The UK's trade gap narrowed in November, helped by a 7.5% rise in exports outside the European Union. According to the Office for National Statistics, the difference between what the UK exported and imported was 3.1bn ( 5.8bn), down from October's 3.6bn. Overall UK exports including both goods and services rose by more than 3.2% to 24.8bn, although total imports rose again to a new record of 27.9bn. The deficit for goods alone was 4.6bn, down from October's 5bn. During November the UK exported 16.9bn worth of goods, but imported 21.5bn. The cumulative deficit for the first eleven months of 2004 now stands at 36.3bn, 4.5bn higher than the same period in 2003. November saw an improvement in export levels to both the European Union and the rest of the world, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. EU exports rose 2%, fuelled by an increase in sales of chemicals. Non EU exports shot up 7.5%, with growth seen across a range of manufacturing sectors including cars, consumer durables and chemicals. The export boost offset a 1% rise in imports. Non EU imports rose 3%, but the growth in goods entering the UK from the EU slowed to 0.5%. The UK's deficit with the EU fell to 1.9bn from 2.1bn, while its non EU shortfall dropped to 2.7bn from 2.9bn in October. The country's surplus on trade in services remained steady at 1.5bn for the fifth month in a row. Paul Dales, UK economist for Capital Economics, said the figures represented an improvement on recent months. However, he stressed that the long term prognosis for exports was still uncertain. "The figures are a lot better than expected but the trend still remains poor," he said. "There have been some very encouraging signs that the UK export recovery is starting to take hold. But there is a danger that this could be held back by the ongoing weakness of domestic demand on the continent."


The Liberal Democrats are aiming to unseat a string of top Tories including leader Michael Howard at the next general election. Mr Howard's seat is at the top of the Liberal Democrats' list. Others targeted include Oliver Letwin, David Davis and Theresa May, Lib Dem's elections chief Lord Rennard said. He said it was "nothing personal" but that "very many of the prominent Conservatives" had slender leads in seats where the Lib Dems were second. In 2001, Michael Howard won the Folkestone Hythe seat with 20,645 votes, compared to 14,738 for the Liberal Democrat candidate Peter Carroll, giving the Tory leader a majority of 5,907. Asked if this amounted to the party's much vaunted "decapitation strategy" Lord Rennard said it was not a term he had ever used. But he urged Labour supporters to vote tactically to remove prominent Conservatives. "I just don't think Labour voters in these sort of seats could resist the temptation to use their votes effectively to remove a Conservative." He denied this strategy was opportunism, insisting the Lib Dem's policies on issues such as tuition fees, the council tax and free care for the elderly appealed "to all sides of the political spectrum". "We are in favour of tactical voting as long as the tactic is to vote Liberal Democrat," he added. A Conservative spokesperson said: "The Liberal Democrats can talk all they like about strategy. The problem the Liberal Democrats face is that a large number of Lib Dem voters do not agree with their policies. "We will be pointing out how they are soft on crime, how they support higher taxes, their opposition to controlled immigration and support for giving Europe more control over our lives".


Shares in struggling German football club Borussia Dortmund slipped on Monday despite the club agreeing a rescue plan with creditors on Friday. The club, which has posted record losses and racked up debts, said last week that it was in "a life threatening profitability and financial situation". Creditors agreed on Friday to suspend interest payments until 2007. News of the deal had boosted shares in the club on Friday, but the stock slipped back 7% during Monday morning. In addition to the interest payment freeze, Borussia Dortmund also will get short term loans to help pay salaries. It estimated that it needs almost 30m euros ( 39m; 21m) until the end of June if it is to pay its bills. The football club is hoping that all its creditors will agree to defer rent payments on its Westfalen stadium. Borussia officials met with almost all the banks involved in its financing on Friday and over the weekend. Three creditors have yet to agree to the deal struck last week. On 14 March, one of these creditors property investment fund Molsiris which owns the club's stadium holds its AGM at which it will discuss the rescue plan. Chief executive Gerd Niebaum stepped down last week and creditors have been pushing for a greater say in how the club is run. Borussia Dortmund also is facing calls to appoint executives from outside the club. The club posted a record loss of 68m euros in the 12 months through June. Adding to its woes, Borussia Dortmund was beaten 5 0 by Bayern Munich on Saturday.


Downing Street has confirmed British troops are on standby in case they need to help evacuate several hundred UK citizens from Ivory Coast. The news came as it emerged France had begun evacuating its hostages after days of anti French demonstrations. Trouble flared after nine French peacekeepers were killed and President Jacques Chirac ordered the destruction of the Ivory Coast's air force. A company of 100 120 UK troops is understood to have been put on standby. They are ready to fly out and secure the route from the embassy to the airport if called upon. Prime Minister Tony Blair's official spokesman said: "There are British nationals in Ivory Coast and as you can imagine we are making the usual contingency plans in case the situation deteriorates further, but that's all I can say at this stage." He added the situation would be monitored carefully in case evacuation became necessary. France has played a lead role in international peacekeeping in Ivory Coast a former colony after President Laurent Gbagbo broke an 18 month ceasefire with rebels bombing their positions and killing the nine French soldiers. The decision to destroy the African nation's small air force prompted riots against French and other foreign nationals. The Spanish have already put their forces on standby to evacuate their nationals if necessary.


The UK manufacturing sector will continue to face "serious challenges" over the next two years, the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has said. The group's quarterly survey of companies found exports had picked up in the last three months of 2004 to their best levels in eight years. The rise came despite exchange rates being cited as a major concern. However, the BCC found the whole UK economy still faced "major risks" and warned that growth is set to slow. It recently forecast economic growth will slow from more than 3% in 2004 to a little below 2.5% in both 2005 and 2006. Manufacturers' domestic sales growth fell back slightly in the quarter, the survey of 5,196 firms found. Employment in manufacturing also fell and job expectations were at their lowest level for a year. "Despite some positive news for the export sector, there are worrying signs for manufacturing," the BCC said. "These results reinforce our concern over the sector's persistent inability to sustain recovery." The outlook for the service sector was "uncertain" despite an increase in exports and orders over the quarter, the BCC noted. The BCC found confidence increased in the quarter across both the manufacturing and service sectors although overall it failed to reach the levels at the start of 2004. The reduced threat of interest rate increases had contributed to improved confidence, it said. The Bank of England raised interest rates five times between November 2003 and August last year. But rates have been kept on hold since then amid signs of falling consumer confidence and a slowdown in output. "The pressure on costs and margins, the relentless increase in regulations, and the threat of higher taxes remain serious problems," BCC director general David Frost said. "While consumer spending is set to decelerate significantly over the next 12 18 months, it is unlikely that investment and exports will rise sufficiently strongly to pick up the slack."


Search engine firm Google has released a trial tool which is concerning some net users because it directs people to pre selected commercial websites. The AutoLink feature comes with Google's latest toolbar and provides links in a webpage to Amazon.com if it finds a book's ISBN number on the site. It also links to Google's map service, if there is an address, or to car firm Carfax, if there is a licence plate. Google said the feature, available only in the US, "adds useful links". But some users are concerned that Google's dominant position in the search engine market place could mean it would be giving a competitive edge to firms like Amazon. AutoLink works by creating a link to a website based on information contained in a webpage even if there is no link specified and whether or not the publisher of the page has given permission. If a user clicks the AutoLink feature in the Google toolbar then a webpage with a book's unique ISBN number would link directly to Amazon's website. It could mean online libraries that list ISBN book numbers find they are directing users to Amazon.com whether they like it or not. Websites which have paid for advertising on their pages may also be directing people to rival services. Dan Gillmor, founder of Grassroots Media, which supports citizen based media, said the tool was a "bad idea, and an unfortunate move by a company that is looking to continue its hypergrowth". In a statement Google said the feature was still only in beta, ie trial, stage and that the company welcomed feedback from users. It said: "The user can choose never to click on the AutoLink button, and web pages she views will never be modified. "In addition, the user can choose to disable the AutoLink feature entirely at any time." The new tool has been compared to the Smart Tags feature from Microsoft by some users. It was widely criticised by net users and later dropped by Microsoft after concerns over trademark use were raised. Smart Tags allowed Microsoft to link any word on a web page to another site chosen by the company. Google said none of the companies which received AutoLinks had paid for the service. Some users said AutoLink would only be fair if websites had to sign up to allow the feature to work on their pages or if they received revenue for any "click through" to a commercial site. Cory Doctorow, European outreach coordinator for digital civil liberties group Electronic Fronter Foundation, said that Google should not be penalised for its market dominance. "Of course Google should be allowed to direct people to whatever proxies it chooses. "But as an end user I would want to know 'Can I choose to use this service?, 'How much is Google being paid?', 'Can I substitute my own companies for the ones chosen by Google?'." Mr Doctorow said the only objection would be if users were forced into using AutoLink or "tricked into using the service".


Teenager Sania Mirza completed a superb week at the Hyderabad Open by becoming the first Indian in history to win a WTA singles title. In front of a delirious home crowd, the 18 year old battled past Alyona Bondarenko of the Ukraine 6 4 5 7 6 3. Mirza, ranked 134 in the world, sunk to her knees in celebration after serving out the match against Bondarenko. "It is a big moment in my career and I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of my effort," she said. "This win has made me believe more in myself and I can now hope to do better in the coming days. "I wanted to win this tournament very badly since it was in my hometown." At the Australian Open in January, Mirza became the first Indian woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam before losing to eventual champion Serena Williams. And a year ago, she became the youngest Indian to win a professional title by claiming the doubles at the Hyderabad Open. Mirza, playing in her first WTA final, began nervously in front of a raucous home crowd committing three double faults in her opening service game. But from 0 2 down, Mirza broke serve twice in a row and held on to her advantage to take the first set. In a see saw second set, Bondarenko raced into a 5 2 lead and though Mirza hauled herself level, the Ukrainian broke again before finally levelling the match. Mirza rediscovered the aggressive strokes that took her to the first set in the decider established a 5 2 lead. At 5 3, the stadium erupted in celebration when Mirza thought she had delivered an ace to secure victory but the serve was ruled to have clipped the net. Mirza eventually lost the point but to the relief of the crowd, she broke Bondarenko again in the next game to clinch the title.


Two of Britain's big trade unions could merge to form a "super union" of two million members. The move by Amicus and the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) would be a seen as a bid to carry more weight with ministers and employers. Amicus has 1.2 million members and the TGWU has 800,000. Any merger would have to be approved by the unions' executives and their membership. It is understood meetings will be held on Wednesday about the proposal. Along with the GMB and Unison, the TGWU and Amicus worked closely together in the last year to hammer out a 56 point deal with Labour's leadership over equality at work, holidays and pensions the Warwick Agreement. Both unions are remaining tight lipped about the merger rumours, but one insider pointed out to the BBC News website that "nobody is denying suggestions a merger could be on the agenda" when the two unions' executives hold their meetings on Wednesday. Amicus's executive was due to meet in any case although the TGWU is holding specially scheduled talks.


Bob Murray, chairman of Sunderland FC, has launched a 1.5m ( 2.8m) bid for the club after buying broadcaster BSkyB's stake in the business. Mr Murray is already Sunderland's leading shareholder, holding a 37.6% stake, and now hopes to take full control of the Championship side. Mr Murray said the club would find it easier to attract more investment by having a single majority owner. Sunderland delisted its shares from the stock market in August. A lifetime Sunderland supporter and board director since 1984, Mr Murray agreed to buy BSkyB's 4.76% holding in the Wearside club on Tuesday taking his stake to 42.3%. Under stock market rules, Mr Murray is required to make an offer for the remaining shares that he does not already own at the same price paid for the BSkyB holding of 31p a share. Should the offer be fully accepted, Mr Murray said he expected to pay a maximum of 1.53m for the remaining shares. He also stressed that fans who wanted to keep in touch with the club's financial affairs could retain a small number of shares, enabling them to attend annual meetings. "The football sector is experiencing significant changes and uncertainty," Mr Murray said in a statement. "The recent speculation surrounding Malcolm Glazer and Manchester United has shown the unsettling effect possible where there are a number of disparate interests," he added. "I believe that this offer will strengthen the company and remove the potential for that type of uncertainty." Sunderland were relegated from the Premiership in 2003 but are currently pushing for promotion. The club managed to reduce its losses last year from 20.6m to 1.2m after selling a host of leading players. However, the club's turnover dropped sharply from 42.5m to 28.5m over the same period, because of a fall in broadcast revenues. BSkyB bought its stake in Sunderland in 1999 as part of a five year media partnership deal. The deal expired last month.


Pensioners are being promised energy savings by the Liberal Democrats, as snow and cold temperatures continue. The party says the plans could save the average pensioner 100 every year and cut winter deaths. The government gives 200 for winter fuel to households with people over 60, or 300 where people are over 80. The Tories promise to keep the payments. The Lib Dems would allow people to swap these winter fuel payments for discounts on home insulation. Shadow local government secretary Ed Davey said: "The current scheme has helped some older people, but this new Liberal Democrat approach will go much further to end the scandal of tens of thousands of old people dying from the winter cold every year." The vouchers are designed to let pensioners choose from a list of approved energy supplies who would compete for business by offering discounts on home insulation schemes. The plan would boost energy conservation, says the party and insulation could save 100 every year for pensioner households, so using the money more "intelligently" than at present.


Campaigners against the expansion of Britain's airports have begun challenging the government's plans in the High Court. BAA's expansion of Stansted Airport in Essex by building an extra runway is one of the most fiercely opposed plans. Opponents say the 2bn cost of the new runway could not be met unless cash from Heathrow and Gatwick was used. They said this is illegal under current rules and are trying to block the government from changing legislation. BAA are also owners of the airports at Heathrow and Gatwick. They have said they cannot raise the money needed for the Stansted upgrades from current landing charges. BAA also says it has attempted to involve communities in any future airport plans. Groups challenging the plans include Stop Stansted Expansion, Heathrow anti noise campaigners HACAN Clearskies and the London boroughs of Hillingdon and Wandsworth. Their opponents are also likely to complain there was no public consultation before an extra runway was built at Luton Airport, or when it changed take off and landing procedures at Heathrow. If the group wins, the government's future aviation plans outlined in last year's transport White Paper could be left in ruins. The campaigners will say the government did not adequately consider the building of new airports, such as one planned for the Isle of Sheppey east of London. Lord Hanningfield, leader of Essex County Council, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We are going to the High Court because we want a judge to rule there should be a proper inquiry. "We want a judge to say there has been inadequate preparation, consultation and thought before the government came out with its Green Paper. "Then there could be a proper debate nationally about where this extra capacity should go." He added: "Politicians should not decide where runways should be." The Stansted expansion, apart from the building of the new runway, would also need to include new terminal buildings to deal with the projected 50m passengers who will use it every year. The airport is the hub of many of the no frills airlines operating in the UK. But BAA has said it has attempted to involve communities in any future airport plans. At Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports, BAA launched a series of consultations on blight to properties from the proposed expansion in September 2004, which will close next week. BAA is also offering to buy noise hit properties for an index linked, unblighted price. At Heathrow, BAA said it was working closely with all interested parties to see how the strict environmental, air quality and noise targets for a third runway can be met. At Gatwick, the company has written to homes and business likely to be affected by any extra runway.


Birmingham have confirmed Blackburn made a bid for Robbie Savage but managing director Karen Brady has called it "derisory". Rovers have reportedly offered 500,000 up front for the Wales star, 30, with the fee rising to 2.2m. But Brady told The Sun the bid was "a waste of fax paper and my time". She added: "The way things are going all this could affect the relationship between the clubs. They've got into Robbie's head. But he's not for sale." Savage's future at Birmingham has been the source of speculation for several weeks, with some fans criticising his performances for the club earlier in the season. However, good displays against West Brom and Aston Villa have impressed Blues fans. "The crowd gave me a massive standing ovation when I came off on Saturday which was nice," he said. "It was fantastic even though I was criticised by a number of them in recent weeks and on Saturday it showed how much I mean to them. "It's not for me to say (about transfer rumours), it's between the two clubs. "I haven't created the speculation myself, I haven't phoned every national newspaper saying, 'Blackburn are trying to buy me'. It's not up to me." Birmingham manager Steve Bruce insists he does not want to sell Savage. "A lot is said and written about Sav but he has been terrific for Birmingham City the last two and a half years," he said. "The fans love him because he epitomises them. He works hard, They like people like that and there are not many like him. "And why the hell should I sell him to someone else? I am not interested."


Ex BBC chat show host and East Midlands MEP Robert Kilroy Silk has said he wants to "change the face of British politics" as he launched his new party. Mr Kilroy Silk, who recently quit the UK Independence Party,said "our country" was being "stolen from us" by mass immigration. He told a London news conference that Veritas Latin for "truth" would avoid the old parties' "lies and spin". UKIP leader Roger Knapman says he was glad to see the back of Mr Kilroy Silk. Mr Kilroy Silk promised a "firm but fair" policy on immigration and said they hoped to contest most seats at the forthcoming general election. He said Veritas would also announce detailed policies on crime, tax, pensions, health and defence over the next few weeks. And he announced the party would be holding a leadership election. On Thursday he is due to announce which constituency he will run in at the next general election that will come amid speculation he has his sights set on Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon's Ashfield seat. He was joined in the new venture by one of UKIP's two London Assembly members, Damien Hockney who is now Veritas' deputy leader. UKIP's chairman Petrina Holdsworth has said the group will just be a parody of the party the men have left. Mr Kilroy Silk announced his decision to quit UKIP at a public meeting in Hinckley, Leicestershire last week. It came after months of tension as he vied unsuccessfully for the leadership of that party. He said he was ashamed to be a member of a UKIP whose leadership had "gone AWOL" after the great opportunity offered by its third place at last June's European elections. "While UKIP has turned its back on the British people, I shall not," he said. "I will be standing at the next general election. I shall be leading a vigorous campaign for the causes I believe in. "And, unlike the old parties, we shall be honest, open and straight." Mr Hockney also left UKIP saying Mr Kilroy Silk would "deliver better" as the leader of a Eurosceptic party. A spokesman for UKIP called on Mr Hockney to quit the London Assembly. The party asserts that Mr Hockney "has a moral obligation, if not a legal one" to stand down. Its leader, Roger Knapman, has said he is glad to see the back of Mr Kilroy Silk. "He has remarkable ability to influence people but, sadly, after the European election it became clear that he was more interested in the Robert Kilroy Silk Party than the UK Independence Party so it was nice knowing him, now 'goodbye'," he said. UKIP officials also argue Mr Kilroy Silk has not been "straightforward" in attacking the party he once wanted to lead. This is just what the Europhiles pray for. As the main Eurosceptic party, UKIP should try to resolve its differences with Kilroy to show a united front and give the UK public a serious political voice against Europe. Having multiple parties with the same view point just splits the vote further. Thank goodness that Kilroy Silk has gone now UKIP at least has a chance in the election! It is very sad to see the cause of Britain regaining its proper relationship with Europe damaged by this split within UKIP. Robert Kilroy Silk could have a lot to offer. Instead we have a split party and a damaged cause. Under the present electoral system, people must work together, and small parties have no hope of representation. Last summer, UKIP achieved a major advance, partly and only partly due to Kilroy Silk. It is a great shame this has been dissipated in in fighting. UKIP has a wide platform of policies, not just withdrawal from the EU. This Kilroy Silk conveniently ignores in the comments surrounding the launch of his own party. Neither the English Democrats nor the New Party were interested in letting him join them and take over their leadership speaks volumes. Veritas is the beginning of the end for Kilroy Silk. If he believes in truth and democracy then he and the two assembly members should resign and force a by elections to stand on their own platform rather than this backdoor approach to politics of being elected for one party then defecting to another. So UKIP was good enough for him to lead, not good enough for him to follow! Interesting that a party committed to plain speaking should have a Latin name! Every opinion poll points to an overwhelming anti Europe feeling in this country. Kilroy Silk could be on the verge of something huge if he can broaden his appeal beyond this one issue. He is an extremely able communicator with years of political experience. We wants quality schools, top hospitals, clean and efficient public transport, punishments that fit the crime, limited asylum, a purge on bureaucracy and less taxes. It needs courage and honesty, two qualities sadly lacking in our politicians. Kilroy Silk may just have those very qualities. Recruit the right colleagues, Robert, and your time may have come! Well if you cannot get enough limelight being an ordinary MP then go out and start up your own Party. It's all flash and no real policy here Let's hope this is the start of both UKIP and Kilroy Silk slipping into obscurity. Veritas? The name will doom it. But perhaps I am wrong for surely all modern schoolchildren will understand it since they do still learn Latin in the classroom do they not? The whole essence of what RKS represents is Euroscepticism, so explain to me how the too twee label of Veritas symbolises that?


Net users are being told to avoid a scam website that claims to collect cash on behalf of tsunami victims. The site looks plausible because it uses an old version of the official Disasters Emergency Committee webpage. However, DEC has no connection with the fake site and says it has contacted the police about it. The site is just the latest in a long list of scams that try to cash in on the goodwill generated by the tsunami disaster. The link to the website is contained in a spam e mail that is currently circulating. The message's subject line reads "Urgent Tsunami Earthquake Appeal" and its text bears all the poor grammar and bad spelling that characterises many other phishing attempts. The web address of the fake site is decuk.org which could be close enough to the official address to confuse some people keen to donate. Patricia Sanders, spokeswoman for the Disaster Emergency Committee said it was aware of the site and had contacted the Computer Crime Unit at Scotland Yard to help get it shut down. She said the spam e mails directing people to the site started circulating two days ago shortly after the domain name of the site was registered. It is thought that the fake site is being run from Romania. Ms Sanders said DEC had contacted US net registrars who handle domain ownership and the net hosting firm that is keeping the site on the web. DEC was going to push for all cash donated via the site to be handed over to the official organisation. BT and DEC's hosting company were also making efforts to get the site shut down, she said. Ms Sanders said sending out spam e mail to solicit donations was not DEC's style and that it would never canvass support in this way. She said that DEC hoped to get the fake site shut down as soon as possible. All attempts by the BBC News website to contact the people behind the site have failed. None of the e mail addresses supplied on the site work and the real owner of the domain is obscured in publicly available net records. This is not the first attempt to cash in on the outpouring of goodwill that has accompanied appeals for tsunami aid. One e mail sent out in early January came from someone who claimed that he had lost his parents in the disaster and was asking for help moving an inheritance from a bank account in the Netherlands. The con was very similar to the familiar Nigerian forward fee fraud e mails that milk money out of people by promising them a cut of a much larger cash pile. Other scam e mails included a link to a website that supposedly let people donate money but instead loaded spyware on their computers that grabbed confidential information. In a monthly report anti virus firm Sophos said that two e mail messages about the tsunami made it to the top 10 hoax list during January. Another tsunami related e mail is also circulating that carries the Zar worm which tries to spread via the familiar route of Microsoft's Outlook e mail program. Anyone opening the attachment of the mail will have their contact list plundered by the worm keen to find new addresses to send itself to.


Tony Blair lied when he took the UK to war so has no qualms about lying in the election campaign, say the Tories. Tory co chairman Liam Fox was speaking after Mr Blair told Labour members the Tories offered a "hard right agenda". Dr Fox told BBC Radio: "If you are willing to lie about the reasons for going to war, I guess you are going to lie about anything at all." He would not discuss reports the party repaid 500,000 to Lord Ashcroft after he predicted an election defeat. The prime minister ratcheted up Labour's pre election campaigning at the weekend with a helicopter tour of the country and his speech at the party's spring conference. He insisted he did not know the poll date, but it is widely expected to be 5 May. In what was seen as a highly personal speech in Gateshead on Sunday, Mr Blair said: "I have the same passion and hunger as when I first walked through the door of 10 Downing Street." He described his relationship with the public as starting euphoric, then struggling to live up to the expectations, and reaching the point of raised voices and "throwing crockery". He warned his supporters against complacency, saying: "It's a fight for the future of our country, it's a fight that for Britain and the people of Britain we have to win." Mr Blair said that whether the public chose Michael Howard or Mr Kennedy, it would result in "a Tory government not a Labour government and a country that goes back and does not move forward". Dr Fox accused Mr Blair and other Cabinet ministers of telling lies about their opponents' policies and then attacking the lies. "What we learned at the weekend is what Labour tactics are going to be and it's going to be fear and smear," he told BBC News. The Tory co chairman attacked Labour's six new pledges as "vacuous" and said Mr Blair was very worried voters would take revenge for his failure to deliver. Dr Fox refused to discuss weekend newspaper reports that the party had repaid 500,000 to former Tory Treasurer Lord Ashcroft after he said the party could not win the election. "We repay loans when they are due but do not comment to individual financial matters," he said, insisting he enjoyed a "warm and constructive" relationship to Lord Ashcroft. Meanwhile Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy is expected to attack Mr Blair's words as he begins a nationwide tour on Monday. Mr Kennedy is accelerating Lib Dem election preparations this week as he visits Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester, Somerset, Basingstoke, Shrewsbury, Dorset and Torbay. He said: "This is three party politics. In the northern cities, the contest is between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. "In southern and rural seats especially in the South West the principal contenders are the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, who are out of the running in Scotland and Wales." The Lib Dems accuse Mr Blair of making a "touchy feely" speech to Labour delegates which will not help him regain public trust.


The last year has seen one player dominate men's tennis, and one country dominate the women's game. Roger Federer became the first man since Mats Wilander in 1988 to win three Grand Slams in one season. And after Anastasia Myskina became the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam at the French Open, two more followed at Wimbledon and the US Open. Meanwhile, Briton Tim Henman enjoyed his best year, while Greg Rusedski fought back superbly from adversity. Federer began the year as world number one and holder of the Wimbledon and Masters Cup titles, and set about conquering new ground. The Swiss sounded warning of the dominance to come at the Australian Open. He ripped through the draw before beating Marat Safin in the final. Andy Roddick was the only player to put up any real resistance at Wimbledon, and Federer's performance against Lleyton Hewitt in the US Open final was breathtaking. Federer again got the better of Hewitt in the season ending Masters Cup. His victory in Houston proved to be his 13th successive win in a final, an Open era record. The only major let down was a third round loss to Gustavo Kuerten at the French Open, and Roland Garros will be his main target in 2005. There was also a surprise loss to the unheralded Tomas Berdych at the Olympic Games, which saw Chile dominate as Nicoals Massu took the singles and then paired up with Fernando Gonzaelz to win doubles gold. Another major trophy that looks beyond Federer is the Davis Cup, which was won by Spain in a 3 2 home success over the USA in Seville. Roddick struggled on the clay, losing to Rafael Nadal on the opening day before going down to Carlos Moya in the all important fourth rubber. Henman broke new ground by reaching the semis on clay at the French Open a stunning effort and also at the US Open. A quarter final defeat to Mario Ancic at Wimbledon was disappointing for the limp manner of the Briton's defeat, but he remains optimistic of going further next year. British number two Rusedski endured a rollercoaster year, returning to the circuit after being cleared of a doping offence in March. With his ranking down at 168, many feared the 31 year old's career was over, but he battled back in the second half of the season to re enter the top 50. The Russian women finally delivered on their long recognised promise in 2004, with Myskina, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova winning Grand Slams, before taking the season ending Fed Cup. But while the young Russians were on the way up, it was a different story for the Belgians and the Williams sisters. Only veteran Lindsay Davenport held the new wave at bay, a stunning run of form after Wimbledon taking her to number one ahead of Amelie Mauresmo, whose Grand Slam drought goes on. The year started in regulation fashion as Justine Henin Hardenne beat compatriot Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open. A virus ruined the rest of Henin Hardenne's year, although she was fit enough to win Olympic gold, but Clijsters had an even more miserable 2004. She suffered a serious wrist injury and then announced the end of her relationship with Lleyton Hewitt, and will be happy to see the year end. In their absence, Myskina thrashed Elena Dementieva in a historic, but woeful, all Russian final at the French Open. Wimbledon was a more refreshing affair as Sharapova captivated SW19, showing nerves of steel as she battled past Davenport and Serena Williams to take the title. Davenport was a strong favourite for the US Open but, hampered by injury, lost to the powerful and unflappable Kuznetsova in the semis. Kuznetsova went on to give Dementieva another Grand Slam final thrashing, with the latter's wayward serve becoming one of the talking points of the year. With the Russians still improving, the likes of Henin Hardenne, Clijsters, Davenport, Mauresmo, Venus and Serena will need to be fully fit and motivated in 2005. And it may take their compatriot Safin to challenge Federer on the men's side.


So who, if anyone, is playing politics with the security of the nation? Michael Howard has no doubt it is the prime minister who, he claims, is "ramming" through Parliament the controversial new anti terror measures without proper debate. He didn't say so, but the Tories believe the prime minister is playing the fear card on this one so he can look tough in the run up to the general election And they believe Tony Blair is using the issue to suggest the Tories are soft on terrorism. Why on earth will the prime minister not simply take up the Tories' offer to extend the existing powers temporarily to allow proper parliamentary debate of the laws, he demanded. The prime minister claims this is the clearest indication that it is the Tories who are playing politics with the issue by attempting to score cheap political points in parliament. Is not the opposition against to the proposed laws "in principle", in which case delaying a decision for further debate would be pointless? What this is really about, believes Mr Blair, is the Tories spotting an opportunity to embarrass, maybe even defeat the government. And that is more important to them than national security. Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy avoided suggesting anyone was playing politics with the issue. He preferred to state that, as with other issues like ID cards, the government's immediate instinct was authoritarian. As is his habit nowadays, the prime minister was less rough with Mr Kennedy than he had been with Mr Howard he prefers a more exasperated tone suggesting he believes the Lib Dems have, once again, just missed the point. Apart from all that, it was electioneering as usual. The very first question to the prime minister from Derby North's Bob Laxton asked him, in effect, if he would carry on the excellent policy of pouring more resources into schools. Later Birmingham's Sion Simon even went so far as to suggest the Tories were such a shower that we should have the general election now. The prime minister almost blushed. This was not the appropriate place to announce election day, he stammered. But can anyone be in any doubt that that announcement is just days away an announcement coming in the week beginning 4 April for an election on 5 May is where the big money is in the Commons. And perhaps that simple fact alone means everyone is seen to be playing politics with just about everything at the moment.


Disgraced former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu is to begin talks with Juventus as he looks for a new club. "Mutu will be in our club's main stand to watch the match between Juventus and Fiorentina," said a Juventus official, who declined to be named. "Then he will meet some important people of the club," he added. Mutu, 25, sacked by Chelsea and banned for seven months for taking cocaine, is now represented by Alessandro Moggi, son of Juve manager Luciano Moggi. Mutu, banned by the English FA, can resume playing next May. He is to undergo a drug education and rehabilitation programme. Mutu wants to train with Romanian side Dinamo Bucharest whilst serving his ban, say the Bucharest side.


Ashley Cole has refused to blame Robin van Persie for leaving Arsenal with no fully fit strikers for the FA Cup fifth round replay at Sheffield United. Van Persie is suspended alongside Dennis Bergkamp and Jose Antonio Reyes after being sent off at Southampton when Arsenal had a numerical advantage. Thierry Henry is ruled out with an Achilles tendon injury but Cole said: "No one is putting the blame on Robin. "It's just something that happens on the spur of the moment." Cole added: "I've done it before and I hope they didn't blame me for anything. "Of course he'll learn. I've been sent off a couple of times now and it's just one of those things when you go a bit crazy for one or two seconds. Freddie Ljungberg is likely to be used in an emergency striking role and will be partnered by either Arturo Lupoli, Quincy Owusu Abeyie or Jeremie Aliadiere. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said: "Freddie is an option but we need a second striker. "I have to decide whether it will be Aliadiere, Quincy or Lupoli who will start with him up front. Those three will be involved." Arsenal are also without winger Robert Pires, who sustained an ankle injury at St Mary's. Wenger added: "It doesn't look like anything is fractured, but it is a good ankle sprain. "It does not look like Pires will be ready for two to three weeks."


Wales centre Sonny Parker and number eight Ryan Jones will miss Saturday's game with Italy because of injury. Parker has not recovered from a trapped nerve in his neck that kept him out of the win over England, and Tom Shanklin is expected to continue at centre. Jones damaged his collar bone after coming on as a replacement against England and joins flanker Colin Charvis (foot injury) on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Mike Ruddock may make Gavin Henson his first choice kicker in Rome. The centre was Wales' hero in the 11 9 Six Nations win over England, landing a huge late penalty from wide out to clinch the game. First choice kicker Stephen Jones handed over responsibility because of Henson's greater kicking range, but the fly half had already missed a number of shots at goal. "Our first aim was to get Gavin settled into the team, but giving him the kicks is something we'll talk about in selection this week," Wales coach Mike Ruddock told BBC Sport Wales. Henson himself says he is relishing all the media hype that has been heaped on him since last Saturday's game. "I thrive on it and think it makes me perform better," he said. "I'm glad it's a short week before the Italy game. There was so much build up before England, but we fly out to Rome on Thursday and we'll be back playing again."


Cherie Blair has been accused of criticising George W Bush's policies in a private address she gave during a United States lecture tour. The prime minister's wife is said to have praised the Supreme Court for overruling the White House on the legal rights of Guantanamo Bay detainees. The Tories said she broke a convention that British political figures do not act in a partisan way when abroad. But Downing Street said she was speaking in her capacity as a lawyer. It said she was not expressing political opinions. Mrs Blair's remarks are said to have been made in a speech to law students in Massachusetts. She said the decision by the US Supreme Court to give legal protection to two Britons held at Guantanamo Bay was a significant victory for human rights and the international rule of law. She also described the US legal code as an outdated grandfather clock and welcomed a decision to throw out a law backed by Mr Bush relating to sodomy in Texas. BBC news correspondent Gary O'Donoghue said Mrs Blair was likely to face further calls for restraint, since the US election is imminent. "There have been some objections from people reasonably close to the Bush administration about her making these comments in their backyard just two days before a presidential election," he said. "Conservatives here too have made their feelings clear. "Cherie Booth has always regarded herself as having an independent career. She has continued to practise as a major human rights lawyer in the courts. "It's not unusual for her to make these sorts of criticisms clear but it can be embarrassing."


Wales number eight Michael Owen says replacing Gareth Thomas as Wales' captain will be straightforward because of the leadership quality in the squad. "You dream about playing for Wales, but it never enters your head that you will one day captain your country," he said. "It's an easy job really because there are so many experienced players in the side, but it will be a massive honour." Coach Mike Ruddock says the 24 year old should take the armband from broken thumb victim Thomas against Scotland. Ruddock praised Owen's contribution as vice captain and pack leader in this year's wins over England, Italy and France, notably his role in the second half in Paris following Thomas' injury. The 22 cap Dragons man says that Thomas will be badly missed, though. "Gareth is going to be a massive loss because he is a brilliant player and he has done a fantastic job since he has been captain," said Owen. "He has put his own unique stamp on things. We are going to miss him but the strength of the squad is shown when you have someone like Kevin Morgan to step in." Owen admitted the Grand Slam had been mentioned within the squad but that no one was getting carried away with the three victories over England, Italy and France. "We can't get ahead of ourselves," he said. "We have a massive game next up and we are just looking forward to preparing for that. "Scotland are improving all the time. Like us they did well in France and were unlucky not to get a win. "Against Ireland they played fantastically well in the first 15 minutes before falling away. "They are probably going on a similar journey to the one we have been on in the last couple of years."


Technologies, from e mail, to net chatrooms, instant messaging and mobiles, have proved to be a big pull with those looking for love. The lure once was that you could hide behind the technology, but now video phones are in on the act to add vision. Hundreds have submitted a mobile video profile to win a place at the world's first video mobile dating event. The top 100 meet their match on 30 November at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA). The event, organised by the 3G network, 3, could catch on as the trend for unusual dating events, like speed dating, continues. "It's the beginning of the end of the blind date as we know it," said Graeme Oxby, 3's marketing director. The response has been so promising that 3 says it is planning to launch a proper commercial dating service soon. Hundreds of hopefuls submitted their profiles, and special booths were set up in a major London department store for two weeks where expert tips were given on how to visually improve their chances. The 100 most popular contestants voted by the public will gather at the ICA in separate rooms and "meet" by phone. Dating services and other more adult match making services are proving to be a strong stream of revenue worth millions for mobile companies. Whether it does actually provide an interesting match for video phone technologies remains to be seen. Flic Everett, journalist and dating expert for Company magazine and the Daily Express, thinks technology has been liberating for some nervous soul mate seekers. There are currently about 1.3 million video phones in use in the UK and three times more single people in Britain than there were 30 years ago, With more people buying video mobiles, 3G dating could be the basis for a successful and safe way to meet people. "One of the problems with video phones is people don't really know what to video. It is a weird technology. We have not quite worked out what it is for. This gives it a focus and a useful one," she told BBC News. "I would never have thought online dating would take off the way it did," she said. "Lots of people find it easier to be honest writing e mail or text than face to face. Lots people are quite shy and they feel vulnerable." "When you are writing, it comes directly onto the page so they tend to be more honest." But the barrier that comes with SMS chat and online match making is that the person behind the profile may not be who they really are. Scare stories have put people off as a result, according to Ms Everett. Many physical clues, body language, odd twitches, are obviously missing with SMS and online dating services. Still images do not necessarily provide all those necessary cues. "It could really take off because you do get the whole package. With a static e mail picture, you don't know who the person is behind it is." So checking out a potential date by video phone also gives singletons a different kind of barrier, an extra layer of protection; a case of WLTS before WLTM. "If you are trapped in real life blind date context, you can't get away and you feel embarrassed. "With a video meeting, you really have the barrier of the phone so if you don't like them you don't have to suffer the embarrassment." There is a more serious side to this new use of technology though. With money being made through more adult themes content and services which let people meet and chat, the revenue streams for mobile carriers will grow with 3G, thinks Paolo Pescatore mobile industry specialist for analysts IDC. "Wireless is a medium that is being exploited with a number of features and services. One is chatting and the dating element is key there," he said. "The foundation has been set by SMS and companies are using media like MMS and video to grow the market further." But carriers need to be wary and ensure that if they do launch such 3G dating services, they ensure mechanism are in place to monitor and be aware who is registers and accesses these services on regular basis, he cautioned. In July, Vodafone introduced a content control system to protect children from such adult content. The move was as a result of a code of practice agreed by the UK's six largest mobile phone operators in January. The system means Vodafone users need to prove they are over 18 before firewalls are lifted on explicit websites or chat rooms dealing with adult themes. The impetus was the growing number of people with handsets that could access the net, and the growth of 3G technologies.


Ex chat show host Robert Kilroy Silk is to contest the Derbyshire seat of Erewash at the next general election. Labour's Elizabeth Blackman won the seat in 1997 and has a 6,932 majority. She says she will fight on her record "as a hard working constituency MP". Mr Kilroy Silk announced his plans a day after launching his new party, Veritas, the Latin for truth. The East Midlands MEP, who quit the UK Independence Party, wants his new group to "change the face" of UK politics. His choice of election constituency quashes speculation that he would stand against Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire. UKIP won 31% of the vote in Erewash in last June's European elections with Mr Kilroy Silk among their candidates for the region. Until 1997, Erewash had been held by the Tories since 1970. Ms Blackman said she was proud of the government's achievements in the area. She declined to give her view of Mr Kilroy Silk at this point. On Thursday, he told a London news conference that Veritas would avoid the old parties' "lies and spin". He said "our country" was being "stolen from us" by mass immigration and promised a "firm but fair" policy on immigration. Veritas says it hopes to contest most seats at the forthcoming general election but plans to announce detailed policies on crime, tax, pensions, health and defence over the next few weeks. UKIP leader Roger Knapman says he is glad to see the back of Mr Kilroy Silk. Labour campaign spokesman Fraser Kemp said Veritas was joining "an already crowded field on the right of British politics". Mr Kilroy Silk was joined in the new venture by one of UKIP's two London Assembly members, Damien Hockney, who is now Veritas' deputy leader. UKIP's chairman Petrina Holdsworth has said the group will just be a parody of the party the men have left. Mr Kilroy Silk quit UKIP last week after months of tension as he vied unsuccessfully for the leadership of that party. He said he was ashamed to be a member of a UKIP whose leadership had "gone AWOL" after the great opportunity offered by its third place at last June's European elections. UKIP's leader, Roger Knapman, has said he is glad to see the back of Mr Kilroy Silk. "He has remarkable ability to influence people but, sadly, after the European election it became clear that he was more interested in the Robert Kilroy Silk Party than the UK Independence Party so it was nice knowing him, now 'goodbye'," he said. UKIP officials also argue Mr Kilroy Silk has not been "straightforward" in attacking the party he once wanted to lead.


Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren has praised the way his side have got to grips with European football after the 2 0 Uefa Cup win against Lazio. Boro, who are playing in Europe for the first time in their 128 year history, are top of Group E with maximum points. "I think we have taken to Europe really well," said McClaren. "We got about Lazio, didn't let them settle or play. And in possession, we controlled it and looked threatening every time we went forward." Before the match, McClaren had said that a win over the Italian giants would put Boro firmly on the European footballing map. And after they did just that he said: "It was a perfect European night. For the team to give the fans a performance like that was the icing on the cake. "There have been many good performances but this was something special. "You can see that the experience we have in the squad is showing. To win in Europe you need to defend well, and we have done that because we have conceded only one goal in four games. "We can also score goals, and again that is something you can see from the performances we have had, so we have good balance. McClaren's only criticism of his side was that their dominance should have been resulted in more goals. "It should have been more convincing," said McClaren. "But I had watched Lazio in recent weeks and I saw them score a late equaliser against Inter Milan on Saturday so I knew we needed a second goal. "No matter what anybody says, Lazio are favourites to win this competition." Middlesbrough forward Boudewijn Zenden said he did not expect such a comfortable match after he scored both goals. "We didn't expect it to be that one sided," said Zenden. "We did quite well in the first half, we pressured them and they didn't cope with that. "I think we played quite well and it was a very good game, especially in the first half." The Holland international said Boro are confident of progressing in the competition after winning their first two group games. "We've got a very good feeling, there is a good spirit, all the lads work hard for each other and it's a squad of friendly players, which I think you can see on the pitch," he added.


A rapid alerting service that tells home computer users about serious internet security problems is being launched by the UK government. The service, IT Safe, will issue warnings about damaging viruses, software vulnerabilities and weaknesses on devices such as mobile phones. Alerts tell people how the threats affect them and what they can do to avoid trouble and protect themselves. The service will be free and those who sign up can get e mail or text alerts. The scheme is aimed at home users and small businesses. The government estimates it will issue security alerts about six to 10 times a year, based on previous experience of virus outbreaks. "There is a clear need for easy to understand and simple independent advice for non technically minded people who use computers either at home or at work," said Home Office Minister Hazel Blears. "The purpose of this new government service is to ensure computer users are aware of the risks involved and how to deal with them easily and effectively without causing alarm." Those signing up will only be told about the most serious security threats that have the potential to affect millions of people. Full time staff are being employed to comb through the many hundreds of alerts issued each year by computer security firms to spot which ones have the potential to catch out a large number of people Between alerts the service will occasionally send messages giving people advice about safe ways to use their computers and phones. "IT Safe will take our technical expertise and use it to help home users understand the risks and keep their computer systems, mobile phones and a range of related consumer electronic items, safe," said Roger Cumming, director of the National Infrastructure Security Coordination Centre (NISCC). The NISCC, which is running the service, also stressed that those signing up would still need to use anti virus software, firewalls, and software updates to stay secure. Warnings about security problems will tell people what the problem is, how it affects them and what they can do to avoid trouble. Alerts will not be issued unless users can do something to protect themselves against the threat. This might include downloading an update from an anti virus vendor or updating software to close loopholes and fix vulnerabilities. However no software patches or programs will actually be dispensed through the site. The alerts will tell people how to go about getting hold of patches from security firms. The NISCC spokesman said the site and alerting service would stay in existence for as long as there were security bugs on home computers and other gadgets. Government statistics show that more than half of all UK households own a home computer. It was estimated that almost 13 million of these were able to access the internet in 2004. The launch comes as the number of viruses and other malicious programs in existence is reaching unprecedented numbers. In September 2004, the number of malicious programs circulating topped the 100,000 mark. Some fear that this figure could hit 150,000 by September 2005. The creation of the national alert service follows similar efforts in the Netherlands and US. The National Alerting Service for the Netherlands (aka De Waarschuwingsdienst) and the US National Cyber Alerting Service also tell citizens of serious security threats.


David Blunkett has apologised to MPs after the Home Office announced "prematurely" via press release a review of murder laws. The home secretary confirmed the review was to get under way in the wake of a Law Commission report which branded the current murder law as "a mess". He said the review would look at partial defences to murder, including provocation and at mandatory sentences. The Home Office has already said the review will begin next year. On Wednesday, a Home Office spokeswoman said the terms of reference for the review had not been established but it was likely to include only England and Wales. News of the review was released because it was thought Mr Blunkett would make the official announcement in a Commons debate on Wednesday. But the announcement never came, with the home secretary saying the debate had never reached that stage. Amid opposition anger, Mr Blunkett had to answer an emergency question in Parliament on Thursday. He said he had taken steps to ensure the incident was not repeated. Shadow home secretary David Davis welcomed his "gracious apology" and the review itself. But he argued the minister should have volunteered a formal statement instead of having to be "dragged" to face MPs. In its report, the Law Commission said it had found wide support among criminal justice professionals for an end to the mandatory life sentence for murder. The panel suggested different kinds of murders could be "graded" to recognise the seriousness of the offence. But the Home Office said mandatory life sentences would not be abolished and argued courts already had flexibility. The commission, an independent body including two judges, a senior barrister and sentencing experts, had been asked to consider reforms to the defence of provocation in murder cases. But it said its proposals were unlikely to work without a far wider review of the law. Results of a consultation exercise showed 64 respondents out of 146 among them 21 judges believed a mandatory life sentence for every murder was "indefensible and should cease". A key question was whether one category should continue to cover all types of murder from mercy killings to serial or contract killings. The commission found support for the idea of grading murders so that the sentence reflected the seriousness of the offence. But speaking after the report was published, Home Office minister Baroness Scotland said: "Murder is the most serious of crimes and we have no intention of abolishing the mandatory life sentence. "Where an offender is convicted of murder, the court must pass a life sentence." The commission also recommended tightening the law so that the provocation defence cannot be used in cases where someone has killed for revenge, such as a jealous husband who murders an unfaithful wife.


General Motors has warned that it expects earnings this year be lower than in 2004. The world's biggest car maker is grappling with losses in its European business, and weak US sales. GM said higher healthcare costs in North America, and lower profits at its financial services subsidiary would hurt its performance in 2005. GM said it expects to meet its 2004 earnings targets "despite a tough competitive environment". GM, whose brands include Buick, Cadillac and Chevrolet in the US and Opel, Saab and Vauxhall in Europe, is due to reveal 2004 earnings on 19 January. It said it would deliver a shareholder payout of 6.0 6.5 per share this year, as promised, but that next year's earnings per share would be lower, at between 4.0 5.0. "We're following a roadmap that we believe will deliver strong results," said GM chief executive Rick Waggoner. GM said it was expecting "reduced financial losses" in Europe in 2005. It is in the midst of cutting 12,000 jobs one fifth of the European total in a bid to cut costs. The biggest job losses are in Germany. Its vehicle businesses have gained market share in three out of four regions in 2004, achieving record profitability in Asia Pacific and returning to profit in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. The car maker has diversified into financial services, and is extending the reach of General Motors Acceptance Corp (GMAC), which has said it may enter the home loans market. GMAC has been a strong contributor to profits in 2004 but GM said it will do less well this year, delivering net income of 2.5bn. "Attaining earnings of 10 a share remains GM's goal," the company said, adding it believes it can achieve this in 2007.


Gordon D'Arcy has been ruled out of the Ireland team for Saturday's Six Nations clash against Scotland in Murrayfield. Like skipper Brian O'Driscoll, D'Arcy failed to recover from a hamstring injury. The side will now be led by Munster lock Paul O'Connell. Shane Horgan switches from wing to centre where he will be joined by Ulster's Kevin Maggs. Girvan Dempsey comes into the team to take the right wing spot while Gavin Duffy is called up to the replacements. ''We gave Gordon a chance but it didn't work out,'' said Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan. ''In terms of the risk element, it was a sensible precaution. He should be fine for the next game but we do not want to tempt fate.'' Maggs, who will win his 67th cap, was the obvious replacement at centre while Shane Horgan was always likely to be moved from the wing. The only other change to the Ireland side from last weekend's win in Rome sees Wasps flanker Johnny O'Connor replacing Denis Leamy. O'Connor will be winning his third cap after making his debut in the victory over South Africa last November. : Murphy, Dempsey, Horgan, Maggs, Hickie, O'Gara, Stringer, Corrigan, Byrne, Hayes, O'Kelly, O'Connell, capt, S Easterby, O'Connor, Foley. : Sheahan, Horan, O'Callaghan, Miller, G Easterby, Humphreys, Duffy.


Immigration and asylum have normally been issues politicians from the big parties have tiptoed around at election time. But no longer. Both Labour and the Tories have signalled their intention of making them central to their election campaigns. They have been struck by the level of concern amongst voters about the issues, with internal surveys showing they have the potential to swing large numbers of votes. That was also true at the last general election and the issue did briefly become a campaigning issue. But it sparked the probably predictable furore with claims politicians were either stoking up xenophobia or, alternatively, running scared of addressing the problem. But this time around it looks set to be one of the core battlegrounds with both the big parties competing to set out tough policies. The Tories are already committed to imposing annual limits on immigration, with a quota for asylum seekers and with applications processed outside the UK. Labour has already branded the proposal unworkable but party strategists have seen the Tories seizing a poll advantage over the issue. Now Home Secretary Charles Clarke has come up with alternative proposals for a points system to ensure only immigrants who can benefit the economy will be granted entry, and to kick out more failed asylum seekers. That has been attacked by the Tories as too little, too late and for failing to tackle the key issue of the numbers entering the UK. The Liberal Democrats have not been drawn too deeply into the argument but have called for a Europe wide policy on immigration. But, while all the parties appear to agree the time has come to properly debate and address the issue, there are already signs they will run into precisely the same problems as before. Former union leader Sir Bill Morris has already accused both the big parties of engaging in a "bidding war about who can be nastiest to asylum seekers". "My concern is that, whilst the Labour Party and the Conservative Party will take a constructive approach to the debate, right wing political parties, picking up on statements like burden to Britain' will exploit this and create a lot of fear and uncertainty". It is precisely that concern and the possible suggestion the issue is playing to the far right's racist agenda that will provoke strong reactions from many concerned with this issue. The challenge for the big parties is to ensure they can engage in the debate during the cut and thrust of a general election while also avoiding that trap.


The blurring of boundaries between TV and the internet raises questions of regulation, watchdog Ofcom has said. Content on TV and the internet is set to move closer this year as TV quality video online becomes a norm. At a debate in Westminster, the net industry considered the options. Lord Currie, chairman of super regulator Ofcom, told the panel that protecting audiences would always have to be a primary concern for the watchdog. Despite having no remit for the regulation of net content, disquiet has increased among internet service providers as speeches made by Ofcom in recent months hinted that regulation might be an option. At the debate, organised by the Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA), Lord Currie did not rule out the possibility of regulation. "The challenge will arise when boundaries between TV and the internet truly blur and then there is a balance to be struck between protecting consumers and allowing them to assess the risks themselves," he said. Adopting the rules that currently exist to regulate TV content or self regulation, which is currently the practice of the net industry, will be up for discussion. Some studies suggest that as many as eight million households in the UK could have adopted broadband by the end of 2005, and the technology opens the door to TV content delivered over the net. More and more internet service providers and media companies are streaming video content on the web. BT has already set up an entertainment division to create and distribute content that could come from sources such as BSkyB, ITV and the BBC. Head of the division, Andrew Burke, spoke about the possibility of creating content for all platforms. "How risque can I be in this new age? With celebrity chefs serving up more expletives than hot dinners, surely I can push it to the limit," he said. In fact, he said, if content has been requested by consumers and they have gone to lengths to download it, then maybe it should be entirely regulation free. Internet service providers have long claimed no responsibility for the content they carry on their servers since the Law Commission dubbed them "mere conduits" back in 2002. This defence does not apply if they have actual knowledge of illegal content and have failed to remove it. The level of responsibility they have has been tested in several high profile legal cases. Richard Ayers, portal director at Tiscali, said there was little point trying to regulate the internet because it would be impossible. Huge changes are afoot in 2005, he predicted, as companies such as the BBC offer TV content over the net. The BBC's planned interactive media player which will give surfers the chance to download programmes such as EastEnders and Top Gear will make net TV mainstream and raise a whole new set of questions, he said. One of these will be about the vast sums of money involved in maintaining the network to supply such a huge quantity of data and could herald a new digital licence fee, said Mr Ayers. As inappropriate net content, most obviously pornography viewed by children, continues to dominate the headlines, internet regulation remains a political issue said MP Richard Allan, Liberal Democrat spokesman on IT. Mr Allan thinks that the answer could lie somewhere between the cries of "impossible to regulate" and "just apply offline laws online". In fact, instead of seeing regulation brought online, the future could bring an end to regulation as we know it for all TV content. After Lord Currie departed, the panel agreed that this could be a reality and that for the internet people power is likely to reign. "If content is on demand, consumers have pulled it up rather than had pushed to them, then it is the consumers' choice to watch it. There is no watershed on the net," said Mr Burke.


Rangers are set to loan out of favour midfielder Dragan Mladenovic to Real Sociedad, despite the closure of the January transfer window. Sociedad have been given special permission by the Spanish FA to sign a player due to an injury crisis. Mladenovic will effectively replace former Rangers midfielder Mikel Arteta, who has been loaned to Everton. Sociedad say they will pay Rangers 150,000, with an option to buy the Serbia Montenegro international. Mladenovic's loan move is subject to him passing a medical. The 28 year old, who joined Rangers from Red Star Belgrade for 1.2m in the close season, is expected in San Sebastian later this week following his national side's game against Bulgaria. Sociedad are in 15th place in the 20 strong Primera Liga, just two points above the relegation zone. Special permission from the Spanish FA came after an injury to central defender Igor Jauregi. The versatile Mladenovic can also play in the back four. His agent said last month that Rangers had told him to find the player a new club. Mladenovic's time at Ibrox has been plagued with injury and he has made just six starts in six months with the Glasgow club.


Lewis Moody has flown to Dublin to join England's camp ahead of their RBS Six Nations game against Ireland on Sunday. Despite joining the squad, the Leicester flanker only has a "slim" chance of playing because of an infection in his finger. A decision will be taken on Saturday as to whether the 26 year old will be declared fit. If he fails to recover in time for the game, his place at the back of the pack will be taken by Andy Hazell. Chris Jones will then start the game on the bench. "The chances of him playing are very slim," said coach Andy Robinson. "The infection is deeper than was thought." Moody had to be put on a drip in an attempt to force antibiotics through his infected finger. He suffered the cut playing against France at Twickenham and it became infected during a 10 minute outing as a replacement for Leicester against Newcastle last Saturday. "The mud got into it," Robinson added. "He has had a big course of antibiotics but they haven't done the job we hoped they would." Robinson has already been forced to make one change to the starting line up with Bath prop Matt Stevens coming in for the injured Phil Vickery. The 22 year old has only made 10 starts for his club but has made 49 appearances from the bench. "It can be frustrating but I've had a lot more game time this season and I'm ready for it," Stevens said. "I've been on tour with these boys and I've been in the England set up for two years so I know the calls and the way they play." Stevens will be winning his third cap on Sunday after coming on twice as a replacement on the tour to New Zealand last year. Robinson has confirmed that fly half Charlie Hodgson will be the first choice kicker despite his three missed penalties and a drop goal against France. "Charlie's state of mind is very good," said Robinson. "Obviously, we are all disappointed we lost the French game and the circumstances in which we did. "But he responded well last week in his goalkicking for Sale and he will be our first choice kicker this week." Robinson also admits his side must improve their line out work against Irish duo Malcolm O'Kelly and Paul O'Connell, one of the most effective partnerships in the game. "In each game we've missed a number of line outs," he added. "It cost us the game against Wales but it has improved. "It was better against France and will have to go up another notch against Ireland. It will be a huge battle. "Look at the way they tore us apart last year. If it doesn't function, we will be in for a torrid time."


Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he hoped to return next season following a career threatening injury to his right knee. The 31 year old Norway international had surgery in Sweden in August to transplant cartilage into the joint. "I'm in no doubt that I'll play again," Solskjaer told Aftenposten Daily. "The problem will be the speed but we're talking about eight months' time. It's going as it should with the knee. I'm slavishly following a programme." Solskjaer last played for United as a late substitute in May's FA Cup final win over Millwall. His contract with United runs out in 2006, by which time he will have been at the Premier League club for 10 years.


Shares in American Express surged more than 8% on Tuesday after it said it was to spin off its less profitable financial advisory subsidiary. The US credit card to travel services giant said off loading American Express Financial Advisors (AEFA) would boost its profitability. AEFA has more than 12,000 advisers selling financial advice, funds and insurance to 2.5 million customers. Over the years it has delivered poor profits and even some losses. "This is an excellent move by American Express to focus on its core businesses, and sell off a laggard division, which has been a problem for quite some time," said Marquis Investment Research analyst Phil Kain. Analysts estimate that a stand alone AEFA could have a market value of 10bn ( 5.3bn). The unit was acquired by American Express 20 years ago as Investors Diversified Service, of Minneapolis, at a time when firms were amassing one stop financial empires. However, the business of selling investments was never integrated with the rest of the group.


Microsoft is planning to make Windows and Internet Explorer more secure by including software to give people more control over personal information. "Info cards" will help people manage personal details on their PCs to make online services safer, said Microsoft. Microsoft's two previous programs, Passport and Hailstorm, aimed to protect users but were criticised. ID fraud is one of the UK's fastest growing crimes, with criminals netting an estimated 1.3bn last year. A quarter of UK adults has either had their ID stolen, via hi tech or other means, or knows someone who has, a recent report by Which? magazine found. Microsoft is developing a new version of Internet Explorer browser and its operating system, Windows, which has been code named Longhorn. Michael Stephenson, director in Microsoft's Windows Server division, would not confirm however whether the new info cards ID system will be built into the current Windows XP version or Longhorn. "We're trying to make the end user experience as simple as possible," Mr Stephenson said. The system would differ from its previous attempts to make online transactions more secure, said Microsoft. While Passport and Hailstorm stored user information centrally on the net, the latest system will store data on a user's PC. "It's going to put control of digital IDs into the hands of an end user, the end user will be in full control," said Mr Stephenson. Hailstorm was criticised by privacy campaigners for putting too much sensitive information into the hands of a single company. Passport provides a single log in for more than one website and stores basic personal information. But its popularity suffered after security scares. Up to 200 million Passport accounts were left vulnerable to online theft and malicious hackers after a flaw in the system was exploited in 2003. Online auction site, eBay, stopped supporting it in January 2005. Although the flaw was fixed, Microsoft has come under regular criticism for the number of security loopholes in Internet Explorer. Last year, it released a major security update for Windows, Service Pack 2, to combat some of the security concerns. Longhorn is due to be released commercially in late 2006, but an updated version of Internet Explorer is due for release later this year.


So called phishing attacks that try to trick people into handing over confidential details have boomed in 2004, say security experts. The number of phishing e mail messages stopped by security firm MessageLabs has risen more than tenfold in less than 12 months. In 2004 it detected more than 18 million phishing e mail messages. Other statistics show that in 2004 73% of all e mail was spam and one in 16 messages were infected with a virus. In its end of year report, MessageLabs said that phishing had become the top security threat and most popular form of attack among cyber criminals. In September 2003, MessageLabs caught only 273 phishing e mails that tried to make people visit fake versions of the websites run by real banks and financial organisations. But by September 2004 it was stopping more than two million phishing related e mail messages per month. Worryingly, said the firm, phishing gangs were using increasingly sophisticated techniques to harvest useful information such as login details or personal data. Older attacks relied on users not spotting the fact that the site they were visiting was fake, but more recent phishing e mails simply try to steal details as soon as a message is opened. Other phishing scams try to recruit innocent people into acting as middlemen for laundering money or goods bought with stolen credit cards. "E mail security attacks remain unabated in their persistence and ferocity," said Mark Sunner, chief technology officer at MessageLabs. "In just 12 months phishing has firmly established itself as a threat to any organisation or individual conducting business online," he said. Mr Sunner said MessageLabs was starting to see some phishing attacks become very focused on one company or organisation. "Already particular businesses are threatened and blackmailed, indicating a shift from the random, scattergun approach, to customised attacks designed to take advantage of the perceived weaknesses of some businesses," he said. Although phishing attacks grew substantially throughout 2004, viruses and spam remain popular with cyber criminals and vandals. One of the biggest outbreaks took place in January when the MyDoom virus started circulating. To date the company has caught more than 60 million copies of the virus. Also up this year was the amount of spam in circulation. In 2003 only 40% of messages were spam. But by the end of 2004, almost three quarters of messages were junk.


Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia has given the go ahead for the construction of a 1.2bn oil pipeline that will pass through the Balkan peninsula. The project aims to allow alternative ports for the shipping of Russian and Caspian oil, that normally goes through Turkish ports. It aims to transport 750,000 daily barrels of oil. The pipeline will be built by the US registered Albanian Macedonian Bulgarian Oil Corporation (AMBO). The 912km pipeline will run from the Bulgarian port of Burgas, over the Black Sea to the Albanian city of Vlore on the Adriatic coast, crossing Macedonia. The project was conceived in 1994 but it was delayed because of the lack of political support. By signing the agreement on Tuesday, the prime ministers of Bulgaria, Albania and Macedonia have overcome the problem. "This is one of the most important infrastructure projects for regional, EU, and Euro Atlantic integration for the western Balkans," said Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano. According to Pat Ferguson, President of AMBO, work on the pipeline will begin in 2005 and it is expected to be ready in three or four years. He added that the company had already raised about 900m from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) a US development agency the Eximbank and Credit Suisse First Boston, among others. The project has also the support of the European Union. Analysts have said that oil companies like ChevronTexaco, Exxon Mobil and British Petroleum would be happy to find alternative routes to the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits.


Details of the next generation of Microsoft's Xbox games console codenamed Xenon will most likely be unveiled in May, according to reports. It was widely expected that gamers would get a sneak preview of Xbox's successor at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March. But a Microsoft spokeswoman confirmed that it would not be at GDC. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are all expected to release their more powerful machines in the next 18 months. The next Xbox console is expected to go on sale at the end of the year, but very few details about it have been released. It is thought that the machine may be unveiled at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, which takes place in May, according to a Reuters news agency report. E3 concentrates on showing off the latest in gaming to publishers, marketers and retailers. The GDC is aimed more at game developers. Microsoft chief, Bill Gates, used the GDC event to unveil the original Xbox five years ago. Since its launch, Microsoft has sold 19.9 million units worldwide. At the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year, there was very little mention of the next generation gaming machine. In his keynote speech, Mr Gates only referred to it as playing an essential part of his vision of the digital lifestyle. But the battle between the rival consoles to win gamers' hearts and thumbs will be extremely hard fought. Sony has traditionally dominated the console market with its PlayStation 2. But earlier this year, Microsoft said it had reached a European milestone, selling five million consoles since its European launch in March 2002. Hit games like Halo 2, which was released in November, helped to buoy the sales figures. Gamers are looking forward to the next generation of machines because they will have much more processing and graphical power. They are also likely to pack in more features and technologies that make them more central as entertainment and communications hubs. Although details of PlayStation 3, Xenon, and Nintendo's so called Revolution, are yet to be finalised, developers are already working on titles. Rory Armes, studio general manager for games giant Electronic Arts (EA) in Europe, recently told the BBC News website in an interview that EA was beginning to get a sense of the capabilities of the new machines. Microsoft had delivered development kits to EA, but he said the company was still waiting on Sony and Nintendo's kits. But, he added, the PlayStation 3 was rumoured to have "a little more under the hood than Xbox 2 ".


More than 800,000 Britannia Building Society members are to receive a profit share worth on average 52 each. Members of the UK's second largest building society will share 42m, with 100,000 receiving a windfall of more than 100. Depending on how much they borrow or invest, members earn "reward" points which entitle them to a share of the society's profits. The payouts are bigger than last year, because of stricter eligibility rules. Last year, Britannia members shared 42m, but the average payment was only 38. To qualify for this year's payment, customers must have been members for at least two years on 31 December 2004. Britannia has also stopped making payments to members if they are worth less than 5. To qualify for the profit share, members must have either a mortgage, or an investment account other than a deposit account. Customers can also qualify if they have Permanent Interest Bearing Shares (PIBS). The profit share scheme was introduced in 1997 and has paid out more than 370m. Britannia will unveil its results on Wednesday.


The lack of public outrage about the war on terror is a powerful indictment of the failure of human rights groups, Amnesty International's chief has said. In a lecture at the London School of Economics, Irene Khan said human rights had been flouted in the name of security since 11 September, 2001. She said the human rights movement had to use simpler language both to prevent scepticism and spread a moral message. And it had to fight poverty, not just focus on political rights for elites. Ms Khan highlighted detentions without trial, including those at the US camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, and the abuse of prisoners as evidence of increasing human rights problems. "What's a new challenge is the way in which this age old debate on security and human rights has been translated into the language of war," she said. "By using the language of war, human rights are being sidelined because we know human rights do not apply in times of war." Ms Khan said such breaches were infectious and were now seen in almost very major country in the world. "The human rights movement faces a crisis of faith in the value of human rights," she said. That was accompanied by a crisis of governance, where the United Nations system did not seem able to hold countries to account. The Amnesty secretary general said a growing gap between the perceived influence of human rights group and what they could actually achieve was fuelling scepticism. "Public passivity on the war against terror is the single most powerful indictment on the failures of human rights groups," she said. Ms Khan said the movement had failed to mobilise public outrage about what was happening to the human rights system. There needed to be a drive to use simpler language, talking about the basic morality of the issues rather than the complexity of legal processes. Such efforts could make the issues more relevant to people across the world, she said. The human rights groups also had to recognise there were new groups which had to be tackled in new ways as power dripped away from state governments. Al Qaeda, for example, was not going to be impressed by a traditional Amnesty letter writing campaign. More also needed to be done to develop a human rights framework for international business corporations. Amnesty International members voted in 2001 to extend the organisation's work from political and civil rights to cover social and economic rights too. Ms Khan said the human rights movement would make itself irrelevant if it turned away from the suffering caused by economic strife. "We would be an elitist bunch working for the elites, for those who cannot read the newspaper of their choice rather than those who cannot read," she said. Despite her concerns, Ms Khan dubbed herself a "hope monger", saying she was confident the passions of the human rights movement could overcome the new challenges.


Microsoft is releasing tools that clean up PCs harbouring viruses and spyware. The virus fighting program will be updated monthly and is a precursor to Microsoft releasing dedicated anti virus software. Also being released is a software utility that will help users find and remove any spyware on their home computer. Although initially free it is thought that soon Microsoft will be charging users for the anti spyware tool. The anti spyware tool is available now and the anti virus utility is expected to be available later this month. Microsoft's Windows operating system has long been a favourite of people who write computer viruses because it is so ubiquitous and has many loopholes that can be exploited. It has proved such a tempting target that there are now thought to be more than 100,000 viruses and other malicious programs in existence. Latest research suggests that new variants of viruses are being cranked out at a rate of up to 200 per week. Spyware is surreptitious software that sneaks on to home computers, often without users' knowledge. In its most benign form it just bombards users with pop up adverts or hijacks web browser settings. The most malicious forms steal confidential information or log every keystroke that users make. Surveys have shown that most PCs are infested with spyware. Research by technology firms Earthlink and Webroot revealed that 90% of Windows machine have the malicious software on board and, on average, each one harbours 28 separate spyware programs. Before now Microsoft has left the market for PC security software to specialist firms such as Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro and many others. It said that its virus cleaning program would not stop machines being infected nor remove the need for other anti virus programs. On spyware freely available programs such as Ad Aware and Spybot have become widely used by people keen to keep the latest variants at bay. Microsoft's two security tools have emerged as a result of acquisitions the company has made over the last two years. In 2003 it bought Romanian firm GeCAD Software to get hold of its anti virus technology. In December 2004 it bought New York based anti spyware firm Giant Company Software. Last year Microsoft also released the SP2 upgrade for Windows XP that closed many security loopholes in the software and made it easier for people to manage their anti virus and firewall programs.


TV, films, and games have been gearing up for some time now for the next revolution to transform the quality of what is on our screens. It is called high definition HD for short and it is already hugely popular in Japan and the US. It is set, according to analysts, to do for images what CDs did for sound. Different equipment able to receive HD signals is needed though and is expensive. But Europe's gamers may be the early adopters to drive demand. Europeans will have to wait until at least 2006 until they see mainstream HDTV. To view it, it needs to be transmitted in HD format, and people need special receivers and displays that can handle the high quality resolution. The next generation of consoles, however, are expected to start appearing at the end of 2005, start of 2006. And most new computer displays and plasma sets are already capable of handling such high resolution pictures. "In the next generation of consoles HD support is mandatory," Dr Mark Tuffy games systems director at digital content firm THX told the BBC News website. "Every game is going to be playable in HD. "So consumers who have gone out and spent all this money on HDTVs, and who have no content to watch, are going to be blown away by these really high detail pictures. "It's going to change really the way they look at gaming." At the end of last year, Chris Deering, Sony's European president, made a prediction that 20 million European households would have HDTV sets by 2008. A previous prediction from analysts Datamonitor put the figure at 4.6 million by 2008, an increase from an estimated 50,000 sets at the end of 2003. But those in Europe may see little point in buying what is quite an expensive bit of technology about 2,000 if there are few programmes or films to watch on them. Satellite broadcaster BSkyB is planning HDTV services in 2006 and the BBC intends to produce all of its content in HD by 2010. Until broadcast rights, format standards and the practicalities of updating equipment are agreed, TV content will be limited. All TV images are made up of pixels which go across the screen, and scan lines which go down the screen. Most standard UK TV pictures are made up of 625 lines and about 700 pixels. HD offers up to 1,080 active lines, with each line made up of 1,920 pixels. This means the picture is up to six times as sharp as standard TV. "Probably, in the UK gaming is going to be the only thing you are going to really be able to show off, as in 'look what this TV can do', until HD is really adopted by broadcasters," explains Dr Tuffy. But gamers are also the ideal target audience for HD because they always crave better quality graphics, and more immersive gaming experiences. They are used to spending money on hardware to match a game's requirements. Demographics have changed too and the "sweet spot" for the games industry is the gamer in his or her late 20s. This means they are likely to have higher disposable incomes and can afford the price of big screen, high definition display technologies and HD projectors, earlier than others. Higher capacity storage discs, such as HD DVD and blue ray , are set to be standard in the next round of games consoles allowing developers more room for detailed graphics. For console developers though, HD offers some production changes. It could make games production slightly more expensive, thinks Dr Tuffy. "But we may see the cross platform development of games becoming more common because they will more easily be able to take a PC game and apply it to a console," he says. "You are literally going to get to the point, with a Lord of the Rings game for example, is going to be closer and closer to the actual film, especially the CGI stuff from the DVD. "And the transition when they move from a cut scene to the game, just now they have almost got it seamless." With HD, he says, the transition will be completely seamless and the same quality as the big screen cinema release. This could herald an increasing convergence between the film and gaming industry. But it may not be until the generation after the next games consoles where the two industries really collide. At that point, says Dr Tuffy, games could become more or less interactive movies.


Ten years of "golden" economic performance may come to an end in 2005 with growth slowing markedly, City consultancy Deloitte has warned. The UK economy could suffer a backlash from the slowdown in the housing market, triggering a fall in consumer spending and a rise in unemployment. Deloitte is forecasting economic growth of 2% this year, below Chancellor Gordon Brown's forecast of 3% to 3.5%. It also believes that interest rates will fall to 4% by the end of the year. In its quarterly economic review, Deloitte said the UK economy had enjoyed a "golden period" during the past decade with unemployment falling to a near 30 year low and inflation at its lowest since the 1960s. But it warned that this growth had been achieved at the expense of creating major "imbalances" in the economy. Deloitte's chief economic advisor Roger Bootle said: "The biggest hit of all is set to come from the housing market which has already embarked on a major slowdown. "Whereas the main driver of the economy in recent years has been robust household spending growth, this is likely to suffer as the housing market slowdown gathers pace." Economic growth is likely to be constrained during the next few years by increased pressure on household budgets and rising taxes, Deloitte believes. Gordon Brown will need to raise about 10bn a year in order to sustain the public finances in the short term, the firm claims. This will result in a marked slowdown in growth in 2005 and 2006 compared to last year, when the economy expanded by 3.25%. However, Deloitte stressed that the slowdown was unlikely to have any major impact on retail prices while it expected the Bank of England to respond quickly to signs of the economy faltering. It expects a series of "aggressive" interest rate cuts over the next two years, with the cost of borrowing falling from its current 4.75% mark to 3.5% by the end of 2006. "Although 2005 may not be the year when things go completely wrong, it will probably mark the start of a more difficult period for the UK economy," Mr Bootle.


Mobile phones in the UK are celebrating their 20th anniversary this weekend. Britain's first mobile phone call was made across the Vodafone network on 1 January 1985 by veteran comedian Ernie Wise. In the 20 years since that day, mobile phones have become an integral part of modern life and now almost 90% of Britons own a handset. Mobiles have become so popular that many people use their handset as their only phone and rarely use a landline. The first ever call over a portable phone was made in 1973 in New York but it took 10 years for the first commercial mobile service to be launched. The UK was not far behind the rest of the world in setting up networks in 1985 that let people make calls while they walked. The first call was made from St Katherine's dock to Vodafone's head office in Newbury which at the time was over a curry house. For the first nine days of 1985 Vodafone was the only firm with a mobile network in the UK. Then on 10 January Cellnet (now O2) launched its service. Mike Caudwell, spokesman for Vodafone, said that when phones were launched they were the size of a briefcase, cost about 2,000 and had a battery life of little more than 20 minutes. "Despite that they were hugely popular in the mid 80s," he said. "They became a yuppy must have and a status symbol among young wealthy business folk." This was also despite the fact that the phones used analogue radio signals to communicate which made them very easy to eavesdrop on. He said it took Vodafone almost nine years to rack up its first million customers but only 18 months to get the second million. "It's very easy to forget that in 1983 when we put the bid document in we were forecasting that the total market would be two million people," he said. "Cellnet was forecasting half that." Now Vodafone has 14m customers in the UK alone. Cellnet and Vodafone were the only mobile phone operators in the UK until 1993 when One2One (now T Mobile) was launched. Orange had its UK launch in 1994. Both newcomers operated digital mobile networks and now all operators use this technology. The analogue spectrum for the old phones has been retired. Called Global System for Mobiles (GSM) this is now the most widely used phone technology on the planet and is used to help more than 1.2 billion people make calls. Mr Caudwell said the advent of digital technology also helped to introduce all those things, such as text messaging and roaming that have made mobiles so popular.