set your television to wow television started off as a magical blurry image. then came the sharpness  the colour and the widescreen format. now the tv set is taking another leap forward into a crystal clear future  although those in europe will have to be patient.  after years of buzz about high-definition tv (hdtv) it is finally taking off in a handful of countries around the world  mainly the us and japan. if you believe the hype  then hdtv will so wow you  that you will never want to go back to your old telly.  hdtv is just the latest must-have technology in viewers  homes   says jo flaherty  a senior broadcaster with the cbs network in the us. all television images are made up of pixels  going across the screen  and scan lines going down. british tv pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. by contrast  hdtv offers up to 1 080 active lines  with each line made up of 1 920 pixels. the result is a picture which can be up to six times as sharp as standard tv. but to get the full impact  programmes need to be broadcast in this format and you need a hdtv set to receive them. most new computer displays are already capable of handling high-resolution pictures. viewers in japan  the us  australia  canada and south korea are already embracing the new tv technology  with a selection of primetime programmes being broadcast in the new format  which includes 5.1 digital surround sound.  but tv viewers in europe will have to wait to enjoy the eye-blasting high-definition images.  many high-end european tv programmes  such as the recent athens olympics  are already being produced in high-definition. but they still reach your screen in the old 625 lines. the prospects for getting sharper images soon do not seem very encouraging. according to consultants strategy analytics  only 12% of homes in europe will have tvs capable of showing programmes in high-definition by 2008. but the hdtv hype spilling out of the us and japan has spurred european broadcasters and consumer electronic companies to push for change. big sports and entertainment events are set to help trigger the general public s attention. the 2006 world cup in germany will be broadcast in high-definition.  in the uk  satellite broadcaster bskyb is planning hdtv services in 2006. there is already a hdtv service in europe called euro1080. other european broadcasters  especially in france and germany  also aiming to launch similar services.  in britain  digital satellite and cable are largely seen as the natural home for hdtv  at least while a decision is taken regarding terrestrial broadcast options. the communications watchdog ofcom could hand over some terrestrial frequencies freed up when the uk switches off its analogue tv signal. for now  broadcasters like the bbc are working on their own hdtv plans  although with no launch date in sight.  the bbc will start broadcasting in hdtv when the time is right  and it would not be just a showcase  but a whole set of programming   says andy quested  from the bbc s high-definition support group.  we have made the commitment to produce all our output in high-definition by 2010  which would put us on the leading edge.  one of the options under consideration is to offer high-definition pictures on the web. the bbc has already dipped its toe into this  including some hdtv content in recent trials of its interactive media player - a video player for pcs. it is planning to offer special releases of selected flagship programmes online in the near future. according to mr quested  this could help put europe back into the running in the race to switch to hdtv. this is backed by recent research which suggests that the number of europeans with broadband has exploded over the past 12 months  with the web eating into tv viewing habits.


sa return to mauritius top seeds south africa return to the scene of one of their most embarrassing failures when they face the seychelles in the cosafa cup next month.  last year bafana bafana were humbled in the first by minnows mauritius who beat them 2-0 in curepipe. coach stuart baxter and his squad will return to curepipe face the seychelles in their first game of the new-look regional competition. the format of the event has been changed this year after the entry of the seychelles  who have taken the number of participants to 13. the teams are now divided into three group of four and play knock-out matches on successive days to determine the group champions. mauritius host the first group  and their opponents are madagascar  the seychelles and south africa. bafana bafana play the seychelles before mauritius take on madagascar in a double-header on 26 february. the two winners return to the new george v stadium the next day and the victor of the group decider advances to august s final mini-tournament. the second group will be hosted in namibia in april. it comprises zimbabwe  botswana  mozambique and the hosts. in june  former champions zambia will host lesotho  malawi and swaziland in the third group in lusaka. the three group winners will then join title holders angola for the last of the mini-tournaments in august  where the winners will be crowned.  seychelles v south africa  mauritius v madagascar  winners meet in final match  mozambique v zimbabwe  namibia v botswana  winners meet in final match  lesotho v malawi  zambia v swaziland  winners meet in final match


mobile picture power in your pocket how many times have you wanted to have a camera to hand to catch an unexpected event that would make headlines   with a modern mobile phone that has a camera built in  you no longer need to curse  you can capture the action as it happens. already on-the-spot snappers are helping newspapers add immediacy to their breaking news stories headlines  where professional photographers only arrive in time for the aftermath. celebrities might not welcome such a change because they may never be free of a new breed of mobile phone paparazzi making their lives a bit more difficult. already one tabloid newspaper in la is issuing photographers with camera phones to help them catch celebrities at play. it could be the start of a trend that only increases as higher resolution phone cameras become more widespread; as video phones catch on and millions of people start carrying the gadgets around.  only last week  the world media highlighted the killing of the dutch film maker theo van gogh  notorious after making a controversial film about islamic culture.  one day later de telegraaf  a daily amsterdam newspaper  became news on its own when it published a picture taken with a mobile phone of mr van gogh s body moments after he was killed.  this picture was the story   said de telegraaf s image editor  peter schoonen. other accounts of such picture phone users witnessing news events  include:    - a flight from switzerland to the dominican republic which turned around after someone took a picture of a piece of metal falling from the plane as it took off from zurich (reported by the swiss daily le matin).   - two crooks who robbed a bank in denmark were snapped before they carried out the crime waiting for the doors of the building to be opened (reported by the danish regional paper aarhus stiftstidende).     but this is not just about traditional media lending immediacy to their stories with content from ordinary people  it is also about first-hand journalism in the form of online diaries or weblogs.  it has been called  open source news  or even  moblog journalism  and it has flourished in the recent us election campaign.  not many people walk around with their cameras  but they always have their mobile phones with them. if something happens  suddenly all these mobiles sort of appear from nowhere  and start taking pictures   said digital artist henry reichhold. he himself uses mobile phone pictures to create huge panoramic images of events and places.  you see it in bars  you see it everywhere. it s a massive thing   mr reichhold told the bbc news website.  with some picture agencies already paying for exclusive phone pictures  especially of celebrities  there are also fears about the possible downside of this phenomenon.  it could become a nuisance for public figures as higher resolution picture phones hit the market  with five megapixel models already being launched in asia. already on us photojournal site  buzznet  there is a public album full of snaps of celebrities  many of which were taken with camera phones. tabloid newspapers in the uk and many monthly magazines invite readers to send in images of famous people they have seen and snapped. but there are other positive uses of picture mobile phones that may balance these uses. for instance  in alabama  in the us  camera phones will be used to take snaps at crime scenes involving children  and help the authorities to arrest and prosecute paedophiles. and in china s capital beijing  courts have adopted mobile phone photos as formal evidence. for henry reichhold  this is progress:  that s the whole thing about the immediacy of the thing. i can see that happening a lot more.


roddick splits from coach gilbert andy roddick has ended an 18-month association with coach brad gilbert which yielded the us open title and saw the american become world number one.  roddick released a statement through the sfx sports group with the news but did not give a reason for the split.  the decision to not re-hire brad gilbert for the 2005 season is based on what i think is best for my game at this time   said roddick.  any more on this situation s a private matter between coach and player.  roddick won 121 of his 147 matches while working with gilbert  and said he had enjoyed their time together. he won his first grand slam event at flushing meadows last year  and finished 2003 on top of the atp tour rankings.  but roddick slipped to second this year behind roger federer  who became the first man since 1988 to win three majors in a season. federer  who has not had a coach since he split from peter lundgren at the end of last year  beat roddick to win the wimbledon title and in two other tournament finals. roddick hired gilbert after deciding to part from coach tarik benhabiles in the wake of his first-round exit at the 2003 french open. he went on to win the us open and four other titles for the year. he has won four events this season.  i have enjoyed all of my time with andy   gilbert said on his personal website.  he has been a great student of the game during the time that we worked together and i am very proud of the results that were achieved.  while i believe that there is still a great deal of work to be done  andy clearly does not feel that way.


broadband steams ahead in the us more and more americans are joining the internet s fast lane  according to official figures.  the number of people and business connected to broadband jumped by 38% in a year  said the us federal communications commission (fcc). in a report  it said there were more than 32 million broadband connections by the end of june 2004. but the us is still behind compared to other nations  ranked 13th in the world by a un telecoms body.  during his 2004 re-election campaign  president george w bush pledge to ensure that affordable high-speed net access would be available to all americans by 2007.  according to the report by the fcc  broadband is becoming increasingly popular  with people using it for research and shopping  as well as downloading music and watching video. the total number of people and businesses on broadband rose by to 32.5 million in the year ending june 2004  compared to 23.5 million in june 2003. whereas in the uk  most people hook up to broadband via asymmetric digital subscriber line (adsl) technology which lets ordinary copper phone lines support high data speeds. but in the us  cable leads the way  accounting for 18.6 million lines. broadband over the phone line makes up 11.4 million connections  according to the fcc figures.


ruddock backs yapp s credentials wales coach mike ruddock says john yapp has what it takes as an international.  the 21-year-old blues prop is the only uncapped player in wales  six nations squad  gaining a chance in the absence of ospreys loose-head duncan jones.  john is a young man with a big future. he has been playing with the blues for two years and has racked up mileage on his playing clock   said ruddock.  he has international size  is a big  physical lad and a good ball-carrier with a high tackle-count.  ruddock s assessment was backed up by yapp s coach at the blues  former wales and lions prop dai young.   john s been on an upward curve all season and is going from strength to strength   young told bbc sport wales.  his ball carrying gives us good go-forward  he impresses in defence and his work-rate is excellent.  he s working hard on his scrummaging technique  which he is keen to improve to become a destroyer on the loose-head.  to be fair to him he s not quite there with the scrummaging yet  but nobody can fault his effort  commitment and attitude.  john s a very strong man and is eager for the challenge  if he s pitched in he won t let anyone down.  he s developing quickly  but i hope he isn t pushed too quickly in a way that would hurt his development.   ruddock hopes that the selection of yapp and dragons lock ian gough - out of the international reckoning since falling out with former coach steve hansen - will send a message to other players in wales.  john and ian have been rewarded for impressing during the heineken cup competition   said ruddock.  both of them have played well  and we want to send a message out that consistently playing well gets you in the squad.  we believe this is an exciting squad representing traditional values of welsh rugby  and based on the performances in the november internationals.  we have strength and experience up front  and well-recognised talent  pace and skill behind.  the management team just want to get hold of the players and get out on the training pitch at the moment.  they are all due in on sunday  and that s when the hard work starts.


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.  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 £5. 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.


economy  strong  in election year uk businesses are set to prosper during the next few months - but this could trigger more interest rate rises  according to a report.  optimism is at its highest since 1997 and business will reap the benefits of a continuing rise in public spending  say researchers at bdo stoy hayward. the bank of england is expected to keep rates on hold this week - but they could go up later in the year. rates are likely to rise after the anticipated general election in may. the bdo optimism index - a leading indicator of gdp growth two quarters ahead edged up in january to 102.5  from 102.2 in october. the rise is due  in part  to an increase in public spending and increased merger and acquisition activity.  the only thing blighting business optimism this year will be uncertainties associated with the general election  bdo said. its bdo s output index - which predicts gdp movements a quarter in advance - remained at 100.8 for january  implying gdp growth at 2.9% in the second quarter of 2005. however  the output index is being held back by recent interest rate rises  sterling s strength against the dollar and high oil prices  the group noted. its inflation index  which has risen continuously over the last 8 months  climbed to 110.0 in january from 108.0 in october last year.  the uk is looking strong going into the general election  but businesses need to prepare themselves for a jolt ahead as the bank of england reacts to growth and inflationary pressures   said peter hemington  partner at bdo stoy hayward.  growth will probably slow by the end of 2005 and it is likely that we will see higher interest rates or a sharp drop in demand for products and services.


barbarians 19-47 new zealand new zealand proved too strong for an australian-dominated barbarians to round off their unbeaten northern hemisphere tour with an easy win.  rico gear ran in two of the all blacks  seven tries in what was a predominantly second-string line-up. the baa-baas did threaten  scoring tries through albert van den bergh  xavier rush and andrea lo cicero  but never looked like winning. all black aaron mauger was in good form with the boot  adding 10 points. the all blacks featured only two of the side which started last weekend s emphatic test victory over france in paris  while the baa-baas had nine wallabies in their starting line-up. and new zealand coach graham henry said:  it was a quality performance against a very experienced side and a number of young guys came through very well.  they learnt from the older players and this was a way of thanking the guys who had been mentoring them on the tour.  but the running rugby the crowd had been hoping for rarely materialised. marty holah got the all blacks onslaught under way with his fifth-minute try before rush hit back moments later. but new zealand went ahead once more as gear made use of the space vacated by a temporarily injured chris latham to slide in. ma a nonu then found his way through the barbarians defence to give his side a 19-7 half-time lead. the hosts failed to ignite in the second half and  the moment gear scored his second just after the interval  there was only ever going to be one winner. lo cicero  the sole european for the barbarians  bundled over for a try to briefly curtail the deficit. but the match was blighted by controversy moments later when justin marshall  was felled with a high tackle by jimmy cowan. referee andy turner waved play on and casey laulala coasted in for his side s fifth try. jermoe keino and piri weepu both added tries to the all blacks  tally before the final whistle  while van den bergh gained some consolation for the baa-baas. after the match  barbarians coach bob dwyer warned that south african flanker schalk burger needed a proper off-season break to maintain his standards. burger  21  was recently crowned player of the year by both his peers and the international rugby board  but has struggled for form in recent weeks.  it s his first year at that level and he was phenomenal up until the end of the southern hemisphere season.  i don t think he s played anywhere near that level on tour   he said.


edwards tips idowu for euro gold world outdoor triple jump record holder and bbc pundit jonathan edwards believes phillips idowu can take gold at the european indoor championships.  idowu landed 17.30m at the british trials in sheffield last month to lead the world triple jump rankings.  it s all down to him  but if he jumps as well as he did in sheffield he could win the gold medal   said edwards.  his ability is undoubted but all his best performances seem to happen in domestic meetings.   idowu made his breakthrough five years ago but so far has only a commonwealth silver medal to his name. edwards himself kept idowu off top spot at the manchester games. but he believes the european indoors in madrid represent a chance for the 26-year-old to prove his credentials as britain s top triple jumper.  he has to start producing at international level and here is the beginning   said edwards.  phillips still needs to be much more consistent. i m sure a victory in madrid will build up his confidence and self-belief that he can be best in the world.  the qualifying round of the men s triple jump in madrid takes place on friday with the final scheduled for saturday. olympic champion christian olsson will not be taking part as he is out for the entire indoor season with an ankle injury.


rush future at chester uncertain ian rush s future as chester manager is uncertain after he and assistant mark aizlewood refused a severance package.  chester have won only two of their last 10 league games but chairman steve vaughan claims he cannot afford to sack the 43-year-old liverpool legend. vaughan said:  i offered a financial settlement so they could resign with dignity but an obvious action is to dismiss them.  i haven t because of the finances  so technically they re still employees.  vaughan claimed that aizlewood had  verbally agreed  to the offer. but the chester chairman added:  after they discussed the offer with their solicitor  who also acts as their agent  they decided to withdraw the verbal agreement  which was disappointing.  rush was appointed at the end of august following the departure of former liverpool team-mate mark wright  who guided chester to the conference title last season. chester were bottom of league two when rush took over but the former liverpool striker enjoyed an impressive start to managerial life  taking the club into the third round of the fa cup and winning the manager-of-the-month award for october. chester s downturn in form culminated in a 5-0 defeat at shrewsbury that leaves them hovering just above the league two relegation zone.


kenteris denies faking road crash greek sprinter kostas kenteris has denied claims that he faked a motorbike crash to avoid a doping test days before the start of the olympics.  kenteris and fellow sprinter katerina thanou are set to learn if they will face criminal charges this week. part of the investigation has centred on whether they staged the crash. kenteris insisted:  the accident happened. i went crazy when i found out i had supposedly missed a test and i wanted to rush to the olympic village.  kenteris  speaking on greece s alter television station  also claimed that he asked to be tested for banned substances in hospital after the crash.  i told the hospital  which was an olympics-accredited hospital  to call the ioc and have me tested on the spot but no-one came.   after a drama which dominated newspaper headlines in greece as athens prepared for the start of the athens games  kenteris and thanou eventually withdrew. but kenteris has continually protested his innocence - and on sunday blamed greek olympic committee officials and his former coach christos tzekos for failing to inform him of the test. the 31-year-old insisted he will be happy if he is charged so he can clear his name.  if a decision is taken to have charges filed against me  i will accept it gladly.  a prosecution means that the case will be cleared... i want to go to the end and then we ll see who s right and who isn t.  kenteris  a greek hero after winning gold in the 200m at the 2000 olympics in sydney  also confirmed that he was due to light the flame at the athens opening ceremony.  i had even rehearsed lighting the cauldron   he said.


cable offers video-on-demand cable firms ntl and telewest have both launched video-on-demand services as the battle between satellite and cable tv heats up.  movies from sony pictures  walt disney  touchstone  miramax  columbia and buena vista will be among those on offer. the service is similar to sky plus  as users can pause  fast forward and rewind content  but they cannot store programmes on their set top box - yet. it could sound the death knell for some tv channels  telewest predicts.  it allows us to demonstrate a clear competitive advantage over sky for the first time in many years   said telewest chief executive eric tveter.   video-on-demand will offer a deeper range of content than currently exists on tv. there will be less compromising around the tv schedule and some of the less popular channels may go by the wayside   said philip snalune  director of products at telewest. telewest customers in bristol and ntl viewers in glasgow will be the first to test the new service  which sees a raft of movies on offer for 24 hour rental. during the year  the service will be extended to all cable regions. films will range in price from £1 or £2 for archived movies to £3.50 for current releases. new releases initially on offer will include 50 first dates  kill bill: volume 2  gothika and the station agent. in addition  ntl is offering children s programmes  adult content  music video and concerts. telewest will launch similar services later in the year. ntl is also offering viewers the chance to catch up with programmes they have missed. its pick of the week service will offer a selection of bbc programmes from the previous seven days such as eastenders  casualty  top gear and antiques roadshow. the bbc is trialling a similar service  offering broadband users the chance to watch programmes already broadcast on their pc. for telewest it is the beginning of a £20m investment in tv-on-demand which will also see the launch of a personal video recorder (pvr). pvr has been a big success for sky because it gives customers control over programmes. satellite customers without pvr cannot pause  rewind or fast forward their programmes.  with both services on offer from telewest  mr tveter is confident the cable firm can dent not just the viewing figures for terrestrial tv but also gain a huge competitive advantage over sky.   we offer the best of both worlds and most households have an interest in having both video-on-demand and pvr   he said. video rental stores may also have to watch their back.  video-on-demand is better than having a video-store in your living room and is more convenient   he said. ntl said it had not ruled out the possibility of offering a pvr but for the moment is concentrating on video-on-demand.  pvr is a recording mechanism whereas what we are offering is truly on demand   said a spokesman for the company. video-on-demand has the added advantage of not requiring a separate set-top box or extra remote controls  he added. adam thomas  an analyst at research firm informa media believes the time is ripe for video-on-demand to flourish.  while sky will remain the dominant force in uk pay tv for some time to come  ntl and telewest seem well placed to successfully ride this second wave of vod enthusiasm and  if marketed correctly  this could help them eat into sky s lead   he said.


cairn shares slump on oil setback shares in cairn energy  a uk oil firm  have closed down 18% after a disappointing drilling update and a warning over possible tax demands.  the company said tests had shown no significant finds in one of its indian oil fields  but was upbeat about the potential of other areas. it also said the indian government had told it to pay a production tax  for which cairn argues it is not liable. cairn s shares have jumped by almost 400% this year. investors had piled into cairn after the company announced significant oil finds in india this year. chief executive bill gammell said on friday he was  disappointed  with exploration in the so-called n-c extension area in rajasthan. investors had held high hopes of major oil finds in this area. but cairn said estimates had been revised in what was a  significant downgrade of the initial expectation .  cairn also said that the government believed the company was liable to pay taxes under its production-sharing contract. the company said the rate would be about 900 rupees ($20.40; £10.50) per tonne  or seven barrels  of oil. a spokesman for the firm said that the tax would wipe 5% of the field s current value.   cairn refutes the government s position   mr gammell said. he insisted that the contract made it clear that the tax should be shouldered by the licensee - india s state-run oil & natural gas corp (ongc) - and not the contractor.  we have a pretty strong legal case here   he added  saying it would only become an issue once the firm started production. investors took a dim view of the statements though. the shares closed down 247p  or 18%  at 1115 pence.  i think people were slightly over-ambitious for how quickly cairn would be able to develop and potentially offload these reserves   said analyst jason kenney at ing.  the disappointments overshadowed increased production targets for cairn s existing oilfields. the company raised targets for its mangala and aishwariya fields in india from 60 000 barrels a day to between 80 000 and 100 000 barrels a day. its mangala field  thought to contain a billion barrels  is its biggest find to date.  these two fields will provide the core of the future developments in rajasthan   mr gammell said. cairn added that it would be appraising another field early next year. mr gammell set up the company in the 1980s and has successfully switched its focus to south asia from interests in the us and europe. cairn  which also operates in nepal and bangladesh  was catapulted into the ftse 100 index of leading uk shares earlier this year after the sharp rise in its share price.


wales critical of clumsy grewcock wales coach mike ruddock says england lock danny grewcock needs to review his actions after he kicked dwayne peel.  trouble flared at a ruck in the first half of wales  11-9 win in cardiff as grewcock came recklessly over the top with his boot  leaving peel bloodied. grewcock was sin-binned with wales captain gareth thomas for retaliation.  it s up to the citing commissioner   said ruddock.  i m not saying it s deliberate  but grewcock did a similar thing for bath against leinster.  last june grewcock was banned from rugby for two months for reckless use of a boot in a match against new zealand.  six years earlier  also in new zealand  grewcock became only the second england player to be sent off in tests. the player himself and his captain jason robinson have both said that the clash with peel was accidental.  if the ball is at the back of the ruck and i feel i can step over and disrupt it then i will do that   said grewcock. but ruddock feels that the england man should be more careful.  the boy himself should look at his actions  it was a clumsy piece of footwork   he said.  he s a great player and i don t want to knock him  we won t be calling for the match commissioner to review the incident.  i m not going to go too far with the lad. it could just be a clumsy action and dwayne had just a minor cut.  the referee s interpretation was that grewcock was attempting to step over the ruck.  ruddock also warned his rbs 6 nations championship rivals that his team can make massive improvements.  we created more opportunities and also squandered them by taking more contact and playing more individually   said the coach.  we ve looked through things on the video debrief and there were definitely a lot of chances that we wasted.  in the forthcoming games  ruddock may use penalty hero gavin henson as his first-choice kicker in place of stephen jones.  our first aim was to get gavin settled into the team  but it s something we ll talk about in selection this week   said ruddock.


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.


ethiopia s crop production up 24% ethiopia produced 14.27 million tonnes of crops in 2004  24% higher than in 2003 and 21% more than the average of the past five years  a report says.  in 2003  crop production totalled 11.49 million tonnes  the joint report from the food and agriculture organisation and the world food programme said. good rains  increased use of fertilizers and improved seeds contributed to the rise in production. nevertheless  2.2 million ethiopians will still need emergency assistance.  the report calculated emergency food requirements for 2005 to be 387 500 tonnes. on top of that  89 000 tonnes of fortified blended food and vegetable oil for  targeted supplementary food distributions for a survival programme for children under five and pregnant and lactating women  will be needed.  in eastern and southern ethiopia  a prolonged drought has killed crops and drained wells. last year  a total of 965 000 tonnes of food assistance was needed to help seven million ethiopians. the food and agriculture organisation (fao) recommend that the food assistance is bought locally.  local purchase of cereals for food assistance programmes is recommended as far as possible  so as to assist domestic markets and farmers   said henri josserand  chief of fao s global information and early warning system. agriculture is the main economic activity in ethiopia  representing 45% of gross domestic product. about 80% of ethiopians depend directly or indirectly on agriculture.


parry relishes anfield challenge bbc sport reflects on the future for liverpool after our exclusive interview with chief executive rick parry.  chief executive parry is the man at the helm as liverpool reach the most crucial point in their recent history. parry has to deliver a new 60 000-seat stadium in stanley park by 2007 amid claims of costs spiralling above £120m. he is also searching for an investment package of a size and stature that will restore liverpool to their place at european football s top table. but it is a challenge that appears to sit easily with parry  who has forged a reputation as one of football s most respected administrators since his days at the fledgling premier league.  liverpool have not won the championship since 1990  a fact that causes deep discomfort inside anfield as they attempt to muscle in on the top three of chelsea  manchester united and arsenal. throw in the small matter of warding off every top club in world football as they eye captain steven gerrard  and you can see parry is a man with a lot on his plate. but in the comfort of a conference room deep inside liverpool s heartbeat - the kop end - parry spoke to us with brutal honesty about the crucial months ahead. he only dodged one question - when asked to reveal the name of the mystery investor currently courting liverpool  a polite smile deflected the inquiry. but to his credit  he met everything else head on in measured tones that underscore the belief that liverpool still mean business.  by business he means becoming title challengers again  and locking the pieces together that will help return the trophy to liverpool is parry s mission. parry has already successfully put one of those planks in place in the form of new manager rafael benitez. and his enthusiasm for the spaniard s personality and methods is an indication of his clear feeling that he has struck gold. benitez s early work has given parry renewed optimism about the years ahead. but it remains a massive task at a club with a unique history and expectations. this will not come as news to parry  a lifelong liverpool supporter  but his quiet determination suggests he is no mood to be found wanting...  captain gerrard is central to liverpool s plans and parry s insistence that all offers will be refused is a firm statement of intent. as ever  the player will have the final say  and parry acknowledges that  but he is determined to provide the framework and environment for liverpool and gerrard to flourish.  in terms of the search for new investment  hawkpoint were appointed as advisors to flush out interest in march 2004. thailand prime minister thaksin shiniwatra came and went  while the most serious statement of intent came from tycoon and lifelong fan steve morgan. morgan had a succession of bids rejected  having come close in the summer only for talks to break down over potential costs for the new stadium. bbc sport understands morgan is still ready and willing to invest in liverpool  and parry has kept the door ajar despite currently seeking investment elsewhere.  morgan  however  has had no formal contact with liverpool or their advisors since last december  blaming indecision at board level as he publicly withdrew his £70m offer. he was also convinced his interest was being used to lure in others  so any new approach would now have to come from liverpool. morgan will certainly not be making another call. so speculation continues about the new benefactor  with trails leading to the middle east and america  but all met with an understandable veil of secrecy from anfield.  parry meanwhile sees the new ground as crucial to liverpool s future  but is refusing to become emotionally attached to the idea. he is determined the ground will only be built on an affordable basis and will not make future liverpool management hostages to the new stadium. parry will pull back the moment the figures do not stack up  but there has been a vital new development in north london that has re-shaped liverpool s thinking.  liverpool have publicly refused to entertain the idea of stadium sponsorship and potential naming rights - but the realism of arsenal s stunning £100m deal for their new emirates stadium at ashburton has changed the landscape. parry labelled the deal  an eye-opener  and admits liverpool would be missing a trick not to explore the possibilities. he knows some traditionalist liverpool fans will reel at any attempt to call the new stadium anything other than just  anfield   but the maths of modern-day football decree that multi-millions for stadium and team could ease the pain.  i would take £50m 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   £50m 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.  £50m 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 £35m.  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.


chelsea clinch cup in extra-time (after extra-time - score at 90 mins 1-1)  john arne riise volleyed liverpool ahead after 45 seconds but steven gerrard scored a 79th-minute own goal. blues boss jose mourinho was sent off for taunting liverpool fans after the goal and he watched on television as his side went on to win the game. drogba and kezman scored from close range before antonio nunez s header made for a tense finale. it was an amazing climax which gave mourinho his first silverware as chelsea manager. yet it was controversial too  after mourinho s sending off  apparently for putting his finger to his lips to hush the liverpool fans. there was no hushing them after the extraordinary opening in which the reds took a stunning lead inside the first minute.  riise could not have connected any better with morientes  cross as he smashed a left-foot volley past petr cech. the goal  the quickest-ever in a league cup final  stunned a blues side whose previously rock-solid confidence had been shaken by consecutive losses to newcastle and barcelona in the previous week. the blues  attacking chances were limited  and jerzy dudek was equal to frank lampard s powerfully-struck drive and drogba s low shot. despite their frustration  chelsea began to dominate midfield without seriously threatening to break liverpool s well-organised defence.  joe cole had a shot blocked and a promising damien duff break was halted by a good tackle from djimi traore  but the reds reached half-time without any major scares. the blues began the second half with more urgency and pegged liverpool back. nevertheless  liverpool were living dangerously and they needed a fantastic double save from dudek on 54 minutes  first at full stretch from gudjohnsen s header  then to smother william gallas  follow-up. and despite chelsea s possession  it was liverpool who fashioned the next clear opportunity as luis garcia fed dietmar hamann whose shot forced a superb save from cech. and the blues  increasingly adventurous approach saw liverpool earn another chance on the break on 75 minutes as paulo ferreira denied gerrard with a last-ditch tackle. but gerrard was on the scoresheet minutes later - in the most unfortunate fashion - as he inadvertently deflected ferrerira s free-kick past his own keeper and in off the post to bring chelsea level. that prompted mourinho s reaction which saw him sent off  but chelsea still pressed and duff had a chance to win the game with seven minutes remaining. dudek saved bravely at the irishman s feet  while milan baros shot wildly at the other end to ensure extra time. drogba almost headed chelsea in front two minutes into extra-time but the striker saw the ball rebound off the post. but seconds after the half-time interval  drogba made no mistake  picking the ball up from glen johnson s long throw inside the six-yard box and sidefooting home. and kezman appeared to have made the game safe as he netted from close range after gudjohnsen s cross in the 110th minute. there was still drama as nunez beat cech to a high ball with six minutes remaining to head his side level  but despite liverpool s desperate attacks  chelsea clung on to win.  dudek  finnan  carragher  hyypia  traore (biscan 67)  luis garcia  gerrard  hamann  riise  kewell (nunez 56)  morientes (baros 74).  subs not used: pellegrino  carson.  hyypia  traore  hamann  carragher.  riise 1  nunez 113.  cech  paulo ferreira  ricardo carvalho  terry  gallas (kezman 74)  jarosik (gudjohnsen 45)  lampard  makelele  cole (johnson 81)  drogba  duff.  subs not used: pidgeley  tiago.  lampard  kezman  drogba  duff.  gerrard 79 og  drogba 107  kezman 112.  78 000  s bennett (kent).


mcilroy aiming for madrid title northern ireland man james mcilroy is confident he can win his first major title at this weekend s spar european indoor championships in madrid.  the 28-year-old has been in great form in recent weeks and will go in as one of the 800 metres favourites.  i believe after my wins abroad and in our trial race in sheffield  i can run my race from the front  back or middle   said mcilroy. new coach tony lester has helped get mcilroy s career back on track. the 28-year-old 800 metres runner has not always matched his promise with performances but believes his decision to change coaches and move base will bring the rewards. mcilroy now lives in windsor and feels his career has been transformed by the no-nonsense leadership style of former army sergeant lester. lester is better known for his work with 400m runners roger black and mark richardson in the past but under his guidance mcilroy has secured five wins this indoor season.  mcilroy now claims he is in his best shape since finishing fourth for ireland at the outdoor european championships in 1998.  that was my last decent year   said mcilroy  who temporarily retired last august before returning to the sport under lester s shrewd guidance.  before  every race was like trying to climb mount everest and i now know you can t do it on your own.  trying to succeed saw me sometimes standing half-dead and terrified on the starting line  which became a bit too much.  mcilroy  who was compared to the likes of sebastian coe  steve cram and steve ovett in his younger days  is now competing without the benefit of national lottery funding. that situation could change if he maintains his current form and repeats the world-class times he produced in the 800m and 1000m at major races in erfurt and stuttgart earlier this season. russian dmitriy bogdanov won at the same madrid venue last week and then claimed the european championship race would be between himself  dutchman arnoud okken and antonio reina of spain but mcilroy is unfazed.  he admitted:  he looked quite good in his win and fair enough everyone has the right to their own opinion.  i never write myself off and let s face it  i haven t or looked like being beaten this season.  and mcilroy  whose time of one minute 46.68seconds in erfurt elevated him to sixth place on the uk all-time list  is also already looking beyond madrid. he said:  i ve been much more focused this year about my career and having such a good team around me has been very important.  ultimately of course  this weekend is a means to an end and that is getting prepared for the summer s world championships.  that ambition has meant that i ve had only two nights out since last august. the rest of my time has seen me just concentrating on rebuilding my career.


french boss to leave eads the french co-head of european defence and aerospace group eads philippe camus is to leave his post.  mr camus said in a statement that he has accepted the invitation to return full-time to the lagardere group  which owns 30% of eads.  i will give up my role as soon as the board of directors asks me to do so   he said. airbus head noel forgeard is now set to replace mr camus  bringing the company s power struggle to an end. fighting between mr camus and mr forgeard has hit the headlines in france and analysts feared that this fighting could destabilise the defence and aerospace group. french finance minister herve gaymard is on record as saying that he  deplored  the infighting at the company. the company should now be able put this dispute behind it  with the departure of mr camus and with the clear support given to mr forgeard by the lagardere group  the main french shareholder of eads. the other main shareholders of eads are the french government (15%)   who also support mr forgeard  and germany s daimlerchrysler (30%). rainer hertrich  the german co-head of eads will also step down when his contract expires next year.  mr camus recently came under pressure as it became clear that the a380 superjumbo was running over budget. eads - airbus  majority owner - admitted earlier this week that the project was running 1.45bn euros (£1bn; $1.9bn) over budget. but mr forgeard has denied this  telling french media that there is no current overrun in the budget.  but for the sake of transparency  we told our shareholders last week that if we look at the forecast for total costs of the project up to 2010  there is a risk that we will go over by around 10%  which is about 1bn euros (£686m; $1.32bn)   he told france s lci television. due to enter service in 2006  the a380 will replace the boeing 747 jumbo as the world s biggest passenger aircraft.


seamen sail into biometric future the luxury cruise liner crystal harmony  currently in the gulf of mexico  is the unlikely setting for tests of biometric technology.  as holidaymakers enjoy balmy breezes  their ship s crew is testing prototype versions of the world s first internationally issued biometric id cards  the seafarer s equivalent of a passport. along with the owner s picture  name and personal details  the new seafarers  identity document incorporates a barcode representing unique features of its holder s fingerprints. the cards are due to be issued in february next year  in line with the revised un convention on seafarers  identity documents of june 2003. tests currently under way in the caribbean are designed to ensure that new cards and their machine readers  produced by different companies in different countries  are working to interoperable standards. results of the current tests  which involve seafarers from a wide range of occupations and nationalities  will be published by the international labour organisation (ilo) by the end of november. crystal cruises  which operates the crystal harmony  is exploring the use of biometrics but has not yet committed to the technology.  authenti-corp  the us technology consultancy  has been working with the ilo on its technical specifications for the cards.   if you re issued a seafarer s id in your country  you want to be sure that when the ship lands in a port in  say  my country you can validate yourself using whatever equipment we have installed   authenti-corp s ceo  cynthia musselman  told the bbc s go digital programme. she said french  jordanian and nigerian nationals would be the first seafarers to get the new id cards since their countries have already ratified the convention. it aims to combat international terrorism whilst guaranteeing the welfare the one million seafarers estimated to be at sea. the convention highlights the importance of access to shore facilities and shore leave as vital elements to a sailor s wellbeing and  therefore  it says  to safer shipping and cleaner oceans.  by increasing security on the seas as well as border control and protection  the cards will hopefully reduce the number of piracy problems around the world   said ms musselman.  it should be a safer environment for seafarers to work in  and will allow people protecting their borders to have confidence that the people getting off the ship are  in fact  seafarers.


fa charges liverpool and millwall liverpool and millwall have been charged by the football association over crowd trouble during their carling cup match on 26 october.  millwall  who lost the match 3-0  have also been charged over alleged racist behaviour by their supporters. during the match at millwall s new den stadium  seats were ripped up and four people were ejected from the ground. a disabled fan was injured at the perimeter of the pitch and riot police were needed to control the situation. liverpool fans claimed the trouble was sparked by chants about the hillsborough disaster  where 96 supporters were crushed to death in april 1989. but lions chairman theo paphitis has denied the claims. he has said cctv footage showed the catalyst for the trouble was a liverpool fan attacking a millwall fan in the west stand. however  millwall have been charged with two breaches of fa rules. they have been charged with failing to ensure that fans refrained from racist and/or abusive behaviour and for failing to prevent spectators throwing missiles onto the pitch. liverpool have been charged with one breach for failing to prevent their fans conducting themselves in threatening and/or violent and/or provocative behaviour. both clubs have until 23 december to respond.


police detain chinese milk bosses chinese police have detained three top executives at milk firm yili  with reports suggesting that they are being investigated for embezzlement.  yili - full name inner mongolia yili industrial - confirmed its chairman  chief financial officer and securities representative were all in custody. the company  china s third-largest milk producer  is to hold an emergency meeting to debate the issue. a yili spokesman said it may now move to oust chairman zheng junhuai. the spokesman did not say why the three had been detained by the police. the official xinhua news agency said the arrest was linked to alleged embezzlement.  yili has recently been the subject of intense media speculation over its financial operations. executives are suspected of wrongly using 417m yuan ($50.4m; £26m) of company funds to support a management buyout back in july 2003. yili s shares were suspended on tuesday  having fallen by 10% on monday. the company and its two main rivals - market leader mengniu dairy and second place bright dairy - dominate a chinese milk market that has grown by almost 30% over the past five years. analysts wondered if the scandal at yili - the latest to befall chinese companies this year - could be followed by further revelations of corporate wrongdoing.  investors wonder if yili s scandal  one of a slew to be uncovered this year  isn t just the tip of the iceberg   said chen huiqin  an analyst at huatai securities.


robben sidelined with broken foot chelsea winger arjen robben has broken two metatarsal bones in his foot and will be out for at least six weeks.  robben had an mri scan on the injury  sustained during the premiership win at blackburn  on monday.  six weeks is the average time to heal this injury and then i need a few more weeks to be completely fit again   he told dutch newspaper algemeen dagblad.  i had a feeling it was serious but because of the swelling it was impossible to make a final diagnosis.  the 21-year-old missed the first three months of the season with a similar injury after a challenge with roma s olivier dacourt. and he added:  it felt different then last summer when i had the same injury on my other foot.  then i could walk already after three days but i stayed sidelined for a long period. i hope that it will now take me six to eight weeks.  chelsea physio mike banks was hopeful that robben could return at some point in march.  the fractures are tiny and he could be playing next month   banks told the club s website.  one is a chip on the side of his foot  the other is a small break on the third metatarsal.  but this is not the traditional metatarsal that has become so famous since the last world cup and which has kept scott parker out for two months.   david beckham suffered a broken metatarsal in the build up to the 2002 world cup in korea and japan. robben  who has been a key part of the blues  push for four trophies  claims he knew instantly something was wrong when he was felled by blackburn midfielder aaron mokoena.  i felt my leg go   he said.  i felt it straight away after mokoena hit me with a wild kick on my left foot.


california sets fines for spyware the makers of computer programs that secretly spy on what people do with their home pcs could face hefty fines in california.  from 1 january  a new law is being introduced to protect computer users from software known as spyware. the legislation  which was approved by governor arnold schwarzenegger  is designed to safeguard people from hackers and help protect their personal information. spyware is considered by computer experts to be one of the biggest nuisance and security threats facing pc users in the coming year. the software buries itself in computers and can collect a wide range of information. at its worst  it has the ability to hijack personal data  like passwords  login details and credit card numbers. the programs are so sophisticated they change frequently and become impossible to eradicate.  one form of spyware called adware has the ability to collect information on a computer user s web-surfing. it can result in people being bombarded with pop-up ads that are hard to close. in washington  congress has been debating four anti-spyware bills  but california is a step ahead. the state s consumer protection against spyware act bans the installation of software that takes control of another computer. it also requires companies and websites to disclose whether their systems will install spyware. consumers are able to seek up to $1 000 in damages if they think they have fallen victim to the intrusive software. the new law marks a continuing trend in california towards tougher privacy rights. 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.


israeli economy picking up pace israel s economy is forecast to grow by 4.2% in 2004 as it continues to emerge from a three-year recession.  the main driver of the faster-than-expected expansion has been exports  with tourism seeing a strong rebound  the statistical office said. the economy is benefiting from a quieter period in palestinian-israeli violence and a pick-up in global demand for technology products. the outlook is better than it has been for a number of years  analysts said.  many companies have focused on cost cutting and greater efficiency  while the government has been trying to trim public spending and push through reforms. the growth figures come about despite a strike earlier this year by about 400 000 public sector worker which closed banks  hospitals  postal services and transport facilities. growth did slow in the second half  but only slightly. exports for the year rose by 14%  while tourist revenues were up by 30%. imports gained by 13%  signalling that domestic demand has picked up again. in 2003  imports declined by 1.8%. in 2003  the economy expanded by 1.3%


republic to face china and italy the republic of ireland have arranged friendlies against china and italy which will take place at lansdowne road in march and august.  brian kerr s side will face the 54th ranked chinese on 29 march - just three days after the world cup qualifier against israel in tel aviv. italy will visit on 17 august in what will be a warm-up game ahead of the autumn world cup qualifiers. in their last meeting  the irish beat italy in the 1994 world cup finals. however  that is the republic s only victory in eight attempts against the italians who have won all the other seven games. the 29 march game will be the second time the republic have played china - the previous encounter back in june 1984 with the irish winning 1-0 in sapporo  japan. brian kerr said:  china have made great progress over the last few years and will provide difficult opposition.  we all witnessed the performances of the asian teams in the last world cup  and china play a similar type of football.  as for italy  they make a welcome return to dublin and will be a massive attraction because they are one of the great traditional powers in the world.  the game will be ideal preparation for the three important world cup qualifiers in the autumn.  ireland round off their world cup campaign with games against france on 7 september  cyprus on 8 october and switzerland on 12 october.


hewitt overcomes wobble in sydney lleyton hewitt gave himself the perfect preparation for next week s australian open with victory over ivo minar in the final of the sydney international.  the defending champion brushed aside the czech qualifier 7-5 6-0. the australian world number three strolled to the first five games of the match but was shocked as minar won the next five. the top seed was rattled but recovered to close out the set and raced to victory in exactly an hour.  it was a strange match . . . momentum swings   said hewitt.  i felt like i came out of the blocks extremely well  but then he loosened up a bit.  when he got back to 5-5  i had to try to settle down and take it up a notch  and i was able to do that.   hewitt has now lifted the sydney title four times in the last six years.  it just keeps getting better and better every year   hewitt said.  i ve only played this tournament four times and i ve won it four times.  hewitt went into the final as a short-priced favourite to clinch his 24th career title after dropping only one set all week. he is set to meet frenchman arnaud clement in the first round of the australian open. minar  ranked 158th in the world  was forced to pull out of the australian open qualifying draw to play in his first atp final.  for me  this was a big success   said the 20-year-old.  i was so nervous last night i couldn t sleep. i ve never played a top-10 player before.  i wanted to play qualifying in melbourne  but it s saturday and i m still here. but this is a main draw and i need the points and the money.  alicia molik takes on samantha stosur in an all-australian women s final later on saturday.


mobile networks seek turbo boost third-generation mobile (3g) networks need to get faster if they are to deliver fast internet surfing on the move and exciting new services.  that was one of the messages from the mobile industry at the 3gsm world congress in cannes last week. fast 3g networks are here but the focus has shifted to their evolution into a higher bandwidth service  says the global mobile suppliers association. at 3gsm  siemens showed off a system that transmits faster mobile data. the german company said data could be transmitted at one gigabit a second - up to 20 times faster than current 3g networks. the system is not available commercially yet  but motorola  the us mobile handset and infrastructure maker  held a clinic for mobile operators on hsdpa (high speed downlink packet access)  a high-speed  high bandwidth technology available now. early hsdpa systems typically offer around two megabits per second (mbps) compared with less than 384 kilobits per second (kbps) on standard 3g networks.   high-speed downlink packet access (hsdpa) - sometimes called super 3g - will be vital for profitable services like mobile internet browsing and mobile video clips   according to a report published by uk-based research consultancy analysys. a number of companies are developing the technology. nokia and canada-based wireless communication products company sierra wireless recently agreed to work together on high speed downlink packet access. the two companies aim to jointly market the hsdpa solution to global network operator customers.   while hsdpa theoretically enables data rates up to a maximum of 14mbps  practical throughputs will be lower than this in wide-area networks   said dr alastair brydon  author of the analysys report: pushing beyond the limits of 3g with hsdpa and other enhancements.  the typical average user rate in a real implementation is likely to be in the region of one megabit per second which  even at this lower rate  will more than double the capacity... when compared to basic wcdma [3g]   he added. motorola has conducted five trials of its technology and says speeds of 2.9mbps have been recorded at the edge of an outdoor 3g cell using a single hsdpa device. but some mobile operators are opting for a technology called evolution  data optimised (ev-do).  us operator sprint ordered a broadband data upgrade to its 3g network at the end of last year. we are  expanding our network and deploying ev-do technology to meet customer demand for faster wireless speeds   said oliver valente  sprint s vice president for technology development  when the contract was announced. as part of $3bn in multi-year contracts announced late last year  sprint will spend around $1bn on ev-do technology from lucent technologies  nortel networks and motorola that provides average data speeds of 0.3-0.5 megabits a second  and peak download rates of 2.4mbps. mmo2  the uk-based operator with services in the uk  ireland and germany  has opted for technology based on the high speed downlink packet access (hsdpa) standard. using technology from lucent  it will offer data speeds of 3.6mbps from next summer on its isle of man 3g network  and will eventually support speeds of up to 14.4mbps. us operator cingular wireless is also adopting hsdpa  using technology from lucent alongside equipment from siemens and ericsson.  siemens  plans for a one gigabit network may be more than a user needs today  but christoph caselitz  president of the mobile networks division at the firm says that:  by the time the next generation of mobile communication debuts in 2015  the need for transmission capacities for voice  data  image and multimedia is conservatively anticipated to rise by a factor of 10.  siemens - in collaboration with the fraunhofer german-sino lab for mobile communications and the institute for applied radio system technology - has souped up mobile communications by using three transmitting and four receiving antennae  instead of the usual one. this enables a data transmission  such as sending a big file or video  to be broken up into different flows of data that can be sent simultaneously over one radio frequency band. the speeds offered by3g mobile seemed fast at the time mobile operators were paying huge sums for 3g licences. but today  instead of connecting to the internet by slow  dial-up phone connection  many people are used to broadband networks that offer speeds of 0.5 megabits a second - must faster than 3g. this means users are likely to find 3g disappointing unless the networks are souped up. if they aren t  those lucrative  power users   such as computer geeks and busy business people will avoid them for all but the most urgent tasks  reducing the potential revenues available to mobile operators. but one gigabit a second systems will not be available immediately. siemens says that though the system works in the laboratory  it still has to assess the mobility of multiple-antennae devices and conduct field trials. a commercial system could be as far away as 2012  though siemens did not rule out an earlier date.


ryanair in $4bn boeing plane deal budget airline ryanair has placed an order for 70 boeing 737-800 planes  in a deal valued at $4bn (£2.1bn) which should lead to 2 500 new ryanair jobs.  it also has an option for a further 70 aircraft  a move which brings the ryanair/boeing order book up to 225 firm orders and options on 193 more. ryanair said the new planes would help it to cut operating costs further. the carrier reported a drop in quarterly profit earlier this year after it was hit by higher fuel costs. however  when it reported the results  the airline was upbeat about prospects for 2005  despite tough competition in the budget airline market.  ryanair chairman david bonderman said that the 737-800 had  significantly reduced our unit operating costs and allowed us to reduce air fares each year for the last five years .   with this new order and new pricing in place  ryanair expects that unit operating costs (excluding fuel) will continue to fall each year for the next five years   he added. at the end of this year  ryanair will have taken delivery of about 100 new planes  while the 70 new orders are due for delivery between 2008 and 2012. the airline said that when all these planes have been delivered  it will be able to carry more than 70 million passengers a year  making it europe s largest airline. about 2 500 new jobs should be created in the next seven years  it added. the order can be seen as good news for boeing  which in recent years has been overtaken by european plane maker airbus as the world s biggest-selling plane maker.


mcdonald s to sponsor mtv show mcdonald s  the world s largest restaurant chain  is to sponsor a programme on music channel mtv as part of its latest youth market promotion.  the show advance warning highlights new talent and mtv reckons it will give mcdonald s access to nearly 400 million homes in 162 countries. mcdonald s golden arches  name and  i m loving it  catchphrase will be used throughout the half-hour programme. the move comes amid growing concerns about obesity in europe and the us.  the european union has called on the food industry to reduce the number of adverts aimed at young children  warning that legislation would be introduced. unless voluntary steps were taken. in the us  food group kraft is among firms that already have cut back on promoting sugar and fattening products to the young. mcdonalds has also been taking steps to improve its junk food reputation  revamping its menu and providing clients with health-related products such as pedometers. as well as burgers like the big mac and quarter pounder with cheese  the company now sells healthier options such as salads and fresh fruit. chief executive jim skinner attributed an 8.3% increase in january worldwide sales to the  vitality of our menu   among other things.  hooking up with mtv is expected to add extra momentum to mcdonald s recent revival. mtv  which played a key role in the emergence of the music video  is to show advance warning on all 25 of its channels across the world. the programme can at present only been seen in the us  where it has featured artists like british stars joss stone and franz ferdinand. mcdonald s has targeted the youth market in the past with its advertisements  signing up stars like jelly-legged dancer justin timberlake and all-woman singing group destiny s child.


brazil approves bankruptcy reform a major reform of brazil s bankruptcy laws has been approved by the country s congress  in a move which it is hoped will cut the cost of borrowing.  the bill  proposed in 1993  has finally been approved by the leadership of president luiz inacio lula da silva. the old law  dating from 1945  gave priority first to workers  second to tax revenue and finally to creditors. the new legislation changes this  giving priority to creditors and limiting payments to workers. the new regulations will limit payments to workers to 150 times the minimum monthly salary  which is currently $94. the law also makes it more difficult for a company to declare bankruptcy. however  when a firm is declared bankrupt it will gain protection from creditors for 180 days while a recovery plan is worked out.  the proposals were opposed in the past by leftist parties  including mr lula s worker party. they considered that they undermined workers  rights. but president lula became a defender of the reforms  arguing that the country s bank lending margins were among the highest in the world and were damaging the economy. according to andreas adriano of latin trade magazine  the new bankruptcy law will help in reducing the spread - difference between the interest rates of the banks and federal bonds. nevertheless  mr adriano said to reduce the basic interest rate the central bank needs to change its policy  focusing not only on inflation but also on economic growth.


ferrero eyes return to top form former world number one juan carlos ferrero insists he can get back to his best despite a tough start to 2005.  the 2003 french open champion has slipped to 64 in the world after a year of illness and injuries in 2004  but is confident that his form will return.  i don t know when it is going to happen   ferrero told bbc sport.  but i have a lot of confidence in me that i will be the same juan carlos as i was before  and very soon. i feel 100% again mentally.  the 25-year-old spaniard joins a top field for the abn amro world tennis tournament in rotterdam this week as he looks to add to just two wins in 2005. he opens against rainer schuettler and potentially faces fourth seed david nalbandian in the second round.  because i m no longer seeded it s tougher   ferrero admitted.  i had to play against joachim johansson in the first round last week in marseille.   in the past when i was a top seed i would have played a match like that in the quarters or semi-finals.  this is the big difference but i have to do it to get higher in the rankings.  despite this  ferrero insists he is feeling positive after chicken pox and a rib injury destroyed last season.  physically i am 100% since december of last year   said ferrero.  i was working very hard before the davis cup final to prepare and i ve felt 100% from then until now.  the difficult moments were when i knew that i had the chicken pox and that it would take two or three months to recover.  i had to start from zero again physically because the virus left me at zero per cent.  when i started to come back i had my rib broken when i fell on court and that was another two months out. those five months were pretty difficult for me.   among the low points of a difficult year for ferrero was the decision of spain captain jordi arrese to drop him for the davis cup final against the usa.  it was difficult because i had been playing well for the whole year and the coaches told me that i would play   said ferrero.  but then i had some problems with my hand two days before the friday matches so they decided to choose nadal instead.  it was difficult for me not to be in the friday matches but i had to understand.  inside me i wanted to play but this was the decision of the captain and they had to make it.


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.


boeing unveils new 777 aircraft us aircraft firm boeing has unveiled its new long-distance 777 plane  as it tries to regain its position as the industry s leading manufacturer.  the 777-200lr will be capable of flying almost 11 000 miles non-stop  linking cities such as london and sydney. boeing  in contrast to european rival airbus  hopes airlines will want to fly smaller aircraft over longer distances. airbus  which overtook boeing as the number one civilian planemaker in 2003  is focusing on so-called super jumbos.  analysts are divided over which approach is best and say that this latest tussle between boeing and airbus may prove to be a defining moment for the airline industry. boeing plans to offer twin-engine planes that are able to fly direct to many of the world s airports  getting rid of the need for connecting flights.  it is banking on smaller  slimmer planes such as the 777-200lr and its much-anticipated 787 dreamliner plane  which is set to take to the skies in 2008. the 777-200lr  which had its launch delayed by the 11 september attacks in the us  is the fifth variation of boeing s twin-aisle 777 plane. the company offically  rolled-out  the new 777 in seattle at 2200 gmt. better fuel efficiency from engines made by ge and lighter materials mean that the plane can connect almost any two cities worldwide.   boeing has the latest variant in a very successful line of airplanes and there is no doubt it will continue to be very successful   said david learmount  operations and safety editor at industry magazine flight international. but the 777-200lr  is a niche player   mr learmount continued  adding that reach was not the only criteria airlines used when picking their aircraft. mr learmount pointed out that the 777-200lr has been on the market for a couple of years and only had limited success at attracting orders. he also said that while the plane may be able to fly to sydney from london in one hit  prevailing winds meant that it would have to stop somewhere on the return journey.  for airbus  the future is big - it is pinning its hopes on planes that can carry as many as 840 people between large hub airports. from there  passengers would be ferried to their final destinations by smaller planes. airbus is also keeping its options open and plans to compete in all the main categories of aircraft. it has been producing a rival to boeing s 777 line for more than a year.  airbus is now where boeing was a few years ago  with its product range  said flight international s mr learmount.  both boeing and airbus have been taking orders for their new planes. boeing said it expected to sell about 500 of its 777-200lr planes over the next 20 years. it already has orders from pakistan international airlines and eva of taiwan. these orders should help underpin the company s profits. boeing said earnings during the last three months of 2004 dropped by 84% because of costs relating to stopping production of its smallest airliner  the 717  and the cancellation of a us air force 767 tanker contract. net profit was $186m (£98m; 143m euros) in the quarter  compared with $1.13bn in the same period in 2003.


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.


christmas sales worst since 1981 uk retail sales fell in december  failing to meet expectations and making it by some counts the worst christmas since 1981.  retail sales dropped by 1% on the month in december  after a 0.6% rise in november  the office for national statistics (ons) said. the ons revised the annual 2004 rate of growth down from the 5.9% estimated in november to 3.2%. a number of retailers have already reported poor figures for december. clothing retailers and non-specialist stores were the worst hit with only internet retailers showing any significant growth  according to the ons.  the last time retailers endured a tougher christmas was 23 years previously  when sales plunged 1.7%.  the ons echoed an earlier caution from bank of england governor mervyn king not to read too much into the poor december figures. some analysts put a positive gloss on the figures  pointing out that the non-seasonally-adjusted figures showed a performance comparable with 2003. the november-december jump last year was roughly comparable with recent averages  although some way below the serious booms seen in the 1990s. and figures for retail volume outperformed measures of actual spending  an indication that consumers are looking for bargains  and retailers are cutting their prices.  however  reports from some high street retailers highlight the weakness of the sector. morrisons  woolworths  house of fraser  marks & spencer and big food all said that the festive period was disappointing.  and a british retail consortium survey found that christmas 2004 was the worst for 10 years. yet  other retailers - including hmv  monsoon  jessops  body shop and tesco - reported that festive sales were well up on last year. investec chief economist philip shaw said he did not expect the poor retail figures to have any immediate effect on interest rates.  the retail sales figures are very weak  but as bank of england governor mervyn king indicated last night  you don t really get an accurate impression of christmas trading until about easter   said mr shaw.  our view is the bank of england will keep its powder dry and wait to see the big picture.


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 £40. 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.


iaaf launches fight against drugs the iaaf - athletics  world governing body - has met anti-doping officials  coaches and athletes to co-ordinate the fight against drugs in sport.  two task forces have been set up to examine doping and nutrition issues. it was also agreed that a programme to  de-mystify  the issue to athletes  the public and the media was a priority.  nothing was decided to change things - it was more to have a forum of the stakeholders allowing them to express themselves   said an iaaf spokesman.  getting everyone together gave us a lot of food for thought.  about 60 people attended sunday s meeting in monaco  including iaaf chief lamine diack and namibian athlete frankie fredericks  now a member of the athletes  commission.  i am very happy to see you all  members of the athletics family  respond positively to the iaaf call to sit together and discuss what more we can do in the fight against doping   said diack.  we are the leading federation in this field and it is our duty to keep our sport clean.  the two task forces will report back to the iaaf council  at its april meeting in qatar.


henman & murray claim lta awards tim henman was named player of the year for 2004 by the lawn tennis association at wimbledon on monday.  the briton was recognised for the best year of his career  which saw him reach the semis at the french and us opens. scotland s andrew murray was named young player of the year after winning the us open juniors  as well as a futures event in italy. and world number one peter norfolk won disabled player of the year after claiming his third us open crown.  great britain s under 14 boys won the team of the year prize for their victory at the world junior tennis event in august. henman will start his 2005 campaign at the kooyong event on 12 january in a field that includes roger federer  andy roddick and andre agassi. and the briton is optimistic of surpassing his best effort of a fourth-round place at the australian open  which begins the following week.  i ve often felt that the conditions suit my game in melbourne so i d love to be able to start next year by doing well at the australian open   henman told his website.  that s why i ve changed my schedule slightly by committing to play in the kooyong classic.  i ll be able to acclimatise while practising before the event and then will be guaranteed matches against the best players in the world.  i think that will give me the best possible chance of doing well at the australian open.


collins calls for chambers return world 100m champion kim collins says suspended sprinter dwain chambers should be allowed to compete in the olympics again.  chambers was banned for two years after testing positive for the anabolic steroid thg and his suspension runs out in november this year. but collins says the british olympic association should reverse the decision to ban him from the olympics for life.  it was too harsh   collins told radio five live.  they should reconsider.  chambers has been in america learning american football but has not ruled out a return to the track. collins added:  he is a great guy and i have never had any problems with him. we are friends.  i would like to see dwain come back and compete again. he is a good person.  even though he made a mistake he understands what he did and should be given a chance once more.


gatlin and hayes win owen awards american olympic stars justin gatlin and joanna hayes have been named the winners of the 2004 jesse owens awards  usa track & field s (usatf) top honour.  gatlin  22  won the closest 100m final in games history with a career-best time of 9.85 seconds in athens. he also won bronze in the 200m and silver in the 4x100m relay  becoming the only male athlete to win three athletics medals this summer. hayes  27  set an olympic record of 12.37 in winning the 100m hurdles. established in 1981  the jesse owens awards - named in honour of the late olympic great who won four gold medals at the 1936 berlin games - are presented annually to the outstanding us male and female track and field performers.  the 2004 awards will be presented on 3 december in conjunction with the usatf annual meeting in portland.  it is such a great honour to win the jesse owens award   said gatlin.  it is one of the biggest honours in track and field and it is a great end to a great year.   hayes said:  knowing some of the great people who have won this award before me and knowing what it represents  i feel a sense accomplishment and pride which lets me know that everything that i have worked for is and always will be worth it.


classy henman makes winning start tim henman opened his 2005 campaign with a 6-1 7-5 victory over argentine david nalbandian at the kooyong classic exhibition tournament on wednesday.  the british number one will next play roger federer at the australian open warm-up event on friday. the world number one beat gaston gaudio 5-7 6-1 6-4  before andre agassi saw off chilean olympic gold medalist nicolas massu 6-1 7-6 (7-4). andy roddick beat ivan ljubicic  who replaced paradorn srichaphan  6-1 6-4. henman made an impressive start to the year  only faltering against nalbandian when serving for the match at 5-4. but the briton regained his composure to win the next two games for only his second win in six matches against the argentine.  it s a great start to the year - just what i was looking for   henman told his website.  over the years i ve found david very difficult to play against.   he returns serve very well and he s deceptively effective from the baseline  so sometimes it can be difficult to execute my gameplan well enough against him to get the right result.  beating somebody of his stature is always good for the confidence and it bodes well at the beginning of the year.  henman also revealed the extent of the back problems he suffered in the off-season.  i m not the most flexible and at the end of the year i was pretty exhausted and wanted to have a couple of weeks where i didn t do anything   said henman.  when i started training again it really  really seized up. as much as i enjoyed the two weeks off i don t think it s so productive.  federer dropped a tight first set against 2004 french open champion gaudio  but was content with his game.  it was about getting used to the surface   he said.   the conditions are much quicker than doha  my timing was ok  but i could have served better.  all in all i m happy with the match  and i won it - that s a good sign. now i have a day off and hopefully play better the next match.  agassi was delighted with victory over massu in his first match for over two months.  i felt pretty good   said the american.  i liked the way the match played out and  maybe excluding a few second serve returns  i felt like i was doing most things pretty darn well for the first match.