Paula Radcliffe faces arguably the biggest test of her career in the New York City Marathon on Sunday. Back under the spotlight of public scrutiny she will attempt to erase the double disappointment of the Athens Olympics, where she failed to finish the marathon and then the 10,000m. BBC Sport examines the challenges facing Radcliffe ahead of the big race. The ability to run a gruelling 26.2 miles relies largely upon an athlete's belief that they can do it. Every runner will hit the wall at some stage and see written on it, "Are you strong enough to finish?" The question could hit Radcliffe hard after she was unable to complete her last two races in high profile and emotional circumstances. Sports psychologist Hugh Richards says the 30 year old must draw on her past achievements to conquer a potential crisis of confidence. "There is an old adage, 'get straight back on the horse that threw you,'" Richards told BBC Sport. "Paula has got all those great runs in her history as well as the two upsets in Athens. "She must not lose faith in what has already been proven is a very effective strategy for distance running. "If she were to change her preparation and tactics that would be madness. "She wants to start rebuilding her confidence through performance accomplishment." For much of the watching media and public there can only be two possible outcomes in New York win or lose. If Radcliffe crosses the line first she will have proved her critics wrong. But if she fails to triumph, she risks being labelled a has been and her profile will suffer. And for any athlete that can have repercussions in terms of sponsorship, appearance fees as well as further self esteem issues. "Athletes need to try and stay focused on their internal controls and ignore external questions," explains Richards, who has worked with past Olympians. "She must not get caught up in someone else's agenda." Radcliffe's best friend and fellow distance runner Liz Yelling revealed the 30 year old is already aware she will be exposing herself to more public scrutiny in New York. "She just thought, 'well, they can't think any worse of me now,'" Yelling told BBC Sport. "She's just doing what she wants to do and not thinking about the consequences of it." Radcliffe described her decision to enter the New York marathon as "impulsive" but she is certain to have a tick list of personal goals. Her aims could be as simple as completing a race and making sure she is still enjoying running but Richards says she must avoid more emotional targets, such as redemption. "You can't change history," warned Richards. "Only one person can win the marathon but lots of people can be successful. "Paula has to figure out what sort of things will she feel satisfied achieving by the end of the race." The course from Staten Island to Central Park is renowned as one of the toughest in the world. It is also not the kind of fast course that tends to suit Radcliffe better, with the undulating finish through the park testing the legs' final reserves. Radcliffe has never raced there before and will enter the unknown just 77 days after the Athens marathon. "It's suggested after a major marathon you take a full month off and start building up again," said Yelling, herself a marathon runner. "But that is only for long term health and fitness. "When you finish a marathon you are still very fit and can recover quickly. So physically it is possible for Paula." Richards also points out conditions in New York will be more conducive to a strong physical display from Radcliffe. "The heat stress was the primary factor that tripped her up in Athens," he said. "And that just isn't going to be there in New York, that's been taken out of the equation." Radcliffe concedes she will probably learn a lot from her bad experiences in Athens in time. And Richards and Yelling agree she could turn the trauma to her advantage, starting in New York. "How you respond to adversity is what marks you out as elite or not," argues Richards. "One of the challenges of massive set backs is how you turn them into opportunities." And Yelling says: "I think this will probably make Paula." "I think it will drive her on and she'll come out of it a better athlete."


Former world number one Jimmy Connors is planning a long term relationship with the Lawn Tennis Association to help unearth the next Tim Henman. The American spent three days at the LTA's annual Elite Performance winter camp in La Manga earlier this week. "Britain has the right attitude," said Connors. "The more involved I can be with the LTA, the better. "A short term arrangement is just confusing. The kids will ask: 'What am I doing there?'" LTA chief executive, John Crowther, added: "The relationship that Jimmy's already started to develop with the coaches and the players has said to us that we'd like some more of it. "We want to use Jimmy for a number of weeks a year and we hope this is the beginning of a good long term relationship." The camp played host to more than 30 leading senior and junior players, including Greg Rusedski, Arvind Parmar and Anne Keothavong. "La Manga is an amazing site to take a bunch of kids who want to be the best," said Connors, speaking at Queen's Club in London. "What impressed me most was not only the coaches but the way the kids went about their workouts and the feeling they put into every practice they had. "It was interesting to me to see kids of 15, 16, 17, with that desire and passion, and that can only be brought about by the coaches surrounding them. "Instilling the importance of work and practice is something you can't buy. "They know what's been given to them and all they have to do is give back the effort, and every minute of practice they were doing that." Speaking from La Manga, LTA performance director David Felgate told BBC Sport: "Jimmy was fantastic with the players and the coaches, and very humble considering what he's achieved. "He worked through the coaches and hopefully it will grow and he'll get to have more of an individual relationship with some of the players and get to know them. "He made it clear from the word go he didn't want it to be short term. This is a 52 week a year job for me, it's my life and my passion and it's the same with the coaches. "He respects that but he wants to be involved and have real input. And why would he stake his reputation on something that's not going to be successful?" Connors has also agreed to commentate for the BBC at next year's Wimbledon Championships. He will work during the second week of the tournament.


The law banning hunting with dogs in England and Wales is enforceable and "very clear", Alun Michael has said. The rural affairs minister said it would become obvious if people flouted the law, which came into force on Friday, and pretended they were not. Some 270 hunts met legally on Saturday killing a total of 91 foxes only four were accidentally killed by hounds. But anti hunt campaigners said there had been widespread intimidation of activists monitoring hunts. Countryside Alliance chairman John Jackson said that Saturday had been a "massive demonstration by the rural community of support for hunting". People had turned out "to show en masse that the Hunting Act was a bad law", he said adding that foxes and other animals had been killed "legally" as far as he was aware. Although hunting with dogs is now a criminal offence, exercising hounds, chasing a scent trail and flushing out foxes to be shot are still legal. Addressing claims that the new law was unenforceable, Mr Michael told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: "There has been a lot of spin about this by those that support hunting. "The reality is that the law is very clear. You can't chase wild mammals with a pack of dogs, whether the wild mammal is a fox or a deer. "If people do so and pretend they're not it's going to become very clear. You can't hunt accidentally." Mr Michael also denied the hunting ban had led to a breakdown of trust between the government and rural communities. He said most people living in the countryside were more concerned with issues like the economy, the health service and their children's future than hunting. But the League Against Cruel Sports claimed the new act had been broken even though the numbers of foxes killed had fallen. Thousands of hunt supporters turned out at 270 hunts across England and Wales on the first day of the ban, with anti hunt groups sending out 100 monitors to check the law was not being broken. There were only four arrests over alleged hunting of hares in Wiltshire although it was not clear whether they were made under the Hunting Act. They have been released on bail but police say they may face prosecution under new poaching laws. But Penny Little, who monitored the Bicester Hunt in Oxfordshire, said she had witnessed "gratuitous, spiteful killing of foxes". If people tried to "run circles around this law" the only outcome would be that it was tightened up, she said. Mike Hobday, from the League Against Cruel Sports, said video evidence of the law being broken would be passed onto police. He said intimidation seemed to have been widespread and called on hunts to do more to stop their supporters intimidating anti hunt activists videoing hunts. But Mr Jackson, who had been at the Bicester Hunt in Oxfordshire, denied there was any intimidation.


Technology firms and gadget lovers are being urged to think more about the environment when buying and disposing of the latest hi tech products. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, several hi tech firms were recognised for their strategies to help the environment. Ebay also announced the Rethink project bringing together Intel, Apple, and IBM among others to promote recycling. The US consumer electronics market is set to grow by over 11% in 2005. But more awareness is needed about how and where old gadgets can be recycled as well as how to be more energy efficient, said the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Of particular growing concern is how much energy it takes to recharge portable devices, one of the fastest growing markets in technology. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has predicted that shipments of consumer technologies in 2005 will reach more than 125.73 billion (nearly 68 billion). Ebay's initiative pulls together major technology firms, environment groups, government agencies and eBay users to give information about what to do with old computers and where to send them. The online auction house thinks that its already established community of loyal users could be influential. "We really became aware of the e waste issue and we saw that our 125 million users can be a powerful force for good," eBay's David Stern told the BBC News website. "We saw the opportunity to meet the additional demand we have on the site for used computers and saw the opportunity too to good some good for the environment." But it is not just computers that cause a problem for the environment. Teenagers get a new mobile every 11 months, adults every 18 months and a 15 million handsets are replaced in total each year. Yet, only 15% are actually recycled. This year, a predicted two billion people worldwide will own a mobile, according to a Deloitte report. Schemes in the US, like RIPMobile, could help in targeting younger generations with recycling messages. The initiative, which was also launched at CES, rewards 10 to 28 year olds for returning unused phones. "This system allows for the transformation of a drawer full of unused mobile phones into anything from music to clothes to electronics or games," said Seth Heine from RIPMobile. One group of students collected 1,000 mobiles for recycling in just three months. Mr Heine told the BBC News website that what was important was to raise awareness amongst the young so that recycling becomes "learned behaviour". Europe is undoubtedly more advanced than the US in terms of recycling awareness and robust "end of life" programmes, although there is a tide change happening in the rest of the world too. Intel showcased some its motherboards and chips at CES which are entirely lead free. "There is more and more awareness on the consumer side, but the whole industry is moving towards being lead free," Intel's Allen Wilson told the BBC News website. "There is still low level awareness right now, but it is on the rise the highest level of awareness is in Europe." A European Union (EU) directive, WEEE (Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment), comes into effect in August. It puts the responsibility on electrical manufacturers to recycle items that are returned to them. But developments are also being made to design better technologies which are more energy efficient and which do not contain harmful substances. Elements like chromium, lead, and cadmium common in consumer electronics goods will be prohibited in all products in the EU by 2006. But it is not just about recycling either. The predicted huge growth in the gadget market means the amount of energy used to power them up is on the rise too. The biggest culprit, according to the EPA, is the innocuous power adaptor, nicknamed "energy vampires". They provide vital juice for billions of mobile phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), digital cameras, camcorders, and digital music players. Although there is a focus on developing efficient and improved circuits in the devices themselves, the technologies inside rechargers are still outdated and so eat up more energy than is needed to power a gadget. On 1 January, new efficiency standards for external power supplies came into effect as part of the European Commission Code of Conduct. But at CES, the EPA also unveiled new guidelines for its latest Energy Star initiative which targets external power adapters. These map out the framework for developing better adaptors that can be labelled with an Energy Star logo, meaning they are about 35% more efficient. The initiative is a global effort and more manufacturers' adaptors are being brought on board. Most are made in China. About two billion are shipped global every year, and about three billion are in use in the US alone. The EPA is already working with several companies which make more than 22% of power supplies on the market. "We are increasingly finding companies that not only want to provide neat, hi tech devices, but also bundle with it a hi tech, efficient power supply," the EPA's Andrew Fanara said. Initiatives like this are critical; if power adaptors continue to be made and used as they are now, consumer electronics and other small appliances will be responsible for more than 40% of electricity used in US homes, said the EPA.


Manchester City's Paul Bosvelt will find out "within a month" whether he is to be offered a new one year deal. The 34 year old Dutch midfielder is out of contract in the summer and, although his age may count against him, he feels he can play on for another season. "I told the club I would like to stay for one more year. They promised me an answer within the next month so I am waiting to see," he said. "The main concern is my age but I think I have proved I am fit enough. Bosvelt joined City from Feyenoord in 2003 and at first he struggled to adapt to life in England. But his professionalism and dedication impressed manager Kevin Keegan. "He realised the pace of the game was faster than anything he was used to but he drove himself back into the team. He is an unsung hero," said Keegan.


The FA is to take action after trouble marred Wednesday's Carling Cup tie between Chelsea and West Ham. Police in riot gear were confronted by a section of the West Ham support after the match which the Blues won 1 0. Mateja Kezman, the scorer of Chelsea's goal, needed treatment on a head injury during the match after being hit by a missile, believed to be a coin. A spokeswoman for Chelsea said the club would await the referee's report before deciding on its course of action. Kezman was forced off the field to receive treatment on a cut above his eye but was able to continue. Chelsea assistant boss Steve Clarke said: "I would rather talk about the football but we think it was something thrown from the crowd. He did not require stitches." West Ham boss Alan Pardew said: "It's a shame because I thought there was good English banter in the crowd. "There's big rivalry between the two clubs and it is a shame if that's happened. From where I was standing I didn't see any trouble." Former Hammers star Joe Cole also had a plastic bottle thrown at him, while Frank Lampard was pelted with coins as he was preparing to take a penalty. Lampard's spot kick was saved to the delight of the Hammers' fans, who have still not forgiven him for leaving Upton Park. The FA will seek reports from the clubs and the police, and will review video evidence and the referee's report. Police in riot gear battled with West Ham fans in the Matthew Harding stand and at least one supporter required treatment. Fans are also thought to have clashed outside the ground after the game. Scotland Yard said there had been 11 arrests for alleged public order, drugs and offensive weapon offences. The FA is already looking into the trouble at Tuesday's heated Carling Cup tie between Millwall and Liverpool.


Top seed Roger Federer had to save two match points before squeezing past Juan Carlos Ferrero at the Dubai Open. The world number one took two hours 15 minutes to earn his 4 6 6 3 7 6 victory, saving match points at 6 4 in the tiebreak before claiming it 8 6. Federer made a number of unforced errors early on, allowing Ferrero to take advantage and claim the first set. But the Swiss star hit back to reach the quarter finals, where he will face seventh seed Russian Mikhail Youzhny. The Russian beat Germany's Rainer Schuettler 7 5 6 4. Federer was not unduly worried despite being taken to three sets for the third consecutive match. The world number one was forced to go the distance against Ivan Ljubicic in the Rotterdam final and against Ivo Minar in the first round in Dubai. "I definitely had a slow start again and to come back every time is quite an effort," he said. "I haven't been playing well, but I've been coming through. I'm winning the crucial points and that shows I'm on top of my game when I have to be."


The US has pushed Japan off the top of the supercomputing chart with IBM's prototype Blue Gene/L machine. It is being assembled for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, under the US Department of Energy. IBM test results show that Blue Gene/L has managed speeds of 70.72 teraflops. The previous top machine, Japan's NEC Earth Simulator, clocked up 35.86. The Top 500 list was announced on Monday and officially charts the fastest computers in the world. It is announced every six months and is worked out using an officially recognised mathematical speed test called Linpack which measures calculations per second. Once completed in 2005, Blue Gene/L will be more powerful than its current prototype. "Next year with the final Blue Gene, four times what it is this year, it is going to be a real step up and will be hard to beat," said Erich Strohmaier, one of the co founders of the Top500 list. It will help scientists work out the safety, security and reliability requirements for the US's nuclear weapons stockpile, without the need for underground nuclear testing. It will also cut down on the amount of heat generated by the massive power, a big problem for supercomputers. In second place was Silicon Graphics' Columbia supercomputer based at the US space agency's (Nasa) Ames Research Center in California. The Linux based machine was reported to have reached a top speed of 42.7 trillion calculations per second (teraflops) in October. It will be used to model flight missions, climate research, and aerospace engineering. The defeated Japanese contender, the Earth Simulator, which was listed in third place, losing the top spot it had held since June 2002. It is dedicated to climate modelling and simulating seismic activity. Since the first supercomputer, the Cray 1, was installed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, US, in 1976, computational speed has leaped 500,000 times. The Cray 1 was capable of 80 megaflops (80 million operations a second). The Blue Gene/L machine that will be completed next year will be five million times faster. Started in 1993, the Top 500 list is decided by a group of computer science academics from around the world. It is presented at the International Supercomputer Conference in Pittsburgh.


US prosecutors have charged nine food suppliers with helping Dutch retailer Ahold inflate earnings by more than 800m ( 428m). The charges have been brought against individuals as well as companies, alleging they created false accounts. Ahold hit the headlines in February 2003 after it emerged that there were accounting irregularities at its US subsidiary Foodservice. Three former Ahold top executives last year agreed to settle fraud charges. Ahold has admitted that it fraudulently inflated promotional allowances at Foodservice, improperly consolidated joint ventures and also committed other accounting errors and irregularities. The nine now charged, who worked as suppliers to Ahold, are accused of signing false documents relating to the amount of money they paid the retailer for promoting their products in its stores. Food companies pay supermarkets and retailers for prime shelf space. The suppliers in question are said to have inflated the amount of money they paid, providing auditors with signed letters that allowed Ahold to inflate its earnings. US Attorney David Kelley said he expects the nine vendors will plead guilty to the charges. He added that there may be more court actions in the future. "I don't want to leave you with the impression that these were the only ones involved," he said. Among those facing charges are John Nettle, a former employee of General Mills; Mark Bailin of Rymer International Seafood; Tim Daly of Michael Foods and Kenneth Bowman, who worked as an independent contractor for Total Foods. Others include Michael Hannigan of Sugar Foods; Peter Marion of Maritime Seafood Processors and First Choice Foods; Gordon Redgate of Commodity Manager and Private Label Distribution; Bruce Robinson of Basic American Foods and Michael Rogers, formerly of Tyson Foods. Pasquale D'Amuro of the FBI called the nine vendors the key ingredients in "the process of cooking the books" at Ahold. At the time of the scandal, Ahold was seen by many as Europe's Enron. Ahold shares tumbled on the news and many market observers predicted that the fall out could damage investor confidence across Europe. It was less severe than many had envisaged, however, and since then Ahold has worked hard at rebuilding its reputation and investor confidence. Ahold is the world's fourth largest supermarket chain. Its other US businesses include Stop Shop, and Giant Food.


The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning that a computer virus is being spread via e mails that purport to be from the FBI. The e mails show that they have come from an fbi.gov address and tell recipients that they have accessed illegal websites. The messages warn that their internet use has been monitored by the FBI's Internet Fraud Complaint Center. An attachment in the e mail contains the virus, the FBI said. The message asks recipients to click on the attachment and answer some questions about their internet use. But rather than being a questionnaire, the attachment contains a virus that infects the recipient's computer, according to the agency. It is not clear what the virus does once it has infected a computer. Users are warned never to open attachment from unsolicited e mails or from people they do not know. "Recipients of this or similar solicitations should know that the FBI does not engage in the practice of sending unsolicited e mails to the public in this manner," the FBI said in a statement. The bureau is investigating the phoney e mails. The agency earlier this month shut down fbi.gov accounts, used to communicate with the public, because of a security breach. A spokeswoman said the two incidents appear to be unrelated.


Tim Henman has retired from Great Britain's Davis Cup team. The 30 year old, who made his Davis Cup debut in 1994, is now set to fully focus on the ATP Tour and on winning his first Grand Slam event. "I've made no secret of the fact that representing Great Britain has always been a top priority for me throughout my career," Henman told his website. Captain Jeremy Bates has touted Alex Bogdanovic and Andrew Murray as possible replacements for the veteran. Henman added that he was available to help Britain in its bid for Davis Cup success, with the next tie against Israel in March . "Although I won't be playing, I would still like to make myself available to both Jeremy and the LTA in the future so that I can draw upon my experience in the hope of trying to help the British players develop their full potential," he added. "I've really enjoyed playing in front of the thousands of British fans both home and abroad and would like to thank every one of them for their unwavering support over the years." Henman leaves Davis Cup tennis with an impressive record, having won 36 of his 50 matches. Great Britain captain Jeremy Bates paid tribute to Henman's efforts over the years. "Tim has quite simply had a phenomenal Davis Cup career and it has been an absolute privilege to have captained the team with him in it," said Bates. "Tim's magnificent record speaks for itself. While it's a great loss I completely understand and respect his decision to retire from Davis Cup and focus on the Grand Slams and Tour. " "Looking to the future this decision obviously marks a watershed in British Davis Cup tennis but it is also a huge opportunity for the next generation to make their mark. "We have a host of talented players coming through and despite losing someone of Tim's calibre, I remain very optimistic about the future." Henman made his Davis Cup debut in 1994 against Romania in Manchester. He and partner Bates won their doubles rubber on the middle Saturday of the tie. Britain eventually lost the contest 3 2. Henman and Britain had little luck in Davis Cup matches until 1999 when they qualified for the World Group. Britain drew the USA and lost the tie when Greg Rusedski fell to Jim Courier in the deciding rubber. They made the final stages again, in 2002, but this time lost out to the might of Sweden.


The US is poised to push Japan off the top of the supercomputing chart with IBM's prototype Blue Gene/L machine. It is being assembled for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a US Department of Energy (DOE) lab. DOE test results show that Blue Gene/L has managed speeds of 70.72 teraflops. The current top machine, Japan's NEC Earth Simulator, clocks up 35.86. Due next week, the Top 500 list officially charts the fastest computers in the world. It is announced every six months and is worked out using an officially recognised mathematical speed test called Linpack which measures calculations per second. The speeds will most likely make it the fastest computer system on the planet, yet the chip technology powering the machine is the kind which can be found in familiar devices such as games consoles. The US Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham confirmed that the machine had reached the breakneck speed, according to the Linpack benchmark. Until the official list is published, however, Blue Gene/L's position will not be confirmed, and there are expected to be some other new entries. But the test results raise the bar of supercomputing enormously and signal a remarkable achievement. Surpassing the 40 trillion calculations per second (teraflop) mark has been considered a landmark for some time. The IBM Blue Gene/L is only a prototype and is one 5th the speed of the full version, due to be completed for the Livermore labs in 2005. Its peak theoretical performance is expected to be 360 teraflops, and will fit into 64 full racks. It will also cut down on the amount of heat generated by the massive power, a big problem for supercomputers. The final machine will help scientists work out the safety, security and reliability requirements for the US's nuclear weapons stockpile, without the need for underground nuclear testing. The Earth Simulator has held on to the top spot since June 2002. It is dedicated to climate modelling and simulating seismic activity. But in September, IBM said that another Blue Gene/L machine clocked up 36.01 teraflops, marginally surpassing the Earth Simulator's performance. This was achieved during internal testing at IBM's production facility in Rochester, Minnesota, though, so was not an official record. Another giant to enter the fray is Silicon Graphics' Columbia supercomputer based at Nasa's Ames Research Center in California. It would be used to model flight missions, climate research, and aerospace engineering. The Linux based machine was reported to have reached a top speed of 42.7 teraflops in October. Supercomputers are hugely important for working out very complex problems across science and society. Their massive simulation and processing power means they can improve the accuracy of weather forecasts, help design better cars, and improve disease diagnosis. IBM's senior vice president of technology and manufacturing, Nick Donofrio, believes that by 2006, Blue Gene will be capable of petaflop computing. This means it would be capable of doing 1,000 trillion operations a second. "When you get a computer as large as a petaflop, you can start to think of simulations that might complement the physical world," Mr Donofrio recently told the BBC News website. "You can start to be more proactive, more interactive and more innovative." One area where Mr Donofrio sees supercomputing and Blue Gene machines in particular as crucial is health. He believes the machines can help scientists understand one of the greatest challenges of the 21st Century: protein folding. "Health is one of the most important problems, not just mapping the human genome, but also protein structures. "We are a great believer in simulation. It gives you another tool," he said. Once the structures of proteins are understood fully, then drugs can be tailor made to fight diseases more effectively. Compared with the current fastest supercomputers, Blue Gene is designed to consume one 15th the power and be 10 times more compact. Since the first supercomputer, the Cray 1, was installed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1976, computational speed has leaped 500,000 times. The Cray 1 was capable of 80 megaflops (80 million operations a second). The Blue Gene/L machine that will be completed next year will be five million times faster. Started in 1993, the Top 500 list is decided by a group of computer science academics from around the world. It is presented at the International Supercomputer Conference in Pittsburgh.


A majority of voters (68%) believe the prime minister has been damaged by the row over David Blunkett's involvement in a visa application, a poll suggests. But nearly half those surveyed said Mr Blunkett should return to Cabinet if Labour won the next election. Some 63% of respondents in the Sunday Times poll thought his former lover Kimberly Quinn acted vindictively and 61% that he had been right to resign. YouGov polled a weighted sample of 1,981 voters online on 16 18 December. Mr Blunkett resigned as Home Secretary on Wednesday after an inquiry uncovered an e mail showing a visa application by Mrs Quinn's former nanny had been speeded up. Sir Alan Budd's inquiry also found Mr Blunkett's account of events had been wrong. Almost a quarter (21%) of those polled for the Sunday Times said he should return to the Cabinet straight after the election. One in four said he should be back in the Government's top ranks within a year or two while 39% opposed a comeback. Three quarters said Mr Blunkett was right to go to court for the right to see Mrs Quinn's son whom he says he fathered and just 14% voiced sympathy for Mrs Quinn. A total of 53% of those polled said they had sympathy for Mr Blunkett, with 40% saying they did not. Forty three per cent thought Mr Blunkett had done a good job as home secretary and 17% disagreed. Meantime, 32% said Mr Blair was a good prime minister and 38% disagreed. A majority, 52%, said Chancellor Gordon Brown had done a good job and just 16% disagreed. A second poll for the Independent on Sunday found that support for all political parties remained largely unchanged after the Blunkett controversy. Labour lead the Conservatives by 39% to 34% with the Liberal Democrats on 19%. CommunicateResearch interviewed 401 people before David Blunkett's resignation and 601 afterwards. Some 82% said Mr Blunkett had set a good example by wanting to take responsibility for the child he says is his, but 42% backed his legal action compared to 45% who thought it was unbecoming. Thirty per cent said the affair showed Mr Blunkett could not be trusted as a minister while 63%, disagreed.


Last April, Kelly Holmes spoke to the BBC Sport website about her loneliness, her fight to stay fit and her decision not to contest both the 800m and 1500m at the Olympics. It just goes to show even the most meticulous and measured athletes cannot predict what fate has in store for them. Four months later, Holmes stormed to double Olympic gold and has since been made a Dame, won the BBC Sport Personality of the Year and written a book whilst still finding time to coach aspiring athletes. With so much time spent in the spotlight, Holmes has increasingly dropped hints that her ambition on the track has begun to wilt. And when asked about her plans for both the indoor and outdoor seasons ahead, the 34 year old has repeatedly chosen to tick the "don't know" box. Holmes has now pulled out of this weekend's European Indoor Championships, where she was selected for both the 800m and 1500m, because of a hamstring injury. But should we be surprised if the Olympic champion over both those distances decides she just does not feel like racing anymore? "Well, it's a lot easier being the double Olympic champion, being feted by everybody, than training to be at the top in middle distance running," points out former Olympian and BBC pundit Steve Cram. "You have to have a real strong desire to carry on doing it even if you're very talented." Holmes' drive and determination have always been unquestionable that is the reason she has battled back from a string of injuries that threatened to see her finish her career empty handed. But alarm bells start ringing when the Kent athlete begins questioning herself. "Will I have as much commitment, desire and energy to go through a major championship?" Holmes asked in the New Year. "That is what I don't know." At 34, Holmes will also be aware that time is running out. US 400m and 200m legend Michael Johnson, a five time Olympic gold medallist, retired shortly after his 34th birthday as did Britain's double Olympic champion decathlete Daley Thompson. The physical demands of the day to day grind will only get harder for Holmes, who has already admitted she "doesn't like the training anymore." Whilst out on the circuit the allure of defeating a double Olympic champion will spur her opponents on. Holmes will not want to needlessly suffer the indignity of being beaten. Unless she is certain she has a strong chance of winning any race, she will not step onto the track. But if the Kent athlete finds the form that fuelled her ambitions last summer, there are more prizes up for grabs. The day after completing her double in Athens, the 34 year old revealed she would still like to win her first indoors title. Holmes' wish could easily be met in Madrid before she goes on to prepare for the outdoor season where there are still scores to be settled, such as a first gold at the World Championships in Helsinki. There is just one small truth which could gnaw away at Holmes' motivation the realisation that no matter how hard she trains, nothing she wins now can surpass her achievements in Athens. On the other hand, if those achievements cannot be matched shouldn't they be at least shared and celebrated? "You don't get the chance very often in your career to step onto the track as the double Olympic champion," agreed Cram. "You want to be able to take your bow in front of the fans because it's a fantastic feeling. "I think deep down Kelly wants to run. I think she will compete and run races on the circuits but whether or not she runs in the major championships is much less certain." Athletics fans had every reason to believe they would see the new look Kelly Holmes tearing up the track again. After her Olympic glory she emphatically denied she planned to retire. So, why is Holmes dragging her heels about making a decision on where, when or whether to even bother competing again? "That's just Kelly," explains Cram. "She's always been like that. "She enjoys people trying to guess what she is going to do next. She knows every time she makes a pronouncement now it's headline news. "Kelly has to figure out for herself what it is she wants and that will be based on athletics decisions, whether she can be competitive, if she is fit enough to put her neck on the line. "And if she decides not to run again, no one is going to turn round and say 'you're making the wrong decision.'"


The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is calling on the government to stem job losses in manufacturing firms by reviewing the help it gives companies. The TUC said in its submission before the Budget that action is needed because of 105,000 jobs lost from the sector over the last year. It calls for better pensions, child care provision and decent wages. The 36 page submission also urges the government to examine support other European countries provide to industry. TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber called for "a commitment to policies that will make a real difference to the lives of working people." "Greater investment in childcare strategies and the people delivering that childcare will increases the options available to working parents," he said. "A commitment to our public services and manufacturing sector ensures that we can continue to compete on a global level and deliver the frontline services that this country needs." He also called for "practical measures" to help pensioners, especially women who he said "are most likely to retire in poverty". The submission also calls for decent wages and training for people working in the manufacturing sector.


The head of Lloyd's of London, the insurance market, has criticised Britain's financial watchdog, the Financial Services Authority (FSA). In a speech on Monday, Mr Prettejohn urged the FSA to force brokers to disclose the size of their commissions. "The FSA should change, and change now" said Mr Prettejohn, who wants it to move from "disclosure on request" to mandatory disclosure. The call came in a speech on improving the London insurance market. "The FSA should not bide their time and 'wait and see'. They should seize the moment," Mr Prettejohn, Lloyd's chief executive said. The FSA took over regulation of the general insurance sector in January, but it sidestepped calls to require brokers to disclose the commissions they earn from insurers to their clients. Last week, the City watchdog gave brokers and insurers guidance on managing conflicts of interest. Brokers must give information on their commissions if, and only if, their customers request it, the FSA said. In the US, lack of transparency about brokers' commissions has led to problems. The world's biggest insurance broker Marsh McLennan said last week it would pay 850m to settle charges, raised by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in October, that it sought to rig bids in conjunction with insurers. The probe centred around so called contingent commissions, whereby brokers were rewarded according to how much business they brought to an insurer, an arrangement that did not always benefit brokers' customers. All of the insurance business written in the Lloyd's market is placed via brokers.


Former Scotland international Finlay Calder fears civil war at the SRU could seriously hamper his country's RBS Six Nations campaign. Four members of the executive board, including the chairman, David Mackay, have resigned after a simmering row. And Calder said: "This is terrible news for every level of Scottish rugby. "David is a successful businessman and I thought that if anybody could transform the negative atmosphere and rising debt level, it was him." Mackay's executive board has been in a power struggle with the general committee, which contains members elected by Scotland's club sides. "He has been driven out by people who seem happier waging civil war than addressing the central issue that professional rugby can't be run by amateurs," said Calder. "In fact, I don't understand why we are still having this argument 10 years after professionalism arrived. "But I don't believe the rest of the SRU will take this lying down. "I think the banks will be dismayed at this decision and, ultimately, it is them who pull the strings. "So I wouldn't be surprised if they reviewed their position. But, in the wider picture, what message does this send out?" He thought the work of Scotland's coaches, who have been attempting to arrest the decline of the national side, would be made much more difficult. "Matt Williams and Willie Anderson must be wondering, 'what have we walked into here?'" said Calder. "And we can now expect weeks of arguments and acrimony just at a time when we should be looking forward to the Six Nations Championship. "I am very, very disappointed, more than you can imagine. Why do so many Scots have this knack of turning on each other when the going gets tough?"


Nintendo's new handheld console, the DS, will launch in Europe on 11 March, the company has announced. The portable games machine, which features touch screen control, will retail for 99 in the UK (149 euros). Nintendo said 15 games would be available in the UK at launch, with prices ranging from 19 to 29. More than 2.8 million DS consoles have been sold since it first appeared in the US and Japan at the end of 2004. Rival Sony has said it will launch its first handheld console, the PSP, in the US and Europe before the end of March. The PSP is expected to compete for a large part of the same handheld market, despite Sony's assertion that the machines are aimed at different consumers. The 15 games available on the European launch date will include Nintendo's Super Mario 64 DS, as well as titles from third party developers such as Ubisoft's Rayman DS. More than 120 games are in development for the new console, Nintendo has said. The DS is backwards compatible with the Game Boy Advance, allowing the earlier machine's back catalogue of 700 games to be played. Additionally, a short range wireless link for multiplayer gaming is built in to the DS, with a "download play" option which allows a group to play against each other, even if just one person owns a copy. Other features include a short range messaging application called Pictochat, and a built in microphone which is used in Sega's launch title Project Rub. Nintendo has also announced a media adapter, which will allow the console to play music and video on the move. The launch price of 99 (149 euros) compares favourably with the US price of 149, according to John Houlihan, editor of the Computerandvideogames.com magazine. "It's a very, very competitive price point. There are some innovative features, and Nintendo has created quite a buzz," he says. "However, the line up of games could have been stronger. Everyone wanted to see the eight player Mario Kart DS, for example." Mr Houlihan believes that there is likely to be an audience for both the Nintendo DS and Sony's new PSP, with the former aimed largely at a younger audience and the latter expected to be marketed as a multimedia device. "The PSP is a sexy bit of kit, but Sony's attitude to the PSP has been very understated in Europe, so far," Mr Houlihan said. The worldwide handheld software market had an estimated worth of 2.6bn at the end of 2004, according to industry analysts Screen Digest. In the past, games consoles and handhelds have generally launched much later in Europe than in other parts of the world. However Nintendo president Satoru Iwata said the company was "pleased to have offered such a short period of time between the US and European launch". "Europe is an extremely important market for Nintendo," Mr Iwata added. Nintendo raised its sales targets for the DS console last December after selling a million in the US and Japan in just a few weeks.


Like some drill sergeant from the past, Metal Slug 3 is a wake up call to today's gamers molly coddled with slick visuals and fancy trimmings. With its hand animated sprites and 2D side scrolling, this was even considered retro when released in arcades four years ago. But a more frantic shooter you will not find at the end of your joypad this year. And yes, that includes Halo 2. Simply choose your grunt and wade through five 2D side scrolling levels of the most hectic video game blasting you will ever encounter. It is also the toughest game you are likely to play, as hordes of enemies and few lives pile the pressure on. Players must battle soldiers, snowmen, zombies, giant crabs and aliens, not to mention the huge, screen filling bosses that guard each of the five levels. The shoot anything that moves gameplay is peppered with moments of old school genius. Fans of robotic gastropods should note the title refers, instead, to the vast array of vehicles on offer in a game stuffed with bizarre hardware. Tanks, jets and submarines can be commandeered, as well as cannon toting camels, elephants and ostriches more weaponry on offer than in an acre of Iraq. Doling out justice is a joy thanks to ultra responsive controls, and while this is a tough nut to crack, it is addictive enough to have you gagging for that one last go. And at a mere 20, Metal Slug 3 is as cheap as sliced, fried spuds, as the man says. Of course, most of you will ignore this, lacking as it does the visual fireworks of modern blasters. But at a time when blockbuster titles offer only a fresh lick of paint in favour of real innovation, Metal Slug 3 is a fresh gasp of air from an era when the Xbox was not even a twinkle in Bill Gates' eye.


Russian oil firm Yukos has sued four companies for their role in last year's forced state auction of its key oil production unit Yuganskneftegas. Yukos is claiming more than 20bn ( 11bn) in damages after Yugansk was sold in December to settle back taxes. The four companies named in the law suit are gas giant Gazprom, its unit Gazpromneft, investment company Baikal, and state oil firm Rosneft. Yukos submitted the suit in Houston, where it filed for bankruptcy. As well as suing for damages, Yukos has asked the US court to send its tax dispute with the Russian government to an international arbitrator. It also has submitted a reorganisation plan as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The clash between Yukos and the Kremlin came to a head last year when Yukos was hit with a bill of more than 27bn in back taxes and unpaid fines. To settle the bill, Russia forced Yukos to sell off Yuganskneftegas. Yukos called the sale illegal and has turned to courts in the US in an effort to regain control of the oil production business. It also has vowed to use all legal means at its disposal to go after any firm that tries to buy or take control of its assets. Earlier this month it sued the Russian government for 28.3bn. Analysts have questioned whether a US court has any jurisdiction over Russian companies, while Moscow officials have dismissed Yukos' legal wrangling as meaningless. In Houston, bankruptcy Judge Letitia Clark will start a two day hearing on 16 February to hear arguments on whether a US court is the proper forum for the case. The threat of legal action from Yukos and its bankruptcy filing in Houston did have an effect on last year's auction, however. Concerned that it would be caught up in a court battle, Gazprom and Gazpromneft withdrew from the auction, and Yuganskneftegas was sold to little known investment firm Baikal Finance Group. A few days later, Baikal gave control of the company to state run oil group Rosneft for 9.3bn. Rosneft, meanwhile, has agreed to merge with Gazprom, bringing a large chunk of Russia's very profitable oil business back under state control. Yukos claims that the rights of its shareholders have been ignored and that is has been punished for the political ambitions of its founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Mr Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, is in prison, having been charged with fraud and tax evasion and repeatedly denied bail.


The US budget deficit is set to hit a worse than expected 368bn ( 197bn) this year, officials said on Tuesday. The cost of military operations still needs to be factored in, with analysts saying the deficit could end up a further 100bn in the red. Past Congressional Budget Office (CBO) forecasts said there would be a 348bn shortfall in the 2005 fiscal year. In recent months, the dollar has weakened amid market jitters about the size of the budget and trade deficits. In November, the gap between US exports and imports widened to more than 60bn, a record figure. The CBO says it envisages a further "orderly" decline in the greenback over the next two years as the twin deficit drives dollar investors away. But the non partisan fiscal watchdog notes the declines will help exporters and boost US economic growth. The budget deficit hit a record 412bn in the 12 months to 30 September 2004, after reaching 377bn in the previous fiscal year. The CBO also forecast a total shortfall of 855bn for the years from 2006 to 2015, an improvement on previous projections. However, analysts say the new figures fail to take into account the potential 2 3.8 trillion costs of the president's plan to revamp state pensions and extend tax cuts. The figure could also be worsened by any further military costs. Republicans have blamed the size of the deficit on slow economic conditions after the 11 September attacks and ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of President George W Bush's election pledges was to halve the budget deficit within five years. But Democrats have accused the president of excluding Iraq related costs from previous budgets to meet the aim of reducing the deficit, a charge which the administration denies. On Tuesday, the US administration asked Congress for additional funds for military operations.


New Southampton manager Harry Redknapp faces an immediate reunion with his old club Portsmouth after they were drawn together in the FA Cup fourth round. Exeter City face a home tie against Middlesbrough if they can see off holders Manchester United in a replay. Oldham's reward for beating Manchester City is a home tie with Bolton, while Yeovil will be away to Charlton. Chelsea host Birmingham, Tottenham travel to West Brom and Arsenal will entertain Championship side Wolves. Saints boss Redknapp was upbeat about the draw despite having to face the club he walked out on just six weeks ago. "I've said before, I can walk away from Portsmouth with my head held high, I'm proud of what I did there and no one can take that away from me," said Redknapp. "Maybe I'll be in for some stick, there's always some of that but we'll get on with it and it's only a game of football." Birmingham manager Steve Bruce admitted their trip to Stamford Bridge to face Premiership leaders Chelsea was the toughest draw possible. Bruce said: "I'm still in shock. We've given good accounts of ourselves against Chelsea in the past and played well when we lost 1 0 at home at the start of the season but that's the past. "But it's the best competition in the world as far as I am concerned and we will give it our best shot." Brentford boss Martin Allen remained cautious despite his side's favourable draw a home tie with either Hartlepool or Boston. "The best thing is, it's a home game. However, we know that whoever we play it is going to be a really tough game," said Allen. "But it's not about the opposition, it's about us. We all want to get through to the next round and face a massive team, that's the way it is." Meanwhile, the BBC has confirmed it will be televising Exeter's replay with Man Utd live on Wednesday 19 January, from 1930 on BBC One. Derby v Watford or Fulham Man Utd or Exeter v Middlesbrough Cardiff or Blackburn v Colchester Chelsea v Birmingham West Ham v Sheff Utd Oldham v Bolton Arsenal v Wolverhampton Everton v Sunderland Nottm Forest v Peterborough Brentford v Hartlepool or Boston Reading or Swansea v Leicester or Blackpool Burnley or Liverpool v Bournemouth Southampton v Portsmouth West Brom v Tottenham Newcastle v Coventry Charlton v Yeovil


China's national airline is to make its overseas stock market debut with a dual listing in London and Hong Kong, the London Stock Exchange (LSE) has said. Air China plans to raise 1bn ( 514m) from the flotation. Share trading will begin on 15 December, the LSE said. For China's aviation authorities, the listing is part of the modernisation of its airline sector to cope with soaring demand for air travel. No further details of the share price or number of shares were given. The LSE has been working hard to woo Chinese companies to choose London, rather than New York for their listings. It opened an Asia Pacific office in Hong Kong last month. "We are delighted that Air China has chosen London for its listing outside China," said LSE chief executive Clara Furse. "The London Stock Exchange offers ambitious Chinese companies access to the world's most international equity market combined with high regulatory and corporate governance standards," she said. A spokesman for the LSE said: "We've been engaged with them (Air China) for about 18 months, two years now." As part of its pitch to bring listings to London, the LSE is thought to be highlighting the extra costs and red tape imposed by new US laws passed since the Enron scandal, whilst stressing London's strong regulatory environment. Germany's Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder began a three day visit to Beijing on Monday by signing a deal worth 1bn euros ( 1.3bn; 690m) for Airbus to sell 23 new planes to Air China, the Deutsche Welle radio station reported. China's booming economy has created huge demand for air travel among middle class Chinese, turning the country into a sales battleground between rival plane makers Airbus and Boeing. Air China's long awaited flotation is part of a strategy to modernise a dozen state owned carriers, which have been reorganised into three groups under Air China, China Southern and China Eastern. Merrill Lynch are sole bookrunners for Air China's flotation, which will take the form of a share placing with institutional investors in London, though retail investors may be able to buy Air China shares in Hong Kong. Air China's primary listing will be in Hong Kong, with a secondary listing in London. The shares will be denominated in Hong Kong dollars. However, investors may be wary of Chinese stocks. The collapse last week of China Aviation Oil, the Singapore listed arm of a Chinese jet fuel trader, has cast the spotlight on corporate governance shortcomings at Chinese firms.


General Motors, the world's largest car maker, has confirmed that it will build a new medium sized Cadillac BLS at its loss making Saab factory in Sweden. The car, unveiled at the Geneva motor show, is intended to compete in the medium sized luxury car market. It will not be sold in the US, said GM Europe president Carl Peter Forster. As part of its efforts to make the US marque appeal to European drivers, the car will be the first Cadillac with a diesel engine. GM's announcement should go some way to allay fears of the Saab factory's closure. The factory in Trollhaettan has been at the centre of rumours about GM's planned severe cutbacks in its troubled European operations. But the group's new commitment to the Swedish factory may not be welcomed by the group's Opel workers in Ruesselsheim, Germany. They may now have to face a larger proportion of GM's cuts. Neither will the announcement be seen as unalloyed good news in Sweden, since it reflects Saab's failure to make significant inroads into the lucrative European luxury car market. For years, Saab has consistently said it is competing head on with BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar. The segment's leaders do not agree. GM's plans to build the American marque in Sweden is part of its efforts to push it as an alternative luxury brand for European drivers. In the US, it has long been established as an upmarket brand even the presidential limousine carries the badge. Yet it could prove tough for Cadillac to steal market share from the majors in Europe. Other luxury car makers, most notably the Toyota subsidiary Lexus, have enjoyed tremendous success in the US without managing to make significant inroads in Europe. There, German marques Mercedes Benz and BMW have retained their stranglehold on the luxury market. Bringing Cadillac production to Sweden should help introduce desperately needed scale to the Saab factory, which currently produces fewer than 130,000 cars per year. That is about half of what major car makers consider sufficient numbers for profitable operations, and Saab is losing money fast albeit with losses halved in 2004 to 200m ( 104m; 151m euros) from 500m the previous year. Beyond the 12,000 job cuts announced last year at its European operations, GM is reducing expenditure by building Saabs, Opels badged as Vauxhalls in the UK and now Cadillacs on the same framework, and by allowing the different brands to share parts. Another way to further reduce Saab's losses could be to shift some of the production of Saabs to the US, a market where drivers have adopted it as an upmarket European car. Doing so would remove the exposure to the weak US dollar, which is making Saabs more expensive to US consumers. But not everyone in the industry agree that it would be the best way forward. "We know that in five years the US dollar will be stronger than it is today," the chief executive of a leading European car maker told BBC News. The current trend towards US production was "stupid", he said. In a separate announcement, GM unveiled a new scheme to allow European consumers the chance to test drive its Opel and Vauxhall models. It is to deploy a fleet of 35,000 test cars across 40 countries, inviting potential buyers to try out a vehicle for 24 hours. It follows a similar initiative by GM in the US. GM said it wanted to change "customers' perceptions" about Opel and Vauxhall cars, showing them that the quality had improved in recent years.


After bubbling under for some time, online games broke through onto the political arena in 2004. The US presidential election provided a showcase for many, aimed at talking directly to a generation that has grown up with joysticks and gamepads. Experts say this reflects how video games are becoming a mainstream part of culture and society. The first official political campaign game was technically launched during the last week of 2003: the Iowa Game, commissioned by the Democrat hopeful Howard Dean. More than 20 followed suit, including Frontrunner, eLections, President Forever and The Political Machine, which allowed players to run an entire presidential campaign, including having to cope with the media. Others helped raise the stakes during the Bush/Kerry contest by highlighting a candidate's virtues or his vices. The phenomenon has astonished the forefathers of political games, a handful of multi discipline games enthusiasts keen to push frontiers. "When I started researching political games at the university, about five years ago, I thought it was going to be something that would take decades to happen," said Gonzalo Frasca, computer games specialist at the Information Technology University of Copenhagen. "I must admit that I was the first person to be surprised at seeing how fast they have evolved," added the Uruguayan born researcher, who has so far created games for two political campaigns. Many artists and designers are experimenting with this form of gaming with an agenda in projects such as newsgaming.com. The aim is to comment on international news events via games. The ability of games to simulate reality makes them a powerful modelling tool to interact with actual situations in an original way. "Video games generate strong reactions mainly because they are new, but also because our culture needs to learn how to deal with simulation," Mr Frasca told the BBC News website. This was the case with the one he created for a political party in Uruguay, Cambiemos, an online puzzle game that offered a view on how the country's problems could be solved by working together. "It's up to us to explore what we can learn from ourselves through play and video games." Ultimately, Dr Frasca sees games as a small laboratory where we can play with our hopes, fears and beliefs. "Children learn a lot about the world through play. There is no reason why we adults should stop doing it as we grow up." But experts estimate it will still take at least about a decade until this new breed of video gaming communication become a common tool for political campaigns. This is hardly surprising, compared to other forms of mass media like the worldwide web. Only a few years ago, most politicians did not have a webpage, while now it is almost a must have. Dr Frasca said: "Political campaigns will continue to experiment with video games. They represent a new tool of communication that can reach a younger audience in a language that can clearly speak to them." "It will not replace other forms of political propaganda, but it will integrate itself on to the media ecology of political campaigns."


Tony Blair says he will be facing the issue of trust and his own integrity head on during the election campaign. During a question and answer session with first time voters on Five News, Mr Blair said he had no option but to "confront it" by talking to people. He also dismissed claims government plans to get 50% of young people into university would devalue degrees. He was not "forcing" anyone to go to university, but places should be there for those who wanted them, he said. In answer to a question from 22 year old Liverpool student David Dunne about concerns over the prime minister's personal integrity, Mr Blair said talking was the only answer. "You've just got to confront it and say to people let's have a discussion on the things that worry you, the things that make you say 'I can't trust you' or 'I am against you on this.'" The "worst thing in politics" was that the electorate only got "little snatches of policy" from things like Prime Minister's Questions and the news headlines. This was why he wanted to "get out of the 30 seconds on the news," he added. By talking through policies at least people understood the reason for them, even if they did not agree with them, he said. Mr Blair also faced questions about British policy on Iran and its alleged nuclear weapons programme. He insisted there was no plan for an invasion of the country saying: "Sometimes people say because of what has happened in Iraq this is the next place." Instead there was a real chance of a "peaceful resolution" to the problem, he said.


Scottish Conservative Party leader David McLetchie claims he has been cleared over a potential conflict of interest. The Edinburgh MSP earns up to 30,000 a year from the law firm Tods Murray, where he is a partner. Mr McLetchie said he has taken advice from Holyrood officials about what details he needs to declare. He was advised to exercise judgement to avoid the perception of a conflict and said he had done nothing wrong. As an MSP, Mr McLetchie signed a parliamentary motion questioning expansion plans for Edinburgh Airport. It then emerged Tods Murray has a client which opposes the development. Mr McLetchie then sought guidance from the standards committee to clarify his position. BBC Scotland's political correspondent Glenn Campbell said no complaint had been made against Mr McLetchie, but questions were raised about his dual role. Glenn said MSPs are advised to guard against a conflict of interests and a perception of a conflict. Mr McLetchie said: "I'm quite clear that no conflicts of interest arise in my case, that the judgement I took has effectively been vindicated when you look at the advice that has been given to me and that these allegations are unfounded." He said nothing had changed in respect of his work with the law firm and it was a matter he would have to discuss with the other partners at Tods Murray. "The firm and I have a very good working relationship and we have done for the last six years," said Mr McLetchie. "I don't suppose I'll be working forever as a lawyer or a politician. I deserve to retire from both, but I'm not willing to put time limits on them."


Richard Dunne is ready to commit his long term future to Manchester City after turning his career around. He was once threatened with the sack by City boss Kevin Keegan but has since responded with impressive performances, prompting interest from other clubs. Early talks have taken place and the defender said: "Hopefully something will be sorted out as soon as possible. "I definitely want to stay at City because I have really improved as a player here." Newcastle boss Graeme Souness is said to have been impressed enough by Dunne's turnaround in form to be ready to make a bid for the big stopper in the January transfer window. But the 25 year old Dubliner underlined his intention to stay at Eastlands. He added: "It's nice to be linked with top clubs but the important thing is this one and what we do. "I really enjoy it at City and I want to keep that going." Keegan is expected to be told there will be no funds to bring in fresh faces in January. Dunne's professionalism was famously questioned by Keegan, who ordered the defender home after he allegedly turned up for training in a dishevelled state. But Dunne is keen to put that period of his life behind him and said: "I've grown up a lot and the manager sees me as one of the most experienced players in the squad. "I've played more games than any other outfield players this season so I can't be regarded as being a kid any more. "I have to use that as added pressure to perform and apart from the games at Newcastle and Middlesbrough, defensively we've done quite well." Keegan is set for another boost when goalkeeper Nicky Weaver makes his long awaited return in a reserve game at Blackburn on Tuesday. Former England Under 21 keeper Weaver has missed nearly three full seasons with a succession of knee injuries, which eventually needed pioneering transplant surgery earlier this year.


Andy Roddick is reportedly close to confirming US Davis Cup assistant Dean Goldfine as his new coach. Roddick ended his 18 month partnership with Brad Gilbert on Monday, and Goldfine admits talks have taken place. "We had a really good conversation and we're on the same page in terms of what I expect from a player in commitment and what he wants," said Goldfine. "The reading I got from him is that I would have a lot of the qualities he's looking for in a coach." Speaking to told South Florida's Sun Sentinel newspaper, Goldfine added: "That being said, from his standpoint, which is smart, he wants to cover all his bases. "I think Andy wants a long term relationship and wants to make sure it's the right fit... the best fit." Goldfine, 39, has worked with Todd Martin and Roddick's close friend Mardy Fish, and was an assistant coach with the US Olympic team. Martin is the other name to have been linked to the vacant post alongside Roddick.


Shares in Anglo Swedish drug have closed down 8% in UK trade after the failure of its Iressa drug in a major clinical trial. The lung cancer drug did not significantly prolong survival in patients with the disease. This setback for the group follows the rejection by the US in October of its anti coagulant pill Exanta. Meanwhile, another of its major money spinners cholesterol drug Crestor is facing mounting safety concerns. "This would be two of the three blockbuster drugs that were meant to power the company forward failing... and we've got risks on Crestor," said Nick Turner, analyst at brokers Jefferies. AstraZeneca had hoped to pitch its Iressa drug against rival medicine Tarceva. But Iressa proved no better than a placebo in extending lives in the trial involving 1,692 patients. Tarceva made by OSI Pharmaceuticals, Genentech and Roche has already proved to be successful in helping prolong the life of lung cancer patients. AztraZeneca has now appointed a new executive director to the board. John Patterson will be in charge of drug development. The company said Mr Patterson would make "substantial changes to the clinical organisation and its processes". "I am determined to improve our development and regulatory performance, restore confidence in the company and value to shareholders," said chief executive Tom McKillop.


German football club and former European champion Borussia Dortmund has warned it will go bankrupt if rescue talks with creditors fail. The company's shares tumbled after it said it has "entered a life threatening profitability and financial situation". Borussia Dortmund has posted record losses and missed rent payments on its Westfallen stadium. Chief executive Gerd Niebaum stepped down last week and creditors are now pushing for greater control. Shares in Borussia Dortmund, Germany's only stock market listed football club, dropped by almost 23% to 2.05 euros during early afternoon trading. Fund manager Florian Hamm Borussia Dortmund's largest investor said he would only invest more money in the company if he got a greater say in how it is run. "I demand better transparency," he is quoted as saying by Germany's Manger Magazin. The club has also faced calls to appoint executives from outside the club. Borussia Dortmund posted a record loss of 68m euros ( 89m; 47m) in the 12 months through June. It made a loss of 27.2m euros in the first half of the current fiscal year and said that total debts will increase to 134.7m euros by the middle of 2006 unless a restructuring plan is pushed through. "This is the bill for their mismanagement over the past years," said HVB analyst Peter Thilo Halser. The club appointed an auditor, who has recommended a number of steps, including deferring the rent due on the stadium and suspending debt repayments until at least the 2006 2007 fiscal year. Stephen Schechter, a UK investment banker who has held talks with Borussia Dortmund over a possible bond sale, said the club needs a capital injection of 35m euros. "They need strong people on the board who do not have a history with the club," he said.


Spurs boss Martin Jol said his team were "robbed" at Manchester United after Pedro Mendes' shot clearly crossed the line but was not given. "The referee is already wearing an earpiece so why can't we just stop the game and get the decision right," said Jol after the 0 0 draw. "But at the end of the day it's so obvious that Pedro's shot was over the line it's incredible. "We feel robbed but it's difficult for the linesman and referee to see it." Mendes shot from 50 yards and United goalkeeper Roy Carroll spilled the ball into his own net before hooking it clear. Jol added: "We are not talking about the ball being a couple of centimetres or an inch or two over the line, it was a metre inside the goal. "What really annoys me is that we are here in 2005, watching something on a TV monitor within two seconds of the incident occurring and the referee isn't told about it. "We didn't play particularly well but I am pleased even now with a point, although we should have had three." Mendes could not believe the 'goal' was not given after seeing a replay. He said: "My reaction on the pitch was to celebrate. "It was a very nice goal, it was clearly over the line I've never seen one so over the line and not given in my career. "It's really, really over. What can you do but laugh about it? It's a nice goal and one to keep in my memory even though it didn't count. "It's not every game you score from the halfway line." Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson sympathised with Tottenham and said the incident highlighted the need for video technology. "I think it hammers home what a lot of people have been asking for and that's that technology should play a part in the game," Ferguson told MUTV. "What I was against originally was the time factor in video replays. "But I read an article the other day which suggested that if a referee can't make up his mind after 30 seconds of watching a video replay then the game should carry on. "Thirty seconds is about the same amount of time it takes to organise a free kick or take a corner or a goal kick. So you wouldn't be wasting a lot of time. "I think you could start off by using it for goal line decisions. I think that would be an opening into a new area of football." Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger also used the incident to highlight the need for video technology. "When the whole world apart from the referee has seen there should be a goal at Old Trafford, that just reinforces what I feel there should be video evidence," said Wenger. "It's a great example of where the referee could have asked to see a replay and would have seen in five seconds that it was a goal."


Parmalat has sued 45 banks as it tries to reclaim money paid to banks before the scandal hit Italian dairy company went bust last year. The firm collapsed with debts of about 14bn euros ( 19bn; 10bn) and new boss Enrico Bondi has already taken legal action against a number of lenders. He claims the banks were aware of the problems but continued to work with the company so they could earn commissions. Parmalat has not identified which banks it has gone after this time. Under Italian law, administrators can seek to get back money paid to financial institutions prior to insolvency, if there is a suspicion that the institutions knew that the company was in financial trouble. The firm also said it is preparing further law suits. According to the Reuters news agency, 35 of the companies sued on Thursday are Italian while the remaining 10 are international. The unidentified Parmalat source also told Reuters that the company was planning to take action against a total of 80 financial institutions. Among those already targeted are Bank of America, UBS, Credit Suisse First Boston, Deutsche Bank and Citigroup. It has also gone after auditors Grant Thornton. They have all denied any wrongdoing. Parmalat was declared insolvent in December 2003 after it emerged that 4bn euros thought to be held in an offshore account did not in fact exist. In the investigation that followed it became apparent that the company, among other things, had been billing clients twice in order to boost sales and bolster the balance sheet. That enabled Parmalat to borrow heavily and expand overseas, allowing it to become a darling of the Italian stock exchange.


Jef Raskin, head of the team behind the first Macintosh computer, has died. Mr Raskin was one of the first employees at Apple and made many of the design decisions that made the Mac so distinctive when it was first released. He led the team that decided to use a graphical interface and mouse that let people navigate around the computer by pointing and clicking. The 1984 release of the Mac reflected Mr Raskin's belief that good design should make computers easy to use. Mr Raskin joined Apple in 1978 as employee number 31, initially to lead the company's publications department. However, in 1979 he was put in charge of a small team to design a computer that lived up to his idea of a machine that was cheap, aimed at consumers rather than computer professionals and was very easy to use. The result was the 1984 Macintosh that did away with the then common text based interface in favour of one based around graphics that resembled a virtual desktop and used folders and documents. Users navigated around the machine using a mouse and by pointing, clicking and dragging. Although now in common use in almost all computers, these methods were pioneering when first used in the Macintosh. The GUI was developed by Xerox PARC, and used in its Star machine. But the acceptance of the interface did not truly begin until the concept was developed for use by Apple in its pioneering Lisa computer. "His role on the Macintosh was the initiator of the project, so it wouldn't be here if it weren't for him," said Andy Hertzfeld, an early Macintosh team member. Although Mr Raskin drove the team that created the Macintosh he did not stay at Apple to see it released. In 1981 he was removed from the project following a dispute with Apple's mercurial boss Steve Jobs. In 1982, Mr Raskin left Apple entirely. The Macintosh was reputedly named after Mr Raskin's favourite apple, though the name was changed slightly following a trademark dispute with another company. After leaving Apple, Mr Raskin founded another company called Information Appliance and continued to work on better ways to interface with computers. He was also an accomplished musician, played three instruments and conducted San Francisco's Chamber Opera Society. Mr Raskin was diagnosed in December 2004 with pancreatic cancer and died on 26 February at his home in California.


German airline Lufthansa may sue federal agencies for damages after the arrival of US president George W Bush disrupted flights. Lufthansa said that it may lose millions of euros as a result of Air Force One landing at Frankfurt airport. Flights were affected for an hour on Wednesday morning, double the time that had been expected, leading to cancellations and delays. Lufthansa accounts for six out of every 10 planes using Frankfurt's airport. "We are doing research into the possibilities we have," Michael Lamberty, a Lufthansa spokesman told the BBC. "We are checking if there is action to be taken and in which courts it could be taken." Mr Lamberty explained that the company did not plan to pursue Germany's air traffic controllers' organisation or the airport authority but wanted instead to see if it was possible to sue the German federal agencies that gave the orders. The company said that it had to cancel 77 short and medium distance flights, affecting about 5,000 passengers. Long haul travellers were not disrupted. Central to the problem was that instead of half an hour, the arrival of President Bush on the German leg of his European tour took the best part of an hour, Lufthansa said. During that time, restrictions were put on planes taxiing, taking off and landing at Frankfurt's Rhein Main airport. The extra time taken by President Bush and his entourage meant that there was a knock on effect that led to significant delays. Mr Lamberty said that 92 outgoing flights and 86 income flights were delayed by an average of an hour following President Bush's arrival, affecting almost 17,000 passengers. Despite the problems, Mr Lamberty said that it was not certain that Lufthansa would take legal action.


Former Australian wing David Campese has told England to stop whingeing in the wake of their defeat to Ireland. England coach Andy Robinson lambasted referee Jonathan Kaplan for costing them the game after disallowing tries from Mark Cueto and Josh Lewsey. But Campese told BBC Sport: "Robinson is living up to England's reputation as whingeing Poms. "Stop going on about it as who really cares? They're acting like they're the first team to be cheated of a win." England are contemplating a complaint to the International Rugby Board after potential "tries" by Cueto in the first half and Lewsey late on were ruled out without recourse to the video referee. But Campese added: "Scotland could have beaten France in the same way, but do you see them whingeing? "Basically, things didn't go England's way and, in typical fashion, they make more of it when they believe they've lost unfairly." England are second bottom in the Six Nations table following defeats by Wales, France and Ireland. But although Campese admitted he was surprised about their current predicament, he insisted England were "no longer world class". "England are beginning to realise that being world champions doesn't mean you deserve to win every game," he said. "They lost a few key players and suddenly everyone's realised the ones on the fringes were not all that good in the first place. "Added to that, the senior players aren't standing up and they can't do anything when the pressure mounts." Campese, a veteran of 101 international caps, said full back Jason Robinson would now be the sole Englishman in his World XV. Robinson has been blamed for poor leadership in the tournament, while his coach has been castigated for appointing a full back captain. "I agree that you can't captain from full back," said Campese. "You need someone in the thick of the action, and it's very hard to give orders from all the way back there. "Some people are leaders and some aren't. He's not but there's no one who stands out in England's pack no clear cut leaders." Campese, though, defended coach Andy Robinson, who he believes was the "only choice" after Sir Clive Woodward's resignation. But he blamed "a lack of talent in the England camp" for making the current coach look poor. England face a potential wooden spoon match against Italy on 12 March. And the ex Wallaby added: "If England lost that, they'd be in bloody turmoil. That said, I don't think they will." Campese has tipped Wales to win both the Six Nations and Grand Slam come the end of the tournament. "It's been a surprising tournament," he said, "and maybe Ireland have a little bit more talent overall. "But playing at home is a major boost. And the possible Grand Slam decider at the Millennium Stadium will be just too much for the Irish."


The net's self declared spam king is seeking bankruptcy protection. Scott Richter, the man behind OptInRealBig.com and billions of junk mail messages, said lawsuits had forced the company into Chapter 11. OptInRealBig was fighting several legal battles, most notably against Microsoft, which is pushing for millions of dollars in damages. The company said filing for Chapter 11 would help it try to resolve its legal problems but still keep trading. Listed as the third biggest spammer in the world by junk mail watchdog Spamhaus, OptInRealBig was sued in December 2003 for sending mail messages that violated anti spam laws. The lawsuit was brought by Microsoft and New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer who alleged that Mr Richter and his accomplices sent billions of spam messages through 514 compromised net addresses in 35 countries. According to Microsoft the messages were sent via net addresses owned by the Kuwait Ministries of Communication and Finance, several Korean schools, the Seoul Municipal Boramae Hospital, and the Virginia Community College System. Mr Richter settled the attorney general case in July 2004 but the legal fight with Microsoft is continuing. Microsoft is seeking millions in dollars in damages from OptInRealBig under anti spam laws that impose penalties for every violation. In a statement announcing the desire to seek bankruptcy protection the company said it: "could not continue to contend with legal maneuvers (sic) by a number of companies across the country, including Microsoft, and still run a viable business." In its Chapter 11 filing OptInRealBig claimed it had assets of less than 10m ( 5.29m) but debts of more than 50m which included the 46m that Microsoft is seeking via its lawsuit. "The litigation has been a relentless distraction with which to contend," said Steven Richter, legal counsel for OptInRealBig. "But, make no mistake, we do expect to prevail." For its part OptInRealBig describes itself as a premier internet marketing company and said the move to seek Chapter 11 was necessary to let it keep trading while sorting out its legal battles.


Blackburn striker Matt Jansen faces three weeks out after surgery to treat a cartilage problem. But central defender Lorenzo Amoruso is moving closer to fitness following a knee operation. Rovers' assistant manager Mark Bowen said: "Matt had a small operation to trim knee cartilage. "It's a tiny piece of work, which should be a fairly quick recovery. Lorenzo is also jogging for the first time, along with kicking a ball." Jansen's career has been dogged by injury since a freak scooter accident two years ago. He returned to first team action soon after Mark Hughes' appointment as Blackburn boss and marked it with a goal against Portsmouth in his first appearance of the season. Bowen added: "I'm guessing, but I reckon maybe two to three weeks before he is back in action completely." The Rovers assistant boss forecast a longer time spell for Amoruso's availability for first team duties. Bowen said: "There's still some scar tissue present so it will be some weeks. "It's a case of see how he goes. You can't put a real time on a comeback, we'll see how he progresses."


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


Boss Graeme Souness felt Newcastle were never really in danger of going out of the Uefa Cup against Heerenveen. An early own goal followed by an Alan Shearer strike earned them a 2 1 win and a place in the Uefa Cup last 16. "Obviously with winning in the first leg it gave us a great advantage," he said after the 4 2 aggregate victory. "We got our goals early and in the minds of some players the job was done but then they got a goal and perhaps made us a bit nervous." Shearer's goal moved him within 12 of Jackie Milburn's club scoring record of 200 for the Magpies. But Souness said he did not think beating the record would have any bearing on his decision to retire at the end of the season. "I think if he got it this year he would want to stay next year anyway," he added. "He struck the ball very well he always has done and I think it was the power and pace that beat the goalkeeper." Souness also paid tribute to Laurent Robert, who was at the heart of much of United's attacking play. "In the first half he did really well and did everything you want from a wide player. More of the same in future please," he said.


The Labour Party has been accused of anti Semitism over a poster depicting Michael Howard and Oliver Letwin who are both Jewish as flying pigs. Prospective Tory candidate Andrew Mennear, whose Finchley constituency contains a large Jewish community, branded it "tasteless" and offensive. The poster shows the two men's faces superimposed on winged pigs and says "the day the Tory sums add up". Labour said the poster was "not anti Jewish, but anti Tory". It is one of four designs e mailed to Labour members, who were asked to vote for their favourite. Mr Mennear, who was sent the e mail by a friend, said he had been "shocked" by the image and had shown it to friends who were similarly horrified. He said there was nothing more distasteful for a Jewish person than to be associated with a pig. "I am not suggesting there is any deliberate intent, but these sort of things can cause great offence. It clearly wasn't thought through. "It is possible the posters were designed for maximum impact, but this one clearly overstepped the mark and should be withdrawn." The campaign was particularly insensitive as it had come out at the same time as Holocaust Day, a "difficult" time for many Jewish people, Mr Mennear added. A Labour spokesman denied the campaign was anti Semitic. "As we said at the time the James report (the Tory backed inquiry into possible public spending savings) was published pigs will fly before the Tory's sums will add up. This poster is making a serious point," he said. A Conservative Party spokesman said: "While the Conservatives are concentrating on the issues that matter to people, such as lower taxes and controlled immigration, it is clear to see that the Labour Party is not. People will not be fooled."


England suffered an eighth defeat in 11 Tests as scrum half Dimitri Yachvili booted France to victory at Twickenham. Two converted tries from Olly Barkley and Josh Lewsey helped the world champions to a 17 6 half time lead. But Charlie Hodgson and Barkley missed six penalties between them, while Yachvili landed six for France to put the visitors in front. England could have won the game with three minutes left, but Hodgson pushed an easy drop goal opportunity wide. It was a dismal defeat for England, coming hard on the heels of an opening Six Nations loss in Wales. They should have put the game well beyond France's reach, but remarkably remained scoreless for the entire second half. A scrappy opening quarter saw both sides betray the lack of confidence engendered by poor opening displays against Wales and Scotland respectively. Hodgson had an early opportunity to settle English nerves but pushed a straightforward penalty attempt wide. But a probing kick from France centre Damien Traille saw Mark Cueto penalised for holding on to the ball in the tackle, Yachvili giving France the lead with a kick from wide out. France twice turned over England ball at the breakdown early on as the home side struggled to generate forward momentum, one Ben Kay charge apart. A spell of tit for tat kicking emphasised the caution on both sides, until England refused a possible three points to kick a penalty to the corner, only to botch the subsequent line out. But England made the breakthrough after 19 minutes, when a faltering move off the back of a scrum led to the opening try. Jamie Noon took a short pass from Barkley and ran a good angle to plough through Yann Delaigue's flimsy tackle before sending his centre partner through to score at the posts. Hodgson converted and added a penalty after one of several French infringements on the floor for a 10 3 lead. The fly half failed to dispense punishment though with a scuffed attempt after France full back Pepito Elhorga, scragged by Lewsey, threw the ball into touch. Barkley also missed two longer range efforts as the first half drew to a close, but by then England had scored a second converted try. After a series of phases lock Danny Grewcock ran hard at the French defence and off loaded out of Sylvain Marconnet's tackle to Lewsey. The industrious wing cut back in on an angle and handed off hooker Sebastien Bruno to sprint over. After a dire opening to the second half, France threw on three forward replacements in an attempt to rectify the situation, wing Jimmy Marlu having already departed injured. Yachvili nibbled away at the lead with a third penalty after 51 minutes. And when Lewis Moody was twice penalised for handling in a ruck and then straying offside the scrum half's unerring left boot cut the deficit to two points. Barkley then missed his third long range effort to increase the tension. And after seeing another attempt drop just short, Yachvili put France ahead with his sixth penalty with 11 minutes left. England sent on Ben Cohen and Matt Dawson, and after Barkley's kick saw Christophe Dominici take the ball over his own line, the stage was set for a victory platform. But even after a poor scrummage, Hodgson had the chance to seal victory but pushed his drop goal attempt wide. England threw everything at the French in the final frantic moments, but the visitors held on for their first win at Twickenham since 1997. J Robinson (capt); M Cueto, J Noon, O Barkley, J Lewsey; C Hodgson, H Ellis; G Rowntree, S Thompson, P Vickery; D Grewcock, B Kay; J Worsley, L Moody, M Corry. A Titterrell, A Sheridan, S Borthwick, A Hazell, M Dawson, H Paul, B Cohen. P Elhorga; C Dominici, B Liebenberg, D Traille, J Marlu; Y Delaigue, D Yachvili; S Marconnet, S Bruno, N Mas; F Pelous (capt), J Thion, S Betsen, J Bonnaire, S Chabal. W Servat, J Milloud, G Lamboley, Y Nyanga, P Mignoni, F Michalak, J P Grandclaude. Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand)


Hearts wrapped up their Scottish Cup quarter final tie against Livingston with two goals in the first 10 minutes. Lee Miller scored inside the opening 60 seconds, heading over Colin Meldrum and into the net from a Jamie McAllister free kick. McAllister himself scored the second when he met Saul Mikoliunas' cross at the back post to put the game beyond the visitors. Craig Easton headed in a controversial goal after an hour but Hearts held on. The opening goal came after Gus Bahoken had clumsily fouled Miller 35 yards from goal. McAllister floated the free kick into the Livi box and Miller outjumped the static visiting defence to loop his header from 10 yards over Meldrum. With just 10 minutes on the clock, the home side doubled their lead. Mikoliunas sprinted down the right, crossed to the back post where McAllister raced in to head past Meldrum. Moments later Miller came close to grabbing his second with a first time drive from 16 yards, which skimmed the bar. Then McAllister picked up a pass from Stephen Simmons and drove an angled shot from 20 yards narrowly past Meldrum's far post. The impressive Mikoliunas twice went close before half time a low drive was comfortably gathered by Meldrum and then he curled a left footed shot past the keeper's right hand post. Livi manager Richard Gough made three changes at the interval, bringing on defender Goran Stanic, midfielder Gabor Vincze, and striker Ferenc Horvath for Bahoken, Derek Lilley and Mark Wilson. But, in the opening stages of the second period, little changed. However, the West Lothian side gave themselves a lifeline with a controversial goal. Eric Deloumeaux sent Jason Dair away on the right and he tried to give the ball to McPake, who looked to be in an offside position. The Livi striker ignored the pass, however, and Dair ran on to it and played Easton in at the back post and he headed home from close range. The home side called for offside against McPake but referee Alan Freeland ignored their claims and pointed to the centre circle. Livi went all out for the equaliser. In the 87th minute, Burton O'Brien was hauled back at the edge of the box by Neil MacFarlane, but Dair sent his shot just inches wide. Gordon, Webster, Miller, Hartley, Neilson, McAllister, Simmons (MacFarlane 64), Berra, Burchill (Wyness 82), Mikoliunas (Cesnauskis 77), Wallace. Moilanen, Kizys. Berra, Webster. Miller 1, McAllister 10. Meldrum, McNamee, Bahoken (Stanic 45), Deloumeaux, Strong, Dair, Easton, Mark Wilson (Vincze 45), Lilley (Horvath 45), O'Brien, McPake. McKenzie, Hand. : Vincze, Horvath. Easton 60. 9,796 A Freeland