Olympic heptathlon champion Carolina Kluft was full of admiration for Britain's Kelly Sotherton as the pair prepared to clash in Birmingham. Both will be in action on Friday in the 60m hurdles and long jump ahead of the European Indoor Championships later this month in Madrid. Sotherton finished third behind the Swede in Athens, and Kluft said: "I knew about her, she's a great girl. "She looked very good early in the season and was competing really well." Kluft showed impressive early season form on Tuesday in Stockholm's GE Galan meeting, winning the sprint hurdles, the long jump and the 400m. Sotherton has also displayed promise, with a new high jump personal best in Sheffield at the combined Norwich Union European trials and AAA Championships, and a second place in the long jump behind Jade Johnson.


Jamie Costin should be paralysed. He says so himself in a matter of fact way as he recalls the car accident which occurred nine days before he was scheduled to step out into the Olympic Stadium in Athens for the 50K Walk. There is an ironic chuckle as he talks of his immediate thoughts after a lorry, driving on the wrong side of the road, had ploughed into his rental car. "I was in a lot of pain and I guessed that one of my toes was broken," says the Waterford man. "But I was thinking maybe with a cortisone injection you never know. "In my back, it felt as though all the muscles had been ripped off my pelvis but I was thinking maybe we could do something with laser therapy and ultra sound and hopefully I'd be able to race." It took over 10 hours before Jamie knew with certainty that he would not be competing in his second Olympics. "My back had been broken in two places and with one of my vertebrae, the bottom part had exploded so I'm fierce lucky not be paralysed. "I'd fractured my big toe as well which was on the brake." Jamie didn't finally arrive at hospital in Athens until some nine and a half hours after the accident. "For the first nine hours, I had no pain killers which was ridiculous in 35 degrees heat. "But once I got the scans and saw them it was a case of moving on and thinking:'OK, I've got a different set of circumstances now'." Within three days he was arriving back in Ireland by air ambulance. Doctors in Athens had wanted to operate on Jamie's back immediately but he insisted on delaying any surgery until he arrived back home something he is now very relieved about. "The Greek doctors were going to put three or four inch titanium rods either side of my spinal cord up through my vertebrae. "That would have fused all my lower back and I would never have been able to race again. They were really putting a lot of pressure on me to agree to the surgery. "But when I got to the Mater in Dublin they said it was possible for it to heal totally naturally which is giving me the chance to get back into competition which is very important to me. The people at the Mater have been absolutely fantastic." Jamie had to wear a body cast for three and a half months after the accident and spent most of that time flat on his back. He then progressed to crutches for six weeks until he was finally able to walk unaided on 10 January. "Walking without the crutches seemed like something finally really measurable in terms of my recovery." Physio sessions with Johnston McEvoy in Limerick have been a vital part of his recovery. "Johnston uses an advanced type of acupuncture and it's very effective. "Needles get put right close up to my spine. A two and a half inch needle went in yesterday and I'm fairly incapacitated today as a result." Jamie has also travelled to receive treatment at the Polish training centre in Spala where he has trained with triple Olympic champion Robert Korzeniowski over the past five years. "I was there for over a fortnight earlier this month and underwent a fair extreme treatment called cryotherapy. "Basically, there's a small room which is cooled by liquid nitrogen to minus 160 degrees centigrade and it promotes deep healing." Jamie heads to Poland again on Sunday where he will be having daily cryotherapy in addition to twice daily physio sessions and pool work. All these sessions are small steps on the way to what Jamie hopes will be a return to racing in 2006. "It's all about trying to get mobility in my back. Lying down for three and a half months didn't really help with the strength. "There's a lot of work involved in my recovery. I'm doing about six hours a day between physio and pool work. "I'm also going to the gym to lift very light weights to try and build up my muscles. I'm fairly full on with everything I do. "I'd hope to be training regularly by March. But training is just part of the process of getting back. "At the moment, every time I go and do a big bit of movement, my whole pelvic area all down my lower back just tightens up. "It's a case of waiting and seeing how it reacts. Hopefully, after four or five months my back won't tighten up as much."


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."


Italy coach John Kirwan believes his side can upset England as the Six Nations wooden spoon battle hots up. The two sides, both without a win, meet on 12 March at Twickenham and Kirwan says his side will be hoping to make the most of England's current slump. "We have to make sure the England and France games are tough for them. "England have not been having the best of championships. That is a big one for us and them and I am sure my players will rise to the occasion," he said. But Kirwan admits that a lot of hard work will be needed with his kickers before the trip to London. Roland de Marigny and Luciano Orquera had a miserable time with the boot in the dire defeat to Scotland as Chris Paterson stole the show to give the hosts a much needed 18 10 victory. Kirwan said: "The kicking was the decisive factor in Scotland which cost us and it could go down to the kicking again next time. "But I have a lot of confidence in my players and I am positive we can put everything together against England." England, meanwhile, are licking their wounds and rueing what might have been had two decisions from referee Jonathan Kaplan not gone against them in the second half in Dublin. First Mark Cueto was judged offside as he chased fly half Charlie Hodgson's kick, and then Kaplan opted not to call upon video evidence to see if Josh Lewsey had touched down after being driven over Ireland's line. But centre Jamie Noon believes the side at least showed better form than their previous two defeats. "We definitely improved against an in form Irish side," he said. "We went to Dublin quietly confident that we would be able to compete, and I think we showed that. "We have got to make sure we now take the form and positives into the Italy game. We are under no illusions that it is going to be easy, but we definitely need a win." England have now equalled an 18 year low of four successive championship defeats, including France in Paris last season, and have lost four in a row under Andy Robinson. His predecessor, Sir Clive Woodward, began his seven year reign with three defeats and two draws.


Shares in Irish oil company Petrel Resources have lost more than 50% of their value on a report that the firm has failed to win a contract in Iraq. Reuters news agency reported that Iraq's Oil Ministry has awarded the first post war oilfield contracts to a Canadian and a Turkish company. By 1700 GMT, Petrel's shares fell from 97p ( 1.87) to 44p ( 0.85). Petrel said that it has not received any information from Iraqi authorities to confirm or deny the report. Iraq is seeking to award contracts for three projects, valued at 500m ( 258.5m). Turkey's Everasia is reported by Reuters to have won a contract to develop the Khurmala Dome field in the north of the country. A Canadian company, named IOG, is reported to have won the contract to run the Himrin field. Ironhorse Oil and Gas has denied to Reuters that it is the company in question. These two projects aim to develop Khurmala field to produce 100,000 barrels per day and raise the output of Himrin. The winners of the contract are to build new flow lines and build gas separation stations. The contract to develop the Suba Luhais field has not yet been awarded as Iraq's Oil Ministry is studying the offers. If Iraq's cabinet approves the oil ministry's choice of companies, then this will be the first deal that Iraq has signed with a foreign oil company. Iraq is still trying to boost its production capacity to match levels last seen in the eighties, before the war with Iran. Oil officials hope to double Iraq's output by the end of the decade.


The reported feud between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown has prompted a Labour donor to say he will almost certainly refuse to give more funds. Duncan Bannatyne also attacked the government over Iraq and its "poor" response to the Asian tsunami crisis. His broadside came as ex Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said he hoped Mr Brown would be premier at some point. Mr Bannatyne has previously given Labour 50,000. He made his fortune from care homes and health clubs. The 52 year old on Tuesday said was he was reviewing his donations because of Cabinet disunity and international issues. His spokesman said it was highly unlikely he would give Labour more money, although he would remain a supporter and not fund the Conservatives. Robert Peston's new book has prompted more speculation about the Blair Brown rift with its claims that the prime minister broke a promise made in 2003 to stand down. Mr Bannatyne said: "Disunity in the Cabinet has a corrosive effect on the country. "Gordon Brown is a great chancellor who has delivered a stable economy, but business wants that to continue and not be blown off course by petty squabbles based on personal ambition." The businessman, whose latest venture is a casino in Newcastle, also voiced concern about the ongoing violence in Iraq. And he branded the UK government's response to the tsunami as "piecemeal and poor". "The people there need practical help not just pledges of money," he said. "The US has forces helping on the ground we can do more." British Navy ships have helped the relief effort and the prime minister has said the government could ultimately give hundreds of millions of pounds in aid. Mr Bannatyne is due to host a new television programme and is also appearing on BBC2 business start up programme Dragon's Den. But his spokesman insisted his attack on Labour was not a publicity stunt. In a separate development, Robin Cook gave his support to Mr Brown's prime ministerial ambitions but told a lunch for political journalists winning the election had to be Labour's election. But he insisted the recent squabbles between Mr Blair and Mr Brown were not "perceived as a problem by the voters," adding there was no impression of governmental incompetence. Mr Cook argued that more prominence was given to these matters because there was "not an alternative source of opposition to the government". He warned the "Abstentions Party" was the real challenge to Labour and they would not be motivated by Mr Blair's promise to produce an "unremittingly New Labour" election manifesto. His comments come after Dave Prentis, the leader of Britain's biggest union Unison, told the Daily Record newspaper he wants a date to be set for Mr Blair to be replaced as Labour leader.


Boss Sir Alex Ferguson was left ruing Manchester United's failure to close the gap on Chelsea, Everton and Arsenal after his side's 1 1 draw with Fulham. Premiership leaders Chelsea and the Gunners endured a 2 2 stalemate on Sunday, giving United the chance to make up some ground in the league. But Ferguson said: "I think what makes it so bad is that both our rivals dropped points at the weekend. "It was a great opportunity and we haven't delivered." United went ahead through Alan Smith in the 33rd minute before Bouba Diop's superb 25 yard strike cancelled out the visitors' lead in the 87th minute. Ferguson described the result as an "absolute giveaway" after United had earlier missed a host of opportunities to finish off the encounter. He said: "It was a good performance some of the football was fantastic but we just didn't finish them off. "In fairness, it's a fantastic strike from the Fulham player." The result leaves Ferguson's side fourth in the league on 31 points four points behind Arsenal and a further five back from Chelsea.


Tim Henman saved a match point before fighting back to defeat British rival Greg Rusedski 4 6 7 6 (8 6) 6 4 at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Tuesday. World number 46 Rusedski broke in the ninth game to take a tight opening set. Rusedski had match point at 6 5 in the second set tie break after Henman double faulted, but missed his chance and Henman rallied to clinch the set. The British number one then showed his superior strength to take the decider and earn his sixth win over Rusedski. Serve was held by both players with few alarms until the seventh game of the final set, when Rusedski's wild volley gave Henman a vital break. A furious Rusedski slammed his racket onto the ground in disgust and was warned by the umpire. Henman, seeded three, then held his serve comfortably thanks to four serve and volley winners to take a clear 5 3 lead. Rusedski won his service game but Henman took the first of his three match points with a service winner to secure his place in the second round at Dubai for the first time in three years. It was the first match between the pair for three years Henman last lost to Rusedski six years ago and lasted two hours and 40 minutes. The pair are now likely to only face each other on court as rivals rather than as team mates after Henman decided to retire from Davis Cup tennis leaving Rusedski to lead the team out against Israel on 4 6 March. Henman, who now faces Russian Igor Andreev in the last 16, admitted afterwards it was difficult coming up against his compatriot on a fast surface. "You just take it point by point when you're fighting to stay in the match," he said. "I had to keep playing aggressively and competing to get a chance. "I now have to recover in time for the next match because the body doesn't recover as quick as it used to, especially after two hours and 40 minutes."


Ex chatshow host Robert Kilroy Silk has attacked UK policy on immigration saying Britain's open door approach is hitting low wage "indigenous" workers. The Veritas leader said the only people to benefit from immigrants from places like Poland were employers, landlords, members of the 'metropolitan elite'. The MEP said his party would only admit foreigners who were required because they had specific skills to offer. And he argued asylum cost 2bn a year for 14,000 successful applicants. Mr Kilroy Silk said that worked out at 143,000 per successful asylum seeker. He said Veritas wanted to grant an amnesty for all those in Britain claiming asylum and who have children and deport everyone else. Britain should take its fair share of asylum seekers under the United Nations Convention on Human Rights, he argued. And Mr Kilroy Silk said he wanted to spend an extra 500m a year to help provide for refugees abroad.


The Tories say plans to extend pub opening times should be put on hold until binge drinking is under control, despite backing a law change last year. Spokesman David Davis said ministers had failed to make his party aware of concern among senior police that plans would cause more anti social behaviour. Notts police chief Steve Green said innocent people would suffer. But Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said a delay would be "disastrous" and she accused the Tories of opportunism. The government would go ahead with the changes which would give police more power to tackle excessive drinking, she added. Earlier chief constable Green questioned how his officers would be able to practically apply powers allowing them to shut down problem premises. "If you look at the Market Square in Nottingham, if a fight takes place which licensed premises do you go and lay the responsibilty at the door of?" he asked on BBC Radio 4's World at One programme. He warned that if drinking establishments were allowed to open until three or four in the morning the police would have to take officers off day shifts in order to do their job effectively at night. Earlier this year the Royal College of Physicians said it opposed the plan to extend drinking hours when there was already an "epidemic" of binge drinking. Minister Richard Caborn said the government was tackling the causes and the symptoms of the problem by allowing more powers to close down problem premises. It is hoped that allowing pubs and clubs to stay open longer will stagger closing times and end the current situation where drinkers spill on to the streets all at once. Earlier Tony Blair defended the plans against criticism from one of his own backbenchers. "My view of this is very clear: we should have the same flexibility that other countries have and then we should come down really hard on those who abuse that freedom and don't show the responsibility," he told MPs. "The law abiding majority who want the ability, after going to the cinema or theatre say, to have a drink at the time they want should not be inconvenienced, we shouldn't have to have restrictions that no other city in Europe has, just in order to do something for that tiny minority who abuse alcohol, who go out and fight and cause disturbances. "To take away that ability for all the population even the vast majority who are law abiding is not, in my view, sensible." This week a judge claimed easy access to drink was breeding "urban savages" and turning town centres into no go areas. Judge Charles Harris QC made his remarks as he sentenced three men for assaults carried out while drunk and high on drugs after a night out.


Simon Taylor has been named in the Scotland squad for Saturday's Six Nations clash with Italy. The 25 year old number eight made a scoring return for Edinburgh at the weekend his first game in a year for the capital side. Taylor suffered knee ligament damage playing against Ireland in Dublin in the 2004 Six Nations championship. "Simon is one of Scotland's truly world class players so it is a huge bonus," said team mate Chris Paterson. "He brings a whole new dimension to us, especially in defence and his ability to slow the opposition ball down could be key against Italy if he is involved." Taylor has turned out for English side Saracens in recent weeks during a short term loan to improve his fitness. Edinburgh were not in action during the first two weeks of this season's Six Nations. So Taylor played the last 20 minutes of Saracens' win over Northampton and then 40 minutes in a friendly against South African Super 12 side The Cats. Scotland coach Matt Williams is due to name his match day 22 on Thursday. Both Scotland and Italy have lost their opening two Six Nations games and, just like last season's encounter which Italy won, this weekend's game could turn out to be a battle to avoid the wooden spoon. M Blair (Edinburgh), A Craig (Glasgow), C Cusiter (Borders), S Danielli (Borders), M Di Rollo (Edinburgh), A Henderson (Glasgow), B Hinshelwood (Worcester), R Lamont (Glasgow), S Lamont (Glasgow), D Parks (Glasgow), C Paterson (Edinburgh), G Ross (Leeds), H Southwell (Edinburgh), S Webster (Edinburgh) R Beattie (Northampton), G Bulloch (Glasgow, capt), B Douglas (Borders), J Dunbar (Leeds), I Fullarton (Saracens), S Grimes (Newcastle), N Hines (Edinburgh), A Hogg (Edinburgh), G Kerr (Leeds), N Lloyd (Saracens), S Murray (Edinburgh), J Petrie (Glasgow), R Russell (London Irish), C Smith (Edinburgh), T Smith (Northampton), S Taylor (Edinburgh), J White (Sale).


Oracle has announced it is cutting about 5,000 jobs following the completion of its 10.3bn takeover of its smaller rival Peoplesoft last week. The company said it would retain more than 90% of Peoplesoft product development and product support staff. The cuts will affect about 9% of the 55,000 staff of the combined companies. Oracle's 18 month fight to acquire Peoplesoft was one of the most drawn out and hard fought US takeover battles of recent times. The merged companies are set to be a major force in the enterprise software market, second only in size to Germany's SAP. In a statement, Oracle said it began notifying staff of redundancies on Friday and the process would continue over the next 10 days. "By retaining the vast majority of Peoplesoft technical staff, Oracle will have the resources to deliver on the development and support commitments we have made to Peoplesoft customers over the last 18 months," Oracle's chief executive Larry Ellison said in a statement. Correspondents say 6,000 job losses had been expected and some suggest more cuts may be announced in future. They say Mr Ellison may be trying to placate Peoplesoft customers riled by Oracle's determined takeover strategy. Hours before Friday's announcement, there was a funereal air at Peoplesoft's headquarters, reported AP news agency. A Peoplesoft sign had been turned into shrine to the company, with flowers, candles and company memorabilia. "We're mourning the passing of a great company," the agency quoted Peoplesoft worker David Ogden as saying. Other employees said they would rather be sacked than work for Oracle. "The new company is going to be totally different," said Anil Aggarwal, Peoplesoft's director of database markets. "Peoplesoft had an easygoing, relaxed atmosphere. Oracle has an edgy, aggressive atmosphere that's not conducive to innovative production." On the news, Oracle shares rose 15 cents 1.1% on Nasdaq. In after hours trading the shares did not move.


Andrew Murray will become Britain's youngest ever Davis Cup player after it was confirmed he will play in the doubles against Israel on Saturday. The 17 year old will play alongside fellow debutant David Sherwood against Israel's Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram. Murray will eclipse the record set by Roger Becker back in 1952. Greg Rusedski takes Tim Henman's place as first choice in the singles, while Alex Bogdanovic will play in the second singles clash. Rusedski will take on former world number 30 Harel Levy and Bogdanovic who has previously played in two singles rubbers against Australia will face Noam Okun. Murray is the brightest young hope in British tennis, after winning the US Open junior title last year and the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year. British number one Tim Henman, who announced his Davis Cup retirement earlier this year, believes Britain can win the tie in Tel Aviv. "It's going to be as really tough match. Israel have some really good players and their doubles pair of Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich are among the top eight in the world but I fancy our chances," he said. But Henman urged Bogdanovic, who has had run ins with British tennis officials in the past, to seize his chance. "Alex is a quality player he's young but he's got to keep pushing forward. "He's got to be stronger, he's got a lot of ability but he's got to be more disciplined mentally and physically and if he does that he's got a good chance."


A conflict between the Argentine State and water firm Aguas Argentinas, controlled by France's Suez, is casting doubt on the firm's future. The firm, which serves the province of Buenos Aires, wants a tariff rise of 60% to fund water supply improvements. The government has rejected the 60% rise and wants Aguas Argentinas to make an annual investment of 400m pesos ( 136m; 72.3m) in improvements. Planning Minister Julio De Vido has offered State help but not for "free". Mr De Vido said that the Argentine state would not make a contribution "in the form of a subsidy". He has said a contribution could be made in return for a seat on the company's board. He added that the government is in discussions with Aguas Argentinas about what role it might take in the event that a State contribution is agreed. However, Aguas Argentinas told the Argentine newspaper Clarin it would not accept any change to its legal structure and, in practice, this rules out State participation on its board. The Planning Minister didn't rule out the possibility of cancelling Aguas Argentinas water concession. Yet he added that he didn't like to do "futurology". But last week, Argentine Economic Minister, Roberto Lavagna, told the French media in Paris that the government was considering allowing a 16% increase in tariffs and the possibility of a State contribution to Aguas Argentinas infrastructure investments. Speaking in Buenos Aires, Mr De Vido later denied the possibility of any tariff increase and insisted that the annual investment in water infrastructure was at the centre of the discussions. He added that in the coming weeks the future of Aguas Argentinas would be decided. Suez owns 40% of Aguas Argentinas (39.9%), while Spain's Aguas de Barcelona is its second biggest shareholder with 25.01%. Recently, Suez lost a water concession in Bolivia after mass protests in the city of El Alto (the poorest in the country), with citizens complaining of unfair water charges. This forced the government to cancel the contract. In Argentina, Suez's subsidiary, which has been fined for cutting the supply of water during a recent heat wave and allegedly failing to keep up investment to meet the demand for water, has maintained a tense relationship with the Argentine government. During the last financial crisis in Argentina, the firm sued the state alleging that converting its tariffs from US dollars to pesos, and then freezing them during devaluation, had affected the company and made it difficult for it to meet its contractual obligations. When President Nestor Kirchner of Argentina arrived in power he began to negotiate a solution to the disagreements with international utilities operating in Argentina. But he has rejected any tariff increases, alleging this will impoverish citizens further. He has also asked for more investments to meet the growing demand for water. On May 2004, Aguas Argentinas and the government signed an agreement to renegotiate its Buenos Aires water concession contract. The firm agreed to invest 242m pesos. The issue has attracted European interest. Last week in Paris, President Kirchner discussed this problem and other issues with French president Jacques Chirac. The Argentine government is also under pressure from European Union countries and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to raise utilities tariffs, because most of the utilities operating in Argentina are European.


Greg Rusedski has criticised the governing body of men's tennis for not releasing contamination free supplements in time for the new season. Rusedski said: "I tried to order some but didn't receive any and I haven't got any yet. "You would think they would have been available in December as it can take two months for the body to respond. "This event comes in the hottest period of the year, so you would hope the stuff would be available for it." The British number two escaped a possible ban last year when he persuaded a tribunal that a positive doping test was the result of contaminated ATP supplements. In response, the ATP struck a deal with pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline to provide contamination free drinks and nutritional bars for the men's tour. David Higdon, Vice President of the ATP, admitted: "I agree with Greg. "I would have loved to have had these things available as soon as possible but it's a lot of work to make sure they have gone through rigorous testing. "The reality is though that the first two weeks of the tour are spread far and wide and part of the distribution agreement we had with GSK has an education component. "We weren't going to just drop these products out there without having a talk with the players about understanding how to use them. "The first chance we will get to do that is at the players meeting on the Saturday before the Australian Open." And Rusedski, who takes on Roger Federer at the Qatar Open later on Wednesday, conceded that the imminent changes will be beneficial. "The good thing is that there is now a 100% guarantee, so hopefully all this will never happen again," said Rusedski. "Hopefully after the Australian Open we won't have to discuss this any more."


European champions Wasps are set to offer Matt Dawson a new deal. The 31 year old World Cup winning scrum half has impressed since joining the London side from Northampton this summer on a one year contract. Wasps coach Warren Gatland told the Daily Mirror: "We have not yet offered Matt a new contract but we will be doing so. "I'm very happy with his contribution and I think he's good enough to play for another couple of years." Dawson played a vital part in England's World Cup win last year but has fallen out of favour with new coach Andy Robinson after missing a training session in September. However he hopes the new deal will help him regain his England place. "Rugby is still my priority and there's still a burning desire within me to play the best rugby I possibly can," he said. "I know within myself, if I was given the chance I could play for England again. "I know I'm fit enough, I'm strong enough, I'm skilful enough."


The Bank of England has left interest rates on hold again at 4.75%, in a widely predicted move. Rates went up five times from November 2003 as the bank sought to cool the housing market and consumer debt but have remained unchanged since August. Recent data has indicated a slowdown in manufacturing and consumer spending, as well as in mortgage approvals. And retail sales disappointed over Christmas, with analysts putting the drop down to less consumer confidence. Rising interest rates and the accompanying slowdown in the housing market have knocked consumers' optimism, causing a sharp fall in demand for expensive goods, according to a report earlier this week from the British Retail Consortium. The BRC said Britain's retailers had endured their worst Christmas in a decade. "Today's no change decision is correct," said David Frost, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). "But, if there are clear signs that the economy slows, the MPC should be ready to take quick corrective action and cut rates. "Dismal reports from the retail trade about Christmas sales are worrying, if they indicate a more general weakening in consumer spending." Mr Frost added: "The housing market outlook remains highly uncertain. "It is widely accepted that, if house prices start falling more sharply, the risks facing the economy will worsen considerably." CBI chief economist Ian McCafferty said the economy had "slowed in recent months in response to rate rises" but that it was difficult to gauge from the Christmas period the likely pace of activity through the summer. "The Bank is having to juggle the emergence of inflationary pressures, driven by a tight labour market and buoyant commodity prices, against the risk of an over abrupt slowdown in consumer activity," he said. "Interest rates are likely to remain on hold for some time." On Thursday there was more gloomy news on the manufacturing front, as the Office for National (ONS) statistics revealed British manufacturing output unexpectedly fell in November for the fifth month in the past six. The ONS said manufacturing output dropped 0.1% in November, matching a similar unrevised fall in October and confounding economists' expectations of a 0.3% rise. Manufacturers' organisation, the EEF, said it expected the hold in interest rates to continue in the near future. It also said there was evidence that manufacturers' confidence may be waning as the outlook for the world economy becomes more uncertain. "So far the evidence suggests that last year's rate increases have helped to rebalance the economy without damaging the recovery in manufacturing," said EEF chief economist, Steve Radley. "However, should the business outlook start to deteriorate, the Bank should stand ready to cut rates." Some economists have predicted rates will drop later in the year, although others feel the Bank may still think there is a need for a rise to 5% before that happens. The Bank remains concerned about the long term risks posed by personal debt which is rising at 15% a year if economic conditions worsen.


An Apple iPod or other digital music players can hold anything up to 10,000 songs, which is a lot of space to fill. But more and more iPod owners are filling that space with audio content created by an unpredictable assortment of producers. It is called "podcasting" and its strongest proponent is former MTV host and VJ (video jockey) Adam Curry. Podcasting takes its name from the Apple iPod, although you do not need an iPod to create one or to listen to a podcast. A podcast is basically an internet based radio show which podcasters create, usually in the comfort of their own home. They need only a microphone, a PC, and some editing software. They then upload their shows to the internet and others can download and listen to them, all for free. Using technology based on XML computer code and RSS Really Simple Syndication listeners can subscribe to podcasts collected automatically in a bit of software, which Mr Curry has pioneered. The latest MP3 files of shows can then be picked up by a music playing device automatically. Mr Curry records, hosts, edits and produce a daily, 40 minute podcast called The Daily Source Code. He wants to make podcasting "the Next Big Thing" and says it is an extension of his childhood love of radio gadgetry. "I was always into technologies and wires," he explains. "My parents gave me the Radio Shack 101 project kit, which allows you to build an AM transmitter and subsequently an FM transmitter. "I had my mom drive me around the block, see how far it would reach on the car radio." Mr Curry is American, but he grew up in the Netherlands where he hosted illegal, pirate radio shows in the Dutch capital. He tried university in the US, and ended up back in Holland where he hosted a music video show. He spent the next seven years in New York where he worked at MTV hosting the Top 20 Video Countdown, but spent most of his hours tinkering with this new thing called the internet. "At a certain point in 1995, I was driving in on a Friday afternoon, beautiful blue sky, one of those beautiful days thinking, this is so stupid. "You know, I'm going do the Top 20 Countdown, take the cheque, go home, and sit on the internet until three in the morning. "So, after I finished the show, I quit. I said, on air, it's been great, I've been here for seven years at that point, there's something on the internet, I've got to go find it, and I'll see you later." But Mr Curry's technology and broadcast interests started to gel a couple of years ago when computer storage was growing exponentially and high speed internet connections were becoming more widely available. The MP3 format also meant that people could create and upload audio more cheaply and efficiently than ever before. Most importantly, Mr Curry says, people across the globe were bored with the radio they were hearing. "Listen to 99% of the radio that you hear today, it's radio voices, and it's fake, it's just fake." He wanted to make it easier for people to find "real voices" on the internet. He wanted software that would automatically download new audio content directly onto players like, iPods. Mr Curry is not a computer programmer, so he asked others to create one for him. No one did, so he tried to write one himself. He finished it a few months ago and says it "totally sucked." He put it up on the net as open source software and now dozens of coders and audio junkies are refining it; the result is a work in progress called "ipodder". Doug Kaye, a California based podcaster, praises the former MTV VJ for what he has done. "Adam created a simple script that solved what we call the last mile problem. Ipodder takes audio from the web and brings it all the way down to the MP3 player," he explains. "People can wake up in the morning, pick up their iPods as they go to work or before they go exercise, and discover that there's all this new content automatically put onto their players." It is created an explosion in podcasting content and podcasters are springing up in Australia, Finland, Brazil, even Malaysia. One couple broadcasts theirs, The Dawn and Drew Show, from Wisconsin in the US, sometimes even from the comfort of their own bed. Topics range from the comfort of their bed, to the latest films or music and have thousands of listeners. Already, websites are springing up that point listeners in the right direction of good podcasts. Chris McIntyre runs Podcast Alley and says that there are good sites out there but that not everyone has the technological know how to simply listen. "If I were to tell my mom, or my mother in law to copy an XML or RSS file to their podcast aggregator, they would think I was speaking a foreign language," Mr McIntyre says. Along with technical challenges, there may be legal challenges to podcasters who air their favourite, albeit copyrighted, music. Some in podcasting also worry that too much attention may turn what they see as the "anti radio" into something that is more like conventional broadcasting. Already there is interest in podcasting from the corporate world. Heineken is doing its own podcast now, and so is Playboy. For his part, Adam Curry's pressing ahead with his own vision of what podcasting should be. He loves doing The Daily Source Code because it is about introducing good music and cool ideas to new audiences. He has even been called the Ed Sullivan or Johnny Carson of podcasting which, he says, "is a badge I'll wear with great honour. "To be the Johnny Carson, or Ed Sullivan of anything is wonderful. And you know what? You don't need a hell of a lot of talent. "You just have to be nice, have your ears open, and let people shine. And that's good for me." Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH Boston co production.


Nokia and Microsoft have agreed a deal to work on delivery of music to handsets, while Sony Ericsson has unveiled its phone Walkman and Motorola is working on an iTunes phone. Can mobile phones replace the MP3 player in your pocket? The music download market has been growing steadily since record firms embraced digital distribution. Ease of use, relative low price and increased access to broadband has helped drive the phenomenal growth of MP3 players. Full length music downloads on mobile phones have not taken off so quickly held back by technical challenges as well as issues over music availability. But the mobile music industry is confident that the days of dedicated MP3 players are numbered. Gilles Babinet, chief executive of mobile music firm Musiwave, said: "Music downloads on mobiles have the potential to be the biggest ever medium for music." Musiwave provides downloading infrastructure for the mobile phone market and Mr Babinet said the industry was enjoying "definite momentum." But there are hurdles to overcome. Mobile phones offer limited storage for music certainly nothing to rival Apple's 60GB iPod. But the first mobile phones with hard disk players will be on the market soon and the current generation of mobiles using flash technology can store up to one gigabyte of music enough for 250 songs. "We are working in the hard disk area and we will be bringing out exciting devices," Jonas Guest, vice president for entertainment at Nokia, told the BBC News website. But will mobiles become mere storage devices? "One of the problems we could have is that mobiles are used just for storage and playback while PCs are used for downloading," said Mr Babinet "We don't want people to cast aside their PCs we want mobile users to hook up into the existing ecosystems," explained Mr Guest. "You must enable people to transfer music from a PC to a handset and vice versa." One of the key elements of the Nokia and Microsoft deal is the agreed ability to transfer songs between a handset and a PC. Microsoft will adopt open standards allowing music to cross boundaries for the first time. Songs can be downloaded on PC or mobile and transferred between the platforms. "The line between online and wireless is going to blur," predicted Ted Cohen, senior vice president of digital development and distribution at EMI. He said: "The market is more regional in its maturity. In Asia it is beyond belief. "The majority of our digital revenues in Asia comes from mobiles. In North America it is fixed line while there is equilibrium in Europe." EMI currently offers its entire 200,000 download catalogue for use by both by PCs and mobile phones. Mr Cohen said: "It's going to be just as important to connect through 3G or wireless as it is through your PC. "We want music to be a continuum." The seamless experience of mobiles and PC downloads is approaching, he predicted. Mr Babinet said the mobile phone had a number of advantages over PCs which would see it become the focus for music downloading in the future. "Getting music from your PC onto a device is not an easy experience. You have to switch the PC on, load the operating system, load the program, buy the music, download the music, and then transfer the music. "All of these steps can be done in one step on a mobile phone." He said the mobile phone's billing system would make it easier for teenagers to embrace downloads, because pre paid cards were already accepted by the age group. "Certainly, we have a problem with battery, memory and bandwidth. But it's not about the current status. It's about the potential. "You will have all of your music on your mobile." All three men said that the social interaction of mobile music would drive the market. Mr Cohen said: "I can send you the song and it is either billed to me or I send it to you and if you listen to it and want to keep, it is billed to you. "It's a social phenomenon." Mr Babinet said: "Today you use radio and TV to discover music. Tomorrow you will discover and consume music via one device the mobile."


England coach Andy Robinson insisted he was "livid" after his side were denied two tries in Sunday's 19 13 Six Nations loss to Ireland in Dublin. Mark Cueto's first half effort was ruled out for offside before the referee spurned TV replays when England crashed over in the dying minutes. " I'm absolutely spitting. I'm livid. There's two tries we've been cost," Robinson told BBC Sport. "We've got to go back to technology. I don't know why we didn't." South African referee Jonathan Kaplan ruled that Cueto was ahead of Charlie Hodgson when the fly half hoisted his cross field kick for the Sale wing to gather. Kaplan then declined the chance to consult the fourth official when Josh Lewsey took the ball over the Irish line under a pile of bodies for what could have been the game winning try. "I think Mark Cueto scored a perfectly legal try and I think he should have gone to the video referee on Josh Lewsey," said Robinson. "It is how we use the technology. It is there, and it should be used. "I am still trying to work out the Cueto try. I have looked at both, and they both looked tries. "We are very disappointed, and this will hurt, there is no doubt about that. "We are upset now, but the referee is in charge and he has called it his way and we have got to be able to cope with that. "We did everything we could have done to win the game. I am very proud of my players and, with a couple of decisions, this could have been a very famous victory. "I thought we dominated. Matt Stevens had an awesome game at tighthead prop, while the likes of Charlie Hodgson, Martin Corry and Lewis Moody all came through well. "Josh Lewsey was awesome, and every one of the forwards stood up out there. Given the pressure we were under, credit must go to all the players. "We have done everything but win a game of rugby, but Ireland are a good side. They defended magnificently and they've got every chance of winning this Six Nations." England have lost their first three matches in this year's Six Nations and four out of their six games since Robinson took over from Sir Clive Woodward in September.


All four contestants still remain in I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here as no evictions were made on the television show on Saturday. Contestants Paul Burrell, Joe Pasquale, Janet Street Porter and Fran Cosgrave were told by hosts Ant and Dec. Natalie Appleton's decision to quit the show last Monday had given them all a stay of execution, the group were told. Model Sophie Anderton was the last person to be voted off the ITV1 show, set in the Australian jungle. The four remaining stars will do a joint Bushtucker Trial on Sunday. Former All Saints singer Natalie Appleton,31, walked out of the show after learning she would face a fifth so called Bushtucker Trial. The celebrities are chosen by the viewers to pass trials in order to win food for the rest of the camp. Appleton had endured a torrid time during the programme, including a well publicised row with Sophie Anderton. And on 26 November singer Brian Harvey quit as a contestant after he had a blazing row with Janet Street Porter.


Oscar hopefuls Mike Leigh and Imelda Staunton were both winners at the 2004 Evening Standard British Film Awards. Vera Drake Leigh's 1950s drama about a backstreet abortionist was named best film and Staunton, who played the title role, was named best actress. Other winners included Paddy Considine, who was crowned best actor for his role in Dead Man's Shoes. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason was named Evening Standard Readers' Film of 2004 at the central London ceremony. Leigh was presented with his winner's statuette by Timothy Spall and Staunton's award was announced by Patrick Stewart, during the glittering ceremony at The Savoy on Sunday night. Evening Standard film critic Derek Malcolm said: "He Leigh has never made a film that is better controlled and technically more secure... If this isn't one of the films of the year, I don't know what is." The Alexander Walker Special Award which honours those who have made a supreme contribution to British film went to Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, the co chairmen of Working Title films. The production company is behind films such as My Beautiful Laundrette, Billy Elliot, About A Boy, Shaun of The Dead and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Simon Pegg, who stars in and co wrote Shaun of the Dead, won the 2004 Peter Sellers Award For Comedy. Other winners included Emily Blunt and Nathalie Press who were jointly named ITV London Most Promising Newcomer Award for their performances in Pawel Pawlikowski's rites of passage story, My Summer of Love. Pawlikowski won the best screenplay statuette, while Roger Deakins won the Technical Achievement Award for his cinematography on The Village and The Ladykillers. Guests at the ceremony included Dame Judi Dench, Kim Cattrall, Charles Dance, Bill Nighy and Colin Firth. The awards, which were hosted by Jack Dee, are to be screened on ITV London on Tuesday at 2300 GMT.


Novelist Arthur Hailey, who has died at the age of 84, was known for his bestselling page turners exploring the inner workings of various industries, from the hotels to high finance. Born in Luton, Bedfordshire, on 5 April 1920, Hailey was the only child of working class parents, They could not afford to keep him in school beyond the age of 14. He served as a pilot with the Royal Air Force during World War II, flying fighter planes to the Middle East. It was an occupation that was later to feature in his authorial debut, the television screenplay Flight into Danger. Hailey emigrated to Canada in 1947, where he eventually became a citizen. He wanted to be a writer from an early age, but did not take it up professionally until his mid thirties, when he was inspired to write his first screenplay while on a return flight to Toronto. "I fell to daydreaming. I visualised the pilots at the controls and wondered what would happen if they both got sick. Could I fly the airplane? I was a rusty wartime pilot who hadn't flown for nine years... " Hailey later recalled. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation bought Flight into Danger for 600 ( 318) and it was shown on TV in April 1956. It was later memorably spoofed in the 1980 comedy Airplane!, starring Leslie Nielsen. Hailey worked as a screenwriter for a couple of years, before turning to novels. He went on to produce 11 best selling books, which were published into 38 languages in 40 countries. Flight into Danger was adapted to become Hailey's first novel, Runaway Zero Eight in 1958. The Final Diagnosis and In High Places followed, both achieving a popular following. But it was not until Hotel, in 1965, that Hollywood came calling. The hit novel took four years to write, and stayed on national best seller lists for a full year. It was turned into a movie in 1967 and later adapted into a glossy soap in the 1980s, starring James Brolin. Airport (1968) arguably remains Hailey's best loved work and prompted the disaster movie genre. The thriller follows events in the sky, and on the ground at a snow logged airport, when a terrorist boards an airplane with a bomb. The book was adapted into a hit film in 1970, starring Burt Lancaster as the harassed aiport manager and Dean Martin as a womanising pilot, alongside Jean Seberg and Jacqueline Bisset. In a testament to the popularity of the fledgling disaster genre three sequels followed. The writer was known for his painstaking research into the professions around which each novel was centred, drawing his characters "from real life" and taking up to three years to produce each book. "I have never been able to write quickly or easily. I am too self critical for that. I am never satisfied," he once said. In 1969, he moved to Nassau in the Bahamas, with his wife Sheila. Wheels (1971), The Moneychangers (1975) and Overload (1979) followed. Despite a lukewarm response from critics, and few literary accolades, Hailey was at the height of his fame in the seventies and continued to attract the attention of Hollywood producers. Strong Medicine, Hailey's blockbuster focusing on the pharmaceutical industry, was turned into a film in 1986, starring Sam Neill, Douglas Fairbanks Jr and a panoply of former soap stars. The 1997 novel Detective proved to be Hailey's final book, when at the age of 77 he decided to retire. Hailey's health began to deteriorate in recent years, twice undergoing heart surgery. He suffered a stroke just two months ago. He died in his sleep on Wednesday, after dinner with his wife and two of his six children at his home in New Providence island. "He had a wonderful life. His greatest ambition was to see his name on a book and he certainly achieved that," said his wife, Sheila.


Mike Leigh's film Vera Drake will lead British hopes at this year's Academy Awards after getting three nominations. Imelda Staunton was nominated for best actress for her role in the abortion drama, while Leigh received nods for best director and original screenplay. Kate Winslet was also nominated in the best actress category for her role in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And Clive Owen and Sophie Okonedo both got nominated for supporting roles in Closer and Hotel Rwanda respectively. Owen has already been made bookmakers' favourite for best supporting actor for the role in Closer that has already clinched him a Golden Globe award. And it is the first nomination for actress Okonedo, chosen for her performance in Hotel Rwanda, about the 1994 Rwandan genocide. It is also a debut nomination for Staunton, 49, who told BBC News 24 she had not thought the film would appeal to Academy voters. "It was an extraordinary time making the film and I can't believe what has happened this morning," she said. "I hope it just shows Mike up to be the extraordinary filmmaker he is. "We are also dealing with a very difficult subject matter and it is amazing to have it accepted in this way." Leigh, who had previously received three Oscar nominations for Secrets and Lies and Topsy Turvy, told BBC News 24 the latest success was "amazing". He said: "We hoped that Imelda Staunton would get a nomination but I never expected to get director and screenplay. It's just absolutely wonderful. "I think people are aware that it's about life and I hope it is the warmth and compassion that really talks to people." Winslet said she was "ecstatic" about the fourth nomination of her career. "Being nominated means so much to me. To be nominated for a film that was released a while ago, I feel so honoured and overwhelmed," she said. John Woodward, chief executive of the UK Film Council, said it was "extremely heartening" to see British filmmaking talent recognised on the global stage. "Britain has a hugely talented industry and these nominations show why National Lottery investment in film pays major dividends for our culture and economy." Among a total of 24 British nominees, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Charles Hart are up for best original song for Learn To Be Lonely, from The Phantom of the Opera movie. Cinematographer John Mathieson, who was nominated for Gladiator in 2001, is also up for The Phantom of the Opera. And Finding Neverland has garnered two more nominations for Brits. Gemma Jackson, who has also worked on Bridget Jones's Diary and Iris, is up for art direction while costume designer Alexandra Byrne, whose previous films have included Captain Corelli's Mandolin and Elizabeth, is in the running. The UK has two contenders in the best live action short film category. Wasp was made by ex children's TV presenter Andrea Arnold while Little Terrorist is the work of Ashvin Kumar. This year's awards will be handed out in Hollywood on 27 February.


Organisers say this year's Berlin Film Festival, which opens on Thursday with period epic Man to Man, will celebrate a revitalised European cinema. Of the 21 films in competition for the Golden and Silver Bear awards, more than half are from Europe with France particularly well represented. Festival director Dieter Kosslick says this strong showing signals "a new consciousness for European films". "They're on an incredible winning streak," he told the Reuters agency. "This isn't to say there aren't any good American films," he continued. "It's just that there are more good European films." However, Mr Kosslick refused to accept that widespread opposition to the Iraq war had turned audiences against Hollywood imports. "There is no anti American mood," he said. Some 350 films will be screened at this year's festival, with a further 300 shown at the European Film Market that runs alongside it. More than a dozen celebrities are scheduled to attend, among them Will Smith, Kevin Spacey and Keanu Reeves. But Mr Kosslick says more would be coming had the Academy Awards not been brought forward to 27 February. "I'm not worried that we won't be able to fill the red carpet with stars," he said, though he admitted the festival may be moved to January next year to avoid a similar clash. The 10 day Berlinale runs until 20 February.


Veteran comedian and broadcaster Cyril Fletcher has died aged 91 at his home in Guernsey. Fletcher will be remembered for his "odd odes" and amusing misprints on TV show That's Life in the 1970s and 80s, as well as a long variety career. He was also a regular on Does the Team Think?, a comic version of radio information show The Brains Trust. That's Life host Esther Rantzen said he was "so lovely" and a "delight" to work with. "The thing about Cyril was that he was, to use a slightly old fashioned phrase, an English gentleman," she said. "He was courteous, and understated, and he adored gardens, particularly creating them for his beautiful wife. "He was funny and witty to work with. He was a real friend and I shall miss him." One of the last comedians of old time variety era, Fletcher made his first TV appearance in 1937. A year after BBC Television began, he was seen reciting humorous poems, appearing in a revue, Tele Ho, and playing the Emperor of Morocco in the first televised pantomime, Dick Whittington. He went on to become a regular voice on radio, have a string of TV shows in the 1950s and appear in several films, including 1947's Nicholas Nickleby. He married actress Betty Astell in 1941 and in the 1950s and 60s, they produced pantos and summer shows, discovering new stars including Harry Secombe. In the mid 1990s, Fletcher said he had made a "fabulous living" since the age of 22 and had never had a day out of work. He was most recently seen presenting a gardening programme for Channel TV. Fletcher was described as a "consummate professional" by his friend and fellow broadcaster Michael Pointon. "It really was a pleasure to work with him he had met everyone and done everything," Mr Pointon said. "He was a whimsical, droll fellow, but also a very artistic man. As a friend, he was very kind, and generous." Fletcher's daughter Jill said her father would be sorely missed. "He was greatly loved by the public," she said.


Clint Eastwood's boxing drama Million Dollar Baby has become the new favourite to win best picture at the Oscars on Sunday. According to pundits, the film has overtaken previous favourite The Aviator, with Eastwood also tipped to take the best director award. Its star Hilary Swank is favourite to win best actress while Jamie Foxx is tipped to win best actor for Ray. Million Dollar Baby has seven nominations while The Aviator has 11. The Aviator has scored a best director nomination for Martin Scorsese, who has never won an Oscar, while stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett are both nominated for acting Oscars. "If you look at the Oscars race, The Aviator should be ahead," said awards pundit Tom O'Neil. "It is the most nominated film, and the most nominated movie has won best picture 18 times out of the last 20 years. "But the reality is Million Dollar Baby is the dark horse. People feel emotionally about it and Clint is a beloved Hollywood chum of the Academy voters," he said. Anne Thompson of the Hollywood Reporter said that Million Dollar Baby was "heart wrenching". "It's very emotional, it even makes grown men cry," she said. "The Aviator is a gorgeous movie, but it's colder." In the acting categories, Foxx is regarded as almost unbeatable for his performance as Ray Charles in Ray. "The performance is based on a real person who was a showbusiness hero with a handicap, who recently died," O'Neil said. "He has unstoppable momentum among the voters." Hilary Swank is the favourite to win best actress for the second time in six years. She previously won in 1999 for her performance in Boys Don't Cry. In the supporting categories, Cate Blanchett is tipped to win for her performance as Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator, while Morgan Freeman is favourite to take home his first ever Oscar, for Million Dollar Baby. The Oscars will take place at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on 27 February.


The new video of former Westlife singer Brian McFadden has been pulled after a Dublin school complained about being associated with his song Irish Son. St Fintian's High School says it is clearly identified in the video, while McFadden never went there. McFadden makes claims that he was beaten at his own school in the song's lyrics, saying it had "cell blocks". The performer's record label Sony BMG has withdrawn the video and issued replacements to television stations. The label believed the school name was fictitious until they received the complaint. They have said the reference to the school was unintentional and coincidental. The head of Christian Brothers' school St Fintian's, Richard Fogarty, said the video implied that the 24 year old pop star had attended his school and was abused there. "The school has always treated its pupils with respect," Mr Fogarty said in a statement. McFadden makes specific references to the Christian Brothers in his song, but did not attend St Fintian's. Corporal punishment was outlawed in Irish schools in 1982 when McFadden was two years old. McFadden, whose debut solo album is released next week, has said that every song is autobiographical and "a true story". Alcoholism and domestic violence are among the other topics dealt with in his songs, half of which have been written with Robbie Williams' former collaborator, Guy Chambers. McFadden, who quit chart topping group Westlife in March, went to number one in September with his first solo single Real To Me. He enjoyed 12 chart toppers with the boy band before parting company with them.


The new version of the Band Aid song Do They Know It's Christmas? has gone straight in at number one in the UK singles chart. The charity record is also tipped to be this year's Christmas number one. It features vocals from the likes of Chris Martin, Dido, Robbie Williams and the Sugababes. The original version which was the Christmas number one in 1984 sold 750,000 copies in its first week and 3.5 million in total. It was released in the US, and reached number 13 in the singles chart. However, Band Aid 20 is not going to be released in the US, despite being sold in many countries around the world. US record shops are stocking an import version of Do They Know It's Christmas, which is said to be selling very well in Los Angeles and New York. British stars who appear on the current recording, such as Dido and Coldplay's Chris Martin, are well known to music fans across the Atlantic, along with U2 frontman Bono. Record company Universal is responsible for the global distribution of the single, which will be available across Europe, Asia, South America and Canada. But music fans in the US are still able to access the song and download it on Band Aid 20's official website. In 1985, a group of high profile American stars known as USA For Africa came together to record their own fund raising single, We Are The World. The song was written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson, with Quincy Jones as producer. It topped the US charts for three weeks and went on win Grammy awards for best record and song. Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and Tina Turner were among the line up of performers. Proceeds from the sales of the Band Aid 20 single will go towards aid relief in Africa, in countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan. The money raised will also be used to help combat HIV and Aids across the continent. The Band Aid Trust which was set up 20 years ago, when the original single was released, handed out 144m ( 75m) to famine relief projects across Africa between January 1985 and November 2004.


Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos has called for more government help for musicians, while taking part in an Edinburgh Lectures discussion. "For any cultural output to thrive there needs to be some kind of state input to that as well," he said. But Kapranos warned against musicians being too closely linked with MPs, at the University of Edinburgh event. "I think the role of musicians is to question politicians rather than to go to bed with them," he said. Kapranos joined the prestigious lecture series to discuss Scotland's role in making 21st Century music. "There are elements of our musical output which require sustenance because they aren't self sufficient," he said. "But so called commercial music would benefit from investment as well." He warned musicians against being allied to a particular party, however. "I don't know if having tea with politicians is always a good idea." Kapranos and his Glasgow four piece band have been nominated for five prizes at next week's Brit Awards, including best group and best album. Their self titled debut album won last year's Mercury Music Prize and spawned three top 20 singles. He told the 300 strong audience at the University's Reid Hall that musicians should listen to a wide range of music and should not be restricted by stereotypes. "We say 'I like this'. Because I listen to Nirvana and Korn I am a troubled individual, I'm riddled with angst because I listen to Chopin and Debussy, I listen to Kylie Minogue and Scissor Sisters because I'm upbeat and I like to party, I listen to Wagner because I like the smell of napalm in the morning." Kapranos said there was a general "hostility" towards classical music, adding: "There is very little done to break that hostility other than Classic FM." He concluded: "We define ourselves as a nation by the way we encourage our creativity." Fellow speaker and classical composer James MacMillan agreed: "We need to rediscover our ability to listen." Previous speakers at the Edinburgh Lectures series have included former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and author Professor Stephen Hawking. Kapranos described his appearance on Wednesday as "more daunting by a long way" than their upcoming Brits performance. "I don't really care about the Brits," he said. "It's going to be great to go down but I have actually had to exercise part of my brain tonight." I think the government should do more to help up and coming artists be discovered by scrapping the entertainment licences for live venues. Also they should do more to help independent record labels have a louder voice within an industry dominated by commercialised major labels. Rather than expecting the government i.e. the taxpayer to fork out, why don't some of the megastars put something back in? Some of Britain's wealthiest people are musicians who have raked it in from albums, concerts etc. There are far more important demands on government funds. If they can fund football, why not fund music? Areas of the arts are funded by government and lottery grants, so why not music? We already have the opera receiving huge grants and it would clearly be beneficial for diversity in music to have the same opportunities in other areas of the music. The only problem would be how to judge what merits state cash. The government has enough problems funding schools and health services. If Alex Kapranos genuinely thinks a multi billion pound industry should also have government funding then his own education was seriously lacking and more money should be put into that. As a Scot living in England, I appreciate the value of Scottish music and culture being a success, so I can see no problem with it! Franz Ferdinand, Travis and Snow Patrol are just recent examples of the success Scottish music can have in the world, so we should do what we Scots are good at and support our own goods! I think the issue is more fundamental: should the government be spending money on subsidising a multi million pound industry when health and education are in such a sorry state? The answer is most definitely no. Those people who are lucky enough to pursue their passion to get their pay cheque shouldn't be looking for government subsidies. I know that if I was lucky enough to be able to pursue my dream of show jumping I would want to finance myself until I was in a position to pursue corporate sponsorship. Yes the government should fund music it brings joy to the masses. There are already thousands of state funded musicians out there sitting around, twiddling their thumbs on the "new deal". Getting the government even more involved would only waste money that could be put to better use. As long as the Government was funding real talent it would be a great move. I would hate to see more Pop Idol type funding of music though, as it would only serve to reinforce the stereotypes that Alex talked about. Only if the proposals make financial sense. Franz Ferdinand must be paying serious amounts of tax on their record sales if they'd had a government grant to get started they'd have more than paid it back by now, so the Treasury would be making far more than it paid out. However, the government has better things to spend its money on than to give charity to everyone who decides they're a musician. The government shouldn't "fund" music it should "invest" in music and those investments should be treated like any other investment. I think the government needs to provide facilities and for young groups and bands to form and practise. The equipment is not cheap and can be well beyond the means of many people. However, I do feel this should be the extent of their role, to provide the conditions for the talent to flourish and let it go from there. I do agree that the government should help to fund music but there is also a responsibility held by record companies! They generally always opt for the tried and tested and tend not to want to break any moulds or risk losing any money which ultimately, the directors are in the business for! If labels were more willing to put money forward towards smaller breakthrough acts then the government wouldn't have to fork out a great deal. Yeah, why not? Music should be government funded, particularly the work of modern composers and veteran bands/artists and stuff. Pop music pretty much rules the earth, so more attention should go to the other fraternities I agree with funding the arts to make it more accessible to the public but I am not convinced that pop music requires financial support from the taxpayer. There is a great deal of money generated through pop music perhaps a tax on pop could be ploughed into the public performance of other forms of music for everyone to enjoy. Perhaps we could financially penalise really bad Pop Idol style music that is, the music industry sector without any artistic merit or originality whatsoever and that which is specifically designed to line the pockets of music producers. Call it a tax on music "pollution", if you like. Though I really like Franz Ferdinand, I have to disagree with Mr Kapranos. Once government gets their hand into the private sector, it will destroy the creative and possibly controversial avenues the artist pursues. Many years ago, this was the case with the US NEA, when the government started to question what was considered art for the money they were allotting. The solution Mr Kapranos should pursue would be privately funded organizations, like Save the Music in the US.


Oscar nominated animation Shark Tale has raked in 80m ( 42.4m) in the first week of its US DVD release becoming the year's best selling home video so far. The tally for its DVD and video sales soared past the film's opening week US box office takings of 56m ( 29.7m). Shark Tale is now the sixth highest earning DVD for first week sales. The all time first week record is held by 1995's Lion King followed by Shrek 2, Finding Nemo, the original Shrek, and Monster's Inc. Shark Tale, whose voice cast includes Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Renee Zellweger and Martin Scorsese, sold more than 6 million DVDs and videos across the United States and Canada. It becomes the highest first week earner for February, outshining My Big Fat Greek Wedding which sold four million units in 2003. Films which are expected to earn strong home video returns are usually timed for release in the busiest retail season which falls before Christmas. The best selling home video of last year was the Dreamworks hit Shrek 2, which took an estimated 458 m ( 242.7m) in North America alone.


Sideways, a wine tasting comedy starring Paul Giamatti, is up for six Independent Spirit Awards, the art house version of the Oscars. The awards are held on 26 February, the day before the Oscars. Spanish drama Maria Full of Grace, about a Colombian woman who becomes a drug courier, got five nominations. Controversial biopic Kinsey, starring Liam Neeson as sex researcher Alfred Kinsey, was one of four films to get four nominations. The awards, now in their 20th year, honour quirky low budget films, all of which must have a degree of independent financing. Sideways is written and directed by Alexander Payne, who directed the 2002 hit About Schmidt, winning Jack Nicholson his 12th Academy Award nomination. "These awards, for better or worse, mean everything," said Sideways producer Michael London, adding they were a "huge first step" toward getting recognition from other awards. Among the other films receiving four nominations apiece were Brother to Brother, a drama about a young gay black man forced to live on the streets, Robbing Peter and Primer. Primer, a 7,000 ( 3,650) tale of discovery, won top prize at the Sundance film festival earlier this year. Walter Salles critically acclaimed The Motorcycle Diaries and the forthcoming thriller The Woodsman, starring Kevin Bacon, received three nominations each. Also in the running, with two nominations, are high school comedy Napoleon Dynamite, The Door in the Floor and Garden State written, directed and starring Scrubs star Zach Braff alongside Natalie Portman. The awards were announced by actors Selma Blair and Dennis Quaid in Los Angeles on Tuesday.


Roxy Music will appear at June's Isle of Wight music festival, along with Morrissey, Supergrass and Idlewild. REM have already been confirmed as headliners for the three day event, which takes place from 10 12 June. Original band members Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzerana, Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson will take to the stage on the Saturday night of the festival. The band are also working in the studio on new material, their first since the 1982 album Avalon. Roxy Music were formed in 1971 by Ferry, Mackay and Brian Eno, with Manzanera joining the following year. Their first hit was 1972's Virginia Plain, with other hits including Street Life, Love Is The Drug and the 1981 John Lennon cover, Jealous Guy. Roxy Music's back catalogue was re released in 2000, leading to the band undertaking a world tour in 2001. Morrissey will also play on Saturday at the festival, while Supergrass and Idlewild have been confirmed for the Friday.


Late film star Marlon Brando is said to have repeatedly turned down his Oscar winning role in The Godfather. The actor's friend Budd Schulberg told Vanity Fair magazine that Brando's assistant suggested he read the novel. The actor repeatedly refused, throwing the book at her and saying: "For the last time, I won't glorify the mafia". But Brando, who died last July at the age of 80, eventually took the role of Don Corleone, winning him an Oscar in 1973 which he notoriously refused. The actor sent a young woman dressed in Native American costume to refuse the award on his behalf and to draw attention to the plight of Native Americans. Schulberg told the magazine that Brando's assistant realised the film star had warmed to the idea of The Godfather role when he sported a drawn on pencil moustache and asked: "How do I look?" His assistant, Alice Marchak, said that he looked like George Raft, an actor famed for playing gangsters on the silver screen. Every time she went to see Brando from then on, she added, he was wearing a different gangster style moustache. Brando was asked to screen test for the role in The Godfather, as studio executives were said to be reluctant for the actor to play the part following problems on the set of Brando's previous film Mutiny on the Bounty . In fact Brando's Academy Award triumph revived his career. The actor was nominated for an Oscar the following year for his role in Bernardo Bertolucci's Last Tango in Paris. Before his death, Brando granted gaming company Electronic Arts the rights to use his voice and image in a video game based on the Godfather film and book and recorded voice overs which closely resembled his role as Don Corleone. Brando's co stars from The Godfather, James Caan and Robert Duvall, will also reprise their roles for the video game, it was confirmed on Wednesday.


New York electro rock group The Bravery have come top of the BBC News website's Sound of 2005 poll to find the music scene's most promising new act. The Bravery, who have been compared to The Cure and New Order, were the most heavily tipped act in the survey of 110 impartial critics and broadcasters. Rock band Keane won Sound of 2004 while US rapper 50 Cent topped Sound of 2003. Other new artists in this year's list include London indie group Bloc Party at second and UK rapper Kano third. The Bravery played their first gig in 2003 and have since supported bands including The Libertines, Interpol and Echo and the Bunnymen. They were the subject of a record company bidding war in 2004 and their debut single, Unconditional, caused a huge buzz when it was released in the UK in November. Singer Sam Endicott said he felt "great" about coming top of the Sound of 2005 list. "Anyone that says they don't want a zillion screaming fans is a jackass, a liar," he said. One of the experts to tip The Bravery was The Times' music critic Paul Connolly, who said they were "spiky but in love with pop". Chris Hawkins, host of BBC 6 Music's chart show, said the band had "great guitars and a mastery of the electro clash sound". "The Bravery are proof alone that New York City is still home to hot new talent," he said. Nigel Harding, head of music at London rock radio station Xfm, said every track from their live set "sounded like a potential single". Unconditional reached the summit of the station's listeners' chart within a fortnight of its first play, which Mr Harding described as "an unheard of achievement for a debut single". Q magazine reviews editor Ted Kessler said they were "pretty boy New York clothes horses" with "an unusually nimble ear for concise, yearning pop in the mould of Duran Duran or The Strokes". Other pundits to take part in the survey included BBC Radio 1 DJ Trevor Nelson, NME editor Conor McNicholas, Top of the Pops presenter Fearne Cotton, Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis and BBC Radio 2 music editor Colin Martin. Elsewhere on the top 10, second placed rock band Bloc Party began their rise after supporting Franz Ferdinand and UK garage MC Kano, in third, is signed to The Streets' record label. US rapper The Game is hip hop great Dr Dre's latest protege while Leeds group Kaiser Chiefs came fifth with a promise to lead a Britpop revival. In last year's survey, Keane were followed by Franz Ferdinand, Razorlight and Joss Stone in the top five all of whom were virtually unknown outside the music industry at that point. Boy band McFly were sixth while Scissor Sisters, who had the UK's best selling album of 2004, were seventh. In the survey, the pundits were asked for tips for three acts they thought were capable of reaching the top in their chosen genre, either in terms of sales or critical acclaim. The artists could be from any country and any musical genre, but must not have had a UK top 20 single, been a contestant on a TV talent show or already be famous for doing something else, such as a soap actor. Those tips were then counted and compiled to make the top 10.


The 77th annual Academy Awards are taking place on 27 February with the stars of the movie making world once again holding their breath to discover who will be showered with the honours this year. But from humble beginnings, how did the modern day extravaganza become the behemoth it is today? HOW IT ALL STARTED The first Academy Awards were handed out in 1929 at a comparatively low key dinner held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel just over the road from their modern day home. Just 250 guests attended with ticket prices at 5. The first film to win was Wings, which starred Clara Bow in the only silent movie to win the big award. For the first 10 years or so, the winners list was handed to the newspapers so they could publish them at 11pm, but in 1940 the winners were published in the Los Angeles Times at 8.45pm meaning guests entering the ceremony knew already knew the results. As a result the sealed envelope system was introduced, leading to the secrecy and suspense filled night that happens today. WHEN AND WHERE The tradition of holding the awards at a banquet continued until 1942 but with increasing interest came a growing guest list and it became impractical to host it as a dinner. The ceremonies were then transferred to theatres with the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre the first to host the expanded event. Other venues included the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Shrine Auditorium. They are now held at the Kodak Theatre, which opened in 2002 just across the road from its original home and holds 6,000 people. Until 1954 they were held on a Thursday, then swapped around from Monday to Wednesday before Sunday night was settled on, although the month swapped from May to April to March and now its current month of February. The first televised ceremony was in 1953, with Bob Hope as the MC. WHO WAS OSCAR? There is no solid evidence as to how the trophy became to be known as Oscar. One popular story is that Academy librarian Margaret Herrick said the statue looked like her uncle Oscar. A journalist apparently overheard this conversation and used the phrase in an article. The first time it is thought to have been used in print was when columnist Sidney Skolsky used it to describe Katherine Hepburn's first best actress win in 1934. The Academy officially adopted the nickname in 1939. The trophy was designed by MGM art director Cedric Gibbons. Since its inception 2,530 Oscars have been handed out. In support of the war effort, the Academy handed out plaster Oscar statuettes during WWII. After the war, winners exchanged the plaster awards for the real thing. Fifty five statues were stolen in en route to the awards in 2000, 52 were recovered nine days later. Winners were unaffected as a new batch was rushed out. WHO SITS IN JUDGEMENT? The Academy was set up in 1927 as a non profit organisation with 36 members from different film disciplines. Douglas Fairbanks Sr was the first president and oversaw the first awards. There are now 5,700 members of the Academy with membership by invitation only to those who are seen to have achieved distinction in the movies and are therefore seen as fit to judge their peers. Some of the criteria for admittance includes: film credits that reflect the high standards of the Academy, receipt of an Academy Award nomination, achievement of unique distinction, earning of special merit, or making an outstanding contribution to film. THE STARS WHO LEFT EMPTY HANDED While many of the biggest films and movie makers have been honoured by the Academy, there is still surprise at those that did not receive any nominations that later went on to become classics. Among the overlooked films were Hobson's Choice, Dirty Harry, The 39 Steps, The Searchers and King Kong. Actors that failed to win for their iconic roles included Al Jolson in the Jazz Singer (1927), Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1944), Gene Kelly in Singing in the Rain (1952) and Henry Fonda in 12 Angry Men (1957). Alfred Hitchcock also failed to win an award despite five nominations. His enduring influence on the horror genre was finally recognised with an honorary gong in 1968. THE SHOW ALWAYS GOES ON Not even war has halted the glittering Hollywood event. There were calls for it to be cancelled in 2003 during the war in Iraq, but as it didn't stop during World War II or the Vietnam war. Documentary winner Michael Moore ensured nobody forgot about the Iraq war though and used his acceptance speech to criticise the American invasion. The ceremony was muted with the glitz turned down and many female stars opting for demure dark dresses. The ceremony has been postponed on three occasions. Los Angeles floods in 1938 saw it put back a week. The death of Martin Luther King saw it postponed for two days in 1968 as a mark of respect and there was a 24 hour delay following the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. CONTROVERSIES AND OTHER GAFFES Three people have refused Oscars, including actor George C Scott who said the whole thing was "demeaning". Writer Dudley Nichols refused his Academy Award in 1935 for his screenplay for The Insider because the Writers' Guild was striking at the time. Marlon Brando turned down his best actor Oscar for The Godfather in 1973 in protest as Hollywood's apparent discrimination against Native American people. He sent along a woman called Sacheen Littlefeather to collect his award. She was later revealed to be Native American actress Maria Cruz. The following year Robert Opal interrupted proceedings when he streaked, flashing a peace sign as well as everything else. The TV network managed to pan away and avoid too much nudity. Opal was murdered in 1979. Frank Capra was the butt of one major gaffe in 1934 when the host opened out best picture envelope and declared "come on up and get it, Frank" to which Frank Capra bounded up to the stage before realising that he had meant Frank Lloyd had won for Cavalcade. Capra vowed he would never to go the awards again but went the following year to collect his award for It Happened One Night.


A Christmas tree that can receive text messages has been unveiled at London's Tate Britain art gallery. The spruce has an antenna which can receive Bluetooth texts sent by visitors to the Tate. The messages will be "unwrapped" by sculptor Richard Wentworth, who is responsible for decorating the tree with broken plates and light bulbs. It is the 17th year that the gallery has invited an artist to dress their Christmas tree. Artists who have decorated the Tate tree in previous years include Tracey Emin in 2002. The plain green Norway spruce is displayed in the gallery's foyer. Its light bulb adornments are dimmed, ordinary domestic ones joined together with string. The plates decorating the branches will be auctioned off for the children's charity ArtWorks. Wentworth worked as an assistant to sculptor Henry Moore in the late 1960s. His reputation as a sculptor grew in the 1980s, while he has been one of the most influential teachers during the last two decades. Wentworth is also known for his photography of mundane, everyday subjects such as a cigarette packet jammed under the wonky leg of a table.


US band REM have announced plans to perform for 10,000 Scottish fans in a rescheduled gig. The band will play in what has been dubbed Europe's biggest tent on Glasgow Green on Tuesday, 14 June. They were forced to pull out of a concert at the SECC in Glasgow last month after bassist Mike Mills contracted flu. Fans who bought tickets for the original 22 February show can attend the rescheduled concert. The June gig will act as a warm up for REM's open air concert at Balloch Castle Country Park, on the banks of Loch Lomond, four days later. Promoters Regular Music booked Glasgow Green as the SECC was not available on the most suitable date. Mark Mackie, director of Regular Music, said: "It is fantastic news and it really shows REM's commitment to their Scottish fans that they are coming back to Glasgow for what will be a truly unique gig." The REM gigs will kick start what promises to be a memorable summer for Scottish music lovers. Grammy Award winners U2 will play Hampden on 21 June while Oasis will also perform at the national stadium in Glasgow on 29 June. Coldplay have announced a concert at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow on 1 July and T in the Park will be held at Balado, near Kinross, from 9 10 July. Ticketweb and the SECC box office will write to customers who bought tickets for the February gig asking if they want to attend the new show. Those who bought tickets in person are being urged to return to the point of purchase. Anyone who cannot make the concert will be given a refund. The cut off date for swapping tickets is 1 April, when those remaining will go on sale to the public.


French booksellers are braced for a rush of interest after another book from the author of The Da Vinci Code is translated into French. Angels and Demons, by US author Dan Brown, will go on sale on Wednesday. The Da Vinci Code is set in Paris including the Louvre and has sold around one million copies in France. The main character, Robert Langdon, also appears in Angels and Demons. The Da Vinci Code is being made into a film starring Tom Hanks. Angels and Demons was written before The Da Vinci Code, which has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, and been translated into more than 40 languages, since it was released in 2003. Angels and Demons is set mainly in Rome as symbologist Robert Langdon follows a 400 year old trail to try to uncover a plot by an ancient brotherhood, The Illuminati, to blow up the Vatican. The novel deals with moral issues such as the debate between science and religion and also seeks to uncover some of the mysteries surrounding the Pope. On his website, Brown wrote: "I think the reason Angels and Demons is raising eyebrows right now is that it opens some Vatican closets most people don't even know exist. "But I think most people understand that an organisation as old and powerful as the Vatican could not possibly have risen to power without acquiring a few skeletons in their closets." Such is the success of The Da Vinci Code in France, special tours have been organised to trace Langdon's footsteps, including the the Louvre museum and the Saint Sulpice Church. The Louvre has also given permission for parts of the film version to be shot in the museum. The film, to be directed by A Beautiful Mind's Ron Howard, is due to start filming at the Paris museum in May and stars Hanks alongside French actress Audrey Tautou.


Chart topping pop band Busted have confirmed that they plan to "take a break", following rumours that they were on the verge of splitting. A statement from the band's record company Universal said frontman Charlie Simpson planned to spend some time working with his other band, Fightstar. However they said that Busted would "reconvene in due course". The band have had eight top three hits, including four number ones, since they first hit the charts in 2002. Their singles include What I Go To School For, Year 3000, Crashed The Wedding, You Said No, and Who's David? The band, which also includes members Matt Jay and James Bourne, made the top ten with their self titled debut album, as well as the follow up, A Present For Everyone, in 2003. They won best pop act and best breakthrough act at the 2004 Brit Awards and were nominated for best British group. Most recently they topped the charts with the theme from the live action film version of Thunderbirds, which was voted Record Of The Year on the ITV1 show. The band have capitalised on a craze for artists playing catchy pop music with rock overtones. The trio are seen as an alternative to more manufactured artists who are not considered credible musicians because they do not write their own songs or play their own instruments. However, recent rumours have suggested that Simpson has been wanting to quit the band to focus on Fightstar. He now plans to take Fightstar on tour.


Uganda's authorities have banned the play The Vagina Monologues, due to open in the capital, Kampala this weekend. The Ugandan Media Council said the performance would not be put on as it promoted and glorified acts such as lesbianism and homosexuality. It said the production could go ahead if the organisers "expunge all the offending parts". But the organisers of the play say it raises awareness of sexual abuse against women. "The play promotes illegal, unnatural sexual acts, homosexuality and prostitution, it should be and is hereby banned," the council's ruling said. The show, which has been a controversial sell out around the world, explores female sexuality and strength through individual women telling their stories through monologues. Some parliamentarians and church leaders are also siding with the Media Council, Uganda's New Vision newspaper reports. "The play is obscene and pornographic although it was under the guise of women's liberation," MP Kefa Ssempgani told parliament. But the work's author, US playwright Eve Ensler, says it is all about women's empowerment. "There is obviously some fear of the vagina and saying the word vagina," Ms Ensler told the BBC. "It's not a slang word or dirty word it's a biological, anatomical word." She said the play is being produced and performed by Ugandan women and it is not being forced on them. The four Ugandan NGOs organising the play intended to raise money to campaign to stop violence against women and to raise funds for the war torn north of the country. "I'm extremely outraged at the hypocrisy," the play's organiser in Uganda, Sarah Mukasa, told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme. "I'm amazed that this country Uganda gives the impression that it is progressive and supports women's rights and the notions of free speech; yet when women want to share their stories the government uses the apparatus of state to shut us up."


Stars of the Eurovision Song Contest from the show's 50 year history are to compete against each other to celebrate the contest's anniversary. Viewers will choose 14 past songs to be performed by the original artists or others in the spirit of the originals. Past Eurovision performers include Abba, Celine Dion, Bucks Fizz, Nana Mouskouri, Lulu and Julio Iglesias. Fans will then vote as usual to pick the all time best Eurovision song during the show in Denmark in October. The first contest was organised by the European Broadcasting Union, or EBU, in 1956, and has become an annual event pitting pop giants against musical minnows with often surprising results. While some regard it as an essential celebration of continental talent, others see it as an equally unmissable parade of the reasons some countries do not normally produce international stars. The 50th annual contest will be held in Kiev, Ukraine, in May, after Ukrainian singer Ruslana won last year. The 50th anniversary special will be held in Denmark later this year because the Danish Broadcasting Corporation came up with the idea for the all time contest. A plan to hold it in London was scrapped because of problems finding a suitable venue. Ireland has been the most successful country in the show's history with seven victories, followed by the UK, France and Luxembourg with five each.


Ocean's Twelve, the crime caper sequel starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, has gone straight to number one in the US box office chart. It took 40.8m ( 21m) in weekend ticket sales, according to studio estimates. The sequel follows the master criminals as they try to pull off three major heists across Europe. It knocked last week's number one, National Treasure, into third place. Wesley Snipes' Blade: Trinity was in second, taking 16.1m ( 8.4m). Rounding out the top five was animated fable The Polar Express, starring Tom Hanks, and festive comedy Christmas with the Kranks. Ocean's Twelve box office triumph marks the fourth biggest opening for a December release in the US, after the three films in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The sequel narrowly beat its 2001 predecessor, Ocean's Eleven which took 38.1m ( 19.8m) on its opening weekend and 184m ( 95.8m) in total. A remake of the 1960s film, starring Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack, Ocean's Eleven was directed by Oscar winning director Steven Soderbergh. Soderbergh returns to direct the hit sequel which reunites Clooney, Pitt and Roberts with Matt Damon, Andy Garcia and Elliott Gould. Catherine Zeta Jones joins the all star cast. "It's just a fun, good holiday movie," said Dan Fellman, president of distribution at Warner Bros. However, US critics were less complimentary about the 110m ( 57.2m) project, with the Los Angeles Times labelling it a "dispiriting vanity project". A milder review in the New York Times dubbed the sequel "unabashedly trivial".