users of  bad e-mail behaviour . spammers are increasingly hooking into whatever happens to be flavour of the month  according to security firm clearswift. it has recently seen a rise in the number of spam messages offering phoney sony psp giveaways. and  in perhaps a nod to the popularity of the american drama series desperate housewives  it has also seen a dramatic rise in junk mails purporting to give details of women looking for casual sex. but rather than finding a companion  users who click on such mail will find themselves redirected to porn sites  where they run the risk of downloading spyware on to their pc. clearswift has seen a 180% rise in sex-related spam over the course of the last month.  without casting aspersions  those likely to respond to these kind of adverts will be invariably hoping that  one thing leads to another  but aside from the fact that these mails are bogus  clicking on any link within a spam mail can lead to a whole host of unwanted problems   said alyn hockey  clearswift s director of research.  sexually explicit terms make up 14% of security firm sophos  top 50 word that spammers most commonly try to disguise in order to beat anti-spam filters. spammers will deliberately misspell a word or use digits instead of letters in an attempt to by-pass anti-spam software  said graham cluley  senior technology consultant for security firm sophos.  the list of words most commonly hidden by the spammers from anti-spam software reveals that most spam is about the old favourites: money  drugs and sex   said mr cluley. but anti-spam filters can only be part of the solution to the menace of junk e-mail.  people must resist their basic instincts to buy from spam mails. spammers are criminals  plain and simple. if no-one responded to junk e-mail and didn t buy products sold in this way  then spam would be as extinct as the dinosaurs   he said.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "ukip candidate suspended in probe eurosceptic party ukip have suspended a candidate for allegedly suggesting the criminally insane should be killed.  john houston  54  was due to stand in the east kilbride seat in lanarkshire at the next election. but he was suspended after his reported views  including the return of the british empire  were sent to two scottish newspapers. ukip spokesman mark croucher said those who selected mr houston knew nothing of his views. the episode comes at a difficult time for ukip  soon after the high-profile departure of mep robert kilroy-silk. mr houston is alleged to have said that the organs of the criminally insane should be  made available to law-abiding members of the community  and proposed the legalisation of drugs and the sex trade. the document reportedly said:  we re looking for the resurrection of the british empire.  the problems for the human race - environmental and others - can only be dealt with on a global scale  and that calls for a radical alliance of the english-speaking nations  which they are uniquely able to do.  mr croucher said the main issue would be that mr houston s reported views had been presented as ukip policy  which they were not. he said they might have been submissions to a committee working on the party s manifesto  but would not have been matched to mr houston when he was standing to become a candidate. he told bbc news:  he appears to have said these things. we have suspended him as a member and as a candidate.  by all accounts none of this was mentioned at his selection meeting.  it is simply a distraction from the task in hand  the eu constitution  not individual idiocies.  mr houston was quoted in the herald newspaper saying:  i feel ukip have over-reacted and overshot the runway.   peter nielson  who is ukip scotland chairman  said he had suspended mr houston on friday night.  he will remain suspended while the matter is being investigated and then we will decide if and what further action will be taken.  he said that any evidence would be looked into and mr houston may be interviewed by the party. he added:  i can t comment too much at the moment  i have one version from him but i haven t seen the papers yet.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "vera drake scoops film award oscar hopefuls mike leigh and imelda staunton were both winners at the 2004 evening standard british film awards.  vera drake - leigh s 1950s drama about a backstreet abortionist - was named best film and staunton  who played the title role  was named best actress. other winners included paddy considine  who was crowned best actor for his role in dead man s shoes. bridget jones: the edge of reason was named evening standard readers  film of 2004 at the central london ceremony.  leigh was presented with his winner s statuette by timothy spall and staunton s award was announced by patrick stewart  during the glittering ceremony at the savoy on sunday night. evening standard film critic derek malcolm said:  he [leigh] has never made a film that is better controlled and technically more secure... if this isn t one of the films of the year  i don t know what is.  the alexander walker special award - which honours those who have made a supreme contribution to british film - went to tim bevan and eric fellner  the co-chairmen of working title films. the production company is behind films such as my beautiful laundrette  billy elliot  about a boy  shaun of the dead and bridget jones: the edge of reason.  simon pegg  who stars in and co-wrote shaun of the dead  won the 2004 peter sellers award for comedy. other winners included emily blunt and nathalie press who were jointly named itv london most promising newcomer award for their performances in pawel pawlikowski s rites-of-passage story  my summer of love. pawlikowski won the best screenplay statuette  while roger deakins won the technical achievement award for his cinematography on the village and the ladykillers. guests at the ceremony included dame judi dench  kim cattrall  charles dance  bill nighy and colin firth. the awards  which were hosted by jack dee  are to be screened on itv london on tuesday at 2300 gmt.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "robots learn  robotiquette  rules robots are learning lessons on  robotiquette  - how to behave socially - so they can mix better with humans.  by playing games  like pass-the-parcel  a university of hertfordshire team is finding out how future robot companions should react in social situations. the study s findings will eventually help humans develop a code of social behaviour in human-robot interaction. the work is part of the european cogniron robotics project  and was on show at london s science museum.   we are assuming a situation in which a useful human companion robot already exists   said professor kerstin dautenhahn  project leader at hertfordshire.  our mission is to look at how such a robot should be programmed to respect personal spaces of humans.   the research also focuses on human perception of robots  including how they should look  and how a robot can learn new skills by imitating a human demonstrator.  without such studies  you will build robots which might not respect the fact that humans are individuals  have preferences and come from different cultural backgrounds   professor dautenhahn told bbc news online.  and i want robots to treat humans as human beings  and not like other robots   she added.  in most situations  a companion robot will eventually have to deal not only with one person  but also with groups of people. to find out how they would react  the hertfordshire cogniron team taught one robot to play pass-the-parcel with children.  showing off its skills at the science museum  the unnamed robot had to select  approach  and ask different children to pick up a parcel with a gift  moving it arm as a pointer and its camera as an eye. it even used speech to give instructions and play music. however  according to researchers  it will still take many years to build a robot which would make full use of the  robotiquette  for human interaction.  if you think of a robot as a companion for the human being  you can think of 20 years into the future   concluded professor dautenhahn.  it might take even longer because it is very  very hard to develop such a robot.   you can hear more on this story on the bbc world service s go digital programme.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "china had role in yukos split-up china lent russia $6bn (\u00a33.2bn) to help the russian government renationalise the key yuganskneftegas unit of oil group yukos  it has been revealed.  the kremlin said on tuesday that the $6bn which russian state bank veb lent state-owned rosneft to help buy yugansk in turn came from chinese banks. the revelation came as the russian government said rosneft had signed a long-term oil supply deal with china. the deal sees rosneft receive $6bn in credits from china s cnpc.  according to russian newspaper vedomosti  these credits would be used to pay off the loans rosneft received to finance the purchase of yugansk. reports said cnpc had been offered 20% of yugansk in return for providing finance but the company opted for a long-term oil supply deal instead. analysts said one factor that might have influenced the chinese decision was the possibility of litigation from yukos  yugansk s former owner  if cnpc had become a shareholder. rosneft and veb declined to comment.  the two companies [rosneft and cnpc] have agreed on the pre-payment for long-term deliveries   said russian oil official sergei oganesyan.  there is nothing unusual that the pre-payment is for five to six years.   the announcements help to explain how rosneft  a medium-sized  indebted  and relatively unknown firm  was able to finance its surprise purchase of yugansk. yugansk was sold for $9.3bn in an auction last year to help yukos pay off part of a $27bn bill in unpaid taxes and fines.  the embattled russian oil giant had previously filed for bankruptcy protection in a us court in an attempt to prevent the forced sale of its main production arm. but yugansk was sold to a little known shell company which in turn was bought by rosneft. yukos claims its downfall was punishment for the political ambitions of its founder mikhail khodorkovsky. once the country s richest man  mr khodorkovsky is on trial for fraud and tax evasion.  the deal between rosneft and cnpc is seen as part of china s desire to secure long-term oil supplies to feed its booming economy. china s thirst for products such as crude oil  copper and steel has helped pushed global commodity prices to record levels.  clearly the chinese are trying to get some leverage [in russia]   said dmitry lukashov  an analyst at brokerage aton.  they understand property rights in russia are not the most important rights  and they are more interested in guaranteeing supplies.   if the price of oil is fixed under the deal  which is unlikely  it could be very profitable for the chinese   mr lukashov continued.  and rosneft is in desperate need of cash  so it s a good deal for them too.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "turkey-iran mobile deal  at risk  turkey s investment in iran s mobile industry looks set to be scrapped after its biggest mobile firm saw its investment there slashed by mps.  iran s parliament voted by a large majority to cut turkcell s stake in a new mobile network from 70% to 49%. the move  which was justified on national security grounds  follows an earlier vote by mps to give themselves a veto over foreign investments. turkcell said the decision  increases the risks  attached to the project. although the company s statement said it would continue to monitor developments  observers said they thought turkcell was set to pull out of the $3bn deal.  the possibility of carrying out this project is next to zero   said atinc ozkan  analyst at finans investment in istanbul. if turkcell does back out  mtn - the south african firm which lost out in the original tender - may well be back in the running. the company has said it is prepared to accept a minority stake if iran will award it the mobile deal.  turkcell s mobile deal is the second turkish investment in iran to run into trouble. turkish-austrian consortium tav was chosen to build and run tehran s new imam khomeini international airport - but the army closed it just hours after it opened in may 2004. in both cases  the justification has been national security  amid allegations that the turkish firms are too close to israel. the hardline posture taken by parliament  which is dominated by religious conservatives  could yet impact other inward investments.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "fast lifts rise into record books two high-speed lifts at the world s tallest building have been officially recognised as the planet s fastest.  the lifts take only 30 seconds to whisk passengers to the top of the 508m tall tfc 101 tower in taipei  taiwan. the guinness book of records has declared the 17m per second speed of the two lifts the swiftest on earth. the lifts also have a pressure control system to stop passengers  ears popping as they ascend and descend at high speed.  in total  the tfc tower has 61 lifts  34 of them double-deckers  and 50 escalators to shuttle people around its 106 floors. the tfc 101 tower is due to be officially opened on 31 december.  the super-fast lifts can speed up to 24 passengers to the tip of the tower in about 30 seconds  while ascending their 382m track. the 17m/s top speed of the lifts translates to about 38mph (61km/h). curiously the lifts take longer to descend and spend almost a whole minute returning to ground level from the top of the tfc tower. the key new technologies applied in the world s fastest elevators include:    - a pressure control system  which adjusts the atmospheric pressure inside a car by using suction and discharge blowers  preventing  ear popping    - an active control system which tries to balance the lift more finely and remove the sources of vibrations   - streamlined cars to reduce the whistling noise produced by running the lifts at a high speed inside a narrow shaft      the certification of our elevators as world record-holders by the authoritative guinness world records is a great honour for us   said masayuki shimono  president of manufacturer toshiba elevator and building systems which installed the lifts. the first record for the world s fastest passenger elevators was published in the first edition of the guinness book of records in 1955.  as such  it is an interesting indicator of how technology has advanced in the 50 years since that first edition  when the record was 426m per minute  or 25.6 km/h  less than half the speed of the new record   said hein le roux  specialist researcher at the guinness world records. taipei s tfc 101 tower is more than 50m taller than the petronas towers in kuala lumpur  malaysia - formerly the world s tallest skyscraper.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "research fears over kelly s views scientists have expressed concerns that new education secretary ruth kelly s religious views could hamper vital scientific research.  ms kelly  who is catholic  is reported to be  pro-life  and has opposed embryo research. medical research council professor nancy rothwell said ms kelly s views mattered as she was responsible for training future scientists. the department for education and skills would not comment on the concerns.  a spokeswoman said:  it is not news that ms kelly is a catholic but we are not going into any details on this.  but she added that claims ms kelly was in charge of a \u00a31bn university research budget were not true. it was down to the higher education funding council and the research councils to decide on universities  research allocations. british law is open to the cloning of human embryos to create stem cells  master cells that can develop into all the body s tissue types. this cloning activity is not permitted for reproductive purposes - only for research into new disease treatments. however  it is controversial because it involves the destruction of embryos.  professor rothwell  who is also vice-president of research at manchester university  told the times higher education supplement it would worry her  a great deal  if ministers were anti-stem cell. she said:  the views of ministers in the dfes do matter as they are responsible for training the next generation of scientists.  you can t have a higher education policy that is at odds with the government s science policy.  head of developmental genetics at the national institute of medical research  professor robin lovell-badge  said he had witnessed the confused situation in the us where many religious groups opposed the practice. he said:  if someone as senior as ruth kelly is not going to favour stem cell research we will end up with a similarly schizophrenic system in this country. it is very worrying.  but fertility expert lord winston said he thought it was  rather good  ministers held ethical views. concerns have also been raised by  pro-choice  organisations that ms kelly s views might affect sex education policy in schools.  family planning association chief executive  anne weyman  said teaching pupils about contraception and abortion were key.  young people must be informed about all the issues within sexual health  which include contraception and abortion.  i think it is very important that the government maintains its commitment to the teenage pregnancy strategy.  currently  individual schools devise their own sex education policies based on a framework provided by the dfes. ms kelly has not set out her detailed views on either issue yet  but has said she intends to put parents first in education policy. this would include the quality of teaching  classroom discipline and academic standards in schools  she said.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "straw attacked on china arms moves to lift the european union s ban on arms exports to china have been condemned by human rights groups and the conservatives.  the 15 year embargo was imposed in the aftermath of china s crackdown on protesters in tiananmen square in 1989. uk foreign secretary jack straw  who will hold talks in beijing on thursday  said an eu arms code was more effective than the current ban. but human rights watch says the eu is putting commerce above abuse concerns.  in december  the eu pledged to work towards lifting the ban but said it was not ready to do so yet. germany and france have repeatedly called for the embargo to be lifted. britain has been more cautious but mr straw last week said he also wanted it to end  despite us objections.  he expects it to be lifted over the next six months  a prediction which has alarmed critics. brad adams  from human rights watch  said:  this is a huge political signal from europe that they are willing to forget about tiananmen square.  there are still thousands of people who are unaccounted for.   mr straw said it was wrong to put china under the same embargo as countries such as zimbabwe and burma. the scope of the embargo was very narrow and did not have any force of law behind it  he told bbc radio 4 s world at one. in the uk  more export licences were refused under the existing european union arms code than under the embargo  he said. and only two of the licences denied under the embargo would have been granted under the code.  the code of conduct is much more effective  it s a more powerful tool of and we intend to strengthen it as a pre-condition of lifting the embargo with china   he said.  mr straw denied the decision would suggest to china that tiananmen square had been forgotten. the level of human rights was a key criteria under the eu arms exports code  he said. human rights groups say the code of conduct is not legally binding - but mr straw said it would be given legal force by the laws of many eu countries. conservative shadow foreign secretary michael ancram said the move would be  profoundly wrong . the decision could undermine nato as it severely damaged relations with the us  which is opposed to ending the ban.  mr ancram argued:  what the british government is doing is giving in to french and german pressure  especially the french  who see vast contracts available to them if the embargo is lifted...  it gives the wrong signals to china  who are simply not prepared to accept that what happened at tiananmen square was wrong.  mr straw s china trip is part of regular high-level meetings with beijing ministers. he will meet chinese counterpart minister li zhaoxing to discuss developing relations between their two countries  hong kong and china s part in the talks on north korea.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "singapore growth at 8.1% in 2004 singapore s economy grew by 8.1% in 2004  its best performance since 2000  figures from the trade ministry show.  the advance  the second-fastest in asia after china  was led by growth of 13.1% in the key manufacturing sector. however  a slower-than-expected fourth quarter points to more modest growth for the trade-driven economy in 2005 as global technology demand falls back. slowdowns in the us and china could hit electronics exports  while the tsunami disaster may effect the service sector.  economic growth is set to halve in singapore this year to between 3% and 5%. in the fourth quarter  the city state s gross domestic product (gdp) rose at an annual rate of 2.4%. that was up from the third quarter  when it fell 3.0%  but was well below analyst forecasts.  i am surprised at the weak fourth quarter number. the main drag came from electronics   said lian chia liang  economist at jp morgan chase. singapore s economy had contracted over the summer  weighed down by soaring oil prices. the economy s poor performance in the july to september period followed four consecutive quarters of double-digit growth as singapore bounced back strongly from the effects of the deadly sars virus in 2003.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "poll explains free-kick decision referee graham poll said he applied the laws of the game in allowing arsenal striker thierry henry s free-kick in sunday s 2-2 draw with chelsea.  keeper petr cech was organising his defensive wall when henry s quick free-kick flew in  which angered chelsea.  the whistle doesn t need to be blown. i asked henry  do you want a wall  . he said  can i take it please   he was very polite. i said  yes    said poll.  i deal with the laws of the game. i deal with fact.  poll added:  i gave the signal for him to take it. that s what he did.  the same thing happened when i refereed chelsea against west ham in an fa cup replay two years ago - when jimmy floyd hasselbaink scored - and i don t remember them complaining about that.  henry explained why he paused before striking the ball for the goal  which put arsenal 2-1 ahead.  henry told bbc radio five live:  the ref asked me if i wanted 10 yards or if i wanted to take it straight away and i said that i wanted to take it straight away. he said to me   go .  it looks a bit strange because i took my time. i was waiting for eidur gudjohnsen to move and give me some space.  at one point  he turned and that s when i tried it.  former referees  chief philip don backed poll s decision to allow the strike.  the advantage should go to the non-offending team. on this occasion it was arsenal   don told bbc radio five live.  referees have been told to ask the player  do you want to take the quick free-kick   or  do you want me to get the wall back 9.15 metres    if they say  quick   the referee tends to move away and allow the kick.  don was head of the referees for the premier league and revealed all clubs were informed of free-kick options.  we spoke to all the premier league clubs as well as all the football league clubs in the summer of 2003 explaining what the situation was   he added  we gave them the option of either the quick free-kick or the  ceremonial  free-kick. players and clubs were aware of what referees were doing.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "bellamy under new fire newcastle boss graeme souness has reopened his dispute with craig bellamy after claiming the welshman was  not good enough  for the magpies. bellamy left newcastle to join celtic on loan after a major row with souness. souness - who refused to refer to the 25-year-old by name - said bellamy did not score enough goals  the chap that s just gone has scored 9.3 goals a season in his time in senior football - half of those weren t even in the top flight   said souness.  that s not good enough for a striker at a club like this.  we need to have two strikers who are near 20 goals on a regular basis.   bellamy turned down a move to birmingham in favour of joining celtic after a disagreement about the welsh international playing out of position quickly escalated. earlier in the week  souness had said that he risked losing the confidence of the players and damaging his own reputation if he had not taken a hard line after bellamy accused him of lying.   there are certain things you can forgive and forget   said souness.  but if i d been seen to be weak in this case there was no future for me with the players in the dressing room or any job i have after newcastle.  he could then return to st james  park - and he says that he wants to. however  it would seem unlikely he will play for newcastle again as long as souness remains in charge.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "moreno debut makes oscar mark catalina sandino moreno has joined a rare group of actresses who have been nominated for an oscar for starring in a foreign language film.  the colombian-born actress was the final hope for director joshua marston  who scoured the us and colombia for a lead for maria full of grace. the film sees the 23-year-old play a teenage drug mule who smuggles heroin by swallowing pellets in condoms. plaudits have been raining down on her for her gritty performance  making it all the more surprising that this is her first film. her previous acting experience was in amateur productions in her home city of bogota at the ruben di pietro theatre academy. she has already received a nomination for the independent spirit awards leading actress category but these rarely overlap with academy awards  instead recognising quirkier  low-budget films. and at the 2004 berlin film festival the jury could not choose between her and charlize theron s oscar winning performance in monster so gave them a tied award. sandino moreno is now being regarded as one of the most promising actresses around at the moment. but she is taking her time committing to her next project  hoping to land a strong spanish script and would love to be able to work with directors pedro almodovar or alejandro amenabar.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "de niro film leads us box office film star robert de niro has returned to the top of the north american box office with his film hide and seek.  the thriller shot straight to the number one spot after taking $22m (\u00a311.7m) at the box office. de niro recently spent three weeks at the top with comedy meet the fockers  which was at number five this week. oscar hopefuls the aviator  million dollar baby and sideways all cashed in on their multiple nominations with stronger ticket sales.  in hide and seek  de niro plays a widower whose daughter has a creepy imaginary friend. despite lukewarm reviews from critics  the film took more than the expected $18m (\u00a39.5m).  the element of a real actor in a psychological thriller certainly elevated it   said bruce snyder  president of domestic distribution at 20th century fox. clint eastwood s million dollar baby led the oscar hopefuls with $11.8m (\u00a36.3m)  coming in at number three during its first weekend of wide release. the aviator  a film biography of howard hughes that leads the oscar field with 11 nominations  was at number six for the weekend with $7.5m (\u00a34m). oscar best-picture nominee sideways entered the top ten for the first time in its 15th week of release. it came in seventh $6.3 (\u00a33.35m). last week s top film  ice cube s road-trip comedy are we there yet   slipped to second place with $17m (\u00a39m)  while coach carter fell two places to number four  taking $8m (\u00a34.25m) in its third week. rounding out the top ten were in good company - starring dennis quaid and scarlett johansson - racing stripes and assault on precinct 13.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "clijsters hope on aussie open kim clijsters has denied reports that she has pulled out of january s australian open because of her persistent wrist injury.  open chief paul mcnamee had said:  kim s wrist obviously isn t going to be rehabilitated.  but her spokesman insisted she had simply delayed submitting her entry.  the doctors are assessing her injury on a weekly basis and if there is no risk she could play. but if there s the least risk she will stay away.  despite being absent from the wta entry list for the tournament  which begins on 17 january  clijsters would be certain to get a wild card if she requested one. clijsters is still ranked 22nd in the world despite only playing a handful of matches last season. the belgian had an operation on her left wrist early in the season but injured it again on her return to the tour. meanwhile  jelena dokic  who used to compete for australia  has opted out of the first grand slam of the season. dokic has not played in the australian open since 2001 when she lost in the first round. but the 21-year-old would have had to rely on a wild card next season because her ranking has tumbled to 127th. four-time champion monica seles  who has not played since last year s french open  is another absentee because of an injured left foot.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "uk  world s biggest music buyer  uk consumers are the biggest music buyers in the world  according to new figures released on tuesday by the british phonographic industry (bpi).  but global sales of recorded music were flat in 2004  with growing sales in dvd music videos offset by online and physical piracy in major markets. the uk music industry recorded an overall 3% increase in volume sales  mostly due to its robust albums market. however  world music sales declined by 1.3% to $33.6 billion (\u00a317.7 billion). the uk cd albums market grew by 4.5% in 2004 with a record 174.6 million units sold. on average every briton buys 3.2 cds per person per year.  around 26 000 albums are released in the uk each year  making britain second only to the us in terms of the number of releases. overall sales were driven by new uk-signed artists such as keane  katie melua and scissor sisters  whose debut album sold almost 1.6 million copies in the uk.  a slew of great new british artists have met uk music fans  demand for great music   said bpi chairman peter jameson. the best-selling album globally was usher s confessions - one of eight albums to sell more than five million copies in 2004.  the growth in the dvd market and a sharp increase in sales of digital music ensured a strong market in the us. the total number of tracks downloaded last year were up more than tenfold on 2003. digital sales in the us in the first two months of 2005 are already more than double that of the same period in 2004.  however  some markets in continental europe and asia - notably sweden  finland  france  spain and south korea - have been drastically hit by internet piracy. australia  italy and the netherlands also saw a decline.  on the positive side digital sales are booming   said john kennedy  chief executive of the international federation of phonographic industries (ifpi).  however  commercial piracy and illegal file-sharing are continuing to depress our markets.  the priority in the coming year is to step up the advance of legitimate digital sales and sustain our anti-piracy efforts.   the main choice today s music fan now has to make is whether to get music legally or illegally   added mr jameson.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "ajax refuse to rule out jol move ajax have refused to reveal whether tottenham s boss martin jol is on the dutch champions  shortlist to become the amsterdam club s new coach.  jol  who has coached in his native holland  has guided spurs to the premiership s top eight. an ajax spokesman told bbc sport:  the coach must fit our profile - a coach who understands the dutch league and offensive and distinctive football.  we need to find a solution soon  so someone is in place for next season.  ronald koeman quit as ajax boss last week after their exit from the uefa cup. jol has been linked with the vacant post at ajax  with reports saying he has fallen out with spurs  sporting director frank arnesen. but in a statement on spurs  website  jol said:  i m happy here  i m not in discussion with anyone else  i don t want to go elsewhere.  ajax have enlisted the help of dutch legend johann cruyff  currently a consultant at barcelona  to help find a new head coach. cruyff has admitted he has been impressed by the way former rfc waalwijk coach jol has turned round spurs  fortunes since taking over from jacques santini. tonny bruins slot and ruud krol are currently in charge of ajax  who are third in the dutch league.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "golden rule boost for chancellor chancellor gordon brown has been given a \u00a32.1bn boost in his attempts to meet his golden economic rule  which allows him to borrow only for investment.  the extra leeway came after the office for national statistics said it had been measuring road expenditure data wrongly over the past five years. it comes just weeks ahead of the budget and an expected general election. shadow chancellor oliver letwin said:  at best the timing of these changes is very convenient for the government.   a review by the ons found it had made a mistake by  double counting  some spending on roads since 1998/9. correcting the error would mean reducing current expenditure and increasing net investment  thus helping mr brown to meet his  golden rule  of borrowing only to invest over the economic cycle. economists speculated that it might also allow for some vote-catching measures in the budget.  the changes by the ons increase the current budget measure for the past five years by \u00a32.1bn in total. mr letwin said:  this is a very murky area... there will inevitably be suspicions that the figures are being fiddled.  the conservatives also said mr brown would still be forced to raise taxes after the general election to fill an annual \u00a310.5bn  black hole  in the nation s coffers. but the treasury said there would be no relaxation of economic discipline and the golden rule would be met even without the data revisions.  in january the independent institute for fiscal studies (ifs) said mr brown would need to raise taxes to get public finances onto the track predicted in last year s budget. it also said the government might narrowly miss its  golden rule  if the current economic cycle ended in 2005/06. after the ons announcement  economists said there could also be a proportionate boost to the current budget in 2004/05 of about \u00a3400m.  none of this changes the big picture of a dramatic deterioration in the overall fiscal position over the last four or five years   said jonathan loynes  chief uk economist at capital economics.  accordingly  it seems very likely that some form of fiscal consolidation will be required in due course.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "gerrard happy at anfield liverpool captain steven gerrard has reiterated his desire to stay at anfield and win trophies with the club.  the 24-year-old england midfielder is determined to see out his contract  despite reported interest from chelsea. he said:  i m signed here for this season and another two so there is no situation. there s a lot of speculation but that s not down to me.  as club captain all i want to do is help us get back up the table and into the champions league again.  gerrard looked set to move to chelsea during the summer and speculation of a switch to stamford bridge has again arisen  with the january transfer window approaching. he raised doubts about his reds future when he said he wanted the club to prove they were title challengers in the very near future or he might leave. liverpool boss rafael benitez has insisted that gerrard has promised him he wants to stay at anfield. benitez said:  i said to steven that i was sure he wanted to stay here and he said  i do .   i then said to him  look  if you want to win titles  you want medals and you want liverpool to have these things then i am going to need your help .  i really think he wants to stay so now what we must do is make the squad stronger for him.  meanwhile  gerrard has urged the anfield board to sign real madrid striker fernando morientes in the january transfer window. morientes  28  has already expressed a willingness to come to england. gerrard added:  he s a great player. he scores goals in the league  in cup competitions and also in the champions league.  i don t think he d be able to play for us in europe this season but if we are able to get hold of him  we d be getting ourselves a great player.   he d have spanish coaches  a spanish manager and we have got three or four spanish players here now so they ll help him settle in.  rafael benitez knows what he wants and he knows how to strengthen the squad he s got and if the right players become available at the right price i am sure we will strengthen.  it would certainly be nice to see a few new faces in january to freshen things up.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "us airways staff agree to pay cut a union representing 5 200 flight attendants at bankrupt us airways have agreed to a new contract that cuts pay by nearly 10%.  the deal will help the carrier  trying to survive by cutting costs by nearly $1bn (\u00a3530m) a year  save about $94m. more than two thirds of its 28 000 staff have now accepted wage cuts. but talks are still continuing with a union representing mechanics  baggage handlers and cleaners  which has so far failed to negotiate a new contract. the seventh largest carrier in the us sought bankruptcy protection for a second time in two years last september. it had been one of the quickest to deal with difficulties faced by the aviation industry after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. but it emerged from chapter 11 bankruptcy in march 2003 to face competition from low-cost carriers and higher fuel costs. us airways management has said it may need to start liquidating assets if it does not receive concessions from all staff by the middle of this month.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "roche  turns down federer offer  australian tennis coach tony roche has turned down an approach from roger federer to be the world number one s new full-time coach  say reports.  melbourne s herald-sun said roche  troubled by a hip complaint  did not want to travel full-time again. however  roche is happy to work with the swiss star on a casual basis and is helping him prepare for next month s defence of his australian open crown. federer has been without a coach since splitting with peter lundgren in 2003. roche  a former davis cup player for australia  won the french open  reached the wimbledon and us open finals and won five wimbledon doubles titles with john newcombe.  he also coached former number one ivan lendl and pat rafter to grand slam victories and has worked with australia s lleyton hewitt. some reports claim federer initially wanted andre agassi s australian coach darren cahill  before agassi confirmed he would play on in 2005. federer was named swiss sportsman of the year on saturday  to add to the bbc overseas sportsman and european sports journalists association awards he has already won.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "honda wins china copyright ruling japan s honda has won a copyright case in beijing  further evidence that china is taking a tougher line on protecting intellectual property rights.  a court ruled that chongqing lifan industry group must stop selling honda brand motorbikes and said it must pay 1.47m yuan ($177 600) in compensation. internationally recognized regulation is now a key part of china s plans for developing its economy  analysts said. beijing also has been threatened with sanctions if it fails to clamp down.  chinese firms copy products ranging from computer software and spark plugs to baby milk and compact discs. despite the fact that product piracy is a major problem  foreign companies have only occasionally won cases and the compensation awarded has usually been small. still  recent rulings and announcements will have boosted optimism that attitudes are changing. earlier this week china said that in future it will punish violators of intellectual property rights with up to seven years in jail. and on tuesday  paws incorporated - the owner of the rights to garfield the cat - won a court battle against a publishing house that violated its copyright. other firms that have taken legal action in china  with varying degrees of success  include yamaha  general motors and toyota.  the problem of piracy is not limited to china  however  and the potential for profit is huge. the european union estimates that the global trade in pirated wares is worth more than 200bn euros a year (\u00a3140bn; $258bn)  or about 5% of total world trade. and it is growing. between 1998 and 2002  the number of counterfeit or pirated goods intercepted at the eu s external borders increased by more than 800%  it said. last month the eu said it will start monitoring china  ukraine and russia to ensure they are going after pirated goods. other countries on the eu s hit list include thailand  brazil  south korea and indonesia. any countries that are not making enough of an effort could be dragged to the world trade organisation (wto)  a step that could trigger economic sanctions  the eu warned.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "us bank  loses  customer details the bank of america has revealed it has lost computer tapes containing account details of more than one million customers who are us federal employees.  several members of the us senate are among those affected  who could now be vulnerable to identity theft. senate sources say the missing tapes may have been stolen from a plane by baggage handlers. the bank gave no details of how the records disappeared  but said they had probably not been misused. customers  accounts were being monitoring and account holders would be notified if any  unusual activity  was detected  bank officials said.  bank of america said the tapes went missing in december while being shipped to a back-up data centre.  we  with federal law authorities  have done a very robust  thorough investigation on this and neither we nor they would make the statement lightly that we believe those tapes to be lost   alexandra tower  a spokeswoman for the north carolina-based bank  told time magazine. but although there was no evidence of criminal activity  the bank said  the secret service - a federal agency whose brief includes investigations of serious financial crime - is said to be looking into the loss. new york senator charles schumer said he was told by the senate rules committee that the tapes were probably stolen from a commercial plane.  whether it is identity theft  terrorism  or other theft  in this new complicated world baggage handlers should have background checks and more care should be taken for who is hired for these increasingly sensitive positions   the democrat senator said. details of his vermont colleague pat leahy s credit card account are among those missing  senator leahy s spokeswoman tracy schmaler said. about 900 000 military and civilian staff at the defence department are among the 1.2 million affected  according to a pentagon spokesman.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "man utd stroll to cup win wayne rooney made a winning return to everton as manchester united cruised into the fa cup quarter-finals.  rooney received a hostile reception  but goals in each half from quinton fortune and cristiano ronaldo silenced the jeers at goodison park. fortune headed home after 23 minutes before ronaldo scored when nigel martyn parried paul scholes  free-kick. marcus bent missed everton s best chance when roy carroll  who was later struck by a missile  saved at his feet.  rooney s return was always going to be a potential flashpoint  and he was involved in an angry exchange with a spectator even before kick-off. and rooney s every touch was met with a deafening chorus of jeers from the crowd that once idolised the 19-year-old. everton started brightly and fortune needed to be alert to scramble away a header from bent near the goal-line. but that was the cue for united to take complete control with a supreme passing display on a goodison park pitch that was cutting up. fortune gave united the lead after 23 minutes  rising to meet ronaldo s cross from eight yards after the portuguese youngster had been allowed too much time and space by the hapless gary naysmith. united dominated without creating too many clear-cut chances  and they almost paid the price for not making the most of their domination two minutes before half-time. mikel arteta played a superb ball into the area but bent  played onside by gabriel heintze  hesitated and carroll plunged at his fee to save. united almost doubled their lead after 48 minutes when ronaldo s low drive from 25 yards took a deflection off tony hibbert  but martyn dived to save brilliantly. and martyn came to everton s rescue three minutes later when rooney s big moment almost arrived as he raced clean through  but once again the veteran keeper was in outstanding form. but there was nothing martyn could do when united doubled their lead after 57 minutes as they doubled their advantage. scholes  free-kick took a deflection  and martyn could only parry the ball out for ronaldo  who reacted first to score easily. everton s problems worsened when james mcfadden limped off with an injury. and there may be further trouble ahead for everton after goalkeeper carroll required treatment after he was struck on the head by a missile thrown from behind the goal. rooney s desperate search for a goal on his return to everton was halted again by martyn in injury-time when he outpaced stubbs  but once again martyn denied the england striker.  - manchester united coach sir alex ferguson:  it was a fantastic performance by us. in fairness i think everton have missed a couple of players and got some young players out.  the boy ronaldo is a fantastic player. he s persistent and never gives in.  i don t know how many fouls he had he gets up and wants the ball again  he s truly a fabulous player.  everton: martyn  hibbert  yobo  stubbs  naysmith  osman  carsley  arteta  kilbane  mcfadden  bent. subs: wright  pistone  weir  plessis  vaughan. manchester united: carroll  gary neville  brown  ferdinand  heinze  ronaldo  phil neville  keane  scholes  fortune  rooney. subs: howard  giggs  smith  miller  spector. referee: r styles (hampshire)", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "gurkhas to help tsunami victims britain has offered to send a company of 120 gurkhas to assist with the tsunami relief effort in indonesia  downing street said.  the deployment would involve troops from the 2nd battalion royal gurkha rifles  based in brunei. discussions have begun with indonesia on the exact timing and location of the deployment  but the government said the offer was aimed at the aceh province. downing st said a similar offer might be made to the sri lankan government.  however a spokesman pointed out that there were particular logistical difficulties in indonesia which the gurkhas might be able to help with. the spokesman said:  following this morning s daily coordination meeting on the post-tsunami relief effort  the government has formally offered the indonesian government the assistance of a company of british army gurkhas from 2nd battalion royal gurkha rifles around 120 personnel and two helicopters.  this is in addition to the ships and aircraft we have already committed to the relief operation in the indian ocean.   indonesia was by far the country worst affected by the tsunami  with 94 000 of the 140 000 confirmed deaths so far. international development minister gareth thomas said the assistance offer would most likely focus on the northern province of aceh.  we have offered the gurkhas to help in the process of scaling up the relief effort  particularly in aceh which is undoubtedly the hardest hit area in the indian ocean at the moment   he said.  we ve also had raf aircraft flying in equipment which the un desperately need in order to set up a truly effective relief operation on the ground in aceh province as well.  the offer comes as the foreign secretary jack straw arrives in indonesia for a special summit meeting on the disaster.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "johnson uncertain about euro bid jade johnson is undecided about whether to contest next month s european indoor championships in madrid despite winning the aaas long jump title on saturday.  the 24-year-old delivered a personal best of 6.50m to win the european trials but had to wait until her final jump after four failures.  i don t want to go if i am not going to get a medal   said johnson.  i will have to see how i am jumping in the next competition and i ll have to have a conversation with my coach.  johnson  who finished seventh in last year s olympic games  has not competed indoors since 2000. and the commonwealth and european silver medallist believes her lack of experience in the early part of the season has knocked her confidence.  it s the stress   said johnson.  i am not used to feeling this  this early. i am just used to training.  but if i m doing this kind of thing  then i will have to see how it goes.  johnson next competes in the high-class birmingham grand prix on 18 february.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "top gig award for scissor sisters new york band scissor sisters have won a gig of the year award for their performance at this year s v festival.  the award was voted for by listeners of virgin radio  which compiled a top 10 which was mostly dominated by newcomers on the music scene this year. the quirky disco-rock band beat the red hot chili peppers who came second for their hyde park performance in june. virgin radio dj pete mitchell said:  this year has seen an amazing array of talent come into the mainstream.  he added:  the scissor sisters are one of the most original  eccentric bands to come through and it s no surprise the british public are lapping up their performances.  newcomers keane came in third place for their august gig at the v festival  followed by maroon 5 and snow patrol.  music veterans the who and david bowie  both earned places on the list  at number eight and 10 respectively. at number seven was oxfam s make fair trade gig at london s hammersmith apollo in october  which featured performances by rem  razorlight and coldplay s chris martin. glasgow s franz ferdinand earned a place at number nine for their home-town performance in april. the annual survey was voted for by nearly 4 000 listeners.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "lords wrong on detainees - straw jack straw has attacked the decision by britain s highest court that detaining foreign terrorist suspects without trial breaks human rights laws.  the foreign secretary said the right to life was the  most important liberty  and the government had a duty to protect people from terrorism. law lords were  simply wrong  to imply the men were being held arbitrarily. new home secretary charles clarke vowed the nine men would remain in prison while the law was being reviewed.  the house of lords ruled by an eight to one majority in favour of appeals by the men - dealing a major blow to the government s anti-terror policy.  but mr straw denied it amounted to a  constitutional crisis . he said those held had a right of appeal to the special immigration appeal tribunal and the decision to hold the suspects was upheld by that court.  the law lords are simply wrong to imply that this is a decision to detain these people on the whim or the certificate of the home secretary   he told bbc radio 4 s today programme. the foreign secretary insisted it was for parliament  and not judges  to decide how best britain could be defended against the threat of terrorism. but liberal democrat peer lord carlile  the government s independent reviewer of anti-terrorism laws  said it was possible some of the detainees could now be released. he said the law lords  ruling was an  embarrassment  for the government and major changes were needed to the law.  the ruling came on charles clarke s first day as home secretary following david blunkett s resignation. in a statement to mps  mr clarke said:  i will be asking parliament to renew this legislation in the new year.   in the meantime  we will be studying the judgment carefully to see whether it is possible to modify our legislation to address the concerns raised by the house of lords.  the detainees took their case to the house of lords after the court of appeal backed the home office s powers to hold them without limit or charge. the government opted out of part of the european convention on human rights concerning the right to a fair trial in order to bring in anti-terrorism legislation in response to the 11 september attacks in the us. any foreign national suspected of links with terrorism can be detained or can opt to be deported. but those detained cannot be deported if this would mean persecution in their homeland. on thursday  lord bingham - a senior law lord - said the rules were incompatible with the european convention on human rights as they allowed detentions  in a way that discriminates on the ground of nationality or immigration status  by justifying detention without trial for foreign suspects  but not britons. lord nicholls of birkenhead  in his ruling  said:  indefinite imprisonment without charge or trial is anathema in any country which observes the rule of law.  in a statement  detainee  a  in woodhill prison said:  i hope now that the government will act upon this decision  scrap this illegal  law  and release me and the other internees to return to our families and loved ones.  the case was heard by a panel of nine law lords rather than the usual five because of the constitutional importance of the case. solicitor gareth pierce  who represents eight of the detainees  claimed the detention had driven four of the detainees to  madness   saying two were being held in broadmoor hospital.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "us budget deficit to reach $368bn the us budget deficit is set to hit a worse-than-expected $368bn (\u00a3197bn) this year  officials said on tuesday.  the cost of military operations still needs to be factored in  with analysts saying the deficit could end up a further $100bn in the red. past congressional budget office (cbo) forecasts said there would be a $348bn shortfall in the 2005 fiscal year. in recent months  the dollar has weakened amid market jitters about the size of the budget and trade deficits. in november  the gap between us exports and imports widened to more than $60bn  a record figure. the cbo says it envisages a further  orderly  decline in the greenback over the next two years as the twin deficit drives dollar investors away. but the non-partisan fiscal watchdog notes the declines will help exporters and boost us economic growth.  the budget deficit hit a record $412bn in the 12 months to 30 september 2004  after reaching $377bn in the previous fiscal year. the cbo also forecast a total shortfall of $855bn for the years from 2006 to 2015  an improvement on previous projections. however  analysts say the new figures fail to take into account the potential $2-$3.8 trillion costs of the president s plan to revamp state pensions and extend tax cuts. the figure could also be worsened by any further military costs. republicans have blamed the size of the deficit on slow economic conditions after the 11 september attacks and ongoing military operations in iraq and afghanistan. one of president george w bush s election pledges was to halve the budget deficit within five years. but democrats have accused the president of excluding iraq-related costs from previous budgets to meet the aim of reducing the deficit  a charge which the administration denies. on tuesday  the us administration asked congress for additional funds for military operations.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "clarke plans migrant point scheme anyone planning to move to the uk will have to pass a test to prove they can contribute to the country  home secretary charles clarke has said.  he is proposing a points system similar to australia s but would avoid the quota system planned by the tories. mr clarke  who will unveil his plans on monday  said economic migration helped the uk but  needed proper policing . the lib dems say they will look at his plans  but tory liam fox said his party offered a  clear choice  on the issue. the conservative party co-chairman said the british electorate had a choice between a labour government that had  done nothing for eight years and will not set a limit  on immigration and a tory one that would impose quotas.  the home secretary said  by 2008  he wanted everyone given a visa and entering the uk to have their fingerprints taken  to  ensure we can know everybody who is in the country . speaking on bbc one s breakfast with frost  he said  economic migrants are of great value to this country   but stressed that proper policing was needed to ensure that they do not become a  burden on society . he said:  we will establish a system ... which looks at the skills  talents and abilities of people seeking to come and work in this country  and ensures that when they come here they have a job and can contribute to the economy of the country.   the home secretary  whose five-year blueprint for immigration and asylum is expected to be published on monday  also rejected claims that the immigration debate encouraged bigotry.  the issue of who does come into this country  and whether they are entitled to be in this country  who does settle here  how we have border controls  is a perfectly legitimate aspect of public debate   he said. liberal democrat home affairs spokesman mark oaten said:  whilst it is good that labour has rejected the tory idea of quotas on asylum  the jury is still out on the home office s ability to deliver a fair and efficient asylum system.   mr howard has said britain should take its fair share of the world s  genuine refugees . but he claims the current asylum system is being abused - and with it britain s generosity. trevor phillips  chairman of the commission for racial equality  called on mr clarke to denounce the suggestion britain s hospitality was being tested by immigration.  tell that to the 44 000 doctors in the nhs and the 70 000 nurses without whom we would really see what pressure on the health service means   he said.  ditto the teachers  from south africa  australia  jamaica  who are reducing the sizes of our classes and schools.  the refugee council said mr howard s proposals would mean there would be no safe haven in the uk.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "farrell due to make us tv debut actor colin farrell is to make his debut on us television in medical sitcom scrubs  according to hollywood newspaper daily variety.  the film star  who recently played the title role in historical blockbuster alexander  will make a cameo appearance as an unruly irishman. the episode featuring the 28-year-old will be screened on 25 january. farrell s appearance is said to be a result of his friendship with zach braff  who stars in the programme. it will be the actor s first appearance on the small screen since he appeared in bbc series ballykissangel in 1999. the gentle sunday night drama came to an end in 2001.  he has since become one of hollywood s fastest-rising stars  with a string roles in major league films such as minority report  phone booth and daredevil. farrell is pencilled in to play the role of crockett in a film version of 1980s police drama miami vice. scrubs  which appears on the nbc network in the us and has been shown on channel 4 on british television  is an off-beat comedy about a group of hospital doctors. other film stars to have appeared in scrubs include heather graham  while friends actor matthew perry has guest-starred and directed an episode of the show. its leading star  zach braff  has recently been seen on the big screen in garden state  which he also directed.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "berlin cheers for anti-nazi film a german movie about an anti-nazi resistance heroine has drawn loud applause at berlin film festival.  sophie scholl - the final days portrays the final days of the member of the white rose movement. scholl  21  was arrested and beheaded with her brother  hans  in 1943 for distributing leaflets condemning the  abhorrent tyranny  of adolf hitler. director marc rothemund said:  i have a feeling of responsibility to keep the legacy of the scholls going.   we must somehow keep their ideas alive   he added.  the film drew on transcripts of gestapo interrogations and scholl s trial preserved in the archive of communist east germany s secret police. their discovery was the inspiration behind the film for rothemund  who worked closely with surviving relatives  including one of scholl s sisters  to ensure historical accuracy on the film. scholl and other members of the white rose resistance group first started distributing anti-nazi leaflets in the summer of 1942. they were arrested as they dropped leaflets at munich university calling for a  day of reckoning  with adolf hitler s regime. the film focuses on the six days from scholl s arrest to the intense trial which saw scholl initially deny the charges and ended with a defiant appearance. it is one of three german films vying for a top prize at the festival.  a south african film version of bizet s tragic opera carmen shot in cape town in the xhosa language has also premiered at the berlin festival. the film is entitled u-carmen ekhayelitsha or carmen in khayelitsha after the township in which the story is set. it is performed by a 40-strong music and theatre troupe in their debut film performance. the film is the first south african feature in 25 years and only the second to be nominated for a golden bear award.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "film row over pirates  cannibals  plans to portray dominica s carib indians as cannibals in the sequel to hit film pirates of the caribbean have been criticised by the group s chief.  carib chief charles williams said talks with disney s producers revealed there was  a strong element of cannibalism in the script which cannot be removed . the caribbean island s government said disney planned to film in dominica. the caribs have long denied their ancestors practised cannibalism. disney was unavailable for comment.  our ancestors stood up against early european conquerors and because they stood up...we were labelled savages and cannibals up to today   said mr williams.   this cannot be perpetuated in movies.  shooting on the sequel is expected to begin in april  with hundreds of dominicans applying to be extras in the movie.  about 3 000 caribs live on the island of dominica  which has a population of 70 000. many caribs were killed by disease and war during colonisation up to the 1600s. mr williams said he had received support from indigenous groups around the world in his efforts to have cannibalism references removed from the film. but he admitted there were some members of the carib council who did not support the campaign. he said some did not  understand our history  they are weak and are not committed to the cause of the carib people . the first pirates of the caribbean film took $305m (\u00a3162m) at the box office in the us alone. the cast and crew are to work on two sequels back-to-back  with the first to be released in 2006.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "da vinci code is  lousy history  the plot of an international bestseller that thousands of readers are likely to receive as a christmas present is  laughable   a clergyman has said.  the da vinci code claims jesus was not crucified  but married mary magdalene and died a normal death. it claims this was later covered up by the church. the bishop of durham  the rt rev dr tom wright  described the novel as a  great thriller  but  lousy history . the book has sold more than seven million copies worldwide. despite enjoying dan brown s conspiracy theory  the bishop said there was a lack of evidence to back up its claims.  writing his christmas message in the northern echo  the bishop said:  conspiracy theories are always fun - fun to invent  fun to read  fun to fantasise about.  dan brown is the best writer i ve come across in the genre  but anyone who knows anything about 1st century history will see that this underlying material is laughable.  a great deal of credible evidence proves the biblical version of jesus  life was true  according to the bishop.  the evidence for jesus and the origins of christianity is astonishingly good   he said.  we have literally a hundred times more early manuscripts for the gospels and letters in the new testament than we have for the main classical authors like cicero  virgil and tacitus.   historical research shows that they present a coherent and thoroughly credible picture of jesus  with all sorts of incidental details that fit the time when he lived  and don t fit the world of later legend.  brown s book has become a publishing phenomenon  consistently topping book charts in the uk and us. the da vinci code has been translated into 42 languages and has spawned its own cottage industry of publications  including guides on to how to read the book  rebuttals and counter claims. the book  which has become an international best-seller in little over two years  is set to be made into a film starring tom hanks.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "wilkinson to lead england fly-half jonny wilkinson has been named as england s new rugby union captain for the three november tests.  the 25-year-old newcastle star takes over from lawrence dallaglio  who retired from internationals in august. england s acting head coach andy robinson said:  he is a natural leader  holds the respect of the squad and is a formidable talent on the pitch.  and he consistently demonstrates the energy and commitment i feel is essential to be captain of england.  robinson added:  there are several players in the squad i would feel comfortable in calling upon to be england captain but for me jonny is in every way the right player to take on this challenge.  captaincy offers a challenging environment for any player  especially following in the footsteps of lawrence dallaglio and before him the world cup captain  martin johnson.   but i am confident jonny has what it takes to do an outstanding job as we look ahead towards the next rugby world cup in france and i look forward to working with him.  wilkinson  who has scored 817 points in 52 internationals  kicked the winning drop-goal in the final seconds of extra-time in england s 2003 rugby world cup triumph against australia. but he then missed the entire 2004 six nations campaign while recuperating from shoulder surgery  before making his comeback for newcastle in the zurich premiership in august.  it s the ambition of so many players to one day be captain of england and today i have realised a dream   he said.  i m honoured andy wants me to be his captain  and to follow lawrence and martin means a lot to me as they are inspirational men who have given so much to england rugby over many years.   getting my first england cap against ireland six years ago was something i ll never forget because to play for your country is very special. taking on the captaincy is another important step in my career and i do so with immense pride.  wilkinson made his international debut in the 1998 six nations championship against ireland when he came off the bench to replace paul grayson.  he has been a regular in the england starting line-up ever since  played in all three lions tests in 2001 and all but one of england s games in the 2003 world cup. he becomes the 117th captain of england since fred stokes held the position in 1871. england s first autumn test is against canada on 13 november  followed by the visit of tri-nations champions south africa a week later and then a world cup re-match with australia.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "french wine gets 70m euro top-up the french government is to hand its struggling wine industry 70m euros ($91m) in aid to help it battle falling sales and damaging overproduction.  the financial package is aimed at assisting vintners in financial trouble and improving how its wine is marketed. the french wine industry  the world s second largest  has been hit by declining consumption at home and the growing popularity of new world wines. wine makers  however  claimed the support did not go far enough. the package was announced by agriculture minister dominique bussereau after talks with vintners  representatives.  the bulk of the money - about 40m euros - will be offered in the form of preferential loans to heavily indebted producers to enable them to reschedule their payments. a further 15m euros will be made available to wine cooperatives  which make up the majority of french producers  in low interest loans. efforts to promote french wine abroad are to be boosted by an extra 3.5m euros in funding. france fell behind the  new world  producers of australia  chile and the united states for the first time in 2003 in terms of exports.  domestic consumption  accounting for 70% of sales  has suffered from strict restrictions on advertising and tough drink-driving laws.  the aid package would  create a positive climate around french viticulture   mr bussereau said. however  wine makers and farmers said the support was much less than they had been hoping for.  i am afraid the resources are not up to the ambitions   jean-michel lemetayer  from the fnsea agricultural union  told the associated press news agency. in an effort to tackle overcapacity  the government will agree that vines can be destroyed in areas where growers give their unanimous consent  while 500 vintners will be helped to take early retirement. the government will also seek european union approval to distil about 250 million litres of excess wine into alcohol  with vintners receiving compensation. production is currently outstripping demand by about 30%. the support is designed to make french producers more competitive in the face of increasing global consolidation across the wine industry. wine makers in france s best-known regions  such as burgundy  have found it hard to invest in new technology and to create recognisable brands to appeal to overseas buyers.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "argonaut founder rebuilds empire jez san  the man behind the argonaut games group which went into administration a week ago  has bought back most of the company.  the veteran games developer has taken over the cambridge-based just add monsters studios and the london subsidiary morpheme. the argonaut group went into administration due to a severe cash crisis  firing about half of its staff. in august it had warned of annual losses of \u00a36m for the year to 31 july.  jez san is one of the key figures in the uk s games industry. the developer  who received an obe in 2002  was estimated to have been worth more than \u00a3200m at the peak of the dotcom boom.  he founded argonaut in 1982 and has been behind titles such as 1993 starfox game. more recently it was behind the harry potter games for the playstation. but  like all software developers  argonaut needed a constant flow of deals with publishers. in august it warned of annual losses of \u00a36m  blaming delays in signing new contracts and tough conditions in the software industry. the group s three subsidiaries were placed in administration a week ago  with mr sans resigning as the company s ceo and some 100 staff being fired. after the latest round of cuts  there were 80 workers at argonaut headquarters in edgware in north london  with 17 at its morpheme offices in kentish town  london  and 22 at the just add monsters base in cambridge. mr san has re-emerged  buying back morpheme and just add monsters.  we are pleased to announce the sale of these two businesses as going concerns   said david rubin of administrators david rubin & partners.  this has saved over 40 jobs as well as the substantial employment claims that would have arisen had the sales not been achieved.  mr rubin said the administrators were in talks over the sale of the argonaut software division in edgware and were hopeful of finding a buyer.  this is a very difficult time for all the employees there  but i salute their commitment to the business while we work towards a solution   he said. some former employees are angry at the way cash crisis was handled. one told bbc news online that the staff who had been fired had been  financially ruined in the space of a day .", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "half-life 2 sweeps bafta awards pc first person shooter half-life 2 has won six bafta awards  including best game and best online game.  the title  developed by valve  was released last year to universal acclaim - receiving special praise for its immersive plot and physics engine. the game also won baftas for best action adventure  best pc game  art direction and animation. burnout 3 won three awards in the categories for racing  technical direction and best playstation 2 game. grant dean  chairman of the bafta games awards  said at a ceremony in london on tuesday:  the last year has been a great year for the interactive entertainment industry.   these awards reflect the enormous achievements  progress and diversity that we have seen in that time.  halo 2 won the best xbox game category  while prince of persia: warrior within was adjudged the best gamecube title. the sports award went to konami s pro evolution soccer 4. bafta said the  significant feature  of this year s awards was the number of  non-traditional games . the originality award was won by playstation 2 title singstar while the children s award went to gamecube bongo rhythm game donkey konga. the handheld award went to colin mcrae rally 2005 while the mobile category was won by blue tooth byplanes. the audio award was won by call of duty: finest hour and hitman: contracts won the music award.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "xbox power cable  fire fear  microsoft has said it will replace more than 14 million power cables for its xbox consoles due to safety concerns.  the company said the move was a  preventative step  after reports of fire hazard problems with the cables. it affects xboxes made before 23 october 2003 for all regions but mainland europe - and consoles in that region made before 13 january 2004. microsoft said it had received 30 reports of minor injury or property damage due to faulty cables. the firm said fewer than one in 10 000 consoles had experienced component failures. the recall affects almost three quarters of all xboxes sold around the world since its launch in 2001.  in a statement  it added:  in almost all instances  any damage caused by these failures was contained within the console itself or limited to the tip of the power cord at the back of the console.  but in seven cases  customers reported sustaining a minor burn to their hand. in 23 cases  customers reported smoke damage  or minor damage to a carpet or entertainment centre.  this is a preventative step we re choosing to take despite the rarity of these incidents   said robbie bach  senior vice president  microsoft home and entertainment division.  we regret the inconvenience  but believe offering consumers a free replacement cord is the responsible thing to do.  consumers can order a new cable from the xbox website or by telephoning 0800 028 9276 in the uk. microsoft said customers would get replacement cords within two to four weeks from the time of order. it advised users to turn off their xboxes when not in use. a follow-up to xbox is expected to released at the end of this year or the beginning of 2006.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "prop jones ready for hard graft adam jones says the wales forwards are determined to set the perfect attacking platform for the backs by dominating the powerful france pack in paris.  the prop said:  if we get stuffed in the front five our backs have had it.  the mentality of the french is  scrum  scrum  scrum . we will see how good france are and the scrum is the key.  i just hope [the backs] carry on where they left off against italy. it s just up to us in the forwards to win the ball and give them the opportunity.  wales have won two of their last three visits to stade de france  having secured back-to-back wins under graham henry in 1999 and 2001. and with the likes of shane williams and gavin henson finding top form at the right time  mike ruddock s team is now one of international rugby s most potent attacking threats.  gavin is ridiculously talented. he has been bouncing around the place this week  so he is up for it   warned jones.  france have been criticised for their uncharacteristic one-dimensional play in their victories over scotland and france. captain fabien pelous has acknowledged his side needs to show more attacking flair  but stressed the game with be won or lost up front. the lock believes the welsh forwards are not big enough to trouble his side in the scrum or line-out  but jones insisted his fellow front-row colleagues have nothing to fear.   gethin [jenkins] won t be intimidated tomorrow  none of us will   said jones  who will be facing france for the first time.  we will go out there and front up and hopefully get the ball out to the backs.  me and gethin are quite young so it is good to have someone of mefin s experience in there.  mefin is a good thinker who puts things across. but what is the saying  if you are good enough you are old enough and gethin certainly is.  he is a really good player and i imagine he will be on the lions tour [to new zealand this summer].", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "navratilova hits out at critics martina navratilova has defended her decision to prolong her tennis career at the age of 48.  navratilova  who made a comeback after retiring in 1994  will play doubles and mixed doubles events in 2005.  women s tennis is really strong   she said  dismissing suggestions that the fact she could still win reflected badly on the women s game.  all i can say is i m that damn good. i m sorry but i really have to blow my own horn here. i m still that good.  navratilova has won three grand slam mixed doubles titles since she came out of retirement. and she was so encouraged by her form that she decided to resume playing singles  winning two of her seven matches. she was knocked out in the first round of the french open but reached the second round at wimbledon. navratilova will partner nathalie dechy in the doubles event at the uncle toby s hardcourts tournament on australia s gold coast  which begins on sunday. she will then link up with daniela hantuchova for the australian open doubles  and play in the mixed doubles with leander paes.  i might be playing some singles events this season  depending on the surface   she added.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "federer forced to dig deep top seed roger federer had to save two match points before squeezing past juan carlos ferrero at the dubai open.  the world number one took two hours 15 minutes to earn his 4-6 6-3 7-6 victory  saving match points at 6-4 in the tiebreak before claiming it 8-6. federer made a number of unforced errors early on  allowing ferrero to take advantage and claim the first set. but the swiss star hit back to reach the quarter-finals  where he will face seventh seed russian mikhail youzhny. the russian beat germany s rainer schuettler 7-5 6-4. federer was not unduly worried despite being taken to three sets for the third consecutive match. the world number one was forced to go the distance against ivan ljubicic in the rotterdam final and against ivo minar in the first round in dubai.  i definitely had a slow start again and to come back every time is quite an effort   he said.  i haven t been playing well  but i ve been coming through. i m winning the crucial points and that shows i m on top of my game when i have to be.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "tough schedule delays elliot show preview performances of the \u00a33m musical billy elliot have been delayed to give the child actors a less arduous rehearsal schedule.  director stephen daldry made the decision to re-schedule the previews to protect the young stars. three boys will rotate the demanding role of ballet dancer billy  which requires them to sing  dance and act. the show s opening night on 12 may at the victoria palace theatre in london remains unaffected by the changes. preview performances will now be held on 14  20 and 27 april.  this is one of the most ambitious projects i have been involved with   said daldry.  the decision has been made to push back our preview performances in order to give our company  with a cast including 45 children  a little extra time so they are as fully prepared as possible.   he added:  the young billy elliots in particular  making their professional stage debuts in the west end  will benefit from a little extra time to familiarise themselves with all aspects of the production.   the three boys playing billy are james lomas  15  george maguire  14  and liam mower  12. the other major child parts will also be rotated between young actors. such are the demands of the show that producers set up a stage school in newcastle to train potential stars for the show. child labour laws also mean the young actors can only work for a limited period each week. adult actors in the show include tim healy as billy s father and haydn gwnne as his dance teacher mrs wilkinson. sir elton john has composed the music. daldry directed the successful film version of billy elliot  adapted from lee hall s script. both were nominated for oscars  alongside julie walters  who played billy s teacher.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "when technology gets personal in 2020  whipping out your mobile phone to make a call will be quaintly passé. by then phones will be printed directly on to wrists  or other parts of the body  says ian pearson  bt s resident futurologist.  it s all part of what s known as a  pervasive ambient world   where  chips are everywhere . mr pearson does not have a crystal ball. his job is to formulate ideas based on what science and technology are doing now  to guide industries into the future. inanimate objects will start to interact with us: we will be surrounded - on streets  in homes  in appliances  on our bodies and possibly in our heads - by things that  think . forget local area networks - these will be body area networks. ideas about just how smart  small  or even invisible  technology will get are always floating around. images of devices clumsily bolted on to heads or wrists have pervaded thinking about future technology. but now a new vision is surfacing  where smart fabrics and textiles will be exploited to enhance functionality  form  or aesthetics. such materials are already starting to change how gadgets and electronics are used and designed.  so mp3 players - the mass gadget of the moment - will disappear and instead become integrated into one s clothing  says mr pearson.  so the gadgets that fill up your handbag  when we integrate those into fabric  we can actually get rid of all that stuff. you won t necessarily see the electronics.  wearable technology could exploit body heat to charge it up  while  video tattoos   or intelligent electronic contact lenses  might function as tv screens for those on the move. however  this future of highly personal devices  where technology is worn  or even fuses with the body itself  raises ethical questions. if technology is going to be increasingly part of clothing  jewellery  and skin  there needs to be some serious thinking about what it means for us as humans  says baroness susan greenfield. at a recent conference for technology  engineering  academic and fashion industry experts  at the royal society in london  neuroscientist baroness greenfield cautioned we  can t just sleepwalk into the future .  yet this technology is already upon us. researchers have developed computers and sensors worn in clothing. mp3 jackets  based on the idea that electrically conductive fabric can connect to keyboard sewn into sleeves  have already appeared in shops.  these  smart fabrics  have come about through advances in nano- and micro-engineering - the ability to manipulate and exploit materials at micro or molecular scale. at the nanoscale  materials can be  tuned  to display unusual properties that can be exploited to build faster  lighter  stronger and more efficient devices and systems. the textile and clothing industry has been one of the first to exploit nanotechnology in quite straightforward ways. many developments are appearing in real products in the fields of medicine  defence  healthcare  sports  and communications. professional swimming suits reduce drag by incorporating tiny structures similar to shark skin. nanoscale titanium dioxide (tio2) coatings give fabrics antibacterial and anti-odour properties. these have special properties which can be activated in contact with the air or uv light. such coatings have already been used to stop socks smelling for instance  to turn airline seats into super stain-resistant surfaces  and applied to windows so they clean themselves. dressings for wounds can now incorporate nanoparticles with biocidal properties and smart patches are being developed to deliver drugs through the skin. but baroness greenfield is concerned about how far this more personal contact with technology might affect our very being. if our clothing  skin  and  personal body networks  do the talking and the monitoring  everywhere we go  we have to think about what that means for our concept of privacy. mr pearson picks up the theme  pointing out there are a lot of issues humans have to iron out before we become  cyborgian . his main concern is  privacy .  we are looking at electronics which are really in deep contact with your body and a lot of that information you really don t want every passer-by to know.  so we have to make sure we build security in this. if you are wearing smart make-up  where electronics are controlling the appearance  you don t want people hacking in and writing messages on your forehead.  as technology infiltrates our biology  how will our brains function differently   we cannot arrogantly assume that the human brain will not change with this   warns baroness greenfield. there have already been successful experiments to grow human nerve cells on circuit boards. this paves the way for brain implants to help paralysed people interface directly with computers. clearly  the organic  carbon of our bodies and silicon is increasingly merging. the cyborg - a very familiar part-human  part-inorganic science fiction and academic idea - is on its way.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "high fuel costs hit us airlines two of the largest airlines in the us - american and southwest - have blamed record fuel prices for their disappointing quarterly results.  american airlines  parent amr reported a loss of $387m (\u00a3206m) for the fourth quarter of 2004  against a $111m loss for the same period a year earlier. meanwhile  southwest airlines saw its fourth-quarter 2004 profits fall 15% to $56m  against $66m a year earlier. both said high fuel bills would continue to pressure revenues in 2005. american  the world s biggest airline by some measures  said it expected to report a loss for the first quarter of 2005. southwest  which has the highest market value of any us carrier  said it would remain profitable despite high fuel prices.  amr s shares were flat in wednesday morning trading on the new york stock exchange  as the results were slightly better than analysts had anticipated. amr s chief executive gerard arpey said the airline s difficulties reflected the situation within the industry.  amr s results for the fourth quarter of 2004 reflect the economic woes that plagued the airline industry throughout 2004 - in particular  high fuel prices and a tough revenue environment   he said. for the full year  amr posted a loss of $761m  lower than 2003 s $1.2bn loss and an indication that the airline has successfully cut costs. amr added that as part of its cost cutting measures  it is postponing the delivery of 54 boeing jets. shares in southwest fell 65 cents to $14.35 as analysts voiced their disappointment.  the results came in below our already conservative estimate for the quarter   said ray neidl  an analyst at calyon securities. both american and southwest have been squeezed by cut-throat competition in the us airline industry  as a glut of available seats has led to fierce price reductions.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "uk economy ends year with spurt the uk economy grew by an estimated 3.1% in 2004 after accelerating in the last quarter of the year  says the office for national statistics (ons).  the figure is in line with treasury and bank of england forecasts. the ons says gross domestic product (gdp) rose by a strong 0.7% in the three months to 31 december  compared with 0.5% in the previous quarter. the rise came despite a further decline in production output and the worst christmas for retailers in decades.  the annual figure marked out the best year since 2000  and was also well ahead of the 2.2% recorded in 2003. growth in the final three months of 2004 marked the 50th consecutive quarter of expansion.  on the basis of the latest information the uk has entered 2005 on course to continue its record period of growth   said paul boateng  chief secretary to the treasury in a statement.  the ons said the services sector  which accounts for nearly three-quarters of the uk economy  grew 1.0% in the quarter. the strong services figure was welcomed by analysts  given lacklustre retail sales in december and across the christmas holiday period.  the fact that other services components are doing so well suggests to me that we are back to trend (growth) and i am not particularly concerned about any further slowdown   said ross walker  uk economist at rbs financial markets.  however  output in the production sector contracted 0.5%  the second quarterly fall in row and a state of affairs that some economists classify as a recession. however the ons would not comment on the definition of a recession and whether the manufacturing recovery was over. but steve radley  chief economist at the manufacturers  organisation eef  said:  these figures remain at odds with what is actually happening on the ground.  whilst companies may be experiencing tougher conditions this year   recession  is not a word that manufacturers would currently recognise.  the ons said a sharp fall in mining and quarrying  which was driven by oil and gas extraction  was primarily responsible for the overall contraction in manufacturing production figures.  simon rubinsohn  chief economist at gerrard  said:  this outturn (of 0.7%) was well ahead of the market expectations and cast doubt on the scare stories doing the rounds surrounding the current state of the uk economy.  and he said the gdp figures may help to  push interest rate expectations a little higher along the curve .  the suggestion from the money markets is that the next move is now more likely to be in an upward rather than a downward direction. this is consistent with our own thinking   said mr rubinsohn. the bank of england s nine-strong rate-setting committee voted unanimously earlier this month to keep interest rates steady at 4.75%  minutes of the meeting showed on wednesday.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "eastenders  is set for us remake  plans to create a us soap based on the bbc s eastenders have reportedly been drawn up by the fox tv network.  eastenders  head writer tony jordan and music mogul simon fuller are involved in the project  according to reports in the hollywood reporter trade newspaper. it said scripts have been commissioned for a series about a community of working class people in of chicago. the original eastenders was pulled from bbc america last year after it proved a failure in the ratings. us versions of other british hits have proved less successful across the atlantic.  bbc comedy coupling was remade with a us cast  but lost its primetime slot on the nbc network due to disappointing ratings. at home  eastenders has been facing its own ratings battle  recently losing out to rival itv soap emmer dale. primetime soaps on us television have made a recent comeback  following the success of abc serial desperate housewives. the series takes a  darkly comedic  look at the goings-on of a group of characters living in the suburbs.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "card fraudsters  targeting web  new safeguards on credit and debit card payments in shops has led fraudsters to focus on internet and phone payments  an anti-fraud agency has said.  anti-fraud consultancy retail decisions says  card-not-present  fraud  where goods are paid for online or by phone  has risen since the start of 2005. the introduction of  chip and pin  cards has tightened security for transactions on the high street. but the clampdown has caused fraudsters to change tack  retail decisions said.  the introduction of chip and pin cards aimed to cut down on credit card fraud in stores by asking shoppers to verify their identity with a confidential personal pin number  instead of a signature. retail decisions chief executive carl clump told the bbc that there was  no doubt  that chip and pin would  reduce card fraud in the card-present environment .  however  it is important to monitor what happens in the card-not-present environment as fraudsters will turn their attention to the internet  mail order  telephone order and interactive tv   he said.  we have seen a 22% uplift in card-not-present fraud here in the uk... since the start of the year.  fraud doesn t just disappear  it mutates to the next weakest link in the chain   he said.  retail decisions  survey on the implementation of chip and pin found that shoppers had adapted easily to the new system  but that banks  performance in distributing the new cards had been patchy  at best.  the main issue is that not everyone has the pins they need   said mr clump. nearly two thirds - 65% - of the 1 000 people interviewed said they had used chip and pin to make payments. of these  83% were happy with the experience  though nearly a quarter said they struggled to remember their pin number. however  only 34% said they had received replacement cards with the necessary  chip  technology from all their card providers. furthermore  16% said that none of their cards had been replaced  while 30% said only some had. uk shoppers spent \u00a35.3bn on plastic cards in 2003  the last full year for which figures are available from the association of payment clearing services (apacs). altogether  card scams on uk-issued cards totalled \u00a3402.4m in 2003. card-not-present fraud rose an annual 6% to \u00a3116.4m  making it the biggest category even then. within this  internet fraud totalled \u00a343m  apacs  figures show.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "s korean consumers spending again south korea looks set to sustain its revival thanks to renewed private consumption  its central bank says.  the country s economy has suffered from an overhang of personal debt after its consumers  credit card spending spree. card use fell sharply last year  but is now picking up again with a rise in spending of 14.8% year-on-year.  the economy is now heading upward rather than downward   said central bank governor park seung.  the worst seems to have passed.  mr park s statement came as the bank decided to keep interest rates at an all-time low of 3.25%. it had cut rates in november to help revive the economy  but rising inflation - reaching 0.7% month-on-month in january - has stopped it from cutting further. economic growth in 2004 was about 4.7%  with the central bank predicting 4% growth this year. other indicators are also suggesting that the country is inching back towards economic health. exports - traditionally the driver for expansion in asian economies - grew slower in january than at any time in 17 months. but domestic demand seems to be taking up the slack. consumer confidence has bounced back from a four-year low in january  and retail sales were up 2.1% in december. credit card debt is falling  with only one in 13 of the 48 million cards now in default - down from one in eight at the end of 2003. one of its biggest card issuers  lg card  was rescued from collapse in december  having almost imploded under the weight of its customers  bad debts. the government last year tightened the rules for card lending to keep the card glut under control.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "bollywood draws global stars british actress antonia bernath is making her debut in kisna - the warrior poet  marking a growing trend for non-indian stars to appear in bollywood films.  directed by bollywood veteran subhash ghai  the film is set in the british raj and bernath plays an army general s daughter who falls in love with a rural boy  kisna.  i liked the fluid nature of film-making. we improvised quite a lot   says bernath.  at times it felt very chaotic but mr ghai was quite clear about what he wanted.  picked from more than 200 girls in an audition in london  bernath cut short her education at bristol s old vic theatre school to take up the opportunity. it is not often that somebody gets to play the lead role straight out of a drama school. she spent three weeks learning hindi and taking dance lessons.  initially  i was a bit sceptical about how people would respond to me   bernath says.  but i found the hindi film industry very warm and encouraging. i even had a few offers before the work on kisna was completed.   films are one of india s biggest exports and those like lagaan and monsoon wedding have broken the traditional boundaries of colour and culture. spurred by this  bollywood producers are trying to go global in all aspects of film-making  be it technical or artistic.  from young heart-throbs like nick moran of lock  stock and two smoking barrels to model sophie dahl  many non-indian stars want to make the most of this opportunity.  bollywood has truly gone global   says taran adarsh  editor of indian film journal trade guide.  directors are now attempting to woo non-asian audience to increase their share in the overseas film market.  kisna has been shot simultaneously in hindi and english  with the english print shortened by an hour to accommodate the western audience. the film even has a song composed in english by ar rahman  the director of the popular west end musical  bombay dreams.  identification is a popular cinematic device. use of european or american actors can be viewed as a step in that direction   says adarsh.  the cast of kisna also includes british actors michael maloney  caroline langrishe and polly adams.  another actress  annabelle wallace  plays the lead role in a bilingual romantic comedy dil jo bhi kahey (whatever the heart says)  which also stars indian screen legend amitabh bachchan. actor and producer aamir khan s forthcoming venture the rising is set against the backdrop of the indian mutiny of 1857  with british actor toby stephens in a key role. but it isn t only the western actors looking eastwards. bollywood sweetheart aishwarya rai  recently seen in bride and prejudice alongside new zealand actor martin henderson  is building her international career. and  many other bollywood stars have their eyes set on hollywood.  hollywood or bollywood  it s the box office that determines whether something is a passing phase or a trend   says adarsh.  kisna - the warrior poet opens in the uk on 21 january.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "downloads enter us singles chart digital music downloads are being included in the main us singles chart for the first time.  billboard s hot 100 chart now incorporates data from sales of music downloads  previously only assigned to a separate download chart. green day s boulevard of broken dreams is currently number two in billboard s pop chart  and tops its digital chart. download sales are due to be incorporated into the uk singles chart later this year.  digital sales in the us are already used to compile billboard s hot digital sales chart. they will now be tallied with sales of physical singles and airplay information to make up its new hot 100 chart. its second new chart - the pop 100 - also combines airplay  digital and physical sales but confines its airplay information to us radio stations which play chart music. in addition to green day  other artists in the current us digital sales top 10 include kelly clarkson  the game and the killers.  sales of legally downloaded songs shot up more than tenfold in 2004  with 200 million track purchased online in the us and europe in 12 months  the international federation of the phonographic industry (ifpi) reported last month. in the uk sales of song downloads overtook those for physical singles for the first time at the end of last year. the last week of december 2004 saw download sales of 312 000 compared with 282 000 physical singles  according to the british phonographic industry. the uk s first official music download chart was launched last september  compiling the most popular tracks downloaded from legal uk sites - including itunes  od2  mycokemusic.com and napster. westlife s flying without wings - a 1999 track reissued for the occasion - was the first number one of the uk download chart.  a spokesman for the british phonographic industry (bpi) said the first combined uk download and sales chart was due to be compiled  within the first half of this year .  work is going on across the music business right now to make sure the new chart works to plan   he said. the bpi spokesman described the uk music download chart  compiled by the official charts company  as having been  a great success  since its launch.  it has provided a focus for the industry and has really driven interest in downloads among music fans   he said.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "hamm bows out for us women s football legend mia hamm has played her final game.  hamm  32  who officially retired after this year s athens olympics  took to the field for the last time to help the us claim a 5-0 win over mexico. hamm ends her career as the most prolific scorer - male or female - in international football  with 158 goals in 276 games for the us. she was twice fifa women s player of the year and won the world cup in 1991 and 1999 and two olympic golds. on her retirement  hamm said:  there are mixed emotions. there are things in your life that you have had to put on the back-burner and you can focus more time and energy on that now.  i have to see what is out there and not commit to everything at the beginning.  the friendly also saw the end of julie foudy and joy fawcett s us careers. hamm will now embark on a new life with husband  chicago cubs shortstop nomar garciaparra  who was in the stands to watch her final game. he has just agreed a new deal with the cubs after joining them in july.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "venus stunned by farina elia venus williams suffered a first-round defeat for the first time in four years at the dubai championships.  sylvia farina elia  who had lost all nine of her previous meetings with the american fifth seed  won 7-5 7-6 (8-6). former wimbledon champion conchita martinez and india s sania mirza  the oldest and youngest players in the draw  also reached the second round. martinez  32  beat shinobu asagoe 6-4 6-4 and 18-year-old mirza beat jelena kostanic 6-7 (7-2) 6-4 6-1. mirza  the first indian woman to win a wta tour title this month on home ground at hyderabad  will now face us open champion svetlana kuznetsova.  but she is remaining confident.  she (kuznetsova) is a great player   she said.  but everyone is beatable and i am looking forward to a great match.  williams though blamed her defeat by farina elia on injuries.  blisters were a factor  but mostly my stomach wasn t that great   she said.  i did it in the last tournament in the semi-finals  and i was serving at 40% in the final.  the first time i served again was sunday and there wasn t a lot i could do out there. when your serve isn t good it throws the rest of your game off too.  she will wait to see how she recovers before deciding whether to take part in the nasdaq-100 open in miami  starting on 21 march.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "giant waves damage s asia economy governments  aid agencies  insurers and travel firms are among those counting the cost of the massive earthquake and waves that hammered southern asia.  the worst-hit areas are sri lanka  india  indonesia and thailand  with at least 23 000 people killed. early estimates from the world bank put the amount of aid needed at about $5bn (\u00a32.6bn)  similar to the cash offered central america after hurricane mitch. mitch killed about 10 000 people and caused damage of about $10bn in 1998. world bank spokesman damien milverton told the wall street journal that he expected an aid package of financing and debt relief.  tourism is a vital part of the economies of the stricken countries  providing jobs for 19 million people in the south east asian region  according to the world travel and tourism council (wttc). in the maldives islands  in the indian ocean  two-thirds of all jobs depend on tourism.  but the damage covers fishing  farming and businesses too  with hundreds of thousands of buildings and small boats destroyed by the waves. international agencies have pledged their support; most say it is impossible to gauge the extent of the damage yet. the international monetary fund (imf) has promised rapid action to help the governments of the stricken countries cope.   the imf stands ready to do its part to assist these nations with appropriate support in their time of need   said managing director rodrigo rato. only sri lanka and bangladesh currently receive imf support  while indonesia  the quake s epicentre  has recently graduated from imf assistance. it is up to governments to decide if they want imf help. other agencies  such as the asian development bank  have said that it is too early to comment on the amount of aid needed. there is no underestimating the size of the problem  however. the united nations  emergency relief coordinator  jan egeland  said that  this may be the worst national disaster in recent history because it is affecting so many heavily populated coastal areas... so many vulnerable communities.  many people will have [had] their livelihoods  their whole future destroyed in a few seconds.  he warned that  the longer term effects many be as devastating as the tidal wave or the tsunami itself  because of the risks of epidemics from polluted drinking water.  insurers are also struggling to assess the cost of the damage  but several big players believe the final bill is likely to be less than the $27bn cost of the hurricanes that battered the us earlier this year.   the region that s affected is very big so we have to check country-by-country what the situation is   said serge troeber  deputy head of the natural disasters department at swiss re  the world s second biggest reinsurance firm.  i should assume  however  that the overall dimension of insured damages is below the storm damages of the us   he said. munich re  the world s biggest reinsurer  said:  this is primarily a human tragedy. it is too early for us to state what our financial burden will be.  allianz has said it sees no significant impact on its profitability. however  a low insurance bill may simply reflect the general poverty of much of the region  rather than the level of economic devastation for those who live there.  the international federation of the red cross and red crescent societies told the reuters news agency that it was seeking $6.5m for emergency aid.   the biggest health challenges we face is the spread of waterborne diseases  particularly malaria and diarrhoea   the aid agency was quoted as saying. the european union has said it will deliver 3m euros (\u00a32.1m; $4.1m) of aid  according to the wall street journal. the eu s humanitarian aid commissioner  louis michel  was quoted as saying that it was key to bring aid  in those vital hours and days immediately after the disaster . other countries also are reported to have pledged cash  while the us state department said it was examining what aid was needed in the region. getting companies and business up and running also may play a vital role in helping communities recover from the weekend s events.  many of the worst-hit areas  such as sri lanka  thailand s phuket island and the maldives  are popular tourist resorts that are key to local economies.  december and january are two of the busiest months for the travel in southern asia and the damage will be even more keenly felt as the industry was only just beginning to emerge from a post 9/11 slump. growth has been rapid in southeast asia  with the world tourism organisation figures showing a 45% increase in tourist revenues in the region during the first 10 months of 2004. in southern asia that expansion is 23%.  india continues to post excellent results thanks to increased promotion and product development  but also to the upsurge in business travel driven by the rapid economic development of the country   the wto said.  arrivals to other destinations such as... maldives and sri lanka also thrived.  in thailand  tourism accounts for about 6% of the country s annual gross domestic product  or about $8bn. in singapore the figure is close to 5%. tourism also brings in much needed foreign currency. in the short-term  however  travel companies are cancelling flights and trips. that has hit shares across asia and europe  with investors saying that earnings and economic growth are likely to slow.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "eminem beats elvis to number one rapper eminem has denied elvis his fourth number one of the year  after his song  like toy soldiers  stormed to the top of the singles charts.  the track claimed the top spot ahead of the king s latest re-release  are you lonesome tonight. it is the fifth in a series of 18 reissues to mark the 70th anniversary of presley s birth. almost here  the duet from former westlife star brian mcfadden and delta goodrem  went in at number three.  like toy soldiers  from eminem s encore album  is sampled from martika s 1980s hit toy soldiers. it takes a swipe at hip-hop feuds and follows the success of just lose it. last week s number one  elvis s it s now or never  slipped 13 places to number 14  but all five of his re-released songs are in the top 40. one world project tsunami fundraiser  grief never grows old  slipped four places to number eight. featuring cliff richard and boy george  the song was written by former dj mike read. in the album charts  athlete s latest offering tourist claimed the top spot  toppling the chemical brother s push the button down  which fell to number six.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "krispy kreme shares hit shares in krispy kreme doughnuts have taken a dunking on wall street after the firm revealed it would have to restate its 2004 financial reports.  the company warned the move would cut its profits by $3.8m to $4.9m (\u00a32m to \u00a32.6m) - or between 6.6% and 8.6%. krispy kreme said accounting errors had forced the move  adding that its board of directors made the decision to restate its accounts on 28 december. however  the company was unavailable to comment on why it had delayed the news.  it also warned it might have to further restate results for 2004 and 2005.  shares in krispy kreme sank 14.87% - or $1.83 - to close at $10.48 on the news. the revelation comes just a month after the firm warned earnings would be cut by as much as 7.6% as a result of accounting errors. krispy kreme said the latest adjustments involved the way it accounted for the repurchase of three franchise restaurants. it added it would now be reviewing how it accounts for its leases. in a further blow  the firm said it had been advised that some of its franchise owners were not in compliance with their loan agreements  and warned it might need to borrow extra money if it was required to honour agreements on franchisee debts or operating leases.  krispy kreme added that it had enough cash to fund its current operations  but it could not borrow any more under its existing agreements.  there are many more questions than answers  especially given increased concerns regarding company liquidity   jp morgan securities analyst john ivankoe said in a research note on the firm. the announcement is the latest blow for the one-time darling of wall street  which has lost 80% of its stock value in just over a year. the firm is currently facing securities and exchange commission investigation of its accounts. shareholders have also launched lawsuits against the group  claiming it made false statements and inflated sales.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "thompson says gerrard should stay liverpool legend phil thompson has pleaded with steve gerrard to reject any overtures from chelsea.  the ex-reds assistant boss also warned that any honours won at chelsea would be cheapened by the bid to buy success. he told bbc radio five live:  liverpool would think about any bid made but it will all be down to steve in the end.  but it wouldn t have that same sweet feeling at chelsea  where it s all money-orientated and about simply buying the best.  thompson reacted sharply to some liverpool supporters  who criticised gerrard s performance in the carling cup final against chelsea. a number of fans questioned gerrard s commitment and sarcastically branded his own goal in liverpool s 3-2 defeat as his first goal for chelsea.  thompson added:  i heard those comments from so-called supporters and they were diabolical  absolutely outrageous.  stevie carried the club last year and this year. he s always put liverpool first.  thompson  who savoured seven title-winning seasons and two european cup triumphs during his anfield playing career  is confident that the lure of champions league football will keep gerrard at anfield.  i hope champions league football will beckon for liverpool - either as winners or as finishing fourth in the premiership - and he will commit himself.  there has been a lot of soul-searching the way things have gone lately.  i hope he s hardening to the fact he will have big decisions to make but i hope it is to the benefit of steven gerrard and i hope it is worthwhile for liverpool.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "benitez delight after crucial win liverpool manager rafael benitez admitted victory against deportivo la coruna was vital in their tight champions league group.  jorge andrade s early own goal gave liverpool a 1-0 win. and benitez said:  we started at a very high tempo and had many chances. it is a very important win for us and we could have scored more goals.  we were very good defensively and also good on the counter attack. we are pleased but move on to the next game.  igor biscan was outstanding in midfield after replacing injured xabi alonso  and benitez said:  he played very well.  it is important to have all the players ready and a good squad so you can play more games at a high level.  benitez added:  it is all back in our own hands now  it was a great win for us and i was delighted with what i feel was the best liverpool i have seen.  as far as my feelings about winning in spain  that is really not important.  i want to see us win away matches in the champions league  that it was in spain was not my first consideration.  as far as i am concerned it is important for liverpool to win  it is not important in what country it is in.  benitez added: benitez said:  we had a problem before the start  it was decided that xabi could not play more than 45 minutes.  but in the end because of the way that (dietmar) hamann and (igor) biscan performed  we did not need to change things until right at the end of the match.  depor are a good team and if you allow them to keep possession they can be very dangerous indeed.  but we knew that if we hit them on the counter-attack it would make them nervous  and that is how it worked out.  deportivo coach javier irureta said:  liverpool played very well and we just could not break them down.  i know we have now gone six games at home in europe without scoring  but that does not reflect our overall performances.  but this time we did not play well and we lacked imagination.  the goal was a bad mistake and a big blow to our confidence. players who usually want the ball at that stage did not want it.  i know we are bottom of the group  but as long as there is hope of qualifying  we will hang on to that.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "branson show flops on us screens entrepreneur sir richard branson s us tv show  the rebel billionaire  is proving a flop in the ratings.  the programme suffered poor viewing figures on its debut on the fox network three weeks ago  and has lost one in five of its viewers since then. the show is seen as fox s answer to the apprentice featuring tycoon donald trump  a ratings hit for rivals nbc. sir richard s show sees a group of young entrepreneurs compete to become the president of his business empire. the rebel billionaire has averaged five million viewers and is 91st in the rankings of all prime-time shows. the apprentice  which has already completed its first season  is still managing to pull in 16 million viewers  while its prime-time ranking is number four.  but fox has said it plans to stick with branson s show throughout its 12-episode run.  it s going to remain on the air   said the network s spokesman scott grogin.  creatively we re extremely pleased with the show and hope the audience will find it   he added. contestants on sir richard s show are confronted with business tasks to solve  similar to the apprentice. they are also subjected to stunts like walking a plank suspended in mid-air. the rebel billionaire has marketed itself as a less materialistic version of the apprentice  with sir richard shown jumping out of a taxi  while trump is seen in a limousine.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "us  afflicted  with awards fatigue the film world and media may be wild about the oscars but cinema-goers and the tv-viewing public are sick of watching award ceremonies  according to some la film critics.  bob strauss  from the la daily news  thinks there are just too many televised gatherings of stars showering praise on each other. he came up with a colourful but unprintable description for these glitzy events  which roughly translates a  celebrity love-in . this echoed the views of oscars host and comedian chris rock  who whipped up a media storm for saying he rarely watched them  calling award shows  idiotic .  as chris rock accurately said  they re about celebrity and fashion   mr strauss said. the recent grammy music awards proved to be a ratings loser  and it seems oscars organisers are determined not to go the same way.  recently announced changes to the ceremony include lining up all five nominees on stage before announcing the winner.  unsurprisingly  this prompted press speculation that the changes were aimed at boosting flagging advertising revenue. but entertainment weekly s dave karger maintained the oscars only generated excitement outside the industry when a blockbuster  such as titanic or lord of the rings  was nominated. the near constant flow of us film awards  representing directors  actors and producers  guilds  also means  few surprises  are left by the time the oscar ceremony is upon us  he said. a quick scan of the los angeles times and los angeles daily news bears this out - speculation about who will win seems to have ground to a halt.  on thursday  the times simply printed a picture of the plastic tents going up outside the kodak theatre to protect the red carpet from rain. variety and the hollywood reporter have also kept their focus firmly on industry-related news  while in the uk bets have closed on the best actor category  with ray star jamie foxx a dead cert to win.  screen international s us editor mike goodridge thinks 2004 s films have simply not grabbed the public s imagination.  film-makers haven t produced films that people adore this year   he said.  they adored saving private ryan for example - people loved it and it made a ton of money.  2004 s films could be a reaction to 9/11 - there was a realisation in america that things might not be so rosy after all.  audiences don t necessarily want to see darker films such as million dollar baby  aviator and finding neverland  which end with casualty.  as to whether rock could pep up the awards  the critics were not hopeful.  mr strauss doubted whether rock would make an impact  but added:  i m all for lower ratings though - there are far more important things going on than the oscars.  mr karger said the comic might boost younger viewers  but mike goodridge thought rock s humour could prompt america s conservative states to switch off. so despite all this  did the critics have any views on who would win    clint eastwood s million dollar baby affected people emotionally  which is why it will beat aviator  which was about technical artistry not feelings   mr karger said.  eastwood has it in the bag   added mr strauss.  oscar voters often vote with their hearts not their heads.  and mr goodridge said best film and director were between martin scorsese s aviator and million dollar baby. mr karger  whose favourite film of the year was mike leigh s abortion drama vera drake  stayed upbeat about the awards despite his other comments.  i hope this is the year for small films to triumph   he said.  after all  it s still one of the biggest tv events of the year.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "nhs waiting time target is cut hospital waiting times for patients in wales are to be cut  but not to the same extent as those in england.  welsh health minister jane hutt said no patient would wait more than 12 months for an outpatient appointment by march 2006  against a current target of 18 months. but she said the target for an inpatient appointment would remain at 12 months for march 2006. the announcement came as new monthly waiting figures showed a drop. this current inpatient target was set when the assembly government extended its second offer guarantee scheme  which gives patients the option of having their treatment outside wales.  details about funding to resource the new targets are expected in the new year. in england  the current target for inpatients - seeing a consultant to having an operation - is six months. dr richard lewis  welsh secretary of the british medical association (bma)  welcomed the new targets  to make further and faster progress on waiting lists .  however  much remains to be done on waiting lists and waiting times because wales still lags a long way behind england   he said.  capacity must be built into the system with sustained investment to ensure that welsh patients don t receive a worse service than patients over the border.  health analyst tony beddow  from the welsh institute for health and social care  called the new targets  reasonably impressive .  on wednesday  ms hutt also announced \u00a3264m for health services will be spent reducing waiting times  improving key areas and modernising staff pay structures in wales.  ms hutt said major achievements had been made in cutting  unacceptably long waits for treatment over the past year .  we are turning the corner on long waits in wales. now we need to see those reductions in long waiters being improved again   she said. she added the targets intended to ensure no-one waits more than a year for treatment or to see a consultant.  but let us not forget two thirds of those waiting for treatment now are waiting less than six months  and these targets affect the small minority of patients in wales that are waiting far too long.  rhodri glyn thomas  plaid cymru health spokesman said:  it s exactly the same target she set in 1999  with the qualification that it s dependent on a second offer. it s a failed target  from a failed minister..with a failed policy.  for the welsh liberal democrats  kirsty williams called the new target  hugely unambitious .  it leaves patients in wales still waiting two years before they re treated.  conservative health spokesman jonathan morgan said:  we re spending more money but waiting lists have gone through the roof.  the audit commission has said that the money is not being spent efficiently or effectively  and that s quite a criticism.  meanwhile  the latest monthly waiting list figures showed the total number of people waiting more than 18 months as an inpatient in wales has fallen by 9.8%. statistics to the end of november showed a decline since october from 785 to 708. the number waiting over 12 months also fell from 7 613 to 6 630  or 12.9%. ms hutt said they were  excellent figures . there are 305 775 people on a waiting list of some kind  down from 311 764 last month.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "nadal marches on in mexico rafael nadal continued his run of fine form to beat guillermo canas and reach the mexican open semis in acapulco.  eighth seed nadal  who picked up his second atp title when he beat alberto martin in last week s brazil open  saw off the argentine third seed 7-5 6-3. he now meets argentine wild card mariano puerta  who followed up his win over top seed carlos moya by overcoming spain s felix mantilla  6-4 3-6 7-6. czech fifth seed czech jiri novak was eliminated 7-5 6-1 by agustin calleri. the unseeded argentine  who won the tournament two years ago  now plays spain s albert montanes. montanes advanced to his first semi-final of the year with a 4-6 6-3 6-4 triumph over sixth-seeded italian filippo volandri. argentina s agustin calleri beat fourth seed jiri novak 7-5 6-1 in a battle of former champions at the mexican open. calleri won his only atp title in acapulco two years ago while novak won the singles and doubles titles in 1998. calleri will face albert montanes in the semi-finals after the spaniard ousted sixth seed filippo volandri of italy 4-6 6-3 6-4. argentine wild card mariano puerta continued his improbable run  outlasting felix mantilla 6-4 3-6 7-6.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "goodrem wins top female mtv prize pop singer delta goodrem has scooped one of the top individual prizes at the first australian mtv music awards.  the 21-year-old singer won the award for best female artist  with australian idol runner-up shannon noll taking the title of best male at the ceremony. goodrem  known in both britain and australia for her role as nina tucker in tv soap neighbours  also performed a duet with boyfriend brian mcfadden. other winners included green day  voted best group  and the black eyed peas. goodrem  green day and the black eyed peas took home two awards each. as well as best female  goodrem also took home the pepsi viewers choice award  whilst green day bagged the prize for best rock video for american idiot. the black eyed peas won awards for best r  n  b video and sexiest video  both for hey mama. local singer and songwriter missy higgins took the title of breakthrough artist of the year  with australian idol winner guy sebastian taking the honours for best pop video. the vh1 first music award went to cher honouring her achievements within the music industry. the ceremony was held at the luna park fairground in sydney harbour and was hosted by the osbourne family. artists including carmen electra  missy higgins  kelly osbourne  green day  ja rule and natalie imbruglia gave live performances at the event.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "double injury blow strikes wales wales centre sonny parker and number eight ryan jones will miss saturday s game with italy because of injury.  parker has not recovered from a trapped nerve in his neck that kept him out of the win over england  and tom shanklin is expected to continue at centre. jones damaged his collar bone after coming on as a replacement against england and joins flanker colin charvis (foot injury) on the sidelines. meanwhile  mike ruddock may make gavin henson his first-choice kicker in rome. the centre was wales  hero in the 11-9 six nations win over england  landing a huge late penalty from wide out to clinch the game. first-choice kicker stephen jones handed over responsibility because of henson s greater kicking range  but the fly-half had already missed a number of shots at goal.  our first aim was to get gavin settled into the team  but giving him the kicks is something we ll talk about in selection this week   wales coach mike ruddock told bbc sport wales. henson himself says he is relishing all the media hype that has been heaped on him since last saturday s game.  i thrive on it and think it makes me perform better   he said.  i m glad it s a short week before the italy game. there was so much build-up before england  but we fly out to rome on thursday and we ll be back playing again.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "sales  fail to boost high street  the january sales have failed to help the uk high street recover from a poor christmas season  a survey has found.  stores received a boost from bargain hunters but trading then reverted to december levels  the british retail consortium and accountants kpmg said. sales in what is traditionally a strong month rose by 0.5% on a like-for-like basis  compared with a year earlier. consumers remain cautious over buying big-ticket items like furniture  said brc director general kevin hawkins. higher interest rates and uncertainty over the housing market continue to take their toll on the retail sector  the brc said. but clothing and footwear sales were said to be generally better than december  while department stores also had a good month.  in the three-months to january  like-for-like sales showed a growth rate of -0.1%  the same as in the three months to december  the brc said.  following a relatively strong new year s bank holiday  trading then took a downward turn   said mr hawkins.  even extending some promotions and discounts and the pay-day boost later in the month could not tempt customers.  the previous brc survey found christmas 2004 was the worst for 10 years for retailers. and according to office for national statistics data  sales in december failed to meet expectations and by some counts were the worst since 1981.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "everton s weir cools euro hopes everton defender david weir has played down talk of european football  despite his team lying in second place in the premiership after beating liverpool.  weir told bbc radio five live:  we don t want to rest on our laurels and say we have achieved anything yet.  i think you start taking your eye off the ball if you make statements and look too far into the future.  if you start making predictions you soon fall back into trouble. the only thing that matters is the next game.  he said:  we are looking after each other and hard work goes a long way in this league. we have definitely shown that.  also injuries and suspensions haven t cost us too badly and we have a lot of self-belief around the place.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "us adds more jobs than expected the us economy added 337 000 jobs in october - a seven-month high and far more than wall street expectations.  in a welcome economic boost for newly re-elected president george w bush  the labor department figures come after a slow summer of weak jobs gains. jobs were created in every sector of the us economy except manufacturing. while the separate unemployment rate went up to 5.5% from 5.4% in september  this was because more people were now actively seeking work.  the 337 000 new jobs added to us payrolls in october was twice the 169 000 figure that wall street economists had forecast. in addition  the labor department revised up the number of jobs created in the two previous months - to 139 000 in september instead of 96 000  and to 198 000 in august instead of 128 000. the better than expected jobs data had an immediate upward effect on stocks in new york  with the main dow jones index gaining 45.4 points to 10 360 by late morning trading.  it looks like the job situation is improving and that this will support consumer spending going into the holidays  and offset some of the drag caused by high oil prices this year   said economist gary thayer of ag edwards & sons.  other analysts said the upbeat jobs data made it more likely that the us federal reserve would increase interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point to 2% when it meets next week.  it should empower the fed to clearly do something   said robert macintosh  chief economist with eaton vance management in boston. kathleen utgoff  commissioner of the bureau of labor  said many of the 71 000 new construction jobs added in october were involved in rebuilding and clean-up work in florida  and neighbouring deep south states  following four hurricanes in august and september. the dollar rose temporarily on the job creation news before falling back to a new record low against the euro  as investors returned their attention to other economic factors  such as the us s record trade deficit. there is also speculation that president bush will deliberately try to keep the dollar low in order to assist a growth in exports.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "agassi fear for melbourne andre agassi s involvement in the australian open was put in doubt after he pulled out of the kooyong classic with a hip injury.  agassi was serving at 5-6 down in the first set to fellow american andy roddick when he decided to bring a premature end to the match.  my hip was cramping and i just could not continue   said the 34-year-old. agassi  who has won the australian open four times  will have an mri scan to discover the extent of the damage. he said the problem was not the same as the hip injury which forced him to miss wimbledon last year.   the good news is that it didn t just tear  it was tightening up and that can be your body protecting itself  which is hopefully more of the issue   he added.  that wasn t comfortable out there at all  what i was feeling.  i have to wait and see what i m dealing with - it s a pretty scary feeling out there when something doesn t feel right and is getting worse.  it s very disappointing and i ll have to do my best to deal with it. time will shortly tell if it (the australian open) is a possibility or not.  i was not counting on this being the end of the day for me.  maybe in a few days i ll have a much better sense of what my hopes will be.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "new  yob  targets to be unveiled fifty new areas getting special help to fight anti-social behaviour in england and wales will be named on thursday.  ten areas have already had access to special prosecutors and local experts and the government is now expanding the crackdown to more towns and cities. details of how many anti-social behaviour orders (asbos) were used in the last year are also being published. labour sees nuisance behaviour as a key election issue but critics claim the record is at best patchy. a year ago  ministers launched their anti-social behaviour plan and thursday s figures offer a progress check. they will say that in the past year more than 2 600 anti-social behaviour orders were issued by the courts - more than double the total used in the previous four years.  police have also closed 150 crack houses and issued more than 400 dispersal orders  breaking up groups of youths in public places. the 50 new pilot areas to get special attention will also receive extra government funding. exeter and cardiff are among cities who have voiced interest in being involved.  prime minister tony blair is also expected to announce new measures to strengthen the use of asbos and fixed penalty notices. there are still concerns that some areas of the country are not using the powers properly.  he is expected to say that the new figures were heartening but he would not rest until similar action was taken in all areas of the country where it was needed.  we have not defeated this problem by any means  but shown together what can be done   he will say. mr blair this week defended the shake-up of the licensing laws  saying it was right to focus on troublemakers rather than treating everybody as a potential drunken nuisance.  ministers also boast of record police numbers and are speeding up plans to put in place 25 000 community support officers (csos). but researchers from leeds university warned that csos could undermine traditional bonds between police officers and communities. more work needed to be done on clarifying the role of different agencies and how they linked together before csos  they argued in a the study. critics of the government say it has announced more than 20 initiatives to tackle nuisance behaviour when the real focus should be on good policing. home office minister hazel blears also revealed this week that  about a third  of asbos were breached - with some people jailed and others not.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "solskjaer raises hopes of return manchester united striker ole gunnar solskjaer said he hoped to return next season following a career-threatening injury to his right knee.  the 31-year-old norway international had surgery in sweden in august to transplant cartilage into the joint.  i m in no doubt that i ll play again   solskjaer told aftenposten daily.  the problem will be the speed but we re talking about eight months  time. it s going as it should with the knee. i m slavishly following a programme.  solskjaer last played for united as a late substitute in may s fa cup final win over millwall. his contract with united runs out in 2006  by which time he will have been at the premier league club for 10 years.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "t-mobile bets on  pocket office  t-mobile has launched its latest  pocket office  third-generation (3g) device which also has built-in wi-fi - high-speed wireless net access.  unlike other devices where the user has to check which high-speed network is available to transfer data  the device selects the fastest one itself. the mda iv  released in the summer  is an upgrade to the company s existing smartphone  the 2.5g/wi-fi mda iii. it reflects the push by mobile firms for devices that are like mini laptops. the device has a display that can be swivelled and angled so it can be used like a small computer  or as a conventional clamshell phone. the microsoft mobile phone  with two cameras and a qwerty keyboard  reflects the design of similar all-in-one models released this year  such as motorola s mpx.  one in five european workers are already mobile - meaning they spend significant time travelling and out of the office   rene obermann  t-mobile s chief executive  told a press conference at the 3gsm trade show in cannes. he added:  what they need is their office when they are out of the office.  t-mobile said it was seeing increasing take up for what it calls  office in a pocket  devices  with 100 000 mdas sold in europe already.  in response to demand  t-mobile also said it would be adding the latest phone-shaped blackberry to its mobile range. reflecting the growing need to be connected outside the office  it announced it would introduce a flat-fee \u00a320 ($38) a month wi-fi tariff for people in the uk using its wi-fi hotspots. it said it would nearly double the number of its hotspots - places where wi-fi access is available - globally from 12 300 to 20 000.  it also announced it was installing high-speed wi-fi on certain train services  such as the uk s london to brighton service  to provide commuters a fast net connection too. the service  which has been developed with southern trains  nomad digital (who provide the technology)  begins with a free trial on 16 trains on the route from early march to the end of april. a full service is set to follow in the summer. wi-fi access points will be connected to a wimax wireless network - faster than wi-fi - running alongside the train tracks. brian mcbride  managing director of t-mobile in the uk  said:  we see a growing trend for business users needing to access e-mail securely on the move.   we are able to offer this by maintaining a constant data session for the entire journey.  he said this was something other similar in-train wi-fi services  such as that offered on gner trains  did not offer yet. mr obermann added that the mobile industry in general was still growing  with many more opportunities for more services which would bear fruit for mobile companies in future. thousands of mobile industry experts are gathered in cannes  france  for the 3gsm which runs from 14 to 17 february.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "ireland surge past scots ireland maintained their six nations grand slam ambitions with an impressive victory over scotland at murrayfield.  hugo southwell s try gave the scots an early 8-0 lead but scores from locks malcolm o kelly and paul o connell put the visitors in command by half-time. a third try from wing denis hickie and third penalty from ronan o gara  who kicked 13 points  extended the lead. jon petrie scored a second try for scotland but late scores from john hayes and gavin duffy sealed victory. after two hard-earned away victories  eddie o sullivan  side can now look forward to welcoming england to lansdowne road in a fortnight. scotland will try to give their coach matt williams a first six nations victory when italy come to edinburgh  but they again struggled to turn pressure into points. the home side started with tremendous intensity and dominated territory and possession in the opening 10 minutes. a powerful charge from flanker jason white was carried on by ali hogg and when ireland conceded a penalty close to their own line  scotland kicked it to touch. the irish defence foiled the home side on that occasion  but a stray hand in a ruck allowed paterson to stroke over a penalty in the eighth minute.  if that was a paltry reward for their early pressure  scotland got the try they deserved when paterson s searing break and andy craig s pass sent southwell streaking to the right corner. paterson was off target with the conversion and fly-half dan parks then missed a presentable drop-goal attempt. ireland got themselves on the scoreboard with an o gara penalty and by the 24th minute the visitors were ahead. stuart grimes pulled down o kelly at a line-out  ireland kicked the penalty to touch and from the set-piece  the big lock was driven over by the rest of his pack.  o gara added the conversion and a further penalty  after shane horgan almost grabbed a second try from o gara s chip to the corner  only for the ball to spill from his hand. but ireland still delivered a hammer blow to scotland s hopes just before the interval. o connell - skipper in the absence of brian o driscoll - powered through parks  weak tackle after a free-kick from a scrummage to burrow over.  scotland suffered a further blow on the resumption when ireland flanker johnny o connor won another vital turnover  and o gara s basketball pass sent hickie over in the left corner. o gara converted and then thumped over a 40m penalty to give the visitors a commanding 28-8 advantage. scotland looked bereft of ideas but a half-break from paterson sparked them back to life just before the hour. stuart grimes won a line-out and a well-worked move saw petrie scuttle round the side of the ruck to dive over in the left corner. but it proved a false dawn  and ireland reasserted their authority in the final 10 minutes. peter stringer and o kelly combined to put giant prop hayes over in the right corner before replacement gavin duffy scorched away on the left  david humphreys adding the final flourish with a touchline conversion.  : c paterson; s danielli  a craig  h southwell  s lamont; d parks  c cusiter; t smith  g bulloch (capt)  g kerr; s grimes  s murray; j white  a hogg  j petrie.  r russell  b douglas  n hines  j dunbar  m blair  g ross  b hinshelwood.  g murphy; g dempsey  s horgan  k maggs  d hickie  r o gara  p stringer; r corrigan  s byrne  j hayes  m o kelly  p o connell  s easterby  j o connor  a foley.  f sheahan  m horan  d o callaghan  e miller  g easterby  d humphreys  g duffy.  joel jutge (france)", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "saint-andre anger at absent stars sale sharks director of rugby philippe saint-andre has re-opened rugby s club-versus-country debate.  sale host bath in the powergen cup on friday  but the frenchman has endured a  difficult week  with six players away on england s six nations training camp.  it s an important game but we ve just the one full session. it s the same for everyone but we need to manage it.  if five players or more are picked for your country they should move the date of the game   he told bbc sport. unless the authorities agree to make changes  saint-andre believes england s national team will suffer as clubs opt to sign foreigners and retired internationals.  that s not good for the politics of the english team or for english rugby   he argues. it is an issue he has taken up before  most notably during the autumn internationals when sale lost all three zurich premiership matches they played.  now he fears it could derail the club s hopes of cup silverware after eight players  including captain jason robinson and fly-half charlie hodgson  were away with their countries.  we re in the quarter-finals  it s always better to play at home than away and it s a great opportunity   he added.  but we have to be careful. bath have just been knocked out of europe and will make it a tough game. it also comes at the end of a very  very difficult week.  sebastien bruno s been with france  jason white with scotland and there are six with england  that s eight players plus injuries - 13 players out of a squad of 31.  we ll have just one session together and will have to do our best to make that a good one on thursday afternoon.   gloucester have also been caught in a club-versus-country conflict after england sought a second medical opinion on james simpson-daniel s fitness. the winger is carrying a shoulder injury and the national team management believe he requires time on the sidelines. as a result he misses the cherry and white s quarter-final at home to bristol.  under the elite player squad agreement  england wanted a second opinion  which they can do   director of rugby nigel melville told the gloucester citizen.   they obviously want him for international rugby and we want him for club rugby in what is a very important game for us. there is a conflict of interests.  the surgeon who carried out his operation said he was fine for us but england say he is still vulnerable to be damaged again and want him on a full rehab programme.  simpson-daniel added:  i ve said to nigel i want to be back playing and that means if everything goes well this week  i can target the worcester game (on 29 january) for a return.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "wolves appoint hoddle as manager glenn hoddle has been unveiled as the new wolves manager.  the ex-england coach has been given a six-month contract to succeed dave jones  who was sacked after the club s poor start to the season. wolves chairman rick hayward said:  we re delighted glenn is here. he has a six-month contract so we can test each other out and see if it works.  hoddle  who will work alongside stuart gray  has been out of the game since he was sacked by spurs in 2003. gray  who has been caretaker manager  was assistant boss when hoddle was manager at southampton.  i m delighted to be here   said hoddle.   i saw the massive potential that wolves have got and their desire and amibition to get back into the premiership parallels my ambitions.  stuart gray has done a fantastic job as caretaker manager. we ve worked together at southampton and i m delighted to be back with him.  wolves chief executive jez moxey defended the decision to give hoddle a short-term contract.  we hope it will work out for both parties and we extend it for the long term   he said.  most managers want a four-year contract and then expect it to be paid off if it doesn t work out.  for somebody of glenn s calibre to come in on a short-term contract and put his reputation on the line  it demonstrates his commitment and self-belief and the potential he thinks is here.  hayward revealed that hoddle was one of the first to be approached after jones  departure.  he was not available at the time because he was looking at various other things   he explained.  five weeks later we re back on track and this a tremendous opportunity for wolves.   hoddle began his managerial career as player-boss with swindon before moving on to chelsea and then taking up the england job. his spell in charge of the national side came to an end after the 1998 world cup when he made controversial remarks about the disabled in a newspaper interview. the 47-year-old later returned to management with southampton  where he again succeeded jones - as he has now done at wolves. he engineered an upturn in saints  fortunes before being lured to white hart lane by tottenham - the club where he made his name as a player. that relationship turned sour at the start of the last campaign and he left the london club early last season. since then he has applied unsuccessfully for the post of france manager and had also been linked with a return to southampton. wolves are currently 17th in the championship and have a home game against millwall on tuesday.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "anglers  could face prosecution  anglers and fishermen could find themselves prosecuted under plans to crack down on animal cruelty  a committee of mps has warned.  sloppy wording of the draft animal welfare bill could leave anglers facing court even though it was not intended  the environment select committee said. the mps said they were  concerned  the government had not consulted directly on its plans to improve animal welfare. they raised complex and emotive issues which needed to be resolved  mps said.  they called for a  cast-iron guarantee  that the government consults on any plans to regulate animal industries like pet fairs and game bird rearing. the draft bill seeks to modernise and improve animal welfare legislation  and intends to protect  kept animals  and  companion  animals by setting up a  duty of care . in addition to maintaining existing cruelty offences  it creates an offence of neglect by keepers who fail to protect the animals for whom they are responsible. the bill would allow animal welfare officers to intervene to prevent harm to an animal as well as outlawing  mutilation  of animals - unless it can be demonstrated to be in the animal s best interest.  the environment select committee made 101 recommendations after hearing evidence from 51 organisations and individuals. one was a call to amend the bill so that prosecutions against those engaged in fishing were not inadvertently encouraged - even if they were to later fail.  we accept that neither commercial fishing nor recreational angling should fall within the remit of the of the draft bill and we therefore support the government s intention to exempt fishing as an activity.   but the committee said an amendment was needed to ensure cases were not brought.  however  in exempting fishing  the government should be careful to ensure that those persons who catch fish are not given  carte blanche  to inflict unnecessary suffering in the course of pursuing this activity   the committee added. the committee also said some legal protections for animals were downgraded by the bill  such as the law on abandonment of animals which  would be significantly weakened . mps urged the government to redraft clauses relating to the prosecution of cruelty offences. this was because as it stood the draft bill would allow certain acts that should be prosecuted - such as unnecessary suffering caused to an animal through neglect  or unnecessary mental suffering - to go unpunished.  committee chairman michael jack said:  any change in the law as it affects animals always arouses powerful emotions and great public interest.  this draft bill is no exception. my committee welcomes the development of an approach to animal welfare which doesn t just wait for a problem to occur but enables action to be taken to protect animals before irreversible suffering takes place.  but mr jack said the bill  very much had the feel of a  work in progress   and urged the government to guarantee that  an obligation to consult will be enshrined in law  before it extended legislative plans to areas such as pet fairs  circuses and game bird farms.  the government must work hard to take the rough edges of its initial proposals before the bill is introduced to parliament   he added.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "custody death rate  shocks  mps deaths in custody have reached  shocking  levels  a committee of mps and peers has warned.  the joint committee on human rights found those committing suicide were mainly the most vulnerable  with mental health  drugs or alcohol problems. members urged the government to set up a task force to tackle deaths in prisons  police cells  detention centres and special hospitals. there was one prison suicide every four days between 1999 and 2003  mps said. the report  which followed a year-long inquiry by the committee  found the high death rate  amounts to a serious failure to protect the right to life of a highly vulnerable group .  many of those who ended up taking their own lives had  presented themselves  to the authorities with these problems before they even offended  the report said. it questioned whether prison was the most appropriate place for them to be kept and whether earlier intervention would have meant custody could have been avoided.  increased resources and a reduction in the use of imprisonment was needed to address the issue in the longer term  the report said. committee chairman labour mp jean corston said:  each and every death in custody is a death too many  regardless of the circumstances.   yet throughout our inquiry we have seen time and time again that extremely vulnerable people are entering custody with a history of mental illness  drug and alcohol problems and potential for taking their own lives.   these highly vulnerable people are being held within a structure glaringly ill-suited to meet even their basic needs.  crime levels are falling but we are holding more people in custody than ever before. the misplaced over-reliance on the prison system for some of the most vulnerable people in the country is at the heart of the problems that we encountered.  until we change our whole approach to imprisoning vulnerable people we cannot begin to meet our positive obligations under article 2 of the european convention on human rights and meet our duty of care to them.   the committee also highlighted  deeply worrying  cases of children and young people taking their own lives. between 1990 and 2004  25 children have taken their own lives in prison and two have died in secure training centres. it picked out the case of joseph scholes  who hanged himself from the bars of his cell in stoke heath young offender institution in march 2002  and urged the home secretary to hold a public inquiry. it revealed that two weeks before his court appearance for a series of robberies  the 16-year-old was depressed  exhibiting suicidal tendencies and slashed his face with a knife about 30 times. even though the trial judge had been alerted to his experience of sexual abuse and mental illness  he was sentenced to a two-year detention and training order. nine days into his sentence  joseph hung himself from the bars of his cell window with a sheet.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "brussels raps mobile call charges the european commission has written to the mobile phone operators vodafone and t-mobile to challenge  the high rates  they charge for international roaming.  in letters sent to the two companies  the commission alleged the firms were abusing their dominant market position in the german mobile phone market. it is the second time vodafone has come under the commission s scrutiny. the uk operator is already appealing against allegations that its uk roaming rates are  unfair and excessive . vodafone s response to the commission s letter was defiant.  we believe the roaming market is competitive and we expect to resist the charges   said a vodafone spokesman.  however we will need time to examine the statement of objections in detail before we formally respond.   the commission s investigation into vodafone and deutsche telekom s t-mobile centres on the tariffs the two companies charge foreign mobile operators to access their networks when subscribers of those foreign operators use their mobile phones in germany.  the commission believes these wholesale prices are too high and that the excess is passed on to consumers.  the commission aims to ensure that european consumers are not overcharged when they use their mobile phones on their travels around the european union   the commission said in a statement. vodafone and o2  britain s other big mobile phone operator  were sent similar statements of objections by the commission in july last year. vodafone sent the commission a response to those allegations in december last year and is now waiting for a reply. the vodafone spokesman said a similar process would be set in motion with these latest statement of objections about its operations in germany.  the companies will have three months to respond to the commission s allegations and the process  may go on for some time yet   the spokesman said. the commission could charge the companies up to 10% of their annual turnover  though in practice that sort of figure is rarely demanded. the commission s latest move comes just a few months after national telecoms regulators across europe launched a joint investigation which could lead to people being charged less for using their mobile phone when travelling abroad. the investigation involves regulators assessing whether there is effective competition in the roaming market.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "real in talks over gravesen move real madrid are closing in on a \u00a32m deal for everton s thomas gravesen after the dane s agent travelled to spain to hold talks about a move.  john sivabaek told bbc sport:  i m here to listen to what real have to say. nothing has been agreed  but this is a big opportunity for any player.  the 28-year-old s contract expires in the summer  but real want a quick deal. sivabaek added:  i will be meeting real on wednesday. there is serious interest  but it is everton s hands.  everton must decide whether to cash in now on the denmark midfield man  or risk losing him for nothing in the summer. manager david moyes has defiantly claimed that he expects gravesen to still be at everton when the transfer window closes at the end of january.  moyes said:  i speak to tommy regularly and we know where we are at.  there s been no contact. we don t want to lose him.  real madrid general manager arrigo sacchi is the driving force behind the move  convincing vice-president emilio butragueno and new coach wanderley luxemburgo that gravesen is the right man for the bernabeu. everton must weigh up whether it is worth taking the money on offer for real and risk their own ambitions for european football. gravesen has been outstanding as everton have established themselves in the premiership s top four this season.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "robben and cole earn chelsea win cheslea salvaged a win against a battling portsmouth side just as it looked like the premiership leaders would have to settle for a point.  arjen robben curled in a late deflected left-footed shot from the right side of pompey s box to break the home side s brave resistance. chelsea had been continually frustrated but joe cole added a second with a 20-yard shot in injury-time. nigel quashie had pompey s best chance when his effort was tipped over. the fratton park crowd were in good voice as usual and  even though portsmouth more than held their own  chelsea still managed to carve out two early chances. striker didier drogba snapped in an angled shot to force home keeper shaka hislop into a smart save while an unmarked frank lampard had a strike blocked by arjan de zeeuw. but pompey chased  harried and unsettled a chelsea side as the south-coast side started to gain the upper hand and almost took the lead through quashie.  the midfielder struck a swerving long range shot which keeper petr cech tipped over at full stretch. pompey stretched arsenal to the limit recently and were providing a similarly tough obstacle to overcome for a chelsea team struggling to exert any pressure. velimir zajec s players stood firm as the visitors came out in lively fashion after the break but  just as they took a stranglehold of the match  the visitors launched a counter-attack. drogba spun to get a sight of goal and struck a fierce shot which rocked keeper hislop back as he blocked before arjan de zeeuw cleared the danger.  the home side were also left breathing a sigh of relief when a glen johnson header fell to gudjohnsen who had his back to goal in a crowded pompey goalmouth. the icelandic forward tried to acrobatically direct the ball into goal but put his effort over. but  just like against arsenal  portsmouth let in a late goal when robben s shot took a deflection off matthew taylor on its way past a wrong-footed hislop. and cole put a bit of gloss on a hard-fought win when he put a low shot into the bottom of the pompey net.  hislop  griffin  primus  de zeeuw  taylor  stone (cisse 76)  quashie (berkovic 83)  faye  o neil  kamara (fuller 65)  yakubu.  subs not used: berger  ashdown.  kamara.  cech  paulo ferreira  gallas  terry  johnson  duff  makelele  smertin (cole 73)  lampard  robben (geremi 81)  drogba (gudjohnsen 58).  subs not used: cudicini  bridge.  paulo ferreira  robben  lampard.  robben 79  cole 90.  20 210  a wiley (staffordshire).", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "web photo storage market hots up an increasing number of firms are offering web storage for people with digital photo collections.  digital cameras were the hot gadget of christmas 2004 and worldwide sales of the cameras totalled $24bn last year. many people s hard drives are bulging with photos and services which allow them to store and share their pictures online are becoming popular. search firms such as google are also offering more complex tools for managing personal photo libraries. photo giants such as kodak offer website storage which manages photo collections  lets users edit pictures online and provides print-ordering services. some services  such as kodak s ofoto and snapfish  offer unlimited storage space but they do require users to buy some prints online. other sites  such as pixagogo  charge a monthly fee. marcus hawkins  editor of digital camera magazine  said:  as file sizes of pictures increase  storage becomes a problem.  people are using their hard drives  backing up on cd and dvd and now they are using online storage solutions.   they are a place to store pictures  to share their pictures with families and friends and they can print out their photos.   while many of the services are aimed at the amateur and casual digital photographer  other websites are geared up for enthusiasts who want to share tips and information. photosig is an online community of photographers who can critique each other s work. on tuesday  google released free software for organising and finding digital photos stored on a computer s hard drive. the tool  called picasa  automatically detects photos as they are added to a pc - whether sent via e-mail or transferred from a digital camera.  the software includes tools for restoring colour and removing red eye  as well as sharpening images. photos can then be uploaded to sites such as ofoto. many people use the sites to edit and improve their favourite photographs before ordering prints. mr hawkins added:  the growth area is that you can order your prints online. friends and family can also access pictures you want them to see and they can print them out too.  rather than just a place to dump your pictures  it s about sharing them.   the vast majority of pictures remain on a pc s hard drive  which is why search tools  such as those offered by google  become increasingly important. but some historians and archivists are concerned that the need for perfect pictures will mean that those poor quality prints which offered a tantilising glimpse of the past may disappear forever.  it s one thing taking pictures  it s another finding them   said mr hawkins.  but this is the same problem that has always existed - how many of us have photos in wallets tucked away somewhere", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "oil companies get russian setback international oil and mining companies have reacted cautiously to russia s decision to bar foreign firms from natural resource tenders in 2005.  us oil giant exxon said it did not plan to take part in a new tender on a project for which it had previously signed a preliminary agreement. miner highland gold said it regretted any limit on privatisation while bp  a big investor  declined to comment. only firms at least 51% russian-owned will be permitted to bid.  the federal natural resources agency said  the government is interested in letting russian companies develop strategic resources . the foreign ownership issue will be dealt with according to russia s competition law  natural resources minister yuri trutnev was quoted as saying by the interfax news agency. no further details were given  with mr trutnev suggesting that russia may decide on a case-by-case basis. observers said that the move may represent a shift in policy  as the administration of vladimir putin puts the protection of national interests above free market dynamics. russia recently wrested back control of a large chunk of its oil industry from stock-market listed company yukos  a move that prompted calls of outrage from many investors.  analysts warned that it was still too early to draw too many conclusions from this new set of proposals.  companies echoed this sentiment  saying that they would require more information before ringing the alarm bells.  it s not good. but it is very understandable   said al breach  an economist at ubs brunswick.  but if the investment climate is stable - that s much more important.  foreigners of course would like to have free entry but... this is not the end of the world.  a number of other nations  including mexico  saudi arabia and kuwait  protect their national resources from foreign firms. what has surprised observers is that since the collapse of communism russia has been courting foreign investment.  bp spent $7.5bn to create russian-registered oil company tnk-bp  and has a partnership to develop the sakhalin 5 petroleum field with state-owned rosneft. exxon  the world s largest oil company  has signed preliminary agreements to develop the sakhalin 3 field. company spokesman glenn waller said exxon still considered the deal valid  despite russia inviting new offers for the land block. according to mr waller  exxon  were not planning to bid at a new tender anyway .  we regret the ministry has taken such a decision   said ivan kulakov  deputy chairman of highland gold - a mining firm that has the motto  bringing russia s gold to market .  it would be a shame if that has a negative impact on the investment climate.  other firms that have been linked with investment in russia include france s total  the us-based chevrontexaco  and miner barrick gold.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "mourinho receives robson warning sir bobby robson has offered chelsea boss jose mourinho some advice on coping under pressure.  the pair worked together at barcelona and porto and robson had a word of warning for his protege.  it has all gone for him just lately and that is marvellous  but sometimes you have to have a bit of humility and learn how to lose   said robson.  it is when it goes against you and you get a bit of bad luck that you learn  and he ll get it straight.  robson was speaking after being formally granted the freedom of the city of newcastle.  jose is doing very well at the moment   robson added of the man who worked for him for six years.  he has got one pot - possibly two to follow - a big game against barcelona to come and i cannot see them losing their lead in the premiership.  they are in a good position and i would expect them to go on and win it  which is a wonderful achievement.   what has occurred over the last couple of weeks will stand him in very good stead for the future. if he is intelligent  he will take it on board - and he is very intelligent.  he will have learned more in the last fortnight than the last eight months. before that  it was all about winning.  robson also admitted he would relish the chance to get back into management and test his skills against mourinho.  i am not in a hurry to take the wrong job  but i am ready to take the right job and i feel there is another job in me   he added.  i know the area i am capable of working in and of course i would like a job in the premiership if one was available.  it would not worry me if i had to pit my wits against jose.  but it is not just a case of him and me against one another. it would be his team against my team - but i would not be afraid of that.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "dallaglio his own man to the end controversy and lawrence dallaglio have never been very far away from each other throughout a glittering international career.  even the end of his nine-year career came out of the blue  just four days before the start of the season. but then dallaglio has always been his own man. ever since emerging onto the international scene dallaglio has polarised opinions. to supporters of england  dallaglio could do no wrong. an integral part of a sustained period of success for england  dallaglio s crowning glory was his part in the side that won the rugby world cup in 2003.  rival fans  meanwhile  have tended to take an alternative view  seeing dallaglio as the epitome of the less agreeable characteristics of english rugby. never afraid to speak his mind  be it to the referee or the opposition on the pitch  or his coach or the media off it  dallaglio has sometimes rubbed people up the wrong way. dallaglio arrived as part of the unheralded england side which became the shock winners of the first rugby sevens world cup in 1993. it took him another two years to graduate to the full england xv  but once there he proved to the manor born. displaying maturity and physical power beyond his years  dallaglio rapidly established himself as an automatic choice able to play any one of the three back-row positions at international standard.  within two years of his debut  dallaglio was offered the england captain s band  and his career continued to go from strength to strength as he made the 1997 lions tour to south africa. although overlooked for the captaincy in favour of england team-mate martin johnson  he played a massive role in the 2-1 series victory. but after building up a seemingly unstoppable momentum  dallaglio s career hit the buffers at speed in 1999.  first came the last-minute defeat to wales in which dallaglio s decision not to kick for goal in the dying minutes was blamed for costing england a grand slam. worse was to follow though as an infamous newspaper sting cost him his treasured england captaincy. with sensational allegations of drug use - of which he was subsequently cleared - splashed across the front pages  a devastated dallaglio stepped down as england skipper. but he bounced back  getting his head down at club level before returning to the england fold  albeit now as a lieutenant to new captain johnson. as a member of a new-look england side on the long road to world cup glory - a journey not without mishaps as a succession of grand slams opportunities were spurned - dallaglio emerged as a key performer once again.  yet another setback arrived in 2001 as a serious knee injury cut short dallaglio s involvement on the lions tour to australia.  rumours began to circulate that his career was over but  in typical dallaglio style  he embarked on a punishing schedule of rehabilitation to return an even more fearsome physical specimen. one effect of the injury was to rob dallaglio of much of his pace  but ever the pragmatist  he reinvented himself as a close quarters number eight of the highest calibre.  the only player to play every minute of england s world cup triumph in australia  dallaglio could hardly have done more to secure england s historic win  and for that he will always be held in the highest esteem by england supporters. following johnson s retirement  dallaglio s career came full circle as woodward restored him as england captain. while england did not hit the heights in dallaglio s second spell as captain  losing five of their eight post-world cup tests  dallaglio led by example  leaving him as one of the few members of a squad lacking many world cup stars to live up to expectations. dallaglio walks away from the international game safe in the knowledge that he will go down as one of england s most accomplished players  if not one of the great captains despite his evident pride in leading his country.  the problem now for england is how to replace the almost irreplaceable. the likes of matt dawson  jonny wilkinson  phil vickery and hill have all been mentioned as contenders for dallaglio s role as captain. but it is as a player that england will really struggle to replace the 32-year-old. although players like joe worsley and chris jones are more than capable of stepping up  the fact that there is no stand-out candidate speaks volumes about dallaglio s massive influence on english rugby.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "vodafone appoints new japan boss vodafone has drafted in its uk chief executive william morrow to take charge of its troubled japanese operation.  mr morrow will succeed shiro tsuda as president of vodafone kk  japan s number three mobile operator  in april. mr tsuda  who will become chairman  was appointed president only two months ago but the business has struggled since then  losing customers in january. vodafone had pinned its hopes on the launch of its 3g phones in november but demand for them has been slow.  while it has more than 15 million customers in japan  vodafone has found it difficult to satisfy japan s technologically demanding mobile users. it suffered a net loss of more than 58 000 customers in january  its second monthly reverse in the last year.  vodafone is going to need to put a lot of money into japan if it wants to rebuild the business   tetsuro tsusaka  a telecoms analyst with deutsche bank  told reuters.  i do not know if it will be worth it for them to spend that kind of money just for japan.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "absa and barclays talks continue south africa biggest retail bank absa has said it is still in talks with uk bank barclays over the sale of majority stake in the group.  in november  absa said it was close to striking a deal with barclays. but the group said barclays is still waiting for the approval of south africa s banking and competition authorities to make a formal offer. absa also announced that it expects to see earnings grow by 20-25% in its current financial year.   discussions with barclays are continuing  but shareholders are advised that no agreement has been reached as to any offer being made by barclays to acquire a majority stake in absa   absa said in a statement. if barclays buys a stake in absa it will be one of the largest foreign investments in south africa in recent years. absa currently has a market value of about $8.5bn (\u00a34.4bn). analysts said absa s earnings forecast was better than expected. however  the company warned that headline earnings growth would be trimmed by about four percentage points because of share options for a black economic empowerment transaction and a staff share incentive scheme. the south african group will release its results for the year to 31 march on 30 may.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "dollar drops on reserves concerns the us dollar has dropped against major currencies on concerns that central banks may cut the amount of dollars they hold in their foreign reserves.  comments by south korea s central bank at the end of last week have sparked the recent round of dollar declines. south korea  which has about $200bn in foreign reserves  said it plans instead to boost holdings of currencies such as the australian and canadian dollar. analysts reckon that other nations may follow suit and now ditch the dollar. at 1300 gmt  the euro was up 0.9% on the day at 1.3187 euros per us dollar. the british pound had added 0.5% to break through the $1.90 level  while the dollar had fallen by 1.3% against the japanese yen to trade at 104.16 yen.  at the start of the year  the us currency  which had lost 7% against the euro in the final three months of 2004 and had fallen to record lows  staged something of a recovery.  analysts  however  pointed to the dollar s inability recently to extend that rally despite positive economic and corporate data  and highlighted the fact that many of the us s economic problems had not disappeared. the focus once again has been on the country s massive trade and budget deficits  with predictions of more dollar weakness to come.  the comments from korea came at a time when sentiment towards the dollar was already softening   said ian gunner  a trader at mellon financial. on tuesday  traders in asia said that both south korea and taiwan had withdrawn their bids to buy dollars at the start of the session. mansoor mohi-uddin  chief currency strategist at ubs  said that there was a sentiment in the market that  central banks from asia and the middle east are buying euros . a report last month already showed that the dollar was losing its allure as a currency that offered rock-steady returns and stability. compiled by central banking publications and sponsored by the uk s royal bank of scotland  the survey found 39 nations out of 65 questioned were increasing their euro holdings  with 29 cutting back on the us dollar.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "federer joins all-time greats the last year has seen one player dominate men s tennis  and one country dominate the women s game.  roger federer became the first man since mats wilander in 1988 to win three grand slams in one season. and after anastasia myskina became the first russian woman to win a grand slam at the french open  two more followed at wimbledon and the us open. meanwhile  briton tim henman enjoyed his best year  while greg rusedski fought back superbly from adversity. federer began the year as world number one and holder of the wimbledon and masters cup titles  and set about conquering new ground. the swiss sounded warning of the dominance to come at the australian open.  he ripped through the draw before beating marat safin in the final. andy roddick was the only player to put up any real resistance at wimbledon  and federer s performance against lleyton hewitt in the us open final was breathtaking. federer again got the better of hewitt in the season-ending masters cup. his victory in houston proved to be his 13th successive win in a final  an open era record. the only major let-down was a third-round loss to gustavo kuerten at the french open  and roland garros will be his main target in 2005.  there was also a surprise loss to the unheralded tomas berdych at the olympic games  which saw chile dominate as nicoals massu took the singles and then paired up with fernando gonzaelz to win doubles gold. another major trophy that looks beyond federer is the davis cup  which was won by spain in a 3-2 home success over the usa in seville. roddick struggled on the clay  losing to rafael nadal on the opening day before going down to carlos moya in the all-important fourth rubber.  henman broke new ground by reaching the semis on clay at the french open - a stunning effort - and also at the us open. a quarter-final defeat to mario ancic at wimbledon was disappointing for the limp manner of the briton s defeat  but he remains optimistic of going further next year.  british number two rusedski endured a rollercoaster year  returning to the circuit after being cleared of a doping offence in march. with his ranking down at 168  many feared the 31-year-old s career was over  but he battled back in the second half of the season to re-enter the top 50. the russian women finally delivered on their long-recognised promise in 2004  with myskina  maria sharapova and svetlana kuznetsova winning grand slams  before taking the season-ending fed cup. but while the young russians were on the way up  it was a different story for the belgians and the williams sisters. only veteran lindsay davenport held the new wave at bay  a stunning run of form after wimbledon taking her to number one ahead of amelie mauresmo  whose grand slam drought goes on. the year started in regulation fashion as justine henin-hardenne beat compatriot kim clijsters at the australian open.  a virus ruined the rest of henin-hardenne s year  although she was fit enough to win olympic gold  but clijsters had an even more miserable 2004. she suffered a serious wrist injury and then announced the end of her relationship with lleyton hewitt  and will be happy to see the year end. in their absence  myskina thrashed elena dementieva in a historic  but woeful  all-russian final at the french open. wimbledon was a more refreshing affair as sharapova captivated sw19  showing nerves of steel as she battled past davenport and serena williams to take the title.  davenport was a strong favourite for the us open but  hampered by injury  lost to the powerful and unflappable kuznetsova in the semis. kuznetsova went on to give dementieva another grand slam final thrashing  with the latter s wayward serve becoming one of the talking points of the year. with the russians still improving  the likes of henin-hardenne  clijsters  davenport  mauresmo  venus and serena will need to be fully fit and motivated in 2005. and it may take their compatriot safin to challenge federer on the men s side.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "ask jeeves joins web log market ask jeeves has bought the bloglines website to improve the way it handles content from web journals or blogs.  the bloglines site has become hugely popular as it gives users one place in which to read  search and share all the blogs they are interested in. ask jeeves said it was not planning to change bloglines but would use the 300 million articles it has archived to round out its index of the web. how much ask jeeves paid for bloglines was not revealed.  bloglines has become popular because it lets users build a list of the blogs they want to follow without having to visit each journal site individually. to do this it makes use of a technology known as really simple syndication (rss) that many blogs have adopted to let other sites know when new entries are made on their journals. the acquisition follows similar moves by other search sites. google acquired pyra labs  makers of the blogger software  in 2003. in 2004 msn introduced its own blog system and yahoo has tweaked its technology to do a better job of handling blog entries. jim lanzone  vice president of search properties at ask jeeves in the us  said it did not acquire bloglines just to get a foothold in the blog publishing world. he said ask jeeves was much more interested in helping people find information they were looking for rather than helping them write it.   the universe of readers is vastly larger than the universe of writers   he said. mr lanzone said the acquisition would sit well with ask s my jeeves service which lets people customise their own web experience and build up a personal collection of useful links.  search engines are about discovering information for the first time and rss is the ideal way to keep track of and monitor those sites   he said. it would also help drive information and entries from blogs to the portals that ask jeeves operates. there would be no instant sweeping changes to bloglines  said mr lanzone.  our intent is to take our time to figure out the right business model not to try to monetise it right away   he said. though mr lanzone added that ask jeeves would be helping organise the database of 300m blog entries bloglines holds with its own net indexing technology.  being able to search the blogosphere as one corpus of information will be very useful in its own right   said mr lanzone. rumours about the acquisition were broken by the napsterization weblog which said it got the hint from ask jeeves insiders.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "connors boost for british tennis former world number one jimmy connors is planning a long-term relationship with the lawn tennis association to help unearth the next tim henman.  the american spent three days at the lta s annual elite performance winter camp in la manga earlier this week.  britain has the right attitude   said connors.  the more involved i can be with the lta  the better.  a short-term arrangement is just confusing. the kids will ask:  what am i doing there    lta chief executive  john crowther  added:  the relationship that jimmy s already started to develop with the coaches and the players has said to us that we d like some more of it.  we want to use jimmy for a number of weeks a year and we hope this is the beginning of a good long-term relationship.   the camp played host to more than 30 leading senior and junior players  including greg rusedski  arvind parmar and anne keothavong.  la manga is an amazing site to take a bunch of kids who want to be the best   said connors  speaking at queen s club in london.  what impressed me most was not only the coaches but the way the kids went about their workouts and the feeling they put into every practice they had.  it was interesting to me to see kids of 15  16  17  with that desire and passion  and that can only be brought about by the coaches surrounding them.  instilling the importance of work and practice is something you can t buy.  they know what s been given to them and all they have to do is give back the effort  and every minute of practice they were doing that.   speaking from la manga  lta performance director david felgate told bbc sport:  jimmy was fantastic with the players and the coaches  and very humble considering what he s achieved.  he worked through the coaches and hopefully it will grow and he ll get to have more of an individual relationship with some of the players and get to know them.  he made it clear from the word go he didn t want it to be short-term. this is a 52-week-a-year job for me  it s my life and my passion and it s the same with the coaches.  he respects that but he wants to be involved and have real input. and why would he stake his reputation on something that s not going to be successful   connors has also agreed to commentate for the bbc at next year s wimbledon championships. he will work during the second week of the tournament.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "us woman sues over cartridges a us woman is suing hewlett packard (hp)  saying its printer ink cartridges are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date.  the unnamed woman from georgia says that a chip inside the cartridge tells the printer that it needs re-filling even when it does not. the lawsuit seeks to represent anyone in the us who has purchased an hp inkjet printer since february 2001. hp  the world s biggest printer firm  declined to comment on the lawsuit. hp ink cartridges use a chip technology to sense when they are low on ink and advise the user to make a change.  but the suit claims the chips also shut down the cartridges at a predetermined date regardless of whether they are empty.  the smart chip is dually engineered to prematurely register ink depletion and to render a cartridge unusable through the use of a built-in expiration date that is not revealed to the consumer   the suit said. the lawsuit is asking for restitution  damages and other compensation. the cost of printer cartridges has been a contentious issue in europe for the last 18 months. the price of inkjet printers has come down to as little as \u00a334 but it could cost up to \u00a31 700 in running costs over an 18-month period due to cartridge  a study by computeractive magazine revealed last year. the inkjet printer market has been the subject of an investigation by the uk s office of fair trading (oft)  which concluded in a 2002 report that retailers and manufacturers needed to make pricing more transparent for consumers.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "lib dems unveil women s manifesto the liberal democrats are attempting to woo female voters with the launch of their manifesto for women.  charles kennedy is pledging a maternity income guarantee and a pension system based on years of residence rather than national insurance payments. he also thinks women will back plans to end university tuition fees and for free long-term care for the elderly. both labour and the conservatives have said they also plan to boost pensions and to improve childcare support. mr kennedy says he wants to deal with policy areas that disadvantage women.  two million pensioners in britain currently live below the government s own poverty line - two-thirds of whom are women   he said.  he says that pensions based on the number of years worked ignore the contribution women make caring for children. the lib dem s citizen s pension  based on length of residency not on national insurance contributions  would address that imbalance  mr kennedy argues. under the package  new mothers would be offered minimum guaranteed maternity pay of \u00a3170 a week for the first six months after the birth of their first child. mr kennedy also believes the party s plans to use the money saved from not introducing  illiberal  id cards to boost police numbers by 10 000 would appeal to women too. the policies are not new announcements  but the way they are structured as a package to appeal to women is.  mr kennedy also points to the fact that 40% of the party s candidates set to stand in winnable or target seats are women. party strategists claim that where women candidates replace men turnout rises by 4%. mr kennedy began the pitch for female support with an interview on bbc radio 4 s women s hour on monday. during the interview mr kennedy revealed that he planned to structure the party s general election campaign around the birth of his first child  which is expected in april. the baby and his wife sarah would be  priority number one  even if it arrived in the middle of the election campaign  he said.  party strategists believe winning over a significant proportion of women voters is key to electoral success. a party spokesman said it was courting female votes because they tended to vote more than men and are believed to be more considered and open-minded in deciding who they vote for. labour s deputy minister for women jacqui smith accused the lib dems of offering  false promises  to women and said their sums did not add up. she said:  these proposals would increase the costs to the public purse drastically year on year  and hard working families will pay dearly  through either increased taxes or reduced spending on public services . the labour party has committed itself to  universal  affordable and flexible  childcare for parents of all 3 to 14 year-olds  including childcare centred on schools to be available from 8am to 6pm. in september  trade and industry secretary patricia hewitt said she would like to see longer paid maternity leave  higher paternity pay and the extension of flexible working rights to carers  if labour won a third term. the conservatives are yet to unveil their manifesto plans for childcare but said in november they would increase maternity pay and pay the child tax credit in cash to parents to spend as they like  on a nanny  au pair or even a family member  such as a grandparent  acting as a carer. they were also consulting on making childcare costs tax deductible.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "gm issues 2005 profits warning general motors has warned that it expects earnings this year be lower than in 2004.  the world s biggest car maker is grappling with losses in its european business  and weak us sales. gm said higher healthcare costs in north america  and lower profits at its financial services subsidiary would hurt its performance in 2005. gm said it expects to meet its 2004 earnings targets  despite a tough competitive environment .  gm  whose brands include buick  cadillac and chevrolet in the us and opel  saab and vauxhall in europe  is due to reveal 2004 earnings on 19 january.  it said it would deliver a shareholder payout of $6.0-$6.5 per share this year  as promised  but that next year s earnings per share would be lower  at between $4.0-$5.0.  we re following a roadmap that we believe will deliver strong results   said gm chief executive rick waggoner. gm said it was expecting  reduced financial losses  in europe in 2005. it is in the midst of cutting 12 000 jobs - one fifth of the european total - in a bid to cut costs. the biggest job losses are in germany. its vehicle businesses have gained market share in three out of four regions in 2004  achieving record profitability in asia pacific and returning to profit in latin america  the middle east and africa. the car maker has diversified into financial services  and is extending the reach of general motors acceptance corp (gmac)  which has said it may enter the home loans market. gmac has been a strong contributor to profits in 2004 but gm said it will do less well this year  delivering net income of $2.5bn.  attaining earnings of $10 a share remains gm s goal   the company said  adding it believes it can achieve this in 2007.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "wales stars need a rest - ruddock wales coach mike ruddock has defended his decision not to release any of the international stars for this weekend s regional celtic league fixtures.  ruddock says the players will benefit from the rest  and their absence will give youngsters a chance to impress.  we ve got the wru charter in place now which outlines exactly what happens   ruddock told bbc wales sport.  once we re in the six nations  the players will only be released in his and the wru s best interests.  the ospreys and scarlets say they are happy to support the wales cause  but the dragons have expressed disappointment at not being able to use their national squad players in friday s game with ulster. ceri sweeney  gareth cooper  ian gough and kevin morgan have been used sparingly by ruddock in the opening two six nations wins and captain jason forster believes they would benefit from a game with the dragons.   i m sure the guys would want to come back to get some game time   forster told bbc wales sport.  it would also be a timely reminder to mike [ruddock] as to what they can do.  and the supporters want to see the star players - no disrespect to the other guys - performing on the pitch.  ruddock  though  is keen to protect his players from injury and fatigue.  at this stage  there s nothing more [the players] can do in games to impress me further.  we ve got to look at it at another angle and see the opportunities that are provided for the younger players in the region.  for example  the dragons might use james ireland this weekend. i ve been looking at the lad - he s a great prospect for the future.  french and english clubs have requested to have all their international players available which means stephen jones  gareth thomas and mefin davies will play this weekend. the majority of ireland and scotland players have also been released for provincial duty.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "criminal probe on citigroup deals traders at us banking giant citigroup are facing a criminal investigation in germany over a controversial bond deal.  the deal saw the sale of 11bn euros ($14.4bn; \u00a37.6bn) of government bonds in a few minutes on 2 august  with 4bn euros-worth then bought back later. the move was widely criticised at the time  and now the german regulator has said it has found evidence of possible market manipulation. citigroup said it would continue to co-operate fully with the authorities.  we are disappointed that the bafin has referred to the prosecutor the question of whether action should be brought against individuals involved   citigroup said. if the traders are found guilty  they could face a five-year jail term or a fine  reuters reported bafin as saying. however  under german criminal law  prosecutors cannot pursue citigroup itself.  germany s financial watchdog bafin told bbc news it had now transferred the investigation to the public prosecutor.  i can confirm that bafin has passed through the case to the public prosecutor   a bafin spokeswoman said.  it is now a criminal investigation.   we found clues of possible market manipulation   the spokeswoman said  which included signs of linked bond trading ahead of the main trades on 2 august.  germany s securities trading act says that if bafin finds such clues  it has to put the case in the hands of the prosecutor.  regulatory investigations are still going on in france  the uk and elsewhere. some citigroup operations elsewhere in the world came under regulatory criticism in 2004. its private banking operation in japan was closed down by regulators in tokyo after an  aggressive sales culture  led the bank to flout anti-money laundering rules.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "davies favours gloucester future wales hooker mefin davies is likely to stay with english side gloucester despite reported interest from the neath-swansea ospreys.  bbc wales understands the ospreys are interested in the 32-year-old  but that he would prefer to stay where he is. davies  one of the stars of saturday s rbs six nations win over england  is only on a year contract at kingsholm. but the hooker has proved his worth to the zurich premiership side and is likely to get a new deal next season. the summer demise of the celtic warriors region left davies in the cold and forced him to take a semi-professional contract with neath rfc. although he got match time with the ospreys at the request of the wales management  he admitted before his move to gloucester that he was angry with the way he was treated.  the wru didn t give me any help off the field  it was very disappointing   davies said at the time.  it was a hard time throughout the summer  then deciding whether to accept an offer from stade francais which would have ended my wales career.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "brazil jobless rate hits new low brazil s unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in three years in december  according to the government.  the brazilian institute for geography and statistics (ibge) said it fell to 9.6% in december from 10.6% in november and 10.9% in december 2003. ibge also said that average monthly salaries grew 1.9% in december 2004 from december 2003. however  average monthly wages fell 1.8% in december to 895.4 reais ($332; \u00a3179.3) from november. tuesday s figures represent the first time that the unemployment rate has fallen to a single digit since new measurement rules were introduced in 2001. the unemployment rate has been falling gradually since april 2004 when it reached a peak of 13.1%. the jobless rate average for the whole of 2004 was 11.5%  down from 12.3% in 2003  the ibge said.  this improvement can be attributed to the country s strong economic growth  with the economy registering growth of 5.2% in 2004  the government said. the economy is expected to grow by about 4% this year. president luiz inacio lula da silva promised to reduce unemployment when he was elected two years ago. nevertheless  some analysts say that unemployment could increase in the next months.  the data is favourable  but a lot of jobs are temporary for the (christmas) holiday season  so we may see slightly higher joblessness in january and february   julio hegedus  chief economist with lopes filho & associates consultancy in rio de janeir  told reuters news agency. despite his leftist background  president lula has pursued a surprisingly conservative economic policy  arguing that in order to meet its social promises  the government needs to first reach a sustained economic growth. the unemployment rate is measured in the six main metropolitan areas of brazil (sao paolo  rio de janeiro  belo horizonte  recife  salvador and porto alegre)  where most of the population is concentrated.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "douglas set for indian adventure actor michael douglas is to co-produce and star in an adventure film about a diamond robbery set in india.  the new picture is expected to be similar to douglas s action films of the 1980s  romancing the stone and the jewel of the nile. another hollywood star is being lined up to co-star  while the rest of the cast will be indian. aishwarya rai  star of bride and prejudice  is the  preferred choice  of the indian studio involved in the film.  on a visit to india  the 60-year-old actor said he hoped to start shooting racing the monsoon next year. douglas added that it had been inspired by a wall street journal article about india s  angadias   who courier money and diamonds around india.  the actor s own production company  further films  is working in partnership with two indian film-making concerns to bring the picture to the screen. shailendra singh  the founder of india s percept films  said there would be  a lot of india  in the movie - and that an indian train would play a big role.  the train will be a crucial part of the film. the chase and most of the stunts will be on the train   said mr singh. swashbuckling adventure film romancing the stone saw douglas s female co-star kathleen turner win a golden globe award for her performance in 1985.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "hard act to follow for outkast us rap duo outkast s trio of trophies at the mtv europe awards crowns a year of huge success for the band.  the latest triumph adds to the three grammys and four american mtv gongs won earlier in this year. andre 3000 and big boi s album speakerboxxx/the love below has been critically acclaimed since its release and sold in large quantities around the world. the double album - which saw the pair produce one disc each - topped the charts in the us at the same time as single hey ya! it took another track from the exponents of southern hip-hop - the way you move - to displace it from the top spot. the georgia pair s year of critical and commercial triumph leaves them with a tough act to follow - what can be next for a musical act that has done it all   g money  a presenter on the bbc s urban music station 1xtra  thinks a hiatus is inevitable after such a sustained period of exposure - giving the band time to think about other interests.  they might be more appearances outside the band  such as producing for other artists  while they have a number of fringe music projects.  andre 3000 would like to go into acting  so we might see him a film  while big boi already has a dog-breeding business   says the dj.   but in a couple of years they will be back with another album which will be a collaboration unlike their double cd.  their greatness has become clear with speakerboxxx/the love below. we haven t seen the last of them   he adds. outkast s musical career spans 10 years and they have enjoyed commercial and critical success in the past  with their debut southernplayalisticadillacmuzik going platinum. but it took until 2001 for the pair to score their first hit in the uk with ms jackson  while their album stakonia saw their fame spread beyond the us.  1xtra s g money says it took the latest album  released in 2003  for him to be  assured of their genius .  they have always been experimental  some of it has worked and some hasn t   he adds. but g money acknowledges that making the next move for a band that has reached a pinnacle can be tough.  what can you do next when you ve done it all   he says. with ten years of success behind them and worldwide fame  it seems that outkast is not a name that is likely to be forgotten in a hurry.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "q&a: malcolm glazer and man utd the battle for control of manchester united has taken another turn after the club confirmed it had received a fresh takeover approach from us business tycoon malcolm glazer.  no formal offer has been made yet  but manchester united have confirmed they have received a  detailed proposal  from the us entrepreneur which could lead to a bid. reports have put the offer at 300p per share  which would value manchester united at about \u00a3800m ($1.5bn). the approach by the 76-year-old owner of the tampa bay buccaneers american football team is reportedly being led by his two sons  avi and joel. a previous approach to the united board by mr glazer in october last year was turned down. however  the bbc has learnt that the club is unlikely to reject the latest plan out of hand.  mr glazer s previous offer involved borrowing large amounts of money to finance any takeover. that would have left the club with debt levels which were deemed  not... in the best interests of the company  by manchester united s board when they rejected his approach last year. however  mr glazer s latest offer is reported to have cut the amount of borrowing needed by \u00a3200m.  while united s board may be casting a serious eye over mr glazer s latest proposals  supporters remain fiercely opposed to any deal.  supporters  group shareholders united - which has proved adept in rallying opposition to mr glazer s campaign - said it would fight any move.  manchester united are a debt-free company. we don t want to fall into debt and we don t need to fall into debt   shareholders united s sean bones told the bbc. united s players also appear unhappy at the prospect of a takeover.  a lot of people want the club s interest to be with people who have grown up with the club and got its interests at heart   rio ferdinand told bbc radio five live.  no-one knows what this guy will be bringing to the table.   the key to any successful bid will be attracting the support of united s largest shareholders  the irish horse racing tycoons john magnier and jp mcmanus. through their cubic expression vehicle they own 28.9% of the club. mr glazer owns 28.1%. joe mclean  a football specialist at accountancy firm grant thornton  said the support of mr magnier and mr mcmanus was  utterly crucial .  mr glazer s bid will not proceed without their support and they have previously indicated that they are holding their stake as an investment.  if that s the case  the shares will therefore need a price attachment of about 300 pence  maybe 305.  if that s the case then mr glazer might well secure their support - if he does  this bid could well go ahead.   indeed it is. malcolm glazer was little-known in the uk until he started to build up his stake in manchester united in late 2003. in february 2004 he said he was  considering  whether to bid for the club. no bid emerged  but mr glazer continued to increase his holding in the club. in october 2004  manchester united said they had received a  preliminary approach   which turned out to have come from mr glazer. however  the board rejected the move because of the amount of debt it would involve. at the club s annual general meeting in november  mr glazer took revenge by using his hefty stake in the club to oust three directors from the board. legal adviser maurice watkins  commercial director andy anson and non-executive director philip yea were voted out  against the wishes of chief executive david gill. but the move led to bankers jp morgan and public relations firm brunswick withdrawing from the glazer bid team.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "delta cuts fares in survival plan delta air lines is cutting domestic fares by as much as 50% as part of a plan to ensure its financial survival.  other us carriers  including united  have sought bankruptcy protection  amid high fuel costs and competition from discount carriers. delta is restructuring in a bid to fight off insolvency. this latest move to boost business has prompted speculation other firms will be forced to match their fares  hurting revenues in the sector. delta s new simplifares were trialled from august last year on tickets from cincinnati  its second-largest hub.  the airline says no one-way economy fare will now be priced higher than $499 (\u00a3264)  and no first-class fare will be priced higher than $599. it is also eliminating a saturday-night stay requirement on discount fares and will give further reductions to customers opting for non-refundable tickets  booking in advance and online. delta  which lost $646m in the three months to september  was forced to cut 6 900 jobs worldwide as part of its aim to slash $5bn from its costs. in october  it reached a crucial agreement with pilots on pay and conditions and it has also issued new shares to staff in return for wage cuts. airline shares closed lower on the announcement  with delta  continental and american airlines all falling by more than 7%.  we believe the whole airline industry will now have to move in this direction; this will likely hurt revenue in the short run but could be beneficial in the long run   said analyst ray neidl at calyon securities.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "warning over windows word files writing a microsoft word document can be a dangerous business  according to document security firm workshare.  up to 75% of all business documents contained sensitive information most firms would not want exposed  a survey by the firm revealed. to make matters worse 90% of those companies questioned had no idea that confidential information was leaking. the report warns firms to do a better job of policing documents as corporate compliance becomes more binding.  sensitive information inadvertently leaked in documents includes confidential contractual terms  competitive information that rivals would be keen to see and special deals for key customers  said andrew pearson  european boss of workshare which commissioned the research.  the efficiencies the internet has brought in such as instant access to information have also created security and control issues too   he said. the problem is particularly acute with documents prepared using microsoft word because of the way it maintains hidden records about editing changes. as documents get passed around  worked on and amended by different staff members the sensitive information finds its way into documents. poor control over the editing and amending process can mean that information that should be expunged survives final edits. microsoft  however  does provide an add-on tool for windows pcs that fixes the problem.  the remove hidden data add-in is a tool that you can use to remove personal or hidden data that might not be immediately apparent when you view the document in your microsoft office application   says the instructions on microsoft s website. microsoft recommends that the tool is used before people publish any word document. a tool for apple machines running word is not available. workshare surveyed firms around the world and found that  on average  31% of documents contained legally sensitive information but in many firms up to three-quarters fell in to the high risk category. often  said mr pearson  this sensitive information was invisible because it got deleted and changed as different drafts were prepared.  however  the way that windows works means that earlier versions can be recalled and reconstructed by those keen to see how a document has evolved. few firms have any knowledge of the existence of this so-called metadata about the changes that a document has gone through or that it can be reconstructed. the discovery of this hidden information could prove embarrassing for companies if  for instance  those tendering for contracts found out about the changes to terms of a deal being negotiated. the research revealed that a document s metadata could be substantial as  on average  only 40% of contributors  changes to a document make it to the final draft. problems with documents could mean trouble for firms as regulatory bodies step up scrutiny and compliance laws start to bite  said mr pearson.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "bank payout to pinochet victims a us bank has said it will donate more than $8m to victims of former chilean military ruler augusto pinochet s regime under a madrid court settlement.  riggs bank will put money in a special fund to be managed by a madrid-based charity  the salvador allende foundation  which helps abused victims. the bank had been accused of illegally concealing gen pinochet s assets. more than 3 000 people were killed for political reasons under gen pinochet s regime  an official report says. last month in a us court  riggs bank pleaded guilty to failing to report suspicious activity relating to accounts held by gen pinochet and the government of equatorial guinea. on that occasion  it was ordered to pay a fine of $16m. gen pinochet himself has never been put on trial for human rights violations under his 1973-90 rule  despite several high-profile cases against him. he is now facing charges relating to the murder of one chilean and the disappearance of nine others. he is also being investigated for tax evasion  tax fraud and embezzlement of state funds.  the general s opponents rejoiced at the settlement  which was agreed in a court in the spanish capital  madrid. a lawyer for the victims  eduardo contreras  told reuters news agency:  this demonstrates that the horrors of the pinochet dictatorship are not a mystery to anyone and that the whole world knows his victims deserve reparations.  riggs spokesman mark hendrix said the settlement  details of which will be announced next week  was an opportunity to move on.  this enables the institution to put the matter behind us   he told reuters. the settlement follows a legal complaint filed against the bank by spanish judge baltasar garzon alleging that it had illegally concealed assets. the bank agreed to create a fund for the victims  but the charges were dropped.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "sociedad set to rescue mladenovic rangers are set to loan out-of-favour midfielder dragan mladenovic to real sociedad  despite the closure of the january transfer window.  sociedad have been given special permission by the spanish fa to sign a player due to an injury crisis. mladenovic will effectively replace former rangers midfielder mikel arteta  who has been loaned to everton. sociedad say they will pay rangers \u00a3150 000  with an option to buy the serbia & montenegro international. mladenovic s loan move is subject to him passing a medical. the 28-year-old  who joined rangers from red star belgrade for \u00a31.2m in the close season  is expected in san sebastian later this week following his national side s game against bulgaria. sociedad are in 15th place in the 20-strong primera liga  just two points above the relegation zone. special permission from the spanish fa came after an injury to central defender igor jauregi. the versatile mladenovic can also play in the back four. his agent said last month that rangers had told him to find the player a new club. mladenovic s time at ibrox has been plagued with injury and he has made just six starts in six months with the glasgow club.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "indy buys into india paper irish publishing group independent news & media is buying up a 26% stake in indian newspaper company jagran in a deal worth 25m euros ($34.1m).  jagran publishes india s top-selling daily newspaper  the hindi-language dainik jagran  which has been in circulation for 62 years. news of the deal came as the group announced that its results would meet market forecasts. the company reported strong revenue growth across all its major markets.  group advertising revenues were up over 10% year-on-year  the group said  with overall circulation revenues are expected to increase almost 10% year-on-year. this was helped by the positive impact of  compact  newspaper editions in ireland and the uk  it said.  2004 has proven to be an important year for independent news & media   said chief executive sir anthony o reilly.  our simple aim at independent is to be the low cost producer in every region in which we operate. i am confident that we will show a meaningful increase in earnings for 2005.   meanwhile  the group made no comment about the future of the independent newspaper despite recent speculation that sir anthony had held talks with potential buyers over a stake in the daily publication. he has consistently denied suggestions that the independent and the independent on sunday are up for sale. buy it is understood that the recent success of the smaller edition of the independent  which has pushed circulation up by 20% to 260 000  has prompted interest from industry rivals  with daily mail & general trust tipped as the most likely suitor. the loss-making newspaper is not expected to reach break-even until 2006.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "teens  know little  of politics teenagers questioned for a survey have shown little interest in politics - and have little knowledge.  only a quarter of 14-16 year olds knew that labour was the government  the tories were the official opposition and the lib dems were the third party. almost all could identify tony blair  but only one in six knew who michael howard was  and just one in 10 recognised charles kennedy. the icm survey interviewed 110 pupils for education watchdog ofsted. nearly half those pupils polled said it was not important for them to know more about what the political parties stand for. and 4% of those questioned thought the conservatives were in power - while 2% of them believed the lib dems were. the survey also looked at issues of nationality. it found the union flag and fish and chips topped the list of symbols and foods associated with being british. many of the pupils also looked on themselves as english  scottish or welsh  rather than british; while the notion of being european hardly occurred to anyone.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "little britain vies for tv trophy bbc hits little britain and strictly come dancing are among numerous british shows nominated for the prestigious golden rose television awards.  homegrown reality programmes dominated that category  including channel 4 s supernanny and itv1 s hell s kitchen. eastenders and coronation street were overlooked in the soap category  but doctors and family affairs gained nods. the festival  which honours the best tv from around the globe  will take place in lucerne  switzerland from 3-8 may.  little britain  which is now in its second series  faces competition from bbc two s the catherine tate show and sacha baron cohen s creations borat and bruno. in the separate sitcom category  dark comedy nighty night - which began life on bbc three - will do battle with mainstream bbc one show my family.  bbc one s strictly come dancing  which saw celebrities compete against each other to become champions of the dancefloor  is among five british nominations in the varirty category. lenny henry  who won a golden rose for his in pieces series in 2001  picks up another nomination for his recent bbc show. british television music shows have picked up six nominations  with bbc three s flashmob - the opera up against the uk music hall of fame series  which was screened on channel 4. british television has performed very well in the arts and specials category  gaining a total of 11 nominations. the bbc leads the way with its programmes on the sound of music  agatha christie and rolf on art - the big event - which saw harris lead an effort to produce a life-size painting in london s trafalgar square.  british shows - which picked up a total of 48 nominations - will have to overcome competition from a host of other countries  including the us  canada  japan and across europe. uk nominee tv diaries  which is shown around the world  is owned by a british company but has yet to be screened in this country. previous uk winners have included ant & dec s saturday night takeaway  pop idol  channel 4 show faking it and comedy duo french and saunders  who became the first winners to receive and honorary golden rose. individual performers will also be rewarded  with prizes for best comics  best sitcom actor and actress and best gameshow host. last year actor shane richie won an award for his portrayal of alfie moon in eastenders.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "immigration to be election issue immigration and asylum have normally been issues politicians from the big parties have tiptoed around at election time.  but no longer. both labour and the tories have signalled their intention of making them central to their election campaigns. they have been struck by the level of concern amongst voters about the issues  with internal surveys showing they have the potential to swing large numbers of votes. that was also true at the last general election and the issue did briefly become a campaigning issue. but it sparked the probably predictable furore with claims politicians were either stoking up xenophobia or  alternatively  running scared of addressing the problem. but this time around it looks set to be one of the core battlegrounds with both the big parties competing to set out tough policies.  the tories are already committed to imposing annual limits on immigration  with a quota for asylum seekers and with applications processed outside the uk. labour has already branded the proposal unworkable but party strategists have seen the tories seizing a poll advantage over the issue.  now home secretary charles clarke has come up with alternative proposals for a points system to ensure only immigrants who can benefit the economy will be granted entry  and to kick out more failed asylum seekers. that has been attacked by the tories as too little  too late and for failing to tackle the key issue of the numbers entering the uk. the liberal democrats have not been drawn too deeply into the argument but have called for a europe-wide policy on immigration.  but  while all the parties appear to agree the time has come to properly debate and address the issue  there are already signs they will run into precisely the same problems as before. former union leader sir bill morris has already accused both the big parties of engaging in a  bidding war about who can be nastiest to asylum seekers .   my concern is that  whilst the labour party and the conservative party will take a constructive approach to the debate  right-wing political parties  picking up on statements like `burden to britain  will exploit this and create a lot of fear and uncertainty . it is precisely that concern - and the possible suggestion the issue is playing to the far right s racist agenda - that will provoke strong reactions from many concerned with this issue. the challenge for the big parties is to ensure they can engage in the debate during the cut and thrust of a general election while also avoiding that trap.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "low-budget film wins cesar a film that follows a group of alienated youth in a paris suburb as they prepare to perform an 18th century play has won france s top cinema award.  l esquive earned a cesar prize for its director  tunisian-born abdellatif kechiche  and its young star  the 18-year-old actress sara forestier. it saw off competition from big-budget french epic  a very long engagement  and the box-office hit  the chorus. us film lost in translation won the award for best foreign feature. the wistful romantic comedy directed by sofia coppola has already won several awards  including an oscar for best screenplay in 2004. its late release in france made it a contender for this year s cesars.  the low-budget l esquive depicts the travails of a group of youth getting ready to perform a school play by the 18th-century dramatist  marivaux. the actors are mostly amateurs and the action is set in the impoverished suburbs of paris  home to thousands of immigrants from north africa and their children. kechiche said he made the film because he  wanted to show people we don t normally see at the cinema . a very long engagement  a world war i drama featuring audrey tautou  won five cesar awards. the chorus  a film about a schoolteacher who introduces an unruly classroom to the pleasures of classical singing  won two awards - for best music and best sound. us actor will smith  who won an honorary award at the ceremony  thanked his family and his  hero   nelson mandela  in his speech.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "celebrities get their skates on former england footballer paul gascoigne will join eastenders  actress scarlett johnson on bbc one s strictly ice dancing.  the one-off christmas special will also star television presenter carol smillie and jessica taylor from liberty-x. each celebrity will be paired with a professional skater to impress a panel of judges and win the audience vote. the bbc is yet to confirm the final two stars who will battle it out to become ice king or queen.  veteran presenter bruce forsyth and tess daly will host the programme  which follows hot on the heels of the current saturday night series strictly come dancing. the celebrities will have to practise a stipulated ice dance and perform it at an ice rink with their partner. the judges will have 50% of the vote to decide who wins the contest  with the ice rink audience making up the rest of the vote. the show forms part of the bbc s festive schedule. ice skating duo jayne torvill and christopher dean are to front a similar celebrity ice dance show for itv  titled stars on thin ice. the contestants on stars on thin ice will each be paired up with a professional skater and will learn a new routine every week. at the end of the series  one celebrity will be crowned the winner.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "sir paul rocks super bowl crowds sir paul mccartney wowed fans with a live mini-concert at american football s super bowl - and avoided any janet jackson-style controversies.  the 62-year-old sang hey jude and other beatles songs in a 12-minute set at half-time during the game in florida. last year  jackson exposed a breast during a dance routine  causing outrage among millions of tv viewers and landing the cbs tv network a fine. sir paul  however  did nothing more racy than remove his jacket as he sang. organisers were widely considered to be playing it safe this year by booking 62-year-old sir paul for his second super bowl show.  three years ago  he was invited to perform at the first super bowl after the september 11 attacks and performed his specially-written song freedom. this time  he started off the show  at the alltel stadium in jacksonville  florida  with the beatles numbers drive my car and get back. he then performed a mellow version of live and let die  the james bond theme he recorded with the band wings. finally  he closed the show with a rousing version of hey jude. the former beatle resisted any temptation to refer to janet jackson s headline-grabbing performance last year  instead keeping banter between songs to a minimum in order to squeeze as much music as he could into his slot. the singer removed his black jacket halfway through the show - but any fans hoping for a second  nipple-gate  were to be disappointed as he kept his red sweatshirt on underneath.  earlier  the black eyed peas and alicia keys had provided the night s other high-profile entertainment by performing in a pre-game show. black eyed peas singer fergie was dressed in a tight orange top and purple hotpants  but nothing in her performance was likely to upset tv watchdogs. after the controversy last year - which saw cbs fined a record $550 000 (\u00a3292 000) by federal regulators - super bowl organisers had turned to producer don mischer to oversee this year s half-time show. his previous production credits included olympic opening and closing ceremonies. the super bowl is watched by an audience of 144.4 million in the us  with many of the people watching are said to tune in specifically to see the entertainment put on around the event. michael jackson  aerosmith  diana ross  gloria estefan and phil collins are among the stars who have previously graced the super bowl stage.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "j-lo and husband plan debut duet singers jennifer lopez and husband marc anthony  a latin pop star  are to perform a duet at this month s grammy awards in los angeles.  anthony became lopez s third husband in june 2004. he won a grammy in 1998 and is nominated for two more this year. the 13 february ceremony will also include a rendition of the beatles  across the universe by bono  stevie wonder  norah jones and brian wilson. the song will go on sale online to raise money for the tsunami aid effort. the awards show will also feature performances from u2  green day  alicia keys and kanye west - but the lopez and anthony duet is likely to be one of the biggest talking points.  anthony  born in new york to a puerto rican family  is reported to be the biggest-selling salsa artist of all time. he is nominated this year for best latin pop album and best salsa/merengue album. the tsunami tribute song will also feature alicia keys  velvet revolver and tim mcgraw. fans will be able to download it for $0.99 (\u00a30.53) from itunes  or purchase the video from the cbs tv network s site. kanye west  the rapper who leads the awards with 10 nominations  will perform alongside john legend  mavis staples and the blind boys of alabama. there will also be a tribute to ray charles featuring bonnie raitt and billy preston and a celebration of southern rock with tim mcgraw  gretchen wilson  lynyrd skynyrd  dickie betts and elvis bishop. ray charles  who died in june 2004  has seven posthumous nominations. alicia keys and usher share eight nominations each.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "clijsters could play aussie open kim clijsters has denied reports that she has pulled out of january s australian open because of her persistent wrist injury.  open chief paul mcnamee had said:  kim s wrist obviously isn t going to be rehabilitated.  but her spokesman insisted she had simply delayed submitting her entry.  the doctors are assessing her injury on a weekly basis and if there is no risk she could play. but if there s the least risk she will stay away.  despite being absent from the wta entry list for the tournament  which begins on 17 january  clijsters would be certain to get a wild card if she requested one. clijsters is still ranked 22nd in the world despite only playing a handful of matches last season. the belgian had an operation on her left wrist early in the season but injured it again on her return to the tour. meanwhile  jelena dokic  who used to compete for australia  has opted out of the first grand slam of the season. dokic has not played in the australian open since 2001 when she lost in the first round. but the 21-year-old would have had to rely on a wild card next season because her ranking has tumbled to 127th. four-time champion monica seles  who has not played since last year s french open  is another absentee because of an injured left foot.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "mobile audio enters new dimension as mobile phones move closer to being a ubiquitous  all-in-one media player  audio is becoming ever more important. but how good can that sound be from such a small device   the sound of a buzzing bee jumps from left to right before disappearing around the back of my head. the surround sound demo is unremarkable when heard on a multi-speaker home cinema system but startling when emerging from a small mobile phone. british firm sonaptic is one of a number of companies to have developed 3d audio technology that emerges from stereo speakers. firms am3d and srs both offer stereo-widening technology for mobile phones. but sonaptic s managing director david monteith says his firm is the only company to offer positional 3d audio on a mobile.   there are quite a few basic technologies out there  making the sound seem a bit bigger  headphones a bit nicer.   no-one has really tried before to make proper 3d positional audio - where an individual channel can be moved around.  sonaptic has been working with japanese mobile network ntt docomo to set standards for 3d audio on mobile phones. in the last few months handsets from nec  fujitsu and mitsubishi have been released on to the japanese marker which have chips produced by yamaha and rohm with sonaptic s technology.  the technology has been around on pcs and games consoles for some time but what we are doing is making it more efficient so it can go on a small consumer device like a mobile phone   said mr monteith.  the technology works through applying the science of psychoacoustics and grew out of medical research done by the company s research director dr alastair sibbald.  we are basically trying to fool your ears into thinking sound is coming from areas it actually isn t.  your brain uses certain bits of information which we are effectively synthesising on a mobile phone handset.  the structure of the ear works as a 3d encoder for sound - helping the brain understand from where sound is emanating. sonaptic s audio processing algorithms mimic that 3d encoding  giving the impression that sound is coming from the left  right  and behind a listener when in fact it is coming from a single source. mr montieth says:  if the sound is off to one side it will get to one ear before the other - if it is on the right it has to bend around your head to get to your left ear.   the shape of your ear causes differences in sound from one ear to the other. we are synthesising those differences.  sonaptic hopes the technology will have a big impact in the growing market of mobile gaming and music downloading.  handhelds often have limitations - screens will be small by definition.  if you want to get impact from media you are running - either a movie  a game or watching tv - if you want it to be more immersive then our technology can help.  a fishing game is the first title to use the technology  creating a 3d sound field while the gamer plays. driving games and shoot  em ups using the technology are in development. the technology can also be used for music - giving songs a much more expansive and immersive feel. sonaptic offers its technology on a chip or in software and is about to release a new version which significantly improves the efficiency of the audio processing.  it s important we only use 10 or 15% of the processor otherwise you won t be able to play a game on the handset   explained mr montieth. the company is now looking to the us and european markets  where it has been working with network vodafone.  we have focused first on japan because it has a very advanced mobile phone market.  we knew japan would be the first place to have the handsets that could use our technology.  there should be handsets out in the uk in the next six months.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "ref stands by scotland decisions the referee from saturday s france v scotland six nations match has defended the officials  handling of the game after criticism by matt williams.  the scotland coach said his side were robbed of victory by poor decisions made by the officials. but nigel williams said:  i m satisfied the game was handled correctly.  meanwhile  matt williams will not be punished by the scottish rugby union for allegedly using bad language in his comments about the officials. he denies having done so. nonetheless  he was furious about several decisions that he felt denied his side a famous victory. but nigel williams told the scottish daily mail:  i spoke to matt williams at the post-match dinner.  he made no mention of the disallowed try or any other refereeing decisions whatsoever.  if matt has issues with the match officials  then he is very welcome to phone me and discuss them.  ultimately there is a match assessor at every international game to give an impartial and objective view of the performance of the officials.  that is the beginning and end of it.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "italy aim to rattle england italy coach john kirwan believes his side can upset england as the six nations wooden spoon battle hots up.  the two sides  both without a win  meet on 12 march at twickenham and kirwan says his side will be hoping to make the most of england s current slump.  we have to make sure the england and france games are tough for them.  england have not been having the best of championships. that is a big one for us and them and i am sure my players will rise to the occasion   he said. but kirwan admits that a lot of hard work will be needed with his kickers before the trip to london. roland de marigny and luciano orquera had a miserable time with the boot in the dire defeat to scotland as chris paterson stole the show to give the hosts a much-needed 18-10 victory. kirwan said:  the kicking was the decisive factor in scotland which cost us and it could go down to the kicking again next time.  but i have a lot of confidence in my players and i am positive we can put everything together against england.  england  meanwhile  are licking their wounds and rueing what might have been had two decisions from referee jonathan kaplan not gone against them in the second half in dublin. first mark cueto was judged offside as he chased fly-half charlie hodgson s kick  and then kaplan opted not to call upon video evidence to see if josh lewsey had touched down after being driven over ireland s line.  but centre jamie noon believes the side at least showed better form than their previous two defeats.  we definitely improved against an in-form irish side   he said.  we went to dublin quietly confident that we would be able to compete  and i think we showed that.  we have got to make sure we now take the form and positives into the italy game. we are under no illusions that it is going to be easy  but we definitely need a win.  england have now equalled an 18-year low of four successive championship defeats  including france in paris last season  and have lost four in a row under andy robinson. his predecessor  sir clive woodward  began his seven-year reign with three defeats and two draws.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "councils prepare to set tax rises council tax in scotland is set to rise by an average of about 4% in the coming year  bbc scotland has learned.  authorities will decide final figures on thursday when projected increases will be more than twice the rate of inflation  which is currently 1.6%. the finance minister has urged councils to limit increases but they have warned that they will struggle to maintain services unless funding is increased. they say much additional government money is for new initiatives. scottish finance minister  tom mccabe msp  said:  last week in parliament i announced an additional \u00a3419m for core expenditure to local government in scotland.  that s a 5.5% increase and sits against an inflation rate of 1.6%  so i think we have quite rightly said to councils this year that we would at the very least ask them to exercise restraint.  mr mccabe is also looking for local authorities to become more efficient and save money in coming years. he told bbc radio scotland s sunday live programme:  here in scotland we have 32 councils who all have their own individual collection systems for council tax  they have their own payroll systems and their own human resource systems.   we think there has to be opportunities there for rationalisation and using the money saved to reinvest in frontline services.  the councils  umbrella organisation cosla  which provided bbc scotland with the indicative figures for next year  warned that councils would face a continuous struggle to maintain services. mr mccabe has promised them about \u00a38.1bn next year.  however  most of the increase is targeted to new initiatives and councils will experience difficulties in maintaining core services   a cosla spokesman said. cosla says that it is willing to work with the executive on finding efficiency savings but that these will not be enough to maintain services. they say the funding plans for the next three years will see councils lose more of the share of public spending. the conservatives accuse the scottish executive of using the council tax to raise funds because it is too afraid to raise income tax.  the tory finance spokesman  brian monteith msp  said:  its a form of disguise... yet again we see that council tax is being used as a way of passing on costs.  scared of actually using its three pence income tax that it could put up  what we ve seen over the years is more and more burdens being put onto local authorities and the council tax payer having to pick up the bill.  there are also warnings that unless funding to councils is increased in the next few years then services may have to be reduced. linda knox  director of the scottish local authority management centre at strathclyde university  said:  with this current settlement the increase is slowing. at the same time  the burdens on councils are greater than they were.  the settlement figures don t include pay increases and the executive is also requiring a substantial figure - in the area of \u00a3325m - in efficiency savings across the settlement period.  education will be protected from any cuts but linda knox says this will mean other services will suffer. she said:  in practice  that will mean a 4-5% cut for other services. on the face of it the settlement looks like an increase of about 9.7% but by the time you take into account other factors its probably only about 1% in real terms.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "bennett play takes theatre prizes the history boys by alan bennett has been named best new play in the critics  circle theatre awards.  set in a grammar school  the play also earned a best actor prize for star richard griffiths as teacher hector. the producers was named best musical  victoria hamilton was best actress for suddenly last summer and festen s rufus norris was named best director. the history boys also won the best new comedy title at the theatregoers  choice awards.  partly based upon alan bennett s experience as a teacher  the history boys has been at london s national theatre since last may. the critics  circle named rebecca lenkiewicz its most promising playwright for the night season  and eddie redmayne most promising newcomer for the goat or  who is sylvia   paul rhys was its best shakespearean performer for measure for measure at the national theatre and christopher oram won the design award for suddenly last summer. both the critics  circle and whatsonstage.com theatregoers  choice award winners were announced on tuesday. chosen by more than 11 000 theatre fans  the theatregoers  choice awards named us actor christian slater best actor for one flew over the cuckoo s nest. diana rigg was best actress for suddenly last summer  dame judi dench was best supporting actress for the rsc s all s well that ends well and the history boys  samuel barnett was best supporting actor.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "yukos bankruptcy  not us matter  russian authorities do not have to abide by any us court decisions taken with regard to troubled oil giant yukos  a houston court has been told.  legal expert william butler said there was no treaty between the us and russia to recognise the other s legal rulings. that meant moscow would not have to adhere to us rulings in the yukos case. yukos says a us court was entitled to declare it bankrupt before its yugansk unit was sold  since it has a us subsidiary and local bank accounts.  yukos made its surprise chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in houston in december in an unsuccessful attempt to halt the auction of yugansk  its main oil producing unit  by russian authorities. yugansk was sold to help pay off a $27.5bn (\u00a314.5bn) back tax bill. it was bought for $9.4bn by a previously unknown group  which was in turn bought by state-controlled oil company rosneft. the us court s jurisdiction has been challenged by deutsche bank and gazpromneft  a former unit of russian gas monopoly gazprom which is due to merge with rosneft. deutsche bank maintains the case has no place in a us court because yukos has no assets in the us  apart from two bank accounts and a house in houston owned by its chief finance officer bruce misamore. deutsche bank is involved in the case because it is itself being sued by yukos. it had agreed to loan gazpromneft the money to bid for yugansk. us bankruptcy judge letitia clark  who issued an injunction in december to try and prevent the yugansk sale  has said she will rule  pretty promptly  however i do not anticipate ruling on it before next tuesday .  yukos has claimed it sought help in the us because other forums - russian courts and the european court of human rights - were either unfriendly or offered less protection. it has claimed that russia imposed the huge tax bill and forced the sale of yugansk as part of a campaign to destroy yukos and its former owner mihkail khodorkovsky  who is facing a 10-year prison term in russia for fraud and tax evasion. yukos  parent company  the gibraltar-based menatep group  is suing russia in europe for $28.3bn in financial damages. the company is also seeking $20bn in a separate us lawsuit against rosneft and gazprom for their role in the sale of yugansk.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "bmw cash to fuel mini production less than four years after the new mini was launched  german car maker bmw has announced \u00a3100m of new investment.  some 200 new jobs are to be created at the oxford factory  including modernised machinery and a new body shell production building. the result of the investment could be to raise output to more than 200 000 cars from 2007. the rise  from 189 000 last year  is a response to rapidly-rising demand and could help wipe out waiting lists. before wednesday s announcement  bmw had invested some \u00a3280m in mini production.  since its launch during summer 2001  the new mini has gone from strength to strength.  last year  almost one in six cars sold by the bmw group was a mini. the company admits that the success of the brand came despite scepticism from many in the industry.  our decision to produce a new mini was not received well right away   said norbert reithofer  a member of the bmw management board. initially  bmw said it would produce 100 000 mini models a year at its vast cowley factory on the outskirts of oxford  but the target was quickly reached  then raised  time and time again. not everyone is convinced that the boom can continue.  the risk is that after they ve invested massively in the brand  demand tapers off like it did with the new vw beetle   said brad wernle  from automotive news europe.  the price of the car has also gone up. when it was launched  the cheapest mini cost just more than \u00a310 000. these days  buyers will have to fork out almost \u00a311 500 to own a new mini one  or even more for the cooper s which costs up to \u00a317 730. the mini convertible  which was launched last spring  costs up to \u00a315 690 for the top model  and there is even a waiting list. second-hand minis are not cheap either. a mini one bought when the model was launched should still fetch at least \u00a38 000 for the cheapest model  while a used cooper s is likely to be priced from \u00a312 556  according to the-car buying website parker s. the consumers  association which operates with slightly different numbers  yet it confirms that the mini cooper 1.6 depreciates slower than any other car  other than the mercedes benz c180 se and the bmw 1 series 116i se.  the cowley factory  which initially seemed far too large a production plant for just 100 000 minis  is increasingly being put to good use.  there are plans to tear down old buildings and build new ones and there are rumours that a new paint shop could be included in the plans. bmw s mini adventure has made good much of what went wrong during its stewardship of the uk car maker rover which it sold for \u00a310 five years ago to the phoenix consortium. in 1999  when bmw still owned rover  the oxford factory was producing the award-winning rover 75. during that year  3 500 people produced 56 000 cars. last year  in the same factory  almost four times as many vehicles were produced by just 4 500 mini-workers. the mini factory s current output is equally impressive when compared with the main rover factory in longbridge  which in 1999 produced 180 000 rover cars. last year  mg rover  which employs more than 6 000 people  produced just 110 000 cars  though it hopes to land a deal with shanghai automotive industry corporation (saic) that could help double the number of cars produced at longbridge. indeed  mini is not only producing more cars than mg rover does; it remains ahead even when the current sales of land rovers and range rovers (which are made by the former rover unit that bmw sold to ford) are taken into account.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "libya takes $1bn in unfrozen funds libya has withdrawn $1bn in assets from the us  assets which had previously been frozen for almost 20 years  the libyan central bank has said.  the move came after the us lifted a trade ban to reward tripoli for giving up weapons of mass destruction and vowing to compensate lockerbie victims. the original size of libya s funds was $400m  the central bank told reuters. however  the withdrawal did not mean that libya had cut its ties with the us  he added.   we are in the process of opening accounts in banks in the united states   the central bank s vice president farhat omar ben gadaravice said. the previously frozen assets had been invested in various countries and are believed to have included equity holdings in banks. the us ban on trade and economic activity with tripoli - imposed by then president ronald regan in 1986 after a series of what the us deemed terrorist acts  including the 1988 lockerbie air crash - was suspended in april. bankers from the two country s had been working on how to unfreeze libya s assets.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "tv debate urged for party chiefs broadcasters should fix a date for a pre-election televised debate between the three main political leaders  according to the hansard society.  it would then be up to tony blair  michael howard and charles kennedy to decide whether to take part  the non-partisan charity said. chairman lord holme argued that prime ministers should not have the right of veto on a matter  of public interest .  the broadcasters should make the decision to go ahead   he said.  lord holme s proposal for a televised debate comes just four months after millions of viewers were able to watch us president george w bush slug it out verbally with his democratic challenger john kerry. he said it was a  democratically dubious proposition  that it was up to the incumbent prime minister to decide whether a similar event takes place here.  if mr blair did not want to take part  the broadcasters could go ahead with an empty chair or cancel the event and explain their reasons why  lord holme said.  what makes the present situation even less acceptable is that although mr howard and mr kennedy have said they would welcome a debate  no-one has heard directly from the prime minister   he said.  it has been left to nudges and winks  hints and briefings from his aides and campaign managers to imply that mr blair doesn t want one  but we haven t heard from the prime minister himself.   lord holme  who has campaigned for televised debates at previous elections  said broadcasters were  more than willing to cooperate with the arrangements . opinion polls suggested that the idea had the backing of the public who like comparing the personalities and policies of the contenders in their own homes  he said.  lord holme argued that as part of their public service obligations  broadcasters  should make the decision to go ahead  as soon as the election is called. an independent third-party body such as the hansard society or electoral commission could work out the ground rules so they were fair to participants and informative to the public  he said.  it would be up to each party leader to accept or refuse   said lord holme.   if the prime minister s reported position is true and he does want to take part  he would then be obliged to say why publicly.  the broadcasters would then have the option of cancelling the event for obvious and well-understood reasons  or going ahead with an empty chair.  either way would be preferable to the present hidden veto.  the hansard society has long campaigned for televised debates and has published reports on the issue in 1997 and 2001. tony blair has already ruled out taking part in a televised debate during the forthcoming election campaign. last month he said:  we answer this every election campaign and  for the reasons i have given before  the answer is no   he said at his monthly news conference.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "spain coach faces racism inquiry spain s football federation has initiated disciplinary action against national coach luis aragones over racist comments about thierry henry.  if found guilty aragones could lose his job or face a fine of about \u00a322 000. the federation had initially declined to take action against aragones after comments he made during a national team training session in october. but its president angel maria villar changed his mind after a request by spain s anti-violence commission. aragones insisted the comments  made to henry s arsenal club-mate jose antonio reyes  were meant to motivate the player  and were not intended to be offensive.   i never intended to offend anyone  and for that reason i have a very easy conscience   he said at the time.  i m obliged to motivate my players to get the best results.  as part of that job  i use colloquial language  with which we can all understand each other within the framework of the football world.   england s players made a point of wearing anti-racism t-shirts when training before their friendly against spain in madrid last month.  but the storm increased following racist chanting by spanish fans at england s black players during the game  which spain won 1-0. spain s minister of sport jaime lissavetzky was quick to give his backing to the federation s decision.  everyone who has a public function has to consider their declarations  and make sure they do not give a negative image   he said.  we are going to have zero tolerance in questions of racism.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "pete doherty misses bail deadline singer pete doherty will have to spend the weekend in jail because he could not come up with \u00a3150 000 bond money for his bail on time.  the former libertines singer had been granted bail with curfew restrictions at highbury corner magistrates court on charges of robbery and blackmail. but his lawyer said the money could not be raised on time. mr doherty  25  was arrested following an alleged incident in a london hotel on wednesday evening. musician alan wass  23  also of north london  appeared in court accused of the same offences.  magistrates imposed a range of bail conditions on mr doherty including a curfew between 2200 and 0700  except when he attends a drug rehabilitation centre. he was told he would not be able to leave his home without being accompanied by a security firm. he must also surrender his passport and report daily to a local police station. mr wass was also given a curfew and told to surrender his passport. mr doherty left the libertines at the end of june 2004  but continued performing with his band babyshambles. the singer  who has been linked to supermodel kate moss  was arrested after police were called to the islington hotel in response to claims that a man had been assaulted. a man in his 30s was later taken to university college hospital  london  with facial injuries  before being discharged. a lawyer representing mr doherty and mr wass said outside court the pair strenuously denied the charges.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "roddick into san jose final andy roddick will play cyril saulnier in the final of the sap open in san jose on sunday.  the american top seed and defending champion overcame germany s tommy haas  the third seed  7-6 (7-3) 6-3. and saulnier survived an injury scare in his semi-final with seventh-seeded austrian jurgen melzer. the frenchman twisted his ankle early in the second set but overcame melzer  who was left fuming over a series of line calls  6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-3.  i was feeling horrible earlier in the week   roddick said.  i thought tonight was another step in the right direction.  on my returns  i was standing in more and i m getting a little more depth  even if i don t hit a perfect return.   roddick won the last four points of the first-set tie-break before being broken at the start of the second set. but he broke straight back and then broke haas again to lead 4-2.  it s extremely frustrating when you have chances against a top-five player and don t do anything with them   admitted haas.  i rushed a few backhands and he took advantage.  saulnier will move into the world s top 50 for the first time after his passage through to the final.  it s taken a lot of work and a lot of fighting in my mind   he revealed.  sometimes i didn t believe i could get to a final and now i am here. i ve stayed mentally strong.  i m on the way. i ll keep fighting and work a lot and i ll be up there.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "trade gap narrows as exports rise the uk s trade gap narrowed in november  helped by a 7.5% rise in exports outside the european union.  according to the office for national statistics  the difference between what the uk exported and imported was \u00a33.1bn ($5.8bn)  down from october s \u00a33.6bn. overall uk exports - including both goods and services - rose by more than 3.2% to \u00a324.8bn  although total imports rose again to a new record of \u00a327.9bn. the deficit for goods alone was \u00a34.6bn  down from october s \u00a35bn. during november the uk exported \u00a316.9bn worth of goods  but imported \u00a321.5bn. the cumulative deficit for the first eleven months of 2004 now stands at \u00a336.3bn  \u00a34.5bn higher than the same period in 2003.  november saw an improvement in export levels to both the european union and the rest of the world  the office for national statistics (ons) said. eu exports rose 2%  fuelled by an increase in sales of chemicals. non-eu exports shot up 7.5%  with growth seen across a range of manufacturing sectors including cars  consumer durables and chemicals. the export boost offset a 1% rise in imports. non-eu imports rose 3%  but the growth in goods entering the uk from the eu slowed to 0.5%.  the uk s deficit with the eu fell to \u00a31.9bn from \u00a32.1bn  while its non-eu shortfall dropped to \u00a32.7bn from \u00a32.9bn in october.  the country s surplus on trade-in-services remained steady at \u00a31.5bn for the fifth month in a row. paul dales  uk economist for capital economics  said the figures represented an improvement on recent months. however  he stressed that the long-term prognosis for exports was still uncertain.  the figures are a lot better than expected but the trend still remains poor   he said.  there have been some very encouraging signs that the uk export recovery is starting to take hold. but there is a danger that this could be held back by the ongoing weakness of domestic demand on the continent.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "safin cool on wimbledon newly-crowned australian open champion marat safin has ruled out any chance of winning wimbledon in the future.  after losing in round one last year  safin said he had  given up  on wimbledon and winning his second grand slam title has not changed his mind.  i ll play  but with no expectations. i feel like i can t waste my time  my energy on that surface   he said.  some people  they cannot play on clay. some people  they cannot play on a hard court. me  i can t play on grass.  however  safin is hopeful that winning the australian open will give him the belief he needs to win more grand slam titles.  it s a relief for me. two grand slams  it s already something. but with this one i worked really hard for it   he said.  basically  i would love to win a couple more. i think i have a chance if i continue this way.   if (coach) peter lundgren will stick around with me and wants to work with me for a bit longer  i think i can make it.  the 25-year-old shocked pete sampras in the 2000 us open final to win his first major title but then lost in two australian open finals. safin admitted he had begun to doubt whether he would win another grand slam.  i didn t expect that (to win the 2000 us open) - it was against sampras  i wasn t the favourite so i had no pressure whatsoever   he said.  after the first final that i didn t win against thomas johansson (in 2002)  i couldn t see myself winning the grand slams anymore.  i was once in the semi-finals of the french open  but i didn t believe i can win it.  i just couldn t handle the pressure. you need to believe in yourself  and i didn t.   and after losing the first set 6-1 to lleyton hewitt in sunday s final  safin said he began to doubt himself again.  i am 25. i m playing against hewitt. at least you have to have the opportunity to win it  at least have a chance   he said.  it s like you go there and you lose first set 6-1  then you start to think:  this is not my day. the way i m playing is ridiculous.   but then you start to really be a little bit more selfish and try to find a way out of there.  and i found it. i was like really much i was much happier than in 2000  that s for sure  because i get over it.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "foxx and swank take actors awards jamie foxx and hilary swank have won the screen actors guild awards for best male and female film actors  boosting their oscars hopes this month.  foxx s portrayal of late soul-singer ray charles in ray had already earned him a prestigious golden globe award. swank triumphed for playing a gutsy female boxer in million dollar baby. modest wine country comedy sideways knocked out favourites million dollar baby and the aviator by taking the top prize for best cast performance.  the screen actors guild (sag) represents us film and tv actors. its winners often go on to win oscars. in other nominations  cate blanchett triumphed as the best supporting actress for her role as katharine hepburn in the aviator. veteran actor morgan freeman took the best supporting actor award for playing a prize-fighter turned gym manager in million dollar baby.   thank you for ray charles for just living so complex and so interesting  and making us all just come together   said foxx  accepting his award in los angeles on saturday.  he also praised the film director:  thank you for taylor hackford for taking a chance with an african-american film. taylor  you re my director of the year.  swank  too  was full of praise for her director and co-star clint eastwood.  i bow down to you   swank said to the 74-year-old eastwood.  you are a talent beyond compare. if i m half the person you are and half the talent you are when i m 74  i will know that i ve accomplished something great.   both foxx and swank are now considered to be among the favourites to get oscars - the hollywood s ultimate prize. however  swank has to overcome a strong challenge from annette bening  a nominee for the theatre farce being julia. meanwhile  ballots for oscars - the hollywood s top honours - were mailed earlier this week to members of the academy of motion picture arts and sciences. the voting is due to end on 22 february - five days before the ceremony.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "2d metal slug offers retro fun like some drill sergeant from the past  metal slug 3 is a wake-up call to today s gamers molly-coddled with slick visuals and fancy trimmings.  with its hand-animated sprites and 2d side-scrolling  this was even considered retro when released in arcades four years ago. but a more frantic shooter you will not find at the end of your joypad this year. and yes  that includes halo 2. simply choose your grunt and wade through five 2d side-scrolling levels of the most hectic video game blasting you will ever encounter. it is also the toughest game you are likely to play  as hordes of enemies and few lives pile the pressure on.  players must battle soldiers  snowmen  zombies  giant crabs and aliens  not to mention the huge  screen-filling bosses that guard each of the five levels.  the shoot-anything-that-moves gameplay is peppered with moments of old-school genius. fans of robotic gastropods should note the title refers  instead  to the vast array of vehicles on offer in a game stuffed with bizarre hardware. tanks  jets and submarines can be commandeered  as well as cannon-toting camels  elephants and ostriches - more weaponry on offer than in an acre of iraq. doling out justice is a joy thanks to ultra responsive controls  and while this is a tough nut to crack  it is addictive enough to have you gagging for that one last go. and at a mere \u00a320  metal slug 3 is as cheap as sliced  fried spuds  as the man says. of course  most of you will ignore this  lacking as it does the visual fireworks of modern blasters. but at a time when blockbuster titles offer only a fresh lick of paint in favour of real innovation  metal slug 3 is a fresh gasp of air from an era when the xbox was not even a twinkle in bill gates  eye.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "us woman sues over ink cartridges a us woman is suing hewlett packard (hp)  saying its printer ink cartridges are secretly programmed to expire on a certain date.  the unnamed woman from georgia says that a chip inside the cartridge tells the printer that it needs re-filling even when it does not. the lawsuit seeks to represent anyone in the us who has purchased an hp inkjet printer since february 2001. hp  the world s biggest printer firm  declined to comment on the lawsuit. hp ink cartridges use a chip technology to sense when they are low on ink and advise the user to make a change.  but the suit claims the chips also shut down the cartridges at a predetermined date regardless of whether they are empty.  the smart chip is dually engineered to prematurely register ink depletion and to render a cartridge unusable through the use of a built-in expiration date that is not revealed to the consumer   the suit said. the lawsuit is asking for restitution  damages and other compensation. the cost of printer cartridges has been a contentious issue in europe for the last 18 months. the price of inkjet printers has come down to as little as \u00a334 but it could cost up to \u00a31 700 in running costs over an 18-month period due to cartridge  a study by computeractive magazine revealed last year. the inkjet printer market has been the subject of an investigation by the uk s office of fair trading (oft)  which concluded in a 2002 report that retailers and manufacturers needed to make pricing more transparent for consumers.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "roddick in talks over new coach andy roddick is reportedly close to confirming us davis cup assistant dean goldfine as his new coach.  roddick ended his 18-month partnership with brad gilbert on monday  and goldfine admits talks have taken place.  we had a really good conversation and we re on the same page in terms of what i expect from a player in commitment and what he wants   said goldfine.  the reading i got from him is that i would have a lot of the qualities he s looking for in a coach.  speaking to told south florida s sun-sentinel newspaper  goldfine added:  that being said  from his standpoint  which is smart  he wants to cover all his bases.  i think andy wants a long-term relationship and wants to make sure it s the right fit... the best fit.  goldfine  39  has worked with todd martin and roddick s close friend mardy fish  and was an assistant coach with the us olympic team. martin is the other name to have been linked to the vacant post alongside roddick.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "god cut from dark materials film the director and screenwriter of the film adaptation of philip pullman s his dark materials is to remove references to god and the church in the movie.  chris weitz  director of about a boy  said the changes were being made after film studio new line expressed concern. the books tell of a battle against the church and a fight to overthrow god.  they have expressed worry about the possibility of perceived anti-religiosity   weitz told a his dark materials fans  website. pullman s trilogy has been attacked by some christian teachers and by the catholic press as blasphemy. weitz  who admitted he would not be many people s first choice to direct the films  said he regarded the film adaptation as  the most important work of my life .   in part because it is one of the few books to have changed my life   he told bridgetothestars.net. the award-winning trilogy - northern lights  the subtle knife and the amber spyglass - tell the story of oxford school child lyra belacqua. she is drawn into an epic struggle against the church  which has been carrying out experiments on children in an attempt to remove original sin.  as the books progress the struggle turns into a battle to overthrow the authority  a figure who is god-like in the books. weitz  who directed american pie and about a boy  said new line feared that any anti-religiosity in the film would make the project  unviable financially . he said:  all my best efforts will be directed towards keeping the film as liberating and iconoclastic an experience as i can.  but there may be some modification of terms.   weitz said he had visited pullman  who had told him that the authority could  represent any arbitrary establishment that curtails the freedom of the individual  whether it be religious  political  totalitarian  fundamentalist  communist  what have you . he added:  i have no desire to change the nature or intentions of the villains of the piece  but they may appear in more subtle guises.  there are a number of christian websites which attack the trilogy for their depiction of the church and of god  but pullman has denied his books are anti-religious. his agent told the times newspaper that pullman was happy with the adaptation so far.  of course new line want to make money  but mr weitz is a wonderful director and philip is very supportive.  you have to recognise that it is a challenge in the climate of bush s america", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "owen set for skipper role wales number eight michael owen says replacing gareth thomas as wales  captain will be straightforward because of the leadership quality in the squad.   you dream about playing for wales  but it never enters your head that you will one day captain your country   he said.  it s an easy job really because there are so many experienced players in the side  but it will be a massive honour.  coach mike ruddock says the 24-year-old should take the armband from broken thumb victim thomas against scotland. ruddock praised owen s contribution as vice-captain and pack leader in this year s wins over england  italy and france  notably his role in the second-half in paris following thomas  injury. the 22-cap dragons man says that thomas will be badly missed  though.  gareth is going to be a massive loss because he is a brilliant player and he has done a fantastic job since he has been captain   said owen.  he has put his own unique stamp on things. we are going to miss him but the strength of the squad is shown when you have someone like kevin morgan to step in.   owen admitted the grand slam had been mentioned within the squad but that no-one was getting carried away with the three victories over england  italy and france.  we can t get ahead of ourselves   he said.  we have a massive game next up and we are just looking forward to preparing for that.  scotland are improving all the time. like us they did well in france and were unlucky not to get a win.  against ireland they played fantastically well in the first 15 minutes before falling away.  they are probably going on a similar journey to the one we have been on in the last couple of years.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "progress on new internet domains by early 2005 the net could have two new domain names.  the .post and .travel net domains have been given preliminary approval by the net s administrative body. the names are just two of a total of 10 proposed domains that are being considered by the internet corporation for assigned names and numbers  icann. the other proposed names include a domain for pornography  asia  mobile phones  an anti-spam domain and one for the catalan language and culture.  the .post domain is backed by the universal postal union that wants to use it as the online marker for every type of postal service and to help co-ordinate the e-commerce efforts of national post offices.  the .travel domain would be used by hotels  travel firms  airlines  tourism offices and would help such organisations distinguish themselves online. it is backed by a new york-based trade group called the travel partnership. icann said its early decision on the two domains was in response to the detailed technical and commercial information the organisations behind the names had submitted. despite this initial approval  icann cautioned that there was no guarantee that the domains would actually go into service. at the same time icann is considering proposals for another eight domains. one that may not win approval is a proposal to set up a .xxx domain for pornographic websites. a similar proposal has been made many times in the past. but icann has been reluctant to approve it because of the difficulty of making pornographers sign up and use it. in 2000 icann approved seven other new domains that have had varying degrees of success. three of the new so-called top level domains were for specific industries or organisations such as .museum and .aero. others such as .info and .biz were intended to be more generic. in total there are in excess of 200 domain names and the majority of these are for nations. but domains that end in the .com suffix are by far the most numerous.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "call to save manufacturing jobs the trades union congress (tuc) is calling on the government to stem job losses in manufacturing firms by reviewing the help it gives companies.  the tuc said in its submission before the budget that action is needed because of 105 000 jobs lost from the sector over the last year. it calls for better pensions  child care provision and decent wages. the 36-page submission also urges the government to examine support other european countries provide to industry. tuc general secretary brendan barber called for  a commitment to policies that will make a real difference to the lives of working people.    greater investment in childcare strategies and the people delivering that childcare will increases the options available to working parents   he said.  a commitment to our public services and manufacturing sector ensures that we can continue to compete on a global level and deliver the frontline services that this country needs.  he also called for  practical measures  to help pensioners  especially women who he said  are most likely to retire in poverty . the submission also calls for decent wages and training for people working in the manufacturing sector.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "aviator and vera take bafta glory hollywood blockbuster the aviator and low-budget british movie vera drake have shared the main honours at the 2005 bafta film awards. the aviator was declared best film  and its star cate blanchett won best supporting actress. but vera drake scored best director for mike leigh while imelda staunton took the hotly contested best actress award. jamie foxx won best actor for ray  while british actor clive owen took best supporting actor for closer. the two actors have repeated their success at the golden globes in january. but big british hope kate winslet walked away empty-handed on saturday despite two nominations for best actress. celebrating his win  the oscar-nominated owen told reporters:  the whole award season is new to me because i haven t won anything before. all of that is a bit overwhelming.  blanchett  who won a bafta in 1999 for her leading role in elizabeth  said:  winning a bafta means an enormous amount to me.  she thanked the woman she played  katharine hepburn  for paving the way for women to work in film.  thank you very much  i m sure you re pleased  although you re not able to see this   she said.  the aviator took four awards in all  also collecting best make-up and hair and production design  while vera drake also scooped best costume design. staunton  who is up for an oscar for her role in vera drake  arrived wearing a green silk and chiffon beaded evening dress.  thank you very much. i m so thrilled and so grateful and i m delighted that the success of vera drake has boosted sales of hair nets and pinnies  which is very good   she said on accepting her award. her director leigh  who beat martin scorsese to the best director award  told the audience:  we always say it was a surprise and sometimes i ve said it and not meant it. on this occasion  given the other names  it s a real surprise and an extraordinary honour.  it s an immense privilege to have been allowed the freedom to make as uncompromising a film as i think vera drake is and an epic with such a small budget.  best actor foxx could not make the ceremony  but actress helen mirren read out his acceptance speech.  i m honoured and proud to receive this bafta. i d like to thank the late ray charles himself.  he apologised for not being in london  joking:  unfortunately i m stuck driving a car in la at gunpoint and i can t get away.  dicaprio  who lost out on the best actor bafta to foxx  will face him again at the academy awards in two weeks  time.   it s the first time i ve come to the baftas because it s the first time i ve been nominated   he told reporters on the red carpet.  i ve appreciated british cinema for a long time and to be recognised like this is a special honour.  other winners included the motorcycle diaries which took best foreign film and best music  while eternal sunshine of the spotless mind won best original screenplay and best editing. best british film was my summer of love  the story of two young women and their developing relationship  while foxx s movie ray  a bio-pic of late singer ray charles  also took best sound. harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban won the orange film of the year  voted for by the public.  the orange british academy film awards are being shown on bbc one from 2010 gmt.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "profile: gordon brown the ultimate prize of 10 downing street may continue to elude him but  as he prepares to deliver a record-breaking ninth budget  gordon brown can at least console himself with the thought that he is the longest serving chancellor of modern times.  he reached that milestone last june  when he overtook david lloyd george  who served for seven years and 43 days between 1908 and 1915. how much longer mr brown will continue in the job is not clear (he once said there are two types of chancellor:  those who fail and those who get out in time. ) there are rumours he will be moved to the foreign office if labour wins the general election. but  for now  mr brown dominates the domestic political scene like few chancellors - or politicians - before him.  gordon brown was born in glasgow on 20 february 1951  the son of a church of scotland minister in the small fife town of kirkcaldy. at 12  he was canvassing for labour and by his 20s he was a leading political activist in scotland. he achieved a first class degree in history from edinburgh university  where he went on to complete a phd. his early career was spent lecturing  working in television and making a name for himself in the scottish labour party.  his first attempt to enter westminster  for edinburgh south in 1979  was thwarted by the present tory spokesman on foreign affairs  michael ancram. but in 1983  he took dunfermline east  a new constituency including rosyth naval base  pit villages and coastal towns.  entering westminster  he came to share an office with the newly elected mp for sedgefield  tony blair. within four years  mr brown had gained his first frontbench post as shadow chief secretary to the treasury. he became shadow chancellor under john smith s leadership in 1992. after the death of leader john smith in 1994 he stood aside  agreeing to give tony blair a clear run at the leadership during a now infamous meal at the granita restaurant in islington.  the other part of the deal  that mr blair will one day stand down in favour of the chancellor  is the stuff of westminster legend. mr blair s supporters say such a deal never existed and endless newspaper columns - and even a television film - have been devoted to the alleged deal. but if his leadership ambitions were at least temporarily thwarted in 1994  mr brown continued his devotion to politics. during the 1997 election campaign  he is said to have worked an average of 18 hours a day  six days a week after running on a treadmill for an hour each morning.  this dedication to his career was underlined by a comment by mr brown s former girlfriend of five years  princess marguerite of romania  the eldest daughter of ex-king michael of romania  who said a relationship with him was  politics  politics  politics .  if that was true then  mr brown  who married pr executive sarah macaulay in 2000  changed his perspective when the couple were hit by tragedy early in 2002. their daughter jennifer died in edinburgh royal infirmary  10 days after being born seven weeks prematurely. a year later  in october 2003  the couple had a son - john - an event which again gave the chancellor an opportunity to show his softer side. a trip to africa earlier this year  to publicise his scheme to cancel the debt of poor nations  also gave the chancellor an opportunity to show his more human side.  the ideological differences between mr brown and mr blair remain relatively modest. the chancellor opposes the further encroachment of the market into the nhs and is seen as being more  old labour  than mr blair in his approach to wealth redistribution. but their shared belief that market economics are compatible with social justice continues to form the ideological heart of the new labour project. yet they are portrayed by the media as being locked in almost permanent conflict  with mr brown supposedly nursing resentment at being betrayed by his younger downing street neighbour over the succession. mr blair  for his part  is said to be frustrated that his public service reforms are being thwarted by a vengeful mr brown  who reportedly delights in keeping the prime minister in the dark over the contents of his budget until the last possible minute. after a recent run of negative headlines  labour mps took the unprecedented step of making a direct appeal to the two men stop bickering  for the good of the party. events like this  and the testimony of former ministerial colleagues  make it impossible to dismiss the brown/blair feud as just journalistic hearsay  cooked up by hacks and camp followers in the hothouse atmosphere of westminster. how much it damages the ability of government to do its job is open to question.  a truce appears to have been called in the run up to the general election after a fresh spat was sparked by blairite alan milburn being brought in over the head of mr brown to run the election campaign. but with the tories having appeared to get the better of the pre-election campaign thus far there are reports that mr brown - using the budget as a springboard - is to revitalise labour s campaign. amid all this it is easy to forget that mr brown remains the man most likely to succeed mr blair as labour leader. there may be no shortage of possible contenders for the crown - including mr milburn - but none can command the sort of support in the parliamentary party and beyond that mr brown can. and mr blair s decision to name his own retirement date has at least given mr brown something to aim for - even if the prime minister s intention to  serve a full third term  if elected  took the shine off the announcement for the chancellor and his supporters.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "musical treatment for capra film the classic film it s a wonderful life is to be turned into a musical by the producer of the controversial hit show jerry springer - the opera.  frank capra s 1946 movie starring james stewart  is being turned into a \u00a37m musical by producer jon thoday. he is working with steve brown  who wrote the award-winning musical spend spend spend. a spokeswoman said the plans were in the  very early stages   with no cast  opening date or theatre announced.  a series of workshops have been held in london  and on wednesday a cast of singers unveiled the musical to a select group of potential investors. mr thoday said the idea of turning the film into a musical had been an ambition of his for almost 20 years. it s a wonderful life was based on a short story  the greatest gift  by philip van doren stern. mr thoday managed to buy the rights to the story from van doren stern s family in 1999  following mr brown s success with spend spend spend. he later secured the film rights from paramount  enabling them to use the title it s a wonderful life.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "rem concerts blighted by illness us rock band rem have been forced to cancel concerts after bass player mike mills was taken to hospital suffering from  severe flu-like symptoms .  the band were forced to cut short monday night s show in sheffield  and have cancelled tuesday s glasgow date. mills could  hardly stand up  let alone play   said an rem spokesman  who added he is now  resting  in hospital. the remainder of the band played a short acoustic set on monday. tuesday s gig has been rescheduled for 15 june. those who had a ticket for the show in glasgow are being advised to retain their ticket stub so they can attend the new date. the band s spokesman said that they would review their remaining dates on a  day-to-day basis   based on doctors  advice to mills.  obviously we all want mike to get better  and clearly we all want to play the shows. rest assured we will do so as soon as possible   he said.  the band were still hopeful they would be able to make their wednesday date  added the spokesman. rem played accoustic versions of their hits losing my religion  i ve been high  leaving new york and the one i love to the sheffield arena audience on monday. the band had originally been scheduled to play four dates in the uk as part of a world tour. in 1995 former drummer bill berry collapsed in switzerland while the band was on tour  having suffered a ruptured aneurysm. he made a full recovery  only to leave the band two years later.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "game makers get xbox 2 sneak peek microsoft has given game makers a glimpse of the new xbox 2 console.  some details of the xbox s performance and what gaming will be like with the device were given at the annual game developers conference in the us. xbox frontman j. allard said the console looked set to be capable of one trillion calculations per second. also all titles for the new xbox will have the same interface to make it easy to play online and buy extras for characters or other add-ons for games.  microsoft is saving the official unveiling of the xbox 2  codenamed xenon  for the e3 show in may and the device could be on shop shelves by november. however  during his keynote speech at gdc mr allard  who heads development of game-making tools for the console  gave a glimpse into how some of its core software will work. he said gaming was entering a  high-definition  era that demanded detailed and convincing graphics that could adequately compete with the hdtv people were starting to watch as well as the hd dvds that will soon start to appear.  industry watchers took this to mean that the xbox 2 will push for hdtv quality graphics as standard as well as multi-channel audio to give gamers an authentic experience. mr allard said microsoft had to work hard to ensure that it was easy for game makers to produce titles for the xbox 2 and for players to get playing. to this end microsoft was building in to xbox hardware systems to support headset chat  buddy list controls and custom soundtracks so developers were free to concentrate on the games. the xbox would also support well-known industry specifications  such as directx  to make it simple for game studios to make titles for the console. for gamers this emphasis on ease of use would mean every xbox title uses the same interface to set up online play and get at music stored on the hardware. this interface will hold details of a player s statistics and skill level on a  gamer card  as well as give access to a store where people can spend small amounts of cash to buy extras for their avatars or add-ons  such as new maps or vehicles  for games they possess. this ability to personalise games and in-game characters would be key in the future  said mr allard. only with such consistency would the xbox be able to support the 10-20 million subscribers that it was aiming for  said mr allard. during his speech mr allard took several swipes at the playstation and said processors for consoles had to be made with developers  not just engineers  in mind.  our approach is bruce lee  not brute force   he said.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "english clubs make euro history all four of england s champions league representatives have reached the knockout stages for the first time.  arsenal and chelsea are seeded as group winners  while runners-up manchester united and liverpool are not. rules stipulate that teams from the same country or group will be kept apart in the draw on 17 december. the favourites are chelsea and barcelona  and real madrid  the two milan sides  juventus and bayern munich are among the 16 still in the hat.  steven gerrard s last-gasp wonder-strike secured qualification for  against olympiakos on wednesday evening.  ac milan  bayer leverkusen  internazionale  juventus  lyon.  who had already qualified  fielded a second-string side and went down 3-0 to fenerbahce.  ac milan  bayer leverkusen  internazionale  juventus  monaco.  on tuesday   finished top of their group with a 5-1 win over the rosenborg after drawing four of their first five matches.  barcelona  bayern munich  porto  real madrid  werder bremen    who had already qualified lost 2-1 to porto as jose mourinho made an unhappy return to his former club.  barcelona  bayern munich  psv eindhoven  real madrid  werder bremen.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "mobile music challenges  ipod age  nokia and microsoft have agreed a deal to work on delivery of music to handsets  while sony ericsson has unveiled its phone walkman and motorola is working on an itunes phone.  can mobile phones replace the mp3 player in your pocket  the music download market has been growing steadily since record firms embraced digital distribution. ease of use  relative low price and increased access to broadband has helped drive the phenomenal growth of mp3 players.  full-length music downloads on mobile phones have not taken off so quickly - held back by technical challenges as well as issues over music availability. but the mobile music industry is confident that the days of dedicated mp3 players are numbered.  gilles babinet  chief executive of mobile music firm musiwave  said:  music downloads on mobiles have the potential to be the biggest-ever medium for music.   musiwave provides downloading infrastructure for the mobile phone market and mr babinet said the industry was enjoying  definite momentum.  but there are hurdles to overcome. mobile phones offer limited storage for music - certainly nothing to rival apple s 60gb ipod. but the first mobile phones with hard disk players will be on the market soon and the current generation of mobiles using flash technology can store up to one gigabyte of music - enough for 250 songs.  we are working in the hard disk area and we will be bringing out exciting devices   jonas guest  vice president for entertainment at nokia  told the bbc news website. but will mobiles become mere storage devices   one of the problems we could have is that mobiles are used just for storage and playback while pcs are used for downloading   said mr babinet   we don t want people to cast aside their pcs - we want mobile users to hook up into the existing ecosystems   explained mr guest.  you must enable people to transfer music from a pc to a handset and vice versa.   one of the key elements of the nokia and microsoft deal is the agreed ability to transfer songs between a handset and a pc. microsoft will adopt open standards allowing music to cross boundaries for the first time. songs can be downloaded on pc or mobile and transferred between the platforms.  the line between online and wireless is going to blur   predicted ted cohen  senior vice president of digital development and distribution at emi. he said:  the market is more regional in its maturity. in asia it is beyond belief.  the majority of our digital revenues in asia comes from mobiles. in north america it is fixed line while there is equilibrium in europe.   emi currently offers its entire 200 000 download catalogue for use by both by pcs and mobile phones. mr cohen said:  it s going to be just as important to connect through 3g or wireless as it is through your pc.  we want music to be a continuum.  the seamless experience of mobiles and pc downloads is approaching  he predicted. mr babinet said the mobile phone had a number of advantages over pcs which would see it become the focus for music downloading in the future.  getting music from your pc onto a device is not an easy experience. you have to switch the pc on  load the operating system  load the program  buy the music  download the music  and then transfer the music.  all of these steps can be done in one step on a mobile phone.  he said the mobile phone s billing system would make it easier for teenagers to embrace downloads  because pre-paid cards were already accepted by the age group.   certainly  we have a problem with battery  memory and bandwidth. but it s not about the current status. it s about the potential.  you will have all of your music on your mobile.  all three men said that the social interaction of mobile music would drive the market. mr cohen said:  i can send you the song and it is either billed to me or i send it to you and if you listen to it and want to keep  it is billed to you.  it s a social phenomenon.  mr babinet said:  today you use radio and tv to discover music. tomorrow you will discover and consume music via one device - the mobile.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "bortolami predicts dour contest italy skipper marco bortolami believes saturday s six nations contest against scotland will be a scrappy encounter.  with both sides looking for their first win of the championship  the third-round game at murrayfield has been billed as a wooden-spoon decider. and bortolami feels the edinburgh contest could end up being a bruising battle of the packs.  it will not be a pretty game because both teams are desperate to gain their first win   said the lock forward. italy have only recorded three wins since they joined the six nations in 2000  but two of those have come against scotland. this year  italy opened up with a stubborn display against ireland but ended up losing 28-17.  however  they were thoroughly outplayed by an impressive welsh side in rome last time out. now the italians travel to edinburgh hoping to claim their first away win in the six nations.  scotland played extremely well against france in paris but not so well when ireland came to edinburgh   said bortolami.  we are still very disappointed with our last game against wales in rome and we are thoroughly determined to right the wrongs.  as a nation  our quest is to be respected as a team worthy of a place in this tournament and we can only do this by winning games.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "officials respond in court row australian tennis  top official has defended the australian open courts at melbourne park after criticism of the playing surface by lleyton hewitt.  hewitt said he had had a  gutful  of trying to persuade them to make the surface faster but tennis australia s geoff pollard rejected his comments.  we did ask for it to be made faster than last year and  to my knowledge  it is faster   he said.  we spent a substantial amount of money on modifications to make it faster.  hewitt  who has not got past the fourth round at melbourne in seven attempts  had earlier said the surface was not worthy of such a prestigious tournament. but he said he would play on whatever surface he had to in order to have a chance of winning. the tournament starts on 17 january  and pollard said the surface had been speeded up since last year s tournament following complaints by several australian players. but he refused to accept that the melbourne surface may have had a bearing on hewitt s performances over the years.  lleyton s proving how versatile he is on all surfaces   he said.  it is faster than last year and that ll be faster than the one lleyton beat roger federer on in the davis cup in 2003.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "call for kenteris to be cleared kostas kenteris  lawyer has called for the doping charges against the greek sprinter to be dropped.  gregory ioannidis has submitted new evidence to a greek athletics tribunal which he claims proves the former olympic champion has no case to answer. kenteris and compatriot katerina thanou were given provisional suspensions in december for failing to take drugs tests before the athens olympics. the greek tribunal is expected to give its verdict early next week. kenteris and thanou withdrew from the athens olympics last august after missing drugs tests on the eve of the opening ceremony. they were also alleged to have avoided tests in tel aviv and chicago before the games.  but ioannidis said:  everything overwhelmingly shows that the charges should be dropped.  ioannidis also said he has presented evidence that will throw a different light on the events leading up to the pair s sensational withdrawal from the athens games. the lawyer added that he has proof the authorities  knew  kenteris was in germany at the time he was alleged to have missed a test in chicago. nick davies  spokesman for athletics  ruling body the iaaf  which handed out the provisional bans  said:  we can t comment because we were not present at the hearing and don t know what was said behind closed doors.  we expect a verdict from the greek athletics federation before the end of february and will obviously be making a statement then.  kenteris won 200m gold at the 2000 sydney olympics  while thanou won silver in the 100m.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "blair labour s longest-serving pm tony blair has become the labour party s longest-serving prime minister.  the 51-year-old premier has marked his 2 838th day in the post  overtaking the combined length of harold wilson s two terms during the 1960s and 1970s. if mr blair wins the next election and fulfils his promise to serve a full third term  he will surpass margaret thatcher s 11 years by the end of 2008. in 1997  mr blair became the youngest premier of the 20th century  when he came to power at the age of 43. the last prime minister to be installed at a younger age was lord liverpool  who was a year his junior in 1812.  mr blair s other political firsts include becoming the first labour leader to win two successive full terms in power after the 2001 labour landslide. and the birth of the blairs  fourth child  leo  on 20 may  2000  was the first child born to a serving prime minister in more than 150 years. the last  downing street dad  was lord john russell in 1848. labour won a huge majority of 167 over the conservatives in 2001  but mr blair has since been criticised by many in his own party. the war in iraq and reforms of the health service and education system have provoked dissent from backbenchers.  gordon brown  chancellor of the exchequer under mr blair  became britain s longest-serving chancellor of modern times in 2004. former labour leader lord kinnock said the chancellor would be best placed to take over from mr blair. when asked about the future leadership of the party  he told itv wales  waterfront programme:  that contest is a long way away and it will occur only when the prime minister  tony blair  decides he s subscribed all he can and then wants to go.  i think that the main contender will be gordon brown  who is a man of virtually unmatched capability and now great experience.  both mr brown and mr blair rose to prominence when lord kinnock led labour between 1983 and 1992.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "qwest may spark mci bidding war us phone company qwest has said it will table a new offer for mci after losing out to larger rival verizon  setting the scene for a possible bidding war.  mci accepted a $6.75bn (\u00a33.6bn) buyout from telecoms giant verizon on monday  rejecting a higher offer from qwest. qwest chairman richard notebaert sent a letter to mci s board on thursday saying that it plans to submit a new offer after examining verizon s bid. formerly known as worldcom  mci is a long-distance and corporate phone firm. snapping up mci would give the buyer access to a global telecommunications network and a large number of business-based subscribers. shares of mci were up more than 4% in electronic trading after the close of new york markets.  qwest said on wednesday that mci had rejected a deal worth $8bn.  we would like to advise you that once we have completed our review of the verizon merger agreement  we do intend to submit a modified offer to acquire mci   the letter from qwest said. verizon s offer is made up of cash  shares and dividends  and a number of investors have said that it undervalues mci. verizon plans to swap 0.41 of its shares and $1.50 in cash for each mci share  as well as offering special dividends of $4.50 a share. both company boards have backed the deal  but regulators will still need to give their approval. as well as trying to lure investors with the promise of better returns  qwest also reckons that its offer will face less regulatory scrutiny than verizon s.  the takeover would be the fifth billion-dollar telecoms deal since october as companies look to cut costs and boost client bases. earlier this month  sbc communications agreed to buy its former parent and phone trailblazer at&t for about $16bn. there may be concerns other than cash  however  especially as mci only emerged from bankruptcy protection last april. verizon is far bigger than qwest  has fewer debts and has built a successful mobile division. also  mci  while trading under the name worldcom  became the biggest corporate bankruptcy in us history after admitting that it illegally booked expenses and inflated profits. former worldcom boss bernie ebbers is currently standing trial  accused of overseeing an $11bn fraud. qwest  meanwhile  had to pay the securities and exchange commission $250m in october to settle charges that it massaged earnings to keep wall street happy.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "mobile gig aims to rock 3g forget about going to a crowded bar to enjoy a gig by the latest darlings of the music press.  now you could also be at a live gig on your mobile  via the latest third generation (3g) video phones. rock outfit rooster are playing what has been billed as the first ever concert broadcast by phone on tuesday evening from a london venue. the 45-minute gig is due to be  phone cast  by the 3g mobile phone operator  3. 3g technology lets people take  watch and send video clips on their phones  as well as swap data much faster than with 2g networks like gsm. people with 3g phones in the uk can already download football and music clips on their handsets.  some 1 000 fans of the london-based band will have to pay five pounds for a ticket and need a 3g handset.   once you have paid  you can come and go as much as you like  because we expect the customers to be mobile   said 3 spokesperson belinda henderson.  it s like going to a concert hall  except that you are virtually there.  the company behind the trial hopes to learn more about how people use their video phones.  we are looking on how long people will stay on average on the streams. some people may stay the whole time  some may dip in and out   said ms henderson.  we actually expect people to dip in and out because they are mobile and they will be doing other things.  3 is looking to music as a way of persuading more people to take up the latest video phones. it is already planning regular gigs throughout 2005. and during the intermission  of course  you would still be able to make a phone call.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "doors open at biggest gadget fair thousands of technology lovers and industry experts have gathered in las vegas for the annual consumer electronics show (ces).  the fair showcases the latest technologies and gadgets that will hit the shops in the next year. about 50 000 new products will be unveiled as the show unfolds. microsoft chief bill gates is to make a pre-show keynote speech on wednesday when he is expected to announce details of the next generation xbox.  the thrust of this year s show will be on technologies which put people in charge of multimedia content so they can store  listen to  and watch what they want on devices any time  anywhere. about 120 000 people are expected to attend the trade show which stretches over more than 1.5 million square feet. highlights will include the latest trends in digital imaging  storage technologies  thinner flat screen and high-definition tvs  wireless and portable technologies  gaming  and broadband technologies. the show also includes several speeches from key technology companies such as intel  microsoft  and hewlett packard among others.  the story this year remains all about digital and how that is completely transforming and revolutionising products and the way people interact with them   jeff joseph  from the consumer electronics association (cea) told the bbc news website.  it is about personalisation - taking your mp3 player and creating your own playlist  taking your digital video recorder and watch what you want to watch when - you are no longer at the whim of the broadcasters.   consumer electronics and gadgets had a phenomenal year in 2004  according to figures released by ces organisers  the cea  on tuesday. the gadget explosion signalled the strongest growth yet in the us in 2004. shipments of consumer electronics rose by almost 11% between 2003 and 2004. that trend is predicted to continue  according to cea analysts  with wholesale shipments of consumer technologies expected to grow by 11% again in 2005. the fastest-growing technologies in 2004 included blank dvd media  liquid crystal display (lcd) tvs  digital video recorders (dvrs)  and portable music players.  this year we will really begin to see that come to life in what we call place shifting - so if you have your pvr [personal video recorder] in your living room  you can move that content around the house.  some exhibitors will be showcasing how you can take that content anywhere   said mr joseph. he said the products which will be making waves in the next year will be about the  democratisation  of content - devices and technologies that will give people the freedom to do more with music  video  and images. there will also be more focus on the design of technologies  following the lead that apple s ipod made  with ease of use and good looks which appeal to a wider range of people a key concern.  the cea predicted that there would be several key technology trends to watch in the coming year. gaming would continue to thrive  especially on mobile devices  and would reach out to more diverse gamers such as women. games consoles sales have been declining  but the launch of next generation consoles  such as microsoft s xbox and playstation  could buoy up sales. although it has been widely predicted that mr gates would be showcasing the new xbox  some media reports have cast doubt on what he would be talking about in the keynote. some have suggested the announcement may take place at the games developers conference in the summer instead. with more than 52% of us homes expected to have home networks  the cea suggested hard drive boxes - or media servers - capable of storing thousands of images  video and audio files to be accessed through other devices around the home  will be more commonplace. portable devices that combine mobile telephony  digital music and video players  will also be more popular in 2005. their popularity will be driven by more multimedia content and services which will let people watch and listen to films  tv  and audio wherever they are. this means more storage technologies will be in demand  such as external hard drives  and flash memory like sd cards. ces runs officially from 6 to 9 january.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "worcester v sale (fri) sixways  friday  25 february  2000 gmt  they make just one change  with tim collier replacing phil murphy in the second row. in contrast  sale are missing 14 players due to a combination of international call-ups and injuries. john payne and chris rhys jones come into the centres while scrum-half richard wigglesworth looks set to play on the wing.  delport; pieters  rasmussen  lombard  o leary; brown  powell; windo  van niekerk  horsman; collier  gillies; hickey  sanderson  macleod- henderson.  replacements: fortey  murphy  daly  vaili  cole  hayes  trueman.  hanley; mayor  payne  rhys jones  wigglesworth; hercus  redpath (capt); turner  roddam  stewart; day  schofield; caillet  carter  chabal.  replacements (from): bozzi  coutts  anglesea  lund  martens  riley  duffy  c jones.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "european losses hit gm s profits general motors (gm) saw its net profits fall 37% in the last quarter of 2004  as it continued to be hit by losses at its european operations.  the us giant earned $630m (\u00a3481.5m) in the october-to-december period  down from $1bn in the fourth quarter of 2003. gm s revenues rose 4.7% to $51.2bn from $48.8bn a year earlier. the fourth-quarter losses at general motors europe totalled $345m  up from $66m during the same period in 2003. gm s main european brands are opel and vauxhall.  excluding special items  gm s global income from continuing operations totalled $569m during the quarter  down from $838m a year earlier. the results were in line with wall street expectations and shares in gm rose by about 1% in pre-market trade. for the whole of 2004  gm earned $3.7bn  down from $3.8bn in 2003  while its annual revenue rose 4.5% to $193bn. gm said its profits were also hit by higher healthcare costs in the us.  gm reported solid overall results in 2004  despite challenging competitive conditions in many markets around the globe   gm chairman and chief executive rick wagoner said in a statement. the company recently announced that it expected profits in 2005 to be lower than in 2004.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "brown to outline presidency goals next year will be  make or break  for development in poorer countries gordon brown will say as he sets out uk goals for its eu and g8 presidencies.  the chancellor is due to outline a series of key targets the government will be judged on in 2005. they will include doubling aid from donor countries and eliminating debt owed by the poorest nations. mr brown also wants other g8 nations to match his target for overseas aid - spending 0.7% of national income.  he also wants the richer countries to do more to help the development of vaccines for aids and malaria. the chancellor is travelling to america next week as part of his persuasion drive over the issue. he told bbc radio 4 s today programme:  we need more resources allied to progress on trade and progress on debt relief if we are going to make an impact on the problems of ill health  of illiteracy  of poverty  particularly in africa but right through the developing countries.   his proposals were effectively a new  marshall plan  for the world  including an international finance facility  which would issue bonds in an attempt to double global aid cash to $100bn a year. agreement in the doha development talks could also give developing nations the trading ability they needed  he argued. the european union s common agricultural policy had caused aggravated trade problems  he said  but there was now an agreement to end export subsidies.  mr brown said much had been achieved on issues such as debt relief in the last seven years. but with 30 000 children were dying unnecessarily every day more was needed  including 100% debt relief multilaterally.  that is why next year is a test   he said.  if after five years of making promises the world is not prepared to honour them  then people will be justified in saying they promised but they did not produce results.  the catholic aid agency cafod will host mr brown s speech on wednesday.  cafod wants britain to use its influence to pressure countries like the us to make firm commitments to tackle global poverty. mr brown said america too needed to take more action but defended president george bush for guaranteeing resources to countries which introduced reforms to tackle corruption. oxfam s paying the price report this week said 45 million children will die needlessly before 2015 and aid budgets are half their 1960 levels. the charity s director  barbara stocking  said:  2005 offers the chance for an historic breakthrough  but unless world leaders act now the year will end in shameful failure.  the report said the g8 of top industrialised nations had agreed in 1970 to spend 0.7% of their incomes on aid.  but 34 years later none of the organisations members had reached this target and many had not yet set a timetable. mr blair  who has described africa as a  scar  on the world s conscience  has already said tackling world poverty would be one his g8 priorities along with climate change and the aids epidemic. but band aid founder bob geldof in july said he was sick of hearing  guff  about scars on the world. it was pathetic that britain was the 4th richest country in the world but only the 11th most generous aid donor  he added. conservative shadow international development secretary alan duncan accused mr brown of missing his target on providing anti-retroviral drug treatment to three million africans by 2005. instead  only 500 000 people would benefit  he said.  there s no point in him demanding praise and adulation for setting a whole new raft of targets when he has so woefully failed to meet the ones he already has   added mr duncan.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "brown names 16 march for budget chancellor gordon brown will deliver his budget to the house of commons on 16 march  the treasury has announced.  the budget  likely to be the last before the general election  will be at about 1230 gmt on that wednesday  just after prime minister s question time. the annual event is when the chancellor outlines the government s taxation and broader economic predictions. the tories say it is likely the budget will contain measures to attract votes. the election is expected on 5 may.  next month s budget will be mr brown s ninth since labour came to power in 1997. if a may election is called  there could be as little as 18 days between the budget and the announcement of a date for the election. a shortened finance bill would have to be rushed through parliament with all-party support to allow the government to continue collecting revenue.  the full finance bill  with the budget measures in it  would then be returned to the commons after the election  if labour secures another term in office. tory shadow chancellor oliver letwin said:  we can be sure of two things: the budget will contain measures to attract votes  and it will not contain the \u00a38 billion of tax rises which independent experts say are inevitable if labour wins the election.  as mr brown announced the budget date in a short ministerial statement  accountancy firm ernst & young urged him to put politics aside and focus on the long-term requirements of the economy.  in the budgets that were given immediately before the last six elections  taxes were cut by the incumbent chancellor and  in many cases  taxes were increased soon after the election result   said aidan o carroll  e&y s uk head of tax.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "gold falls on imf sale concerns the price of gold has fallen after the international monetary fund (imf) said it will look at ways of using its gold reserves to provide debt relief.  by revaluing its holdings  the imf may be able to sell billions of dollars of gold and use the cash to cancel debts owed by the world s poorest nations. the plan was put forward by g7 finance ministers over the weekend. the price of gold fell to $413.50 an ounce in asia  before rebounding slightly in early european trading.  imf boss rodrigo rato was asked by g7 ministers to carry out a study into the feasibility of revaluing and selling gold reserves.  he is expected to present his conclusions at an imf meeting in washington during april.  whatever happens the market is going to be disconcerted and on the back foot until the april imf meetings   said john reade  an analyst at ubs. the imf values its gold reserves at between $40 and $50 an ounce  a price that was fixed in the 1970s and is about a tenth of the metal s current market value. the imf has 3 217 tonnes of gold  or about 113.5m ounces. bringing the book price of the gold in line with market value would boost the imf s balance sheet  giving it more money to distribute.  this idea has been put forward before  but there now seems to be a more committed political drive to address the issue of global poverty.  this is the first time there has been a mention of the use of gold in a g7 communiqué for achieving debt relief   said uk chancellor of the exchequer gordon brown. at their meeting in london  g7 finance ministers backed plans to write off up to 100% of the debts owed by some of the world s poorest countries. mr brown said the meeting would be remembered as  the 100% debt relief summit . while debt relief seems to have jumped to the top of the global agenda  not everyone is convinced that selling imf gold is the best way forward. the us  which can veto any plan to sell imf gold should it so choose  said it is looking at other ways of solving the problem.  the us is not convinced that s the necessary way to do it   said treasury under secretary john taylor. canada  a key gold producer  also expressed reservations.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "humanoid robot learns how to run car-maker honda s humanoid robot asimo has just got faster and smarter.  the japanese firm is a leader in developing two-legged robots and the new  improved asimo (advanced step in innovative mobility) can now run  find his way around obstacles as well as interact with people. eventually asimo could find gainful employment in homes and offices.  the aim is to develop a robot that can help people in their daily lives   said a honda spokesman.  to get the robot running for the first time was not an easy process as it involved asimo making an accurate leap and absorbing the impact of landing without slipping or spinning. the  run  he is now capable of is perhaps not quite up to olympic star kelly holmes  standard. at 3km/h  it is closer to a leisurely jog. its makers claim that it is almost four times as fast as sony s qrio  which became the first robot to run last year. the criteria for running robots is defined by engineers as having both feet off the ground between strides. asimo has improved in other ways too  increasing his walking speed  from 1.6km/h to 2.5km  growing 10cm to 130cm and putting on 2kg in weight. while he may not quite be ready for yoga  he does have more freedom of movement  being able to twist his hips and bend his wrists  thumbs and neck.  asimo has already made his mark on the international robot scene and in november was inducted into the robot hall of fame. he has wowed audiences around the world with his ability to walk upstairs  recognise faces and come when beckoned. in august 2003 he even attended a state dinner in the czech republic  travelling with the japanese prime minister as a goodwill envoy. he is one of a handful of robots used by tech firms to trumpet their technological advances. technology developed for asimo could be used in the automobile industry as electronics increasingly take over from mechanics in car design. for the moment asimo s biggest role is an entertainer and the audience gathered to see his first public run greeted his slightly comical gait with amusement  according to reports. robots can fulfil serious functions in society and the united nations economic commission for europe predicts that the worldwide market for industrial robots will swell from 81 000 units in 2003 to 106 000 in 2007.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "comeback  show for friends star friends actress lisa kudrow is to play the lead role in a new series about a one-time sitcom star  according to the hollywood reporter.  thirteen episodes of comeback have been commissioned by cable channel hbo  home of hits such as sex and the city. kudrow  who played phoebe in friends  co-wrote the pilot episode and will also act as executive producer. hbo has been looking for its next big comedy hit since sex and the city drew to a close in the us in february. comeback is the first 30-minute comedy series that the channel has picked up since the sex and the city drew to the end of its six-year-run. friends ended its 10-year run on the nbc network in may  and attentions have turned to which projects its six individual stars would pursue.  matt leblanc is starring in a friends spin-off sitcom  charting joey s fortunes in los angeles as he pursues his acting career. jennifer aniston  who was rachel in the long-running show  has enjoyed a series of successful film appearances  with further projects in the pipeline. courteney cox arquette (monica) has been working on a drama project along with husband david arquette for hbo  called the rise and fall of taylor kennedy. matthew perry  who played chandler  has appeared on the west end stage  and has a film  the beginning of wisdom  currently in production. and david schwimmer (ross) directed during his time on friends  and has also worked on joey.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "mourinho defiant on chelsea form chelsea boss jose mourinho has insisted that sir alex ferguson and arsene wenger would swap places with him.  mourinho s side were knocked out of the fa cup by newcastle last sunday before seeing barcelona secure a 2-1 champions league first-leg lead in the nou camp. but he denied his club was suffering a dip in form which league rivals arsenal and manchester united could exploit.  they cannot speak to us about blips because they re not in a better position than us   mourinho said.  do they want to change positions with us  we are top of the league by nine points and in the carling cup final.  the only thing they can say they are in a better position than us in is the fa cup.  in the champions league all three teams can either go through or go out but the one team that is in the best position is still chelsea.   mourinho said it was important to keep his team s results in perspective.  don t try to put pressure on me because i am never under pressure   he warned.  we have lost one important game this week - at newcastle - and we re out of the fa cup but i don t think a defeat in a first-leg tie is a real defeat. we are just 2-1 down at half-time.  asked if his chelsea honeymoon was now over  mourinho replied:  i have had 20 years of honeymoons with my wife.  the day that this club is not happy with me is the day that i go.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "new foot and mouth action urged a senior tory mp has criticised agriculture department defra s  lackadaisical  approach to planning for a future foot and mouth outbreak.  public accounts committee chairman edward leigh was giving his reaction to a report by a government watchdog on lessons to be learnt from the crisis. the national audit office said defra had improved its capacity to deal with future livestock disease outbreaks. but mr leigh said the department was  dragging its heels .  that comment referred to the setting up of a scheme to share any future compensation costs with industry. he also said defra had been  dreadfully slow  in paying some of its bills dating from the foot and mouth crisis.  the outbreak  which began in 2001  led to the slaughter of 6.5 million animals  devastated many farms and rural businesses  and is estimated to have cost the uk up to \u00a38bn.  four years after the outbreak  defra is yet to begin its planned review of some of its contractors  costs  and \u00a340m of invoices remain unpaid   mr leigh said. mr leigh also pointed out that the introduction of an it system to help control future outbreaks had been delayed. in november it emerged european commission compensation amounted to just over a third of the money the uk government had hoped to get as reimbursement for the billions lost through the foot and mouth crisis.  ministers had hoped to get \u00a3900m from the european union vet fund to help with animal slaughter and other costs but in the end was granted \u00a3349m. that was because the uk had valued the culled animals at between  two and three times  the commission s assessment of their likely market value. national audit office chief sir john bourn said a new compensation scheme was now being looked at. on the issue of the unpaid invoices  sir john said defra had paid 97% of the \u00a31.3bn submitted by contractors since 2001   but has not agreed a final settlement with 57 contractors pending the results of its investigations .  mr leigh said being  better prepared  would also help avoid the need for  mass funeral pyres which provided an unsettling images of the 2001 outbreak . a defra spokesman said:  we welcome the report. it acknowledges the progress the department has made since 2001 - particularly on contingency planning and our improved capacity and preparedness for combating another major disease outbreak.  however  the department is aware that there are some areas requiring further work and we are working to resolve them as soon as is practicable.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "taxes must be trusted - kennedy public trust in taxes is breaking down because labour and tories are not being straight with people on the issue  lib dem leader charles kennedy has said.  a day ahead of the government s pre-budget report  mr kennedy used a speech to say his party was facing up to  painful economic realities . he said the current level of taxation was about right  although he would put a new 50% tax on top earners. other parties have accused the lib dems of making uncosted promises. mr kennedy made it clear he was determined to counter that accusation. the lib dems have already published what they say are the full costings for all their plans and wednesday s speech did not announce new policies.  speaking at the commonwealth club  mr kennedy said it was critical for a political party to have economic credibility  both on what it promised and what it was expected to deliver. he said.  budgets have to add up. tough choices are needed in public spending.  the lib dems would cut  low priority  spending  including the government s id cards scheme and the child trust fund.  those cutbacks would free up funds for increasing basic state pensions for over-75s  putting more police on the streets and reintroducing fee eye and dental checks  he said. the lib dems argue they were honest about taxes in the past by calling for a 1p rise on income tax. now they say the only simple tax rise they want is a new 50% tax band for top earners to pay for scrapping university tuition fees  providing free personal care for elderly and disabled people and keeping local taxes down. there would also be a local income tax to replace council tax and a number of changes to environmental taxes to ensure it is the  polluter who pays .  the lib dems say the tories have only laid out possible options for cutting taxes to grab headlines while labour has hidden most of its tax rises. mr kennedy said:  that contract with the people - that the government will only tax fairly and will spend their money wisely - can only be sustained if the political parties are straightforward about their plans.  with the stealth tax strategy of gordon brown  the obvious unfairness of our current tax system - especially the council tax  and the empty promises of the conservative party on this issue - it is no wonder that trust in taxation is breaking down.  he challenged the treasury to open up its books so the national audit office can report on the government s performance.  conservative co-chairman liam fox said: liam fox said  if charles kennedy is serious about making his budgets add up he should start by explaining how they would fund their 100 spending commitments.  the reality is  the lib dems lack the courage to tackle waste and bureaucracy  and the only people who would face  tough choices  would be the families who would be \u00a3630 worse off a year.   and chancellor gordon brown said the lib dem figures did not add up. he accused the party of claiming it would spend less while across the country committing itself to spend more.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "the sound of music is coming home the original stage production of the sound of music is to be performed for the first time in the austrian capital  40 years after the film was released.  the first full-scale theatrical production of the musical will make its debut in vienna on saturday. julie andrews starred in the 1965 film version of the rogers and hammerstein classic set in the alpine country. but despite being one of the most successful musicals of all time  it is barely known inside austria.  the film was never shown in any cinema in austria and was not broadcast on television until the early 1990s. the musical is based on the true story of the von trapp family who formed a singing troupe and escaped from nazi-occupied austria in 1938.  sensitivities about nazism during wartime austria and issues towards the von trapp family themselves could explain austria s reluctance to embrace the musical. another source of irritation for austrians is the song edelweiss  which is considered an traditional folk song by many filmgoers. the song was actually an invention by rodgers and hammerstein. many also consider the film to portray a kitsch image of austria  including yodelling  goat-herds and lederhosen. the production is being staged at a viennese opera house  the volksoper  beginning on saturday. maria  the novice nun who falls in love with baron von trapp  will be played by austro-australian actress and singer sandra pires.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "iraqis win death test case probe the family of an iraqi civilian allegedly killed by uk troops have won a challenge against the government s refusal to order a full inquiry.  the high court ruled on tuesday that baha mousa s death in british custody in iraq fell within the european convention on human rights. and the judges paved the way for an independent inquiry by saying previous investigations were inadequate. but judicial reviews into five other deaths in southern iraq were ruled out. their families will be appealing against the judgement.  the families  solicitor phil shiner described it as  a historic day for human rights and the rule of law in the uk . father-of-two mr mousa  28  a hotel receptionist  was arrested with eight men seized at a hotel in basra in september 2003. he was allegedly beaten to death while in the custody of the queen s lancashire regiment. the iraqi families  lawyer argued that failing to adequately investigate the death breached the european convention on human rights.  ministry of defence lawyers argued the uk-controlled area of southern iraq was outside european jurisdiction. but lord justice rix and mr justice forbes ruled that uk jurisdiction could extend to a uk-run prison  but did not apply  to the total territory of another state . they said as mr mousa was in custody when he died  his case came within the uk s jurisdiction. the other five iraqis did not die in custody  so their cases had to fail  they said.  and it was difficult to say that the investigation which had already occurred  has been timely  open or effective   the judges said. after the ruling carla ferstman  legal director of the human rights organisation redress  said:  it is not enough for the military to investigate behind closed doors.  there must be an effective public investigation by an independent official body. only such an investigation could reveal what really happened and who might be responsible.  other allegations involving british soldiers included the shooting of an iraqi police commissioner and the shooting of four iraqi civilians in may 2003. both sides were granted permission to appeal.  prime minister tony blair s official spokesman said:  obviously we will need to study this detailed judgment. i would point out  however  that a separate criminal case is currently being considered by the army prosecuting authority.  i can t say anything further for obvious reasons. the mod are considering whether to appeal.  but former british commander colonel bob stewart said :  anyone at the top [of the military] will be saddened by the verdict that has taken place but will say:  if there s a case to answer  let s have it out. because we don t want people thinking that british soldiers beat up civilians and get away with it    he said.  the ministry of defence does everything in its power to try to prove we act ethically and properly under the rules of war.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "mcclaren targets champions league middlesbrough boss steve mcclaren believes his side can clinch a top-four spot in the premiership and secure qualification for the champions league.  after their 3-2 win over manchester city  mcclaren said:  we are playing exciting football  it s a magnificent result to keep us in the top five.  but how well we do depends how often we can get our best team out.  once we got the third goal it should have been four or five but we nearly paid for it in the end.  mcclaren also praised winger stewart downing and strikers jimmy floyd hasselbaink and mark viduka  who both ended barren runs in front of goal. he added:  if stewart keeps playing like this sven-goran eriksson has got to pick him.  and the strikers scored great goals  the combination play between them shows they want to play with each other and they are trying.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "redknapp s saints face pompey tie new southampton manager harry redknapp faces an immediate reunion with his old club portsmouth after they were drawn together in the fa cup fourth round.  exeter city face a home tie against middlesbrough if they can see off holders manchester united in a replay. oldham s reward for beating manchester city is a home tie with bolton  while yeovil will be away to charlton. chelsea host birmingham  tottenham travel to west brom and arsenal will entertain championship side wolves. saints boss redknapp was upbeat about the draw despite having to face the club he walked out on just six weeks ago.  i ve said before  i can walk away from portsmouth with my head held high  i m proud of what i did there and no one can take that away from me   said redknapp.  maybe i ll be in for some stick  there s always some of that but we ll get on with it and it s only a game of football.  birmingham manager steve bruce admitted their trip to stamford bridge to face premiership leaders chelsea was the toughest draw possible. bruce said:  i m still in shock. we ve given good accounts of ourselves against chelsea in the past and played well when we lost 1-0 at home at the start of the season - but that s the past.  but it s the best competition in the world as far as i am concerned and we will give it our best shot.  brentford boss martin allen remained cautious despite his side s favourable draw - a home tie with either hartlepool or boston.  the best thing is  it s a home game. however  we know that whoever we play it is going to be a really tough game   said allen.  but it s not about the opposition  it s about us. we all want to get through to the next round and face a massive team  that s the way it is.   meanwhile  the bbc has confirmed it will be televising exeter s replay with man utd live on wednesday 19 january  from 1930 on bbc one.  derby v watford or fulham  man utd or exeter v middlesbrough  cardiff or blackburn v colchester  chelsea v birmingham  west ham v sheff utd  oldham v bolton  arsenal v wolverhampton  everton v sunderland  nottm forest v peterborough  brentford v hartlepool or boston  reading or swansea v leicester or blackpool  burnley or liverpool v bournemouth  southampton v portsmouth  west brom v tottenham  newcastle v coventry  charlton v yeovil", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "tough rules for ringtone sellers firms that flout rules on how ringtones and other mobile extras are sold could be cut off from all uk phone networks.  the rules allow offenders to be cut off if they do not let consumers know exactly what they get for their money and how to turn off the services. the first month under the new rules has seen at least ten firms suspended while they clean up the way they work. the rules have been brought in to ensure that the problems plaguing net users do not spread to mobile phones.  in the last couple of years ringtones  wallpapers  screensavers and lots of other extras for phones have become hugely popular. but fierce competition is making it difficult for firms to get their wares in front of consumers  said jeremy flynn  head of third party services at vodafone.   if you are not on the operator s portal you are going to have quite heavy marketing costs because it s a problem of how people discover your services   he said. to combat this many ringtone and other mobile content sellers started using a new tactic to squeeze more cash out of customers. this tactic involved signing people up for a subscription to give them  for instance  several ringtones per week or month instead of the single track they thought they were getting. mr flynn said that the move to using subscriptions happened over the space of a few weeks at the end of 2004. websites such as grumbletext.co.uk started getting reports from customers who were racking up large bills for phone content they did not know they had signed up for.  what made us uncomfortable was that these services were not being marketed transparently   said mr flynn.  people did not know they were being offered a subscription service.   we saw potential for substantial consumer harm here   he added.  the swift adoption of subscription services led to the creation of a new code of conduct for firms that want to sell content for mobile phones. the drafting of the new rules was led by the mobile entertainment forum and the uk s phone firms.  everyone is required to conform to this code of conduct   said andrew bud  regulatory head of the mef and executive chairman of messaging firm mblox.   it s all about transparency   he said.  consumers have to be told what they have got themselves into and how to get out of it.   the consumer has a right to be protected   he said. christian harris  partnership manager of mobile content firm zed  said the new system was essential if consumers were to trust companies that sell ringtones and other downloads.  the groundrules must be applied across the whole industry and if that s done effectively we will see the cowboys driven out   he said. the new rules came in to force on 15 january and the first month under the new regime has seen many firms cautioned for not honouring them. some have been told to revamp websites so customers know what they get for their money and what they are signing up for  said mr flynn. also  said mr flynn  vodafone has briefly cut off between eight and ten content sellers flouting the rules.  we have quite draconian contracts with firms   he said.  we do not have to say why. we can just cut them off.  under the rules consumers must be able to switch off the services by using a universal  stop  command sent via text message. he said the system had been designed to limit how much a consumer will pay if they inadvertently signed up for a service.  the mobile is so personal that people really resent the abuse of what is effectively part of their personality   said mr flynn.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "galloway plea for hostage release ex-labour mp george galloway has appealed for the release of aid worker margaret hassan  kidnapped in iraq.  mrs hassan  59  who led care international operations in iraq  was abducted in baghdad on 19 october. mr galloway was expelled from the labour party because of his staunch opposition to the war on iraq. he denied an earlier report that he planned to make a direct appeal to the kidnappers via the al-jazeera arabic television channel.  speaking in london on saturday at the first annual delegate conference of his newly-founded party  the respect coalition  he said:  i have deliberately not involved myself before in any of these situations.  but this woman has been a prominent opponent of both the war and the preceding years of sanctions.  i am prepared to do anything i can to help save her life.  a spokesman later said mr galloway had friends in common with ms hassan  who he described as a prominent anti-war activist  and that he was  willing to do anything - go to iraq or be an intermediary or anything that s necessary . since her abduction  several videos of mrs hassan have been broadcast by al-jazeera. the latest footage showed mrs hassan asking for british troops to be pulled out of iraq. she also urged care international  the aid agency she works for  to close its office in baghdad  and appealed for iraqi women prisoners to be freed. care has since closed down all its operations in iraq.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "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 \u00a330 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.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "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; \u00a32.77bn) 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.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "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; \u00a31.25bn ). 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 .", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "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; \u00a329.32m) 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.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "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; \u00a3910m). 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.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "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", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "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 (\u00a38.3m). 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 \u00a31 152m in 2003  according to a recent report by analysts screen digest.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "weak end-of-year sales hit next next has said its annual profit will be \u00a35m 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 \u00a3415m and \u00a3425m ($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 \u00a3420m 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.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "circuit city gets takeover offer circuit city stores  the second-largest electronics retailer in the us  has received a $3.25bn (\u00a31.7bn) 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.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "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 \u00a3933m ($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 \u00a375m in 2004  bringing total cost savings to \u00a3100m 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.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "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 (\u00a339 000) or above - are four times more likely to have players than those earning less than $30  000 ( \u00a315 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.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "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 \u00a32bn 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.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "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 \u00a38m 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.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "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; \u00a32.8bn) it supposedly held in a bank of american offshore account did not in fact exist.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "warnings about junk mail deluge the amount of spam circulating online could be about to undergo a massive increase  say experts.  anti-spam group spamhaus is warning about a novel virus which hides the origins of junk mail. the program makes spam look like it is being sent by legitimate mail servers making it hard to spot and filter out. spamhaus said that if the problem went unchecked real e-mail messages could get drowned by the sheer amount of junk being sent.  before now many spammers have recruited home pcs to act as anonymous e-mail relays in an attempt to hide the origins of their junk mail. the pcs are recruited using viruses and worms that compromise machines via known vulnerabilities or by tricking people into opening an attachment infected with the malicious program. once compromised the machines start to pump out junk mail on behalf of spammers. spamhaus helps to block junk messages from these machines by collecting and circulating blacklists of net addresses known to harbour infected machines. but the novel worm spotted recently by spamhaus routes junk via the mail servers of the net service firm that infected machines used to get online in the first place. in this way the junk mail gets a net address that looks legitimate. as blocking all mail from net firms just to catch the spam is impractical  spamhaus is worried that the technique will give junk mailers the ability to spam with little fear of being spotted and stopped. steve linford  director of spamhaus  predicted that if a lot of spammers exploit this technique it could trigger the failure of the net s e-mail sending infrastructure. david stanley  uk managing director of filtering firm ciphertrust  said the new technique was the next logical step for spammers.  they are adding to their armoury   he said. the amount of spam in circulation was still growing  said mr stanley  but he did not think that the appearance of this trick would mean e-mail meltdown. but kevin hogan  senior manager at symantec security response  said such warnings were premature.  if something like this mean the end of e-mail then e-mail would have stopped two-three years ago   said mr hogan. while the technique of routing mail via mail servers of net service firms might cause problems for those that use blacklists and block lists it did not mean that other techniques for stopping spam lost their efficacy too. mr hogan said 90% of the junk mail filtered by symantec subsidiary brightmail was spotted using techniques that did not rely on looking at net addresses. for instance  said mr hogan  filtering out e-mail messages that contain a web link can stop about 75% of spam.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "fit-again betsen in france squad france have brought flanker serge betsen back into their squad to face england at twickenham on sunday.  but the player  who missed the victory over scotland through injury  must attend a disciplinary hearing on wednesday after being cited by wasps.  serge has a good case so we are confident he will play   said france coach bernard laporte. the inexperienced nicolas mas  jimmy marlu and jean-philippe grandclaude are also included in a 22-man squad. the trio have been called up after pieter de villiers  ludovic valbon and aurelien rougerie all picked up injuries in france s 16-9 win on saturday.  laporte said he was confident that betsen would be cleared by the panel investigating his alleged trip that broke wasps centre stuart abbott s leg.  if he was to be suspended  we would call up imanol harinordoquy or thomas lievremont   said laporte  who has dropped patrick tabacco.  we missed serge badly against scotland. he has now recovered from his thigh injury and played on saturday with biarritz.  france s regular back-row combination of betsen  harinordoquy and olivier magne were all missing from france s side at the weekend because of injury. laporte is expected to announce france s starting line-up on wednesday.  forwards: nicolas mas  sylvain marconnet  olivier milloud  william servat  sebastien bruno  fabien pelous  jerome thion  gregory lamboley  serge betsen  julien bonnaire  sebastien chabal  yannick nyanga. backs: dimitri yachvili  pierre mignoni  frederic michalak  yann delaigue  damien traille  brian liebenberg  jean-philippe grandclaude  christophe dominici  jimmy marlu  pepito elhorga.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "oil prices fall back from highs oil prices retreated from four-month highs in early trading on tuesday after producers  cartel opec said it was now unlikely to cut production.  following the comments by acting opec secretary general adnan shihab-eldin  us light crude fell 32 cents to $51.43 a barrel. he said that high oil prices meant opec was unlikely to stick to its plan to cut output in the second quarter. in london  brent crude fell 32 cents to $49.74 a barrel.  opec members are next meeting to discuss production levels on 16 march. on monday  oil prices rose for a sixth straight session  reaching a four-month high as cold weather in the us threatened stocks of heating oil. us demand for heating oil was predicted to be about 14% above normal this week  while stocks were currently about 7.5% below the levels of a year ago. cold weather across europe has also put upward pressure on crude prices.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "conservative backing for id cards the tories are to back controversial government plans to introduce id cards.  the shadow cabinet revealed its support ahead of next week s commons vote on a bill to introduce compulsory id. the decision follows a  tough meeting  where some senior tories argued vociferously against the move  party sources told the bbc. the bill  which ministers claim will tackle crime  terrorism and illegal immigration  is expected to be opposed by the liberal democrats.  they have said the scheme is  deeply flawed  and a waste of money. sources within the conservative party told the bbc michael howard has always been in favour of id cards  and tried to introduce them when he was home secretary. the party has been  agnostic  on the issue until now but had now decided to come off the fence  the tory source said. despite giving their backing to id cards  the conservatives insisted they would hold ministers to account over the precise purpose of the scheme.  they said they would also press labour over whether objectives could be met and whether the home office would deliver them. and they pledged to assess the cost effectiveness of id cards and whether people s privacy would be properly protected.  it is important to remember that this bill will take a decade to come into full effect   a spokesman said.  it will do nothing to solve the immediate problems of rising crime and uncontrolled immigration.   lib dem home affairs spokesman mark oaten said:  this has all the signs of michael howard overruling colleagues  concerns over id cards.  the tories should have the courage to try and change public opinion not follow it.  the new chairman of the bar council  guy mansfield qc warned there was a real risk that people on the  margins of society  would be driven into the hands of extremists.  what is going to happen to young asian men when there has been a bomb gone off somewhere  they are going to be stopped. if they haven t [id cards] they are going to be detained.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "jones happy with henson heroics wales fly-half stephen jones admitted he was happy to hand gavin henson responsibility for taking the match-winning kick against england.  jones had missed three earlier shots at goal when wales  9-8 down  were awarded a long-range penalty with four minutes left in cardiff.  i knew the percentages of gavin reaching it were far higher than me   jones said.  when he said he wanted it  there were no problems.  jones had seen a long-range effort fall a whisker under the crossbar on the hour  before charlie hodgson put england in front with 10 minutes left.  i looked at where it was and i knew i was going to struggle to make it   jones added.  i said to gareth (thomas  the wales captain)  this is touch and go.  it was out of my range and obviously gavin is phenomenal when it comes to distance. he was confident and fancied it.  there were no questions that he d miss it the way he was playing. he had a superb game.  jones was happy to hail henson s heroic contribution to wales  first win over england in cardiff since 1993.  physically he s a specimen: he s a balanced player  he glides when he runs and obviously he s got a great kicking game as well   jones said.   his defence was superb  he made some great hits and he had a great game.  i m glad he s welsh.  victory over england for the first time since 1999 will no doubt fuel expectations of what wales might achieve in this year s six nations. but they now face three away fixtures in italy  france and scotland before completing their campaign against ireland in cardiff.  people all over the world want to see wales back at the top table of world rugby   said a proud coach mike ruddock.  but we are not there yet. the next step is finding the consistency to get further wins.  we have to travel this week and we can t afford to get too giddy about this result.  we have got to be professional and keep focused on facing italy.   none more so than henson  who can now expect to have the same sort of spotlight thrust upon him as the likes of jonny wilkinson and brian o driscoll. the confident 23-year-old is undaunted by the prospect of dealing with such weighty expectations however.  i m the sort of player who likes pressure on me   he said.  it makes me more concentrated and i think i perform better under more pressure.  i set a high standard against england and i ve got to back it up next week.  two years ago when we played italy i wasn t involved and we lost  so we ve got to put that right next week.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "iran budget seeks state sell-offs iran s president  mohammad khatami  has unveiled a budget designed to expand public spending by 30% but loosen the islamic republic s dependence on oil.  the budget for the fiscal year starting on 21 march calls for the sell-off of 20% of the state s corporate holdings. mr khatami s second term as president ends on 1 august  making this his last budget. but opposition from members of parliament who have attacked previous privatisations could block his plans. elections in may 2004 ousted many of mr khatami s supporters in parliament in favour of more hard-line religious conservatives. late last year  they backed a law which would give parliament a veto over foreign investment. the ruling was a response to the involvement in telecoms and airport projects by turkish companies  which hardliners accused of doing business with israel. it came not long after the expediency council - iran s ultimate decision-maker - blessed mr khatami s policy of selling stakes in sectors protected by the constitution such as energy  transport  telecoms and banking. continued obstruction of foreign investment could get in the way not only of privatisation plans  but also of mr khatami s hope of modestly reducing the government s reliance on oil revenues.  in an address to the majlis  mr khatami predicted economic growth of 7.1% in 2005-6  up from 6.7% in the current year. he said he wanted to increase the 2005-6 budget to 1 546 trillion rials ($175.6bn; \u00a393.6bn) from the previous year s 1 070 trillion. within that figure  taxation would rise to $14.3bn  a rise of over 40% from what is expected from the current year. in contrast  oil revenues were expected to fall to $14.1bn from $16bn in the year to march 2005.  current government expenditure should come from tax revenues   mr khatami said.  oil revenues should be used for productive investment.  mr khatami has already been blocked by parliament from reducing the subsidies on many products including bread and petrol  reducing his room to manoeuvre.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "surprise win for anti-bush film michael moore s anti-bush documentary fahrenheit 9/11 has won best film at the us people s choice awards  voted for by the us public.  mel gibson s the passion of the christ won best drama  despite both films being snubbed so far at us film awards in the run-up to february s oscars. julia roberts won her 10th consecutive crown as favourite female movie star. johnny depp was favourite male movie star and renee zellweger was favourite leading lady at sunday s awards in la.  film sequel shrek 2 took three prizes - voted top animated movie  top film comedy and top sequel. in television categories  desperate housewives was named top new drama and joey  starring former friends actor matt leblanc  was best new comedy. long-running shows will and grace and csi: crime scene investigation were named best tv comedy and tv drama respectively.  nominees for the people s choice awards were picked by a 6 000-strong entertainment weekly magazine panel  and winners were subsequently chosen by 21 million online voters. fahrenheit 9/11 director michael moore dedicated his trophy to soldiers in iraq. his film was highly critical of president george w bush and the us-led invasion of iraq  and moore was an outspoken bush critic in the 2004 presidential campaign inwhich democratic challenger john kerry lost.   this country is still all of ours  not right or left or democrat or republican   moore told the audience at the ceremony in pasadena  california. moore said it was  an historic occasion  that the 31-year-old awards ceremony would name a documentary its best film. unlike many other film-makers  passion of the christ director mel gibson has vowed not to campaign for an oscar for his movie.  to me  really  this is the ultimate goal because one doesn t make work for the elite   gibson said backstage at the event.  to me  the people have spoken.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "pop band busted to  take a break  chart-topping pop band busted have confirmed that they plan to  take a break   following rumours that they were on the verge of splitting.  a statement from the band s record company universal said frontman charlie simpson planned to spend some time working with his other band  fightstar. however they said that busted would  reconvene in due course . the band have had eight top three hits  including four number ones  since they first hit the charts in 2002. their singles include what i go to school for  year 3000  crashed the wedding  you said no  and who s david   the band  which also includes members matt jay and james bourne  made the top ten with their self-titled debut album  as well as the follow-up  a present for everyone  in 2003. they won best pop act and best breakthrough act at the 2004 brit awards and were nominated for best british group. most recently they topped the charts with the theme from the live-action film version of thunderbirds  which was voted record of the year on the itv1 show. the band have capitalised on a craze for artists playing catchy pop music with rock overtones. the trio are seen as an alternative to more manufactured artists who are not considered credible musicians because they do not write their own songs or play their own instruments. however  recent rumours have suggested that simpson has been wanting to quit the band to focus on fightstar. he now plans to take fightstar on tour.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "blair and brown criticised by mps labour mps have angrily criticised tony blair and gordon brown amid renewed reports of a rift between the two men.  a meeting of the parliamentary labour party saw a succession of normally loyal members warn that feuding could jeopardise labour s election hopes. the pm insisted nothing would derail labour s campaign  despite a new book saying he has upset his chancellor by backing out of a pledge to stand aside. mr brown will again be in the public eye at the party s new poster launch. in what the party had hoped would be perceived as a show of unity  he is due to line up alongside alan milburn - the man controversially appointed as the party s election supremo - and deputy leader john prescott for the event in london on tuesday. relations between mr brown and mr milburn are widely reported to be cool ever since mr blair brought the latter back into the cabinet to run labour s election campaign  a role successfully carried out by mr brown in both 1997 and 2001.  mr blair told the parliamentary labour party on monday:  i know from everyone here  in cabinet and government  nothing is going to get in the way of a unified labour party with a unified position and winning the third term people desperately need.   the prime minister and his chancellor arrived within seconds of each other for the meeting of the plp and were seemingly in good spirits as it started. new speculation about the state of their relationship was sparked by claims in brown s britain  by sunday telegraph journalist robert peston  which suggested mr blair went back on a pledge to make way for mr brown. labour s paul flynn said mr blair and mr brown had a  scorching  from mps adding:  it was a parliamentary labour party meeting like no other.   backbencher stephen pound said some mps had threatend to expose those fuelling the reports if mr blair and mr brown did not  stop this nonsense  this poisonous briefing . lord campbell-savours  a former mp  challenged mr brown to deny reports that he had told the prime minister he did not believe anything he said. mr prescott said mps were entitled to complain about discipline after reading recent press reports.   they told us very clearly  it was the troops telling the leaders: get in line   he told bbc radio 4 s today on tuesday. mr prescott said there were occasional disagreements in any government. but he argued mr blair and mr brown could work successfully together and had produced a strong economy and better public services.  the new book claims mr prescott hosted a dinner in november 2003 where the prime minister told mr brown he would stand down before the next election because he had lost trust over the iraq war. he had then changed his mind in june 2004  following intervention from cabinet allies and suspicion that the chancellor was manoeuvring against him  writes mr peston. mr prescott said there was a dinner but the discussions were confidential.  of course as a waiter for 10 years i have a professional ability here   he joked. mr blair has insisted he has done no deals over the premiership while mr brown says he will not let  gossip  distract him from helping a unified election campaign. the conservatives say the two men are behaving like squabbling schoolboys and the liberal democrats claim personal ambition is obstructing good government.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "kennedy looks to election gains they may not know quite how to describe their position in british politics - the real opposition  the valid opposition  the effective opposition or the authentic opposition.  but the liberal democrats are entering the expected 2005 election campaign determined to prove it is they  not the tories  who are now the real threat to labour. as tory leader michael howard kicked off his election campaign  the lib dem leader charles kennedy dismissed the conservatives as a  fading  force. and he insisted there was  no limit  to his party s ambitions in the coming poll. and he can produce some pretty impressive recent election results to back up his optimism for an election which he believes might just see his party doing big things. sensible third party leaders are usually cautious about making any predictions about how they will do come the big test.  and mr kennedy was not falling into that trap when he fired up his campaign from the party s westminster hq. he would make no predictions other than that he expected the lib dems to increase both their votes and their commons seats at the election.  the gap between labour and the tories was now so narrow - as proved  he claimed  by the defection to labour of robert jackson - that only his party offered a genuine alternative. on the war on iraq  identity cards  student fees and the council tax  there was nothing to chose between the two big parties whereas the liberal democrats offered costed  sensible alternatives. he was also happy to break the two party consensus on taxation by promising to increase income tax on those earning more than \u00a3100 000 a year to pay for the scrapping of student fees  the introduction of free personal care for the elderly and replacing the council tax with a local income tax. he was also happy to offer a pledge that he would be doing no deals to  prop up  either of the other big parties after the election.  there was a time when such optimistic sounds coming from the third party could be dismissed as self-delusion. that is no longer the case with the liberal democrats. the other parties will still insist that the lib dems are no hopers whose greatest effect on the poll will be to boost the hopes of their opponents by denying them otherwise winnable seats.  labour  in particular  fears that disillusioned supporters may switch to the lib dems allowing the tories to win some seats. but mr kennedy is clearly hoping for a more significant outcome than that. he will not talk about the big breakthrough  although there are those who believe this could well be the election that sees his party crossing some sort of symbolic threshold. they would argue that  by the time of the election after next  the liberal democrats may genuinely have replaced the tories as the party challenging labour for power. the lib dems will hope to have made advances because of their consistent stand against the war on iraq. but mr kennedy believes his new manifesto will also offer sensible  costed and achievable policies on things like the council tax  crime and asylum that will underpin his claim that his party really is the only opposition worth the name.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "us composer recreates bach score a us musicologist has recreated a lost musical score by german composer johann sebastian bach.  the 1728 composition  called wedding cantata bwv 216  was found among the papers of japanese pianist chieko hara  who died in japan in 2001 aged 86. the work  written for the wedding of a daughter of a german customs official  was missing for 80 years. joshua rifkin - a composer and leading interpreter of bach - has recreated the missing instrumental parts.  he said he originally wanted to let the lost cantata lie in rest.  maybe a fragment should stay a fragment   said rifkin.  then i thought of palaeontologists  from one bone they figure the entire dinosaur. this is my dinosaur.  the eight rediscovered pages consist of vocal pieces in german for soprano and alto  with the seven movements lasting for a total of between 20 and 25 minutes. the instrumental parts were entirely lost except for two recycled movements  a duet and an aria which had been used elsewhere in bach s work. rifkin likened the challenge to a  musical rubik s cube .  i could not reconstruct what bach wrote but i could give the people of today an idea of what his music was like   he said.  it sounds like bach s music  but the listener should not know which part is bach s and which part is mine.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "schools to take part in mock poll record numbers of schools across the uk are to take part in a mock general election backed by the government.  some 600 schools have already signed up for the y vote mock elections 2005 run by the hansard society and aimed at boosting interest in politics. pupils in the schools taking part will learn the skills of speech writers  canvassers and political candidates. schools minister stephen twigg said engaging young people s interest was  essential  to the future of democracy.  he added: said  young people who are engaged and motivated by the political process are essential to the future health of our democracy.  the mock elections initiative provides an opportunity for pupils to develop their own understanding of how the democratic process works and why it matters.  by experiencing the election process first hand - from running a campaign to the declaration of the final result - we hope that young people will develop the enthusiasm to take part in the future.  the hansard society  the electoral commission and the department for education and skills are running the programme. pupils will stand as party candidates  speech writers and canvassers. michael raftery  project manager at the hansard society  said:  the y vote mock elections for schools mirror the excitement and buzz of a real election  raising awareness of citizenship  and the benefits of active democracy.  the mock votes will take place around 5 may  widely expected to be the date of the general election. information packs  including ballot papers and manifesto guides  with elections happening in early may were sent out to the 3 000 schools invited to take part.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "saudi ncci s shares soar shares in saudi arabia s national company for cooperative insurance (ncci) soared on their first day of trading in riyadh.  they were trading 84% above the offer price on monday  changing hands at 372 riyals ($99; \u00a353) after topping 400 early in the day. demand for the insurer s debut shares was strong - 12 times what was on sale. the listing was part of the country s plans to open up its insurance market and boost demand in the sector. deregulation is expected to boost demand for accident and damage cover.  previously  only ncci has been legally allowed to offer insurance products within saudi arabia. however  the authorities have turned a blind eye to the many other firms selling insurance. saudi arabia now wants a fully functioning insurance industry and is introducing legislation that will clamp down on unauthorised companies. policy-makers also want to make having insurance more of a requirement  but first have to take steps to boost public confidence in the system  analysts said. as a result  ncci is being developed as the industry s flagship firm - publicly-listed  with audited accounts. saudi arabia sold 7 million ncci shares  or about 70% of the company s total capital last month. more than 800 000 applicants got 9 shares each for 205 riyals apiece.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "lloyd s of london head chides fsa the head of lloyd s of london  the insurance market  has criticised britain s financial watchdog  the financial services authority (fsa).  in a speech on monday  mr prettejohn urged the fsa to force brokers to disclose the size of their commissions.  the fsa should change  and change now  said mr prettejohn  who wants it to move from  disclosure on request  to mandatory disclosure. the call came in a speech on improving the london insurance market.   the fsa should not bide their time and  wait and see . they should seize the moment   mr prettejohn  lloyd s chief executive said. the fsa took over regulation of the general insurance sector in january  but it sidestepped calls to require brokers to disclose the commissions they earn from insurers to their clients. last week  the city watchdog gave brokers and insurers guidance on managing conflicts of interest. brokers must give information on their commissions if  and only if  their customers request it  the fsa said.  in the us  lack of transparency about brokers  commissions has led to problems. the world s biggest insurance broker marsh & mclennan said last week it would pay $850m to settle charges  raised by new york attorney general eliot spitzer in october  that it sought to rig bids in conjunction with insurers. the probe centred around so-called contingent commissions  whereby brokers were rewarded according to how much business they brought to an insurer  an arrangement that did not always benefit brokers  customers. all of the insurance business written in the lloyd s market is placed via brokers.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "dementieva prevails in hong kong elena dementieva swept aside defending champion venus williams 6-3 6-2 to win hong kong s champions challenge event.  the russian  ranked sixth in the world  broke williams three times in the first set  while losing her service once. williams saved three championship points before losing the match at the victoria park tennis court.  it s really a great start to the year no matter whether it s an exhibition or not. i was trying to play my best and i really did it   said dementieva.  this will give me all the confidence before the grand slams. i was trying so hard to win this tournament.  williams  24  was disappointed with her display.  she played some nice points  but it was mostly me committing unforced errors - four or five errors in each game   she said. before the match  organizers auctioned off rackets belonging to the players  raising \u00a3115 000 for victims of the tsunami disaster.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "byrds producer melcher dies at 62 record producer terry melcher  who was behind hits by the byrds  ry cooder and the beach boys  has died aged 62.  the son of actress doris day  he helped write kokomo for the beach boys  which was used in the movie cocktail  earning a 1988 golden globe nomination. he also produced mr tambourine man for the byrds  as well as other his such as turn  turn turn. melcher died on friday night at his home in beverly hills  california  after a long battle with skin cancer. he joined columbia records as a producer in the mid-1960s  and also worked with gram parsons and the mamas and the papas.  earlier in his career  melcher had hits as part of duo called bruce & terry  with future beach boy bruce johnston  which evolved into the rip chords group. melcher also worked closely with his mother  producing the doris day show and helping to run her charitable activities. in 1969 his name became linked with the charles manson murders  which saw the deaths of actress sharon tate and four of her friends at a home which melcher once rented. rumours circulated that melcher - who knew manson - was the killer s real target  because he had turned him down for a record contract. but los angeles police discounted the rumours  pointing out melcher had moved to malibu  and manson knew of his new address.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "mido makes third apology ahmed  mido  hossam has made another apology to the egyptian people in an attempt to rejoin the national team.  the 21-year-old told a news conference in cairo on sunday that he is sorry for the problems that have led to his exclusion from the pharaohs since july last year. mido said:  there isn t much i have to say today  all there is to say is that i came specially from england to egypt to rejoin the national team and to apologise for all my mistakes.  mido was axed by former coach marco tardelli after failing to answer a national call-up  claiming he had a groin injury. but he then played in a friendly for his club as roma within 24 hours of a world cup qualifying match at home to cameroon last september. mido added:  it s not my right to give orders and say when i want to play ... at the same time i will always make sure that i put the national s team s matches as my top priority.  i feel that the national players are playing with a new spirit as i saw them play against belgium (egypt won 4-0 on wednesday) and i simply want to add to their success.  i do confess that i was rude to the egyptian press at times but now i have gained more experience and know that i will never go anywhere without the press s support.  many of the international stars like david beckham and (zinedine) zidane had the press opposing them.  so i m now used to the fact that the press can be against me at times and i don t have to overreact when this happens. meanwhile  egypt fa spokesman methat shalaby welcomed the apology and said no one had exerted pressure on mido to apologise.  mido s apology today does not negatively affect mido in anyway  on the contrary it makes him a bigger star and a role model for all football players   shalaby said. shalaby earlier said that after an apology mido would be available for the national side if coach hassan shehata chose him. mido joined tottenham in an 18-month loan deal near the end of the january transfer window  scoring twice on his debut against portsmouth.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "muslim group attacks tv drama 24 a british muslim group has criticised the new series of us drama 24  which is about to be aired on sky one  claiming it portrays islam unfairly.  the muslim council of britain has complained to broadcasting watchdog ofcom. it says the programme breaches editorial guidelines. the group s members met with sky executives on tuesday after viewing previews of the first five episodes. the drama  now in its fourth series  begins on sunday evening. the new series portrays a muslim family as a sleeper terrorist cell. the muslim council of britain said in a statement:  we are greatly concerned by the unremittingly hostile and unbalanced portrayal of muslims in this series of 24 based upon a preview of the first five episodes that we have seen.   there is not a single positive muslim character in the storyline to date. at a time when negative stereotypes of muslims are on the increase we feel that sky - as a major uk broadcaster - has a responsibility to challenge these insidious views  not help to reinforce them.  but sky denied the programme breached broadcasting guidelines. a spokesperson said:  during a useful meeting yesterday  sky listened to the concerns raised by representatives of the council. sky does not believe that the episodes that it has reviewed to date breach ofcom s programme code.  fox tv  which shows the series in the us  is broadcasting public service announcements showing muslims in a positive light after complaints about the series.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "aviator wins top globes accolades the aviator has been named best film at the golden globe awards  with its star leonardo dicaprio named best actor.  hollywood veteran clint eastwood took the best director prize for million dollar baby while its star hilary swank was best actress. quirky comedy sideways was named best screenplay and best comedy. ray star jamie foxx was best actor in a musical/comedy while briton clive owen and natalie portman won prizes for best supporting roles in closer.  the aviator  in which dicaprio plays millionaire howard hughes  edged ahead of its rivals at the beverly hills ceremony by winning the best original score prize. this give it a total of three awards while million dollar baby  sideways and closer took two golden globes each. accepting his best dramatic actor prize  dicaprio described director martin scorsese as  one of the greatest contributors to the world of cinema of all time .  annette bening won best actress in a musical/comedy for being julia while spanish movie the sea inside was named best foreign language film. swank  who previously won the golden globe and oscar for boys don t cry  paid tribute to million dollar baby director and co-star clint eastwood.  you guided us so brilliantly  while you also  in my humble opinion  gave the performance of your career   she said. foxx was nominated for three awards but was beaten to the best supporting actor title by owen and the best actor in a tv movie prize by geoffrey rush in the life and death of peter sellers.  a bbc co-production  the life and death of peter sellers was also named best tv movie. mick jagger and dave stewart won the best original song award for old habits die hard from movie re-make alfie  while ian mcshane was named best actor in a tv drama for his lead role in deadwood.  other uk hopes kate winslet and imelda staunton went home empty-handed despite lead actress nominations for eternal sunshine of the spotless mind and vera drake respectively. winning a golden globe is said to improve a film or performer s chance of subsequently winning an academy award. unlike the oscars  the golden globes split awards by genre - one prize for dramas and the other for musicals and comedies. the globes also honour the best in television  with suburban series desperate housewives named best tv comedy show. actress teri hatcher beat fellow desperate housewives stars marcia cross and felicity huffman to the best comedy actress prize.  hatcher thanked the show s cast  crew and  a network who gave me a second chance at a career when i couldn t have been a bigger  has been  . cosmetic surgery series nip/tuck beat the sopranos and deadwood to the best television drama title. arrested development star jason bateman was named best tv actor in a musical or comedy series. the golden globes are awarded by the hollywood foreign press association  comprising film reporters based in los angeles and working for overseas outlets. robin williams  a five-time globe winner for such films as the fisher king and good morning  vietnam  received the cecil b demille award for career achievement. he dedicated his prize to superman actor christopher reeve  who died last year.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "day-lewis set for berlin honour actor daniel day-lewis is to be presented with an award for his career in film at the berlin film festival.  the 47-year-old  whose credits include his oscar-winning performance in my left foot  will be presented with the berlinale camera award on 15 february. the honour  awarded since 1986  honours figures in cinema that the festival feels  particularly indebted to . man to man  a historical epic starring kristin scott thomas  opens the german festival on 10 february. a candid documentary about the life and career of singer george michael  a different story will also be screened at the 10-day event.    day-lewis has competed four times at the berlin film festival  with films in the name of the father (1994)  the crucible (1997)  the boxer (1998) and martin scorsese s gangs of new york (2003). the festival praises him for his  sensational start  with roles in my beautiful launderette and costume classic a room with a view  and a  great number of celebrated roles  in subsequent productions. japan s oldest film studio will also be honoured along with day-lewis. shochiku film studios  which was founded 110 years ago  will become the first cinematic institution to receive the berlinale camera award. famous japanese directors including akira kurosawa have had films produced at the studio.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "bombardier chief to leave company shares in train and plane-making giant bombardier have fallen to a 10-year low following the departure of its chief executive and two members of the board.  paul tellier  who was also bombardier s president  left the company amid an ongoing restructuring. laurent beaudoin  part of the family that controls the montreal-based firm  will take on the role of ceo under a newly created management structure. analysts said the resignations seem to have stemmed from a boardroom dispute. under mr tellier s tenure at the company  which began in january 2003  plans to cut the worldwide workforce of 75 000 by almost a third by 2006 were announced. the firm s snowmobile division and defence services unit were also sold and bombardier started the development of a new aircraft seating 110 to 135 passengers.  mr tellier had indicated he wanted to stay at the world s top train maker and third largest manufacturer of civil aircraft until the restructuring was complete. but bombardier has been faced with a declining share price and profits. earlier this month the firm said it earned $10m (\u00a319.2m) in the third quarter  down from a profit of $133m a year ago.  i understand the board s concern that i would not be there for the long-term and the need to develop and execute strategies  and the need to reshape the management structure at this time   mr tellier said in a statement on monday. bombardier said restructuring plans drawn up by mr tellier s would continue to be implemented. shares in bombardier lost 65 canadian cents or 25% on the news to 1.90 canadian dollars before rallying to 2.20 canadian dollars.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "profile: david blunkett before he resigned the position of home secretary on wednesday  david blunkett had been in charge of a substantial body of government portfolios including race  policing and immigration.  his responsibilities in running the home office included civil emergencies  security  terrorism and expenditure. named home secretary after the 2001 general election  mr blunkett had seen the focus on his office intensify. the attacks on the world trade center on 11 september 2001 heightened concern for security and immigration in particular. a labour loyalist from a working class background mr blunkett  57  had been unafraid of pushing for tough changes to labour policy.  recently the issue of identity cards had provoked controversy with questions raised over cost and invasions of civil liberties. mr blunkett was also at the centre of a humiliating scandal involving the former immigration minister beverly hughes. having received his full backing  ms hughes was forced to resign in april over abuses in the visa processing system  which she claimed to be unaware of. mr blunkett s own comments on immigration had prompted censure - he told refugees from afghanistan and kosovo to  get back home  to start rebuilding their countries. and he also urged people from ethnic minorities to develop a  sense of belonging  in britain  telling them to speak english at home. avoiding political correctness is second nature to the former home secretary  who spurns a metropolitan elite and  airy fairy libertarians  and earlier in the year coined the phrase  liberati   as an amalgam of  glitterati  and  liberal . yet in january of this year he courted further controversy over his seemingly liberal reclassification of cannabis  from a grade b to grade c status drug .  before the recent furore  mr blunkett had always appeared more interested in politics than his personal life. mr blunkett told the daily telegraph in 2001 that he continued to wear his wedding ring  in spite of being a divorcee  as  a useful way of ensuring that people don t casually think i am available . he added:  i am not available because i am just getting on with the job.  mr blunkett entered parliament for sheffield brightside in 1987  after first contesting the sheffield hallam seat in 1974. he is one of very few blind mps  and was the first to reach the front bench and the cabinet. his relaxed performances - with his guide dog by his side - at the despatch box  in the labour party s national executive  and on the conference platform made it easy to forget his disability. mr blunkett himself described not being able to see as simply  an inconvenience . using braille for speeches  and briefed by his officials on tape  he also has a sharp tongue at times  and a pragmatic approach to politics.  mr blunkett was schooled in sheffield where he led the city council for seven years before entering the commons. he chaired the labour party nationally  and was a unifying force in the 80s and 90s  shadowing health and education. in tony blair s first government mr blunkett was put in charge of education and employment  where he won big increases in funds for schools  while insisting on improved standards of literacy and numeracy. he was prepared to stand up to the teaching unions - which sometimes heckled his speeches - and his policy of charging university students for tuition fees was not popular. in the labour party he has been regarded as a loyal colleague  a conciliator who avoids factions  and a man whose humour and determination make him widely popular. there have been wry smiles as well. in 1999  his then guide dog lucy threw up in the chamber during the speech of his tory opponent. lucy was replaced by her half-sister  sadie  a black labrador-curly-coated retriever cross  in 2003 after nearly a decade by mr blunkett s side.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "south african car demand surges car manufacturers with plants in south africa  including bmw  general motors  toyota and volkswagen  have seen a surge in demand during 2004.  new vehicle sales jumped 22% to 449 603 from a year earlier  the national association of automobile manufacturers of south africa (naamsa) said. strong economic growth and low interest rates have driven demand  and analysts expect the trend to continue. naamsa said it expects sales to top 500 000 in 2005. during 2004  south africa was one of the best performing markets internationally  for car sales  naamsa said. while domestic demand is set to continue to enjoy rapid growth  foreign sales could come under pressure  analysts said. the vehicle industry accounts for about 13% of south africa s total exports. however  the world auto market has its problems and analysts warn that overcapacity and the strength of the rand could hit exports.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "last star wars  not for children  the sixth and final star wars movie may not be suitable for young children  film-maker george lucas has said.  he told us tv show 60 minutes that revenge of the sith would be the darkest and most violent of the series.  i don t think i would take a five or six-year-old to this   he told the cbs programme  to be aired on sunday. lucas predicted the film would get a us rating advising parents some scenes may be unsuitable for under-13s. it opens in the uk and us on 19 may. he said he expected the film would be classified pg-13 - roughly equivalent to a british 12a rating.  the five previous star wars films have all carried less restrictive pg - parental guidance - ratings in the us. in the uk  they have all been passed u - suitable for all - with the exception of attack of the clones  which got a pg rating in 2002. revenge of the sith - the third prequel to the original 1977 star wars film - chronicles the transformation of the heroic anakin skywalker into the evil darth vader as he travels to a hell-like planet composed of erupting volcanoes and molten lava.  we re going to watch him make a pact with the devil   lucas said.  the film is much more dark  more emotional. it s much more of a tragedy.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "martinez sees off vinci challenge veteran spaniard conchita martinez came from a set down to beat italian roberta vinci at the qatar open in doha.  the 1994 wimbledon champion won 5-7 6-0 6-2 to earn a second round meeting with french open champion anastasia myskina. fifth seed patty schnyder also had a battle as she needed three sets to beat china s na li 7-5 3-6 7-5. slovakian daniela hantuchova beat bulgarian magdaleena maleeva 4-6 6-4 6-3 to set up a second round clash with russian elena bovina. the veteran martinez found herself in trouble early on against vinci with the italian clinching the set thanks to breaks in the third and 11th games. but vinci s game fell to pieces after that and martinez swept her aside with some crisp cross-court returns and deft volleys. in the day s other matches  japan s ai sugiyama defeated australian samantha stosur 6-2 6-3 while australian nicole pratt beat tunisian selima sfar 7-5 6-2 and will next face compatriot alicia molik.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "johnny cash manager holiff dies the former manager of johnny cash  saul israel holiff  has died at the age of 79  his family said.  mr holiff  who was also a concert promoter  managed cash s career between 1960 and 1973  quitting when he thought the singer s career had peaked.  i was guilty for underestimating him repeatedly   he once said. the canadian music manager  who also managed tommy hunter and the statler brothers  had been in declining health  according to his family. an entrepreneur from an early age  mr holiff served as a rear air gunner in the royal canadian air force during world war ii  afterwards setting up a drive-in restaurant. he briefly dabbled in acting  before setting up offices in nashville and los angeles for his concert and artist promotion business. in 1970  rpm weekly magazine presented holiff with a special award as the canadian music industry s man of the year. mr holiff retired when he was in his late 40s  returning to education as a mature student at the university of victoria  where he graduated with a degree in history. he passed away on 17 march. according to his wishes  there will be no funeral service.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "tautou  to star in da vinci film  french actress audrey tautou  star of hit film amelie  will play the female lead in the film adaptation of the da vinci code  it has been reported.  the movie version of dan brown s best-selling novel is being directed by ron howard and also stars tom hanks. tautou will play hanks  code-cracking partner  according to various newspapers. she is currently starring in a very long engagement  directed by jean-pierre jeunet. jeunet was also responsible for directing tautou in amelie in 2001  which launched the actress into the mainstream.  she also starred as the lead role in critically-acclaimed film dirty pretty things in 2002. oscar-winning director ron howard chose tautou for the part  preferring a french actress to a big name hollywood star. uk actress kate beckinsale had been widely tipped as a possibility for the role alongside vanessa paradis and juliette binoche. the thriller upon which the movie is based has sold more than 17 million copies and is centred on a global conspiracy surrounding the holy grail mythology. the louvre museum  scene of the gruesome murder at the beginning of the novel  recently gave permission for filming to take place there  showbusiness newspaper variety reported. the $100m movie will be produced by columbia/sony pictures and is due for release on may 19  2006 in the united states and france.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "microsoft seeking spyware trojan microsoft is investigating a trojan program that attempts to switch off the firm s anti-spyware software.  the spyware tool was only released by microsoft in the last few weeks and has been downloaded by six million people. stephen toulouse  a security manager at microsoft  said the malicious program was called bankash-a trojan and was being sent as an e-mail attachment. microsoft said it did not believe the program was widespread and recommended users to use an anti-virus program. the program attempts to disable or delete microsoft s anti-spyware tool and suppress warning messages given to users.  it may also try to steal online banking passwords or other personal information by tracking users  keystrokes.  microsoft said in a statement it is investigating what it called a criminal attack on its software. earlier this week  microsoft said it would buy anti-virus software maker sybari software to improve its security in its windows and e-mail software. microsoft has said it plans to offer its own paid-for anti-virus software but it has not yet set a date for its release. the anti-spyware program being targeted is currently only in beta form and aims to help users find and remove spyware - programs which monitor internet use  causes advert pop-ups and slow a pc s performance.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "id theft surge hits us consumers almost a quarter of a million us consumers complained of being targeted for identity theft in 2004  official figures suggest.  the federal trade commission said two in five of the 635 173 reports it had from consumers concerned id fraud. id theft occurs when criminals use someone else s personal information to steal credit or commit other crimes. internet auctions were the second biggest source of fraud complaints  comprising 16% of the total. the total cost of fraud reported by consumers was $546m (\u00a3290m).  the report marks the fifth year in a row in which identity fraud has topped the table. the biggest slice of the 246 570 id fraud cases reported - almost 30% - concerned abuses of people s credit. misusing someone s identity to claim new credit cards or loans comprised 16.5% of the total  with almost 12% coming from false claims on existing credit. another 18% came from attempts to rip off people s bank accounts  while 13% of cases concerned attempts to defraud employers by abusing someone else s identity. outside the field of id theft  53% of the near-400 000 complaints were internet-related. among the 100 000 internet auction complaints  the failure of sellers to deliver or the supply of sub-standard goods were the most common woes reported. catalogue and home-shopping frauds were next in line  accounting for 8% of total complaints  while concerns about internet services and computers - including spyware found on people s pcs and undisclosed charges for websites - amounted to 6% of complaints.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "hitzlsperger waiting on o leary aston villa s thomas hitzlsperger is waiting to learn the future of manager david o leary before committing himself to a new contract with the club.  o leary has been in talks over a new deal and he said:  i had a message from thomas  agent asking me what the news was on myself.  he wants to find out before he goes into discussions over thomas.  the reason thomas is not speaking to the club is because the agent wants to see the outcome of what happens to me.  hitzlsperger s current deal expires in the summer and he has been offered a new deal by the midlands club. the german international is understood to be keen to remain at villa  despite interest in his native country from hamburg. but he wants assurances that o leary will also be committing himself long-term because negotiations over a new three-and-a-half-year contract appear to have stalled.  o leary wants his backroom staff - assistant manager roy aitken and fitness coach steve mcgregor - to also be given satisfactory deals  which will tie them to villa until the summer of 2008.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "tories reject rethink on axed mp sacked mp howard flight s local conservative association has insisted he will not be its candidate at the general election.  russell tanguay  agent for arundel and south downs tories  said mr flight was ineligible to be a candidate and the association was seeking a substitute. the news comes despite mr flight s allies saying they had enough support to hold a meeting to discuss his fate. mr flight landed in trouble over remarks on tory tax and spending plans. he quit as tory deputy chairman after apparently suggesting the tories planned extra spending cuts - but he wants to continue as an mp.  tory headquarters says he cannot stand as a conservative candidate because he is no longer an approved candidate. mr tanguay backed that view on tuesday  saying:  howard flight is ineligible to stand as a conservative party candidate.  the association is in the process of selecting a new candidate.   but the local tory chairman made similar comments on friday and dissent continues. two local councillors who back mr flight met mr tanguay and the local association s chairman in arundel on tuesday afternoon but did not comment as they left the meeting. mr flight says he will not stand down as a candidate unless his local party instructs him to do so at an extraordinary general meeting (egm). the mp  who is consulting his lawyers  told bbc news:  they selected me and they  if you like  dispose of me or keep me.  mr flight s supporters also say they have the 50 signatures needed to trigger the egm.  at a news conference  mr howard insisted he had played by the party s rules. the tory leader  who argues he is ensuring honesty  said:  we do not say one thing in private and another thing in public.   labour election campaign coordinator alan milburn said the tories were in  turmoil  because mr flight had exposed their hidden plans. the comments were not a  one-off   he said  claiming mr howard and other senior tories were obsessively committed to cutting public spending. liberal democrat chairman matthew taylor said:  whilst i disagree with howard flight s views  it seems extraordinary to sack somebody for telling the truth.   it has also emerged mr howard has suspended slough s constituency conservative association for refusing to deselect its candidate. adrian hilton was abandoned after suggesting the signing of the maastricht treaty  under john major s government  was an act of treason. the catholic herald also highlighted articles he wrote about the role of catholicism in the european union. mr hilton was chosen to fight the seat after the previous candidate  robert oulds  was sacked for being pictured with a range of guns and a hunting knife. slough conservative association has now been placed on  support status  and is being run from conservative campaign headquarters  says a senior party spokesman.  mr hilton on tuesday said he was considering taking legal action against his deposal. he said the local party had only learned of the final decision on the bbc news website on monday evening.  there are people at central office who are behaving like little dictators and seemingly people who are ordinary members are being treated with contempt   he said. the party says it did try to contact the local conservative chairman.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "what s next for next-gen consoles  the next generation of video games consoles are in development but what will the new machines mean for games firms and consumers  we may not know when they will be released  what they will be called or even what they will be able to do but one thing is certain - they are coming. sony  microsoft and nintendo are all expected to release new machines in the next 18 months. the details of playstation 3  xbox 2 (codename xenon) and nintendo s so-called revolution are still to be finalised but developers are having to work on titles for the new machines regardless.   we know maybe what the ps3 will do  but we can only guess   said rory armes  studio general manager for video game giant electronic arts in europe.  it s a horrendous effort in the first year   he admitted. microsoft had delivered development kits to ea  said mr armes  but he said the company was still waiting on sony and nintendo to send kits. although the details may not be nailed down  mr armes said ea was beginning to get a sense of the capabilities of the new machines.  the rumours are that playstation 3 will have a little more under the hood [than xbox 2]   he said.   microsoft is obviously a software company first and foremost  while sony has more experience in hardware. i think sony will be able to push more into a box at cost.   what is certain is that the new machines will provide great leaps in processing and graphical power. it is also likely that they will contain convergence technologies to make the machines more of an entertainment hub. at the consumer electronics show in las vegas microsoft boss bill gates said xbox 2 would be part of his vision of the digital lifestyle. while short on detail  he painted a picture of a machine that would complement a pc and offer  great video gaming but video gaming for a broader set of people  more communications  more media  more connectivity . sony is thought to have a similar vision for ps3 while nintendo remain focused on a machine purely for games.  until it is clear precisely what the new machines can do  developers are working on a first round of titles to harness the new horsepower. gary dunn  development director at codemasters  said the company had a central technology group which was at the forefront of preparing for the next generation of consoles.  we are working on new libraries of effects. a lot of the major techniques are already out there and in use in pc gaming  such as pixel shaders and normal mapping.   mr dunn said he expected the introduction of real-world physics to be a major part of the new consoles.  we want to increase that level of immersion and realism in gaming to people can lose themselves in a game.  in the first year at least  developers said gamers should not expect games which harness the full potential of the machines. graphical spit and polish and better physics in line with the capabilities of current high-end graphics cards for pcs should be expected. simon gardner  president of climax s action studio  said:  it s definitely an exciting time. we want to give more freedom to the player. we want to give players an emotional connection to the characters they play.  the environments will be much more believable and dramatic  growing and changing as you play.  there will be a breadth of effects  more involving worlds to play in.   it s a bit like being an artist and being given a bigger canvas and a smaller brush. we re being given more tools.  for the average consumer  we can get things of a more filmic quality.  gerhard florin  head of ea in europe  said gamers should expect titles that blur the line between films and video games. many will be sceptical - gamers were given similar predictions during the last transition of console hardware - but this time it would seem to be more likely.  ps3 will provide graphics indistinguishable from movies   said mr florin. he said the distribution method for games would also change radically in the next round of consoles.  a gamer could buy a starter disc for 10 euros. when he goes home he goes online and he could buy ai and levels as you go.   it s much smarter if you can get levels as you go.  mr armes warned that developers still had to learn how to tell stories effectively in the medium.  in some ways we are trying to forget about the hardware  go in the opposite direction. we have been very bad at letting technology design our creativity.  what we have to do as a company is start ignoring the technology and learning our craft in telling stories.  mr gardner agreed:  we can thrown more polygons around and have better ai but if it doesn t make for a better game then that s not very useful.  developers will certainly have the tools with the new machines  but how they employ them is still to be decided.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "apple ipod family expands market apple has expanded its ipod family with the release of its next generation of the digital music players.  its latest challenges to the growing digital music gadget market include an ipod mini model which can hold 6gb compared to a previous 4gb. the company  which hopes to keep its dominant place in the digital music market  also said the gold coloured version of the mini would be dropped. a 30gb version has also been added to the ipod photo family. the latest models have a longer battery life and their prices have been cut by an average of \u00a340. the original ipod took an early lead in the digital music player market thanks to its large storage capacity and simple design.  during 2004 about 25 million portable players were sold  10 million of which were apple ipods. but analysts agree that the success is also down to its integration with the itunes online store  which has given the company a 70% share of the legal download music market. mike mcguire  a research director at analyst gartner  told the bbc news website that apple had done a good job in  sealing off the market from competition  so far.  they have created a very seamless package which i think is the idea of the product - the design  function and the software are very impressive   he said. he added that the threat from others was always present  however.  creative  other microsoft-partnered devices  real  sony and so on  are ratcheting up the marketing message and advertising   he said. creative was very upbeat about how many of its creative zen players it had shipped by the end of last year  he said. its second-generation models  like the creative zen micro photo  is due out in the summer. it will have 5gb of memory on board.  digital music players are now the gadget of choice among young americans  according to recent research by the pew internet and american life project. one in 10 us adults - 22 million people - now owns a digital music player of some sort. sales of legally downloaded songs also rose more than tenfold in 2004  according to the record industry  with 200 million tracks bought online in the us and europe in 12 months. the ifpi industry body said that the popularity of portable music players was behind the growth. analysts say that the ease of use and growth of music services available on the net will continue to drive the trend towards portable music players.  people are also starting to use them in novel ways. some are combining automatic syncing functions many of them have with other net functions to automatically distribute diy radio shows  called podcasts. but 2005 will also see more competition from mobile phone operators who are keen to offer streaming services on much more powerful and sophisticated handsets. according to mr mcguire  research suggests that people like the idea of building up huge libraries of music  which they can do with high-capacity storage devices  like ipods and creative zens. mobiles do not yet have this capacity though  and there are issues about the ease of portability of mobile music. mr mcguire said apple was ensuring it kept a foot in the mobile music door with its recent deal with motorola to produce a version of itunes for motorola phones.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "rapper films music video in jail a us rapper awaiting trial for murder has filmed part of a music video in jail  angering a sheriff who says he was tricked into letting tv crews in.  c-murder  a former member of rap group tru  was filmed in his orange prison suit for the video for his y all heard of me single in a new orleans jail. he is awaiting a second trial after an original conviction was thrown out.  i m not pleased   jefferson parish sheriff harry lee said.  he will not make another video in my jail.  footage for the video was filmed by two crews who had permission to interview c-murder - one from court tv and one from a local cable show.  but mr lee said he did not know the rapper had filmed the video and made an album behind bars  and said he was fooled into letting the cameras in. the rapper s lawyer ron rakosky said:  the bottom line is  we didn t do anything wrong.  mr rakosky said it was better than c-murder  real name corey miller   just sitting there  wasting away .  here s a guy in jail  making constructive use of his time instead of withering away   he said.  he s lost more than three years of his life  locked up for a crime he did not commit.   but local group victims and citizens against crime said he should not be working behind bars.  he is a suspect in a murder case. i don t think he should be allowed these privileges  especially earning money  until his name is totally cleared   the group s president beverly siemssen said. in 2003  c-murder was found guilty of killing a 16-year-old in a nightclub  but that decision was thrown out last april. he is now facing a second trial on a charge of second-degree murder. with two brothers in the group tru  he had two us top 10 albums in the late 1990s before going solo  when he scored another three top 10 albums.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "camera phones are  must-haves  four times more mobiles with cameras in them will be sold in europe by the end of 2004 than last year  says a report from analysts gartner.  globally  the number sold will reach 159 million  an increase of 104%. the report predicts that nearly 70% of all mobile phones sold will have a built-in camera by 2008. improving imaging technology in mobiles is making them an increasingly  must-have  buy. in europe  cameras on mobiles can take 1.3 megapixel images. but in japan and asia pacific  where camera phone technology is much more advanced  mobiles have already been released which can take 3.2 megapixel images. japan still dominates mobile phone technology  and the uptake there is huge. by 2008  according to gartner  95% of all mobiles sold there will have cameras on them.  camera phones had some teething problems when they were first launched as people struggled with poor quality images and uses for them  as well as the complexity and expense of sending them via mms (multimedia messaging services). this has changed in the last 18 months. handset makers have concentrated on trying to make phones easier to use. realising that people like to use their camera phones in different ways  they have introduced more design features  like rotating screens and viewfinders  removable memory cards and easier controls to send picture messages.  mobile companies have introduced more ways for people to share photos with other people. these have included giving people easier ways to publish them on websites  or mobile blogs - moblogs. but the report suggests that until image quality increases more  people will not be interested in printing out pictures at kiosks. image sensor technology inside cameras phones is improving. the gartner report suggests that by mid-2005  it is likely that the image resolution of most camera phones will be more than two megapixels. consumer digital cameras images range from two to four megapixels in quality  and up to six megapixels on a high-end camera. but a lot of work is being done to make camera phones more like digital cameras. some handsets already feature limited zoom capability  and manufacturers are looking into technological improvements that will let people take more photos in poorly-lit conditions  like nightclubs. other developments include wide-angle modes  basic editing features  and better sensors and processors for recording film clips.  images from camera phones have even made it into the art world. an exhibition next month in aid of the charity mencap  will feature snaps taken from the camera phones of top artists.  the exhibition  fonetography  will feature images taken by photographers david bailey  rankin and nan goldin  and artists sir peter blake  tracey emin and jack vettriano. but some uses for them have worried many organisations. intel  samsung  the uk s foreign office and lawrence livermore national laboratories in the us  have decided to ban camera phones from their buildings for fear of sensitive information being snapped and leaked. many schools  fitness centres and local councils have also banned them over fears about privacy and misuse. italy s information commissioner has also voiced concern and has issued guidelines on where and how the phones can be used. but camera phone fears have not dampened the manufacturers  profits. according to recent figures  sony ericsson s profits tripled in the third-quarter because of new camera phones. over 60% of mobiles sold during the three months through to september featured integrated cameras  it said.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "oscars steer clear of controversy the oscars nominations list has left out some of the most controversial films of the past year in favour of safer  less contentious cinema.  if best film nominees were drawn on the basis of column inches  two of the front-runners would have had to be michael moore s bush-baiting documentary fahrenheit 9/11 and mel gibson s the passion of the christ. both films polarised opinion but had critics talking  and the public turning up to see them - fahrenheit 9/11 breaking us box office records for a documentary  and the passion of the christ making more than us$370m (\u00a3196m) in the us alone. but this year s academy awards have shied away from the big name controversies  with the passion of the christ - a film accused of being anti-semitic - receiving nominations only in the  minor  categories of cinematography  makeup and musical score.  fahrenheit 9/11 has also been overlooked  despite winning the palme d or at the cannes international film festival in 2004.  moore s caustic documentary may have been affected by its distributors  decision to enter it in the best picture category  rather than best documentary  says tim dams  the news editor of trade magazine screen international. but he also believes the strong political viewpoint of moore s film does not sit well with the academy.  if you look at past oscar winners and nominees  the very conservative oscar voters tend to go for very conservative  epic-style pictures. fahrenheit 9/11 didn t really fit in to that category.  they tend to go for films like titanic  gladiator  and the lord of the rings  films with scale that often aren t too contentious   he said. while he said the oscar voting panel were not  snubbing  moore s film  he thought it was unlikely a documentary could ever seriously compete in a best film category.  i think it s more a misjudgement by the people putting it out rather than a deliberate snub   he said.  the problem with mel gibson s film  he believed  was that the voting panel may have been cautious in nominating a film with dialogue in aramaic  an ancient middle eastern language.   hollywood doesn t tend to like foreign-language films - no-one s ever tried doing a film in a dead language   he said. but aside from these two films  some potentially contentious pictures have won nominations. the german film the downfall  a biopic tracing the final days of nazi leader adolf hitler in his berlin bunker  has been recognised in the best foreign film category. the film has caused some controversy in showing hitler as a fallible but human man  rather than a semi-mythical  historical monster. but mr dams said:  it s not an inflammatory film. it has done very well in germany  and it s a film that portrays hitler as a human rather than some kind of devil or monster.  another  contentious  film  mr dams said  has gained a nomination in the best documentary section through the force of its charm.  independent film-maker morgan spurlock may have forced fast-food giant mcdonalds to withdraw its  super size  portions in the us after he went on a month-long diet eating nothing but mcdonalds meals - and filmed his progress.  the film has been a hit around the world. mr dams said:  it s a political film  but it s quite fun and punky and well-paced.  morgan spurlock is a really likeable guy. it s a very accessible film  and it doesn t beat you over the head with its views.  while in fahrenheit 9/11 there are moments of comedy  i think the way that super size me is put together - the fact it s a very likeable film - means it s won through on charm.  dam s pick at this year s oscars  the aviator  martin scorsese s biopic of aviation pioneer and hollywood player howard hughes. tinseltown  it seems  likes nothing more than a picture about one of its own.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "beatles suits sell for $110 000 four suits worn by the beatles on their please please me album cover have sold for $110 00 (\u00a359 000) at a us auction.  but some of elvis presley s earliest recordings - including takes of all shook up - failed to sell at the bonhams and butterfields two-day sale. a private collection of six tape recordings of presley valued at between $30 000 (\u00a316 000) and $50 000 (\u00a327 000) did not meet their reserve price. a signed presley photograph managed to fetch $2 115 (\u00a31 140).  auction spokesman erik simon said the presley tapes were withdrawn because  they did not meet the minimum price set by the owners .  he said the family of sound engineer thorne nogar did not want to divulge the price they had set or the offers they had received. the rca tapes date from september 1956 to september 1957. the  pre-masters  include a take of jailhouse rock  religious songs  material for his first christmas album  and banter between presley  members of his band and mr nogar.   we ve had them for a lot of years  and i think the people should enjoy them. and frankly  we could use the money   mr nogar s son stephen  57  said before the auction. mr nogar  who died in 1994 aged 72  always used to make two tapes of sessions as a back-up in case rca producers wanted to make late changes to songs.  he called them his  ass-saver  tapes   his son said. the quality is said to be noticeably crisper than that of a new vinyl record. because the family does not own the copyright to the music  the tapes could only be sold for  personal enjoyment  and cannot be copied for commercial gain. the auction made a total of $1.1m (\u00a3600 000).", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "game warnings  must be clearer  violent video games should carry larger warnings so parents can understand what their children are playing  the trade and industry secretary has said.  patricia hewitt is expected to call for the law banning the sale of 18-rated games to children to be enforced better at a games industry meeting on sunday. she is concerned too many children are playing games aimed at adults which include  high levels of violence . parents are expected to spend millions on video games as christmas presents.  violent games have been hit by controversy after the game manhunt was blamed by the parents of 14-year-old stefan pakeerah  who was stabbed to death in leicester in february. his mother  giselle  said her son s killer  warren leblanc  17 - who was jailed for life in september - had mimicked behaviour in the game. police investigating the stefan s murder dismissed its influence and manhunt was not part of its legal case. ahead of sunday s meeting in london  ms hewitt said she was proud of the uk s  vibrant games industry  but was concerned too many children were playing games which should only be sold to adults. roger bennett  head of gaming industry body elspa  said banning violent games would be wrong. he said:  we don t want to go down that route. we have seen that the government is supportive of the industry.  the government is holding a further meeting on friday with industry and retail representatives as well as the british board of film classification to discuss how labelling can be made clearer. ms hewitt said:  adults should be treated as adults and children as children. it is important that retailers respect the classifications and do not sell games with high levels of violence to minors.   equally parents need to know what they might be buying for their children.  video games are different to films or videos  and not all parents have grown up playing games in the way our children do.  we need to look carefully at how we improve content warnings and strengthen sales enforcement.  her call was backed by culture  media and sport secretary tessa jowell who said:  you wouldn t let your child watch the texas chainsaw massacre. you wouldn t let them go to a strip club.  so you shouldn t let them play an 18-rated game. it s the same principle - adults can make their own informed choices  but children can t always and need to be protected.  anyone convicted of selling an 18-rated game to a child can be jailed for six months and fined up to \u00a35 000. rockstar games  the makers of manhunt  has said in the past it markets its games responsibly and only targets its adverts at adults.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "strong dollar  call halts slide the us dollar s slide against the euro and yen has halted after us treasury secretary john snow said a strong dollar was  in america s interest .  but analysts said any gains are likely to be short-lived as problems with the us economy were still significant. they also pointed out that positive comments apart  president george w bush s administration had done little to stop the dollar s slide. a weak dollar helps boost exports and narrow the current account deficit. the dollar was trading at $1.2944 against the euro at 2100gmt  still close to the $1.3006 record level set on 10 november. against the japanese yen  it was trading at 105.28 yen  after hitting a seven-month low of 105.17 earlier in the day.  policy makers in europe have called the dollar s slide  brutal  and have blamed the strength of the euro for dampening economic growth. however  it is unclear whether ministers would issue a declaration aimed at curbing the euro s rise at a monthly meeting of eurozone ministers late on monday. higher growth in europe is regarded by us officials as a way the huge us current account deficit - that has been weighing on the dollar - could be reduced. mr snow who is currently in dublin at the start of a four-nation eu visit  has applauded ireland s introduction of lower taxes and deregulation which have helped boost growth.  the eurozone is growing below its potential. when a major part of the global economy is below potential there are negative consequences... for the citizens of those economies... and for their trading partners   he said. mr snow s comments may have helped shore up the dollar on monday  but he was careful to qualify his statement.   our basic policy  of course  is to let open  competitive markets set the values   he explained.  markets are driven by fundamentals and towards fundamentals.  us officials have also said that other economies need to grow  so the us is not the main global growth engine. economists say that the fundamentals  or key indicators  of the us economy are looking far from rosy. domestic consumer demand is cooling  and heavy spending by president bush has pushed the budget deficit to a record $427bn (\u00a3230bn). the current account deficit  meanwhile  hit a record $166bn in the second quarter of 2004. for many analysts  a weaker dollar is here to stay.  no end is in sight   said carsten fritsch  a strategist at commerzbank .  it is only a matter of time until the euro reaches $1.30.  some analysts maintain the us is secretly happy with a lower dollar which helps makes its exports cheaper in europe  thus boosting its economy.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "chelsea hold arsenal a gripping game between arsenal and chelsea ended with the honours finishing even at highbury.  thierry henry produced a sublime strike to put arsenal ahead but john terry levelled with a powerful header. henry s quickly-taken free-kick put arsenal back in front but eidur gudjohnsen equalised with a header from william gallas  knockback. henry missed a golden chance when he blazed a shot high late on and arsenal also had a penalty appeal rejected. henry s opener had given arsenal the perfect start and set up an enthralling affair. the french striker headed a long cesc faregas ball back to jose antonio reyes from the edge of the chelsea area and immediately saw it headed back into his path from the spaniard. and  with his back to goal  henry finished with aplomb when he took one touch  turned and struck an angled strike past the despairing dive of keeper petr cech. henry epitomised a determination about the arsenal side but chelsea appeared unruffled and equalised after 16 minutes.  gunners keeper manuel almunia  who got the nod ahead of jens lehmann  did well to save a well-struck frank lampard shot. but he could not keep out terry s powered header from the resultant corner as arsenal s weakness at set-pieces was again exposed. almost immediately  henry went close and chelsea gathered the loose ball before going straight up the other end where gudjohnsen fluffed an effort. gudjohnsen did not make the same error minutes later when he struck a sweet shot only for almunia to be equal to the task and save. the homes side regained the lead in controversial fashion when robert pires won a dubious free-kick. and  given the option to take the 25-yard set-piece quickly  henry curled in a shot with cech still organising his wall.  this time arsenal did not allow chelsea to level so soon as they went into the break ahead. chelsea brought striker didier drogba on to partner gudjohnsen up front after the interval and the move reaped immediate reward. lampard swung in a cross which gallas knocked back across goal and a deft header from gudjohnsen levelled matters again. chelsea s main threat was coming from crosses and lampard missed a great opportunity as he headed wide when left unmarked at the far post. the second half failed to live up to the thrilling pace of the opening period but there were flashes of brilliance. one of them came from the enigmatic robben when he jinked his way through two arsenal defenders only to see his poked shot saved by almunia.  arsenal ended the match the stronger and worked a excellent chance for henry who put a left-foot shot high from eight yards. subtitute robin van persie could also have nicked a win for the highbury outfit but frustratingly sidefooted just wide. matthieu flamini had a late penal appeal waved away before the final whistle which maintained chelsea five-point premiership lead over arsenal.  almunia  lauren  toure  campbell  cole  pires  flamini  fabregas  reyes (clichy 82)  bergkamp (van persie 82)  henry. subs not used: senderos  hoyte  lehmann.  cole.  henry 2  29.  cech  paulo ferreira  ricardo carvalho (drogba 45)  terry  gallas  duff  tiago (bridge 45)  makelele  lampard  robben  gudjohnsen (parker 77). subs not used: kezman  cudicini.  robben  drogba  lampard.  terry 17  gudjohnsen 46.  38 153  g poll (hertfordshire).", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "lifestyle  governs mobile choice  faster  better or funkier hardware alone is not going to help phone firms sell more handsets  research suggests.  instead  phone firms keen to get more out of their customers should not just be pushing the technology for its own sake. consumers are far more interested in how handsets fit in with their lifestyle than they are in screen size  onboard memory or the chip inside  shows an in-depth study by telecommunications company ericsson.  historically in the industry there has been too much focus on using technology   said dr michael bjorn  senior advisor on mobile media at ericsson s consumer and enterprise lab.  we have to stop saying that these technologies will change their lives   he said.  we should try to speak to consumers in their own language and help them see how it fits in with what they are doing   he told the bbc news website.  for the study  ericsson interviewed 14 000 mobile phone owners on the ways they use their phone.  people s habits remain the same   said dr bjorn.  they just move the activity into the mobile phone as it s a much more convenient way to do it.   one good example of this was diary-writing among younger people  he said. while diaries have always been popular  a mobile phone -- especially one equipped with a camera -- helps them keep it in a different form. youngsters  use of text messages also reflects their desire to chat and keep in contact with friends and again just lets them do it in a slightly changed way. dr bjorn said that although consumers do what they always did but use a phone to do it  the sheer variety of what the new handset technologies make possible does gradually drive new habits and lifestyles. ericsson s research has shown that consumers divide into different  tribes  that use phones in different ways. dr bjorn said groups dubbed  pioneers  and  materialists  were most interested in trying new things and were behind the start of many trends in phone use.  for instance   he said   older people are using sms much more than they did five years ago.  this was because younger users  often the children of ageing mobile owners  encouraged older people to try it so they could keep in touch.  another factor governing the speed of change in mobile phone use was the simple speed with which new devices are bought by pioneers and materialists. only when about 25% of people have handsets with new innovations on them  such as cameras  can consumers stop worrying that if they send a picture message the person at the other end will be able to see it.  once this significant number of users is passed  use of new innovations tends to take off. dr bjorn said that early reports of camera phone usage in japan seemed to imply that the innovation was going to be a flop. however  he said  now 45% of the japanese people ericsson questioned use their camera phone at least once a month. in 2003 the figure was 29%. similarly  across europe the numbers of people taking snaps with cameras is starting to rise. in 2003 only 4% of the people in the uk took a phonecam snap at least once a month. now the figure is 14%. similar rises have been seen in many other european nations. dr bjorn said that people also used their camera phones in very different ways to film and even digital cameras.  usage patterns for digital cameras are almost exactly replacing usage patterns for analogue cameras   he said. digital cameras tend to be used on significant events such as weddings  holidays and birthdays. by contrast  he said  camera phones were being used much more to capture a moment and were being woven into everyday life.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "patti smith to host arts festival rock star patti smith has been made artistic director of this year s meltdown festival  to be held at london s south bank centre in june.  the punk pioneer follows morrissey  david bowie and nick cave in directing 15 days of concerts and events. smith has yet to decide the line-up for meltdown  which begins on 11 june.  i want to touch on all aspects of our culture  perhaps with readings from genet  and i have an idea for jeremy irons to read proust   she said.  the 58-year-old us singer of because the night told the observer newspaper that the festival would be her response to these  material  exploitative and greedy times .  it is important we explore the new  but we should also salute the best art there is  aesthetically and spiritually   she said. last year s meltdown festival  directed by the ex-smiths star morrissey  included appearances by singer jane birkin  nancy sinatra and playwright alan bennett. he also persuaded punk band the new york dolls to reform for a reunion show.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "us tv cuts nudity from bbc film a us tv network is editing bbc films  dirty war to avoid showing the front of a nude woman being scrubbed down after a fictional chemical attack.  it is not worth showing  non-essential  nude scenes when indecency complaints are  aggressively pursued  by us tv watchdogs  said pbs  jacoba atlas. dirty war - screened uncut on bbc one last september - depicts a dirty bomb attack on the city of london. it is also being screened uncut on us cable channel hbo on 24 january. pbs said it will use extra footage for its broadcast  showing the woman  from a more discreet angle  instead.  the us federal communications commission fined cbs $550 000 (\u00a3306 814) last autumn for singer janet jackson s  wardrobe malfunction   during which her breast was exposed during a dance routine with justin timberlake. many us networks and broadcasters are now more nervous about airing nudity  violence or bad language. ms atlas said pbs could put itself financially at risk if it showed the uncut version of dirty war  and it could also deter many of its 170 individual stations from airing  an important film .  you want to pick your battles   she said. she added that pbs  which is a private  non-profit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation s 349 public television stations  is bolder about screening non-fiction or historical programming. pbs is seen in virtually all us homes with tv  and describes itself as a  trusted community resource  serving nearly 100 million people each week.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "sundance to honour foreign films international films will be given the same prominence as us films at next year s sundance film festival  with movies dominated by the theme of war.  the independent film festival will feature two new international cinema competitions  during its 20-30 january season in utah. forty-two films will debut at sundance  including the liberace of baghdad by british director sean mcallister. the prestigious festival was founded by actor robert redford in 1981.   we have always had an international component  but from next year they will enter a jury competition   festival director geoffrey gilmore said.  we wanted to give world cinema more emphasis and have now put it on par with the american dramatic and documentary competitions.  twelve films competing in the new world cinema documentary category focus on countries and people under siege.  the liberace of baghdad features an iraqi pianist hiding in a hotel as he waits for a visa  while finnish film the three rooms of melancholia looks at the war in chechnya. shake hands with the devil: the journey of romeo dallaire tells of a un mission to rwanda during the 1994 genocide  while french-israeli production wall looks at israel s controversial security wall separating it from the palestinian territories. the 16 films competing in the new world cinema dramatic category include works from germany  south korea  angola  china  denmark and australia.  several hollywood stars feature in the festival s american independent drama category  including keanu reeves and benjamin bratt. vince vaughn stars in quirky movie thumbsucker while 21 grams actress naomi watts plays a budding hollywood actress in ellie parker. the top grand jury prize at this year s festival went to low budget sci-fi thriller primer  written and directed by shane carruth. morgan spurlock earned the directing award for super size me  which became an international box office hit.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "worldcom director ends evidence the former chief financial officer at us telecoms firm worldcom has finished giving evidence at the trial of his ex-boss bernie ebbers.  scott sullivan admitted to jurors he was willing to commit fraud to meet wall street earnings projections. mr ebbers is on trial for fraud and conspiracy in relation to worldcom s collapse in 2002. he pleads not guilty. mr sullivan has spent two days being cross-examined by lawyers for former worldcom chief executive mr ebbers.  attorney reid weingarten has attempted to portray mr sullivan as a liar and on thursday quizzed him about his decision to commit fraud to meet analysts  profit estimates.  at that point in time   mr sullivan said  referring to the first false entries in late 2000   i knew it was wrong and i knew it was against the law  but i thought we would get through it in the short term.  mr sullivan  42  has already pleaded guilty to fraud and will be sentenced following mr ebbers  trial  where he is appearing as a prosecution witness. mr ebbers  63  has always insisted that he was unaware of any hidden shortfalls in worldcom s finances. the former finance officer said mr ebbers knew about the improper accounting entries that were made between 2000 and 2002 to conceal soaring expenses and inflate revenue.  mr ebbers could face a sentence of 85 years if convicted of all the charges he is facing. worldcom s problems appear to have begun with the collapse of the dotcom boom which cut its business from internet companies. prosecutors allege that the company s top executives responded by orchestrating massive fraud over a two-year period. worldcom emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2004  and is now known as mci. on monday  mci agreed to a buyout by verizon communications in a deal valued at $6.75bn.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "mild winter drives us oil down 6% us oil prices have fallen by 6%  driven down by forecasts of a mild winter in the densely populated northeast.  light crude oil futures fell $2.86 to $41.32 a barrel on the new york mercantile exchange (nymex)  and have now lost $4 in five days. nonetheless  us crude is still 30% more expensive than at the beginning of 2004  boosted by growing demand and bottlenecks at refineries. traders ignored the possible effects of asia s tidal waves on global supplies.  instead  the focus is now on us consumption  which is heavily influenced in the short term by the weather.  with the revised milder temperatures... i m more inclined to think we ll push lower and test the $40-40.25 range   said john brady of abn amro.  the market definitely feels to be on the defensive.  statistics released last week showed that stockpiles of oil products in the us had risen  an indication that severe supply disruptions may not arise this winter  barring any serious incident. oil prices have broken records in 2004  topping $50 a barrel at one point  driven up by a welter of worries about unrest in iraq and saudi arabia  rising demand and supply bottlenecks. london s international petroleum exchange remained closed for the christmas holiday.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "berlin applauds hotel rwanda political thriller hotel rwanda was given a rousing reception by spectators at the berlin film festival on saturday.  the movie s star don cheadle also received a standing ovation when he stepped onto the stage after the show. the film is the true story of the hotel manager who saved 1 200 tutsis from death during the rwandan genocide. the film  showing out of competition in berlin  is nominated for three oscars  including best actor for cheadle. sophie okonedo  who plays cheadle s wife tatiana  is nominated for best supporting actress. the film is also in the running for best original screenplay. cheadle  was joined on stage at berlin by paul rusesabagina  the hotel manager he plays in the film  mr rusesabagina s wife and his extended family  who fled rwanda and now live in belgium. mr rusesabagina used his influence as a prominent hutu businessman to shelter potential victims of the rwandan genocide  contacting dignitaries including bill clinton  the king of belgium as well as the french foreign ministry. hotel rwanda is one of two films addressing the genocide at the 55th berlin film festival  which runs until 20 february. sometimes in april is a feature by raoul peck competing for the festival s coveted golden and silver bear awards. the film was made exclusively in rwanda whereas hotel rwanda was shot mostly in south africa  with some scenes made in kigali.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "tsunami to cost sri lanka $1.3bn sri lanka faces a $1.3bn (\u00a3691m) bill in 2005 for reconstruction after the tsunami which killed more than 30 000 of its people  its central bank says.  this estimate is preliminary  bank governor sunil mendis told reporters  and could rise in 2006. the island state is asking for about $320m from the international monetary fund to help pay for relief  he said. the bank has 5bn rupees ($50m; \u00a327m) set aside to lend at a lower interest rate to those who lost property. according to mr mendis  half the imf support could come from a freeze on debt repayments  which would free up resources immediately. the rest could come from a five-year emergency loan. sri lanka is hoping for a wider freeze from other creditors.  the paris club of 19 creditors meets on 12 january to discuss a debt moratorium for the nations hit by the tsunami  which ravaged south and east asia on 26 december.  some 150 000 people across the region are feared to be dead and millions have been left homeless and destitute. a full reckoning of the economic cost to sri lanka of the tsunami will not be clear for some time to come. but already it looks likely that growth in the first half of 2005 will slow  mr mendis told reporters  although he would not say by how much. one side-effect of the disaster has been that the value of the rupee has risen as foreign funds have flooded into the country. the currency has strengthened 4% since late december  coming close to 100 rupees to the us dollar for the first time in more than six months.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "o driscoll/gregan lead aid stars ireland s brian o driscoll will lead the northern hemisphere team in the irb rugby aid match at twickenham.  o driscoll heads a star-studded cast for the contest to raise funds for the tsunami appeal. the south will be led by george gregan  one of four wallabies  alongside five springboks and four all blacks including captain tana umaga. south african flanker schalk burger has shaken off a leg injury to take his place in the starting line-up. he will join fellow springboks john smit  cobus visagie and victor matfield in the south pack  with jacque fourie among the centres. the north side have been hit by the withdrawals of scotland duo gordon bulloch and chris cusiter  plus france captain fabien pelous.  but leicester s england centre ollie smith has been added to the squad  giving him an opportunity to impress lions coach sir clive woodward  who takes charge of the north side.  i think it s fantastic for ollie   tigers coach john wells told bbc radio leicester.  he was probably going to have the weekend off this week and i hope clive gets the chance to see the qualities that leicester and england have been seeing all year.  woodward will also assess other potential lions candidates such as scotland pair simon taylor and chris paterson  wales scrum-half dwayne peel and ireland lock paul o connell.  i m looking forward to working with such outstanding players   woodward said.  both teams are fielding top-quality sides and i really hope that the rugby public and community get behind this game to raise as much money as possible for such a deserving cause.  despite the withdrawal of wales wing rhys williams  who is required for the blues  celtic league match with munster  three other members of their six nations squad - ceri sweeney  john yapp and jonathan thomas - will also play.  not only it is for a good cause but it gives these players the opportunity to play with and against some of the best players in the world   said wru general manager steve lewis. supporters can watch the teams train for free at twickenham on friday  4 march. woodward will put his north team through their paces at 1030 gmt  with the south side  coached by former wallabies coach rod macqueen  due at the stadium at 1330.  c paterson (scotland)  b cohen (england)  b o driscoll (ireland  capt)  d traille (france)  o smith (england)  c sweeney (wales)  d humphreys (ireland)  d peel (wales); a lo cicero (italy)  p de villiers (france)  j yapp (wales)  r ibanez (france)  p o connell (ireland)  m bortolami (italy)  j thomas (wales)  s taylor (scotland)  l dallaglio (england)  s parisse (italy)  others to be added.  c latham (australia); b lima (samoa)  j fourie (sa) t umaga (new zealand)  s bobo (fiji); a mehrtens (nz) g gregan (aus  capt); c hoeft (nz)  j smit (sa)  c visagie (sa)  s maling (nz)  v matfield (sa)  s burger (sa)  p waugh (aus)  t kefu (aus).  e taukafa (tonga)  e guinazu (argentina)  s sititi (samoa)  o palepoi (samoa)  m rauluni (fiji)  t delport (sa)  a n other.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "wenger offers mutu hope arsenal boss arsene wenger would consider signing adrian mutu once the striker has served his drugs ban.  mutu was sacked by chelsea on friday after testing positive for cocaine - a move wenger has backed. but he said:  i don t even wonder if that could happen because i think he will be suspended for a long period.  but once he has served his suspension  he has the right again to start from zero. i would then meet the player and see what he tells me.  mutu faces a ban of between six months and two years when the football association decides on his punishment. chelsea decided to act before his case was heard and sacked the striker on grounds of gross misconduct after it was revealed that he had failed a drug test.  but mutu has hit out at the club s decision  saying:  chelsea have destroyed me.  he told the sunday mirror:  i don t know what i m going to do. i am shocked and surprised by their decision.  i didn t expect them to pay me while i was suspended but i never thought they would sack me either.  why didn t they wait to do this  now my career is in ruins.  i might as well walk away from football. what is there left for me    chelsea have been criticised for their stance  with the professional footballers  association accusing the club of failing in their duty of care to the player. and mutu agreed  adding:  it is unfair. if they were going to sack me they should have done it afterwards.  why did they go public  to make an example of me  it makes it very difficult for me now.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "ocean s twelve raids box office ocean s twelve  the crime caper sequel starring george clooney  brad pitt and julia roberts  has gone straight to number one in the us box office chart.  it took $40.8m (\u00a321m) in weekend ticket sales  according to studio estimates. the sequel follows the master criminals as they try to pull off three major heists across europe. it knocked last week s number one  national treasure  into third place. wesley snipes  blade: trinity was in second  taking $16.1m (\u00a38.4m). rounding out the top five was animated fable the polar express  starring tom hanks  and festive comedy christmas with the kranks.  ocean s twelve box office triumph marks the fourth-biggest opening for a december release in the us  after the three films in the lord of the rings trilogy. the sequel narrowly beat its 2001 predecessor  ocean s eleven which took $38.1m (\u00a319.8m) on its opening weekend and $184m (\u00a395.8m) in total. a remake of the 1960s film  starring frank sinatra and the rat pack  ocean s eleven was directed by oscar-winning director steven soderbergh. soderbergh returns to direct the hit sequel which reunites clooney  pitt and roberts with matt damon  andy garcia and elliott gould. catherine zeta-jones joins the all-star cast.  it s just a fun  good holiday movie   said dan fellman  president of distribution at warner bros. however  us critics were less complimentary about the $110m (\u00a357.2m) project  with the los angeles times labelling it a  dispiriting vanity project . a milder review in the new york times dubbed the sequel  unabashedly trivial .", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "parties build up poll war chests the labour party received more than \u00a35m in donations in the final quarter of 2004  new figures show.  this is nearly half of the \u00a311 724 929 received by 16 political parties listed by the electoral commission. the conservatives were in second place with donations totalling \u00a34 610 849  while the liberal democrats received just over \u00a31m. the majority of labour s donations came from affiliated trade unions. there were also large sums from individuals. lord drayson  whose company powderject won multi-million pound contracts to provide smallpox vaccine to the government after the 11 september terror attacks  gave \u00a3500 000 to the party just days before christmas.  this followed an earlier donation of the same amount earlier in 2004. he was made a lord by tony blair last year. other significant donations came from retired millionaire businessman and philanthropist sir christopher ondaatje who gave the party a sum of \u00a3500 000  and refrigerator magnate william haughey obe who gave \u00a3330 000. the totals for the fourth quarter were well up on the same period of 2003  as the parties built up their war chests for the general election campaign. the largest donation to the conservatives was a bequest from ruth beardmore of nearly \u00a3400 000. the joint founder of merchant bank hambro magan gave \u00a3325 417. there were also donations topping \u00a3250 000 for the conservatives from scottish business groups focus on scotland and the institute of international research  the world s largest independent conference company.  also among the gifts to the tories were 24 donations totalling \u00a3161 840 from bearwood corporate services. this company is controlled by the party s former treasurer lord ashcroft which has directed almost \u00a3300 000 to specific marginal constituencies over the past two years. the liberal democrats  largest donor was the joseph rowntree reform trust ltd  a company which promotes political reform and constitutional change  which gave a sum of \u00a3250 000. and fast food giants mcdonald s are listed as donating a sum of \u00a310 575. this was a fee the firm paid for a room for an event held with the work and skills foundation during the party s conference. the uk independence party  which lost its main donor paul sykes amid the row over robert kilroy-silk s bid for the leadership last autumn  took in \u00a363 081. just \u00a38 170 of this was cash and the remainder came in gifts in kind  such as office space and printing. registered political parties are required to set out each quarter all donations over \u00a35 000 to their headquarters and over \u00a31 000 to local constituency parties they receive. it is an offence for a person to knowingly or recklessly make a false declaration about party donations.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "blair sees greater bush consensus george w bush will display a more consensual approach to world politics as he begins his second term as us president  tony blair has said.  the prime minister said mr bush had learned military force was not the only way to fight terrorism. he understood that  the best prospect of peaceful co-existence lies in the spread of democracy and human rights   mr blair told the guardian newspaper. mr bush was sworn in at a ceremony in washington dc on thursday.  echoing the new us secretary of state condoleezza rice  the prime minister said there has been a clear evolution of us policy since the war in afghanistan in 2001. mr blair had personally seen the change over time in conversations with mr bush. the president understood that while military and security measures were important  there also needed to be a multilateral approach to solving the world s problems.  turning to critics  fears that the us was poised for further military action  mr blair refused to give succour to suggestions it was preparing for strikes against iran. the prime minister conceded that the us had  what appears to be a harder position  towards the state than europe. but the prime minister pointed out that until now the us had allowed britain  france and germany to take the lead in trying to halt the iranian nuclear programme. following claims that us forces had worked inside iran to identify potential targets  mr blair was asked if the sas had also been in the country.  we never answer questions about special forces  but do not take that as indicating an affirmative   said mr blair.  mr blair said he believed the president was keen to work with other countries while trying to spread democracy and human rights.  it is significant  in my view  that he is coming to europe as his first foreign visit   said mr blair. following his inauguration  mr bush is due in europe at the end of january.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "aviator  creator  in oscars snub the man who said he got oscar-nominated movie the aviator off the ground and signed up leonardo dicaprio has been shut out of the academy awards race.  charles evans jr battled over his role with the people who eventually made the film  and won a producer s credit. but he is not on the list of producers who can win a best film oscar due to a limit on the number of nominees. the oscars organisers have picked two of the aviator s four producers to be nominated for best film.  up to three producers can be named per film but the studios behind the aviator and million dollar baby failed to trim their credits - so the academy of motion pictures arts and sciences (ampas) has done it for them. the aviator s nominated producers are michael mann and graham king - with mr evans and sandy climan  mr mann s former deputy  left off. mr evans sued mr mann in 2001  claiming he came up with the idea  spent years developing it and persuaded dicaprio to play hughes - but said he was later excluded from the project. the two sides settled out of court in a deal that has remained secret apart from the fact mr evans  name has appeared as a producer when the film s credits roll. at the golden globes  mr evans - who was named among the winners when the film won best drama film - evaded a security guard to have his photo taken with dicaprio  director martin scorsese  mr mann and mr king.  ampas decided to limit the number of producers who could be nominated after shakespeare in love s victory in 1999 saw five producers collect awards. the eligible names for the aviator and million dollar baby were decided by ampas  producers branch executive committee on wednesday. the decision also saw clint eastwood get his third personal nomination for million dollar baby. he is now named in the best film category as well as being nominated for best director and best lead actor. the academy awards ceremony will be held in hollywood on 27 february. chinese actress ziyi zhang  star of crouching tiger  hidden dragon  hero and house of flying daggers  is the latest name to be added to the list of presenters on the night.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "michael film signals  retirement  singer george michael has said that a new film about his life is the start of a retirement from public view.  the pop star said it would be a much more  behind the scenes affair   and called his own genre of music  dead .  i thought i should explain myself before i disappear   said michael  who was at the berlin film festival to launch the documentary. the film  a different story  chronicles michael s life and career from the 1980s and his personal struggles. the 41-year-old chart-topper told reporters in the german capital that he wanted to  move his career into a different form   but added that he does not know what it is going to be yet.   i m still going to be making music   he said  but added that he was  not going to be around . he hinted at discontent with the current state of music industry  and said:  i don t really think that there is anyone in the modern pop business who i feel i want to spar with.  michael said that the film  directed by southan morris  would put his two decades of fame into context.  it s almost as much for me as for my fans  in terms of trying to make sense of the last 22 years and bring it to a close in a proper way   he said. the documentary chronicles the highs and lows of his life in the public gaze  from his meteoric rise as one half of pop duo wham! to his arrest for lewd conduct in a los angeles toilet in 1998. the film also deals with the loss of michael s partner anselmo feleppa from an aids-related condition in 1993. a different story  which is being shown at the berlin film festival  has been screened by bbc one.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "fox attacks blair s tory  lies  tony blair lied when he took the uk to war so has no qualms about lying in the election campaign  say the tories.  tory co-chairman liam fox was speaking after mr blair told labour members the tories offered a  hard right agenda . dr fox told bbc radio:  if you are willing to lie about the reasons for going to war  i guess you are going to lie about anything at all.  he would not discuss reports the party repaid \u00a3500 000 to lord ashcroft after he predicted an election defeat.  the prime minister ratcheted up labour s pre-election campaigning at the weekend with a helicopter tour of the country and his speech at the party s spring conference. he insisted he did not know the poll date  but it is widely expected to be 5 may.  in what was seen as a highly personal speech in gateshead on sunday  mr blair said:  i have the same passion and hunger as when i first walked through the door of 10 downing street.  he described his relationship with the public as starting euphoric  then struggling to live up to the expectations  and reaching the point of raised voices and  throwing crockery . he warned his supporters against complacency  saying:  it s a fight for the future of our country  it s a fight that for britain and the people of britain we have to win.   mr blair said that whether the public chose michael howard or mr kennedy  it would result in  a tory government not a labour government and a country that goes back and does not move forward . dr fox accused mr blair and other cabinet ministers of telling lies about their opponents  policies and then attacking the lies.  what we learned at the weekend is what labour tactics are going to be and it s going to be fear and smear   he told bbc news. the tory co-chairman attacked labour s six new pledges as  vacuous  and said mr blair was very worried voters would take revenge for his failure to deliver. dr fox refused to discuss weekend newspaper reports that the party had repaid \u00a3500 000 to former tory treasurer lord ashcroft after he said the party could not win the election.  we repay loans when they are due but do not comment to individual financial matters   he said  insisting he enjoyed a  warm and constructive  relationship to lord ashcroft.  meanwhile lib dem leader charles kennedy is expected to attack mr blair s words as he begins a nationwide tour on monday. mr kennedy is accelerating lib dem election preparations this week as he visits manchester  liverpool  leicester  somerset  basingstoke  shrewsbury  dorset and torbay. he said:  this is three-party politics. in the northern cities  the contest is between labour and the liberal democrats.  in southern and rural seats - especially in the south west - the principal contenders are the liberal democrats and the conservatives  who are out of the running in scotland and wales.  the lib dems accuse mr blair of making a  touchy-feely  speech to labour delegates which will not help him regain public trust.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "yukos sues four firms for $20bn russian oil firm yukos has sued four companies for their role in last year s forced state auction of its key oil production unit yuganskneftegas.  yukos is claiming more than $20bn (\u00a311bn) in damages after yugansk was sold in december to settle back taxes. the four companies named in the law suit are gas giant gazprom  its unit gazpromneft  investment company baikal  and state oil firm rosneft. yukos submitted the suit in houston  where it filed for bankruptcy. as well as suing for damages  yukos has asked the us court to send its tax dispute with the russian government to an international arbitrator. it also has submitted a reorganisation plan as part of its chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.  the clash between yukos and the kremlin came to a head last year when yukos was hit with a bill of more than $27bn in back taxes and unpaid fines. to settle the bill  russia forced yukos to sell off yuganskneftegas.  yukos called the sale illegal and has turned to courts in the us in an effort to regain control of the oil production business. it also has vowed to use all legal means at its disposal to go after any firm that tries to buy or take control of its assets. earlier this month it sued the russian government for $28.3bn. analysts have questioned whether a us court has any jurisdiction over russian companies  while moscow officials have dismissed yukos  legal wrangling as meaningless. in houston  bankruptcy judge letitia clark will start a two-day hearing on 16 february to hear arguments on whether a us court is the proper forum for the case.  the threat of legal action from yukos and its bankruptcy filing in houston did have an effect on last year s auction  however. concerned that it would be caught up in a court battle  gazprom and gazpromneft withdrew from the auction  and yuganskneftegas was sold to little-known investment firm baikal finance group. a few days later  baikal gave control of the company to state-run oil group rosneft for $9.3bn. rosneft  meanwhile  has agreed to merge with gazprom  bringing a large chunk of russia s very profitable oil business back under state control. yukos claims that the rights of its shareholders have been ignored and that is has been punished for the political ambitions of its founder mikhail khodorkovsky. mr khodorkovsky  once russia s richest man  is in prison  having been charged with fraud and tax evasion and repeatedly denied bail.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "khodorkovsky quits yukos shares jailed tycoon mikhail khodorkovsky has transferred his controlling stake in oil giant yukos to a business partner.  mr khodorkovsky handed over his entire 59.5% stake in holding company group menatep - which controls yukos - to leonid nevzlin. a close ally of the ex-yukos boss  mr nevzlin is currently based in israel. mr khodorkovsky handed over his stake after the forced sale of yukos  core oil production unit  yuganskneftegaz to pay a giant tax bill.  yuganskneftegaz was sold off at auction in december last year  eventually falling into the hands of state oil firm rosneft in a deal worth $9.4bn (\u00a35bn).  since the sale of yuganskneftegaz  i have been delivered of (all) responsibility for the business that remains and the group s money as a whole   mr khodorkovsky said.  it is all over. as before  i see my future in public activity to build a civil society in russia.  mr nevzlin is yukos  largest shareholder but is living in self-imposed exile in israel. yuganskneftegaz pumps around 1 million barrels of oil a day. it was sold by the russian authorities to recover government tax claims against yukos totalling over $27bn. previously considered to be russia s richest man  with an estimated fortune of $15bn  mr khodorkovsky is currently on trial for fraud and tax evasion following his arrest in october 2003. however  the charges are widely seen as politically motivated and part of a drive by russian president vladimir putin to rein in the country s super-rich business leaders  the so-called oligarchs. it is also believed that mr khodorkovsky was particularly targeted because he had started to bankroll political opponents of mr putin.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "parker misses england clash tom shanklin will start in the centre for wales against england in cardiff on saturday after sonny parker failed to recover from a trapped neck nerve.  shanklin was first-choice wing in the autumn tests  but prefers centre and will face england debutant mathew tait. dragons three-quarter hal luscombe takes shanklin s wing berth. up front  mefin davies plays at hooker  open-side martyn williams is fit to start and lock rob sidoli replaces veteran gareth llewellyn. davies wins the vote ahead of robin mcbryde  who sits on the bench having recently returned to action for the scarlets following a neck injury.  sidoli is back for the first time since last season s six nations  the blues second row back to form after a niggling groin problem. williams  sidoli s team-mate at cardiff  is set to win his 50th cap  replacing the injured colin charvis after making a quicker-than-expected recovery from a neck disc problem.  initially when i had the diagnosis it was a case of trying to get fit for the italy game next week  but fortunately my recovery has been a lot quicker than we all hoped   williams told bbc sport wales.  i haven t started a game since 1 january and would have preferred to have a couple of games in the lead-up to this  but the good thing with the injury is that i have kept up my fitness levels.  i feel quite fresh and i just can t wait to play again.  williams says he expects a torrid time from an england loose-forward trio of lewis moody  joe worsley and andy hazell.  they are three top-class players  especially worsley and moody. they have been there and done it   williams added.  they were back-ups behind richard hill  neil back and lawrence dallaglio  but now they have come forward and proved what good players they are - there are no weaknesses there.  luscombe gets the nod on the wing ahead of dragons team-mate kevin morgan  who wins a place on the bench alongside uncapped blues prop john yapp.  g thomas (toulouse (capt); h luscombe (dragons)  t shanklin (blues)  g henson (ospreys)  s williams (ospreys); s jones (clermont auvergne)  d peel (scarlets); g jenkins (blues)  m davies (gloucester)  a jones (ospreys)  b cockbain (ospreys)  r sidoli (blues)  d jones (scarlets)  m williams (blues)  m owen (dragons).  r mcbryde (scarlets)  j yapp (blues)  j thomas (ospreys)  r jones (ospreys)  g cooper (dragons)  c sweeney (dragons)  k morgan (dragons).", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "mallon wades into ne vote battle middlesbrough mayor ray mallon has been drafted in to boost the yes campaign as the north east assembly referendum enters its final week.  the former police chief  dubbed robocop for his zero tolerance style  clashed on thursday with sunderland no campaigner neil herron. mr mallon said an assembly would give local people more of a say over key issues such as transport and crime. but mr herron said north east people did not want or need an assembly.  the pair met on the platform at sunderland station as mr mallon toured the region highlighting claimed improvements to transport if the area gets an assembly. but mr herron - who gained fame as one of sunderland s  metric martyrs  and is running his own no campaign alongside the official north east says no campaign - said he was not convinced by mr mallon s arguments.  the reality is that it is not going to deliver   he said.  labour has had two-and-a-half years to convince people of this. if you can t sell a deal in that time  it is a bad deal.  on wednesday  mr mallon provoked fury by branding the official no campaign  two-bit tories  in a confrontation outside its durham headquarters.  the campaign is being run by two-bit conservatives who are not interested in what happens in the north east; they are interested in hitting the labour party over the head   he said. mr mallon is a late recruit to the yes campaign after rejecting overtures from no campaigners including  he claims  tory leader michael howard.  most local observers believe the contest is too close to call  although little recent polling has been carried out. yes campaign chairman john tomaney said he hoped for a late flurry of votes to boost turnout - something he says will boost their cause. he added:  the government exerts a lot of political power in the north east. the accountability should be in the north east as well.  he also defended the decision to attack the official no campaign s alleged political allegiances.  we felt we had to show what people were behind the no campaign - london tory spin doctors.  graham robb  spokesman for north east says no  said the yes campaign s decision to get personal dragged the campaign  into the gutter  and showed they were  rattled . and he hit back at mr mallon s claim that an assembly would improve transport links in the region.  it can push paper around but it can not get people moving   he said. some 487 939 people had returned their ballot papers by wednesday - a turnout of 25.7%. the deadline for voting is next thursday  4 november.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "anti-spam laws bite spammer hard the net s self-declared spam king is seeking bankruptcy protection.  scott richter  the man behind optinrealbig.com and billions of junk mail messages  said lawsuits had forced the company into chapter 11. optinrealbig was fighting several legal battles  most notably against microsoft  which is pushing for millions of dollars in damages. the company said filing for chapter 11 would help it try to resolve its legal problems but still keep trading.  listed as the third biggest spammer in the world by junk mail watchdog spamhaus  optinrealbig was sued in december 2003 for sending mail messages that violated anti-spam laws. the lawsuit was brought by microsoft and new york attorney general eliot spitzer who alleged that mr richter and his accomplices sent billions of spam messages through 514 compromised net addresses in 35 countries. according to microsoft the messages were sent via net addresses owned by the kuwait ministries of communication and finance  several korean schools  the seoul municipal boramae hospital  and the virginia community college system. mr richter settled the attorney general case in july 2004 but the legal fight with microsoft is continuing. microsoft is seeking millions in dollars in damages from optinrealbig under anti-spam laws that impose penalties for every violation. in a statement announcing the desire to seek bankruptcy protection the company said it:  could not continue to contend with legal maneuvers (sic) by a number of companies across the country  including microsoft  and still run a viable business.  in its chapter 11 filing optinrealbig claimed it had assets of less than $10m (\u00a35.29m) but debts of more than $50m which included the $46m that microsoft is seeking via its lawsuit.  the litigation has been a relentless distraction with which to contend   said steven richter  legal counsel for optinrealbig.  but  make no mistake  we do expect to prevail.  for its part optinrealbig describes itself as a premier internet marketing company and said the move to seek chapter 11 was necessary to let it keep trading while sorting out its legal battles.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "super size me wins writers  award super size me director morgan spurlock has won the writers guild of america s award for documentary feature writing.  the oscar-nominated film followed spurlock as he ate only mcdonald s fast food for an entire month. spurlock was given the award at a special ceremony at the roosevelt hotel in hollywood on tuesday. organisers said the rising popularity of documentary films led them to honour a writer for a documentary screenplay for the first time.  producer brian grazer presented the award to spurlock and the film s backers  roadside attractions  samuel goldwyn films and showtime independent films. spurlock set out to discover the effect of living on nothing but mcdonald s for a month  upgrading to supersize portions when offered. the film followed his 25lb weight gain and the health effects on his body  including his liver and cholesterol levels. mcdonald s announced it was to scrap its  supersized  meals last year  but denied the move was as a result of the negative publicity created by spurlock s film. spurlock was given his award on the same day the european court of human rights ruled that two uk activists should have been given legal aid in their long fight against a mcdonald s libel action. helen steel and david morris  from north london  dubbed the  mclibel two   were found guilty in a 1990s trial of libelling the company in a leaflet they had been handing out at the end of the case the high court in london ruled mcdonald s had been libelled and awarded the company \u00a360 000 in damages  later reduced to \u00a340 000 on appeal. but he found the leaflet was true in some aspects.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "lib dems predict  best ever poll  the lib dems are set for their best results in both the general election and the local council polls  one of their frontbenchers has predicted.  local government spokesman ed davey was speaking as the party launched its campaign for the local elections being held in 37 english council areas. the flagship pledge is to replace council tax with a local income tax. the tories say the lib dems would make people pay more tax and labour says the party s sums do not add up. looking to the coming elections  which are all expected to be held on 5 may  mr davey said:  we are going to be winning more votes and winning more seats.  i think we are going to have the best general election results and local election results we have ever had under [party leader] charles kennedy.  i couldn t think of a stronger endorsement of a leader.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "tories unveil quango blitz plans plans to abolish 162 quangos have been unveiled by the conservatives as part of their effort to show how government red tape can be cut.  six government units would also be scrapped under proposals which the tories say would save more than \u00a34.3bn. among the targets are strategic health authorities and the new fair access regulator for universities. tory frontbencher john redwood said britain needed a slimmer government and lower taxes to be competitive.  the plans would abolish regional assemblies and other regional bodies  such as boards tackling industrial development and housing. their powers would be returned to elected local councils or national government. the tories say the strategic health authorities are not needed as it is better that local people  rather than officials  run hospitals and surgeries.  announcing the plans  mr redwood said:  mr blair has forgotten the interests of taxpayers  and has broken the pledges he made.  far from improving public services  spending taxpayers  money on quangos has led only to more bureaucrats  more regulation and higher taxes.  his party leader  michael howard  argued a change in direction was needed to get a grip on spending.  labour are creating two britains: the britain of the forgotten majority and bureaucratic britain   he said.  in the real world  people are working harder just to stand still. they ve seen their pensions knocked for six.  they re being squeezed by extra taxes. the forgotten majority are paying the price of bureaucratic britain.  the government has announced plans to cut 100 000 civil servants as part of its efficiency drive. the liberal democrats have said they would cut the number of whitehall departments to make sure money reaches frontline services.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "fear will help france - laporte france coach bernard laporte believes his team will be scared going into their game with england on sunday  but claims it will work in their favour.  the french turned in a stuttering performance as they limped to a 16-9 win against scotland in the opening match of the six nations on saturday.  we will go to twickenham with a little fear and it ll give us a boost   said the french coach. he added:  we are never good enough when we are favourites.  meanwhile  perpignan centre jean-philippe granclaude is delighted to have received his first call-up to the france squad.  it s incredible   the youngster said.  i was not expecting it at all.  playing with the france team has always been a dream and now it has come true and i am about to face england at twickenham in the six nations.  laporte will announce his starting line-up on wednesday at the french team s training centre in marcoussis  near paris.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "running around the olympics it was back to official duties last week in my role as an ambassador to london s 2012 olympic bid. but i still managed to do all my marathon training.  all the sporting people on the capital s bid team think i m mad to be taking part in the london marathon. the bid chairman  lord coe  admitted he would never dream of running a marathon  even though he was an olympic middle-distance runner.  kelly holmes  former hurdler alan pascoe and former sprinter frankie fredericks - who is now an ioc member - all wanted to know why anyone would want to run that far. you d have thought all these athletes  who have been running for most of their lives  wouldn t think it would be that bad. but the only person who was positive about my intentions was tanni grey thompson  who has won the london marathon wheelchair race six times. even though it was a very busy week entertaining the international olympic committee s (ioc) evaluation commission  i actually found my running schedule easier to follow. when i m at home  i get distracted by all sorts of things but for the five days i was in london  i was in a pressurised situation  but i found it easy to relax by running.  on wednesday  the presentations to the ioc team did not finish until the early evening  so i just managed to squeeze in a 45-minute run. we had an early start on thursday because we had to visit all the olympic sites around london  that was pretty shattering  but when we got back to the hotel  i got back on the treadmill. on friday evening i went along to the special dinner at buckingham palace which was a nice occasion. i never feel guilty about eating  especially when i m exercising. and because it was a rest day i didn t have to feel bad about missing my training either. anyway  i managed to do another quick run on saturday ahead of the final ioc presentations  before heading home for my daughter s birthday.  when i was in london i did all of my runs on the treadmill  which isn t the same as exercising outdoors. one of the ioc s technical staff from australia ran alongside me one day. we talked about the sydney olympics and that made the time go past more quickly. i do find it quite comfortable running in the gym because there is more cushioning. but when you re gearing up to running on the road you need your body to get used to that jarring feeling when your feet hit the pavement. it was good to get out on the road for my long run on sunday. after the week i d had i was a bit concerned i wouldn t be able to complete it. but i coped with it very well and  even though it was bitterly cold  i put in 15-and-a-half miles - only another 11 to go then.  - this year steve will donate all the proceeds from his london marathon efforts to victims of the tsunami.steve will be writing a regular column on the ups and downs of his marathon training for the bbc sport website.he will be raising money through the steve redgrave trust which supports the association of children s hospices  the children with leukaemia charity  and the trust s own project which aims to provide inner-city schools with rowing equipment.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "donor attacks blair-brown  feud  the reported feud between tony blair and gordon brown has prompted a labour donor to say he will almost certainly refuse to give more funds.  duncan bannatyne also attacked the government over iraq and its  poor  response to the asian tsunami crisis. his broadside came as ex-foreign secretary robin cook said he hoped mr brown would be premier at some point. mr bannatyne has previously given labour \u00a350 000. he made his fortune from care homes and health clubs.  the 52-year-old on tuesday said was he was reviewing his donations because of cabinet disunity and international issues. his spokesman said it was highly unlikely he would give labour more money  although he would remain a supporter and not fund the conservatives.  robert peston s new book has prompted more speculation about the blair-brown rift with its claims that the prime minister broke a promise made in 2003 to stand down. mr bannatyne said:  disunity in the cabinet has a corrosive effect on the country.  gordon brown is a great chancellor who has delivered a stable economy  but business wants that to continue and not be blown off course by petty squabbles based on personal ambition.  the businessman  whose latest venture is a casino in newcastle  also voiced concern about the ongoing violence in iraq.  and he branded the uk government s response to the tsunami as  piecemeal and poor .  the people there need practical help not just pledges of money   he said.  the us has forces helping on the ground - we can do more.  british navy ships have helped the relief effort and the prime minister has said the government could ultimately give hundreds of millions of pounds in aid. mr bannatyne is due to host a new television programme and is also appearing on bbc2 business start-up programme dragon s den. but his spokesman insisted his attack on labour was not a publicity stunt.  in a separate development  robin cook gave his support to mr brown s prime ministerial ambitions but told a lunch for political journalists winning the election had to be labour s election. but he insisted the recent squabbles between mr blair and mr brown were not  perceived as a problem by the voters   adding there was no impression of governmental incompetence. mr cook argued that more prominence was given to these matters because there was  not an alternative source of opposition to the government . he warned the  abstentions party  was the real challenge to labour - and they would not be motivated by mr blair s promise to produce an  unremittingly new labour  election manifesto. his comments come after dave prentis  the leader of britain s biggest union unison  told the daily record newspaper he wants a date to be set for mr blair to be replaced as labour leader.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "daimlerchrysler s 2004 sales rise us-german carmaker daimlerchrysler has sold 2.1% more cars in 2004 than in the previous year  as solid chrysler sales offset a weak showing for mercedes.  sales totalled 3.9 million units worldwide during 2004  the company said at the detroit motor show. a switch to new models hit luxury marque mercedes-benz  with sales down 3.1% at 1.06 million. chrysler avoided the fate of us rivals ford and general motors  both of whom lost ground to japanese firms. its sales rose 3.5% to 2.7 million units.  similarly on the up was the smart brand of compact cars  with the division s sales jumping by 21.1% during 2004 to 136 000. the future of the brand - which is controlled by the mercedes group within daimlerchrysler - remains in question  however. smart has consistently lost money since it started trading in 1998  and new model launches are now  on hold   said mercedes chief executive eckhard cordes. in europe  the smart will now go on sale through regular mercedes dealerships as well as its own dealer network  mr cordes said.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "hendrix guitar fetches \u00a3100 000 a much-loved guitar belonging to jimi hendrix has been sold for \u00a3100 000 at an auction in london.  the 1965 fender stratocaster was one of a number of guitars included in the sale dedicated to the rock legend. the vast archive of instruments  signed records and posters were collected by a dedicated fan who had become friendly with the star. the auction was billed as the biggest collection of hendrix memorabilia to go under the hammer. the majority of the items were collected by fan bob terry who began collecting at the age of 17. he later sold it on to another collector.  hendrix  widely considered one of the best guitarists of his era  died of a drug overdose in 1970 at the age of 27. the 1965 fender stratocaster was used by the musician on tour and in his studio. a poem written by hendrix two weeks after his infamous appearance at the monterey festival where he set light to his guitar went for \u00a310 000. the jimi hendrix experience s first single hey joe  signed by all the band  was sold for \u00a32 000. the sale  hosted by auctioneers cooper owen  was held at the hard rock cafe in london.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "opposition grows to house arrests the conservatives have expressed  serious misgivings  about government plans for keeping uk and foreign terror suspects under house arrest.  michael howard said he would not back the home secretary s plans for  control orders  which include home detention.  i do not believe that anyone should be deprived of their liberty on the say so of a politician   he said. the lib dems also oppose the proposals  but ministers insist they are proportionate to the terror threat.  the government proposed the idea and a range of other new powers after the laws lords said current detentions without trial broke human rights laws. new metropolitan police commissioner sir ian blair has backed the control orders  saying:  i m sorry. it is a dilemma  but there is only one choice.  but mr howard said:  we have serious misgivings about both their effectiveness in protecting life and their consequences for the british way of life.   he argued that people accused of terrorist offences should be brought to trial and be held in prison - not at home - while they await trial. mr howard said he feared  internment without trial creates martyrs  and could be  a very effective recruiting sergeant  for terrorists . his party plans to move an amendment to the serious organised crime and police bill next week that would give a judge responsibility for assessing evidence and ensuring a balanced case is presented to the court. he called on the prime minister to  enter into constructive discussions  with his party to find a  better way forward . controversy over the issue continues after a foreign terror suspect held in the uk without trial or charge since december 2001 was freed from jail.  home secretary charles clarke said there was not enough evidence to keep the egyptian man  known only as c  certified as a terrorist suspect. on monday  the legal team for two algerian suspects being held without trial told a court the men did not want bail if it meant being put under house arrest. most of the terror suspects are detained at belmarsh prison in london. the liberal democrats say they also oppose house arrests and questioned the human rights implications of the measure. home affairs spokesman mark oaten told bbc radio 4 s today programme:  it s a matter of principle for us that we can t have a situation where the home secretary is able to impose house detention now on uk nationals as well as foreign nationals.   the lib dems believe the home secretary should allow phone tapping evidence in prosecutions.  we think there could be a role for some form of control order - tagging  surveillance  limitation on use of mobile phones - but not with the home secretary s say so. that must be done with a proper judicial process  a judge involved in making those decisions   said mr oaten. mr clarke has rejected that idea saying intercept evidence is only a small part of the case against terror suspects and could put the lives of intelligence sources at risk. he said prosecutions were the government s first preference and promised the powers would only be used in  serious  cases  with independent scrutiny from judges.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "gervais writing simpsons episode the office s ricky gervais is writing an episode of hit us cartoon the simpsons  following an invitation from its creator matt groening.  gervais has already begun writing the script but is keeping its subject matter a closely guarded secret. he will also write a part for himself in the episode.  i ve got the rough idea but this is the most intimidating project of my career. the simpsons is the greatest tv show of all time   he said. groening recently heaped praise on the office  saying:  everybody on the simpsons is a fan of the office - it s one of the best shows on tv in the last decade.  gervais has already said he would not guest star in the show as his office character david  having left him behind for good in the christmas specials. the office became a surprise us success when it was screened on cable channel bbc america. the first series won two golden globes in 2004 for best comedy and best tv actor for gervais.  in winning it beat the likes of sex and the city and will and grace. an american version was produced  but so far only a pilot has been broadcast - to much criticism that it failed to live up to the original. at the british comedy awards on wednesday  gervais was handed a special achievement award for writing. but the office missed out in the best comedy show category to little britain. matt groening was also at the awards to collect the award for best international comedy for the simpsons.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "eu software patent law faces axe the european parliament has thrown out a bill that would have allowed software to be patented.  politicians unanimously rejected the bill and now it must go through another round of consultation if it is to have a chance of becoming law. during consultation the software patents bill could be substantially re-drafted or even scrapped. the bill was backed by some hi-tech firms  saying they needed protections it offered to make research worthwhile.  hugo lueders  european director for public policy at comptia  an umbrella organization for technology companies  said only when intellectual property was adequately protected would european inventors prosper. he said the benefits of the bill had been obscured by special interest groups which muddied debate over the rights and wrongs of software patents. other proponents of the bill said it was a good compromise that avoided the excesses of the american system which allows the patenting of business practices as well as software. but opponents of the bill said that it could stifle innovation  be abused by firms keen to protect existing monopolies and could hamper the growth of the open source movement. the proposed law had a troubled passage through the european parliament. its progress was delayed twice when polish meps rejected plans to adopt it. also earlier this month the influential european legal affairs committee (juri) said the law should be re-drafted after it failed to win the support of meps. to become law both the european parliament and a qualified majority of eu states have to approve of the draft wording of the bill. the latest rejection means that now the bill on computer inventions must go back to the eu for re-consideration.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "net fingerprints combat attacks eighty large net service firms have switched on software to spot and stop net attacks automatically.  the system creates digital fingerprints of ongoing incidents that are sent to every network affected. firms involved in the smart sensing system believe it will help trace attacks back to their source. data gathered will be passed to police to help build up intelligence about who is behind worm outbreaks and denial of service attacks.  firms signing up for the sensing system include mci  bt  deutsche telekom  energis  ntt  bell canada and many others. the creation of the fingerprinting system has been brokered by us firm arbor networks and signatures of attacks will be passed to anyone suffering under the weight of an attack. increasingly computer criminals are using swarms of remotely controlled computers to carry out denial of service attacks on websites  launch worms and relay spam around the net.  we have seen attacks involving five and ten gigabytes of traffic   said rob pollard  sales director for arbor networks which is behind the fingerprinting system.  attacks of that size cause collateral damage as they cross the internet before they get to their destination   he said. once an attack is spotted and its signature defined the information will be passed back down the chain of networks affected to help every unwitting player tackle the problem.  mr pollard said arbor was not charging for the service and it would pass on fingerprint data to every network affected.  what we want to do is help net service firms communicate with each other and then push the attacks further and further back around the world to their source   said mr pollard. arbor network s technology works by building up a detailed history of traffic on a network. it spots which computers or groups of users regularly talk to each other and what types of traffic passes between machines or workgroups. any anomaly to this usual pattern is spotted and flagged to network administrators who can take action if the traffic is due to a net-based attack of some kind. this type of close analysis has become very useful as net attacks are increasingly launched using several hundred or thousand different machines. anyone looking at the traffic on a machine by machine basis would be unlikely to spot that they were all part of a concerted attack.  attacks are getting more diffuse and more sophisticated   said malcolm seagrave  security expert at energis.  in the last 12 months it started getting noticeable that criminals were taking to it and we ve seen massive growth.  he said that although informal systems exist to pass on information about attacks  often commercial confidentiality got in the way of sharing enough information to properly combat attacks.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "o sullivan could run in worlds sonia o sullivan has indicated that she would like to participate in next month s world cross country championships in st etienne.  athletics ireland have hinted that the 35-year-old cobh runner may be included in the official line-up for the event in france on 19-20 march. provincial teams were selected after last saturday s nationals in santry and will be officially announced this week. o sullivan is at present preparing for the london marathon on 17 april. the participation of o sullivan  currentily training at her base in australia  would boost the ireland team who won the bronze three years agio. the first three at santry last saturday  jolene byrne  maria mccambridge and fionnualla britton  are automatic selections and will most likely form part of the long-course team. o sullivan will also take part in the bupa great ireland run on 9 april in dublin.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "asia quake increases poverty risk nearly two million people across asia could be thrown into poverty because of the indian ocean tsunami  the asian development bank (adb) has said.  in its first overview of the disaster  the adb said the impact on economic growth would be slight because major cities and factories escaped damage. but the blow to many low-income people could be  enormous . the paris club of rich creditor nations on wednesday offered to freeze debts owed by tsunami-hit countries.  the move was aimed at helping south asian governments find budgets to rebuild devastated coastal areas  though so far only sri lanka  indonesia and the seychelles have indicated that they will take it up.  other countries believe their economies are strong enough to cope or wish to avoid being viewed as credit risks.  poverty is potentially the most important impact of this natural disaster   said adb chief economist ifzal ali. donor nations have promised to give $717m (\u00a3379m) in disaster relief over the next six months  according to the united nations.  mr ali added his voice to those warning that aid pledges must be promptly delivered  saying the number of people at risk of poverty hinged on  concerns over sanitation and health conditions  and other basic needs  being  properly and quickly addressed .  there are 1.9 billion people in asia living on less than $2 a day. the adb fears that 1 million indonesians could join them  while in india just over half a million people - 645 000 - are at risk of falling into poverty. a quarter of a million sri lankans and 23 500 people in the maldives are also facing poverty. in the maldives  where 43% of the population already lives on less than $2 a day  this could rise to half. sri lanka and the maldives are the two countries the adb fears are most at risk of suffering lasting economic damage from the tsunami. sri lanka s government has estimated reconstruction costs at nearly $3bn. a government task force held meetings to discuss an emergency rebuilding plan with the adb  world bank and japanese aid agencies on wednesday  and promised to publish the plan within 10 days.  indonesia  malaysia  thailand and india have enjoyed strong economic growth in recent years  which should cushion them against reconstruction costs. although indonesia s northern province of aceh suffered the worst death toll  the region s oil and natural gas production facilities  have survived intact   the report said. however  it remains too soon to asses the damage to poor people s livelihoods in aceh because it would depend on how much farm land had been flooded by seawater.  this is a profoundly tragic event for the region and for the millions who are suffering. but the economies of the affected countries except sri lanka and the maldives should emerge with minimal damage   the adb report said. some businesses may even gain from the reconstruction efforts  thereby creating jobs. at a meeting in thailand  abd president thadao chino said he was confident of the country s  own capabilities to restore normalcy to the affected areas and meet the rehabilitation requirements . thailand has said it does not wish to opt for a debt repayment freeze  while india has also rejected international aid  saying it can cope on its own resources. debt repayment holidays carry the risk of credit ratings downgrades  making it more expensive to borrow money in future. indonesia  however  is pressing for greater help with its debts than the current freeze would bring. it is one of the world s most indebted countries.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "blog  picked as word of the year the term  blog  has been chosen as the top word of 2004 by a us dictionary publisher.  merriam-webster said  blog  headed the list of most looked-up terms on its site during the last twelve months. during 2004 blogs  or web logs  have become hugely popular and some have started to influence mainstream media. other words on the merriam-webster list were associated with major news events such as the us presidential election or natural disasters that hit the us.  merriam-webster defines a blog as:  a web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections  comments and often hyperlinks . its list of most looked-up words is drawn up every year and it discounts terms such as swear words  that everyone likes to look up  or those that always cause problems  such as  affect  and  effect .  merriam-webster said  blog  was the word that people have asked to be defined or explained most often over the last 12 months. the word will now appear in the 2005 version of merriam-webster s printed dictionary. however  the word is already included in some printed versions of the oxford english dictionary. a spokesman for the oxford university press said that the word was now being put into other dictionaries for children and learners  reflecting its mainstream use.  i think it was the word of last year rather than this year   he said.  now we re getting words that derive from it such as  blogosphere  and so on   he said.  but   he added   it s a pretty recent thing and in the way that this happens these days it s got established very quickly.   blogs come in many different forms. many act as news sites for particular groups or subjects  some are written from a particular political slant and others are simply lists of interesting sites. other terms in the top 10 were related to natural disasters that have struck the us  such as  hurricane  or were to do with the us election. words such as  incumbent    electoral  and  partisan  reflected the scale of interest in the vote. blogs also proved very useful to both sides in the us election battle because many pundits who maintain their own journals were able to air opinions that would never appear in more mainstream media. speculation that president bush was getting help during debates via a listening device was first aired on web logs. online journals also raised doubts about documents used by us television news organisation cbs in a story about president bush s war record. the immediacy of many blogs also helped some wield influence over topics that made it in to national press.  this is despite the fact that the number of people reading even the most influential blogs is tiny. statistics by web influence ranking firm hitwise reveal that the most popular political blog racks up only 0.0051% of all net visits per day. one of the reasons that blogs and regularly updated online journals have become popular is because the software used to put them together make it very easy for people to air their views online. according to blog analysis firm technorati the number of blogs in existence  the blogosphere  has doubled every five and a half months for the last 18 months. technorati now estimates that the number of blogs in existence has exceeded 4.8 million. some speculate that less than a quarter of this number are regularly maintained. according to us research firm pew internet & american life a blog is created every 5.8 seconds. another trend this year has been the increasing numbers of weblogs that detail the daily lives of many ordinary workers in jobs that few people know much about. in many repressive regimes and developing nations  blogs have been embraced by millions of people keen to give their plight a voice.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "us duo in first spam conviction a brother and sister in the us have been convicted of sending hundreds of thousands of unsolicited e-mail messages to aol subscribers.  it is the first criminal prosecution of internet spam distributors. jurors in virginia recommended that the man  jeremy jaynes  serve nine years in prison and that his sister  jessica degroot  be fined $7 500. they were convicted under a state law that bars the sending of bulk e-mails using fake addresses.  they will be formally sentenced next year. a third defendant  richard rutkowski  was acquitted. prosecutors said jaynes was  a snake oil salesman in a new format   using the internet to peddle useless wares  news agency associated press reported. a  fed-ex refund processor  was supposed to allow people to earn $75 an hour working from home. another item on sale was an  internet history eraser . his sister helped him process credit card payments. jaynes amassed a fortune of $24m from his sales  prosecutors said.  he s been successful ripping people off all these years   ap quoted prosecutor russell mcguire as saying. jaynes was also found guilty of breaking a state law which prohibits the sending of more than 100 000 e-mails in 30 days  virginia state attorney general jerry kilgore reportedly said. prosecutors had asked for 15 years in jail for jaynes  and a jail term for his sister. but jaynes  lawyer david oblon called the nine-year recommended term  outrageous  and said his client believed he was innocent. he pointed out that all three of the accused lived in north carolina and were unaware of the virginia state law. spam messages are estimated to account for at least 60% of all e-mails sent.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "kilroy names election seat target ex-chat show host robert kilroy-silk is to contest the derbyshire seat of erewash at the next general election.  labour s elizabeth blackman won the seat in 1997 and has a 6 932 majority. she says she will fight on her record  as a hard-working constituency mp . mr kilroy-silk announced his plans a day after launching his new party  veritas  the latin for truth. the east midlands mep  who quit the uk independence party  wants his new group to  change the face  of uk politics. his choice of election constituency quashes speculation that he would stand against defence secretary geoff hoon in ashfield  nottinghamshire. ukip won 31% of the vote in erewash in last june s european elections - with mr kilroy-silk among their candidates for the region. until 1997  erewash had been held by the tories since 1970. ms blackman said she was proud of the government s achievements in the area. she declined to give her view of mr kilroy-silk at this point.  on thursday  he told a london news conference that veritas would avoid the old parties   lies and spin . he said  our country  was being  stolen from us  by mass immigration and promised a  firm but fair  policy on immigration. veritas says it hopes to contest most seats at the forthcoming general election but plans to announce detailed policies on crime  tax  pensions  health and defence over the next few weeks.  ukip leader roger knapman says he is glad to see the back of mr kilroy-silk. labour campaign spokesman fraser kemp said veritas was joining  an already crowded field on the right of british politics . mr kilroy-silk was joined in the new venture by one of ukip s two london assembly members  damien hockney  who is now veritas  deputy leader.  ukip s chairman petrina holdsworth has said the group will just be a parody of the party the men have left. mr kilroy-silk quit ukip last week after months of tension as he vied unsuccessfully for the leadership of that party. he said he was ashamed to be a member of a ukip whose leadership had  gone awol  after the great opportunity offered by its third place at last june s european elections. ukip s leader  roger knapman  has said he is glad to see the back of mr kilroy-silk.  he has remarkable ability to influence people but  sadly  after the [european] election it became clear that he was more interested in the robert kilroy-silk party than the uk independence party so it was nice knowing him  now  goodbye    he said. ukip officials also argue mr kilroy-silk has not been  straightforward  in attacking the party he once wanted to lead.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "us ahold suppliers face charges us prosecutors have charged nine food suppliers with helping dutch retailer ahold inflate earnings by more than $800m (\u00a3428m).  the charges have been brought against individuals as well as companies  alleging they created false accounts. ahold hit the headlines in february 2003 after it emerged that there were accounting irregularities at its us subsidiary foodservice. three former ahold top executives last year agreed to settle fraud charges.  ahold has admitted that it fraudulently inflated promotional allowances at foodservice  improperly consolidated joint ventures and also committed other accounting errors and irregularities.  the nine now charged  who worked as suppliers to ahold  are accused of signing false documents relating to the amount of money they paid the retailer for promoting their products in its stores. food companies pay supermarkets and retailers for prime shelf space. the suppliers in question are said to have inflated the amount of money they paid  providing auditors with signed letters that allowed ahold to inflate its earnings. us attorney david kelley said he expects the nine vendors will plead guilty to the charges. he added that there may be more court actions in the future.  i don t want to leave you with the impression that these were the only ones involved   he said. among those facing charges are john nettle  a former employee of general mills; mark bailin of rymer international seafood; tim daly of michael foods and kenneth bowman  who worked as an independent contractor for total foods.  others include michael hannigan of sugar foods; peter marion of maritime seafood processors and first choice foods; gordon redgate of commodity manager and private label distribution; bruce robinson of basic american foods and michael rogers  formerly of tyson foods. pasquale d amuro of the fbi called the nine vendors the key ingredients in  the process of cooking the books  at ahold. at the time of the scandal  ahold was seen by many as europe s enron. ahold shares tumbled on the news and many market observers predicted that the fall out could damage investor confidence across europe. it was less severe than many had envisaged  however  and since then ahold has worked hard at rebuilding its reputation and investor confidence. ahold is the world s fourth-largest supermarket chain. its other us businesses include stop & shop  and giant food.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "bush website blocked outside us surfers outside the us have been unable to visit the official re-election site of president george w bush.  the blocking of browsers sited outside the us began in the early hours of monday morning. since then people outside the us trying to browse the site get a message saying they are not authorised to view it. the blocking does not appear to be due to an attack by vandals or malicious hackers  but as a result of a policy decision by the bush camp.  the international exclusion zone around georgewbush.com was spotted by net monitoring firm netcraft which keeps an eye on traffic patterns across many different sites. netcraft said that since the early hours of 25 october attempts to view the site through its monitoring stations in london  amsterdam and sydney failed.  by contrast netcraft s four monitoring stations in the us managed to view the site with no problems. the site can still be seen using anonymous proxy services that are based in the us. some web users in canada also report that they can browse the site. the pattern of traffic to the website suggests that the blocking was not due to an attack by vandals or politically motivated hackers. geographic blocking works because the numerical addresses that the net uses to organise itself are handed out on a regional basis. on 21 october  the george w bush website began using the services of a company called akamai to ensure that the pages  videos and other content on its site reaches visitors. mike prettejohn  president of netcraft  speculated that the blocking decision might have been taken to cut costs  and traffic  in the run-up to the election on 2 november. he said the site may see no reason to distribute content to people who will not be voting next week. managing traffic could also be a good way to ensure that the site stays working in the closing days of the election campaign. however  simply blocking non-us visitors also means that americans overseas are barred too. akamai declined to comment  saying it could not talk about customer websites.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "glaxo aims high after profit fall glaxosmithkline saw its profits fall 9% last year to \u00a36.2bn ($11.5bn)  but europe s biggest drugmaker says a recovery during 2005 is on the way.  cheap copies of its drugs  particularly anti-depressants paxil and wellbutrin  and a weak dollar had hit profits  but global sales were up 1% in 2004. the firm is confident its new drug pipeline will deliver profits despite the failure of an obesity drug. chief executive jean-pierre garnier said it had been a  difficult year .  in early afternoon trade in london the company share price was down 1% at 1218 pence. mr garnier said the company had absorbed over \u00a31.5bn of lost sales to generics but still managing to grow the business.  the continuing success of our key products means we can now look forward to a good performance in 2005   he said.  2005 will also be an important year in terms of research and development pipeline progress.  however  the firm discontinued development of an experimental treatment for obesity  known as  771  after disappointing clinical trial results. glaxo is relying on new treatments for conditions such as cancer  diabetes  depression  hiv/aids and allergies to lift the pace of sales growth after several disappointing years.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "arthur hailey: king of the bestsellers novelist arthur hailey  who has died at the age of 84  was known for his bestselling page-turners exploring the inner workings of various industries  from the hotels to high finance.  born in luton  bedfordshire  on 5 april 1920  hailey was the only child of working class parents  they could not afford to keep him in school beyond the age of 14. he served as a pilot with the royal air force during world war ii  flying fighter planes to the middle east. it was an occupation that was later to feature in his authorial debut  the television screenplay flight into danger. hailey emigrated to canada in 1947  where he eventually became a citizen. he wanted to be a writer from an early age  but did not take it up professionally until his mid-thirties  when he was inspired to write his first screenplay while on a return flight to toronto.   i fell to daydreaming. i visualised the pilots at the controls and wondered what would happen if they both got sick. could i fly the airplane  i was a rusty wartime pilot who hadn t flown for nine years...   hailey later recalled. the canadian broadcasting corporation bought flight into danger for $600 (\u00a3318) and it was shown on tv in april 1956. it was later memorably spoofed in the 1980 comedy airplane!  starring leslie nielsen. hailey worked as a screenwriter for a couple of years  before turning to novels. he went on to produce 11 best-selling books  which were published into 38 languages in 40 countries. flight into danger was adapted to become hailey s first novel  runaway zero-eight in 1958. the final diagnosis and in high places followed  both achieving a popular following. but it was not until hotel  in 1965  that hollywood came calling. the hit novel took four years to write  and stayed on national best-seller lists for a full year. it was turned into a movie in 1967 and later adapted into a glossy soap in the 1980s  starring james brolin. airport (1968) arguably remains hailey s best-loved work and prompted the disaster movie genre. the thriller follows events in the sky  and on the ground at a snow-logged airport  when a terrorist boards an airplane with a bomb.  the book was adapted into a hit film in 1970  starring burt lancaster as the harassed aiport manager and dean martin as a womanising pilot  alongside jean seberg and jacqueline bisset. in a testament to the popularity of the fledgling disaster genre - three sequels followed. the writer was known for his painstaking research into the professions around which each novel was centred  drawing his characters  from real life  and taking up to three years to produce each book.  i have never been able to write quickly or easily. i am too self-critical for that. i am never satisfied   he once said. in 1969  he moved to nassau in the bahamas  with his wife sheila. wheels (1971)  the moneychangers (1975) and overload (1979) followed. despite a lukewarm response from critics  and few literary accolades  hailey was at the height of his fame in the seventies and continued to attract the attention of hollywood producers. strong medicine  hailey s blockbuster focusing on the pharmaceutical industry  was turned into a film in 1986  starring sam neill  douglas fairbanks jr and a panoply of former soap stars. the 1997 novel detective proved to be hailey s final book  when at the age of 77 he decided to retire. hailey s health began to deteriorate in recent years  twice undergoing heart surgery. he suffered a stroke just two months ago. he died in his sleep on wednesday  after dinner with his wife and two of his six children at his home in new providence island.  he had a wonderful life. his greatest ambition was to see his name on a book and he certainly achieved that   said his wife  sheila.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "commodore finds new lease of life the once-famous commodore computer brand could be resurrected after being bought by a us-based digital music distributor.  new owner yeahronimo media ventures has not ruled out the possibility of a new breed of commodore computers. it also plans to develop a  worldwide entertainment concept  with the brand  although details are not yet known. the groundbreaking commodore 64 computer elicits fond memories for those who owned one back in the 1980s.  in the chronology of home computing  commodore was one of the pioneers.  the commodore 64  launched in 1982  was one of the first affordable home pcs. it was followed a few years later by the amiga. the commodore 64 sold more than any other single computer system  even to this day. the brand languished somewhat in the 1990s. commodore international filed for bankruptcy in 1994 and was sold to dutch firm tulip computers. in the late 1980s the firm was a great rival to atari  which produced its own range of home computers and is now a brand of video games  formerly known as infogrames.  tulip computers sold several products under the commodore name  including portable usb storage devices and digital music players. it had planned to relaunch the brand  following an upsurge of nostalgia for 1980s-era games. commodore 64 enthusiasts have written emulators for windows pc  apple mac and even pdas so that the original commodore games can be still run. the sale of commodore is expected to be complete in three weeks in a deal worth over \u00a317m.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "iranian misses israel match iranian striker vahid hashemian will not travel to israel for bayern munich s champions league match against maccabi tel aviv on wednesday.  the german club said the player had pulled out because of a back injury. iran refuses to recognise israel s right to exist and does not allow its citizens to travel to the country. a bayern spokesman said on monday that the decision not to take hashemian to israel had been motivated only by his physical condition.  he s got back pain and he couldn t train   the spokesman said.  it would have made no sense for him to go.  iran gave judo world champion arash miresmaeili a $125 000 reward when he refused to fight an israeli at the athens olympics. the international judo federation considered taking action against miresmaeili but concluded he had been overweight for the fight and could not have taken part.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "wipro beats forecasts once again wipro  india s third-biggest software firm  has reported a 60% rise in profit  topping market expectations.  net income in the last quarter was 4.3bn rupees ($98m; \u00a352m)  against 2.7bn a year earlier. profit had been forecast to be 4.1bn rupees. wipro offers services such as call centres to foreign clients and has worked for more than half of the companies on the fortune 500 list. wipro said demand was strong  allowing it to increase the prices it charged.   on the face of it  the results don t look very exciting   said apurva shah  an analyst at ask-raymond james.  but the guidance is positive and pricing going up is good news.  third-quarter sales rose 34% to 20.9bn rupees. one problem identified by wipro was the high turnover of its staff. it said that 90% of employees at its business process outsourcing operations had had to be replaced.  we have to get that under control   said vice-chairman vivek paul. wipro is majority owned by india s richest man azim premji.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "how the academy awards flourished the 77th annual academy awards are taking place on 27 february with the stars of the movie-making world once again holding their breath to discover who will be showered with the honours this year. but from humble beginnings  how did the modern day extravaganza become the behemoth it is today   how it all started the first academy awards were handed out in 1929 at a comparatively low-key dinner held at the hollywood roosevelt hotel - just over the road from their modern day home.  just 250 guests attended with ticket prices at $5.  the first film to win was wings  which starred clara bow in the only silent movie to win the big award. for the first 10 years or so  the winners list was handed to the newspapers so they could publish them at 11pm  but in 1940 the winners were published in the los angeles times at 8.45pm meaning guests entering the ceremony knew already knew the results. as a result the sealed envelope system was introduced  leading to the secrecy and suspense-filled night that happens today. when and where the tradition of holding the awards at a banquet continued until 1942 but with increasing interest came a growing guest list and it became impractical to host it as a dinner.  the ceremonies were then transferred to theatres with the famous grauman s chinese theatre the first to host the expanded event. other venues included the dorothy chandler pavilion and the shrine auditorium. they are now held at the kodak theatre  which opened in 2002 just across the road from its original home and holds 6 000 people. until 1954 they were held on a thursday  then swapped around from monday to wednesday before sunday night was settled on  although the month swapped from may to april to march and now its current month of february. the first televised ceremony was in 1953  with bob hope as the mc. who was oscar  there is no solid evidence as to how the trophy became to be known as oscar.  one popular story is that academy librarian margaret herrick said the statue looked like her uncle oscar. a journalist apparently overheard this conversation and used the phrase in an article.  the first time it is thought to have been used in print was when columnist sidney skolsky used it to describe katherine hepburn s first best actress win in 1934. the academy officially adopted the nickname in 1939. the trophy was designed by mgm art director cedric gibbons. since its inception 2 530 oscars have been handed out. in support of the war effort  the academy handed out plaster oscar statuettes during wwii. after the war  winners exchanged the plaster awards for the real thing. fifty-five statues were stolen in en route to the awards in 2000  52 were recovered nine days later. winners were unaffected as a new batch was rushed out. who sits in judgement  the academy was set up in 1927 as a non-profit organisation with 36 members from different film disciplines. douglas fairbanks sr was the first president and oversaw the first awards. there are now 5 700 members of the academy - with membership by invitation only to those who are seen to have achieved distinction in the movies and are therefore seen as fit to judge their peers. some of the criteria for admittance includes: film credits that reflect the high standards of the academy  receipt of an academy award nomination  achievement of unique distinction  earning of special merit  or making an outstanding contribution to film. the stars who left empty-handed while many of the biggest films and movie-makers have been honoured by the academy  there is still surprise at those that did not receive any nominations that later went on to become classics.  among the overlooked films were hobson s choice  dirty harry  the 39 steps  the searchers and king kong. actors that failed to win for their iconic roles included al jolson in the jazz singer (1927)  humphrey bogart in casablanca (1944)  gene kelly in singing in the rain (1952) and henry fonda in 12 angry men (1957). alfred hitchcock also failed to win an award despite five nominations. his enduring influence on the horror genre was finally recognised with an honorary gong in 1968. the show always goes on not even war has halted the glittering hollywood event. there were calls for it to be cancelled in 2003 during the war in iraq  but as it didn t stop during world war ii or the vietnam war.  documentary winner michael moore ensured nobody forgot about the iraq war though and used his acceptance speech to criticise the american invasion. the ceremony was muted with the glitz turned down and many female stars opting for demure dark dresses. the ceremony has been postponed on three occasions. los angeles floods in 1938 saw it put back a week. the death of martin luther king saw it postponed for two days in 1968 as a mark of respect and there was a 24-hour delay following the assassination attempt on president ronald reagan. controversies and other gaffes three people have refused oscars  including actor george c scott who said the whole thing was  demeaning . writer dudley nichols refused his academy award in 1935 for his screenplay for the insider because the writers  guild was striking at the time. marlon brando turned down his best actor oscar for the godfather in 1973 in protest as hollywood s apparent discrimination against native american people. he sent along a woman called sacheen littlefeather to collect his award. she was later revealed to be native american actress maria cruz.  the following year robert opal interrupted proceedings when he streaked  flashing a peace sign as well as everything else. the tv network managed to pan away and avoid too much nudity. opal was murdered in 1979. frank capra was the butt of one major gaffe in 1934 when the host opened out best picture envelope and declared  come on up and get it  frank  to which frank capra bounded up to the stage before realising that he had meant frank lloyd had won for cavalcade.  capra vowed he would never to go the awards again but went the following year to collect his award for it happened one night.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "uk athletics agrees new kit deal uk athletics has agreed a new deal with adidas to supply great britain squads of all ages with their kit for the next four years.  the german-based firm kitted out team gb at the 2004 olympics and has deals with 20 other national olympic bodies. uk athletics chief david moorcroft said:  the athens experience can now be extended to more major championships.  in the year ahead these include the european indoor and world outdoor championships. we are delighted.  moorcroft added:  it is hugely beneficial to the sport that the adidas commitment will also provide for officials and other personnel at our world-class series of live televised events.  this week  uk athletics also agreed a four-year deal with energy drink company  red bull  who will be supplying the product to athletics at major domestic meetings and in high performance centres.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "us manufacturing expands us industrial production increased in december  according to the latest survey from the institute for supply management (ism).  its index of national manufacturing activity rose to 58.6 last month from 57.8 in november. a reading above 50 indicates a level of growth. the result for december was slightly better than analysts  expectations and the 19th consecutive expansion. the ism said the growth was driven by a  significant  rise in the new orders.  this completes a strong year for manufacturing based on the ism data   said chairman of the ism s survey committee.  while there is continuing upward pressure on prices  the rate of increase is slowing and definitely trending in the right direction.   the ism s index of national manufacturing activity is compiled from monthly responses of purchasing executives at more than 400 industrial companies  ranging from textiles to chemicals to paper  and has now been above 50 since june 2003. analysts expected december s figure to come in at 58.1. the ism manufacturing index s main sister survey - the employment index - eased to 52.7 in december from 57.6 in november  while its  prices paid  index  measuring the cost to businesses of their inputs  also eased to 72.0 from 74.0. the ism s  new orders  index rose to 67.4 from 61.5.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "new drink limit  would cut toll  more lives than previously thought could be saved by cutting drink-drive limits by a third  a report says.  university college london research claims cutting the limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 50mg would save 65 lives a year. the findings are being published by the parliamentary advisory council for transport safety as mps are due to vote on the government s road safety bill. the bill includes changes to speeding fines but not to the drink-drive limit. the research  carried out by transport expert professor richard allsop  says cutting the limit would also lead to 230 fewer serious injuries on the uk s roads compared with 2003. he estimates that this would save the country \u00a3119m a year.  a previous estimate  contained in a 1998 department of transport document  suggested such a move could save 50 lives a year. the findings are based on the assumption that drivers who currently keep below the legal limit would continue to do so were it to be lowered and that those who tend to exceed the limit slightly would also lower their drinking. professor allsop said:  reducing the limit from 80mg to 50mg can be expected to save around 65 lives a year or around half of those who die in accidents where the driver s bac [blood alcohol content] is within 30mg of the current limit.  only about one in 50 of those driving during weekend evenings and nights will need to moderate their drinking to achieve this and fewer still at other times.   ministers do not support a lower limit  saying it is not clear it would have a major impact on drink drive casualties. they believe educating drivers is more important. the aa motoring trust said it was not sure what affect dropping the limit would have on drivers  attitudes to drink-driving. road safety head andrew howard said:  it remains to be seen whether the social disapproval of the drinking driver will stay at the current rate if the alcohol limit is cut.   parliamentarians need to consider this carefully. britons police themselves by consensus much more effectively than they do by weight of enforcement alone.  liberal democrat transport spokesman john thurso said drink-driving remained a  major killer   with figures showing a worrying rise in the number of accidents involving drivers who had been drinking. he said there had been a 29% drop in the number of drivers being breathalysed since 1997  which he said the government needed to address if it wanted to reduce the danger caused by drink-driving. the road safety bill  which gets its second reading on tuesday  would allow the results of roadside breath tests to be used in court - currently a blood test is needed. it also includes plans for a staggered speeding fines and points system  penalising drivers who exceed limits by a wide margin more than those who are caught going just over. these have been criticised by road safety campaigners  including labour backbencher gwyneth dunwoody  who says it will reduce the incentive for drivers to stay within the limits in residential areas  leading to more road casualties. in an article for the times newspaper  ms dunwoody  who chairs the transport select committee  says:  slight increases to low car speeds increase hugely the risks to pedestrians and cyclists.  it is quite simple: if you hit someone at 30mph  they have a 50 per cent chance of survival. if you are going at 40mph  nine times out of ten they will die.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "wales win in rome wales secured their first away win in the rbs six nations for nearly four years with a six-try victory in rome.  tries from jonathan thomas  tom shanklin and martyn williams gave the visitors a 19-5 half-time advantage. luciano orquera did reply with one for italy but second-half efforts from brent cockbain  shane williams and robert sidoli sealed victory. fly-half stephen jones added four conversions as wales maintained their superb start to this year s tournament. starting full of confidence after their victory over england  the visitors scored the opening try after just four minutes. diminutive wing shane williams fielded a kick ahead and danced past the onrushing andrea masi and aaron persico into the italian half. his pass to tom shanklin appeared forward but when the centre was held up short  the ball was switched left and michael owen s long cut-out pass gave the lurking thomas an easy run-in.  stephen jones  who retained the kicking duties despite gavin henson s heroics against england  slotted an excellent conversion from wide out. wales twice threatened further scores but failed to find the crucial pass  and italy hit back out of the blue in the 11th minute.  henson  sporting gold boots rather than the silver variety that did for england  beat two players with ease out on the left touchline. but his attempted chip ahead was charged down by orquera  who snaffled the loose ball and hared away from halfway to score in the right corner. with the welsh line-out stuttering and italy twice turning the visitors  scrum  the home side s forward power brought them back into it. but a clever high kick from henson almost brought a try for hal luscombe when roland de marigny and ludovico nitoglia made a hash of claiming it as the ball bounced into touch.  wales regained control with a second try in the 21st minute  henson lobbing up a high kick to the left corner where shanklin jumped higher than nitoglia to dot down his 15th test try. jones was unable to convert and de marigny then hit the upright with a penalty attempt for italy. henson was also narrowly short with a long-range effort at goal  but wales ended the half with a vital third score to give themselves some breathing space.  henson sent luscombe streaking away and when he off-loaded to martyn williams  the flanker showed his nous to ground the ball against the padding of the post  jones adding the conversion. italy  who lost flanker mauro bergamasco with a head knock before half-time  built up a head of steam on the resumption. de marigny landed a penalty to make it 19-8 and a nitoglia break through the middle threatened a try only for the move to break down with a knock-on. but wales put the outcome beyond doubt with two superb tries in four minutes before the hour. their fourth after 53 minutes was sparked by another mazy run from shane williams  who beat several players with ease  and finished with a powerful angled run from lock cockbain. before italy could recover from that blow  a strong surge from gareth thomas and great off-loads from martyn williams and replacement kevin morgan saw shane williams scamper over.  with jones converting both for a 33-8 lead  wales had the luxury of sending on five more replacements for the final quarter. the icing on the cake came with a sixth try after more superb support work  shane williams and ceri sweeney combining to send sidoli over in the left corner. the only downside for wales was a hamstring injury suffered by luscombe. but after back-to-back wins at the start of the tournament for the first time in 11 years  they will travel to paris in a fortnight looking like genuine contenders.  r de marigny; mirco bergamasco  w pozzebon  a masi  l nitoglia; l orquera  a troncon; a lo cicero  f ongaro  m castrogiovanni  s dellape  m bortolami (capt)  a persico  mauro bergamasco  s parisse.  g intoppa  s perugini  ca del fava  d dal maso  p griffen  m barbini  kp robertson.  g thomas (capt); h luscombe  t shanklin  g henson  s williams; s jones  d peel; g jenkins  m davies  a jones; b cockbain  r sidoli; j thomas  m williams  m owen.  r mcbryde  j yapp  i gough  r sowden-taylor  g cooper  c sweeney  k morgan.  andrew cole (australia).", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "calder fears for scottish rugby former scotland international finlay calder fears civil war at the sru could seriously hamper his country s rbs six nations campaign.  four members of the executive board  including the chairman  david mackay  have resigned after a simmering row. and calder said:  this is terrible news for every level of scottish rugby.  david is a successful businessman and i thought that if anybody could transform the negative atmosphere and rising debt level  it was him.  mackay s executive board has been in a power struggle with the general committee  which contains members elected by scotland s club sides.  he has been driven out by people who seem happier waging civil war than addressing the central issue that professional rugby can t be run by amateurs   said calder.   in fact  i don t understand why we are still having this argument 10 years after professionalism arrived.  but i don t believe the rest of the sru will take this lying down.  i think the banks will be dismayed at this decision and  ultimately  it is them who pull the strings.  so i wouldn t be surprised if they reviewed their position. but  in the wider picture  what message does this send out   he thought the work of scotland s coaches  who have been attempting to arrest the decline of the national side  would be made much more difficult.  matt williams and willie anderson must be wondering   what have we walked into here    said calder.  and we can now expect weeks of arguments and acrimony just at a time when we should be looking forward to the six nations championship.  i am very  very disappointed  more than you can imagine. why do so many scots have this knack of turning on each other when the going gets tough", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "cult band kasabian surge forward indie dance band kasabian built up a cult following throughout 2004 to secure three brit award nominations.  the four-piece leicester band blends dark electronics with rock  earning kasabian places on the best british group  rock act and live act shortlists. they have also earned a reputation as outspoken and charismatic  in contrast to fellow brit nominees such as keane and snow patrol.  british music needs a kick up the arse and britain needs a new band to breathe life into the british people again   declared kasabian s singer tom meighan.   no-one s doing it at the minute. music feels like it s in the afterlife right now. we don t want people to give up on it.  the serpent s going to rise from the sea and scare all the pirates away!  meighan grew up in leicester with kasabian songwriter/guitarist sergio pizzorno and bassist chris edwards  a trio which began making music from the age of 17.  they enlisted guitarist and keyboard player christopher karloff after spotting him in a pub.  we saw his long sideburns and thought  hey  he looks the part  we ll ask him    said meighan. inspired by britpop and a mutual love of hardcore  an early 1990s genre that fused house music with hip hop beats and a dark sensibility  they added an electronic element to the traditional guitar sound.  we got a computer and we cut rock n roll up  because there s no point in going back to how it was   said meighan.  it s all about new ideas and creativity.   the band s original approach is reflected in its name  inspired by linda kasabian - the getaway driver of us serial killer charles manson. coincidentally it is also the armenian term for  butcher . kasabian moved into a remote farmhouse in rutland to record their debut album  benefiting from its isolation but also managing to sneak in a few parties while they were there. signed to the rca record label  kasabian tested the water with two singles  club foot and lsf  which reached numbers 19 and 10 in the uk singles chart respectively.  they built up their following on the summer festival circuit  opening both glastonbury and t in the park  and at a series of  guerilla gigs  at unusual venues including half time orange  a pub next to leicester city football club s headquarters. kasabian s self-titled album was released last september to widespread critical acclaim  its indie dance stance drawing comparisons to the stone roses  primal scream and the happy mondays.  regarding it as  both a fiery assertion of rock  n  roll ethics and proof that a siege mentality is alive and well in the badlands of rutland water   the nme s praise was typical of the album s reception. as 2004 progressed kasabian would score a further two hits - processed beats and cutt off - and embark upon a well-received uk tour.  we take our music seriously  definitely  but we want to have fun with it   said pizzorno.  this is not a job to us   added meighan.  this is the best life we could ever have. this is what it s all about and without it we d be lost souls. but music needs us as well.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "kuznetsova  failed a drugs test  us open champion svetlana kuznetsova has tested positive for a banned drug  according to belgian authorities.  belgian sports minister claude eerdekens said that the russian world number five tested positive for the stimulant ephedrine on 19 december. kuznetsova was playing in an exhibition event in charleroi at the time. eerdekens said:  there is a problem. ephedrine was discovered. she remains innocent until proved guilty. she can ask for it to be tested again.  the situation remains unclear as the tournament was not commissioned by the world anti-doping agency (wada)  the international tennis federation (itf) or the women s tennis accosiation (wta). the test was carried out by regional belgian authorities and kuznetsova has not yet been able to have a b sample tested.  speaking at the australian open on monday  before eerdekens identified her  kuznetsova said:  i m not worried. i m not using anything to push myself.  i have not been notified of any positive test  and i think it is unfair that it s come out the way it did.  eerdekens said that confirmation of the findings was sent last friday to the player s address in spain  as well as to the belgian prosecutors  office and the belgian and russian tennis federations. he conceded kuznetsova might have taken a medicine which contained the banned substance.  we have simply stated a fact   he said.  it is for the federation concerned to impose the disciplinary measures after a procedure that respects the defence.   either the ephedrine was taken to improve her performance or it is because she took some medicine legitimately to cure an infection.  however  kuznetsova s naming was condemned by russian tennis chief shamil tarpishchev.  first of all  this belgian sports minister has broken every ethical rule in the book by naming a player without any proof of wrongdoing  without any basic evidence   tarpishchev said.  we all know the basic principle in doping cases. if there is a positive sample  then they should notify the international tennis federation (itf) as well as the national federation within three days   he said.  this is not the case here. as of today we have not received any statement from the doping officials  nor did the itf.  today i called the itf headquarters and they told me they know nothing about it.  if wada (the world anti-doping agency) was behind the testing  then we would also have known something by now.  otherwise  all these looks to me as pure fiction and fabrication of the facts.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "labour battle plan  hides blair  the tories have accused tony blair of being  terrified  of scrutiny after labour unveiled details of how it will fight the next general election.  in a break with tradition  the party will ditch the leader s battle bus and daily press briefings in westminster. instead mr blair will travel to key cities and marginal seats to deliver the party s message. labour election chief alan milburn denied the party was trying to  hide  the prime minister.  he promised  the most positive and upbeat election campaign labour has ever run . but tory co-chairman liam fox said labour s plans showed mr blair was  terrified of facing proper scrutiny .   at a time when the british people are looking for more accountability and openness  this government turns its back on them; abandoning plans to tour the country and scared to face journalists in a press conference - it does rather beg the question   what have they got to hide    the general election is widely expected next may and all the parties are stepping up their campaign preparations. mr milburn said the economy would take centre stage in labour s campaign in what would be a  watershed  election and the  last stand of the thatcherites . mr milburn said labour s slogan would be  britain is working - don t let the tories wreck it.   the tone of the campaign  said mr milburn  would be more conversational than rhetorical; more spontaneous less scripted; less national more local and less based on issues and more concentrated on people. the approach is particularly designed to appeal to women voters  he said. mr milburn brushed aside questions over why the chancellor was not present at the cabinet meeting to discuss election strategy particularly since such importance was being given to the economy.  i m not privy to everybody s diary   he said. mr brown has headed labour s preparations for previous polls but mr milburn is taking that role this time. in a break with the past  labour will not hold a daily news conference in london. it will not be a  battle bus  style campaign either  he said.  in previous elections  each party leader has had their own battle bus transporting national newspaper  television and radio reporters to staged campaign events around the country. mr milburn said labour s media effort this time would focus more on local newspapers and broadcasters  with every local radio station given the chance to interview the prime minister. mr milburn said there would also be a greater effort to set up face-to-face meetings between ministers and the electorate. former downing street media chief alastair campbell is also returning to advise labour on media strategy and campaigning.  mr milburn said no decision had been taken yet over whether david blunkett would have a prominent role in the election. liberal democrat chief executive lord rennard suggested labour was avoiding news conferences in london because it wanted less scrutiny of its record and proposals.  tony blair seems to have disappeared from labour leaflets and broadcasts   he said.  in contrast charles kennedy will feature prominently in the liberal democrat campaign right across the country.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "singer s film to show at festival a documentary which takes a candid look at the life of chart-topping singer george michael will be shown at this year s berlin film festival.  a different story will screen in the panorama section of the festival  which runs from 10-20 february. it features the singer talking about both his career and his personal life  from his days in wham! through to more recent events. michael will attend the festival to introduce the screening on 16 february. director southan morris and executive producer andy stephens will also attend the festival.  the 93 minute film will see michael discussing his early days in wham! along with his later career  including his legal battles with record label sony and his stance against the iraq war and american politics. it will also touch upon his turbulent personal life  including his arrest in a beverly hills park toilet in 1998 for  lewd behaviour   and the death of his boyfriend anselmo feleppa from aids. the film  which includes previously unseen footage of the singer also features contributions from michael s former wham! partner andrew ridgeley  as well as ex-wham! backing singers pepsi and shirlie. other contributors include sting  mariah carey  elton john  noel gallagher  geri halliwell and simon cowell. this year s festival will open with man to man  a historical epic starring joseph fiennes and kristin scott-thomas. it will be one of 21 films competing for the festival s top prize  the golden bear. other films in competition will include the life aquatic  a quirky comedy starring bill murray  and the biopic kinsey  which features liam neeson. the full programme will be announced on 1 february.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "ds aims to touch gamers the mobile gaming industry is set to explode in 2005 with a number of high-profile devices offering a range of gaming and other features such as movie and music playback. market leader nintendo  however  is releasing a handheld console that it says will revolutionise the way games are played.  the first striking thing about the ds is how retro it looks. far from looking like a mould-breaking handheld  it looks more like nintendo dug out a mould from a 1980s handheld prototype. the lightweight clam shell device opens up to reveal two screens  and when switched on it instantly reveals its pedigree. both screens are crisp and clear while the bottom of the two is touch sensitive. nintendo has given developers free rein to utilise the dual screens and ability to control the action by simply touching the screen.  the japanese gaming giant hopes the ds will maintain the firm s pre-eminence in an increasingly-competitive mobile gaming market.  nintendo first launched its gameboy console in 1989 and has dominated the market ever since. but its lead can no longer be taken for granted. sony will enter the market later this year with its playstation portable  while start-up companies gizmondo and tapwave zodiac are also offering hybrid devices.  we believe the ds will appeal to all ages  both genders and gamers of any skill   said david yarnton  nintendo europe s general manager said at the recent press launch for the handheld. with its two screens  wireless connectivity and backwards compatibility with the gameboy advance  the ds certainly has a number of unique selling points. it went on sale in the us in mid-november priced $150 and nintendo says sales have exceeded expectations  without giving detailed figures. japan and europe will have to wait until the first quarter of 2005 to get the device. with more than two million pre-orders for the device in japan  nintendo is confident it will keep its number one spot. but will the device prove to be as revolutionary as claimed  the game ships with a demo of metroid hunters - a 3d action title which can be played alone or with a group of friends using the machine s wireless capabilities. it certainly looks impressive on the small machine and plays smoothly even with a group of people.  the game can be controlled by using the supplied stylus to aim. the top screen is used to navigate the action while the bottom screen offers a top-down map and the ability to switch weapons. it is certainly a unique control method and while it makes aiming more controlled it can be a little disorientating. super mario 64 ds is a faithful re-creation of the nintendo 64 classic with a host of new mini-games and new levels. the game looks stunning on the portable machine and the sound too is impressive for such a small machine. one thing is for certain. hardened gamers will have to learn to adapt to a new way of playing while it could prove to be an accessible way in to gaming for novices  ultimately the success or failure of the device lies in the hands of developers. if they manage to create titles which use the nintendo ds s key features then a whole new market of gamers could open up. the fear is that the touch screen and voice recognition are treated as little more than gimmicks.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "parties warned over  grey vote  political parties cannot afford to take older uk voters for granted in the coming election  says age concern.  a survey for the charity suggests 69% of over-55s say they always vote in a general election compared with just 17% of 18 to 24 year olds. charity boss gordon lishman said if a  decisive blow  was struck at the election it would be by older voters who could be relied on to turn out. a total of 3 028 adults aged 18 or over were interviewed for the study. mr lishman urged the next government to boost state pension.  he also called for measures to combat ageism and build effective public services to  support us all in an ageing society .  older people want to see manifesto commitments that will make a difference to their lives   mr lishman said.  political parties must wake up to the fact that unless they address the demands and concerns of older people they will not keep or attract their vote.  in the survey carried out by icm research  14% of people aged between 18 and 34 said they never voted in general elections. among the over-65s  70% said they would be certain to vote in an immediate election  compared with 39% of people under 55. age concern says the over-55s are  united around  key areas of policy they want the government to focus on. for 57%  pensions and the nhs were key issues  while the economy was important for a third  and tax was a crucial area for 25%.  the report was welcomed by conservative shadow pensions secretary david willetts.  the pensioners  voice must certainly be heard in the next election as they have never fitted into blair s cool britannia   he said.  labour s continued refusal to admit the true extent of the pensions crisis will be one of the monumental failures of this government.  he pointed to tory plans to increase the basic state pension to reduce means testing  strengthen company pensions and encourage savings. a liberal democrat spokesman said the party took the issues raised in the report very seriously. he highlighted the party s promises to raise the basic state pension  provide free long-term care for the elderly and replace council tax  seen as a particular problem for pensioners on fixed incomes. labour has said it wants to use savings reforms to incapacity benefit to improve the basic state pension and has set up a review of the council tax system.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "china suspends 26 power projects china has ordered a halt to construction work on 26 big power stations  including two at the three gorges dam  on environmental grounds.  the move is a surprising one because china is struggling to increase energy supplies for its booming economy. last year 24 provinces suffered black outs. the state environmental protection agency said the 26 projects had failed to do proper environmental assessments. topping the list was a controversial dam on the scenic upper yangtze river.  construction of these projects has started without approval of the assessment of their environmental impact... they are typical illegal projects of construction first  approval next   said sepa vice-director pan yue  in a statement on the agency s website.  some of the projects may be allowed to start work again with the proper permits  but others would be cancelled  he said. altogether  the agency ordered 30 projects halted. other projects included a petrochemicals plant and a port in fujian. the bulk of the list was made up of new power plants  with some extensions to existing ones. the stoppages would appear to be another step in the central government s battle to control projects licensed by local officials. however  previous crackdowns have tended to focus on projects for which the government argued there was overcapacity  such as steel and cement. the government has encouraged construction of new electricity generating capacity to solve chronic energy shortages which forced many factories onto part-time working last year. in 2004  china increased its generating capacity by 12.6%  or 440 700 megawatts (mw). the biggest single project to be halted was the xiluodi dam project  designed to produce 12 600 mw of electricity. it is being built on the jinshajiang - or  river of golden sand  as the upper reaches of the yangtze are known. second and third on the agency s list were two power stations being built at the $22bn three gorges dam project on the central yangtze - an underground 4 200 mw power plant and a 100 mw plant.  the three gorges dam has proved controversial in china - where more than half a million people have been relocated to make way for it - and abroad. it has drawn criticism from environmental groups and overseas human rights activists. the damming of the upper yangtze has also begun to attract criticism from environmentalists in china. in april 2004  central government officials ordered a halt to work on the nearby nu river  which is part of a united nations world heritage site  the three parallel rivers site which covers the yangtze  mekong and nu (also known as the salween)  according to the uk-published china review. that move reportedly followed a protest from the thai government about the downstream impact of the dams  and a critical documentary made by chinese journalists. china s energy shortage influenced global prices for oil  coal and shipping last year.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "profits jump at china s top bank industrial and commercial bank (icbc)  china s biggest lender  has seen an 18% jump in profits during 2004.  the increase in earnings has allowed the firm to write off bad loans and pave the way for a state bailout and eventual stock-market listing. china is trying to clean up its banking system  which is weighed down by billions of dollars of unpaid loans. it has already pumped $45bn (\u00a324bn) into two of its largest banks  and has identified icbc as a recipient of aid. icbc s profits were 74.7bn yuan ($9bn; \u00a34.8bn) in 2004  the bank said in a statement. the percentage of non-performing loans dropped to 19.1%  down about 2 percentage points. icbc was founded in 1984 and had total assets of 5.3 trillion yuan at the end of 2003. china committed to gradually opening up its banking sector when it joined the world trade organisation in 2002.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "wmc profits up amid bid criticism australian mining firm wmc resources has seen a fivefold rise in profits while continuing to be the target of a hostile takeover bid.  wmc said it made net profits of 1.33bn australian dollars ($1bn; \u00a3550m) in 2004  up from a$246bn the year before. it is currently arguing against an offer from swiss xstrata  which the firm raised to a$8.4bn last week after wmc said it was an undervaluation. now reports say that the australian government is against the deal.  trade minister mark vaile has said that the bid may be  against the national interest . mr vaile  who was quoted in the australian financial review  compared xstrata s attempt to take over wmc to a similar bid by oil giant shell for australia s woodside petroleum in 2001. the bid was thrown out by treasurer peter costello on national interest grounds. wmc s interests in uranium deposits were a contributing factor  mr vaile said. wmc itself  however  has no objection in principle to being bought out  having spun off its aluminium operations in 2002 to make itself a more tempting target - as long as the price is right. its stellar performance in 2004 has been built on sky-high prices for metals. copper and nickel in particular have been in high demand thanks to china s booming economy  which expanded more than 9% in each of the past two years. nickel prices rose 43% during the year  with copper up 36%.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "2004: an irish athletics year 2004 won t be remembered as one of irish athletics  great years.  the year began with that optimism which invariably and unaccountably  seems to herald an upcoming olympiad. but come late august  a few hot days in the magnificent stadium in athens told us of the true strength of irish athletics - or to be more accurate  the lack of it. sonia o sullivan s olympic farewell apart  there was little to stir the emotions of irish athletics watchers. but after the disastrous build-up to the games  we shouldn t have been surprised. at the start of the year  an o sullivan had been earmarked as ireland s best medal prospect but as it turned out  walker gillian never even made it to the start line because of injury. less than a week before the olympics  the sport was rocked by news that 10 000m hope cathal lombard had tested for the banned substance epo. lombard s shattering of mark carroll s national 10 000m record in april had already set tongues wagging but even the most cynical of observers  were surprised when he was rumbled after an irish sports council sting operation. the corkman quickly held his hands up in admission and was promptly handed a two-year ban from the sport.  back at pre-olympic ranch in greece  it must have seemed that things couldn t have got any worse but they very nearly did with walker jamie costin lucky to escape with his life after being involved in a car crash near athens. once the track and field action began in athens  a familiar pattern of underachievement emerged although alistair cragg s performance in being the only athlete from a european nation to qualify for the 5 000m final did offer hope for the future. our beloved sonia scraped into the women s 5k final as a fastest loser and for a couple of days  the country attempted to delude itself into believing that she might be in the medal shake-up. as it happened  she went out the back door early in the final although there was nothing undignified about the way that she insisted on finishing the race over a minute behind winner meseret defar. it later transpired that sonia had been suffering from a stomach bug in the 48 hours before the final although typically  the cobhwoman played down the effects of the illness. amazingly  she was back in action a couple of weeks later when beating a world-class field at the flora lite 5k road race in london and while her major championship days may be over  it s unlikely that we have seen the last of her in competition. at least sonia managed to make it to athens. at the start of the year  several northern ireland athletes had genuine hopes of qualifying for the games but come august  an out-of-form and injured paul brizzel was the lone standard bearer for the province. the ballymena man gave it a lash but his achilles problem  and a bad lane draw  meant a time of 21.00 and an early exit.  james mcilroy  gareth turnbull  zoe brown and paul mckee all had to be content with watching the athens action on their television screens. 800m hope mcilroy never got near his best during the summer and a fourth place in the british trials effectively ended his hopes of making the plane. the injury-plagued turnbull gamely travelled round europe in search of the 1500m qualifying mark but 3:39 was the best he could achieve  after missing several months training during the previous winter. a lingering hamstring probem and a virus wrecked mckee s athens ambitions and both he and turnbull deserve a slice of better fortune in 2005. pole vaulter brown had hoped for a vote of confidence from the british selectors after she had achieved the athens b standard but the call never came. as the summer ended  stalwarts catherina mckiernan and dermot donnelly hung up their competitive spikes. mckiernan had to candidly acknowledge that time had crept up on her after several injury-ravaged years. donnelly and his annadale striders team-mates later suffered tragedy when their friend and clubman andy campbell was found dead at his home on 18 december. a large turnout of athletics-loving folk turned out in west belfast to offer their respects to the campbell family and andy s many friends. as only death can  it put the year s athletics happenings in a sharp perspective.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "britons fed up with net service a survey conducted by pc pro magazine has revealed that many britons are unhappy with their internet service.  they are fed up with slow speeds  high prices and the level of customer service they receive. 17% of readers have switched suppliers and a further 16% are considering changing in the near future. it is particularly bad news for bt  the uk s biggest internet supplier  with almost three times as many people trying to leave as joining.  a third of the 2 000 broadband users interviewed were fed up with their current providers but this could be just the tip of the iceberg thinks tim danton  editor of pc pro magazine.  we expect these figures to leap in 2005. every month the prices drop  and more and more people are trying to switch   he said. the survey found that bt and tiscali have been actively dissuading customers from leaving by offering them a lower price when they phone up to cancel their subscription. some readers were offered a price drop just 25p more expensive than that offered by an alternative operator  making it hardly worth while swapping.  other found themselves tied into 12-month contracts. broadband has become hugely competitive and providers are desperate to hold on to customers. 12% of those surveyed found themselves unable to swap at all.  we discovered a huge variety of problems  but one of the biggest issues is the current supplier withholding the information that people need to give to their new supplier   said tim danton  editor of pc pro.  this breaks the code of practice  but because that code is voluntary there s nothing we or ofcom can do to help   he said. there is a vast choice of internet service providers in the uk now and an often bewildering array of broadband packages. with prices set to drop even further in coming months mr danton advises everyone to shop around carefully.  if you just stick with your current connection then there s every chance you re being ripped off   he warned.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "singer s film to show at festival a documentary which takes a candid look at the life of chart-topping singer george michael will be shown at this year s berlin film festival.  a different story will screen in the panorama section of the festival  which runs from 10-20 february. it features the singer talking about both his career and his personal life  from his days in wham! through to more recent events. michael will attend the festival to introduce the screening on 16 february. director southan morris and executive producer andy stephens will also attend the festival.  the 93 minute film will see michael discussing his early days in wham! along with his later career  including his legal battles with record label sony and his stance against the iraq war and american politics. it will also touch upon his turbulent personal life  including his arrest in a beverly hills park toilet in 1998 for  lewd behaviour   and the death of his boyfriend anselmo feleppa from aids. the film  which includes previously unseen footage of the singer also features contributions from michael s former wham! partner andrew ridgeley  as well as ex-wham! backing singers pepsi and shirlie. other contributors include sting  mariah carey  elton john  noel gallagher  geri halliwell and simon cowell. this year s festival will open with man to man  a historical epic starring joseph fiennes and kristin scott-thomas. it will be one of 21 films competing for the festival s top prize  the golden bear. other films in competition will include the life aquatic  a quirky comedy starring bill murray  and the biopic kinsey  which features liam neeson. the full programme will be announced on 1 february.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "top stars join us tsunami tv show brad pitt  robert de niro and hugh grant have been added to the line-up for a two-hour us tv special to raise money for victims of the asian tsunami.  andy garcia  lucy liu  natalie portman and jay leno are also among the new names for saturday s tsunami aid. they will join a-list singers madonna  sir elton john  nelly and usher plus actors kevin spacey  halle berry and george clooney on the nbc broadcast. viewers will be urged to phone in to make donations throughout the night. norah jones  diana ross  stevie wonder  maroon 5  mary j blige and eric clapton will give musical performances on the show described as  a concert of hope .  catherine zeta jones  michael douglas  bruce willis  uma thurman  matt damon  drew barrymore and tim robbins are among the other movie superstars due to put in an appearance. george clooney recently reacted angrily to a tv host s suggestion that not all funds raised would go towards tsunami relief. fox tv s bill o reilly said he would be  watching to see if the money gets to the tsunami victims  and warned the celebrities taking part  had better be involved all the way down the line . but clooney accused o reilly of creating a fuss for his own personal gain  saying viewers may now be  afraid that their money will do no good .  he urged o reilly to co-present the tv special  adding in a letter:  we re not playing games here  we re trying to save lives. it s as simple as this - you re either with this joint effort or against it.  organisers say all funds will go to the american red cross. the commercial-free benefit show will also be aired by a string of cable broadcasters and clear channel s radio stations across the us. in addition  performances will be available to buy on the internet as downloads from sony s connect music store. a similar tv benefit carried by all four primary us tv networks after the 11 september terror attacks raised more than $150m (\u00a380m).    - the bangkok international film festival got under way on thursday in the thai capital in the shadow of the country s 5 300 deaths from the tsunami. the red carpet gala opening night was ditched in favour of a more subdued first night. six different films were shown at six cinemas  with all money from ticket sales going to charity.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "europe backs digital tv lifestyle how people receive their digital entertainment in the future could change  following the launch of an ambitious european project.  in nice last week  the european commission announced its networked & electronic media (nem) initiative. its broad scope stretches from the way media is created  through each of the stages of its distribution  to its playback. the commission wants people to be able to locate the content they desire and have it delivered seamlessly  when on the move  at home or at work  no matter who supplies the devices  network  content  or content protection scheme. more than 120 experts were in nice to share the vision of interconnected future and hear pledges of support from companies such as nokia  intel  philips  alcatel  france telecom  thomson and telefonica. it might initially appear to be surprising that companies in direct competition are keen to work together. but again and again  speakers stated they could not see incompatible  stand-alone solutions working. a long-term strategy for the evolution and convergence of technologies and services would be required.  the european commission is being pragmatic in its approach. they have identified that many groups have defined the forms of digital media in the areas that nem encompasses. the nem approach is to take a serious look at what is available and what is in the pipeline  pick out the best  bring them together and identify where the gaps are. where it finds holes  it will develop standards to fill them. what is significant is that such a large and powerful organisation has stated its desire for digital formats to be open to all and work on any gadget. this is bound to please  if not surprise  many individuals and user organisations who feel that the wishes of the holder of rights to content are normally considered over and above those of the consumer. many feel that the most difficult and challenging area for the commission will be to identify a solution for different digital rights management (drm) schemes. currently drm solutions are incompatible  locking certain types of purchased content  making them unplayable on all platforms. with the potential of having a percentage of every media transaction that takes place globally  the prize for being the supplier of the world s dominant drm scheme is huge. although entertainment is an obvious first step  it will encompass the remote provisions of healthcare  energy efficiency and control of the smart home. the 10-year plan brings together the work of many currently running research projects that the ec has been funding for a number of years.  simon perry is the editor of the digital lifestyles website  which covers the impact of technology on media", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "bt offers equal access to rivals bt has moved to pre-empt a possible break-up of its business by offering to cut wholesale broadband prices and open its network to rivals.  the move comes after telecom regulator ofcom said in november that the firm must offer competitors  real equality of access to its phone lines . at the time  ofcom offered bt the choice of change or splitting into two. ofcom is carrying out a strategic review aimed at promoting greater competition in the uk telecom sector. bt s competitors have frequently accused it of misusing its status as the former telecoms monopoly and controller of access to many customers to favour its own retail arm.  this latest submission was delivered to the watchdog ahead of a deadline for the second phase of its review.   central to the proposals are plans by bt to offer operators lower wholesale prices  faster broadband services and transparent  highly-regulated access to bt s local network   the former monopoly said in a statement.  the united kingdom has the opportunity to create the most exciting and innovative telecoms market in the world   bt chief executive ben verwaayen said.  bt has a critical role to play  and today we are making a set of far-reaching proposals towards that framework   he said. bt wants lighter regulation in exchange for the changes  as well as the removal of the break-up threat.  the group is to set up a new access services division - with a separate board which would include independent members - to ensure equal access for rivals to the  local loop   the copper wires that run between telephone exchanges and households. the company also unveiled plans to cut the wholesale prices of its most popular broadband product by about 8% from april in areas of high customer demand.  it added that it plans to invest \u00a310bn in the next five years to create a  21st century network . to meet the growing demand for greater bandwidth  bt said it would begin trials in april with a view to launching higher-speed services nationally from the autumn.  telecom analysts ovum welcomed the move  saying bt had  given a lot of ground .   the big question now is whether the industry  and particularly ofcom feels bt s proposals go far enough ...now the real negotiation begins   director of telecoms research tony lavender said. internet service provider (isp) plus.net also backed the proposals saying  we will be entirely happy if ofcom accepts them .  bt has been challenged to play fair and its plans will introduce a level playing field. the scenario now is how well people execute their business plans as a service provider   chief executive lee strafford said. chris panayis  managing director of isp freedom2surf said that it would make the situation clearer for business.  i think it s the first productive thing we ve had from bt   he said.  aol backed the price cuts but said regulation was still needed to ensure a level playing field.  this is a reminder to ofcom that as long as bt can change the dynamics of the whole broadband market at will  the process of opening up the uk s local telephone network to infrastructure investment and competition remains fragile   a spokesman said.  ofcom needs to return to regulation of the wholesale broadband service [ipstream] and provide more robust rules for local loop unbundling if consumers are to see the benefits of increased competition and infrastructure investment.  more than 100 telecom firms  consumer groups and other interested parties are expected to make submissions to the regulator during this consultation phase. ofcom is expected to spend the next few weeks examining the proposals before making an announcement within the next few months.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "leaders meet over turkish eu bid tony blair has met italian prime minister silvio berlusconi and german chancellor gerhard schroeder to talk about turkey entering the eu.  the downing street talks covered a range of other topics ahead of an eu summit in brussels later in the week. mr blair is an enthusiastic proponent of talks to bring turkey within the recently-expanded eu. italy and germany also favour an early start to talks  but there is scepticism in france and elsewhere. some are worried that turkey s large and rapidly growing population and low average income might make integration into the eu difficult.  some are concerned that a change of government could lead to turkey reneging on key human rights reforms it has recently enacted. and many in france would prefer turkey to admit that world war i-era killing of armenians constituted genocide. there are also issues in france and the netherlands over the possible problems of integrating the first major muslim nation into the eu. but mr blair and the labour government have been the staunchest backers of turkish accession  provided it sticks with human rights and economic reform. mr blair s official spokesman said:  the prime minister has regular meetings with both of them and particularly in advance of european councils.  the key issue at this week s council will be that of turkey  but they will also discuss a range of other matters.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "famed music director viotti dies conductor marcello viotti  director of venice s famous la fenice theatre  has died in germany at 50.  viotti  director of la fenice since 2002  conducted at renowned opera houses worldwide including milan s la scala and the vienna state opera. his time at la fenice coincided with its reopening in 2003 after it was destroyed by fire in 1996. he fell into a coma after suffering a stroke during rehearsals for jules massenet s manon last week.  he conducted some of the best orchestras in the world including the berlin philharmonic and the english chamber orchestra. viotti was born in switzerland and studied the piano  cello and singing at the lausanne conservatory. his career breakthrough came in 1982 when he won first prize at the gino marinuzzi conducting competition in italy. viotti established himself as chief conductor of the turin opera and went on to become chief conductor of munich s radio orchestra. at la fenice viotti was widely acclaimed for his production of the french composer massenet s thais and some of his other productions included giuseppe verdi s la traviata and richard strauss s ariadne auf naxos.  the last opera he directed at la fenice was massenet s le roi de lahore. viotti s debut at the new york s metropolitan opera came in 2000 with giacomo puccini s madame butterfly  followed by la boheme  la traviata and fromental halevy s la juive. giampaolo vianello  superintendent of the fenice theatre foundation  said:  i am filled with extreme sadness because  other than a great artist  he is missed as a friend - a main character in the latest joyous times  during the rebirth of our theatre.  viotti s last public performance was on 5 february when he conducted vincenzo bellini s norma at the vienna state opera.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "oil rebounds from weather effect oil prices recovered in asian trade on tuesday  after falling in new york on milder winter weather across the us.  with winter temperatures staying relatively high in the northern us  a barrel of light crude ended monday down $1.33 to $42.12. however crude prices have rebounded in asia  rising to $42.30 a barrel for february delivery. in london  trading of brent crude was suspended for a public holiday  but the price fell to $39.20 in the far east.  with milder temperatures expected to continue in the northern parts of the us over the next few days at least  analysts have said the price of oil may fall further - even if the decline was only temporary.  weather has been the achilles  heel of this market   said abn amro analyst john brady.  but it is winter in the northeast. eventually we ll get another cold blast.  despite a fall of more than $12 a barrel from the record highs reached in late october  the price of crude oil remains almost 30% higher than year-ago levels. prices rose last week after militant attacks in riyadh  the capital of saudi arabia  briefly renewed fears that the supply chain might be broken in the world s leading crude exporter.  the market was panicked but fears essentially evaporated... since there was no follow-up   said deborah white  senior economist for energy at sg securities in paris.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "ecb holds rates amid growth fears the european central bank has left its key interest rate unchanged at 2% for the 19th month in succession.  borrowing costs have remained on hold amid concerns about the strength of economic growth in the 12 nations sharing the euro  analysts said. despite signs of pick-up  labour markets and consumer demand remain sluggish  while firms are eyeing cost cutting measures such as redundancies. high oil prices  meanwhile  have put upward pressure on the inflation rate.  surveys of economists have shown that the majority expect borrowing costs to stay at 2% in coming months  with an increase of a quarter of a percentage point predicted some time in the second half of the year. if anything  there may be greater calls for an interest rate cut  especially with the euro continuing to strengthen against the dollar.  the euro land economy is still struggling with this recovery   said economist dirk schumacher. the ecb  may sound rather hawkish but once the data allows them to cut again  they will.  data coming out of germany on thursday underlined the problems facing european policy makers. while germany s economy expanded by 1.7% in 2004  growth was driven by export sales and lost some of its momentum in the last three months of the year.  the strength of the euro is threatening to dampen that foreign demand in 2005  and domestic consumption currently is not strong enough to take up the slack. inflation in the eurozone  however  is estimated at about 2.3% in december  above ecb guidelines of 2%. ecb president jean-claude trichet has remained upbeat about prospects for the region  and inflation is expected to drop below 2% later in 2005. the ecb has forecast economic growth in the eurozone of 1.9% in 2005.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "murray to make cup history andrew murray will become britain s youngest-ever davis cup player after it was confirmed he will play in the doubles against israel on saturday.  the 17-year-old will play alongside fellow debutant david sherwood against israel s jonathan erlich and andy ram. murray will eclipse the record set by roger becker back in 1952. greg rusedski takes tim henman s place as first choice in the singles  while alex bogdanovic will play in the second singles clash. rusedski will take on former world number 30 harel levy and bogdanovic - who has previously played in two singles rubbers against australia - will face noam okun.  murray is the brightest young hope in british tennis  after winning the us open junior title last year and the bbc young sports personality of the year. british number one tim henman  who announced his davis cup retirement earlier this year  believes britain can win the tie in tel aviv.  it s going to be as really tough match. israel have some really good players - and their doubles pair of andy ram and jonathan erlich are among the top eight in the world - but i fancy our chances   he said. but henman urged bogdanovic  who has had run-ins with british tennis officials in the past  to seize his chance.  alex is a quality player - he s young but he s got to keep pushing forward.  he s got to be stronger  he s got a lot of ability but he s got to be more disciplined mentally and physically and if he does that he s got a good chance.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "church urges nelly show boycott church ministers are trying to prevent rapper nelly performing in arkansas  saying they do not want his  vile and filthy lyrics  in their town.  more than 20 jonesboro ministers urged music fans to boycott nelly s 12 march concert at arkansas state university in a bid to have it cancelled.  jonesboro is a wonderful city because of what does not come here   said the reverend adrian rodgers. but a venue spokesman said more than 5 500 tickets had been sold so far.  mr rodgers  of the fullness of joy church  said he was concerned about the rapper s lyrics that include references to drugs  sex and violence  and songs that the minister said were demeaning to women. ministers were worried that bringing such acts to jonesboro would lead to problems.  tear the tickets up   mr rodgers said.  do not go and do not allow your children to go.   tim dean  director of the arkansas state university venue  said ticket sales had been brisk.  it would appear that with ticket sales over 5 000  many others have expressed their right to find nelly s music entertaining and worth spending their time and money on   he said. nelly has sold more than 30 million singles and albums worldwide  and in september 2004 simultaneously occupied the number one and two positions in the us albums chart. he has had 12 uk hit singles  including hot in herre  dilemma and recent number one over and over.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "winn-dixie files for bankruptcy us supermarket group winn-dixie has filed for bankruptcy protection after succumbing to stiff competition in a market dominated by wal-mart.  winn-dixie  once among the most profitable of us grocers  said chapter 11 protection would enable it to successfully restructure. it said its 920 stores would remain open  but analysts said it would most likely off-load a number of sites. the jacksonville  florida-based firm has total debts of $1.87bn (\u00a3980m). in its bankruptcy petition it listed its biggest creditor as us foods giant kraft foods  which it owes $15.1m.  analysts say winn-dixie had not kept up with consumers  demands and had also been burdened by a number of stores in need of upgrading. a 10-month restructuring plan was deemed a failure  and following a larger-than-expected quarterly loss earlier this month  winn-dixie s slide into bankruptcy was widely expected. the company s new chief executive peter lynch said winn-dixie would use the chapter 11 breathing space to take the necessary action to turn itself around.  this includes achieving significant cost reductions  improving the merchandising and customer service in all locations and generating a sense of excitement in the stores   he said. yet evan mann  a senior bond analyst at gimme credit  said mr lynch s job would not be easy  as the bankruptcy would inevitably put off some customers.  the real big issue is what s going to happen over the next one or two quarters now that they are in bankruptcy and all their customers see this in their local newspapers   he said.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "tv show unites angolan families angolan families who are attempting to track each other down  after being separated by nearly 30 years of war  are succeeding thanks to a hugely popular tv show.  meeting point has become one of tv angola s most watched programmes  and has reunited hundreds of families. it runs daily  not only on the television but also on the radio. every friday  hundreds of people gather in luanda s independence square to record a message in front of the tv cameras  in the hope that a lost relative will see it. many relatives have been reunited on air.  at the beginning there was an absolute explosion - huge  huge crowds   sergio gera  the programme s chief co-ordinator  told bbc world service s assignment programme.  now things are a little calmer  there are slightly less people - but  after two and a half years of broadcasting  there are still a lot of people going.   the media in the southern african country  twice the size of france  has been gripped by the quest of so many people to find their relatives. hundreds of thousands of people died in angola s 30-year civil war  which finally ended in 2002  and tens of thousands of people are still missing. many have not heard anything for 10 or more years - in all  90% of angolan families have lost someone.  the idea of recording in independence square was modelled on a square in the argentine capital buenos aries  where mothers go to talk about the dead and the missing  and to exchange news. one woman  victoria lapete  found her sister - the only remaining member of her family - in independence square live on meeting point. she had not seen her sibling for 28 years.  when we saw each other  we threw ourselves into each other s arms   she told assignment.  we started to cry. i felt very  very happy  because i d spent so long without any family. suddenly i had a sister again.  however  angola is one of the poorest countries in africa  and the number of people with access to either a television or radio is comparatively few. this means that elsewhere in the country  the task of reuniting families lies primarily with the international committee of the red cross (icrc). in the city of wambo  the icrc runs the gazetta - a 200-page  tabloid-size book which contains 13 000 names of missing or displaced.  their task is made much harder by the huge number of landmines dotted around the country.  it s very difficult - there are many displaced   stated joaquim sahundi  head of tracing in wambo.   as they try to go back [home]  others are trying to relocate their relatives. many people are getting injured because of that - in the villages  in the bush  there has been no clearance of mines.  when people are crossing these areas  they step on mines.  the icrc also uses the media where it can  running four daily broadcasts of their lists of the missing on radio angola. meanwhile  there remain massive challenges to angolan families even once they are reunited.  the programme of family reunification is extremely important  but for these families to remain reunified  there has to be social integration  job access  education  healthcare   said rafael marques of the pro-democracy george soros foundation for southern africa.  essentially the government is waiting for the international community to pay for the reconstruction - that s why it has been persistently calling for a donor s conference. that is just a way of detaching itself from its political responsibilities.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "wal-mart is sued over rude lyrics the parents of a 13-year-old girl are suing us supermarket giant wal-mart over a cd by rock group evanescence that contains swear words.  the lawsuit  filed in washington county  alleges wal-mart deceived customers by not putting warning labels on the cover. trevin skeens alleges wal-mart knew of the offending word because it had censored it on its music sales website. wal-mart said it was investigating the claims but had no plans to pull the cd. wal-mart has a policy of not stocking cds which carry parental advisory labels. mr skeens said he bought the anywhere but home cd for his daughter and was shocked to hear the swearing when it was played in their car.   i don t want any other families to get this  expecting it to be clean. it needs to be removed from the shelves to prevent other children from hearing it   said mr skeens of brownsville. the lawsuit seeks to force wal-mart to censor the music or remove it from its stores in maryland. it also seeks damages of up to $74 500 (\u00a338 660) for every customer who bought the cd at maryland wal-marts  and also naming record label wind-up records and distributor bmg entertainment in the legal action.  while wal-mart sets high standards  it would not be possible to eliminate every image  word or topic that an individual might find objectionable   wal-mart spokesman guy whitcomb told the herald-mail of hagerstown.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "cyber crime booms in 2004 the last 12 months have seen a dramatic growth in almost every security threat that plague windows pcs.  the count of known viruses broke the 100 000 barrier and the number of new viruses grew by more than 50%. similarly phishing attempts  in which conmen try to trick people into handing over confidential data  are recording growth rates of more than 30% and attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated. also on the increase are the number of networks of remotely controlled computers  called bot nets  used by malicious hackers and conmen to carry out many different cyber crimes.  one of the biggest changes of 2004 was the waning influence of the boy hackers keen to make a name by writing a fast-spreading virus  said kevin hogan  senior manager in symantec s security response group. although teenage virus writers will still play around with malicious code  said mr hogan  2004 saw a significant rise in criminal use of malicious programs. the financial incentives were driving criminal use of technology  he said. his comment was echoed by graham cluley  senior technology consultant from anti-virus firm sophos. mr cluley said:  when the commercial world gets involved  things really get nasty. virus writers and hackers will be looking to make a tidy sum.   in particular  phishing attacks  which typically use fake versions of bank websites to grab login details of customers  boomed during 2004. web portal lycos europe reported a 500% increase in the number of phishing e-mail messages it was catching. the anti-phishing working group reported that the number of phishing attacks against new targets was growing at a rate of 30% or more per month. those who fall victim to these attacks can find that their bank account has been cleaned out or that their good name has been ruined by someone stealing their identity. this change in the ranks of virus writers could mean the end of the mass-mailing virus which attempts to spread by tricking people into opening infected attachments on e-mail messages.  they are not an efficient way of spreading viruses   said mr hogan.  they are very noisy and they are not technically challenging.  the opening months of 2004 did see the appearance of the netsky  bagle and mydoom mass mailers  but since then more surreptitious viruses  or worms  have dominated.  mr hogan said worm writers were more interested in recruiting pcs to take part in  bot nets  that can be used to send out spam or to mount attacks on websites.  in september symantec released statistics which showed that the numbers of active  bot computers  rose from 2 000 to 30 000 per day. thanks to these  bot nets   spam continued to be a problem in 2004. anti-spam firms report that  in many cases  legitimate e-mail has shrunk to less than 30% of messages. part of the reason that these  bot nets  have become so prevalent  he said  was due to a big change in the way that many viruses were created. in the past many viruses  such as netsky  have been the work of an individual or group. by contrast  said mr hogan  the code for viruses such as gaobot  spybot and randex were commonly held and many groups work on them to produce new variants at the same time. the result is that now there are more than 3 000 variations of the spybot worm.  that s unprecedented   said mr hogan.  what makes it difficult is that they are all co-existing with each other and do not exist in an easy to understand chronology.   the emergence of the first proper virus for mobile phones was also seen in 2004.  in the past  threats to smart phones have been largely theoretical because the viruses created to cripple phones existed only in the laboratory rather than the wild. in june  the cabir virus was discovered that can hop from phone to phone using bluetooth short-range radio technology. also released this year was the mosquito game for symbian phones which surreptitiously sends messages to premium rate numbers  and in november the skulls trojan came to light which can cripple phones. on the positive side  finnish security firm f-secure said that 2004 was the best-ever year for the capture  arrest and sentencing of virus writers and criminally-minded hackers. in total  eight virus writers were arrested and some members of the so-called 29a virus writing group were sentenced. one high-profile arrest was that of german teenager sven jaschen who confessed to be behind the netsky and sasser virus families. also shut down were the carderplanet and shadowcrew websites that were used to trade stolen credit card numbers.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "germany calls for eu reform german chancellor gerhard schroeder has called for radical reform of the eu s stability pact to grant countries more flexibility over their budget deficits.  mr schroeder said existing fiscal rules should be loosened to allow countries to run deficits above the current 3% limit if they met certain criteria. writing in the financial times  mr schroeder also said heads of government should have a greater say in reforms. changes to the pact are due to be agreed at an economic summit in march.  the current eu rules limit the size of a eurozone country s deficit to 3% of gdp. countries which exceed the threshold are liable to heavy fines by the european commission  although several countries  including germany  have breached the rules consistently since 2002 without facing punishment. the european commission acknowledged last month that it would not impose sanctions on countries who break the rules.  mr schroeder - a staunch supporter of the pact when it was set up in the 1990s - said exemptions were now needed to take into account the cost of domestic reform programmes and changing economic conditions.  the stability pact will work better if intervention by european institutions in the budgetary sovereignty of national parliaments is only permitted under very limited conditions   he wrote.  only if their competences are respected will the member states be willing to align their policies more consistently with the economic goals of the eu.   deficits should be allowed to rise above 3%  mr schroeder argued  if countries meet several  mandatory criteria . these include governments which are adopting costly structural reforms  countries which are suffering economic stagnation and nations which are shouldering  special economic burdens . the proposed changes would make it harder for the european commission to launch infringement action against any state which breaches the pact s rules. mr schroeder s intervention comes ahead of a meeting of the 12 eurozone finance ministers on monday to discuss the pact. the issue will also be discussed at tuesday s ecofin meeting of the finance ministers of all 25 eu members. mr schroeder also called for heads of government to play a larger role in shaping reforms to the pact. a number of eu finance ministers are believed to favour only limited changes to the eurozone s rules.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "worldcom bosses  $54m payout ten former directors at worldcom have agreed to pay $54m (\u00a328.85m)  including $18m from their own pockets  to settle a class action lawsuit  reports say.  james wareham  a lawyer representing one of the directors  told reuters the 10 had agreed to pay those who lost billions when the firm collapsed. the remaining $36m will be paid by the directors  insurers. but  a spokesman for the prosecutor  new york state comptroller alan hevesi  said no formal agreement had been made.  corporate governance experts said that if the directors do dip into their own pockets for the settlement  it will set a new standard for the accountability of bosses  when the firms they oversee face problems.   directors very rarely pay   said charles elson  chairman of the center for corporate governance at the university of delaware. he added that the settlement  sends a pretty strong shockwave through the director world . a formal agreement on the payout is expected to be signed on thursday in a us district court in manhattan. earlier  the new york times had reported that the personal payments were required as part of any deal at the start of negotiations. the ten former outside directors are james allen  judith areen  carl aycock  max bobbitt  clifford alexander  stiles kellett  gordon macklin  john porter  lawrence tucker and the estate of john sidgmore  who died last year. it has not yet been determined how much each director will have to pay.  none of the 10 former directors was a direct participant in the accounting machinations of the worldcom fraud   said the wall street journal (wsj).  two other outside former directors  bert roberts and francesco galesi  remain defendants in the lawsuit  said the newspaper. according to the wsj  which cites people familiar to the case  the settling directors are expected to deny wrongdoing and state they are settling the case to eliminate the uncertainties and expense of further litigations. the second-largest us long-distance telecoms operator filed for bankruptcy in 2002 when an $11bn accounting scandal was unearthed. the company emerged from chapter 11 protection last year and changed its name to mci inc. former worldcom chief executive bernard ebbers is to face trial this month on criminal charges that he oversaw the fraud.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "broadband soars in 2004 if broadband were a jumbo jet  then 2003 would have seen it taxiing down the runway  firing up its engines and preparing for take-off. but this year has seen it soar.  in the spring it literally took to the skies as lufthansa and british airways trialled it on flights. this perhaps said more about how indispensable people were beginning to perceive the technology  rather than how useful sky-high broadband would actually be. it was flying high and by the autumn  five million britons had signed up for high-speed net access at home.  such enthusiasm is unlikely to dampen any time soon and experts predict that by the end of next year the numbers will have risen to more than eight million  or more than 30% of homes. the two key factors in whetting people s appetite were falling prices and a huge marketing push. when operators such as bt and telewest offered standard 512k broadband for less than \u00a320 at the beginning of the year  it was as if an invisible barrier had been breached - broadband had truly gone mass market. a feeding frenzy followed as firms vied for eyeballs in a price war reminiscent of that following the mass market take-up of dial-up. broadband for less than \u00a310 was even touted by some firms  although such a low price raised eyebrows among more established companies questioning how they are able to sustain such business models.  for those who became broadbanders in 2004 there was no turning back and the days of waiting for the modem to kick in began to seem as outdated an idea as a jungle without celebrities. the rest of the world was also falling in love with the benefits of fast internet access  to the tune of 100 million connections worldwide by april  prompting research firm point topic to declare it one of the fastest growing technologies ever. by september  the number of broadband connections in the uk finally overtook dial-up and in december bt announced that it was making a new broadband connection every 10 seconds.  broadband was being mentioned on the 10 o clock news and in the tabloids; the sun even carried a cartoon joke about it. but two of the most significant pieces of news for broadband were items that did not make the headlines. in may  bt quietly announced that it was shaving 70% off the cost of allowing other operators access to its telephone exchanges  so-called local loop unbundling. the vital local loop is the crucial link between telephone exchanges and homes. at the moment bt has a stranglehold on more than 80% of these lines making it the key voice in deciding what adsl products get into homes. with cheaper local loop unbundling  rivals to bt can offer faster services that will leave the broadband of today looking positively tortoise-like. it will mean the uk will finally catch up with countries such as france and the netherlands  where homes are routinely enjoying speeds of up to 15mb (megabits per second). and the major price fall means that  rather than just talk about it  companies are actually starting to get their own equipment into bt s exchanges. it may not seem that exciting but it is a remarkable transition given that just a few years ago the arguments over local loop unbundling bore more than a passing resemblance to the northern ireland peace talks - fraught  bitter and with no end in sight.  another big piece of news for broadband users in 2004 was the extension of bt s reach  meaning more than 95% of the population could get broadband  regardless of how far away from the exchange they lived.  there was a slight caveat for those wanting to upgrade to 1mbps broadband  they still have to live within six kilometres of a broadband-enabled exchange. for thousands frustrated by their inability to get the technology  the news meant they could finally join in. broadband is not just about fast access over the telephone and cable operators ntl and telewest also had a bumper year. the biggest news for them was increased speeds  introducing 2mb and 3mb services for users and offering a free upgrade to those on 512k. the cable operators are limited in their reach and it is perhaps testament to how big a deal local loop unbundling could become that even they are considering extending their range via this route. broadband can seem confusing for consumers  with the huge amount of operators offering so many different products  some with capped bandwidth and different length contracts and set-up fees. it is unlikely to get any less easy to understand in 2005 but remains a plane worth catching. as it gets faster and offers extras such as cheap telephone calls online  the only real thing to remember for the coming year is to enjoy the ride.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "pountney handed ban and fine northampton coach budge pountney has been fined \u00a32 000 and banned from match-day coaching for six weeks for calling a referee  a disgrace .  pountney was found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute at a rugby football union disciplinary hearing in london on thursday night. pountney criticised referee steve lander s performance in northampton s defeat by saracens on 5 february. the last two weeks of the six-week ban are suspended. pountney pleaded guilty to the offence before a panel consisting of chairman robert horner  nigel gillingham and jeff probyn. the ban means former scotland international pountney cannot enter the playing enclosure  technical areas or go near the touchline  tunnel or players and officials  areas on the day of a game.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "millions  to lose textile jobs  millions of the world s poorest textile trade workers will lose their jobs under new trade rules to be introduced in the new year  a charity has warned.  the world trade organisation (wto) is to end its multi-fibre agreement (mfa) on midnight of 31 december. christian aid condemned the move  saying it would see almost a million jobs in bangladesh alone being axed. however  supporters of the change claim it will mean increased efficiency and lower costs for western consumers.  it will also see more jobs created in india and china  advocates argue. the wto said that many developing countries support the end of quotas and stressed that funding was available to countries such as bangladesh to help them make the transition to a fully liberalised market.  there will be a period of adjustment required   said wto spokesman keith rockwell.  some countries will do better than others but there is no one who is suggesting that no developing country will do well out of this.  some countries where it may appear that orders will dry up have seen orders surging and there are many companies who will continue with existing trading relationships.   christian aid has called on british firms not to simply  cut and run  but look after their workers  in a new report called rags to riches to rags.  it added that with few employment alternatives available many sacked garment workers could end up in far worse jobs - with some of the mainly female workers forced into the sex trade. the wto itself has warned that as many as 27 million jobs could be lost as a result of liberalisation in the textile industry. some of the world s fastest developing countries which rely on textile exports to build growth - for example in bangladesh textiles account for almost 85% of the country s exports and the industry employs around 1.5 million people. the mfa pact has helped developing countries get a bigger share of the world market.  the losers in this new trade landscape will be some of the most vulnerable workers in countries such as bangladesh  cambodia  sri lanka and nepal   andrew pendleton  christian aid s head of trade policy  said.  they will be hard-pressed to cope when garment industries there lose their protection.  we are deeply concerned that the new year will spell misery for huge numbers of garment workers.  the wto said there was no consenus among its members to retain the quotas and emphasised that funding was available to countries such as bangladesh to help them adjust to the liberalised market.  it added that the impact of the changes for workers most affected by the shake-up had not been considered  adding such seismic changes to policy should  put the interests of poor people first - rather than simply aiming to liberalise markets at any cost . while the current mfa was not perfect  its did allow third world countries like bangladesh to get onto the first rung of industrial development  christian aid said.  international trade must not be governed by a  race to the bottom  that pitches one set of poor people against another   mr pendleton added.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "versace art portfolio up for sale the art collection of murdered fashion designer gianni versace could fetch up to \u00a39m ($17m) when it is auctioned in new york and london later this year.  among the pictures for sale are works by roy lichtenstein  andy warhol and henri matisse. the collection was housed at versace s six-storey new york townhouse. the 51-year-old designer was shot outside his florida home in 1997 by suspected serial killer andrew cunanan  who later killed himself. the auction  at sotheby s  will feature 45 contemporary  impressionist and 19th century paintings. one of the highlights of the sale is roy lichtenstein s blue nude which has been given an estimate of \u00a31.8m ($3.4m).  tobias meyer  sotheby s worldwide head of contemporary art  said:  this collection reflects mr versace s wide-ranging taste and impeccable eye  and many of the works were commissioned directly from the artists.  outstanding later examples from champions of the pop movement  such as roy lichtenstein  are juxtaposed with masterpieces from the most visible artists of the 1980 s  including jean-michel basquiat and the collaborative genius of basquiat and warhol  as well as francesco clemente.  much of the collection will be offered for sale at three auctions in new york in june  with smaller contemporary paintings going under the hammer in london on 22 and 23 june. a sale of versace s furniture and artworks sold in 2001fetched \u00a35.5m ($10.3m).", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "greek duo cleared in doping case sprinters kostas kenteris and katerina thanou have been cleared of doping offences by an independent tribunal.  the duo had been provisionally suspended by the iaaf for allegedly missing three drugs tests  including one on the eve of the athens olympics. but the greek athletics federation tribunal has overturned the bans - a decision which the iaaf can now contest at the court of arbitration for sport. the pair s former coach  christos tzekos  has been banned for four years. kenteris  31  and thanou  30  had been charged with avoiding drug tests in tel aviv  chicago and athens and failing to notify anti-doping officials of their whereabouts before the olympics. they withdrew from the olympics after missing a drugs test at the olympic village on 12 august.  the pair then spent four days in a hospital  claiming they had been injured in a motorcycle crash. it was the international olympic committee s demand that the iaaf investigate the affair that led to the hearing of the greek tribunal. the head of that tribunal  kostas panagopoulos  said it had not been proven that the athletes refused to take the test in athens.  the charge cannot be substantiated   he said.  in no way was he (kenteris) informed to appear for a doping test. the same goes for thanou.  kenteris s lawyer  gregory ioannidis  said:  the decision means mr kenteris has been exonerated of highly damaging and unfounded charges which have been extremely harmful for his career.   he has consistently maintained his innocence and this was substantiated by further evidence we were able to submit to the tribunal following its deliberations in january.  this evidence shows mr kenteris was never asked to submit to a test by the international olympic committee so he could not possibly have been guilty of deliberately avoiding one. it shows he has no case to answer.  mr kenteris should now be given the opportunity he deserves to rebuild his career in the full knowledge that there is no stain on his character.  he has suffered greatly throughout this ordeal that has exposed both himself and his family to enormous pressures.  but the iaaf said it was  very surprised  by the verdict. spokesman nick davies said:  we note the decision of the greek authorities with interest.  our doping review board will now consider the english version of the decision.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "poll idols  face first hurdles vote for me - itv1 s pop idol style talent contest for would-be politicians - finally hits our screens this week.  over the next four days  hundreds of potential candidates will be whittled down by a panel of experts and public vote. the winner will then be encouraged to stand as an independent at the next general election  which is expected in the spring. but opinion is divided on whether any of the potential candidates unearthed so far have got what it takes to make it in politics.  any of them would make competent mps   former independent mp martin bell insisted on bbc radio 4 s today programme.  mr bell  who will be offering his advice to the contestants on wednesday  argues that westminster has its share of  odd balls  and the show will engage ordinary voters.  if it gets more people voting and more people interested in politics there is no harm in that   he said. but sir bernard ingham  margaret thatcher s former press secretary  took a less charitable view  accusing the programme of  corrupting politics .  he said the producers would not achieve their aim of re-engaging voters  with that bunch of nutters . to give sir bernard his dues  monday evening s opening episode did attract more than a smattering of eccentrics and self-publicists. among those chancing their arm were a druid priest and a former porn star  who insisted on removing her top to make her point about the legalisation of brothels. among the more eccentric policy proposals was a public holiday on bruce forsyth s birthday and bill oddie for prime minister. the show follows the time-honoured pop idol format  with queues of nervous hopefuls and a panel of three experts judging their performance.  the contestants were given 60 seconds to present their manifestos. then the final 25 were tested on their lobbying ability. they were then cross-examined by the panel  which was chaired by ex-itn political editor john sergeant  with television host lorraine kelly taking the nicki chapman role. but the real star of the show is kelvin mackenzie  in the simon cowell  mr nasty seat.  the former sun editor dispensed a stream of well-crafted insults and one-liners. his advice for one young contestant was to  get a haircut and a brain transplant . wheelchair user kevin donnellon was asked:  why on earth do you want our elected representatives to be disabled    don t you care about the inuit    implored guitar-toting environmental campaigner barry lim.  i don t care about them. i care about myself and when the sun s shining i think - fantastic   replied mr mackenzie.  mr lim later reduced the panel to fits of giggles as he outlined his plan to make people do community service instead of paying taxes.  when the prime minister turns to the chancellor and says how much have we got in the coffers mr brown  he says well  prime minister  bad news  all the houses in britain have been painted but actually nobody has paid any tax   observed mr mackenzie.  that was an total disaster. i just couldn t seem to think of things to say   a crestfallen mr lim confided in the show s presenter  jonathan maitland. irfan hanif  a 25-year-old doctor from bolton  made a good impression  even if he was a little thrown by mr mackenzie s suggestion that instead of being treated by the nhs  young drunks should  given a good beating  and left to die. dominic carman - son of late libel lawyer george carman - was voted through to the final 25  on a platform of cutting defence spending to boost education. opinion was more divided over rodney hylton-potts  a 59-year-old convicted fraudster. mr mackenzie thought the smooth-talking former solicitor - with a hardline on crime and immigration - deserved a chance to progress.  he could join the rest of the crooks in the houses of parliament.  but ms kelly said she  would not trust him as far as she could throw him . the series continues throughout the week  with the public given the chance to evict one prospective mp every night. itv will not fund the election campaign for the eventual winner  but the publicity could give the winner a flying start over other candidates.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "two nigerian banks set to merge nigerian banks united bank of africa and standard trust bank have agreed plans to merge and create the biggest bank in west africa.  the deal is also in line with a 2004 directive from the nigerian central bank that called for more consolidation in the nation s crowded banking sector. the merger was announced in a statement on standard trust s website on tuesday  but no financial details were revealed. united bank is the third biggest in nigeria in terms of number of branches. standard trust is smaller but more profitable.  the boards of united bank and standard trust  at separate meetings yesterday  approved arrangements to merge both institutions   standard trust said. standard trust is 100% nigerian-owned  but united bank has some foreign investors  including new york-based global depository receipts (32.8%)  and banca nazionale del lavoro and monte del paschi di siena  both from italy  who each have a 2.4% stake.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "captains lining up for aid match ireland s brian o driscoll is one of four six nations captains included in the northern hemisphere squad for the irb rugby aid match on 5 march.  france s fabien pelous  gordon bullock of scotland and italy s marco bortolami are also in the northern party. sir clive woodward will coach the northern team against rod macqueen s southern hemisphere team in a tsumani fund-raising match at twickenham.  i m looking forward to working with such outstanding players   he said. it will be a chance for woodward to assess some of his options before unveiling his british and irish lions touring party  who will visit new zealand in the summer.  the game promises to be a great spectacle   he said.  both teams are fielding top-quality sides and i really hope that the rugby public and community get behind this game to raise as much money as possible for such a deserving cause.   l dallaglio (england)  b cohen (england)  a rougerie (france)  d traille (france)  f pelous (france)  r ibanez (france)  p de villiers (france)  b o driscoll (ireland  capt)  p o connell (ireland)  d humphreys (ireland)  c paterson (scotland)  c cusiter (scotland)  g bullock (scotland)  s taylor (scotland)  a lo cicero (italy)  m bortolami (italy)  s parisse (italy)  d peel (wales)  c sweeney (wales)  j thomas (wales)  r williams (wales)  j yapp (wales).  c latham (australia); r caucaunibuca (fiji)  j fourie (s africa) t umaga (new zealand)  s bobo (fiji); a mehrtens (new zealand) g gregan (australia  capt); t kefu (australia)  p waugh (australia)  s burger (s africa); i rawaqa (fiji)  v matfield (s africa); k visagie (s africa)  j smit (s africa)  c hoeft (new zealand). reserves: b reihana (new zealand)  b lima (samoa)  e taukafa (tonga)  o palepoi (samoa)  s sititi (samoa)  m rauluni (fiji)  a n other.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "trial date is set for balco case a us judge has set a preliminary trial date for the balco steroid distribution case which has rocked athletics.  us district court judge susan ilston rejected an attempt by the defence team to have the case dismissed at a pre-trial hearing in san francisco. and she set a march date for the case of the four men accused of distributing illegal performance-enhancing drugs to elite athletes to be heard. a firm decision on whether the trial takes place is expected in january. the judge said that she may conduct hearings in january into whether federal agents illegally searched the balco headquarters and wrongfully obtained statements from the company s founder victor conte and its vice-president james valente. the two men - along with personal trainer greg anderson and athletics coach remy korchemny - were all indicted earlier this year but have pleaded their innocence. the outcome of those hearings could result in some or all of the charges being dismissed. conte said that he would be telling his side of the story on an american tv show on friday.   the world deserves to know the truth about performance-enhancing drugs   he said. balco (the bay area laboratory cooperative) is the company at the centre of the scandal. the company has been accused by the united states anti-doping agency (usada) of being the source of the banned steroid thg and modafinil. the usada claims that 10 athletes have received sanctions for testing positive for 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.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "iraq and afghanistan in wto talks the world trade organisation (wto) is to hold membership talks with both iraq and afghanistan.  but iran s bid to join the trade body has been refused after the us blocked its application for the 21st time. the countries stand to reap huge benefits from membership of the group  whose purpose is to promote free trade. joining  however  is a lengthy process. china s admission in 2001 took 15 years and talks with russia and saudi arabia have been taking place for 10 years. membership of the geneva-based wto helps guarantee a country s goods receives equal treatment in the markets of other member states - a policy which has seen it become closely associated with globalisation.  iraq s trade minister mohammed mustafa al-jibouri welcomed the move  describing it as significant as november s decision by the paris club of creditor nations to write off 80% of the country s debts. assad omar  afghanistan s envoy to the united nations in geneva  said accession would contribute to  regional prosperity and global security . there are now 27 countries seeking membership of the wto. prospective members need to enter into negotiations with potential trading countries and change domestic laws to bring them in line with wto regulations. before the process gets under way  all 148 wto members must give their backing to applicant countries. the us said it could not approve iran s application because it is currently reviewing relations. but several nations criticised the approach  and european union ambassador to the wto  carlo trojan  said iran s application  must be treated independently of political issues .", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "lee to create new film superhero comic book veteran stan lee is to team up with producer robert evans to create a movie featuring a new superhero.  foreverman will focus on a character who has to face problems in everyday life as well as using his special powers to save the world. paramount pictures  the studio behind the film  have revealed few details about the project but say it has the potential to spawn a series of films. lee is best known for his work on spider-man and the incredible hulk.  he is collaborating on the script with screenwriter peter briggs  who penned the recent comic book adaptation hellboy.  we believe it to be truly a whole new franchise   said gill champion  president and chief executive of lee s pow! entertainment.  in this world where people are looking for something different  stan s idea was to create a concept not seen before to become an evergreen franchise for paramount.  many of lee s other creations  including x-men and daredevil  have been turned into films in the past five years. however  the spider-man series has been the biggest box office hit  with the 2002 original and its 2004 sequel taking almost $1.6bn (\u00a3857m) worldwide. a third spider-man film is scheduled for release in 2007. another marvel comics adaptation  the fantastic four  will be released in cinemas this summer.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "sprinter walker quits athletics former european 200m champion dougie walker is to retire from athletics after a series of six operations left him struggling for fitness.  walker had hoped to compete in the new year sprint which is staged at musselburgh racecourse near edinburgh on tuesday and wednesday. the 31-year-old scot was suspended for two years in 1998 after testing positive for nandrolone.  i had intended to race but i m running like a goon   said walker. he told the herald newspaper:  i m not in great shape  after missing about a month of training.  i missed a big chunk of speed work over about three weeks  and then another week working in america.  if i d had a half-decent mark it might have motivated me more  but i won t be racing.  i still enjoy training  but feel it s time to move on  and concentrate on a career.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "three djs replace peel radio show the late john peel s bbc radio 1 show is to be succeeded in february by three shows hosted by three djs focusing on diverse  non-commercial music.  huw stephens  ras kwame and rob da bank will each host the mid-week  late-night timeslot  showcasing uk talent. radio 1 said the show would not try to replace peel  but would rise to the  challenge  of  keeping his legacy alive  with unpredictable music. peel died after suffering a heart attack in peru in october. radio 1 said the three djs had been chosen for their  in-depth musical knowledge across a variety of musical genres . rob da bank has been hosting the john peel show since the dj s death. he is also one of the hosts of the blue room  an early morning weekend show that plays a mix of old and new electronic and dance music. huw stephens is currently one half of the radio 1 thursday night show bethan and huw in wales  which explores new music  especially up and coming acts breaking through in wales. and ras kwame is the host of 100% homegrown on radio 1 s digital station 1xtra. his show is dedicated to showcasing the best of uk black music and broadcasts live sessions  often giving new artists their first chance to perform on live national radio.  all of the three djs will continue to host their current shows on radio 1.  it is widely accepted that john peel can never be replaced   said the radio station. it added that one music would support both signed and unsigned talent  and said:  it will seek out those making music for music s sake rather than for commercial success.  above all it will provide support to emerging genres of music and styles that have not yet and may never reach the mainstream.   one music is not new to radio 1 as it already exists as a website  offering advice on aspects of the music industry  such as recording a demo and signing a record contract. radio 1 s controller  andy parfitt  said:  we believe that by having a series of djs hosting a selection of shows under the one music title  we will ensure that his legacy lives on.  stephens said he grew up  listening to john  and that it was a  massive honour  to continue peel s work championing new music. the show will be broadcast from 1 february on tuesdays  wednesdays and thursdays from 2300 gmt - 0100 gmt.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "eu china arms ban  to be lifted  the eu embargo on arms exports to china is likely to be lifted in the next six months despite us objections  uk foreign secretary jack straw has said.  the 15-year-old ban was imposed in the aftermath of china s crackdown on protesters in tiananmen square. mr straw told a commons select committee human rights concerns over china remained. but he said it was wrong to put china under the same embargo as countries such as zimbabwe and burma.  in december  the eu pledged to work towards lifting the ban but said it was not ready to do so yet. the eu s move was welcomed at the time by beijing  which described the embargo as a  product of the cold war . german chancellor gerhard schroeder and french president jacques chirac have repeatedly called for the embargo to be lifted. britain has been more cautious on the issue  but on wednesday mr straw said he also wanted it to end.  i have long understood china s argument  that to lump them in with  say  burma and zimbabwe is not appropriate and i don t think it is   he told the joint committee on strategic export controls. he said  it is more likely than not  that the ban would be lifted before britain takes over the presidency of the eu from luxembourg in july. but he said an eu code of conduct would prevent an increase in the number of arms being exported to the country.  if it is lifted we will end up with as effective arms controls in relation to china as we have now.   mr straw said the us government was suspicious of  the motives of some other countries within the eu  in wanting the ban lifted. but he said many of washington s objections were based on a  lack of information and understanding  of how export control guidelines worked in eu countries. and  intense discussions  were taking place with us officials to convince them it was the right thing to do. washington is thought to fear it would lead to a buying spree for arms that could be used by china to threaten its diplomatic rival taiwan. us officials say they are not satisfied the mechanisms in the eu code of conduct are robust enough to prevent abuses. us undersecretary of state john bolton is meeting british officials this week to press the case for keeping the embargo.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "mcconnell in  drunk  remark row scotland s first minister has told a group of high school pupils that it is okay to get drunk  once in a while .  jack mcconnell was speaking to more than 100 secondary pupils from schools in the highlands about the problems of binge drinking and drink promotions. he has been criticised by the snp for encouraging young people to get drunk. but the scottish executive has insisted mr mcconnell was speaking about adults and his comments were  a recognition that people will get drunk . the first minister s comments came in a question and answer session at glenurquhart high school in inverness  attended by pupils from a number of secondary schools. a highland councillor who was at the event has also defended mr mcconnell. margaret davidson  the independent member for the loch ness west  said the first minister was speaking in a very general way and she was sure he was speaking about adults at the time.  when one pupil asked mr mcconnell how the executive proposed to tackle under-age drinking  began his response with the quip:  i m sure there s no under-age drinking in the highlands.  he went on to speak about the evils of binge drinking and railed against irresponsible drinks promotions. he said:  i hope i m not going to be seen as preaching to anybody here but the really serious problem at the moment is binge drinking and the impact it has on people s health and their ability to control what s happening round about them.  mr mcconnell said he regularly saw reports on the effects of binge drinking sprees which ended in assaults or even rapes  and on the health consequences of binge drinking.  the one thing we are going to do something really serious about is binge drinking and irresponsible drinks promotions that can help lead to that   he said.  far too many pub chains in particular are selling far too much booze far too cheaply and encouraging people to drink it far too quickly.  we are go to clamp down on that and make those promotions illegal in the hope that people can enjoy a drink sensibly over the course of an evening.   he added:  by all means get drunk once in a while - but do not get into a situation where people are being encouraged to get completely incapable just to save some money and drink more quickly.  snp holyrood leader nicola sturgeon said:  this is an incredible gaffe by jack mcconnell.  we all know that under-age drinking is an issue in scotland but it is quite staggering that any politician  particularly the first minister  should encourage young people to get drunk.  the first minister should withdraw these remarks immediately.  but an executive spokeswoman insisted mr mcconnell had made the remark with adults  not youngsters  in mind.  he was talking in the context of adults binge drinking and irresponsible drinks promotions - which are for the over-18s   she said.  it was just a recognition that people will get drunk  but that binge drinking and drinks promotions that encourage it are not acceptable.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "blair looks to election campaign tony blair s big speech will be looked back on as the performance that kicked off the election campaign.  that poll may still be about 16 weeks away  but there can be little doubt left that the campaign is now in full swing. the prime minister used his speech to a selected audience in the south east to set out his broad brush election manifesto. there was a detailed account of the government s past record  with a major emphasis on the economy and public services. there was an attempt to draw the line under the gossip surrounding his rift with chancellor gordon brown. and there was an insistence on the importance of the party continuing to operate as unremittingly  new  labour - although that may continue to irritate his chancellor.  there was little in terms of concrete proposals or what might form manifesto pledges  although the prime minister talked about a  new labour manifesto that will be aimed at all sections of society . his was more a speech designed to remind people  and some in his own party  precisely what new labour stood for  and to leave them in no doubt there would not be any shrinking away from that approach. and  for some  that means showing that new labour actually does stand for something - that it is  as he said  more than  an electoral device .  to that end he set out a broad programme aimed to appeal to both middle england voters who switched to the party in 1997 and stuck with it  possibly through some gritted teeth  in 2001  and to more traditional lower income old labour supporters. in a key section  he declared:  in our third term we can achieve an unprecedented widening of opportunity and prosperity.  for the first time ever a whole generation growing up with unbroken economic stability. every family - not just the fortunate few - knowing their children will have an inheritance at adulthood.  every pupil in every secondary school guaranteed a place in university or a quality apprenticeship. every adult - including those who missed out at school - able to get the skills then need to advance.  home ownership extended to its highest ever level and to families who have never before been able to afford it.  the highest ever level of employment with everyone in work guaranteed a decent wage and decent conditions .  under what is to be the general election slogan  britain is working   the prime minister time and again insisted the future direction would be unremittingly new labour. that might get under the skin of mr brown  but he also heaped praise on him as the most successful post-war chancellor britain has had. probably the greatest ideological divide between the two men  in so far as there is one  is about the degree of private finance allowed into the public services.  an unremittingly  new  labour manifesto  as the prime minister is happy to make plain  will stress the importance of that - the belief patients and parents  for example  want a choice of good services before they start worrying about who has provided them. the chancellor is said to be far more sceptical about private finance  although there is no suggestion he opposes it in principle. with an election looming the next big speech from gordon brown will be closely examined for any signs of divisions and  in particular  the use of that little three letter word. but for now  all eyes have been focused on the next general election. and for many in westminster  mr blair s performance has only succeeded in hardening the belief that will be on 5 may.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "hereford 1-1 doncaster hereford win 3-1 on penalties.  rovers took the lead on 59 minutes as michael mcindoe s corner found adriano rigoglioso  whose stunning volley soared into the top right of the net. danny williams equalised for the hosts after 72 minutes with a crisp finish from just insist the penalty box. mcindoe saw an extra-time penalty saved  giving mills the chance to net the winning penalty.  mawson  travis  mkandawire  james  robinson  daniel williams  stanley  hyde (pitman 105)  purdie (mills 83)  brown  stansfield (green 102). subs not used: smith  scott.  james.  daniel williams 72.  ingham  mulligan  fenton  morley  priet (ryan 79)  mcindoe  ravenhill (price 90)  rigoglioso  tierney (jackson 79)  beardsley  coppinger. subs not used: warrington  maloney.  rigoglioso 59.  1 375  t parkes (w midlands).", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "supercomputer breaks speed record the us is poised to push japan off the top of the supercomputing chart with ibm s prototype blue gene/l machine.  it is being assembled for the lawrence livermore national laboratory  a us department of energy (doe) lab. doe test results show that blue gene/l has managed speeds of 70.72 teraflops. the current top machine  japan s nec earth simulator  clocks up 35.86. due next week  the top 500 list officially charts the fastest computers in the world. it is announced every six months and is worked out using an officially recognised mathematical speed test called linpack which measures calculations per second. the speeds will most likely make it the fastest computer system on the planet  yet the chip technology powering the machine is the kind which can be found in familiar devices such as games consoles.  the us secretary of energy spencer abraham confirmed that the machine had reached the breakneck speed  according to the linpack benchmark. until the official list is published  however  blue gene/l s position will not be confirmed  and there are expected to be some other new entries. but the test results raise the bar of supercomputing enormously and signal a remarkable achievement. surpassing the 40 trillion calculations per second (teraflop) mark has been considered a landmark for some time.  the ibm blue gene/l is only a prototype and is one 5th the speed of the full version  due to be completed for the livermore labs in 2005. its peak theoretical performance is expected to be 360 teraflops  and will fit into 64 full racks. it will also cut down on the amount of heat generated by the massive power  a big problem for supercomputers. the final machine will help scientists work out the safety  security and reliability requirements for the us s nuclear weapons stockpile  without the need for underground nuclear testing. the earth simulator has held on to the top spot since june 2002. it is dedicated to climate modelling and simulating seismic activity. but in september  ibm said that another blue gene/l machine clocked up 36.01 teraflops  marginally surpassing the earth simulator s performance. this was achieved during internal testing at ibm s production facility in rochester  minnesota  though  so was not an official record. another giant to enter the fray is silicon graphics  columbia supercomputer based at nasa s ames research center in california. it would be used to model flight missions  climate research  and aerospace engineering. the linux-based machine was reported to have reached a top speed of 42.7 teraflops in october.  supercomputers are hugely important for working out very complex problems across science and society. their massive simulation and processing power means they can improve the accuracy of weather forecasts  help design better cars  and improve disease diagnosis. ibm s senior vice president of technology and manufacturing  nick donofrio  believes that by 2006  blue gene will be capable of petaflop computing. this means it would be capable of doing 1 000 trillion operations a second.  when you get a computer as large as a petaflop  you can start to think of simulations that might complement the physical world   mr donofrio recently told the bbc news website.   you can start to be more proactive  more interactive and more innovative.  one area where mr donofrio sees supercomputing - and blue gene machines in particular - as crucial is health. he believes the machines can help scientists understand one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century: protein folding.  health is one of the most important problems  not just mapping the human genome  but also protein structures.  we are a great believer in simulation. it gives you another tool   he said. once the structures of proteins are understood fully  then drugs can be tailor-made to fight diseases more effectively. compared with the current fastest supercomputers  blue gene is designed to consume one 15th the power and be 10 times more compact. since the first supercomputer  the cray-1  was installed at los alamos national laboratory in 1976  computational speed has leaped 500 000 times. the cray-1 was capable of 80 megaflops (80 million operations a second). the blue gene/l machine that will be completed next year will be five million times faster. started in 1993  the top 500 list is decided by a group of computer science academics from around the world. it is presented at the international supercomputer conference in pittsburgh.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "bmw drives record sales in asia bmw has forecast sales growth of at least 10% in asia this year after registering record sales there in 2004.  the luxury carmaker saw strong sales of its three marques - bmw  mini and rolls-royce - in asia last year after the launch of three new models. the company  which is vying with mercedes-benz for the title of leading premium carmaker  is confident about its prospects for the region in 2005. it is launching a revamped version of its 3-series saloon class next month.  bmw sold nearly 95 000 cars in asia last year  up 2.6% on 2003.  bmw-brand sales rose 2.3% to 80 600 while sales of mini models rose 3.6% to 14 800. there was also a significant increase in sales of rolls-royces on the continent. bmw sold more than 100 of the iconic models compared with just ten the previous year. the german carmaker is aiming to boost annual sales in asia to 150 000 by 2008.  here in asia  we consider a double-digit increase in retail on the order of 10 to 15% to be realistic on the basis of current features   said helmut panke  bmw s group chief executive.  china remains the main area of concern for bmw after sales there fell 16% last year. however  bmw is hopeful of a much better year in 2005 as its direct investment in china begins to pay dividends. the company only began assembling luxury high-powered sedans in china in 2003. 2004 was generally a good year for bmw  which saw revenues from its core car-making operations rise 11%.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "blair to face mps amid feud talk tony blair faces his first prime minister s questions of 2005 after a week of renewed speculation about his relationship with gordon brown.  meanwhile  the chancellor is leaving britain on a high-profile tour of africa to highlight poverty issues. but before doing so  he insisted he still trusted mr blair  despite claims to the contrary in a new book. labour mps have warned against disunity and tory leader michael howard may well take up the theme in the commons. the tories have already accused the prime minister and his chancellor of behaving like  schoolboys squabbling in a playground .  michael howard is likely to want to capitalise further on the spat when he goes head-to-head with the prime minister in the commons. at a campaign poster launch on tuesday  mr brown was joined by alan milburn  who mr blair controversially put in charge of election planning in place of the chancellor.  later this week the prime minister is due to set out the themes of his party s next election manifesto  which for the past two polls have been drawn up by the chancellor. mr brown  meanwhile  is visiting tanzania  mozambique and kenya to highlight the plight of many africans hit by aids  war and famine - issues which mr blair has also spoken out on. the prime minister and chancellor faced backbench discontent at monday s meeting of the parliamentary labour party over claims made in journalist robert peston s new book. mr blair told mps and peers:  i know from everyone here  in cabinet and government  nothing is going to get in the way of a unified labour party with a unified position and winning the third term people desperately need.  labour s paul flynn said the pair had had a  scorching  from mps.  on tuesday  deputy prime minister mr prescott told bbc news:  they told us very clearly  it was the troops telling the leaders: get in line.  the new book claims mr prescott hosted a dinner in november 2003 where the prime minister told mr brown he would stand down before the next election because he had lost trust over the iraq war. mr blair then changed his mind in june 2004  after cabinet allies intervened and amid suspicion the chancellor was manoeuvring against him  writes mr peston. in mr peston s book mr brown is alleged to have told the prime minister:  there is nothing you could ever say to me now that i could ever believe.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "row threatens hendrix museum plan proposals to open a museum dedicated to jimi hendrix are flailing because of a row over the home of his late father.  the run-down house in seattle has already been moved wholesale once and local authorities are now demanding it be moved to another site. hendrix supporters hoped to turn the home into a museum for the guitarist.  the mayor is going to go down as the mayor who destroyed jimi hendrix s house   said ray rae marshall of the james marshall hendrix foundation. the foundation moved the building  in which al hendrix lived between 1953 and 1956  when the land it was built on was to be developed for housing in 2002. now the city of seattle wants its new plot to be used for development  giving a deadline of 22 february for the home to be moved. mr goldman said the authority had promised the house could remain on its new site and be turned into a memorial and community centre. seattle officials said no such deal had been offered.   we never said   you can own this property    said john franklin  chief of its operations department.  from our perspective  it was a temporary situation. we have not threatened to demolish the house. we ve simply asked that they have to move it.  now mr goldman is calling for the authority to pay to move the building to seattle s central district  where hendrix grew up. janie hendrix  the guitarist s stepsister  said the family were still hoping the guitarist would be honoured by having a road named after him.  that s something my father really wanted to see   she said.  it would be nice if we didn t have to fight for everything to get it.  hendrix was widely considered one of the most important guitarists of his time. he died of drug overdose in 1970 at the age of 27.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "creator of first apple mac dies jef raskin  head of the team behind the first macintosh computer  has died.  mr raskin was one of the first employees at apple and made many of the design decisions that made the mac so distinctive when it was first released. he led the team that decided to use a graphical interface and mouse that let people navigate around the computer by pointing and clicking. the 1984 release of the mac reflected mr raskin s belief that good design should make computers easy to use.  mr raskin joined apple in 1978 as employee number 31  initially to lead the company s publications department. however  in 1979 he was put in charge of a small team to design a computer that lived up to his idea of a machine that was cheap  aimed at consumers rather than computer professionals and was very easy to use.  the result was the 1984 macintosh that did away with the then common text-based interface in favour of one based around graphics that resembled a virtual desktop and used folders and documents. users navigated around the machine using a mouse and by pointing  clicking and dragging. although now in common use in almost all computers  these methods were pioneering when first used in the macintosh. the gui was developed by xerox parc  and used in its star machine. but the acceptance of the interface did not truly begin until the concept was developed for use by apple in its pioneering lisa computer.  his role on the macintosh was the initiator of the project  so it wouldn t be here if it weren t for him   said andy hertzfeld  an early macintosh team member. although mr raskin drove the team that created the macintosh he did not stay at apple to see it released. in 1981 he was removed from the project following a dispute with apple s mercurial boss steve jobs. in 1982  mr raskin left apple entirely. the macintosh was reputedly named after mr raskin s favourite apple  though the name was changed slightly following a trademark dispute with another company. after leaving apple  mr raskin founded another company called information appliance and continued to work on better ways to interface with computers. he was also an accomplished musician  played three instruments and conducted san francisco s chamber opera society. mr raskin was diagnosed in december 2004 with pancreatic cancer and died on 26 february at his home in california.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "millions to miss out on the net by 2025  40% of the uk s population will still be without internet access at home  says a study.  around 23 million britons will miss out on a wide range of essential services such as education and medical information  predicts the report by telecoms giant bt. it compares to 27 million  or 50%  of the uk  who are not currently online. the idea that the digital divide will evaporate with time is  wishful thinking   the report concludes.  the study calls on the government and telecoms industry to come up with new ways to lure those that have been bypassed by the digital revolution. although the percentage of britons without home access will have fallen slightly  those that remain digital refuseniks will miss out on more  the report suggests. as more and more everyday tasks move online and offline services become less comprehensive  the divide will become more obvious and more burdensome for those that have not got net access  it predicts.  the gap between  have-nets  and  have-nots  has been much talked about  but predictions about how such a divide will affect future generations has been less discussed. bt set out to predict future patterns based on current information and taking account of the way technology is changing. optimists who predict that convergence and the emergence of more user-friendly technology will bridge the digital divide could be way off mark  the report suggests.  internet access on other devices tends to be something taken up by those who already have it   said adrian hosford  director of corporate responsibility at bt. costs of internet access have fallen dramatically and coverage in remote areas have vastly improved over the last year but the real barrier remains psychological.  there is a hard rump of have-nots who are not engaging with the net. they don t have the motivation or skills or perceive the benefits   said mr hosford.  as now  the most disadvantaged groups are likely to remain among low income families  the older generation and the disabled.  those on low incomes will account for a quarter of the digital have-nots  the disabled will make up 16% and the elderly nearly a third by 2025  the report forecasts. organisations such as bt have a responsibility to help tackle the problem  said mr hosford. the telco has seen positive results with its everybody online project which offers internet access to people in eight deprived communities around britain. in one area of cornwall with high levels of unemployment  online training helped people rewrite cvs and learn skills to get new jobs  explained mr hosford. such grassroot activity addressing the specific needs of individual communities is essential is the problem of the digital divide is to be overcome  he said.  if we don t address this problem now  it will get a lot worse and people will find it more difficult to find jobs  education opportunities will be limited and they ll simply not be able to keep up with society   he said. the alliance for digital inclusion  an independent body with members drawn from government  industry and the voluntary sector has recently been set up to tackle some of the issues faced by the digital refuseniks.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "imf  cuts  german growth estimate the international monetary fund is to cut its 2005 growth forecast for the german economy from 1.8% to 0.8%  the financial times deutschland reported.  the imf will also reduce its growth estimate for the 12-member eurozone economy from 2.2% to 1.6%  the newspaper reported. the german economy has been faltering  with unemployment levels rising to a seventy-year high of 5.2 million. its sluggish performance continues to hamper the entire eurozone.  the imf s draft world economic outlook - due to be published in april - would point to a marked deterioration in germany s economy  the ft report said.  in september  the imf had said that german growth for the current year would be 1.8%. the imf has also revised eurozone forecasts  the paper said  taking into account high oil prices  the strength of the euro and weak demand in many of the world s leading economies. europe s economic difficulties have been highlighted by the organisation for economic co-operation and development  which argued in a report published on tuesday that the continent could only achieve us living standards by freeing up its labour markets.  the eurozone does not look like it has a self-sustaining recovery   james carrick  an economist with abn amro  told the newspaper.  it is too dependant on the rest of the world.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "enron bosses in $168m payout eighteen former enron directors have agreed a $168m (\u00a389m) settlement deal in a shareholder lawsuit over the collapse of the energy firm.  leading plaintiff  the university of california  announced the news  adding that 10 of the former directors will pay $13m from their own pockets. the settlement will be put to the courts for approval next week. enron went bankrupt in 2001 after it emerged it had hidden hundreds of millions of dollars in debt.  before its collapse  the firm was the seventh biggest public us company by revenue. its demise sent shockwaves through financial markets and dented investor confidence in corporate america.   the settlement is very significant in holding these outside directors at least partially personally responsible   william lerach  the lawyer leading the class action suit against enron  said.  hopefully  this will help send a message to corporate boardrooms of the importance of directors performing their legal duties   he added. under the terms of the $168m settlement - $155m of which will be covered by insurance - none of the 18 former directors will admit any wrongdoing. the deal is the fourth major settlement negotiated by lawyers who filed a class action on behalf of enron s shareholders almost three years ago. so far  including the latest deal  just under $500m (\u00a3378.8m) has been retrieved for investors.  however  the latest deal does not include former enron chief executives ken lay and jeff skilling. both men are facing criminal charges for their alleged misconduct in the run up to the firm s collapse. neither does it cover andrew fastow  who has pleaded guilty to taking part in an illegal conspiracy while he was chief financial officer at the group. enron s shareholders are still seeking damages from a long list of other big name defendants including the financial institutions jp morgan chase  citigroup  merrill lynch and credit suisse first boston. the university of california said the trial in the case is scheduled to begin in october 2006. it joined the lawsuit in december 2001alleging  massive insider trading  and fraud  claiming it had lost $145m on its investments in the company.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "rap boss arrested over drug find rap mogul marion  suge  knight has been arrested for violating his parole after he was allegedly found with marijuana.  he was arrested in barstow  california  on saturday following an alleged traffic offence. he is expected to be transferred to a state prison while a decision is made on whether he should be released. mr knight  founder of death row records  served a 10-month jail term in 2004 for punching a man while on parole for an assault conviction. police said mr knight was stopped on saturday after performing an illegal u-turn and a search of his car allegedly found marijuana.  he is also accused of not having insurance. a 18-year-old woman in the car was arrested for providing false information and having a fake id card. she was later released. it was his second alleged violation  having previously served half of a nine-year sentence for breaking the terms of his parole. mr knight  39  was jailed in october 1996 following his involvement in a fight with a rival gang just hours before rapper tupac shakur was killed in a las vegas drive-by shooting. he was driving shakur s car at the time and was shot in the head. at the time he was on probation for assaulting two musicians. mr knight  a former bodyguard  set up death row records in the early 1990s with shakur and dr dre among his protegees. but the label has always been dogged by allegations it supports gang culture and fuels the east and west coast rap rivalry.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "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 (\u00a38.3m). 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 \u00a31 152m in 2003  according to a recent report by analysts screen digest.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "dundee utd 4-1 aberdeen dundee united eased into the semi-final of the scottish cup with an emphatic win over aberdeen.  alan archibald prodded united ahead in 19 minutes and james grady made it two from close range 10 minutes later. richie byrne s header gave aberdeen a way back into the game  but stevie crawford restored united s lead from 18 yards before half time. the scoring was completed by grady just after the break - a superb shot on the turn making it 4-1. tony bullock in the united goal was called into action for the first time with just over a quarter-of-an-hour on the clock. noel whelan laid the ball off to jamie winter on the edge of the box  but his first-time effort was gathered by the united keeper. moments later though  the home side took the lead. barry robson whipped in a free kick from the right  which stevie crawford caught on the volley. russell anderson failed to deal with it and whelan s clearance off the line landed kindly at the feet of archibald  who poked the ball into the net. united doubled their lead after 29 minutes when grady tapped the ball into an empty net after robson had headed mark wilson s cross off the angle of post and bar. but only three minutes later aberdeen clawed their way back into the match. a free kick from the left by winter was met powerfully by the head of byrne at the back post  leaving bullock helpless.  united restored their two-goal lead four minutes before the end of a highly entertaining first half. jason scotland played a perfectly-weighted pass into the path of the onrushing crawford and he coolly beat ryan esson from 18 yards. united ended the game as a contest just two minutes after the interval. grady received a pass from crawford with his back to goal on the edge of the box and after taking one touch  he spun to volley the ball past the despairing dive of esson. the home side were in complete control and it required a good stop from esson to keep out robson s drive after 62 minutes. the keeper denied the same player again 10 minutes later  beating away his fierce shot from the left of the penalty area. robson saw another long-range effort tipped round the post before a cute lob was headed off the line.  bullock  duff  wilson  ritchie  archibald  scotland (samuel 63)  brebner  kerr (cameron 87)  robson  crawford  grady.  colgan  dodds  kenneth.  brebner.  archibald 19  grady 29  crawford 41  grady 47.  esson  hart  anderson  diamond  byrne (morrison 75)  mcnaughton  heikkinen (foster 27)  winter  clark (stewart 51)  mackie  whelan.  blanchard  mcguire.  : anderson  diamond.  byrne 33.  8 661  k clark", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "ferguson rues failure to cut gap boss sir alex ferguson was left ruing manchester united s failure to close the gap on chelsea  everton and arsenal after his side s 1-1 draw with fulham.  premiership leaders chelsea and the gunners endured a 2-2 stalemate on sunday  giving united the chance to make up some ground in the league. but ferguson said:  i think what makes it so bad is that both our rivals dropped points at the weekend.  it was a great opportunity - and we haven t delivered.  united went ahead through alan smith in the 33rd minute before bouba diop s superb 25-yard strike cancelled out the visitors  lead in the 87th minute. ferguson described the result as an  absolute giveaway  after united had earlier missed a host of opportunities to finish off the encounter. he said:  it was a good performance - some of the football was fantastic - but we just didn t finish them off.  in fairness  it s a fantastic strike from the fulham player.  the result leaves ferguson s side fourth in the league on 31 points - four points behind arsenal and a further five back from chelsea.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "protect whistleblowers  tuc says the government should change the law to give more protection to employees who raise health and safety concerns about their workplaces  the tuc has said.  it said data from employment tribunals suggested 1 500  safety whistleblowers  had lost their jobs since 1999. some firms found it cheaper to sack a worker than to improve buildings or change working conditions  it said. the health and safety executive said it was trying to get workers more involved in helping to make workplaces safer. the tuc figures were drawn from unfair dismissal cases at tribunals were health and safety were the main issue.  safety representatives were often ignored when raising concerns because there was no legal duty to respond  claimed the union organisation. general secretary brendan barber said:  it shouldn t be a firing offence to object to unsafe work.  workers should not be placed in the situation where they are forced to choose between risking their job or risking their personal health and safety.  mr barber  who said the  problem is far worse than official statistics show   called for a legal system that  protects safety whistleblowers . he added that workers who are not in a union  as well as casual and migrant workers   stand little chance of redress.   rory o  neill  editor of union-backed hazards magazine  which conducted the research  said:  giving union safety reps more rights in more workplaces is the ultimate win-win.  death and injuries at work increased last year  for the second time since the turn of the century.  it would be a fatal mistake not to take full advantage of the union safety effect.  the tuc has called on the government to appoint  roving  safety reps and to increase spending on health and safety work inspections. the health and safety executive had said that it had launched an initiative to make factories and offices safer  with more worker involvement.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "mccririck out of big brother show racing pundit john mccririck has become the latest contestant to be evicted from celebrity big brother.  he was nominated to leave the channel 4 show by fellow housemates  alongside happy mondays dancer bez. at one time bez was among the most popular contestants but he has since become withdrawn and argumentative. mccririck was ordered to leave the house on monday  following jackie stallone  the actor sylvester s mother  who was first to be evicted. bez reacted badly to the news that he had been nominated by five of his fellow housemates  whilst john received four votes against him. sylvester stallone s ex-wife brigitte nielsen nominated both john and bez. she said:  bez is a difficult human being. there s something wrong with him. even though he s making an effort  he s not very happy in here.  former holby city actor jeremy edwards said he had nominated bez after he became agitated on friday night and talked about escaping over the wall to go clubbing. he said bez was being  loopy  and  stressed . according to bookmaker ladbrokes  john mccririck was 1/3 favourite to be evicted on monday while bez was at 9/4 . mccririck faced the public vote on friday and received 67% of the vote to keep him in the house  whilst jackie stallone was evicted.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "indonesia  declines debt freeze  indonesia no longer needs the debt freeze offered by the paris club group of creditors  economics minister aburizal bakrie has reportedly said.  indonesia  which originally accepted the debt moratorium offer  owes the paris club about $48bn (\u00a325.5bn). mr bakrie told the bisnis indonesia newspaper that a $1.7bn donors  aid package meant that the debt moratorium was unnecessary. this aid comes on top of a previously-pledged $3.4bn package. most of this  normal aid  would be used to finance the country s budget deficit. the indonesian economics minister explained that the money - $1.2bn in grants and $500m in soft loans - was for the rebuilding of aceh province  which was badly hit by the tsunami of 26 december. nevertheless  one of mr bakrie s deputies  mahendra siregar  told afp news agency that indonesia was still considering the offer by the paris club of rich creditor nations to temporarily suspend its debt payments.  what is true is that we are still discussing... the paris club decision to find out more details such as how much of our debt will be subject to a moratorium. that s how far we are at this stage   said mr siregar.  the 19 member countries of the paris club are owed about $5bn this year in debt repayments by nations affected by the indian ocean tsunami. indonesia  sri lanka and the seychelles accepted the paris club offer  which was criticised by some aid groups as being too little. thailand and india have however declined the offer  with thailand prefering to keep up with its payments while india said it would prefer to rely on its own resources rather than on international aid. putting off payments may lower a country s rating among financial organisations  making it more expensive and more difficult for them to borrow money in the future  analysts said. separately  the indonesian government has said it will announce monthly how much it has received in foreign donations and how it has spent the money. welfare minister alwi shihab told ap news agency that this announcement should allay suspicion of official corruption in relief operations.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "labour in constituency race row labour s choice of a white candidate for one of the uk s most multi-racial seats proves the need for all-black short lists  says a race group.  local councillor lyn brown was selected for west ham  east london  in a contest between two white and five ethnic minority women. an operation black vote spokesman said they now wanted to meet labour party chairman ian mccartney for discussions. mr mccartney recently announced party consultation on all-black shortlists. however  labour has so far unable been unable to comment on the implications of the west ham result.  ashok vishwanathan of operation black vote  which aims to increase ethnic minorities  participation in the political process and their representation  said the result again showed all-women shortlists were not effective in getting minority women selected.  i think all-black shortlists are the only way to cut to the chase and address the lack of minority candidates   mr vishwanathan said.  last month the chairman of the commission for racial equality (cre) also called for ethnic minority shortlists in certain circumstances. a cre spokesman said the organisation had nothing to add on the shortlist issue specifically but would be working with all the political parties to address the under-representation of ethnic minorities in parliament.  we will be raising it with each of the party leaders on a formal basis and helping them find the most appropriate way forward   the spokesman said. ethnic minorities make up 8% of the united kingdom population but only 2% of mps - 13 out of 659 - are from a visible minority group. twelve of them represent labour  and one is a liberal democrat. if ethnic minorities were represented in the house of commons in proportion to their numbers in the population  there would be 42 ethnic minority mps.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "baron kinnock makes lords debut former labour leader neil kinnock has officially been made a life peer during a ceremony in the house of lords.  he will be known baron kinnock of bedwellty - after his former constituency. lord kinnock - who led labour from 1983 until 1992 - was until recently one of britain s eu commissioners. a former critic of the house of lords  he has said he will use the upper house to advocate its reform and to talk on issues like higher education.  i accepted the kind invitation to enter the house of lords as a working peer for practical political reasons   he said when his peerage was first announced.  it is a good base for campaigning on national issues like education  sustainable transport  industrial change and the ageing society and global concerns  particularly poverty and oppression.  during his induction into the upper house  lord kinnock was accompanied by lords leader baroness amos and baroness royall of blaisdon  a former aide to the ex-labour leader. it has been a long journey for the new lord kinnock from his earliest days as a rebellious youngster in the south wales valleys. born in 1942 in tredegar to a miner father and nurse mother  he attended lewis boys  school in nearby pengam  known then as the  eton of the valleys . from there he went to cardiff university  where he met his future wife glenys  now a labour mep.  after a brief career as a tutor for the workers  educational association  he became an mp at the age of just 28 for his home seat of bedwellty (later islwyn). he gained a reputation as a left-wing firebrand  voting against his own labour government s spending cuts proposals in 1975  and later rejecting a junior post in james callaghan s administration. but he joined the shadow cabinet in 1980  and after labour s heavy defeat in the 1983 he was elected leader. he took on the far-left militant tendency and began the long process of returning his party to the centre ground. he was not expected to win the 1987 election  when margaret thatcher was still riding high  but was bitterly disappointed to lose the next one in 1992 to john major  and stepped down. he remained an mp until 1995  when he resigned to become european commission for transport. four years later he became vice-president of the european commission  with responsibility for internal reform. as he assumes the title of lord kinnock  he has also become chairman of the british council  which promotes the uk s reputation for arts  science and education.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "doors open at biggest gadget fair thousands of technology lovers and industry experts have gathered in las vegas for the annual consumer electronics show (ces).  the fair showcases the latest technologies and gadgets that will hit the shops in the next year. about 50 000 new products will be unveiled as the show unfolds. microsoft chief bill gates is to make a pre-show keynote speech on wednesday when he is expected to announce details of the next generation xbox.  the thrust of this year s show will be on technologies which put people in charge of multimedia content so they can store  listen to  and watch what they want on devices any time  anywhere. about 120 000 people are expected to attend the trade show which stretches over more than 1.5 million square feet. highlights will include the latest trends in digital imaging  storage technologies  thinner flat screen and high-definition tvs  wireless and portable technologies  gaming  and broadband technologies. the show also includes several speeches from key technology companies such as intel  microsoft  and hewlett packard among others.  the story this year remains all about digital and how that is completely transforming and revolutionising products and the way people interact with them   jeff joseph  from the consumer electronics association (cea) told the bbc news website.  it is about personalisation - taking your mp3 player and creating your own playlist  taking your digital video recorder and watch what you want to watch when - you are no longer at the whim of the broadcasters.   consumer electronics and gadgets had a phenomenal year in 2004  according to figures released by ces organisers  the cea  on tuesday. the gadget explosion signalled the strongest growth yet in the us in 2004. shipments of consumer electronics rose by almost 11% between 2003 and 2004. that trend is predicted to continue  according to cea analysts  with wholesale shipments of consumer technologies expected to grow by 11% again in 2005. the fastest-growing technologies in 2004 included blank dvd media  liquid crystal display (lcd) tvs  digital video recorders (dvrs)  and portable music players.  this year we will really begin to see that come to life in what we call place shifting - so if you have your pvr [personal video recorder] in your living room  you can move that content around the house.  some exhibitors will be showcasing how you can take that content anywhere   said mr joseph. he said the products which will be making waves in the next year will be about the  democratisation  of content - devices and technologies that will give people the freedom to do more with music  video  and images. there will also be more focus on the design of technologies  following the lead that apple s ipod made  with ease of use and good looks which appeal to a wider range of people a key concern.  the cea predicted that there would be several key technology trends to watch in the coming year. gaming would continue to thrive  especially on mobile devices  and would reach out to more diverse gamers such as women. games consoles sales have been declining  but the launch of next generation consoles  such as microsoft s xbox and playstation  could buoy up sales. although it has been widely predicted that mr gates would be showcasing the new xbox  some media reports have cast doubt on what he would be talking about in the keynote. some have suggested the announcement may take place at the games developers conference in the summer instead. with more than 52% of us homes expected to have home networks  the cea suggested hard drive boxes - or media servers - capable of storing thousands of images  video and audio files to be accessed through other devices around the home  will be more commonplace. portable devices that combine mobile telephony  digital music and video players  will also be more popular in 2005. their popularity will be driven by more multimedia content and services which will let people watch and listen to films  tv  and audio wherever they are. this means more storage technologies will be in demand  such as external hard drives  and flash memory like sd cards. ces runs officially from 6 to 9 january.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "yelling takes cardiff hat-trick european cross-country champion hayley yelling completed a hat-trick of wins in the reebok cardiff cross challenge in bute park on sunday afternoon.  the part-time maths teacher beat irish international jolene byrne by 40 metres in the six-kilometre race. another great britain international  louise damen  finished third as part of the contingent representing england. peter riley  who secured bronze for the gb men s team at last month s european championships  won the men s 9km race. riley  representing england  moved away over the last two kilometres to win by 25 metres from ireland s gary murray. glynn tromans - the reigning uk inter-countries and england cross-country champion - came in third place as he continues his comeback from a five-month injury lay-off.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "weak dollar hits reuters revenues at media group reuters slipped 11% during 2004  mainly due to the weakness of the dollar  the group said.  the company said it was optimistic about growth even as revenues slipped 11% from \u00a33.24bn ($6.13bn) in 2003 to \u00a32.89bn in 2004. reuters beat profit forecasts  posting a 52% rise in profits for the year to \u00a3198m from the \u00a3130m seen a year earlier. reuters also beat its savings target for 2004  delivering \u00a3234m of cuts. under its three-year fast forward turnaround plan it had aimed to save \u00a3220m during the 12 months to 31 december.  reuters also managed to slow a decline in underlying revenues to 5.4% from 10.2% in 2003 and cut its debt back to \u00a3160m from \u00a3610m a year earlier. the news and financial data seller said the year had begun well  adding it expected  further gradual improvement  in the second quarter of the year after good january sales. it added it was planning to deliver a further \u00a3105m of savings over the coming year - but said it expects to be hit with an \u00a380m restructuring charge to pay for the cost of moving from fleet street to new headquarters in london at canary wharf.  improving customer relationships  more competitive products and continued strong cost discipline position us well for 2005   chief executive tom glocer said  adding the company was beginning  to look beyond recovery to growth .", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "what high-definition will do to dvds first it was the humble home video  then it was the dvd  and now hollywood is preparing for the next revolution in home entertainment - high-definition.  high-definition gives incredible  3d-like pictures and surround sound. the dvd disks and the gear to play them will not be out for another year or so  and there at are still a number of issues to be sorted out. but when high-definition films do come out on the new format dvds  it will profoundly change home entertainment. for rick dean  director of business development for digital content company thx  a high-definition future is an exciting prospect. he has worked on the star wars dvd trilogy  finding nemo  the incredibles and indiana jones.  there was a time not so long ago when the film world and the video world were two completely separate worlds   he told the bbc news website.   the technology we are dealing with now means they are very much conjoined.  the film that we see in theatres is coming from the same digital file that we take the home video master   he says. but currently  putting a master feature film onto dvd requires severe compression because current dvd technology cannot hold as much as high-definition films demand.  as much as you compress the picture data rate wise  you also take qualities away from the picture that we fight so hard to keep in the master   he explains.  i would love to be able to show people what projects that we worked on really look like in the high-def world and i find it very exciting.   high-definition dvds can hold up to six times more data than the dvds we are used to. it will take time though to persuade people who spent money on dvd players to buy the different players and displays required to watch high-definition dvds in 18 months  time. mr dean is confident though:  i think if they see real hd [high-definition]  not some heavily compressed version of it  there is such a remarkable difference.  i have heard comments from people who say the images pop off the screen.   high-definition will mean some changes for those working behind the scenes too. on the whole  producing films for high-definition dvds will be easier in some ways because less compression is needed. equally  it may mean hollywood studios ask for more to be put onto the average dvd.  when we master movies right now  our data rates are running at about 1.2 gigabits per second   says mr dean.  our dvds that we put out today have to be squashed down to about five or six megabits per second.  that s a huge amount of compression that has to be applied - about 98%. so if you have anything that allows more space  you don t have to compress so hard.  studios could fit a lot more marketing material  games  and features  onto high-capacity dvds. currently  an entire dvd project can take up to three months  says mr dean. although the step of down-converting will be bypassed  this will realistically only save a day s work  says mr dean. one of the most time consuming elements is building dvd navigation and menu systems. on the fairly complex star wars disks  making sure the menu buttons worked took 45 human hours alone. if studios want to cash in on the extra space  it could mean extra human hours  for which someone has to pay.  if the decision on the studio side is that they are going to put a lot more on these disks  it could be more expensive because of all the extra navigation that is required.  and if studios do focus on delivering more  added value content   thinks mr dean  ultimately it could mean that they will want more money for it. those costs could filter down to the price ticket on a high-definition dvd. but if the consumer is not willing to pay a premium price  studios will listen  thinks mr dean.  high-definition throws up other challenge to film makers and dvd production alike. more clarity on screen means film makers have to make doubly sure that attention to detail is meticulous.  when we did the first hd version of star wars episode i  everybody was very sun-tanned  but that was make-up.  in the hd version of episode i  all these make-up lines showed up   explains mr dean. the restoration of the older star wars episodes revealed some interesting items too.   there are scans of a corridor [on the death star] and fairly plainly in one of those shots  there is a file cabinet stuck behind one of the doorways.  you never used to be able to see it because things are just blurred enough during the pan that you just didn t see it.  what high-definition revolution ultimately means is that the line between home entertainment and cinema worlds will blur. with home theatre systems turning living rooms into cinemas  this line blurs even further. it could also mean that how we get films  and in what format  will widen.  in the future we are going to look towards file delivery over ip [internet protocol - broadband]  giving a dvd-like experience from the set-top box to the hard drive   says mr dean. but that is some time off for most  and for now  people still like to show off something physical in their bookshelves.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "gallas sees two-horse race chelsea s william gallas believes they will battle it out with arsenal for the premiership in the coming months.   it ll be a two-horse race all the way to the end of the season because we are both going to give it everything   he told bbc sport.  you need to be good and you need a lot of luck. you need a bit of both but it will be as hard for the arsenal players as it is for the chelsea boys.   we know that we have got the power in our hands just now   added gallas.   but you never know what is going to happen in football - two seasons ago manchester united picked up so many points towards the end of the season when they won the title.  obviously  nobody at chelsea wants to come second but you never know what happens in football.  we will be challenging to come first as much as every arsenal player will be challenging to come first.  gallas has been given extra confidence by the impact manager jose mourinho has had since taking over as manager during the summer.  and the french international defender believes mourinho is perfectly suited to boss the squad of chelsea stars and says his managerial expertise will prevent any player revolt.  it s only normal when you have got a team put together of such big names that you put the finishing touch to it and the finishing touch at chelsea is a fantastic manager like mourinho   he said.  he is the icing on the cake at the club. he has this fantastic knack of thinking of everything.  another incredible quality that mourinho has is that every player  even though the fans may consider them to be a stars  within the dressing-room they are absolutely equal.  mourinho reminds everyone but he doesn t have to because he has created a wonderful atmosphere where everybody is playing and laughing every day.  it is a changed dressing-room from the atmosphere there was last year.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "blogger grounded by her airline a us airline attendant is fighting for her job after she was suspended over postings on her blog  or online diary.  queen of the sky  otherwise known as ellen simonetti  evolved into an anonymous semi-fictional account of life in the sky. but after she posted pictures of herself in uniform  delta airlines suspended her indefinitely without pay. ms simonetti was told her suspension was a result of  inappropriate  images. delta airlines declined to comment.   i was really shocked  i had no warning   ms simonetti told bbc news online.  i never thought i would get in trouble because of the blog. i thought if they had a problem  someone would have said something before taking action.  the issue has highlighted concerns amongst the growing blogging community about conflicts of interest  employment law and free speech on personal websites. ms simonetti was suspended on 25 september pending an investigation and has since lodged a complaint with the us equal employment opportunity commission (eeoc). a spokesperson for delta airlines told bbc news online:  all i can tell you is we do not discuss internal employee issues with the media.  she added she could not say whether a similar situation over personal websites had occurred in the past.  ms simonetti started her personal blog in january to help her get over her mother s death. she had ensured she made no mention of which airline she worked for  and created fictional names for cities and companies. the airline s name was changed to anonymous airline and the city in which she was based was called quirksville. a large part of the blog contained fictional stories because queen of the sky developed over the months as a character in her own right  according to ms simonetti.  the images were taken from a digital camera she had inherited from her mother.  we often take pictures on flight or on layovers. i just though why not include them on my blog for fun.  i never meant it as something to harm my company and don t understand how they think it did harm them   ms simonetti said. she has also claimed that pictures of male delta airline employees in uniform are freely available on the web. of the 10 or so images on the site  only one showed ms simonetti s flight  wings .  they did not tell me which pictures they had a problem with. i am just assuming it was the one of me posing on seats where my skirt rode up   she said. the images were removed as soon as she learned she had been suspended. as far as ms simonetti knows  there is no company anti-blogging policy. there is guidance which suggests the company uniform cannot be used without approval from management  but use in personal pictures on websites is unclear.  jeffrey matsuura  director of the law and technology programme at the university of dayton  said personal websites can be hazardous for both employers and their employees.  there are many examples of employees who have presented some kind of material online that have gotten them in trouble with employers   he said. it was crucial that any policy about what was and what was not acceptable was expressed clearly  was reasonable  and enforced fairly in company policy.  you have to remember that as an employee  you don t have total free speech anymore   he said. mr matsuura added that some companies actively encouraged employees to blog.  one of the areas where it does become a problem is that they encourage this when it suits them  but they may not be particularly clear when they [employees] do cross the line.  he speculated that delta might be concerned that the fictional content on the blog may be linked back to the airline after the images of ms simonetti in uniform were posted.  whether or not that is successful will depend on what exactly is prohibited  and whether you can reasonably say this content now crosses that line   he said. ms simonetti said her suspension has caused two of her friends to discontinue their blogs. one of them was asked to stop blogging by his company before any action was taken.  if they had asked me just take down the blog  i would have done it  but that was not been given to me as an option   she said.  this blogging thing is obviously a new problem for employers and they need to get a policy about it. if i had known it would cost me my job  i would not have done that.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "campaign  cold calls  questioned labour and the conservatives are still telephoning the millions of people who have signed up to make sure they do not get marketing  cold calls .  the parties say they can stick to the rules by ensuring that their calls are not marketing - for instance by asking about people s voting intentions. the lib dems are asking the watchdog overseeing the rules to stop the calls. the information commissioner s office says surveys are allowed but there is a  grey  area if personal data is kept. telephone call centres are expected to be used as never before by all the three major parties in the run-up to the general election.  but seven million telephone numbers are on the telephone preference service (tps) lists  which ban unsolicited sales and marketing calls. both schemes are run by the direct marketing association and backed by eu directives on privacy and electronic communications.  the rules on marketing calls apply as much to politicians as to private sector companies. but that does not mean labour and the tories are not calling people signed up to the tps. a labour party spokesman told the bbc news website the party avoided those on tps lists when telephoning people about membership or fundraising. but that did not happen for  voter identification  calls.  when we ask which party they will vote for  that is not marketing and we have very clear legal advice that it is not   he said.  so it is not covered by the telephone preference service.   he said the party always asked people if they would be happy to be contacted again and if they said no  they were not rung again. a conservative spokeswoman said the party stuck to the rules when it rang tps subscribers. she said:  we do apply tps but in line with the law. we would not do things that are not allowed in the law.  a spokesman for the information commissioner s office said it would be classed as marketing if political parties telephoned people to encourage them to vote for them. but the rules did allow polling organisations to telephone people about their voting intentions if they recorded them only as part of a bigger set of statistics  not person by person.  if a political party was doing that than it may be that also would not be marketing   he said.  the spokesman said it might be considered unsolicited marketing if a party recorded voting preferences with a view to marketing information in the future. the spokesman said there was  no yes or no  answer and the area was  pretty grey . he added:  if someone complained  then we would investigate that. political parties are aware of the regulations. at the last by-elections  we reminded them.  lib dem chairman matthew taylor has now written to the watchdog saying:  the advice we have received on several previous occasions is that such phone calls are illegal.  he says evidence from local lib dem parties around the country suggests there are  significant  numbers of such calls.  i hope you can therefore take swift and efficient action to ensure that this ceases   he tells the commissioner. mr taylor argues there should be new guidelines so all parties can act in the same way if the watchdog believes the rules allow parties to ring tps numbers about voting intentions and later urge those people to vote for them.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "web helps collect aid donations the web is helping aid agencies gather resources to help cope with the aftermath of the tsunami disaster.  many people are making donations via websites or going online to see how they can get involved with aid efforts. high-profile web portals such as google  yahoo  ebay and amazon are gathering links that lead people to aid and relief organisations. so many were visiting some aid-related sites that some webpages were struggling to cope with the traffic. an umbrella organisation called the disasters emergency committee (dec) has been set up by a coalition of 12 charities and has been taking many donations via its specially created website. it urged people to go online where possible to help because donations could be processed more quickly than cash donated in other ways  meaning aid could be delivered as quickly as possible. the site has so far received almost \u00a38 million  with more than 11 000 donations being made online every hour.  telco bt stepped in to take over the secure payments on the dec site and provided extra logistical support for phone and online appeals after it was initially crippled with online donations. it has also provided space in london s bt tower for one of the call centres dealing with donations.  some of the web s biggest firms are also helping to channel help by modifying their homepages to include links to aid agencies and organisations collecting resources. on its famously sparse homepage google has placed a link that leads users to a list of sites where donations can be made. among the 17 organisations listed are oxfam  medecins sans frontieres (doctors without borders) and network for good. many of the sites that google lists are also taking online donations. online retailer amazon has put a large message on its start page that lets people donate money directly to the american red cross that will be used with relief efforts. auction site ebay is giving a list of sites that people can either donate directly to  divert a portion of their profits from anything they sell on ebay to the listed organisations or simply buy items that direct cash to those in the list. yahoo is proving links direct to charities for those that want to donate. the auction drop website is asking people to donate old digital cameras  computers and other gadgets they no longer want that can be auction to raise cash for the aid effort. sadly  the outpouring of goodwill has also encouraged some conmen to try to cash in. anti-fraud organisations are warning about e-mails that are starting to circulate which try to convince people to send money directly to them rather than make donations via aid agencies. those wanting to give cash were urged to use legitimate websites of charities and aid agencies.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "adriano s chelsea link rejected adriano s agent gilmar rinaldi has insisted that he has had no contact with chelsea over the striker.  chelsea were reported to have made inquiries about inter milan s 22-year-old brazilian star. rinaldi told bbc sport from rio de janeiro:  i can assure you that chelsea have had no dealings whatsoever with either me or adriano.  parma and real madrid are interested but there s nothing new there. their interest has been known for some time.  adriano has scored 14 goals in 20 serie a appearances this season. and chelsea boss jose mourinho had claimed that he was in milan talking to adriano on the day he is alleged to have held a clandestine meeting with arsenal defender ashley cole. mourinho said he was  just practising my portuguese with him because i don t need strikers . rinaldi told bbc sport:  i have to say that nobody from chelsea or any other london club has contacted me.  if they want to  that s fine. i can tell them what the situation is.  if chelsea are interested then they must make an offer.  inter are reported to have slapped a price tag in the region of \u00a340m on the head of adriano  who joined them just over a year ago from parma. real madrid view him as a natural replacement for compatriot ronaldo. but rinaldi said:  i cannot give you a price that inter would accept for adriano. that s something that would have to be negotiated between the interested clubs.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "ferguson fears milan cutting edge manchester united manager sir alex ferguson said his side s task against ac milan would not be made any easier by the absence of andriy shevchenko.  milan s talismanic european footballer of the year misses wednesday s champions league first-leg tie after fracturing his cheekbone.  it s a loss (to milan)  but it could be worse if they didn t have such quality to bring in   ferguson said.  how much they miss him i think they ll know tomorrow night.  ferguson said milan s front line would still represent a formidable challenge for his defenders.  they can play rui costa and play kaka forward. they can bring serginho in and they can play (jon dahl) tomasson   he said. ferguson s own goalscoring talisman ruud van nistelrooy is fit again  but the scot admitted he was unsure whether to start the dutchman  who has not played for three months.   ruud is the best striker in europe. what i have to judge is whether he will struggle with the early pace after being out for so long   he said.  his ability puts him in with a big shout but it is a major decision.  ferguson  though  is confident his young players  particularly wayne rooney and cristiano ronaldo  are up to the task.  we have an opportunity to win this cup this year  no question about that   he declared.  with the maturity we see every week in ronaldo and rooney  the return of van nistelrooy and the form of roy keane  paul scholes and ryan giggs  we must have a fantastic chance.  it is a view shared by rooney  who believes  if we can get past milan  we have a great chance .  as soon as i knew we were playing milan  i got excited. looking at the draw  it is anyone s trophy but we have every chance.  hopefully  we can get to that final in turkey and bring the cup back to manchester.  milan coach carlo ancelotti said his team were looking forward to returning to the venue where they lifted europe s most prestigious club title two seasons ago. milan beat juventus in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 tie at old trafford and ancelotti said:  we are all very happy to return (to old trafford) to play in the champions league and this will give us great motivation.  ancelotti said he was aware of the threat united posed to his hopes of champions league glory.  it s fundamental that we don t allow them to take control of the game. our intention is not to adapt to their play but to play our game   he said.  they have great quality in attack  they use the wings a lot and we will have to make sure we stop them.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "online games play with politics after bubbling under for some time  online games broke through onto the political arena in 2004.  the us presidential election provided a showcase for many  aimed at talking directly to a generation that has grown up with joysticks and gamepads. experts say this reflects how video games are becoming a mainstream part of culture and society. the first official political campaign game was technically launched during the last week of 2003: the iowa game  commissioned by the democrat hopeful howard dean. more than 20 followed suit  including frontrunner  elections  president forever and the political machine  which allowed players to run an entire presidential campaign  including having to cope with the media. others helped raise the stakes during the bush/kerry contest by highlighting a candidate s virtues or his vices.  the phenomenon has astonished the forefathers of political games  a handful of multi-discipline games enthusiasts keen to push frontiers.   when i started researching political games at the university  about five years ago  i thought it was going to be something that would take decades to happen   said gonzalo frasca  computer games specialist at the information technology university of copenhagen.  i must admit that i was the first person to be surprised at seeing how fast they have evolved   added the uruguayan-born researcher  who has so far created games for two political campaigns. many artists and designers are experimenting with this form of gaming with an agenda in projects such as newsgaming.com. the aim is to comment on international news events via games.  the ability of games to simulate reality makes them a powerful modelling tool to interact with actual situations in an original way.   video games generate strong reactions mainly because they are new  but also because our culture needs to learn how to deal with simulation   mr frasca told the bbc news website. this was the case with the one he created for a political party in uruguay  cambiemos  an online puzzle game that offered a view on how the country s problems could be solved by working together.  it s up to us to explore what we can learn from ourselves through play and video games.  ultimately  dr frasca sees games as a small laboratory where we can play with our hopes  fears and beliefs.  children learn a lot about the world through play. there is no reason why we adults should stop doing it as we grow up.   but experts estimate it will still take at least about a decade until this new breed of video gaming communication become a common tool for political campaigns.  this is hardly surprising  compared to other forms of mass media like the worldwide web. only a few years ago  most politicians did not have a webpage  while now it is almost a must-have. dr frasca said:  political campaigns will continue to experiment with video games. they represent a new tool of communication that can reach a younger audience in a language that can clearly speak to them.   it will not replace other forms of political propaganda  but it will integrate itself on to the media ecology of political campaigns.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "mci shares climb on takeover bid shares in us phone company mci have risen on speculation that it is in takeover talks.  the wall street journal reported on thursday that qwest has bid $6.3bn (\u00a33.4bn) for mci. other firms have also expressed an interest in mci  the second-largest us long-distance phone firm  and may now table rival bids  analysts said. shares in mci  which changed its name from worldcom when it emerged from bankruptcy  were up 2.4% at $20.15. press reports suggest that qwest and mci may reach an agreement as early as next week  although rival bids may muddy the waters. the largest us telephone company verizon has previously held preliminary merger discussions with mci  reuters quoted sources as saying.  consolidation in the us telecommunications industry has picked up in the past few months as companies look to cut costs and boost client bases. a merger between mci and qwest would be the fifth billion-dollar telecoms deal since october. last week  sbc communications agreed to buy its former parent and phone trailblazer at&t for about $16bn. competition has intensified and fixed-line phone providers such as mci and at&t have seen themselves overtaken by rivals. buying mci would give qwest  a local phone service provider  access to mci s global network and business-based subscribers. mci also offers internet services.  mci was renamed after it emerged from chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in april last year. it hit the headlines as worldcom in 2002 after admitting it illegally booked expenses and inflated profits. the scandal was a key factor in a global slide in share prices and the reverberations are still being felt today. shareholders lost about $180bn when the company collapsed  while 20 000 workers lost their jobs. former worldcom boss bernie ebbers is currently on trial  accused of overseeing an $11bn fraud.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "intel unveils laser breakthrough intel has said it has found a way to put a silicon-based laser on a chip  raising hopes of much faster networks.  scientists at intel have overcome a fundamental problem that before now has prevented silicon being used to generate and amplify laser light. the breakthrough should make it easier to interconnect data networks with the chips that process the information. the intel researchers said products exploiting the breakthrough should appear by the end of the decade.   we ve overcome a fundamental limit   said dr mario paniccia  director of intel s photonics technology lab. writing in the journal nature  dr paniccia - and colleagues haisheng rong  richard jones  ansheng liu  oded cohen  dani hak and alexander fang - show how they have made a continuous laser from the same material used to make computer processors. currently  says dr paniccia  telecommunications equipment that amplifies the laser light that travels down fibre optic cables is very expensive because of the exotic materials  such as gallium arsenide  used to make it.  telecommunications firms and chip makers would prefer to use silicon for these light-moving elements because it is cheap and many of the problems of using it in high-volume manufacturing have been solved.  we re trying to take our silicon competency in manufacturing and apply it to new areas   said dr paniccia. while work has been done to make some of the components that can move light around  before now silicon has not successfully been used to generate or amplify the laser light pulses used to send data over long distances. this is despite the fact that silicon is a much better amplifier of light pulses than the form of the material used in fibre optic cables. this improved amplification is due to the crystalline structure of the silicon used to make computer chips. dr paniccia said that the structure of silicon meant that when laser light passed through it  some colliding photons rip electrons off the atoms within the material.  it creates a cloud of electrons sitting in the silicon and that absorbs all the light   he said. but the intel researchers have found a way to suck away these errant electrons and turn silicon into a material that can both generate and amplify laser light. even better  the laser light produced in this way can  with the help of easy-to-make filters  be tuned across a very wide range of frequencies. semi-conductor lasers made before now have only produced light in a narrow frequency ranges. the result could be the close integration of the fibre optic cables that carry data as light with the computer chips that process it. dr paniccia said the work was the one of several steps needed if silicon was to be used to make components that could carry and process light in the form of data pulses.  it s a technical validation that it can work   he said.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "toxic web links help virus spread virus writers have begun using the power of the web to spread their malicious wares.  a windows virus called bofra is turning infected machines into distributors of its malicious code. those clicking on the poisoned links in e-mail messages sent out by infected machines may fall victim to the virus. the trick is being used to prevent the progam being caught by anti-virus software that combs through code contained in e-mail attachments.  the virus that uses this trick is called bofra and the first member of the family of worms appeared on 10 november. they exploit a windows vulnerability that was discovered only a few days earlier.  like many other recent viruses  bofra plunders the address book in microsoft outlook for e-mail addresses and scours other files on an infected machine for fresh target addresses. the virus uses its own mail sending software to despatch e-mail messages to potential victims but  unlike many other recent viruses  does not itself travel via mail. instead the body of the mail messages sent out contain fake weblinks that  when clicked on  connect back to the machine that distributed that e-mail. essentially  bofra turns infected machines into small web servers that happily dole out copies of the virus. the messages try to trick people into clicking on the links by promising pornographic videos and images or by posing as payment confirmation for a paypal transaction.  copies of the messages seen by the bbc news website had bright yellow and green backgrounds. those clicking on the links will inadvertently download the bofra virus which will then start searching for new addresses to send itself to. filtering firm clearswift said this tactic of creating thousands of mini web servers was designed to help the virus spread quickly and avoid attempts to shut it down. in the past other malicious programs have relied on a single web server that downloads viral code to target machines. shutting down this central server usually stops the virus spreading.  clearswift said that fact that no viral code travels in the e-mail messages sent out by machines infected by bofra could hamper effects to limit its spread. finnish anti-virus firm f-secure said that  so far  it had not seen many copies of the bofra virus and its variants in circulation.  tim warner  spokesman for anti-virus firm finjan  said:  you have people getting very creative now to deliver the virus and get it propagating.  mr warner said organisations needed to prepare deep defences to keep out the modern form of malicious mobile code.  most firms have secured their e-mail gateway   said mr warner   but the irony is that most of them let malicious content through the web gateways.  he said behavioural systems that monitor what users do can help to spot when viruses have penetrated organisations and have started hunting for other victims. the bofra family of viruses  which were originally thought to be offshoots of the mydoom bug  can infect machines running windows 2000  95  98  me  nt  xp and server 2003. users running windows xp that have applied the sp2 update are not vulnerable to the loophole that bofra exploits.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "bad weather hits nestle sales a combination of bad weather  rising raw material costs and the sluggish european economy has hit sales at swiss food and drink giant nestle.  revenue dipped 1.4% to 86.7bn swiss francs ($74.6bn; \u00a339.1bn) in 2004 as sales of ice cream and mineral water were dampened by the wet summer. however  nestle s profits margins were helped by a strong performance in the americas and china. nestle is to raise its dividend by 11% after paying back some of its debt.  nestle said that the strength of the swiss franc against the us dollar  the disposal of businesses and challenging trading conditions in europe all dented sales. a poor summer across the continent - in contrast to the prolonged heat wave in 2003 -  severely affected  demand for ice cream. sales of bottled water also fell  although chocolate  coffee  frozen goods and petcare products performed better.  elsewhere  nestle said it had enjoyed an  exceptional  year in north america  outperforming the market in terms of sales growth. nestle added that it had performed strongly in africa and asia despite the impact of high oil prices and political instability. nestle s total earnings before interest remained broadly flat over the past year  despite the company managing to boost profit margins. as well as increasing its dividend  nestle plans to buy back shares worth 1bn swiss francs ($861m; \u00a3451m). looking forward  nestle forecasts organic earnings growth of about 5% in 2005  although it warned that trading would remain just as competitive.  uncertainty remains over the future of perrier  the iconic french mineral water owned by nestle. perrier has been locked in a long-standing dispute with unions about productivity levels at the business  which has lead nestle to consider selling the firm.  the option of selling is perrier is still on the table   chief executive peter brabeck-letmathe confirmed on thursday.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "mourinho to escape fa charge chelsea boss jose mourinho will not face any football association action over the comments he made after their carling cup tie with manchester united.  mourinho intimated that united boss sir alex ferguson influenced referee neale barry after the duo walked down the tunnel together at half-time. but an fa spokesman told bbc sport:  we are not taking action over mourinho.  we have looked at the comments and we have decided that no further action is required. that is the end of it.  mourinho was concerned that ferguson s conversation with barry was followed by an inconsistent display by the official.  i see one referee in the first half and another in the second   said mourinho.  if the fa ask me what happened  i will tell them. what i saw and felt made it easier to understand a few things.   maybe when i turn 60 and have been managing in the same league for 20 years and have the respect of everybody i will have the power to speak to people and make them tremble a little bit.  the referee controlled the game in one way during the first half but in the second they had dozens of free-kicks. it was fault after fault  dive after dive.  but i know the referee did not walk to the dressing rooms alone at half-time. he should only have had his two assistants and the fourth official with him  but there was also someone else.  referees chief keith hackett believes mourinho should retract his comments about ferguson and barry as he believes the blues boss has questioned their integrity.  i m hoping he might reconsider his comments  unfortunately this is the nature of the game   said hackett.  i don t want referees or myself getting in the psychological warfare between two managers. for the second leg we have an experienced referee  and we should be talking about the quality of that game rather than the refereeing.  sometimes managers have grounds for comments  and i note that  but a referees integrity has been questioned  that is offensive and should be avoided. mr mourinho should look at the facts.  mourinho added that the match was entertaining for a goalless draw and insisted his team could still reach the final.  it s 0-0  so if we win we go through and if we get a draw we go to extra time   he said.  we have exactly the same chance we had before this game.  we are confident of getting a result but we know what manchester united is  a footballing power. it ll be difficult for us  but also for them.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "market unfazed by aurora setback as the aurora limped back to its dock on 20 january  a blizzard of photos and interviews seemed to add up to an unambiguous tale of woe.  the ship had another slice of bad luck to add to its history of health scares and technical trouble. and its owner  p&o cruises - now part of the huge us carnival corporation - was looking at a significant slice chopped off this year s profits and a potential pr fiasco. no-one  however  seems to have told the stock markets. the warning of a five-cent hit to 2005 earnings came just 24 hours after one of the world s biggest investment banks had upped its target for carnival s share price  from \u00a335 to \u00a336.20. other investors barely blinked  and by 1300 gmt carnival s shares in london were down a single penny  or 0.03%  at \u00a332.26.  why the mismatch between the public perception and the market s response   the aurora issue had been an ongoing one for some time   says deutsche bank s simon champion.  it was clearly a source of uncertainty for the company - it was a long cruise  after all. but the stock market is very good at treating these issues as one-off events.   despite its string of bad luck  he pointed out  aurora is just one vessel in a large carnival fleet  the uk s p&o princess group having been merged into the much larger us firm in 2003. and generally speaking  carnival has a reputation for keeping its ships pretty much on schedule.  carnival has an incredibly strong track record   mr champion.  similarly  analysts expect the impact on the rest of the cruise business to be limited. the hundreds of disappointed passengers who have now had to give up the opportunity to spend the next three months on the aurora have got both a refund and a credit for another cruise. that should mitigate some of the pr risk  both for carnival and its main competitor  royal caribbean.  while not common  cancellations for technical reasons are not entirely unusual in the industry   wrote analysts from citigroup smith barney in a note to clients on friday.  moreover  such events typically have a limited impact on bookings and pricing for future cruises.  after all  the aurora incident may be big news in the uk - but for carnival customers elsewhere it s unlikely to make too much of a splash.  assuming that citigroup is right  and demand stays solid  the structure of the industry also works in carnival s favour. in the wake of p&o princess s takeover by carnival  the business is now to a great extent a duopoly. given the expense of building  outfitting and running a cruise ship   slowing supply growth  is a certainty  said david anders at merrill lynch on thursday. in other words  if you do want a cruise  your options are limited. and with carnival remaining the market leader  it looks set to keep selling the tickets - no matter what happens to the ill-fated aurora in the future.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "wales coach elated with win mike ruddock paid tribute to his wales side after they came from 15-6 down to beat france 24-18 in the six nations.   after going two tries down in 12 minutes we had to show character   said the national team coach.  i didn t have to tell them anything at half-time because those players have stared down the barrel of a gun before.  they decided they didn t want to do that again and came out fighting. it was a great team effort and we showed great character to come back.  man-of-the-match stephen jones  who kicked three penalties  a drop goal and conversion  was ecstatic following after the win at stade de france.   it s just a special moment. two years ago we didn t win a single game in the six nations. but we re a very happy camp now   he said.  we worked hard as a squad and i m a proud welshman. we ve got hard matches to come  so we re just happy with the start.  double try scorer martyn williams was keen not to talk about a possible grand slam for wales.  we ve got more self-belief these days. two or three years ago we might have collapsed after going behind so early.  there s no mention of a grand slam among the players. we ve got a tough game against scotland at murrayfield. they could bring us crashing down to earth.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "us actor ossie davis found dead us actor ossie davis has been found dead at the age of 87.  davis  who was married to actress ruby dee  was found dead on friday in his hotel room in miami beach  florida  where he was making a film. davis  whose 65-year career included credits as a producer  director  actor and writer for stage and screen  was also a civil rights activist. miami beach police spokesman bobby hernandez said the cause of death appeared to be natural.  davis s body was discovered by his grandson and paramedics at the shore club hotel in miami beach  where the actor had been shooting the film retirement. mr hernandez said:  after gaining entry  they found mr davis had passed away.  the cause of death appears to be natural. according to his grandson he was suffering from heart disease.  some of davis s best known roles included the joe louis story and gone are the days - a film he adapted from his own play  purlie victorious. he also appeared in 7 spike lee movies  including school daze  do the right thing and jungle fever.  his film debut  in 1950  was in the film no way out  starring sydney poitier and ruby dee. davis and dee were married for more than 56 years and together received kennedy center honours in 2004 for their body of work. the actors  equity association issued a statement calling davis  an icon in the american theatre  and he and dee  american treasures . davis was also a prominent figure in the civil rights movement and was a voice for racial equality. he was a featured speaker at the funerals of both martin luther king jnr and malcolm x. besides dee  davis is survived by three children nora  hasna and guy  a blues artist  and seven grandchildren.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "ban hits half-life 2 pirates hard about 20 000 people have been banned from playing the half-life 2 game.  game maker valve shut down the online accounts of the players because it had evidence that their copy of the game had been obtained illegally. copies of half-life 2 had been circulating on file-sharing systems soon after it was officially released. experts said the success of the half-life 2 anti-piracy system might tempt other game makers into creating their own version.  half-life 2 was officially released on 16 november but before gamers could get to grips with the long-awaited title they were forced to authenticate their copy of the game online. authentication involved setting up an account with valve s gaming community system called steam and letting that check which copy of the game was being run.  in a statement detailing the banning of the accounts valve said this system helped identify who had got hold of pirated copies.  the method used was extremely easy for valve to trace and confirm  and so there is no question that the accounts disabled were used to try and illegally obtain half-life 2   read the statement. valve spokesman doug lombardi said that the company had not yet released sales figures for the game and would not say what proportion of all steam players the 20 000 represented. one effect of steam s popularity has been to limit the copies of the game sold in shops and artificially depress the game s ranking in the top ten. even so the title debuted at no 3 in the uk charts. valve also said that a small number of accounts were closed because people were using stolen credit cards to buy copies of the game or were using stolen steam accounts. some of those who have been banned by the move protested their innocence in the online forums on the main steam site and said they were being punished for what other people did with their account.  some contributors to the forums wondered if the action might force more piracy as people tried to get hold of successive copies of the game to keep ahead of valve s anti-piracy actions.  in its statement valve also said that rumours that it distributed fake half-life 2 keys  copies of the game or instructions on how to hack the game  just to catch pirates and cheats were false. the company said:  the hack came from the  community  as do they all.  it added that most of those banned simply tried to use copies of half-life 2 circulating on file-swapping systems such as bit torrent rather than use hacks to get around the need for cd keys. rob fahey  editor of online news site gamesindustry.biz  said the mass banning showed off the power of the steam system. before now  he said  it has been hard for game makers to do anything about piracy once the game was being played.  but with this  valve is taking really effective steps against people using illegitimate copies of half-life 2   he said. if steam proves effective at cutting the piracy of games to a minimum  said mr fahey  other game makers may be tempted to set up copycat systems.  it s not hard to see a point in the near future when every publisher wants you to run an application on your system purely to allow you to play their games   he said. this could mean that computers get cluttered with poorly written steam-type systems that are used to batter people with adverts. unless game firms were careful  he said  they could face a backlash from consumers who soon get tired of maintaining different accounts for every game they play.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "newcastle 27-27 gloucester newcastle centre mathew tait answered his critics as he scored one try and made another  but he could not stop gloucester grabbing a draw.  the falcons were 22-6 down at the break before tait  recently axed by england after just one six nations outing  inspired his side to a 27-22 lead. a last-gasp touchdown from luke narraway pulled the visitors level. but gloucester missed out on victory when henry paul fluffed the conversion and seti kiole was denied a late try. newcastle had a couple of chances at the start of the second half with line-outs in the corner. but they failed to make them count until joe shaw found dave walder  who released mark mayerholfer in his own 22.  the former all black broke clear and popped the ball up for tait on halfway. he chipped ahead for michael stephenson to scorch through for the try  which walder converted to give newcastle a lifeline. they grabbed it with both hands  mayerhofler breaking through and tait making a brilliant early run to cut inside and race 30m to score. walder converted to make it 22-20 before he was just wide with a 40m penalty in the 70th minute.  mayerhofler then scythed through the middle for a try after hall charlton popped the ball up  and walder s conversion took newcastle 27-22 ahead. with three minutes of normal time left  narraway was driven over for a try in the corner which levelled the scores at 27-27. henry missed the conversion but gloucester nearly won it when kiole broke through only to be hauled down by charlton and tom may.  walder; may  tait  mayerhofler  stephenson; wilkinson  grindal; isaacson  long  ward; gross  hamilton; mccarthy  harris  dowson.  replacements: peel  wilson  thompson  parling  sititi  charlton  shaw.  goodridge; garvey  simpson-daniel  fanolua  kiole; paul  gomarsall; wood  curnier  powell; eustace  brown; forrester  buxton  balding.  replacements: elloway  sigley  cornwell  narraway  page  davies  mauger.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "players sought for $1m prize uk gamers are getting a chance to take part in a $1m tournament thanks to one of the country s top teams.  the four-kings clan is staging a pop idol type competition to find new members who can take on the world s best in the lucrative tournament. four-kings hopes the open qualifiers will turn up gamers good enough to beat all comers at the painkiller game. top players also get a contract with the four-kings team which will pay travelling expenses for the contest.  uk gamers have until 12 november to register their interest in taking part and can sign up via the four-kings  jolt.co.uk and painkiller tournament websites. philip wride  who co-manages the four-kings team  said online qualifiers will be held from 16-28 november to find the best eight players of the painkiller game. he said the clan was running the contest because four-kings does not currently have any players that excel at painkiller. these eight players will be brought together in london on 3-5 december for the bloodline tournament that will find the best two players.  the event will be filmed and the final cut made available online for others to watch. the movie is being put together by simon bysshe who has shot many other films about pro-gaming that have been widely shared online. said mr bysshe:  painkiller is a new game and the opportunity is there for a new player to step up.  painkiller has been described as a game that adds a few modern touches  such as improved graphics  to the old-fashioned first-person shooter. these two players will be put forward as the uk s entrants to the cyberathlete professional league $1m painkiller contest that will take place throughout 2005. the event is being billed as the cpl world tour and will be arranged around ten separate tournaments at different locations around the world. travel expenses to all the stops on the tour will be paid by four-kings for the two uk players who make the grade. the top prize at each stop on the world tour will be $15 000. a further $150 000 will be given to the winner of the grand final due to be held in december 2005. mr wride said any gamer that wins a few tour stop tournaments and the grand final will have a very good year. the first stop on the world tour will be istanbul  turkey from 10-13 february. a total of $50 000 in cash prizes is on offer. the cpl has said that it picked a one-on-one game such as painkiller to make it easier for spectators to follow the action. counter-strike  by far the most popular online game  pits teams against each other and can be confusing to follow if those watching are not familiar with the layout of the maps on which it is played. the decision to pick painkiller was greeted with surprise by many gamers  as it was widely expected that doom 3 would be chosen as the one-one-one title.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "australia rates at four year high australia is raising its benchmark interest rate to its highest level in four years despite signs of a slowdown in the country s economy.  the reserve bank of australia lifted interest rates 0.25% to 5.5%  their first upwards move in more than a year. however  shortly after the bank made its decision  new figures showed a fall in economic growth in the last quarter. the bank said it had acted to curb inflation but the move was criticised by some analysts.  the rate hike was the first since december 2003 and had been well-flagged in advance. however  opposition parties and some analysts said the move was ill-timed given data showing the australian economy grew just 0.1% between october and december and 1.5% on an annual basis.  the figures  representing a decline from the 0.2% growth in gdp seen between july and september  were below market expectations. consumer spending remains strong  however  and the bank is concerned about growing inflationary pressures.  over recent months it has become increasingly clear that remaining spare capacity in the labour and goods markets is becoming rather limited   said ian macfarlane  governor of the reserve bank.  at 2.6%  inflation remains within the bank s 2-3% target range. however  exports declined in the second half of 2004  fuelling a rise in the country s current account deficit - the difference in the value of imports compared to exports - to a record australian dollar 29.4bn. the australian government said the economy remained strong with unemployment at a near 30 year low.  the economy has been strong and it is properly moderating but it doesn t look to me like it s slowing in any unreasonable way   said treasurer peter costello. stock markets had factored in the likelihood of a rate rise but analysts still expressed concern about the strength of the economy.  that 1.5% annual growth rate is the lowest we have seen since the post-election slump we saw back in 2000-1   said michael blythe  chief economist at the commonwealth bank of australia.  this suggests the economy really did slow very sharply in the second half of 2004.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "ireland 19-13 england ireland consigned england to their third straight six nations defeat with a stirring victory at lansdowne road.  a second-half try from captain brian o driscoll and 14 points from ronan o gara kept ireland on track for their first grand slam since 1948. england scored first through martin corry but had  tries  from mark cueto and josh lewsey disallowed. andy robinson s men have now lost nine of their last 14 matches since the 2003 world cup final. the defeat also heralded england s worst run in the championship since 1987. ireland last won the title  then the five nations  in 1985  but 20 years on they share top spot in the table on maximum points with wales. and eddie o sullivan s side banished the ghosts of 2003 when england were rampant 42-6 victors in claiming the grand slam at lansdowne road. in front of a supercharged home crowd on a dry but blustery day in dublin  ireland tore into the white-shirted visitors from the kick-off and made their intentions clear when o gara landed a fourth-minute drop-goal.  england took their time to settle but their first real venture into ireland s half produced a simple score for corry. the number eight picked up the ball from the back of a ruck and found an absence of green jerseys between himself and the irish line  racing 25 yards to touch down. england fly-half charlie hodgson nailed the conversion from out on the left  but almost immediately o gara  winning his 50th cap  answered with two penalties in quick succession. england were awarded a penalty of their own on the halfway line after 20 minutes  and hodgson  the villain at twickenham  coolly bisected the posts. the first quarter was marked by periods of tactical kicking  but it was ireland who were showing more willingness to spread the ball wide to their eager and inventive backs. a series of probes led by the talismanic o driscoll  back from hamstring injury  resulted in a penalty but ireland chose to kick for touch.  from the line-out  the ball was recycled back to o gara  who stroked his second drop-goal  this time off the right upright. as the interval approached  wing josh lewsey was the catalyst for england s most promising attack. the wasps star raced up his touchline and hodgson s cross-kick put in mark cueto for an apparent score  but the sale wing was ruled to have started in front of the kicker. england began the second half well and had ireland pinned in their own half. but another english indiscretion on a rare irish break-out awarded o gara a kick at goal  which he missed. england s pressure continued  and a wave of attacks saw centre jamie noon dragged down yards from the line before hodgson landed a drop-goal.  the lead was shortlived  however. ireland raced upfield  deft handling from the backs  including a clever dummy from geordan murphy on hodgson  ending with o driscoll going over in the right corner and touching down close to the posts. o gara missed a penalty which would have put ireland nine points clear  and the home crowd breathed a sigh of relief when hodgson s cross-kick was fumbled by lock ben kay near the line. anticipation of a home win sent the noise level sky-high  but o gara missed another chance to seal the game with a wayward drop-goal attempt. inside the last 10 minutes  england poured forward  spurred on by scrum-half matt dawson  who replaced leicester s harry ellis. but despite one near miss with the pack over the line - not checked on the tv replay by referee jonathan kaplan - england were unable to pull off a face-saving win. ireland next face france at lansdowne road in two weeks  time before the potential title decider against wales in cardiff. england are still to meet italy at twickenham  in what is now a wooden spoon decider  and scotland.  g murphy; g dempsey  b o driscoll  s horgan  d hickie; r o gara  p stringer; r corrigan  s byrne  j hayes; m o kelly  p o connell; s easterby  j o connor  a foley.  f sheahan  m horan  d o callaghan  e miller  g easterby  d humphreys  k maggs.  j robinson (capt); m cueto  j noon  o barkley  j lewsey; c hodgson  h ellis; g rowntree  s thompson  m stevens; d grewcock  b kay; j worsley  l moody  m corry.  a titterrell  d bell  s borthwick  a hazell  m dawson  a goode  o smith.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "fbi agent colludes with analyst a former fbi agent and an internet stock picker have been found guilty of using confidential us government information to manipulate stock prices.  a new york court ruled that former fbi man jeffrey royer  41  fed damaging information to anthony elgindy  36. mr elgindy then drove share prices lower by spreading negative publicity via his newsletter. the egyptian-born analyst would extort money from his targets in return for stopping the attacks  prosecutors said.  under the guise of protecting investors from fraud  royer and elgindy used the fbi s crime-fighting tools and resources actually to defraud the public   said us attorney roslynn mauskopf.  mr royer was convicted of racketeering  securities fraud  obstruction of justice and witness tampering. mr elgindy was convicted of racketeering  securities fraud and extortion.  the charges carry sentences of up to 20 years. when the guilty verdict was announced by the jury foreman  mr elgindy dropped his face into his hands and sobbed  the associated press news agency reported. he was led weeping from the court room by us marshals  ap said. defense lawyers contended that mr royer had been feeding information to mr elgindy and another trader in an attempt to expose corporate fraud. mr elgindy s team claimed that he also was fighting against corporate wrongdoing.  elgindy s conviction marks the end of his public charade as a crusader against fraud in the market   said ms mauskopf. one of the more bizarre aspects of the trial focused on the claims that mr elgindy may have had foreknowledge of the 11 september terrorist attacks in new york and washington. mr elgindy had been trying to sell stock prior to the attack and had predicted a slump in the market. no charges were brought in relation to these allegations.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "virus poses as christmas e-mail security firms are warning about a windows virus disguising itself as an electronic christmas card.  the zafi.d virus translates the christmas greeting on its subject line into the language of the person receiving infected e-mail. anti-virus firms speculate that this multilingual ability is helping the malicious program spread widely online. anti-virus firm sophos said that 10% of the e-mail currently on the net was infected with the zafi virus.  like many other windows viruses  zafi-d plunders microsoft outlook for e-mail addresses and then uses mail-sending software to despatch itself across the web to new victims. to be infected users must open up the attachment travelling with the message which bears the code for the malicious bug. the attachment on the e-mail poses as an electronic christmas card but anyone opening it will simply get a crude image of two smiley faces.  the virus  subject line says  merry christmas  and translates this into one of 15 languages depending of the final suffix of the e-mail address the infected message has been sent to. the message in the body of the e-mail reads:  happy holidays  and this too is translated. on infected machines the virus tries to disable anti-virus and firewall software and opens up a backdoor on the pc to hand over control to the writer of the virus. the virus is thought to have spread most widely in south america  italy  spain  bulgaria and hungary. the original zafi virus appeared in april this year.  we have seen these hoaxes for several christmases already  and personally i prefer traditional pen and paper cards  and we recommend this to all our clients too   said mikko hypponen  who heads f-secure s anti-virus team.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "imf agrees fresh turkey funding turkey has agreed a draft proposal with the international monetary fund to borrow $10bn (\u00a35.19bn)  extending its ongoing financial support until 2007.  turkey s current $18.6bn loan agreement with the imf expires in february and the new deal would see it receive added support between 2005 and 2007. in return for the funding  turkey would be expected to keep inflation under control and introduce market reforms. turkey s economy has steadily recovered from a severe crisis in 2001.  economic growth has average 6-7% in the past three years  ahead of imf forecasts  while inflation fell below 10% this year for the first time in 30 years. however  turkey has a huge debt burden - already owing $23bn to the imf - while its current account deficit has swelled to $10.7bn this year.  the turkish economics minister  ali babacan  said the two sides had reached general agreement on a new three year funding program. rodrigo de rato  the imf s managing director  said the loan agreement would help to improve turkish economic prospects by cutting its debt and stimulating growth.  i believe the new programme  if implemented successfully  will help turkey create the conditions for sustained growth and employment creation  reduce inflation toward european level and enhance the economy s resilience   he said. the agreement must still be ratified by imf directors at a meeting expected to take place next month.  the agreement would also enable turkey to defer payments on previous loans worth $3.7m until 2006.  as part of the draft agreement  turkey has signed a  letter of intent  stating its determination to push through far-reaching reforms to its tax and benefits system and its banking sector. such reforms are considered vital for turkey if it is to fulfil its ambition of joining the european union. the eu will decide on 17 december whether to begin entry talks with turkey. the us  the largest of the imf s 184 members  is a strong supporter of continued financial support for turkey.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "soul sensation ready for awards south west teenage singing sensation  joss stone  has been nominated in three categories in wednesday s brit awards.  the 17-year-old from a small east devon village near cullumpton  received nominations for best solo female  best urban act and best breakthrough artist. her second album mind  body & soul reached number one in the uk charts last october and went straight into the us charts at number 11. ms stone is due to perform at the 25th award ceremony at london s earls court. the teenager also has grammy nominations in the us  normally dominated by home-grown acts. born jocelyn stoker  the devon diva started her career in a bbc talent programme  and was then discovered at a new york audition by a us record executive  steve greenberg. the 17-year-old singer is hoping to tour in japan  australia and the us in 2005.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "us company admits benin bribery a us defence and telecommunications company has agreed to pay $28.5m after admitting bribery in the west african state of benin.  the titan corporation was accused of funnelling more than $2m into the 2001 re-election campaign of president mathieu kerekou. at the time  titan was trying to get a higher price for a telecommunications project in benin. there is no suggestion that mr kerekou was himself aware of any wrongdoing. titan  a california-based company  pleaded guilty to falsifying its accounts and violating us anti-bribery laws. it agreed to pay $13m in criminal penalties  as well as $15.5m to settle a civil lawsuit brought by the us financial watchdog  the securities and exchange commission (sec).  the sec had accused titan of illegally paying $2.1m to an unnamed agent in benin claiming ties with president kerekou. some of the money was used to pay for t-shirts with campaign slogans on them ahead of the 2001 election. shortly after the poll  which mr kerekou won  benin officials agreed to quadruple titan s management fee. prosecuting attorney carol lam said:  all us companies should take note that attempting to bribe foreign officials is criminal conduct and will be appropriately prosecuted.  the company says it no longer tolerates such practices. under the us foreign corrupt practices act  it is a crime for american firms to bribe foreign officials.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "cash gives way to flexible friend spending on credit and debit cards has overtaken cash spending in the uk for the first time.  the moment that plastic finally toppled cash happened at 10.38am on wednesday  according to the association for payment clearing services (apacs) apacs chose school teacher helen carroll  from portsmouth  to make the historic transaction. the switch over took place as she paid for her groceries in the supermarket chain tesco s cromwell road branch.  mrs carroll was born in the same year that plastic cards first appeared in the uk.  i pay for most things with my debit card  with occasional purchases on one of my credit cards   said mrs carroll  who teaches at peel common infants school in gosport.  spending patterns for the year and estimates for december led apacs to conclude that 10.38am was the time that plastic would finally rule the roost. shoppers in the uk are expected to put \u00a3269bn on plastic cards during the whole of 2004  compared with \u00a3268bn paid with cash  apacs said. when the first plastic cards appeared in the uk in june 1966  issued by barclaycard  but only a handful of retailers accepted them and very few customers held them.  but in less than 40 years  plastic has become our most popular way to pay  due to the added security and flexibility it offers   said apacs spokeswoman jemma smith.  the key driver has been the introduction of debit cards  which now account for two-thirds of plastic card transactions and are used by millions of us every day.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "five million germans out of work germany s unemployment figure rose above the psychologically important level of five million last month.  on wednesday  the german federal labour agency said the jobless total had reached 5.037 million in january  which takes the jobless rate to 12.1%.  yes  we have effectively more than five million people unemployed   a government minister said earlier on zdf public television. unemployment has not been this high in germany since the 1930s.  changes to the way the statistics are compiled partly explain the jump of 572 900 in the numbers. but the figures are embarrassing for the government.  with the figures apparently the worst we ve seen in the post-war period  these numbers are very charged politically   said christian jasperneite  an economist with mm warburg.  they could well put an end to the recent renaissance we ve seen by the spd [the ruling social democrats] in the polls  and with state elections due in schleswig-holstein and north rhine-westphalia  they may have an adverse effect on the government s chances there.   the opposition also made political capital from the figures. it said there are a further 1.5 million-2 million people on subsidised employment schemes who are  in fact  looking for real jobs. it added that government reforms  including unpopular benefit cuts  do not go far enough. under the government s controversial  hartz iv  reforms  which came into effect at the beginning of the year  both those on unemployment benefits and welfare support and those who are long-term unemployed are officially classified as looking for work. the bad winter weather also took its toll  as key sectors such as the construction sector laid off workers. adjusted for the seasonal factors  the german jobless total rose by 227 000 in january from december.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "gates opens biggest gadget fair bill gates has opened the consumer electronics show (ces) in las vegas  saying that gadgets are working together more to help people manage multimedia content around the home and on the move.  mr gates made no announcement about the next generation xbox games console  which many gadget lovers had been hoping for. about 120 000 people are expected to attend the trade show which stretches over more than 1.5 million square feet and runs from 6 to 9 january. the latest trends in digital imaging  storage technologies  thinner flat screen and high-definition tvs  wireless and portable technologies  gaming  and broadband technologies will all be on show over the three days.  mr gates said that a lot of work had been done in the last year to sort out usability and compatibility issues between devices to make it easier to share content.   we predicted at the beginning of the decade that the digital approach would be taken for granted - but there was a lot of work to do.  what is fun is to come to the show and see what has been done. it is going even faster than we expected and we are excited about it.  he highlighted technology trends over the last year that had driven the need to make technology and transferring content across difference devices  seamless .  gaming is becoming more of a social thing and all of the social genres will use this rich communications.  and if we look at what has been going on with e-mail  instant messaging  blogging  entertainment - if we can make this seamless  we can create something quite phenomenal.   mr gates said the pc  like microsoft s media centre  had a central role to play in how people would be making the most out of audio  video and images but it would not be the only device.  it is the way all these devices work together which will make the difference   he said. he also cited the success of the microsoft xbox video game halo 2  released in november  which pushed xbox console sales past playstation in the last two months of 2004 for the first time in 2004. the game  which makes use of the xbox live online games service  has sold 6.23 million copies since its release.  people are online and playing together and that really points to the future   he said. several partnerships with device and hardware manufacturers were highlighted during mr gates  speech  but there were few major groundbreaking new technology announcements. although most of these affected largely us consumers  the technologies highlighted the kind of trends to come. these included what mr gates called an  ecosystem of technologies   like sbc s iptv  a high-definition tv and digital video recorder that worked via broadband to give high-quality and fast tv. there were also other deals announced which meant that people could watch and control content over portable devices and mobile phones.  ces features several more key speeches from major technology players  such as intel and hewlett packard  as well as parallel conference sessions on gaming  storage  broadband and the future of digital music. about 50 000 new products will be unleashed at the tech-fest  which is the largest yet. consumer electronics and gadgets had a phenomenal year in 2004  according to figures released by ces organisers the cea on tuesday. the gadget explosion signalled the strongest growth yet in the us in 2004. that trend is predicted to continue with wholesale shipments of consumer technologies expected to grow by 11% again in 2005.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "more women turn to net security older people and women are increasingly taking charge of protecting home computers against malicious net attacks  according to a two-year study.  the number of women buying programs to protect pcs from virus  spam and spyware attacks rose by 11.2% each year between 2002 and 2004. the study  for net security firm preventon  shows that security messages are reaching a diversity of surfers. it is thought that 40% of those buying home net security programs are retired. for the last three years  that has gone up by an average of 13.2%. but more retired women (53%) were buying security software than retired men. the research reflects the changing stereotype and demographics of web users  as well as growing awareness of the greater risks that high-speed broadband net connections can pose to surfers.  the study predicts that 40% of all home pc net security buyers will be women in 2005. they could even overtake men as the main buyers by 2007  if current rates persist  according to the research.  i think older people have become more vigilant about protecting their pcs as we tend to be more cautious and want an insurance policy in case something does go wrong   said one over-60 woman who took part in the research.   you started off with young male stereotype computer users for last 10 years   paul goosens  head of preventon told the bbc news website.  now we are seeing real people - both sexes and very often it is women who have more access at home.  but net service providers still need to take more responsibility in making sure people are educated about net threats before they go online  particuarly if they are new to broadband  he said.  programs also need to be tailored so that they can be installed by dial-up users with a slower connection too  said mr goosens. security software should be easy to use  with simple interfaces and instructions written in non-technical language  he added. the nature of the security threats are also becoming more than just about e-mail viruses. high-profile complaints about rogue diallers  and spyware or other programs that surreptitiously install themselves on computers  have also raised awareness about the need to have a combination of anti-virus  firewall and spyware-removal programs too. without protection  these kinds of programs can be picked up just through surfing the web normally.  more than 30 000 pcs a day globally are being recruited into networks that spread spam and viruses  a study from security from symantec showed last year. viruses written to make headlines by infecting millions are also getting rarer  according to net security experts. programs are being unleashed to directly profit criminal gangs  many based in eastern europe  over those which are designed to show off technical skills or cause nuisance. the research shows that more people are taking these criminal net threats more seriously because  said mr goosens  they are reported in the press much more.  you are seeing older users being educated by the media and are seeing them picking up on this threat. they are asking the right questions   he explained.  it is more likely the younger users who naively assume that because they are using a reputable service provider  that they are safe to connect to the net.  an unprotected computer on a broadband connection can be breached and infected with viruses or spyware within minutes. by the end of the year it is thought that more than 30% of uk homes will have broadband net access. in july last year  the number of uk households accessing the net via broadband surpassed those using dial-up for the first time  according to the office of national statistics.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "time to get tough on friendlies  for an international manager  a friendly provides an important opportunity to work with your players.  the only problem is that the game itself can often be a farce. some people have been saying it would be better to get the players together for the week  and do away with the 90 minutes at the end.  i would say it s 50-50 whether you should have these games or not  and if you look at it that way you would probably say you re better not doing so. it would certainly keep club managers happy  as it would reduce the risk of players returning to domestic duty injured. but international bosses will tell you that scrapping friendlies is counterproductive because the only way for a team to get better is by playing. the more you play together  the easier it is when it comes to the crunch in games like world cup quarter-finals against brazil. often in friendlies  though  a manager will play his strongest side for the first 45 minutes and then send out an entirely different one in the second half. and it s very difficult for any player to come on as substitute in a side with a few changes  let alone a whole team s worth. the debate will rage on  and i m not sure there is a satisfactory solution. one manager who has got it right this week is walter smith. the new scotland manager has decided to have a training camp instead of a friendly for his first international week since replacing berti vogts. it is the sort of move you would expect from walter  who is a canny manager.  the players have had such a hard time recently that he is better off getting them together in a relaxed atmosphere and trying to generate some team spirit before the next world cup qualifiers. if he had sent them out on wednesday and they had been badly beaten  it would have done them no good whatsoever. john toshack has his first game in charge of wales  and it will be important for him to get a decent result against hungary. he will have his own ideas on individuals and how to play and will probably look more at the performance  but the public wants results. it s extremely difficult to get the balance for friendlies. if you win  people forget them  but if you lose it becomes a stat that can be used against you. england s game against holland is a good example. it looks like a good opportunity to try out players like middlesbrough winger stewart downing or crystal palace striker andy johnson. but you have got to remember sven-goran eriksson s side were given a lesson by spain in the last game they played.  the injury problems in defence should at least give the likes of wes brown and jamie carragher a chance to impress. for the club managers  it will simply be a case of waiting at home with fingers crossed.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "weak data buffets french economy a batch of downbeat government data has cast doubt over the french economy s future prospects.  official figures showed on friday that unemployment was unchanged at 9.9% last month  while consumer confidence fell unexpectedly in october. at the same time  finance minister nicolas sarkozy warned that high oil prices posed a threat to french growth.  [oil prices] will weigh on consumer spending in the short term  and potentially on confidence   he said. world oil prices have risen by more than 60% since the start of the year as production struggles to keep pace with soaring demand.  analysts said french companies  keen to protect their profit margins at a time of rising energy costs  were reluctant to take on extra staff.  [the unemployment figures] show the main problem of the french economy: we have growth but without an improvement in employment   said marc touati  an economist at natexis banques populaires.  politicians must have the will and guts to solve structural unemployment with thorough reforms  otherwise in five or ten years  it will be too late.  obligatory employer contributions to worker welfare programmes mean that it costs more to hire staff in france than in many other european economies. many economists have urged the government to stimulate employment by reducing non-wage payroll costs  and by scrapping restrictions on working hours. the french statistics agency  insee  expects the economy to grow by about 2.4% this year  buoyed by strong consumer spending and business investment. that is above the projected eurozone average of just above 2%.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "hundreds vie for best film oscar a total of 267 films are eligible for the best film oscar but only five will be chosen to go forward as nominees.  the academy of motion picture  arts and sciences has sent out the first ballot papers with the full list of films vying for recognition. among those expected to receive nominations are the aviator  million dollar baby and sideways. academy members will now vote for their favourites before the final nominees are announced on 25 january.  to be eligible for nomination a film must have been shown in a commercial theatre for seven consecutive days before the deadline of 31 december. director martin scorsese s the aviator  starring leonardo dicaprio went on general release on christmas day in the us  ensuring it just made the deadline. studios have already begun lobbying voters  taking out full page adverts in trade publications such as variety urging them to remember particular films when it comes to choosing what to back. other movies tipped for possible success include closer  starring jude law and julia roberts  finding neverland  with johnny depp as author jm barry and kinsey starring liam neeson as the famed sex scientist alfred kinsey. meanwhile  design engineer takuo miyagishima will be awarded an oscar at the scientific and technical awards dinner on 12 february 2005. miyagishima is the 18th recipient of the sawyer award  which is  presented to an individual in the motion picture industry whose technological contributions have brought credit to the industry.  the main oscar ceremony will be held in los angeles on 27 february.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "sfa awaits report over mikoliunas the scottish football association is awaiting referee hugh dallas s report before acting against hearts winger saulius mikoliunas.  mikoliunas  20  barged linesman andy davis  who had advised dallas to award rangers an injury-time penalty in hearts s 2-1 defeat at tynecastle.  he was sent off for violent conduct in the 90th minute but we don t know if he did something else after the whistle.  we don t know how many red cards he was shown   said an sfa statement. hearts could also face action after three fans were arrested for throwing coins on the pitch. rangers  striker dad prso was also sent off during the same incident when he received a second yellow card for wrestling the ball away from craig gordon and leaving the hearts keeper on the ground. the sfa said:  once the referee s report comes in then we ll immediately look at things.   we don t normally get the reports until a couple of days after the game but we re well aware of what happened here.  prso was sent off for two cautions  and that will just be a one-match suspension.  the sfa is certain to come down hard on mikoliunas after southampton s david prutton was banned for 10-games on wednesday by the english fa for shoving referee alan wiley. hearts  boss john robertson said:  mikoliunas has thrown his chest against the assistant referee s chest and got a red card for it.  the officials have got to take into account the fact he s a young lad.  but people have got to take into account why he was incensed. why were 10 000 hearts fans incensed   why did nobody from the rangers  bench claim for a penalty kick   rangers  boss alex mcleish accepted referee dallas had no option but to send prso off. mcleish said:  i m glad to see the spirit of the players fighting to the very end - literally with dado trying to get the ball back from craig gordon.  but it was over-zealousness and i don t think hugh had any option.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "parry puts gerrard  above money  listen to the full interview on sport on five and the bbc sport website from 1900 gmt.  but parry  speaking exclusively to bbc sport  also admits gerrard  who has been constantly linked with chelsea  will have the final say on his future. he told bbc five live:  steven is above money. he is the future of liverpool.  it doesn t matter if it s \u00a330m  \u00a340m or \u00a350m  we will not accept offers. but we are also realistic enough to know we can t keep steven against his will.  on the subject of liverpool s finances  parry also revealed the club is ready to explore the possibility of a sponsorship deal for its proposed new stadium.  and responding to criticism from bbc sport pundit and former liverpool stalwart alan hansen  he insisted talks on new investment are ongoing  but added the door has not closed on shareholder and lifelong fan steve morgan. parry joined liverpool as chief executive in july 1998 from a similar role at the premier league. there have been several highs and lows during his time in charge at anfield - and he had a busy summer  overseeing the arrival of new manager rafael benitez and managing to hold on to steven gerrard.  on the subject of liverpool s captain and prize asset  parry revealed real madrid  did  ask for an option on the england midfield man during negotiations for striker fernando morientes. he said:  they were looking for ways of saying they got more out of the deal for fernando morientes  but the response to real madrid was the same - steven is not for sale.  but when asked if gerrard would be a liverpool player on the first day of next season  parry said:  i sincerely hope he will be. steven knows my views. he knows rafa s views.  we have re-affirmed recently to steven that we are trying to build a team around him. we crave success as much as he does. we know he s ambitious and nobody can argue with that.   i think steven would dearly love to win things with liverpool more than he d like to do anything else.  we all want to see progress by next season. he s not alone in that. there are a lot of other players who feel the same  so we all have a common aim.  it is expected chelsea will test liverpool with a \u00a330m-plus bid in the summer - but parry claims he will be in no mood to listen.  there have been a lot of open secrets about steven  most of which have been complete myths. it is suggested we had a deal tied up last summer. we didn t had an offer last summer   parry explained.  we had told chelsea that as far as we were concerned he was not for sale and we didn t want to sell him. in reality it didn t go beyond that.  maybe there will be an offer in the summer. maybe there won t.   our position is we want steven to stay  but we are also realistic enough and have enough respect for steven - and he has enough respect for us - to know that it is his decision that will be crucial.  you are not going to keep a player like steven against his will. that just doesn t work  but any idea we are going to accept offers for steven and then tell him  by the way we ve decided to sell you  is not on the agenda. you can forget that.  parry is currently in the process of finalising funding for liverpool s new stadium in stanley park  which is set to open in 2007. and he confessed arsenal s \u00a3100m deal with emirates to sponsor their new ground - complete with naming rights - has given the anfield club serious food for thought. he said:  i have to say historically it is something i have been against  and i have been on record as saying that  but i think the size of the arsenal deal is a real eye-opener.   i would say in the past deals have been done frankly far too cheaply and it just hasn t even been worth contemplating.  but the arsenal deal is the sort of deal that causes you to draw breath and say  wow - that s interesting.   my personal point of view is that i would find it a hell of a lot more palatable than a shared stadium.  some liverpool fans would find such a move highly controversial  but parry countered:  i recognise it would be an emotive issue for many supporters  but you look at the amount of money available and it could go into the team.  if it was the right partner how strong an issue is it  time will tell.  i think the stadium will always be anfield  not least because of where it is  but do we need to investigate the possibilities of sponsorship  i think it would be remiss not to.  that s not to say we have made a decision that we will go down that road  but i think it is clearly something we have to explore.   on the subject of possible new investment  parry revealed liverpool are still in negotiations with a mystery investor  with rumours of interest from the middle east. that prompted the withdrawal of tycoon steve morgan  who got frustrated by failed bids and what he claimed was indecision by the board. he also accused liverpool of using him as  a stalking horse  to attract other bids  but parry explained:  steve has never been used as a stalking horse. there s no need  and that is not the way we do business.  we had discussions with steve over the course of 2004. i think we came close to concluding a deal in the summer but it didn t happen.  quite genuinely  the new interest did appear relatively late in the day just prior to the agm in december  and as i have said it was of such potential magnitude  and that potential is so exciting  we felt we had to evaluate it. we are still evaluating it.  steve s interest was taken very much on its own merits. his enthusiasm for the club is there for all to see and who knows what the next few months will hold   the door isn t closed on anything. we had a perfectly sensible dialogue with steve last year.  we have a common interest in making liverpool successful. that s a dream we all share  so as far as i m concerned the door is not closed.   i would take \u00a350m if we had no investment  but if we did  keep him. as for the stadium  if it gets us cash what difference does it make really   \u00a350m for gerrard  i don t care who you are  the directors would take the money and it is the way it should be. we cannot let that sum of money go  despite gerrard s quality.  through a cleverly worded statement  the club has effectively forced gerrard to publicly make the decision for himself  which i think is the right thing to do.  critical time for liverpool with regards to gerrard. ideally we would want to secure his future to the club for the long term. i am hoping he doesn t walk out of the club like michael owen did for very little cash.  \u00a350m realistically would allow rafa to completely rebuild the squad  however  if we can afford to do this and keep gerrard we will be better for it. i would however be happy with gerrard s transfer for any fee over \u00a335m.  parry s statements are clever in that any future gerrard transfer cannot be construed as a lack of ambition by the club to not try and keep their best players. upping the ante is another smart move by parry.  i would keep gerrard. no amount of money could replace his obvious love of the club and determination to succeed.  the key is if gerrard comes out and says that he is happy. clearly  if he isn t  then we would be foolish not to sell. the worrying thing is who would you buy (or who would come) pending possible non-champions league football.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "adventure tale tops awards young book fans have voted fergus crane  a story about a boy who is taken on an adventure by a flying horse  the winner of two smarties book prizes.  paul stewart and chris riddell s book came top in the category for six- to eight-year-olds and won the award chosen by after-school club members. sally grindley s spilled water  about a chinese girl sold as a servant  was top in vote of readers aged nine to 11. biscuit bear by mini grey took the top award in the under-five category. winners were voted for by about 6 000 children from a shortlist picked by an adult panel.  the prize  which is celebrating its 20th year  is billed as  the uk s biggest children s book award . fergus crane includes text by stewart and illustrations by riddell  who also created the edge chronicles together. as well as the six to eights prize  it won the 4children special award voted for by after-school club members. julia eccleshare  chair of the adult judging panel  said children s literature had  never looked stronger  in the prize s 20 years.  this award counts because the final choice of winners is made by children  who are the toughest critics of all   she said.  this year s young judges chose the winners from an exceptionally strong and varied shortlist which showcases the very best in children s books today.  previous winners have included jk rowling  jacqueline wilson and dick king-smith.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "last chance  warning for voters people in england  scotland and wales must have registered by 1700 gmt to be able to vote in the general election if it is held  as expected  on 5 may.  those who filled in forms last autumn should already be on the register - but those who have moved house or were on holiday may have been left off. there will also be elections for local councils and mayors in parts of england on 5 may. the deadline for voters to register in northern ireland expired on thursday.  completed registration forms can be handed into local authorities throughout the day on friday  and some will accept them by fax. as well as for english county councils  polls for unitary authorities at bristol  isle of wight and stockton-on-tees and mayors at doncaster  hartlepool  north tyneside and stoke-on-trent are also scheduled for 5 may. last week preston city council reported that more than 14 000 of its voters were not registered. its electoral roll fell by 17.5% in a year - the biggest dip in the uk. an electoral commission spokeswoman said:  political decisions are made on your behalf every day but only by using your right to vote at an election can you really have a say on the issues you care about.  if you want your voice to be heard on 5 may you will need to have registered by friday 11 march.  council tax payers are not eligible to vote without registration  officials have stressed.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "software watching while you work software that can not only monitor every keystroke and action performed at a pc but also be used as legally binding evidence of wrong-doing has been unveiled.  worries about cyber-crime and sabotage have prompted many employers to consider monitoring employees. the developers behind the system claim it is a break-through in the way data is monitored and stored. but privacy advocates are concerned by the invasive nature of such software.  the system is a joint venture between security firm 3ami and storage specialists bridgehead software. they have joined forces to create a system which can monitor computer activity  store it and retrieve disputed files within minutes. more and more firms are finding themselves in deep water as a result of data misuse. sabotage and data theft are most commonly committed from within an organisation according to the national hi-tech crime unit (nhtcu) a survey conducted on its behalf by nop found evidence that more than 80% of medium and large companies have been victims of some form of cyber-crime. bridgehead software has come up with techniques to prove  to a legal standard  that any stored file on a pc has not been tampered with. ironically the impetus for developing the system came as a result of the freedom of information act  which requires companies to store all data for a certain amount of time.  the storage system has been incorporated into an application developed by security firm 3ami which allows every action on a computer to be logged. potentially it could help employers to follow the trail of stolen files and pinpoint whether they had been emailed to a third party  copied  printed  deleted or saved to cd  floppy disk  memory stick or flash card. other activities the system can monitor include the downloading of pornography  the use of racist or bullying language or the copying of applications for personal use. increasingly organisations that handle sensitive data  such as governments  are using biometric log-ins such as fingerprinting to provide conclusive proof of who was using a particular machine at any given time. privacy advocates are concerned that monitoring at work is not only damaging to employee s privacy but also to the relationship between employers and their staff.  that is not the case   said tim ellsmore  managing director of 3ami.  it is not about replacing dialogue but there are issues that you can talk through but you still need proof   he said.  people need to recognise that you are using a pc as a representative of a company and that employers have a legal requirement to store data   he added.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "rochus shocks coria in auckland top seed guillermo coria went out of the heineken open in auckland on thursday with a surprise loss to olivier rochus of belgium.  coria lost the semi-final 6-4 6-4 to rochus  who goes on to face czech jan hernych  a 6-4 7-5 winner over jose acasuso of argentina. fifth seed fernando gonzalez eased past american robby ginepri 6-3 6-4. the chilean will meet sixth seed juan ignacio chela next after the argentine beat potito starace 6-1 7-6 (7-5). rochus made the semi-finals at the australian hardcourt championships in adelaide last week and is naturally delighted with his form.  it s been two unbelievable weeks for me   he said.  today i knew i had nothing to lose. if i beat him great  if i lost  i would be losing to a top-10 player.  coria conceded that rochus  played just too good   and added:  when you give your best out there you can t be too sad.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "boris opposes mayor apology ken livingstone should  stick to his guns  and not apologise for his  nazi  comment to a jewish reporter  tory mp boris johnson has insisted.  mr johnson also claimed tony blair s intervention in the row was  an attempt to reassure jewish voters . london mayor mr livingstone says he is  standing by  his remarks which likened an evening standard journalist to a  concentration camp guard . but the prime minister says it is time for mr livingstone to say sorry.  labour s mr livingstone has said his comments may have been offensive but were not racist  and said earlier this week he would not apologise even if mr blair asked. later the prime minister said:  a lot of us in politics get angry with journalists from time to time  but in the circumstances  and to the journalist because he was a jewish journalist  yes  he should apologise.   however  mr johnson  who was forced to apologise last year for an article in the magazine he edits about liverpudlians grieving over the death of british hostage ken bigley  said mr blair  should butt out of  the row.  i don t see why the prime minister has to get involved in this   the spectator editor told bbc radio 4 s today programme.  it s a dispute between ken livingstone and a reporter on the evening standard.  mr johnson  mp for henley-on-thames  oxfordshire  said he suspected labour was now trying to reassure jewish voters  because of this curious way in which labour seems to be trying to curry favour with disillusioned muslim voters who may be disillusioned about the war .   ken doesn t think he s got anything to say sorry for and if that s really his feeling  then i think that he should stick to his guns   he said. mr johnson apologised last october for perpetuating an  outdated stereotype  of liverpool in the leader article on the death of mr bigley. the article in the magazine suggested grieving liverpudlians were wallowing in their victim status. it also attributed blame to drunken liverpool football fans for the 1989 hillsborough disaster in which 96 died. mr johnson told today:  it s perfectly true that i got into the grovelling game myself and when i apologised there were some things that i felt i ought to say sorry for ... there were also other things i didn t think i should apologise for   he said.  but here s old ken - he s been crass  he s been insensitive and thuggish and brutal in his language - but i don t think actually if you read what he said  although it was extraordinary and rude  i don t think he was actually anti-semitic.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "jones files conte lawsuit marion jones has filed a lawsuit for defamation against balco boss victor conte following his allegations that he gave her performance-enhancing drugs.  the sydney olympic gold medallist says conte damaged her reputation and she is seeking $25m (\u00a313m) in the suit. conte  whose company is at the centre of a doping investigation  made the claims in a us television programme. he and three others were indicted in february by a federal grand jury for a variety of alleged offences. in an email to the associated press on wednesday  conte said:  i stand by everything i said . jones won three gold medals and two bronzes in sydney in 2000. her lawsuit  filed in the us district court in san francisco  said the sprinter had passed a lie detector test and that she  has never taken banned performance-enhancing drugs . conte s statements  the suit added  were  false and malicious . after the abc television program earlier this month  jones  lawyer richard nicholls said:  marion has steadfastly maintained her position throughout: she has never  ever used performance-enhancing drugs.  victor conte is a man facing a 42-count federal indictment  while marion jones is one of america s most decorated female athletes. mr conte s statements have been wildly contradictory.  mr conte chose to make unsubstantiated allegations on television  while marion jones demanded to take and then passed a lie detector examination.   mr conte is simply not credible. we challenge him to submit to the same lie detector procedure that marion jones passed.  the sport s ruling body  the iaaf  is taking a cautious approach to conte s allegations but contacted the us anti-doping agency. communications director nick davies said the iaaf would seek to contact conte  for further information . but davies stressed it would be up to the american authorities to decide whether they will take action against jones in light of conte s television interview and the world governing body would monitor the situation closely.  if it is felt there is case to answer  it would be for its national governing body (usa track and field) to take the appropriate disciplinary action   he added.  the us anti-doping agency has proved itself to be very diligent in its anti-doping war.  and i am sure  like ourselves  they will be watching the television programme with great interest.  jones  who is under investigation for steroid use by the us anti-doping agency  has continually denied ever taking illegal substances since being investigated in the balco scandal  although she praised a zinc supplement conte marketed. jones  who did not win any medals in athens in august  has never failed a drugs test. meanwhile  conte  who has been charged along with three other men of distributing illegal steroids and money laundering  is due to face trial in march.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "microsoft takes on desktop search microsoft has entered the desktop search fray  releasing a test version of its tool to find documents  e-mails and other files on a pc hard drive.  the beta program only works on pcs running windows xp or windows 2000. the desktop search market is becoming increasingly crowded with firms touting programs that help people find files. search giant google launched its desktop search tool in october  while yahoo is planning to release similar software in january.   our ambition for search is to provide the ultimate information tool that can find anything you re looking for   said yusuf mehdi  corporate vice president at microsoft s msn internet division. microsoft s program can be used as a toolbar on the windows desktop  the internet explorer browser and within the outlook e-mail program. the software giant is coming late to the desktop search arena  competing with a large number of rivals. google has already released a desktop tool. yahoo is planning to get into the game in january and aol is expected to offer desktop searching early next year. small firms such as blinkx  copernic  enfish x1 technologies and x-friend offer tools that catalogue the huge amounts of information that people increasingly store on their desktop or home computer. apple will release a similar search system for its computers called spotlight that is due to be released with the tiger operating system.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "brown and blair face new rift claims for the umpteenth time  tony blair and gordon brown are said to have declared all out war on each other.  this time the alleged rift is over who should take the credit for the government s global aid and debt initiatives  particularly in the wake of the tsunami disaster - an issue many hoped and believed was above such things. it dominated the prime minister s monthly news conference  which saw mr blair start in full irritation mode as he was forced to bat away question after question about his relationship with his neighbour. as he told journalists:  i am not interested in what goes in and out of newspapers. there is a complete unity of purpose.  and he again heaped praise on mr brown saying he was doing a great job  and would continue doing it - although he would not commit to any job for mr brown after the election.  so why did he arrange his press conference at the last moment so it coincided with mr brown s long-arranged keynote speech on aid and debt  he was asked  by now mr blair had moved from irritation mode to his barely disguised fury setting. he snapped back that the hacks knew very well what the operational reasons were for the timing of his press conference. well  not really  as it happens.  and he repeated what a great man gordon was and how united they were  before again sneering that he took absolutely no notice of what went in and out of the newspapers  preferring to get on with the job of doing the best for the country and the world. although in the next breath he declared:  i get increasingly alarmed by what i read in the newspapers  before catching himself on and quickly adding:  in so far as i read them of course.  he probably had good reason to be alarmed because the newspapers had been full of stories about the claimed open warfare between the two men.  as far as the timing of the prime minister s press conference is concerned  there are two options. the first is that it was a calculated attempt to upstage the chancellor and seize back the initiative on the big issue of the moment. if that is the case it suggests that even the fear of seriously negative newspaper headlines is not enough to stop the squabbling. the second option is that it was an unavoidable coincidence  which would suggest the government has lost its once-famed ability to strictly co-ordinate announcements - through the infamous downing street grid - to avert just such allegations.  either way  the effect was the same - to overshadow the big announcements of government policy on a hugely pertinent issue. and there had been previous suggestions that the new year had started with a fresh outbreak of the warfare between the two men. firstly  the prime minister insisted on wednesday that he had been intimately involved in the development of the proposals to get g8 countries to freeze debt repayments from the tsunami-hit countries. it was claimed he had been embarrassed by the fact that gordon brown appeared to have taken the initiative over the government s response to the disaster while mr blair was still on holiday in egypt.  then  as if to pour fuel on the flames  both men separately spoke about working on tsunami or wider aid and development policy with their cabinet colleagues foreign secretary jack straw  aid minister hilary benn and deputy prime minister john prescott - without mentioning the other. all this came amid fresh claims that mr brown was still seething that he had been excluded from a prominent role in general election planning and had  as a result  started to set out his own platform. the fact that he used an article in the guardian newspaper to set out what he believed  should  be in the manifesto  has embarked on a mini tour of britain to set out his aid plans and will next week visit africa on the same mission - often seen as the prime minister s  turf  - has only added to the impression of rival camps operating entirely independently of each other. the prime minister denied all that as well  repeating his insistence that it was inconceivable the economy and the chancellor would not be at the centre of the election campaign. but the big fear with many on the labour benches now is that  unless a lid can be put on the speculation over the rivalry  it may even threaten to undermine the election campaign itself.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "gta sequel is criminally good the grand theft auto series of games have set themselves the very highest of standards in recent years  but the newest addition is more than able to live up to an increasingly grand tradition.  the 18 certificate gta: san andreas for the playstation 2 could have got away with merely revisiting a best-selling formula with a more-of-the-same approach. instead  it builds and expands almost immeasurably upon the last two games and stomps  carefree  over all the driv3r and true crime-shaped opposition. even in the year that will see sequels to halo and half-life  it is hard to envisage anything topping this barnstorming instant classic.  the basic gameplay remains familiar. you control a character  on this occasion a youth named cj  who sets out on a series of self-contained missions within a massive 3d environment. cj can commandeer any vehicle he stumbles across from a push-bike to a city bus to a plane. all come in handy as he seeks to establish his presence in a tough urban environment and avenge the dreadful deeds waged upon his family. to make things worse  he is framed for murder the moment he arrives in town  and blackmailed by crooked cops played by samuel l jackson and chris penn. the setting for all this rampant criminality is the fictional us state of san andreas  comprising three major cities: los santos  which is a thinly-disguised los angeles  san fierro  aka san francisco and las venturas  a carbon copy of las vegas. san andreas sucks you in with its sprawling range  cast of characters and incredibly sharp writing.  its ability to capture the ambience of the real-world versions of these cities is something to behold  assisted no end by the monumental graphical advances since vice city. the streets  and vast swathes of countryside  are by turns gloriously menacing  grungy and preppy. flaunting awesome levels of graphical detail  the game s overall look  particularly during the many unusual weather conditions and dramatic sunsets  is stupendous. the outstanding bread-and-butter gameplay mechanics provide a solid grounding for the elaborate plot to hang on. cars handle more convincingly than ever  a superb motion blur kicks in when you hit high speeds  and there s more traffic to navigate than before. park your vehicle across the lanes of a freeway  and within seconds there will be a huge pile-up. pedestrians are also out in force  and are a loquacious bunch. cj can interact with them using a simple system on the control pad. they will pass comments on his appearance and credibility  aspects that the player now has control over. clothes  tattoos and haircuts can all be purchased  and funding these habits can be achieved by criminal means or by indulging in mini-games like betting on horses and challenging bar patrons to games of pool. the character will put on or lose weight according to how long he spends on foot or in the gym. he will have to pause regularly in restaurants to keep energy levels up  but will swell up as a result of over-eating. and at last  this is a gta hero who can swim.  at a time when games are once again under fire for their supposed potential to corrupt the young  san andreas  violence  or specifically the freedom it gives the player to commit violence  are sure to inflame the pro-censorship brigade. developers rockstar have not shied away from brutality  and in some respects ramp it up from past outings.  when hijacking a car  for example  cj will gratuitously shove the driver s head into the steering wheel rather than just fleeing with the vehicle. indeed  the tone is darker than the jokey vice city. the grim subject matter here hardly lends itself to gags in quite the same way as the cheesy 80s setting of the last game. this title  incidentally  is set in 1992  but that is really neither here nor there apart from the influence it has on the radio playlists. the wit is still present  just more restrained than in previous outings. a further reason for this is that the incredible range of in-vehicle radio stations available means you will spend less time happening upon the hilarious talk radio options  where gta games  trademark humour is anchored. the quality of voice acting and motion capture is simply off-the-chart. the game s rather odious gangland lowlifes swagger and mouth off in a way that rings very true indeed. it is a testament to san andreas  magnificence that it has a number of prominent flaws  but plus-points are so numerous that the niggles don t detract. the on-screen map  for instance  is needlessly fiddly  an unwelcome change from past editions. there is also a very jarring slowdown at action-packed moments. and the game suffers from the age-old problem that can be relied upon to blight all games of this genre  setting you back a vast distance when you fail right at the very end of a long mission. but the gameplay experience in its entirety is overwhelmingly positive. you simply will not be bothered by these minor failings. san andreas is among the few unmissable games of 2004.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "isinbayeva claims new world best pole vaulter yelena isinbayeva broke her own indoor world record by clearing 4.89 metres in lievin on saturday.  it was the russian s 12th world record of her career and came just a few days after she cleared 4.88m at the norwich union grand prix in birmingham. the olympic champion went on to attempt 5.05m at the meeting on france but failed to clear that height. in the men s 60m  former olympic 100m champion maurice greene could only finish second to leonard scott. it was greene s second consecutive defeat at the hands of his fellow american  who also won in birmingham last week.  i ran my race perfectly   said scott  who won in 6.46secs  his best time indoors.  i am happy even if i know that maurice is a long way from being at his peak at the start of the season.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "mcclaren hails boro s uefa spirit middlesbrough boss steve mcclaren has praised the way his side have got to grips with european football after the 2-0 uefa cup win against lazio.  boro  who are playing in europe for the first time in their 128-year history  are top of group e with maximum points.  i think we have taken to europe really well   said mcclaren.  we got about lazio  didn t let them settle or play. and in possession  we controlled it and looked threatening every time we went forward.  before the match  mcclaren had said that a win over the italian giants would put boro firmly on the european footballing map. and after they did just that he said:  it was a perfect european night. for the team to give the fans a performance like that was the icing on the cake.  there have been many good performances but this was something special.   you can see that the experience we have in the squad is showing. to win in europe you need to defend well  and we have done that because we have conceded only one goal in four games.  we can also score goals  and again that is something you can see from the performances we have had  so we have good balance. mcclaren s only criticism of his side was that their dominance should have been resulted in more goals.  it should have been more convincing   said mcclaren.  but i had watched lazio in recent weeks and i saw them score a late equaliser against inter milan on saturday so i knew we needed a second goal.   no matter what anybody says  lazio are favourites to win this competition.  middlesbrough forward boudewijn zenden said he did not expect such a comfortable match after he scored both goals.  we didn t expect it to be that one-sided   said zenden.  we did quite well in the first half  we pressured them and they didn t cope with that.  i think we played quite well and it was a very good game  especially in the first half.  the holland international said boro are confident of progressing in the competition after winning their first two group games.  we ve got a very good feeling  there is a good spirit  all the lads work hard for each other and it s a squad of friendly players  which i think you can see on the pitch   he added.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "citizenship event for 18s touted citizenship ceremonies could be introduced for people celebrating their 18th birthday  charles clarke has said.  the idea will be tried as part of an overhaul of the way government approaches  inclusive citizenship  particularly for ethnic minorities. a pilot scheme based on ceremonies in australia will start in october. mr clarke said it would be a way of recognising young people reaching their voting age when they also gain greater independence from parents. britain s young black and asian people are to be encouraged to learn about the nation s heritage as part of the government s new race strategy which will also target specific issues within different ethnic minority groups. officials say the home secretary wants young people to feel they belong and to understand their  other cultural identities  alongside being british. the launch follows a row about the role of faith schools in britain. on monday school inspection chief david bell  accused some islamic schools of failing to teach pupils about their obligations to british society.  the muslim council of britain said ofsted boss mr bell s comments were  highly irresponsible . the home office started work on its community cohesion and race equality strategy last year and the outcome  launched on wednesday  is called  improving opportunity  strengthening society . it is aimed at tackling racism  exclusion  segregation and the rise in political and religious extremism.  it represents a move away from the one-size-fits-all approach to focus on specifics within cultural groups   said a home office spokesman.  it is not right to say that if you are from a black or ethnic minority group you must be disadvantaged.  the spokesman highlighted specific issues that affect particular communities - for example people of south asian origin tend to suffer from a high incidence of heart disease.   it is about drilling down and focusing on these sorts of problems   the spokesman added. launching the initiative mr clarke said enormous progress had been made on race issues in recent years. he added:  but while many members of black and minority ethnic communities are thriving  some may still find it harder to succeed in employment or gain access to healthcare  education or housing.  this strategy sets out the government s commitment to doing more to identify and respond to the specific needs of minorities in our society.  some 8% of the uk population described themselves as coming from a non-white ethnic minority in the 2001 census.  the downing street strategy unit in 2003 said people from indian and chinese backgrounds were doing well on average  often outperforming white people in education and earnings. but those of pakistani  bangladeshi and black caribbean origin were significantly more likely to be unemployed and earn less than whites  it said. the home office wants more initiatives which try to promote a sense of belonging by encouraging young people to take part in voluntary work. the programmes are designed to support the citizenship lessons already taking place in schools.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "henman to face saulnier test british number one tim henman will face france s cyril saulnier in the first round of next week s australian open.  greg rusedski  the british number two  is in the same quarter of the draw and could face andy roddick in the second round if he beats swede jonas bjorkman. local favourite lleyton hewitt will meet france s arnaud clement  while defending champion and world number one roger federer faces fabrice santoro. women s top seed lindsay davenport drew spanish veteran conchita martinez.  henman came from two sets down to defeat saulnier in the first round of the french open last year  so he knows he faces a tough test in melbourne. the seventh seed  who has never gone beyond the quarter-finals in the year s first major and is lined up to meet roddick in the last eight  is looking forward to the match.  he s tough player on any surface  he s got a lot of ability   he said.  we had a really tight one in paris that went my way so i m going to need to play well from the outset because he s a dangerous competitor.  switzerland s federer  seeded one  is the hot favourite having won three of the four grand slam titles in 2004. he has beaten santoro in five of their seven previous encounters  but is taking nothing for granted.  it s a tricky match   federer said.  i played him at the us open and won quite comfortably then. but you never know  if the rhythm is a bit off  he can keep you guessing and make it difficult.  the most important thing  though  is to get used to playing five-set matches and winning them.  the 23-year-old could meet four-time champion andre agassi in the quarter-finals before meeting russian marat safin  the player he beat in last year s final.  eighth-seeded american agassi is set to play a qualifier in round one if he can shake off a hip injury which ruled him out of the kooyong classic. second seed andy roddick will open his campaign against irakli labadze of georgia. the american could meet rusedski in the second round  seventh seed henman in the quarter-finals and hewitt in the last four. hewitt is hoping to become the first australian man to win the event since mark edmondson in 1976. the 23-year-old has never been beyond round four in eight attempts at melbourne park but has at least secured the opposite half of the draw to federer  who beat him in the australian open  wimbledon and us open last year. safin  seeded four  opens his campaign against a qualifier with 16th seed tommy haas  the player he beat in the semi-finals in 2002  a possible fourth-round opponent.  in the women s draw  davenport could encounter eighth-seeded venus williams in the quarter-finals and third-ranked anastasia myskina  the french open champion  in the semi-finals. bronchitis ruled davenport  the 2000 australian open champion  out of her sydney quarter-final on thursday. venus williams  who lost to younger sister serena in the melbourne final two years ago  opens against eleni daniilidou of greece. serena williams  who won her fourth consecutive grand slam at the 2003 australian open  was drawn in the bottom quarter with second seed amelie mauresmo  a runner-up in 1999. serena will open against another frenchwoman camille pin  while mauresmo plays australia s samantha stosur. wimbledon champion maria sharapova  seeded fourth  drew a qualifier in the first round but could meet fellow russian svetlana kuznetsova  the us open winner  in the last eight  1 roger federer (switzerland)  2 andy roddick (us)  3 lleyton hewitt (australia)  4 marat safin (russia)  5 carlos moya (spain)  6 guillermo coria (argentina)  7 tim henman (britain)  8 andre agassi (us)  9 david nalbandian (argentina)  10 gaston gaudio (argentina)  11 joachim johansson (sweden)  12 guillermo canas (argentina)  13 tommy robredo (spain)  14 sebastien grosjean (france)  15 mikhail youzhny (russia)  16 tommy haas (germany)  17 andrei pavel (romania)  18 nicolas massu (chile)  19 vincent spadea (us)  20 dominik hrbaty (slovakia)  21 nicolas kiefer (germany)  22 ivan ljubicic (croatia)  23 fernando gonzalez (chile)  24 feliciano lopez (spain)  25 juan ignacio chela (argentina)  26 nikolay davydenko (russia)  27 paradorn srichaphan (thailand)  28 mario ancic (croatia)  29 taylor dent (us)  30 thomas johansson (sweden)  31 juan carlos ferrero (spain)  32 jurgen melzer (austria)  1 lindsay davenport (us)  2 amelie mauresmo (france)  3 anastasia myskina (russia)  4 maria sharapova (russia)  5 svetlana kuznetsova (russia)  6 elena dementieva (russia)  7 serena williams (us)  8 venus williams (us)  9 vera zvonareva (russia)  10 alicia molik (australia)  11 nadia petrova (russia)  12 patty schnyder (switzerland)  13 karolina sprem (croatia)  14 francesca schiavone (italy)  15 silvia farina elia (italy)  16 ai sugiyama (japan)  17 fabiola zuluaga (colombia)  18 elena likhovtseva (russia)  19 nathalie dechy (france)  20 tatiana golovin (france)  21 amy frazier (us)  22 magdalena maleeva (bulgaria)  23 jelena jankovic (serbia and montenegro)  24 mary pierce (france)  25 lisa raymond (us)  26 daniela hantuchova (slovakia)  27 anna smashnova (israel)  28 shinobu asagoe (japan)  29 gisela dulko (argentina)  30 flavia pennetta (italy)  31 jelena kostanic (croatia)  32 iveta benesova (czech republic)", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "boateng to step down at election paul boateng  chief secretary to the treasury  is to step down as a labour mp at the forthcoming general election.  mr boateng  53  is to become the uk s high commissioner to south africa. he was the uk s first black cabinet minister when appointed to his post in 2002  promoted from the home office  where he had been prisons minister. mr boateng served on the greater london council before being elected to parliament in 1987  declaring  today brent south  tomorrow soweto . he will succeed the previous high commissioner  ann grant  shortly after the next election  which is widely expected to be held on 5 may. the appointment is dependent on labour s re-election.  prime minister tony blair said:  paul has been both a valued colleague and a trusted friend for many years.  he has made an immense contribution to public life in britain and i am delighted that he has agreed to continue that service to the people of britain by acting as their representative in south africa.  chancellor gordon brown said:  over the past eight years paul s contribution to the treasury and the government has been exceptional - and it has been my privilege to have worked closely with him closely at the treasury.  i congratulate paul on his new appointment.  he has displayed huge dedication to the cause of african development for many years and it is fitting that  in this year of challenge and opportunity for the african continent  paul has been given such a pivotal role in our fight against poverty and injustice.  i look forward to continuing to work with paul on this vital agenda.   mr boateng said:  i am honoured to be asked to take on this role  especially as it comes at such an integral time for our relationship with south africa and the african continent.  there shall be many new challenges and opportunities ahead and i look forward to embracing them with great anticipation.  asked if he was appointed as the result of a  fair and open  competition  he replied:  i have been appointed as a result of a process that s been used before by labour and conservative governments to appoint people of all parties who have relevant experience.  mr boateng also laughed off suggestions that his re-election in brent south seat had been in danger saying it was  one of the safest labour seats in the country . shadow foreign secretary michael ancram said that  if in government  he would refuse to approve either mr boateng s appointment or that of ex-cabinet minister helen liddell as high commissioner to australia.  mr blair s appointment of paul boateng is the latest example of a worrying trend of failed tony s cronies being appointed to senior diplomatic posts   he said.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "disappointed scott in solid start allan scott is confident of winning a medal at next week s european indoor championships after a solid debut on the international circuit.  the 22-year-old scot finished fourth in the 60m hurdles at the jose m cagigal memorial meeting in madrid.  it was definitely a learning curve and i certainly haven t ruled out challenging for a medal next week   said the east kilbride athlete. the race was won by felipe vivancos  who equalled the spanish record.  sweden s robert kronberg was second  with haiti s dudley dorival in third. scott was slightly disappointed with his run in the final. he won his heat in 7.64secs but ran 0.04secs slower in his first iaaf indoor grand prix circuit final.  i should have done better than that   he said.  i felt i could have won it. i got a poor start - but i still felt i should have ran faster.  vivancos slashed his personal best to equal the spanish record with a time of 7.60secs while kronberg and dorival clocked 7.62secs and 7.63secs respectively.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "court halts mark morrison album premiership footballer and record company boss kevin campbell has gained a court injunction stopping r&b singer mark morrison from releasing an album.  the everton striker signed morrison to his fledging 2 wikid records label and claims he spent thousands of pounds producing his album innocent man. now he is attempting to prevent morrison releasing the album on monday through another label. but morrison vowed to ignore the order  saying  no judge is gonna stop me .  morrison  who is now as well known for his brushes with the law than his music career  rose to fame with the 1996 single return of the mack.  but the leicester singer has struggled to repeat its success following two spells in jail. one was for hiring a stand-in to complete his community service for possession of a stun gun and three-months following a nightclub fracas. he signed to mr campbell s label a year ago and has released one single  with the label saying the album was due for release on 24 january. but mr campbell said he learned that morrison planned to release the album through jet star  which is advertising it on its website. mr campbell said:  i m glad we were granted the injunction but i m completely gutted that we have had to go that far.  mark morrison was given everything he asked for by 2 wikid but it seems that he couldn t help but return to his old ways.   i ve worked hard to realise my ambition in football but had hoped that my future career would be in the music business.  i have always dreamt of starting a record label but now mark morrison has spoilt that dream for me. there is no loyalty in this business - just greed.   but morrison is determined the album will be released on monday. he said:  the injunction is ludicrous.  i signed a new deal with a new record company because i was not getting the support i needed from 2 wikid.  i was with that label for a year and in that time released just one record  which was not properly promoted. he added:  the whole world is waiting for this album and it will come out on december 27. no injunction or judge will stop it. the mack will return.  the case is set to be heard in the high court on 20 december.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "chancellor rallies labour voters gordon brown has issued a rallying cry to supporters  warning the  stakes are too high  to stay at home or protest vote in the next general election.  the chancellor said the poll - expected to fall on 5 may - would give a  clear and fundamental  choice between labour investment and tory cuts. he told his party s spring conference the tories must not be allowed to win. the conservatives and lib dems insisted that voters faced higher taxes and means-testing under labour.  to a packed audience at gateshead s sage centre  mr brown accused shadow chancellor oliver letwin of plotting cuts that were the equivalent of sacking every teacher  gp and nurse in the country. laying into the conservative s record in government he said:  i give you this promise - with labour  britain will never return to the mistakes of erm and 10% inflation  15% interest rates  \u00a33bn in lost reserves  250 000 repossessed  one million in negative equity and three million unemployed.  never again tory boom and bust.   this will be the central dividing line at the election  between a conservative party taking britain back and planning deep cuts of \u00a335bn in our services  and a labour government taking britain forward  which on a platform of stability will reform and renew our hospitals  schools and public services and  i am proud to say  spend by 2008 \u00a360bn more.  turning to the economy  the chancellor promised to continue economic stability and growth in a third term in power.  he also pledged to continue the fight against child and pensioner poverty. and he promised help to get young people on the property ladder.  my message to the thousands of young couples waiting to obtain their first home is that housing is rightly now at the centre of our coming manifesto   he said.  and the next labour government will match our low mortgage rates with a new first-time buyers  initiative.  in the speech  which prompted a standing ovation  he also promised to end teenage unemployment within the next five years.  he also highlighted plans for 100% debt relief for the world s poorest countries  a national minimum wage for 16 and 17-year-olds  the creation of a network of children s centres and flexibility in maternity leave. responding to the speech  shadow chief secretary to the treasury  george osborne  said:  this was more talk from gordon brown.  we ve heard it all before. instead of talking about the future he kept on talking about the past.  he completely failed to say which taxes he would put up to fill the black hole in his spending plans.  there will be a simple choice at the election - value for money and lower taxes with the conservatives  or more waste and higher taxes under tony blair and gordon brown.   liberal democrat shadow chancellor vince cable warned the picture was not as rosy as mr brown would like to portray it.  for all his trumpeting of labour s management of the economy  gordon brown s record is very mixed   he said.  gordon brown has created a system of massive centralisation and bureaucracy  a system which subjects millions of people to means testing  and a system of taxation which is extremely complex.  for all his positive words  gordon brown is faced with economic problems looming on the horizon  not least the unprecedented levels of personal debt facing the nation.  also in gateshead  the prime minister took questions sent in by e-mail  text message and telephone as part of labour s attempt to engage the public in their campaign. mr blair told the audience he believed the iraq war would have made britain a safer place if its emerging democracy succeeded and that he wanted to bring troops home as soon as possible  but not before the job was done. he also said he wanted to carry on as pm  because i still think that there are big changes our country needs .", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "msps hear renewed climate warning climate change could be completely out of control within several decades  the scottish environment protection agency is warning a committee of msps.  experts are giving evidence on the subject to the scottish parliament s environment committee. officials believe nuclear energy and wind farms may be better options than trying to tackle global warming. solutions suggested by conservationists include reducing internal uk air travel and boosting electric trains. the evidence is part of the committee s inquiry into the impact of climate change in scotland. sepa is attempting to curb global warming gases  as pollution from transport emissions increases.  ecologists are warning msps that scotland may have to accept  significant intrusion  from wind farms. it is likely also that nuclear power will be needed for possibly several decades. sepa predict that the two methods will remain as energy sources until climate change is under control. experts studying the seas off scotland s west coast have already forecast more devastating weather of the type which caused havoc across the country last month.  they predicted that damaging storms will become more frequent. researchers from the university of the highlands and islands and southampton have been looking at wave heights in the atlantic over the last nine years. the project was conducted jointly by the environmental research institute in thurso  which is part of the university of the highlands and islands (uhi) millennium institute network  and the southampton oceanography centre. scientists carried out a series of studies  including the use of satellites to assess wave heights in the seas around the west coast and the hebrides.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "piero gives rugby perspective bbc sport unveils its new analysis tool piero at the wales v england rugby union match on saturday. but what does it do and how does it work   picture the scene - wales are camped on the england line in the dying seconds of the six nations  opening match. a ball is flung out to winger shane williams who crosses to score the winning try for wales. but the england players are incensed - arguing that the pass was forward and the try should not stand. in the past  sports fans would be left debating the validity of the try for days and weeks to come. but bbc sport s new tool piero could end discussions in minutes.  piero  named after the italian painter and pioneer of perspective piero della francesco  creates a virtual stadium in which virtual players can be tracked from almost any angle. viewers will be able to see precisely how the ball was thrown and by whom  giving a greater depth to the growing wealth of analysis available during sports broadcasts. the technology has been created by bbc research and development for bbc broadcast and bbc outside broadcasts. bbc sport is the first client to start using the system.  in order to keep audiences growing and growing... we need to work closely with people who create technology and innovation to bring sport to life   said andrew thompson  the bbc s head of development  new media and sports news.  we want to appeal to core fans - to give them more analysis  more detail  more definitive answers about key passages of play.  piero works by taking telemetric data from fixed camera positions and sending that data inside the video signal to a pc which can then render the information into 3d graphics.  the more cameras using piero  the better the detail possible out the other end when the data is turned into 3d models.  it allows us to tell the story of a passage of play  tracking individual players across the field  looking at tactics   said andy townsend  from bbc broadcast.  an operator can manipulate the information and provide almost real-time replays of incidents  as well as more in-depth analysis. the  virtual camera  can focus on virtually any aspect of the pitch  giving viewers an insight into action that the camera normally cannot see. piero also provides a wealth of statistical detail - from the length of kicks  to the length of a run of an individual player and the height of a lift at any lineout. mr townsend said sports performance companies were already showing an interest in the technology. bbc broadcast hopes the technology can be sold to third parties interested in using it a number of different ways - from sport broadcasting to entertainment and game shows.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "georgia plans hidden asset pardon georgia is offering a one-off  tax amnesty  to people who hid their earnings under the regime of former president eduard shevardnadze.  the country s new president  mikhail saakashvili  has said that anyone now willing to disclose their wealth will only have to pay 1% in income tax. the measure is designed to legitimise previously hidden economic activity and boost georgia s flagging economy. georgia s black market is estimated to be twice the size of its legal economy.  mr saakashvili  elected president in january after mr shevardnadze was toppled  has urged the georgian parliament to approve the amnesty as soon as possible. it is one of a series of proposals designed to tackle corruption  which was rampant during the shevardnadze era  and boost georgia s fragile public finances.  the new government is encouraging companies to pay taxes by scrapping existing corruption investigations and destroying all tax records from before 1 january  three days before president saakashvili was elected.  there are people who have money but are afraid to show it   the president told a government session.  documentation about where this money came from doesn t exist because under the former  entirely warped regime  earning capital honestly was not possible.   by declaring their assets and paying the one-off tax  people would be able to  legalise their property   mr saakashvili stressed.   no one will have the right to check this money s origin. this money must go back into the economy.  the amnesty will not extend to people who made money through drugs trafficking or international money laundering. criminal investigations in such cases -thought to involve about 5% of georgian businesses -are to continue. mr saakashvili has accused the shevardnadze regime  which was toppled by a popular uprising in november  of allowing bribery to flourish. georgia s economy is in a desperate condition. half the population are living below the poverty line with many surviving on income of less than $4  or three euros  a day. the unemployment rate is around 20% while the country has a $1.7bn public debt.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "rusedski forced out in marseille greg rusedski was forced to withdraw from the open 13 in marseille on thursday with a rib injury.  the british number two had been scheduled to play qualifier sebastien de chaunac  who beat world number five guillermo coria 6-4 7-5 in round one. but rusedski was unable to take to the court because of a problem with the left-hand side of his rib-cage. american taylor dent caused a shock with a 7-6 6-2 victory over second seed david nalbandian. but third seed joachim johansson made it through after beating frenchman gilles simon 7-6 6-3 while in the first match of the day  sixth seed feliciano lopez defeated ivo karlovic. there were also wins for slovakia s karol beck and croatian duo ivan ljubicic and mario ancic.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "stevens named in england line-up england have named bath prop matt stevens in the starting line-up for their six nations match against ireland at lansdowne road on sunday.  fellow bath prop duncan bell will start on the bench  as coach andy robinson makes just one change to the team that was beaten by france. it will be stevens  first start after two caps as a replacement against the all blacks last year. leicester duo ollie smith and andy goode have been drafted onto the bench. stevens takes over from phil vickery  who suffered a broken arm playing for gloucester last weekend.  i m confident matt will grasp this opportunity and make his mark against ireland   said robinson.   all three players have shown outstanding form of late  most recently in the england a win against france a and for their club   added robinson.  selection beckons when players demonstrate such consistent ability.  this game against ireland will be massive. we recognise it s a must-win game for us this season.  england confirmed that sale sharks prop andrew sheridan was not considered for selection because of an injury he picked up to the back of his ankle during last friday s match against leeds.  j robinson (sale sharks  capt); m cueto (sale sharks)  j noon (newcastle)  o barkley (bath)  j lewsey (wasps); c hodgson (sale sharks)  h ellis (leicester); g rowntree (leicester)  s thompson (northampton)  m stevens (bath)  d grewcock (bath)  b kay (leicester)  j worsley (wasps)  l moody (leicester)  m corry (leicester).  a titterrell (sale sharks)  d bell (bath)  s borthwick (bath)  a hazell (gloucester)  m dawson (wasps)  a goode (leicester)  o smith (leicester).", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "wales get williams fitness boost wales are hopeful that openside flanker martyn williams could be fit for saturday s rbs 6 nations championship opener against england in cardiff.  williams was expected to miss the match with a disc problem in his neck  but has been making a speedy recovery.  he will have tests in the next 48 hours and we are pretty optimistic he is getting there   wales  team physiotherapist mark davies said.  it has been frustrating but he is on the mend  he has made good progress.  last week williams  along with fellow flanker colin charvis - who is unlikely to play for at least a month while he recovers from a foot injury - was all but ruled out of the millennium stadium clash. with williams initially thought to be struggling  the signs pointed towards wales coach mike ruddock handing a first cap to former wales under-21 skipper richie pugh.  cardiff blues flanker williams  29  offers considerable experience and if he is declared fit then ruddock might be tempted to include him in the back row. charvis will be reviewed by the wales medical staff next monday  but davies admitted that there was only an  outside chance  of him being fit to face france in wales  third championship game on 26 february. wales  other injury concern is pugh s fellow neath-swansea ospreys player sonny parker  as the centre has a trapped nerve in his neck.  sonny s injury is still an issue   davies said.  it is still painful and irritable. we will run the rule of thumb over him in the next couple of days.  ruddock will name his starting line-up for the england game at 1830 gmt on tuesday evening  as wales target their first victory in cardiff over the world champions since 1993.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "budget to set scene for election gordon brown will seek to put the economy at the centre of labour s bid for a third term in power when he delivers his ninth budget at 1230 gmt. he is expected to stress the importance of continued economic stability  with low unemployment and interest rates. the chancellor is expected to freeze petrol duty and raise the stamp duty threshold from \u00a360 000. but the conservatives and lib dems insist voters face higher taxes and more means-testing under labour.  treasury officials have said there will not be a pre-election giveaway  but mr brown is thought to have about \u00a32bn to spare.  - increase in the stamp duty threshold from \u00a360 000   - a freeze on petrol duty   - an extension of tax credit scheme for poorer families   - possible help for pensioners the stamp duty threshold rise is intended to help first time buyers - a likely theme of all three of the main parties  general election manifestos. ten years ago  buyers had a much greater chance of avoiding stamp duty  with close to half a million properties  in england and wales alone  selling for less than \u00a360 000. since then  average uk property prices have more than doubled while the starting threshold for stamp duty has not increased. tax credits as a result  the number of properties incurring stamp duty has rocketed as has the government s tax take. the liberal democrats unveiled their own proposals to raise the stamp duty threshold to \u00a3150 000 in february.  the tories are also thought likely to propose increased thresholds  with shadow chancellor oliver letwin branding stamp duty a  classic labour stealth tax . the tories say whatever the chancellor gives away will be clawed back in higher taxes if labour is returned to power. shadow treasury chief secretary george osborne said:  everyone who looks at the british economy at the moment says there has been a sharp deterioration in the public finances  that there is a black hole   he said.  if labour is elected there will be a very substantial tax increase in the budget after the election  of the order of around \u00a310bn.   but mr brown s former advisor ed balls  now a parliamentary hopeful  said an examination of tory plans for the economy showed there would be a \u00a335bn difference in investment by the end of the next parliament between the two main parties. he added:  i don t accept there is any need for any changes to the plans we have set out to meet our spending commitments.   for the lib dems david laws said:  the chancellor will no doubt tell us today how wonderfully the economy is doing   he said.  but a lot of that is built on an increase in personal and consumer debt over the last few years - that makes the economy quite vulnerable potentially if interest rates ever do have to go up in a significant way.  snp leader alex salmond said his party would introduce a \u00a32 000 grant for first time buyers  reduce corporation tax and introduce a citizens pension free from means testing. plaid cymru s economics spokesman adam price said he wanted help to get people on the housing ladder and an increase in the minimum wage to \u00a35.60 an hour.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "weir poised for sunderland move larne s teenage star robbie weir is poised to join sunderland after turning down a move to stoke city.  the 17-year-old irish league midfielder was also being chased by rangers and fulham  but mick mccarthy s side appear to have won the race. but larne boss jimmy mcgeough has yet to confirm that weir is on his way from inver park.  i heard on sunday that he has joined sunderland  but not from the lad himself   he said.   robbie has an agreement with larne that he can negotiate with interested clubs.    personally  i would rather see him making an impact at local level to build up his physique before moving into the full-time game.   he has been on trial with a number of clubs. but it would be great to see him making it at sunderland.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "us data sparks inflation worries wholesale prices in the us rose at the fastest rate in more than six years in january  according to government data.  new figures show the labor department producer price index (ppi) rose by 0.3% - in line with forecasts. but core producer prices  which exclude food and energy costs  surged by 0.8%  the biggest rise since december 1998  increasing inflationary concerns. in contrast  the university of michigan barometer of us retail consumer confidence showed a slight dip. the university s index of consumer spending fell to 94.2 in early february from 95.5 in january  which could indicate a fall in retail spending by the us public. the mixed set of data on friday led to volatile early wall street trade  as the dow jones  standard and poor s 500  and nasdaq swung between positive and negative territory.  the economic figures come on the back of increased fears that the federal reserve chairman may be about to raise interest rates in order to stifle any inflationary pressures. the fed has been raising interest rates at a gradual pace since june 2004  in an attempt to make sure inflation does not get out of control.  mr greenspan told congress this week that the central bank was on guard against the possibility that a rebounding economy could trigger stronger inflation pressures.  the ppi would argue for greenspan to continue to raise rates at a measured pace   said joe quinlan  chief market stategist at bank of america capital management.  but this michigan survey tells you that the consumer might be downshifting a little bit in terms of their confidence and their spending; this could be an indication of that.   consumer spending accounts for 66% of us economic activity and is viewed as a gauge of the health of the economy  which is why the michigan data is closely observed. however on friday  it was overshadowed by the core ppi core figure  which surged 2.7% during the past 12 months  the biggest year-on-year gain in nine years.  the concern is that traders might interpret this big jump in the core ppi as an impetus for the fed to be more aggressive than a measured move in moving rates   said paul cherney  chief market analyst at standard & poor s. but ian shepherdson  chief us economist at high frequency economics  said the ppi report was  much less alarming  than at first glance. one-time increases in alcohol and tobacco prices  which  are no indication of broad ppi pressure   were responsible for the increase  he said. prices for autos and trucks also jumped in january  but shepherdson said  it is a good bet these increases won t stick .", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "radcliffe tackles marathon tasks paula radcliffe faces arguably the biggest test of her career in the new york city marathon on sunday.  back under the spotlight of public scrutiny she will attempt to erase the double disappointment of the athens olympics  where she failed to finish the marathon and then the 10 000m. bbc sport examines the challenges facing radcliffe ahead of the big race.   the ability to run a gruelling 26.2 miles relies largely upon an athlete s belief that they can do it. every runner will hit the wall at some stage and see written on it   are you strong enough to finish    the question could hit radcliffe hard after she was unable to complete her last two races in high-profile and emotional circumstances. sports psychologist hugh richards says the 30-year-old must draw on her past achievements to conquer a potential crisis of confidence.  there is an old adage   get straight back on the horse that threw you    richards told bbc sport.  paula has got all those great runs in her history as well as the two upsets in athens.  she must not lose faith in what has already been proven is a very effective strategy for distance running.  if she were to change her preparation and tactics that would be madness.  she wants to start rebuilding her confidence through performance accomplishment.    for much of the watching media and public there can only be two possible outcomes in new york - win or lose. if radcliffe crosses the line first she will have proved her critics wrong. but if she fails to triumph  she risks being labelled a has-been and her profile will suffer. and for any athlete that can have repercussions in terms of sponsorship  appearance fees as well as further self esteem issues.   athletes need to try and stay focused on their internal controls and ignore external questions   explains richards  who has worked with past olympians.  she must not get caught up in someone else s agenda.  radcliffe s best friend and fellow distance runner liz yelling revealed the 30-year-old is already aware she will be exposing herself to more public scrutiny in new york.  she just thought   well  they can t think any worse of me now    yelling told bbc sport.  she s just doing what she wants to do and not thinking about the consequences of it.    radcliffe described her decision to enter the new york marathon as  impulsive  but she is certain to have a tick-list of personal goals. her aims could be as simple as completing a race and making sure she is still enjoying running but richards says she must avoid more emotional targets  such as redemption.  you can t change history   warned richards.  only one person can win the marathon but lots of people can be successful.  paula has to figure out what sort of things will she feel satisfied achieving by the end of the race.    the course from staten island to central park is renowned as one of the toughest in the world. it is also not the kind of fast course that tends to suit radcliffe better  with the undulating finish through the park testing the legs  final reserves.  radcliffe has never raced there before and will enter the unknown just 77 days after the athens marathon.  it s suggested after a major marathon you take a full month off and start building up again   said yelling  herself a marathon runner.  but that is only for long-term health and fitness.  when you finish a marathon you are still very fit and can recover quickly. so physically it is possible for paula.  richards also points out conditions in new york will be more conducive to a strong physical display from radcliffe.  the heat stress was the primary factor that tripped her up in athens   he said.  and that just isn t going to be there in new york  that s been taken out of the equation.      radcliffe concedes she will probably learn a lot from her bad experiences in athens in time. and richards and yelling agree she could turn the trauma to her advantage  starting in new york.  how you respond to adversity is what marks you out as elite or not   argues richards.   one of the challenges of massive set backs is how you turn them into opportunities.  and yelling says:  i think this will probably make paula.   i think it will drive her on and she ll come out of it a better athlete.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "elvis set to top uk singles chart rock  n  roll legend elvis is set to top the uk singles chart on sunday  27 years after his death.  the re-release of hit song jailhouse rock was out-selling x factor winner steve brockstein s cover of against all odds by 2 000 copies on tuesday. if the record does make the top spot  it will be elvis  19th uk number one. the last time he topped the charts was with the remix of the little-known song a little less conversation  which was number one in june 2002. if jailhouse rock does reach number one on sunday  it will be the 999th in the history of the uk pop charts. the song first topped the charts in 1958. chart analysts say elvis could score the 1000th number one as well. his record one night will be released the following week  followed the week after by a fool such as i  as part of his record company sonybmg s new elvis campaign. it has called it  the most ambitious singles release campaign in the history of the uk record industry .", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "big war games battle it out the arrival of new titles in the popular medal of honor and call of duty franchises leaves fans of wartime battle titles spoilt for choice.  the acclaimed pc title call of duty has been updated for console formats  building on many of the original s elements. for its part  the long-running medal of honor series has added pacific assault to its pc catalogue  adapting the console game rising sun. call of duty: finest hour casts you as a succession of allied soldiers fighting on world war 2 battlefronts including russia and north africa. it is a traditional first-person-viewed game that lets you control just one character  in the midst of a unit where cohorts constantly bark orders at you. on a near-identical note  medal of honor: pacific assault does all it can to make you feel part of a tight-knit team and plum in the middle of all-out action. its arenas are the war s pacific battles  including guadalcanal and pearl harbour. you play one character throughout  a raw and rather talkative us soldier.  both games rely on a carefully stage-managed structure that keeps things ticking along. when this works  it is a brilliant device to make you feel part of a story. when it does not  it is tedious.  a winning moment is an early scene in pacific assault  where you come under attack at the famous us base in hawaii. you are first ushered into a gunboat attacking the incoming waves of japanese planes  then made to descend into a sinking battleship to rescue crewman  before seizing the anti-aircraft guns. it is one of the finest set-pieces ever seen in a video game. this notion of shuffling the player along a studiously pre-determined path  forcibly witnessing a series of pre-set moments of action  is a perilous business which can make the whole affair feel stilted rather than organic. the genius of something like half life 2 is that it skilfully disguises its linear plotting by various means of misdirection. this pair of games do not really accomplish that  being more concerned with imparting a full-on atmospheric experience.  call of duty comes with a suitably bombastic score and overblown presentation. finest hour has a similar determination  framing everything in moody wartime music  archive footage and lots of reflective voice-overs.  letting you play a number of different roles is an interesting ploy that adds new dimensions to the call of duty endeavour  even if it sacrifices the narrative flow somewhat. the game s drawback could be said to be its format; tastes differ  but these wartime shooters often do seem to work better on pc. the mouse control is a big reason why  along with the sharper graphics a top-end computer can muster and the apparent notion that pc games are allowed to get away with a bit more subtlety. call of duty on pc was more detailed  plot-wise and graphically  and this new adaptation feels a little rough and ready. targeting with the ps2 controller proved tricky  not helped by unconvincing collision-detection. you can shoot an enemy repeatedly with zero question as to your aim  yet the bullets will just refuse to hit him. checkpoints are so few and far between that when you get shot  which happens regularly  you are set harshly far back  and will find yourself covering vast tracts of scorched earth again and again. the game wants to be a challenge  and is  and many players will like it for that. it is as dynamic a battlefield simulator as you will experience and even if it is not as refined as its pc parent  the sense of being part of the action is thoroughly impressive.  both of these games feature military colleagues who are disturbingly bad shots and prone to odd behaviour. and in pacific assault in particular  their commands and comments are irritatingly meaningless.  but the teamwork element in titles like this is superficial  designed to add atmosphere and camaraderie rather than affect the gameplay mechanics at all. of the two games  pacific assault gets more things right  including little points like auto-saving intelligently and having tidier presentation. it engages you very well and also looks wonderful  making the most of the lush tropical settings that are reminiscent of the glorious far cry  although we had to ramp up the settings on a high-spec machine to get the most out of them. finest hour is by no means bad  and it is only because the pc original was so dazzling that this version sometimes feels underwhelming. those looking for a wartime game with plenty of atmosphere and a hearty abundance of enemies to shoot will be contented. but they will also have a niggling puzzlement as to why it does not break a little more ground rather then just being competent.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "tory backing for id cards the tories are to back controversial government plans to introduce id cards.  the shadow cabinet revealed its support ahead of next week s commons vote on a bill to introduce compulsory id. the decision follows a  tough meeting  where some senior tories argued vociferously against the move  party sources told the bbc. the bill  which ministers claim will tackle crime  terrorism and illegal immigration  is expected to be opposed by the liberal democrats.  they have said the scheme is  deeply flawed  and a waste of money. sources within the conservative party told the bbc michael howard has always been in favour of id cards  and tried to introduce them when he was home secretary. the party has been  agnostic  on the issue until now but had now decided to come off the fence  the tory source said. despite giving their backing to id cards  the conservatives insisted they would hold ministers to account over the precise purpose of the scheme.  they said they would also press labour over whether objectives could be met and whether the home office would deliver them. and they pledged to assess the cost effectiveness of id cards and whether people s privacy would be properly protected.  it is important to remember that this bill will take a decade to come into full effect   a spokesman said.  it will do nothing to solve the immediate problems of rising crime and uncontrolled immigration.   lib dem home affairs spokesman mark oaten said:  this has all the signs of michael howard overruling colleagues  concerns over id cards.  the tories should have the courage to try and change public opinion not follow it.  the new chairman of the bar council  guy mansfield qc warned there was a real risk that people on the  margins of society  would be driven into the hands of extremists.  what is going to happen to young asian men when there has been a bomb gone off somewhere  they are going to be stopped. if they haven t [id cards] they are going to be detained.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "fockers keeps us box office lead film comedy meet the fockers  sequel to meet the parents  has topped the us box office for a third week.  the movie  which stars ben stiller  robert de niro  dustin hoffman and barbra streisand  took $28.5m (\u00a315.2m)  making a total of 204.3m (\u00a3109m). michael keaton thriller white noise was second with $24m (\u00a312.8m) despite negative reviews. martin scorsese s howard hughes biopic the aviator came third with $7.6m (\u00a34m) and a total of $42.9m (\u00a322.8m). children s adventure lemony snicket s a series of unfortunate events  starring jim carrey and meryl streep  fell two places to fourth position with $7.4m (\u00a33.9m).  it is also the ninth jim carrey film to hit the $100m (\u00a353.2m) mark  according to exhibitor relations. and fat albert  a live-action adaptation of bill cosby s tv cartoon  fell one place to number five  with takings over the three days beginning on friday of $5m (\u00a32.6m). ocean s twelve took sixth place in the us chart with $5.4m (\u00a32.8m)  but it led the non-us chart at the weekend  according to hollywood reporter  with an estimated $17.7m (\u00a39.4m) and total takings of $137m (\u00a373m). the incredibles took $300m (\u00a3160m) outside the us  while meet the fockers topped box office charts in australia and mexico with non-us takings of $19.35m (\u00a310.2m).", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "conservative mp defects to labour a conservative mp and former minister has defected to labour.  robert jackson  58  mp for wantage in oxfordshire  said he was disillusioned with the party s leadership and its  dangerous  views on europe. prime minister tony blair declared himself  delighted   saying mr jackson would be warmly welcomed by labour mps. mr jackson  who has clashed with his leaders over tuition fees and europe in the past  served as higher education minister between 1987 and 1990. in a letter to his constituency chairman he wrote:  it is in the country s best interest that tony blair rather than michael howard should form the next government.  while saying he admired mr blair s  courageous  leadership of the country  he bitterly criticised the conservatives stance on europe.  the conservative party s hostility to europe has now hardened to the point at which it advocates the unilateral denunciation of britain s treaty obligations   he wrote.  mr blair said mr jackson was a  decent  fair-minded and dedicated public servant... who will be warmly welcome by labour mps and members .  as he rightly says  [the conservatives] have learned nothing from their two election defeats and are  if anything  drifting further rightwards   he added. a spokesman for michael howard said mr jackson s views on policy issues were  very different  from those of the party leadership.  he believes students should pay tuition fees  that tony blair should not be criticised over his handling of the iraq war and that more powers should be given to europe   the spokesman said. he added that it was not surprising mr jackson had chosen to leave the conservatives. mr jackson is due to stand down at the next election. he is the third conservative mp to defect to labour since 1997.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "benitez  to launch morientes bid  liverpool may launch an \u00a38m january bid for long-time target fernando morientes  according to reports.  the real madrid striker has been linked with a move to anfield since the summer and is currently behind raul  ronaldo and michael owen at the bernabeu. liverpool boss rafael benitez is keen to bolster his forward options with djibril cisse out until next season.  if there is an attractive propostition it could be i would be keen to leave   admitted the 28-year-old morientes. he added:  unfortunately  i m not in control of the situation. i m under contract to real and they will make any decisions.  the fee could put liverpool off a prospective deal but real are keen to net the cash as they are reported to be preparing a massive summer bid for inter milan striker adriano. the reds are currently sixth in the premiership  15 points behind leaders chelsea.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "souness eyes summer move for owen newcastle boss graeme souness is lining up a summer move for england and real madrid striker michael owen.  he sees owen as the ideal replacement for alan shearer  who is due to retire in the summer  although he hopes to persuade shearer to carry on.  michael is in the category of players who would excite the fans and we re monitoring him   he told bbc newcastle.  he is a great centre-forward and only 25 but i don t think we re the only ones monitoring the situation at real.  souness has also hinted he thinks shearer may carry on despite his stated intent to retire at the end of the season. he believes the prospect of breaking jackie milburn s club scoring record may influence the striker s decision.  milburn scored 200 league and cup goals between 1946 and 1957  while shearer currently has 187 goals to his name.  without giving too much away  i am confident he will be here next season   said souness.  i can t imagine him leaving without breaking jackie milburn s scoring record.  souness also revealed he tried to bring back nolberto solano during the january transfer window. the peruvian international was sold to aston villa a year ago but in the phone-in for bbc newcastle  souness said tried to re-sign him  but villa were not interested in selling.  the former rangers and liverpool boss is also looking to bring in a number of new acquisitions once the current campaign has been completed.  i m after three  four or five new players in the summer - we have got lots of targets   he said.  don t think we will wait to the last day of the season to say: `who are we going to target now", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "aragones angered by racism fine spain coach luis aragones is furious after being fined by the spanish football federation for his comments about thierry henry.  the 66-year-old criticised his 3000 euros (\u00a32 060) punishment even though it was far below the maximum penalty.  i am not guilty  nor do i accept being judged for actions against the image of the sport   he said.  i m not a racist and i ve never lacked sporting decorum. i ve never done that and i have medals for sporting merit.  aragones was handed the fine on tuesday after making racist remarks about henry to arsenal team-mate and spanish international jose reyes last october.  the spanish football federation at first declined to take action against aragones  but was then requested to do so by spain s anti-violence commission. the fine was far less than the expected amount of about \u00a322 000 or even the suspension of his coaching licence. arsenal boss arsene wenger  who was fined \u00a315 000 in december for accusing manchester united striker ruud van nistelrooy of cheating  believes that aragones  punishment was too lenient.  you compare his fine and my fine  and if you consider his was for racist abuse  then you seem to get away with it more in spain than you should   wenger said.  he shouldn t have said what he said  and how much money is enough  i don t know but it doesn t look a big punishment.  however  aragones insists the fine is unjustified and unfair.  i have been treated like islero (the bull that killed famous bullfighter manolete)   said aragones on hearing he had been fined for his actions.  i have not liked one thing about this whole affair and i do not agree with the sanction. they have looked for a scapegoat.  spain s anti-violence commission must now ratify the spanish fa s decision and has until next week to announce its verdict. aragones has 10 days to appeal  and the commission can also appeal. alberto flores  president of the spanish fa s disciplinary committee  said no-one in the committee felt aragones was a racist nor had  acted in a racist way.   a fine  the highest we could apply  is sufficient punishment. suspension would have been a bit exaggerated   flores told sports daily marca.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "worldcom ex-boss launches defence lawyers defending former worldcom chief bernie ebbers against a battery of fraud charges have called a company whistleblower as their first witness.  cynthia cooper  worldcom s ex-head of internal accounting  alerted directors to irregular accounting practices at the us telecoms giant in 2002. her warnings led to the collapse of the firm following the discovery of an $11bn (\u00a35.7bn) accounting fraud. mr ebbers has pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud and conspiracy.  prosecution lawyers have argued that mr ebbers orchestrated a series of accounting tricks at worldcom  ordering employees to hide expenses and inflate revenues to meet wall street earnings estimates. but ms cooper  who now runs her own consulting business  told a jury in new york on wednesday that external auditors arthur andersen had approved worldcom s accounting in early 2001 and 2002. she said andersen had given a  green light  to the procedures and practices used by worldcom. mr ebber s lawyers have said he was unaware of the fraud  arguing that auditors did not alert him to any problems.  ms cooper also said that during shareholder meetings mr ebbers often passed over technical questions to the company s finance chief  giving only  brief  answers himself. the prosecution s star witness  former worldcom financial chief scott sullivan  has said that mr ebbers ordered accounting adjustments at the firm  telling him to  hit our books . however  ms cooper said mr sullivan had not mentioned  anything uncomfortable  about worldcom s accounting during a 2001 audit committee meeting. mr ebbers could face a jail sentence of 85 years if convicted of all the charges he is facing. worldcom emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2004  and is now known as mci. last week  mci agreed to a buyout by verizon communications in a deal valued at $6.75bn.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "guantanamo pair s passport ban the government has written to two of the british men freed from guantanamo bay telling them they will not be allowed passports.  a letter sent to martin mubanga said his british passport would not be issued in the light of evidence gathered against him by the us. this suggested he was likely to take part in action against uk or allied targets if he left britain  it said. an identical letter has been sent to feroz abbasi  the men s solicitor says.  it is not known whether the other two men released from the cuba detention camp in january - richard belmar and moazzam begg - have also received letters. the government is implementing the rarely used royal prerogative in order to withdraw the men s passports. it is only the 13th time the power has been used since 1947 - the last time was in 1976. the letter  from the home office  says:  i am writing to inform you that on the basis of the information which has come to light during your detention by the united states  the home secretary considered that there are strong grounds for believing that  on leaving the united kingdom  you would take part in activities against the united kingdom  or allied targets.   the home office said it could not comment on individual cases.  the liberal democrats say they suspect the move is part of a package of security measures agreed with the us in order for the men to be allowed home from guantanamo bay.  home affairs spokesman mark oaten also demanded assurances that the evidence against the men was not gained under torture. he added:  the power should only be used in absolute extreme circumstances and i find it hard to believe that these conditions have been met this time.  he said the move also raised complex questions about the use of the royal prerogative. the liberal democrats have promised to raise the issue in parliament.  amnesty international uk also questioned whether the decisions had been based on  torture evidence  obtained at guantanamo bay.  furthermore  we believe there should be an investigation into the role played by the uk in the detention of uk residents and nationals and possibly many others at guantanamo bay   said director kate allen. the men s solicitor  louise christian  has raised questions about whether the evidence was gathered through torture. but the pentagon told bbc news us policy  condemns and prohibits  torture and said there was no evidence that any british detainee was tortured or abused. mr abbasi  23  from croydon  south london  was taken to guantanamo bay after being captured in afghanistan in 2001. mr mubanga  29  from north london  was originally detained in zambia.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "brown ally rejects budget spree chancellor gordon brown s closest ally has denied suggestions there will be a budget giveaway on 16 march.  ed balls  ex-chief economic adviser to the treasury  said there would be no spending spree before polling day. but mr balls  a prospective labour mp  said he was confident the chancellor would meet his fiscal rules. he was speaking as sir digby jones  cbi director general  warned mr brown not to be tempted to use any extra cash on pre-election bribes.  mr balls  who stepped down from his treasury post to stand as a labour candidate in the election  had suggested that mr brown would meet his golden economic rule -  with a margin to spare . he said he hoped more would be done to build on current tax credit rules.  he also stressed rise in interest rates ahead of an expected may election would not affect the labour party s chances of winning. expectations of a rate rise have gathered pace after figures showed house prices are still rising. consumer borrowing rose at a near-record pace in january.  if the mpc (the bank of england s monetary policy committee) were to judge that a rate rise was justified before the election because of the strength of the economy - and i m not predicting that they will - i do not believe that this will be a big election issue in britain for labour   he told a parliamentary lunch.  this is a big change in our political culture.   during an interview with bbc radio 4 s today programme  mr balls said he was sure mr brown s budget would not put at risk the stability of the economy.  i don t think we ll see a pre-election spending spree - we certainly did not see that before 2001   he said.  his assurances came after sir digby jones said stability was all important and any extra cash should be spent on improving workers  skills. his message to the chancellor was:  please don t give it away in any form of electioneering.  sir digby added:  i don t think he will. i have to say he has been a prudent chancellor right the way through. stability is the key word - british business needs boring stability more than anything.  we would say to him  don t increase your public spending  don t give it away. but if you are going to anywhere  just add something to the competitiveness of britain  put it into skilling our people .  that would be a good way to spend any excess.   mr balls refused to say whether mr brown would remain as chancellor after the election  amid speculation he will be offered the job of foreign secretary.  i think that gordon brown wants to be part of the successful labour government which delivers in the third term for the priorities of the people and sees off a conservative party that will take britain backwards   mr balls told today. prime minister tony blair has yet to name the date of the election  but most pundits are betting on 5 may.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "fox  too reliant on reality tv  the head of us tv network fox has admitted the broadcaster had relied too heavily on reality tv shows such as the poor-rating who s your daddy.  chief executive gail berman said  in the case of this fall we drifted to too much on the unscripted side . the series who s your daddy  where a young woman tries to pick her natural father for a cash prize caused outrage from adoption groups and rated badly. last season  fox s prime-time audience fell by 600 000 to 5.9 million. ms berman said:  i think the audience expects loud things from fox. sometimes they work  and sometimes they don t.   who s your daddy  the first episode of which was shown on 3 january  pulled in a disappointing audience of 6.3 million  according to the nielsen ratings system. five other episodes of the show had also been filmed will be dropped from fox s schedules  ms berman said. she was predicting a drop in ratings even for some of the network s established reality shows  such as american idol  which is due to start its fourth series this week. fox had unveiled a new strategy last year promising to launch new shows every season  including the traditionally quiet summer season. though that had met with a poor reception  ms berman said  there s no question that the audience  in our mind  is ready  willing and able to accept new programming in the summer . fox has changed this plan  launching new shows in may instead of june. one of the new shows will be the animated series american dad  made by seth macfarlane  the creator of family guy. that series  after becoming a hit on dvd  is also set to return with new episodes.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "sella wants michalak recall former france centre philippe sella believes coach bernard laporte must recall frederic michalak to give his side any chance of beating ireland.  sella admitted he had been impressed by current fly-half yann delaigue in the rbs six nations to date. but he told bbc sport:  michalak is the answer both now and for the future. delaigue deserved his chance but the time has come to bring back michalak.  he does have weaknesses but has the all-round game to upset ireland.  the 22-year-old michalak has spent much of the tournament on the bench after delaigue impressed for castres early in the season. with michalak overlooked  the french stuttered to narrow wins over scotland and then england before ironically playing their best rugby in the defeat to wales.  the wales game was amazing to watch but never did i think the french could lose that game at half-time   said sella.   their only mistakes were that they didn t score enough points in the first half and were a little bit less focused in the second... but only a little bit.  sella  however  insisted the pressure had eased on the under-fire laporte  despite the defeat at the stade de france.  this season is very important for shaping a team for the 2007 world cup   said sella   which laporte is doing very well. the french get better every game.  it s difficult  though  when you change a team and you change your tactics as everything has to gel.  but he has the players and the talent to take them all the way to world cup victory.  as a result  it is important that people give him time. it may not seem good now that we re not winning the grand slam but no one will care in two years time if we re world champions.   the majority of media criticism centred on the way in which france produced a performance devoid of running rugby in their opening two games. but while sella admitted he liked the more flowing style employed against wales  he said  the win was most important .  winning is all that matters   he added.  ok  the flair may not have been so good  but the discipline  organisation and defence was there  which are all important ahead of 2007.  france play what sella believes is their hardest game of the six nations against ireland in dublin on saturday 12 march. the french go into the game as clear underdogs. but sella added:  people forget that france can still win the six nations and they ll be focused on that.  but ireland will be going for even more in front of their home crowd. it s going to be tough.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "jansen suffers a further setback blackburn striker matt jansen faces three weeks out after surgery to treat a cartilage problem.  but central defender lorenzo amoruso is moving closer to fitness following a knee operation. rovers  assistant manager mark bowen said:  matt had a small operation to trim knee cartilage.  it s a tiny piece of work  which should be a fairly quick recovery. lorenzo is also jogging for the first time  along with kicking a ball.  jansen s career has been dogged by injury since a freak scooter accident two years ago.  he returned to first-team action soon after mark hughes  appointment as blackburn boss and marked it with a goal against portsmouth in his first appearance of the season. bowen added:  i m guessing  but i reckon maybe two to three weeks before he is back in action completely.  the rovers assistant boss forecast a longer time spell for amoruso s availability for first-team duties. bowen said:  there s still some scar tissue present so it will be some weeks.  it s a case of see how he goes. you can t put a real time on a comeback  we ll see how he progresses.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "more to do  on adult literacy the government will only hit its target for improving adult maths and literacy skills if courses are made more attractive  a report says.  the national audit office praised ministers for reaching the benchmark of 750 000 adults in england gaining basic qualifications by this year. but a target of 1.5 million more by 2010 needed  creative  ideas. some 26 million adults lack maths or english skill levels expected of school-leavers.  according to the report   more than half  the qualifications achieved were by learners aged 16 to 18. these are defined as  adults  by the government for the purpose of compiling these figures. normally adults are defined as being aged over 19. the number of these people gaining qualifications was  rising slowly . auditor general sir john bourn said:  higher levels of literacy and numeracy will benefit england both socially and economically.  more people will have the opportunity to live richer lives.  in 2001  the government launched the get on scheme - aimed at reducing illiteracy and innumeracy. sir john said  substantial progress  had been made since  adding that this was  only the beginning . the government and its partners would  need to be creative and responsive . some \u00a33.7bn will be spent on implementing the programme by 2006. the report recommends gathering more details on the educational needs of areas  so courses can be set to meet local demand. existing adult learners could use their  enthusiasm  commitment and local knowledge  to attract other people. the department for education and skills could also use more  personalised learning  and work with voluntary groups  councils and employers.  it should also assess adult learners  progress  at frequent intervals   the report adds. when the government announced it had reached its 2004 target earlier this month  prime minister tony blair said it was  only the start of the journey . an estimated 5.2 million adults have worse literacy than that expected of 11 year olds  while 14.9 million have numeracy skills below this level. this is thought to cost the uk economy hundreds of millions of pounds each year. the qualifications achieved by those taking part in the government s scheme range up to gcse equivalents. get on s participation target has been set at 2.25 million by 2010  with an interim figure of 1.5 million by 2007. education minister ivan lewis said:  we will continue to use creative ways of involving people with the lowest skill levels and the report shows that our efforts are gathering pace.  shadow education secretary tim collins said:  this is the third report in two days to highlight labour s failure to ensure young people acquire the necessary levels of literacy and numeracy for their working life.  employers and business leaders have repeatedly voiced concern over the number of school-leavers without these basic skills  but all the government have offered is more talk.  liberal democrat education spokesman phil willis added:  far too little has been done to enable adult learners to fit learning into their busy lives.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "blair sets date for africa report the commission for africa s report will be released on 11 march - comic relief day  tony blair has said.  july s g8 summit in gleneagles in perthshire - chaired by the prime minister - will use the report as the basis for talks on africa. the announcement followed the final meeting of the commission - which includes singer bob geldof - in london. as well as more aid  fairer trade and less debt  the commission is likely to demand action on corruption in africa. mr blair told a news conference:  it will be a report that s brutally frank about the reality  but i hope idealistic about what can be done if the will is there.  it s an ambitious project we have set ourselves and you will have to judge on its outcome when we publish it.   mr blair has vowed to put africa at the top of his agenda during his time at the helm of the g8. he acknowledged he would have a  a job of persuading to do  on other nations to get the necessary commitment to debt relief. bob geldof  in characteristically blunt style  promised that the commission would not just be a talking shop but would deliver radical new thinking to change direction for africa. the former rock star s presence on the commission has been interpreted as a sign that it will be uncompromising in its demands. the people involved include two african government leaders and a range of other african politicians  as well as experts from some other developed countries.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "student  inequality  exposed teenagers from well-off backgrounds are six times more likely to go to university than those from the most deprived areas  a report says.  the higher education funding council for england said more people went to university between 1994 and 2000. but the percentage of poorer students  hardly changed at all   said its chief executive  sir howard newby. increasingly more women than men went to university  while tuition fees and student loans made no major difference.  the hefce report  drawing on child benefits data  said teenagers in the richest areas could expect a better than 50% chance of going to university  while in the poorest neighbourhoods it was 10%. participation at constituency level ranged from 69% in kensington and chelsea  65% in the city of london and westminster and 62% in sheffield hallam  down to 10% in bristol south and leeds central and 8% in nottingham north and sheffield brightside.  sir howard said the report highlighted the  entrenched divisions  between rich and poor areas  but added it was a social as much as an educational problem. he told bbc news:  we know  once children from deprived backgrounds get into university  they do very well. in fact surprisingly more go into postgraduate study than those from more affluent backgrounds.  the issue is  i think  one of raising aspirations amongst those families and those communities that university is something for them and not for other people.   he said by the time universities traditionally dealt with pupils  between the ages of 16 and 18  it was too late. instead they should be reaching out to communities and schools much earlier  even down to primary school level  to persuade them a university education was something they could aspire to  he said. but while the report revealed stark inequalities and exposed the extent of the challenge  there were some encouraging findings  he added.  tuition fees and student loans in england and wales - and the different fee regime in scotland - did not seem to have affected the choices of young people  even the poorest. the report also showed women were 18% more likely than men to enter higher education in 2000 - up from 6% in 1994. in the poorest areas  the gap was 30% in women s favour and growing faster than anywhere else. the higher education minister  kim howells  said:  we are working in schools to raise the attainment and aspiration of young people in disadvantaged areas.  higher standards in schools would lead to greater participation in higher education. from 2006 upfront tuition fees in england would be removed  with grants for the less well off. the shadow education secretary  tim collins  said:  it is clear from this report that children from disadvantaged areas are far more likely to have encountered poor standards in their secondary education.  tackling these must be the top priority for any government looking to improve university access.  the group which represents university vice-chancellors  universities uk  said the new system of deferred fees in england  due to start in 2006  with grants and bursaries for poorer students  would encourage more of them to go into higher education. the national union of students argued the opposite - that the situation was  likely to get much worse  with poorer students being restricted in choice and having to make decisions based on their financial situation rather than aspiration .  the tables below show the participation rate for each parliamentary constituency in britain:", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "berlin hails european cinema organisers say this year s berlin film festival  which opens on thursday with period epic man to man  will celebrate a revitalised european cinema.  of the 21 films in competition for the golden and silver bear awards  more than half are from europe with france particularly well represented. festival director dieter kosslick says this strong showing signals  a new consciousness for european films .  they re on an incredible winning streak   he told the reuters agency.  this isn t to say there aren t any good american films   he continued.  it s just that there are more good european films.   however  mr kosslick refused to accept that widespread opposition to the iraq war had turned audiences against hollywood imports.  there is no anti-american mood   he said. some 350 films will be screened at this year s festival  with a further 300 shown at the european film market that runs alongside it. more than a dozen celebrities are scheduled to attend  among them will smith  kevin spacey and keanu reeves. but mr kosslick says more would be coming had the academy awards not been brought forward to 27 february.  i m not worried that we won t be able to fill the red carpet with stars   he said  though he admitted the festival may be moved to january next year to avoid a similar clash. the 10-day berlinale runs until 20 february.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "holmes back on form in birmingham double olympic champion kelly holmes was back to her best as she comfortably won the 1 000m at the norwich union birmingham indoor grand prix.  the 34-year-old  running only her second competitive race of the season  shook off the rust to win in two minutes  35.39 seconds. but she is still undecided about competing in the european championships in madrid from 4-6 march.  i ll probably be entered and make my mind up at the last minute   she said.  my training hasn t gone as well as expected but i ve got two weeks to decide.  i need to take my time and make sure i feel good about what i m doing.  i felt very good here but with the crowd behind you  you feel like you can do anything.  american  was the eventual winner of the men s 60m race which almost ended in farce. three athletes were disqualified for false starting  including britain s mark lewis-francis  who was the first man guilty of coming out of his blocks too quickly. world 100m champion kim collins clinched second spot ahead of world 60m record holder and scott s training partner maurice greene. jason gardener s unbeaten run came to an end as he came fifth and he will need to improve if he is to defend his european title in madrid.  you can t win them all   said gardener afterwards.  and i was very disappointed as i know i m capable of doing better.  russian  was back on record-breaking form in the pole vault at the national indoor arena.  the olympic champion set a new world mark of 4.88m to break her own record - which she set just six days ago - and beat russian rival svetlana feofanova. it was isinbayeva s 11th world record - indoors or out - since july 2003.  i m so happy and i will do my best to break the 5m barrier soon   the 22-year-old told bbc sport. jamaica s  stormed to a personal best of 7.13 seconds to claim the women s 60m sprint. belgian kim gevaert  who will be one of the favourites for next month s european title  took second while american muna lee was third. there was disappointment for british pair jeanette kwakye and joice maduaka who finished seventh and eighth respectively.  jamaican  stretched her unbeaten record to 25 races as she effortlessly claimed the 200m. the olympic champion set a new indoor personal best of 22.38 seconds - the fastest time in the world this season.  fought off fellow briton tim abeyie to take the men s 200m in a personal best of 20.88.  continued her outstanding start to the season  beating a strong international field  which included two-time olympic 100m hurdles bronze medallist melissa morrison  to claim the women s 60m hurdles. the 25-year-old briton clocked 7.98 seconds while pre-european championships favourite russian irina shevchenko finished down in sixth. ethiopia s  failed in her bid to smash compatriot berhane adere s world 3 000m record but still won the event in emphatic style. the olympic 5 000m champion was inside record pace but dropped off over the final third  finishing in eight minutes  33.05 seconds - the fourth fastest time ever recorded for the event. britain s jo pavey bravely decided to go with defar as she strode away from the field and took second in a season s best 8:41.43. kenyan  also missed out on the indoor 1500m world record  which hicham el guerrouj has held for the last eight years.  lagat settled for silver behind el guerrouj in athens and was almost four seconds short of the moroccan s world best  clocking 3:35.27 in birmingham. and  was still struggling to find his form after the death of his fiancee this year. the olympic 10 000m champion had comfortably led the men s two mile race after his younger brother tariku had set the pace. but fellow ethiopian  appeared ominously on bekele s shoulder with two laps to go before surging past him at the bell to win in 8:14.28. jamaican  made the most of a blistering start to take the men s 400m title in 45.91 seconds. world indoor champion  alleyne francique  faded badly and finished in fourth while american duo jerry harris and james davis took second and third respectively. swede  showed her class in the long jump as she stole top spot from jade johnson with the very last jump of the competition. the olympic heptathlon gold medallist reached 6.66m to better johnson s mark of 6.52m - her second personal best inside a week.  i was quite surprised because i didn t think i d end up with second place   said johnson  who wore london s 2012 olympic bid slogan   back the bid   on her shorts.  but i m pleased and hopefully i ll get a bit better for the europeans. i really want to win a medal.   won the men s event with a season s best of 7.95m  taking the scalp of world indoor champion savante stringfellow of the usa.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "brookside actress keaveney dies actress anna keaveney  who appeared in brookside  my family and a touch of frost  has died of lung cancer aged 55.  keaveney  who played brookside s marie jackson when the channel 4 soap began in 1982  died on saturday. born in runcorn  cheshire  she also starred in numerous films including 1989 s shirley valentine. she played nellie in mike leigh s latest film vera drake  which won the golden lion prize for best film at this year s venice film festival.  and most recently she appeared alongside richard wilson in itv s king of fridges and with martin clunes in doc martin. other tv appearances included the part of matron in itv drama footballers  wives and a cameo role as tom farrell s mother sheila in bbc comedy gimme gimme gimme. keaveney s career also included stage performances in neaptide for the national theatre  private lives and the rise and fall of little voice. the actress died in hospital. her agent barry brown said:  anna was due to have had another operation on friday but unfortunately she was too weak.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "tutu s guantanamo release call archbishop desmond tutu has called for the release of the remaining inmates at guantanamo bay and terror suspects detained without trial in the uk.  his comments follow news that all four britons held by the us in the cuban camp will be freed within weeks. the south african archbishop said detentions without trial were  unacceptable  and  distressing . twelve foreign nationals are being held indefinitely without trial in the uk under anti-terror laws. referring to the detentions in cuba  archbishop tutu told bbc news:  it is utterly unacceptable.  the rule of law is in order to ensure that those who have power don t use their power arbitrarily and every person retains their human rights until you have proven conclusively that so-and-so is in fact guilty.   moazzam begg  from birmingham  and martin mubanga  richard belmar and feroz abbasi  from london  have been held by the us at guantanamo bay for almost three years. on tuesday foreign secretary jack straw told the commons that the us had agreed to release the four after  intensive and complex discussions  over security. the britons were detained as part of the us-led  war on terror . the archbishop added:  whilst we are saying thank you that these have been released  what is happening to those left behind   we in south africa used to have a dispensation that detained people without trial and the world quite rightly condemned that as unacceptable.   now if it was unacceptable then how come it can be acceptable to britain and the united states. it is so  so deeply distressing.  following mr straw s announcement  lawyer louise christian  who represents mr abbasi and mr mubanga  said the government should have acted sooner. foreign nationals detained in the uk are being held at belmarsh and woodhill prisons. in december the house of lords  the uk s highest court  ruled that the anti-terror measures broke human rights laws. but the men are still behind bars.  archbishop tutu criticised the measures  saying:  i am opposed to any arbitrary detention that is happening  even in britain.  shami chakrabarti  director of civil rights group liberty  has called on the government to  practise what it preaches  and either free or charge the detained men. but the home office defended the measures. a spokesman said:  these individuals cannot currently be prosecuted because some evidence  such as that provided by third parties  cannot safely be disclosed in criminal proceedings without putting others at risk.  it is also currently the case that intelligence gained from covert intercepts cannot be used in a court of law.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "trial begins of spain s top banker the trial of emilio botin  the chairman of spain s most powerful bank  santander central hispano  has started in madrid.  mr botin is accused of misusing the bank s funds after he approved the payment of 160m euros ($208m; \u00a3111m) in bonus and pension payouts to two former executives. however  the trial was suspended when mr botin s lawyer introduced a new set of documents on the day testimony was set to begin. a three-judge panel gave prosecution lawyers until monday to study the documents  when the trial will be reconvened.  the high-profile case began after two santander shareholders filed a criminal complaint about the payments to jose maria amusategui and angel corcostegui  who stepped down in 2001. both executives helped mr botin orchestrate spain s biggest bank merger  between santander and banco central hispano  in 1999. as he arrived at spain s high court earlier on wednesday  mr botin greeted the waiting media  saying:  i have full faith in justice.  santander s board of governors strongly reject the charges against their chairman  saying the payouts were legal and made with their unanimous support. but if convicted  mr botin could face a prison term of up to six years. mr corcostegui  a former ceo at santander  also asked the court for new evidence to be admitted. in spite of the allegations against him  mr botin continues to lead santander  and was instrumental in the \u00a38.5bn takeover last november of the british bank abbey national. since taking over the chairmanship in 1986  he has turned santander into one of the top ten biggest banks in the world.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "honour for uk games maker leading british computer games maker peter molyneux has been made an obe in the new year honours list.  the head of surrey s lionhead studios was granted the honour for services to the computer games industry. mr molyneux has been behind many of the ground-breaking games of the last 15 years such as populous  theme park  dungeon keeper and black and white. he is widely credited with helping to create and popularise the so-called god-game genre.  speaking to the bbc news website mr molyneux said receiving the honour was something of a surprise. it s come completely out of the blue   he said   i never would have guessed that i d have that kind of honour.  he said he was surprised as much because  not too long ago  many people thought computer gaming was a fad.   it was thought to be like skateboarding   he said   a craze that everyone thought would go away.  now  he said  the gaming world rivals the movie industry for sales and cultural influence.  britain plays a big part in it   he said.  it s one of the founding nations that made the industry what it is.  mr molyneux has been a pivotal figure in the computer games industry for almost 20 years. his career started at bullfrog studios which in 1987 produced populous one of the first god-games. the title gave players control over the lives a small population of computerised people. mr molyneux said that his involvement with the games industry started almost by accident as back in the early days game making was more a hobby than a career.  i thought everyone would treat populous as weird   he said   but it became a huge international success.  he left bullfrog in 1997 to set up lionhead studios which was behind the ambitous and widely acclaimed game black & white. one of the next titles to come from lionhead puts players in charge of a movie studio and tasks them with producing and directing a hit film. the veteran game maker says he has one problem still to solve.  being an absolute geek i ve got no idea what i m going to wear when i go and pick it up   he said.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "kennedy predicts bigger turnout voters   pent up passion  could confound predictions of a low turnout in the coming general election  charles kennedy has said.  the liberal democrat leader predicted concerns over iraq and other international and domestic issue would express themselves during the campaign. his comments come as an inquiry looks at how best to boost voter turnouts. ex-foreign secretary robin cook said people were not apathetic but fed up of  pager politics  and not being heard. he  like mr kennedy  pointed to the hundreds of thousands of people who demonstrated against plans for the iraq war.  mr cook  who is giving evidence to the power inquiry into voter turnout rates  told bbc radio 4 s today programme it was not fair to blame the public who were  more interested in politics than ever before .  they are turned off by the way we do politics in britain. there s a message there for politicians.  he urged politicians to avoid negative campaigning and to  speak more from the heart .  we should be not so afraid to say what we stand for.  he also criticised the cult of personality politics:  there s far too much interest in celebrities.  politics are in danger of becoming another branch of the celebrity industry.  the government has tried a number of things in an attempt to boost voter turnout  which fell to 59% in the last general election in 2001. this has included bringing in directly elected mayors to head local authorities and trialling postal voting.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "gadget market  to grow in 2005  the explosion in consumer technology is to continue into 2005  delegates at the world s largest gadget show  in las vegas  have been told.  the number of gadgets in the shops is predicted to grow by 11%  while devices which talk to each other will become increasingly important.  everything is going digital   kirsten pfeifer from the consumer electronics association  told the bbc news website. the consumer electronics show (ces) featured the pick of 2005 s products.  consumers are controlling what they want and technologies like hdtvs [high-definition tvs]  digital radio  and digital cameras will remain strong in 2005.  all the products on show really showed the breadth and depth of the industry.  despite showing diversity  some delegates attending complained that the showcase lacked as much  wow factor  as in previous years.  the portable technologies on show also reflected one of the buzzwords of ces  which was the  time and place shifting  of multimedia content - being able to watch and listen to video and music anywhere  at any time. at the start of last year s ces  the cea predicted there would be an average growth of 4% in 2004. that figure was surpassed with the rise in popularity of portable digital music players  personal video recorders and digital cameras. it was clear also that gadgets are becoming a lot more about lifestyle choice  with fashion and personalisation becoming increasingly key to the way gadgets are designed. part of this has been the rise in spending power of the  generation x-ers  who have grown up with technology and who now have the spending power and desire for more devices that suit them. more than 57% of the consumer electronics market is made up of female buyers  according to cea research. hybrid devices  which combine a number of multimedia functions  were also in evidence on the show floor.  a lot of this is driven by just the ability to do it   said stephen baker  a consumer electronics analyst with retail research firm npd group.  some of these functions cost next to nothing to add.   as well as the show floor showcasing everything from tiny wearable mp3 players to giant high-definition tvs  several keynote speeches were made by industry leaders  such as microsoft chief bill gates. despite several embarrassing technical glitches during mr gate s pre-show speech  he announced several new partnerships - mainly for the us market. he unveiled new ways of letting people take tv shows recorded on personal video recorders and watch them back on portable devices. he disappointed some  however  by failing to announce any details of the next generation of the xbox games console. another disappointment was the lack of exposure sony s new portable games device  the psp  had at the show. sony said the much-anticipated gadget would most likely start shipping in march for the us and europe. it went on sale in japan before christmas. there were only two psps embedded in glass cabinets at the show though and no representatives to discuss further details. a sony representative told the bbc news website this was because sony did not consider it to be part of their  consumer technology  offering.  elsewhere at the show  there was a plethora of colour and plasma screens  including samsung s 102-inch (2.6 metre) plasma - the largest in the world. industry experts were also excited about high-definition technologies coming to the fore in 2005  with new formats for dvds coming out which will hold six times as much data as conventional dvds. with so many devices on the move there were a lot of products on show offering external storage  like seagate s 5gb pocket sized external hard drive  which won an innovation for engineering and design prize. more than 120 000 trade professionals attended ces in las vegas  which officially ran from 6 to 9 january.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "defection timed to hit tax pledge with impeccable and precisely-calculated timing  tory defector robert jackson and his new labour bosses have attempted to overshadow michael howard s latest announcement on taxation and spending.  with just about everyone in westminster now working towards a may general election  mr howard is eager to map out some clear and distinctive policies aimed at finally shifting the tories  resolutely depressing poll showings. the big idea is his \u00a335bn savings on waste and bureaucracy which mr howard has pledged to plough back into public services and tax cuts. and it was virtually certain his pledge on tax cuts was meant to be the core message from his interview on the bbc one s breakfast with frost programme. he and his shadow chancellor oliver letwin have been edging towards an announcement on this front for some months now  but without any concrete pledges. but mr howard announced that  of the \u00a335bn he has earmarked from savings  \u00a312bn will be used to plug labour s claimed financial black hole with any left over going to tax cuts in mr letwin s first budget. he would not be precise  but there are already suggestions he is set to announce lifting the threshold on income tax and reforming or abolishing inheritance tax. but he did  for the first time  say there would be such tax cuts.   at this election  people will have a clear choice between mr blair who will waste more and tax more and the conservative party which will give value for money and tax less . it is the tories  attempt to open that famed  clear blue water  between them and the labour party and return to a traditional tory agenda that will both reassure the middle england voters who have abandoned him and appeal to core conservative voters. so it is a pretty safe bet to assume that  when robert jackson finally decided to jump ship and swim over to the labour benches  his new masters decided to time the announcement for the greatest possible impact. mr howard  however  was dismissive.  these things happen from time to time. there are disagreements between robert jackson and me.   the election is not going to be decided on what robert jackson did   he added. and that is certainly true. the election will be decided on  the economy stupid . other issues like the iraq war and the  trust  thing will also play a major part. but it is the economy that will probably be the greatest influence over the way people finally vote. and many on the tory benches have been crying out for mr howard to get back onto the old tory tax cuts agenda. mr howard knows that risks accusations that  as a result  he would slash public services  so he has attempted to shoot that fox first. with polls suggesting voters would rather any government cash surpluses were spent on schools and hospitals before tax cuts  he has suggested that is exactly what he will do. whether this will finally be enough to shift those polls remains to be seen.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "mirza shocks kuznetsova sania mirza continued her remarkable rise with victory over us open champion svetlana kuznetsova at the dubai championships on tuesday.  the 18-year-old indian  who is already a huge star in her home country  won 6-4 6-2 in front of a delirious crowd. it was mirza s sixth straight victory following her first wta tournament win in hyderabad last month. earlier  daniela hantuchova built on her improving form with a 7-6 6-2 win over sixth seed alicia molik. mirza needed attention to an ankle injury after the second game against kuznetsova.  she quickly slipped 4-0 down but staged a dramatic comeback that thrilled the large indian contingent in the crowd.  i really didn t expect that after my ankle turn   said mirza.  i played a great match and i think (the crowd) did it again. i knew that i had to play an all-round game and that s what happened.  i did everything well but i wasn t missing the ball - i don t know how that happened.  mirza plays silvia farina elia or jelena jankovic next. hantuchova has risen from 31 in the world at the turn of the year to number 22  having reached the quarter-finals and semi-finals at her last two events.  it was such a tough first-round match and i am glad to come through   said hantuchova.  she was serving so well. i just decided to hang in there and keep fighting.  the slovakian will meet elena likhovtseva in the second round after the russian struggled past tunisian wild card selima sfar 2-6 6-2 7-6. likhovtseva needed nine match points before seeing off sfar  who got a point penalty for swearing in the third set. seventh seed nathalie dechy and elena bovina were among other first-round winners on tuesday.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "barclays profits hit record level barclays  the uk s third-biggest bank  has seen annual pre-tax profits climb to record levels boosted by a sharp rise in business at its investment arm.  profits for the year to 31 december rose 20% to \u00a34.6bn ($8.6bn). barclays  chief john varley said the bank had  caught the winds  of a very strong world economy. earnings at barclays capital investment bank rose 25% to \u00a31.04bn  but investment in branch operations held back growth in its uk retail business.  the group is the first of britain s five big banks to report 2004 results. according to analysts  forecasts  hsbc  the biggest uk bank by stock market valuation  will report profits of \u00a39.4bn later this month.  barclays results were in line with market expectations. its global investors wing made \u00a3347m  an 82% jump on 2003 figures. profits at barclaycard rose by 5% to \u00a3801m but were said to have been affected by a series of interest rate rises and investment to grow its customer base. the bank also blamed margins pressure on its mortgage business and spending on its branches over the past year for a 1% fall in profits in its uk retail division to \u00a31.13bn.   the outlook for 2005 is good as a result of balance sheet growth and investments made in 2004   mr varley said. barclays cautioned that growth this year may be slower than in 2004 on the back of softer us and chinese economies and the impact of interest rate rises on household spending in the uk. it added its bid to acquire a controlling stake in south africa s leading retail bank absa  was being considered by regulatory authorities. speaking on bbc radio 4  mr varley declined to be drawn on reports that barclays had held merger talks with us bank wells fargo. a tie-up between barclays and california-based wells fargo would create the world s fourth biggest bank  valued at $180bn. at 1405 gmt  shares in barclays were trading down 0.67% at 590 pence.  the headline numbers are in line  but the story is costs   said analyst alex potter at lehman brothers.  they are a bit more aggressive than we had expected. the cost overshoot is not in barclays capital but in the uk bank.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "mps tout lords replacement plan a group of mps has tried to raise the pressure on tony blair over reform to the house of lords by publishing a detailed blueprint for change.  the cross-party group has unveiled a draft bill proposing a smaller second chamber in which 70% of members would be elected. mps and peers have failed to agree on reform since 1999 when 600 hereditaries lost their seats. the group says it can win support for removing the last 92 hereditaries. the government postponed plans to remove the remaining hereditary peers because they said they were unlikely to succeed after opposition in the lords. tony blair has argued. there needs to be consensus on reforms. there have been suggestions there will be proposals for changing at least the powers of the lords in labour s manifesto.  but the all-party group  including tories ken clarke and sir george young  labour s robin cook and tony wright and liberal democrat paul tyler  is confident its plan would win support from a  large majority . and they list former conservative leader william hague and former labour leader neil kinnock as supporters of the plans. the group says the british public and a clear majority of mps support replacing the lords with a largely-elected second chamber. their plan would see the house of lords being renamed the second chamber of parliament  and its members would be known as mscps.  there would be 385 mscps  including 270 elected members  87 appointed members and 16 bishops. they would serve for between 12 and 14 years. mr cook said holding elections for mscps on the same day as those for mps might help motivate the electorate and increase voter turnout. he added:  over the last year i have seen many statements from senior figures of this government insisting the public must have the right of choice.  what could be more important than a choice of the people who sit in our parliament    the group believes pressure is growing for change and the government s current position is unsustainable. it wants all three main parties to include a commitment to a  largely democratic  second chamber in their manifestos. mr clarke said the issue  went to the heart of reforming the health of the british political system . and mr tyler said the prime minister s view that there was no agreement on the shape of the future of the lords was flawed.  the problem  i think  in the prime minister s mind is there doesn t appear to be a consensus that includes him   he said.  we are providing a consensus . the elect the lords campaign said the draft bill was an important contribution to the debate.  we believe this draft bill is detailed enough to form the basis of closer parliamentary scrutiny   said co-ordinator peter facey.  in lieu of any other such clear proposals  the government must permit that to happen.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "soaring oil  hits world economy  the soaring cost of oil has hit global economic growth  although world s major economies should weather the storm of price rises  according to the oecd.  in its latest bi-annual report  the oecd cut its growth predictions for the world s main industrialised regions. us growth would reach 4.4% in 2004  but fall to 3.3% next year from a previous estimate of 3.7%  the oecd said. however  the paris-based economics think tank said it believed the global economy could still regain momentum.  forecasts for japanese growth were also scaled back to 4.0% from 4.4% this year and 2.1% from 2.8% in 2005. but the outlook was worst for the 12-member eurozone bloc  with already sluggish growth forecasts slipping to 1.8% from 2.0% this year and 1.9% from 2.4% in 2005  the oecd said. overall  the report forecast total growth of 3.6% in 2004 for the 30 member countries of the oecd  slipping to 2.9% next year before recovering to 3.1% in 2006.  there are nonetheless good reasons to believe that despite recent oil price turbulence the world economy will regain momentum in a not-too-distant future   said jean-philippe cotis  the oecd s chief economist. the price of crude is about 50% higher than it was at the start of 2004  but down on the record high of $55.67 set in late october.  a dip in oil prices and improving jobs prospects would improve consumer confidence and spending  the oecd said.  the oil shock is not enormous by historical standards - we have seen worse in the seventies. if the oil price does not rise any further  then we think the shock can be absorbed within the next few quarters   vincent koen  a senior economist with the oecd  told the bbc s world business report.  the recovery that was underway  and has been interrupted a bit by the oil shock this year  would then regain momentum in the course of 2005.  china s booming economy and a  spectacular comeback  in japan - albeit one that has faltered in recent months - would help world economic recovery  the oecd said.  supported by strong balance sheets and high profits  the recovery of business investment should continue in north america and start in earnest in europe   it added. however  the report warned:  it remains to be seen whether continental europe will play a strong supportive role through a marked upswing of final domestic demand.  the oecd highlighted current depressed household expenditure in germany and the eurozone s over-reliance on export-led growth.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "news corp makes $5.4bn fox offer news corporation is seeking to buy out minority investors in fox entertainment group  its broadcasting subsidiary  for about $5.4bn (\u00a33.7bn).  the media giant  run by rupert murdoch  owns 82% of the shares in the company  home to the fox television network and the 20th century fox film studio. the move follows news corp s decision to register its business in the us. 20th century fox s recent film releases include i heart huckabees and i  robot  while fox puts out hit tv series 24.  under the terms of the offer  minority fox shareholders will receive 1.90 news corp shares in return for each fox share they hold. analysts said the decision to list news corp in the us - which will result in the firm s shares trading in new york rather than sydney- nullified the need to retain a separate stock market listing for fox entertainment shares. news corp investors voted in october to approve the transfer of the company s corporate domicile from australia to the us state of delaware. the move is designed to help news corp attract more investment from the largest us financial institutions  and make it easier to raise capital. fox entertainment group generated revenues of $12bn last year. news corp shares fell 25 cents to $17.65 after the share offer was announced while fox shares were up 19 cents at $31.22.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "brown  proud of economy record  gordon brown has delivered a rousing speech to labour s spring conference setting out the government s agenda for the next general election.  the chancellor said he was proud of his party s record on the economy  and would strive for continuing stability if elected. the gateshead conference was told he would help young people who were struggling to buy their own homes. and the chancellor vowed to continue the fight against child poverty. later  prime minister tony blair will answer questions sent by the public via text and e-mail.  analysing mr brown s position before the speech  bbc correspondent james hardy said mr brown would draw  sharp dividing lines  with the conservatives for the forthcoming election campaign. he would contrast labour s plan to invest \u00a360bn in services with a tory plan to cut spending by \u00a335bn.  mr brown will lay out his credentials as a reforming chancellor determined to take on and beat the asian tiger economies which increasingly dominate world trade   our correspondent said.  on friday night  mr brown confirmed he would not make any tax commitments until the labour manifesto had been published after the budget  expected in march. but commentators will listen to his speech closely for hints on whether  as the conservatives claim  he plans to raise tax after the election. the tories accuse labour of raising taxes 66 times since coming to power in 1997.  following the chancellor s keynote speech  the prime minister will face interactive questioning from ordinary voters on saturday. mr blair is thought to be deliberately putting himself on the line in a bid to engage the electorate ahead of an expected may election. capital radio dj margherita taylor will select questions to put to him from thousands e-mailed and sent by text. the prime minister s enthusiasm for the job remains undimmed  alan milburn  labour s election strategist told radio 4 s today programme on saturday. mr blair has  the same passion and the same commitments for the job  as when labour came to power in 1997  he said.  and he confirmed mr blair s insistence that no poll date had yet been set. he said:  i m the general election co-ordinator and i don t know  and tony has not made up his mind.  on friday  the prime minister completed a whistle-stop tour of england  during which he unveiled his party s six pre-election pledges. starting in london  he visited marginal constituencies pledging to build on what he said were labour s achievements on the economy  crime  education and public services. the conservatives and lib dems said the pledges - set to underpin labour s election campaign - were  worthless .", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "eu software patent law delayed controversial new eu rules for the patenting of computer-based inventions have been put on hold due to a last minute intervention from poland.  poland - a large and therefore crucial eu member - has requested more time to consider the issue  especially as it relates to the patenting of software. critics say the law would favour large companies over small  innovative ones. they say it could have massive ramifications for developments such as open source software.  polish ministers want to see the phrasing of the text of the directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions changed so that it excludes the patenting of software. the planned law has ignited angry debate about whether the eu should allow the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods as currently happens in the us. so  for instance  us-based amazon.com holds a patent on  one-click shopping . critics claim the law  which the eu says is needed to harmonise with the us  is little more than a law on ideas.  patent rights  it is claimed  protect inventors but in this case it is exclusively the interests of the big companies that are protected   eva lichtenberg  a austrian green member of the european parliament said in a statement.  smaller  innovative firms cannot afford the patenting and legal costs that the directive would inflict on them   she added. the european parliament has already clashed with the european union on the issue and there have been accusations that the process to decide the issue has been undemocratic. the directive has been subject to several previous delays.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "orange colour clash set for court a row over the colour orange could hit the courts after mobile phone giant orange launched action against a new mobile venture from easyjet s founder.  orange said it was starting proceedings against the easymobile service for trademark infringement. easymobile uses easygroup s orange branding. founder stelios haji-ioannou has pledged to contest the action. the move comes after the two sides failed to come to an agreement after six months of talks. orange claims the new low-cost mobile service has infringed its rights regarding the use of the colour orange and could confuse customers - known as  passing off .   our brand  and the rights associated with it are extremely important to us   orange said in a statement.  in the absence of any firm commitment from easy  we have been left with no choice but to start an action for trademark infringement and passing off.  however  mr haji-ioannou  who plans to launch easymobile next month  vowed to fight back  saying:  we have nothing to be afraid of in this court case.  it is our right to use our own corporate colour for which we have become famous during the last 10 years.  the easyjet founder also said he planned to add a disclaimer to the easygroup website to ensure customers are aware the easymobile brand has no connection to orange. the new service is the latest venture from easygroup  which includes a chain of internet cafes  budget car rentals and an intercity bus service. easymobile will allow customers to go online to order sim cards and airtime - which will be rented from t-mobile - for their existing handsets.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "us show sued for rat-eating stunt a us tv network is being sued for $2.5m (\u00a31.3m) by a viewer who says he was disgusted by watching contestants eat dead rats in a stunt show.  austin aitken is taking action against nbc over its programme fear factor. he said watching the show caused his blood pressure to rise so high that he became dizzy and light-headed. the legal assistant said nbc was  sending the wrong message to viewers that cash can make or have people do just about anything beyond reasoning . the hand-written  four-page lawsuit said:  to have the individuals on the show eat and drink dead rats was crazy and from a viewer s point of view made me throw-up as well as another in the house at the same time.  mr aitken  who lives in cleveland  said that after becoming light-headed  he ran towards the bedroom and knocked his head in a doorway. a spokesman for nbc said it had no comment on the lawsuit  but confirmed the stunt show did feature a rat-eating scene in new york s times square on 8 november. past shows have featured viewers eating spiders and live worms. the programme has been screened in the uk on sky one.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "blog reading explodes in america americans are becoming avid blog readers  with 32 million getting hooked in 2004  according to new research.  the survey  conducted by the pew internet and american life project  showed that blog readership has shot up by 58% in the last year. some of this growth is attributable to political blogs written and read during the us presidential campaign. despite the explosive growth  more than 60% of online americans have still never heard of blogs  the survey found. blogs  or web logs  are online spaces in which people can publish their thoughts  opinions or spread news events in their own words. companies such as google and microsoft provide users with the tools to publish their own blogs.  the rise of blogs has spawned a new desire for immediate news and information  with six million americans now using rss aggregators. rss aggregators are downloaded to pcs and are programmed to subscribe to feeds from blogs  news sites and other websites. the aggregators automatically compile the latest information published online from the blogs or news sites. reading blogs remains far more popular than writing them  the survey found. only 7% of the 120 million us adults who use the internet had created a blog or web-based diary. getting involved is becoming more popular though  with 12% saying they had posted material or comments on other people s blogs.  just under one in 10 of the us s internet users read political blogs such as the daily kos or instapundit during the us presidential campaign. kerry voters were slightly more likely to read them than bush voters. blog creators were likely to be young  well-educated  net-savvy males with good incomes and college educations  the survey found. this was also true of the average blog reader  although the survey found there was a greater than average growth in blog readership among women and those in minorities. the survey was conducted during november and involved telephone surveys of 1 324 internet users.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "women in film  are earning less  women in the uk film industry earn less than their male counterparts despite being better qualified  according to a study released on wednesday.  only 16% of women earn more than \u00a350 000  compared with 30% of men. women make up a third of the workforce. the research was carried out jointly by the uk film council and industry training body skillset. it also found that women in the industry were less likely than men to be married or have dependant children.  the study  which claims to be the most in-depth so far conducted  found 60% of women in the film industry hold degrees  compared with 39% of men. whilst 17% of men in the industry had no qualifications  this was true for only five per cent of women. in the lower salary bracket  35% of women earn less than \u00a320 000 a year  compared to only 18% of men. the research found very few women worked in the camera  sound  electrical and construction departments  but they made up a majority of those working in make-up and hairdressing.  uk film council chief executive john woodward said:  whilst the uk has benefited hugely from its highly-qualified film production workforce there are still many barriers facing people who want to get in and stay in the industry.   developing the film production workforce must be underpinned with a commitment to diversity as well as training.  the workforce is largely focused around london  with 78% in the industry based in the capital and the south east of england. the industry depends heavily on word of mouth  with 81% being recruited in that way. in total  only five percent of the workforce is made up of ethnic minorities  although in london the figure rises to 24%. the necessity of completing unpaid work experience to get into the workforce has also shot up  from 5% before the 1980s  to 45% after 2000.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "indie film nominations announced mike leigh s award-winning abortion drama vera drake has scooped seven nominations at this year s british independent film awards.  but the venice winner faces stiff competition from shane meadows  critically acclaimed dead man s shoes  which received eight nominations. also in the running for a clutch of awards are my summer of love and the stalker drama enduring love. the winners will be announced at a ceremony in london on 30 november. the winners of the awards will be chosen by a jury chaired by cold mountain director anthony minghella and including actresses cate blanchett and helena bonham-carter.  the awards  which recognise independent film-making in britain  were established seven years ago.  this year s nominees reflect the growing strength and diversity of british independent filmmaking   said bifa founder and director elliot grove. commenting on the diversity of the nominated films  he added:  our selection committee had a harder time than ever narrowing down the field.   joining vera drake and dead man s shoes in the running for best film are my summer of love  climbing documentary touching the void and zombie comedy shaun of the dead. geoffrey rush wins a best actor nomination for his role as peter sellers in the recent biopic the life & death of peter sellers.  the australian star faces competition from daniel craig (enduring love)  phil davis (vera drake)  ian hart (blind fight) and dead man s shoes  star paddy considine. considine is also nominated for a best supporting actor award for my summer of love. a rare us nominee  scarlett johansson  is among this year s best actress contenders for her role in girl with a pearl earring.  fellow nominees include imelda staunton (vera drake)  natalie press (my summer of love)  anne reid (the mother) and eva birthistle (ae fond kiss... ). shane meadows and kevin mcdonald  both former winners of the douglas hickox award (for best directorial debut) won best director nominations. seasoned film-makers roger michell  mike leigh and pavel pavlikowsky challenge them to the award. harry potter author jk rowling will receive a special award for her contribution to the industry.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "no re-draft  for eu patent law a proposed european law on software patents will not be re-drafted by the european commission (ec) despite requests by meps.  the law is proving controversial and has been in limbo for a year. some major tech firms say it is needed to protect inventions  while others fear it will hurt smaller tech firms the ec says the council of ministers will adopt a draft version that was agreed upon last may but said it would review  all aspects of the directive . the directive is intended to offer patent protection to inventions that use software to achieve their effect  in other words   computer implemented invention .  in a letter  ec president josé manuel barroso told the president of the european parliament  josep borrell  that the commission  did not intend to refer a new proposal to the parliament and the council (of ministers)  as it had supported the agreement reached by ministers in may 2004.  if the european council agrees on the draft directive it will then return for a second reading at the european parliament. but that will not guarantee that the directive will become law - instead it will probably mean further delays and controversy over the directive. most eu legislation now needs the approval of both parliament and the council of ministers before it becomes law. french green mep alain lipietz warned two weeks ago that if the commission ignored the parliament s request it would be an  insult  to the assembly. he said that the parliament would then reject the council s version of the legislation as part of the final or conciliation stage of the decision procedure. in the us  the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods is permitted.  this means that the us-based amazon.com holds a patent for its  one-click shopping  service  for example. critics are concerned that the directive could lead to a similar model happening in europe. this  they fear  could hurt small software developers because they do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies if they had to fight patent legal action in court. supporters say current laws are inefficient and it would serve to even up a playing field without bringing eu laws in line with the us.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "foxx and swank win us awards jamie foxx and hilary swank have won the screen actors guild awards for best male and female film actors  boosting their oscars hopes this month.  foxx s portrayal of late soul-singer ray charles in ray had already earned him a prestigious golden globe award. swank triumphed for playing a gutsy female boxer in million dollar baby. modest wine country comedy sideways knocked out favourites million dollar baby and the aviator by taking the top prize for best cast performance.  the screen actors guild (sag) represents us film and tv actors. its winners often go on to win oscars. in other nominations  cate blanchett triumphed as the best supporting actress for her role as katharine hepburn in the aviator. veteran actor morgan freeman took the best supporting actor award for playing a prize-fighter turned gym manager in million dollar baby.   thank you for ray charles for just living so complex and so interesting  and making us all just come together   said foxx  accepting his award in los angeles on saturday.  he also praised the film director:  thank you for taylor hackford for taking a chance with an african-american film. taylor  you re my director of the year.  swank  too  was full of praise for her director and co-star clint eastwood.  i bow down to you   swank said to the 74-year-old eastwood.  you are a talent beyond compare. if i m half the person you are and half the talent you are when i m 74  i will know that i ve accomplished something great.   both foxx and swank are now considered to be among the favourites to get oscars - the hollywood s ultimate prize. however  swank has to overcome a strong challenge from annette bening  a nominee for the theatre farce being julia. meanwhile  ballots for oscars - the hollywood s top honours - were mailed earlier this week to members of the academy of motion picture arts and sciences. the voting is due to end on 22 february - five days before the ceremony.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "parents face video game lessons ways of ensuring that parents know which video games are suitable for children are to be considered by the games industry.  the issue was discussed at a meeting between uk government officials  industry representatives and the british board of film classification. it follows concerns that children may be playing games aimed at adults which include high levels of violence. in 2003  britons spent \u00a31 152m on games  more than ever before. and this christmas  parents are expected to spend millions on video games and consoles.  violent games have been hit by controversy after the game manhunt was blamed by the parents of 14-year-old stefan pakeerah  who was stabbed to death in leicester in february. his mother  giselle  said her son s killer  warren leblanc  17 - who was jailed for life in september - had mimicked behaviour in the game.  police investigating stefan s murder dismissed its influence and said manhunt was not part of its legal case. the issue of warnings on games for adults was raised on sunday by trade and industry secretary patricia hewitt. this was the focus of the talks between government officials  representatives from the games industry and the british board of film classification.  adults can make informed choices about what games to play. children can t and they deserve to be protected   said culture secretary tessa jowell after the meeting.  industry will consider how to make sure parents know what games their children should and shouldn t play.  roger bennett  director general of entertainment and leisure software publishers association  said:  a number of initiatives were discussed at the meeting.  they will be formulated to create specific proposals to promote greater understanding  recognition and awareness of the games rating system  ensuring that young people are not exposed to inappropriate content.   among the possible measures could be a campaign to explain to parents that many games are made for an adult audience  as well as changes to the labelling of the games themselves.  according to industry statistics  a majority of players are over 18  with the average age of a gamer being 29. academics point out that there has not been any definitive research linking bloodthirsty games such as manhunt with violent responses in players. in a report published this week for the video standards council  dr guy cumberbatch said:  the research evidence on media violence causing harm to viewers is wildly exaggerated and does not stand up to scrutiny.  dr cumberbatch  head of the social policy think tank  the communications research group  reviewed the studies on the issue. he concluded that there was an absence of convincing research that media violence caused harm.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "west end to honour finest shows the west end is honouring its finest stars and shows at the evening standard theatre awards in london on monday.  the producers  starring nathan lane and lee evans  is up for best musical at the ceremony at the national theatre. it is competing against sweeney todd and a funny thing happened on the way to the forum for the award. the goat or who is sylvia  by edward albee  the pillowman by martin mcdonagh and alan bennett s the history boys are shortlisted in the best play category.  pam ferris  victoria hamilton and kelly reilly are nominated for best actress. ferris - best known for her television roles in programmes such as the darling buds of may - has made the shortlist for her role in notes on falling leaves  at the royal court theatre. meanwhile  richard griffiths  who plays hector in the history boys at the national theatre  will battle it out for the best actor award with douglas hodge (dumb show) and stanley townsend (shining city). the best director shortlist includes luc bondy for cruel and tender  simon mcburney for measure for measure  and rufus norris for festen.  festen is also shortlisted in the best designer category where ian macneil  jean kalman and paul arditti will be up against hildegard bechtler  for iphigenia at aulis  and paul brown  for false servant. the milton shulman award for outstanding newcomer will be presented to dominic cooper (his dark materials and the history boys)  romola garai (calico)  eddie redmayne (the goat  or who is sylvia ) or ben wishaw (hamlet). and playwrights david eldridge  rebecca lenkiewicz and owen mccafferty will fight it out for the charles wintour award and a \u00a330 000 bursary. three 50th anniversary special awards will also be presented to an institution  a playwright and an individual.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "speak easy plan for media players music and film fans will be able to control their digital media players just by speaking to them  under plans in development by two us firms.  scansoft and gracenote are developing technology to give people access to their film and music libraries simply by voice control. they want to give people hands-free access to digital music and films in the car  or at home or on the move. huge media libraries on some players can make finding single songs hard.  voice command-and-control unlocks the potential of devices that can store large digital music collections   said ross blanchard  vice president of business development for gracenote.  these applications will radically change the car entertainment experience  allowing drivers to enjoy their entire music collections without ever taking their hands off the steering wheel   he added.  gracenote provides music library information for millions of different albums for jukeboxes such as apple s itunes. the new technology will be designed so that people can play any individual song or movie out of a collection  just by saying its name. users will also be able to request music that fits a mood or an occasion  or a film just by saying the actor s name.  speech is a natural fit for today s consumer devices  particularly in mobile environments   said alan schwartz  vice president of speechworks  a division of scansoft.  pairing our voice technologies with gracenote s vast music database will bring the benefits of speech technologies to a host of consumer devices and enable people to access their media in ways they ve never imagined.  the two firms did not say if they were developing the technology for languages other than english. users will also be able to get more information on a favourite song they have been listening to by asking:  what is this   portable players are becoming popular in cars and a number of auto firms are working with apple to device interfaces to control the firm s ipod music player. but with tens of thousands of songs able to be stored on one player  voice control would make finding that elusive track by elvis presley much easier. the firms gave no indication about whether the ipod  or any other media player  were in mind for the use of the voice control technology. the companies estimate that the technology will be available in the fourth quarter of 2005.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "peer-to-peer nets  here to stay  peer-to-peer (p2p) networks are here to stay  and are on the verge of being exploited by commercial media firms  says a panel of industry experts.  once several high-profile legal cases against file-sharers are resolved this year  firms will be very keen to try and make money from p2p technology. the expert panel probed the future of p2p at the consumer electronics show in las vegas earlier in january. the first convictions for p2p piracy were handed out in the us in january. william trowbridge and michael chicoine pleaded guilty to charges that they infringed copyright by illegally sharing music  movies and software. since the first successful file-sharing network napster was forced to close down  the entertainment industry has been nervous and critical of p2p technology  blaming it for falling sales and piracy. but that is going to change very soon  according to the panel.  the music and film industries have started some big legal cases against owners of legitimate p2p networks - which are not illegal in themselves - and of individuals accused of distributing pirated content over networks. but they have slowly realised that p2p is a good way to distribute content  said travis kalanick  founder and chairman of p2p network red swoosh  and soon they are all going to want a slice of it. they are just waiting to come up with  business models  that work for them  which includes digital rights management and copy-protection standards.  but  until the legal actions are resolved  experimentation with p2p cannot not happen  said michael weiss  president of streamcast networks. remembering the furore around vcrs when they first came out  mr weiss said:  old media always tries to stop new media.  when they can t stop it  they try to control it. then they figure out how to make money and they always make a lot of money.  once the courts decided that the vcr in itself was not an illegal technology  the film studios turned it into an extremely lucrative business. in august 2004  the san francisco-based us court of appeals ruled in favour of grokster and streamcast  two file-sharing networks. the court said they were essentially in the same position that sony was in the 1980s vcr battle  and said that the networks themselves could not be deemed as illegal.  p2p networks usually do not rely on dedicated servers for the transfer of files. instead it uses direct connections between computers - or clients. there are now many different types of p2p systems than work in different ways. p2p nets can be used to share any kind of file  like photos  free software  licensed music and any other digital content. the bbc has already decided to embrace the technology. it aims to offer most of its own programmes for download this year and it will use p2p technology to distribute them. the files would be locked seven days after a programme aired making rights management easier to control. but the technology is still demonised and misunderstood by many. the global entertainment industry says more than 2.6 billion copyrighted music files are downloaded every month  and about half a million films are downloaded a day. legal music download services  like apple itunes  napster  have rushed into the music marketplace to try and lure file-sharers away from free content. sales of legally-downloaded songs grew tenfold in 2004  with 200 million tracks bought online in the us and europe in 12 months  the ifpi reported this week. but such download services are very different from p2p networks  not least because of the financial aspect.  there are several money-spinning models that could turn p2p into a golden egg for commercial entertainment companies. paid-for-pass-along  in which firms receive money each time a file is shared  along with various drm solutions and advertiser-based options are all being considered.  we see there are going to be different models for commoditising p2p   said marc morgenstern  vice president of anti-piracy firm overpeer.   consumers are hungry for it and we will discover new models together   agreed mr morgenstern. but many net users will continue to ignore the entertainment industry s potential controlling grip on content and p2p technology by continuing to use it for their own creations. unsigned bands  for example  use p2p networks to distribute their music effectively  which also draws the attention of record companies looking for new artists to sign.  increasingly  what you are seeing on p2p is consumer-created content   said derek broes  from microsoft.  they will probably pay an increasing role in helping p2p spread   he said. looking into p2p s future  file sharing is just the beginning for p2p networks  as far as mr broes is concerned.  once some of these issues are resolved  you are going to see aggressive movement to protect content  but also in ways that are unimaginable now   he said.  file-sharing is the tip of the iceberg.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "blair buys copies of new band aid prime minister tony blair purchased two copies of the charity single band aid 20 in edinburgh on friday.  staff were surprised when the prime minister walked into hmv at 0900 gmt  accompanied by aides and local police.  when mr blair came in unannounced  we were all pretty gobsmacked   said hmv manager clive smith.  our customer helper approached him... it was only then we realised he wanted to buy copies of the band aid single  rather than the latest eminem album.  predicted chart-topper do they know it s christmas  is expected to sell at least 300 000 copies by the time the new chart is announced on sunday. however  the new version of the 1984 single is not going to be released in the us  despite being sold in many countries around the world. us record shops are stocking an import version of do they know it s christmas  which is said to be selling very well in los angeles and new york. the original track was released in the us  and reached number 13 in the singles chart. british stars who appear on the current recording  such as dido and coldplay s chris martin  are well-known to music fans across the atlantic  along with u2 frontman bono.  record company universal is responsible for the global distribution of the single  which will be available across europe  asia  south america and canada. but music fans in the us are still able to access the song and download it on band aid 20 s official website. in 1985  a group of high-profile american stars known as usa for africa came together to record their own fund-raising single  we are the world. the song was written by lionel richie and michael jackson  with quincy jones as producer. it topped the us charts for three weeks and went on win grammy awards for best record and song.  dionne warwick  diana ross and tina turner were among the line-up of performers. it is predicted that the band aid 20 song will sell 300 000 copies in the uk by the time the new chart is announced on sunday. the record is also tipped to become this year s christmas number one  as the original version did in 1984. proceeds from the sales are going towards relief for the darfur region of sudan and to combat hiv and aids across africa.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "ukip s secret weapon  by any measure  new yorker dick morris is that thing americans love over everything else - a winner.  this is the man who  some pundits believe  was almost single-handedly responsible for bill clinton s sensational 1992 comeback victory. but morris is no ideologue. he has worked as election strategist for any number of republicans as well and  more recently  politicians from mexico to uruguay. now he is back in london as the uk independence party s not-so-secret electoral weapon after returning from the ukraine where he helped - you guessed it - opposition candidate viktor yushchenko. if there is one regular criticism levelled at morris  it is that he is too ready to switch allegiances. that he enjoys the game more than the politics.  so why britain and why ukip which  despite its recent eu election successes  is not likely to pull off a sensational victory in the looming general election. on this subject  morris appears almost evangelical.   i was on a cruise in the mediterranean and  coincidentally  so was ukip leader roger knapman.  i had just written a piece saying how the english channel was now wider than the atlantic which he liked and it went from there . but what is it about ukip that particularly attracts him  many might think it is simply another chance to practice his art  irrespective of the politics.  i think the greatest threat to democracy in the world is not terrorism but bureaucratism . a great soundbite  but a surprise coming from a new yorker post 11 september.  it is the growth of these bodies composed of experts who know better  who don t believe in letting democracy govern but believe in letting the correct solution be determined.  that s international bankers  the world trade organisation  the international monetary fund  the world bank and  primarily  the european union .  so he is out to help ukip take britain out of this organisation which he believes is unreformable and inherently undemocratic. and he is scathing of the tory party which he also appears to believe is unreformable.  the tory party is schizophrenic about europe. but until somebody says they are willing to leave the eu they can t possibly re-negotiate anything (as michael howard is pledged to do).  it s like walking into a liquor store with a gun to rob it and saying:  before i can proceed with the robbery i want to make clear i am not going to shoot anybody  . possibly a very american analogy  but another great soundbite.  the basic point is that the eu seeks political integration to move the entire nexus of decision making away from britain - and we oppose that and the tories cannot be trusted to oppose it .  so is ukip s job to destroy the tories  as former member robert kilroy-silk once notoriously declared   no. the aim of ukip is to withdraw from the eu and if it has any relation to the tories it is to stiffen the tories  spine on the issue by having a large enough ukip vote so that we move the tories in the direction they are refusing to move.   but it s not just to shift the tories. i think ukip had a huge amount to do with tony blair s decision to hold a referendum on the european constitution and i think it had a huge amount to do with his refusal to go into the euro . and  while we are on the subject of mr kilroy-silk  mr morris despatches him with another of his neat soundbites.  robert kilroy silk is not a team player - it is a good idea our party stands for some thing and not some one .  so what is the big plan for the general election. how will he achieve the breakthrough   look  we are not going to be forming the next government   he said. neither does ukip have to fight every seat. as with the 2004 us presidential election  he says  the outcome will be decided by a small number of swing seats - just as he believes it will in britain. so  with limited resources  the aim is to target those seats and end the day with a significant group in the commons. he also believes it is possible the internet could have a big part in the poll.  the internet was a decisive factor in the 2004 presidential election - through blogs (individuals posting their views in online diaries). people just did it .  anything can happen in the next general election. there is an inherent instability at the moment.  labour and the tories have drawn the consensus so tightly and to the left there is room for another voice .  that might  he suggests  lead to a hung parliament with ukip and others holding the balance of power. it is a huge task  surely. but there is undoubtedly a sense that the next general election may indeed produce some surprises - even while most still believe it is labour s for the taking. ukip s performance in last year s european elections was just such a shocker and showed that mr morris may have a point about the new consensus. and after all  he has a reputation to sustain.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "mandelson warning to bbc the bbc should steer away from  demonising  ex-downing street media chief alastair campbell  peter mandelson has said.  the european commissioner and former labour minister was speaking amid claims that mr campbell is part of a labour  dirty tricks  campaign. that charge was denied by mr mandelson  who said the tories were afraid of mr campbell s campaigning skills. he warned the bbc that attacking mr campbell had brought it trouble before. that was a reference to the hutton inquiry following a bbc story claiming downing street  sexed up  iraq s weapons of mass destruction dossier.  the affair prompted the resignation of bbc chairman gavyn davies  director-general greg dyke and reporter andrew gilligan. labour has attracted media criticism for using new freedom of information laws to dig up information about tory leader michael howard s past.  mr mandelson  a former labour communications director  told bbc radio 4 s today programme:  i understand why the tories will be gunning for alastair campbell because they fear his campaigning skills.  what i understand less is why the bbc should be joining with the tories in driving that agenda.  in my experience of these things  parties which shout about dirty tricks and the like tend to do so because they fear a direct hit in some vulnerable part of their political anatomy.  i suggest the bbc concentrates on the issues and helps the public to understand the policies and the choices that are at stake in the election rather than engages in the process politics  the trivialisation of the campaign.  i think the bbc would be much better advised to leave all this stuff well alone  concentrate on the issues as i say  not resume their demonisation of alastair campbell - we all know where that led before.   mr campbell is acting as an adviser for labour  which denies engaging in personal campaigning. conservative co-chairman liam fox said mr campbell s return and labour poster plans attacking mr howard - recently withdrawn from the party s website - were a sign of  abusive politics .  the government  despite the fact that they would say want to go forward  not back  seem intent on talking about history rather than their own record or even more importantly  about the future   he said on sunday. labour peer baroness kennedy  who is chairing the power inquiry into political disengagement  said people already thought politicians engaged in dirty tricks.  this feeling of distrust is going to be enlarged if this campaigning on all sides is conducted in the way that it looks as if it just might   she said.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "apple attacked over sources row civil liberties group the electronic frontier foundation (eff) has joined a legal fight between three us online journalists and apple.  apple wants the reporters to reveal 20 sources used for stories which leaked information about forthcoming products  including the mac mini. the eff  representing the reporters  has asked california s superior court to stop apple pursuing the sources. it argues that the journalists are protected by the american constitution. the eff says the case threatens the basic freedoms of the press.  apple is particularly keen to find the source for information about an unreleased product code-named asteroid and has asked the journalists  e-mail providers to hand over communications relevant to that.  rather than confronting the issue of reporter s privilege head-on  apple is going to the journalist s isps for his e-mails   said eff lawyer kurt opsahl.  this undermines a fundamental first amendment right that protects all reporters.  if the court lets apple get away with this  and exposes the confidences gained by these reporters  potential confidential sources will be deterred from providing information to the media and the public will lose a vital outlet for independent news  analysis and commentary   he said. the case began in december 2004 when apple asked a local californian court to get the journalists to reveal their sources for articles published on websites appleinsider.com and powerpage.org.  apple also sent requested information from the nfox.com  the internet service provider of powerpage s publisher jason o-grady. as well as looking at how far corporations can go in preventing information from being published  the case will also examine whether online journalists have the same privileges and protections as those writing for newspapers and magazines. the eff has gained some powerful allies in its legal battle with apple  including professor tom goldstein  former dean of the journalism school at the university of california and dan gillmor  a well-known silicon valley journalist. apple was not immediately available for comment.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "music mogul fuller sells company pop idol supremo simon fuller has sold his 19 entertainment company to an us entrepreneur in a $156m (\u00a381.5m) deal.  robert sillerman s sports entertainment enterprises  which is to be renamed cfx  recently also bought an 85% share in the estate of elvis presley. mr fuller has been appointed to the cfx board and will plan and implement the company s creative strategy. the 19 firm handles a roster of music artists  tv shows and pr strategies for stars including the beckhams. the deal sees mr fuller receive \u00a364.5m in cash and about 1.9 million shares in sports entertainment. there will also be a further \u00a319.2m in either cash or stocks by the end of the financial year in june. mr fuller has signed a long-term agreement with the company which will see him continue to expand and develop entertainment brands. he said:  this is a hugely exciting new partnership for myself and 19 entertainment.   ckx will provide 19 with a powerful platform for global growth and allow us to fully take advantage of all the amazing opportunities that lie ahead. i cannot wait to get started.   mr fuller was the creative drive behind pop idol and its us offspring american idol. 19 management runs the careers of many of its successful contestants including will young  gareth gates and kelly clarkson. the company was set up 15 years ago by mr fuller  taking the name from his first successful single - 19 by paul hardcastle. fuller was the driving force behind the spice girls phenomenon  using canny marketing and catchy pop songs to secure their place as the most lucrative girl group in history. he then put together s club 7  who had their own tv show as well as a music career. mr sillerman s deal to buy the presley estate sees him control the operation of graceland  as well as money from the late star s music and films. presley s daughter lisa marie retains possession of graceland and many of her father s  personal effects .", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "gerrard plays down european hopes steven gerrard has admitted that liverpool have little chance of winning the champions league this season.  the 24-year-old reds skipper spoke out ahead of tuesday s first leg at home to bayer leverkusen in the last 16  which he will miss through suspension.  let s be realistic  there are some fantastic teams left in the champions league   he told bbc radio five live.  we are just going to try to stay in as long as possible but we realise that maybe it is not our year this year.  gerrard has made no secret of his desire to be involved in europe s premier club competition.  last season he described qualification for the champions league as the  be all and end all  - and rumours persist that he will leave anfield if the reds fail to secure a place in the competition. he has consistently been linked with a move away from liverpool  with chelsea the favourites to snap up the england midfielder. and blues boss jose mourinho backed gerrard s view that rafael benitez s team could struggle to progress this season.  rafa has still time in front of him to build an even better team  maybe he s a little bit behind (right now)   he told bbc radio five live.  gerrard  who fired liverpool into the last 16 of this season s competition with a brilliant goal in december s win over olympiakos  insisted he was still fully focused on helping liverpool to glory this season. the reds are currently fifth in the premiership table  five points off the crucial fourth spot  which brings champions league qualification - and they face chelsea in sunday s carling cup final.  it s big couple of months for liverpool   he added.  we re fighting for the fourth spot for the champions league for next season but we are still involved in two cup competitions  which are very important.  we are confident we can upset chelsea in the carling cup final and get to the last eight of the champions league because  financially  it is big for the club and  personally for myself  it is very good.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "arsenal through on penalties arsenal win 4-2 on penalties  the spanish goalkeeper saved from alan quinn and jon harley as arsenal sealed a quarter-final trip to bolton with a 4-2 victory on penalties. lauren  patrick vieira  freddie ljungberg and ashley cole scored for arsenal  while andy gray and phil jagielka were on target for the blades. michael tonge and harley wasted chances for the underdogs  but paddy kenny was inspired to keep arsenal at bay. arsenal  stripped of attacking talent such as thierry henry and dennis bergkamp  partnered 17-year-old italian striker arturo lupoli with ljungberg up front. it was a revamped arsenal line-up  and they were almost a goal behind within seconds as tonge wasted a glorious chance. gray ran free down the right flank  and his cross left tonge with the simplest of chances  but he blazed over the top from six yards.  arsenal were barely seen as an attacking force in the opening 45 minutes  although ljungberg turned a half-chance wide after good work by cesc fabregas. arsene wenger introduced quincy owusu-abeyie for the ineffective lupoli at half-time  and the pacy dutch youngster had an immediate impact. he ran clear after good work by mathieu flamini  but his finish was tame and kenny saved easily. owusu-abeyie then fired in a testing cross  which was met by fabregas  and it needed a desperate clearance by kenny s legs to save the blades. arsenal were now totally dominant  and were desperately unlucky not to take the lead after 62 minutes when fabregas crashed a rising drive against the bar from 20 yards. it then took a brilliant tackle by jagielka to deny ljungberg as he was poised to strike. arsenal continued to press  and once again kenny was called into action with eight minutes left  diving low to clutch another close-range effort from fabregas. neil warnock s side almost snatched victory in the dying seconds when derek geary s cross found harley at the far post  but his diving header was brilliantly turned over by almunia. owusu-abeyie s pace was causing all sorts of problems for the blades  and as extra-time began  another surging run into the penalty area almost set up a chance for ljungberg. pascal cygan missed arsenal s best chance after 106 minutes  blazing across the face of goal when he was unmarked at the far post. arsenal sent on jeremie aliadiere with seven minutes of extra-time left  and he almost broke the deadlock with his first touch. kolo toure s misplaced free-kick landed at his feet  but kenny once again blocked from a tight angle. arsenal laid siege to sheffield united s goal in the dying minutes  but they somehow held on to force penalties. almunia was then arsenal s hero as another brave blades cup campaign came to a losing end.  kenny  geary  morgan  bromby  harley  liddell  montgomery  jagielka  thirlwell  tonge (quinn 97)  gray.  subs not used: francis  kabba  shaw  haystead.  morgan.  almunia  lauren  cygan  senderos  cole  fabregas (toure 90)  vieira  flamini (aliadiere 113)  clichy  lupoli (owusu-abeyie 45)  ljungberg.  subs not used: eboue  taylor.  clichy  lauren  senderos.  27 595  p dowd (staffordshire).", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "singapore growth at 8.1% in 2004 singapore s economy grew by 8.1% in 2004  its best performance since 2000  figures from the trade ministry show.  the advance  the second-fastest in asia after china  was led by growth of 13.1% in the key manufacturing sector. however  a slower-than-expected fourth quarter points to more modest growth for the trade-driven economy in 2005 as global technology demand falls back. slowdowns in the us and china could hit electronics exports  while the tsunami disaster may effect the service sector.  economic growth is set to halve in singapore this year to between 3% and 5%. in the fourth quarter  the city state s gross domestic product (gdp) rose at an annual rate of 2.4%. that was up from the third quarter  when it fell 3.0%  but was well below analyst forecasts.  i am surprised at the weak fourth quarter number. the main drag came from electronics   said lian chia liang  economist at jp morgan chase. singapore s economy had contracted over the summer  weighed down by soaring oil prices. the economy s poor performance in the july to september period followed four consecutive quarters of double-digit growth as singapore bounced back strongly from the effects of the deadly sars virus in 2003.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "bollywood dvd fraudster is jailed a major distributor of pirated dvds of bollywood films has been sent to prison for three years.  jayanti amarishi buhecha from cambridge was found guilty of two trademark offences last month  and sentenced at harrow crown court  london  on tuesday. buhecha  who made \u00a326 000 per month from his illegal trade  was called  one of the biggest bollywood pirates in the uk  by the sentencing judge. the british phonographic industry (bpi) worked for two years on the case.  an operation was launched against buhecha in 2002 after complaints were received about his activities. the judge in the case  which lasted seven days  said that  a heavy penalty was called for because of the enormous damage buhecha caused to legitimate business . fake dvds were manufactured in pakistan and malaysia and sold on wholesale to shops by buhecha  who traded in conterfeit dvds in 2002 and 2003.  in december 2002  he was stopped in his car by trading standards officers  who uncovered 1 000 pirated dvds and faked inlay cards printed with registered trademarks. despite being arrested and bailed  buhecha was caught a second time at the end of 2003. his home and a lock-up in cambridge were found to contain 18 000 counterfeit dvds and further faked inlay cards. buhecha was previously a legitimate distributor of bollywood films  but was suspended and sued by his employers for dealing in illegal copies of bollywood classic mohabbatein. legitimate bollywood film distributors have hailed the conviction as  a major boost . bollywood music and film suffers piracy at the rate of 40%  which is more than that suffered by mainstream productions. the bpi welcomed the news of the prison sentence  but warned there are plenty of other active counterfeiters of bollywood films. the organisation s anti-piracy director david martin said:  the problem simply will not disappear with buhecha. others and more will take his place  so it s vital that keep up our efforts in this field.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "electronics firms eye plasma deal consumer electronics giants hitachi and matshushita electric are joining forces to share and develop technology for flat screen televisions.  the tie-up comes as the world s top producers are having to contend with falling prices and intense competition. the two japanese companies will collaborate in research & development  production  marketing and licensing. they said the agreement would enable the two companies to expand the plasma display tv market globally.  plasma display panels are used for large  thin tvs which are replacing old-style televisions. the display market for high-definition televisions is split between models using plasma display panels and others - manufactured by the likes of sony and samsung - using liquid-crystal displays (lcds). the deal will enable hitachi and matsushita  which makes panasonic brand products  to develop new technology and improve their competitiveness. hitachi recently announced a deal to buy plasma display technology from rival fujitsu in an effort to strengthen its presence in the market.  separately  fujitsu announced on monday that it is quitting the lcd panel market by transferring its operations in the area to japanese manufacturer sharp. sharp will inherit staff  manufacturing facilities and intellectual property from fujitsu. the plasma panel market has seen rapid consolidation in recent months as the price of consumer electronic goods and components has fallen. samsung electronics and sony are among other companies working together to reduce costs and speed up new product development.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "fido  to be taken off vote lists the risk of pets and children being given votes could be cut by changing how people register to vote  the uk elections watchdog has said.  those are some of the mistakes found under the current system  where one person in each household applies for voting forms for the other occupants. the electoral commission says enabling people to register individually could cut some errors and combat fraud. voters need to register by 11 march if the next poll is on 5 may as expected. but any individual registration scheme would not be introduced in britain before that general election.  the proposed scheme would mean voters using individual  identifiers  when they vote - such as their own voting number  date of birth and signature. the electoral commission says having voters register individually rather than the head of household do it for them fits better with human rights laws. chairman sam younger told mps on tuesday care was needed to ensure that people were not lost off the register in the process - which happened when northern ireland switched to a similar system. there have been rare cases when household pets have been put on the electoral roll  the mps heard. and some people have registered all their family  regardless of their age - birth dates are not included on the forms so election officers cannot easily check. non-british citizens who are not entitled to vote have also been registered in some cases.  mr younger said there was anecdotal evidence of inaccuracies in the register  the vast majority of which were caused by genuine mistakes. he argued local councils could look harder at promoting targeted campaigns at  hard to reach  voters  for example. some authorities already run such programmes but in others councillors worry about the party political impact of encouraging particular areas to turn out. mr younger said using the royal mail s postal redirection service had already helped election officers retrace about 50 000 voters.  he argued individual registration would also increase security for postal ballots and other new ways of voting. there have been fears there are too few checks to ensure current postal votes are cast by the person on the voting form. he said it might also help register students in halls of residences  where the hall warden often has to do the job for everybody. the mps on the office of the deputy prime minister and constitutional affairs select committees pressed mr younger on how to avoid losing voters in any changeover. he said the northern ireland example illustrated real difficulties to be confronted. currently  british voters have to re-register to vote every year or face being removed from the electoral rolls if they fail to do so two years running. mr younger suggested the re-registration could happen less frequently but argued efforts were needed to check the electoral rolls were up-to-date.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "wenger steps up row arsene wenger has stepped up his feud with sir alex ferguson by claiming the manchester united manager is guilty of bringing football into disrepute.  the pair s long-running row was put back in the headlines on saturday when ferguson said his arsenal counterpart was  a disgrace . wenger initially refused to bite back  saying only:  i will never answer any questions any more about this man.  but now he claims ferguson should be punished by the football association. the latest twist in the ferguson-wenger saga came on saturday when the united boss  in an interview with the independent newspaper  discussed the events after the game between the two sides in october. united won 2-0 that day  at old trafford  but the game was followed by a now notorious food fight which saw ferguson s clothes covered in soup and pizza. the sides meet again at highbury on 1 february.  in the tunnel wenger was criticising my players  calling them cheats  so i told him to leave them alone and behave himself   ferguson said on saturday.  he ran at me with hands raised saying  what do you want to do about it    to not apologise for the behaviour of the players to another manager is unthinkable. it s a disgrace  but i don t expect wenger to ever apologise  he s that type of person.   those allegations were put to wenger after saturday s game at bolton  which arsenal lost to slip 10 points behind chelsea in the title race. at first he said only:  i ve always been consistent with that story and told you nothing happened.  if he has to talk  he talks. if he wants to make a newspaper article  he makes a newspaper article.  he doesn t interest me and doesn t matter to me at all. i will never answer to any provocation from him any more.  he does what he likes in england anyway. he can go abroad one day and see how it is.  but later on saturday  according to the independent  wenger spoke to a smaller group of reporters and expanded on his reaction.  i have no diplomatic relations with him   the arsenal boss is quoted as saying.  what i don t understand is that he does what he wants and you (the press) are all at his feet.   the situation (concerning the food fight) has been judged and there is a game going on in a month.  the managers have a responsibility to protect the game before the game. but in england you are only punished for what you say after the game.  now the whole story starts again. i don t go into that game. we play football. i am a football manager and i love football above all ... no matter what people say.  reminded that ferguson called him  a disgrace   wenger added:  i don t respond to anything. in england you have a good phrase. it is  bringing the game into disrepute .  but that is not only after a game  it is as well before a game.   ferguson had also claimed that united chief executive david gill and arsenal vice-chairman david dein had agreed at boardroom level not to discuss the incident in public. but ferguson added:  in the ensuing weeks all you got was a diatribe from arsenal about being kicked off the pitch and all that nonsense. gill phoned dein three times to complain but nothing was done.  the return is on 1 february and they will come out with another diatribe.  david gill and i feel we should set the record straight because arsenal have not written to us to apologise and we would not let that happen here.  meanwhile  the league managers association have offered to act as peacemakers in the hope of resolving the on-going row. during that stormy game in october  united striker ruud van nistelrooy caught arsenal s ashley cole with one particularly strong tackle. wenger later accused van nistelrooy of  cheating  and was fined \u00a315 000 and  severely reprimanded  by the football association. ferguson admitted on saturday that van nistelrooy s tackle  which earned the dutchman a ban   could have given (cole) a serious injury   but he believes arsenal were the main aggressors.   wenger is always complaining the match was not played in the right spirit   he added.  they are the worst losers of all time  they don t know how to lose. maybe it is just manchester united  they don t lose many games to other teams.  we tend to forget the worst disciplinary record of all time was arsenal s up until last season. in fairness it has improved and now they are seen as paragons of virtue.  but to wenger it never happens  it is all some dream or nightmare.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "blair prepares to name poll date tony blair is likely to name 5 may as election day when parliament returns from its easter break  the bbc s political editor has learned.  andrew marr says mr blair will ask the queen on 4 or 5 april to dissolve parliament at the end of that week. mr blair has so far resisted calls for him to name the day but all parties have stepped up campaigning recently. downing street would not be drawn on the claim  saying election timing was a matter for the prime minister.  a number 10 spokeswoman would only say:  he will announce an election when he wants to announce an election.  the move will signal a frantic week at westminster as the government is likely to try to get key legislation through parliament. the government needs its finance bill  covering the budget plans  to be passed before the commons closes for business at the end of the session on 7 april.  but it will also seek to push through its serious and organised crime bill and id cards bill. mr marr said on wednesday s today programme:  there s almost nobody at a senior level inside the government or in parliament itself who doesn t expect the election to be called on 4 or 5 april.  as soon as the commons is back after the short easter recess  tony blair whips up to the palace  asks the queen to dissolve parliament ... and we re going.  the labour government officially has until june 2006 to hold general election  but in recent years governments have favoured four-year terms.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "baa support ahead of court battle uk airport operator baa has reiterated its support for the government s aviation expansion plans to airports throughout the country.  the comments come a day ahead of a high court challenge by residents  groups and local councils to the government s white paper. the judicial review will centre on government plans for expansion at heathrow  stansted and luton airports. baa  which operates all three  said it was consulting with local communities.  we are...consulting on voluntary compensation schemes which go beyond our statutory obligations   a baa spokesman said.  groups challenging the plans include stop stansted expansion  heathrow anti-noise campaigners hacan clearskies and the london boroughs of hillingdon and wandsworth. 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. the company is also offering to buy noise-hit properties for an index-linked  unblighted price. among other measures  baa has set up a homeowner support scheme for people living near stansted  and has launched a special scheme for those close to the airport but far enough away not to be covered by the homeowner scheme. 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. stop stansted expansion said the white paper  published in december 2003  was  fundamentally flawed  and did not follow the proper consultation process.  we do not underestimate the scale of the challenge before us because the courts have never before overturned a government white paper   said stop stansted expansion chairman peter sanders said. hacan chairman john stewart said:  almost exactly a year ago the government published its 30-year aviation white paper with much fanfare.  it hoped that would be the end of the debate and it could proceed with its plans for a massive expansion of aviation.  yet  a year later the protesters are still here  and stronger than ever.   a judgement from mr justice sullivan is expected early in february.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "japan economy slides to recession the japanese economy has officially gone back into recession for the fourth time in a decade.  gross domestic product fell by 0.1% in the last three months of 2004. the fall reflects weak exports and a slowdown in consumer spending  and follows similar falls in gdp in the two previous quarters. the tokyo stock market fell after the figures were announced  but rose again on a widespread perception that the economy will recover later this year. on wednesday  the government revised growth figures from earlier in 2004 which  when taking into account performance in the most recent period  effectively tips japan into recession.  a previous estimate of 0.1% growth between july and september was downgraded to a 0.3% decline. a recession is commonly defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth  although the japanese government takes other factors into account when judging the status of its economy.  figures released by the government s cabinet office showed that gdp  on an annualised basis  fell 0.5% in the last three months of 2004. however  politicians remain upbeat about prospects for an economic boost later in the year.  the economy has some soft patches but if you look at the bigger picture  it is in a recovery stage   said economic and fiscal policy minister heizo takenaka. gross domestic product measures the overall value of goods and services produced in a country.  the economy must be assessed comprehensively and we cannot look at gdp alone   mr takenaka stressed.  ministers pointed to the fact that consumer spending had been depressed by one-off factors such as the unseasonably mild winter. analysts said the figures were disappointing but argued that japan s largest companies had been recording healthy profits and capital spending was on the rise. japan s economy grew 2.6% overall last year - fuelled by a strong performance in the first few months - and is forecast to see growth of 2.1% in 2005. however  the economy s fragile recovery remains dependent on an upturn in consumer spending  a fall in the value of the yen and an improvement in global economies.  the results came in at the lower end of expectations but we shouldn t be too pessimistic about the current state and the outlook for the economy   said naoki iizuka  senior economist at the dai-ichi life research institute. japan s economy has seen stretches of moderate growth over the past decade but has periodically slipped back into recession.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "disney settles disclosure charges walt disney has settled charges from us federal regulators that it failed to disclose how family members of directors were employed by the company.  the media giant was not fined by the securities and exchange commission  but has agreed to refrain from any future violations of securities law. disney failed to tell investors that between 1999 and 2001 it employed three adult children of three then directors. the firm has neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing in the settlement.  the three disney directors in question in the central matter of the sec s investigation - reveta bowers  stanley gold and raymond watson - have all since left the company  with ms bowers and mr watson both retiring  and mr gold quitting in 2003. their children were paid between $60 000 (\u00a330 800) and $150 000 a year  with shareholders not being informed. the sec also found that disney did not disclose that a 50% disney-owned subsidiary company - lifetime - employed the wife of current disney director john bryson  and that she earned more than $1m a year. louise bryson remains with lifetime.  disney also failed to disclose payments to air shamrock  an airline owned by mr gold and fellow former disney directors roy disney. finally  disney also did not reveal that it provided more than $200 000 annually for office space  secretarial services  and a leased car and driver to former director thomas murphy.  shareholders have a significant interest in information regarding relationships between the company and its directors   said sec deputy enforcement director linda thomsen.  failure to comply with the sec s disclosure rules in this area impedes shareholders  ability to evaluate the objectivity and independence of directors.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "us industrial output growth eases us industrial production continued to rise in november  albeit at a slower pace than the previous month.  the us federal reserve said output from factories  mines and utilities rose 0.3% - in line with forecasts - from a revised 0.6% increase in october. analysts added that if the carmaking sector - which saw production fall 0.5% - had been excluded the data would have been more impressive. the latest increase means industrial output has grown 4.2% in the past year. many analysts were upbeat about the prospects for the us economy  with the increase in production coming on the heels of news of a recovery in retail sales.  this is very consistent with an economy growing at 3.5 to 4.0%. it is congruent with job growth and consumer optimism   comerica chief economist david littman said of the figures.  the us economy grew at a respectable annual rate of 3.7% in the three months between july and september  while jobs growth averaged 178 000 during the same period. while the employment figures are not spectacular  experts believe they are enough to whittle away at america s 5.4% jobless rate. a breakdown of the latest production figures shows mining output drove the increase  surging 2.1%  while factory output rose 0.3%. but utility output dropped 1.4%. meanwhile  the amount of factory capacity in use during the month rose to 77.6% - its highest level since may 2001.  many investors think that product market inflation won t be a problem until the utilisation rates are at 80% or higher   cary leahy  senior us economist at deutsche bank securities  said.  so there is still a lot of inflation-fighting slack in the manufacturing sector    overall i d say manufacturing at least away from autos continues to improve and i would bet that it improves at a faster rate in coming months given how lean inventories are   citigroup senior economist steven wieting added.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "sony wares win innovation award sony has taken the prize for top innovator at the annual awards of pc pro magazine.  it won the award for taking risks with products and for its  brave  commitment to good design. conferring the award  pc pro s staff picked out sony s pcg-x505/p vaio laptop as a  stunning piece of engineering . the electronics giant beat off strong competition from toshiba and chip makers amd and intel to take the gong.  paul trotter  news and features editor of pc pro  said several sony products helped it to take the innovation award.  he said sony s clie peg ux50 media player with its swivel screen and qwerty keyboard  broke the design rules yet again . other sony products that helped included the vaio w1 desktop computer and the ra-104 media server. mr trotter said sony s combining of computer  screen and keyboard in the w1 was likely to be widely copied in future home pcs. the company has also become one of the first to use organic leds in its products.  while not always inventing new technology itself  sony was never afraid to innovate around various formats   said mr trotter.  other awards decided by pc pro s staff and contributors included one for canon s eos 300d digital camera in the most wanted hardware category.  microsoft s media player 10 took the award for most wanted software. this year was the 10th anniversary of the pc pro awards  which splits its prizes into two sections. the first are chosen by the magazine s writers and consultants  the second are voted for by readers. mr trotter said more than 13 000 people voted for the reliability and service awards  twice as many as in 2003. net-based memory and video card shop crucial shared the award for online vendor of the year with novatech.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "campbell rescues arsenal sol campbell proved to be an unlikely match-winner to earn arsenal a hard-fought win at portsmouth.  the england defender lashed home a 25-yard shot for his first goal in 16 months to take arsenal back into second spot  five points behind chelsea. but before campbell scored the best two chances of the game fell to pompey striker ricardo fuller. in the first half he blasted wide when clear  and his control let him down in the second half when well placed. portsmouth got plenty of bodies behind the ball to deny arsenal space in the early stages. but their marking was slack at a corner and patrick vieira should have done better when the ball fell to him 16 yards out. a mistake by arjan de zeeuw let thierry henry in behind the pompey defence on 17 minutes but as he bore down on goal linvoy primus got in a saving tackle. with just fuller as an out-and-out striker  portsmouth s shape made life difficult for arsenal. but a delightful touch by robin van persie gave henry a sight of goal  although the angle was too tight for his shot to trouble jamie ashdown.  ashdown caused hearts to flutter on 28 minutes when he missed his punch at a corner and kolo toure headed just wide and  as arsenal began to press  van persie blasted over a good opportunity after henry had set him up. henry took a quick return pass from vieira but ashdown was out quickly to block  and there were some anxious seconds for pompey as the ball ran loose before matthew taylor cleared. after playing second fiddle  portsmouth should have taken the lead on 34 minutes. referee howard webb played a good advantage to allow steve stone to send gary o neil away but  having shrugged off toure  the pompey midfielder planted his shot wide from 10 yards. as half-time approached  henry teased a shot through a ruck of players and inches wide. at the other end  fuller broke clear but failed to hit the target as toure closed him down.  fuller was given the best chance of the match so far on 48 minutes when patrik berger s break and slipped pass played him clear. but a poor first touch lost him the opportunity and even when he checked back and went down under vieira s challenge  referee webb was not interested. fuller paid the price when he gave way on 55 minutes to aiyegbeni yakubu  who returned after six weeks out with a knee injury. but it needed alert reflexes and safe handling from ashdown to cling on to van persie s shot as henry sniffed for scraps.  portsmouth were growing in confidence and keeper manuel almunia had to stand his ground to beat away a powerful shot from berger. arsenal were struggling to find their rhythm but took the lead through the unlikely source of campbell. the england defender needed little invitation as pompey backed off to stride forward and lash a ferocious shot past ashdown. arsenal might have stretched their lead two minutes later when mathieu flamini escaped his marker to flash a header wide from henry s free-kick. almunia went full length to grab berger s long-range shot  while ashdown palmed away substitute dennis bergkamp s shot.  ashdown  griffin  de zeeuw  primus  taylor  stone  o neil  faye (berkovic 83)  berger  lualua  fuller (yakubu 55).  subs not used: hislop  quashie  cisse.  almunia  lauren  toure  campbell  cole  pires  flamini  vieira  clichy  van persie (bergkamp 68)  henry.  subs not used: lehmann  fabregas  senderos  hoyte.  cole.  campbell 75.  20 170.  h webb (s yorkshire).", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "pre-poll clash on tax and spend labour and the tories have clashed over tax and spending plans as the row over gordon brown s budget turned into a full scale pre-election battle.  tony blair claimed a tory government would  cut  \u00a335bn from public services hitting schools  hospitals and police. tory chairman liam fox accused labour of  at best misrepresentation at worst a downright lie  and said the  smear  tactics were a sign of desperation. the lib dems accused mr brown of ducking the issue of council tax rises.  appearing together at a labour poster launch  the prime minister hailed his chancellor s  brilliant  performance. and he claimed the tories would cut \u00a335bn from public services  which was the equivalent of sacking every doctor and teacher in the uk.  the tories said they would not cut spending but agreed public spending would increase more slowly under their plans - leading to a total of \u00a333.5bn less spending than that anticipated by labour by 2011. but they say not a single doctor  teacher or nurse will be cut. dr fox said:  we have said we will be spending more  year on year over and above inflation.  and to call that a cut is at best a misrepresentation  at worst a downright lie.   tory shadow chancellor oliver letwin also predicted mr brown would have to raise taxes by \u00a310bn or \u00a311bn if labour was re-elected because he was borrowing and spending too much. for the lib dems  vince cable said the chancellor had failed to deal with the  looming problems  of revaluation of council tax bands which he argued would result in  massive increases  for some. mr brown and mr blair staged a show of unity on thursday morning  the day after the chancellor delivered a record-breaking ninth budget.  mr cable said taxation as a share of the economy would go up under all three of the main parties. the chancellor meanwhile insisted his spending plans were  affordable . in wednesday s budget  mr brown doubled the level at which homebuyers pay stamp duty  unveiled a rise in child tax credit and a \u00a3200 council tax refund for over-65s. defending the plans  he told today:  i will take no risks with the stability of the economy.  all our spending plans announced yesterday [wednesday]  including what we can do for pensioners  as well as for young families and on stamp duty and inheritance tax  all these are costed and affordable.  in a further sign  if any were needed  that the election is approaching  the house of commons authorities have formally told mps their offices will be  deep cleaned  during the three-week poll campaign. mr blair has yet to name the day - but it is widely expected to be 5 may.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "bryan twins keep us hopes alive the united states kept the davis cup final alive with victory in saturday s doubles rubber  leaving spain 2-1 ahead going into the final day.  masters cup champions mike and bob bryan thrashed juan carlos ferrero and tommy robredo 6-0 6-3 6-2 in front of a partisan crowd in seville. victory would have given spain the title but they were outclassed. in sunday s reverse singles  carlos moya takes on andy roddick before rafael nadal faces mardy fish.  it feels good  but it s not going to be as good if we don t win two tomorrow   said mike bryan.  it feels good to give those guys another shot  and spain has to go to sleep on that.  bob bryan added:  i m really confident in andy winning that first match  and then anything can happen.  spain coach jordi arrese chose to rest 18-year-old nadal in the doubles after his epic singles win over roddick on friday. he was replaced by former world number one ferrero  but the spanish pair were out of their depth against one of the world s best doubles teams.  the 26-year-old bryan twins have won all four of their davis cup matches this year. and they quickly silenced the huge crowd at the olympic stadium  racing through the opening set to love. the spaniards then twice surrendered breaks of serve at the start of the second before the bryans broke to go 5-3 ahead and served out. when robredo dropped serve in the opening game of the third set the match was all but over  and the unflappable bryan brothers powered on to an impressive win. ferrero  who was upset to be dropped for friday s singles  hinted at further dissatisfaction after the defeat.  it was a difficult game against the best doubles players   he said.  they have everything calculated and we had very little to do.  i was a bit surprised that i was named to play the doubles match because i hardly play doubles.  arrese said:  juan carlos hasn t played at all badly. he played the right way but the bryans are great doubles players.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "eu fraud clampdown urged eu member states are failing to report fraud and irregularities in eu funds on a consistent basis  the uk s public spending watchdog has said.  the national audit office said although the latest figures showed reported fraud was falling  the eu still had no common definition of fraud. it also expressed concern that  for the 10th year  the european court of auditors had qualified the eu accounts. the nao urged the government to push for improvements in reporting fraud. it said member states needed to be more accountable on how money was spent. the report said:  member states still do not report fraud and other irregularities to the european anti-fraud office on a consistent basis.   as the court has now qualified its opinion on the community accounts for a decade  it is essential for all the authorities involved to contribute to the strengthening of the audit of eu revenue and expenditure and improving accountability for the financial management and use of eu resources.  it said there were 922 cases of reported fraud or irregularities in eu funds in the uk in 2003  worth \u00a338.5m (52m euros)  up from 831 cases worth \u00a335.7m in 2002. at the same time  reported fraud throughout the eu dropped from 10 276 cases worth \u00a3808m to 8 177 cases worth \u00a3644m. edward leigh  chairman of the commons public accounts committee  said britain had to set an example when it assumed the eu presidency.   any fraud in other member states is potentially fraud against the uk taxpayer  given that we are the second largest net contributor to the community   he said.  departments responsible for administering eu funds need to make sure that they re doing everything possible to weed out improper spending.  the government must take the opportunity afforded by the uk presidency of the eu to press the commission and other member states to take an equally robust stance against fraud and irregularity  and raise overall standards of financial management.  a spokesman for the european anti-fraud office said the organisation agreed with the nao s assessment of fraud reporting.  the quality of reporting does differ from member state to member state  and there is room for improvement   spokesman jorg wojahn said. he added that there is generally good co-operation with member states and the anti-fraud office on specific cases of fraud  with the statistics studied by nao providing a  good overview for planning strategic ways of detecting fraud .", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "bell set for england debut bath prop duncan bell has been added to england s 30-man squad to face ireland in the rbs six nations.  and with phil vickery sidelined for at least six weeks with a broken arm and julian white out with a neck injury  bell could make his england debut. bell  30  had set his sights on an international career with wales. but last december  the international rugby board confirmed that he could only be eligible for england as he had travelled on tour with them in 1998. england coach andy robinson could take a gamble and call inexperienced sale sharks prop andrew sheridan into his front row. but sheridan favours the loosehead side of the scrum and a more likely scenario is for uncapped bell - who was among the tryscorers when england a beat france a 30-20 nine days ago - to be drafted in. robinson also has an injury worry over centre olly barkley  who withdrew from bath s starting line-up to face gloucester last weekend.  he was due to have a hospital scan on monday  while gloucester centre henry paul  who started at fly-half against bath  limped out at kingsholm because of an ankle problem. despite barkley s three missed penalties in the 18-17 defeat against france  he is expected to retain his place at inside centre  although leicester s in-form prospect ollie smith would be an obvious replacement. bath coach john connolly rates barkley as no better than a 50/50 chance to make the dublin trip. uncapped fly-half andy goode has been named in a 30-man training squad for the ireland game  and he strengthened his selection claims by kicking 28 points during leicester s record 83-10 win against newcastle on sunday. england s players are due to meet at their surrey training base on monday.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "volcano drama erupts on bbc one supervolcano  a docu-drama about a volcanic eruption in yellowstone national park in the us  is among the highlights on the bbc one this winter.  the \u00a3178m winter schedule also includes the return of doctor who and a drama about angela cannings  who was wrongly convicted of killing two of her babies. sarah lancashire and timothy spall will star in the real-life drama  cherished. itv also unveiled their festive season on tuesday  which includes stephen fry in a remake of tom brown s schooldays. supervolcano  follows in the footsteps of last year s pompei  which drew 10 million viewers to bbc one in october 2003.  the programme merges science  drama and computer imagery to reveal what could happen if yellowstone - home to the only currently active supervolcano in the world - were to erupt again. bbc two will run a two-part documentary  the science behind supervolcano  in conjunction with the transmission. other educational highlights include a documentary about infamous mongolian warrior genghis khan and grandchild of the holocaust. grandchild of the holocaust  part of the bbc commitment to holocaust memorial day  follows adrian  13  on a journey to uncover the truth about what happened to his grandmother in auschwitz and belsen.  new drama includes archangel  an adaptation of the robert harris best-seller  which stars daniel craig on the trail of stalin s diaries in communist russia. and sarah waters  gets her second adaptation on bbc one with imelda staunton and charles dance lined up to star in fingersmith. the adaptation  about a conman in victorian england  will make an interesting contrast to julie burchill s sugar rush - a lesbian teenage drama part of channel four s winter season. on a lighter note  jessica stevenson will star in new bbc one sitcom  the world according to bex  penned by my family creator fred barron and the two ronnies return for a celebration of their classic comedy series.  fry s portrayal of headmaster dr arnold dominates a muted christmas schedule on itv1  which sees the channel retreat from broadcasting blockbuster movies in favour of extended soap episodes and popular quiz shows.  sir paul mccartney  wife heather mills and manchester united manager sir alex ferguson will join a celebrity edition of who wants to be a millionaire  on christmas day. also on christmas day  john nettles will return in a one-off edition of midsomer murders  while two episodes of the new miss marple drama will air over the festive period. films on itv1 include gus van sant s finding forrester  starring sean connery  and classics such a mary poppins  star wars and the good  the bad and the ugly. in contrast  bbc s christmas season includes terrestrial debuts of the first harry potter film  shrek and steven spielberg s ai  as well as new epipsodes of the vicar of dibley and the final auf wiedersehen  pet.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "evil twin  fear for wireless net people using wireless high-speed net (wi-fi) are being warned about fake hotspots  or access points.  the latest threat  nicknamed evil twins  pose as real hotspots but are actually unauthorised base stations  say cranfield university experts. once logged onto an evil twin  sensitive data can be intercepted. wi-fi is becoming popular as more devices come with wireless capability. london leads the global wi-fi hotspots league  with more than 1 000. the number of hotspots is expected to reach 200 000 by 2008  according to analysts.  users need to be wary of using their wi-fi enabled laptops or other portable devices in order to conduct financial transactions or anything that is of a sensitive or personal nature   said professor brian collins  head of information systems at cranfield university.   users can also protect themselves by ensuring that their wi-fi device has its security measures activated   he added. bt openzone  which operates a vast proportion of public hotspots in the uk  told the bbc news website that it made every effort to make its wi-fi secure.  naturally  people may have security concerns   said chris clark  chief executive for bt s wireless broadband.   but wi-fi networks are no more or less vulnerable than any other means of accessing the internet  like broadband or dial-up.  he said bt openzone  as well as others  have sophisticated encryption from the start of the login process to the service at a hotspot.  this means that users  personal information and data  logon usernames and passwords are protected and secure   said mr clark.  in the vast majority of cases  base stations straight out of the box from the manufacturers are automatically set up with the least secure mode possible  said dr nobles. cybercriminals who try to glean personal information using the scam  jam connections to a legitimate base station by sending a stronger signal near to the wireless client. anyone with the right gear can find a real hotspot and substitute it with an evil twin.  cybercriminals don t have to be that clever to carry out such an attack   said dr phil nobles  a wireless net and cybercrime expert at cranfield.  because wireless networks are based on radio signals they can be easily detected by unauthorised users tuning into the same frequency.   although wi-fi is increasing in popularity as more people want to use high-speed net on the move  there have been fears over how secure it is. some companies have been reluctant to use them in large numbers because of fears about security. a wireless network that is not protected can provide a backdoor into a company s computer system. public wi-fi hotspots offered by companies like bt openzone and the cloud  are accessible after users sign up and pay for use. but many home and company wi-fi networks are left unprotected and can be  sniffed out  and hi-jacked by anyone with the correct equipment.  bt advises that customers should change all default settings  make sure that their security settings on all equipment are configured correctly   said mr clark.  we also advocate the use of personal firewalls to ensure that only authorised users can have access and that data cannot be intercepted.  dr nobles is due to speak about wireless cybercrime at the science museum s dana centre in london on thursday.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "man utd through after exeter test manchester united avoided an fa cup upset by edging past exeter city in their third round replay.  cristiano ronaldo scored the opener  slipping the ball between paul jones  legs after just nine minutes. united wasted a host of chances to make it safe as jones made some great saves  but wayne rooney put the tie beyond doubt late on with a cool finish. exeter had chances of their own  sean devine twice volleying wide and andrew taylor forcing tim howard to save. united boss sir alex ferguson was taking few chances after their 0-0 draw in the first game and he handed starts to paul scholes and ryan as well as ronaldo and rooney. exeter began brightly with devine and steve flack seeing plenty of the ball  but it did not take united long to assert their authority and the hosts soon found themselves a goal down. scholes played a lovely pass in to ronaldo on the left-hand side of the six-yard box and the portuguese winger slid the ball between the legs of jones to open the scoring.  united sensed a chance to finish the tie as a contest early on and ronaldo blazed over before jones saved well from scholes and then rooney. the visitors  pressure by now was incessant and rooney had another shot blocked while ronaldo slammed well over the bar again from a good position. just before the break giggs had a golden chance to double the advantage  but the welshman dragged a left-foot effort badly wide from 10 yards. in stoppage time exeter created their best chance as alex jeannin swung in a cross from the left that devine managed to flick goalwards  but the ball flew wide of howard s goal. the grecians came out after the break in determined fashion and howard had to show safe hands to collect two searching crosses into the united box. rooney looked like he might have sealed the result with a turn and shot but the ball stuck in the st james park mud and jones raced back to gather on the goalline. moments later devine had the chance to make himself a hero  but he could only volley jeannin s brilliant cross wide of howard s goal after being left unmarked six yards out. after rooney had completely messed up a free-kick 20 yards out taylor showed him how it should be done  his stunning drive from distance forcing a flying stop from howard. the home crowd were baying for a goal and they did get the ball into the net only for devine s low effort to be ruled out for an obvious offside. the persistent rooney eventually rounded jones with three minutes to go and slotted into an empty net to book a home tie with middlesbrough in the fourth round.  jones  hiley  sawyer  gaia  jeannin  moxey  taylor (martin 89)  ampadu (afful 69)  clay  flack (edwards 74)  devine. subs not used: rice  todd.  ampadu  clay.  howard  phil neville  gary neville  o shea  fortune  giggs (saha 70)  miller (fletcher 66)  scholes  djemba-djemba (silvestre 80)  ronaldo  rooney. subs not used: ricardo  bellion.  ronaldo 9  rooney 87.  9 033.  p dowd (staffordshire).", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "lib dems  to target stamp duty  the liberal democrats are promising to raise the stamp duty threshold if they win the general election  in a bid to court first-time house buyers.  vince cable  the party s treasury spokesman  said raising the threshold to \u00a3150 000 would prevent over 400 000 home-buyers from paying the tax. he said first-time buyers were being  squeezed out  of the housing market. the labour party said the liberal democrats needed to explain how they would pay for the plan. the plan forms part of a wider lib dems policy to encourage first time buyers and those on lower incomes into the market.  under the proposals  the average saving for a new buyer would be more than \u00a31 000  according to mr cable.  first time buyers are being squeezed out of the housing market not only by higher house prices but also by being swept into the stamp duty net   he said.  by failing to uprate the stamp duty threshold gordon brown has hit first time buyers and those on low incomes the hardest.  by pledging to increase the threshold to \u00a3150 000  the liberal democrats will make it possible for many first time buyers to buy a property without facing this tax.  paul boateng mp  labour s chief secretary to the treasury  said:  the lib dems  sums don t add up.  they can have no credibility until they can say how they would fund their ever growing list of tax and spending commitments.  mr cable will publish his  alternative budget  on monday.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "defiant hunts put ban to the test thousands of hunt supporters have been out on the first day of hunting in england and wales after the ban on hunting with dogs came into force.  the countryside alliance called on hunt supporters to meet as normal  but vowed to stay within the law. although hunting with dogs is now a criminal offence  exercising hounds  chasing a scent trail and flushing out foxes to be shot are still legal. one anti-hunt protester was taken to hospital after a violent clash in kent.  the man suffered facial injuries after an incident involving a group of men at the end of the east kent hunt  near ashford. in wiltshire  police arrested four men under the new law suspected of hunting with dogs. the group  from south wales and ireland  have been released on bail but police say they may face prosecution under new poaching laws.  it is believed more than 270 hunts went out on saturday  just one day after the ban came in.  they were greeted by big crowds in many areas of the country  with actor jeremy irons and former minister kate hoey among the supporters. anti-hunt groups - such as the league against cruel sports - deployed 100 monitors at hunts to check for illegal activity.  mike hobday  from the league  said video evidence of the law being broken was to be passed onto police.  our evidence suggests that most hunts did operate within the law  many meeting and promptly going home and others peacefully exercising their hounds or drag hunting.  however  we have received reports of what we believe is clearly illegal activity by a number of hunts across britain.  bbc correspondent simon hall at postbridge on dartmoor in the west country said 2 000 people had turned out to welcome the hunt.  and the bbc s sarah mukherjee  with the beaufort hunt in badminton  gloucestershire said several hundred people had gathered on foot to see the hunt  with 150 on horseback. tom heap  bbc rural affairs correspondent  said it appeared that hunstman had  for now  been sticking to the new rules. and while there was big turnout in support of the hunts on saturday  he said it remains to be seen if the level of backing can be maintained.  before riding out with the hunt  former minister kate hoey told crowds:  we will prevail and this law will have to be overturned.  judith moritz  in melton mowbray  said anti-hunt activists were out to monitor the four hunts operating in that part of leicestershire  but were outnumbered by large crowds of followers. the countryside alliance said the meets would show the new law was  impossibly difficult to determine  and open to different interpretations.  chief executive simon hart said:  there has been hunting in england for 700 years. this [ban] may take two or three years  perhaps two or three months  to unpick.  it will be nothing more than a temporary break in normal service  as broadcasters say.  conservative family spokeswoman theresa may said if the party was in government again it would make sure the law was repealed. suffolk chief constable alastair mcwhirter  the association of chief police officers  spokesman on rural policing  told the bbc the law would be enforced  although the police would not break up hunts. the attorney general lord goldsmith has so far not issued any instructions to police on how they should deal with any hunters who do violate the law. he said he would consult the director of public prosecutions and the police  in the near future  to decide what measures to take on hunting prosecutions.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "curbishley delight for johansson charlton manager alan curbishley paid tribute to two-goal striker jonatan johansson after beating norwich.  curbishley said after the 4-0 win:  there was talk about norwich being interested in the summer but i have a lot of faith in jonatan.  when there was talk of other clubs i just told him he was going nowhere.  he s part of our squad and he got us a couple of important goals early on. i m sure he s happy here  but i was delighted with all the players.  curbishley was subjected to criticism from charlton fans recently  and he said:  the thing about this club is that we have got where we are by all pulling in the same direction.  that s happened for however long i ve been here and we don t want people taking sides.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "nissan names successor to ghosn nissan has named a lifetime employee to run its operations after carlos ghosn  its highly successful boss  takes charge at renault.  as chief operating officer  toshiyuki shiga will run nissan on a daily basis  although mr ghosn  who masterminded its recovery  will remain chief executive. mr ghosn is to become chairman and chief executive of renault  which owns 44% of the japanese carmaker  in april. mr ghosn transformed nissan into a fast-growing and profitable business.  mr shiga will nominally serve as mr ghosn s deputy. however  he will be nissan s most senior japan-based executive and will be in charge of the firm s global sales and marketing.  he is currently in charge of nissan s operations across asia and australasia and is credited with significantly improving its sales in china. he will inherit a strong legacy from mr ghosn  who has overseen a dramatic turnaround in nissan s fortunes in the past five years. dubbed  le cost killer  for pushing through huge cost cuts in previous jobs  mr ghosn reduced nissan s overheads by 20% and trimmed its workforce by about 200 000 after taking charge in 1999. these actions helped nissan turn a 684bn yen ($6.4bn) loss in 2000 into a 331bn yen ($2.7bn) profit the following year. during his tenure  nissan has increased its market share and made significant strides in key export markets. nissan aims to increase vehicle sales to more than four million by 2008  launching 28 new models in the process.  in his new job as renault chief executive  mr ghosn will devote 40% of his time to renault  40% to nissan and the rest to the group s activities in north america and other key markets.  mr ghosn said mr shiga s appointment would ensure a  seamless  transition in management.  i need a leadership team capable of accelerating the performance and delivery of results that has characterized nissan over the past six years   mr ghosn said.  i have full confidence in toshiyuki shiga and the new leadership team to help me implement the next chapter of nissan s growth.  nissan also announced a number of other management appointments with promotions for several younger executives.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "clarke faces id cards rebellion charles clarke faces his first real test as home secretary on monday with a possible backbench rebellion over the controversial id cards bill.  up to 30 labour mps could oppose the scheme during a commons debate. mr clarke  who took on the post on thursday after david blunkett quit  has rejected calls to  pause  on the bill. tory leader michael howard also faces a possible rebellion after deciding to back identity cards. the liberal democrats oppose the plans.  mr clarke  writing in the times  accused some critics of  liberal woolly thinking and spreading false fears  by claiming id cards would erode civil liberties. he writes that it is actually a  profoundly civil libertarian measure because it promotes the most fundamental civil liberty in our society - which is the right to live free from fear crime and fear . mr clarke is expected to try and win over opponents to the scheme by saying officials who secretly accessed information they were not allowed to see would face up to two years in jail. he is also expected to cut the \u00a385 cost of the card and passport  for the elderly and those on lower incomes.  mr howard last week said his front bench team had reached a  collective view  to back id cards after holding a  good discussion   but admitted it was  not an easy issue . he had decided to support the plans as the police said they would help fight terror  crime and illegal immigration. but former shadow attorney general bill cash said there was still  very deep  disquiet about the plan among senior tories. he told bbc radio 4 s today the government was  intensely authoritarian  and was creating  increasingly a big brother society . critics argue that introducing the cards would be a costly scheme with no specific aim.  ministers say it would help the fight against terrorism  illegal immigration and organised crime. but opponents say that similar schemes in other countries have not prevented attacks like the madrid rail bombing. on sunday  lib dem leader charles kennedy repeated his call for a  pause  in considering the legislation.  he told bbc s breakfast with frost programme that mr clarke had a  real opportunity  on monday following the departure of mr blunkett.  if you were running a family or a business would you have the second reading of the identity cards bill tomorrow or would you pause to reflect and see what you might do about it in the new year   that is the sensible way to go about it but i think this government has got itself so much into tram lines now that it is not behaving sensibly at all.  the first cards would be issued in 2008 and  when he was introducing the bill  mr blunkett suggested parliament could decide in 2011 or 2012 whether to make it compulsory for everybody to own the cards  although not to carry them. the new bill would also create new criminal offences on the possession of false identity documents.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "mobile gaming takes off in india gaming on the move is one of the fastest-growing activities among the tech-savvy in india  says a report.  the indian mobile gaming market is expected to generate about $26m (\u00a313.8m) by the end of 2004  according to market analysts in-stat/mdr. in october  mobile phone users grew by 1.4 million to 44.9 million  overtaking the number of landlines  said the telecom regulatory authority of india. analysts say cheap rates and a huge youth market is driving the market. india has a large population of under-25s  and many in urban areas are fast adopting mobiles as must-have gadgets.  india s mobile gaming market will bring in about $336m (\u00a3178m) by 2009  according to the report. mobile gaming is expected to explode globally over the next few years. analysts predict that 220 million people will be playing games on phones by 2009  generating billions for mobile companies.  services other than just voice calls which are offered by mobile operators in india have  as a result of the huge rise in subscribers  grown significantly and rapidly.  the growth of this market sector has attracted publishers  developers  animators  musicians  and content providers  and is also stimulating the development of innovative business models   said clint wheelock  director of in-stat/mdr s wireless research group.   mobile gaming is not just about fun; it also represents one key element of a rich mobile entertainment experience for consumers  and a lucrative market opportunity for industry players.  currently  india has six big games developers and four mobile operators that offer games to their subscribers  said the report. according to in-stat/mdr  it is tipped to make up one of the most important markets in the next wave of mobile multimedia growth.  in january 2003  there were only 10 million mobile subscribers in india. many choose mobiles in rural areas in order to bypass poorer telecoms infrastructure. despite this  the penetration rate is still much lower that other countries. less than 20% of india s total population own a mobile in india  compared to well over 50% in most european countries. the trend echoes the uptake of mobiles in many developing economies  which continues to grow as people opt to leapfrog slower and more expensive state-run fixed-line operators.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "fed warns of more us rate rises the us looks set for a continued boost to interest rates in 2005  according to the federal reserve.  minutes of the december meeting which pushed rates up to 2.25% showed that policy-makers at the fed are worried about accelerating inflation. the clear signal pushed the dollar up to $1.3270 to the euro by 0400 gmt on wednesday  but depressed us shares.  the markets are starting to fear a more aggressive fed in 2005   said richard yamarone of argus research. the dow jones index dropped almost 100 points on tuesday  with the nasdaq also falling as key tech stocks were hit by broker downgrades. the dollar also gained ground against sterling on tuesday  reaching $1.8832 to the pound before slipping slightly on wednesday morning.  the release of the minutes just three weeks after the 14 december meeting was much faster than usual  indicating the fed wants to keep markets more apprised of its thinking. this  too  is being taken in some quarters as a sign of aggressive moves on interest rates to come. the key fed funds rate has risen 1.25 percentage points during 2004 from the 46-year low of 1% reached not long after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. that long trough  might be contributing to signs of potentially excessive risk-taking in financial markets   said the federal open markets committee (fomc)  which sets interest rates. the odds now favour a further boost to rates at the next meeting in early february  economists said. but the respite for the dollar  which spent late 2003 being pushed lower against other major currencies by worries about massive us trade and budget deficits  may be short-lived.  you can t rule out a further correction... but we don t think it s a change in direction in the dollar   said jason daw at merrill lynch.  nothing fundamental has changed.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "worldcom director admits lying the former chief financial officer at us telecoms firm worldcom has admitted before a new york court that he used to lie to fellow board members.  speaking at the trial of his former boss bernard ebbers  scott sullivan said he lied to the board to cover up the hole in worldcom s finances. mr ebbers is on trial for fraud and conspiracy in relation to worldcom s collapse in 2002. he pleads not guilty. the firm had been overstating its accounts by $11bn (\u00a38.5bn). mr sullivan  42  has already pleaded guilty to fraud and will be sentenced following mr ebbers  trial  where he is appearing as a prosecution witness. mr ebbers  63  has always insisted that he was unaware of any hidden shortfalls in worldcom s finances.  in the new york court on wednesday  mr ebbers  lawyer reid weingarten asked mr sullivan:  if you believe something is in your interest  you are willing and able to lie to accomplish it  isn t that right     on that date  yes. i was lying   replied mr sullivan. mr weingarten has suggested that mr sullivan is implicating mr ebbers only to win a lighter sentence  something mr sullivan denies. mr sullivan also rejects a suggestion that he had once told fellow worldcom board member bert roberts that mr ebbers was unaware of the accounting fraud at worldcom. the trial of mr ebbers is now into its third week.  under 23 hours of questioning from a federal prosecutor  mr sullivan has previously told the court that he repeatedly warned mr ebbers that falsifying the books would be the only way to meet wall street revenue and earnings expectations. mr sullivan claims that mr ebbers refused to stop the fraud. mr ebbers could face a sentence of 85 years if convicted of all the charges he is facing. worldcom s problems appear to have begun with the collapse of the dotcom boom which cut its business from internet companies. prosecutors allege that the company s top executives responded by orchestrating massive fraud over a two-year period. worldcom emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2004  and is now known as mci.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "ge sees  excellent  world economy us behemoth general electric has posted an 18% jump in quarterly sales  and in profits  and declared itself  in great shape .   we are benefiting from our growth initiatives and an excellent global economy   said ge s chief executive jeff immelt. ge is the us  biggest firm based on stock market valuation. ge s net profits were $5.37bn (\u00a32.86bn) for the final three months of 2004  while sales came in at $43.7bn. the group  whose businesses range from jet engines to the nbc television channel  forecast sustained growth at between 10-15% for this year and next. ge s shares rose 1% on the news before ending friday 0.24% lower.   the industries ge is in are doing very well. the materials  financial and industrial sectors are all picking up   said steve roukis  an analyst at fund manager matrix asset advisors  which has shares in ge. ge said orders in the fourth quarter were 15% higher than in the same period of 2003   with growth across the board .  in the fourth quarter  nine of our 11 businesses delivered at least double-digit earnings growth   said mr immelt. full year 2004 gains were less spectacular  but still respectable. net profit was up 6% at $16.6bn. last year  ge bought vivendi universal  merging it with nbc to form nbc universal. the success of universal studio s film  ray   a portrait of jazz musician ray charles  has helped boost earnings at the unit.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "warnings on woeful wi-fi security companies are getting worse at keeping their wireless data networks secure.  a survey of wi-fi networks in london  frankfurt  new york and san francisco by rsa security found more than a third had basic security features turned off. by contrast last year s survey found that 15% of firms had failed to take basic steps to improve security. rsa warned that wi-fi s growing popularity made it much more likely that insecure networks would be found and exploited.  wireless or wi-fi networks have become hugely popular over the last few years in offices because they are easy to set up and make going online much more convenient. this popularity shows no sign of slowing reveals the annual rsa security and netsurity survey which found an annual 66% growth rate in the number of wireless nets being installed in london and frankfurt. although most firms do take steps to turn on the security functions built in to the wi-fi standard and protect themselves from attack  the survey found that a significant proportion were taking unnecessary risks. on average 33% of the wireless networks found by rsa and netsurity researchers in london  frankfurt  new york and san francisco had not used basic security systems. many firms were simply turning on their wireless net access points and use default settings that anyone familiar with wi-fi could easily find out. rsa said that 26% of wi-fi networks found london used default settings compared to 30% in frankfurt  31% in new york and 28% in san francisco. many users of wi-fi nets did not even turn on the encryption that scrambles data traffic between users and the access point helping them go online. this is despite a series of stories warning firms about the dangers of  drive-by hacking  in which computer criminals walk or drive around city centres using easy to use tools to spot wi-fi nets.  these figures are another stark warning to unsecured businesses to get their act together   said phil cracknell  chief technology officer at netsurity. as more public wi-fi hotspots appear and people become more familiar with using them  it was getting more likely that insecure would be found  warned mr cracknell.  accidental or intentional connection to a corporate network can bring with it a series of security issues including loss of confidential data and installation of malicious code   he said.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "uk plan to deport terror suspects deals are being sought to allow the uk to deport terror suspects to their home countries without risk of them being tortured or sentenced to death.  home secretary charles clarke told the times he hoped agreement with several countries could be reached. the move follows a law lords judgement that the detention of 12 men at belmarsh prison  london  and woodhill  milton keynes  was unlawful. the 12 affected by the ruling are from algeria  tunisia  egypt and jordan. the government was told that using anti-terror legislation brought in after 11 september to hold the men indefinitely without charge broke human rights laws.  mr clarke told the times:  i think we should be prosecuting much more energetically our ability to deport the individuals concerned to the countries from which they come.  he said it was a route that was being pursued in collaboration with foreign secretary jack straw  in a very positive way . mr clarke said that he was seeking  memorandums of understanding  between overseas governments and britain to ensure suspects would not be subjected to the death penalty on their return. however  he added:  i do not think the solution to the law lords  judgement for this government is in deportations  but they will help.  there are other strands that we have to do.  but the liberal democrat s shadow home secretary  mark oaten  accused mr clarke of avoiding the main issue with the belmarsh detainees.   the critical issue that the home secretary is dodging at this stage is to deal with the very principle  to deal with how we tackle this problem in the future   he told bbc news.  and i do want him to grasp those issues and that means looking at how we can actually secure convictions in this country allowing  for example  intercept communications  telephone tapping to be included   mr oaten said.  deportation may tackle this initial problem but i want to see a wider debate urgently about how we can actually get trials and convictions in this country.   unless we get that  the liberal democrats will vote against this measure when it comes for renewal in march.   the bbc s home affairs correspondent  daniel sandford  said it appeared mr clarke was putting more emphasis on the possibility of deportation than his predecessor  david blunkett. but he said reaching an understanding with some of the detainees  home countries could be difficult.  some of these people are accused of very  very serious crimes in their home countries so it s not an easy agreement to get and i think for some of these suspects it won t be the solution.  daniel sandford said ministers may try to put forward other solutions - such as allowing more secret evidence to be put into normal criminal trials or developing a more secret trials process - in the next few weeks.  the government may try and deport some of them and then those that are left see if they can work out some way of putting them on trial   he said.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "sec to rethink post-enron rules the us stock market watchdog s chairman has said he is willing to soften tough new us corporate governance rules to ease the burden on foreign firms.  in a speech at the london school of economics  william donaldson promised  several initiatives . european firms have protested that us laws introduced after the enron scandal make wall street listings too costly. the us regulator said foreign firms may get extra time to comply with a key clause in the sarbanes-oxley act.  the act comes into force in mid-2005. it obliges all firms with us stock market listings to make declarations  which  critics say  will add substantially to the cost of preparing their annual accounts.  firms that break the new law could face huge fines  while senior executives risk jail terms of up to 20 years. mr donaldson said that although the act does not provide exemptions for foreign firms  the securities and exchange commission (sec) would  continue to be sensitive to the need to accomodate foreign structures and requirements . there are few  if any  who disagree with the intentions of the act  which obliges chief executives to sign a statement taking responsibility for the accuracy of the accounts. but european firms with secondary listings in new york have objected - arguing that the compliance costs outweigh the benefits of a dual listing. the act also applies to firms with more than 300 us shareholders  a situation many firms without us listings could find themselves in.  the 300-shareholder threshold has drawn anger as it effectively blocks the most obvious remedy  a delisting. mr donaldson said the sec would  consider whether there should be a new approach to the deregistration process  for foreign firms unwilling to meet us requirements.   we should seek a solution that will preserve investor protections  without turning the us market into  one with no exit   he said. he revealed that his staff were already weighing up the merits of delaying the implementation of the act s least popular measure - section 404 - for foreign firms. seen as particularly costly to implement  section 404 obliges chief executives to take responsibility for the firm s internal controls by signing a compliance statement in the annual accounts. the sec has already delayed implementation of this clause for smaller firms - including us ones - with market capitalisations below $700m (\u00a3374m).  a delegation of european firms visited the sec in december to press for change  the financial times reported.  it was led by digby jones  director general of the uk s confederation of british industry (cbi) and included representatives of basf  siemens and cadbury schweppes. compliance costs are already believed to be making firms wary of us listings. air china picked the london stock exchange for its secondary listing in its $1.07bn (\u00a3558m) stock market debut last month. there are also rumours that two chinese state-run banks - china construction bank and bank of china - have abandoned plans for multi-billion dollar listings in new york later this year. instead  the cost of sarbanes-oxley has persuaded them to stick to a single listing in hong kong  according to press reports in china.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "sbc plans post-takeover job cuts us phone company sbc communications said it expects to cut around 12 800 jobs following its $16bn (\u00a38.5bn) takeover of former parent at&t.  sbc said 5 125 positions would go as a result of network efficiencies. another 1 700 will go from its sales department  3 400 from business operations and 2 600 across legal  advertising and public relations. sbc currently employs 163 000 people while at&t employs 47 000. the takeover was announced on monday. the deal will be financed with $15bn of shares as well as a $1bn special dividend paid to at&t shareholders.  it effectively marks the end of at&t  which was founded in 1875 by telephone pioneer alexander graham bell and is one of the us s best-known companies. sbc and at&t said estimated cost savings of at least $2bn from 2008 were a main driver for the merger. at&t is a long-distance telecoms firm  while sbc is mainly focused on the local market in the western us. both also have data network businesses. the takeover is subject to approval by at&t s shareholders and regulators. the companies said they expected to complete the agreement during the first half of 2006.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "no to royal succession shake-up a labour peer has withdrawn proposals to give female members of the royal family the same rights as males.  the legislation would have ended the right of male heirs with older sisters to succeed to the crown. it would also have torn up ancient legislation banning heirs to the throne marrying roman catholics. but the government refused to back lord dubs  succession to the crown bill  saying it was too complex and raised too many constitutional issues.  the lord chancellor  lord falconer  agreed the 1701 act of settlement  which governs the succession  was discriminatory but added that  for all practical purposes its effects are limited .  the changes proposed by lord dubs were a  complex and controversial undertaking raising major constitutional issues   he said. lord falconer said there were 22 members of the royal family in the line of succession after the prince of wales - all of who were eligible to succeed and had been unaffected by the act.  it is not a simple matter that can be tinkered with lightly. while we wish to remove all forms of discrimination... this isn t the proper form   he added.  he did not rule out change in the future but said if lord dubs  private member s bill was passed by peers  he would urge mps to oppose it in the commons. lord dubs agreed to withdraw his bill after its second reading in the house of lords  but urged the government to think again at a later stage.  we cannot forever say we don t want to change things because it is too difficult   he told peers. during the debate  the labour peer and former minister said:  the monarchy should symbolise the values of this country.  what we don t want is a situation where the values of the country have moved on and the monarchy is centuries behind the times.  we are surely all opposed to discrimination on the grounds of gender and we are surely also opposed to discrimination against catholics.  but opponents of the bill  including tory lord campbell of alloway and the bishop of winchester  the rt rev michael scott-joynt  said it would separate the state from both the church of england and the christian faith. such a  secular  state would be markedly  less tolerant   rt rev scott-joynt argued.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "wru proposes season overhaul the welsh rugby union wants to restructure the northern hemisphere season into four separate blocks.  the season would start with the celtic league in october  followed by the heineken cup in february and march  and the six nations moved to april and may. after a nine week break  the wru then proposes a two-month period of away and home international matches. wru chairman david pickering said the structure would end problems of player availability for club and country. he added:  we feel sure that spectator interest would respond to the impetus of high intensity rugby being played continuously rather than the fragmented timetable currently in operation.  equally  we suspect that the sponsors would prefer the sustained interest in a continuous tournament and hopefully  the broadcasters would also enjoy increased exposure.  moving the six nations from its traditional february beginning should also ensure better weather conditions and  stimulate greater interest in the games and generally provide increased skills and competition and attract greater spectator viewing   pickering argued. the plan will be put before the international rugby board next month  where four other plans drawn up by independent consultants for a global integrated season will also be discussed. pickering added:  it s very early days and there are a number of caveats associated with it - not least the revenue from the broadcasters  which is extremely important.  we ve got a good plan and one which should be judged on its merits.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "kennedy to make temple address charles kennedy is set to address 2 000 people at a hindu temple as part of an appeal to ethnic minority voters.  the liberal democrat leader will visit the shri swaminarayan mandir temple in neasden  north west london. he will say labour  can no longer lay exclusive claim to the votes of britain s ethnic minorities . mr kennedy will also highlight the anger among people of  all races  over the iraq war and call for a  balanced approach  to tackling terrorism. saturday s speech comes days after the lib dems launched their ethnic minority mini-manifesto. mr kennedy is to tell the audience:  many people in britain  of all races  cultures and religions  were angry about the way we were taken to war in iraq.  and they saw the principled stand the liberal democrats took at the time.   he will also say that the lib dems want to  restore britain s reputation on the world stage  by fighting international poverty and climate change  and protecting human rights. mr kennedy will say that a  balanced approach  to tackling terrorism would mean  tough measures to make britain safe - but not at the expense of people s fundamental legal rights like has happened at belmarsh . he will say it also means acting through the united nations on terrorism. mr kennedy held talks with tony blair on friday over government plans to hold terror suspects under house arrest. he said afterwards that the prime minister had offered some  movement  to address his concerns. the plans face trouble in the lords if conservative and lib dem opposition continues.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "italy to get economic action plan italian prime minister silvio berlusconi will unveil plans aimed at kickstarting the country s sputtering economy on thursday night in rome.  he will present an  action plan for the development of italy  in a meeting with industrialists and trade union leaders. mr berlusconi is expected to table reforms aimed at boosting research and development (r&d) spending  and the competitiveness of small firms. also in focus will be bankruptcy laws and the slow pace of the legal system. the prime minister is scheduled to start the meeting at 1830 gmt.  the government has been accused of underfunding r&d  making it harder for italy to compete with other european nations and leading to a  brain-drain  of the country s brightest talents. analysts say that hiring and firing staff is still too difficult and expensive  hampering the development of small- and medium-sized businesses. as a result  they say  italy s corporate landscape is filled with numerous smaller companies that are often reluctant to become bigger because of all the extra hassle that would accompany the running of a larger firm. at the same time  bankruptcy laws make it difficult for failed company directors to set up new businesses and emerge from their debts  a situation that is hampering italy s entrepreneurial spirit.  the government says that it has set about tackling the problems  adding that getting growth going was the responsibility of all of italy s 60 million population. according to il sole 24 ore  italy s business newspaper  the government will focus on  opening up markets  infrastructure  research  making more incentives available  bankruptcy law  the slow pace of the justice system .  mr berlusconi has previously promised to cut taxes by 6.5bn euros ($8.6bn; \u00a34.5bn) this year in an effort to get people and companies to spend. he has also promised to cap spending on transport  education and health so as to trim the ballooning budget deficit. italy plans to raise as much as 25bn euros from privatisations in 2005  including a partial flotation of the post office and utility enel. critics argue that these moves do not go far enough and could make italy s problems worse. limiting government spending will lead to job losses  they counter  while the income tax cuts will have a negligible effect on sentiment and ultimately favour the wealthy.  the country has been one of the eurozone s worst economic performers in recent years. growth was 1.1% in 2004  up from just 0.3% in 2003 and 0.4% in 2002 - an improvement but still a long way from ideal. at the same time  business and consumer confidence has dipped and analysts have raised concerns that what little spending there is stems from italians dipping into their savings accounts or using credit cards. without a pick up in national growth  they say  the money could eventually run out  bringing italy s economy to a juddering halt. consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of italy s economy.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "business fears over sluggish eu economy as european leaders gather in rome on friday to sign the new eu constitution  many companies will be focusing on matters much closer to home - namely how to stay in business.  lille is a popular tourist destination for britons who want a taste of france at the weekend. but how many tourists look at the impressively grand victorian chambre de commerce  which stands beside the opera house  and consider that it was built - like the town halls in many northern english towns - on the wealth created by coal  steel and textiles  like northern england and industrial scotland  those industries have been in long term decline - the last coal pit closed in 1990. beck-crespel is a specialist steel firm in armentieres  about 20 miles from lille. the company has not laid off a worker since 1945. it specialises in making bolts and fixings for power stations and the oil industry  but not many of those are being built in europe these days.  director hugues charbonnier says he is under pressure because factories in the far east are able to make some of his output more cheaply  while his key markets are now in china and india.  in our business the market is absolutely global  you can not imagine living with our size (of business) even within an enlarged european union  (if we did that) we would need not 350 people but perhaps just 150 or 200   he says. it isn t just globalisation that is hurting; the law in france means workers are paid for a 39 hour week even though they work just 35 hours. but at least there is still a steel industry. coal has now totally vanished and textiles are struggling. new business has been attracted  but not enough to make up the difference.  that is one reason why people here are not great fans of the eu  says frederic sawicki  a politics lecturer at the university of lille.   in the region today the unemployment rate is 12%  in some areas it is 15%. they don t see what europe is doing for them  so there is a kind of euro scepticism  especially in the working classes   he says. which is strange because lille is at the crossroads of europe - if anywhere should be benefiting from the euro it is here. the euro was designed to increase trade within the eurozone  but the biggest increase in trade has been with the rest of the world. much of that trade passes through the world s largest port  rotterdam  in holland  home to specialist crane maker huisman itrec. its cranes help build oil rigs and lifted the sunken russian submarine kursk from the sea bed  but huisman itrec is now setting up a factory in china  where costs are cheaper and its main customers are closer.  boss henk addink blames the low growth rate in europe for the lack of orders closer to home.  in the us growth is something like 6%  in china they are estimating 15%  and in the eu it is more or less 1%   he says. mr addink blames the euro for stifling demand. he much preferred the old currencies of europe  which moved in relation to each country s economic performance. in germany  industry is exporting more these days  but the economy as a whole is once again mired in slow growth and high unemployment. growth is likely to peak this year at just under 2%. in britain that would be a bad year; in germany it is one of the best in recent years. with germany making up a third of the eurozone s economy  this is a major problem. if germany doesn t once again become the powerhouse of europe  growth across the bloc is never going to be as strong as it could be. however  at one factory near the dutch border things are changing.  the siemens plant at boscholt makes cordless phones and employs 2 000 staff. staff have started working an extra four hours a week for no extra pay  after siemens threatened to take the factory and their jobs to hungary. factory manager herbert stueker says that he now hopes to increase productivity  by nearly 30% . but germany needs much more reform if all its industry is to compete with places such hungary or china. the government is reforming the labour market and cutting the generous unemployment system  but the real solution is to cut the wages of low skilled workers  says helmut schneider  director of the institute for the study of labour at bonn university.  labour is too costly in germany  especially for the low skilled labour and this is the main problem. if we could solve that problem we could cut unemployment by half   he says. the eu set itself the target of being the most efficient economy in the world by 2010. four years into that process  and the target seems further away than ever.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "beastie boys win sampling battle us rappers beastie boys have won their long-running battle over the use of a sample in their song pass the mic.  the punk-rappers used three notes of music from flautist james newton s choir in their track from 1992. although the group had paid a licence fee for the sample  mr newton said his copyright had been infringed. but the us court of appeal upheld its original decision that the group did not have to pay an additional fee to license the underlying composition. the beastie boys - michael diamond  adam horowitz  and adam yauch - are considered to be one of early pioneers of sampling music.  sampling  now a standard practice among musicians  involves taking a segment of one track and using it in a different song. a three-judge panel of the court held in 2003 that the band had abided by copyright protections by paying a licence fee for a sample of mr newton s recording. that finding upheld a lower-court dismissal of the case in favour of the beastie boys.  we hold that beastie boys  use of a brief segment of that composition  consisting of three notes separated by a half-step over a background c note  is not sufficient to sustain a claim for infringement of newton s copyright   chief judge mary schroeder wrote in her opinion. mr newton is a critically acclaimed jazz and classical flutist  composer  performer  and university professor. mr newton and the beastie boys were not available for comment.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "china net cafe culture crackdown chinese authorities closed 12 575 net cafes in the closing months of 2004  the country s government said.  according to the official news agency most of the net cafes were closed down because they were operating illegally. chinese net cafes operate under a set of strict guidelines and many of those most recently closed broke rules that limit how close they can be to schools. the move is the latest in a series of steps the chinese government has taken to crack down on what it considers to be immoral net use.  the official xinhua news agency said the crackdown was carried out to create a  safer environment for young people in china . rules introduced in 2002 demand that net cafes be at least 200 metres away from middle and elementary schools. the hours that children can use net cafes are also tightly regulated. china has long been worried that net cafes are an unhealthy influence on young people. the 12 575 cafes were shut in the three months from october to december. china also tries to dictate the types of computer games people can play to limit the amount of violence people are exposed to.  net cafes are hugely popular in china because the relatively high cost of computer hardware means that few people have pcs in their homes. this is not the first time that the chinese government has moved against net cafes that are not operating within its strict guidelines. all the 100 000 or so net cafes in the country are required to use software that controls what websites users can see. logs of sites people visit are also kept. laws on net cafe opening hours and who can use them were introduced in 2002 following a fire at one cafe that killed 25 people. during the crackdown following the blaze authorities moved to clean up net cafes and demanded that all of them get permits to operate. in august 2004 chinese authorities shut down 700 websites and arrested 224 people in a crackdown on net porn. at the same time it introduced new controls to block overseas sex sites. the reporters without borders group said in a report that chinese government technologies for e-mail interception and net censorship are among the most highly developed in the world.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "church anger over bollywood film roman catholic organisations in india have demanded the withdrawal of a film that depicts a priest having an affair with a girl half his age.  indian television channels are now refusing to run the promotional material for the film  sins  ahead of its release on friday. the director of the film  vinod pande  says the movie is not offensive and has refused to withdraw it. catholics are planning a protest in mumbai (bombay) on wednesday. the president of one of mumbai s main catholic organisations  dolphy d souza  says the portrayal of an ordained priest as a man of loose moral character has hurt the religious sentiments of india s catholic community.  he called the film  pornographic and sensational . mr d souza  who is also the vice-president of the catholics  national body  has accused the director of the film of portraying a priest in bad light for commercial gains. catholics have urged mr pande to withdraw the film to show respect to the christian community s hurt sentiments.  religion needs to be a personal affair and should not be a subject for entertainment or for commercial use   joseph dias  general secretary of the catholic secular forum  said in a statement.  but mr pande said that if the critics were to see the film they would not protest against it and would not insist on its withdrawal. he says he has no plans to cancel the film ahead of its scheduled screening on friday.   it s about forbidden love. there was no agenda whatsoever to hurt anyone   he said. the bbc s zubair ahmed in mumbai says that the controversial film shows a priest in steamy scenes with a girl half his age. she apparently goes to him for help but he falls in love with her. it takes place in the picturesque southern indian state of kerala. the film has already been cleared by the censor board with an  a  (adults only) certificate. mr d souza says he is shocked at the censor board s decision to clear the film. our correspondent says that india s tv channels have so far refused to be dragged into the controversy and have not screened the film s promotional material. most of the catholic community s anger has come after watching newspaper advertisements and hoardings of the film. christians make up about two per cent of india s population of more than a billion people.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "google launches tv search service the net search giant google has launched a search service that lets people look for tv programmes.  the service  google video beta  searches closed caption information that comes with programmes. it only searches us channel content currently. results list programmes with still images and text from the point where the search phrase was spoken. it should expand over time to include content from more channels  said a google spokesperson. the first version of the service is part of google s expanding efforts to be a ubiquitous search engine for people to find what they want on the web and beyond.  we think tv is a big part of people s lives   said jonathan rosenberg  google s vice president of product management.  ultimately  we would like to have all tv programming indexed.   google video has been indexing us-based programmes from pbs  the nba  fox news  and c-span since december. but there were few clues from google about when more global broadcasters would be included.  over time  we plan to increase the number of television channels and video content available via google video but don t have more product details to share with you today   a google spokesperson told the bbc news website.  the results thrown up by the search will also include programme and episode information like channel  date and time. it also lets people find the next time and channel where a programme will aired locally using a us zip code search function. rival search engine yahoo has been developing a similar type of video search for webcasts and tv clips which it promotes from its homepage. it offers direct links to websites with movies or other clips relevant to the search query  but does not pinpoint when the search query occurred. a spokeswoman told the financial times on monday that yahoo was adding captioning for bloomberg  bbc and bskyb broadcasts. a smaller service  blinkx.tv  was launched last month. it searches for and links to tv news  film trailers  and other video and audio clips.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "gadget show heralds mp3 christmas partners of those who love their hi-tech gear may want to get their presents in early as experts predict a gadget shortage this christmas.  with apple s ipod topping wish lists again  there may not be enough ipod minis to go round  predicts oliver irish  editor of gadget magazine stuff.  the ipod mini is likely to be this year s tracey island   said mr irish. stuff has compiled a list of the top 10 gadgets for 2004 and the ipod is at number one.  for anyone bewildered by the choice of gadgets on the market  stuff and what hi-fi  are hosting a best-of gadget show in london this weekend. star of the show will be sony s qrio robot  an all-singing  all-dancing  football-playing man-machine who can even hold intelligent conversations.  but he is not for sale and sony has no commercial plans for the robot.  he will greet visitors and is flying in from japan. he probably has his own airplane seat  that is how highly sony prize him   said mr irish. also on display will be a virtual keyboard which projects itself onto any flat surface. the event will play host to a large collection of digital music players  from companies such as creative  sony and philips as well as the ubiquitously fashionable ipod from apple. suggestions that it could be a gaming or wireless christmas are unlikely to come true as mp3 players remain the most popular stocking filler  said mr irish.  demand is huge and apple has promised that it can supply enough but people might struggle to get their hands on ipod minis   said mr irish.  for those who like their gadgets to be multi-talented  the gizmondo  a powerful gaming console with gps and gprs  that also doubles up as an mp3 player  movie player and camera  could be a must-have.  what is impressive is how much it can do and how well it can do them   said mr irish. this christmas  gadgets will not be an all-male preserve.  women will be getting gadgets from husbands and boyfriends as well as buying them for themselves   said mr irish.  gadgets nowadays are lifestyle products rather than just for geeks.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "small firms  hit by rising costs  rising fuel and materials costs are hitting confidence among the uk s small manufacturers despite a rise in output  business lobby group the cbi says.  a cbi quarterly survey found output had risen by the fastest rate in seven years but many firms were seeing the benefits offset by increasing expenses. the cbi also found spending on innovation  training and retraining is forecast to go up over the next year. however  firms continue to scale back investment in buildings and machinery.  the cbi said companies are looking to the government to lessen the regulatory load and are hoping interest rates will be kept on hold.  smaller manufacturers are facing an uphill struggle   said hugh morgan williams  chair of the cbi s sme council.  the manufacturing sector needs a period of long-term stability in the economy.  the cbi found some firms managed to increase prices for the first time in nine years - but many said increases failed to keep up the rise in costs. of the companies surveyed  30% saw orders rise and 27% saw them fall. the positive balance of plus 3 compared with minus 10 in the previous survey. when firms were questioned on output volume  the survey returned a balance of plus 8 - the highest rate of increase for seven years - and rose to plus 11 when looking ahead to the next three months.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "bp surges ahead on high oil price oil giant bp has announced a 26% rise in annual profits to $16.2bn (\u00a38.7bn) on the back of record oil prices.  last week  rival shell reported an annual profit of $17.5bn - a record profit for a uk-listed company. bp added that it was increasing its fourth-quarter dividend by 26% to 8.5 cents  and that it would continue with share buybacks. bp chief executive lord browne said the results were strong  both operationally and financially.   the company is earning about $1.8m an hour.  despite the record annual profits figure  bp s performance was below the expectations of some city analysts. however  bp s share price rose 4p or nearly 1% in morning trading to 548p. its profit rise for the year included profits of $3.65bn (\u00a31.97bn) for the final three months of 2004 - up from $2.89bn a year ago but below its third quarter.  speaking on the bbc s today programme on tuesday  lord browne said the profits were not solely down to the high oil price alone.   the profits are up more than the price of oil is up   he said. lord browne pointed out that bp was reaping the benefits of its investment in oil exploration.  we have spent many years buying (assets) when the price is low   he said. the company has made new discoveries in egypt  the gulf of mexico and angola.  however  lord browne rejected calls for a windfall tax on his company s huge profits  saying that in the north sea it paid progressively more tax  the more profits it made. lord browne believes oil prices will remain quite high. currently above $40 a barrel  he said:  the price of oil will be well supported above $30 a barrel for the medium term.  bp put production for the year at 3.997 billion barrels of oil  up 10% on 2003  but slightly lower than the four billion barrels it had initially aimed for.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "the gaming world in 2005 if you have finished doom 3  half life 2 and halo 2  don t worry. there s a host of gaming gems set for release in 2005.   world of warcraft   the us reception to this game from developers blizzard has been hugely enthusiastic  with the title topping its competitors in the area of life-eating  high-fantasy  massively multiplayer role-player gaming. solid  diverse  accessible and visually striking  it may well open up the genre like never before. if nothing else  it will develop a vast and loyal community. released 25 february on pc. ico 2 (working title) ico remains a benchmark for ps2 gaming  a title that took players into a uniquely atmospheric and artistic world of adventure. the (spiritual) sequel has visuals that echo those of the original  but promises to expand the ico world  with hero wanda taking on a series of giants. the other known working title is wanda and colossus. release date to be confirmed on ps2. the legend of zelda   the charismatic cel imagery has been scrapped in favour of a dark  detailed aesthetic (realism isn t quite the right word) that connects more with ocarina of time. link resumes his more teenage incarnation too  though enemies  elements and moves look familiar from the impressive trailer that has been released. horseback adventuring across a vast land is promised. release date to be confirmed on gamecube. advance wars ds the uk nintendo ds launch line-up is still to be confirmed at time of writing  but titles that exploit its two-screen and touch capacity  like warioware touched! and sega s feel the magic  are making a strong impression in other territories. personally  i can t wait for the latest advance wars  the franchise that has been the icing on the cake of nintendo handheld gaming during the past few years. release date to be confirmed on ds. s.t.a.l.k.e.r.   following in the high-spec footsteps of far cry and half-life 2  this looks like the key upcoming pc first-person shooter (with role-playing elements). the fact that it is inspired in part by andrei tarkovsky s enigmatic 1979 masterpiece stalker and set in 2012 in the disaster zone  a world of decay and mutation  makes it all the more intriguing. released 1 march on pc. metal gear solid: snake eater   more hideo kojima serious stealth  featuring action in the soviet-controlled jungle in 1964. the game see snake having to survive on his wits in the jungle  including eating wildlife. once again  expect cinematic cut scenes and polished production values. released march on ps2. dead or alive ultimate tecmo s team ninja are back with retooled and revamped versions of dead or alive 1 and 2. here s the big  big deal though - they re playable over xbox live. released 11 march on xbox. knights of the old republic ii looks set to build on the acclaimed original star wars role playing game with new characters  new force powers and a new set of moral decisions  despite a different developer. released 11 february on xbox and pc.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "microsoft sets sights on spyware windows users could soon be paying microsoft to keep pcs free of spyware.  following the takeover of anti-spyware firm giant  microsoft said it would soon release a toolkit that strips machines of the irritating programs. although initially free  microsoft has not ruled out charging people who want to keep this toolkit up to date. surveys show that almost every windows pc is infested with spyware programs that do everything from bombard users with adverts to steal login data. microsoft said that a beta version of the toolkit to clean up windows machines should be available within 30 days.  designed for pcs running windows 2000 and xp  the utility will clean out spyware programs  constantly monitor what happens on a pc and will be regularly updated to catch the latest variants. before now many of microsoft s other security boosting programs  such as the firewall in windows xp  have been given away free. but mike nash  vice president in microsoft s security business unit  said it was still working out pricing and licensing issues. charging for future versions has not been discounted  he said.  we ll come up with a plan and roll that out   he said. the plan could turn out to be a lucrative one for microsoft. a recent survey by earthlink and webroot found that 90% of pcs are infested with the surreptitious software and that  on average  each one is harbouring 28 separate spyware programs. currently users wanting protection from spyware have turned to free programs such as spybot and ad-aware. spyware comes in many forms and at its most benign exploits lazy browsing habits to install itself and subject users to unwanted adverts. other forms hijack net browser settings to force people to view pages they would otherwise never visit. at its most malign  spyware watches everything that people do with their pc and steals login information and other personal data. microsoft s announcement about spyware comes after it bought small new york software firm giant company software. terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "movie body hits peer-to-peer nets the movie industry has struck out at file-sharing networks with another round of lawsuits in the us.  the motion picture association of america (mpaa) also said it had succeeded in getting a network called lokitorrent closed down. it is the latest network which uses the peer-to-peer system called bittorrent to be hit by the mpaa. the mpaa began its legal campaign against operators of similar networks across four continents in december. a dallas court agreed that hollywood lawyers would be allowed access to lokitorrent s server records which could let them single out those who were sharing files illegally. in october 2004  the site had provided links to more than 30 000 files. the action came after the operators of lokitorrent agreed a settlement with the mpaa. a stark message has appeared on the site from the mpaa warning  you can click  but you can t hide . in bittorrent systems  server sites do not host the files being shared. they host links  called  trackers  that direct people to others that have it instead.  as well as filing an unspecified number of file suits across the us  the mpaa said it had given operators that host edonkey servers  take down  notices. hollywood studios are aggressively clamping down on file-sharers who it says infringe copyright laws by copying films and tv programmes then share the files online. but it is now targeting the operators of bittorrent networks themselves. it has filed 100 lawsuits against operators of bittorrent server sites since december. the strategy of hitting those who run the servers which link to copyrighted material is intended to stunt file-sharers  ability to swap content using bittorrent systems. the film industry says the black market for illegally copied videos and dvds already costs them billions every year and it is worried that illegal file-sharing is adding to their losses. in december  the legal action claimed its most high-profile victim. the popular suprnova.org website was forced to close  and others like phoenix torrent followed soon after.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "fast moving phone viruses appear security firms are warning about several mobile phone viruses that can spread much faster than similar bugs.  the new strains of the cabir mobile phone virus use short-range radio technology to leap to any vulnerable phone as soon as it is in range. the cabir virus only affects high-end handsets running the symbian series 60 phone operating system. despite the warnings  there are so far no reports of any phones being infected by the new variants of cabir.  the original cabir worm came to light in mid-june 2004 when it was sent to anti-virus firms as a proof-of-concept program. a mistake in the way the original cabir was written meant that even if it escaped from the laboratory  the bug would only have been able to infect one phone at a time.  however  the new cabir strains have this mistake corrected and will spread via short range bluetooth technology to any vulnerable phone in range. bluetooth has an effective range of a few tens of metres. the risk of being infected by cabir is low because users must give the malicious program permission to download on to their handset and then must manually install it. users can protect themselves by altering a setting on symbian phones that conceals the handset from other bluetooth using devices. finnish security firm f-secure issued a warning about the new strains of cabir but said that the viruses do not do any damage to a phone. all they do is block normal bluetooth activity and drain the phone s battery. anti-virus firm sophos said the source code for cabir had been posted on the net by a brazilian programmer which might lead to even more variants of the program being created. so far seven versions of cabir are know to exist  one of which was inside the malicious skulls program that was found in late november. symbian s series 60 software is licenced by nokia  lg electronics  lenovo  panasonic  samsung  sendo and siemens.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "robinson wants dual code success england rugby union captain jason robinson has targeted dual code success over australia on saturday.  robinson  a former rugby league international before switching codes in 2000  leads england against australia at twickenham at 1430 gmt. and at 1815 gmt  great britain s rugby league team take on australia in the final of the tri-nations tournament.  beating the aussies in both games would be a massive achievement  especially for league   said robinson. england have the chance to seal their third autumn international victory after successive wins over canada and south africa  as well as gaining revenge for june s 51-15 hammering by the wallabies. meanwhile  great britain could end 34 years of failure against australia with victory at elland road. britain have won individual test matches  but have failed to secure any silverware or win the ashes (with a series victory) since 1970.   they have a great opportunity to land a trophy and it would be a massive boost for rugby league in this country if we won   said robinson.  i know the boys can do it - they ve defeated the aussies once already in the tri-nations.  but robinson was not losing sight of the task facing his england side in their final autumn international.  for us  we ve played two and won two this november   he said.  if we beat australia it would be the end to a great autumn series for england. if we stumble then we ll be looking back with a few regrets. robinson also revealed that the union side had sent the great britain team a good luck message ahead of the showdown in leeds.  we signed a card for them today and will write them an email on saturday wishing them all the best   said robinson.  everyone has signed the card - a lot of the guys watch league and we support them fully.  both games will be very tough and hopefully we ll both do well.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "egypt and israel seal trade deal in a sign of a thaw in relations between egypt and israel  the two countries have signed a trade protocol with the us  allowing egyptian goods made in partnership with israeli firms free access to american markets.  the protocol  signed in cairo  will establish what are called  qualified industrial zones  in egypt. products from these zones will enjoy duty free access to the us  provided that 35% of their components are the product of israeli-egyptian cooperation. the us describes this as the most important economic agreement between egypt and israel in two decades.  the protocol establishing the zones has been stalled for years. there has been deep sensitivity in egypt about any form of co-operation with israel as long as its peace process with the palestinians remains blocked. but in recent weeks an unusual warmth has crept into relations between the two countries. both exchanged prisoners earlier this month  with egypt handing back an israeli who has served eight years in prison after being convicted for spying.  egyptian president hosni mubarak has described israeli prime minister ariel sharon as the best chance for the palestinians to achieve peace. the government in cairo now believes mr sharon is moving towards the centre and away from the positions of right wing groups. it also believes the us  pressed by europe  is now more willing to engage seriously in the search for a settlement. but there are also pressing economic reasons for egypt s decision to enter into the trade agreement. it will give a huge boost to egyptian textile exports  which are about to suffer a drop after new regulations come into force in the us at the beginning of the year.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "desailly backs blues revenge trip marcel desailly insists there is no chance of history repeating itself when chelsea take on barcelona on wednesday.  the french star was part of the chelsea side crushed 5-1 at the nou camp in the champions league quarter-final second leg in 2000.  things will be totally different this time   he told bbc sport.  now everyone knows about chelsea and is a little bit afraid of them. they are one of the major clubs in europe and the pressure will be on barcelona.  chelsea have not played barcelona since that quarter-final tie five years ago. the blues had looked destined to progress after winning the first leg at stamford bridge 3-1  courtesy of two goals from tore andre flo and one by gianfranco zola. but they collapsed in the second leg  going down to strikes from rivaldo (2)  luis figo  dani and patrick kluivert.  former chelsea captain desailly  who is now playing for al-gharafa in qatar  says there is no comparison between that side and the current blues team  who are top of the premiership.  mentally they are much stronger  even though a lot of their players are young   the 36-year-old said.  we made some mistakes at the nou camp in 2000 - a lot of them were individual mistakes.  it would not happen now. this team has a new motivation and a different mentality.  world cup winner desailly saw huge changes during his time at stamford bridge. he was signed for \u00a34.6m from ac milan in 1998 by ruud gullit and went on to play under gianluca vialli and claudio ranieri. but the biggest change occurred when billionaire roman abramovich bought the club in 2003. desailly says the russian s arrival helped to instil a winning mentality at the club as well as a demand for success.  the whole of chelsea is different now - the chairman  the manager and all the players   he said.   everything is new and there is a huge determination to win.  since that game in 2000  chelsea have gained more experience in europe and were very close to reaching the champions league final last season.  desailly is one of the most decorated players in the history of football. he won the 1998 world cup and 2000 european championship with france  the champions league in 1993 with marseilles and 1994 with ac milan  two serie a titles and the fa cup in 2000 with chelsea.  he is now winding down his career in qatar  alongside the likes of frank lebeouf  josep guardiola  titi camara  gabriel batistuta and christophe dugarry. so he is full of admiration for two of his colleagues from the great milan side of the mid-90s who are likely to line up against manchester united on wednesday - paolo maldini and alessandro costacurta.  i m happy that they have managed to play so long at a high level   he said.  i made a vow to costacurta that as long as he plays  i will continue to play.  and it s amazing that paolo has managed to play at such a high level for such a long time.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "e-university  disgraceful waste  a failed government scheme to offer uk university courses online has been branded a  disgraceful waste  by mps.  the e-university was scrapped last year  having attracted only 900 students at a cost of \u00a350m. chief executive john beaumont was paid a bonus of \u00a344 914  despite a failure to bring in private sector backers. the commons education select committee called this  morally indefensible  but the government said the e-university project had  improved understanding .  a department for education and skills spokeswoman said the venture had been  ambitious and ground-breaking  but take-up had not been  sufficient to continue with the project . she added:  uk e-universities was not the only organisation to have lost out on private sector investment in the collapse of the dotcom boom.  the select committee found that those responsible for founding the e-university in 2000 had been caught up in the  general atmosphere of enthusiasm  surrounding the internet. initial business plans forecast a quarter of a million students joining within a decade  bringing in at least \u00a3110m in profit.  but virtually no market research was carried out and just \u00a34.2m was spent on worldwide sales and marketing of courses. some \u00a314m went on developing the technology to make the e-university work. this was used by just 200 students  the rest preferring to work through existing university websites. with no significant private investors and no direct accountability to a government minister  the e-university had had  too much freedom to spend public money as it wished   the report found. committee chairman barry sheerman said:  uk e-university was a terrible waste of public money.  the senior executives failed to interest any private investors and showed an extraordinary over-confidence in their ability to attract students to the scheme.  the report warns that the government should not be scared off investment in innovative but potentially risky schemes by the failure of the e-university  but  should learn the lessons from this disaster .", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "japan narrowly escapes recession japan s economy teetered on the brink of a technical recession in the three months to september  figures show.  revised figures indicated growth of just 0.1% - and a similar-sized contraction in the previous quarter. on an annual basis  the data suggests annual growth of just 0.2%  suggesting a much more hesitant recovery than had previously been thought. a common technical definition of a recession is two successive quarters of negative growth.  the government was keen to play down the worrying implications of the data.  i maintain the view that japan s economy remains in a minor adjustment phase in an upward climb  and we will monitor developments carefully   said economy minister heizo takenaka. but in the face of the strengthening yen making exports less competitive and indications of weakening economic conditions ahead  observers were less sanguine.  it s painting a picture of a recovery... much patchier than previously thought   said paul sheard  economist at lehman brothers in tokyo. improvements in the job market apparently have yet to feed through to domestic demand  with private consumption up just 0.2% in the third quarter.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "scotland 18-10 italy six chris paterson penalties gave scotland victory in a dour but clinical encounter against italy at murrayfield.  coach matt williams  side were outmuscled and outplayed in a tense first half but led 6-3 at the break. paterson slotted four more second-half penalties and scotland were denied a try when wing sean lamont s touchdown was ruled out for a forward pass. a late andrea masi try was small consolation for italy  chasing their first away win in the six nations. scotland came out on top of the early exchanges and took a quick 3-0 lead through the boot of full-back paterson. but the more powerful azzurri pack eventually rumbled into life.  a series of drives into scottish territory set up a penalty attempt  missed by full-back roland de marigny  and a wayward drop-goal effort from luciano orquera. scotland defended the initial thrusts but on 20 minutes italy  after coming up yards short of the line  equalised through a de marigny penalty. italy were offered another penalty when scottish flanker simon taylor was offside but the left-footed de marigny pushed his kick wide. scotland finally made the most of a rare foray into the italian half and snatched three points from paterson when an italian forward handled the ball in a ruck.  as the half wore on  both sides squandered promising spells of momentum with sloppy penalties  and the period fizzled out with scotland numerically  if not psychologically  on top. italy s de marigny narrowly missed a chance to level the scores again shortly after the break but his long-range kick shaved the right upright. and scotland capitalised with a third paterson penalty on 50 minutes. williams  side seemed to have found a spark from somewhere and  after a couple of probing attacks  paterson was able to slot another three points to widen the gap.  with the pendulum of possession swinging towards scotland  lamont thought he had wriggled over in the left corner after 65 minutes but play was recalled for a marginal forward pass from paterson. another paterson penalty on 70 minutes kept the pressure on the wilting visitors. but john kirwan s men had the last laugh when gordon ross  attempted clearance was charged down and masi pounced for the try  converted by de marigny.  : c paterson; s webster  a craig  h southwell  s lamont; d parks  c cusiter; t smith  g bulloch (capt)  g kerr; s grimes  s murray; s taylor  j petrie  a hogg.  r russell  b douglas  n hines  j dunbar  m blair  g ross  b hinshelwood.  r de marigny; mirco bergamasco  c stoica  a masi  l nitoglia; l orquera  a troncon; a lo cicero  f ongaro  m castrogiovanni; s dellape  m bortolami (capt); a persico  d dal maso  s parisse.  g intoppa  s perugini  ca del fava  s orlando  p griffen  r pedrazzi  kp robertson.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "dent continues adelaide progress american taylor dent reached the final of the australian hardcourt event in adelaide with a crushing 6-1 6-1 win over argentine juan ignacio chela.  dent will meet swede joachim johansson on sunday after the second seed survived a tense tie-break to defeat belgium s olivier rochus 6-1 7-6 (7/5). johansson  the boyfriend of lleyton hewitt s sister jaslyn  received strong crowd support on saturday.  it feels like home for me  because jaslyn lives here   said johansson. rochus was leading 5-4 in the second set tiebreak but his concentration was ruffled by a disputed line call and the match slipped away.  it was so close - one mistake like this and the match is over  it s tough. for me  it was clearly out   rochus said.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "chinese dam firm  defies beijing  the china three gorges project corp is refusing to obey a government order to stop construction of one of its giant dams  the chinese state press has said.  the builder of the three gorges dam is continuing work on the sister xiluodu dam  said the beijing news. the xiluodu dam is one of 30 such large-scale construction projects called to a halt because of a lack of proper environmental checks. the beijing news said the company may instead choose to pay a fine. the firm has also ignored orders to stop construction at two of its other projects - the three gorges underground power plant and the three gorges project electrical power supply plant.  so far  only 22 of the 30 construction projects targeted by china s state environmental protection agency (sepa) for having not carried out mandatory environmental impact assessments have complied with its shutdown order. the china three gorges project corp could now face a fine up to 200 000 yuan ($24 000; \u00a312 700). last week  it denied that its projects violated regulations.  the three gorges corporation has all along abided by the law and have built our projects in accordance with the law   it said.  the sepa order comes as the chinese government appears to be trying to cool the country s booming economy. previously it has encouraged construction of new electricity generating capacity to solve chronic energy shortages  which forced many factories into part-time working last year. in 2004  china increased its generating capacity by 12.6% to 440 700 megawatts (mw). the xiluodu dam is designed to produce 12 600 mw of electricity  and is being built on the jinshajiang - or  river of golden sand  as the upper reaches of the yangtze are known. it is a sister project to the main three gorges dam downstream where more than half a million people have had to be relocated  drawing criticism from environmental groups and overseas human rights activists.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "christmas shoppers flock to tills shops all over the uk reported strong sales on the last saturday before christmas with some claiming record-breaking numbers of festive shoppers.  a spokesman for manchester s trafford centre said it was  the biggest christmas to date  with sales up 5%. and the regent street association said shops in central london were also expecting the  best christmas ever . that picture comes despite reports of disappointing festive sales in the last couple of weeks.  the trafford centre spokeswoman said about 8 500 thousand vehicles had arrived at the centre on saturday before 1130 gmt.  we predict that the next week will continue the same trend   she added.  it was a similar story at bluewater in kent. spokesman alan jones said he expected 150 000 shoppers to have visited by the end of saturday and a further 100 000 on sunday.  our sales so far have been 2% up on the same time last year   he said.  we re very busy  it s really strong and people will be shopping right up until christmas.  over the christmas period we re expecting people to spend in excess of \u00a3200m at the centre.   on saturday afternoon  a spokeswoman for the st david s shopping centre in cardiff said it looked like being its busiest day of the year with about 200 000 shoppers expected to have visited by the close of play. at the st enoch s shopping centre in glasgow  more than 140 000 shoppers - an all-time record - were expected to have passed through the doors by its closing time of 1900 gmt. senior business manager jon walton said:  it has been phenomenal - absolutely mobbed.  every week footfall has been showing strong growth and at the weekends it has been going mad.  regent street association director annie walker said on saturday:  the stores were heaving today and a lot of people are going to be doing last minute shopping as many people finished work on friday and can go in the week.   she said reports of a slump in pre-christmas sales were related to the growing popularity of internet sales.  i do think this has had a lot to do with reports of lower sales figures   she said.  internet shopping has gone up enormously and not all stores have websites.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "hantuchova in dubai last eight daniela hantuchova moved into the quarter-finals of the dubai open  after beating elene likhotseva of russia 7-5 6-4  and now faces serena williams.  australian open champion williams survived an early scare to beat russia s elena bovina 1-6 6-1 6-4. world number one lindsay davenport and anastasia myskina also progressed. davenport defeated china s jie zheng 6-2 7-5  while french open champion myskina sailed through after her opponent marion bartoli retired hurt. american davenport will now face fellow former wimbledon champion  conchita martinez of spain  who ousted seventh-seeded nathalie dechy of france 6-1 6-2. myskina will face eighth-seed patty schnyder from switzerland  who defeated china s li na 6-3 7-6 (10-8). the other quarter final pits wild card sania mirza of india against jelena jankovic of serbia and montenegro  who both won on tuesday.  before her meeting with martinez  davenport believes there is some room for improvement in her game.  i started well and finished well  but played some so-so games in the middle   she said. williams was also far from content.  i don t know what i was doing there   she said.  it was really windy and i hadn t played in the wind. all my shots were going out of here.  but hantuchova is in upbeat mood ahead of her clash with the younger williams sister  who was handed a first-round bye.  i feel i have an advantage (over serena) because i have already played two matches on these courts   she said.  it is a difficult court to play on. very fast and sometimes you feel you have no control over the ball.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "lomu relishing return to action former all black star jonah lomu says he cannot wait to run out on the pitch for former england rugby union captain martin johnson s testimonial on 4 june.  the 29-year-old had a kidney transplant in july 2004 but will play his first full match for three years  leading a southern hemisphere side at twickenham.  i actually started training three weeks after my operation but i was very limited until a few months ago.  now it s basically bring it on!  said the giant winger.  the match on 4 june will be my first 15-man game but i have a training schedule which is quite testing and combines with sevens and a whole lot of things   said lomu.  i have got so much energy since my operation that i train three times a day  six days a week.   mohammed ali has always been my ideal. coming back to rugby  people said  you are dreaming  but it always starts off with a dream.  it s up to you whether you want to make it a reality.  opinion has been divided on whether lomu should attempt to return to the game after such a major operation. but when lomu was asked whether he was taking a risk he replied:  as much as someone going down the road being hit by a bus.  there are a lot of people in the world with one kidney who just don t know it.  i have talked this over  had a chat with the donor and this is to set my soul at peace and finish something i started in 1994 [when he made his all blacks debut].  at his lowest ebb lomu was so ill he could barely walk  but he says he is now getting stronger every day and his long-term target is to play for new zealand again.  the only person who saw me at my worst was my wife   he added.  i used to take two steps and fall over but now i can run and it is all coming back  and a lot more quickly than i ever thought it would.  to play for the all blacks would be the highest honour i could get. that is the long-term goal and you have to start somewhere.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "progress on new internet domains by early 2005 the net could have two new domain names.  the .post and .travel net domains have been given preliminary approval by the net s administrative body. the names are just two of a total of 10 proposed domains that are being considered by the internet corporation for assigned names and numbers  icann. the other proposed names include a domain for pornography  asia  mobile phones  an anti-spam domain and one for the catalan language and culture.  the .post domain is backed by the universal postal union that wants to use it as the online marker for every type of postal service and to help co-ordinate the e-commerce efforts of national post offices.  the .travel domain would be used by hotels  travel firms  airlines  tourism offices and would help such organisations distinguish themselves online. it is backed by a new york-based trade group called the travel partnership. icann said its early decision on the two domains was in response to the detailed technical and commercial information the organisations behind the names had submitted. despite this initial approval  icann cautioned that there was no guarantee that the domains would actually go into service. at the same time icann is considering proposals for another eight domains. one that may not win approval is a proposal to set up a .xxx domain for pornographic websites. a similar proposal has been made many times in the past. but icann has been reluctant to approve it because of the difficulty of making pornographers sign up and use it. in 2000 icann approved seven other new domains that have had varying degrees of success. three of the new so-called top level domains were for specific industries or organisations such as .museum and .aero. others such as .info and .biz were intended to be more generic. in total there are in excess of 200 domain names and the majority of these are for nations. but domains that end in the .com suffix are by far the most numerous.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "smartphones suffer skulls attack owners of some nokia smartphones are being warned to watch out for malicious wallpaper.  those downloading the software could find all the icons on their 7610 phone swapped for images of skulls. when installed the malicious program also locks many of the 7610 s functions making it hard to use and harder to repair. the program is only the latest in a series of viruses produced to attack mobile phones.  the file  nicknamed skulls  is thought to have surfaced on shareware sites where people can pick up free add-ons  such as wallpaper  games and ringtones  for their phones symbian said that it was not sure if the damage skulls does was intentional or simply a result of bad programming. soon after being discovered the file is thought to have been removed from the sites that were unwittingly harbouring it. the program is masquerading as software that creates new background images and themes for the main screen of the 7610 phone. the skulls program is labelled as a file called: 7610.extended.theme.manager.zip.  once installed the program replaces all the icons on the main page with skulls and replaces all the working applications  such as contacts  calendar  notebook etc with non-working versions so the phone becomes almost useless. the only thing the phone can do is make and take calls. a statement by symbian played down the significance of the malicious program and said few people would fall victim to it as users have to go through several steps to install it  one of which includes ignoring a security warning. symbian said that the spread of the skulls program was likely to be limited as the program cannot travel from one phone to another by itself. despite this finnish anti-virus lab f-secure said it had sporadic reports of 7610 owners being caught out by it. the firm has produced guidance for users caught out to help them remove the program and get their phone working again. the skulls program is thought to have been written by a malicious hacker using the alias tee-222. symbian phones produced by sony ericsson  motorola  benq  arima and fujitsu are unaffected by the skulls program.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "winter freeze keeps oil above $50 oil prices carried on rising on wednesday after cold weather on both sides of the north atlantic pushed us crude prices to four-month highs.  freezing temperatures and heavy snowfalls took crude oil prices past $50 a barrel on tuesday for the first time since november. declines in the dollar have also contributed to the rising oil price. us crude was trading at $51.39 at 0710 gmt in asian electronic trade on wednesday. a barrel of us crude oil closed up $2.80 at $51.15 in new york on tuesday. opec members said on tuesday that  given such high prices  the cartel saw no reason to cut its output.  although below last year s peak of $55.67 a barrel  which was reached in october  prices are now well above 2004 s average of $41.48. brent crude also rose in london trading  adding $1.89 to $48.62 at the close.  much of western europe and the north east of america has been shivering under unseasonably low temperatures in recent days. the decline in the us dollar to a five-week low against the euro has also served to inflate prices.  the primary factor is the weak dollar   said victor shum  a singapore-based analyst with purvin and gertz. expectations that a rebound in the dollar would halt the oil price rise were not immediately borne out on wednesday morning  as oil prices carried on upwards as the dollar strengthened against the euro  the pound and the yen.  several opec members said on tuesday that a cut in production was unlikely  citing rising prices and strong demand for oil from asia.  i agree that we do not need to cut supply if the prices are as much as this   fathi bin shatwan  libya s oil minister  told reuters.  i do not think we need to cut unless the prices are falling below $35 a barrel   he added.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "india and iran in gas export deal india has signed a $40bn (\u00a321bn) deal to import millions of tonnes of liquefied natural gas from iran.  firms led by the oil & natural gas corporation (ongc) will also assist in the development of iranian oil fields. ministers  eager to gain access to energy supplies to meet the demands of a booming economy  secured a similar deal to one between iran and china. the announcement comes as ongc said it was in talks to buy former assets of troubled russian oil firm yukos. the agreements with iran were sealed after talks in new delhi between middle east producers and asia s biggest energy consumers - china  india  japan and south korea.  iran - opec s second-biggest oil producer and one of the world s top gas producers - has been pursuing a series of deals  rewarding lng buyers with participation in development of its oil fields. under the agreement  it will supply india with 7.5 million tonnes of lpg annually over a 25 year period from 2009. ongc and the national iranian oil company (nioc) reached a preliminary deal for indian firms to take part in the development of the yadavaran and jufeyr oilfields  both countries said in a statement. india s oil production has stagnated over recent years  and it is having to look abroad to secure future supplies. india imports about 70% of its total oil consumption. consumption has jumped to 2.4 million barrels per day  compared with 474 000 bpd in 1973.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "prutton poised for lengthy fa ban southampton s david prutton faces a possible seven-match ban when he goes before the football association.  the 23-year-old has admitted two charges of improper conduct following his dismissal against arsenal. the first charge relates to his failure to leave the field promptly  pushing referee alan wiley and remonstrating with assistant referee paul norman. and the second charge is for using threatening words and/or behaviour to a match official during the 1-1 draw.  paolo di canio was given a seven-match suspension when he pushed referee paul alcock over in a premiership game between sheffield wednesday and arsenal in 1998. prutton will be joined at wednesday s hearing by saints boss harry redknapp  who believes that the fa will throw the book at his player. redknapp himself sprinted along the touchline to help physio jim joyce and coach denis rofe shepherd the enraged prutton away from referee s assistant norman.  david has made a big mistake and he knows it. i can t condone what he s done. he was out of order but he knows that   said redknapp.  he s a decent lad. he over-reacted badly for some reason - he had a rush of blood from somewhere. off the pitch you couldn t meet a nicer lad.  prutton has apologised publicly for his actions and to arsenal s robert pires  who was injured in a wild tackle by the saints  midfield man.  he said:  it s an horrendous situation. i apologise to the ref and linesman  who were only doing their job.  i ve also seen what happened to pires  leg and i m sorry for that as well.   i apologise for the people who saw it. i know you get lots of kids going to the match now and they don t pay money to see that sort of thing.  it s not a cop-out  but it was all a bit of a blur. sometimes you react and it s beyond your control    added prutton.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "uk house prices dip in november uk house prices dipped slightly in november  the office of the deputy prime minister (odpm) has said.  the average house price fell marginally to \u00a3180 226  from \u00a3180 444 in october. recent evidence has suggested that the uk housing market is slowing after interest rate increases  and economists forecast a drop in prices during 2005. but while the monthly figures may hint at a cooling of the market  annual house price inflation is still strong  up 13.8% in the year to november. economists  however  forecast that odpm figures are likely to show a weakening in annual house price growth in coming months.  overall  the housing market activity is slowing down and that is backed up by the mortgage lending and the mortgage approvals data   said mark miller  at hbos treasury services.  the odpm data is a fairly lagging indicator.   the figures come after the bank of england said the number of mortgages approved in the uk has fallen to the lowest level for nearly a decade. the halifax  meanwhile  said last week that house prices increased by 1.1% in december - the first monthly rise since september.  the uk s biggest mortgage lender said prices rose 15.1% over the whole of 2004  but by only 2.8% in the second half of the year. it is predicting a 2% fall in overall prices in 2005 as the market stabilises after large gains in recent years. the odpm attributed the monthly fall of prices in november to a drop in the value of detached houses and flats. it said annual inflation rose between october and november because prices had fallen by 1.1% in the same period in 2003.  the odpm data showed the average house price was \u00a3192 713 in england; \u00a3139 544 in wales; \u00a3116 542 in scotland  and \u00a3111 314 in northern ireland.  all areas saw a rise in annual house price inflation in november except for northern ireland and the west midlands  where the rate was unchanged  the odpm said. the north east showed the highest rate of inflation at 26.2%  followed by yorkshire and the humber on 21.7%  and the north west on 21.1%. the east midlands  the west midlands and the south west all had an annual inflation rate of more than 15%. in london  the area with the highest average house price at \u00a3262 825  annual inflation rose only slightly in november to 7.1% from 7% the previous month.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "ireland win eclipses refereeing  errors  the international rugby board may have to step in to stop frustrated coaches and players from publicly haranguing referees when things go belly-up.  it may have to go the whole way and have nfl-style video cameras all over the field  or slap the vociferous perpetrators over the knuckles. what the irb does not want is a football scenario where the verbal slanging matches often overshadow the game itself. sunday s explosive six nations clash at lansdowne road was a good example as ireland took another step towards their first grand slam since 1948. the game was as exciting as it comes  with a much-improved england side enraged at a few decisions that did not go their way. one can understand that frustration. there was no doubt that ireland had the rub of the green in their 19-13 victory  but the reaction from the england camp may not have endeared them to the sport s  blazers . referee jonathan kaplan was not perfect by any means and two decisions in particular made him the villain of the piece. i doubt whether kaplan would have been too pleased at the comments made. after all  he has no public recourse to criticism.  it was the same for simon mcdowell  the touch judge who was heavily criticised by scotland coach matt williams after their defeat against france. as far as england were concerned  there were queries over mark cueto s first half-effort when he went over in the corner from a charlie hodgson kick.  england coach andy robinson referred to a similar case at ravenhill in january when ulster were playing gloucester in the heineken cup. on that occasion  david humphreys kicked to tommy bowe  who touched down in the corner only for the try to be wiped out. but you cannot have cameras at every conceivable angle to pick up such anomalies. perhaps robinson was right to say the referee should have gone upstairs when josh lewsey was driven over the irish line near the end.  lewsey claims he touched it down and was in full control. however  one has to credit ireland flanker johnny o connor for cleverly scooping the ball away and blocking any evidence of a touchdown. but in rugby  everything tends to even out over the 80 minutes. the referee also missed england s danny grewcock taking out ronan o gara off the ball to allow martin corry a sunday stroll to the line. those were the stand-out moments in a classic game between the two old foes.  but there were many more  and one should not take away from those. brian o driscoll s winning try was as well-conceived as they come  while charlie hodgson s brilliant kicking display was another highlight. and ronan o gara s tremendous ability to control the game was also a crucial component. but the defining moments came with ireland under the cosh in the final 15 minutes. two outstanding pieces of defensive play denied england and allowed ireland to hold on. the first was denis hickie s brilliant double tackle in the right-hand corner. he gobbled up cueto from another hodgson cross-field kick  then regained his feet to stop lewsey from scoring a certain try. ireland s second-row colossus paul o connell was equally superb. england had turned ireland one way then the other  and the defence cordon was slowly disintegrating. england prop matt stevens ran in at full steam to suck in a few more tacklers. unfortunately he ran into o connell who hit him hard - very hard - and then wrestled the ball away for a crucial turnover. that spoke volumes about ireland s back-foot display  with defensive coach mike ford taking a bow at the end. to win a game like that showed that ireland have moved forward. it may be tries that win games  but it is defence that wins championships.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "hollywood ready for oscars night hollywood is preparing for the biggest night in the film world s calendar  the 77th academy awards  on sunday.  a host of stars are expected to grace the red carpet outside los angeles  kodak theatre  including johnny depp  cate blanchett and leonardo dicaprio. british actors in attendance include nominees clive owen  imelda staunton  kate winslet and director mike leigh. the aviator leads the shortlist  but critics believe the night may belong to clint eastwood s million dollar baby. a recent poll of us pundits found eastwood s boxing drama had become the new favourite to win best film over the howard hughes biopic.  if the 74-year-old does win  he will become the oldest person ever to be named best director at the ceremony. uk critics still favour the aviator for best film  but believe the best director title will generate a close fought battle between eastwood and martin scorsese.  scorsese has never won the best director prize  despite four previous nominations for films including raging bull  goodfellas and gangs of new york. eastwood has won best director once before  for unforgiven in 1993. most experts predict the twice-nominated jamie foxx will win best actor for his portrayal of singer ray charles  while vera drake star imelda staunton looks likely to lose out in the best actress field to hilary swank in million dollar baby. the uk s highest hopes remain with clive owen  who has scooped both the golden globe and the bafta for his supporting role in closer. actor and comedian chris rock will host the event  which will be broadcast with a seven-second time delay to allow censors to cut out any unsuitable content.   we have the bleep machine ready  but bleeps will be used as needed   producer gil cates told reporters. however  he added that he strongly disapproved of the growing tendency to censor live broadcasts on us tv.  he also played down fears that rock  who is known for using strong language in his stand-up routines  might cause controversy on the night. the 40-year-old comic has already promised not to swear live on air during the show.  chris has a sense of humour and everything he says is really said humorously   cates said.  you need a movie star and someone who is a stand-up comic so they can deal with the vicissitudes of the show.  security will also be tight  with police employing a system to detect sarin nerve gas.  we are pulling out all the stops   said john miller  chief of counterterrorism at the los angeles police department. the show is  a symbol of american culture and has the potential to be a high-visibility target   he added. meanwhile  organisers have erected a canopy over the red carpet following an outbreak of torrential rain in los angeles over the past week. cates said the covers would be removed if the threat of wet weather receded. details have also emerged of the contents of this year s gift bags  which are given to nominees and presenters on the night. this year s bags will include a gift certificate for a luxury beach resort  a pair of mink eyelashes and a kitchen set with a year s supply of tea and coffee. the event will be televised by the abc network from 1700 local time (0100 gmt)  and on sky movies in the uk from 0130 gmt.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "us blogger fired by her airline a us airline attendant suspended over  inappropriate images  on her blog - web diary - says she has been fired.  ellen simonetti  known as queen of the sky  wrote an anonymous semi-fictional account of her life in the sky. she was suspended by delta in september. in a statement  she said she was initiating legal action against the airline for  wrongful termination . a delta spokesperson confirmed on wednesday that ms simonetti was no longer an employee. delta has repeatedly declined to elaborate on what it calls  internal employee matters . a spokesperson reiterated this position on wednesday  confirming only that ms simonetti was no longer with the company. the spokesperson also confirmed that there were  very clear rules  attached to the unauthorised use of delta branding  including uniforms. ms simonetti announced on her blog she had been fired on 1 november.  she said in an official statement:  as a result of my suspension and subsequent termination without cause by delta airlines i am moving forward with filing a discrimination complaint with the federal government eeoc [us equal employment opportunity commission].  she added she had also hired a texas-based law firm to initiate legal action for  wrongful termination  defamation of character and lost future wages.  ms simonetti told the bbc news website she had received no warning or further explanation when she was suspended on 25 september. queen of the sky has received a lot of support and advice from the global blogging community since news of her suspension was brought to light on the bbc news website and others.  her story has highlighted concerns amongst the growing blogging community about conflicts of interest  employment law and free speech on personal websites. the blog  which she started in january as a way of getting over her mother s death  contains a mix of fictional and non-fictional accounts. queen of the sky developed over the months as a character in her own right  according to ms simonetti. in the postings  she made up fictional names for cities and other companies she mentioned to protect anonymity. but some postings contained images of herself in uniform. of the 10 or so images only one showed ms simonetti s flight  wings . she removed them as soon as she was informed of her suspension.  i never meant it as something to harm my company and don t understand how they think it did harm them   ms simonetti said. a legal expert in the us speculated that delta might be concerned that the fictional content on the blog may be linked back to the airline after the images were posted.  delta has been hit recently by pressures of rising fuel costs and fierce competition. it has said it needs to cut between 6 000 and 7 000 jobs and reduce costs by $5bn (\u00a32.7bn) a year. analysts had warned recently that the airline might have to seek chapter 11 bankruptcy prevention. last week  it struck a $1bn cost-cutting deal with its pilots which could save it from bankruptcy. the deal would see pilots accept a 32% pay cut in return for the right to buy 30 million delta shares  unions said. and on monday  it negotiated a deal to defer about $135m in debt which was due next year  until 2007. the airline also said it had agreed the terms of a $600m loan from american express.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "us hacker breaks into t-mobile a man is facing charges of hacking into computers at the us arm of mobile phone firm t-mobile.  the californian man  nicholas lee jacobsen  was arrested in october. mr jacobsen tried at least twice to hack t-mobile s network and took names and social security numbers of 400 customers  said a company spokesman. the arrest came a year after t-mobile uncovered the unauthorised access. the us secret service has been investigating the case.  t-mobile has stringent procedures in place where we monitor for suspicious activity so that limited his activities and we were able to take corrective action immediately   peter dobrow  a t-mobile spokesperson said. it is thought that mr jacobsen s hacking campaign took place over at least seven months during which time he read e-mails and personal computer files  according to court records.  although mr jacobsen  21  managed to get hold of some data  it is thought he failed to get customer credit card numbers which are stored on a separate computer system  said mr dobrow. t-mobile confirmed that the us secret service was also looking into whether the hacker accessed photos that t-mobile subscribers had taken with their camera phones. the associated press agency reported that mr jacobsen also read personal files on the secret service agent who was apparently investigating the case. a los angeles grand jury indicted mr jacobsen with intentionally accessing a computer system without authorisation and with the unauthorised impairment of a protected computer between march and october 2004. he is currently on bail. t-mobile is a subsidiary company of deutsche telekom and has about 16.3 million subscribers in the us.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "athens memories soar above lows well  it s goodbye to another olympic year and as usual there were plenty of highs and lows in athens.  obviously  there s no getting away from the differing fortunes of kelly holmes and paula radcliffe. but i want to remind you of a few more events that made 2004 another year to remember - or forget - for athletics.      one of my favourite olympic moments was kelly s success in the 800m.  winning that race was the key to her success because if she won that then the 1500m would be a bit of a formality. kelly had been full of  should i  shouldn t i   thoughts about going for the double in athens. i thought why wouldn t you do the 800m  it s your best event  it was such good fun to commentate on her 1500m and it was nice to be able to be part of her athens story.      the victory for the british men s 4x100m relay team was a bit of a surprise but a great climax to the games. i think the four of them - jason gardener  darren campbell  marlon devonish and mark lewis-francis - knew deep down that it was their best chance of a medal. the lads had run poorly in the individual sprints so maybe they did lift their game when they knew something was really at stake.      hicham el guerrouj s olympic double is a much bigger achievement than kelly s on a global scale.  he was the first man since for 80 years to win both the 1500m and 5 000m titles. as soon as he had added the 5 000m crown and i had finished commentating  i jumped up  ran down the stairs  pushed everyone out the way and just gave him a big hug. he is one of the few african runners who has embraced the tradition of the mile and he loves to hear all the roger bannister stories. hicham is someone i enjoy having a bit of time with  even though my french and his english are not very good.      what happened to paula in athens this year is the obvious low on a personal level and for the expectations of the nation as well. there were a set of circumstances around athens that conspired to produce a very dramatic ending which i think has been greatly misunderstood. dropping out of the marathon was the right thing to do but starting in the 10 000m five days later was not wise. that was her heart and not her head reacting. paula had a lot of little things going wrong in her preparation and on the day.  things like niggling injuries  not being able to do all her running sessions and feeling the pressure of the race looming ahead of her. i think she came to the start line in athens physically and emotionally drained. and if even the smallest thing doesn t feel right when you are preparing to race a marathon  10 miles down the road it will hit you like a brick wall. the positive thing to take from paula s olympics it that she will have learned a lot from it and so will a lot of people - including me.      purely as a race  paula s victory in the new york marathon has to go down as one of the most thrilling. it was so nip-and-tuck between her and kenya s susan chepkemei and you don t usually get that kind of excitement in marathons. it was also a real delight for all athletics fans because  to use one of my favourite words  paula showed real  bouncebackability . and it was a bit of a rarity for me too because i genuinely did not have an inkling how the race was going to pan out.      kelly and the 4x100m boys  victories papered over the cracks in the general performance of the british team. we should be concerned that we re not producing enough people who are capable of reaching finals at senior level.  the only individual men s finalist on the track was michael east in the 1500m. i am beginning to look down and wonder where are the new breed  and that s where things begin to look even gloomier for british athletics as we did not win any medals at the world junior championships in italy. dani barnes came fourth in the 1500m and she was the highest finisher for team gb. the thing is if we don t have athletes getting into the finals at junior level then it really doesn t look good for the beijing olympics and beyond.      i tell you what i really enjoyed this year  benita johnson winning the world cross country championships back in march. in the absence of paula  we tend to think of the event as something of an african preserve. so to have an australian come up and deliver such a surprise was something special.      to be honest  i m getting bored with all the drug scandals  especially balco. i just wish the whole thing would come to a head so we can move on.  having said that  i m always pleased when drugs cheats are caught because it shows the sport is standing up to it and not turning a blind eye anymore. and one of the positive things to come out of balco is people are starting to blow the whistle. we need more people to come forward and help the authorities kick out the cheats. as regards the case against greek sprinters kostas kenteris and katerina thanou  well suspicions have been hanging over kenteris for a while. the bottom line is we cannot keep letting drugs damage the sport because if we do then it stops everyone enjoying it.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "uk rebate  unjustified  - chirac french president jacques chirac has called the uk s \u00a33bn rebate from the european union  unjustified .  speaking after a summit meeting he said unless it was put up for discussion the eu would never be able to reach agreement on its medium term finances. earlier foreign secretary jack straw said the uk was prepared to veto any bid to reduce the rebate secured by margaret thatcher in 1984. he said it remained justified because less eu farm money came to the uk.  mr chirac told reporters in brussels:  one can only have a reasonable budgetary balance if we put back on the table the british cheque. it can no longer be justified. it was from the past.  but a uk government official responded:  even with the rebate  the uk pays two and a half times more than france contributes to the eu budget. without it we would pay 14 times as much as france.  there can be no deal on future financing which does not protect the rebate.   the 25-member eu is gearing up for tough negotiations on its budget plans for the period 2007-2013  with the bloc s luxembourg presidency hoping to strike a deal at a june summit. earlier conservative graham brady said the rebate was a  crucial test  of how firmly ministers were prepared to stand up for britain. eu commission president jose manuel barroso has indicated he wants the rebate to come to an end. mr straw said that as well as the veto over the rebate the uk wanted to keep a tight rein on national contributions.  the uk  france  germany  austria  the netherlands and sweden want the eu budget to be capped at 1% of member states  combined national incomes - the european commission has urged an increase to 1.26%. mr straw has said the eu commission s proposal would mean a 35% hike in the budget. shadow europe minister mr brady said:  i believe it is essential that britain keeps the rebate and i think it s a crucial test of how firmly the british government is prepared to stand up for britain internationally in europe.   the uk is already one of the biggest net contributors to the eu .  the foreign secretary meanwhile said the  justice  of the rebate remained.  we have one of the lowest net receipts of any eu country because of the relatively small size of our agriculture sector and its efficiency.  that continues to be the case.   uk independence party leader roger knapman said the rebate was  set in stone  and there was no reason to negotiate about it.  it is extraordinary to do it at this time  just as we are becoming the biggest contributor to the eu. if we lose our rebate as well  the british taxpayer is going to be bled at such a rate that i think everyone will go off the european project.  eu leaders are holding talks in brussels on how to re-energise the sluggish european economy. uk prime minister tony blair is meeting his eu counterparts to finalise a package of measures aimed at stimulating growth and boosting employment ahead of a series of referendums on the european constitution. the plans could introduce a free market into everything from computer services to construction. critics - including germany and france - believe liberalisation could result in companies shifting staff to cheaper bases in eastern europe  undercutting large eu economies and undermining social protections. there are also concerns about the number of workers from eastern european countries who will head west  exacerbating the already high unemployment levels in germany.  mr straw insisted there was nothing to fear from the services directorate.  european countries overall have benefited hugely from the free market in goods   he said.  what we are now talking about is developing that market into an internal market in services.  britain s low unemployment meant there was less  neurosis  about people coming from eastern european countries.  in countries like germany and france  where frankly because of a tighter social market they have much higher levels of unemployment  there is increasing anxiety about other people coming in   he said.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "police probe bnp mosque leaflet police are investigating a british national party leaflet posted to homes in south wales opposing plans for a new mosque.  anti-racism campaigners in swansea have handed copies to south wales police. swansea s muslim community is raising money to open a new mosque and community centre in the former st andrews united reform church. the building on george street has been derelict since the 1980s.  taha idris  director of the swansea bay race equality council  said his organisation contacted police after receiving complaints from the public.  i m quite shocked to see this sort of leaflet by the bnp in swansea   he said.   the bnp has tried in the past to get into swansea and this is another example of them trying again.  i am in no doubt that the bnp are not needed and not wanted here.  a south wales police spokeswoman confirmed that they were looking at the contents of the leaflet. according to the bnp s website  they have been posted to homes in the castle ward. the bnp website carries a photograph of party leader nick griffin - who lives near welshpool  mid wales - delivering the leaflet. the bnp has denied it is trying to stir up hatred of any race or religion  but argues that they should be able to debate this without fear of arrest. swansea unite against fascism (uaf) is meeting this week to plan a campaign. following the death earlier this year of kalan kawa karim  an iraqi kurd living in swansea  it organised an anti-racism march in the city that was supported by more than 1 000 people. it is planning its own mail shot campaign and may launch a petition in support of the plans for the mosque.  andy richards  of swansea uaf  said the leaflet was exactly what he had come to expect from the bnp.   the people of swansea will not put up with this.  swansea s muslim community bought the former church  just across the road from the existing mosque on st helen s road  in the late 1990s. mr idris said the community was now raising money to renovate the building.  it is a landmark building in swansea and would otherwise just crumble   he said.  it is the ideal opportunity for the building to be restored and used in the proper manner.  it will be a muslim community centre. it s a holistic place used for education  weddings  deaths and births.  he said space was limited in the current mosque and on some occasions muslims had to travel to llanelli for cultural events.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "guantanamo man  suing government  a british terror suspect held in guantanamo bay for 33 months plans to sue the government  it is reported.  martin mubanga claimed in the observer that an mi6 officer played a key role in consigning him to the us camp in cuba  following his arrest in zambia. mr mubanga  32  from wembley  london  said he was brutally interrogated and daubed with urine at the camp. the home secretary said he would not be launching an investigation and that the media reports were not  well informed . mr mubanga  who has dual british and zambian nationality  was one of four britons who were released from the us camp in january.  he said he was sent there after being interrogated by a british man who said he was from mi6  shortly after his arrest in zambia in march 2002. mr mubanga said he had been in afghanistan and pakistan to study islam. but he said he was unable to return to the uk because he had lost his british passport  and was travelling on his zambian passport instead. mr mubanga said the  mi6 agent  told him the passport had been found in a cave in afghanistan along with documents listing jewish groups in new york and suggested he had been on an al-qaeda reconnaissance mission. mr mubanga said the man  and an american female defence official  tried to recruit him as an agent  but he refused and within three weeks was told he would be sent to guantanamo bay.  his lawyer louise christian said:   we are hoping to issue proceedings for the misfeasance of officials who colluded with the americans in effectively kidnapping him and taking him to guantanamo.  and menzies campbell  the liberal democrats  foreign affairs spokesman  said it was vital to establish whether ministers approved mr mubanga s transfer to guantanamo. but a foreign office spokesman said he could not comment on the activities of british intelligence or security agencies. and home secretary charles clarke told bbc one s breakfast with frost:  i m not organising a specific investigation into it.  mr mubanga is the first of the four detainees freed last month to give a media interview. he told the observer his worst moment was when he was told he would be released last march  only to be confined and told he would be there for many more years.  he claimed he was stripped of his clothes and mattress and forced to remain in an empty metal box  naked except for boxer shorts. and he said an interrogator used a mop to daub him with his own urine while he was chained hand and foot. mr mubanga  who insists he does not feel bitter  said:  i ve lost three years of my life  because i was a muslim. he added:  the authorities wanted to break me but they strengthened me. they ve made me what i am - even if i m not quite sure yet who that person is.  the us government denied the claims  saying it condemned and prohibited torture. in a statement  it said:  the department of defense has no doubt that mr mubanga was properly detained as an enemy combatant under the laws of war.  he was detained to prevent him from fighting against the us and our allies in the war on terror.  but fair trials abroad director stephen jakobi said there were similarities between mr mubanga s account and those of other guantanamo detainees. he said:  the pattern is the same. the real problem is the concentration camp conditions in guantanamo.  is [charles clarke] really pretending this is all made up   mr mubanga and the three other freed british detainees were released without charge by uk police on their return from cuba.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "winemaker rejects foster s offer australian winemaker southcorp has rejected a takeover offer worth 3.1bn australian dollars ($2.3bn; \u00a31.8bn) from brewing giant foster s group.  southcorp  whose brands include penfolds  rosemount and lindemans  dismissed the offer as inadequate. the two companies held four days of talks after foster s bought an 18.8% stake in southcorp on 13 january. a merger would create a global player with worldwide annual sales of 39m cases and revenues of a$2.6bn.  southcorp said foster s a$4.17-a-share takeover proposal offered a  excellent strategic fit  but undervalued the company.  southcorp s board has informed foster s that it is not prepared to recommend the offer as it does not adequately reflect the strategic value of the company   said southcorp chairman brian finn.  southcorp said foster s takeover offer was  opportunistic . however  it said that the offer may represent an  opening bid   opening up the possibility of foster s returning with an improved offer.  foster s said a combination of the two companies would create a global player with an  unrivalled  collection of premium wine brands. despite being best known for brewing foster s lager  foster s is already one of australia s largest wine producers  owning the beringer and wolf blass brands among others.  the combination of foster s and southcorp will transform the global wine industry and significantly enhance australia s competitive position on the global stage   said trevor o hoy  foster s chief executive officer. foster s spent a$584m on buying an 18.8% stake in southcorp from the oatley family  which founded the rosemount estates business and later merged it into southcorp. shares in both companies were suspended while the two held talks about a deal. southcorp s shares rose 12% to a$4.76 on news of the offer but foster s shares fell 3.7% to a$5.44.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "ray dvd beats box office takings oscar-nominated film biopic ray has surpassed its us box office takings with a combined tally of $80m (\u00a343m) from dvd and video sales and rentals.  ray s success on dvd outstripped its $74m (\u00a340m) us box office total  earning more than $40m (\u00a322m) on the first day of the dvd s release alone. ray has been nominated in six oscar categories including best film and best actor for jamie foxx. the film recounts the life of blues singer ray charles  who died in 2004. in its first week on home entertainment release the film was the number one selling dvd  with the limited edition version coming in at number 11. sony horror film the grudge  starring michelle gellar  was the us  second best-selling dvd  with jennifer lopez and richard gere s romantic comedy shall we dance  at number three. foxx s critically acclaimed performance as ray has already earned him a screen actors guild award for best actor  as well as a prestigious golden globe. ray director taylor hackford  responsible for the classic 1982 film an officer and a gentleman  has also received an oscar nomination in the best director category. the film s three other oscar nominations are for costume  film editing and sound mixing.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "dawson set for new wasps contract european champions wasps are set to offer matt dawson a new deal.  the 31-year-old world cup winning scrum-half has impressed since joining the london side from northampton this summer on a one-year contract. wasps coach warren gatland told the daily mirror:  we have not yet offered matt a new contract but we will be doing so.  i m very happy with his contribution and i think he s good enough to play for another couple of years.  dawson played a vital part in england s world cup win last year but has fallen out of favour with new coach andy robinson after missing a training session in september. however he hopes the new deal will help him regain his england place.   rugby is still my priority and there s still a burning desire within me to play the best rugby i possibly can   he said.  i know within myself  if i was given the chance i could play for england again.  i know i m fit enough  i m strong enough  i m skilful enough.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "goldsmith denies war advice claim the attorney general has denied his statement to parliament about the legality of the iraq war was drafted by downing street officials.  lord goldsmith said lord falconer and baroness morgan played no part in drafting the answer. he added the answer represented his view that the war was legal  but was not a summary of his advice to the pm. the government has resisted calls to publish the full advice  saying such papers are always kept confidential.  in a statement  lord goldsmith said:  i was fully involved throughout the drafting process and personally finalised  and of course approved  the answer.  he said the answer had been prepared in his office with the involvement of solicitor general harriet harman  two of his own officials  three foreign office officials  a qc  christopher greenwood and the then lord chancellor  lord irvine of lairg.   no other minister or official was involved in any way.  he suggested the claim that lord falconer and lady morgan had drafted the answer were the result of a mis-transcription of his evidence to the butler inquiry into pre-war intelligence.  as i have always made clear  i set out in the answer my own genuinely held  independent view that military action was lawful under the existing (un) security council resolutions   he said.  the answer did not purport to be a summary of my confidential legal advice to government.  former foreign secretary robin cook said lord goldsmith s admission that his parliamentary answer was not a summary of his legal opinion suggested parliament may have been misled.  the attorney general may never have presented his answer as a summary  but others certainly did   he said.  what is clear from his statement today is that he does not believe that it was a full  accurate summary of his formal opinion.   earlier  tony blair dismissed questions about the attorney general s advice  and said his parliamentary statement had been a  fair summary  of his opinion.  that s what he (lord goldsmith) said and that s what i say. he has dealt with this time and time and time again   mr blair told his monthly news conference in downing street. he refused to answer further questions on the issue.  on the question of whether such papers have always been kept confidential  tory mp michael mates  who is a member of the commons intelligence and security committee and was part of the butler inquiry  told the bbc:  that  as a general rule  is right  but it s not an absolute rule.  he said there had been other occasions when advice had been published  most recently regarding prince charles s marriage plans. the government could not pick and choose when to use the convention  he said. mr mates added:  this may be one of those special occasions... when it would be in the public interest to see the advice which the attorney general gave to the prime minister.   the claims about lord falconer and baroness morgan s involvement were made in a book published this week by philippe sands qc  a member of cherie blair s matrix chambers. he also says lord goldsmith warned tony blair on 7 march 2003 that the iraq war could be illegal without a second un resolution sanctioning military action.  a short statement about lord goldsmith s position presented in a written parliamentary answer on 17 march 2003 - just before a crucial commons vote on the military action - did not suggest this. former minister clare short  who resigned from the government over the iraq war  said the ministerial answer was the same statement that was earlier shown to the cabinet as it discussed military action. she said the full advice should have been attached  according to the ministerial code  and demanded a lords inquiry into the matter. the conservatives and liberal democrats say they still want the publication of the full legal advice given by the attorney general. lib dem foreign affairs spokesman sir menzies campbell said lord goldsmith s statement still did not clear up the outstanding issues.  if his original advice of 7 march accepted that military action might be illegal  how was it that he resolved any such doubts by the time the parliamentary answer was published on 17 march   he said.  only the fullest disclosure will now do.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "rolling out next generation s net the body that oversees how the net works  grows and evolves says it has coped well with its growth in the last 10 years  but it is just the start.   in a sense  we have hardly started in reaching the whole population   the new chair of the internet engineering task force (ietf)  brian carpenter  says. the ietf ensures the smooth running and organisation of the net s architecture. with broadband take-up growing  services like voice and tv will open up interesting challenges for the net.  i think voip (voice-over internet protocol  allowing phone calls to be made over the net) is very important - it challenges all the old cost models of telecoms   says dr carpenter.  second  it challenges more deeply the business model that you have to be a service provider with a lot of infrastructure. with voip  you need very little infrastructure.   a distinguished ibm engineer  dr carpenter spent 20 years at cern  the european laboratory for particle physics. as the new chair of the ietf  his next big challenge is overseeing ipv6  the next generation standard for information transfer and routing across the web. at cern  dr carpenter helped pioneer advanced net applications during the development of the world wide web  so he is well-placed to take on such a task. the net s growth and evolution depend on standards and protocols  and ensuring the architecture works and talks to other standards is a crucial job of the ietf. the top priority is to ensure that the standards that make the net work  are open and free for anyone to use and work with.  the net is built on a protocol called tcp/ip  which means transmission control protocol  and internet protocol. when computers communicate with the net  a unique ip address is used to send and receive information. the ietf is a large international community of network designers  operators  vendors  and researchers working on the evolution of the net s architecture and the way this information is sent and received. they make sure it all knits together leaving no gaps.  we ve seen some interesting effects over last few years   explains dr carpenter.  the net was growing at a fantastic rate at the end of the 90s. then there was a bit of a glitch in 2000.  we are now seeing a very clear phase of consolidation and renewed growth.   that renewed growth is also being buoyed by emerging economies  like china  which are showing fast uptake of broadband net and other technologies. the number of broadband subscribers via dsl (digital subscriber line) doubled in a year to 13 million  according to figures released at the end of 2004.  the challenges we face are about continuing to produce standards to allow for that growth rate   explained dr carpenter.  given it [the net] was designed for the whole community  it has done well to reach millions. if you want to reach the whole population  you have to make sure it can scale up.  ipv6  the standard that will replace the existing ipv4  will allow for billions more addresses on the net  and it is gradually being worked into network infrastructure across the world.  the actual number of addresses with ipv4 is limited to four billion ip addresses.  that clearly is not enough when you have 10 billion people to serve  so there is technical solution  the new version of ip - ipv6.  it has much larger address space possibilities with no practical limits   said dr carpenter. standards are vital to something as complex as the net  and making sure standards are open and can work with across networks is a big task. the difference this next generation standard  ipv6  will make to the average net user is almost invisible.  our first goal is that it [ipv6] should make no difference - people should not notice a difference.  it is like when the london telephone numbers got longer. a lot of the process will be invisible.  people are usually given an ip address without knowing it.  technically deployment has started and the standards for are just about settled  said dr carpenter.  the one problem with the net that may never disappear completely is security. to dr carpenter  the solution comes out of technological and human behaviour. people have to be educated about  sensible behaviour  he says  such as ignoring e-mails that claim you have won something.   i don t think it is going to get worse. people will remain concerned about security and they probably should do - just as you would be concerned walking along a dark street.  we have to do work to make sure there are better security internet standards. it is a never-ending battle in a sense.  but  he adds:  even if security has improved  you still worry a bit. unfortunately  it is just part of life. we have a duty to do what we can.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "warning over tsunami aid website net users are being told to avoid a scam website that claims to collect cash on behalf of tsunami victims.  the site looks plausible because it uses an old version of the official disasters emergency committee webpage. however  dec has no connection with the fake site and says it has contacted the police about it. the site is just the latest in a long list of scams that try to cash in on the goodwill generated by the tsunami disaster.  the link to the website is contained in a spam e-mail that is currently circulating. the message s subject line reads  urgent tsunami earthquake appeal  and its text bears all the poor grammar and bad spelling that characterises many other phishing attempts. the web address of the fake site is decuk.org which could be close enough to the official www.dec.org.uk address to confuse some people keen to donate. patricia sanders  spokeswoman for the disaster emergency committee said it was aware of the site and had contacted the computer crime unit at scotland yard to help get it shut down. she said the spam e-mails directing people to the site started circulating two days ago shortly after the domain name of the site was registered. it is thought that the fake site is being run from romania. ms sanders said dec had contacted us net registrars who handle domain ownership and the net hosting firm that is keeping the site on the web.  dec was going to push for all cash donated via the site to be handed over to the official organisation. bt and dec s hosting company were also making efforts to get the site shut down  she said.  ms sanders said sending out spam e-mail to solicit donations was not dec s style and that it would never canvass support in this way. she said that dec hoped to get the fake site shut down as soon as possible. all attempts by the bbc news website to contact the people behind the site have failed. none of the e-mail addresses supplied on the site work and the real owner of the domain is obscured in publicly available net records. this is not the first attempt to cash in on the outpouring of goodwill that has accompanied appeals for tsunami aid. one e-mail sent out in early january came from someone who claimed that he had lost his parents in the disaster and was asking for help moving an inheritance from a bank account in the netherlands. the con was very similar to the familiar nigerian forward fee fraud e-mails that milk money out of people by promising them a cut of a much larger cash pile. other scam e-mails included a link to a website that supposedly let people donate money but instead loaded spyware on their computers that grabbed confidential information. in a monthly report anti-virus firm sophos said that two e-mail messages about the tsunami made it to the top 10 hoax list during january. another tsunami-related e-mail is also circulating that carries the zar worm which tries to spread via the familiar route of microsoft s outlook e-mail program. anyone opening the attachment of the mail will have their contact list plundered by the worm keen to find new addresses to send itself to.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "qpr keeper day heads for preston queens park rangers keeper chris day is set to join preston on a month s loan.  day has been displaced by the arrival of simon royce  who is in his second month on loan from charlton. qpr have also signed italian generoso rossi. r s manager ian holloway said:  some might say it s a risk as he can t be recalled during that month and simon royce can now be recalled by charlton.  but i have other irons in the fire. i have had a  yes  from a couple of others should i need them.   day s rangers contract expires in the summer. meanwhile  holloway is hoping to complete the signing of middlesbrough defender andy davies - either permanently or again on loan - before saturday s match at ipswich. davies impressed during a recent loan spell at loftus road. holloway is also chasing bristol city midfielder tom doherty.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "lasers help bridge network gaps an indian telecommunications firm has turned to lasers to help it overcome the problems of setting up voice and data networks in the country.  tata teleservices is using the lasers to make the link between customers  offices and its own core network. the laser bridges work across distances up to 4km and can be set up much faster than cable connections. in 12 months the lasers have helped the firm set up networks in more than 700 locations.   in this particular geography getting permission to dig the ground and lay the pipes is a bit of a task   said mr r. sridharan  vice president of networks at tata.  heavy traffic and the layout under the ground mean that digging is uniquely difficult   he said. in some locations  he said  permission to dig up roads and lay cables was impossible to get. he said it was far easier to secure permission for putting networking hardware on roofs. this has led chennai-based tata to turn to equipment that uses lasers to make the final mile leap between tata s core network and the premises of customers. the lightpointe laser bridges work over distances of up to 4km and are being used to route both voice and data from businesses on to the backbone of the network. the hardware works in pairs and beam data through the air in the form of laser pulses.  the laser bridges can route data at speeds up to 1.25gbps (2 000 times faster than a 512kbps broadband connection) but tata is running its hardware at more modest speeds of 1-2mbps. the lasers are also ideal for india because of its climate.  it s particularly suitable as the rain rate is a little low and it s hardly ever foggy   he said. in places where rain is heavy and fog is common laser links can struggle to maintain good connection speeds. the laser links also take far less time to set up and get working  said mr sridharan.  once we get the other permissions  normal time period for set up is a few hours   he said. by contrast  he said  digging up roads and laying cables can take weeks or months. this speed of set up has helped tata with its aggressive expansion plans. just over 12 months ago the firm had customers in only about 70 towns and cities. but by the end of march the firm hopes to reach more than 1 000.  speed is very important because of the pace of competition   said mr sridharan.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "fockers retain film chart crown comedy meet the fockers has held on to the number one spot at the north american box office for a second week.  it took $42.8m (\u00a323.7m) at the weekend  making its overall takings more than $163m (\u00a390m) in 12 days  according to studio estimates. it took $19.1m (\u00a39.9m) on christmas day alone  the highest takings on that day in box office history. the sequel to the ben stiller comedy meet the parents stars robert de niro  dustin hoffman and barbra streisand. the success of meet the fockers could help produce record box office revenue for 2004  said paul dergarabedian  president of the industry s tracker exhibitor relations.  we ve had a much stronger than anticipated final week of the year that helped the industry end on a high note   said mr dergarabedian.  meet the fockers also broke the box office records for the most money taken on new year s eve  when it made $12.2m (\u00a36.2m)  and new year s day  when it took $18m (\u00a39.4m). the previous new year s eve record was set in 2000 by cast away with $8.5m (\u00a34.5m). the lord of the rings: the return of the king had held the new year s day title with $12.8m (\u00a36.7m). however  christmas takings were down 26.5% on 2003 s figures - which was blamed on christmas falling over a weekend this year. this weekend s top 12 films took an estimated $125.4m (\u00a365.8m)  a 4.3% increase on the same weekend last year. but there were no major releases last week to provide competition to meet the fockers or lemony snicket s a series of unfortunate events  which finished in second place with $14.7m (\u00a37.7m). the aviator  starring leonardo dicaprio as howard hughes  ended up in third position after taking $11.2m (\u00a35.9m). comedy fat albert - co-written by bill cosby - moved down the chart to fourth place after taking $10.7m (\u00a35.6m).", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "ericsson sees earnings improve telecoms equipment supplier ericsson has posted a rise in fourth quarter profits thanks to clients like deutsche telekom upgrade their networks.  operating profit in the three months to 31 december was 9.5bn kronor (\u00a3722m; $1.3bn) against 6.3bn kronor last year. shares tumbled  however  as the company reported a profit margin of 45.6%  less than the 47.3% forecast by analysts and down from 47.1% in the third quarter. ericsson shares dropped 5.9% to 20.7 kronor in early trading on thursday. however  the company remained optimistic about its earnings outlook after sales in the fourth quarter rose 9% to 39.4bn kronor.  long-term growth drivers of the industry remain solid   ericsson said in a statement.  chief executive carl-henric svanberg explained that about  27% of the world s population now has access to mobile communications .  this is exciting for a company with a vision of an all-communicating world   he added. mr svanberg  however  warned that the extra demand that had driven 2004 sales had already dissipated and it was  business as usual . he added that sales in the first three months of 2005 would be subject to  normal seasonality . for the whole of 2004  ericsson returned a net profit of 19bn kronor  compared with a loss of 10.8bn kronor in 2003. sales climbed to 131.9 billion kronor from 117.7bn kronor in 2003.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "bbc  should allow more scrutiny  mps have urged the bbc to give watchdogs more freedom to scrutinise how \u00a32bn in licence fee money is spent.  the public accounts committee called for the national audit office to be given a  free hand  to investigate how the bbc offers value for money. although six areas are to be opened up to scrutiny the audit office should have more power to choose what it investigated  the mps said. the call was made in a report into the bbc s freeview digital service.  our aim is not to rewrite the storyline of eastenders but simply to ensure that the bbc is as accountable to parliament as any other organisation spending public money   said the committee chairman  mp edward leigh.  the bbc s spending is not subject to the full independent scrutiny  and accountability to parliament.  parliament requires television owners to pay a licence fee and expects the comptroller and auditor general  on behalf of parliament  to be able to scrutinise how that money  over \u00a32 billion a year  is used.   a bbc spokeswoman said:  we share the committee s interest in ensuring the public money we receive is spent well. though in its infancy  we think the arrangements with the nao are working well and should be given time to mature.  the report said the freeview digital service has had an  impressive  take up since its launch but the bbc must still dispel confusion about the service. the committee found the bbc had succeeded in ensuring subscription-free access to digital channels following the collapse of itv digital in 2002. but the fact that one in four homes could not access freeview remained a problem.  the report said that while gaps in the coverage were largely due to landscape issues  there was need for detailed explanations on the freeview website and on promotional literature as to why it was not available in specific areas. the government has proposed switch off of the analogue television signal  with 2012 the most recently proposed date. the bbc launched freeview in 2002 as an alternative to satellite subscription services such as sky  to allow its digital channels such as bbc three and news 24 to be seen. there have been an estimated five million freeview set-top boxes sold since the launch and prices have fallen considerably. the corporation plans to spend up to \u00a3138m on freeview before 2014 to ensure people can receive the service throughout the uk  and are aware of it.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "high fuel prices hit ba s profits british airways has blamed high fuel prices for a 40% drop in profits.  reporting its results for the three months to 31 december 2004  the airline made a pre-tax profit of \u00a375m ($141m) compared with \u00a3125m a year earlier. rod eddington  ba s chief executive  said the results were  respectable  in a third quarter when fuel costs rose by \u00a3106m or 47.3%. ba s profits were still better than market expectation of \u00a359m  and it expects a rise in full-year revenues.  to help offset the increased price of aviation fuel  ba last year introduced a fuel surcharge for passengers.  in october  it increased this from \u00a36 to \u00a310 one-way for all long-haul flights  while the short-haul surcharge was raised from \u00a32.50 to \u00a34 a leg. yet aviation analyst mike powell of dresdner kleinwort wasserstein says ba s estimated annual surcharge revenues - \u00a3160m - will still be way short of its additional fuel costs - a predicted extra \u00a3250m. turnover for the quarter was up 4.3% to \u00a31.97bn  further benefiting from a rise in cargo revenue. looking ahead to its full year results to march 2005  ba warned that yields - average revenues per passenger - were expected to decline as it continues to lower prices in the face of competition from low-cost carriers. however  it said sales would be better than previously forecast.  for the year to march 2005  the total revenue outlook is slightly better than previous guidance with a 3% to 3.5% improvement anticipated   ba chairman martin broughton said. ba had previously forecast a 2% to 3% rise in full-year revenue.  it also reported on friday that passenger numbers rose 8.1% in january. aviation analyst nick van den brul of bnp paribas described ba s latest quarterly results as  pretty modest .  it is quite good on the revenue side and it shows the impact of fuel surcharges and a positive cargo development  however  operating margins down and cost impact of fuel are very strong   he said. since the 11 september 2001 attacks in the united states  ba has cut 13 000 jobs as part of a major cost-cutting drive.  our focus remains on reducing controllable costs and debt whilst continuing to invest in our products   mr eddington said.  for example  we have taken delivery of six airbus a321 aircraft and next month we will start further improvements to our club world flat beds.  ba s shares closed up four pence at 274.5 pence.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "uk  discriminated against roma  the government s immigration rules racially discriminated against roma (gypsies) seeking entry into the uk  the law lords have ruled.  it follows a home office move to cut asylum claims by stopping people  mostly roma  from boarding flights to britain from the czech capital  prague. civil rights group liberty said it exposed  racism at the heart of the government s asylum policy . the home office said it had not meant to discriminate against anyone. it said it would look at the implications of the ruling  but pointed out the controls were no longer in place because czechs are now entitled to free movement across europe.  the screening took place at the airport in july 2001  at a time of concern about the number of asylum seekers entering britain.  those refused  pre-clearance  were effectively prevented from travelling to the uk  because no airline would carry them. lady hale  sitting with lords bingham  steyn  hope and carswell  said many roma had good reason to want to leave the czech republic because of persecution. but she said they were treated more sceptically than non-roma passengers by immigration officers  acting on racial grounds . lady hale said immigration officers should have treated all would-be passengers in the same way  only using more intrusive questioning if there was a specific reason.  liberty said statistics suggested roma czechs were 400 times more likely to be stopped by british immigration officials at prague airport than non-roma czechs. it took up the case of six unnamed roma czechs refused entry to britain  and that of the european roma rights centre  which said the measures unfairly penalised roma people. it lost a high court action in october 2002 when a judge said the system was  no more or less objectionable  than a visa control system. he ruled there was no obligation on britain not to take steps to prevent a potential refugee from approaching its border to claim asylum.  the court of appeal then decided the practice almost inevitably discriminated against roma  but that this was justified because they were more likely to seek asylum. immigration law allows officials to discriminate against citizens from named countries  but it does not allow officers to go further than that.  responding to the ruling  a home office spokesman said:  the scheme was operated two years ago as a short-term response to the high levels of passengers travelling from prague who are subsequently found to be ineligible for entry to the uk.   welcoming the ruling  maeve sherlock  chief executive of the refugee council  said:  human rights abuses against the roma in eastern europe are well documented  and it is hugely troubling that the government sought to deny entry to such a vulnerable group.  amnesty international s jan shaw said:  that the government s own asylum policy was being operated discriminatorily is bleakly ironic given that discrimination often lies at the heart of serious human rights abuse  not least in the czech republic.  but the chairman of migration watch uk  sir andrew green  said the house of lords decision was a  step in the wrong direction .  the basic point is that the government has a duty to control our borders and this decision appears to extend the race relations legislation beyond sensible limits.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "yachvili savours france comeback france scrum-half dimitri yachvili praised his team after they fought back to beat england 18-17 in the six nations clash at twickenham.  yachvili kicked all of france s points as they staged a second-half revival.  we didn t play last week against scotland and we didn t play in the first half against england   he said.  but we re very proud to beat england at twickenham. we were just defending in the first half and we said we had to put them under pressure. we did well.  yachvili admitted erratic kicking from england s charlie hodgson and olly barkley  who missed six penalties and a drop goal chance between them  had been decisive.  i know what it s like with kicking. when you miss some it s very hard mentally  but it went well for us   he said. france captain fabien pelous insisted his side never doubted they could secure their first win against england at twickenham since 1997. france were 17-6 down at half-time  but pelous said:  no-one was down at half-time  we were still confident.  we said we only had 11 points against us  which was not much.  the plan was to keep hold of possession and pressure england to losing their composure.  france coach bernard laporte accepted his side had not played well.  we know we have to play better to defend the title   he said.  i m not happy we didn t score a try but we re happy because we won.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "parmalat founder offers apology the founder and former boss of parmalat has apologised to investors who lost money as a result of the italian dairy firm s collapse.  calisto tanzi said he would co-operate fully with prosecutors investigating the background to one of europe s largest financial scandals. parmalat was placed into bankruptcy protection in 2003 after a 14bn euro black hole was found in its accounts. more than 130 000 people lost money following the firm s collapse. mr tanzi  66  issued a statement through his lawyer after five hours of questioning by prosecutors in parma on 15 january.  prosecutors are seeking indictments against mr tanzi and 28 others - including several members of his family and former parmalat chief financial officer fausto tonna - for alleged manipulation of stock market prices and making misleading statements to accountants and italy s financial watchdog. two former parmalat auditors will stand trial later this month for their role in the firm s collapse.   i apologise to all who have suffered so much damage as a result of my schemes to make my dream of an industrial project come true   mr tanzi s statement said.  it is my duty to collaborate fully with prosecutors to reconstruct the causes of parmalat s sudden default and who is responsible.  mr tanzi spent several months in jail in the wake of parmalat s collapse and was kept under house arrest until last september. parmalat is now being run by a state appointed administrator  enrico bondi  who has launched lawsuits against 80 banks in an effort to recover money for the bankrupt company and its shareholders. he has alleged that these companies were aware of the true state of parmalat s finances but continued to lend money to the company. the companies insist they were the victims of fraudulent book-keeping. parmalat was declared insolvent after it emerged that 4 billion euros (\u00a32.8bn; $4.8bn) it supposedly held in an offshore account did not in fact exist. the firm s demise sent shock waves through italy  where its portfolio of top-selling food brands and its position as the owner of leading football club parma had turned it into a household name.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "radcliffe will compete in london paula radcliffe will compete in the flora london marathon this year after deciding her schedule for 2005.  the 31-year-old won the race in 2002 on her marathon debut  defended her title 12 months later and will now seek a third title in the 17 april race.  it doesn t get any better than this for the 25th anniversary   said race director david bedford.  after announcing the greatest men s field ever we now have the greatest women s distance runner ever.  three years ago radcliffe smashed the women s world record in two hours 18 minutes 15 seconds.  the bedford star returned to london 12 months later  lowering her mixed-race world record of 2:17:18  which she set in chicago in october 2003  by one minute 53 secs. radcliffe s career took a setback when she failed to complete the olympic marathon and later dropped out of the athens 10 000m last august. but the 31-year-old bounced back to win the new york marathon in november. radcliffe  however  passed up the chance to go for the  big city  marathon grand slam. with wins in chicago  london and new york  only the boston marathon remains to be conquered but that takes place a day after london.  boston is definitely a race i want to do at some point  but london is very special to me   said radcliffe.  i don t pick races thinking about things like pressure. i pick the ones in my heart i really want to do.  i love the atmosphere  crowds and course and know it will always be a great quality race.  it is also the 25th anniversary this year which adds to the occasion.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "go-ahead for new internet names the internet could soon have two new domain names  aimed at mobile services and the jobs market.  the internet corporation for assigned names and numbers (icann) has given preliminary approval to two new addresses - .mobi and .jobs. they are among 10 new names being considered by the net s oversight body. others include a domain for pornography  an anti-spam domain as well as .post and .travel  for the postal and travel industries.  the .mobi domain would be aimed at websites and other services that work specifically around mobile phones  while the .jobs address could be used by companies wanting a dedicated site for job postings. the process to see the new domain names go live in cyberspace could take months and icann officials warned that there were no guarantees they would ultimately be accepted. applicants paid \u00a323 000 apiece to have their proposals considered. the application for .mobi was sponsored by technology firms including nokia  microsoft and t-mobile.  of the 10 currently under consideration  the least likely to win approval is the .xxx domain for pornographic websites. there are currently around 250 domain names in use around the globe  mostly for specific countries such as .fr for france and .uk for britain. perhaps unsurprisingly  .com remains the most popular address on the web.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "anti-spam screensaver scrapped a contentious campaign to bump up the bandwidth bills of spammers by flooding their sites with data has been dropped.  lycos europe s make love  not spam campaign began in late november but its tactics proved controversial. lycos has shut down the campaign saying it had been started to stimulate debate about anti-spam measures and had now achieved this aim. the anti-spammer screensaver came under fire for encouraging vigilante activity and skirting the edge of the law.  through the make love  not spam website  users could download a screensaver that would endlessly request data from the net sites mentioned in many junk mail messages. more than 100 000 people are thought to have downloaded the screensaver that lycos europe offered.  the company wanted to keep the spam sites running at near total capacity to make it much less financially attractive to spammers to operate the sites. but the campaign was controversial from the moment it kicked off and many net veterans criticised it for using spamming-type tactics against the senders of junk mail. some net service firms began blocking access to the lycos europe site in protest at the action. monitoring firm netcraft found that the anti-spam campaign was proving a little too successful. according to response-time figures gathered by netcraft  some of the sites that the screensaver targeted were being knocked offline by the constant data requests. in a statement from lycos europe announcing the scrapping of the scheme  the company denied that this was its fault.  there is nothing to suggest that make love  not spam has brought down any of the sites that it has targeted   it said.  at the time that netcraft measured the sites it claims may have been brought down  they were not in fact part of the make love  not spam attack cycle   it added. the statement issued by lycos also said that the centralised database it used ensured that traffic to the target sites left them with 5% spare capacity.  the idea was simply to slow spammers  sites and this was achieved by the campaign   the company said. many security organisations said users should not participate in the lycos europe campaign. the closure comes only days after the campaign was suspended following the outbreak of criticism.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "house prices drop as sales slow house prices fell further in november and property sale times lengthened as rate rises took their toll  the royal institute of chartered surveyors found.  a total of 48% of chartered surveyor estate agents reported lower prices in the three months to november - the highest level in 12 years. meanwhile the number of sales dropped 32% to an average of 22 per surveyor. the amount of unsold properties on their books rose for the sixth month in a row to an average of 67 properties.  the slowdown occurring in the market has given buyers more power to negotiate  but this time of year is traditionally a quiet one   rics housing spokesman ian perry said.  the decision by the bank of england not to increase interest rates further and the healthy economy is allowing confidence to consolidate.   the figures support recent data from the government and other bodies which all point to a slowdown in the housing market. on monday  the council of mortgage lenders  british bankers association and building societies association all said mortgage lending was slowing. the figures were published as another survey by property website rightmove said the average asking price of a home fell by more than \u00a3600 from \u00a3190 329 in november to \u00a3189 733 in december. around the uk  the midlands and south saw the biggest price falls  while london prices fell but at less than the national rate. in scotland  where prices have remained on an upward path  increases were more  moderate   rics added. but the news failed to dent confidence that sales will recover in future  with surveyors at their most optimistic in a year - as new purchase inquiries stabilised despite holding at lower levels.  sales usually pick up in the new year and i am confident this year will be no exception   mr perry added. looking ahead  the group is anticipating a quiet start to 2005 with the market picking up in the second half - prompting a 3% rise in prices over the coming 12 months.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "asia shares defy post-quake gloom thailand has become the first of the 10 southern asian nations battered by giant waves at the weekend to cut its economic forecast.  thailand s economy is now expected to grow by 5.7% in 2005  rather than 6% as forecast before tsunamis hit six tourist provinces. the full economic costs of the disaster remain unclear. in part  this is because of its scale  and because delivering aid and recovering the dead remain priorities. but indonesian  indian and hong kong stock markets reached record highs on wednesday  suggesting that investors do not fear a major economic impact.  the highs showed the gap in outlook between investors in large firms and individuals who have lost their livelihoods.  investors seemed to feel that some of the worst-affected areas - such as aceh in indonesia - were so under-developed that the tragedy would little impact on asia s listed companies  according to analysts.  obviously with a lot of loss of life  a lot of time is needed to clean up the mess  bury the people and find the missing. but it s not necessarily a really big thing in the economic sense   said abn amro chief asian strategist eddie wong. india s bombay stock exchange inched slightly above its previous record close on wednesday. expectations of strong corporate earnings in 2005 drove the indonesian stock exchange in jakarta to a record high on wednesday. in hong kong  the hang seng index may be benefiting in part from the potential for its listed property companies to gain from rebuilding contracts in the tsunami-affected regions of south east asia. in sri lanka  some economists have said that as much as 1% of annual growth may be lost. sri lanka s stock market has fallen about 5% since the weekend  but it is still 40% higher than at the start of 2004.  thailand may lose 30bn baht (\u00a3398m; $768m) in earnings from tourism over the next three months  according to tourism minister sontaya kunplome.  in the affected provinces  he expects the loss of tourism revenue to be offset by government reconstruction spending. thailand intends to spend a similar sum - around 30bn baht - on the rebuilding work.  it will take until the fourth quarter of next year before tourist visitors in phuket and five other provinces return to their normal level   said naris chaiyasoot  director general at the ministry s fiscal policy office. in the maldives the cost of reconstruction could wipe out economic growth  according to a government spokesman.  our nation is in peril here   said ahmed shaheed  the chief government spokesman. he estimated the economic cost of the disaster at hundreds of millions of dollars. the maldives has gross domestic product of $660m.  it won t be surprising if the cost exceeds our gdp   he said.  in the last few years  we made great progress in our standard of living - the united nations recognised this. now we see this can disappear in a few days  a few minutes.  shaheed noted that investment in a single tourist resort - the economic mainstay - could run to $40m. between 10 and 12 of the 80-odd resorts have been severely damaged  and a similar number have suffered significant damage. however  many experts  including the world bank  have pointed out that it is still difficult to assess the magnitude of the disaster and its likely economic impact.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "john peel replacement show begins the permanent replacement for late dj john peel s bbc radio 1 show goes on air on tuesday  with three hosts chosen to fill the legendary presenter s slot.  rock dj huw stephens will go on air in the 2300 slot every tuesday  with black music champion ras kwame on wednesdays and dance dj rob da bank on thursdays. rob da bank filled in after peel had a heart attack aged 65 in october. all three will play  diverse  unpredictable and non-commercial  songs under the banner of the onemusic show.  radio 1 said the station was not trying to replace peel  but would rise to the  challenge  of  keeping his legacy alive  with unpredictable music. the three djs were chosen for their  in-depth musical knowledge across a variety of musical genres   the station said.  rob da bank is one of the hosts of the blue room  an early morning weekend show which plays electronic and dance music. huw stephens has been one half of the thursday night show bethan and huw in wales  which explores new music  especially up-and-coming acts in wales. and ras kwame is host of 100% homegrown on radio 1 s digital station 1xtra  dedicated to showcasing the best hip-hop and garage. another change to the station line-up will see sara cox return after maternity leave. she will host the lunchtime show on saturdays from this week.  good luck to all three of them  not one dj could fill peels boots so it s probably a good idea to get them all contributing. this time next year i hope we are saying how well these djs have done  but i fear this time next year we will really realise how much john peel will be forever missed.  very good idea to continue the legacy without attempting to replace john peel. also  there will surely be a wider spectrum for international music as three top radio djs unite under the one world name. congratulations!  the whole glory of john peel was the fact he was not commited to one genre. he played what he liked across the range of music.... this is not going to be the same  and all they seem to be doing is what they already have. bring back steve lamacq.  the obvious heir to john peel is the marvellous  wonderful and talented claire kember from totallyradio.com. this lady is young and fresh and is one of the most knowledgeable and likeable people in british broadcasting today. everyone who listens to her show understands and compares her to the ledgendary john peel. bbc radio should seek out the real talent from internet radio stations  people who are making a real impact on the world of music and the world in general.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "blair backs  pre-election budget  tony blair has backed chancellor gordon brown s pre-budget report amid opposition claims he was too bullish about the state of the uk economy.  in a speech in edinburgh  the prime minister said thursday s report reinforced stability and opportunity. and that would be central to labour s next election campaign  planning for which was already well advanced. mr brown earlier denied his economic forecasts were too optimistic - but refused to rule out future tax rises.  he told bbc radio 4 s today programme:  no politician should make the mistake that john major and his colleagues made in 1992 of saying no matter what the circumstances are  they can make all sorts of guarantees on every individual thing.   that is not what politicians should do  it would not be responsible to do.  mr brown insisted his spending plans were  affordable  and he could afford to be optimistic because britain was now a stable  low-inflation economy and house prices were now stabilising. mr blair praised his chancellor for his role in creating economic stability  which he said was the  cornerstone  of labour s programme.  in a speech at edinburgh s napier university  he said labour would publish over the next few months  a rich agenda for future policy in any possible third term .   in every area of work there is a detailed plan for the future  much clearer than those in 1997 or 2001. all of it fits together around common themes of opportunity  security and stability for all   mr blair said. in his pre-budget report  mr brown surprised some city experts by forecasting uk growth at between 3% and 3.5% for next year. many believe the figure is more likely to be under 3% - and fear tax rises or spending cuts  saying tax receipts have been overestimated. carl emmerson  from the institute for fiscal studies  told bbc news:  he thinks everything will come out in the wash and it will  in fact  be ok. we re not so sure.  david page  of investec securities  said:  his forecast that he will meet the golden rule with a margin of \u00a38bn is way too optimistic.  it s going to take a significant turnaround in the economy to meet these targets.   conservative shadow chancellor oliver letwin said:  i can t find a single economic forecaster from the imf to the institute of fiscal studies who believes anything other than the chancellor has got a black hole in his finances.  in order to deal with that he will have to raise taxes after the next general election.  mr letwin accused the chancellor of using  fancy statistics  to hide public service failures. vincent cable  for the liberal democrats  called on mr brown to open up the government s books to the national audit office  to see if he had met his  golden rule .  it is very clear that there are some serious loose ends in government public spending   mr cable told mps.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "top of the pops leaves bbc one the bbc s flagship pop music programme top of the pops is to move from bbc one on fridays to sundays on bbc two.  the new programme will combine with archive show totp2  mixing new music with footage of classic bands. the corporation said the new show  aims to appeal to a diverse audience of music lovers . the move is the biggest shake-up in the history of the show  which was first broadcast in 1964 and has always been on bbc one. top of the pops was relaunched in a blaze of publicity in december last year in an attempt to reverse a long-term decline in audience figures.  the all new top of the pops was fronted by newcomer tim kash and was put together by producer andi peters  who was brought back to the bbc from channel 4 to revitalise the series.  about three million people a week were watching the show on fridays - less than half the total it was attracting in the mid-1990s - as the programme went up against popular itv soap coronation street. but despite the relaunch audience figures failed to rise and still remain around the three million mark. tim kash has since been replaced as host by fearne cotton. the new show will launch in spring next year in an extended format. bbc two controller roly keating:  it s an exciting new era for top of the pops. we want to make it bigger and better so that it becomes the ultimate pop music show for music lovers of every generation.  mr keating described bbc two as the  natural home  of top of the pops. he added:  the addition of top of the pops will also extend bbc two s offering to younger audiences.   a bbc spokeswoman said andi peters would continue as executive producer on the show. she said that issues over the exact format of the programme and a time slot were still to be decided. the programme will have a close relationship with the bbc radio 1 chart show  which suggests the relaunched show may be transmitted at about 1900 on sundays.  hopefully the audience for top of the pops will find it on bbc two.  we think that the new slot will create a buzz around the programme as for the first time viewers will discover the news of who is number one as it happens.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "mcleish ready for criticism rangers manager alex mcleish accepts he is going to be criticised after their disastrous uefa cup exit at the hands of auxerre at ibrox on wednesday.  mcleish told bbc radio five live:  we were in pole position to get through to the next stage but we blew it  we absolutely blew it.  there s no use burying your head in the sand  we know we are going to get a lot of criticism.  we have to take it as we have done in the past and we must now bounce back.  mcleish admitted his team s defending was amateurish after watching them lose 2-0 to guy roux s french side.   i m very disappointed because we didn t give ourselves a chance  losing the first goal from our own corner. it was amateur   he added.  the early goal in the second half gave us a mountain to climb and we never created the same kind of chances as we did in the first half.  it s difficult to take positives from the game. we ve let the fans down.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "qatar and shell in $6bn gas deal shell has signed a $6bn (\u00a33.12bn) deal with the middle eastern sheikhdom of qatar to supply liquid natural gas (lng) to north america and europe.  the uk-dutch group will own 30% of the project  with qatar s state oil firm owning the rest. the agreement is the latest in a string of deals reached by qatar  which is trying to make itself a regional leader in natural gas. us oil giant exxonmobil signed up for a $12.8bn deal earlier on sunday. france s total is expected to join the exxonmobil scheme  dubbed qatargas-2  on monday  taking 5 million tonnes of lng a year. exxonmobil will be taking some 15 million tonnes each year for 25 years from the end of 2007 under the deal. shell s agreement  under the name qatargas-4  foresees the building of new facilities to handle 1.4 billion cubic feet of gas  and 7.8 million tonnes of lng each year from 2011 onwards.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "johnson announces june retirement former england captain martin johnson has announced he is to retire from rugby union at the end of the season.  johnson  who captained england to world cup glory in 2003  will play his final match in june. johnson won 84 england caps and quit test rugby at the start of 2004  just two months after leading sir clive woodward s team to victory in sydney. the 34-year-old leicester lock s final match will be his testimonial at twickenham on 4 june.  i m confident i have made the right decision to retire   said johnson.  i m sure there will be times next season when i ll wish i was out there playing for the tigers  but you know when the time is right to go and i feel this is the right time.  i feel physically that i could play for another season  but playing week in and week out in the premiership is a full-time occupation and i only want to be out there for the right reasons.  johnson will always be revered by england fans for captaining england to their dramatic world cup win against australia in sydney  but his list of achievements does not stop at that.  he is the only man to captain the lions twice and he also led england to a six nations grand slam. johnson also had huge success as captain of leicester  guiding the tigers to back to back heineken cup victories and several premiership titles. apart from his marvellous captaincy johnson was also one of the finest second rows to ever play the game. teak tough and physically intimidating  he ruled the rucks and mauls for the best part of a decade and was integral in england s rise to the top of the world game. his final appearance will be in his testimonial at twickenham  where he will lead a team against a side captained by new zealand winger jonah lomu. the all black is aiming to return to action after a kidney transplant and johnson expects it to be a memorable occasion.  this game against jonah will be a great way to end the season and end my career   said johnson. lomu  rugby union s first global superstar after his exploits in the 1995 world cup  said he was proud to be part of johnson s farewell.  we hold him in such high esteem   said lomu.  he is such a great leader and i am just honoured to be on the same pitch.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "golden rule  intact  says ex-aide chancellor gordon brown will meet his golden economic rule  with a margin to spare   according to his former chief economic adviser.  formerly one of mr brown s closest treasury aides  ed balls hinted at a budget giveaway on 16 march. he said he hoped more would be done to build on current tax credit rules. any rate rise ahead of an expected may election would not affect the labour party s chances of winning  he added. last july  mr balls won the right to step down from his treasury position and run for parliament  defending the labour stronghold of normanton in west yorkshire.  mr balls rejected the allegation that mr brown had been sidelined in the election campaign  saying he was playing a  different  role to the one he played in the last two elections. he rejected speculation that mr brown was considering becoming foreign secretary  saying his recent travels had been linked to efforts to boost international development. gordon brown s decision to announce the date of the budget while on a trip to china was a  sensible thing to do   since he was talking about skills and investment at the time  mr balls told the bbc. commenting on speculation of an interest rate rise  he said it was not within the remit of the bank of england s monetary policy committee (mpc) to factor a potential election into its rate decisions. expectations of a rate rise have gathered pace after figures showed that house prices are still rising. consumer borrowing rose at a near-record pace in january.  i don t believe it would be a big election issue in britain or a problem for labour   mr balls said. prime minister tony blair has yet to name the date of the election  but most pundits are betting on 5 may as the likely day.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "no ads for passion oscar campaign producer mel gibson will not be using paid advertisements to promote the passion of the christ to voters in next year s academy awards.  gibson and his icon productions partner bruce davey said they would not be campaigning in print  radio or tv for success at the oscars in february.  this film should be judged on its artistic merit  not who spends more money on advertising   davey said. but dvds will be sent to oscar voters  who will be invited to screenings. icon spent very little on advertising the film  which deals with the last hours of jesus christ s life  when it was released earlier this year - instead  it made the film available for special screenings at churches. it went on to gross over $600m (\u00a3322m) in ticket sales worldwide. over recent years  marketing films to the members of the academy of motion picture arts and sciences has become a multi-million dollar industry. last year  the academy formed a committee to tighten the rules after the campaigns spilled over into personal attacks between studios. academy president frank pierson praised gibson s move for working to restore the oscars as a  celebration and appreciation of excellence   and resisting the  crass commercialisation that was threatening the integrity of the award .", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "rescue hope for borussia dortmund shares in struggling german football club borussia dortmund slipped on monday despite the club agreeing a rescue plan with creditors on friday.  the club  which has posted record losses and racked up debts  said last week that it was in  a life-threatening profitability and financial situation . creditors agreed on friday to suspend interest payments until 2007. news of the deal had boosted shares in the club on friday  but the stock slipped back 7% during monday morning.  in addition to the interest-payment freeze  borussia dortmund also will get short-term loans to help pay salaries. it estimated that it needs almost 30m euros ($39m; \u00a321m) until the end of june if it is to pay its bills. the football club is hoping that all its creditors will agree to defer rent payments on its westfalen stadium. borussia officials met with almost all the banks involved in its financing on friday and over the weekend. three creditors have yet to agree to the deal struck last week. on 14 march  one of these creditors - property investment fund molsiris which owns the club s stadium - holds its agm at which it will discuss the rescue plan. chief executive gerd niebaum stepped down last week and creditors have been pushing for a greater say in how the club is run. borussia dortmund also is facing calls to appoint executives from outside the club. the club posted a record loss of 68m euros in the 12 months through june. adding to its woes  borussia dortmund was beaten 5-0 by bayern munich on saturday.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "mansfield 0-1 leyton orient an second-half goal from andy scott condemned mansfield to a ninth successive game without a win.  early in the second half wayne carlisle s cross was met by scott and he blasted the ball home from just outside the penalty area. as orient chased a second  mansfield had to clear alan white s header off the line and kevin pilkington saved well from michael simpson. by the end mansfield fans were chanting for the head of chairman keith haslam.  pilkington  talbot  buxton  dimech  artell  corden  murray  curtis  neil  warne  barker. subs not used: white  mcintosh  wood  lloyd  herron.  harrison  lockwood  donny barnard  white mackie  scott  saah  simpson  carlisle  lee barnard  ibehre. subs not used: morris  wardley  newey  zakuani  mcmahon.  scott 51.  3 803  s mathieson (cheshire).", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "bees handed potential man utd tie brentford face a home tie against holders manchester united in the fa cup sixth round if they can come through their replay against southampton.  the league one side held the saints at st mary s in their fifth-round tie and were rewarded with a potential draw against sir alex ferguson s side. newcastle will be at home to either tottenham or nottingham forest. bolton host arsenal or sheffield united and leicester will visit the winners of the burnley and blackburn replay. the ties will be played on the weekend of 12-13 march.  was delighted to be paired with united  although he admitted they still have plenty of work to do to set up a dream tie.  we ve got our work cut out next tuesday but you can t deny it s exciting   he said.   it would be a sell-out. it will probably be on television. we have financial problems and the revenue it could bring in would certainly help our situation.  we re happy to be in the draw but we ve still got to beat a premiership team.  we ve got to beat southampton first and that s going to be a hard game but if we do there will be some celebration.   welcomed the opportunity to face united.  we re not counting on anything yet   he said.  it is obviously going to be a difficult replay judging by the way brentford came back at us on saturday and the fact that united have come out of the hat will give them even more incentive.  but i ve been drawn against united so many times in cups and beaten them at both bournemouth and west ham.  there are no easy ties in the fa cup and i m sure nobody is counting on one.   newcastle v tottenham or nottingham forest  southampton or brentford v manchester united  bolton v arsenal or sheffield united  burnley or blackburn v leicester", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "us interest rate rise expected us interest rates are expected to rise for the fifth time since june following the us federal reserve s latest rate-setting meeting later on tuesday.  borrowing costs are tipped to rise by a quarter of a percentage point to 2.25%. the move comes as a recovery in the us economy  the world s biggest  shows signs of robustness and sustainability. the dollar s record-breaking decline  meanwhile  has spooked markets and along with high oil prices has raised concerns about the pace of inflation.  we are seeing evidence that inflation is moving higher   said ken kim  an analyst at stone & mccarthy research.  it s not a risk  it s actually happening.  mr kim added that borrowing costs could rise further.  the fed has said that it will move in a  measured  way to combat price growth and lift interest rates from their 40-year lows that were prompted by sluggish us and global growth.  with the economic picture now looking more rosy  the fed has implemented quarter percentage point rises in june  august  september and november. although the us economy grew at an annual rate of 3.9% in the three months to september  analysts warn that fed has to be careful not to move too aggressively and take the wind out of the recovery s sails. earlier this month figures showed that job creation is still weak  while consumer confidence is subdued.  i think the fed feels it has a fair amount of flexibility   said david berson  chief economist at fannie mae.  while inflation has moved up  it hasn t moved up a lot.   if economic growth should subside... the fed would feel it has the flexibility to pause in its tightening.  but if economic growth picked up and caused core inflation to rise a little more quickly  i think the fed would be prepared to tighten more quickly as well.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "euronext  poised to make lse bid  pan-european group euronext is poised to launch a bid for the london stock exchange  uk media reports say.  last week  the lse rejected a takeover proposal from german rival deutsche boerse - the 530 pence-a-share offer valued the exchange at about \u00a31.35bn. the lse  which saw its shares rise 25%  said the bid undervalued the business. euronext - formed after the brussels  paris and amsterdam exchanges merged - is reportedly working with three investment banks on a possible offer. the lse  europe s biggest stock market  is a key prize  listing stocks with a total capitalisation of \u00a31.4 trillion.  euronext already has a presence in london due to its 2001 acquisition of london-based options and futures exchange liffe. trades on the lse are cleared via clearnet  in which euronext has a quarter stake.  euronext  which also operates an exchange in lisbon  last week appointed ubs and abn amro as additional advisors. it is also working with morgan stanley. despite the rejection of the deutsche boerse bid last week  werner seifert  chief executive of the frankfurt-based exchange  may well come back with an improved offer. it has long wanted to link up with london  and the two tried and failed to seal a merger in 2000. responding to the lse s rebuff  deutsche boerse - whose market capitalisation is more than \u00a33bn - said it believed it could show its proposal offered benefits  and that it still hoped to make a cash bid.  last week the lse said not only was the bid undervalued  but that it had  been advised that there can be no assurance that any transaction could be successfully implemented . however  it has indicated it is open for further talks. meanwhile  german magazine der spiegel said part of mr seifert s negotiations with the lse were about where to base the future board of any merged exchange. while mr seifert has suggested a merged company would be run out of london  the mayor of frankfurt has raised concerns that such a move could cost german jobs. many analysts believe german boerse has more financial firepower than euronext if it came to a bidding war.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "german economy rebounds germany s economy  the biggest among the 12 countries sharing the euro  grew at its fastest rate in four years during 2004  driven by strong exports.  gross domestic product (gdp) rose by 1.7% last year  the statistical office said. the economy contracted in 2003. foreign sales increased by 8.2% last year  compared with a 0.3% slide in private consumption. concerns remain  however  over the strength of the euro  weak domestic demand and a sluggish labour market. the european central bank (ecb) left its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2% on thursday. it is the nineteenth month in a row that the ecb has not moved borrowing costs. economists predict that an increase is unlikely to come until the second half of 2005  with growth set to sputter rather than ignite.   during 2004 we profited from the fact that the world economy was strong   said stefan schilbe  analyst at hsbc trinkaus & burkhardt.  if exports weaken and domestic growth remains poor  we cannot expect much from 2005.  many german consumers have been spooked and unsettled by government attempts to reform the welfare state and corporate environment. major companies including volkswagen  daimlerchrysler and siemens have spent much of 2004 in tough talks with unions about trimming jobs and costs. they have also warned there are more cost cutting measures on the horizon.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "dutch bank to lay off 2 850 staff abn amro  the netherlands  largest bank  is to cut 2 850 jobs as a result of falling profits.  the cuts - amounting to 3% of the bank s workforce - will result in a one-off charge of 790m euros ($1.1bn). about 1 100 jobs will go in investment banking while 1 200 and 550 will go in it and human resources respectively. abn amro is the third large european bank to announce cutbacks in the past month following deutsche bank and credit suisse group.  its profitability has been hit by a fall in mortgage lending in the united states - the bank s largest single market - following recent interest rate rises. abn amro s operations in the netherlands and the united kingdom will be hardest hit. jobs will also be lost in the us - which accounted for 46% of profit in the first half of 2004 - and across its operations in the americas and asia-pacific regions.  the restructuring is designed to improve efficiency by reducing administrative costs and increasing focus on client service. the bank said it was on course for a 10% rise in net income this year but operating profits are set to fall because of a fall in us revenues. abn amro currently has more than 100 000 staff.  to get any profit growth in the coming years  they will have to lower costs  so shedding jobs makes total sense   ivo geijsen  an analyst with bank oyens & van eeghen  told bloomberg. europe s leading banks seem set for a period of retrenchment. deutsche bank said earlier this month it would reduce its german workforce by 1 920 while as many as 300 jobs will be lost at credit suisse first boston.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "tories leave door open for archer the conservative party would deal  sympathetically  with any application by disgraced peer lord archer to rejoin its ranks  its co-chairman has said.  dr liam fox told bbc one s breakfast with frost programme there was no place for  vindictiveness  in politics. lord archer spent two years in prison after being convicted of perjury and perverting the course of justice. the former tory deputy chairman s five-year suspension from the party has just elapsed.  a jury ruled that lord archer lied during a libel trial against the daily star at the high court in london in 1987.  he won damages after the newspaper printed allegations about involvement with a prostitute. dr fox was asked if he would say yes or no if lord archer applied to rejoin.  i m sure that in line with people having served their sentence and having done some reparations for what they did wrong  we would look at that sympathetically.  i don t believe in vindictiveness  i don t think that has any place in politics  unlike the prime minister and alastair campbell.   tory peer lord tebbit said he agreed with dr fox s view  and said the case should be looked at on its merits.  after all  he is far from being the worst perjurer in the world   he added. meanwhile  senior conservative mp sir teddy taylor warned that moves bring lord archer back into the fold could be controversial. he said:  i suppose  on a sunday in particular  we should always make provision for forgiving sinners. but there is no doubt it would be controversial.  lord archer  who was not available for comment  remains a popular figure among constituency tory parties and is a successful fundraiser. he has not been seen in the house of lords since his release from prison in july 2003  although there is nothing in the rules to prevent him from attending.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "gangsters dominate gaming chart video games on consoles and computers proved more popular than ever in 2004.  gamers spent more than \u00a31.34bn in 2004  almost 7% more than they did in 2003 according to figures released by the uk gaming industry s trade body. sales records were smashed by the top title of the year gta: san andreas - in which players got the job of turning central character cj into a crime boss. the game sold more than 1 million copies in the first nine days that it was on sale. this feat made it the fastest selling video game of all time in the uk. although only released in november the sprawling story of guns  gangsters game beat off strong competition and by year end had sold more than 1.75 million copies. there were also records set for the number of games that achieved double-platinum status by selling more than 600 000 copies. five titles  including sony eyetoy play and ea s need for speed: underground 2  managed this feat according to figures compiled by chart-track for the entertainment and leisure software publishers association (elspa). electronic arts  the world s biggest games publisher  had 9 games in the top 20.  2004 was a  stellar year  said roger bennett  director general of elspa.  in a year with no new generation consoles being released  the market continued to be buoyant as the industry matured and the increasingly diverse range of games reached new audiences and broadened its player base - across ages and gender   he said. part of the success of games in 2004 could be due to the fact that so many of them are sequels. 16 out of the top 20 titles were all follow-ups to established franchises or direct sequels to previously popular games. halo  the sims  driver  need for speed  fifa football  burnout were just a few that proved as popular as the original titles. despite this fondness for older games  doom 3 did not make it to the top 20. movie tie-ins also proved their worth in 2004. games linked to shrek  the incredibles  spider-man  harry potter and lord of the rings were all in the top 20. elspa noted that sales of xbox games rose 37.9% during the year. however  sony s playstation 2 was the top seller with 47% of the \u00a31.34bn spent on games in 2004 used to buy titles for that console. despite winning awards and rave reviews half-life 2 did not appear in the list. this was because it was only released on pc and  compared to console titles  sold in relatively small numbers. also the novel distribution system adopted by developer valve meant that many players downloaded the title rather than travel to the shops to buy a copy. valve has yet to release figures which show how many copies of the game were sold in this way.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "news corp eyes video games market news corp  the media company controlled by australian billionaire rupert murdoch  is eyeing a move into the video games market.  according to the financial times  chief operating officer peter chernin said that news corp is  kicking the tyres of pretty much all video games companies . santa monica-based activison is said to be one firm on its takeover list. video games are  big business   the paper quoted mr chernin as saying. we  would like to get into it .  the success of products such as sony s playstation  microsoft s x-box and nintendo s game cube have boosted demand for video games. the days of arcade classics such as space invaders  pac-man and donkey kong are long gone. today  games often have budgets big enough for feature films and look to give gamers as real an experience as possible. and with their price tags reflecting the heavy investment by development companies  video games are proving almost as profitable as they are fun.  mr chernin  however  told the ft that news corp was finding it difficult to identify a suitable target.  we are struggling with the gap between companies like electronic arts (ea)  which comes with a high price tag  and the next tier of companies   he explained during a conference in phoenix  arizona.  these may be too focused on one or two product lines.  activision has a stock market capitalisation of about $2.95bn (\u00a31.57bn)  compared to ea s $17.8bn. some of the games industry s main players have recently been looking to consolidate their position by making acquisitions. france s ubisoft  one of europe s biggest video game publishers  has been trying to remain independent since electronic arts announced plans to buy 19.9% of the firm. analysts have said that industry mergers are likely in the future.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "kirwan demands italy consistency italy coach john kirwan has challenged his side to match the performance they produced in pushing ireland close when they meet wales on saturday.  despite losing 28-17 in sunday s six nations encounter  the italians confirmed their continuing improvement.  our goal is to match every side we face and against ireland we showed we could do that   said kirwan.  but the most important thing is that we build on that performance when we play wales on saturday.  italy s half-backs had a mixed afternoon  with recalled scrum-half alessandro troncon impressing but fly-half luciano orquera having an off-day with the boot. kirwan said:  i was very happy with troncon. he had an incredible game - he was very good in attack and defence.  orquera s kicking was off but he showed great courage in defence.  he also followed the game plan. we have to give him confidence because he has the capability to do well.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "blair  pressing us on climate  tony blair is pressing the us to cut greenhouse gases despite its unwillingness to sign the kyoto protocol  downing street has indicated.  officials have confirmed climate change was discussed when influential senator john mccain recently visited mr blair. climate change was an issue the prime minister  wanted to progress  during the uk s presidency of the g8 and eu in 2005  said a spokesman. but he played down reports mr blair was considering a new us-friendly treaty.  according to the times  the uk leader wants to end us isolation with a  kyoto-lite  agreement on the scale and nature of the threat from climate change. he is said to have discussed the idea with mr mccain during his time at number 10. the prime minister is said to believe the united states  refusal to sign the kyoto protocol on emissions is undermining other countries  resolve to cut carbon dioxide production. so far the us has refused to sign up to the kyoto treaty - which aims to cut emissions - branding it politically motivated and not based on science. president bush s advisers have repeatedly denied global warming is taking place.  europe  which disputes the claim  has also signalled it wants to press ahead with talks about longer term climate change action in a way which involves both the united states and developing countries. mr blair s reported treaty would also establish an international programme to develop technology needed for renewable energy and the reduction of carbon emissions  says the times. but there is still apparently  little prospect  of america agreeing to cut emissions  which could further provoke environmental campaigners already angry at the lack of progress. mr blair was left blushing on wednesday when it emerged his manifesto target of a 20% cut to the 1990 greenhouse gas level by 2010 was set to be missed.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "usher leads soul train shortlist chart-topping r&b star usher is leading the field at this year s soul train awards  with five nominations.  the singer  whose album confessions has sold close to eight million copies in the us alone  is already in the running for eight grammy awards. newcomer ciara - who recently beat elvis presley to the uk number one spot - has four nominations  while alicia keys has three. the soul train awards ceremony will take place in hollywood on 28 february.  usher has already swept the board at the american music awards with four titles  including two best album awards. his soul train nominations include best male r&b-soul album and best male r&b-soul single for confessions part ii. usher s work with rappers ludacris & lil jon won him nominations for best r&b-soul or rap music video and best r&b-soul or rap dance cut for the song yeah!  while his duet with keys  my boo  earned the pair a nod for best r&b-soul single. keys  album the diary of alicia keys was also up for best r&b-soul album by a female. her song if i ain t got you received a best single nomination in the female r&b-soul category. newcomer ciara s four nominations include best female r&b-soul album and best r&b-soul or rap by a new artist. beyonce  prince  destiny s child  jill scott and new edition all received two nominations each. the soul train music awards  which started 18 years ago  celebrates artists in r&b  hip-hop  rap and gospel music.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "campbell to extend sprint career darren campbell has set his sights on running quicker than ever after deciding not to retire from sprinting.  campbell  who won olympic 4x100m relay gold  had been unsure about his future. but he told five live s sportsweek:  i had to get back into training before i could decide because if i didn t have the same hunger i d have to walk away.  i ve started back and i m thoroughly enjoying it. i m looking forward to it. i ve got to run under 10 seconds (for 100m) and under 20 seconds (for 200m).  campbell was part of the british quartet who shocked the americans to win relay gold in athens in august.  the newport-based athlete and team-mates jason gardener  marlon devonish and mark lewis-francis were rewarded with mbes in the new year honours list. campbell s relay triumph made up for his disappointing displays in the individual 100m and 200m events in athens  when he failed to reach the finals. the 31-year-old  who won olympic 200m silver in sydney in 2000  said during the games that a hamstring injury had stopped him from running at his best.  he was criticised at the time by former olympic champion michael johnson  who cast doubt on campbell s injury claims.  to go to athens and finally get the gold i ve been trying to get for 24 years was a big relief   said campbell.  it was a chance for me to prove that if i d been fit i would have been challenging for the (individual) medals.  every season i go and challenge for the medals so why would last season have been any different   it s just unfortunate that i picked up that injury just before the olympics.  campbell set his 100m personal best of 10.04secs when he won the european title in budapest in 1998. and he ran 20.13secs in the quarter-finals of the 200m in sydney on the way to olympic silver.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "radcliffe yet to answer gb call paula radcliffe has been granted extra time to decide whether to compete in the world cross-country championships.  the 31-year-old is concerned the event  which starts on 19 march in france  could upset her preparations for the london marathon on 17 april.  there is no question that paula would be a huge asset to the gb team   said zara hyde peters of uk athletics.  but she is working out whether she can accommodate the worlds without too much compromise in her marathon training.  radcliffe must make a decision by tuesday - the deadline for team nominations. british team member hayley yelling said the team would understand if radcliffe opted out of the event.  it would be fantastic to have paula in the team   said the european cross-country champion.  but you have to remember that athletics is basically an individual sport and anything achieved for the team is a bonus.  she is not messing us around. we all understand the problem.  radcliffe was world cross-country champion in 2001 and 2002 but missed last year s event because of injury. in her absence  the gb team won bronze in brussels.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "spain coach faces racism inquiry spain s football federation has initiated disciplinary action against national coach luis aragones over racist comments about thierry henry.  if found guilty aragones could lose his job or face a fine of about \u00a322 000. the federation had initially declined to take action against aragones after comments he made during a national team training session in october. but its president angel maria villar changed his mind after a request by spain s anti-violence commission. aragones insisted the comments  made to henry s arsenal club-mate jose antonio reyes  were meant to motivate the player  and were not intended to be offensive.   i never intended to offend anyone  and for that reason i have a very easy conscience   he said at the time.  i m obliged to motivate my players to get the best results.  as part of that job  i use colloquial language  with which we can all understand each other within the framework of the football world.   england s players made a point of wearing anti-racism t-shirts when training before their friendly against spain in madrid last month.  but the storm increased following racist chanting by spanish fans at england s black players during the game  which spain won 1-0. spain s minister of sport jaime lissavetzky was quick to give his backing to the federation s decision.  everyone who has a public function has to consider their declarations  and make sure they do not give a negative image   he said.  we are going to have zero tolerance in questions of racism.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "pandas benefit from wireless net the world s dwindling panda population is getting a helping hand from a wireless internet network.  the wolong nature reserve in the sichuan province of southwest china is home to 20% of the remaining 1 500 giant pandas in the world. a broadband and wireless network installed on the reserve has allowed staff to chronicle the pandas  daily activities. the data and images can be shared with colleagues around the world. the reserve conducts vital research on both panda breeding and bamboo ecology.  using the network  vets have been able to observe how infant pandas feed and suggest changes to improve the tiny cubs  chances of survival.   digital technology has transformed the way we communicate and share information inside wolong and with the rest of the world   said zhang hemin  director of the wolong nature reserve.  our researchers now have state-of-the-art digital technology to help foster the panda population and manage our precious surroundings.  the network has been developed by intel  working closely with the staff at wolong. it includes a 802.11b wireless network and a video monitoring system using five cameras to observe pandas around the clock.  before the new infrastructure arrived at the panda park  staff walked or drove to deliver floppy disks across the reserve. infant panda health was recorded on paper notebooks and research teams in the field had little access to the data. to foster cultural links across the globe  a children s learning lab has been incorporated in the network  in collaboration with globio (federation for global biodiversity education for children)  an international non-profit organisation. it will enable children at local primary schools to hook up with their peers in portland  oregon in the us.  digital technology brings this story to life by enabling a global dialogue to help bridge cultures around the world   said globio founder gerry ellis.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "warning over us pensions deficit taxpayers may have to bail out the us agency that protects workers  pension funds  leading economists have warned.  with the pension benefit guaranty corporation (pbgc) some \u00a323bn (\u00a312m) in deficit  the financial economists roundtable (fer) wants congress to act. instead of taxpayers having to pick up the bill  the fer wants congressmen to change the pbgc s funding rules. the fer says firms should not have been allowed to reduce the insurance premiums they pay into the pbgc fund. the fer blames this on a 2004 law  in a statement signed by several members  who include nobel economics laureate william sharpe. it said it was  dismayed  at the situation and wants congress to overturn the legislation.  cash-strapped us companies  including those in the airline  car-making and steel industries  had argued in favour of the 2004 rule change  claiming that funding the insurance premiums adequately would force them to have to cut jobs.  with a little firmer hand on the pensions issues in the us  i think that congress could avoid having to turn to the taxpayer and instead turn the obligations back onto the companies that deserve to pay them   said professor dennis logue  dean of price college of business at the university of oklahoma. the pbgc was founded in 1974 to protect workers  retirement rights. its most recent action came last week when it took control of the pilots  pension scheme at united airlines. with united battling bankruptcy  the carrier had wanted to use the money set aside for pensions to finance running costs. the company has an estimated $2.9bn hole in its pilots  pension scheme  which the pbgc will now guarantee.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "voters  reject eu by two to one  british voters would reject the european constitution by two to one  according to a poll posing the question the government will put to the country.  the daily telegraph poll suggests that 45% of people would vote against the constitution and 24% in favour. however the yougov poll  which questioned 1 943 british adults online  found 25% did not know how they would vote if forced to decide tomorrow. only 51% of those polled had made up their minds about the constitution. another 7% said they would not vote at all. the poll is believed to be the first to pose the question which the government has chosen for the upcoming referendum  expected in 2006. the constitution will be incorporated into uk law if there is a yes vote.  ballot papers in the poll will ask:  should the united kingdom approve the treaty establishing a constitution for the european union   the government unveiled the question which will be asked earlier in the week.  the treaty was signed by all 25 current eu members in rome last october and is due to come into force in november 2006  providing it is ratified by all member states - several of which will hold a referendum. critics say the constitution is a further step towards a federal europe  but advocates say it ensures effective operation of the enlarged 25-state eu.  if we reject this treaty  britain will be isolated and weak in europe   said foreign secretary jack straw  after the question was unveiled. mr straw  along with the rest of the cabinet  will back a  yes  vote. meanwhile  conservative shadow foreign secretary michael ancram said the referendum question  seems straightforward . but he accused the government of trying to confuse the issue by putting the eu referendum question in the same bill as the ratification of the constitution  when they should be treated as  two separate issues .", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "franz ferdinand s art school lesson scottish rock band franz ferdinand  who shot to prominence in 2004  have won two brit awards.  with their self-titled debut  franz ferdinand have achieved what most rock bands crave - high credibility and critical acclaim while also selling stacks of cds. they have risen to the head of the uk s art rock ranks with an album of songs that are catchy  creative and original enough to sound fresh. with a cool  spiky  fun sound previously associated with bands like talking heads  they hit upon a style that had been out of fashion for a while and so was ripe for another airing. their first uk single hit number three last january  followed by two more top 20 hits  while the album has sold more than 600 000 copies in 11 months on release. in september it was named album of the year winning the prestigious mercury music prize.  on the festivals circuit  they have been one of the main attractions for huge crowds at glastonbury  t in the park and reading/leeds. they have also found success in japan  europe and the us. by september the album had sold 500 000 in the states and total sales were pushing two million worldwide. they have been nominated for three grammy awards in the us as well as the us music industry s shortlist award  but lost the shortlist prize to us band tv on the radio. nevertheless franz ferdinand were the only uk band to win an mtv video music award this year  taking the breakthrough video crown for take me out.  the four-piece met two years ago when drummer paul thomson was working at the glasgow art school where bassist bob hardy was studying. singer alex kapranos was studying english at university but had friends at art school  and the line-up was completed when guitarist nick mccarthy moved from munich  germany  to the city. at the turn of the year  kapranos told bbc news online the band were fed up with serious bands in  that post-rock thing that seemed to be doing its damndest to avoid any bloody tune .   we want people to go away from the gigs humming the tunes that we were singing. but at the same time bringing an edge to it.  franz ferdinand had a question they asked themselves every time they wrote a song  kapranos said.  where s the fun in that   they pondered at every stage  making enjoyment the top priority and ensuring they did not disappear up their own muso posteriors. the band started out with a diy ethic that saw them take over a disused art-deco warehouse in glasgow and rename it the chateau. the venue soon became legendary - so well-known that the police spent a month trying to find it  eventually raiding it and arresting kapranos. but the charges of running an illegal bar and contravening health and safety  fire hazard and noise abatement laws were dropped.  the band took over an abandoned victorian courtroom and jail instead  and named that the chateau. the buzz about the band soon spread around the music industry and 40 record labels turned up to one gig in glasgow - which the band thought was  totally ridiculous .  i m really glad it was almost comical because we weren t overwhelmed by the seriousness of it   kapranos said. they signed with independent label domino  home of smog  sebadoh and four tet  in june 2003.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "watchdog probes vivendi bond sale french stock market regulator amf has filed complaints against media giant vivendi universal  its boss and another top executive.  it believes the prospectus for a bond issue was unclear and that executives may have had privileged information. amf has begun proceedings against vivendi  its chief executive jean-rene fourtou and chief operating officer jean-bernard levy. vivendi advisor deutsche bank was also the subject of a complaint filing. deutsche bank  which was responsible for selling the convertible bonds to investors  could face penalties if the complaint is upheld.  vivendi has said it believes there is  no legal basis  for the complaints. the watchdog is said to believe the executive pair were party to  privileged information  surrounding the issue of the bonds. both men bought some of the bonds  the associated press news agency reported. amf is investigating claims that the duo were aware of an interest in vivendi s us assets from investor marvin davis  at the time of the bond sale. vivendi  however  has said that the information was public knowledge as mr davis  offer for the us assets had already been rejected by vivendi s board. amf is also looking into whether the executives knew that vivendi was considering exercising its right to buy british telecom s shares in cegetel. vivendi has rejected the charge  saying the decision to buy the cegetel shares was  no more than a possibility  of which the public was perfectly aware  at the time of the bond issue. back in december  vivendi and its former chief executive jean-marie messier were each fined 1m euros ($1.3m; \u00a3690 000) by amf. the fines came after a 15-month probe into allegations that the media giant misled investors after a costly acquisition programme went wrong.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "greek pair set for hearing kostas kenteris and katerina thanou will fight the provisional two-year bans imposed on them by the iaaf at an independent tribunal this weekend.  athletics  ruling body took action against the pair for failing to take drugs tests before the athens olympics. an independent tribunal of the greek track and field federation will meet to decide whether to ratify the sanction. the sprint duo face charges of failing to give information on their location and refusing to submit to a drugs test. kenteris  lawyer gregory ioannidis told bbc sport:  we refute both charges as unsubstantiated and illogical.  there have been certain breaches in the correct application of the rules on behalf of the sporting authorities and their officials  and these procedural breaches have also violated my client s rights.  there is also evidence that proves the fact that my client has been persecuted.  ioannidis  who is a law lecturer at the university of buckingham  added:  one of the important rights and foundations of law and justice - that the accused should be presumed innocent unless proved otherwise - has been tarnished.  the panel will also decide on the two-year ban imposed on the athletes  controversial coach christos tzekos by the iaaf. kenteris  the 2000 olympic 200m champion  and thanou  the women s 100m silver medallist from the same games in sydney  quit the olympics on 18 august after failing to give samples on the eve of the opening ceremony.  testers could not find them at the olympic village and the duo were later admitted to hospital after claiming to have been involved in a motorcycle accident. they also missed tests in tel aviv  chicago and athens before the games. in imposing two-year suspensions on the duo on 22 december  the iaaf described their explanations for missing the tests as  unacceptable . whatever the findings of the independent tribunal  all parties will have the right to appeal to the court of arbitration for sport. the tribunal hearing will take place at the hellenic olympic committee building. it will start at 1200 gmt on saturday and is expected to finish early next week. the tribunal panel will consist of five members - president konstantinos panagopoulos and panagiotis dimakos  haralabos hrisanthakis  stilianos perakis and ioannis karmis. kenteris and thanou also face criminal charges in greece for allegedly faking the motorcycle accident. eight criminal charges have been laid against the sprinters as well as tzekos  an eyewitness to the accident and hospital officials. but there has been speculation that the charges could be dropped.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "durex maker ssl awaits firm bid uk condom maker ssl international has refused to comment on reports it may be subject to a takeover early in 2005.  a financial times report said business intelligence firm gpw was understood to be starting due diligence work on ssl international  for a corporate client. an spokesman for ssl  which makes the famous durex brand of condom  would not to comment on  market speculation . however the news sent shares in ssl  which also makes scholl footwear  up more than 6%  or 16.75 pence to 293.5p.  the ft said most the high-profile firm that might woo ssl was anglo-dutch household products group reckitt benckiser. eighteen months ago reckitt benckiser was at the centre of a rumoured takeover bid for ssl - but that came to nothing. other firms that have been seen as would-be suitors include kimberly-clark  johnson & johnson  and private equity investors. analysts have seen ssl as a takeover target for years. it sold off its surgical gloves and antiseptics businesses for \u00a3173m to a management team in may. ssl was formed by a three-way merger between seton healthcare  footwear specialists scholl and condom-maker london international group. its other brands include syndol analgesic  meltus cough medicine  sauber compression hosiery and deodorant products  and mister baby.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "schools to take part in mock poll record numbers of schools across the uk are to take part in a mock general election backed by the government.  some 600 schools have already signed up for the y vote mock elections 2005 run by the hansard society and aimed at boosting interest in politics. pupils in the schools taking part will learn the skills of speech writers  canvassers and political candidates. schools minister stephen twigg said engaging young people s interest was  essential  to the future of democracy.  he added: said  young people who are engaged and motivated by the political process are essential to the future health of our democracy.  the mock elections initiative provides an opportunity for pupils to develop their own understanding of how the democratic process works and why it matters.  by experiencing the election process first hand - from running a campaign to the declaration of the final result - we hope that young people will develop the enthusiasm to take part in the future.  the hansard society  the electoral commission and the department for education and skills are running the programme. pupils will stand as party candidates  speech writers and canvassers. michael raftery  project manager at the hansard society  said:  the y vote mock elections for schools mirror the excitement and buzz of a real election  raising awareness of citizenship  and the benefits of active democracy.  the mock votes will take place around 5 may  widely expected to be the date of the general election. information packs  including ballot papers and manifesto guides  with elections happening in early may were sent out to the 3 000 schools invited to take part.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "text messages aid disaster recovery text messaging technology was a valuable communication tool in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster in asia.  the messages can get through even when the cell phone signal is too weak to sustain a spoken conversation. now some are studying how the technology behind sms could be better used during an emergency. sanjaya senanayake works for sri lankan television. the blogging world  though  might know him better by his online name  morquendi. he was one of the first on the scene after the tsunami destroyed much of the sri lankan coast. cell phone signals were weak. land lines were unreliable. so mr senanayake started sending out text messages. the messages were not just the latest news they were also an on-the-ground assessment of  who needs what and where . blogging friends in india took mr senanayake s text messages and posted them on a weblog called dogs without borders. thousands around the world followed the story that unfolded in the text messages that he sent.  and that s when mr senanayake started to wonder if sms might be put to more practical use.  sms networks can handle so much more traffic than the standard mobile phone call or the land line call   he says.   in every rural community  there s at least one person who has access to a mobile phone  or has a mobile phone  and can receive messages.  half a world away  in the caribbean nation of trinidad and tobago  taran rampersad read morquendi s messages. mr rampersad  who used to work in the military  knew how important on the ground communication can be in times of disaster. he wondered if there might be a way to automatically centralise text messages  and then redistribute them to agencies and people who might be able to help. mr rampersad said:  imagine if an aid worker in the field spotted a need for water purification tablets  and had a central place to send a text message to that effect.  he can message the server  so the server can send out an e-mail message and human or machine moderators can e-mail aid agencies and get it out in the field.  he added:  or  send it at the same time to other people who are using sms in the region  and they might have an excess of it  and be able to shift supplies to the right places.   mr rampersad and others had actually been thinking about such a system since hurricane ivan ravaged the caribbean and the southern united states last september. last week  he sent out e-mail messages asking for help in creating such a system for asia.  in only 72 hours  he found dan lane  a text message guru living in britain. the pair  along with a group of dedicated techies  are creating what they call the alert retrieval cache. the idea is to use open-source software - software can be used by anyone without commercial restraint - and a far-flung network of talent to create a system that links those in need with those who can help.  this is a classic smart mobs situation where you have people self-organizing into a larger enterprise to do things that benefit other people   says paul saffo  a director at the california-based institute for the future.  you may be halfway around the world from someone  but in cyberspace you re just one click or one e-mail away   he said   that s put a whole new dimension on disaster relief and recovery  where often people halfway around the world can be more effective in making something happen precisely because they re not right on top of the tragedy.  it is still very early days for the project  though. in an e-mail  dan lane calls it  an early proof of concept.  right now  the alert retrieval cache can only take a text message and automatically upload it to a web-page  or distribute it to an e-mail list. in the near future  the group says it hopes to take in messages from people in affected areas  and use human moderators to take actions based on the content of those messages. but there s still another challenge. you have to get people to know that the system is there for them to use.  it s amazing how difficult it is to find someone to pass it along to  and say  look this is what we re trying to do and everything like that   says mr rampersad.  so the big problem right now is the same problem we re trying to solve - human communication.  he is optimistic  however. he thinks that the alert retrieval cache is an idea whose time has come and he hopes governments  too  will sit up and take notice. and he stands by his motto  courtesy of michelangelo: criticise by creating.  clark boyd is technology correspondent for the world  a bbc world service and wgbh-boston co-production.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "commodore finds new lease of life the once-famous commodore computer brand could be resurrected after being bought by a us-based digital music distributor.  new owner yeahronimo media ventures has not ruled out the possibility of a new breed of commodore computers. it also plans to develop a  worldwide entertainment concept  with the brand  although details are not yet known. the groundbreaking commodore 64 computer elicits fond memories for those who owned one back in the 1980s.  in the chronology of home computing  commodore was one of the pioneers.  the commodore 64  launched in 1982  was one of the first affordable home pcs. it was followed a few years later by the amiga. the commodore 64 sold more than any other single computer system  even to this day. the brand languished somewhat in the 1990s. commodore international filed for bankruptcy in 1994 and was sold to dutch firm tulip computers. in the late 1980s the firm was a great rival to atari  which produced its own range of home computers and is now a brand of video games  formerly known as infogrames.  tulip computers sold several products under the commodore name  including portable usb storage devices and digital music players. it had planned to relaunch the brand  following an upsurge of nostalgia for 1980s-era games. commodore 64 enthusiasts have written emulators for windows pc  apple mac and even pdas so that the original commodore games can be still run. the sale of commodore is expected to be complete in three weeks in a deal worth over \u00a317m.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "wolves appoint hoddle as manager glenn hoddle will be unveiled as the new wolves manager on tuesday.  the club have confirmed that the former england coach will be unveiled as the successor to dave jones at a news conference at molineux at 1100 gmt. hoddle has been linked with a return to former club southampton but wolves have won the race for his services. he has been out of the game since being sacked at spurs in september 2003 and worked alongside wolves caretaker boss stuart gray at southampton. hoddle began his managerial career as player-boss with swindon before moving on to chelsea and then taking up the england job.  his spell in charge of the national side came to an end after the 1998 world cup when he made controversial remarks about the disabled in a newspaper interview. the 47-year-old later returned to management with southampton  where he again succeeded jones - as he has now done at wolves. he engineered an upturn in saints  fortunes before being lured to white hart lane by tottenham - the club where he made his name as a player. that relationship turned sour at the start of the last campaign and he left the london club early last season. since then he has applied unsuccessfully for the post of france manager and had also been linked with a return to southampton. wolves are currently 17th in the championship and have a home game against millwall on tuesday.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "broadband in the uk growing fast high-speed net connections in the uk are proving more popular than ever.  bt reports that more people signed up for broadband in the last three months than in any other quarter. the 600 000 connections take the total number of people in the uk signing up for broadband from bt to almost 3.3 million. nationally more than 5 million browse the net via broadband. britain now has among the highest number of broadband connections throughout the whole of europe.  according to figures gathered by industry watchdog  ofcom  the growth means that the uk has now surpassed germany in terms of broadband users per 100 people. the uk total of 5.3 million translates into 7.5 connections per 100 people  compared to 6.7 in germany and 15.8 in the netherlands. the numbers of people signing up to broadband include those that get their service direct from bt or via the many companies that re-sell bt lines under their own name. part of the surge in people signing up was due to bt stretching the reach of adsl - the uk s most widely used way of getting broadband - beyond 6km.  asymmetric digital subscriber line technology lets ordinary copper phone lines support high data speeds. the standard speed is 512kbps  though faster connections are available.  this breakthrough led to a dramatic increase in orders as we were suddenly able to satisfy the pent-up demand that existed in many areas   said paul reynolds  chief executive of bt wholesale which provides phone lines that other firms re-sell. bt retail  which sells net services under its own name  also had a good quarter and provided about 30% of the new broadband customers. this was a slight increase on the previous three months. despite the good news about growth in broadband  figures from telecommunications regulator ofcom show that bt faces increasing competition  and dwindling influence  in other sectors. local loop unbundling  (llu)  in which bt rivals install their hardware in exchanges and take over the line to a customer s home or office  is growing steadily. cable & wireless and ntl have announced that they are investing millions to start offering llu services. by the end of september more than 4.2 million phone lines were using so-called carrier pre-section (cps) services  such as talktalk and one.tel  which route phone calls across non-bt networks from a local exchange. there are now more than 300 different firms offering cps services and the percentage of people using bt lines for voice calls has shrunk to 55.4%.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "apple sues to stop product leaks computer firm apple has issued a lawsuit to prevent online leaks of information about future products.  the lawsuit  against an unidentified individual  comes just weeks before the macworld conference in san francisco  used to showcase new products. the complaint said an  unidentified individual... has recently misappropriated and disseminated confidential information . the lawsuit was filed with the santa clara california superior court. apple is famously secretive about its future product launches while apple users are equally famous for speculating about new technology from the company. fans have speculated in recent weeks about the possibility of a new type of ipod being announced at the macworld conference.  apple said in the seven-page complaint  filed on 13 december  that it did not know the  true names or capacities  whether individual  associate  corporate or otherwise   of the defendants. the company said it would amend the complaint once they had discovered the names of those who had allegedly leaked information. it is not the first time apple has sued people who have posted information about future products on the internet. in december 2002  apple sued a former contractor who allegedly posted online drawings  images and engineering details of the company s powermac g4 computer. in a statement  apple said of the current lawsuit:  apple has filed a civil complaint against unnamed individuals who we believe stole our trade secrets and posted detailed information about an unannounced apple product on the internet.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "radcliffe eyes hard line on drugs paula radcliffe has called for all athletes found guilty on drugs charges to be treated as criminals.  the marathon world record holder believes more needs to be done to rid athletics of the  suspicions and innuendoes  which greet any fast time.  doping in sport is a criminal offence and should be treated as such   the 30-year-old told the sunday times.  it not only cheats other athletes but also cheats promoters  sponsors and the general public.   radcliffe s comments come at a time when several american sports stars are under suspicion of steroid use.  being caught in possession of a performance-enhancing drugs should carry a penalty   she added.   the current system does not detect many of the substances being abused by athletes.  this means that often athletes do not know if they are competing on a level playing field  if their hard work and sacrifice is being trumped by an easier scientific route.  often  when an athlete puts in a good performance  they are subjected to suspicions and innuendoes instead of praise.  having been on the receiving end of accusations like this i can testify as to how much this hurts.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "observers to monitor uk election ministers will invite international observers to check the forthcoming uk general election is fairly run.  the move comes amid claims the poll could be marred by electoral fraud. a report by two mps committees called on thursday for urgent changes to the electoral registration system to combat vote rigging and boost turnout. but in a written response to labour mp gordon prentice  the government said it would normally invite observers to any uk election.  junior constitutional affairs minister christopher leslie said:  i fully expect us to repeat our previous practice of doing so once the date for the next general election is announced.  the government has looked at ways of boosting voter turnout  which fell to 59% in the last general election in 2001.  but trial all-postal ballots in four english regions last summer were hit by delays and some fraud allegations. liberal democrat peer lord greaves called last week for international observers at the general election - saying otherwise there could be months of court challenges  on a scale not seen since the 19th century . thursday s report was drawn up by two committees scrutinising the work of the office of the deputy prime minister (odpm) and the department for constitutional affairs (dca). it said that  with the growth of postal voting  there was a strong case to tighten up fraud protection by requiring voters to register individually  rather than by household. it also said about three million people eligible to vote are not registered to do so.  figures for the 2001 general election suggest 29% of people aged between 18 and 24  and 19% of black voters were not on the electoral roll. young people in shared accommodation are thought to miss out because no one acts as head of the household to fill in the form. odpm committee chairman andrew bennett said individual voter registration  as opposed to registration by household  should be quickly introduced as it could  dramatically reduce the chances of fraud . but his counterpart on the dca committee  alan beith  said it should be delayed  until measures likely to increase registration have been put in place and proved effective.  shadow constitutional affairs secretary oliver heald accused the government of  dragging its feet  over  this badly needed measure .  it is vital that we move ahead with the northern ireland system of individual electoral registration to safeguard the integrity of the britain s electoral system   he said.  the report said individual registration should be treated carefully as 12% of voters disappeared from the electoral roll in northern ireland when it was introduced in 2002. the report said the government should consider fines for unregistered voters  but accepted many experts said it would be an expensive system that would be hard to enforce. it said incentives to register  such as \u00a320 council tax rebate  were likely to be seen as  gimmicks  and risked undermining the integrity of the system  mps said. instead they called for  imaginative campaigns  to boost interest.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "gm pays $2bn to evade fiat buyout general motors of the us is to pay fiat 1.55bn euros ($2bn; \u00a31.1bn) to get out of a deal which could have forced it to buy the italian car maker outright.  fiat had sold gm a stake in 2000  as part of a partnership agreement. but fiat s heavy losses have convinced gm - whose own european operations are in the red - to back away. the pay-off means the two firms will unwind joint ventures  but fiat will keep supplying diesel engines and the money will allow it to reduce its debt. fiat s shares on the milan stock exchange rose 4.5% by 0900 gmt to 6.2 euros  having shot up more than 7% in early trading.  we now have absolute freedom to design our own future   said fiat chief executive sergio marchionne.  analysts said fiat seemed to have done well out of the deal  although some predictions had expected a 2bn euro pay-off. fiat is to get 1bn euros immediately  with another 550m to follow within 90 days. the firm is italy s largest private employer  and a failure to reach an agreement could have had severe consequences for thousands of workers and for the italian economy. for its part  gm was keen to ward off any criticism that the deal had been a mistake.   we needed scale in europe to get costs down  and we were able to do that in working with fiat   said gm chief executive rick wagoner.  the fiat-gm alliance came about in 2000 as an alternative to selling fiat outright. german-us car firm daimlerchrysler had been willing to buy the firm  but fiat patriarch gianni agnelli did not want to give up control. instead  gm swapped a 6% stake in itself for 20% of fiat - and gave fiat a  put option  to sell gm the rest of the car maker between january 2004 and july 2009. but despite the alliance fiat failed to put itself back on track  continuing to lose money and market share. as a result  the sell-off looked better and better for the italians - and much worse for gm  which is struggling with its own loss-making european marques opel and saab. the relationship soured further after fiat sold half its finance arm and recapitalised in 2003  halving gm s stake to 10%.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "williams battles to aussie title serena williams staged a remarkable recovery to beat lindsay davenport and win her second australian open title.  the 2003 champion claimed her seventh grand slam title  and her first since wimbledon in 2003  2-6 6-3 6-0. williams had looked close to quitting with a rib injury when she left the court for treatment after five games. she quickly dropped the first set but from 3-3 in the second found another gear as davenport s game collapsed  allowing williams to take the title. williams later explained her injury problem  saying it was the result of lunging for a ball early in the first set.  lindsay had me on the run out wide on my backhand and my back went but eventually i was able to come back  thank goodness   she said. davenport paid tribute to williams  saying:  she s had a tough couple of years and she s come back like a champion.   the 23-year-old former world number one was in desperate trouble in the early stages as the injury hampered her service action. davenport took advantage to race through the opening set and held six break points in game five of the second.  i kept thinking to myself  i m not losing this game   said williams afterwards.   i don t care if my arm falls off  i m not losing this game . and i guess that s what happened.  i didn t want to lose that particular game because it would have given her a lot of momentum  and a lot of confidence.  despite letting the break points slip away davenport looked comfortable enough at 3-3  but from 40-0 up she just folded. williams won nine consecutive points for the set and powered through the decider as a lacklustre davenport looked to have run out of energy after a gruelling two weeks.  i felt like i was playing well and in control pretty much of the match   said davenport.  then i just had that horrible lapse  i think serving up 40-0  and made a few errors and opened up the door for her and she just kept going through it.  at the end i think i was a little bit fatigued but she took advantage of it and kept going - she s a great frontrunner when she gets going.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "pernod takeover talk lifts domecq shares in uk drinks and food firm allied domecq have risen on speculation that it could be the target of a takeover by france s pernod ricard.  reports in the wall street journal and the financial times suggested that the french spirits firm is considering a bid  but has yet to contact its target. allied domecq shares in london rose 4% by 1200 gmt  while pernod shares in paris slipped 1.2%. pernod said it was seeking acquisitions but refused to comment on specifics.  pernod s last major purchase was a third of us giant seagram in 2000  the move which propelled it into the global top three of drinks firms. the other two-thirds of seagram was bought by market leader diageo. in terms of market value  pernod - at 7.5bn euros ($9.7bn) - is about 9% smaller than allied domecq  which has a capitalisation of \u00a35.7bn ($10.7bn; 8.2bn euros). last year pernod tried to buy glenmorangie  one of scotland s premier whisky firms  but lost out to luxury goods firm lvmh. pernod is home to brands including chivas regal scotch whisky  havana club rum and jacob s creek wine. allied domecq s big names include malibu rum  courvoisier brandy  stolichnaya vodka and ballantine s whisky - as well as snack food chains such as dunkin  donuts and baskin-robbins ice cream. the wsj said that the two were ripe for consolidation  having each dealt with problematic parts of their portfolio. pernod has reduced the debt it took on to fund the seagram purchase to just 1.8bn euros  while allied has improved the performance of its fast-food chains.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "abba queen enters music rich list the woman behind the abba musical mamma mia! has joined a list of british-based music millionaires.  producer judy craymer is the highest new entry in the sunday times  music rich list  with a \u00a367m fortune. ms craymer remortgaged her home to finance her idea of a musical based around abba s hits  which has since become a global triumph. teenage soul singer joss stone is a new entry on a list of britain s young music millionaires with \u00a35m.  ms craymer  who developed mamma mia! with playwright catherine johnson and members of abba  is at number 31 on the music rich list. but taking the top spot for a second year is former record label boss clive calder  whose wealth has risen to \u00a31.3bn. mr calder is the man behind acts including britney spears. he made his fortune by selling his independent label zomba to record giant bmg. former beatle sir paul mccartney is second on the list with \u00a3800m - up \u00a340m on last year. andrew lloyd-webber s wealth rose an estimated \u00a3300m on last year  to \u00a3700m  while theatre impresario sir cameron mackintosh s fortune rose from \u00a3340m to \u00a3400m.  his recent hits have included the west end show mary poppins. but pop idol mogul simon fuller has seen his wealth plummet from \u00a3220m last year to \u00a375m after selling his entertainment company 19 for less than expected  according to the sunday times. joss stone  the 17-year-old soul singer from devon  was a new entry in the young music millionaires list. the list also features charlotte church  coldplay  daniel bedingfield  will young and david and victoria beckham. at number one is dhani harrison  son of the late beatle george harrison  who has inherited \u00a3140m. the beckhams - who qualify thanks to victoria s former singing career - are in second place with \u00a375 million between them - up \u00a310m on last year.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "wine comedy up for six film gongs sideways  a wine-tasting comedy starring paul giamatti  is up for six independent spirit awards  the art-house version of the oscars.  the awards are held on 26 february  the day before the oscars. spanish drama maria full of grace  about a colombian woman who becomes a drug courier  got five nominations. controversial biopic kinsey  starring liam neeson as sex researcher alfred kinsey  was one of four films to get four nominations. the awards  now in their 20th year  honour quirky low-budget films  all of which must have a degree of independent financing. sideways is written and directed by alexander payne  who directed the 2002 hit about schmidt  winning jack nicholson his 12th academy award nomination.   these awards  for better or worse  mean everything   said sideways producer michael london  adding they were a  huge first step  toward getting recognition from other awards. among the other films receiving four nominations apiece were brother to brother  a drama about a young gay black man forced to live on the streets  robbing peter and primer. primer  a $7 000 (\u00a33 650) tale of discovery  won top prize at the sundance film festival earlier this year. walter salles critically acclaimed the motorcycle diaries and the forthcoming thriller the woodsman  starring kevin bacon  received three nominations each. also in the running  with two nominations  are high school comedy napoleon dynamite  the door in the floor and garden state - written  directed and starring scrubs star zach braff alongside natalie portman. the awards were announced by actors selma blair and dennis quaid in los angeles on tuesday.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "jones doping probe begins an investigation into doping claims against marion jones has been opened by the international olympic committee.  ioc president jacques rogge has set up a disciplinary body to look into claims by victor conte  of balco laboratories. jones  who says she is innocent  could lose all her olympic medals after conte said he gave her performance-enhancing drugs before the sydney olympics. but rogge said it was too early to speculate about that  hoping only that  the truth will emerge .  any decision on the medals would be taken by the ioc s executive board and could hinge on interpretation of a rule stating that olympic decisions can only be challenged within three years of the games closing. the sydney olympics ended more than four years ago  but world anti-doping agency chief dick pound said the rule may not apply because the allegations are only coming out now.  we will find a way to deal with that   pound said. in a statement released through her attorney rich nichols  jones repeated her innocence and vowed she would be cleared.  victor conte s allegations are not true and the truth will be revealed for the world to see as the legal process moves forward   she said.  conte is someone who is under federal indictment and has a record of issuing contradictory  inconsistent statements.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "cebit fever takes over hanover thousands of products and tens of thousands of visitors make cebit the place to be for technology lovers.   welcome to cebit 2005  was the message from the pilot as we landed  the message on flyers at the airport  and the message on just about every billboard in town. cebit fever has taken over hanover. hotels have been booked out for months; local people are letting out rooms in their homes to the hoards of exhibitors  visitors  and journalists. cebit itself is huge  the exhibition site could almost be classified as a town in its own right.  there are restaurants  shops  and a bus service between the halls - of which there are 27. there are more than 6 000 companies here  showing their latest products. the list of them that i was given when i came in is the size and weight of a phone book. one of the mains themes this year is the digital home  and one of the key buzzwords is convergence.  the  entertainment pc  is being billed as the replacement for dvd players  stereos  telephones and computers - offering a one-box solution  wirelessly connected throughout a house. to show them off  one display has been modelled as a prototype  digital lifestyle home  by german magazine computer reseller news.  we wanted to show how this fits into a living room or workplace  to give people a feeling how it would work in their homes   said claudia neulling from the magazine. the house has webcams for security in each room  which can be called up on the high definition tv  connected to the pc in the living room.  that pc provides home entertainment  movies or music. it can also be linked to the car parked outside  which is kitted out with a processor of its own  along with a dvd player and cordless headphones for the kids in the back.  convergence for me is about how technology  the transfer of data  can do things that make it easier and more convenient for me as a consumer   said mark brailey  director of corporate marketing for intel.  the real challenge is to show people it s easier than they think  and fun.   he firmly believes that entertainment pcs are the future  but says they have to get past people s fears of frequent crashes and incompatibilities. that is something microsoft is trying to do too - its stand has computers running windows xp media centre edition 2005 for people to try out. mobile phones do not escape the convergence theme. samsung is showing off its sgh-i300  a handset with a three gigabyte hard drive  that can be used to watch compressed video or as an mp3 player. and if you would rather watch live tv than a downloaded movie nec is showing a phone  on sale in china  which can show analogue tv on its colour screen.   i think the most probable application is at somewhere like the train station - if you want to check the status of the soccer game for example  said koji umemoto  manager of mobile terminals marketing for nec. he admitted that the signal quality is not very good if you are on the move  and they do not have plans to launch it in europe at the moment. nokia was happy to demonstrate its 6230i  an upgrade to the very popular 6230.  it now has a 1.3 megapixel camera  and a music player that can handle multiple formats  rather than just mp3s. it is also compatible with nokia s new visual radio technology. the handset can receive fm broadcasts  and the user can interact with compatible broadcasts using a gprs connection  to take part in competitions or get extra information such as the name of the song playing. most companies are reluctant to show prototypes  preferring to display products that are already on sale  or just about to hit the market.  portable media player firm creative showed off a new wireless technology  based on magnetic inductance rather than radio - a system some hearing aids use.  the benefits over conventional bluetooth are the lack of interference  and longer battery life   said riccardo de rinaldini  creative s european marketing manager. the firm has a prototype headset linked up to a zen micro player. the transmitter on the player creates a private  magnetic  bubble  around the user  which is picked up by the headset. the range is only about one metre so it is only suitable for personal use. a single aaa battery is said to last up to 30 hours. creative expects it to hit the market in its final form later this year. even clothing is likely to be part of the convergence trend. adidas has a trainer which  according to susanne risse from the company  can  sense  understand  and adapt to your running style . it has a battery  processor  and motor embedded in the sole. buttons on the side allow you to set the amount of cushioning you would like by adjusting the tension on a cable running through the heel. the processor then monitors the surface you are running on  and adjusts the tension accordingly. it is being billed as  the world s first intelligent shoe .", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "tory candidate quits over remark a conservative election challenger is quitting after being quoted as wanting a  period of creative destruction in the public services .  danny kruger  who also works in the tory research unit  had been due to take on tony blair in sedgefield. he says his remark last week was misrepresented but he will not contest the election for fear of damaging the conservative cause. tory leader michael howard accepted his decision  with regret . mr kruger was quoted in the guardian newspaper saying:  we plan to introduce a period of creative destruction in the public services.   in a statement  the party said the comment had been taken out of context.  he fully supports the party s policies on  and approach to  the public services   said the statement.  however  in order to avoid any further misrepresentation of his views and any damage to the party  he has decided not to stand in the sedgefield constituency at the next election.  mr kruger is continuing in his job at the tory campaign headquarters. labour election coordinator alan milburn claimed mr kruger had exposed the tory agenda for \u00a335bn of cuts to public services. mr milburn said:  he is not some unknown hopeful fighting an unwinnable seat. he is a man who has worked at the heart of conservative policy development...  his claim that the tories were planning  a period of creative destruction in the public services  is not a rogue claim.  it is the authentic and shocking voice of the conservative party. it reveals the true picture of what they would do.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "tindall wants second opinion england centre mike tindall is to seek a second opinion before having surgery on a foot injury that could force him to miss the entire six nations.  the bath player was already out of the opener against wales on 5 february because of a hand problem.  mike had a specialist review on a fracture in his right mid foot   said england doctor simon kemp.  before a final decision is made on surgery... medical teams have decided he should see a second specialist.   england coach andy robinson is already without centre will greenwood and flanker richard hill while fly-half jonny wilkinson is certain to miss at least the first two games. robinson is expected to announce his new-look england line-up on monday for the match at the millennium stadium. and newcastle s 18-year-old centre mathew tait is set to stand in for tindall alongside club team-mate jamie noon.  meanwhile  tindall is targeting a return to action before the end of the regular zurich premiership season on 30 april. he will also aim to be back to full fitness before the lions tour to new zealand this summer.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "mobile multimedia slow to catch on there is no doubt that mobile phones sporting cameras and colour screens are hugely popular.  consumers swapping old phones for slinkier  dinkier versions are thought to be responsible for a 26% increase in the number of phones sold during the third quarter of 2004  according to analysts gartner more than 167 million handsets were sold globally between july and september 2004  a period that  according to gartner analyst carolina milanesi is  seldom strong . but although consumers have mobiles that can take and send snaps  sounds and video clips few  so far  are taking the chance to do so.  in fact  the numbers of people not taking and sending pictures  audio and video is growing. figures gathered by continental research shows that 36% of british camera phone users have never sent a multimedia message (mms)  up from 7% in 2003. this is despite the fact that  during the same period  the numbers of camera phones in the uk more than doubled to 7.5 million. getting mobile phone users to send multimedia messages is really important for operators keen to squeeze more cash out of their customers and offset the cost of subsidising the handsets people are buying. the problem they face  said shailendra jain  head of mms firm adamind  is educating people in how to send the multimedia messages using their funky handsets.   also   he said   they have to simplify the interface so its not rocket science in terms of someone understanding it.  research bears out the suspicion that people are not sending multimedia messages because they do not know how to. according to continental research  29% of the people it questioned said they were technophobes that tended to shy away from innovation. only 11% regarded themselves as technically savvy enough to send a picture or video message. the fact that multimedia services are not interoperable across networks and phones only adds to people s reluctance to start sending them  said mr jain.  they ask themselves:  if i m streaming video from one handset to another will it work    he said.  there s a lot of user apprehension about that.   there are other deeper technical reasons why multimedia messages are not being pushed as strongly as they might. andrew bud  executive chairman of messaging firm mblox  said mobile phone operators cap the number of messages that can be circulating at any one time for fear of overwhelming the system.  the rate we can send mms into the mobile network is fairly constant   he said. the reason for this is that there are finite capacities for data traffic on the second generation networks that currently have the most users.  no-one wants to take the risk of swamping these relatively narrow channels so the number of mms messages is capped  said mr bud. this has led to operators finding other technologies  particularly one known as wap-push  to get multimedia to their customers. but when networks do find a good way to get multimedia to their customers  the results can be dramatic. israeli technology firm celltick has found a way to broadcast data across phone networks in a way that does not overwhelm existing bandwidth. one of the first firms to use the celltick service is hutch india  the largest mobile firm in the country. the broadcast system gets multimedia to customers via a rolling menu far faster than would be possible with other systems. while not multimedia messaging  such a system gets people used to seeing their phones as a device that can handle all different types of content. as a result 40% of the subscribers to the hutch alive  which uses celltick s broadcast technology  regularly click for more pictures  sounds and images from the operator.  operators really need to start utilising this tool to reach their customers   said yaron toren  spokesman for celltick. until then  multimedia will be a message that is not getting through.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "s korean credit card firm rescued south korea s largest credit card firm has averted liquidation following a one trillion won ($960m; \u00a3499m) bail-out.  lg card had been threatened with collapse because of its huge debts but the firm s creditors and its former parent have stepped in to rescue it. a consortium of creditors and lg group  a family owned conglomerate  have each put up $480m to stabilise the firm. lg card has seven million customers and its collapse would have sent shockwaves through the country s economy.  the firm s creditors - which own 99% of lg card - have been trying to agree a deal to secure its future for several weeks. they took control of the company in january when it avoided bankruptcy only through a $4.5bn bail-out.  they had threatened to delist the company  a move which would have triggered massive debt redemptions and forced the company into bankruptcy  unless agreement was reached on its future funding.  lg card will not need any more financial aid after this   laah chong-gyu  executive director of korea development bank - one of the firm s creditors - said.  the agreement will see some 12 trillion won of debt converted into equity.  the purpose of the capital injection is to avoid delisting and the goal will be met   david kim  an analyst at sejong securities  told reuters. south korea s consumer credit market has been slowly recovering from a crisis in 2002 when a credit bubble burst and millions of consumers fell behind on their debt repayments. lg card returned to profit in september but needed further capital to avoid being thrown off the market. south korea s stock exchange can delist any firm if its debt exceeds its assets two years running.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "dame julie pops in to see poppins mary poppins star dame julie andrews watched the hit stage version of her classic film at a charity performance in london s west end.  it was the first time dame julie  who shot to fame as the nanny in the 1964 disney movie  had seen the musical  staged at the prince edward theatre. she watched laura michelle kelly  23  reprise the role on stage. the show has been one of the west end s hottest tickets since opening in december  winning two olivier awards. kelly was named best musical actress at last month s ceremony and the musical also won best choreography.  but kelly said she was  very nervous  about meeting dame julie because she was  my absolute hero . the gala performance saw dame julie  69  return to the theatre where she had her first starring role in a performance of humpty dumpty in 1948. the mary poppins musical has been masterminded by theatre impresario sir cameron mackintosh and directed by richard eyre with choreography by matthew bourne. sir cameron said he hoped the production  which cost \u00a39m to bring to the stage  was a blend of the sweet-natured film and the original book by pl travers. proceeds from thursday s show will go to charities including absolute return for kids (ark)  international relief agency operation usa and drama school lamda.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "profile: david miliband david miliband s rapid rise through the ranks of government continues with his promotion to cabinet office minister.  elected in a safe labour seat in 2001 his previous job was school standards minister - a role he won in may 2002. prior to the last election he was a key figure in new labour as the head of the downing street policy unit where he was a key member of the manifesto writing team. seen as one of the more intellectual figures in the government  he was also working for tony blair in his policy unit when he was leader of the opposition.  a brief glance at mr miliband s family background reveals an impressive socialist pedigree in the form of his father ralph  who died in 1994. he was an eminent and influential leftwing academic. and while david miliband is seen as a key blair lieutenant his brother ed is a special advisor to chancellor gordon brown. prior to working for mr blair  david miliband spent time at the left-leaning institute for public policy research. he then became secretary of the commission on social justice. the 39-year-old was educated at haverstock comprehensive before going on to oxford to study politics  philosophy and economics. he also took an msc in political science from the massachusetts institute of technology.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "moya sidesteps davis cup in 2005 carlos moya has chosen not to help spain try and defend the davis cup crown they won in seville in november.  moya led spain to victory over the usa but wants to focus on the grand slams in 2005  although insists he will return to the davis cup in 2006.  after two years of total commitment with the davis cup team... i have taken this difficult decision to concentrate on the regular circuit   said moya.  they know that after this season they can count on me again if they so wish.  the 1998 french open champion is determined to make an impact in the major events after spending much of the last eight years in the top 10.  at the age of 29 i have set some tough goals in my professional career and this season i need to fix my objectives on specific dates and tournaments   he said.  since the davis cup in seville i have been working on my condition as well as technical and medical aspects of my game which will allow me to come into the big events of the year in top form.   moya began 2005 with victory in the chennai open on sunday.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "prodigy monfils blows away gaudio french prodigy gael monfils underlined his huge promise by beating french open champion gaston gaudio 6-4 7-6 (7-4) in the first round of the qatar open.  the 18-year-old wild card won three of the four junior grand slam events last year  including wimbledon. fabrice santoro  the 2000 champion  beat sweden s thomas johansson 6-4 6-2 but fourth seed mikhail youzhny lost 6-3 7-6 (7-3) to rafael nadal. roger federer plays greg rusedski in the second round on wednesday. monfils  who was given a wildcard into the tournament  said:  this is my first win over a top 10 player and i am delighted.  i play my best tennis when i am fired up on the court and the reason i won today was because i was able to play my natural  attacking game   he said.  of course i was a bit tired in the second set. but i was confident i could survive had there been a third set.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "yukos owner sues russia for $28bn the majority owner of embattled russian oil firm yukos has sued the russian government for $28.3bn (\u00a315.2bn).  the kremlin last year seized and sold yukos  main production arm  yugansk  to state-run oil group rosneft for $9.3bn to offset a massive back tax bill. group menatep  the gibraltar-based holding company which controls 51% of yukos  says this was illegal. menatep has already asked rosneft to repay a $900m loan that yugansk had secured on its assets.  the russian government s argument for selling yuganskneftegaz - the unit s full name - was that yukos owed more than $27bn in back taxes for the years from 2000 onwards. it accused the firm of using a web of offshore firms to avoid its tax liabilities  and the courts sent in bailiffs to freeze yukos accounts and seize yugansk.  but critics say the sell-off  and the assault on yukos  finances  are part of an attempt to bring the energy industry back under state control. according to menatep  the government s actions were contrary to the 1994 energy charter treaty  which was designed to regulate disagreements over energy investments.  we have warned the russian government about their continuing attacks against yukos  its personnel and its shareholders and we have warned any buyer of yuganskneftegaz that they would face a lifetime of litigation   said tim osborne  a director of group menatep.  the time for warning is over and actions to recover the value of our losses begin in earnest today.   menatep said the value of its yukos shareholding had gone from $17.8bn to  virtually nothing  since 2003 as a result of the russian government s action  as its shares have fallen 97%. according to its paris lawyer  emmanuel gaillard of shearman and sterling  the overall claim is based on that figure  with a 60% addition for the share gains that could have accrued since then. arbitration of the lawsuit could take place in stockholm or the hague  mr gaillard said. while russia has signed the charter  it has never ratified it - which some experts say could make it difficult for menatep to press its case. but mr gaillard told bbc news that the charter came into effect on signature  not ratification.  russia has said in the past that it is bound by it  so as to attract foreign investors   he said.  yukos is still waiting to see what will happen to its filing in a us court for bankruptcy protection. it took the action to try to prevent the forced sale of yugansk - first to a little-known shell company  which in turn was bought by rosneft. yukos claims its downfall was punishment for the political ambitions of its founder mikhail khodorkovsky. mr khodorkovsky  currently facing fraud and tax evasion charges of his own  was one of the founders of menatep. he has since signed over his shareholding to one of his fellow investors.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "new browser wins over net surfers the proportion of surfers using microsoft s internet explorer (ie) has dropped to below 90%  say web analysts.  net traffic monitor  onestat.com  has reported that the open-source browser firefox 1.0  released on 9 november  seems to be drawing users away from ie. while ie s market share has dropped 5% since may to 88.9%  mozilla browsers - including firefox - have grown by 5%. firefox is made by the mozilla foundation which was set up by former browser maker netscape in 1998. although there have been other preview versions of firefox  version 1.0 was the first complete official program.  it seems that people are switching from microsoft s internet explorer to mozilla s new firefox browser   said niels brinkman  co-founder of amsterdam-based onestat.com.  mozilla browsers - including firefox 1.0 - now have 7.4% of the market share  the figures suggest. mozilla said that more than five million have downloaded the free software since its official release. supporters of the open-source software in the us managed to raise $250 000 (\u00a3133 000) to advertise the release of firefox 1.0 in the new york times  and support the mozilla foundation. there was a flurry of downloads on its first day of release.  the figures echo similar research from net analyst websidestory which suggested that ie had 92.9% of users in october compared to 95.5% in june. microsoft ie has dominated the browser market for some time after taking the crown from netscape  and its share of users has always stayed at around the 95% mark. firefox is attractive to many because it is open-source. that means people are free to adapt the software s core code to create other innovative features  like add-ons or extensions to the program. fewer security holes have also been discovered so far in firefox than in ie. paul randle  microsoft windows client product manager  responded to the figures:  we certainly respect that some customers will choose alternative browsers and that choosing a browser is about more than a handful of features.  microsoft continues to make significant investments in ie  including service pack 2 with advanced security technologies  and continues to encourage a vibrant ecosystem of third party add-ons for internet explorer.  firefox wants to capture 10% of the market by the end of 2005. other browser software  like opera and apple s safari  are also challenging microsoft s grip on the browser market. opera is set to release its version 7.60 by the end of the year. onestat.com compiled the statistical measurements from two million net users in 100 countries.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "campbell returns to election team ex-downing street media chief alastair campbell will return to the fold to strengthen labour s general election campaign  the party has confirmed.  mr campbell has consistently made public his keenness to play a part in the poll  expected in may. both culture secretary tessa jowell and deputy prime minister john prescott have welcomed his return.  he is a strong labour party member   mr prescott told bbc one s breakfast with frost programme.  mr campbell quit number 10 in august 2003 after being tony blair s right-hand man at the 1997 and 2001 elections. labour have refused to discuss his exact new position and have not said how it would affect his downing street replacement david hill.  of course alastair s going to be part of the election campaign and i think that all of us who will also be part of the election campaign are very pleased about that   ms jowell told sky news.  but she said his return would not put anybody else s  nose out of joint .  this is the daft thing about the way in which politics is written about   ms jowell added.  there s room for everybody. we serve the country better if we make room for all the talent.  a labour source told the sunday times mr campbell would  effectively front  the election media campaign but said he would be given no formal title.  labour strategists told the paper he would be  set loose  on conservative leader michael howard in attacking his party s economic record when it was in power.  they used pictures from the 1970s in the 1992 campaign to remind people of the winter of discontent - and now it s our turn   the source told the paper.  making michael howard leader gives us an unmissable opportunity to remind people what it was like to pay mortgage rates of 15% even if it was more than a decade ago.  mr campbell was at the centre of the government s row with bbc over andrew gilligan s story about the iraq weapons dossier. the hutton inquiry cleared him of  sexing up  the dossier in the run-up to the iraq war. since leaving downing street  he has toured the country with his one man show  an audience with alastair campbell and presented a number of interview programmes for channel 4.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "williams says he will never quit defiant matt williams says he will not quit as scotland coach even if his side slump to a new low with defeat by italy at murrayfield.  that would leave the scots as favourites to win the wooden spoon for the second year running.  i have never quit anything in my life  apart from maybe painting the kitchen   he told bbc sport.  the support we have been given from murrayfield in my whole time here has been 100%.  williams has yet to experience an rbs six nations victory after seven attempts and scotland have lost 12 of their 14 games under his leadership. but he rejected the comparison made in some media sources with berti vogts  recently sacked as scotland football manager after a poor run of results.   how can a german football coach and an australian rugby coach have anything in common   he asked.  it is a bizarre analogy. it is so absurd that it borders on the humorous.  williams insists that he is revelling in the pressure  despite the possibility of a second six nations series without a victory.  that is not beyond the realms of possibility   he admitted.  there s nothing much between the teams  so we could win the next three games or lose them.  but i actually really enjoy seeing how you cope with such pressure as a coach.  it helps the team grow and helps you grow as a coach.  we could have won in paris but for the last five minutes and now we have two defeats  but we were confident for those two first games and we are confident we can beat italy too.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "potter director signs warner deal harry potter director alfonso cuaron has signed a three-year deal with hollywood studio warner brothers  according to variety trade magazine.  the mexican film-maker  who directed harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban  will produce mainstream movies and smaller spanish-language films.  we had a wonderful experience with alfonso on harry potter   warner producer jeff robinov told variety. cuaron s other films include mexican movie y tu mama tambien.  the 2001 rites-of-passage drama about two teenage boys who embark on a relationship with an older woman  brought cuaron international attention - and box office glory.  it also won him and his brother carlos  with whom he co-wrote the screenplay  an oscar nomination for best original screenplay. warner will distribute cuaron s films in several languages outside the us.  this deal will give us the opportunity to collaborate with alfonso on movies that make the most of his artistry and vision  and continue to offer him the mainstream worldwide audiences that our studio provides so successfully   said mr robinov.  his first film for warner brothers was 1995 s family fantasy movie a little princess. based on the novel by frances hodgson burnett  a little princess tells the story of a young girl who is sent to live in a new york boarding school when her widowed father enlists for war. after the erotic nature of y tu mama tambien  cuaron was a surprise choice to direct the third harry potter film but his dark interpretation was received well by the public and critics alike.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "how to make a greener computer the hi-tech industry is starting to get more environmentally aware. bill thompson thinks it s about time.  my first car ran on four star petrol and pumped vast quantities of lead into the atmosphere as i drove around cambridge. now you can t buy petrol with lead additives  and we re all better off as a result. chip giant intel recently began shipping computer circuit boards that are lead free too  reflecting a growing awareness on the part of the technology industry that products have to be designed and built in more environmentally friendly ways.  apart from reducing the use of toxic materials like arsenic  mercury  cadmium and other heavy metals in the products themselves  the manufacturing process is also being cleaned up  with fewer complex and potentially damaging organic chemicals used as solvents. and work is going into making power supplies that are more energy efficient  since current transformers are astonishingly wasteful as they charge our laptops  mobiles and music players.  one of the key aspects of the new approach is to design products that are easier to recycle. if you have got a phone or a computer with toxic chemicals or heavy metals in it then extracting them can be tricky and expensive. a well-designed electronic component is able to be recycled at low cost. this is going to be very important to hardware manufacturers in europe since from august the new waste electronic and electrical equipment directive will oblige them to accept returned products for recycling.  they will end up paying if they build things that are expensive or impossible to take apart and will find their profits hit  something which is likely to motivate them where appeals to the wider public interest might fall on deaf ears. it is  as they say  about time. we have a long and depressing history of developing new technologies with complete disregard for their potential impact on the environment  and waiting until there is a crisis looming before we try to redesign them to cause less damage. the car engine is a case in point: lead additives helped stop petrol vapour exploding too early in the cylinder  a phenomenon called  knocking   so they were simply used without any real thought for the fact that the lead would end up in the atmosphere. redesigning engines and making petrol slightly different was a lot more work  so it took decades before it was done. we re seeing the same thing in the technology industry and  as a result  there are billions of devices  from old mobile phones to antique handhelds  that will have to be recycled in years to come. if apple gets its way then a lot of people are going to be buying a new mac mini and throwing away their old pc  keeping the monitor and other peripherals.  even if apple does not get its way  four or five-year-old computers are not good enough to run modern programs and it s not unreasonable to replace them. but what do we do with the old ones   i ve just looked around my office and i find two monitors  an old 386 pc  two old handhelds  three ancient laptops  four antique mobile phones  a collection of rechargeable batteries and even a sun workstation that is no longer really much use. they are all old enough to be hazardous waste - the monitors alone will be full of arsenic and lead - but it s possible that some of the components could be useful. i could take them up the to the council recycling centre  but it s a 10-mile drive away across town  and like many other people my commitment to recycling is shallow at best. here in cambridge we have green bins for compostable waste  a box for glass  cans and paper that can be recycled  and a black bin for the rest. there are bottle banks and clothing banks scattered around town and in supermarket car parks. would it be too much to ask for an electronics recycling box too  i d probably remember to take my old mobile with me to the supermarket and drop it in a box - at least eventually.  bill thompson is a regular commentator on the bbc world service programme go digital.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "csi shows give  unrealistic view  people have unrealistic expectations of forensic science thanks to the success of the csi tv shows  real experts say.  evidence submitted to forensic labs has shot up as a result of the programmes  at a time when many have large backlogs  science investigators claim. lawyers also fear the effect because jurors have a distorted view of how forensic evidence is used. the issue was discussed at a major science conference in washington dc. crime scene investigation (csi) and its spin-offs  csi: miami and csi: new york  have proven exceptionally popular with audiences on both sides of the atlantic.  each episode  a team of forensic investigators goes about solving a crime through the ingenious appliance of science - and the extensive resources at their disposal.  the csi effect is basically the perception of the near-infallibility of forensic science in response to the tv show   said max houck  who runs a forensic science graduate course at west virginia university  us.  this tv show comes on and everyone starts watching it - including the cops and prosecutors - and submissions to forensic laboratories go through the roof   he told the annual meeting of the american association for the advancement of science (aaas). the american forensics expert said there were roughly 200 000-300 000 backlogged dna samples in us labs. yet these constituted just 10% of the total test backlog  said dr houck. forensic pathologist dr patricia mcfeeley said she had started to see the show s influence in dealing with the families of victims.  what i find is that families now are more dissatisfied with the investigation than was previously the case   she explained.  for example  on television  the toxicology results are available almost instantaneously. but when people find out that it can take several months  they can find that very difficult.   dr mcfeeley added that the accuracy with which forensic investigators can determine time of death was far lower than most people s perceptions. the show s influence can follow forensic investigators all the way into the courtroom  making lawyers jittery.  prosecutors fear the csi effect with juries because  for example  they wonder:  why wasn t everything tested   well  in fact  not everything needs to be tested   dr houck explained.  defence attorneys also worry about the csi effect because they think that jurors come in and have this view of science as a juggernaut; this objective method that s always accurate.  however  he admitted the show had had positive as well as negative effects on the field.  my university course started with four graduates in 1999; we re now the largest major on campus - with 400 students   he said. dr houck added that there was an urgent need for better funding of forensic science at the university level:  there s more money spent in this country on holistic medicine than there is on forensic science research.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "broadband fuels online expression fast web access is encouraging more people to express themselves online  research suggests.  a quarter of broadband users in britain regularly upload content and have personal sites  according to a report by uk think-tank demos. it said that having an always-on  fast connection is changing the way people use the internet. more than five million households in the uk have broadband and that number is growing fast.  the demos report looked at the impact of broadband on people s net habits. it found that more than half of those with broadband logged on to the web before breakfast. one in five even admitted to getting up in the middle of the night to browse the web.  more significantly  argues the report  broadband is encouraging people to take a more active role online. it found that one in five post something on the net everyday  ranging from comments or opinions on sites to uploading photographs.  broadband is putting the  me  in media as it shifts power from institutions and into the hands of the individual   said john craig  co-author of the demos report.  from self-diagnosis to online education  broadband creates social innovation that moves the debate beyond simple questions of access and speed.  the demos report  entitled broadband britain: the end of asymmetry   was commissioned by net provider aol.  broadband is moving the perception of the internet as a piece of technology to an integral part of home life in the uk   said karen thomson  chief executive of aol uk   with many people spending time on their computers as automatically as they might switch on the television or radio.  according to analysts nielsen//netratings  more than 50% of the 22.8 million uk net users regularly accessing the web from home each month are logging on at high speed they spend twice as long online than people on dial-up connections  viewing an average of 1 444 pages per month. the popularity of fast net access is growing  partly fuelled by fierce competition over prices and services.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "hewitt falls to dent lleyton hewitt suffered a shock defeat to taylor dent in the quarter-finals of the australian hardcourt championships in adelaide on friday.  the top seed was a strong favourite for the title but went down 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to the american. dent will face juan ignacio chela next after the fourth seed was too strong for jurgen melzer. olivier rochus beat third seed nicolas kiefer 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 and will take on second seed joachim johansson. the swede reached the last four by beating compatriot thomas enqvist 6-3 4-6 6-1.  i felt like i was striking the ball much better   said johansson.  i felt like i had a lot of break chances  i didn t take care of them all  but i broke him four times and he only broke me once.  i felt that was the key to get up in the set early.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "britney attacks  false tabloids  pop star britney spears has attacked  false  and  desperate  us tabloid magazines  questioning their honesty after they reported she was pregnant.  in a letter on her website  the singer named celebrity tabloids us weekly  in touch and star as the worst offenders.  until you face what is going on in your life  i guess you ll remain a false tabloid   the 23-year-old wrote. stories about the state of her marriage to kevin federline and rumours about a pregnancy have recently appeared. but the chart-topping singer s letter did not shed any further light on those stories. in february  spears clashed with us weekly for publishing pictures of her honeymoon in fiji without permission. the couple  who married in los angeles last september  claimed staff took photographs of them which were later sold.  they said they allowed the pictures to be taken after they were assured they would only be used for a private scrapbook  which they later received as a souvenir. us magazine was unrepentant about their decision to publish  saying:  britney should start her own magazine if she d like to dictate her own coverage.   coming from a celebrity who sold pictures of both her wedding and her stepdaughter  it s unlikely the issue here is privacy   they added. spears claimed that other magazines were approached with the pictures but chose to contact her instead.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "s&n extends indian beer venture the uk s biggest brewer  scottish and newcastle (s&n)  is to buy 37.5% of india s united breweries in a deal worth 4.66bn rupees ($106m:\u00a354.6m).  s&n will buy a 17.5% equity stake in united  maker of the well-known kingfisher lager brand  and make a public offer to buy another 20% stake. a similar holding will be controlled by vijay mallya  chair of the indian firm. the deal was a  natural development  of its joint venture with united  said tony froggatt  s&n s chief executive.  its top brands include newcastle brown ale  foster s  john smith s  strongbow and kronenbourg. in 2002 s&n and united agreed to form a strategic partnership  one that would include a joint venture business and a uk investment in the indian brewer. the joint venture was established in may 2003. with both parties having a 40% stake in the venture - millennium alcobev. millennium alcobev will now be merged with united  which expects post-merger to have about half of india s beer market.  india  with a population of more than one billion  consumes about 1.2 billion bottles of beer every year. kingfisher has market share of about 29%. in addition to the equity stake s&n is to invest 2.47bn rupees in united through non-convertible redeemable preference shares. meanwhile  united s budget airline  kingfisher airlines  is to buy 10 a320 aircraft from airbus and has the option to buy 20 more aircraft in a deal worth up to $1.8bn. the airline  the brainchild of mr mallya  expects to start its operations by the end of april. the new airline would break even in the very first year of operation  mr mallya said.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "moore questions captaincy brian moore believes the england captain should not be a full-back.  jason robinson has led the team during their opening three defeats in the six nations tournament  in the absence of fly-half jonny wilkinson. the world champions have struggled since the retirement of former captain martin johnson  a lock forward. and former england captain moore told the bbc:  full-backs are too far away from the action. that s not a reflection on robinson personally.  he added:  i just think the point of influence needs to move closer to the pack - which is  after all  where games usually start and finish.  moore says a lack of cohesion in the forwards is one of the reasons why england have lost against wales  france and ireland in this year s tournament.  assertiveness in the pack isn t there  we re not getting enough people into the breakdowns   he explained.  wer e not getting quick ball  which means the backs are being stifled. their creativity depends on quick ball and we re not getting that.   with injuries depriving him of key players like wilkinson  coach andy robinson has given youngsters such as harry ellis and jamie noon a chance. and moore believes the last two games against italy and scotland are a good opportunity to experiment further.  the problem is the players that are around to replace the icons which have been lost because of retirement and injury don t have the requisite experience   moore added.  you can t do anything about that but play them. there are players who have been knocking on the door  it s time for them to be looked at in these last two games because there s nothing on them.  we then go into next season with a greater certainty of who can and cannot handle the pressure of international rugby.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "italy 17-28 ireland two moments of magic from brian o driscoll guided ireland to a workmanlike victory against italy.  a pair of classic outside breaks from the ireland captain set up tries for geordan murphy and peter stringer. italy led 9-8 early in the second half but stringer s try gave ireland a lead they never lost. the hosts cut the gap to 18-12 with 10 minutes left and nearly scored through ludovico nitoglia  but denis hickie s try ensured an irish victory. italy came flying out of the blocks and took the lead through a luciano orquera penalty after seven minutes.  it could have been better for the hosts but the fly-half missed two kickable penalties and ireland drew level with a ronan o gara penalty midway through the first half. the italians were driving at the heart of the irish defence and  for the first quarter  the irish pack struggled to secure any ball for their talented backs.  when they finally did  just before the half-hour mark  o driscoll promptly created a sparkling try for murphy. the ireland captain ran a dummy scissors and made a magical outside break before drawing the full-back and putting the diving murphy in at the corner. o gara missed the twice-taken conversion and the visitors found themselves trailing once again. roland de marigny took over the kicking duties for italy from the hapless orquera  and he landed a penalty either side of the break to edge italy into a 9-8 lead.  the only ireland player offering a real threat was o driscoll  and it was his break that set up the second try for the visitors. shane horgan threw an overhead pass as he was about to be forced into touch and stringer scooted over  with o gara landing the tricky conversion. a penalty apiece saw ireland leading 18-12 as the game entered the final quarter  but they were lucky to survive when italy launched a series of attacks. winger nitoglia dropped the ball as he reached for the line and italy nearly rumbled over from a driving maul.  an o gara penalty put ireland more than a converted try ahead and they made the game safe when hickie latched onto an inside pass from murphy and crossed for a converted try. o driscoll limped off late on  joining centre partner gordon d arcy on the sidelines  and the final word went to italy. prop martin castrogiovanni powered over for a try which was fitting reward for an italian pack which had kept the irish under pressure throughout.  de marigny; mi bergamasco  canale  masi  nitoglia; orquera  troncon; lo cicero  ongaro  castrogiovanni; dellape  bortolami; persico  ma bergamasco  parisse.  perugini  intoppa  del fava  dal maso  griffen  pozzebon  robertson.  murphy  horgan  o driscoll  d arcy  hickie  o gara  stringer  corrigan  byrne  hayes  o kelly  o connell  s easterby  leamy  foley.  sheahan  horan  o callaghan  miller  g easterby  humphreys  dempsey.  p o brien (new zealand)", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "latest opera browser gets vocal net browser opera 8.0  due for official release at the end of next month  will be  the most accessible browser on the market   according to its authors.  the latest version of the net browser can be controlled by voice command and will read pages aloud. the voice features  based on ibm technology  are currently only available in the windows version. opera can also magnify text by up to 10 times and users can create  style sheets   its developers say. this will enable them to view pages with colours and fonts that they prefer. but the browser does not yet work well with screen reader software often used by blind people  so its accessibility features are more likely to appeal to those with some residual vision.  our mission was always to provide the best internet experience for everyone   said opera spokeswoman  berit hanson.  so we would obviously not want to exclude disabled computer users.   another feature likely to appeal to people with low vision is the ability to make pages fit to the screen width  which eliminates the need for horizontal scrolling.  the company points out that this will also appeal to anyone using opera with a handheld device. the company says that features like voice activation are not solely aimed at visually impaired people.  our idea was to take a first step in making human-computer interaction more natural   said ms hanson.  people are not always in a situation where they can access a keyboard  so this makes the web a more hands-free experience.  unlike commercially available voice recognition software  opera does not have to be  trained  to recognise an individual voice. around 50 voice commands are available and users will have to wear a headset which incorporates a microphone. the voice recognition function is currently only available in english. opera is free to download but a paid-for version comes without an ad banner in the top right hand corner and with extra support. opera began life as a research project - a spin-off from norwegian telecoms company telenor. its browser is used by an estimated 10 million people on a variety of operating systems and a number of different platforms.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "ferdinand casts doubt over glazer rio ferdinand has said he is unsure of malcolm glazer s motives after the american billionaire launched a new offer to buy manchester united.  the club have confirmed that the glazer family partnership have submitted proposals of a third bid.  a lot of people want the club s interest to be with people who have grown up with the club and have got its interests at heart   said ferdinand.  no one knows what this guy will be bringing to the table.  the central defender added on bbc radio five live:  we will have to wait and see what glazer comes with.  i would like to see the situation resolved either way.  i think people are getting bored with him coming in and out of the news with new proposals.  the other stuff off the pitch takes the shine off what is going on the pitch.   glazer  currently owns a 28.1% stake in the club  and united s statement to the stock exchange said:  the board has noted the recent press speculation on this subject.  the board can confirm that it has now received a detailed proposal subject to various pre-conditions which may form the basis of an offer for manchester united from glazer.  a further announcement will be made in due course.  glazer s previous bids for the club  which united supporters opposed  were rejected by the board because of the high level of debt they would incur. but it is believed that glazer has substantially reduced the borrowing required for his latest move. he will still need the approval of major shareholders john magnier and jp mcmanus  who own 28.9% of the club to succeed. but the irish duo have cut off talks with glazer over the proposed sale of their stake  while fans remain opposed to his involvement.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "jackson film  absolute disaster  a pr expert has told the michael jackson child abuse trial that the tv documentary at the heart of the case was an  absolute disaster .  ann kite told the court in the californian town of santa maria she was hired to  crisis manage  the fallout after the programme had aired in 2003. jurors saw the film  in which the pop star held hands with the alleged victim  on tuesday. mr jackson denies 10 charges of child abuse and false imprisonment. if convicted  he could face up to 21 years in prison.  ms kite suggested jackson s associates had been intent on launching a smear campaign against the accuser s family after the airing of martin bashir s film living with michael jackson. she told the court that in the aftermath of the broadcast  a jackson lawyer had told her the boy s mother would be made to look like a  crack whore . jackson s defence questioned ms kite s credibility  pointing that she worked for the singer s team for less than a week before being fired  and had never met or spoken to the star.  ms kite said she received a phone call on 13 february 2003 from a jackson associate  marc schaffel  who said the boy and his family had left the neverland ranch where they had been staying.  ms kite told the court she had later asked jackson s lawyer  david legrand  what had happened.  i said  `don t make me believe that these people were hunted down like dogs and brought back to the ranch    she said. ms kite began to work for mr jackson in february 2003  after the controversial film was televised in the us and europe. the documentary sparked a media storm and the subsequent investigation into mr jackson s relationship with the boy. in the film  the singer said he did not see anything wrong with sharing a bed with a child.  questioned by the prosecution  ms kite said her plan had been to move media coverage of the star away from a focus on his human frailties to concentrate more on his musical genius. ms kite said that an additional problem was the release of documents relating to a previous allegation of child abuse against mr jackson. the smoking gun website publication was  beyond disaster   ms kite said. correspondents say the reference is important because it was unclear whether the prosecution would be able to bring up the previous case in front of the jury.  the judge is studying whether the prosecution s first witness  reporter martin bashir  is in contempt of court. the defence protested after mr bashir  who interviewed jackson for the tv documentary  refused to answer nearly all their questions  citing a california  shield  law intended to allow journalists to protect their sources. in the prosecution s opening statement on monday  tom sneddon told the court that mr jackson had shown the boy porn and plied him with wine  in order to molest him. he said the singer had visited sexually explicit websites and showed the boy - who was 13 at the time - and his younger brother pornography at his ranch.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "wales  must learn health lessons  the new health minister for wales says there are lessons to learn from england in tackling waiting lists.  dr brian gibbons  on his first full day in the job after jane hutt was sacked  admitted  big challenges  but insisted the  essentials  were in place. but both plaid cymru and the liberal democrats said dr gibbons needed to change policy. meanwhile ms hutt defended her record  saying waiting times and lists were  only 10% of the health agenda. dr gibbons  who was a gp in blaengwynfi  in the upper afan valley  before becoming am for aberavon  said nhs staff wanted a period of consolidation after  tremendous change and reform . one of the biggest problems which had faced ms hutt during her five-and-a-half years as the assembly s first health minister was the length of waiting lists in wales.  in november the british medical association said nhs staff were  weeping with despair  as figures showed 311 000 people were waiting for treatment in wales  up by 2 400 on the previous month. in the same month lists in england were at their lowest for 17 years  with 856 600 people waiting for treatment. dr gibbons told radio wales:  there is no doubt that  in managing waiting lists  england has done a lot of very very useful work  and we do need to learn from that.   but he said the nhs in wales also needed to create a healthier population rather than respond only to ill health  and a balanced view of priorities was important.  we do need a consistent across-the-board approach  recognising the patients  experience of how they use the service is going to be  at the end of the day  the main test of how the service is working.  he said nhs staff wanted a period of consolidation after  tremendous change and reform . later  dr gibbons praised the work of ms hutt  saying he  agreed with everything she s done  to change the health service in wales. dr gibbons said he accepted there was a problem  but his job now was to build on the foundations put in place by his predecessor. he also acknowledged that until the waiting list issue was sorted out  the rest of the assembly government s health policy would be overshadowed.  opposition members and some labour mps had long called for ms hutt s removal after sustained criticism over extended hospital waiting times. first minister rhodri morgan told bbc wales he had agreed with ms hutt in 2003 that she would not be health minister in the run-up to the 2007 elections.  she s been doing the job for five years and eight months and  apart from nye bevan himself  (architect of the nhs)  i don t think anybody has ever done the job for so long.  mr morgan said he had only told ms hutt of the reshuffle on monday morning  and said the nhs in wales was dr gibbons   baby  now. in response to dr gibbons  comments  ieuan wyn jones  leader of the plaid cymru group in the assembly  said:  it is apparent that this reshuffle by the first minister was just changing the deckchairs on a sinking titanic.  kisrty williams  for the lib dems  added:  if the underlying policy is going to continue  then changing the minister will serve no purpose  other than to deflect flak from labour s mps   she said. meanwhile ms hutt said she hoped  that the people of wales would benefit from my investment of the past five years and eight months  asked about waiting lists  she said that waiting times and lists were  only 10% of the health agenda  and that the welsh assembly government had  turned the corner  on the issue.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "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.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "isinbayeva heads for birmingham olympic pole vault champion yelena isinbayeva has confirmed she will take part in the 2005 norwich union grand prix in birmingham on 18 february.   everybody knows how much i enjoy competing in britain. i always seem to break records there   said isinbayeva.  as olympic champion there will be more attention on me this year  but hopefully i can respond with another record in birmingham.  kelly holmes and carolina kluft are among other athens winners competing. the organisers are hoping that isinbayeva s main rival  fellow russian svetlana feofanova  will also take part in the event. the pair had a thrilling battle in athens which ended with isinbayeva finally jumping a world record of 4.91m to claim the gold medal. isinbayeva  22  has set 10 world records in the pole vault  three of which have come on british soil.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "new media battle for bafta awards the bbc leads the nominations for the bafta interactive awards  including one for the radio times website and one for sport interactive s euro 2004 coverage.  the awards  which were started in 1997  recognise the best websites  digital tv shows and cd roms. other nominees include the guardian news website  the national theatre  mtv  the science museum and the london stock exchange. the winners from 12 different categories are crowned on 2 march 2005. there were nearly 400 entries this year - a third more than last year. the bbc has 16 nominations while the guardian has three nominations.   this year s nominees are a testament to the creative and innovative work going on within the industry   said grant dean  chair of the interactive committee. categories include interactive tv  film  digital tv  mobile phones and music. shaun of the dead  oasis  definitely maybe  really bend it like beckham  the chaplin collection and the day today will battle it out in the dvd category.  itv s great british spelling test takes on the bbc s olympics and spooks interactive for the interactive tv award. and the guardian takes three of a possible five nominations in the news and sport category for its website coverage of euro 2004  the tour de france and the us elections. the bbc s ican site is up for the technical and social innovation award alongside the likes of nottingham university s uncle roy all around you. in 2002  the british academy of film and television decided to split the awards into separate games and interactive ceremonies  to fully cover the range of innovation outside the gaming industry.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "keanu reeves given hollywood star actor keanu reeves  best known for his role in the matrix movies  has been awarded a star on the prestigious hollywood walk of fame.  the 40-year-old attended the unveiling of the star with his mother  patricia  and thanked her for inspiring him to become an actor.  when i was 15 years old i asked my mom if it was ok to be an actor   reeves said.  she said:  whatever you want .  his star is the 2 277th to be embedded in the pavement on hollywood boulevard.  the actor  who was born in the lebanese capital beirut  also spoke of how he dropped out of school to pursue an acting career.  hollywood was calling   he said   so i got in my car  a 1969 british racing green volvo with holes in the floor and bricks holding up the seats. i was a young man full of hopes and dreams.  reeves first found fame in the teen comedy bill and ted s excellent adventure  and went on to combine such blockbusters as speed  the devil s advocate and the matrix series  with smaller films including my own private idaho. more recently he was seen in something s gotta give alongside jack nicholson and diane keaton. his next film  the supernatural thriller constantine  is released in the us later this month and opens in the uk in march.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "u2 s desire to be number one u2  who have won three prestigious grammy awards for their hit vertigo  are stubbornly clinging to their status as one of the biggest bands in the world.  the most popular groups in the history of rock all have several things in common. the music must be inspired and appeal across generations and be distinctive  if not always groundbreaking. but such success is down to more than music. they have to be compelling performers  charismatic and intelligent enough to make good decisions and keep their feet on the ground. they also have to want it. they have to want to be the biggest band ever and not stop wanting it. the beatles had it  the rolling stones still have it  rem hold onto it and queen were it in a catsuit. and u2 have it in spades  and keep churning it out. their new album  how to dismantle an atomic bomb  comes 28 years after the schoolfriends got together in dublin and 17 years after the joshua tree cemented their place on the all-time rock a-list.  they may have lost some of the edginess and raw  youthful force that propelled them to the top  but they have lost none of the desire or ability to craft songs and albums.  vertigo  the first single from the new album  went straight into the uk singles chart at number one  knocking eminem off the top spot and giving them their 26th top 10 hit.  the challenge is to be bigger and bolder and better - to make records the whole world will listen to   bono recently said. drummer larry mullen jr echoed those sentiments:  we re very competitive - we want to be on the radio  have big singles. we don t want to be thought of as a veteran band.  the band have done  everything in their considerable powers  to ensure they remain the biggest band in the world  according to q magazine editor paul rees.   this makes them hugely determined and formidable.  he added:  they are equally determined to push themselves to make music that continues to stand up.  as such  they ve constantly re-invented and challenged themselves. they are  perhaps  alone as the only rock band that has got better with age.  the other key ingredient was the fact they were highly organised  mr rees said.  they do everything in the right way.  the group were born when mullen put an appeal for bandmates on a high school notice board  attracting fellow pupils paul hewson (bono  vocals)  adam clayton (bass)  david evans (the edge  guitar) and his brother dick.  dick evans soon dropped out and the four-piece were known as the feedback and the hype before settling on u2.  by 1978  they had won a talent contest and got noticed by a manager  paul mcguinness.  they were brilliant  but very coarse   mcguinness recently said.  in a way  they were doing exactly what they do now. only badly.  they struggled to attract record company attention  later being described as  pretty damn average  and  strange and eerie  by scouts who saw them live. they released two ireland-only singles  which topped the national charts in 1979 and 1980  leading to a deal with island and their debut album boy. the stadium-filling  anthemic sound was u2 s aim from the start  and their third album  war  saw them make the breakthrough on both sides of the atlantic  going to number one in the uk and 12 in the us. songs like sunday bloody sunday and new year s day brought success and an image as a political and spiritual band - which bono rejected as a cliche.  his stage performances - which included flag-waving  speaker-climbing and drum-throwing - earned him a reputation as an electric performer  and their appearance at 1985 s live aid is widely seen as sealing their global stardom.  in 1987  the joshua tree broke sales records and saw the band reach the height of their powers with hits including where the streets have no name  i still haven t found what i m looking for and with or without you. those songs took the band s epic  atmospheric sound to a simple  powerful and popular pinnacle. the end of the decade marked a crucial point for the band - they had reached the top but still yearned for new challenges and achievements. these came in the form of explorations of different branches of rock and forays into electronic dance music  plus wildly extravagant stage shows  while still trying to retain their mass appeal. the achtung baby album in 1991 was followed by zooropa  pop and their corresponding stadium tours  which featured giant olives  flying cars  live phone calls to the white house and bono s transformation into alter-egos the fly and macphisto. he was also building a parallel reputation - not always to the pleasure of his bandmates - as a campaigner on issues from global debt to aids. before the release of how to dismantle an atomic bomb  they had sold 125 million albums around the world. but they still want more.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "strike threat over pension plans millions of public service workers could strike if ministers scrap their final salary pension scheme and make them work longer  warn union leaders.  the cabinet office has confirmed it is reviewing the current pension system  prompting unions representing 4.5m workers to threaten united action. they believe the plans include raising the mandatory retirement age for public service workers from 60 to 65. the government says unions will be consulted before any changes are made.  it is thought the proposed overhaul  due on thursday  could mean pensions could be based on a  career average  salary. for each year served  staff currently get one eightieth of their highest salary in the final three years. ministers will be anxious to avoid mass strike action in the lead-up to the next general election  which is widely expected next may. in a statement on sunday  the cabinet office said it was reviewing the civil service pension scheme  and hoped to announce proposals soon.  unions will of course be consulted about any proposed changes.  public sector pension schemes need to remain affordable and sustainable. people are living longer and pensions are getting more expensive.  to maintain the long-term affordability of our pension scheme  the government announced in its green paper on pensions that pension age would rise from 60 to 65.  on monday  tony blair s official spokesman declined to say whether the prime minister backed the plans. he said:  what s important is that there s a process going on  it s out for consultation at the moment  let s wait for that process to complete itself.   there is already widespread anger over the chancellor s plans to get rid of more than 100 000 civil servants. now public service unions are united against the plans and the trades union congress is discussing the issue next monday. dave prentis  general secretary of unison  said changes to pension provisions for workers in the public sector would mean they had to pay in more but would still face a raw deal.  members working in the nhs or for local government have never had high pay or city bonuses  but they could look forward to a decent pension - now all that is being taken away   he said.  what really riles me is the breathtaking hypocrisy of mps who recently voted themselves the best pension scheme in europe  but say they can t afford it for anyone else.  this is a position that unison cannot accept and will oppose. it will lead to conflict between unison and the government  if not this year then next.   mr prentis said workers did not want to go on strike and called for talks between unions and the highest level of government. mark serwotka  from the public and commercial services union said there should be a co-ordinated one day strike unless there was a government rethink. the fire brigades union said the government was planning to cut ill health retirement benefits for firefighters and other measures to chip away at pensions. pensions officer paul woolstenholmes said:  the pensions of millions of public sector workers are under threat - apart from mps and judges who have the most generous pensions arrangements in the country.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "halo 2 heralds traffic explosion the growing popularity of online gaming could spell problems for net service firms  warns network monitoring company sandvine.  it issued the warning following analysis which shows that traffic on the xbox game network increased fourfold on the launch day of halo 2. the 9 november traffic explosion has continued into december  said sandvine. service providers now need to make sure that their networks can cope with the increasing demands for bandwidth. as well as being a popular single-player title  halo 2 can be connected to microsoft s subscription-based broadband network  xbox live. gamers who want to play online can create their own clan  or team  and take on others to see how well they compare.  but the surge in numbers and huge demands for bandwidth should be a wake-up call to the industry which must ensure that their networks can cope with the increases in traffic  said sandvine s chief technology officer marc morin.  in a bid to cope and ease congestion  providers are increasingly making their networks intelligent  finding out who is using bandwidth and for what. it could become common to charge people for the amount of bandwidth they use.  the explosion in xbox live traffic attributed to halo 2 should be seen as a clarion call   he said.  isps need to enhance the broadband experience for these high-end users by prioritising or reserving bandwidth for games   he added.  one of the main factors that spoils online gaming is  lag  in which there is a noticeable delay between a gamer clicking on a mouse or keyboard and what happens in the online gaming world. gamers tend to migrate toward networks with the lowest  lag . analysing traffic will become increasingly important for service providers if they are to hold on to bandwidth-hungry gamers said lindsay schroth  an analyst with research firm the yankee group.  in the competitive broadband environment  operators need to differentiate the way they offer access to services like live-play gaming   she said. in countries such as korea  which has high levels of fast net connections to homes  online gaming is hugely popular.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "star trek fans fight to save show star trek fans have taken out a full-page ad in the los angeles times in an attempt to persuade tv executives not to scrap star trek: enterprise.  made by the upn tv network  the latest spin-off from the hit sci-fi show is due to end in may after four series. but fans around the world have pitched in to pay for the advert  which had the headline  save star trek . they are also asking the sci-fi channel to pick it up from upn and will stage a rally in los angeles on 25 february.  the advert described the star trek franchise as a  cultural icon . enterprise stars former quantum leap actor scott bakula as captain archer and is set before the original 1960s star trek series.  captain archer and the crew of the nx-01 need your help to continue their journeys!  the advert said. it also included a cut-out coupon for fans to send to upn s parent companies paramount and viacom plus the sci-fi channel. it also urged supporters to join the rally outside the paramount studios.  fan website trek united is hoping to raise $32m (\u00a317m) from donations by the end of march to pay for a fifth series. more than $23 000 (\u00a312 000) has been pledged so far  according to the site. the 98th and final episode of star trek: enterprise will air in the us on 13 may. the fourth series has averaged 2.9 million viewers per episode - half the amount it got in its first series. star trek: enterprise began in 2001 following other star trek spin-off series the next generation  deep space nine and voyager.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "murphy: that was a bruising battle that s what i call a tough game. it was very physical and fair play to the italians they made us work very hard for our victory.  their organisation was very  very good and they proved again that they are getting better and better as the years go by. it is by far the strongest italian team that we have faced. we knew all along that we would be a huge threat particularly the first game in the championship. it was not like the days gone by when you could get scores on the board early. we had to work our socks off and try and build our scores gradually. it was really hard work out there and the players have plenty of bumps and bruises to prove it. i m not too bad  but there are one or two others who will be feeling it a bit on monday morning. in the backs  we were not frustrated at such  but the new rucking laws were a little bit problematical. the different interpretations between the referee and the players was a little difficult. but we managed to get the ball in our hands and i got a try near the end of the first half. it s always good to score. it was great work by brian and i always knew i had scored even though it went upstairs to the video referee. eddie (o sullivan) was very calm at half-time even though we were only 8-6 ahead. he spelled out what we needed to do and advocated getting the ball out of our own territory.  that new ruck law made it a bit more difficult to get out of our own half. we were penalised a lot at the breakdown  and if they had kicked all their chances at goal we would have been behind at the break. so really we went back to playing a territory game and simplifying things and having more patience on the ball. every one was a little down after the game following the injuries to brian and gordon. as yet we do not know the full extent of the injuries  but it does not that good. now we have to focus on scotland and only six days to recover. it s a big ask after such a bruising encounter. i was very impressed the way the scots played against the french on saturday. it could so easily have gone their way but for a couple of decisions. we will be under no illusions it is going to be tough for us. in the meantime  when in rome ... .", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "ford gains from finance not cars ford  the us car company  reported higher fourth quarter and full-year profits on thursday boosted by a buoyant period for its car loans unit.  net income for 2004 was $3.5bn (\u00a31.87bn) - up nearly $3bn from 2003 - while turnover rose $7.2bn to $170.8bn. in the fourth quarter alone ford reported net income of $104m  compared with a loss of $793m a year ago. but its auto unit made a loss. fourth quarter turnover was $44.7bn  compared to $45.9bn a year ago.  though car and truck loan profits saved the day  ford s auto unit made a pre-tax loss of $470m in the fourth quarter (compared to a profit of \u00a313m in the year-ago period) and its us sales dipped 3.8%.  yesterday general motor s results also showed its finance unit was a strong contributor to profits. however  ford is working hard to revitalise its product portfolio  unveiling the fusion and zephyr models at the international motor show in detroit. it also brought out a number of new models in the second half of 2004.  in 2004  our company gained momentum  delivering...more new products  and more innovative breakthroughs  such as the escape hybrid  the industry s first full-hybrid sport utility vehicle   said chairman and chief executive officer bill ford.    we also confronted operating challenges with our jaguar brand and high industry marketing costs   he added. but ford declined to provide guidance for first quarter 2005. it will do so at a presentation in new york on 26 january. in addition  the company said 2004 net income was affected by a fourth-quarter pre-tax charge taken to reduce the value of a receivable owed to ford by visteon  a former subsidiary. recent new models introduced by ford include the ford five hundred and mercury montego sedans  the ford freestyle crossover  the ford mustang  the land rover lr3/discovery  and volvo s40 and v50 in north america and europe. total company vehicle unit sales in 2004 were 6 798 000  an increase of 62 000 units from 2003. fourth-quarter vehicle unit sales totalled 1 751 000  a decline of 133 000 units. for the full year  ford s worldwide automotive division earned a pre-tax profit of $850m  a $697m improvement from $153m a year ago.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "hewitt falls to dent in adelaide lleyton hewitt suffered a shock defeat to taylor dent in the quarter-finals of the australian hardcourt championships in adelaide on friday.  the top seed was a strong favourite for the title but went down 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to the american. dent will face juan ignacio chela next after the fourth seed was too strong for jurgen melzer. olivier rochus beat third seed nicolas kiefer 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (8-6) 7-5 and will take on second seed joachim johansson. the swede reached the last four by beating compatriot thomas enqvist 6-3 4-6 6-1.  i felt like i was striking the ball much better   said johansson.   i felt like i had a lot of break chances  i didn t take care of them all  but i broke him four times and he only broke me once.  i felt that was the key to get up in the set early.  hewitt played down his defeat and insisted he is focused solely on the australian open  which starts on 17 january.  when you ve been number one in the world for a couple of years and won a couple of slams  you look at the big picture and what motivates you   said hewitt.  that s the grand slams and melbourne s as big for me as any of the four. even if i don t win sydney next week it s no big deal.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "ban on forced retirement under 65 employers will no longer be able to force workers to retire before 65  unless they can justify it.  the government has announced that firms will be barred from 2006 from imposing arbitrary retirement ages. under new european age discrimination rules  a default retirement age of 65 will be introduced. workers will be permitted to request staying on beyond this compulsory retirement age  although employers will have the right to refuse. trade and industry secretary patricia hewitt said people would not be forced to work longer than they wanted  saying the default age was not a statutory  compulsory retirement age. she said employers would be free to continue employing people for as long as they were competent.  under age discrimination proposals from the department of trade and industry last year workers were to be allowed to work on till 70 if they wished.  business leaders had opposed the plan as they said it would be too costly and cumbersome. the british chambers of commerce welcomed the latest proposal.  this move today is the best of both worlds   it said.  employers have the ability to define the end point of the employer-employee relationship and employees have flexibility with a right to request to work past the age of 65.  but age concern said imposing a retirement age of 65 was  cowardly  and a  complete u-turn .  this makes a mockery of the government s so-called commitment to outlawing ageism  leaving the incoming age discrimination law to unravel   said gordon lishman  director general of age concern england .  it is now inevitable that older people will mount legal challenges to the decision using european law.  the decision will have no impact on the age at which workers can collect their state pension  the government has said.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "gamer buys $26 500 virtual land a 22-year-old gamer has spent $26 500 (\u00a313 700) on an island that exists only in a computer role-playing game (rpg).  the australian gamer  known only by his gaming moniker deathifier  bought the island in an online auction. the land exists within the game project entropia  an rpg which allows thousands of players to interact with each other. entropia allows gamers to buy and sell virtual items using real cash  while fans of other titles often use auction site ebay to sell their virtual wares. earlier this year economists calculated that these massively multi-player online role-playing games (mmorpgs) have a gross economic impact equivalent to the gdp of the african nation of namibia.   this is a historic moment in gaming history  and this sale only goes to prove that massive multi-player online gaming has reached a new plateau   said marco behrmann  director of community relations at mindark  the game s developer.  the virtual island includes a gigantic abandoned castle and beautiful beaches which are described as ripe for developing beachfront property. deathifier will make money from his investment as he is able to tax other gamers who come to his virtual land to hunt or mine for gold. he has also begun to sell plots to people who wish to build virtual homes.  this type of investment will definitely become a trend in online gaming   said deathifier. the entopia economy lets gamers exchange real currency into ped (project entropia dollars) and back again into real money. ten peds are the equivalent to one us dollar and typical items sold include iron ingots ($5) and shogun armour ($1.70) gamers can theoretically earn money by accumulating peds through the acquisition of goods  buildings  and land in the entropia universe. mmorpgs have become enormously popular in the last 10 years with hundreds of thousands of gamers living out alternate lives in fantasy worlds. almost 200 000 people are registered players on project entropia.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "tory leader quits legal position david mcletchie has resigned from his post as a partner in a legal firm following criticism over his dual role.  the scottish conservative leader had insisted that his legal work with tods murray did not influence the causes he supports. but on friday he said:  i have tendered my resignation as a partner with immediate effect.  mr mcletchie had received advice from holyrood officials about what details he needed to declare. labour said he had  cleverly  not asked about paid advocacy. a tory spokesman  totally refuted  any wrongdoing.  mr mcletchie received advice from the clerk to the standards committee after concern over him signing a parliamentary motion questioning expansion plans for edinburgh airport. the msp had been a partner for tods murray which has a client opposing the development. mr mcletchie did not have a complaint made against him  but when concerns were raised he sought guidance from the standards committee to clarify his position. he was advised to exercise judgement to avoid the perception of a conflict and said he had done nothing wrong.  explaining his reason for quitting the post  mr mcletchie said:  i have been greatly concerned by the recent publicity surrounding my association with tods murray.  however  i have no wish to see a similar situation arise again.  to avoid any misconceptions in the future and be mindful of the good name of tods murray and the confidentiality to which its clients are entitled  i have brought forward the date of my retirement from the firm which would otherwise have happened later this year.  i am proud to have been a part of tods murray for the last 29 years and wish it well in the future.   labour msp christine may had said mr mcletchie was  very clever  to ask the clerk to consider his conduct in respect of section 5 of the code.  he was almost bound to get the answer he wanted from this enquiry since he stands accused of breaching section 6  the section on paid advocacy   she said. section 5 of the members interest order legally obliges msps to declare registrable interests before taking part in related parliamentary proceedings  where the interest would prejudice or give the appearance of prejudicing their ability to participate in a disinterested manner . however  msps  code of conduct  recognises a wider definition  of parliamentary proceedings  including a non-statutory requirement to make a declaration in relation to written notices  such as motions.  but a letter from holyrood s chamber office chief ken hughes also made clear that mr mcletchie did not need to list any of the clients for whom he worked as a solicitor. commenting on mr mcletchie s decision to stand down  a scottish labour party spokesman said:  this should mean mr mcletchie doesn t breach the paid advocacy rules in future.  however it doesn t change the fact that there should be a full investigation into whether he has done this in the past.   scottish national party holyrood leader nicola sturgeon accused mr mcletchie of failing to properly serve his constituents. ms sturgeon said:  i think this whole episode has been very damaging for mr mcletchie and i m sure he will be reflecting on it.  she added that she thought that the tories were an irrelevant party so she would not  lose any sleep over it . peter misselbrook  executive partner of tods murray said mr mcletchie had been considering retirement later in the year. he added:  david has decided that this announcement should be made now and we fully understand and appreciate his reasons for doing so.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "us crude prices surge above $53 us crude prices have soared to fresh four-month highs above $53 in the us as refinery problems propelled petrol prices to an all-time high.  us light sweet crude futures jumped to $53.09 a barrel in new york before closing at $53.03. the gains tracked a surge in us gasoline futures to a record high of $1.4850 a gallon. the jump followed a fire at western refining company s refinery in texas  which shut down petrol production. a spokesman for the group was unable to say when the production unit would be back up and running.  this market simply wants to go up   citigroup global markets analyst kyle cooper told reuters news agency. ed silliere  analyst at energy merchant  added:  gasoline is up because of the refinery issues in texas  which means there will be a scramble for product in the (us) gulf coast.   elsewhere  a refinery in houston was closed due to mechanical problems  while on tuesday production at bp s texas city refinery was taken down for a short time. in the approach to spring  the market becomes much more sensitive to problems with petrol production as dealers anticipate rising demand for fuel ahead of the holiday season. the rise in prices came despite a us government report that showed domestic supplies of fuel oil and fuel were rising. meanwhile  oil production cartel opec s recent announcement that it was now unlikely to cut production levels has also failed to calm fears on the market. oil prices are roughly 45% higher than a year ago and have risen sharply in recent weeks due to a combination of colder weather  the declining value of the dollar and fears that opec could rein in production to head off a seasonal drop in demand. instability in iraq and underlying fears about terrorism have also played a part in the rally.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "veteran comic cyril fletcher dies veteran comedian and broadcaster cyril fletcher has died aged 91 at his home in guernsey.  fletcher will be remembered for his  odd odes  and amusing misprints on tv show that s life in the 1970s and 80s  as well as a long variety career. he was also a regular on does the team think   a comic version of radio information show the brains trust. that s life host esther rantzen said he was  so lovely  and a  delight  to work with.  the thing about cyril was that he was  to use a slightly old-fashioned phrase  an english gentleman   she said.  he was courteous  and understated  and he adored gardens  particularly creating them for his beautiful wife.   he was funny and witty to work with. he was a real friend and i shall miss him.  one of the last comedians of old-time variety era  fletcher made his first tv appearance in 1937. a year after bbc television began  he was seen reciting humorous poems  appearing in a revue  tele-ho  and playing the emperor of morocco in the first televised pantomime  dick whittington. he went on to become a regular voice on radio  have a string of tv shows in the 1950s and appear in several films  including 1947 s nicholas nickleby. he married actress betty astell in 1941 and in the 1950s and 60s  they produced pantos and summer shows  discovering new stars including harry secombe. in the mid-1990s  fletcher said he had made a  fabulous living  since the age of 22 and had never had a day out of work.  he was most recently seen presenting a gardening programme for channel tv. fletcher was described as a  consummate professional  by his friend and fellow broadcaster michael pointon.  it really was a pleasure to work with him - he had met everyone and done everything   mr pointon said.  he was a whimsical  droll fellow  but also a very artistic man. as a friend  he was very kind  and generous.  fletcher s daughter jill said her father would be sorely missed.  he was greatly loved by the public   she said.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "consumers  snub portable video  consumers want music rather than movies while on the move  says a report.  produced by jupiter research the analysis of the portable media player market found only 13% of europeans want to watch video while out and about. by contrast  almost a third are interested in listening to music on a portable player such as an ipod. the firm said gadget makers should avoid hybrid devices and instead make sure music reproduction was as good as possible.  the report concluded that the driving force behind the growth of europe s portable player market was likely to be music  rather than films or any combination of the two. barely 5% of those questioned said they wanted a player that could play back both music and movies. only 7% wanted a player that could handle games and video.   dedicated music players are the only established digital media players in europe today despite their high prices   said ian fogg  jupiter analyst. mr fogg said although video players and smartphones were trying to cash in on this success they faced a tough job because of the compromises that had to be made when creating a dual-purpose device.  europeans care most about music playback   he said. the report showed that 27% of consumers asked are interested in portable music players. the research revealed that french  39%  and british  31%  consumers were most interested in music players. mr fogg said portable video players were likely to remain a niche product that would not be able to compete with devices dedicated to music playback.  a separate report by jupiter forecasts that the european digital music market will grow to 836m euros (\u00a3581m) by 2009. at the end of 2003  the market was worth 10.6m euros (\u00a37.36m). digital music players will be behind this market growth said jupiter . apple s ipod was launched in october 2001  but the portable music player market has been growing steadily since the launch of the creative nomad jukebox in mid-2000. now consumers face an almost overwhelming choice of high-capacity portable music players that let them store every track on every cd that they own.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "blair s hope for blunkett return the events leading to david blunkett s resignation must not  swept under the carpet   the tories have warned.  on wednesday tony blair said he hoped the former home secretary would serve again in government in the future. mr blunkett quit in december after a probe linked him to the visa application of his ex-lover s nanny. mr blair said he left  without a stain on his character  but tory dominic grieve branded the way mr blunkett s office operated as  scandalous . mr blair told bbc radio 4 s today programme:  i know david very well and i believe him to be a man of real integrity and real ability and i was very sad for him as to what happened.   he said mr blunkett still had an immense amount to offer the country but he was not making any  guarantees or definitive statements  about future jobs. but shadow attorney general mr grieve said:  while i don t rule out the possibility that mr blunkett may return as a minister  i don t think it s something that can simply be brushed under the carpet.  senior labour backbencher martin o neill  who chairs the commons trade committee  said he believed the prime minister would want one of his  praetorian guard  - a reference to the elite body guard of roman emperors - back alongside him. but colleague ian gibson  who chairs the science and technology committee  said there was a  question mark  as to whether mr blunkett could serve at cabinet level again.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "court rejects $280bn tobacco case a us government claim accusing the country s biggest tobacco companies of covering up the effects of smoking has been thrown out by an appeal court.  the demand for $280bn (\u00a3155bn) - filed by the clinton administration in 1999 - was rejected in a 2-1 decision. the court in washington found that the case could not be brought under federal anti-racketeering laws. among the accused were altria group  rj reynolds tobacco  lorillard tobacco  liggett group and brown and williamson. in its case  the government claimed tobacco firms manipulated nicotine levels to increase addiction  targeted teenagers with multi-billion dollar advertising campaigns  lied about the dangers of smoking and ignored research to the contrary.  prosecutors wanted the cigarette firms to surrender $280bn in profits accumulated over the past 50 years and impose tougher rules on marketing their products. but the court of appeals for the district of columbia ruled that the us government could not sue the firms under legislation drawn up to counteract mafia infiltration of business. the tobacco companies deny that they illegally conspired to promote smoking and defraud the public. they also say they have already met many of the government s demands in a landmark $206bn settlement reached with 46 states in 1998. shares of tobacco companies closed higher after the ruling  with altria rising 5% and reynolds showing gains of 4.5%.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "smith keen on home series return scotland manager walter smith has given his backing to the reinstatement of the home international series.  such a plan is to be proposed by the new chief executive of the northern irish fa  howard wells  at the next meeting of the four home countries. the english fa has expressed doubt as to whether the fixtures could be accommodated at the end of each season. but smith said:  bringing it back would add meaning to friendly games and that s something that s needed.  the home international series was done away with in 1984  with the traditional scotland-england fixture continuing until 1989. that game is one smith would be delighted to see reinstated.  the scotland v england match was a highlight of the end of the season   he added.  i was in italy for their friendly with russia last week and they made seven substitutions while only around 20 000 fans turned up to watch.  england were criticised for the 0-0 draw against holland - the way scotland were slammed in the past for poor results in friendlies.  you have to put a performance on in friendly games. if you don t  they can be de-motivating.  it can be a dangerous road to go down  if players don t apply themselves in the manner they should.  so i would support the return of the home internationals - the only problem would be fitting them in to the fixture schedule.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "parmalat sues 45 banks over crash parmalat has sued 45 banks as it tries to reclaim money paid to banks before the scandal-hit italian dairy company went bust last year.  the firm collapsed with debts of about 14bn euros ($19bn; \u00a310bn) and new boss enrico bondi has already taken legal action against a number of lenders. he claims the banks were aware of the problems but continued to work with the company so they could earn commissions. parmalat has not identified which banks it has gone after this time. under italian law  administrators can seek to get back money paid to financial institutions prior to insolvency  if there is a suspicion that the institutions knew that the company was in financial trouble. the firm also said it is preparing further law suits.  according to the reuters news agency  35 of the companies sued on thursday are italian while the remaining 10 are international. the unidentified parmalat source also told reuters that the company was planning to take action against a total of 80 financial institutions. among those already targeted are bank of america  ubs  credit suisse first boston  deutsche bank and citigroup. it has also gone after auditors grant thornton. they have all denied any wrongdoing. parmalat was declared insolvent in december 2003 after it emerged that 4bn euros thought to be held in an offshore account did not in fact exist. in the investigation that followed it became apparent that the company  among other things  had been billing clients twice in order to boost sales and bolster the balance sheet. that enabled parmalat to borrow heavily and expand overseas  allowing it to become a darling of the italian stock exchange.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "queen recruit singer for new tour the remaining members of rock band queen are to go on tour next year with former free and bad company singer paul rodgers taking freddie mercury s place.  guitarist brian may has said he expects to be on the road with rodgers and drummer roger taylor from april. may said:  suddenly the queen phoenix is rising again from the ashes and will take precedence over... our lives.  queen have played with many different singers since mercury s death in 1991 but have reportedly not toured. may performed with rodgers at a concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the fender stratocaster guitar in london in september.   we were both so amazed at the chemistry that was going on in [free hit] all right now  that suddenly it seems blindingly obvious that there was  something happening here    may wrote on his website. they teamed up again for a concert to mark their induction into the uk music hall of fame  and were joined by taylor.  the show went so incredibly well from our point of view  and we got so many rave reactions from out there  we decided almost then and there that we would look at a tour together   may wrote.  queen went to number one in 2000 with a version of we will rock you sung by boy band 5ive and they have also played with robbie williams  will young and bob geldof. queen bassist john deacon has currently retired from the stage. rodgers was singer with early 1970s rockers free  who had a global hit with all right now  before forming bad company  a successful  supergroup  with members of king crimson and mott the hoople. he has also been in the firm with led zeppelin s jimmy page and the law with the small faces and the who drummer kenny jones.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "iaaf will contest greek decision the international association of athletics federations will appeal against the acquittal of greek athletes kostas kenteris and katerina thanou.  the high-profile duo were cleared of doping offences by the greek athletics federation (segas) last month. now the iaaf will lodge an appeal with the court of arbitration for sport (cas) and has suspended both athletes. an iaaf statement said:  the doping review board concluded that the decision is erroneous.  the statement continued:  both athletes  cases will be refered to arbitration before the cas. the decision in both cases will be final and binding.   segas said the iaaf appeal was  expected  and  understandable.   now we are going to await the final result  which we cannot prejudge   said segas chairman vassilis sevastis. kenteris  who won olympic 200m gold at the 2000 olympics  and thanou were suspended by the iaaf last december after failing to take routine drugs tests before the athens games. however  the independent tribunal overturned those bans  clearing the sprinters of avoiding tests in tel aviv  chicago and athens and failing to notify anti-doping officials of their whereabouts before the olympics.  kenteris  lawyer gregory ioannidis described the iaaf s decision as  not unexpected  but told bbc sport he did not expect the organisation to take action so quickly.  the iaaf s timing is extremely surprising and it creates concerns and questions   said ioannidis.  the iaaf has not yet received the complete file of proceedings which include statements  testimonies  the closing speeches of defence counsel... and nine audio tapes.   we have the evidence and it is time the world discovered the truth.  kenteris and thanou dramatically withdrew from last summer s olympics after missing a drugs test at the olympic village on 12 august. the pair then spent four days in a hospital  claiming they had been injured in a motorcycle crash. it was the international olympic committee who demanded the iaaf investigate the affair. thanou and kenteris still face a criminal trial later this year for allegedly avoiding the test and then faking a motorcycle accident", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "india seeks to boost construction india has cleared a proposal allowing up to 100% foreign direct investment in its construction sector.  kamal nath  commerce and industry minister  announced the decision in delhi on thursday following a cabinet meeting. analysts say improving india s infrastructure will boost foreign investment in other sectors too. the indian government s decision has spread good cheer in the construction sector  according to some indian firms.  a spokesman for dlf builders  dr vancheshwar  told the bbc this will mean  better offerings  for consumers as well as builders. he said the firm will benefit from world class  strategic partnerships  design expertise and technology  while consumers will have better choice.   the government proposal states that foreign investment of up to 100% will be allowed on the  automatic route  in the construction sector  on projects including housing  hotels  resorts  hospitals and educational establishments. the automatic route means that construction companies need only get one set of official approvals and do not need to gain clearance from the foreign investment promotion board  which can be bureaucratic. the government hopes its new policy will create employment for construction workers  and benefit steel and brick-making industries.  mr nath also announced plans to allow foreign investors to develop a smaller area of any land they acquired.  foreign investors can enter any construction development area  be it to build resorts  townships or commercial premises but they will have to construct at least 50 000 square meters (538 000 square feet) within a specific timeframe   said mr nath  without specifying the timeframe. previously foreign investors had to develop a much larger area  discouraging some from entering the indian market. this measure is designed to discourage foreign investors from buying and selling land speculatively  without developing it. anshuman magazine  managing director  of cb richard ellis - an international real estate company - told the bbc this was  a big positive step.   however  chittabrata majumdar  general secretary of the centre of indian trade unions (citu)  said allowing fdi in the country is compromising india s own  self reliance . he said   no country can develop on the basis of foreign investment alone.  mr majumdar also said an assessment should be made as to whether foreign investment is indeed beneficial to the country - in terms of employment and money generated - or just another way of international companies filling their deep pockets.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "streets have  album of the year  the streets  aka british rapper and songwriter  mike skinner have topped a poll to find the year s best album.  a grand don t come for free beat keane s hope and fears in second place with franz ferdinand s self-titled album third  in the q magazine poll. skinner uses blunt beats under streetwise lyrics about such things as falling in love and drink and drugs. q magazine said:  a grand don t come for free captured the country s mood in a way no one could have predicted.  a grand don t come for free is the second album from the streets. it followed original pirate material. q magazine also had praise for the runners-up in the poll. keane s hopes and fears  was described as a  revelatory debut  which showed  they had songwriting flair to spare . it also said franz ferdinand s album sounded  natural  unforced (and) under-produced . rock band u2 s latest album how to dismantle an atomic bomb came fourth while razorlight s up all night was in fifth place. others notables on the list included dizzee rascal in at number 12 and the zutons at 20. estelle came in at 39  joss stone was 40th and jamelia took the 44th place.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "irish duo could block man utd bid irishmen jp mcmanus and john magnier  who own a 29% stake in manchester united  will reportedly reject any formal \u00a3800m offer for the club.  the sunday times and the sunday telegraph say they will oppose any formal \u00a3800m takeover bid from us tycoon malcom glazer. mr glazer got permission to look at the club s accounts last week. irish billionaires mr mcmanus and mr magnier are said to believe that an \u00a3800m bid undervalues club prospects.  mr magnier and mr mcmanus  who hold their stake through their cubic expression investment vehicle have the power to block a bid. mr glazer s financial backers  including jp morgan  the us investment bank have said they won t back a bid unless it receives backing from the owners of at least 75% of the club s shares. however  there has been much speculation that the irish duo simply do not think the price offered - 300p a share - is high enough. mr glazer has been stalking the premier league football club since 2003.  mr magnier and mr mcmanus issued a statement late on friday saying that they remained  long-term investors  in man utd. the sunday telegraph says the board of manchester united also considered a management buyout at just over 300p but did not go ahead with it.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "turkey deal  to help world peace  a deal bringing turkey a step closer to eu membership is of  fundamental importance  to the peace and security of the world  tony blair has said.  the deal  struck at the european council last week  also proved claims of a clash between muslims and christians were  wrong   mr blair said. it represented the achievement of an  historic british objective   he added. tory leader michael howard said the deal laid to rest any suggestion the eu was  anti-islamic .  turkey s involvement with the eu would provide an  invaluable bridge  between europe and the rest of the world  mr howard added. but the tory leader argued that the eu constitution was not designed to take in a country as large as turkey. mr blair has been a leading advocate of turkish membership despite controversy surrounding the idea. he insisted that the turkish leadership had made great advances in improving its human rights records. the deal to open formal talks with ankara came despite an eu demand for turkey to recognise cyprus.  it was agreed the issue can be tackled at a later date but turkish premier recep erdogan had to accept negotiations did not guarantee his country full eu membership. the internationally recognised southern part of cyprus is an eu member  but turkey  which occupies northern cyprus  had previously insisted it would not bow to demands to recognise the country  calling the issue a  red line . it could take up to 15 years before turkey is able to join  and entry cannot be guaranteed. if it joins  turkey may have to accept restrictions to limit migration by its citizens. the eu has also announced that it will start accession talks with croatia in april 2005. however  talks will begin only if the country co-operates fully with the un war crimes tribunal for the former yugoslavia.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "nuclear body seeks new tech the computer systems used to monitor the world s nuclear power installations are so outdated that they are hampering the work of inspectors.  a spokesman for the international atomic energy agency (iaea) said its current technology could allow key information to be overlooked as it was more than 20 years old. such systems are the only method of tracking nuclear material worldwide. the agency has appealed for more funds to update its hardware and software.  a major overhaul of the system is needed to allow inspectors immediate  secure online access to information   said project manager livio costantini.  iaea inspectors make around 3 000 visits a year to more than 900 nuclear facilities worldwide. they are there to verify official reports of activities in the plants  to carry out environmental checks  and also to look for any signs that nuclear material is being smuggled in or out of the facility.  the computer system inspectors currently use for comparing data from earlier visits  for instance  was built in the 1970s and largely paper based. an iaea spokesman said this was extremely inefficient and makes searching for anomalies like searching for a needle in a haystack. the organisation is aiming to start a system upgrade in november  aiming to provide inspectors in the field with secure online access to previous inspection data  design blueprints of nuclear facilities  even satellite images of the plant. where possible  it hopes to link the system with national records of the import and export of nuclear materials. further analysis of these could help spot potential smuggling activities or illicit technology transfers between countries  according to a spokesman.  computer specialist at the iaea  peter smith  would like to be able to incorporate state of the art visualisation techniques  more familiar to video games players  into the inspector s toolkit.  the commercials you now see have people are moving around in a virtual world   he said.  if we could have that on our laptops  we could be walking through the plant seeing  on the laptop  how the plant should look.  and if there s a door in the wall that is not on our laptop  then we have a problem.  the iaea estimates the total cost of the four-year project to upgrade its technology will be $40m. so far it has only received $11m from the us and the uk.  failure to replace the hardware and software  and to integrate fully all the information system components will carry large risks   said an agency statement.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "tv station refuses adoption show a tv station in the us has refused to show a controversial new series where adopted children try and pick their birth father - and win a cash prize.  the wraz-tv fox affiliate in north carolina was the only one of 182 stations to refuse monday s show. who s your daddy promises $100 000 (\u00a352 000) to the contestant if she correctly identifies her father. it was met with protests by the national council for adoption  which said it  exploits  sensitive emotions.  it exploits the sensitive emotions of adoption   said thomas atwood  president of the national council for adoption.  it trivialises them. adoption is a very personal  meaningful experience and it should not be commercialised like this.  on the pre-taped programme  the contestant is presented with eight men who may or may not be her natural father.  if she picks the correct man from the line-up  the contestant wins the jackpot prize of us$100 000 (\u00a352 590). however  if she picks the wrong man  then the impostor takes the money. fox producers defended the show  saying it was a  positive experience . they have made six specials  though only one episode has so far been broadcast.   the special was thoroughly vetted by our standards and practices department to ensure that it was appropriate for broadcast   said a fox spokesman.  however  any network affiliate that feels the programming may be inappropriate for their individual market has the right to pre-empt the schedule.  wraz-tv instead chose to air an independently-produced film  i have roots and branches... personal reflections on adoption  a documentary about families with adopted children.  we just don t think adoption is a game show   said tommy schenck  wraz-tv s general manager  though he said his decision had not been influenced by public protests.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "pc photo printers challenge pros home printed pictures can be cheaper and higher quality than those from high street developers  tests shows.  a survey carried out by pc pro magazine looked at which of 100 home photo printers offered a better deal than handing your snaps to a photo lab. the tests found that images from top pc printers kept their colour longer than professionally produced photographs. but using the wrong printer cartridge could means snaps fade in months  warned the magazine.  the group test of 100 home photo printers for pcs discovered how much it costs to create images using the devices compared to online developers as well as high street names such as jessops  boots and snappy snaps. the comprehensive test also revealed how quickly different printers produced images  the quality of the finished image and how resistant finished pictures were to smudging or water damage. it found that although some ink for printers now costs more than \u00a32 per millilitre it can still be cheaper to produce prints from photographs at home than it is to send them off to a high street store.  if you really like your photos  then it s definitely worth printing at home instead of going to the high street  but only if you choose the right printer   said nick ross  top tester at pc pro.  mr ross said that a new generation of printers produced images with brighter colours and that were less likely to fade than many high street developers or even some professional wedding photographers. some high street photo shops can be the cheapest when it came to developing prints that were 6x4in  said mr ross  but the test revealed that images 7x5in and 8x10in in size were cheaper to produce at home. according to pc pro  producing a print 8x10in on an epson r800 printer using top quality paper costs \u00a31.87. at jessops the same image would cost \u00a32.50 and at snappy snaps \u00a39.99. a 10x7in snap at boots would cost \u00a34.99.  considering how inconvenient it can be to go to the high street and how silver-halide prints can fade in the sun  we re adamant that it s now better  cheaper and more convenient to print at home   he said. ann simpson  marketing manager at snappy snaps believes the convenience of high street printing will continue to attract customers.  some people will want to do their own thing on their computer but the feedback to us is that customers often have to print two or three pictures at home in order to get a good one   she said.  many people are not skilled at getting the colour  contrast and cropping right and they don t want the hassle   she added. the magazine test found that which ink consumers use determined how long their prints lasted before they started fading. it recommended avoiding so-called third-party inks not produced by printer makers because they tended to produce prints that fade the quickest.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "uk tv channel rapped for csi ad tv channel five has been criticised for sending  offensive  and  threatening  advertising material to viewers for a new show about murder scene scientists.  five mailed thousands of fake dossiers including photos of murder victims and an e-mail suggesting the recipient was being stalked by a serial killer. following complaints  the advertising standards authority contacted five to cease promotion of crime show csi:ny. five admitted it had sent out 55 000 promotion packs but had now stopped. the promotion material was sent in brown envelope of the type used by investigators in the series  a spin-off from the highly successful csi: crime scene investigation series  which also runs on five. the pack also features pictures of forensic evidence from a crime scene and a wanted poster  which did have a csi:ny logo printed in large at the bottom.  five said it had received 100 complaints but that it had been surprised at the reaction because it was  obvious this material is promoting a drama . a five spokesman said:  in light of the efforts we have made to make the nature of the contents so transparent we are surprised a very small minority of recipients have mistaken it as anything else.  everyone who was sent this promotion has expressed an interest in receiving details about this particular genre of programming on various websites.  we have also received emails and calls from recipients praising the originality and imagination of the campaign.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "cardinal criticises iraq war cost billions of pounds spent on conflict in iraq and in the middle east should have been used to reduce poverty  cardinal cormac murphy-o connor has said.  the head of the catholic church in england and wales made the comments on bbc radio 4 and will re-iterate his stance in his christmas midnight mass. the cardinal used a christmas message to denounce the war in iraq as a  terrible  waste of money. he and the archbishop of canterbury have both spoken out about the war.  speaking on bbc radio 4 s thought for the day slot  he criticised the fact that  billions  have been spent on war  instead of being used to bring people  out of dire poverty and malnourishment and disease . the cardinal said 2005 should be the year for campaigning to  make history poverty . he added:  if the governments of the rich countries were as ready to devote to peace the resources they are willing to commit to war  that would be to see with new eyes and speak with a new voice and perhaps then others would listen to us with new ears.  the cardinal will touch on this theme again on friday night when he will tell the congregation of 2 000 at westminster cathedral that peace is  worth  always  striving for .   how is it that peace has not arrived    the cardinal will ask.  how is it that there is war in iraq  violence in the holy land  and the horror of pain and death amongst the poor and deprived who suffer from injustice and thus do not find peace    how can one wish a happy christmas for our fellow christians in iraq or in the holy land or those who suffer in africa unless you and i  in whatever way is open to us  say and do what makes for peace   both the cardinal and archbishop of canterbury dr rowan williams appealed for the weapons inspectors to be given more time in iraq before the war started. dr williams has since criticised the government over its case for war  saying the failure to find weapons of mass destruction had damaged faith in the political system.  on friday  the cardinal will ask the congregation to search for peace.  it is possible  it is real  it is worth  always  striving for  because of the promise of our saviour   he will say.  i also wish you peace in your homes because peace in your home is the beginning of peace in the homes of the community.   a spokesman said downing street had no comment to make. but prime minister tony blair has said he will put africa at the top of the agenda when britain chairs the g8 summit next year.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "show over for mtv s the osbournes rock star ozzy osbourne has said his family will not make any more episodes of reality tv show the osbournes.   at the end of it i didn t like having cameras around the house all the time   the black sabbath singer told reporters at the mtv europe awards in rome. his wife sharon  who also appears in the popular mtv show based on the osbournes  family life  agreed.  now everybody s doing reality shows. he s done it  he s been there  he s got to do something else   she said.  ozzy osbourne said he had had enough of the work involved in making the series.  when you watch a 25-minute episode  i ve been filming all day   he said. sharon osbourne is currently appearing as a judge and mentor in itv1 talent show the x-factor alongside simon cowell and louis walsh.  earlier this year she topped a poll of the most important people in rock  for her part in guiding the career of husband ozzy and her family. she was the driving force behind the osbournes  which ran for three series  earning the family a reported $85m (\u00a346m). the renewed popularity for ozzy has seen sales of his merchandise hit the $50m (\u00a327.2m) mark  a record for a heavy metal artist. sales of t-shirts  accessories and action figures have rocketed since the osbournes hit screens. at its peak  the osbournes had a regular audience of eight million  with america s tv guide magazine describing the series as  a cross between the simpsons and this is spinal tap . osbourne himself was at a loss to explain its popularity:  i suppose americans get a kick out of watching a crazy brit family like us make complete fools of ourselves every week.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "us firm  bids for lacroix label  a us firm has said it is in final negotiations with luxury goods group lvmh to buy the loss-making christian lacroix haute-couture house.  paris-based lvmh has been selling non-core businesses and focusing on its most profitable labels including moet & chandon champagne and louis vuitton. privately-held falic group bought two cosmetics brands  hard candy and urban decay  from lvmh in early 2003. the florida company also own a chain of 90 duty free stores in the us. lvmh refused to comment on the reports. but one of the three brothers behind the falic group said the firm had also held talks with the designer christian lacroix  and wished to retain him.  we are buying his name   simon falic told the reuters news agency.  we have plans to increase the exposure of the brand and increase the volume of business.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "firms pump billions into pensions employers have spent billions of pounds propping up their final salary pensions over the past year  research suggests.  a survey of 280 schemes by incomes data services  (ids) said employer contributions had increased from \u00a35.5bn to \u00a38.2bn a year  a rise of 49.7%. companies facing the biggest deficits had raised their pension contributions by 100% or more  ids said. many firms are struggling to keep this type of scheme open  because of rising costs and increased liabilities. a final salary scheme  also known as a defined benefit scheme  promises to pay a pension related to the salary the scheme member is earning when they retire.  the rising cost of maintaining such schemes has led many employers to replace final salary schemes with money purchase  or defined contribution  schemes. these are less risky for employers. under money purchase schemes  employees pay into a pension fund which is used to buy an annuity - a policy which pays out an income until death - on retirement.  ids said there were some schemes in good health.  but  in many cases  firms had been forced to top up funds to tackle  yawning deficits . the level of contributions paid by employers has increased gradually since the late 1990s. in 1998/99  for example  contributions rose by 4.7% and in 2002/03 by 8.6%. in contrast  between 1996 and 1998  some employers cut their contribution levels. helen sudell  editor of the ids pensions service  said the rise in contributions was  staggering  and the highest ever recorded by ids.  we have warned before that the widespread closure of final salary schemes to new entrants is just the beginning of a much bigger movement away from paternalistic provision   said ms sudell.  with figures like this there can be little doubt that many employers will have to reduce future benefits at some point for those staff still in these schemes.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "putting a face to  big brother  literally putting a face on technology could be one of the keys to improving our interaction with hi-tech gadgets.  imagine a surveillance system that also presents a virtual embodiment of a person on a screen who can react to your behaviour  and perhaps even alert you to new e-mails. basic versions of these so-called avatars already exist. together with speech and voice recognition systems  they could replace the keyboard and mouse in the near future. some of these ideas have been showcased at the london s science museum  as part of its future face exhibition.  one such avatar is jeremiah. it is a virtual man  which you can download for free and install in your computer.  his creator  richard bowden  lecturer at the centre for vision  speech and signal processing at the university of surrey  refers to jeremiah as  him   rather than it.  jeremiah is a virtual face that attempts to emulate humans in the way it responds to activity. he is very childlike  he likes visual stimulus   he told the bbc news website.  when he sees children running and laughing and waving at him  he smiles at them. if you ignore him  he gets angry. if you leave  he gets sad. and you can also even surprise him.  jeremiah is not actually intelligent. it works on vision  reacting in a preset way to the information provided by a surveillance tracker system. it is not able to talk or to hear you  at least not yet. the surrey team is already working on jeremiah s next version  that will replace the human face with an underwater and more interactive creature: finn the fish.  i am interested in the interaction  providing the ability of a system to watch what s going on and make decisions based on that   explained dr bowden.  the research comes at a time when people are having to cope with an increasing number of hi-tech gadgets.  experts say a much more natural way to interact with these devices  such as a virtual human  could make it much easier to make the most of all those new gizmos.  if you get up at three o clock in the morning  and you go downstairs  there are probably two things you are going to do: either going to the bathroom  or maybe you are going to make a cup of tea   said dr bowden.  now if the system can watch your behaviour over time  it can learn this  so it would predict what you are going to do  turn on the lights for you  or  before you even get to the kettle  it could have switched it on.  you might even be able to tell your home surveillance system that you will be going away on holiday  and ask if it could make sure that the house is secure once you have left. this might sound like a scary vision of an orwellian future. but it might all depend on the face that is watching you.  when we put the surveillance cameras in our centre  a lot of people were very unhappy about the fact that there was a system watching them   said dr bowden.  but when jeremiah s camera went in  nobody minded  because although it s still watching them  they could see what it was watching.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "global blogger action day called the global web blog community is being called into action to lend support to two imprisoned iranian bloggers.  the month-old committee to protect bloggers  is asking those with blogs to dedicate their sites on 22 february to the  free mojtaba and arash day . arash sigarchi and mojtaba saminejad are both in prison in iran. blogs are free sites through which people publish thoughts and opinions. iranian authorities have been clamping down on prominent sites for some time.  i hope this day will focus people   curt hopkins  director of the committee  told the bbc news website.  the group has a list of actions which it says bloggers can take  including writing to local iranian embassies. the committee has deemed tuesday  free mojtaba and arash day  as part of its first campaign. it is calling on the blogsphere - the name for the worldwide community of bloggers - to do what it can to help raise awareness of the plight of mojtaba and arash as well as other  cyber-dissidents .  if you have a blog  the least you could do is put nothing on that blog except  free mojtaba and arash day    said mr hopkins.  that would mean you could see that phrase 7.1 million times. that alone will shine some light on the situation.  if you don t have one  find one dedicated to that - it takes about 30 seconds.  technorati  a blog search engine  tracks about six million blogs and says that more than 12 000 are added daily. a blog is created every 5.8 seconds  according to a us research think-tank.  the committee to protect bloggers was started by us blogger curt hopkins and counts fired flight attendant blogger ellen simonetti as a deputy director. she has since started the international bloggers  bill of rights  a global petition to protect bloggers at work. although not the only website committed to human rights issues by any means  it aims to be the hub or organisation  information and support for bloggers in particular and their rights to freedom of speech.  the committee  although only a month old  aims to be the focal point for blogger action on similar issues in the future  and will operate as a non-for-profit organisation.  blogging is in this weird no man s land. people think of it as being one thing or another depending on their point of view   said mr hopkins.  some think of themselves as pundits  kind of like journalists  and some like me have a private blog which is just a publishing platform.  but they do not have a constituency and are out there in the cold.   it is not just human rights issues in countries which have a track record of restricting what is published in the media that is of concern to bloggers. the question of bloggers and what rights they have to say what they want on their sites is a thorny one and has received much press attention recently. high profile cases in which employees have been sacked for what they have said on their personal  and often anonymous blogs  have highlighted the muddy situation that the blogsphere is currently in.   this is a big messy argument   explained mr hopkins. he added:  it is just such a new way of doing business  there will be clamp downs.  but the way these issues get tested is through the courts which  said mr hopkins   is part of the whole messy conversation.   if you haven t already got bloggers in your company  you will have them tomorrow - and if you don t have a blogger policy now you had better start looking at having one. mr hopkins said that the blogsphere - which is doubling every five months - was powerful because it takes so little time and expertise to create a blog.  everyone does this - mums  radicals  conservatives   he said. many companies offer easy-to-use services to create a blog and publish it in minutes to a global community.  that is the essential difference. what i call  templating software  gives every single person on earth the chance to have one.  you don t even have to have your own computer.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "mauresmo opens with victory in la amelie mauresmo and maria sharapova won their opening matches at the tour championships in los angeles.  france s mauresmo routed vera zvonareva 6-1 6-0  while wimbledon champion sharapova was a 6-1 6-4 winner over fellow russian svetlana kuznetsova. american serena williams also won  edging russian elena dementieva 7-6 7-5 for her second victory of the event. the event is split into two groups of four with the top two from each advancing to the semi-finals.  mauresmo s win was her ninth in a row as she tries to overtake lindsay davenport for the number one spot. mauresmo spent five weeks at number one after the us open before injury ushered davenport back in front.  since then  i feel very confident on court and my game is there. i want to get the ranking back  but it s very different than before i was number one.  it was an obsession  but now i take it in a relaxed way.  mauresmo completed her first match in the season-ending championship in 54 minutes as russia s zvonareva struggled to return her serve and failed to achieve a single break point.   she got mad a little bit and i played some great tennis   said mauresmo  who was runner-up to kim clijsters in last year s final. zvonareva has lost both her games so far  having crashed 6-2 6-4 kuznetsova in the staples centre on wednesday.  sometimes not everything works   she said.  it was lots of pressure. maybe that is why i couldn t do 100%. but i was fighting.  sharapova  who lost 6-2 6-2 to kuznetsova in beijing in september  said:  in beijing  she was coming off such a big winning streak [14 matches] and she was unstoppable.  this time  it was important to start off well and put some pressure on her.  the tournament debutant added:  i love it here. the atmosphere is great.  to be here where the lakers play  you just feel that excitement. i love basketball.  williams admitted she is still some way off her best form but remained positive after two wins in two days.  it s hard to go out there and get it right but i m fighting and i m hoping   said williams.  what makes me happy is the effort. i had a really good effort today.  i m trying to add new dimensions to my game.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "boeing secures giant japan order boeing is to supply japan airlines with up to 50 of its forthcoming 7e7 planes in a deal that could be worth as much as $6bn (\u00a33.1bn) for the us giant.  japan airlines has made a firm order for 30 of the aircraft  at $120m each  with the option to buy 20 more. asia s biggest airline joins japanese rival all nippon as one of the first carriers to order the mid-size 7e7  which boeing says is super-economical. airbus this week announced the first pre-sale of its 7e7 rival - the a350. boeing s great european competitor is to sell 10 of its forthcoming a350 to spanish carrier air europe  which has the option to buy two more in a deal that could be worth more than $1.8bn. both the 7e7 and the a350 are being designed to be as fuel-efficient as possible in the 200- to 300-seat sector  and each will be available in both short and long range versions.  japan airlines said it had looked at both aircraft before choosing the 7e7  also known as the dreamliner.  we chose the 7e7 after carefully considering both it and airbus  aircraft   said a japan airlines spokesman.  the 7e7 fits better for what we needed and it could be delivered when we hoped to get it.  boeing continues to enjoy a dominance over airbus in japan  and japanese companies are taking key roles in building the 7e7. the first 7e7s will be delivered to japan airlines in april 2008. boeing has set itself a target of getting 200 firm commitments for the 7e7 by the end of this year  and has orders for 56 so far. airbus hopes to have 50 orders in place for the a350 by mid-2005.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "strachan turns down pompey former southampton manager gordon strachan has rejected the chance to become portsmouth s new boss.  the scot was pompey chairman milan mandaric s first choice to replace harry redknapp  who left fratton park for rivals saints earlier in december.  i think it s a fantastic job for anybody apart from somebody who has just been the southampton manager   strachan told the bbc. club director terry brady held initial talks with strachan on saturday. the former scotland international added that joining southampton s local rivals would not be a wise move.  it s got everything going for it but i ve got too many memories of the other side and i don t want to sour those memories   he said.  everything s right - it s 10 minutes away  there are good players there  a good set-up  a good atmosphere at the ground.  there s lots to do but it s not right for somebody who has just been the southampton manager.  since redknapp s departure  executive director velimir zajec and coach joe jordan have overseen first-team affairs.  the duo had gone five matches unbeaten until sunday s 1-0 defeat at home to champions arsenal  but the club are still in a respectable 12th place in the premiership table. strachan left st mary s in february  after earlier announcing his intention to take a break from the game at the end of the 2003-04 season. his previous managerial experience came at coventry  whom he led for five years from 1996 to 2001.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "wenger shock at newcastle dip arsenal manager arsene wenger has admitted he is at a loss to explain why newcastle are languishing in the bottom half of the table.  the gunners travel to st james  park on wednesday  with newcastle 14th in the premiership after a troubled season. and wenger said:  at the beginning of the season you would expect them to be fighting for the top four.  i don t know how they got to be where they are. it looks to me from the outside that they have many injuries.   arsenal go into the game on the back of a 2-0 victory over fulham on sunday. and wenger added:  the best way to prepare for a game is to win the previous one. we will go to newcastle in good shape.  fatigue won t play too big a part in the next few weeks as we have players coming back so i can rotate a bit more.  we do not play a season with 11 players and i believe that all of our squad deserve a chance in the team.  striker thierry henry  along with robert pires  scored against fulham. and henry afterwards described the display as  beautiful to watch . he said:  what matters is winning and the three points  of course. that is the only thing that really matters. but it is more enjoyable when you play like we did against fulham.  we are playing as a team and that is important because there were some games when we maybe were not there as a team and suffered for that. those were games we lost.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "wal-mart fights back at accusers two big us names have launched advertising campaigns to  set the record straight  about their products and corporate behaviour.  the world s biggest retailer wal-mart took out more than 100 full page adverts in national newspapers. the group is trying to see off criticism over it pay deals  benefits package and promotion strategy. meanwhile  drugs group eli lilly is planning a campaign against  false  claims about its product prozac. wal-mart kicked off the battle with adverts in newspapers like the wall street journal  using an open letter from company president lee scott saying it was time for the public to hear the  unfiltered truth .   there are lots of  urban legends  going around these days about wal-mart  but facts are facts. wal-mart is good for consumers  good for communities and good for the us economy   mr scott said in a separate statement.  its adverts - and a new website - outlined the group s plans to create more than 10 000 us jobs in 2005. wal-mart s average pay is almost twice the national minimum wage of $5.15 (\u00a33.90) an hour  while employees are offered health and life insurance  company stock and a retirement plan  the adverts say. unions accuse wal-mart of paying staff less than its rivals do  with fewer benefits. in california  the company is fighting opposition to new stores amid allegations it forces local competitors out of business. lawmakers in the state are also examining allegations that the firm burdens the state with an unfair proportion of employee health care costs.  i think they are going to have a tough time suddenly overcoming the perceptions of some people   said larry bevington  chairman of save our community - a group fighting to prevent wal-mart opening a store in rosemead  california. wal-mart is also fighting two lawsuits - one accusing it of discriminating against women and another alleging it discriminates against black employees.  meanwhile eli lilly is launching a series of adverts in a dozen major newspapers  to present what is says are the true facts about its anti-depressant drug prozac.  the move is in response to a british medical journal article that claimed  missing  lilly documents linked prozac to suicide and violent behaviour. in the averts  entitled an open letter from chief executive sidney taurel  the company says the article continues to  needlessly spread fear among patients who take prozac .  it was simply wrong to suggest that information on prozac was missing  or that important research data on the benefits and possible side effects of the drug were not available to doctors and regulators   the letter added. eli lilly s chief medical officer alan breier said that the article was  false and misleading  as the documents it referred to were actually created by officials at the us food and drug administration (fda) and presented to an fda meeting in 1991. later  fda medical advisors agreed the claims were based on faulty data and there was no increased risk of suicide.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "eu referendum could cost \u00a380m  it could cost \u00a380m to run a uk referendum on the european constitution  ministers have revealed.  in a written parliamentary answer  constitutional affairs minister chris leslie said the poll was likely to cost the same as a general election. mr leslie said the cost could not be compared with the only previous british referendum  held 30 years ago. ministers say the constitution would make the european union work better but critics fear creating a  super state . labour mp john cryer  whose question revealed the price estimate  said the cost surprised him but was not a central factor as it was important people had their say. but he said it would have been better to have rejected the constitution so avoiding the need for a referendum. the 2001 election cost \u00a380m. no date for the vote has been set but foreign secretary jack straw has suggested it is unlikely to be held until early 2006 - after the predicted date for the next election. most voters said the uk should stay in the common market in the 1975 referendum.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "blogs take on the mainstream web logs or blogs are everywhere  with at least an estimated five million on the web and that number is set to grow.  these online diaries come in many shapes and styles  ranging from people willing to sharing their views  pictures and links  to companies interested in another way of reaching their customers. but this year the focus has been on blogs which cast a critical eye over news events  often writing about issues ignored by the big media or offering an eye-witness account of events. most blogs may have only a small readership  but communication experts say they have provided an avenue for people to have a say in the world of politics. the most well-known examples include iraqi salam pax s accounts of the us-led war  former iranian vice-president mohammad ali abtahi exclusive insight into the islamic republic s government  and the highs and lows of the recent us election campaign. there are already websites pulling together these first-hand reporting accounts heralded by blogs  like wikinews.com  launched last november.  the blogging movement has been building up for many years.  andrew nachison  director of the media center  a us-based think-tank that studies media  technology and society  highlights the us presidential race as a possible turning point for blogs.  you could look at that as a moment when audiences exercised a new form of power  to choose among many more sources of information than they have never had before   he says.  and blogs were a key part of that transformation.  among them were blogs carrying picture messages  saying  we are sorry  for george w bush s victory and the responses from his supporters. mr nachison argues blogs have become independent sources for images and ideas that circumvent traditional sources of news and information such as newspapers  tv and radio.  we have to acknowledge that in all of these cases  mainstream media actually plays a role in the discussion and the distribution of these ideas   he told the bbc news website.  but they followed the story  they didn t lead it.   some parts of the so-called traditional media have expressed concerns about this emerging competitor  raising questions about the journalistic value of blogs.  others  like the french newspaper le monde  have applied a different strategy  offering blogs as part of its content.  i don t think the mission and role of journalism is threatened. it is in transition  as society itself is in transition   says mr nachison. however  he agrees with other experts like the linguist and political analyst noam chomsky  that mainstream media has lost the traditional role of news gatekeeper.  the one-to-many road of traditional journalism  yes  it is threatened. and professional journalists need to acclimate themselves to an environment in which there are many more contributors to the discourse   says mr nachison.  the notion of a gatekeeper who filters and decides what s acceptable for public consumption and what isn t  that s gone forever.   with people now walking around with information devices in their pockets  like camera or video phones  we are going to see more instances of ordinary citizens breaking stories.   it seems unlikely that we will end up living in a planet where every human is a blogger.  but the current number of blogs is likely to keep on growing  in a web already overloaded with information. blog analysis firm technorati estimates the number of blogs in existence  the so-called blogosphere  has already exceeded five million  and is growing at exponential levels. tools such as google s blogger  movabletype and the recently launched beta version of msn spaces are making it easier to run a blog. us research think-tank pew internet & american life says a blog is created every 5.8 seconds  although less than 40% of the total are updated at least once every two months. but experts agree that the phenomenon  allowing individuals to publish  share ideas  exchange information  comment on current issues  post images or video on the web easily  is here to stay.  we are entering one era in which the technological infrastructure is creating a different context for how we tell our stories and how we communicate with each other   said mr nachison.  and there s going to be bad that comes with the good.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "venezuela identifies  idle  farms venezuelan authorities have identified more than 500 farms  including 56 large estates  as idle as it continues with its controversial land reform policy.  under a 2001 land law  the government can tax or seize unused farm sites. a further 40 000 farms are yet to be inspected  the state s national land institute has told associated press. vice president jose vicente rangel has said farmers and ranchers with their titles in order and their lands productive have  nothing to fear.  critics of the land reform policy claim president hugo chavez is trying to enforce a communist-style economic programme that ignores property rights and will damage the country. land owners claim the national land institute has made mistakes in classifying lands as public or private.  but the government - venezuela s largest land owner - say they are proceeding cautiously to prevent conflicts. in a statement  mr rangel said the land reform is not against the constitution  which permits private property  while stressing the efforts are to  vindicate social and economically  years of inequality in the country.  one property in conflict with the government is the el charcote cattle ranch  run by agroflora  a subsidiary of the uk food group vestey. agriculture minister arnoldo marquez told reuters news agency the site s documents  do not guarantee that this is a private land . administrators of the ranch  however  have complained that pro-chavez squatters have taken over 80% of the property in the last four years  and the uk government has asked venezuelan authorities to resolve the conflict.  you should ask the company when they are going to put their papers in order and hand over the land that is not theirs   said mr marquez.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "french honour for director parker british film director sir alan parker has been made an officer in the order of arts and letters  one of france s highest cultural honours.  sir alan received his decoration in paris on wednesday from french culture minister renaud donnedieu de vabres.  you have explored the possibilities of film with an immense talent   mr de vabres said as he presented the award. parker praised french films  saying:  hollywood  which created modern cinema  uses it only as a commodity.  he told the minister:  i am honoured to be thus distinguished by france  the flag carrier of cinema throughout the world.  sir alan s films include oscar-winning fame plus midnight express and the commitments.  a founding member of the director s guild of great britain  he is a former chairman of the uk film council and on the board of the british film institute.  through your work and your campaigns  you have shown us how the artist occupies an essential place in our contemporary society   mr de vabres said.  through your dreams which you show us  through the links that you weave  you question the world through the mirror of your work.  he also cited the director s 2003 film the life of david gale  in which kevin spacey played a man on death row  as proof of his  veritable artistic commitment against the death sentence .", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "music man to the oscars bill conti s job of musical director of the oscars show is not for the faint-hearted since conducting the orchestra is the ultimate plate-spinning assignment.  this year marks conti s 17th turn at the helm of the academy awards orchestra.  the excitement is a live performance as a musician   he says.  all of your colleagues  everyone in the film industry is in the theatre. all the important people.  i guess it s just a television show but we always think it s a bit more.  the orchestra strikes up more than 110 times during the average oscars show. as well as playing the presenters and winners on and off stage  it also performs during the commercial breaks to entertain the live audience in the house.   it s a very busy evening  it takes a certain amount of preparation of music  orchestrating  sketching rehearsing  before the show. but you don t know what the unexpected will be and as the musical director  it s exciting   explains conti. and much of the preparation goes into mastering scores that will never be performed.  we don t know who the winners will be. so when they say   the winner is   we have five different pieces of music in front of us  they say the name  we play the appropriate one immediately   adds conti.  the orchestra is often called upon to play when the winners ramble on too long during their acceptance speeches  despite being told to be brief by the show s producers.  the decision to drown out or  kill  the offending star with music is relayed from the director s box to the orchestra via conti s earpiece.  i don t feel good about it at all. it s not my call though   he says.  when the director says  music  the orchestra plays and he takes a long shot of the hall. we don t usually see the person speaking while his microphone is cut off.  the person that s been cut off  who s 10 feet from me  is glaring at me like it s death time.  on occasions  some stars have taken it upon themselves to send a warning shot across the bows of the musical director before they start to speak.  julia roberts  when she came on  she asked me to not get ready to play because she had so much to do   he says. conti received an oscar in 1983 for the original score of the right stuff. he also received two nominations in the original song category in 1976 for gonna fly now from rocky and in 1981 for the title song from for your eyes only.   it s a moment in the sun   he says.  when people get up there  some people  this is hard to believe  people that spend their lives in front of the camera or audiences entertaining  might get a little flustered.  but there s this moment in time when the biggest award that they could possibly get in their life has been handed to them and they re either not in control or they want to thank everyone that they ever met.   the image of the oscars telecast is one of slick presentation and smooth transitions between performances and the award categories. behind the scenes  the key players  such as conti  have a bewildering array of technical props to deal with.  there s a big script and video monitors you have to watch and there are also audio controls. i can control hearing in my ears  the left ear or the right ear - different things at different times.   i have to communicate with the director. i have a little microphone that s attached to my headset. to open up that microphone  i have a footswitch   he explains. conti s most nerve-wracking moment came during his first oscars show as musical director  in 1977  when a member of the orchestra alerted him that they could smell smoke. conti immediately told the show s director:  i start cursing and screaming  i tell him we re not going to die for this show - you must do something or i m going to climb out of this pit with 60 musicians and we re going to be home in 10 minutes.   oh no bill don t do anything   came the response.  imagine these elegantly dressed ladies and gentlemen of the orchestra  60 or so of them in the pit and while we re playing  firemen with their helmets and their hatchets crawling among us trying to find the reason for the smoke.  the smell turned out to be new paint smouldering on the music stands.  no one died  it s not a big story  but it was scary at the time   laughs conti. when the ceremony is over  the music director attends the annual governor s ball with his family.  i have a drink and relive the show   he says.  i m not for too much carousing. i go home and unwind. it takes me about a day.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "kilroy-silk attacked with slurry euro mp robert kilroy-silk has had a bucket of farm slurry thrown over him by a protester in manchester.  the uk independence party member was arriving for a bbc radio show when the attacker emerged from behind a bush. fellow guest ruth kelly mp was also hit by the slurry. mr kilroy-silk said the man  who later disappeared  claimed he was  doing it in the name of islam . in january  mr kilroy-silk quit his bbc one show for remarks he made about arabs  who he called  suicide bombers .  mr kilroy-silk had already been taken off air by bbc bosses for the comments  in which he also described arabs as  limb-amputators  women repressors . the remarks prompted outrage among muslim groups. the slurry attack took place on friday as mr kilroy-silk and ms kelly  a cabinet office minister and bolton west mp  arrived at manchester high school for girls for the recording of bbc radio 4 s any questions.  the police were called but the attacker had disappeared by the time officers arrived. they are treating the incident as assault. the programme s host  jonathan dimbleby  later told the audience the mep had been covered from  head to toe . mr kilroy-silk was still able appear to appear on the show after being loaned a change of clothes.  he told reporters he was  very angry  and planned to press charges if his attacker was caught. he said the man shouted:  you ve offended my religion  i m doing this in the name of islam.   as i started to turn round a guy tipped a bucket of farmyard muck over me and then threw the rest of it over me and the car   mr kilroy-silk said.  i was totally covered  it was all through my clothes  and it stank to high heaven. it went all inside the car and splattered ruth kelly.  a bbc spokesman said:  he took his seat as jonathan dimbleby was introducing the show. fortunately someone at the school had a change of clothes to let him have.  greater manchester police said people near mr kilroy-silk had also been hit by the waste. officers took statements at the scene  but no arrests have been made. police say the suspect ran off after towards wilmslow road after committing the offence but is believed to have been driving a red vauxhall corsa earlier. the suspect is described as white  aged 30 to 40  with a ginger beard. police want to hear from anyone who has any information.  mr kilroy-silk  an mep for the east midlands  resigned the uk independence party whip in the european parliament in october  after criticising ukip and stating his ambition to be leader. however  he remains a member of the party. he said on friday he hoped to be elected party leader before christmas.  i think that is sufficient time for us to put in process what is necessary... in time for us to fight and have a significant impact upon the general election.  but a ukip spokesman said that would be impossible under the party s constitution  which requires 70 days before any leadership ballot can take place.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "google to scan famous libraries the libraries of five of the world s most important academic institutions are to be digitised by google.  scanned pages from books in the public domain will then be made available for search and reading online. the full libraries of michigan and stanford universities  as well as archives at harvard  oxford and the new york public library are included. online pages from scanned books will not have adverts but will have links to online store amazon  google said.   the goal of the project is to unlock the wealth of information that is offline and bring it online   said susan wojcicki  director of product management at google.  there will also be links to public libraries so that the books can be borrowed. google will not be paid for providing for the links. it will take six years to digitise the full collection at michigan  which contains seven million volumes. users will only have access to extracts and bibliographies of copyrighted works. the new york library is allowing google to include a small portion of books no longer covered by copyright.  harvard is limiting its participation to 40 000 books  while oxford wants google to scan books originally published in the 19th century and held in the bodleian library. a spokeswoman for oxford university said the digitised books would include novels  poetry  political tracts and art books.  important works that are out of print or only available in a few libraries around the world will be made available to everyone   she said. about one million books will be scanned by google  less than 15% of the total collection held in the bodleian.  we hope that oxford s contribution to this project will be of scholarly use  as well as general interest  to people around the world   said reg carr  director of oxford university library services.   it s a significant opportunity to bring our material to the rest of the world   said paul leclerc  president of the new york public library.  it could solve an old problem: if people can t get to us  how can we get to them    this is the day the world changes   said john wilkin  a university of michigan librarian working with google.  it will be disruptive because some people will worry that this is the beginning of the end of libraries.  but this is something we have to do to revitalise the profession and make it more meaningful.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "hi-tech posters guide commuters interactive posters are helping londoners get around the city during the festive season.  when interrogated with a mobile phone  the posters pass on a number that people can call to get information about the safest route home. sited at busy underground stations  the posters are fitted with an infra-red port that can beam information directly to a handset. the posters are part of transport for london s safe travel at night campaign.  the campaign is intended to help londoners  especially women  avoid trouble on the way home. in particular it aims to cut the number of sexual assaults by drivers of unlicensed minicabs. nigel marson  head of group marketing at transport for london (tfl)  said the posters were useful because they work outside the mobile phone networks.  they can work in previously inaccessible areas such as underground stations which is obviously a huge advantage in a campaign of this sort   he said.  the posters will automatically beam information to any phone equipped with an ir port that is held close to the glowing red icon on the poster.  we started with infra-red because there are a huge number ir phones out there   said rachel harker  spokeswoman for hypertag which makes the technology fitted to the posters.  it s a well established technology.  hypertag is also now making a poster that uses short-range bluetooth radio technology to swap data. although the hypertags in the posters only pass on a phone number  ms harker said they can pass on almost any form of data including images  ring tones and video clips. she said that there are no figures for how many people are using the posters but a previous campaign run for a cosmetics firm racked up 12 500 interactions.  before we ran a campaign there was a big question mark of:  if we build it will they come    she said.  now we know that  yes  they will.  the tfl campaign using the posters will run until boxing day.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "metlife buys up citigroup insurer us banking giant citigroup has sold its travelers life & annuity insurance arm to metlife for $11.5bn (\u00a36.1bn).  the sale is a further move by citigroup away from its 1990s strategy of offering every financial service - insurance  broking and banking. profit growth in the insurance market has not matched expansion at citigroup s other businesses. for metlife  the us s leading insurance company  the purchase gives it access to a much larger distribution network.  robert benmosche  metlife s chairman and chief executive  said that it was a  great opportunity for the brand of metlife to be distributed through citigroup . under the agreement  metlife will be able to sell its products through citigroup over the next 10 years. the deal includes smith barney retail brokerages and citibank branches. the company will pay between $1bn and $3bn in metlife stock with the rest being made up of cash. travelers had sales of $5.2bn in 2004 and made a profit of $901m. it has total net assets of $96bn.  this deal employs some of metlife s excess capital in a potentially higher-return business and gives it more distribution   said stuart quint  an analyst at gartmore.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "campbell to be lions consultant former government communications chief alastair campbell will act as a media consultant to sir clive woodward s 2005 lions on their tour to new zealand.  campbell  who left downing street earlier this year  will advise on media strategy before and during the tour.  i hope i can contribute to the planning and preparation  and to ensuring the media and public get the most out of the tour itself   he said.  i am also looking forward to going out for the later stages of the tour.  woodward s decision to call in prime minister tony blair s former spin doctor springs from the deterioration in media relations on the last lions tour of australia in 2001  when new zealander graham henry was the head coach. the furore surrounding the newspaper diaries of matt dawson and austin healey was compounded by other disillusioned players venting their frustration through the media.  the lions is a massive media event   said woodward  who will be the head coach.  there will be a huge level of interest from the travelling media  the fans that will go out in their thousands and the new zealand public.  we need to have the strategy and processes in place to deal with the pressures that will bring.  [alastair] will act as an advisor both in the build up to and on the tour itself. his role is to work closely with not only myself but (tour manager) bill beaumont  (media manager) louisa cheetham and (team manager) louise ramsay.  campbell is due to resume working for the government in the new year in the build-up to an anticipated may general election. the lions leave for new zealand on 24 may  with the first test match against the all blacks in christchurch on 25 june.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "safin relieved at aussie recovery marat safin admitted he thought he was suffering another australian open final nightmare when he lost the opening set to lleyton hewitt.  the russian  who lost the 2002 and 2004 finals  fought back brilliantly to win 1-6 6-3 6-4 6-4.  i was nervous and i couldn t play tennis   said safin.  he started really well. he wasn t as nervous as i was because i was thinking of the two finals that i played and wasn t successful.  he added:  you really have to deal with the pressure because normally it never happens but when you come to the final you are so tight because you want to win.  i tried to play some tennis but i couldn t. he has huge experience  he s won two grand slam titles  he s won 24 titles  he s a great player and he deals with pressure.   from 4-1 down in the third set  safin played some of his best tennis to reel off seven games and take control of the match.  in the third set  just all of a sudden  it all turn around completely in a way i couldn t expect   said safin.  because he made a couple of mistakes  i was a little bit lucky at some point  then the confidence came back and i was back in the game.  and the russian revealed that the victory  and his semi-final win over world number one roger federer  had given him a massive boost for the future.  you get huge confidence because roger is a great player   said safin.  once i beat him  and then lleyton  it s like you get so much confidence in yourself that you really can play great.  you can win big titles and you can beat huge players in the finals and semi-finals.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "labour accused of broken pledge labour has already broken its pre-election promise on immigration before the ink has dried on its new pledge card  the tories have claimed.  home secretary charles clarke has been quoted as telling labour members he wants more migrants to come to the uk. tory co-chairman liam fox said the comments were at odds with tony blair s prediction of a net cut in immigration. but mr clarke accused him of trying to score  cheap political points  by muddling immigration with asylum.  london s evening standard quoted mr clarke telling labour activists at a question and answer session in gateshead that he wanted britain to offer refuge for those fleeing tyranny.  that s not only a moral duty and a legal duty  but something which is part of the essence of this country   he said.   we want more migration  more people come to study and to work.  we want more people coming to look for refuge.  mr blair s was asked last wednesday if the government s new immigration plans  including a point system for economic migrants  would reduce net migration. the prime minister told mps:  the abusers will be weeded out  and as a result of the end of chain migration [where families have an automatic right to settle]  the numbers will probably fall.   on monday  dr fox told reporters:  the prime minister has broken his word so many times in the past but now his promises do not even last a week.  the labour party election pledges  even when they are so incredibly vague  do not even last four days.   the tories want quotas for economic migrants and refugees and on tuesday will outline more details of their plans for health checks on migrants. mr clarke dismissed the latest tory attack.  this is simply a scurrilous attempt by the tories to score cheap political points   he said.  the tories are purposely mixing together two separate issues of immigration and asylum.   mr clarke said he had made clear the uk would welcome genuine economic migrants for key jobs on a strict points based system. and only asylum seekers genuinely fleeing death or persecution would be admitted.  under our plans we expect unfounded applications to continue to fall   he added. earlier  dr fox accused mr blair and other cabinet ministers of telling lies about tory policies and then attacking the lies. he told bbc radio:  if you are willing to lie about the reasons for going to war  i guess you are going to lie about anything at all.  the latest pre-election spats come after mr blair told labour members the tories offered a  hard right agenda  which would take britain backwards. lib dem leader charles kennedy accelerating lib dem election preparations this week as he visits manchester  liverpool  leicester  somerset  basingstoke  shrewsbury  dorset and torbay.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "da vinci film to star tom hanks actor tom hanks and director ron howard are reuniting for the da vinci code  an adaptation of the international best-selling novel by dan brown.  distributor sony pictures said production will begin next year  with a planned release in may 2006. hanks will play robert langdon  who is trying to solve the murder of a member of an ancient society that has protected dark secrets for centuries. it will be hanks  third collaboration with howard. they previously worked together  along with howard s producing partner brian grazer  on splash and apollo 13.  hanks is one of hollywood s most bankable stars  with his presence in a movie almost guaranteeing box office success. brown s book has become a publishing phenomenon  consistently topping book charts in the uk and us. it has sold more than eight million copies worldwide in little over two years. it is a classic whodunit  which centres on a global conspiracy surrounding the holy grail mythology and places heavy emphasis on symbols and cryptography. its protagonist is a harvard professor likened to a contemporary indiana jones  who also appeared in brown s first book angels and demons. the tale mixes art history with mythology  semiotics with medieval history.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "lib dems stress budget trust gap public trust in the handling of the economy can only be restored if gordon brown opens up his books for unbiased inspection  say the lib dems.  city experts say there is a \u00a310bn  black hole  in the public finances  a claim denied by the chancellor. lib dem spokesman vince cable said the public did not know who to believe and the national audit office should judge. responding to the pre-budget report  mr cable also attacked labour s  unfair  and over-complicated taxes.  in his report  mr brown insisted he was on course to meet his  golden rule  of borrowing only to invest  rather than for day-to-day spending  over the course of the economic cycle. mr cable said people did not know whether to believe the chancellor or the consensus among experts which said the rule would be broken.  there is an issue of credibility and trust   he said.  we cannot have a continuation of a situation where the chancellor sets his own tests and then marks them.  what we need is the equivalent of a thorough ofsted inspection of the government s accounts.  he asked what the government had to hide.  mr cable also accused the chancellor of ducking tough choices. he argued:  there are serious challenges ahead from the falling dollar and from the rapid downturn in the uk housing market and rising personal debt. but they have not been confronted.  mr brown confirmed he was setting aside another \u00a3520m for the conflicts in iraq and afghanistan. mr cable compared that new cost with the \u00a3500m needed for britain s role in the entire first gulf war - when 80% of the bill had been met through help from european and arab nations. he suggested keeping british troops in iraq could cost another \u00a31bn with the government also planning to spend at least \u00a33bn for identity cards. the current economic climate meant britain could not afford the  reckless  george bush-style tax cutting spree  planned by the tories  he said. instead  what was needed was simple and fair taxation rather than the  complete mess  produced by mr brown s endless tinkering.  mr cable said 40% of all pensioners were now paying marginal tax rates of 50%. and one-and-a-half million hard working families were paying 60% marginal tax rates. with that record  he asked why ministers attacked lib dem plans for a new 50% tax rate for the  very rich  - those earning more than \u00a3100 000 a year. mr brown earmarked \u00a31bn to help keep down council tax rises next year. but the lib dem spokesman questioned whether that money was being found from cuts to education and health. he urged the government to scrap the  grossly unfair  tax completely. the lib dems want it replaced with a local income tax. in response  mr brown stressed the iraq money came from a reserve funds. it was because he had rejected previous lib dem proposals  such as scrapping the new deal  that britain s economy was successful  claimed mr brown.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "chelsea denied by james heroics a brave defensive display  led by keeper david james  helped manchester city hold the leaders chelsea.  after a quiet opening  james denied damien duff  jiri jarosik and mateja kezman  while paul bosvelt cleared william gallas  header off the line. robbie fowler should have scored for the visitors but sent his header wide. chelsea had most of the possession in the second half but james kept out frank lampard s free-kick and superbly tipped the same player s volley wide. city went into the game with the proud record of being the only domestic team to beat chelsea this season. and there was little to alarm them in the first 30 minutes as chelsea - deprived of arjen robben and didier drogba through injury - struggled to pose much of a threat. indeed  it was the visitors who looked likelier to enliven a drab opening played at a lethargic pace. shaun wright-phillips - watched by england boss sven-goran eriksson - showed his customary trickery to burst into the right of the area and deliver a dangerous ball  which was blocked by john terry. but chelsea suddenly stepped up a gear and created a flurry of chances. first  duff got round ben thatcher and blasted in a shot that james parried to kezman  who turned the ball wide.  soon afterwards  jarosik found space in the area to powerfully head lampard s corner goalwards but james tipped the ball over. chelsea were now looking more like premiership leaders and james kept out kezman s fierce drive before bosvelt and james combined to clear gallas  header from duff s corner. city broke swiftly up the field and the last chance of a frenetic spell should have resulted in fowler celebrating his 150th premiership goal. wright-phillips raced down the left and crossed to fowler but city s lone man up front  left free by terry s slip  contrived to head wide when it seemed a breakthrough was certain. the second half started as quietly as the first  although james was forced to divert a cross from the lively duff away from eidur gudjohnsen s path. there was a nasty moment for petr cech  looking for a ninth straight clean sheet in the league  when a series of ricochets saw fowler chase a loose ball in the area and collide accidently with the czech republic stopper. another quiet spell followed  which duff interrupted with a surging run that was halted illegally on the edge of the penalty area by bosvelt. lampard stepped up to blast a shot through the wall and james somehow blocked it with his legs. another timely challenge  this time from richard dunne in time added on  prevented gudjohnsen from getting in a shot. there was still time for james to produce a sensational save to tip lampard s volley round the post.  cech  paulo ferreira  gallas  terry  bridge  jarosik (tiago 56)  lampard  makelele  duff  gudjohnsen  kezman (cole 63).  subs not used: johnson  smertin  cudicini.  makelele  gudjohnsen.  james  mills  distin  dunne  thatcher  shaun wright-phillips  bosvelt  barton  sibierski (mcmanaman 85)  musampa  fowler.  subs not used: macken  weaver  onuoha  jordan.  bosvelt.  42 093  h webb (s yorkshire).", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "nadal puts spain 2-0 up result: nadal 6-7 (6/8) 6-2 7-6 (8/6) 6-2 roddick  spain s rafael nadal beats andy roddick of the usa in the second singles match rubber of the 2004 davis cup final in seville. spain lead 1-0 after carlos moya beat mardy fish in straight sets in the opening match of the tie.  nadal holds his nerve and the crowd goes wild as spain go 2-0 up in the tie.  roddick holds serve to force nadal to serve for the match but the american surely cannot turn things around now.  nadal works roddick around the court on two consecutive points to earn two break points. one is enough  the spaniard secures the double-break and roddick is now teetering on the edge.  roddick is trying to gee himself up but the clay surface is taking its toll on his game and he is looking tired. nadal wins the game to love.  nadal steps up the pressure to break and spain have the early initiative in the fourth set.  nadal also holds convincingly as both players feel their way into the fourth set.  roddick shrugs off the disappointment of losing the third-set tiebreak and breezes through his first service game of the fourth set.  nadal earns the first mini-break in the tiebreak as the match enters its fourth hour. a couple of stunning points follow  one where nadal chases down a roddick shot and turns into a passing winner. then roddick produces some amazing defence at the net to take the score to 4-4. roddick has two serves for the set but double-faults to take the score to 5-5. nadal saves a roddick set point then earns his own with a drive volley - and a crosscourt passing winner sends the crowd wild.  nadal tries to up his aggression and he passes roddick down the line to go 15-40 and two set points up. roddick saves the first with a desperate lunge volley and smacks a volley winner across the court to take the score back to deuce before securing the game. the set will go to another tiebreak.  nadal enjoys another straightforward hold and roddick must once again serve to stay in the set.  roddick again holds on  despite some brilliant shot-making from his opponent.  nadal races through his service game to put the pressure straight back onto roddick.  roddick hangs in on his serve to level matters but nadal is making him fight for every point.  nadal could be suffering a disappointment hangover from the previous game as he goes 0-30 down and then has to save a break point after a tremendous rally in which he is forced into some brilliant defence. but it pays off and the spaniard edges ahead in the set.  roddick s serve is not firing as ferociously as usual and has to rely on his sheer competitive determination to stay in the set. three times  nadal forces a break point and three times the world number two hangs in. and roddick s grit pays off as he manages to hold.  roddick still looks a bit sluggish but he attacks the net and is rewarded with a break point  which nadal saves with a good first serve and the spaniard goes on to hold.  there is a disruption in play as roddick is upset about something in the crowd. the spanish captain gets involved as does the match referee but it is unclear what the problem is. one thing for certain is that the crowd are roused into support of nadal and they go wild when roddick loses the next point and goes break point down. roddick saves the break point and then bangs down his ninth ace before clinching the game with a service winner.  the game passes the two-hour mark as nadal holds serve to edge ahead in the third set.  now roddick has to defend a break point and he produces a characteristic ace to save it. it is immediately followed by another and he holds with a little dinked half-volley winner.  roddick is looking a little leaden-footed but does carve out a break point for himself. but he plays it poorly and nadal avoids the danger.  roddick has gone off the boil and again struggles. he fails to get down properly for a low forehand volley and gives nadal three break points. the american blasts an ace to save one but follows up with a double fault and the rubber is level.  nadal edges towards taking the second set with a comfortable hold.  two good serves put roddick 30-0 up but he then makes a couple of errors to find himself 30-40 down. he saves the break point with an ace and then manages to hold.  roddick s level has dropped while nadal is on a hot streak. the spaniard includes a superb crosscourt winner off the back foot as he races through his service game without dropping a point.  roddick double-faults twice and nadal takes full advantage of the break point offered  powering a passing winner past roddick.  nadal wins another tight game. neither player has dipped from the high standard of play in the first set.  nadal puts the american under pressure and roddick saves a break point with a superb stop volley before going on to hold.  nadal puts the disappointment of losing the first-set tiebreak to claim the opening game in the second.  roddick double-faults to concede the first mini-break and then nadal loops a crosscourt winner to seize advantage in the tiebreak. he lets one slip but wins his next serve to earn three set points. but roddick saves them and then earns one himself. nadal comes up with a down-the-line winner but then nets tamely on roddick s next set point.  nadal s nerve is tested as he tries to force a tiebreak. both players come up with some scintillating tennis and the spaniard has several chances to clinch the game before finally doing so when roddick drives wide.  a pulsating game sees nadal racing round the court retrieving and refusing to give roddick any easy points. the point of the match so far involves roddick s slam-dunk smash being returned by nadal before roddick finally manages to end the rally. on the very next point  nadal blasts a forehand service return from right of court that passes roddick and even the american is forced to applaud. but roddick comes up with two big serves to polish off the game.  nadal outplays roddick to reach 40-0 but the american fights back to 40-30 before nadal s powerful crosscourt forehand winner secures the game.  the crowd are getting very involved  cheering between roddick s first and second serves. but the american comes through to hold and edge ahead in the set.  nadal manages to hold again despite roddick piling the pressure on his serve. the spaniard wins the game courtesy of another lucky net cord.  roddick double faults buts manages to keep his composure. a well-placed serve is unreturnable and roddick holds.  a powerful ace down the middle gives nadal a simple love service game - the first time he has held serve so far in the match. if roddick didn t know before  he knows now that he is in a real contest.  another superb game as nadal breaks to once again lift the roof. he produces some fine groundstrokes to leave roddick chasing shadows. four of the first five games have seen a break of serve.  despite the disappointment of losing his serve  roddick is not phased and storms into a 40-15 lead when the umpire leaves his seat to confirm a close line-call. nadal takes the next point but roddick breaks again with a sharp volley at the net.  roddick s advantage is short lived as nadal breaks back immediately. a fortunate net cord helps the spaniard on his way and when roddick fires a forehand cross court shot wide to lose his serve  nadal pumps his fist in celebration.  the american is pumped up for this clash and takes on nadal s serve from the start. nadal s drop shot is agonisingly called out and roddick claims the vital first break.  after moya s win in the opening rubber  a raucous seville crowd is buoyed by nadal s impressive start which sees him race into a 30-0 lead. however roddick fights back to hold his serve.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "howard unveils tory asylum plans tory plans to cut immigration to the uk are not racist and will make the asylum system fairer for genuine refugees  michael howard has said.  as his party set out detailed asylum reform plans  mr howard said they would help smash people smuggling gangs. there would be an annual limit on asylum and all claims would be processed overseas. some charities say the plans would put refugees  lives at risk if they were turned away once quotas were filled.  tony blair said labour would set out workable plans for tackling immigration abuse in the next few weeks and attacked the tory plans.  by cutting the number of front-line immigration staff at our borders  they will actually make the problem worse   said mr blair. liberal democrat chairman matthew taylor said there needed to be a quick  fair and firm asylum system. but he said it was  absolutely disgusting  to propose a system which could turn away genuine refugees. the conservatives say there is little risk of this happening as demand for asylum will be considered when quotas are set.  in a speech in london on monday  mr howard said:  it s not racist  as some people to claim  to talk about controlling immigration far from it.  he said that coming from an immigrant family himself he recognised that  firm but fair  immigration controls were essential for good community relations.    - withdrawing from the 1951 united nations convention on refugees  which obliges countries to accept people being persecuted on the basis of need  not numbers   - introduce laws to allow the immediate removal of asylum seekers whose claims were clearly unfounded because they came from safe countries or had destroyed documents   - detain asylum seekers without documents so people whose identity was not known were not able to move freely around the uk - a worry for  national security    - stop considering asylum applications inside the uk and instead take people from united nations refugee agency camps. anyone applying for asylum would be taken to new centres close to their countries of origin.     the tories also want quotas for those seeking work permits through an australian-style points system and those wanting to join families in the uk.  mr howard said nearly 160 000 people were settling in the uk every year - the size of a city like peterborough. the plans would help achieve a  substantial reduction  in immigration  he said  although he could not predict a figure. he said that only two out of 10 asylum seekers had their claims accepted under the current  unfair and inhumane  system.   we need to break the link between arriving in britain and claiming asylum   mr howard said.  by breaking that link we can smash the criminal gangs at the heart of the trade in people smuggling.   but the un refugees agency is worried the policy sends the wrong message to poorer countries which receive the bulk of refugees. and a spokesman for european justice and home affairs commissioner franco frattini said the plans would contravene eu asylum policy  which meant the uk could not simply refuse to hear an asylum case. refugee council chief executive maeve sherlock called the plans  dangerous  ill thought-out and hugely irresponsible . lives could be put at risk if refugees were turned away once the quotas were filled  she warned. commission for racial equality chairman trevor phillips said asylum applications were down 40% and economic migration down about 10%.  he did not think mr howard intended to centre the debate about race. but he warned that some campaigners could use his words to hint the policy was about keeping out people of a different colour or culture. mr howard called that suggestion  disgraceful .", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "debate needed  on donations cap a cap on donations to political parties should not be introduced yet  the elections watchdog has said.  fears that big donors can buy political favours have sparked calls for a limit. in a new report  the electoral commission says it is worth debating a \u00a310 000 cap for the future but now is not the right time to introduce it. it also says there should be more state funding for political parties and candidates should be able to spend more on election campaigning.  there were almost \u00a368m in reported donations to political parties in 2001  2002 and 2003  with nearly \u00a312m of them from individual gifts worth more than \u00a31m. the rules have already been changed so the public can see who gives how much to the parties but the report says there are still public suspicions. the commission says capping donations would mean taxpayers giving parties more cash - something which would first have to be acceptable to the public and shown to work.  while we are not in principle opposed to the introduction of a donation cap  we do not believe that such a major departure from the existing system now would be sensible   says its report. if there was to be a cap  it should be \u00a310 000 - a small enough amount to make a difference but which would have banned \u00a356m in donations between 2001 and 2003.  even without changes the commission does urge political parties to seek out more small-scale donations and suggests there should be income tax relief for gifts under \u00a3200. it also suggests increasing state funding for parties to \u00a33m so help can be extended to all parties with at least two members in the house of commons  european parliament  scottish parliament  welsh assembly or northern ireland assembly. and it suggests new ways of boosting election campaigning  seen as a way of improving voter turnout. all local election candidates should be entitled to a free mailshot for campaign leaflets  says the watchdog. and there should be a shift in the amount of money allowed to be spent at elections from a national level to a local level to help politicians engage better with voters.  the report suggests doubling the money which can be spent by candidates  while cutting national spending limits from \u00a320m to \u00a315m. the commission also says the spending limits for general elections should cover the four months before the poll - as happens with other elections. electoral commission chairman sam younger said:  there is no doubt that political parties have a vital role to play in maintaining the health of our democracy and for this they need to be adequately resourced.  our research has shown that people want to be more informed about party politics and that they want politicians to be more visible and accessible.  the public are reluctant for the state to fund parties but at the same time are unhappy with large private donations.  he called for a wider public debate on party funding to find the consensus needed for radical changes to the current system.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "jamieson issues warning to bigots scotland s justice minister has warned bigoted soccer fans that she wants to hit them  where it hurts most  by banning them from matches.  cathy jamieson said exclusion orders are one of a series of measures being considered in the scottish executive campaign against sectarianism. she praised celtic and rangers for their work in tackling the problem. however  the minister said stopping sectarian abuse associated with old firm matches is a key objective. ms jamieson was speaking ahead of the third round scottish cup clash between the glasgow clubs at parkhead on sunday. the sectarianism long associated with sections of the support from both clubs has become a significant target for the executive. last week ms jamieson and first minister jack mcconnell met supporters  representatives from both clubs to discuss the issue.  they plan to hold an anti-sectarian summit next month with officials from the clubs  church leaders  senior police officers and local authority chiefs among those to be invited. speaking on bbc radio scotland s sunday live programme  ms jamieson described friday s meeting as  very productive  and said putting the squeeze on the bigots would be a key aim. ms jamieson stressed that sectarianism has not been confined to football but it can act as a  trigger  for tensions and violence. clubs have taken action in the past to ban troublesome fans and supporters  groups expressed their desire to ensure that the game is no longer tainted by the problem.  ms jamieson said the executive should have a role in tackling the soccer troublemakers. she said:  we can t get away from the fact that in some instances some of the religious hatred that some people try to associate with football boils over into violence.  that is the kind of thing we want to stop and that s the kind of thing supporters  groups are very clear they don t want to be part of either  and they will work with us to try and deal with that.   ms jamieson praised the police for their action and said:  the police do want to identify whether there are particular individuals who are going over the top and inciting hatred or violence - they will crack down very effectively on them.  we have of course already indicated that we will consider the introduction of banning orders to give additional powers to where there are people who are going over the top  who have made inappropriate behaviour at football matches  to be able to stop them attending the games.  that s the kind of thing that will hit those kind of people where it hurts the most in not allowing them to attend the games   she said. praising celtic and rangers for their efforts  she said:  i don t think there is any doubt that we have seen some positive moves from the clubs.  both rangers and celtic football clubs have been involved in working with the executive to produce  for example  an educational pack for young people.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "robben plays down european return injured chelsea winger arjen robben has insisted that he only has a 10% chance of making a return against barcelona in the champions league.  the 21-year-old has been sidelined since breaking a foot against blackburn last month. chelsea face barcelona at home on 8 march having lost 2-1 in the first leg. and robben told the daily star:  it is not impossible that i will play against barcelona but it is just a very  very small chance - about 10%.   robben has been an inspirational player for chelsea this season following a switch from psv einhoven last summer. he added:  my recovery is going better than we expected a few weeks ago but i think the barcelona game will come too soon.  i won t take any risks and come back too soon.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "strong demand triggers oil rally crude oil prices surged back above the $47 a barrel mark on thursday after an energy market watchdog raised its forecasts for global demand.  the international energy agency (iea) warned demand for opec s crude in the first quarter would outstrip supply. the iea raised its estimate of 2005 oil demand growth by 80 000 barrels a day to 84 million barrels a day. us light crude rose $1.64 to $47.10  while brent crude in london gained $1.32 to $44.45.  the paris-based iea watchdog  which advises industrialized nations on energy policy  said the upward revision was due to stronger demand from china and other asian countries. the fresh rally in crude prices followed gains on wednesday which were triggered by large falls in us crude supplies following a cold spell in north america in january. the us department of energy reported that crude stockpiles had fallen 1m barrels to 294.3m. on top of that  ongoing problems for beleaguered russian oil giant yukos have also prompted the iea to revise its output estimates from russia - a major non-opec supplier.  i think that prices are now beginning to set a new range and it looks like the $40 to $50 level   said energy analyst orin middleton of barclays capital.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "tomlinson stays focused on europe long jumper chris tomlinson has cut his schedule to ensure he is fully fit for the european indoor championships.  the 23-year-old has a minor injury and has pulled out of international meets in madrid and lievin this week as well as warm-weather training in lanzarote.  it s nothing serious   said his coach peter stanley.  he strained a muscle in his abdomen at the birmingham meeting but is back in full training.  sprinter mark lewis-francis will also not compete in madrid on thursday. the birmingham athlete  who clocked a season s best of 6.61 seconds over 60m in birmingham last week  also prefers to focus his attentions on next month s european indoor championships.  lewis-francis  who was runner-up to british team-mate jason gardener at the europeans three years ago  will continue his training at home. meanwhile  tomlinson is still searching for this first major medal and this season he has shown he could be in the sort of form to grab a spot on the podium in madrid. the middlesbrough athlete jumped a season s best of 7.95m at the birmingham grand prix - good enough to push world indoor champion savante stringfellow into second.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "ultra fast wi-fi nears completion ultra high speed wi-fi connections moved closer to reality on thursday when intel said it would list standards for the technology later this year.  intel is developing ultra-wideband technology (uwb) which would allow fast data transfer but with low power needs. uwb is tipped to be used for wireless transfer of video in the home or office and for use in wireless usb devices which need low power consumption. a rival uwb standard is being developed by motorola and chip firm freescale. at the mobile phone conference 3gsm in cannes last month samsung demonstrated a phone using uwb technology from freescale.  at a press conference on thursday intel announced that two uwb groups  wimedia alliance and multi-band ofdm alliance had merged to support the technology. uwb makes it possible to stream huge amounts of data through the air over short distances. one of the more likely uses of uwb is to make it possible to send dvd quality video images wirelessly to tv screens or to let people beam music to media players around their home.  the technology has the potential to transmit hundreds of megabits of data per second.  consumer electronics companies want uwb to replace cables and simplify set-up   jeff ravencraft  technology strategist at intel and chairman of the wireless usb promoter group  told technology site zdnet.  thirty percent of consumer electronics returns are because the consumer couldn t set up the equipment.  the first products using uwb technology from intel are due to hit the market later this year. initially they will be products using wireless usb 2.0 connections. uwb could also be used to create so-called personal area networks that let a person s gadgets quickly and easily swap data amongst themselves. the technology works over a range up to 10 metres and uses billions of short radio pulses every second to carry data. intel says the benefit of uwb is that it does not interfere with other wi-fi technologies already in use such as wi-fi  wimax and mobile phone networks.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "blind student  hears in colour  a blind student has developed software that turns colours into musical notes so that he can read weather maps.  victor wong  a graduate student from hong kong studying at cornell university in new york state  had to read coloured maps of the upper atmosphere as part of his research. to study  space weather  mr wong needed to explore minute fluctuations in order to create mathematical models. a number of solutions were tried  including having a colleague describe the maps and attempting to print them in braille. mr wong eventually hit upon the idea of translating individual colours into music  and enlisted the help of a computer graphics specialist and another student to do the programming work.   the images have three dimensions and i had to find a way of reading them myself   mr wong told the bbc news website.  for the sake of my own study - and for the sake of blind scientists generally - i felt it would be good to develop software that could help us to read colour images.  he tried a prototype version of the software to explore a photograph of a parrot. in order to have an exact reference to the screen  a pen and tablet device is used. the software then assigns one of 88 piano notes to individually coloured pixels - ranging from blue at the lower end of this scale to red at the upper end. mr wong says the application is still very much in its infancy and is only useful for reading images that have been created digitally.  if i took a random picture and scanned it and then used my software to recognise it  it wouldn t work that well.   mr wong has been blind from the age of seven and he thinks that having a  colour memory  makes the software more useful than it would be to a scientist who had never had any vision.  as the notes increase in pitch i know the colour s getting redder and redder  and in my mind s eye a patch of red appears.  the colour to music software has not yet been made available commercially  and mr wong believes that several people would have to work together to make it viable. but he hopes that one day it can be developed to give blind people access to photographs and other images.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "child access laws shake-up parents who refuse to allow former partners contact with their children could be electronically tagged under plans being considered by ministers. curfews and community service orders were other options which could be used if court orders to allow parental access were defied  lord falconer said. the constitutional affairs secretary outlined some of the plans on tuesday. he denied fathers  activists had forced the changes  telling the bbc  there is a recognition that something is wrong . between 15 000 and 20 000 couples go to court to resolve access disputes each year  although in nine out of 10 separations there is no court intervention.  lord falconer told bbc radio 4 s today programme he hoped voluntary mediation could help solve disputes before they reached court. but he opposed compulsory mediation  saying that it would lead to many people taking part with the wrong attitude. other plans include:    - parenting plans to give advice on access arrangements  based on real-life examples that have worked in the past   - extending in-court conciliation - more informal hearings before contested court cases   - better access to legal  emotional and practical advice by telephone and internet   - legal aid changes to give incentives for early resolution of disputes.     judges can already jail parents who breach contact orders but that was a  nuclear option  which was rarely used as it was not seen as being in the child s interests  a spokesman said. the aim of the new legislation was to provide a  medium range  of penalties  such as fines  community service orders  compulsory anger management or parenting classes or curfews.  failure to comply with these measures could result in offenders being electronically tagged. on the possibility of tagging uncooperative parents  lord falconer said:  tagging may be going too far  but let s have a debate about that.  full details of the new powers will not be revealed until a bill is published  in the next two weeks   a spokesman said.  the government s proposals have met with disapproval from fathers  rights groups. john ison  from the controversial group fathers 4 justice  said:  it is very disappointing. what we have got is a cynical case of recycling existing legislation.  jim parton  from families need fathers  said the new proposals  lacked compulsion .   we would like to see couples develop a plan and then have it as a source of a court order - then you know where you stand  you know what the minimum access is.  otherwise  you see people make agreements which then fall apart.  mr parton said he had been told by children s minister margaret hodge there was not enough time to pass the bill through parliament before the general election  which is likely to take place in may.  the conservatives have called for an equal split between parents on access to be made law. theresa may  shadow secretary for the family  told bbc radio 4 s today programme that the government s plans were  inadequate  and were  papering over the cracks of the current system . she said a conservative government would bring a  radical reform  of the family courts  as well as enforcing a  legal presumption of co-parenting and compulsory mediation .  we want to make courts the last resort  rather than the first resort   she added. the government says children cannot simply be divided up  like property  when a marriage collapses. the liberal democrats have argued for flexibility in deciding access rules  rather than having  rigid targets .", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "blair defends terror law changes the prime minister has defended measures to allow house arrest without trial  saying  several hundred  people in the uk are plotting terror attacks.  the government is facing opposition from tory and lib dem mps and its own backbenchers as it prepares for the final commons debate on the changes. but tony blair said there could be no concession on the  basic principle . mr blair told the bbc the  control orders  would only be used in the most limited circumstances. critics in the opposition and civil rights activists are worried that the home secretary will have the power to issue the detention orders. but the government has so far resisted pressure for judges to be responsible for making the orders  instead saying judges will be able to quash them.  an explanation is being sent by home secretary charles clarke to all mps and peers ahead of the final debate in the house of commons. on sunday  conservative shadow home secretary david davis claimed judges would get the powers to issue detention orders. and liberal democrat leader charles kennedy said some concessions had already been offered by the government during last-minute negotiations. some 32 labour mps voted against the legislation last week. barbara follett  whose first husband was killed while under house arrest in south africa during the apartheid era  confirmed she would vote against the government.  but the government is continuing to insist that  control orders  must be issued by the home secretary. mr blair told bbc radio 4 s woman s hour:  we are being advised by the police and the security services...  what they say is you have got to give us powers in between mere surveillance of these people - there are several hundred of them in this country who we believe are engaged in plotting or trying to commit terrorist acts - you have got to give us power in between just surveying them and being able  being sure enough of the proof  to prosecute them beyond reasonable doubt.  and these will be restrictions on their liberty that we will use only in the most limited circumstances.   a yougov poll in the daily telegraph suggested 75% of respondents thought action was sometimes necessary against people who had not committed an offence but who had been found by intelligence services to be planning a terrorist attack. but tory leader michael howard told bbc news that the government was again making a mistake in  rushing  anti-terrorism legislation.  i very much hope it would be possible to reach a compromise on this.  he said after meeting tony blair he had been left with the impression that  he really wasn t interested in any of the various proposals we have put forward . mr clarke wants house arrest and other powers to replace indefinite jail for terror suspects - something the law lords have ruled against on the basis that it breaches human rights. bbc political correspondent vicky young said some form of concession on the measures was likely to be needed to get the legislation through the house of lords  where labour does not have a majority and would require support from other parties. shami chakrabarti  director of civil liberties pressure group liberty  said who was able to issue the control orders was not the main issue. she said the legislation was  a travesty and a perversion of justice  and would remain  unpalatable  even if a judge was involved early in the process.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "quake s economic costs emerging asian governments and international agencies are reeling at the potential economic devastation left by the asian tsunami and floods.  world bank president james wolfensohn has said his agency is  only beginning to grasp the magnitude of the disaster  and its economic impact. the tragedy has left at least 25 000 people dead  with sri lanka  thailand  india and indonesia worst hit. some early estimates of reconstruction costs are starting to emerge. millions have been left homeless  while businesses and infrastructure have been washed away.  economists believe several of the 10 countries hit by the giant waves could see a slowdown in growth.  in sri lanka  some observers have said that as much as 1% of annual growth may be lost. for thailand  that figure is much lower at 0.1%. governments are expected to take steps  such as cutting taxes and increasing spending  to facilitate a recovery.   with the enormous displacement of people...there will be a serious relaxation of fiscal policy   glenn maguire  chief economist for the region at societe generale  told agence france presse.  the economic impact of it will certainly be large  but it should not be enough to derail the momentum of the region in 2005   he said.  first and foremost this is a human tragedy.  india s economy  however  is less likely to slow because the areas hit are some of the least developed. the regional giant has enjoyed strong growth in 2004. but india now faces other problems  with aid workers under pressure to ensure a clean supply of water and sanitation to prevent an outbreak of disease.  thailand s prime minister thaksin shinawatra has estimated the destruction at 20bn baht ($510m). analysts said that figure is likely to rise and the country s tourist industry is likely to be hardest hit. thailand s fishing and real estate sectors also will be affected by sunday s 9.0 magnitude earthquake  which sent huge waves from malaysia to africa. malaysia said as many as 1 000 fishermen will be affected and that damage to the industry will be  significant   agence france presse reported. rapid rebuilding will be key to limiting the impact of the tragedy.  in three months  we should rebuild 70% of the damage in the three worst hit provinces   said juthamas siriwan  governor of the tourism authority of thailand. the outlook for sri lanka is less optimistic  with analysts predicting that the country s tourist industry will struggle to recovery quickly. tourism is a vital to many developing countries  providing jobs for 19 million people in the south east asian region  according to the world travel and tourism council (wttc).", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "wales silent on grand slam talk rhys williams says wales are still not thinking of winning the grand slam despite a third six nations win.   that s the last thing on our minds at the moment   said williams  a second- half replacement in saturday s 24-18 win over france in paris.  we all realise how difficult a task it is to go up to scotland and beat them.  we ve come unstuck there a couple of times recently so our focus is on that game and we ll worry about ireland hopefully after we ve beaten scotland.  with captain gareth thomas ruled out of the rest of the campaign with a broken thumb  williams is vying for his first start in the championship so far.  kevin morgan is probably favourite to replace thomas at full-back  leaving williams and hal luscombe to battle for the right wing berth. a hamstring injury denied luscombe the opportunity to make a third successive start  but the dragons winger is expected to be fit for the trip to murrayfield on 13 march. hooker robin mcbryde is doubtful after picking up a knee injury in paris  but centre sonny parker and flanker colin charvis are set to recover from injury to be in contention for selection. said wales assistant coach scott johnson:  they ve worked through the weekend and the reports are a bit more positive.  so we re getting a couple back and that adds to the depth of the squad.  scotland secured their first win of the campaign on saturday by grinding out an 18-10 win over italy.  matt williams  side has shown little in attack  but johnson insisted the scots will be difficult opposition to break down.  italy are really brave opposition and sometimes it s very hard to win   he said.  so an ugly win can be just as effective as a 30 or 40 point victory.  scotland are a hard side and very underrated so we re not taking anything for granted.  we re not basking in the glory of winning our first three games. we ve got to be diligent in our preparation.  that s my job and we ve got to make sure we re focused.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "india power shares jump on debut shares in india s largest power producer  national thermal power corp (ntpc) have risen 13% on their stock market debut.  the government s partial sell-off of ntpc is part of a controversial programme to privatise state-run firms. the 865 million share offer  a mix of new shares and sales by the government  raised 54bn rupees($1.2bn). it was india s second $1bn stock debut in three months  coming after the flotation by software firm tata. the share offer was eleven times oversubscribed.  it is a good investment bet   said suhas naik  an investment analyst from ing mutual fund.  power needs in india are set to rise and ntpc will benefit from that.  analysts say the success of the ntpc flotation would encourage the government to reduce stakes in more power companies. ntpc has said it will use the money from the share sale to feed the growing needs of the country s energy-starved economy. the firm is the largest utility company in india  and the sixth largest power producer in the world.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "muslim police stops  more likely  uk muslims should accept that people of islamic appearance are more likely to be stopped and searched by police  a home office minister has said.  hazel blears said innocent muslims would be targeted because of the search for islamic extremists. qualifications for religious leaders to enter the uk could also be made tougher  she told a commons inquiry. her comments have been described as  irresponsible  and  outrageous  by the islamic human rights commission (ihrc).   the threat is most likely to come from those people associated with an extreme form of islam  or who are falsely hiding behind islam   the salford mp told the commons home affairs committee.   it means that some of our counter-terrorism powers will be disproportionately experienced by the muslim community.  it was a reality that should be recognised  she said.  if a threat is from a particular place then our action is going to be targeted at that area   she added. on ministers of religions  such as imams  she said faith groups would be asked what other qualifications and skills  such as civic knowledge and ability to engage the community  should be demanded. last year  ministers introduced a requirement that ministers should speak english to a certain level.  ihrc chairman massoud shadjareh accused ms blears of  playing an islamophobia card  in the run-up to a general election.   she is demonising and alienating our community   he said.  it is a legitimisation for a backlash and for racists to have an onslaught on our community.  this sort of comment is just music to the ears of racists.  later  the prime minister s official spokesman urged people to put ms blears  comments into context. the minister had been saying she understood there was a perception that stop and search was aimed at one community  but that was not what was happening  the spokesman said.   what is happening is that those powers are aimed at those who are suspected of carrying out or planning certain activity who happen to come from one community.  it is not aimed at a particular community  it is not police policy to aim these powers at a particular community   he added. statistics showed that of the 17 people found guilty of terrorist acts in the uk since the 11 september attacks  only four of the 12 whose ethnic backgrounds were known were muslim  he added figures published last week showed that people from ethnic minorities were increasingly likely to be targeted by police stop and search tactics.  figures showed that  for 2003/2004  asians were 1.9 times more likely to be stopped and searched  compared with 1.7 times more likely in the previous year. separate figures on police searches in england and wales carried out under the terrorism act 2000 showed that ethnic minorities were more likely to be targeted. muslim groups have repeatedly claimed that their communities are being victimised under terror laws. in 2003/2004  12.5% searches under the laws were on asian people  even though they make up 4.7% of the population. last july  the police were accused of islamophobia by muslim groups after stop and search figures showed the numbers of asians targeted had risen by 300% since the introduction of anti-terror laws.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "learning to love broadband we are reaching the point where broadband is a central part of daily life  at least for some  argues technology analyst bill thompson.  one of the nice things about being a writer is that i rarely have to go to an office to work. i can sit in a café or a library  with or without a wi-fi connection  and research and write articles. if i am passing through kings cross station on my way to a meeting then i can log on from the platform. and i can spend the day working with my girlfriend anne  a children s writer  at her house in cambridge  sharing her wireless network. but just over a week ago i arrived at her house to find that there was no network connection.  we checked the cable modem and noticed that it had no power  and when she changed the power lead it sparked at her in a way which made it abundantly clear that it was never going to talk to the internet again. she called her service provider  and they told her it would be five days before an engineer would show up with a new cable modem. this did not seem too bad  but in fact she really suffered until her connection was restored on wednesday. with no modem installed in her computer  she had to borrow internet access from friends or use the dial-up connection on her daughter s laptop  so she had to choose between copying her files onto her usb memory card or accepting a slower and flakier net connection. as a result she did not submit the pictures she wanted to use for a book on earthquakes because they were too big to send over dial-up.  she could not research other material because she is used to having easy access to a fast link that lets her search quickly and effectively. but the impact spread into her personal life too. she did not take her children to the cinema during half-term because she could not find out which films were showing at the local cinemas. she planned a trip to norfolk but did not check the weather because the only place she knows to look for weather information is the bbc website. and she did not know where to go fossil-hunting on the trip because she could not type  fossils norfolk  into google. of course  she readily admits  she could have answered these questions if she had looked in the local paper  listened to the radio or found a book on fossils. but she did not  because having fast  always on  and easy access to the net has become part of the routine of her daily life  and when it was taken away it was too much effort to go back to the old ways of doing things. she may be unusual  but i do not think anne is alone.  according to ofcom there were almost four million broadband users in the uk in april 2004  and numbers are climbing fast. there will certainly be five million by the end of the year. dial-up users are switching to broadband. my dad finally made the change earlier this month and new net users are selecting broadband from the start. more and more of these broadband users are beginning to mould their daily lives around the availability of broadband internet connections  and they too will find it difficult to cope if they cannot get online for any reason.  it is part of the process of adaptation  and it is a vital step in the growth of broadband in the uk and elsewhere. people who have integrated net access into their daily lives tell their friends about it  and show off the cool stuff they can do. they encourage other people to get broadband so that they can share digital photos and do all of the other things that need fast and reliable connectivity. of course  broadband in the uk is laughably slow compared to other parts of the world. in south korea  japan and hong kong normal connection speeds are measured in megabits  or millions of bits  a second rather than the thousands that we are supposed to be happy with. but speed is only a small part of the attraction of broadband  and when it comes to checking websites for film times  looking at weather forecasts  or all of the other small things that make a real difference to the routines and habits of our daily lives  even uk speeds are sufficient. it may not be the brave new world of streaming full-screen video and superfast file downloads  but it will do for now. and it is certainly better than slow access or no access. just ask anne.  bill thompson is a regular commentator on the bbc world service programme go digital.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "games enter the classroom video games could soon be transplanted from their natural habitat to the more academic atmosphere of the classroom.  with violent titles continuing to top the charts  gaming and learning have not always sat well together but the tide could be beginning to turn. recent research by the london institute of education concluded that games have a valid place in the classroom.  games teach life skills such as decision making  problem solving   said martin owen  at futurelab. mr owen said games could also help children make quick assessments of situations and learning by trial and error.  futurelab is a non-profit organisation looking at ways of using technology for innovative learning. most game firms are too busy turning a profit in the lucrative commercial market to consider developing games for use in schools but liverpool-based games firm lateral visions saw a gap in the market.  learning games were somewhat old-fashioned and we didn t see anyone else doing what we wanted to do   said dr carl gavin  managing director of lateral visions. the company set out to write something that had all the look and feel of a commercial game but with an educational and learning element. the result is racing academy  a massively multiplayer car racing game  which requires not only a thirst for speed but a working knowledge of physics and engineering as well.  it is being used by futurelab to test the viability of using gaming in the classroom.  we are keen to find out whether alongside learning a game  we can also learn something that the rest of the world can understand as being educational   said mr owen. players will have to understand how a car works in order to win races and the knowledge of physics and engineering that they gather along the way will be done in a way that no text book can teach. the game requires users to build and maintain their vehicles and to monitor and analyse performance using data from a variety of outputs  before and after racing. teamwork is essential and a chat area allows students to exchange information and data  work collaboratively and review their own performances. this fusion of chatrooms and gaming is of special interest to futurelab as it is through talking to others that much of the learning can be achieved  thinks mr owen.  the game has been trialled in two secondary schools in bristol and feedback from students has been positive.  pupils used the statistics to work out the best way to build their cars and the online message board to share ideas and support each other   said ben williamson  a researcher at futurelab charged with testing the game in real schools. dr gavin thinks the game satisfies both teachers  need for learning outcomes and the children s desire to rise to a challenge.  games in the classroom need to support the teacher. it is not about giving children free rein to play game but recognising that games attract attention and offer a challenge   he said. professor angela macfarlane  based at bristol university  has spent several years researching how games can be incorporated into classrooms.  use of games in schools has been patchy she found  with sim city proving the most popular. traditionally schools have eschewed mainstream games in favour of used so-called edu-tainment software in a belief that such packages help to make learning fun  she found in her research.  it is perhaps in a compromise between edutainment and mainstream games that the greatest potential for classroom useable games lies   she wrote in a paper entitled games and learning.  lite  versions of existing games could be the way forward and would overcome one of the biggest hurdles - persuading developers to write for the educational market. this would appeal to developers because of the low costs involved in adapting them as well as offering a new opportunity for marketing. already there are games on the market  such as civilisation and age of empire  that have educational elements said mr owen.  even in grand theft auto it is not just the violence that engages people   he said. it could be some time until that particular game makes it into the classroom though.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "mobile games come of age the bbc news website takes a look at how games on mobile phones are maturing. a brief round-up follows but you can skip straight to the reviews by clicking on the links below. part two will follow on monday.  reviews of call of duty  splinter cell - pandora tomorrow  lord of the rings and pocket kingdom will follow on monday if you think of snake when some mentions  mobile games  then you could be in for a bit of a surprise. this is because mobile games have come a long way in a very short time. even before nokia s n-gage game phone launched in late 2003  many mobile operators were realising that there was an audience looking for something to play on their handset.  and given that many more people own handsets than own portable game playing gadgets such as the gameboy it could be a very lucrative market. that audience includes commuters wanting something to fill their time on the way home  game fans looking for a bit of variety and hard core gamers who like to play every moment they can. life for all these types of player has got immeasurably better in the last year as the numbers of titles you can download to your phone has snowballed. now sites such as wireless gaming review list more than 200 different titles for some uk networks and the ranges suit every possible taste. there are ports of pc and arcade classics such as space invaders  lunar lander and bejewelled. there are also versions of titles  such as colin mcrae rally  that you typically find on pcs and consoles.  there are shoot-em-ups  adventure games  strategy titles and many novel games only found on handsets. rarely now does an action movie launch without a mobile game tie-in. increasingly such launches are all part of the promotional campaign for a film  understandable when you realise that a good game can rack up millions of downloads. the returns can be pretty good when you consider that some games cost \u00a35. what has also helped games on mobiles thrive is the fact that it is easier than ever to get hold of them thanks to technology known as wap push. by sending a text message to a game maker you can have the title downloaded to your handset. far better than having to navigate through the menus of most mobile operator portals. the number of handsets that can play games has grown hugely too. almost half of all phones now have java onboard meaning that they can play the increasingly sophisticated games that are available - even the ones that use 3d graphics.  the minimum technology specifications that phones should adhere to are getting more sophisticated which means that games are too. now double key presses are possible making familiar tactics such as moving and strafing a real option. the processing power on handsets means that physics on mobile games is getting more convincing and the graphics are improving too. some game makers are also starting to take advantage of the extra capabilities in a mobile. many titles  particularly racing games  let you upload your best time to see how you compare to others. usually you can get hold of their best time and race against a  ghost  or  shadow  to see if you can beat them. a few games also let you take on people in real time via the network or  if you are sitting close to them  via bluetooth short-range radio technology. with so much going on it is hard to do justice to the sheer diversity of what is happening. but these two features should help point you in the direction of the game makers and give you an idea of where to look and how to get playing.  too fast too furious (digital bridges)  as soon as i start playing this i remember why i never play driving games - because i m rubbish at them. no matter if i drive the car via joystick or keypad i just cannot get the hang of braking for corners or timing a rush to pass other drivers. the game rewards replay because to advance you have to complete every section within a time limit. winning gives you cash for upgrades. graphically the rolling road is a convincing enough evocation of speed as the palm trees and cactus whip by and the city scrolls past in the background. the cars handle pretty well despite my uselessness but it was not clear if the different models of cars were appreciably different on the track. the only niggle was that the interface was a bit confusing especially when using a joystick rather than the keypad to play.  fatal force (macrospace)  a futuristic shooter that lets you either play various deathmatch modes against your phone or run through a series of scenarios that involves killing aliens invading earth. graphics are a bit cartoon-like but only helps to make clear what is going on and levels are well laid out and encourage you to leap about exploring. both background music and sounds effects work well. the scenarios are well scripted and you regularly get hints from the fatal force commanders. weapons include flamethrowers  rocket launchers  grenades and at a couple of points you even get chance to use a mech for a short while. with the right power-up you can go into a matrix-style bullet time to cope with the onslaught of aliens. the game lets you play via bluetooth if others are in range. online the game has quite a following with clans  player rankings and even new downloadable maps.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "blair says uk tsunami aid to soar tony blair has predicted the british government will eventually give  hundreds of millions  of pounds in aid to countries hit by the tsunami.  the prime minister was speaking publicly for the first time since returning from his holiday in egypt. mr blair insisted he had been  intimately involved  in  all decisions at all times  despite being abroad. he was speaking before the uk joins a three-minute silence at noon across the eu for the estimated 150 000 dead.  the foreign office says 41 britons are now confirmed to have died in the tsunami which struck south asia on boxing day  with 158 others missing. asked about criticism that he did not cut short his holiday  mr blair told bbc radio 4 s today programme:  i don t think this is a situation in which the british people need me to articulate what they feel.   i think they feel - as we all do - shock  horror  and absolute solidarity with those people who have lost their lives.  the important thing was action and not words  he said  adding that of the \u00a350m given by the government so far only  six or seven million  had been spent. it would become easier in the coming weeks to assess just how much money would have to be put in.  my estimate is we will need to spend from government several hundred million pounds. so we will far and away more than match the generosity of the british people   he said. asked whether he had not returned to work immediately because he was under doctors orders to rest  mr blair said there was also a story he had been away for plastic surgery.  as you can see unfortunately i am still looking the same as i always did   he joked.  the prime minister took personal charge of the uk s response on tuesday  chairing a meeting of the emergency committee of ministers that has convened daily since boxing day. he also spoke on the telephone to us president george bush  and the presidents of sri lanka and indonesia. chancellor gordon brown earlier backed a plan to freeze the foreign debts of all the affected nations.  mr brown  who was not at the downing street meeting  says he has been in  intensive talks  with other g8 finance ministers. germany proposed a freeze last week and canada has begun its own moratorium. the chancellor said the plan would initially save the most affected countries about $3bn (\u00a31.58bn) in repayments. tory leader michael howard also backed the proposals but said ministers had been  playing catch-up  with public donations.  foreign secretary jack straw is to visit thailand and indonesia this week. during his trip  mr straw will represent the g8 at the international conference called in jakarta  indonesia on thursday. on friday  he will visit the thai beach resort of phuket  where british families are still searching for relatives.  international development secretary hilary benn will also visit aceh in indonesia  as well as sri lanka. the british public has now pledged \u00a376m in aid with emergency supplies from the british government starting to arrive in the region on three raf flights in a joint operation with scandinavian countries. two ships - the royal fleet auxiliary ship diligence and frigate hms chatham - have arrived in the disaster area. a second royal fleet auxiliary vessel  the bayleaf  is also being sent. uk charities have also begun chartering planes to deliver aid.    - a bbc news special: asia remembered  including the three-minutes silence  will be shown on bbc one and bbc news 24 from 1130 to 1215 gmt on wednesday.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "mutu to hold talks with juventus disgraced former chelsea striker adrian mutu is to begin talks with juventus as he looks for a new club.   mutu will be in our club s main stand to watch the match between juventus and fiorentina   said a juventus official  who declined to be named.  then he will meet some important people of the club   he added. mutu  25  sacked by chelsea and banned for seven months for taking cocaine  is now represented by alessandro moggi  son of juve manager luciano moggi. mutu  banned by the english fa  can resume playing next may. he is to undergo a drug education and rehabilitation programme. mutu wants to train with romanian side dinamo bucharest whilst serving his ban  say the bucharest side.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "iaaf to rule on greek sprint pair greek sprinters kostas kenteris and katerina thanou are expected to find out on wednesday if they will be banned for missing drugs tests this summer.  the international association of athletics federations (iaaf) council held a conference call on tuesday and are set to announce their decision. kenteris and thanou could be suspended for up to two years. the duo withdrew from the olympics after missing a test but claimed they had suffered a motorcycle crash. the greek authorities have also brought criminal charges against the sprinters for avoiding a drugs test and faking an accident. their former coach christos tzekos is also facing charges and all three are awaiting a trial date.  however  the iaaf will determine the sprinters  future on the track after carefully considering all the evidence. the sport s ruling body is expected to direct the greek federation in what action it should take against the sprinters. kenteris and thanou can appeal against any decision at the court of arbitration for sport. the sprinters both sent written explanations to the iaaf  which have been taken into account. the iaaf sent an official warning to the sprinters and coach tzekos after they were discovered training in qatar rather than in crete  where they had said they would be. but kenteris and thanou then went on to skip tests in tel aviv and chicago  when they decided to fly back to greece early. just before the olympics  the pair dramatically missed another test in athens before withdrawing from the games. kenteris  31  won gold in the 200m at the sydney olympics in 2000  where thanou  29  won silver in the 100m.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "losing yourself in online gaming online role playing games are time-consuming  but enthralling flights from reality. but are some people taking their fantasy lives too seriously   when video game world of warcraft hit the shops in europe last week fans wrote in to the bbc website to express their delight - and to offer a warning.  an addiction to a game like this is far more costly in time than any substance could impair - keep track of time   wrote travis anderson  in texas. some of the comments were humorous:  this game is so good i m not going to get it  there s no way i could limit the hours i d spend playing it   wrote charles macintyre  from england.  but some struck a more worrying tone about the massively multiplayer online role playing game (mmorpg):   you need to get out more  could be the motto of any mmorpg. shame they are getting more popular  as you know this problem is just going to mushroom   wrote stuart stanton-davies  in huddersfield. scare-mongering articles about  addictive video games  have existed since the days the first game of pong stopped everyone from working at the atari offices.  gaming is like any other pastime - it can quickly become an unhealthy obsession  whether it is spending too much time in the gym  in front of the television  or reading poetry.  unfortunately  gaming and addiction is a far too easy association to make. however  stories about gamers spending 10 to 15 hours a day in front of some video games are becoming more frequent. and the impact that is having on their families is quite distressing for some.  massively multiplayer online role playing games - mmorpgs - allow thousands of gamers to share a common experience of sharing fantasy or science fiction worlds. the scope of these games - like warcraft  everquest  ultima among others - is epic  and exploration and adventure is almost infinite. part of the  problem  is grinding - by which gamers have to perform long-winded  mindless tasks  to bring up their levels and gain access to more adventure. such open-endedness brings with it a desire to keep playing; not for no reason is everquest (eq) nicknamed evercrack. e hayot  writing in the culture blogzine print culture  said recently:  i used to play the online role-playing game everquest a lot.  by  a lot   i mean probably 15 to 20 hours a week on average  and on weeks where i didn t have to work  as many as 30 or 40 hours.   he says that in the world of online gaming such behaviour  wasn t that unusual; lots of people i knew in the game played eq that much .  you lie; you don t go into work because you  had stuff to do at home ; you cancel or refuse invitations to dinner  you spend much less time watching tv (a good thing  presumably)   he wrote  explaining how everquest took over his time. he quit the game  he says  because he realised life was more fun than everquest.  let us be clear - such obsession is rare. but the huge growth in online gaming means a growth in the numbers of people who take their passion for a hobby too far. almost 400 000 people bought a copy of world of warcraft in the first two days on sale earlier this month. only a fraction will descend into obsessives. the thoughts of families and friends of gamers who have been affected by everquest can be found on one blog everquest daily grind. jane  who runs the website  compiles a chronicle of heart-rending stories.  i am actually convinced at this point that there are more than  some  people who spend more times in mmoprgs than in reality   she said. one unnamed correspondent - all are anonymous - wrote:  on the rare nights when my husband does come to bed at the same time as i do  i find that i am so used to sleeping by myself that it is difficult to get to sleep with another body laying next to me.   i can t talk to him while he is playing. there is absolutely no point as he doesn t hear me or is so distracted that i get a  ummm... ya  a few minutes after i ask him a question.    gaming widows  has become a comedic term for women who have been shut out by male gamers. but for some it is not in the least funny. another correspondent wrote:  i believe that he is addicted to the online gaming  and that is the cause of his depression and restlessness.  and some of them are even sadder:  today our son was five days old.  the sad truth is my husband spent 11 hours today playing his warcraft game. he did not interact with our sweet tiny baby because there were important quests waiting online.  video game fans often complain that their hobby is misunderstood or marginalised. but as gaming becomes ever more mainstream  and games ever more immersive  there will be no hiding place for social problems.    i wish 30-40 hours a week was unusual but i think it probably isn t. an 11 hour stretch isn t that surprising - i ve known people to play 15+ hours at a stretch. i know of people who are spending their week s holiday from work playing warcraft. i know of people who would play ever[crack] in shifts...waking at 3am to take over from their friends and resume waiting for an item they  needed  to appear. i understand that the key sign of an addiction is if you alter your life around it rather than fit it into your life. by all standards many of us are addicts. so is the solution to force ourselves to stop playing..or do we just need to make real life a bit more interesting   sadly with all the talk of people becoming obsessed with gaming  i find myself longing to have the time to join them. i have been in a long term relationship for over 4 years - since that began  games have become more and more complex. and more and more so i find i have less and less time to play them  with and marriage and work being the main drag on my time.  i think the line between playing a game a lot and a gaming addiction is really quite distinct. i play games a lot  definately over 20 hours a week  but i don t go missing work or other commitments in order to play games.  i have  about a year ago  deleted every game on my computer. rpgs are the worst - the real world fades and all your worries sorround a new magic staff or mighty sword. unlike books  or perhaps even tv  you gain absolutely nothing. when you stop playing you re at the same point as when you started; all the achievements of your 10 hour session are irretrievably locked in the game and  since you ve gained nothing in the real world  you may as well pile on more achievement in the fake one.  despite having little monetary value  the  rewards  and encouragement offered by these mmorpgs is enough to hook games for hours daily. if only business could learn to leverage that very simply human need for easily measurable progress and recognition. perhaps the unhealthily obsessed simply need more recognition for their achievements in reality   my advice to gaming widows is  if you can t beat  em  join  em . that is  try playing it yourself. if he wants to play as well  well at least you ll be together somewhere...  i was an addict and it cost me my relationship. i still play now  but without the guilt   hehe  how long have i played in one sitting  from morning till the early hours of the next day  the birds were singing out side and i had to hobble to the bath room cos my bladder was so full i was in pain  i would hardly eat  perhaps some toast  smoke endlessly and drink. now  thankfully the fascination has worn off and i have a girlfriend but still no job. for the most part online gaming give me an adiction to illusory achievement  and as there is no end in sight you keep going for the mirage of the ultimate.  obsessive behaviour is  of course  always cause for concern  but it always bothers me when articles about gaming talk in terms of  reality . obviously  somebody who spends thirty hours a week playing everquest has a problem. this problem  however  has nothing to do with a dysfunctional sense of reality. an obsessive eq player does not consider the game to be  real  any more than - for example - an obsessive automotive tinkerer considers their car to be human. if mmorpgs have a unique danger  in terms of encouraging obsessive behaviour  it is not that they create an absorbing virtual world  but rather that they can be easily accessed 24/7. the problem here does not lie with the nature of gaming  but with the nature of modern 24 hour culture.  the problem with these so called mmorpgs is that you can never really complete them  there s always another quest to do. a few of my friends have only had about 10 hours sleep since it was released friday...  championship manager consumed my life for years. one particular session started at about 2pm on a sunday  paused for a brief sleep at 5am on the monday and after visit to university for classes restarted at about midday for another 10 hour session. the people who tend to hark on about about the problems of  hardcore gaming  seem to be those who have rarely allowed themselves to become immersed in a game. i would expect their perspective to change if they were to do that.  i used to be an everquest addict while i was in college. it came to the point where the gaming world felt more real than the real one. i failed alot of my courses and was able to barely graduate. i was lucky that i came to my senses when i did  others were less fortunate and dropped out of college. now that i am holding a job  i avoid online rpgs like the plague.  when i was made redundant i told my partner i had a new job for three months whilst every day i played everquest from 7:30am till 5:pm. when she came home i pretended i had just got in as well  hence justifying playing it all evening. i have since quit playing mmorpg and have a good job.  when i got to the point where i was eating my dinner in front of the pc i realised things were getting silly so i m trying not to spend so much time on there. it s not easy. i feel as if i ve got a real addiction going on here.  for me the problem is that i love to complete a goal. once it is completed that is it  i am finished  time to move on. i become obsessed to complete the goal  so from that standpoint it is an addiction. in a game where you will never complete an  ultimate  goal  well it would be like falling into a black pit. it is easier to escape into a controlled fantasy world than face reality at times - in other words the goal offered in the pc game are  easier  and more fun than the real world. pretty scary implications if you think about it.  i can t buy world of warcraft as it would destroy my marrage  i just know it!!  i played star wars galaxies for about a year and can attest to the addictiveness of these games. they are all engineered in such a way that early on in the game you progress quickly  but this progress becomes exponentially slower  requiring more and more time to reach the next level. i m sad to say that at the peak of my addiction i was spending entire weekends in front of my monitor  slowly building up my character  stopping only for food and toilet breaks. thankfully i made a clean break  and actually managed to sell my jedi account for \u00a3800 - which is my only sanity check in an otherwise completely unproductive time vacuum.  seven years ago  i began playing ultima online. this game dominated 2 years of my life. they were 2 wonderful years and i still have vivid memories of the experiences and friends i had. online gaming can be a world of escapism where you can be yourself without fear of the thoughts of others. something that cannot always be achieved in the day to day running of a normal life. whilst i would warn against people giving to much of there life to these games  i believe they are a better way to spend your time than say watching tv.  gaming is addictive and should be made a recognised addiction. when i was single i used to play upto eight hours a night after work every night for about a year  building up my stats  completing evermore quests and battling ogres. but somehow i found time to get out  even met someone and got married! has my life changed  hell no! i still cast spells and battle till the early hours of the morning. on with the fun!  online gaming should be enjoyed just as much as you would enjoy watching television  or going to the cinema or the pub with your mates.  many people use recreational drugs on an occasional basis and are able to lead succesfull lives with families  relationships and good careers. a minority allow drugs to take over and destroy their lives and become addicted. according to this article the same is true of mmorpgs. the message to the government is clear  either legalise drugs  or outlaw online gaming!!  sounds like there are some sad stories here - and i can believe them all. i play alot of warcraft myself  and know full well how addictive it is. i am resolute that it will not take over my life. it certainly gets in the way though. i think that some people simply do not know how to draw this line  or lack the willpower to stop themselves stepping over it.  i think i m obsessed with gaming in general  i spend far too much time playing games like everquest 2 and football manager rather than going out and interacting with real people and when i do try to  i m always thinking in the back if my mind that i d rather be in front of the computer winning the league with cambridge united.  i am obsessed with online role playing games. it s not so much quests but it has the adrenaline of a real life situation - goals to achieve etc. i spend about five hours per day online playing it and i rarely get more than four to five hours sleep before getting up for work the next morning...  as many of the players spend their time in mmorpgs rather than in front of the tv i fail to see how it will affect players social lives negatively. furthermore these types of games contain a huge social aspect  whereas other games and some other pursuits (such as being a couch potato) the players could be indulging in are solitary by nature.  these games are like most things -- too much of anything is a bad thing  but as long as you can walk away from the computer to do other things too  they can be great fun.  living in korea at the moment  they have lots pc bangs (internet cafes). nearly most of south koreans are addicted to online games  and one korean died because of the lack of food and water he had through playing online games.  i play xbox live every day. i find my self lying and rescheduling everything around my gaming fix. the longest i played was a 24 hour straight session. i know i play for to long but it s an obsession that i can t control. can you reccomend a counsellor - this is not a wind up... but something i m increasingly concerned with...  me and my mate play online for an hour or two a day  we re both aware of how much time can disappear by sitting in front of a tv  trying to  frag  some individual. it s getting the balance between getting home and relasing the stress of a day by an hour or so gaming  and enjoying  real  life...  i bought the us version of world of warcraft when it came out. the longest period i played was 23 hrs straight. i gave up the game after a month because it was so addictive  but have subsequently just bought the european version (couldn t help myself). in future  i m going to regulate my time far more strictly. great game!  having played mmorpg games for some years i agree that these type of games can be life sucking. but my concern is for the younger generation of gamers that play for hours on end in an adult enviroment. most mmorpg games you need a credit card to play but i dont think parents know just what they are letting there children into.  unless there is undeniable medical proof that staring at a computer screens for hours at a time can damage a person¿s health  you can expect this not to decline but to get worse.  these people are pathetic. they need to get off their machines and notice that our world is being swiftly overcome by issues and troubles that make the trifling worries of and  online universe  absolutely meaningless.  24hours  when i was a kid at school and i was on half term  ultima online was the game  ahhhh them was the days ! lol", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "concerns over windows atms cash machine networks could soon be more susceptible to computer viruses  a security firm has warned.  the warning is being issued because many banks are starting to use the windows operating system in machines. already there have been four incidents in which windows viruses have disrupted networks of cash machines running the microsoft operating system. but banking experts say the danger is being overplayed and that the risks of infection and disruption are small.  for many years the venerable ibm operating system  known as os/2  has been the staple software used to power many of the 1.4m cash machines in operation around the world. but ibm will end support for os/2 in 2006 which is forcing banks to look for alternatives. there are also other pressures making banks turn to windows said dominic hirsch  managing director of financial analysis firm retail banking research.  he said many cash machines will also have to be upgraded to make full use of the new europay  mastercard and visa credit cards that use computer chips instead of magnetic stripes to store data. us laws that demand disabled people get equal access to information will also force banks to make their cash machines more versatile and able to present information in different ways. todd thiemann  spokesman for anti-virus firm trend micro  said the move to windows in cash machines was not without risks. mr thiemann said research by the towergroup showed that 70% of new cash machines being installed were windows based.  already  he said  there have been four incidents in which cash machines have been unavailable for hours due to viruses affecting the network of the bank that owns them.  in january 2003 the slammer worm knocked out 13 000 cash machines of the bank of america and many of those operated by the canadian imperial bank of commerce. in august of the same year  cash machines of two un-named banks were put out of action for hours following an infection by the welchia worm. incidents like this happen  said mr thiemann  because when banks start using windows cash machines they also change the networking technology used to link the devices to their back office computers. this often means that all the cash machines and computers in a bank share the same data network.  this could mean that cash machines get caught up in the viruses that are going around because they have a common transmission system   he said.  banks need to consider protection as part of the investment to maintain the security of that network   mr thiemann told bbc news online.  but mr hirsch from retail banking research said the number of cash machines actually at risk was low because so few were upgraded every year.  currently  he said  a cash machine has a lifetime of up to 10 years which means that only about 10% of all atms get swapped for a newer model every year.  windows cash machines have been around for several years   he said.  most banks simply upgrade as part of their usual replacement cycle.   in theory there is a bigger threat with windows than os/2   he said   but i do not think that the banks are hugely concerned at the moment.   it s pretty unusual to hear about virus problems with atms   he said. the many different security systems built-in to cash machines meant there was no chance that a virus could cause them to start spitting out cash spontaneously  he said. banks were more likely to be worried about internal networks being overwhelmed by worms and viruses and customers not being able to get cash out at all  he added. a spokesman for the association of payment and clearing services (apacs) which represents the uk s payments industry said the risk from viruses was minimal.  there s no concern that there s going to be any type of virus hitting the uk networks   he said. risks of infection were small because the data networks that connect uk cash machines together and the operators of the atms themselves were a much smaller and tightly-knit community than in the us where viruses have struck.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "former ni minister scott dies former northern ireland minister sir nicholas scott has died at a london hospice  his family has announced.  the former conservative mp for kensington and chelsea  died after a long illness diagnosed as alzheimer s. the 71-year-old served in northern ireland from 1981 to 1987 during the premiership of margaret thatcher. as a northern ireland minister he dealt with education and later security where he rode out the mass ira escape from the maze in 1983.  in education  he encountered criticism over school closures and the future of the catholic training colleges. he also merged the new university of ulster and the ulster polytechnic to create the university of ulster. sir nicholas was a strong defender of the anglo-irish agreement and was held in esteem in dublin government and sdlp circles. but he experienced hostility from unionists some of whom dubbed him  minister of discord . after leaving northern ireland in a reshuffle  he became a uk disability minister. sir nicholas was replaced as the member for kensington and chelsea by the flamboyant alan clark  after being deselected by his constituency in december 1996. his deselection followed a series of scandals including being found slumped in the street by police during the tory party conference in bournemouth and taken back to his hotel.  sir nicholas claimed strong painkillers he was taking for a back problem had reacted badly with a small amount of alcohol. after his sacking  he bitterly said that despite the support of cabinet ministers and tory backbenchers  the eurosceptics in his constituency were  absolutely determined to get rid of me . his colourful career also included a very public disagreement with daughter victoria over civil rights for the disabled. sir nicholas admitted he misled mps when he denied his department had been involved in wrecking tactics designed to kill the disability bill in 1994. victoria  a lobbyist for disabled rights  denounced her father s actions and heaped insult on injury when she joined the calls for him to resign. he joined the backbenches two months later.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "what now for kelly holmes  last april  kelly holmes spoke to the bbc sport website about her loneliness  her fight to stay fit and her decision not to contest both the 800m and 1500m at the olympics.  it just goes to show even the most meticulous and measured athletes cannot predict what fate has in store for them. four months later  holmes stormed to double olympic gold and has since been made a dame  won the bbc sport personality of the year and written a book whilst still finding time to coach aspiring athletes. with so much time spent in the spotlight  holmes has increasingly dropped hints that her ambition on the track has begun to wilt. and when asked about her plans for both the indoor and outdoor seasons ahead  the 34-year-old has repeatedly chosen to tick the  don t know  box. holmes has now pulled out of this weekend s european indoor championships  where she was selected for both the 800m and 1500m  because of a hamstring injury. but should we be surprised if the olympic champion over both those distances decides she just does not feel like racing anymore   well  it s a lot easier being the double olympic champion  being feted by everybody  than training to be at the top in middle distance running   points out former olympian and bbc pundit steve cram.  you have to have a real strong desire to carry on doing it even if you re very talented.   holmes  drive and determination have always been unquestionable - that is the reason she has battled back from a string of injuries that threatened to see her finish her career empty-handed. but alarm bells start ringing when the kent athlete begins questioning herself.  will i have as much commitment  desire and energy to go through a major championship   holmes asked in the new year.  that is what i don t know.  at 34  holmes will also be aware that time is running out. us 400m and 200m legend michael johnson  a five-time olympic gold medallist  retired shortly after his 34th birthday as did britain s double olympic champion decathlete daley thompson. the physical demands of the day-to-day grind will only get harder for holmes  who has already admitted she  doesn t like the training anymore.  whilst out on the circuit the allure of defeating a double olympic champion will spur her opponents on. holmes will not want to needlessly suffer the indignity of being beaten. unless she is certain she has a strong chance of winning any race  she will not step onto the track. but if the kent athlete finds the form that fuelled her ambitions last summer  there are more prizes up for grabs. the day after completing her double in athens  the 34-year-old revealed she would still like to win her first indoors title.  holmes  wish could easily be met in madrid before she goes on to prepare for the outdoor season where there are still scores to be settled  such as a first gold at the world championships in helsinki. there is just one small truth which could gnaw away at holmes  motivation - the realisation that no matter how hard she trains  nothing she wins now can surpass her achievements in athens. on the other hand  if those achievements cannot be matched shouldn t they be at least shared and celebrated   you don t get the chance very often in your career to step onto the track as the double olympic champion   agreed cram.  you want to be able to take your bow in front of the fans because it s a fantastic feeling.  i think deep down kelly wants to run. i think she will compete and run races on the circuits but whether or not she runs in the major championships is much less certain.   athletics fans had every reason to believe they would see the new-look kelly holmes tearing up the track again. after her olympic glory she emphatically denied she planned to retire. so  why is holmes dragging her heels about making a decision on where  when or whether to even bother competing again   that s just kelly   explains cram.  she s always been like that.  she enjoys people trying to guess what she is going to do next. she knows every time she makes a pronouncement now it s headline news.  kelly has to figure out for herself what it is she wants and that will be based on athletics decisions  whether she can be competitive  if she is fit enough to put her neck on the line.  and if she decides not to run again  no-one is going to turn round and say  you re making the wrong decision.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "england claim dubai sevens glory england beat fiji 26-21 in a dramatic final in dubai to win the first irb sevens event of the season.  having beaten australia and south africa to reach the final  england fell behind to an early try against fiji. they then took charge with scores from pat sanderson  kai horstman  mathew tait and rob thirlby  but fiji rallied to force a tense finale. scotland were beaten 33-15 by samoa in the plate semi-final and ireland lost 17-5 to tunisia in the shield final. mike friday s england side matched their opponents for pace  power and skill in the final and led 19-7 at half-time. but neumi nanuku and marika vakacegu touched down for fiji  only for a needless trip by tuidriva bainivalu on geoff appleford to allow england to run down the clock.  to be honest  england have wanted to win in dubai for a very long time now  and the people here have wanted us to win for just as long   said friday.   we didn t want to put pressure on ourselves but we are thankful we have achieved that and brought through some young talent at the same time that can hopefully play for the england  15s  in a few years.  portugal confirmed their impressive progress in sevens rugby by recording a sudden-death win over france in the bowl final. samoa won the plate title by edging out argentina 21-19.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "local net tv takes off in austria an austrian village is testing technology that could represent the future of television.  the people of engerwitzdorf are filming  editing and producing their own regional news channel. the channel covers local politics  sports  events and anything that residents want to film and are prepared to upload for others to watch on pcs. the pilot has been so successful that telekom austria is now considering setting up other projects elsewhere.   it s growing unbelievably fast   said rudolf fischer  head of telekom austria s fixed line division. the trial of buntes fernsehen (multi-coloured tv) was started in late 2004 and creates a net-based tv station run by the 8 000 residents of engerwitzdorf. the hardware and software to turn video footage into edited programmes has been provided by telekom austria but this equipment  following training  has been turned over to the villagers. any video programme created by the villagers is uploaded to a buntes fernsehen portal that lets people browse and download what they want to watch. most people watch the tv on their home pc and a broadband connection is needed to get broadcast quality programmes. in the first four months of the project villagers have created 60 films and put together regular reports on local news items.  they have adopted it very quickly   said mr fischer.  they like the possibility to create their own content and see what s going on in the area.   it s kind of the democratisation of local tv   he said   because none of the bigger broadcasters would ever do anything like this for that region.  the buntes fernsehen project has been such a success that telekom austria is now considering setting up other schemes in similarly rural areas. mr fischer said it was taking the roll-out to other areas slowly because of the work involved in setting up the scheme  getting backers from local government and educating people how to make programmes. the engerwitzdorf scheme is an outgrowth of telekom austria s online tv channel aon which lets people watch programmes on their pc. aon streams a couple of live channels  plus sports  news and music programmes on to the net and has a pay-for-download section that lets people watch what they want when they want to watch it. in october a larger tv-on-demand project is due to launch in vienna that will let people download many programmes from the net.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "eurovision  greats  to do battle stars of the eurovision song contest from the show s 50-year history are to compete against each other to celebrate the contest s anniversary.  viewers will choose 14 past songs to be performed by the original artists or others in the spirit of the originals. past eurovision performers include abba  celine dion  bucks fizz  nana mouskouri  lulu and julio iglesias. fans will then vote as usual to pick the all-time best eurovision song during the show in denmark in october. the first contest was organised by the european broadcasting union  or ebu  in 1956  and has become an annual event pitting pop giants against musical minnows - with often surprising results.  while some regard it as an essential celebration of continental talent  others see it as an equally unmissable parade of the reasons some countries do not normally produce international stars. the 50th annual contest will be held in kiev  ukraine  in may  after ukrainian singer ruslana won last year. the 50th anniversary special will be held in denmark later this year because the danish broadcasting corporation came up with the idea for the all-time contest. a plan to hold it in london was scrapped because of problems finding a suitable venue. ireland has been the most successful country in the show s history with seven victories  followed by the uk  france and luxembourg with five each.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "costin aims for comeback in 2006 jamie costin should be paralysed.  he says so himself in a matter-of-fact way as he recalls the car accident which occurred nine days before he was scheduled to step out into the olympic stadium in athens for the 50k walk. there is an ironic chuckle as he talks of his immediate thoughts after a lorry  driving on the wrong side of the road  had ploughed into his rental car.  i was in a lot of pain and i guessed that one of my toes was broken   says the waterford man.  but i was thinking maybe with a cortisone injection you never know.  in my back  it felt as though all the muscles had been ripped off my pelvis but i was thinking maybe we could do something with laser therapy and ultra sound and hopefully i d be able to race.  it took over 10 hours before jamie knew with certainty that he would not be competing in his second olympics.  my back had been broken in two places and with one of my vertebrae  the bottom part had exploded so i m fierce lucky not be paralysed.  i d fractured my big toe as well which was on the brake.  jamie didn t finally arrive at hospital in athens until some nine and a half hours after the accident.   for the first nine hours  i had no pain killers which was ridiculous in 35 degrees heat.  but once i got the scans and saw them it was a case of moving on and thinking: ok  i ve got a different set of circumstances now .  within three days he was arriving back in ireland by air ambulance. doctors in athens had wanted to operate on jamie s back immediately but he insisted on delaying any surgery until he arrived back home - something he is now very relieved about.  the greek doctors were going to put three or four inch titanium rods either side of my spinal cord up through my vertebrae.  that would have fused all my lower back and i would never have been able to race again. they were really putting a lot of pressure on me to agree to the surgery.  but when i got to the mater in dublin they said it was possible for it to heal totally naturally which is giving me the chance to get back into competition which is very important to me. the people at the mater have been absolutely fantastic.  jamie had to wear a body cast for three and a half months after the accident and spent most of that time flat on his back.  he then progressed to crutches for six weeks until he was finally able to walk unaided on 10 january.  walking without the crutches seemed like something finally really measurable in terms of my recovery.  physio sessions with johnston mcevoy in limerick have been a vital part of his recovery.  johnston uses an advanced type of acupuncture and it s very effective.  needles get put right close up to my spine. a two and a half inch needle went in yesterday and i m fairly incapacitated today as a result.  jamie has also travelled to receive treatment at the polish training centre in spala where he has trained with triple olympic champion robert korzeniowski over the past five years.  i was there for over a fortnight earlier this month and underwent a fair extreme treatment called cryotherapy.  basically  there s a small room which is cooled by liquid nitrogen to minus 160 degrees centigrade and it promotes deep healing.   jamie heads to poland again on sunday where he will be having daily cryotherapy in addition to twice-daily physio sessions and pool-work. all these sessions are small steps on the way to what jamie hopes will be a return to racing in 2006.  it s all about trying to get mobility in my back. lying down for three and a half months didn t really help with the strength.  there s a lot of work involved in my recovery. i m doing about six hours a day between physio and pool work.  i m also going to the gym to lift very light weights to try and build up my muscles. i m fairly full on with everything i do.  i d hope to be training regularly by march. but training is just part of the process of getting back.  at the moment  every time i go and do a big bit of movement  my whole pelvic area all down my lower back just tightens up.  it s a case of waiting and seeing how it reacts. hopefully  after four or five months my back won t tighten up as much.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "milburn defends poster campaign labour s election chief alan milburn has defended his party s campaign posters amid tory claims the ads were nothing short of  sly anti-semitism .  mr milburn said he appreciated people s concerns  but insisted that  what they were was anti-tory  and  not in any way  shape or form anti-semitic . he was responding to tory spokesman julian lewis who said the ads were part of a wider trend of smearing the party. labour has withdrawn two controversial posters and launched four new designs.  a row was sparked after the party published posters appearing to depict michael howard  who is jewish  as fagin  and as a flying pig  amid claims they were anti-semitic. the posters were labelled a  big misjudgement  by the conservatives who said labour s  first shot in the election has badly backfired .  the posters were among a series of ideas shown to labour members  who were asked to vote on their favourite. labour has taken them off its website  saying members preferred other posters. the party s four new designs  launched on tuesday  steer clear of the fagin or flying pig images  but make clear that labour is sticking to its strategy of targeting the tory leader personally  with reminders of his record in office.  the posters were among a series of ideas shown to labour members  who have been asked to choose which one should be used ahead of the election. in the commons  tory spokesman mr lewis suggested the posters were part of a wider trend and reminded mps that labour chairman ian mccartney last year described shadow chancellor oliver letwin as a  21st century fagin .   given the outrage that that smear caused then  how could you have thought anything other than the fact that what you were doing in reviving it in your poster advertisements was nothing more and nothing less than a calculated campaign of sly anti-semitism   mr milburn replied that they were not anti-semitic.  what they were was anti-tory and i make no apologies at all for making clear to the british public exactly what the conservative plans would mean   he said.  i fully understand and indeed respect the views of those who have concerns about any poster designs that have appeared on the labour party website.  the fagin and pigs might fly posters were taken off labour s website on monday after supporters voted for their favourite poster featuring mr howard and shadow chancellor oliver letwin holding a blackboard reading 2+2=5. a labour spokesman later said their removal from the party s website was not affected by the row.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "fiat mulls ferrari market listing ferrari could be listed on the stock market as part of an overhaul of fiat s carmaking operations  the financial times has reported.  it said fiat was set to restructure its business after reaching a $2bn (1.53bn euros; \u00a31.05bn) settlement with gm about fiat s ownership. steps being considered include listing ferrari and bringing maserati and alfa romeo closer together  it said. despite strong sales of alfa romeo  fiat s car business is making a loss.  under the proposals - which the paper said could be announced within days - the iconic sportscar maker could be listed separately on the market. fiat owns a 56% stake in ferrari -best known for its dominant formula one motor racing team - having first bought into the business in 1969. it considered floating ferrari in 2002 but opted to sell a minority stake to italian bank mediobanca for 775m euros ($1bn). that sale valued ferrari - which owns the maserati brand - at 2.3bn euros. the price tag would change if maserati was stripped out. the financial times said fiat may transfer maserati within its wholly- owned alfa romeo division in an effort to exploit commercial synergies. such a move would help alfa romeo and maserati to share marketing  distribution and research & development costs. maserati and ferrari sell about 10 000 cars between them and both companies broke even in 2003.  fiat  italy s largest private sector employer  did not comment on the reported changes. fiat recently negotiated an end to its alliance with general motors. the us firm agreed to pay $2bn to exit an agreement under which it could have been liable to buy fiat outright. analysts said the reported restructuring was evidence of the greater flexibility which fiat now had to develop the business.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "greek sprinters  won t run again  the careers of sprinters kostas kenteris and katerina thanou are over  says the boss of the organisation that cleared them of missing a drugs test.  greek athletics federation boss vassilli sevastis told the country s parliament:  i believe kenteris and thanou won t race again.  the damage to their commercial interests has been done   he added. athletics bosses are considering its reponse to the ruling  while the athletes face a trial in a greek court. greek prosecutors have brought spearate charges of missing the drugs test and faking a motorcycle accident. speaking to the greek parliament on tuesday  sevastis said that the evidence sent by the international olympic committee and athletics governing body the iaaf was not strong enough for the greek association to find the sprinters guilty.   we were given the task of getting the snake out if its hole but we were not given any evidence to do it with   he said.  so how can you as a greek with your hand on your heart try the athletes   he added. the athletes are technically free to compete while the iaaf reviews its response to the decision to clear kenteris and thanou. but sevastis said:  it does not matter if they are found guilty at the court of arbitration for sport and the current decision is reversed.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "applegate s charity show closes us musical sweet charity has cancelled its run on broadway after poor ticket sales for its early shows.  star christina applegate had to pull out of pre-broadway performances earlier this month with a broken foot. producer barry weissler said he was  deeply proud  of the show  but said the decision to close it was  painful but fiscally responsible . applegate  who starred in tv comedy married with children  had been hoping to make her broadway debut in the show. the 33-year-old injured herself while performing in chicago  and had been hoping to recover in time for its official new york opening on 21 april. she had received mixed reviews for performances in minneapolis and chicago. previews of the $7.5m (\u00a34m) show were due to begin on 4 april. sweet charity tells the story of charity hope valentine  a dancer who always falls in love with the wrong man. it was first performed on broadway in 1966 with gwen verdon in the title role  while shirley maclaine starred in the 1969 film version.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "spirit awards hail sideways the comedy sideways has dominated this year s independent spirit awards  winning all six of the awards for which it was nominated.  it was named best film while alexander payne won best director and best screenplay  along with writing partner jim taylor. it also won acting awards for stars paul giamatti  thomas haden church and virginia madsen. sideways is tipped to do well at sunday s oscars  with five nominations.  the awards  now in their 20th year  are given to films made outside the traditional studio system  and are traditionally held the day before the oscars. other winners included catalina sandino moreno  who took best actress for her role as a drug smuggler in the colombian drama maria full of grace. moreno is also nominated for best actress at the oscars. the best first screenplay award went to joshua marston for maria full of grace. scrubs star zach braff won the award for best first feature for garden state  which he wrote  directed and starred in. oscar-nominated euthanasia film the sea inside from spain won best foreign film  while metallica: some kind of monster was awarded best documentary. actor rodrigo de la serna took the best debut performance prize for the motorcycle diaries. the awards are voted for by the 9 000 members of the independent feature project/los angeles  which includes actors  directors  writers and other industry professionals. last year s big winner  lost in translation  went on to win the oscar for best original screenplay  for writer-director sofia coppola.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "ferguson urges henry punishment sir alex ferguson has called on the football association to punish arsenal s thierry henry for an incident involving gabriel heinze.  ferguson believes henry deliberately caught heinze on the head with his knee during united s controversial win. the united boss said it was worse than ruud van nistelrooy s foul on ashley cole for which he got a three-game ban.  we shall present it to the fa and see what they do. the tackle on heinze was terrible   he said. clubs are permitted to ask the fa to examine specific incidents but information is expected to be provided within 48 hours of the game. the clash occurred moments before half-time when a freddie ljungberg challenge left heinze on the ground on the left touchline. henry  following the ball  attempted to hurdle the argentine but his knee collided with the back of heinze s head.  the striker protested his innocence - and referee mike riley deemed the collision accidental. ferguson was also upset by arsenal s overall discipline during the heated encounter between the two arch-rivals and praised his own side s behaviour.  edu produced a terrible tackle on scholes that was a potential leg-breaker   he said.  there were 24 fouls in the game by arsenal  seven on heinze  five on ronaldo  six by vieira - and it was only his sixth foul that got him booked. phil neville got booked for his first challenge.  i am proud of my players for the way they handled that pressure.  we have always been good at being gracious in defeat. what happened on sunday overshadowed our achievement  but then they do it all the time  don t they", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "yukos loses us bankruptcy battle a judge has dismissed an attempt by russian oil giant yukos to gain bankruptcy protection in the us.  yukos filed for chapter 11 protection in houston in an unsuccessful attempt to halt the auction of its yugansk division by the russian authorities. the court ruling is a blow to efforts to get damages for the sale of yugansk  which yukos claims was illegally sold. separately  former yukos boss mikhail khodorkovsky began testimony on friday in his trial for fraud and tax evasion.  mr khodorkovsky - who has been in jail for more than a year - pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him and denied involvement in any criminal activities.  i pride myself on heading for 15 years a number of successful companies and helping other enterprises rise from their knees   he told a russian court.  yugansk was auctioned to help pay off $27.5bn (\u00a314.5bn) in unpaid taxes. it was bought for $9.4bn by a previously-unknown group  which was in turn bought up almost immediately by state-controlled oil company rosneft.  texas judge letitia clark said yukos did not have enough of a us presence to establish us jurisdiction.  the vast majority of the business and financial activities of yukos continue to occur in russia   judge clark said in her ruling.  such activities require the continued participation of the russian government.  yukos had argued that a us court was entitled to declare it bankrupt before its yugansk unit was sold  since it has local bank accounts and its chief finance officer bruce misamore lives in houston. yukos claimed it sought help in the us because other forums - russian courts and the european court of human rights - were either unfriendly or offered less protection. russia had indicated it would in any case not abide by the rulings of the us courts.  in her ruling  the judge acknowledged that  it appears likely that agencies of the russian government have acted in a manner that would be considered confiscatory under united states law . but she said her role was simply to decide on jurisdiction. the us court s jurisdiction had been challenged by deutsche bank and gazpromneft  a former unit of russian gas monopoly gazprom which is due to merge with rosneft. analysts said the ability of gazprom and rosneft to trade freely overseas had been stifled while the ownership of yugansk remained unclear.  yukos said it would consider its options in light of the ruling. however  it claimed that the court had backed its argument in four out of five key issues.  we believe the merits of our case are strong and simple   said chief executive steven theede.  our assets were illegally seized. we want them back or damages paid.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "ibm frees 500 software patents computer giant ibm says 500 of its software patents will be released into the open development community.  the move means developers will be able to use the technologies without paying for a licence from the company. ibm described the step as a  new era  in how it dealt with intellectual property and promised further patents would be made freely available. the patents include software for a range of practices  including text recognition and database management. traditional technology business policy is to amass patents and despite ibm s announcement the company continues to follow this route.  ibm was granted 3 248 patents in 2004  more than any other firm in the us  the new york times reports. for each of the past 12 years ibm has been granted more us patents than any other company. ibm has received 25 772 us patents in that period and reportedly has more than 40 000 current patents. in a statement  dr john e. kelly  ibm senior vice president  technology and intellectual property  said:  true innovation leadership is about more than just the numbers of patents granted. it s about innovating to benefit customers  partners and society.   our pledge today is the beginning of a new era in how ibm will manage intellectual property.  in the past  ibm has supported the non-commercial operating system linux although critics have said this was done only as an attempt to undermine microsoft.  the company said it wanted to encourage other firms to release patents into what it called a  patent commons . adam jollans  ibm s world-wide linux strategy manager  said the move was a genuine attempt to encourage innovation.  we believe that releasing these patents will result in innovation moving more quickly.  this is about encouraging collaboration and following a model much like academia.  mr jollans likened the plan for a patent commons to the way the internet was developed and said everyone could take advantage of the result of collaboration.  the internet s impact has been on everyone. the benefits are there for everyone to take advantage of.  stuart cohen  chief executive of us firm open source development labs  said the move could mean a change in the way companies deal with patents.   i think other companies will follow suit   he said. but not everyone was as supportive. florian mueller  campaign manager of a group lobbying toprevent software patents becoming legal in the european union dismissed ibm s move as insubstantial.  it s just diversionary tactics   wrote mr mueller  who leadsnosoftwarepatents.com  in a message on the group s website.  let s put this into perspective: we re talking aboutroughly one percent of ibm s worldwide patent portfolio. they filethat number of patents in about a month s time   he added. ibm will continue to hold the 500 patents but it has pledged to seek no royalties from the patents. the company said it would not place any restrictions on companies  groups or individuals who use them in open-source projects. open source software is developed by programmers who offer the source code - the origins of the program - for free and allow others to adapt or improve the software. end users have the right to modify and redistribute the software  as well as the right to package and sell the software. other areas covered by the patents released by ibm include storage management  simultaneous multiprocessing  image processing  networking and e-commerce.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "hewitt decries  career sexism  plans to extend paid maternity leave beyond six months should be prominent in labour s election manifesto  the trade and industry secretary has said.  patricia hewitt said the cost of the proposals was being evaluated  but it was an  increasingly high priority  and a  shared goal across government . ms hewitt was speaking at a gender and productivity seminar organised by the equal opportunities commission (eoc). mothers can currently take up to six months  paid leave - and six unpaid. ms hewitt told the seminar:  clearly  one of the things we need to do in the future is to extend the period of payment for maternity leave beyond the first six months into the second six months.  we are looking at how quickly we can do that  because obviously there are cost implications because the taxpayer reimburses the employers for the cost of that.   ms hewitt also announced a new drive to help women who want to work in male dominated sectors  saying sexism at work was still preventing women reaching their full potential. plans include funding for universities to help female science and engineering graduates find jobs and  taster courses  for men and women in non-traditional jobs. women in full-time work earn 19% less than men  according to the equal opportunities commission (eoc).  the minister told delegates that getting rid of  career sexism  was vital to closing the gender pay gap.   career sexism limits opportunities for women of all ages and prevents them from achieving their full potential.  it is simply wrong to assume someone cannot do a job on the grounds of their sex   she said. earlier  she told bbc radio 4 s today programme:  what we are talking about here is the fact that about six out of 20 women work in jobs that are low-paid and typically dominated by women  so we have got very segregated employment.  unfortunately  in some cases  this reflects very old-fashioned and stereotypical ideas about the appropriate jobs for women  or indeed for men.  career sexism is about saying that engineering  for instance  where only 10% of employees are women  is really a male-dominated industry. construction is even worse.  but it is also about saying childcare jobs are really there for women and not suitable for men. career sexism goes both ways.   she added that while progress had been made  there was still a gap in pay figures.  the average woman working full-time is being paid about 80p for every pound a man is earning. for women working part-time it is 60p.  the department for trade and industry will also provide funding to help a new pay experts panel run by the tuc.  it has been set up to advise hundreds of companies on equal wage policies. research conducted by the eoc last year revealed that many britons believe the pay gap between men and women is the result of  natural differences  between the sexes. women hold less than 10% of the top positions in ftse 100 companies  the police  the judiciary and trade unions  according to their figures. and retired women have just over half the income of their male counterparts on average.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "building giant in asbestos payout australian building products group james hardie has agreed to pay $1.1bn (\u00a3568m) to victims of asbestos-related diseases.  the landmark deal could see thousands of people suffering from lung diseases - caused by asbestos the company once made - receive compensation. the move follows angry protests after the firm said a previous compensation fund was running out of money. a subsequent new south wales state inquiry criticised hardie s actions. in september  the inquiry found that the company had misled the public about the amount of money set aside to cover its asbestos-related liabilities  sparking the resignation of its then chief executive  peter macdonald.  campaigners welcomed news of the preliminary agreement.  this is a momentous day in the fight for victims and their families   said asbestosis sufferer bernie banton  who leads a victims  association.  there is still a long way to go  but we are getting there.  james hardie chairwoman  meredith hellicar  said the deal provided for a funding arrangement  that is affordable  sensible and workable .  at the end of the day we are dealing with compensation for people who are terminally ill. we don t know exactly how many of them there will be  we don t know over what exact period they will fall ill   she said. however  the deal still has to receive the approval of hardie s shareholders.  hardie  which currently makes more than 80% of its revenues in the us  was once australia s biggest supplier of asbestos building materials. in 2001  the company set up a fund to compensate asbestos victims  but it later admitted the fund was running short of money. a decision by hardie to move its headquarters to the netherlands - while remaining a listed company in australia - provoked a damaging public outcry. victims groups accusing it of trying to escape its responsibilities by moving abroad  a charge the company denies. australia s securities watchdog is currently investigating hardie s former chief executive and former chief financial officer over allegations of misleading investors and the general public.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "moya emotional after davis cup win carlos moya described spain s davis cup victory as the highlight of his career after he beat andy roddick to end the usa s challenge in seville.  moya made up for missing spain s 2000 victory through injury by beating roddick 6-2 7-6 (7-1) 7-6 (7-5) to give the hosts an unassailable 3-1 lead.  i have woken up so many nights dreaming of this day   said moya.  all my energy has been focused on today.  what i have lived today i do not think i will live again.  spain s only other davis cup title came two years ago in valencia  when they beat australia. and moya  nicknamed charly  admitted:  the davis cup is my dream and i was a bit nervous at the outset.  some people have said that i am obsessed but i think that it is better this way. it helps me reach my goals if i am obsessed.  it s really incredible - to get the winning point is really something.  spanish captain jordi arrese said:  charly played a great game. it was his opportunity and he hasn t let us down.  he had lost three times to roddick  and this was his day to beat him.  he had been waiting years to be in this position.  spain s victory was also remarkable for the performance of rafael nadal  who beat roddick in the opening singles.  aged 18 years and 185 days  the mallorcan became the youngest player to win the davis cup.  what a great way to finish the year   said nadal afterwards. us coach patrick mcenroe wants roddick and the rest of his team to play more tennis on clay and hone their skills on the surface.  i think it will help these guys even on slow hard courts to learn how to mix things up a little bit and to play a little bit smarter and tactically better.   obviously it s unrealistic to say that we re going to just start playing constantly on clay  with the schedule.  but certainly i think we can put the work in at the appropriate time and play a couple more events and play against these guys who are the best on this stuff   said mcenroe. roddick was left frustrated after losing both his singles on the slow clay of seville s olympic stadium.  it s just tough because i felt like i was in it the whole time against one of the top three clay-courters in the world   said the american.  i had my chances and just didn t convert them. the bottom line is they were just better than us this weekend.  they came out  took care of business and they beat us. it s as simple as that.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "bt boosts its broadband packages british telecom has said it will double the broadband speeds of most of its home and business customers.  the increased speeds will come at no extra charge and follows a similar move by internet service provider aol. many bt customers will now have download speeds of 2mbps  although there are usage allowances of between one gigabyte and 30 gigabytes a month. the new speeds start to come into effect on 17 february for home customers and 1 april for businesses.  britain is now broadband britain   said duncan ingram  bt s managing director  broadband and internet services. he added:  ninety percent of our customers will see real increases in speed.   these speed increases will give people the opportunity to do a lot more with their broadband connections   he said. upload speeds - the speed at which information is sent from a pc via broadband - will remain at the same speed  said mr ingram. despite the increases  bt will continue to have usage allowances for home customers.  the allowances are extremely generous   said mr ingram  for what we are seeing in the market place - they are really not an issue.  bt will begin enforcing the allowances in the summer. customers who exceed the amounts will either be able to pay for a bigger allowance or see their download speeds reduced. bt now has a 36% share of the broadband market - down from 39% - which is becoming increasingly competitive. in the last few months  many rival isps have begun to offer 2mbps services  including aol  plusnet and uk online.  but britain continues to lag behind some countries - especially japan and south korea - which offer broadband speeds of up to 40mbps. but mr ingram said it was important to  separate hype from reality . he said that a limited number of people with those connections consistently received speeds of 40mbps. customers will not see their connections double immediately on 17 february. mr ingram said there would be a roll out across the network in order to prevent any problems.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "oil prices reach three-month low oil prices have fallen heavily for a second day  closing at three-month lows after news that us crude stocks have improved ahead of winter.  london brent crude closed at $40.15 on thursday - a drop of 5.1% - having dived below $40 a barrel for the first time since mid-september. us light crude traded in new york lost more than $2 to $43.25  its lowest close since 10 september. the price of both benchmark crudes has dropped 12% in two days. the falls were triggered when the energy information administration (eia) said on wednesday that us crude stocks were 3.5% higher than a year ago. the news calmed worries about winter shortages. weak us fuel and heating oil stocks have been a persistent factor in pushing up oil prices.  it s amazing how quickly sentiment changed   said rick mueller  an analyst at energy security analysis. analysts also attributed the fall to mild early-winter weather  which has tempered demand for heating oil.  the stronger fuel inventories helped boost us stock markets to nine-month highs on wednesday  though only the nasdaq index had hung onto those gains by the end of thursday.  in london  the ftse 100 index closed 15 points higher at 4 751. the long-awaited drop in oil prices helped to ease persistent investor jitters over the impact of energy costs on company profits and economic growth. however  traders warned that the fall could be short-lived if there is a cold snap in north america this winter or any major supply problems in other parts of the world.  the price of crude is still up about 30% on the start of 2004  but has fallen from the record of $55.67 set in late october. opec nations have increased production to 25-year highs to meet global demand and this has helped rebuild us stocks hit by supply disruptions after hurricane ivan in september. traders were also encouraged by comments on wednesday from the energy minister of opec member algeria. chakib khelil said the cartel was likely to keep output unchanged when it meets next week. however  some analysts believe the sharp fall in crude prices may harden opec s attitude to over-production  leading to a scaling back of oil output.  fears still remain over the level of us heating oil stocks  which are rising but remain down on 2004 levels. a cold spell in north america would start to deplete supplies and could spark further price rises. analysts  however  say prices will fall further if inventories continue to rise.  mother nature is going to be huge in the next several weeks   said kyle cooper  at citigroup global markets.  long term i think we re headed to $30-35 but i don t think we re doing that yet. we have a lot of winter left.  john person  president of national futures advisory services  said the eia data indicated there should be adequate supplies for the next three months in the us. .", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "row over  police  power for csos the police federation has said it strongly opposes giving community support officers (csos) the power to detain suspects for up to 30 minutes.  the powers - piloted in six areas - were extended to all police forces in england and wales on thursday. the federation said csos do not have the experience  training and safety equipment to deal with  potentially confrontational  situations. but the government said the move would help police  build safe communities . police federation chairman jan berry said civilian officers should act as  eyes and ears  for the police.   they should not be placed in potentially confrontational situations - which detaining someone clearly is   she said. csos can now use reasonable force to detain suspects for up to 30 minutes while they wait for police officers to arrive. the powers will be granted by chief constables of local forces. ms berry said this  dramatically changes  their original purpose - to be a visible presence combating low-level crime and anti-social behaviour. she said more powers would mean more paperwork and less time on the street.  but home office minister hazel blears defended the move saying it would give the civilian officers  just that little bit of edge . she denied their role was changing and said the new powers would not take them away from the streets.   the powers that we are bringing in are things that they need to do when they are out patrolling   she said. the home office has produced its own report on csos which it describes as  encouraging . ms blears said the study shows csos are  making a real difference  in the fight against crime. but the report also showed that the public is having difficulties distinguishing between a civilian officer and a proper officer.  shadow home secretary david davis said the research appeared to acknowledge that csos were having no discernible effect on crime figures.   while the answer is a lot more real police  the government wants to recruit 25 000 people who can t arrest anyone   he said. bbc home affairs correspondent danny shaw said the research is inconclusive. there are about 3 500 csos in england and wales but the government intends to have 25 000 on the streets by 2008 at a cost of \u00a350m. they already have powers to hand out fines for a wide range of offences. the serious organised crime and police bill proposes extra powers to search suspects  enforce licensing offences  direct traffic and deter begging.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "microsoft makes anti-piracy move microsoft says it is clamping down on people running pirated versions of its windows operating system by restricting their access to security features.  the windows genuine advantage scheme means people will have to prove their software is genuine from mid-2005. it will still allow those with unauthorised copies to get some crucial security fixes via automatic updates  but their options would be  limited . microsoft releases regular security updates to its software to protect pcs. either pcs detect updates automatically or users manually download fixes through microsoft s site. those running pirated windows programs would not have access to other downloads and  add-ons  that the software giant offers.  people who try to manually download security patches will have to let microsoft run an automated checking procedure on their computer or give an identification number.  microsoft s regular patches which it releases for newly-found security flaws are important because they stop worms  viruses and other threats penetrating pcs. some security experts are concerned that restricting access to such patches could mean a rise in such attacks and threats  with more pcs left unprotected. but graham cluley  senior consultant at security firm sophos  told the bbc news website that it was a positive decision.  it sounds like their decision to allow critical security patches to remain available to both legitimate and illegitimate users of windows is good news for everyone who uses the net   he said. windows genuine advantage was first introduced as a pilot scheme in september 2004 for english-language versions of windows.  microsoft s windows operating system is heavily exploited by virus writers because it is so widespread and they are constantly seeking out new security loopholes to take advantage of. the company is trying to tackle security threats whilst cracking down on pirated software at the same time. software piracy has cost the company billions  it says. the company announced earlier in january that it was releasing security tools to clean up pcs harbouring viruses and spyware  which 90% of pcs are infected with. the virus-fighting program  updated monthly  is a precursor to microsoft s dedicated anti-virus software. last year it introduced the windows xp counterfeit project  a uk-based pilot scheme  which ran from november to december. the scheme meant that anyone with pre-installed copies of the operating system in pcs bought before november could replace counterfeit versions of windows xp with legal ones for free. it is also increasing efforts to squash software piracy in china  norway and the czech republic  where pirated software is a huge problem  by offering discounts on legitimate software to users of pirated copies windows.  china in particular is a problem  with piracy estimated at 92%   said mr cluley.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "technology gets the creative bug the hi-tech and the arts worlds have for some time danced around each other and offered creative and technical help when required.  often this help has come in the form of corporate art sponsorship or infrastructure provision. but that dance is growing more intimate as hi-tech firms look to the creative industries for inspiration. and vice versa. uk telco bt is serious about the idea and has launched its connected world initiative. the idea  says bt  is to shape a  21st century model  which will help cement the art  technology  and business worlds together.  we are hoping to understand the creative industry that has a natural thirst for broadband technology   said frank stone  head of the bt s business sector programmes. he looks after several  centres of excellence  which the telco has set up with other institutions and organisations  one of which is focused on creative industries.  to mark the initiative s launch  a major international art installation is to open on 15 april in brussels  with a further exhibit in madrid later in the summer. they have both been created using the telco s technology that it has been incubating at its research and development arm  including a sophisticated graphics rendering program. using a 3d graphics engine  the type commonly used in gaming  bafta-winning artists langlands & bell have created a virtual  story-based  3d model of brussels  coudenberg cellars.  they have recently been excavated and are thought to be the remnants of coudenberg palace  an historical seat of european power. the 3d world can be navigated using a joystick and offers an immersive experience of a landscape that historically had a river running through it until it was bricked up in the 19th century.  the river was integral to the city s survival for hundreds of years and it was equally essential to the city that it disappeared   said the artists.  we hope that by uncovering the river  we can greater understand the connections between the past and the present  and appreciate the flow of modernity  once concealing  but now revealing the river senne.  in their previous works they used the quake game graphics engine. the game engine is the core component of a video game because it handles graphics rendering  game ai  and how objects behave and relate to each other in a game. they are so time-consuming and expensive to create  the engines can be licensed out to handle other graphics-intensive games. bt s own engine  tara (total abstract rendering architecture) has been in development since 2001 and has been used to recreate virtual interactive models of buildings for planners. it was also used in 2003 in encounter  an urban-based  pervasive game that combined both virtual play in conjunction with physical  on-the-street action. because the artists wanted video and interactive elements in their worlds  new features were added to tara in order to handle the complex data sets. but collaboration between art and digital technology is by no means new  and many keen coders  designers  games makers and animators argue that what they create is art itself.  as more tools for self-expression are given to the person on the street  enabling people to take photos with a phone and upload them to the web for instance  creativity will become an integral part of technology. the orange expressionist exhibition last year  for example  displayed thousands of picture messages from people all over the uk to create an interactive installation.  technology as a way of unleashing creativity has massive potential  not least because it gives people something to do with their technology. big businesses know it is good for them to get in on the creative vein too. the art world is  fantastically rich   said mr stone  with creative people and ideas which means traditional companies like bt want to get in with them. between 1997 and 2002  the creative industry brought \u00a321 billion to london alone. it is an industry that is growing by 6% a year too. the partnership between artists and technologists is part of trying to understand the creative potential of technologies like broadband net  according to mr stone.  this is not just about putting art galleries and museums online   he said.  it is about how can everyone have the best seat in house and asking if technology has a role in solving that problem.  with broadband penetration reaching 100% in the uk  businesses with a stake in the technology want to give people reasons to want and use it. the creative drive is not purely altruistic obviously. it is about both industries borrowing strategies and creative ideas together which can result in better business practices for creative industries  or more patent ideas for tech companies.  what we are trying to do is have outside-in thinking.  we are creating a future cultural drive for the economy   said mr stone.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "confusion over high-definition tv now that a critical mass of people have embraced digital tv  dvds  and digital video recorders  the next revolution for tv is being prepared for our sets.  in most corners of tv and technology industries  high-definition (hdtv) is being heralded as the biggest thing to happen to the television since colour. hd essentially makes tv picture quality at least four times better than now. but there is real concern that people are not getting the right information about hd on the high street. thousands of flat panel screens - lcds (liquid crystal displays)  plasma screens  and dlp rear-projection tv sets - have already been sold as  hd   but are in fact not able to display hd.   the uk is the largest display market in europe   according to john binks  director of gfk  which monitors global consumer markets.  but  he added:  of all the flat panel screens sold  just 1.3% in the uk are capable of getting high-definition.  there are 74 different devices that are being sold as hd but are not hd-ready  according to alexander oudendijk  senior vice president of marketing for satellite giant astra. they may be fantastic quality tvs  but many do not have adaptors in them - called dvi or hdmi (high-definition multimedia interface) connectors - which let the set handle the higher resolution digital images. part of this is down to lack of understanding and training on the high street  say industry experts  who gathered at bafta in london for the 2nd european hdtv summit last week.  we have to be careful about consumer confusion. there is a massive education process to go through   said mr binks. the industry already recognised that it would be a challenge to get the right information about it across to those of us who will be watching it. eventually  that will be everyone. the bbc is currently developing plans to produce all its tv output to meet hdtv standards by 2010.  preparations for the analogue switch-off are already underway in some areas  and programmes are being filmed with hd cameras. bskyb plans to ship its first generation set-top boxes  to receive hdtv broadcasts  in time for christmas. like its sky+ boxes  they will also be personal video recorders (pvrs). the company will start broadcasts of hdtv programmes  offering them as  premium channel packages   concentrating  to start with  on sports  big events  and films  in early 2006. but the set-top box which receives hdtv broadcasts has to plug into a display - tv set - that can show the images at the much higher resolution that hd demands  if hdtv is to be  real . by 2010  20% of homes in the uk will have some sort of tv set or display that can show hd in its full glory.  but it is all getting rather confusing for people who have only just taken to  being digital . as a result  all the key players  those who make flat panel displays  as well as the satellite companies and broadcasters  formed a hd forum in 2004 to make sure they were all talking to each other. part of the forum has been concerned with issues like industry standards and content protection. but it has also been preoccupied with how to help the paying public know exactly what they are paying for.  from next month  all devices that have the right connectors and resolution required will carry a  hd-ready  sticker. this also means they are equipped to cope with both analogue and hdtv signals  and so comply with the minimum specification set out by the industry.  the logo is absolutely the way forward   said david mercer  analysts with strategy analytics.  but it is still not appearing on many retail products.  the industry is upbeat that the sticker will help  but it is only a start.  we can only do so much with the position we are in today with manufacturers   said mr oudendijk.  there may well be a number of dissatisfied customers in the next few months.  the european broadcast union (ebu) is testing different flavours of hd formats to prepare for even better hdtv further down the line. it is similarly concerned that people get the right information on hdtv formats  as well as which devices will support the formats.  we believe consumers buying expensive displays need to ensure their investment is worthwhile   said phil laven  technical director for the ebu. the tv display manufacturers want us to watch hd on screens that are at least 42in (106cm)  to get the  true impact  of hd  they say  although smaller displays suffice. what may convince people to spend money on hd-ready devices is the falling prices  which continue to tumble across europe. the prices are dropping an average of 20% every year  according to analysts. lcd prices dropped by 43% in europe as a whole last year  according to mr oudendijk.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "bat spit drug firm goes to market a german firm whose main product is derived from the saliva of the vampire bat is looking to raise more than 70m euros ($91m; \u00a349m) on the stock market.  the firm  paion  said that it hoped to sell 5 million shares - a third of the firm - for 11-14 euros a share. its main drug  desmoteplase  is based on a protein in the bat s saliva. the protein stops blood from clotting - which helps the bat to drink from its victims  but could also be used to help stroke sufferers. the company s shares go on sale later this week  and are scheduled to start trading on the frankfurt stock exchange on 10 february. if the final price is at the top of the range  the company could be valued at as much as 200m euros. the money raised will be spent largely on developing the company s other drugs  since desmoteplase has already been licensed to one manufacturer  forest laboratories.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "chelsea ridiculed over complaint barcelona assistant coach henk ten cate has branded chelsea s expected complaint to uefa as  pathetic .  the blues are poised to complain about an alleged half-time incident during wednesday s 2-1 loss at the nou camp. the source of chelsea s anger was an alleged talk between barca boss frank rijkaard and referee anders frisk  who later dismissed didier drogba.  to react the way chelsea have is pathetic. mourinho lied with the line-ups  and now this   ten cate said. uefa has said its own tunnel representative witnessed nothing unusual out of the ordinary during the half-time break. spokesman william gaillard said:  frisk says rijkaard greeted him and apologised he had not had the opportunity to say hello before the game.  we had two uefa officials there and neither witnessed it. the referee s dressing room was locked and he and his assistants were the only people allowed in.  indeed  it is the londoners who could be on the receiving end of any punishment after failing to turn up for the compulsory press conference after the defeat.  uefa delegate thomas giordano added:  the only unusual thing that happened as far as we are concerned is that chelsea failed to present themselves in the press conference.  the referee is not expected to include any of the alleged incidents in his report to uefa - weakening chelsea s case. rijkaard was critical of mourinho s decision not to speak to the media after the match.  there was a lot of talking before the game and now surprisingly there is a lot of talking after the game. it is not good behaviour after a match   he said.  maybe they want to start something and make it worse than than it is. i really don t understand it. i am very calm about it.   barca midfielder deco  formerly managed by mourinho at porto  agreed that it was not typical of his fellow portuguese to lodge a protest.  it s not normal behaviour on his part. it was not logical he did not give a news conference   he said. rijkaard added:  chelsea is the team which has conceded fewest goals in the english league and they defend very well so i am very pleased with the win.  my men deserved victory and i am pleased to have won this match. i congratulate my players.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "mp attacked by muggers in kenya an mp has had more than \u00a3600 and his passport stolen after being mugged by six men in a park in kenya.  quentin davies  the mp for grantham and stamford  was attacked in a notoriously dangerous park in the capital  nairobi. he was not hurt in the mugging on saturday evening. several people are being questioned over the attack. he was in kenya before travelling to sudan with the parliamentary committee. local police were said to be  surprised  he was in the area. mr davies  60  said the mugging occurred 100 yards from the nairobi serena hotel and equally close to the anglican cathedral in the centre of the city at dusk.  he said in a statement:  it was a frightening experience.  six men managed to steal up on me and grab me from behind.  i knew i had to stay very calm and passive - you cannot fight six men . he had to spend an extra 24 hours in nairobi before rejoining the rest of the house of commons international development committee in dafur after the mugging.  naturally  i was afraid they would use a knife or gun  though they never produced any weapon   he said.  two of them held me from behind and two others held my legs and another one expertly rifled all my pockets.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "boothroyd calls for lords speaker betty boothroyd has said the house of lords needs its own speaker and that peers should lead the way on reforming the upper chamber.  baroness boothroyd  who was the first woman to be commons speaker  said she believed tony blair initiated reforms without a clear outcome in mind.  now we have to take care of it ourselves and make the best of it   she told the bbc s breakfast with frost. in 1999 labour removed all but 92 of the lords  750 hereditary peers. that was billed as the first stage of reform of the institution. the lord chancellor hinted further reforms could be unveiled in the next labour manifesto.   i think we need to look very carefully at the relationship between the lords and the commons   lord falconer told bbc1 s breakfast with frost.  how it interacts with the commons is a very  very important issue.  we need to address the issue in the manifesto  but you will have to wait for when the manifesto comes.  the lord chancellor currently has the role of house of lords speaker. he is also head of the judiciary and a member of the cabinet as constitutional affairs secretary.  lady boothroyd said she believed it was unacceptable for the lord chancellor to have the role of speaker.  i would really like to see a speaker of the house of lords   she said.  i don t go for the idea of somebody - a lord chancellor - who is head of the judiciary  a senior cabinet minister and speaker of the lords.  i want somebody there who is going to look after that house and do a job there.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "uk troops on ivory coast standby downing street has confirmed british troops are on standby in case they need to help evacuate several hundred uk citizens from ivory coast.  the news came as it emerged france had begun evacuating its hostages after days of anti-french demonstrations. trouble flared after nine french peacekeepers were killed and president jacques chirac ordered the destruction of the ivory coast s air force. a company of 100-120 uk troops is understood to have been put on standby. they are ready to fly out and secure the route from the embassy to the airport if called upon. prime minister tony blair s official spokesman said:  there are british nationals in ivory coast and as you can imagine we are making the usual contingency plans in case the situation deteriorates further  but that s all i can say at this stage.   he added the situation would be monitored carefully in case evacuation became necessary. france has played a lead role in international peacekeeping in ivory coast - a former colony - after president laurent gbagbo broke an 18-month ceasefire with rebels bombing their positions and killing the nine french soldiers. the decision to destroy the african nation s small air force prompted riots against french and other foreign nationals. the spanish have already put their forces on standby to evacuate their nationals if necessary.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "labour pig poster  anti-semitic  the labour party has been accused of anti-semitism over a poster depicting michael howard and oliver letwin - who are both jewish - as flying pigs.  prospective tory candidate andrew mennear  whose finchley constituency contains a large jewish community  branded it  tasteless  and offensive. the poster shows the two men s faces superimposed on winged pigs and says  the day the tory sums add up . labour said the poster was  not anti-jewish  but anti-tory .  it is one of four designs e-mailed to labour members  who were asked to vote for their favourite. mr mennear  who was sent the e-mail by a friend  said he had been  shocked  by the image and had shown it to friends who were similarly horrified. he said there was nothing more distasteful for a jewish person than to be associated with a pig.  i am not suggesting there is any deliberate intent  but these sort of things can cause great offence. it clearly wasn t thought through.  it is possible the posters were designed for maximum impact  but this one clearly overstepped the mark and should be withdrawn.   the campaign was particularly insensitive as it had come out at the same time as holocaust day  a  difficult  time for many jewish people  mr mennear added. a labour spokesman denied the campaign was anti-semitic.  as we said at the time the james report (the tory backed inquiry into possible public spending savings) was published pigs will fly before the tory s sums will add up. this poster is making a serious point   he said. a conservative party spokesman said:  while the conservatives are concentrating on the issues that matter to people  such as lower taxes and controlled immigration  it is clear to see that the labour party is not. people will not be fooled.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "mrs howard gets key election role michael howard s ex-model wife  sandra  is to play a leading role in the conservative election campaign.  mrs howard will make solo visits to target seats as well as accompanying her husband on his helicopter campaign trail criss-crossing the country. mr howard will host a news conference at the party s london hq every morning  tory co-chairman liam fox said.  we want michael to be as accessible as possible   mr fox said  adding that the party was not afraid of scrutiny.  the tory leader wanted to meet as many ordinary members of the public  mr fox said. tony blair has also said he is intending to get out and talk to as many people as possible during the election campaign. but labour campaign chiefs say there are no plans for mr blair to hold a daily news conference.  mr fox responded by accusing the prime minister of  hiding away from the scrutiny of london s media . the liberal democrats also say they are planning to hold daily news conferences with charles kennedy. on mrs howard s role  mr fox said:  sandra has already been campaigning with michael on a number of visits and has been undertaking short visits herself.  that pattern will continue. it s worked very well up until now.  mrs howard made her debut speech at the conservative party conference in bournemouth last october. she used her speech on the fringe to highlight the work of a drugs charity  addaction  which she supports. mrs howard has also appeared along side her husband on tv chat shows. during an interview on itv1 s this morning she said she often criticised her husband for not showing the side of him that she knows.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "school tribute for tv host carson more than 1 000 people turned out on sunday to pay tribute to late us tv presenter johnny carson in the nebraska town where he grew up.  carson  who hosted the tonight show for 30 years  died on 23 january from respiratory disease emphysema. he lived in norfolk  nebraska from the age of eight until he joined the navy  but returned regularly and donated $5m (\u00a32.7m) to local causes. old school friends were among the crowd at the school s johnny carson theater.  carson  who was one of the best-loved tv personalities in the us  asked not to have a public memorial in los angeles  where he lived in later life. he began his showbusiness career in norfolk  performing magic under the name the great carsoni from the age of 14. his donations included $600 000 to norfolk high school in the 1980s to build a new performing arts centre. when carson died  president bush led the public tributes  saying the presenter  had a profound influence on american life and entertainment .", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "blind student  hears in colour  a blind student has developed software that turns colours into musical notes so that he can read weather maps.  victor wong  a graduate student from hong kong studying at cornell university in new york state  had to read coloured maps of the upper atmosphere as part of his research. to study  space weather  mr wong needed to explore minute fluctuations in order to create mathematical models. a number of solutions were tried  including having a colleague describe the maps and attempting to print them in braille. mr wong eventually hit upon the idea of translating individual colours into music  and enlisted the help of a computer graphics specialist and another student to do the programming work.   the images have three dimensions and i had to find a way of reading them myself   mr wong told the bbc news website.  for the sake of my own study - and for the sake of blind scientists generally - i felt it would be good to develop software that could help us to read colour images.  he tried a prototype version of the software to explore a photograph of a parrot. in order to have an exact reference to the screen  a pen and tablet device is used. the software then assigns one of 88 piano notes to individually coloured pixels - ranging from blue at the lower end of this scale to red at the upper end. mr wong says the application is still very much in its infancy and is only useful for reading images that have been created digitally.  if i took a random picture and scanned it and then used my software to recognise it  it wouldn t work that well.   mr wong has been blind from the age of seven and he thinks that having a  colour memory  makes the software more useful than it would be to a scientist who had never had any vision.  as the notes increase in pitch i know the colour s getting redder and redder  and in my mind s eye a patch of red appears.  the colour to music software has not yet been made available commercially  and mr wong believes that several people would have to work together to make it viable. but he hopes that one day it can be developed to give blind people access to photographs and other images.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "hodgson relishes european clashes former blackburn boss roy hodgson says the premiership should follow the rest of europe and have a winter break - but insists that a gruelling domestic schedule will not damage the english elite s bid for champions league glory.  hodgson - now in charge at viking stavanger - was at liverpool s clash with bayer leverkusen at anfield on tuesday as a member of uefa s technical committee. hodgson is a fierce advocate of the winter break employed throughout europe  although not in england - where the champions league contenders have ploughed through a heavy fixture list. but hodgson told bbc sport that while he believes the premiership should embrace the idea  he does not expect it to cost the english representatives in the last 16 of the champions league.  i just feel it is very difficult to say with certainty that teams who have had the break will have a definite edge.  i am a fervent supporter of the break. it gives players the chance to recharge their batteries midway through the season  which some suggest will give teams an advantage in the champions league.  the other school of thought suggests having a break then coming back to it puts you at a disadvantage.  the bigger discussions around the winter break should be to do with the nature of football today  the needs of football players and the way the premiership has developed  rather than one or two matches in the champions league in february.  hodgson believes a winter break carries many advantages  explaining:  as i said  it is the perfect chance to recharge batteries.   and certainly if i was still a manager in england i would be supporting any calls for its introduction.  in pre-season you get a lot of enthusiasm and energy but by the time you get towards christmas many players  having also played plenty of international matches for club and country and travelled a lot  find themselves getting very jaded.  the break gives them a chance to recover that energy and enthusiasm and  perhaps more importantly  recover their mental strength during the break and get ready for the games ahead.  the mental side is by far the most important thing.  hodgson added:  the length of breaks can vary. in italy the break was very short. you just took christmas and new year.  it was so short you didn t do anything. you gave the players a week or 10 days off  then you were training for a week or 10 days and then went into a game.  if it is longer  it is important those responsible for physical fitness give the players a programme to follow to ensure the physical strength they have accumulated stays with them.  and hodgson believes a winter break would be a positive step in the premiership. he said:  if we talk about football at elite level  which the premiership is  then i would support a winter break.  if you examine the demands of the premier league and  in particular on players who play international football for their club and country  then a break would do them the world of good - physically and mentally.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "train strike grips buenos aires a strike on the buenos aires underground has caused traffic chaos and large queues at bus stops in the argentine capital.  tube workers walked out last week demanding a 53% pay rise and in protest against the installation of automatic ticket machines. metrovias  the private firm which runs the five tube lines in the city  has offered an 8% increase in wages. the firm promised no jobs would be lost as a result of new ticket machines. it said it would put this commitment on paper.  underground staff have warned they will continue with the protests until the management put an acceptable offer on the table. the argentine work ministry has been mediating in the conflict and it could call an  obligatory conciliation   which would force both sides to find a solution and put an end to the conflict. some tube commuters have not hidden their frustration at the ongoing strike and have broken the windows of the underground trains  according to the local press.  we are taken as hostages. i don t know who is right  but the harm ones are us   said accountant jose lopez.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "worldcom trial starts in new york the trial of bernie ebbers  former chief executive of bankrupt us phone company worldcom  has started in new york with the selection of the jury.  mr ebbers  63  is accused of being the mastermind behind an $11bn (\u00a36bn) accounting fraud that eventually saw the firm collapse in july 2002. his indictment includes charges of securities fraud  conspiracy and filing false reports with regulators. if found guilty  mr ebbers could face a substantial jail sentence. he has firmly declared his innocence.  under mr ebbers  leadership  worldcom emerged from mississippi obscurity to become a $160bn telecoms giant and the darling of late 1990s investors. yet as competition intensified and the telecoms boom petered out  worldcom found itself under growing financial stress. when worldcom finally collapsed  shareholders lost about $180bn and 20 000 workers lost their jobs. mr ebbers  trial  which is expected to last two months  is the latest in a series of attempts by us prosecutors to pursue senior executives for fraud. it will coincide with the retrial of former tyco international chief dennis kozlowski and his top lieutenant  accused of looting the industrial conglomerate to the tune of $600m. trail preparations are also preparing for former executives of shamed us energy firm enron.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "holmes starts 2005 with gb events kelly holmes will start 2005 with a series of races in britain.  holmes will make her first track appearance on home soil since winning double olympic gold in january s norwich union international in glasgow. she will also run in the grand prix in birmingham in february and may defend her indoor aaa 800m title in sheffield earlier that month.  i am still competitive and still want to win   she said.  i m an athlete and i can t wait to get back on the track.  she added:  these events are also a great opportunity to thank the british public for the enormous levels of support they have given me from the moment i stepped off that plane from greece.  the glasgow meeting will see holmes compete over 1500m in a five-way match against sweden  france  russia and italy.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "visa decision  every 11 minutes  visa processing staff are sometimes expected to rule on an application every 11 minutes  mps have said.  pressure was placed on staff to be efficient  rather than to do a thorough examination of an application  the public accounts committee found. every officer had an annual target of 8 000 applications - equivalent to 40 a day or one every 11 minutes. mps want research into whether uk visa holders leave at the end of their stays  or vanish into the black market. committee chairman edward leigh said:  there is a worrying tension between quick processing and proper control over the visas issued.  entry clearance staff are expected to deal with a visa application in about 11 minutes which is surely too little time to look closely at the supporting documents.    the committee s report also discussed the romanian and bulgarian visas scandal which led to the resignation of immigration minister beverley hughes last year. committee members said the home office had been wrong to dismiss concerns from visa staff abroad who feared the system was being abused. investigations carried out in the wake of ms hughes  resignation found more than 7 000 people had entered the uk under the business visa scheme for romanian and bulgarian  entrepreneurs . mr leigh said the home office should now consider removing those who had not set up a valid business. a home office spokesman said the system had been toughened and tightened since the investigation. he added  that the traditional system of a dual decision making process for all pre-entry applications will be replaced by a single pre-entry check at post  which will be simpler and more robust against abuse than the current system .", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "be careful how you code a new european directive could put software writers at risk of legal action  warns former programmer and technology analyst bill thompson.  if it gets its way  the dutch government will conclude its presidency of the european union by pushing through a controversial measure that has been rejected by the european parliament  lacks majority support from national governments and will leave millions of european citizens in legal limbo and facing the possibility of court cases against them. if the new law was about border controls  defence or even the new constitution  then our tv screens would be full of experts agonising over the impact on our daily lives. sadly for those who will be directly affected  the controversy concerns the patenting of computer programs  a topic that may excite the bloggers  campaigning groups and technical press but does not obsess middle britain. after all  how much fuss can you generate about the directive on the patentability of computer-implemented inventions  and the way it amends article 52 of the 1973 european patent convention  yet if the new directive is nodded through at the next meeting of one of the eu s ministerial councils  as seems likely  it will allow programs to be patented in europe just as they are in the us. many observers of the computing scene  including myself  think the results will be disastrous for small companies  innovative programmers and the free and open source software movement. it will let large companies patent all sorts of ideas and give legal force to those who want to limit their competitors  use of really obvious ideas.  in the us you cannot build a system that stores customer credit card details so that they can pay without having to re-enter them unless amazon lets you  because they hold the patent on  one-click  online purchase. it is a small invention  but amazon made it to the patent office first and now owns it.  we are relatively free from this sort of thing over here  but perhaps not for long. the new proposals go back to 2002  although argument about patentability of software and computer-implemented inventions has been going on since at least the mid-1980s. they have come to a head now after a year in which proposals were made  endorsed by the council of ministers  radically modified by the european parliament and then re-presented in their original form. some national governments seem to be aware of the problems. poland has rejected the proposal and germany s main political parties have opposed it  but there is not enough opposition to guarantee their rejection. early in december the british government held a consultation meeting with those who had commented on the proposals. science minister lord sainsbury went along to listen and outline the uk position  but according to those present  it was embarrassing to see how little the minister and his officials actually understood the issues concerned.  the draft directive is being put through the council as what is called an  a  item and can only be approved or rejected. no discussion or amendment is allowed. so why should we be worried  first  there is the abuse of the democratic process involved in disregarding the views of the parliament and abandoning all of their carefully argued amendments. this goes to the heart of the european project  and even those who do not care about software or patents should be worried. if coders are treated like this today  who is to say that it will not be you tomorrow   more directly  once software patents are granted then any programmer will have to worry that the code they are writing is infringing someone else s patent. this is not about stealing software  as code is already protected by copyright. patents are not copyright  but something much stronger. a patent gives the owner the right to stop anyone else using their invention  even if the other person invented it separately. i have never  to my shame  managed to read lord byron s childe harold s pilgrimage. if it was pointed out that one of my articles contained a substantial chunk of the poem then i could defend myself in court by claiming that i had simply made it up and it was coincidence. the same does not hold for a patent. if i sit down this afternoon and write a brilliant graphics compression routine and it happens to be the same as the lzw algorithm used in gif files  then i am in trouble under patent law  at least in the us. coincidence is no defence. the proposed directive is supported by many of the major software companies  but this is hardly surprising since most of them are us-based and they have already had to cope with a legal environment that allows patents. they have legal departments and  more crucially  patents of their own which they can trade or cross-license with other patent holders.  even this system breaks down  of course  as microsoft found out last year when they initially lost a case brought by eolas which claimed that internet explorer (and other browsers) infringed an eolas patent. that one was eventually thrown out  but only after months of uncertainty and millions of dollars. but small companies  and the free and open software movement do not have any patents to trade. much of the really useful software we use every day  programs like the apache web server  the gnu/linux operating system and the fearsomely popular firefox browser  is developed outside company structures by people who do not have legal departments to check for patent infringements. the damage to software will not happen overnight  of course. if the directive goes through it has to be written into national laws and then there will be a steady stream of legal actions against small companies and open source products. eventually someone will decide to attack linux directly  probably with some secret funding from one or two large players. the new directive will limit innovation by forcing programmers to spend time checking for patent infringements or simply avoiding working in potentially competitive areas. and it will damage europe s computer industry. we can only hope that the council of ministers has the integrity and strength to reject this bad law.  bill thompson is a regular commentator on the bbc world service programme go digital.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "blunkett tells of love and pain david blunkett has spoken of his love for married publisher kimberly quinn for the first time.  the home secretary described how it affected his friends and personal life  but said he was a great believer in personal responsibility. mr blunkett is taking legal action to gain access to mrs quinn s two-year-old son. she denies he is mr blunkett s. the interview with bbc radio sheffield was made before allegations he fast-tracked a visa for mrs quinn s nanny. the allegations  which he has denied  are being investigated by sir alan budd. mr blunkett talked about how he fell in love - but that she resisted his desire to go public.  in an apparent reference to his court action to gain access to her son  he says he was a great believer in responsibility and consequences  even when they were painful. mr blunkett told bbc radio sheffield:  i fell in love with someone and they wouldn t go public and things started to go very badly wrong in the summer  and then the news of the world picked up the story.  i tried for three years to make something work.  i haven t spoken about it and i don t intend to. even in the biography that s being written about me i ve ensured that there s as little as possible.  bbc political correspondent carole walker said the timing of the broadcast was unlikely to help his efforts to show that he is concentrating on getting on with the job of home secretary. shadow home secretary david davis says mr blunkett should quit if he is found to have influenced the visa process even indirectly.  reports have claimed mr blunkett chaired a meeting to discuss delays in the visa system after he learned of nanny leoncia casalme s wait. the home office has said it would be up to sir alan s inquiry to decide if any such meeting was relevant. home office minister fiona mactaggart said she hoped mr blunkett would survive in his job.  i work with him every day and i have always been surprised by how focused he is on the job in hand  on working to deal with things   she said. she told bbc one s breakfast with frost programme:  he is just really down for the job and i hope he does (survive).", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "labour trio  had vote-rig factory  three labour councillors in birmingham were caught operating a  vote-rigging factory   an election court has heard.  police found the trio handling unsealed postal ballots in a deserted warehouse in the city during a late-night raid in june 2004  the hearing was told. the votes were later counted towards that month s english local elections. the men  elected to the aston ward  deny collecting votes fraudulently. the judge presiding has indicated the whole postal voting system is under scrutiny. deputy high court judge richard mawrey  qc told the hearing at the birmingham and midlands institute the case could have potentially serious consequences for any forthcoming general election.  the special election court  the first in living memory to hear allegations of vote-rigging  opened in birmingham last month. the case against muhammad afzal  mohammed islam and mohammed kazi is being brought by local liberal democrat supporters. they claim the trio benefited from the widespread misuse of postal votes during the 10 june election. ravi sukul  counsel for the petitioners  accused the three men of being  deeply involved  in illegal practices. witnesses saw them carrying several bags from their campaign office  which the men drove to a warehouse on an industrial estate off birch road east  the court was told.  the police were alerted and called to the premises. mr sukul said:  when (the officers) arrived there  in the middle of the night  they saw a large room with a 10ft long table and six asian men present.  hundreds of documents and unsealed envelopes were scattered all over the table.  the police officers left the warehouse  but were later ordered back to seize the documents.  when the officers left  all the envelopes and papers were scattered   mr sukul said.   (when they went) back to make the seizure  every one of these 275 yellow ballot papers were placed neatly in envelope a and sealed. the house was in order.  interrupting mr sukul in his opening  mr mawrey said:  what you are saying is  these men were operating a vote-forging factory on an industrial estate.  the court heard how documents were taken by police to the elections office next morning  where they were mixed in with other ballots. the case against the men follows a hearing into postal fraud allegations made against three other birmingham councillors in the bordesley green ward  claims which are denied. mr mawrey is due to deliver a judgment in their case once the aston petition has been heard. mr afzal  mr islam and mr kazi deny conspiring to commit election fraud to deceive the returning officer. the case continues.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "england  to launch ref protest  england will protest to the international rugby board (irb) about the referee s performance in the defeat by ireland  reports the daily mail.  england coach andy robinson has called on ex-international referees colin high and steve lander to analyse several of jonathan kaplan s decisions.  i want to go through the tape with colin and steve   robinson told the daily mail.  i want to speak to the irb about it. i think only one side was refereed.  high  the rugby football union s referees  manager  claimed kaplan made three major errors which changed the outcome of sunday s match. england were beaten 19-13 by the irish in dublin  their third straight defeat in the 2005 six nations.  the international rugby board will be disappointed   high told the daily mail.  jonathan kaplan is in the top 20 in the world but that wasn t an international performance.  it would not have been acceptable in the zurich premiership.  if one of my referees had done that  i would have had my backside kicked for making the appointment.  if any english referee refereed like that in a european match  there would be an inquest. no question about that.  if someone had performed like that  he would have been pulled from the next game.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "warning over tsunami aid website net users are being told to avoid a scam website that claims to collect cash on behalf of tsunami victims.  the site looks plausible because it uses an old version of the official disasters emergency committee webpage. however  dec has no connection with the fake site and says it has contacted the police about it. the site is just the latest in a long list of scams that try to cash in on the goodwill generated by the tsunami disaster.  the link to the website is contained in a spam e-mail that is currently circulating. the message s subject line reads  urgent tsunami earthquake appeal  and its text bears all the poor grammar and bad spelling that characterises many other phishing attempts. the web address of the fake site is decuk.org which could be close enough to the official www.dec.org.uk address to confuse some people keen to donate. patricia sanders  spokeswoman for the disaster emergency committee said it was aware of the site and had contacted the computer crime unit at scotland yard to help get it shut down. she said the spam e-mails directing people to the site started circulating two days ago shortly after the domain name of the site was registered. it is thought that the fake site is being run from romania. ms sanders said dec had contacted us net registrars who handle domain ownership and the net hosting firm that is keeping the site on the web.  dec was going to push for all cash donated via the site to be handed over to the official organisation. bt and dec s hosting company were also making efforts to get the site shut down  she said.  ms sanders said sending out spam e-mail to solicit donations was not dec s style and that it would never canvass support in this way. she said that dec hoped to get the fake site shut down as soon as possible. all attempts by the bbc news website to contact the people behind the site have failed. none of the e-mail addresses supplied on the site work and the real owner of the domain is obscured in publicly available net records. this is not the first attempt to cash in on the outpouring of goodwill that has accompanied appeals for tsunami aid. one e-mail sent out in early january came from someone who claimed that he had lost his parents in the disaster and was asking for help moving an inheritance from a bank account in the netherlands. the con was very similar to the familiar nigerian forward fee fraud e-mails that milk money out of people by promising them a cut of a much larger cash pile. other scam e-mails included a link to a website that supposedly let people donate money but instead loaded spyware on their computers that grabbed confidential information. in a monthly report anti-virus firm sophos said that two e-mail messages about the tsunami made it to the top 10 hoax list during january. another tsunami-related e-mail is also circulating that carries the zar worm which tries to spread via the familiar route of microsoft s outlook e-mail program. anyone opening the attachment of the mail will have their contact list plundered by the worm keen to find new addresses to send itself to.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "tv presenter deeley drops cd:uk cat deeley has resigned as host of itv1 s saturday morning children s music show cd:uk after six years.  the 28-year-old host who also presents stars in their eyes said she wanted to concentrate on new television projects.  i ve had a great few years  met some really incredible people and been given some wonderful opportunities   the presenter said. deeley will host her last show on 5 march and guest presenters will stand in until a replacement is found.  the long-running presenter said:  i would like to take this opportunity to thank the cd:uk team and all the viewers that have watched  supported the show and let me gate crash their saturday morning.  whilst obviously i am really sad to say goodbye  i m immensely excited about the future.  deeley formerly co-hosted sm:tv  the children s show which airs before cd:uk on a saturday morning  alongside hit presenters ant and dec. she won a children s bafta award for best presenter in december 2001 and also fronted bbc one s fame academy series.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "ten-year tragedy of missing manic richey edwards  guitarist and lyricist for the manic street preachers  vanished 10 years ago  on 1 february 1995. his disappearance remains one of the most tragic mysteries in rock music.  for his devoted fans  richey edwards was an inspired and inspiring poet  a man who articulated their desperation and despair  who shouted the things most kept hidden. the manic street preachers may only have become stadium-conquering rock giants since his disappearance - but edwards was the figurehead for their first  dangerous and dazzling incarnation. edwards did not feature in the original line-up of the band  though. singer/guitarist james dean bradfield  bassist nicky wire and drummer sean moore were originally accompanied by a rhythm guitarist called flicker. but edwards replaced flicker in time for the band s self-financed debut  suicide alley  after designing the record s artwork.  after becoming a full-time member  edwards became a critical part of the band  writing lyrics and playing guitar - though in many concerts  he was not actually plugged in. but the fiercely intelligent edwards - who name-checked writers such as sylvia plath  george orwell and philip larkin - battled depression  alcohol problems  eating disorders  and self-harm. by the time the band released their third album  the holy bible  in october 1994  edwards had been admitted to hospital with depression. but in his last interview a few months later  seemed to be making plans for the future.  edwards walks out of the embassy hotel in london in the early morning  ahead of the band s us tour to promote the holy bible. in the following days  police issue a missing person alert and his parents  graham and sherry  plead for their son to let them know he is safe and well.  police discover edwards  car in a car park near the severn bridge near bristol - a notorious suicide spot. the discovery leads many to believe he has killed himself. the rest of the band stop touring and recording.  the band play their first concerts since edwards  disappearance as a trio  performing support slots for the stone roses on their uk stadium tour.  the manic street preachers release their first music since edwards  disappearance. a design for life reaches number two in the uk singles chart. the album everything must go follows.  the manics win best band and best album for everything must go at the brit awards.  a fan says she saw edwards in the hippy resort of goa  india. interpol are alerted but do not track him down.  graham and sherry edwards fly to the spanish island of fuerteventura six weeks after reports a man fitting their son s description has been seen in a bar called underground. the report comes to nothing.  edwards  sister rachel makes an emotional tv appeal five years after the disappearance.  i d just like to say to him if he is able to listen that we do love him very much and we d like him to come back - me  mum and dad   she said.  the band play a concert in the cuban capital  havana - the first contemporary western rock band to play there.  on the seventh anniversary of his disappearance  police offer edwards  parents the opportunity to sign a death certificate. they refuse. the big issue magazine  which supports homelessness charities  prints the last known picture of edwards in a fresh plea for information.  a pair of trainers containing human bones washed up on the banks of the river severn have no link to edwards  police say.  the last song written by edwards - a song called judge y self  which was to have been used for the judge dredd film soundtrack - is released on the b-side compilation lipstick traces. a skeleton found by the river severn is not edwards  tests reveal.  the manics  seventh studio album  lifeblood  features a song dedicated to edwards called cardiff afterlife.  the remaining manic street preachers members continue to pay a quarter of the band s royalties into an account held in his name.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "blair dismisses quit claim report tony blair has dismissed reports he told gordon brown he would quit before the next general election.   you don t do deals over jobs like this   the prime minister told bbc one s breakfast with frost programme. according to a new book  brown s britain  mr blair went back on a pledge to make way for mr brown after cabinet allies intervened in june 2004. mr blair said the claims were  reheated from six months ago  and that he was concentrating on running the country. mr blair said:  i ve dealt with this six months ago. i said then you don t do deals over jobs like this - you don t.   what both of us are actually concentrating on are the issues that concern the country.  the book  by sunday telegraph journalist robert peston and serialised in the newspaper  said the pair had  mutual animosity and contempt  for each other.  it claims tony blair felt by november 2003 he had lost voters  trust because of the iraq war and that he was no longer an asset to the labour party. and that at a dinner hosted by deputy prime minister john prescott he told mr brown of his intention to stand down. according to mr peston the prime minister said:  help me to get through the year and i will then stand down.  but he then changed his mind in june 2004  following intervention from allies in the cabinet and the suspicion that the chancellor was deliberately manoeuvring against him  according to the book.  mr peston told bbc news:  my understanding is that they are not nearly as close or as friendly as they once were.  what the book says is there is now a pretty profound mutual mistrust  mutual animosity.  i think in public you see this double-act pretending everything is alright  but in private i don t think the relationship is good because brown  understandably  feels deeply betrayed - particularly over this issue of the leadership.  but  in a wide-ranging bbc interview covering issues such as the asian tsunami disaster  the middle east peace process and northern ireland  mr blair said:  when you get to the top in politics you get this huge swell around you.  all sorts of people make all sorts of claims and counter-claims.  he admitted to a  sense of frustration  about the allegations which he said had been made  countless times .  there has been fresh speculation of a rift recently  following their separate responses to the asian tsunami. these rumours were fuelled by mr blair s decision to hold his monthly media conference at the same time as a long-planned speech by mr brown on uk plans to tackle global poverty with a new  marshall plan  for africa. there was speculation the pair were trying to outdo each other s response to the disaster. but the prime minister said he had discussed these claims with the chancellor and dismissed them as a  load of nonsense . former welfare minister frank field mp said the prime minister should sack mr brown  but did not believe mr blair was strong enough to do so.  tory leader michael howard accused the prime minister and mr brown of  squabbling like schoolboys . he told sky news  sunday with adam boulton:  this is the politics of the playground and britain really does deserve better.  the liberal democrat parliamentary chairman matthew taylor said the personal ambition of mr blair and mr brown was  getting in the way of good government .  either they need to grow up and put their squabbles to one side or they cannot expect the electorate to support a divided government at the next election.  during the interview mr blair also said the former home secretary david blunkett would play a  big role  at the general election.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "qantas sees profits fly to record australian airline qantas has posted a record fiscal first-half profit thanks to cost-cutting measures.  net profit in the six months ending 31 december rose 28% to a$458.4m ($357.6m; \u00a3191m) from a year earlier. analysts expected a figure closer to a$431m. qantas shares fell almost 3%  however  after it warned that earnings growth would slow in the second half. sales will dip by at least a$30m after the indian ocean tsunami devastated many holiday destinations  qantas said.   the tsunami affected travel patterns in ways that we were a bit surprised about   chief executive geoff dixon explained.  it certainly affected japanese travel into australia. as soon as the tsunami hit we saw ... a lessening with bookings for australia.  higher fuel costs also are expected to eat into earnings in coming months.  we don t have as much hedging benefit in the second half as we had in the first   said chief financial officer peter gregg. qantas is facing increased pressure from rivals such as low-cost carrier virgin blue and the australian government is in talks about whether to allow singapore airlines to fly between the australia and the us - one of qantas  key routes.  even so  the firm is predicting that full-year earnings will increase from the previous 12 months. analysts have forecast full-year profit will rise about 11% to around a$720 million ($563 million). qantas boss mr dixon also said he would be reviewing the group s cost-cutting measures. during the first six months of the fiscal year  qantas made savings of a$245m  and is on track to top its target of a$500m for the full year. last month  the company warned it may transfer as many as 7 000 jobs out australia  with mr dixon quoted as saying that the carrier could no longer afford to remain  all-australian .", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "pop band busted to  take a break  chart-topping pop band busted have confirmed that they plan to  take a break   following rumours that they were on the verge of splitting.  a statement from the band s record company universal said frontman charlie simpson planned to spend some time working with his other band  fightstar. however they said that busted would  reconvene in due course . the band have had eight top three hits  including four number ones  since they first hit the charts in 2002. their singles include what i go to school for  year 3000  crashed the wedding  you said no  and who s david   the band  which also includes members matt jay and james bourne  made the top ten with their self-titled debut album  as well as the follow-up  a present for everyone  in 2003. they won best pop act and best breakthrough act at the 2004 brit awards and were nominated for best british group. most recently they topped the charts with the theme from the live-action film version of thunderbirds  which was voted record of the year on the itv1 show. the band have capitalised on a craze for artists playing catchy pop music with rock overtones. the trio are seen as an alternative to more manufactured artists who are not considered credible musicians because they do not write their own songs or play their own instruments. however  recent rumours have suggested that simpson has been wanting to quit the band to focus on fightstar. he now plans to take fightstar on tour.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "brazil buy boosts belgium s inbev belgian brewing giant inbev has seen its profits soar thanks to its acquisition of brazil s biggest beer firm ambev last year.  inbev  which makes stella artois  said pre-tax profits for 2004 rose 56% to 1.16bn euros ($1.5bn; \u00a3800m)  and said it expected solid growth in 2005. the performance comes on sales up 21% at 8.6bn euros. the firm  formerly interbrew  became the world s biggest brewer by volume when it bought ambev in august 2004. the acquisition meant its sales by volume grew 57% in 2004  with four months of ambev sales accounting for almost all of the increase. us beermaker anheuser-busch sells less beer by volume than inbev but is bigger in terms of the value of its sales. continuing demand for inbev s products in the south american markets where its brazilian arm is most popular means it expects to keep boosting its turnover.  it s the brazil business that s doing it   said ing analyst gerard rijk of inbev s strong performance. ambev boosted its share of brazil s beer market from 62% at the end of 2003 to more than 68% by december 2004  inbev reported. in contrast  inbev s european business saw volume sales fall 2.5%  although central and eastern european sales rose 12%. overall  net profits were up 42% to 719m euros.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "gaming firm to sell uk dog tracks six uk greyhound tracks have been put up for sale by gaming group wembley as part of a move which will lead to the break-up of the group.  wembley announced the planned sale as it revealed it was to offload its us gaming division to blb investors. us gaming consortium blb will pay $339m (\u00a3182.5m) for the us unit  although the deal is subject to certain conditions. blb holds a 22% stake in wembley and last year came close to buying the whole firm in a \u00a3308m takeover deal. shares in wembley were up 56 pence  or 7.6%  at 797p by mid-morning.  the sale of the us gaming unit will leave wembley with its uk business. this includes greyhound tracks at wimbledon in london  belle vue in manchester  perry barr and hall green in birmingham  oxford and portsmouth. analysts have valued the six tracks at between \u00a340m-\u00a350m. the us business accounts for about 90% of wembley s operating profit and consists of operations in rhode island and colorado. blb s purchase of the us unit is subject to the agreement of a revenue-sharing deal being struck with rhode island authorities. wembley said that  once the deal was completed  it anticipated returning surplus cash to shareholders.  whilst the completion of the sale of the us gaming division remains subject to a number of conditions  we believe this development is a positive step towards the maximisation of value for shareholders   said wembley chairman claes hultman. wembley sold the english national football stadium in 1999 to concentrate on its gaming operations.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "baywatch dubbed  worst tv import  surf show baywatch has won the title of worst tv import of all time in a poll of uk television executives.  the programme  which starred david hasselhoff and pamela anderson during its 12-year run  was shown in 140 countries at its height. model anna nicole smith s reality show and the dukes of hazzard were runners-up in the broadcast magazine survey. the simpsons and dallas and 24 were among the magazine s list of the best all-time imports from the us. soap operas knots landing  falcon crest plus the bold and the beautiful all made the top 10 of transatlantic tv howlers. the jerry springer show  which came in at sixth on the list  did not fare well.  broadcast magazine said:  british tv never realised how low it could go before jerry showed the way.  baywatch rose to the top of the list for having  mind-numbingly predictable scripts: beachgoer is saved from drowning   according to the magazine. just inside the all-time worst top 10 came extreme makeover  which sees members of the public given thousands of pounds worth of plastic surgery. other american shows which won praise were the x-files  i love lucy  twin peaks and star trek.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "blair hails turkey-eu talks deal tony blair has hailed a deal bringing turkey a step closer to eu membership as important for the world s future  peace and prosperity .  mr blair has been a leading advocate of turkish membership despite controversy surrounding the idea. leaving a brussels summit mr blair said  the fact turkey is a muslim country does not mean it should be barred . the deal to open formal talks with ankara came despite an eu demand for turkey to recognise cyprus. it was agreed the issue can be tackled at a later date but turkish premier recep erdogan had to accept negotiations did not guarantee his country full eu membership.  if it joins  turkey may have to accept restrictions to limit migration by its citizens. mr blair said having turkey in the eu was of  importance to the future peace and prosperity of my country  britain  and the wider world .   we are stating a fundamental principle that the fact turkey is a muslim country does not mean it should be barred from europe.  on the contrary  if it fulfils the same principles of human rights  then muslim and christian can work together.  under the agreement  turkey must issue a written statement promising to sign an accord effectively recognising the greek cypriot government  but gives turkey more time to sell the idea to its people.  the internationally recognised southern part of cyprus is an eu member  but turkey  which occupies northern cyprus  had previously insisted it would not bow to demands to recognise the country  calling the issue a  red line . it could take up to 15 years before turkey is able to join  and entry cannot be guaranteed. the eu has also announced that it will start accession talks with croatia in april 2005. however  talks will begin only if the country co-operates fully with the un war crimes tribunal for the former yugoslavia.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "the memory driving brown s mission the memory gordon brown says keeps returning to him - the one that he says is burnt into him - is that of a 12 year-old girl  whose parents died of aids  and who is hiv positive herself.  mr brown seems haunted by her eyes  desolate of all hope. and then he talks of those eyes that do inspire optimism: an extraordinary performance by schoolgirls of kenya s largest slum  advancing with crowded menace  flicking their hips in a manner almost as disturbing  before the finale of a clenched fist salute and shout of  free education - free education for all . mr brown s message generally  that compassion must become action before that hope is squandered. but he is such a pivotal figure in british politics  it is almost impossible not to ask him why he is doing this. his answer  in part  is because of the missionaries that used to come to his father s church. ever since  he says  africa has been important to him.  i ve absolutely no doubt whatsoever this is heartfelt. but he also believes it is time for the world to see a new gordon brown. not the dull  reassuring bank manager but a man driven by a moral passion - and it just so happens the labour party feels an awful lot happier ridding the world of debt than ridding the world of dictators.  there s also a sense of liberation. if mr blair won t allow him to run the election campaign then he can at least pretend it was all getting tedious and he d much rather be out examining social problems in the raw. it also goes some way to solving one of the overarching problems for all politicians of all parties: scepticism sliding into cynicism about politics itself. if he can help the world s poor just a little  then it shows politics isn t worthless. but is his vision for africa too grand  can poverty in the continent really be halved  brown replies that no one thought the berlin wall would ever come down either. he s still got to overcome - not only the reluctance of other finance ministers in the world - but also the cynicism of experts who wonder whether debt relief will just be squandered by governments that just won t in the end spend wisely.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "safin plays down wimbledon hopes newly-crowned australian open champion marat safin has ruled out any chance of winning wimbledon in the future.  after losing in round one last year  safin said he had  given up  on wimbledon and winning his second grand slam title has not changed his mind.  i ll play  but with no expectations. i feel like i can t waste my time  my energy on that surface   he said.  some people  they cannot play on clay. some people  they cannot play on a hard court. me  i can t play on grass.  however  safin is hopeful that winning the australian open will give him the belief he needs to win more grand slam titles.  it s a relief for me. two grand slams  it s already something. but with this one i worked really hard for it   he said.  basically  i would love to win a couple more. i think i have a chance if i continue this way.   if (coach) peter lundgren will stick around with me and wants to work with me for a bit longer  i think i can make it.  the 25-year-old shocked pete sampras in the 2000 us open final to win his first major title but then lost in two australian open finals. safin admitted he had begun to doubt whether he would win another grand slam.  i didn t expect that (to win the 2000 us open) - it was against sampras  i wasn t the favourite so i had no pressure whatsoever   he said.  after the first final that i didn t win against thomas johansson (in 2002)  i couldn t see myself winning the grand slams anymore.  i was once in the semi-finals of the french open  but i didn t believe i can win it.  i just couldn t handle the pressure. you need to believe in yourself  and i didn t.   and after losing the first set 6-1 to lleyton hewitt in sunday s final  safin said he began to doubt himself again.  i am 25. i m playing against hewitt. at least you have to have the opportunity to win it  at least have a chance   he said.  it s like you go there and you lose first set 6-1  then you start to think:  this is not my day. the way i m playing is ridiculous.   but then you start to really be a little bit more selfish and try to find a way out of there.  and i found it. i was like really much i was much happier than in 2000  that s for sure  because i get over it.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "europe backs digital tv lifestyle how people receive their digital entertainment in the future could change  following the launch of an ambitious european project.  in nice last week  the european commission announced its networked & electronic media (nem) initiative. its broad scope stretches from the way media is created  through each of the stages of its distribution  to its playback. the commission wants people to be able to locate the content they desire and have it delivered seamlessly  when on the move  at home or at work  no matter who supplies the devices  network  content  or content protection scheme. more than 120 experts were in nice to share the vision of interconnected future and hear pledges of support from companies such as nokia  intel  philips  alcatel  france telecom  thomson and telefonica. it might initially appear to be surprising that companies in direct competition are keen to work together. but again and again  speakers stated they could not see incompatible  stand-alone solutions working. a long-term strategy for the evolution and convergence of technologies and services would be required.  the european commission is being pragmatic in its approach. they have identified that many groups have defined the forms of digital media in the areas that nem encompasses. the nem approach is to take a serious look at what is available and what is in the pipeline  pick out the best  bring them together and identify where the gaps are. where it finds holes  it will develop standards to fill them. what is significant is that such a large and powerful organisation has stated its desire for digital formats to be open to all and work on any gadget. this is bound to please  if not surprise  many individuals and user organisations who feel that the wishes of the holder of rights to content are normally considered over and above those of the consumer. many feel that the most difficult and challenging area for the commission will be to identify a solution for different digital rights management (drm) schemes. currently drm solutions are incompatible  locking certain types of purchased content  making them unplayable on all platforms. with the potential of having a percentage of every media transaction that takes place globally  the prize for being the supplier of the world s dominant drm scheme is huge. although entertainment is an obvious first step  it will encompass the remote provisions of healthcare  energy efficiency and control of the smart home. the 10-year plan brings together the work of many currently running research projects that the ec has been funding for a number of years.  simon perry is the editor of the digital lifestyles website  which covers the impact of technology on media", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "israeli club look to africa four african players  including zimbabwe goalkeeper energy murambadoro  are all ready to play for israeli club hapoel bnei sakhnin in the uefa cup.  bnei sakhnin are the first arab side ever to play in european competition and will play english premiership side newcastle united in the first round. warriors  goalkeeper murambadoro  who made a name for himself at the african nations cup finals in tunisia  helped bnei sakhnin overcome albania s partizani tirana 6-1 in the previous round. murambadoro moved to israel recently after a brief stint with south african club hellenic. the club won the israeli cup final last season and are based in sakhnin  which is near haifa. the club have a strong ethic and are high profile promoters of peace and co-operation within israel. the three other africans at the club are former cameroon defender ernest etchi  dr congo s alain masudi and nigerian midfielder edith agoye  who had a stint with tunisian side esperance.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "arsenal  may seek full share listing  arsenal vice-chairman david dein has said the club may consider seeking a full listing for its shares on the london stock exchange.  speaking at the soccerex football business forum in dubai  he said a full listing was  one of the options  for funding after the club moves to its new stadium. the club - which is currently listed on the smaller ofex share exchange - is due to move into its new 60 000-seater emirates stadium at ashburton grove for the start of the 2006/07 season. mr dein also warned the current level of tv coverage of the premiership may be reaching saturation level  with signs that match attendances have been dropping off in the first few months of this season.  when arsenal moves to its new stadium it will see its proportion of turnover from media earnings drop from 52% this season to 34% in two years  time. the club is hoping to increase matchday earnings from 29% to 40% of turnover  and has not ruled out other money-earning means  including a full share listing.  when the new stadium opens we will go through a thorough financial review   mr dein said.   listing would be one option  but we are flexible and no decisions have been made on that issue yet.  we want to be in the best financial health - maybe clubs can do it (listing)  manchester united have been a success.   mr dein said that  although television money and coverage had driven the english game forward in the past 10 years  he feared there might now be too many games being shown. since the formation of the premier league in season 1992/93  premiership clubs have seen their income from television soar.  television has been the driving force over the past 10 years... but we must constantly improve if we want to remain as the world s leading league competition.  we must monitor the quality of the product and ensure attendances do not decline  and we must balance that with the quantity of exposure on tv too.  i think we have practically reached saturation point... sometimes i think less is more.   the club is funding its move to ashburton grove through a number of sources  including debt from banks  from money it already has and will receive in coming years from sponsors  and from the sale of surplus property  including its highbury stadium. it is also looking to create new revenue streams from overseas markets  including asia.  we have two executives travelling round japan and china at the moment building relationships with organisations and clubs  and we know our supporters clubs are growing there too  as they are around the world.  we have got a very good product  so it is very important we go and look at these markets  and make sure we are on the case.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "chris evans back on the market broadcaster chris evans has begun selling thousands of his possessions from a stall in camden market  london.  evans perched on a stool as shoppers wandered around the open-fronted shop packed with his furniture. among the items from his homes in los angeles and london were countless sofas  chairs  pictures  beds and memorabilia from his past tv shows. asked the reason for the sale  evans said:  i just want to get rid of it all  it s just a headache.  he added:  it feels good to be selling this stuff  it s a weight off my mind.  look at it all  there s so much clutter. i ve enjoyed every bit of furniture and every poster but it s not important anymore.  the normally gregarious evans cut a peculiarly unshowbusiness-like figure as he sipped coffee and smoked cigarettes  wrapped in a big coat and scarf in front of his aladdin s cave.  however  the ostentation of some of the items on sale painted a picture of the eccentricity that endeared him to the british public in shows such as channel 4 s gameshow don t forget your toothbrush. the most striking thing about many of the pieces was their sheer size. sofas looked like they could seat a small party and a bed seemed big enough for four. the elaborate nature of the pieces  many custom-made  had to be admired  particularly a huge red and gold upholstered  throne  and a stripy deckchair from the queen mary liner.  to help people in their browsing  evans had given the pieces labels with not only the price but a helpful  often comic  aside.  isn t it great  was the comment on the \u00a31 950 throne and  bob dylan s old sofa - honest  was written on a dark wood couch priced \u00a34 250.  the prices were steep by a lot of people s standards but evans said it was not deterring shoppers.  i ve sold quite a lot already. everything here is on sale for less than i bought it for but it s not really about the money. it s about getting rid of it all. we ve all been bartering  that s what it s all about.  he added that he was not going to reveal what he was going to do with the money he was making. vintage tv and film posters also lined the walls  including a rare portrait of raquel welch and an original advertising print from the benny hill show. and  almost hidden at the back of the lock-up  were the two giant toothbrushes from his former channel 4 show  although these were not for sale.  despite the sheer curiosity value of the sale  there was a healthy trickle of interest from the public rather than the perhaps expected crowds. some wandered in just to browse  as they would any of the other stalls  not knowing that it belonged to evans.  paul burgess said:  i didn t realise. i thought it was just a load of junk. i should go back and have a better look.  but local resident francesca detakats came specially to the stall and left happy with her purchase of an original 1960s photograph of the who by david wedgburg. ms detakats said she was a collector and did not mind paying \u00a3350 for the print.  if you like something  you don t really count it like that   she said.  martin hellewell  who had also made a point of visiting evans  shop  said he thought it was a great idea.  why not  if you ve got stuff to get rid of it s a good place to do it   said mr hellewell. evans has taken out the stall with business partner pete winterbottom. they plan to open every day if possible  although evans did not know how often he would be there.  we ll stay definitely until christmas and then maybe a week after that   said evans.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "lufthansa flies back to profit german airline lufthansa has returned to profit in 2004 after posting huge losses in 2003.  in a preliminary report  the airline announced net profits of 400m euros ($527.61m; \u00a3274.73m)  compared with a loss of 984m euros in 2003. operating profits were at 380m euros  ten times more than in 2003. lufthansa was hit in 2003 by tough competition and a dip in demand following the iraq war and the killer sars virus. it was also hit by troubles at its us catering business. last year  lufthansa showed signs of recovery even as some european and us airlines were teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. the board of lufthansa has recommended paying a 2004 dividend of 0.30 euros per share. in 2003  shareholders did not get a dividend. the company said that it will give all the details of its 2004 results on 23 march.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "melzer shocks agassi second seed andre agassi suffered a comprehensive defeat by jurgen melzer in the quarter-finals of the sap open.  agassi was often bamboozled by the austrian s drop shots in san jose  losing 6-3 6-1. defending champion and top seed andy roddick rallied to beat sweden s thomas enqvist 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 7-5. but unseeded cyril saulnier beat the fourth seed vincent spadea 6-2 6-4 and tommy haas overcame eighth seed max mirnyi 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-3) 6-2. melzer has now beaten agassi in two of their three meetings.   i had a good game plan and i executed it perfectly   he said.  it s always tough to come out to play andre.  i didn t want him to play his game. he makes you run like a dog all over the court.  and agassi  who was more than matched for power by his opponent s two-handed backhand  said melzer was an example of several players on the tour willing to take their chances against him.  a lot more guys are capable of it now   said the american.  he played much better than me. that s what he did both times.  i had opportunities to loosen myself up   agassi added.  but i didn t convert on the big points.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "visa row mandarin made sir john the top civil servant at the centre of the david blunkett visa affair has been knighted in the new year honours.  sir john gieve was home office permanent secretary during the saga which ended with mr blunkett quitting. he and other civil servants were criticised for failing to recall how the visa for mr blunkett s ex-lover s nanny came to be fast-tracked. the outgoing head of the troubled child support agency doug smith also earns an honour in the new year s list. mr smith  57  whose retirement was announced by work and pensions secretary alan smith in november  is made a commander of the order of bath.  both men were giving evidence to a commons committee on the computer difficulties facing the agency  which left thousands of single parents without any maintenance payments  when the announcement was made. the knighting of sir john  54  will be received with astonishment by opposition politicians.  the liberal democrats said it  beggared belief  he and fellow officials could not remember how leoncia casalme s application for indefinite leave to remain went from mr blunkett s office to the head of the immigration and nationality department. meanwhile  the conservatives accused officials of a  collective failure  of memory. but sir alan budd  who led an inquiry into the affair  said he had no reason to believe anyone involved had deliberately withheld information.  downing street defended the decision to honour both men  with a spokesperson saying:  you have to look at their whole career.  sir john was made permanent secretary in april 2001 following a civil service career which dates back to 1974. he has also worked in the treasury and the department of employment. a department for work and pensions spokeswoman said of mr smith s honour:  the award reflects all that he has achieved in a civil service career  principally in the inland revenue  spanning over 40 years - not just his role as chief executive of the child support agency.   in his career he has personally led a number of successful major change programmes.  mr smith is set to stay on at the csa until march. less controversial will be the knighthoods for derek wanless and mike tomlinson  who undertook major government reviews on health and education respectively. former natwest chief executive mr wanless  57  has delivered not one but two major reports on the nhs. ex-chief inspector of schools mr tomlinson  62  has recommended replacing a-levels and gcses with a new diploma system in a shake-up of the exams system.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "redknapp poised for saints southampton are set to unveil harry redknapp as their new manager at a news conference at 1500 gmt on wednesday.  the former portsmouth boss replaces steve wigley  who has been relieved of first-team duties after just one win in 14 league games in charge. redknapp  57  quit his fratton park position on 24 november and vowed:  i will not go down the road - no chance.  pompey coach kevin bond is poised to join redknapp  who will be saints  third boss of the season. redknapp s first game in charge will be at home to middlesbrough on saturday. portsmouth chairman milan mandaric said he was  disappointed  by the news and claimed redknapp had been in talks with southampton for  some time .   it would appear that negotiations over this have been going on for some time   mandaric said on portsmouth s official website.  i am surprised and a little shocked that the chairman of southampton has not picked up the phone and kept me informed.  according to mandaric  redknapp vowed he would not join their south coast rivals when he left portsmouth.  i said to harry  i hope you don t go to southampton   and he told me  absolutely not    he said.  i m wouldn t say i m bitter  disgusted or angry  just disappointed  but it s harry s life and it s his decision.  redknapp became a cult hero after leading portsmouth into the premiership for the first time  and then masterminding their survival in their debut season. but he left the club claiming he needed a break from football  though many believed he was upset with mandaric s decision to bring in velimir zajec as executive director.  southampton chairman rupert lowe was desperate to give former academy director wigley  who replaced paul sturrock just two games into the season  every chance to succeed at st mary s. but results under wigley have been poor and southampton are deep in trouble near the foot of the table. when redknapp s appointment is confirmed  he will be saints  ninth manager in eight years.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "goldsmith:  i was not leant on  the attorney general has again denied being  leant on  by downing street to make the legal case for invading iraq.  claims a written answer on the legality of the war was drafted by downing street were  wholly unfounded   he insisted during stormy lords exchanges. lord goldsmith said the answer represented his  genuinely held independent view  the war was legal. the text was released on the eve of a crucial commons vote in which mps backed the invasion of iraq. many labour mps have since indicated that the attorney general s answer played a pivotal role in their willingness to back the conflict. the government has resisted calls to publish the full advice  saying such papers are always kept confidential. in the house of lords  the attorney general faced a call by former tory lord chancellor lord mackay to now publish the  full text  of the advice - the suggestion was rejected. another peer meanwhile  lord skidelsky  said not to publish the full legal opinion would  strengthen the suspicion that the the original text was doctored for public consumption  in exactly the same way as the notorious intelligence dossier on weapons of mass destruction .  last week lord goldsmith said in a statement:  i was fully involved throughout the drafting process and personally finalised  and of course approved  the answer.  he said the answer had been prepared in his office with the involvement of solicitor general harriet harman  two of his own officials  three foreign office officials  a qc  christopher greenwood and the then lord chancellor  lord irvine of lairg.  no other minister or official was involved in any way.   as i have always made clear  i set out in the answer my own genuinely held  independent view that military action was lawful under the existing (un) security council resolutions   he said.  the answer did not purport to be a summary of my confidential legal advice to government.  former foreign secretary robin cook said lord goldsmith s admission that his parliamentary answer was not a summary of his legal opinion suggested parliament may have been misled.  the attorney general may never have presented his answer as a summary  but others certainly did   he said.  what is clear from his statement today is that he does not believe that it was a full  accurate summary of his formal opinion.   tony blair has dismissed questions about the attorney general s advice  and said his parliamentary statement had been a  fair summary  of his opinion.  that s what he [lord goldsmith] said and that s what i say. he has dealt with this time and time and time again   mr blair told his monthly news conference in downing street. he refused to answer further questions on the issue. on the question of whether such papers have always been kept confidential  tory mp michael mates  who is a member of the commons intelligence and security committee and was part of the butler inquiry  told the bbc:  that  as a general rule  is right  but it s not an absolute rule.  he said there had been other occasions when advice had been published  most recently regarding prince charles s marriage plans. the government could not pick and choose when to use the convention  he said. mr mates added:  this may be one of those special occasions... when it would be in the public interest to see the advice which the attorney general gave to the prime minister.  a book published by philippe sands qc  a member of cherie blair s matrix chambers says lord goldsmith warned tony blair on 7 march 2003 that the iraq war could be illegal without a second un resolution sanctioning military action. a short statement about lord goldsmith s position presented in a written parliamentary answer on 17 march 2003 - just before a crucial commons vote on the military action - did not suggest this.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "dollar hovers around record lows the us dollar hovered close to record lows against the euro on friday as concern grows about the size of the us budget deficit.  analysts predict that the dollar will remain weak in 2005 as investors worry about the state of the us economy. the bush administration s apparent unwillingness to intervene to support the dollar has caused further concern. however  trading has been volatile over the past week because of technical and automated trading and light demand. this has amplified reactions to news  analysts said  adding that they expect markets to become less jumpy in january.  the dollar was trading at $1.3652 versus the euro on friday morning after hitting a fresh record low of $1.3667 on thursday. one dollar bought 102.55 yen.  disappointing business figures from chicago triggered the us currency s weakness on thursday. the national association of purchasing management-chicago said its manufacturing index dropped to 61.2  a bigger fall than expected.  there are no dollar buyers now  especially after the chicago data yesterday   said abn amro s paul mackel. at the same time  german chancellor gerhard schroeder and italian prime minister silvio berlusconi voiced concerns about the strength of the euro. mr berlusconi said the euro s strength was  absolutely worrying  for italian exports. mr schroeder said in a newspaper article that stability in foreign exchange markets required a correction of global economic imbalances. investors will now look towards february s meeting of finance ministers from the g7 industrialised nations in london for clues as to whether central banks will combine forces to stem the dollar s decline.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "el guerrouj targets cross country double olympic champion hicham el guerrouj is set to make a rare appearance at the world cross country championships in france.  but the moroccan  who has not raced over cross country for 15 years  will not decide until two weeks before the event which starts on 19 march.  if i am to compete in it  it is only if i feel i can win   said the 30-year-old  who is retiring in 2006.  otherwise there is not much point in me going.  el guerrouj achieved a lifetime ambition last august when he clinched his first olympic titles over 1500m and 5 000m. but the four-time world 1500m champion is still hungry for more success before calling time on his career. the 30-year-old has set his sights on clinching the world 5 000m crown in helsinki this summer. and he is aiming to break 10 000m olympic champion kenenisa bekele s 5 000m and 10 000m world records.  el guerrouj could meet bekele in march as the ethiopian is the defending world cross country champion over both the long and short courses. but the moroccan will not commit himself to the st galmier event until he assesses how well his winter training is going.  the return to training was very difficult because i accepted a lot of invitations these past few months   said el guerrouj.  i am almost a month behind but i am on the right track.     - britain s paula radcliffe has also not ruled out competing in the world cross country championships.  i haven t quite decided what events i will compete in prior to london but the world cross country is an event which is also special to me and is a definite possibility   said the two-time champion.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "aviator  creator  in oscars snub the man who said he got oscar-nominated movie the aviator off the ground and signed up leonardo dicaprio has been shut out of the academy awards race.  charles evans jr battled over his role with the people who eventually made the film  and won a producer s credit. but he is not on the list of producers who can win a best film oscar due to a limit on the number of nominees. the oscars organisers have picked two of the aviator s four producers to be nominated for best film.  up to three producers can be named per film but the studios behind the aviator and million dollar baby failed to trim their credits - so the academy of motion pictures arts and sciences (ampas) has done it for them. the aviator s nominated producers are michael mann and graham king - with mr evans and sandy climan  mr mann s former deputy  left off. mr evans sued mr mann in 2001  claiming he came up with the idea  spent years developing it and persuaded dicaprio to play hughes - but said he was later excluded from the project. the two sides settled out of court in a deal that has remained secret apart from the fact mr evans  name has appeared as a producer when the film s credits roll. at the golden globes  mr evans - who was named among the winners when the film won best drama film - evaded a security guard to have his photo taken with dicaprio  director martin scorsese  mr mann and mr king.  ampas decided to limit the number of producers who could be nominated after shakespeare in love s victory in 1999 saw five producers collect awards. the eligible names for the aviator and million dollar baby were decided by ampas  producers branch executive committee on wednesday. the decision also saw clint eastwood get his third personal nomination for million dollar baby. he is now named in the best film category as well as being nominated for best director and best lead actor. the academy awards ceremony will be held in hollywood on 27 february. chinese actress ziyi zhang  star of crouching tiger  hidden dragon  hero and house of flying daggers  is the latest name to be added to the list of presenters on the night.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "share boost for feud-hit reliance the board of indian conglomerate reliance has agreed a share buy-back  to counter the effects of a power struggle in the controlling family.  the buy-back is a victory for chairman mukesh ambani  whose idea it was. his brother anil  the vice-chairman  said had not been consulted and that the buy-back was  completely inappropriate and unnecessary . the board hopes the move will reverse a 13% fall in reliance s shares since the feud became public last month. the company has been fractious since founder dhirubhai ambani died in 2002  leaving no will.  today s round has gone to [mukesh]  there is no doubt about it   said nanik rupani  president of the indian merchants chamber  a bombay-based traders  body. the company plans to buy back 52 million shares at 570 rupees (\u00a36.80; $13) apiece  a premium of more than 10% to its current market price.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "insurance bosses plead guilty another three us insurance executives have pleaded guilty to fraud charges stemming from an ongoing investigation into industry malpractice.  two executives from american international group (aig) and one from marsh & mclennan were the latest. the investigation by new york attorney general eliot spitzer has now obtained nine guilty pleas. the highest ranking executive pleading guilty on tuesday was former marsh senior vice president joshua bewlay.  he admitted one felony count of scheming to defraud and faces up to four years in prison. a marsh spokeswoman said mr bewlay was no longer with the company. mr spitzer s investigation of the us insurance industry looked at whether companies rigged bids and fixed prices. last month marsh agreed to pay $850m (\u00a3415m) to settle a lawsuit filed by mr spitzer  but under the settlement it  neither admits nor denies the allegations .", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "booming markets shed few tears the market  former british government minister michael heseltine once said  has no morality.  and indeed  stock exchange traders around asia have wasted little time regretting the victims of this week s disaster. stock markets in indonesia and india have hit all-time highs this week; even in sri lanka  more comprehensively affected  the main index has lost only 5% since the waves hit. bigger markets further afield have barely twitched. the msci world share index  a measure of global stock market performance  hit its highest level this week since early 2001; the bbc global 30 has risen by 3% in the past week. and this at a time when - all sentiment aside - insurance costs are already estimated in the tens of billions of dollars  and countries around the region are looking at trimming their growth forecasts.  in fact  the markets are being perfectly rational.  for a start  the notional insurance cost of the disaster will have little bearing on corporate bottom lines. the overwhelming majority of the victims will have had no insurance: according to estimates from india  only one-quarter of those affected there were wealthy enough to afford insurance  and only one-quarter of that group at most will have taken out policies. indonesia is likely to have even lower take-up rates. and where insurance certainly is in place - in  for example  the many tourist complexes affected - the costs will be borne in far-away corners of the global reinsurance market  rather than landing locally.  second  stock markets do not trade the sort of companies likely to have been damaged. most of the biggest companies traded on the soaring jakarta stock exchange are in oil  technology and financial services - none of which have been hit by the flooding. tourist businesses  the most likely sufferers  are either foreign-owned or too small to have their shares listed. those that are listed have suffered: confifi hotel holdings  a small sri lankan tourism firm  has halved in value this week. but there are winners as well as losers. asian stock markets are heavily inclined towards property and construction companies  many of which will be rubbing their hands over the reconstruction opportunities. in indonesia  shares in state construction companies adhi karya and semen gresik have jumped sharply this week.  more broadly  the academic consensus is that major disasters are largely neutral in their longer-term economic impact.  according to the natural hazards research and applications information center at colorado state university  there is little evidence that disasters are inevitably followed by a depression. the need to find money to replace lost and damaged property is balanced by the beneficial effect of reconstruction activity; there is rarely  the centre says  any sort of rebuilding boom  but in most cases sizeable indirect losses are avoided. a study of the 1993 des moines floods  from the disaster research center at the university of delaware*  found that 70% of local businesses were no worse off after the disaster  and another 18% felt themselves better off.  although it is commonly assumed on the basis of anecdotal evidence that disasters result in business failures and bankruptcies on a large scale  our research indicates that most businesses  even those that are especially hard-hit  do indeed recover   the authors concluded.  but disasters have a vast psychological impact  and markets are driven by psychological factors.  in particular  many analysts warn of panic spreading unchecked through the global financial system  as investors seek to cover themselves against the unforeseeable effects of unguessable events. in fact  again  the risks here are lower than they seem. even the costliest natural disaster is rendered minuscule by the global capital market - currently $30 trillion and rising. a series of recent shocks  the colorado centre has argued  have demonstrated that this seamless global contagion hardly ever happens: market tremors rarely translate into economic slumps  and economic woes rarely seriously undermine markets. the trillion-dollar debts of japan s banks  for example  have had no effect on stock markets further afield than tokyo. and the us stock market was on its way down long before 11 september  2001; it rose by 20% during the six months following the attacks.  it is not that the broking community is indifferent to disasters or feelings   one bombay trader said this week.  but the reaction would have been seen if business had been affected. business sense probably tends to overrule everything else.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "films on war triumph at sundance a study of the united states at war in the past 50 years has picked up one of the main awards at the 2005 sundance film festival in utah  in the us.  why we fight scooped the grand jury prize for documentaries at the world s leading independent film festival. british director sean mcallister s the liberace of baghdad - about a pianist in war-torn iraq - won a special prize in the world documentary category. both why we fight and the liberace of baghdad were made for the bbc. why we fight is due to be screened on bbc four in march.  the sundance festival was founded by actor robert redford in 1981. this year s festival - which ended on sunday after a 11-day run - has been dominated by the themes of war and politics. in the new world cinema drama category  the angolan film the hero triumphed to win the grand jury prize. the film - an angolan/french/portuguese production - tells the story of a veteran of the country s civil war who returns home to face a new battle of survival. twelve films competing in the new world cinema documentary category focused on countries and people under siege.  finnish film the three rooms of melancholia looks at the war in chechnya and shake hands with the devil: the journey of romeo dallaire tells the story of a un mission to rwanda during the 1994 genocide. but it was dutch documentary shape of the moon - a study of an extended family in indonesia - which took the top prize. meanwhile  french-israeli production wall  which looks at israel s controversial security wall separating it from the palestinian territories  picked up a world cinema special jury prize for documentaries. in the main drama category  forty shades of blue was named winner of the grand jury prize. the film tells the tale of a forbidden tug-of-love between a father  his russian immigrant girlfriend and his son.  during its 24-year history  the sundance film festival has showcased successes such as reservoir dogs  the blair witch project and the full monty. last year s festival provided a platform for hits such as open water  napoleon dynamite  garden state and super-size me. the festival is held in the mountain resort of park city  east of salt lake city  which sees its population rise from 7 500 to 45 000 during the festival.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "windows worm travels with tetris users are being warned about a windows virus that poses as the hugely popular tetris game.  the cellery worm installs a playable version of the classic falling blocks game on pcs that it has infected. while users play the game  the worm spends its time using the machine to search for new victims to infect on nearby networks. the risk of infection by cellery is thought to be very low as few copies of the worm have been found in the wild.  the cellery worm does not spread via e-mail like many other viruses. instead it browses computer networks for pcs that have not shut off all the insecure ways they connect to other machines. when it infects a machine  cellery installs a version of tetris that users can play. as the game starts up the worm also starts a music file to accompany it. at the same time the virus starts scouring networks for other vulnerable machines. the virus does no damage to machines but heavily infected networks could slow down as scanning traffic builds. productivity may suffer too if users spend time playing tetris. pcs running windows 95  98  me  nt  2000  and xp could be vulnerable to the worm.  if your company has a culture of allowing games to be played in the office  your staff may believe this is simply a new game that has been installed - rather than something that should cause concern   said graham cluley  spokesman for anti-virus firm sophos. so far the number of people infected by cellery is thought to be very small and the risks of further infection is very low. sophos urged users and companies to update their anti-virus software to keep themselves protected.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "new york rockers top talent poll new york electro-rock group the bravery have come top of the bbc news website s sound of 2005 poll to find the music scene s most promising new act.  the bravery  who have been compared to the cure and new order  were the most heavily-tipped act in the survey of 110 impartial critics and broadcasters. rock band keane won sound of 2004 while us rapper 50 cent topped sound of 2003. other new artists in this year s list include london indie group bloc party at second and uk rapper kano third. the bravery played their first gig in 2003 and have since supported bands including the libertines  interpol and echo and the bunnymen.  they were the subject of a record company bidding war in 2004 and their debut single  unconditional  caused a huge buzz when it was released in the uk in november. singer sam endicott said he felt  great  about coming top of the sound of 2005 list.  anyone that says they don t want a zillion screaming fans is a jackass  a liar   he said. one of the experts to tip the bravery was the times  music critic paul connolly  who said they were  spiky but in love with pop . chris hawkins  host of bbc 6 music s chart show  said the band had  great guitars and a mastery of the electro-clash sound .  the bravery are proof alone that new york city is still home to hot new talent   he said. alison howe  producer of tv show later... with jools holland  booked the group to appear the day after seeing them at a west london pub.   they played like they were headlining the main stage at glastonbury   she said.  great songs  a good look  a touch of attitude and a cracking live band.   q magazine reviews editor ted kessler said they were  pretty-boy new york clothes horses  with  an unusually nimble ear for concise  yearning pop in the mould of duran duran or the strokes . other pundits to take part in the survey included bbc radio 1 dj trevor nelson  nme editor conor mcnicholas  top of the pops presenter fearne cotton  glastonbury organiser emily eavis and bbc radio 2 music editor colin martin. elsewhere on the top 10  second-placed rock band bloc party began their rise after supporting franz ferdinand and uk garage mc kano  in third  is signed to the streets  record label. us rapper the game is hip-hop great dr dre s latest protege while leeds group kaiser chiefs came fifth with a promise to lead a britpop revival. in last year s survey  keane were followed by franz ferdinand  razorlight and joss stone in the top five - all of whom were virtually unknown outside the music industry at that point.  boy band mcfly were sixth while scissor sisters  who had the uk s best-selling album of 2004  were seventh. in the survey  the pundits were asked for tips for three acts they thought were capable of reaching the top in their chosen genre  either in terms of sales or critical acclaim. the artists could be from any country and any musical genre  but must not have had a uk top 20 single  been a contestant on a tv talent show or already be famous for doing something else  such as a soap actor. those tips were then counted and compiled to make the top 10.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "security papers  found in street  an inquiry is under way after files containing security details about the pakistani president s visit to london were found by a member of the public.  the files are believed to contain detailed security arrangements for gen pervez musharraf s visit this week  including police codes. scotland yard said the policing operation had been reviewed. a spokesman said president musharraf s safety had not been compromised  as the papers had been handed in promptly.  we cannot discuss who was responsible for the documents  only that they contained the policing arrangements for the official visit   said the spokesman.  the papers are believed to have been found by a member of the public in a street in mayfair and given to the mirror newspaper. the police spokesman said the newspaper handed the report over on monday. the force s directorate of professional standards is investigating the circumstances surrounding the loss of the documents  he said. gen musharraf held talks with tony blair on monday. he arrived in britain on sunday night after flying from the united states  where he met president george w bush. he is due to visit the pakistani community in manchester on tuesday afternoon.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "brown shrugs off economy fears gordon brown is to freeze petrol duty increases  fund a \u00a31bn package to avoid big council tax rises and boost childcare and maternity leave.  in an upbeat pre-budget report  he slightly increased borrowing but insisted economic targets would be met. the chancellor also hailed the longest period of growth in uk  industrial history  but denied he was  gloating . but oliver letwin  for the tories  attacked government red tape and debt  dubbing mr brown  sir wastealot .  the shadow chancellor said mr brown s  golden rule  had  turned to dross in his hands  and said he was borrowing to spend  not invest  with predicted debt over the coming years totalling \u00a3170bn. mr letwin told mps:  the tide is going out on the chancellor s credibility. he is spending  borrowing and taxing so much because he is not getting value for taxpayer s money.   vincent cable  for the liberal democrats  accused mr brown of ducking tough choices.  he said:  last week the prime minister gave us the politics of fear; this week the chancellor has offered the economics of complacency.  there are serious challenges ahead from the falling dollar and from the rapid downturn in the uk housing market and rising personal debt. but they have not been confronted.  mr brown rejected the lib dem s call to open up the government s books to the national audit office  saying decisions on tax and spending should be made by ministers. some economists say his forecasts on public finances are wishful thinking. bbc economic editor evan davis said the figures were plausible but also a gamble.  mr brown s insistence he was not  gloating  was a pointed rebuttal of a warning from new european commissioner peter mandelson. in his speech  he set out a 10-year childcare strategy for if labour wins the next election.  it includes a \u00a3285m cash injection to extend paid maternity leave from six months to nine  with parents able to transfer leave from the mother to the father. he also promised to increase free nursery education for three and four-year-olds to 15 hours from april 2007. and funds would be provided to keep schools open from 0800 to 1800gmt to look after children while their parents were at work. taken together  the measures would create a  welfare state that is truly family-friendly for the first time in its history   said mr brown. he also announced a cash hand-out for older pensioners  with payments of \u00a350 for the over-70s as part of the winter fuel allowance. in a move ministers say should keep council tax rises below 5% next year  the chancellor said he was providing an extra \u00a31bn for local councils. the money is expected to come from government departments such as health and education.  mr brown said he was set to meet his two fiscal rules - to borrow only to invest and keep debt  low and sustainable  - both in this economic cycle and the next. borrowing figures for 2003/4 are \u00a335bn - \u00a32.5bn less than the \u00a337.5bn predicted in march s budget  as already announced by the office for national statistics. borrowing is tipped to fall to \u00a331bn by 2005/06 - but that is still \u00a32bn more than mr brown predicted in his march budget. inflation would be 1.75% next year and 2% in the years to follow  mr brown forecast. he also pledged an extra \u00a3105m for security and counter-terrorism. business groups have welcomed efforts to improve competitiveness and invest more in skills and innovation. but there worries about the costs of more family-friendly working. simon sweetman  from the federation of small businesses  said:  the proposals on maternity leave have clearly been made with a general election in mind and with little thought to the impact on small employers.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "jobs growth still slow in the us the us created fewer jobs than expected in january  but a fall in jobseekers pushed the unemployment rate to its lowest level in three years.  according to labor department figures  us firms added only 146 000 jobs in january. the gain in non-farm payrolls was below market expectations of 190 000 new jobs. nevertheless it was enough to push down the unemployment rate to 5.2%  its lowest level since september 2001. the job gains mean that president bush can celebrate - albeit by a very fine margin - a net growth in jobs in the us economy in his first term in office. he presided over a net fall in jobs up to last november s presidential election - the first president to do so since herbert hoover. as a result  job creation became a key issue in last year s election. however  when adding december and january s figures  the administration s first term jobs record ended in positive territory.  the labor department also said it had revised down the jobs gains in december 2004  from 157 000 to 133 000.  analysts said the growth in new jobs was not as strong as could be expected given the favourable economic conditions.  it suggests that employment is continuing to expand at a moderate pace   said rick egelton  deputy chief economist at bmo financial group.  we are not getting the boost to employment that we would have got given the low value of the dollar and the still relatively low interest rate environment.   the economy is producing a moderate but not a satisfying amount of job growth   said ken mayland  president of clearview economics.  that means there are a limited number of new opportunities for workers.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "rapper kanye west s shrewd soul us hip-hop star kanye west - who leads the race for this year s grammys with 10 nominations - rose to prominence by producing songs for artists such as jay-z and alicia keys.  he then emerged from his behind-the-scenes role to become an artist as well as a producer. but his solo career almost ended before it began after a near-fatal car crash left west with his jaw wired shut in 2002. the resulting song  through the wire  became west s first uk hit in april 2004 and subsequent album the college dropout became a transatlantic success  both critically and commercially. west  26  began rapping as a teenager at his chicago school  inspired by the beats and rhymes of 1980s pioneers run dmc.  hip-hop producer no id encouraged west to sample old soul and r&b hits then revive them with an updated sound  an approach that would become his trademark.  i feel like a lot of the soul that s in those old records that i sample is in me   he said.  so when i hear them and i put them with the drums and i bring them to the new millennium  it s just like god s doing that. i m one with them records right there. it s a blessing.   leaving his chicago art school after only one year - a move which would later inspire the title of his album - west began his music career co-producing songs for artists mase and the madd rapper. this drew the attention of superstar rapper jay-z  who signed west up to his roc-a-fella record label to produce numerous artists on his roster. west s work gained mainstream recognition when he produced the singles takeover and izzo (hova) on jay-z s own 2001 album blueprint. incorporating samples of five to one by the doors and the jackson five s i want you back respectively  the hits were credited with injecting soul back into hip-hop.  as their success attracted further production work for jay-z ( 03 bonnie & clyde) and artists such as ludacris (stand up) and alicia keys (you don t know my name)  west announced plans for a solo album. driving home from a late-night los angeles recording session in october 2002  he was involved in the car crash that left his jaw fractured in three places.  anytime i hear about any accident my heart sinks in and i just thank god that i m still here   he later said.  that steering wheel could have been two inches further out  and that would have been it.   west s account of the accident sampled chaka khan s hit through the fire to become the heart of his completed solo album the college dropout. released last year  it was by turns smooth  humorous and sharp and largely avoided the clichéd hip-hop preoccupation with guns  girls and jewellery.  through the wire was quickly joined in the uk and us charts by slow jamz  on which west collaborated with rapper twista and ray actor jamie foxx. the college dropout spawned two further uk hits and a string of award nominations. west was shortlisted for 10 grammys - including nominations for artist and album of the year - and took the best hip-hop artist  producer and album titles at last year s music of black origin (mobo) awards. now a respected rapper and producer in the influential field of hip-hop  kanye west is unlikely to regret his decision to leave college early.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "hospital suspends  no welsh  plan an english hospital has suspended plans to stop treating welsh patients who have waited more than three months.  hereford county hospital had earlier said that from the new year patients waiting longer than this would be taken off waiting lists for hip and knee operations. gps in wales had feared patients could be pushed to the back of another queue. but after talks with powys health board the hospital called off its plan until health chiefs meet early in january. hereford hospital trust caused an outcry when it sent out a letter telling patients that for financial and administrative reasons it planned to turn down some orthopaedic patients. shocked health officials in powys said this meant they would be left with the prospect of patients and doctors having to find new appointments in other hospitals. andy williams  chief executive of powys local health board  had said it was  a totally unacceptable way to behave .  mr williams had said he did not think it was a welsh-english issue  but said hereford hospital was  struggling financially and trying to pass the problem back to powys . he had told bbc radio wales:  i have written straight back to the trust... to insist they withdraw this threat and treat the patients i am paying them to treat.  but after the hospital had agreed to the suspension  mr williams said he was optimistic a compromise could be reached which would ensure welsh patients continued to be treated there. he said the problem had been caused by the difference in waiting time targets between england and wales.  the target is 12 months for welsh patients  but just three months in england. the contract with the powys health board was worth \u00a37m a year for the hospital and accounts for 12% of its patients. in a statement before the suspension of the idea  the welsh assembly government said the situation was  unacceptable .  but powys local health board is committed to ensuring our patients receive the care that is appropriate   said the assembly government.  although we will be challenging hereford s decision we will put in place appropriate care for our patients. they will be contacted by their gps in the next week.  earlier  david rose  chief executive of hereford hospitals nhs trust  had said:  it is with real regret that we have taken this step.  we want to continue providing an excellent and fast service to powys people but can only do this if we are paid to provide the service.  in 2005 our waiting time will fall to a maximum of 6-months and we want powys people to ask to be referred to our modern hospital.  we appeal to powys local health board to allow powys people to choose hereford for their treatment.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "no charges against tv s cosby us comedian bill cosby will not face charges stemming from an allegation of sexual misconduct.  authorities in philadelphia said they found insufficient evidence to support the woman s allegations regarding an alleged incident in january 2004. the woman reported the allegations to canadian authorities last month. cosby s lawyer  walter m phillips jr  said the comedian was pleased with the decision.  he looks forward to moving on with his life   he said. district attorney bruce l castor jr  who was in charge of the case  said that detectives could find no instance  where anyone complained to law enforcement of conduct which would constitute a criminal offence.  he also said that the fact the woman waited a year before coming forward  and she had had further contact with cosby during that time  were also factors in his decision. the unidentified woman s lawyer  dolores m troiani  said her client was likely to sue the comedian.  i think that s the only avenue open to her. she felt  as we did  that it s a very strong case and she was telling the truth.  she also said that the woman supplied further evidence to prosecutors that she believed strengthened her allegations. cosby emerged as one of the first black comics to have mainstream success in the us. he was a successful stand-up before hosting the children s show fat albert and the cosby kids  and starring in the cosby show  one of the biggest sitcoms of the 1980s.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "palace threat over cantona masks manchester united fans wearing eric cantona masks will not be allowed in selhurst park on saturday.  united fans are planning to mark the 10th anniversary of cantona s infamous kung-fu kick on crystal palace fan matthew simmons by wearing the masks. but palace stadium manager kevin corner has warned:  if they wear them inside selhurst park they will be immediately rejected on safety grounds.  and no fans wearing cantona masks will be allowed entry to the stadium.  united fans had declared saturday as  cantona day  and had planned to wear masks  that were popular during the frenchman s time as a player at the old trafford club. cantona received a nine-month ban following the incident and palace are keen to avoid an incident that would stir up ill feeling between the two sets of supporters. four months after the cantona incident a palace fan  paul nixon  was killed prior to an fa cup semi-final at villa park.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "hanks greeted at wintry premiere hollywood star tom hanks was in london s leicester square for the uk premiere of polar express.  the west end landmark was turned into a festive landscape complete with snow and carol singers to celebrate the arrival of the animated film.  this is leicester square like you ve never seen it before   said hanks  who plays five roles in the movie. polar express is based on a children s book which tells the story of a young boy s journey to meet santa claus. the 48-year-old actor crossed a three-metre high bridge built in the square  which he said was  almost impossible to get across . hundreds of fans greeted the star  all wearing santa hats  and mince pies were on offer. hanks said that the new film has an  elegant message .  christmas is a special time of the year and you get out of it what you put into it   added the two-time academy award winner.   i believe in the spirit of christmas and i think that s embodied in santa claus   he said. polar express uses technology similar to that used in lord of the rings to bring gollum to life. the  performance capture  technique enables hanks to play a number of roles  including the eight-year-old boy who is at the centre of the story  and father christmas. it is directed by robert zemeckis  who has previously worked with hanks on forrest gump and castaway.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "manchester wins labour conference the labour party will hold its 2006 autumn conference in manchester and not blackpool  it has been confirmed.  the much trailed decision was ratified by labour s ruling national executive committee in a break with the traditional choice of a seaside venue. it will be the first time since 1917 that the party has chosen manchester to host the annual event. blackpool will get the much smaller february spring conference instead in what will be seen as a placatory move.  for years the main political parties have rotated between blackpool  bournemouth and brighton. and the news the much larger annual conference is not to gather in blackpool will be seen as a blow in the coastal resort. in 1998 the party said it would not return to blackpool but did so in 2002. the following year bournemouth hosted the event before the party signed a two year deal for brighton to host the autumn conference.  colin asplin  blackpool hotel association said:  we have tried very hard to make sure they come back to blackpool.  obviously we have failed in that. i just hope manchester can handle the crowds.  it amazes me that the labour party  which is a working class party  doesn t want to come to the main working class resort in the country.  the exact cost to blackpool in terms of lost revenue for hotel accommodation is not yet known but it is thought that block bookings will be taken at the major manchester hotels after the official announcement.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "yukos unit buyer faces loan claim the owners of embattled russian oil giant yukos are to ask the buyer of its former production unit to pay back a $900m (\u00a3479m) loan.  state-owned rosneft bought the yugansk unit for $9.3bn in a sale forced by russia to part settle a $27.5bn tax claim against yukos. yukos  owner menatep group says it will ask rosneft to repay a loan that yugansk had secured on its assets. rosneft already faces a similar $540m repayment demand from foreign banks. legal experts said rosneft s purchase of yugansk would include such obligations.  the pledged assets are with rosneft  so it will have to pay real money to the creditors to avoid seizure of yugansk assets   said moscow-based us lawyer jamie firestone  who is not connected to the case. menatep group s managing director tim osborne told the reuters news agency:  if they default  we will fight them where the rule of law exists under the international arbitration clauses of the credit.   rosneft officials were unavailable for comment. but the company has said it intends to take action against menatep to recover some of the tax claims and debts owed by yugansk. yukos had filed for bankruptcy protection in a us court in an attempt to prevent the forced sale of its main production arm. the sale went ahead in december and yugansk was sold to a little-known shell company which in turn was bought by rosneft. yukos claims its downfall was punishment for the political ambitions of its founder mikhail khodorkovsky and has vowed to sue any participant in the sale.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "us duo in first spam conviction a brother and sister in the us have been convicted of sending hundreds of thousands of unsolicited e-mail messages to aol subscribers.  it is the first criminal prosecution of internet spam distributors. jurors in virginia recommended that the man  jeremy jaynes  serve nine years in prison and that his sister  jessica degroot  be fined $7 500. they were convicted under a state law that bars the sending of bulk e-mails using fake addresses.  they will be formally sentenced next year. a third defendant  richard rutkowski  was acquitted. prosecutors said jaynes was  a snake oil salesman in a new format   using the internet to peddle useless wares  news agency associated press reported. a  fed-ex refund processor  was supposed to allow people to earn $75 an hour working from home. another item on sale was an  internet history eraser . his sister helped him process credit card payments. jaynes amassed a fortune of $24m from his sales  prosecutors said.  he s been successful ripping people off all these years   ap quoted prosecutor russell mcguire as saying. jaynes was also found guilty of breaking a state law which prohibits the sending of more than 100 000 e-mails in 30 days  virginia state attorney general jerry kilgore reportedly said. prosecutors had asked for 15 years in jail for jaynes  and a jail term for his sister. but jaynes  lawyer david oblon called the nine-year recommended term  outrageous  and said his client believed he was innocent. he pointed out that all three of the accused lived in north carolina and were unaware of the virginia state law. spam messages are estimated to account for at least 60% of all e-mails sent.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "blackburn v burnley ewood park  tuesday  1 march  2000 gmt  howard webb (south yorkshire)  home to leicester in the quarter-finals  but defender andy todd is suspended and could be replaced by dominic matteo - if he recovers from a hamstring injury. burnley have major injury concerns over frank sinclair and john mcgreal. michael duff looks set to continue at right-back with john oster in midfield and micah hyde is expected to recover from a knee injury.  - blackburn boss mark hughes:  burnley are resolute and have individual talent but i fully expect us to progress.  i thought we were comfortable in the first game and never thought we were under pressure.  it s a competition we want to progress in and we are doing okay. if we beat burnley  we have a home tie against another lower league club (leicester).    - burnley boss steve cotterill:  they will be fresh and we ll be tired. that is an honest opinion but our lads just might be able to get themselves up for one more big game.  the atmosphere at the last game was very hot - a good verbal contest.  our fans will not need whipping up for this game. i just want them to help us as much as they can in a positive way.  key match stats   - blackburn rovers against bolton is part two of an east lancashire hotpot that didn t turn out to be that spicy when first staged on a sunday lunchtime the weekend before last  and resulted in a scrappy goalless draw.   - rovers  who are aiming to win the cup for a seventh time in their history and first time in 77 years  face another replay against championship opposition after eventually disposing of cardiff at ewood park in the third round. but they ve not been beaten in the competition by a club outside the premiership for nine years  since ipswich - then in the second tier - defeated them 0-1 after extra time in a third round replay at ewood park on 16 january 1996. history is on rovers side. when they last met their near neighbours in the fa cup 45 years ago  it also required an ewood park replay  which the home side won 2-0  and when they last met in the league  rovers did the double. they first won their nationwide division one trip to turf moor 0-2 four seasons ago  and then thrashed the clarets on home soil 5-0.   - manager mark hughes  who won the cup four times as a player  is aiming to steer rovers into the quarter-finals for the second time in 12 years  and first time since the 2000/2001 season. success here  and victory home to leicester in the next round  could see rovers in the semi-finals without having played premiership opposition.   - burnley make the eight mile journey to their fierce rivals  determined to send blackburn the same way as liverpool in the third round. but having failed to pull off another shock at turf moor  it could be that the championship outfit - 17 places inferior on the league ladder - have missed their best opportunity. having said that  burnley are yet to concede a goal in this cup run.   - steve cotterills  clarets have been knocked out in the fifth round four times in the last seven years  and have made only one appearance in the sixth round in 21 years. that was in the season before last  when they disposed of premiership fulham at this fifth round stage.   - while blackburn have not played since the fifth round tie  burnley have had two league outings away from home  drawing 1-1 at derby and losing 1-0 at preston. that takes their winless run to four games. the combatants from one-time prosperous mill towns  are both founder members of the football league. head to head  16th prem  winners (six times)  13th championship  winners (once)", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "job cuts  false economy   - tuc plans to shed 71 000 civil service jobs will prove to be a  false economy  that could hamper public sector reforms  according to a tuc report.  public and commercial services union members have already voted to strike over cuts for one day on 5 november. the tuc said cuts would deliver less than 6% of the \u00a322bn ministers hope to save through efficiency reforms. general secretary brendan barber warned the  costs could easily outweigh the benefits .  the government s big boost to public spending is now showing results   said mr barber.  public services are improving but looking for simple savings through job cuts at this stage could be a false economy.   they may shoot a tory fox  but cutting thousands of civil service jobs will hit the morale and capabilities of the public servants expected to implement government reforms. the costs could easily outweigh the benefits.  next friday s strike action by the pcs is the biggest in the civil service since 1993  hitting jobcentres  benefit agencies  pensions offices  customs and driving tests. the union says it is concerned about pensions  sick pay and forced relocation as well as the cut in jobs. last month it was announced that a total of 37 social security offices and jobcentres across the uk would close in the first wave of plans to shed civil service jobs. the number of civil servants in britain rose to more than 520 000 in april. other areas the strike will affect include passports  museums and galleries  libraries and health and safety inspections.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "corry backs skipper robinson england forward martin corry says jason robinson is the right man to lead the national team back to winning ways.  after losses to wales and france  critics have started to wonder whether robinson can captain from full-back. but corry has backed robinson  who was given the role after the injury to fly-half jonny wilkinson  ahead of this weekend s trip to ireland.  jason is doing a tremendous job. every week my respect for him goes up   corry told bbc radio five live.  he is an inspirational captain. when he talks with the squad he talks with a lot of sense.  the players have a lot of respect for him. it s an honour to be in the england side and an honour to play under him.   england are under immense pressure following their poor start to the year and victory is vital if they are to rescue their six nations campaign. but corry insists england are in the right frame of mind for the contest.  there is apprehension going into every game   he added.  but you have to use that fear and put it into a positive mindset.  when the whistle goes on sunday  what has happened in the past does not count for anything.   we have not performed but if we put in a performance on sunday then we can start turning results around.  there are a lot of changes taking place with england and we are at the start of something. we have not got off to the greatest of starts but you need to experience the bad the before you can fully appreciate the good.   a trip to lansdowne road is daunting at any time  especially against an ireland side that are flying high after two impressive wins. they are the form team of the tournament and are tipped to claim their first grand slam since 1948. but corry is relishing the prospect of taking on the irish in their own backyard.  they are full of confidence and are playing a great team game   he said.  the forwards are creating a great platform and they have explosive runners out wide.  if you look at the team on paper  they have stars from one to 15. it s a huge task but it is a great opportunity for us.  lansdowne road is a tremendous venue to play in and we have to use it to our advantage.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "wmc says xstrata bid is too low australian mining firm wmc resources has said it is worth up to 30% more than a hostile 7.4bn australian dollar ($5.8bn; \u00a33bn) bid by rival xstrata.  there is now pressure on swiss-based xstrata to increase its takeover offer. a report from investment firm grant samuel in wmc defence documents values wmc shares at a$7.17 to a$8.24  against xstrata s bid of a$6.35 a share. analysts said the defence documents provided more details on wmc  and may trigger a possible rival bid.  if a bid is going to emerge it is probably likely in the next one to two weeks   said daiwa securities analyst mark pervan. he said the valuation would put increased pressure on xstrata to look at  sweetening  its offer. marc gonsalves  an executive at xstrata  said:  we will review the information contained in the target s statement over the next week or so.  he added:  while we will review the assumptions made by grant samuel in detail  we are extremely sceptical of their conclusion  and suggest that wmc shareholders take extreme care in presuming that these optimistic assumptions are capable of being realised.   last month australia s competition watchdog said it would not oppose the purchase of wmc by zurich and london-based xstrata. on tuesday  wmc chairman tommie bergman said in a statement the directors believed it was in shareholders  best interest to reject the offer. he said wmc would pursue  value-creating options  provided by a portfolio of  world class assets . and wmc chief executive andrew michelmore claimed the xstrata offer was aimed at creating value for xstrata s shareholders  and was not being made for the benefit of wmc s shareholders. grant samuel said its valuation of wmc was based on lower average prices for nickel  copper and uranium than current market levels.  any longer term commodity price improvements would only improve our outlook   mr michelmore said.  in 2003 xstrata acquired australia s largest copper miner - mim holdings. wmc resources is the world s third-largest producer of concentrated nickel  and also a miner of copper and uranium. it owns the olympic dam mine in south australia  which contains about one-third of the world s known uranium resources and is also the world s fourth largest copper mine. xstrata is a global mining giant with operations in australia  south africa  spain  germany  argentina and the uk. its core products are copper  coking coal  thermal coal  ferrochrome  vanadium and zinc. it also has growing businesses in gold  lead and silver.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "gizmondo gadget hits the shelves the gizmondo combined media player  phone and gaming gadget goes on sale on saturday.  priced at \u00a3229  the handheld device is debuting in the uk and goes on sale in the us and mainland europe in the next few weeks. a catalogue of about 20 games is being prepared for the gadget including the great escape and conflict vietnam. the british-backed gadget faces stiff competition from handheld gaming devices made by nintendo and sony.  the gizmondo device packs a lot of functions inside its black cover and is aimed at gamers and those that want more from their game-playing gadgets.  it can be used to play games  music tracks and movies. it can take and store digital photos and be used like a mobile phone to send text  multimedia and e-mail messages. the phone service to enable people to send messages is being provided by pre-pay vodafone accounts bundled in with the device. it also works with gps (global position system) so can also be used as a navigation aid or to support a variety of location-based services. the gprs and bluetooth wireless data systems onboard mean that it can be used for multi-player gaming. the gadget will be available from the gizmondo store on london s regent street and from several other retail partners. although the device rolls together an impressive list of functions  it will face serious competition from three established names in mobile gaming: nintendo  nokia and sony.  the main competition is likely to come from nintendo and sony. nintendo s ds handheld went on sale on 11 march and priced at \u00a399 costs far less than the gizmondo. it also has a ready pool of fans of earlier nintendo handhelds to draw on. in the first two days it was on sale in europe the 87 000 ds handhelds were sold - a better debut than the gamecube enjoyed. sony s psp was due to make its european debut in march but now this is likely to be delayed by a few months. the psp is due to go on sale in the us later this month and a bundle including the player  accessories and a copy of spiderman 2 is expected to cost about $250 (\u00a3129). the psp can also play music and movies and supports wireless multiplayer gaming. nokia s n-gage could also be a competitor on the telecommunications side. this too crams a fully functional phone into a gadget that also plays games.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "spike lee backs student directors film-maker spike lee says black representation is stronger than ever in cinema and tv but the true power in entertainment lies behind the camera.  the she hate me director urged students at his old atlanta university  morehouse college  to seek  gatekeeper positions  behind the scenes. lee told them to  work up the corporate ladder because everybody can t be an actor  everybody can t make a record . he spoke as part of a discussion panel  then led a retrospective of his films.  returning to his old university  which educates only african american students  lee discussed the challenges facing black people in the entertainment industry.  even denzel (washington)  he s getting $20m a movie. but when it comes time to do a movie  he has to go to one of those gatekeepers   lee said. he told aspiring young film-makers in the audience not to ignore non-traditional routes to getting a movie made  including raising funds independently and releasing films straight to dvd.  it s a huge market   the 47-year-old director said.  it s not something that should be looked upon as a stepchild.  lee has made more than 25 films  including jungle fever  do the right thing  summer of sam and 1986 hit she s gotta have it.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "eu-us seeking deal on air dispute the eu and us have agreed to begin talks on ending subsidies given to aircraft makers  eu trade commissioner peter mandelson has announced.  both sides hope to reach a negotiated deal over state aid received by european aircraft maker airbus and its us rival boeing  mr mandelson said. airbus and boeing accuse each other of benefiting from illegal subsidies. mr mandelson said the eu and us hoped to avoid having to resolve the dispute at the world trade organisation (wto).   with this agreement the eu and us have confirmed their willingness to resolve the dispute which has arisen between them   mr mandelson said.  i hope our negotiations in the next three months will lead to an agreement ending subsidies to development and production of large civil aircraft.  last year  the us terminated an agreement with the eu  reached in 1992  which limits the subsidies countries can hand over to civil aircraft makers. the us filed a complaint against brussels with the wto over state aid to airbus  prompting a retaliatory eu complaint over us support for boeing. however  both sides agreed to suspend their requests for wto arbitration at the beginning of december  to allow bilateral talks to continue. eads and bae systems  the european defence and aerospace firms which own airbus  welcomed mr mandelson s announcement.  it has always been preferable that any differences between the us and europe on this matter be overcome through constructive discussion rather than through legal recourse   the companies said in a joint statement.  separately  the world s largest package delivery company  ups  said it had placed an order for 10 airbus a380 superjumbo freight-carrying jets  with an option to buy 10 more of the triple-decker aircraft. the us company said it needed to expand its air freight capacity following strong international growth  and would begin receiving deliveries of the a380s from 2009. however  ups said it was cutting a previous order for smaller airbus a300s from 90 planes to 53. so far  airbus has delivered 40 a300s to ups. airbus overtook boeing as the world s largest manufacturer of commercial airliners in 2003.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "european medal chances improve what have the european indoor trials told us  well  i think we could be heading to the european championships with half a dozen medal prospects.  it was good to see athletes beginning to make steps forward  to see a few new faces and there were lots of personal bests kicking around.  the best performance on the track for me was sarah claxton s win in the 60m hurdles. running sub-eight seconds twice in a week puts her right up there and if she repeats that in madrid she will be close to picking up a medal. but what was great about sunday s performance was that she was under pressure to produce the goods when it counted. diane allahgreen has been our best hurdler for some time now and i think she was surprised to be beaten by sarah. and knowing that she got the better of diane in a head-to-head race will give sarah confidence. in the men s race on saturday  allan scott was right in there and there is definitely more to come from him. in fact  the men s 60m hurdles is so strong  i think the selectors will pick three hurdlers to go to madrid.  phillips idowu lit up the field events  not only with his hair  but also with his leap of 17.30m  which puts him at the top of the world rankings. i had a chat with him before the competition and he was really looking forward to getting out there. he feels he is in great shape and has some big jumps inside him - but then phillips always has. a lot of the athletes said the runway was not very helpful  so for phillips to jump like that is a good performance. he is such a huge talent but just needs some consistency - and if he does that then the big jumps will get even further. across the board i thought kelly sotherton had a great weekend and continued to show she is developing. she picked up three personal bests in the long jump  high jump and 60m hurdles and you can t ask for more than that. kelly will be up against carolina kluft in the pentathlon at the european championships but she has every chance of a medal on the basis of what we ve seen so far.  she has a complicated training regime where different people help her with different disciplines but it seems to be working really well. it wasn t all good news in sheffield. i thought both the 60m races were disappointing in different ways. jason gardener may have won but he wasn t at his best. i chatted to him afterwards and he knows it was an off-day for him. he s there to be shot at and the other lads nearly got a big scalp out there. in the women s race  jeanette kwayke was hoping to run against defending champion joice maduaka. the pair are enjoying a bit of rivalry but joice had to pull out with a chest infection. if she had made the final i think jeanette would have gone a bit quicker.  janine whitlock competed well in the pole vault on her return following a two-year drugs ban. but the most disappointing thing in the wider view is that she is our best pole vaulter by a long way and that shouldn t be the case. the event has moved on immensely since janine has been away and if there was more domestic competition i think that would help her. a couple of other interesting topics to look out for are the citizenship issues surrounding mark findlay and rabah yusuf. findlay is a londoner who has chosen to represent trinidad and tobago but has never run for them so he could still compete for great britain. yusuf  who came third in the 400m  is from the sudan but is trying to gain british citizenship. he came to britain as a high jumper but damaged his toe  started doing more running and found his talent. so we shall have to see what happens to both of them.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "ban on hunting comes into force fox hunting with dogs is now illegal in england and wales after a ban on the activity came into force overnight.  the law faces a stiff test this weekend  with the countryside alliance saying many hunts will be out in force. chief police officers spokesman nigel yeo said he expected most people would obey the law - by drag hunting or chasing foxes then shooting them. he said police would challenge the  one of two isolated hunts  which are threatening to break the law.  but simon hart of the countryside alliance has questioned how police will ensure there are no violations.  the definitions of legal and illegal hunting are so blurred that the police are being asked to make impossible judgements.  you can hunt a rat  but not a mouse  a rabbit but not a hare  an artificial scent  but not a real one   he said.  the attorney general  lord goldsmith  has so far issued no instructions to police on how they should deal with hunters who violate the law. he said he will consult the director of public prosecutions and the police  in the near future  to decide what measures to take with regards to hunting prosecutions. he has rejected a  blanket policy  of not enforcing the ban until the house of lords has considered its legality. john cooper  a barrister and chairman of the league against cruel sports  said the anti-hunting lobby expects the authorities to prosecute wherever there is clear evidence of illegal hunting practices. he said police had  acknowledged their duty to investigate allegations of hunting offences .  the beaufort hunt had one pack out on thursday and has promised a hunt this weekend. under the new law hunters have a number of legal options available to them.  as well as being able to mount a hunt for an artificial scent  it will still be legal for the hunts to  flush out  foxes  as long as they shoot their quarry rather than set the hounds on them.  we are not going away. we will keep these hounds going  we will keep this community going and in the end we will come back and hunt when hunting is legal again   hunt master  captain ian farquhar  said. but tony banks  labour mp for west ham  said the issue would soon disappear  and that  people in a few years time will be wondering what it was all about . he said had the government not prevaricated since 1997 in introducing the ban  hunting with dogs would have passed into history like other former country pursuits such as otter hunting and badger baiting.  let the election decide this because the conservatives have made clear that if they get elected into government they will restore hunting   he said.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "ministers  naive  over phone-taps the government is being naive by refusing to allow phone-tap evidence in court  a senior eu politician says.  javier solana  eu foreign policy chief  says phone-tap evidence works in the courts of other european countries. human rights groups  top police officers and many mps say allowing the evidence would remove the need to detain terror suspects without charge. but home secretary charles clarke says the evidence would not make much difference to these cases. mr solana told itv1 s jonathan dimbleby programme:  [phone-tap evidence in court] works  it is normal that it is done  it would be naive not to do it.  it would be naive not to use this technological thing that we have at our disposal.  mr solana s comments come the day after sir ian blair  the newly-appointed metropolitan police commissioner  said he was in favour of phone-tap evidence.  under the anti-terrorism crimes and security act 2001  foreign terror suspects can be detained in british jails without trial or charge. several suspects have been detained under these powers because evidence against them was deemed too sensitive to be heard in court.  some of this evidence is believed to be telephone intercepts. human rights group liberty has argued that if intercept evidence could be heard  these detainees could be brought to trial. but critics of phone-tap trials say the evidence is often weak and can expose the methods of the security services. the home secretary says intercepts would not make much difference because cases against terror suspects frequently rely on other kinds of surveillance. but mr clarke has been forced to change the regime of detention without trial after law lords ruled it illegal. he has opted for a system of  control orders  whereby suspects  both british and foreign  can be held under house arrest or surveillance. these orders will again involve a uk opt-out of parts of the european convention on human rights. while accepting that people  have to be prepared  for a possible terrorist attack  mr solana said he had  qualms  about the home secretary s new plans.  we have to fight terrorism with all our means  but not so far as to change our way of life   he said.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "jol joy at  professional  cup win tottenham manager martin jol acclaimed his players for their patience in their 3-0 fa cup fifth-round victory over a determined nottingham forest side.   we had the initiative but it wasn t easy. it was a professional sort of performance   the dutchman said.  forest played with a lot of players behind the ball in the first half  but at 2-0 they were dead and buried.  looking ahead to the quarter-final  jol said:  newcastle have got a very good side and they are always difficult.  however  he added that his side  who are four places above the magpies in the premiership  were  not afraid of anyone . robbie keane  skipper for the night and scorer of the crucial second goal  echoed his manager s sentiments on the last-eight match.  they re on a high  but we re confident and in the last few games we ve played well and hopefully we can go there and get the win   he said.  he conceded the win over forest  which included goals from noe pamarot and mido  was not pretty to watch.  it wasn t the best display but it s all about the result   the irishman said.  we knew it was going to be difficult with the conditions. the pitch wasn t the best but we still tried to pass it.  we dug in and the gaffer said to us at half-time to keep being patient and that the goal will come.  forest manager gary megson conceded his team did not deserve anything after a poor performance.  if you play like we did and concede two goals from corners you re going to have an uphill battle against a very good team   he said.  if we defend in the championship like we did we ll not get another point.  we were organised but i felt at times we thought the system would be enough but we didn t look like scoring.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "ray charles studio becomes museum a museum dedicated to the career of the late legendary singer ray charles is to open in his former recording studio in los angeles.  his longtime publicist jerry digney said the museum would house  archive materials from recordings  to awards  to ephemera  to wardrobe . a tour bus used by charles and his entourage over the years will also be on permanent display. it is hoped the museum will be ready for visitors in late 2007.  mr digney said the recording studio and offices had been used by charles for many years  and was where he recorded much of his last album  genius loves company. it is hoped the museum will also house an education centre. the building had been declared a historic landmark by the city of los angeles just before charles  death in june 2004 at the age of 73. following his death  charles won eight grammy awards  including album of the year for genius loves company  a collection of duets.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "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 (\u00a339 000) or above - are four times more likely to have players than those earning less than $30  000 ( \u00a315 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.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "games firms  face tough future  uk video game firms face a testing time as they prepare for the next round of games consoles  the industry warns.  fred hasson  head of tiga  which represents independent developers  said that more uk firms would go under due to greater risks in making new titles. three leading uk video game companies also predicted that more firms would close as they struggled to adapt. microsoft  sony and nintendo are expected to release new consoles in the next 18 months. microsoft has said repeatedly that it wants to be first to the market and some analysts predict that xbox 2 will be released in the us before the end of 2005.  the new machines will all have much greater processing and graphical power which will have a huge impact on development of next generation games. mr hasson said:  in the last four years we have probably lost a third of independent developers.  he said there were about 150 independent developers left in the industry and more were likely to close.  once the cull has finished its likely to present those still standing with great opportunities   he said.  mr hasson said the industry was predicting that developments costs and teams were likely to need to double in order to cope with the demands of the new machines. that figure was endorsed by three independent companies contacted by the bbc news website - codemasters  climax and rebellion.   as consoles get more powerful  the content gets more detailed and that means more cost   said gary dunn  development director at codemasters  which develops games in house and also publishes titles. jason kingsley  chief executive of rebellion  said the transition from the current generation of consoles to the new machines was difficult because  the production quality expected by consumers will be that much bigger . he added:  we have been through five technology transitions and survived so far.  each one has involved the death of some people. all companies said they were investing in new tools - called middleware - in order to try and avoid staff numbers spiralling out of control.  simon gardner  president of climax s action studio  said:  we are investing in superior tools and editors. we are investing upfront to generate this content without the need for huge teams.  it s vital we avoid huge teams.  he said climax was already directing about 20% of its resources to preparation for next generation titles. mr dunn warned that companies could face a short supply of programming  development and artistic talent.  if companies are hiring bigger and bigger teams  at some point the talent is going to run out.  mr hasson said games developers were beginning to realise that they had to be more  business-like .  there are still some developers who were involved in games from the bedroom coding days.  some of them are still making games for peer group approval - that has to stop.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "india opens skies to competition india will allow domestic commercial airlines to fly long haul international routes  a move it hopes will stoke competition and drive down prices.  however  only state controlled carriers will be able to fly the lucrative gulf routes  to countries such as kuwait and saudi arabia  for at least three years. jet airways and air sahara are the two companies that will benefit initially. india is looking to develop its airline industry as booming economic growth drives demand for travel.  monica chadha  bbc delhi reporter  said air travel in india had increased by almost 20% from the previous year and was expected to rise even further. infrastructure development is lagging demand  however  and will have to improve.  most international airports in the country are shabby and ill-equipped to handle heavy air traffic   ms chada said  adding that while the civil aviation minister has promised to modernise and privatise airports little progress has been made. steps have been take to move things forward and the government recently changed legislation that limited foreign investment in domestic airlines. it raised the maximum stake holding allowed to 49% from 40%. local press  meanwhile  have reported that the us and india will start negotiations about adding more routes in january. jet airways is india s premier private domestic carrier; air sahara is ranked third in the category.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "man utd to open books to glazer manchester united s board has agreed to give us tycoon malcolm glazer access to its books.  earlier this month  mr glazer presented the board with detailed proposals on an offer to buy the football club. in a statement  the club said it would allow mr glazer  limited due diligence  to give him the opportunity to take the proposal on to a formal bid. but it said it continued to oppose mr glazer s plans  calling his assumptions  aggressive  and his plan  damaging . many of manchester united s supporters own shares in the club  and the fan-based group shareholders united is strongly opposed to any takeover by mr glazer. about 300 fans protested outside the old trafford ground two days ago.  rival local club manchester city has pleaded with visiting fans not to protest inside its ground when the two teams play a televised match on sunday.  manchester united s response comes as little surprise  as the board made clear.  any board has a responsibility to consider a bona fide offer proposal   the club said in its statement. should it become a firm offer  it should be at a price that  the board is likely to regard as fair  and on terms which  may be deliverable . but it also stressed that it stayed opposed to mr glazer s proposal.  the board continues to believe that mr glazer s business plan assumptions are aggressive   the statement said   and the direct and indirect financial strain on the business could be damaging.  whether or not the bid is attractive in monetary terms  in the case of manchester united many investors hold the stock for sentimental rather than financial reasons. at present  mr glazer and his family hold a 28.1% stake  making them manchester united s second biggest shareholders. they own the successful tampa bay buccaneers american football team based in florida. if the family makes a formal offer  they will need the support of the club s biggest shareholders.  irish horse racing millionaires jp mcmanus and john magnier own 29% of united through their investment vehicle cubic expression  and have yet to express a view on the bid approach.  a group of five mps are calling on the department of trade and industry to block any takeover of the club by the us football magnate on public interest grounds. they have signed a house of commons motion  and tony lloyd  the manchester central mp  whose constituency includes the club s old trafford ground  has pledged to take the matter  to tony blair if necessary . the commons motion says  any takeover designed to transform the club into a private company would be against the interests of those supporters and football . however  the dti has dismissed the proposal. a spokesman said the department did not believe there was a case for changing the enterprise act so that takeovers of football clubs could be looked at on non-competition grounds. mr glazer s offer values the club at \u00a3800m ($1.5bn). pitched at 300p per share  it also relies less on debt to finance it than an earlier approach from the us tycoon  which was rejected out of hand. manchester united shares closed at 270.25p on friday  down 3.75p on the day.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "umbro profits lifted by euro 2004 uk sportswear firm umbro has posted a 222% rise in annual profit after sales of replica england football kits were boosted by the euro 2004 tournament.  pre-tax profit for 2004 was \u00a315.4m ($29.4m). umbro  which recently lost sponsorship deals with chelsea and celtic  said on thursday it had signed a new four-year agreement with scottish club rangers. it hopes 2005 sales will benefit from the launch of a new england replica shirt ahead of the 2006 world cup. in january  umbro announced its sponsorship agreement with chelsea  which gave umbro the lucrative right to make replica shirts  would end in 2006  five years earlier than expected. the firm  which is to receive a payment from chelsea of \u00a324.5m  said it is  appraising a number of additional investment opportunities as a result of this compensation  . chief executive peter mcguigan said the firm plans to grow sales both in the uk and internationally.  the firm  reporting its first annual results since listing on the london stock exchange in june  said the uk market had seen sales growth of 8% last year. it said the launch of its evolution x fashion range had boosted sales. umbro supplies more than 150 teams across the world including the national sides of ireland  sweden and norway. shares in umbro were up 1.76% at 115.5 pence in morning trade.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "millions to miss out on the net by 2025  40% of the uk s population will still be without internet access at home  says a study.  around 23 million britons will miss out on a wide range of essential services such as education and medical information  predicts the report by telecoms giant bt. it compares to 27 million  or 50%  of the uk  who are not currently online. the idea that the digital divide will evaporate with time is  wishful thinking   the report concludes.  the study calls on the government and telecoms industry to come up with new ways to lure those that have been bypassed by the digital revolution. although the percentage of britons without home access will have fallen slightly  those that remain digital refuseniks will miss out on more  the report suggests. as more and more everyday tasks move online and offline services become less comprehensive  the divide will become more obvious and more burdensome for those that have not got net access  it predicts.  the gap between  have-nets  and  have-nots  has been much talked about  but predictions about how such a divide will affect future generations has been less discussed. bt set out to predict future patterns based on current information and taking account of the way technology is changing. optimists who predict that convergence and the emergence of more user-friendly technology will bridge the digital divide could be way off mark  the report suggests.  internet access on other devices tends to be something taken up by those who already have it   said adrian hosford  director of corporate responsibility at bt. costs of internet access have fallen dramatically and coverage in remote areas have vastly improved over the last year but the real barrier remains psychological.  there is a hard rump of have-nots who are not engaging with the net. they don t have the motivation or skills or perceive the benefits   said mr hosford.  as now  the most disadvantaged groups are likely to remain among low income families  the older generation and the disabled.  those on low incomes will account for a quarter of the digital have-nots  the disabled will make up 16% and the elderly nearly a third by 2025  the report forecasts. organisations such as bt have a responsibility to help tackle the problem  said mr hosford. the telco has seen positive results with its everybody online project which offers internet access to people in eight deprived communities around britain. in one area of cornwall with high levels of unemployment  online training helped people rewrite cvs and learn skills to get new jobs  explained mr hosford. such grassroot activity addressing the specific needs of individual communities is essential is the problem of the digital divide is to be overcome  he said.  if we don t address this problem now  it will get a lot worse and people will find it more difficult to find jobs  education opportunities will be limited and they ll simply not be able to keep up with society   he said. the alliance for digital inclusion  an independent body with members drawn from government  industry and the voluntary sector has recently been set up to tackle some of the issues faced by the digital refuseniks.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "shares rise on new man utd offer shares in manchester united closed up 4.75% on monday following a new offer from us tycoon malcolm glazer.  the board of the football club is expected to meet early this week to discuss the latest proposal  which values the club at \u00a3800m ($1.5bn). manchester united revealed on sunday that it had received a detailed proposal from mr glazer  which looks set to receive more serious scrutiny. the club has previously rejected mr glazer s approaches out of hand. but a senior source at the club told the bbc:  this time it s different.  supporters  group shareholders united  however  urged the club to reject the new deal.  a spokesman for the shareholders united said:  i can t see any difference (compared to mr glazer s previous proposals) other than \u00a3200m less debt.  he isn t bringing any money into the club; he ll use our money to buy it.   mr glazer s latest move is being led by mr glazer s two sons  avi and joel  according to the financial times. a proposal was received by david gill  united s chief executive  at the end of last week  pitched at about 300p a share. david cummings  head of uk equities for standard life investments  said he believed a  well funded  300p a share bid would be enough for mr glazer to take control of the club.   i do not think there is anything that manchester united fans can do about it   he told the bbc.  they can complain about it but it is curtains for them. they may not want him but they are going to get him.  the us tycoon  who has been wooing the club for the last 12 months  has approached the united board with  detailed proposals   it has confirmed.  mr glazer  who owns the tampa bay buccaneers team  hopes this will lead to a formal bid being accepted. he is believed to have increased the amount of equity in the new proposal  though it is not clear by how much. for his proposal to succeed  he needs the support of united s largest shareholders  the irish horseracing tycoons jp mcmanus and john magnier. they own 29% of united through their cubic expression investment vehicle. mr glazer and his family hold a stake of 28.1%. but it is not yet known whether mr mcmanus and mr magnier would support a glazer bid. nm rothschild  the investment bank  is advising mr glazer  according to the financial times. his previous adviser  jpmorgan  quit last year when mr glazer went ahead and voted against the appointment of three united directors to the board  against its advice. but the ft said it thought jp morgan may still have had some role in financing mr glazer s latest financial proposal.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "israel looks to us for bank chief israel has asked a us banker and former international monetary fund director to run its central bank.  stanley fischer  vice chairman of banking giant citigroup  has agreed to take the bank of israel job subject to approval from parliament and cabinet. his nomination by prime minister ariel sharon came as a surprise  and led to gains on the tel aviv stock market. mr fischer  who speaks fluent hebrew  will have to become an israeli citizen to take the job. the us says he will not have to give up us citizenship to do so.  previous incumbent david klein  who often argued with the finance ministry  steps down on 16 january. mr fischer will face a delicate balancing act - both in political and economic terms - between mr sharon and finance minister binyamin netanyahu  who also backed his nomination. but his appointment has also raised hopes that it could bring in fresh investment - and perhaps even an improvement in the country s credit rating mr fischer first went to israel for six months in 1973  and almost emigrated there before deciding finally to return to the us. while teaching at the massachussetts institute of technology he spent a month seconded to the bank of israel in 1979  beginning a long-time involvement in studying israel s economy. in 1983 mr fischer became adviser on israel s economy to then-us secretary of state george shultz. at the world bank in 1985  he participated in drawing up an economic stabilisation package for israel.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "harinordoquy suffers france axe number eight imanol harinordoquy has been dropped from france s squad for the six nations match with ireland in dublin on 12 march.  harinordoquy was a second-half replacement in last saturday s 24-18 defeat to wales. bourgoin lock pascal pape  who has recovered from a sprained ankle  returns to the 22-man squad. wing cedric heymans and ludovic valbon come in for aurelien rougerie and jean-philippe grandclaude.  rougerie hurt his chest against wales while grandclaude was a second-half replacement against both england and wales. valbon  capped in last june s tests against the united states and canada  was a second half replacement in the win over scotland.  france coach bernard laporte said harinordoquy had been axed after a poor display last weekend.  imanol has been dropped from the squad because the least i can say is that he didn t make a thundering comeback against wales   said laporte.  we know the ireland game will be fast and rough and we also want to be able to replace both locks during the game if needed  and gregory lamboley can also come on at number seven or eight.  the grand slam is gone but we ll go to ireland to win.  it will be a very exciting game because ireland have three wins under their belt  have just defeated england and have their eyes set on a grand slam.  france  who lost to wales last week  must defeat the irish to keep alive their hopes of retaining the six nations trophy. ireland are unbeaten in this year s tournament and have their sights set on a first grand slam since 1948.  dimitri yachvili (biarritz)  pierre mignoni (clermont)  yann delaigue (castres)  frederic michalak (stade toulousain)  damien traille (biarritz)  yannick jauzion (stade toulousain)  ludovic valbon (biarritz)  christophe dominici (stade francais)  cedric heymans (stade toulousain)  julien laharrague (brive)  sylvain marconnet (stade francais)  nicolas mas (perpignan)  olivier milloud (bourgoin)  sebastien bruno (sale/eng)  william servat (stade toulousain)  fabien pelous (stade toulousain  capt)  jerome thion (biarritz)  pascal papé (bourgoin)  gregory lamboley (stade toulousain)  serge betsen (biarritz)  julien bonnaire (bourgoin)  yannick nyanga (béziers)", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "verdict delay for greek sprinters greek athletics  governing body has postponed by two weeks the judgement on sprinters costas kenteris and katerina thanou for missing doping tests.  the pair are facing lengthy bans for the missed tests  including one on the eve of last year s athens olympics. they were set to learn their fate by the end of february  but late evidence from them has pushed the date back.  a decision is now expected by around mid-march   said one of their lawyers  michalis dimitrakopoulos. kenteris  31  who won the men s 200m title at the 2000 sydney games and thanou  30  who won the women s 100m silver medal in sydney  face a maximum two-year ban if found guilty. the athletes  who spectacularly withdrew from the athens olympics  have been suspended by the international association of athletics federations (iaaf) for missing the three tests. the iaaf said the sprinters had failed to provide samples for tests in tel aviv  chicago and athens and ordered greek athletic s governing body  segas  to hold a disciplinary inquiry. the athletes also face a criminal hearing in greece over the missed drugs tests and have been charged with faking a motorcycle accident on the day of the athens test  which led to them spending four days in hospital. following the final hearing in late january  the athletes sounded confident they would be acquitted.  i am confident and optimistic   thanou had said at the time.  we presented new evidence to the committee that they were not aware of.  it was not clear what this new evidence was.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "celtic make late bid for bellamy newcastle striker craig bellamy is discussing a possible short-term loan move to celtic  bbc sport understands.  the welsh striker has rejected a move to birmingham after falling out with magpies manager graeme souness. the toon boss vowed bellamy would not play again after a bitter row over his exclusion for the game against arsenal. celtic are in no position to match birmingham s \u00a36m offer but a stay until the end of the season could suit bellamy while he considers his future. according to bellamy s agent  the player dismissed a permanent move to birmingham. and it is unlikely that newcastle would allow the player to go on loan to another premiership club.  bellamy was fined two weeks  wages after a live tv interview in which he accused souness of lying  following a very public dispute about what position bellamy should play in the side. souness said:  he can t play for me ever again. he has been a disruptive influence from the minute i walked into this football club.  he can t go on television and accuse me of telling lies.  chairman freddy shepherd described bellamy s behaviour as  totally unacceptable and totally unprofessional .", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "labour accused of  eu propaganda  a  taxpayer subsidised propaganda exercise  on the eu is being used to lull the british public into a false sense of security  say the tories.  shadow foreign secretary michael ancram told mps a new white paper was part of trying to soften up opinion ahead of the referendum on the eu constitution. his claims were denied by foreign secretary jack straw  who accused the tories of  running scared  of debate. eu cooperation would help get better uk immigration controls  he argued.  mr straw used thursday s commons debate to launch the new white paper on the prospects for the eu in 2005. security  stability and prosperity would be the key themes when the uk took over the chairmanship of the eu in july  said mr straw. africa and climate change would also feature highly. he said the uk was trying to ensure future eu budgets were limited to 1% of europe s economic output and were spent  where it adds most value . mr straw promised to continue to ensure the uk s budget rebate  secured in 1984 by margaret thatcher  was  fully justified .  we  like all other countries  have a veto on any changes proposed in this area   he said.  mr ancram condemned the document  which the foreign office says has cost about \u00a32 500 to design  print and deliver.  isn t the reason that the government is now involved in a taxpayer subsidised propaganda exercise to try to sell the new eu to the country in advance of the forthcoming referendum and general election    he asked. the tory spokesman also criticised the government for claiming the eu constitution would make europe easier to understand.  the government  last week  had to publish a commentary of 500 pages to try and explain this  easy and simple  constitution to the british people   he said.  who are they trying to kid   the proposed question for the constitution referendum is:  should the united kingdom approve the treaty establishing a constitution for the european union   the electoral commission on thursday said it was satisfied the question was easy to understand. the government has suggested the referendum on the constitution could take place in spring 2006  with the tories set to campaign for a  no  vote.  mr ancram said ministers were prolonging uncertainty by putting the vote off until the latest date possible. the foreign secretary hit back by saying tory attitudes to europe had helped keep the party out of power for more than a decade. mr straw argued cooperation with european partners could bring a  level playing field  on immigration and asylum controls.  you are setting your face against all of these things   he added. for the liberal democrats  sir menzies campbell said the uk should not ignore the need to reform the eu common agricultural policy. change was particularly important for developing countries wanting access to markets  he argued. sir menzies was among those worried about plans  backed by the uk  to lift the arms embargo imposed on china after the tiananmen square massacre. mr straw said no decisions had been taken - chinese human rights had improved but not by enough.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "hatfield executives go on trial engineering firm balfour beatty and five railway managers are to go on trial for manslaughter over the hatfield rail crash in 2000.  four people died when a section of rail broke and a high speed train derailed. balfour beatty s railway maintenance arm was in charge of the upkeep of the line at hatfield  hertfordshire. balfour beatty managers anthony walker and nicholas jeffries  and railtrack managers alistair cook  sean fugill and keith lea all face individual charges. all five men  along with four others  are also accused of breaches of health and safety laws. balfour beatty rail maintenance faces a corporate manslaughter charge. it is expected the trial could last as long as a year. the accident  on 17 october 2000  happened when the london to leeds express came off the tracks at 115 mph  when it was derailed by a cracked section of rail. the accident on the east coast main line sparked major disruption. the overall responsibility for the line was railtrack s - the company that has now become network rail. those who died in the accident were steve arthur  46  from pease pottage  west sussex; peter monkhouse  50  of headingley  leeds; leslie gray  43  of tuxford  nottingham; and robert james alcorn  37  of auckland  new zealand.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "gronkjaer agrees switch to madrid jesper gronkjaer has agreed a move to atletico madrid from birmingham city.  the 27-year-old winger spent just five months at st andrews following a \u00a32.2m move from chelsea in july after playing for denmark at euro 2004. he is set to move during the january transfer window in a deal rumoured to be about \u00a31.4m  subject to a medical.  we will meet with the player s representative to finalise the contract and decide when he will sign   said atletico sporting director toni munoz. gronkjaer has been targeted by blues fans and was sarcastically applauded when taken off against everton last month. boss steve bruce had said that he would be happy to let the danish international go if the price was right. he added:  i m not going to say the decision to let him go is down to the fans  reaction towards him.   he has had a tough time since the summer with the loss of his mother and finding it difficult to adjust to a new club and a different area.  he has been terrific and not missed a day s training and is someone if your daughter brought them home you would be delighted.  it just hasn t quite worked out here for him. but we d like to get back most of what we spent.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "moving mobile improves golf swing a mobile phone that recognises and responds to movements has been launched in japan.  the motion-sensitive phone - officially titled the v603sh - was developed by sharp and launched by vodafone s japanese division. devised mainly for mobile gaming  users can also access other phone functions using a pre-set pattern of arm movements. the phone will allow golf fans to improve their swing via a golfing game.  those who prefer shoot- em-ups will be able to use the phone like a gun to shoot the zombies in the mobile version of sega s house of the dead. the phone comes with a tiny motion-control sensor  a computer chip that responds to movement.  other features include a display screen that allows users to watch tv and can rotate 180 degrees. it also doubles up as an electronic musical instrument. users have to select a sound from a menu that includes clapping  tambourine and maracas and shake their phone to create a beat. it is being recommended for the karaoke market. the phone will initially be available in japan only and is due to go on sale in mid-february. the new gadget could make for interesting people-watching among japanese commuters  who are able to access their mobiles on the subway. fishing afficiandos in south korea are already using a phone that allows them to simulate the movement of a rod. the ph-s6500 phone  dubbed a sports-leisure gadget  was developed by korean phone giant pantech and can also be used by runners to measure calorie consumption and distance run.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "wilkinson fit to face edinburgh england captain jonny wilkinson will make his long-awaited return from injury against edinburgh on saturday.  wilkinson  who has not played since injuring his bicep on 17 october  took part in full-contact training with newcastle falcons on wednesday. and the 25-year-old fly-half will start saturday s heineken cup match at murrayfield on the bench. but newcastle director of rugby rob andrew said:  he s fine and we hope to get him into the game at some stage.  the 25-year-old missed england s autumn internationals after aggravating the haematoma in his upper right arm against saracens. he was subsequently replaced as england captain by full-back jason robinson. sale s charlie hodgson took over the number 10 shirt in the internationals against canada  south africa and australia. wilkinson s year has been disrupted by injury as his muscle problem followed eight months on the sidelines with a shoulder injury sustained in the world cup final.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "thanou bullish over drugs hearing katerina thanou is confident she and fellow sprinter kostas kenteris will not be punished for missing drugs tests before the athens olympics.  the greek pair appeared at a hearing on saturday which will determine whether their provisional bans from athletics  ruling body the iaaf should stand.  after five months we finally had the chance to give explanations. i am confident and optimistic   said thanou.  we presented new evidence to the committee that they were not aware of.   the athletes  lawyer grigoris ioanidis said he believed the independent disciplinary committee set up by the greek athletics federation (segas) would find them innocent.  we are almost certain that the charges will be dropped   said ioanidis.   we believe that we have presented [a case] that the charges are unreasonable.  thanou  the 2000 olympic women s 100m silver medallist  and sydney 200m champion kenteris were suspended by the iaaf for missing three drugs tests. the third was supposed to take place on the eve of the athens games last august  but the pair could not be found in the athletes  village. they were later taken to hospital after claiming to have been involved in a motorcycle accident. thanou s coach christos tzekos was also suspended by the iaaf.  we were asked [by the disciplinary committee] all kinds of questions about the night of 12 august   said tzekos.  we did not leave any gaps. as far as i am concerned there is no such issue [of refusing to be tested]  and i am very optimistic.  tzekos  thanou and kenteris  who have all denied the charges  can expect a decision within a month.  deliberations will start after some additional documents are brought in by thursday   said committee chairman kostas panagopoulos.  i estimate that the final ruling will be issued by the end of february.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "savvy searchers fail to spot ads internet search engine users are an odd mix of naive and sophisticated  suggests a report into search habits.  the report by the us pew research center reveals that 87% of searchers usually find what they were looking for when using a search engine. it also shows that few can spot the difference between paid-for results and organic ones. the report reveals that 84% of net users say they regularly use google  ask jeeves  msn and yahoo when online.  almost 50% of those questioned said they would trust search engines much less  if they knew information about who paid for results was being hidden. according to figures gathered by the pew researchers the average users spends about 43 minutes per month carrying out 34 separate searches and looks at 1.9 webpages for each hunt. a significant chunk of net users  36%  carry out a search at least weekly and 29% of those asked only look every few weeks. for 44% of those questioned  the information they are looking for is critical to what they are doing and is information they simply have to find.  search engine users also tend to be very loyal and once they have found a site they feel they can trust tend to stick with it. according to pew research 44% of searchers use just a single search engine  48% use two or three and a small number  7%  consult more than three sites. tony macklin  spokesman for ask jeeves  said the results reflected its own research which showed that people use different search engines because the way the sites gather information means they can provide different results for the same query. despite this liking for search sites half of those questioned said they could get the same information via other routes. a small number  17%  said they wouldn t really miss search engines if they did not exist. the remaining 33% said they could not live without search sites. more than two-thirds of those questioned  68%  said they thought that the results they were presented with were a fair and unbiased selection of the information on a topic that can be found on the net. alongside the growing sophistication of net users is a lack of awareness about paid-for results that many search engines provide alongside lists of websites found by indexing the web. of those asked  62% were unaware that someone has paid for some of the results they see when they carry out a search. only 18% of all searchers say they can tell which results are paid for and which are not. said the pew report:  this finding is ironic  since nearly half of all users say they would stop using search engines if they thought engines were not being clear about how they presented paid results.  commenting mr macklin said sponsored results must be clearly marked and though they might help with some queries user testing showed that people need to be able to spot the difference.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "the pirates with no profit motive two men who were part of a huge network of internet software pirates  known as drink or die  have been convicted at the old bailey. bbc news investigates how the network worked and what motivated those involved.  they called themselves drink or die (dod). they were a network of computer buffs who derived pleasure from cracking codes protecting copyrighted software such as windows 95. they would then share it with each other. there is no suggestion any of them profited financially. but the authorities in both britain and the united states considered it software piracy and took a dim view of networks such as dod  one of a number of so-called warez organisations operating on the internet. in october 2000 the us customs service began an investigation into dod and other networks  such as razor 1911  risciso  myth and popz.  fourteen months later us customs co-ordinated a series of raids across the globe as part of operation buccaneer. seventy search warrants were executed in the us  britain  australia  norway  sweden and finland. at least 60 people were arrested worldwide - 45 of them in the us. among the leaders of the network were americans john sankus - known by his internet nickname eriflleh (hellfire spelt backwards) - richard berry  kent kartadinata and christopher tresco  who used a server based at the prestigious massachusetts institute of technology (mit).  the longest jail sentence - 46 months - was handed down to sankus  a 28-year-old from philadelphia. us attorney paul mcnulty said at the time:  john sankus and his techno-gang operated in the faceless world of the internet and thought they would never be caught.  they were wrong. these sentences  and those to follow  should send a message to others entertaining similar beliefs of invincibility.  but one man still in legal limbo is british-born australian hew raymond griffiths  who is still fighting against extradition to the us.  us customs claimed mr griffiths was one of dod s leaders but his lawyer  antony townsden  told the bbc news website it was a laughable suggestion and added:  he was living on welfare and had such an old computer that he couldn t even download software.  the allegation that he was the group s co-leader is illusory. he had the least technical skills of anyone  he couldn t crack any codes and he has only been called a leader because he was a loudmouth who wrote a lot on their messageboard.  mr townsden said if he had committed any crimes he should be prosecuted in australia  not the us. he claimed the australian government s decision to accept the extradition request was typical of their current  acquiescent  attitude to the us.  mr griffiths is expecting to hear this week the outcome of his appeal against the decision to extradite him. those involved would give themselves internet aliases which would act in the same way as tags used by graffiti artists. they could then brag about their code-cracking abilities without giving away their real identities. alex bell  whose trial at the old bailey ended on friday  was known as mr 2940 - after a computer device - while his co-defendant steven dowd s nickname  curiously  was tim.  a spokesman for us immigration  customs and enforcement  dean boyd  said dod did not appear to be motivated by money. their motivation was the kudos which surrounded being able to crack sophisticated software. he told the bbc news website:  primarily they were just interested in how fast they could crack the code. it was all about underground notoriety.  but mr boyd pointed out that once the software had been distributed on the internet it fell into the hands of organised criminals who were able to mass produce pirated software at zero cost.   it cost us industries a lot of money  billions of dollars   he said. mr boyd said:  it was truly global in scope. we raided a number of universities  including duke (in north carolina) and mit  and found that several of the people involved were employed by major computer corporations.  they would go home from work in the evenings and get involved in this warez culture.  warez groups  which began to surface in the early 1990s  operate according to a strict code of honour.  for example if one group cracked the software first its rivals would respect that achievement and not seek to claim it themselves. mr boyd said the destruction of dod was a great coup but he added:  i m not going to sit here and say we have sorted the problem. there are still hackers and people who do this for fun.  internet piracy of computer software remains a gigantic problem.  a spokesman for the business software alliance said:  dod members claim they did not profit at all. but they did profit by getting access to very expensive servers.  he said dod and other warez groups were fostering a  culture of piracy  on the internet. he said 29% of computer software in britain was believed to have been pirated and this cost \u00a31bn in revenue for software companies  their suppliers and distributors.  it may seem like a victimless crime but it touches more people than you might care to believe.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "hoffman hits out over modern film hollywood legend dustin hoffman has hit out at the quality of current films and theatre productions.  the star of rain man and tootsie said the film culture was  in the craphouse  at a press conference on tuesday. the 67-year-old also said he stopped working a few years ago because he lost his  spark  for acting. hoffman is in the uk to publicise his new comedy  meet the fockers  which also stars robert de niro  barbra streisand and ben stiller.  he said:  you go to the cinema and you realise you re watching the third act. there is no first or second act.  there is this massive film-making where you spend this incredible amount of money and play right to the demographic.  you can tell how much money the film is going to make by how it does on the first weekend.  the whole culture is in the craphouse. it s not just true in the movies  it s also true in the theatre.  broadway  and now london is the same  special effects are in great demand. it s not a good time culturally.   hoffman also said he stopped working a few years ago and moved into directing and writing. he said:  i just lost that spark i always had.  a couple of years ago i didn t like the parts i was getting.  studios weren t interested in the kind of films that people of my generation wanted to see.  i thought i would stop and just try writing and directing. i wasn t aware of the depression that set in.  recently  hoffmann has returned to film  with roles in i heart huckabees  finding neverland and now meet the fockers  which is the sequel to meet the parents. meet the fockers opens in the uk on friday.", "label": 3, "label_text": "entertainment"}
{"text": "bates seals takeover ken bates has completed his takeover of leeds united.  the 73-year-old former chelsea chairman sealed the deal at 0227 gmt on friday  and has bought a 50% stake in the club. he said:  i m delighted to be stepping up to the mantel at such a fantastic club. i recognise leeds as a great club that has fallen on hard times.  we have a lot of hard work ahead to get the club back where it belongs in the premiership  and with the help of our fans we will do everything we can.  bates bought his stake under the guise of a geneva-based company known as the forward sports fund. he revealed that part of his plan is to buy back leeds  elland road stadium and thorp arch training ground in due course.   it s going to be a tough jon and the first task is to stabilise the cash flow and sort out the remaining creditors   bates added.  but there is light at the end of a very long tunnel. for the past year it has been a matter of firefighting - now we can start running the club again.  outgoing leeds chairman gerald krasner said:  this deal ensures the medium to long term survival of the club and i believe mr bates  proposals are totally for the benefit of the club.  we are content that under mr bates  leeds united will continue to consolidate and move forward.  when we took over leeds united in march 2004  the club had a debt of \u00a3103m  since that date  my board has succeeded in reducing the debt to under \u00a325m.  we worked tirelessly to solve all of the problems at leeds united.  eighty percent of the problems have already been overcome and we came to this agreement with mr bates to secure its ongoing success.  krasner revealed that his consortium has been asked to remain in the background at the club for an undisclosed period to help ensure a smooth hand-over. he will stay on in an unpaid capacity while peter lorimer will continue in his role as director and point of contact for the fans and peter mccormick will serve as a consultant to the incoming board. the other outgoing directors have agreed to leave their loans of \u00a34.5m in the company for the next four years. on leeds  new-look board it is understood that lorimer will be joined by former chelsea finance director yvonne todd and bates  lawyer mark taylor.  krasner refused to give any details of the finances involved in the takeover. he told bbc five live:  i am not going into the figures. if ken wants to give them up that is up to him. i can not tell you what the money will be used for.  this dea l is not about money for the current board. in the last four months i never saw any cheques until this week from one person. i am not stretching figures  we don t discuss internal arrangements.  bates stepped down as chelsea chairman in march last year following roman abramovich s \u00a3140m takeover at stamford bridge. in may  he made a proposal to invest \u00a310m in sheffield wednesday  but this was rejected by the club. sebastien sainsbury had been close to a takeover of leeds but withdrew his \u00a325m offer last week.  his efforts failed after he revealed it would take \u00a340m to stage a takeover  and that the club will also lose \u00a310m over the next six months. the club was on the brink of administration - and the deduction of 10 points by the football league - before bates  arrival but his investment has spared them that prospect.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "soros group warns of kazakh close the open society institute (osi)  financed by billionaire george soros  has accused kazakhstan officials of trying to close down its local office.  a demand for unpaid taxes and fines of $600 000 (\u00a3425 000) is politically motivated  the osi claimed  adding that it paid the money in october. the organisation has found itself in trouble after being accused of helping to topple georgia s former president. it denies having any role  but offices have had to close across the region.  the osi shut its office in moscow last year and has withdrawn from uzbekistan and belarus. in the ukraine earlier this year  mr soros - who took on the bank of england in the 1990s - and won  was pelted by protestors.  this legal prosecution can be considered an attempt by the government to force soros foundation-kazakhstan to cease its activities in kazakhstan and shut its doors for kazakh citizens and organisations   the osi said.  the osi aims to promote democratic and open  market-based societies. since the break up of the soviet union in 1991  kazakhstan has been dominated by its president nursultan abish-uly nazarbayev. he has powers for life  while insulting the president and officials has been made a criminal offence. the government controls the printing presses and most radio and tv transmission facilities. it operates the country s national radio and tv networks. recent elections were criticised as flawed and the opposition claimed there was widespread vote rigging. supporters  however  say he brings much needed stability to a region where islamic militancy is on the rise. they also credit him with promoting inter-ethnic accord and pushing through harsh reforms.", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "election  could be terror target  terrorists might try to target the uk in the run-up to the election  london s most senior police officer has said.  sir ian blair said terror groups would remember the effect of the madrid bomb on spain s general election last year. other potential targets were the royal wedding and the uk s presidency of the european union and g8  he said. he refused to say if there was specific information about the risk of a pre-poll attack. no 10 was similarly cautious but said the threat was real.  the comments come after tony blair defended his controversial anti-terror proposals  warning that it would be wrong to wait for an attack before acting. sir ian told a meeting of the metropolitan police authority it would be  unwise  to speculate about whether there was specific information about risks of a pre-election attack. but he said:  terrorists have long memories. they understand what happened in madrid and know what the impact of that was on the spanish electorate.   this year we are responsible for the eu presidency  presidency of the g8  a royal wedding and a general election.  there are obvious and enormous targets which we have to deal with.  sir ian said the debate over anti-terror plans was one for politicians  not the police  who would enforce any new powers.  home secretary charles clarke has also warned that a madrid-style pre-election bombing could happen in the uk too. asked about sir ian s comments  the prime minister s official spokesman said:  we believe the threat is real.  the spokesman declined to comment on whether the security services had received specific intelligence relating to a possible attack during the election campaign. he said no 10 did not disclose any security advice they received. earlier  writing in the daily telegraph  the prime minister conceded that plans to detain suspects under house arrest without trial were  difficult issues for any government . the commons has approved the measures despite considerable opposition  with the government s majority more than halved as 32 labour rebels joined tory and lib dem opposition. but mr blair insisted:  there is no greater civil liberty than to live free from terrorist attack.   tory leader michael howard has accused mr blair of steamrolling the house arrest plans and of  using national security for political point scoring . liberal democrat leader charles kennedy says that the plan is a further example of labour s  authoritarian  response to crises. the prevention of terrorism 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. but critics are concerned that it would be the home secretary and not judges who decided to impose control orders. the plans face further commons scrutiny on monday before passing to the lords.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}
{"text": "lifestyle  governs mobile choice  faster  better or funkier hardware alone is not going to help phone firms sell more handsets  research suggests.  instead  phone firms keen to get more out of their customers should not just be pushing the technology for its own sake. consumers are far more interested in how handsets fit in with their lifestyle than they are in screen size  onboard memory or the chip inside  shows an in-depth study by handset maker ericsson.  historically in the industry there has been too much focus on using technology   said dr michael bjorn  senior advisor on mobile media at ericsson s consumer and enterprise lab.  we have to stop saying that these technologies will change their lives   he said.  we should try to speak to consumers in their own language and help them see how it fits in with what they are doing   he told the bbc news website.  for the study  ericsson interviewed 14 000 mobile phone owners on the ways they use their phone.  people s habits remain the same   said dr bjorn.  they just move the activity into the mobile phone as it s a much more convenient way to do it.   one good example of this was diary-writing among younger people  he said. while diaries have always been popular  a mobile phone -- especially one equipped with a camera -- helps them keep it in a different form. youngsters  use of text messages also reflects their desire to chat and keep in contact with friends and again just lets them do it in a slightly changed way. dr bjorn said that although consumers do what they always did but use a phone to do it  the sheer variety of what the new handset technologies make possible does gradually drive new habits and lifestyles. ericsson s research has shown that consumers divide into different  tribes  that use phones in different ways. dr bjorn said groups dubbed  pioneers  and  materialists  were most interested in trying new things and were behind the start of many trends in phone use.  for instance   he said   older people are using sms much more than they did five years ago.  this was because younger users  often the children of ageing mobile owners  encouraged older people to try it so they could keep in touch.  another factor governing the speed of change in mobile phone use was the simple speed with which new devices are bought by pioneers and materialists. only when about 25% of people have handsets with new innovations on them  such as cameras  can consumers stop worrying that if they send a picture message the person at the other end will be able to see it.  once this significant number of users is passed  use of new innovations tends to take off. dr bjorn said that early reports of camera phone usage in japan seemed to imply that the innovation was going to be a flop. however  he said  now 45% of the japanese people ericsson questioned use their camera phone at least once a month. in 2003 the figure was 29%. similarly  across europe the numbers of people taking snaps with cameras is starting to rise. in 2003 only 4% of the people in the uk took a phonecam snap at least once a month. now the figure is 14%. similar rises have been seen in many other european nations. dr bjorn said that people also used their camera phones in very different ways to film and even digital cameras.  usage patterns for digital cameras are almost exactly replacing usage patterns for analogue cameras   he said. digital cameras tend to be used on significant events such as weddings  holidays and birthdays. by contrast  he said  camera phones were being used much more to capture a moment and were being woven into everyday life.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "mobile multimedia slow to catch on there is no doubt that mobile phones sporting cameras and colour screens are hugely popular. consumers swapping old phones for slinkier  dinkier versions are thought to be responsible for a 26% increase in the number of phones sold during the third quarter of 2004  according to analysts gartner more than 167 million handsets were sold between july and september 2004  a period that  according to gartner analyst carolina milanesi is  seldom strong . but although consumers have mobiles that can take and send snaps  sounds and video clips few  so far  are taking the chance to do so.  in fact  the numbers of people not taking and sending pictures  audio and video is growing. figures gathered by continental research shows that 36% of british camera phone users have never sent a multimedia message (mms)  up from 7% in 2003. this is despite the fact that  during the same period  the numbers of camera phones in the uk more than doubled to 7.5 million. getting mobile phone users to send multimedia messages is really important for operators keen to squeeze more cash out of their customers and offset the cost of subsidising the handsets people are buying. the problem they face  said shailendra jain  head of mms firm adamind  is educating people in how to send the multimedia messages using their funky handsets.   also   he said   they have to simplify the interface so its not rocket science in terms of someone understanding it.  research bears out the suspicion that people are not sending multimedia messages because they do not know how to. according to continental research  29% of the people it questioned said they were technophobes that tended to shy away from innovation. only 11% regarded themselves as technically savvy enough to send a picture or video message. the fact that multimedia services are not interoperable across networks and phones only adds to people s reluctance to start sending them  said mr jain.  they ask themselves:  if i m streaming video from one handset to another will it work    he said.  there s a lot of user apprehension about that.   there are other deeper technical reasons why multimedia messages are not being pushed as strongly as they might. andrew bud  executive chairman of messaging firm mblox  said mobile phone operators cap the number of messages that can be circulating at any one time for fear of overwhelming the system.  the rate we can send mms into the mobile network is fairly constant   he said. the reason for this is that there are finite capacities for data traffic on the second generation networks that currently have the most users.  no-one wants to take the risk of swamping these relatively narrow channels so the number of mms messages is capped  said mr bud. this has led to operators finding other technologies  particularly one known as wap-push  to get multimedia to their customers. but when networks do find a good way to get multimedia to their customers  the results can be dramatic. israeli technology firm celltick has found a way to broadcast data across phone networks in a way that does not overwhelm existing bandwidth. one of the first firms to use the celltick service is hutch india  the largest mobile firm in the country. the broadcast system gets multimedia to customers via a rolling menu far faster than would be possible with other systems. while not multimedia messaging  such a system gets people used to seeing their phones as a device that can handle all different types of content. as a result 40% of the subscribers to the hutch alive  which uses celltick s broadcast technology  regularly click for more pictures  sounds and images from the operator.  operators really need to start utilising this tool to reach their customers   said yaron toren  spokesman for celltick. until then  multimedia will be a message that is not getting through.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "owen determined to stay in madrid england forward michael owen has told the bbc he is happy in spain and has no plans to quit real madrid to return to the premiership in the near future.  but the 25-year-old  who has spent much of his time coming off the bench in la liga  did not rule out a return to the premiership at some stage.  i m pleased with the start i ve made here   he told bbc radio five live.  england is my country. it s definitely part of me but who knows whether  if or when i ll be playing there again.  owen  who moved to the bernabeu from liverpool last summer  has grabbed 11 goals for real but has been unable to replace raul or ronaldo in the starting line-up. however  he said he was delighted with the way his time in spain was going and dismissed criticism of his decision to join real.  when i first came there was a lot of scepticism back in england  any maybe some out here   he said.  people were saying  fourth-choice striker  what are you going there for  you ll be sat on the bench all the time .   but as much as our press like to build it up as if i ve permanently had my backside on the bench  i ve played as many games as anyone else in the team this year.  for a fourth-choice striker at the start i m more than happy with the way i ve settled in.  recent speculation has linked owen with a move back to england  with newcastle expressing their interest  but the england striker said he is not ready to return home. he added:  i ve got nothing against the premiership  i mean that s where i first performed  that s where i made my name.   i can t keep my eyes off the premiership on television when i m at home.  when asked if it would have to be liverpool if he returned owen said:  i ve not really given it much thought.  i ve got great memories of liverpool. no matter what happens it ll always be a club i have fond memories of and it will always have a place in my heart.  it s very flattering to be linked to top clubs in england - i m glad that no-one is forgetting me!  but i couldn t have wished for a better start in madrid.   - listen to the full interview with garry richardson on bbc radio five live s sportsweek at 0900 gmt on sunday.", "label": 2, "label_text": "sport"}
{"text": "mobile tv tipped as one to watch scandinavians and koreans  two of the most adventurous groups of mobile users  are betting on mobile tv.  anders igels  chief executive of nordic operator teliasonera  tipped it as the next big thing in mobile in a speech at the 3gsm world congress  a mobile trade fair  in cannes this week. nokia  the finnish handset maker  is planning a party in singapore this spring to launch its tv to mobile activities in the region. consultancy strategy analytics of boston estimates that mobile broadcast networks will have acquired around 51 million users worldwide by 2009  producing around $6.6bn (\u00a33.5bn) in revenue.  sk telecom of south korea  which is launching a tv to mobile service (via satellite) in may plans to charge a flat fee of $12 a month for its 12 channels of video and 12 channels of audio. it will be able to offer an additional two pay tv channels using conditional access technology. mr shin-bae kim  chief executive of sk telecom  also at 3gsm  said:  we have plans to integrate tv with mobile internet services.   this will enable viewers to access the mobile internet to get more information on adverts they see on tv.  there will be 12 handsets available for the launch of the korean service. lg electronics of south korea was demonstrating one at 3gsm that could display video at 30 frames a second. footage shown on the handset was clear and watchable. a speech on mobile tv by angel gambino of the bbc also drew a large crowd  suggesting that even those mobile operators and equipment vendors which are not particularly active in mobile tv yet are starting to look into it.  but all is not simple and straightforward in the mobile tv arena. there is a battle for supremacy between two competing standards: dvb-h for digital video broadcasting for handsets and dmb for digital multimedia broadcasting. dr chan yeob yeun  vice president and research fellow in charge of mobile tv at lg electronics  said:  dmb offers twice the number of frames a minute as dvb-h and does not drain mobile batteries as quickly.  the japanese  koreans and ericsson of sweden are backing dmb.  samsung of south korea has a dmb phone too that will be one of those offered to users of the tu media satellite mobile tv service to be launched in korea in may. nokia  by contrast  is backing dvb-h  and is involved in mobile tv trials that use its art-deco style media phone  which has a larger than usual screen for tv or visual radio (a way of accompanying a radio programme with related text and pictures). mobile operators o2 and vodafone are among the operators trialling mobile tv. but even if the standards battle is resolved  there is the thorny issue of broadcasting rights. ms gambino says the bbc now negotiates mobile rights when it is negotiating content.  for those not convinced mobile users will want to watch tv on their handsets  digital audio broadcasting may provide a good compromise and better sound quality than conventional radio. developments in this area are continuing. at a dab conference in cannes  several makers of dab chips for mobiles announced smaller  lower- cost chips which consume less power. among the chip companies present were frontier silicon and radioscape. the jury is still out on whether tv and digital radio on mobiles will make much money for anyone. but with many new services going live soon  it won t be long before the industry finds out.", "label": 0, "label_text": "tech"}
{"text": "stormy year for property insurers a string of storms  typhoons and earthquakes has made 2004 the most expensive year on record for property insurers  according to swiss re.  the world s second biggest insurer said disasters around the globe have seen property claims reach $42bn (\u00a321.5bn).  2004 reinforces the trend towards higher losses   said swiss re. tightly packed populations in the areas involved in natural and man-made disasters were to partly to blame for the rise in claims  it said. some 95% of insurance claims were for natural catastrophes  with the rest attributed to made-made events.  the largest claims came from the us  which was struck by four hurricanes  and japan  which suffered the highest concentration of typhoons for decades plus a major earthquake.  europe suffered fewer natural disasters  but 191 people were killed and more than 2 000 injured in march after the terrorist attack on train stations in madrid. the damages claimed in 2004 eclipsed previous years  including 2001 when the 11 september attacks pushed claims up to $37bn. swiss re said it had registered about 300 natural and man-made disasters around the world in 2004. twenty-one thousand people lost their lives in the catastrophes with a cost to the global economy of around $105bn (\u00a354bn).", "label": 1, "label_text": "business"}
{"text": "what the election should really be about  a general election is the best chance most pressure groups get to make a real impact on government policy. here is how six leading lobbies plan to make sure their cause is being debated ahead of an expected spring poll.  we ve called for the state pension to be increased from \u00a379.60 to the pensioner credit guarantee level of \u00a3105.45. that s what we re calling for. many pensioners are disadvantaged by the current system. if we ve got one in five pensioners below the poverty line  we ve got to make it more generous or have these people living in poverty.  we ve drawn up a pensioners  manifesto. this will be sent to each of the candidates in the 659 constituencies. they will be asked which of the top five issues  including the pension issue  they would support. once we ve got their responses we will publish the results within the constituencies and nationally as well. it s our way of putting the politicians on notice. we are trying to get across the fact that there are 11m voters over 60 in the country  they are more likely to vote than other sections of society and thirdly they are true swing voters. before 1997 most pensioners voted conservative. in 1997 and 2001 they voted labour. but there is no guarantee they will vote for a labour government this time around. they cannot take that vote for granted.  pensions generally will certainly be a big election issue even though the government has postponed the publication of adair turner s full report into the issue. he said the uk had one of the least generous pensions systems in the developed world.  that the government takes seriously the impact of aviation on the environment.  we haven t worked out specific plans but i imagine we will lobby political parties and incumbent mps. various local groups will do that in their particular areas and we will provide a national briefing. we don t have any large demonstrations planned but they can t be ruled out.  it is hard to say whether we will be successful. we have got the issue in the public consciousness to an extent  but it is difficult to say whether an election will raise its importance in the public mind or whether it will be pushed out by big issues like iraq.  repealing the hunting bill.  we are challenging the use of the parliament act 1949 in a high court action. we are hoping to hear in the new year. whichever way the court rules the other side will appeal so we expect it to fall plumb in electioneering time. when the ban comes into force on 18 february we will be going to the european court because no compensation is being paid. so there s a lot of legal territory to go. we are trying to engage with the ministers by demonstrating and talking. whatever intelligence we get we will try to turn up and speak to whoever it is. (rural affairs minister) alun michael has avoided us and cancelled engagements so that makes it difficult. it is not intimidatory - on the whole it is groups of angry housewives. of course there is an element of shouting because people are angry but there is no violence because that does not achieve anything.  it will fall plumb in the run up to the most important general election tony blair will ever face. it s exactly what the prime minister did not want. he wanted the issue off the table until after the election.  people using live animals as targets for sport both here and abroad. the reason for including abroad is because of trophy hunting. it is another sort of form of shooting for sport. the principle is the same whether it s a tiger or a pheasant.  we will widely publicise what s happening in relation to trophy hunting. we will publicise the darker aspects of the target animal industry the uk. we will seek to get pledges from individual mps and would-be mps saying that they are against the use of animals as targets for sports. we would like the support of political parties but i think a general election is very much to do with pledges mps make to their electors. with hunting we had many mps who were happy to say they were against it.  i think what we will get is a very real climbing up the agenda. whether or not we will get a ban i am not sure. but it will mobilise public opinion. everything we do will reduce animal suffering and in time that will lead to a ban.  the issue that we think is the most important for this election is choice. the language of consumerism is very commonplace in government and across the political spectrum. choice as an ideology is beginning to be the privatisation of this decade. it s become an issue in itself but what s really missing from the debate is the consumer s choice in that. choice is not choice at all if all you have to choose from is two failing schools. we have seen so many pensions mis-selling scandals and in the pensions industry there s a maximum of choice but a minimum quality in that. we want choice on the consumer s terms - that means clear and accessible information to operate that choice.  firstly  we have our website. it features our campaigns and changes every day. secondly through our 700 000 members who communicate with us. thirdly through the media and also what we will be doing is holding a pre-election conference. we will invite the opinion formers  mps  journalists and others. the idea is that we open up communications between members of the public and the politicians.  i think we will be successful. it s very much the language being used by the main political parties. politicians on all sides are very sensitive to this issue they want to be seen to be responding to this issue.  fuel duty is a large part of operational costs for road haulage workers. we have been hearing about this proposed increase of 1.92p per litre that gordon brown has been postponing and postponing. tuppence does not sound like a great deal but every year if you operate one vehicle that s an increase of about \u00a3750. if you re running 10 vehicles it s obviously 10 times that.  if fuel duty does rise we will be absolutely horrified. there will be a huge effect throughout the industry and i would not be surprised if you see widespread demonstrations. what it will mean is there will be a number of firms going out of business.  we will continue to do what we have always done we keep the issue in the trade press. regrettably it s one of those stories that it is getting harder to get into the national press. whatever we do  the public don t like lorries - they see us as a complaining minority. but they don t realise that when you see a car on the road it is probably going to work  when you see a lorry it s already at work.", "label": 4, "label_text": "politics"}