A senior barrister who has resigned in protest over the government's anti terror laws says the current system is giving Britain a bad name. Ian MacDonald QC quit when the government failed to recognise a House of Lords ruling that detaining terror suspects indefinitely is unlawful. He was part of a 19 strong panel who have special security clearance to act for suspected terrorists. Five more barristers are now reported to be threatening to resign. Mr MacDonald told BBC News: "The reason why I am resigning is because I fundamentally disagree with locking people up without any trial for an indefinite period on reasonable suspicion. "The current legal system is certainly having a very adverse effect on the Muslim community in Britain and the whole Asian community. "I think it is giving Britain a bad name internationally". Under the Anti Terrorism, Crime and Security Act introduced by the government in 2001 in response to the 11 September attacks, foreign nationals suspected of involvement in terrorism who cannot be deported can be held indefinitely without trial. But Mr MacDonald believes that detainees currently being held should be entitled to a trial by jury. "My own view is we need to have a full return to trial by jury, a proper criminal trial with proper accusations. "As far as I'm concerned, the government have to start all over again and rethink their whole strategy for dealing with this." he added. The Attorney General Lord Goldsmith will receive a letter of resignation from Mr MacDonald on Monday. According to the Independent, his resignation is expected to be followed by those of five other barristers Nicholas Blake QC, Andrew Nicol QC, Manjit Singh Gill QC, Rick Scannell and Tom de la Mare. They are all believed to be carefully considering their positions on the panel of Special Advocates who represent detainees before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) a secure court without a jury, which tries terror suspects. Mr MacDonald said he had "no idea" whether further resignations would follow. But Barry Hugill, a spokesman for the campaign group Liberty, told Radio 4's Today programme that more lawyers may go. "I can assure that there is a distinct possibilty that more lawyers may be resigning," he said. "They are now in a situation where everything they have been trained to believe in, the right to trial by jury, has been abandoned and that is what gives some of them sleepless nights." Helena Kennedy, a Labour peer and a human rights lawyer, said the Special Advocates' main concern was that once they had seen any special intelligence they were not allowed to speak to the detainees. "When this whole procedure was being considered immediately after 11 September there was a great deal of argument particularly in the House of Lords about whether there really was a process that could be considered a judicial review," she said. "Without that you are having detention with no habeus corpus and really a blot, as Ian McDonald has said, on our legal landscape, something really quite shocking with regard to the rule of the law."


Slovakia will play Argentina in the final of the Hopman Cup after beating Group B rivals the Netherlands 3 0. Daniela Hantuchova defeated Michaella Krajicek 6 4 6 2 to give the Slovaks the perfect start before Dutchman Peter Wessels retired against Dominik Hrbaty. Wessels was unable to compete in the mixed doubles but Slovakia had already booked their place in the final for the second year running. Argentina claimed top spot in Group A with three wins from three matches. In the other Group B match, the United States defeated Australia 2 1. Meghann Shaughnessy lost the opening match against Alicia Molik but James Blake levelled the tie with a 6 3 6 4 win over Paul Baccanello, who came in as a replacement for the injured Mark Philippoussis. Blake and Shaughnessy then beat Molik and Baccanello in a tense mixed doubles contest to take the win. Hantuchova, who did not win a Hopman Cup singles match in 2004, has been in good form during this year's event and has won two of her three matches. "I feel like it's really deserved this time as I've helped Dominik to get through," she said. "I think if I keep going the way I have been in the past few matches then I will be okay. "I was really pleased with my last two singles, even the first one, which was a really high standard. "You can't ask for a better preparation than to play a few matches here for the Australian Open."


China has ordered a halt to construction work on 26 big power stations, including two at the Three Gorges Dam, on environmental grounds. The move is a surprising one because China is struggling to increase energy supplies for its booming economy. Last year 24 provinces suffered black outs. The State Environmental Protection Agency said the 26 projects had failed to do proper environmental assessments. Topping the list was a controversial dam on the scenic upper Yangtze River. "Construction of these projects has started without approval of the assessment of their environmental impact... they are typical illegal projects of construction first, approval next," said SEPA vice director Pan Yue, in a statement on the agency's website. Some of the projects may be allowed to start work again with the proper permits, but others would be cancelled, he said. Altogether, the agency ordered 30 projects halted. Other projects included a petrochemicals plant and a port in Fujian. The bulk of the list was made up of new power plants, with some extensions to existing ones. The stoppages would appear to be another step in the central government's battle to control projects licensed by local officials. However, previous crackdowns have tended to focus on projects for which the government argued there was overcapacity, such as steel and cement. The government has encouraged construction of new electricity generating capacity to solve chronic energy shortages which forced many factories onto part time working last year. In 2004, China increased its generating capacity by 12.6%, or 440,700 megawatts (MW). The biggest single project to be halted was the Xiluodi Dam project, designed to produce 12,600 MW of electricity. It is being built on the Jinshajiang or 'river of golden sand' as the upper reaches of the Yangtze are known. Second and third on the agency's list were two power stations being built at the 22bn Three Gorges Dam project on the central Yangtze an underground 4,200 MW power plant and a 100 MW plant. The Three Gorges Dam has proved controversial in China where more than half a million people have been relocated to make way for it and abroad. It has drawn criticism from environmental groups and overseas human rights activists. The damming of the Upper Yangtze has also begun to attract criticism from environmentalists in China. In April 2004, central government officials ordered a halt to work on the nearby Nu River, which is part of a United Nations world heritage site, the Three Parallel Rivers site which covers the Yangtze, Mekong and Nu (also known as the Salween), according to the UK published China Review. That move reportedly followed a protest from the Thai government about the downstream impact of the dams, and a critical documentary made by Chinese journalists. China's energy shortage influenced global prices for oil, coal and shipping last year.


The United States kept the Davis Cup final alive with victory in Saturday's doubles rubber, leaving Spain 2 1 ahead going into the final day. Masters Cup champions Mike and Bob Bryan thrashed Juan Carlos Ferrero and Tommy Robredo 6 0 6 3 6 2 in front of a partisan crowd in Seville. Victory would have given Spain the title but they were outclassed. In Sunday's reverse singles, Carlos Moya takes on Andy Roddick before Rafael Nadal faces Mardy Fish. "It feels good, but it's not going to be as good if we don't win two tomorrow," said Mike Bryan. "It feels good to give those guys another shot, and Spain has to go to sleep on that." Bob Bryan added: "I'm really confident in Andy winning that first match, and then anything can happen." Spain coach Jordi Arrese chose to rest 18 year old Nadal in the doubles after his epic singles win over Roddick on Friday. He was replaced by former world number one Ferrero, but the Spanish pair were out of their depth against one of the world's best doubles teams. The 26 year old Bryan twins have won all four of their Davis Cup matches this year. And they quickly silenced the huge crowd at the Olympic Stadium, racing through the opening set to love. The Spaniards then twice surrendered breaks of serve at the start of the second before the Bryans broke to go 5 3 ahead and served out. When Robredo dropped serve in the opening game of the third set the match was all but over, and the unflappable Bryan brothers powered on to an impressive win. Ferrero, who was upset to be dropped for Friday's singles, hinted at further dissatisfaction after the defeat. "It was a difficult game against the best doubles players," he said. "They have everything calculated and we had very little to do. "I was a bit surprised that I was named to play the doubles match because I hardly play doubles." Arrese said: "Juan Carlos hasn't played at all badly. He played the right way but the Bryans are great doubles players."


A US bank has said it will donate more than 8m to victims of former Chilean military ruler Augusto Pinochet's regime under a Madrid court settlement. Riggs Bank will put money in a special fund to be managed by a Madrid based charity, the Salvador Allende Foundation, which helps abused victims. The bank had been accused of illegally concealing Gen Pinochet's assets. More than 3,000 people were killed for political reasons under Gen Pinochet's regime, an official report says. Last month in a US court, Riggs Bank pleaded guilty to failing to report suspicious activity relating to accounts held by Gen Pinochet and the government of Equatorial Guinea. On that occasion, it was ordered to pay a fine of 16m. Gen Pinochet himself has never been put on trial for human rights violations under his 1973 90 rule, despite several high profile cases against him. He is now facing charges relating to the murder of one Chilean and the disappearance of nine others. He is also being investigated for tax evasion, tax fraud and embezzlement of state funds. The general's opponents rejoiced at the settlement, which was agreed in a court in the Spanish capital, Madrid. A lawyer for the victims, Eduardo Contreras, told Reuters news agency: "This demonstrates that the horrors of the Pinochet dictatorship are not a mystery to anyone and that the whole world knows his victims deserve reparations." Riggs spokesman Mark Hendrix said the settlement, details of which will be announced next week, was an opportunity to move on. "This enables the institution to put the matter behind us," he told Reuters. The settlement follows a legal complaint filed against the bank by Spanish Judge Baltasar Garzon alleging that it had illegally concealed assets. The bank agreed to create a fund for the victims, but the charges were dropped.


Steve McClaren wants his Middlesbrough team to win their Uefa Cup group by beating Partizan Belgrade. Boro have already qualified for the knockout stages alongside Partizan and Villareal, at the expense of Lazio. But boss McClaren is looking for a victory which would mean they avoid a team that has played in the Champions League in Friday's third round draw. "To need a win to finish top is fantastic, but it is going to be a tough one," McClaren said. "When the draw was made, I thought it was the toughest group of them all and so it has proved. "Lazio were favourites, Villarreal have been semi finalists, and Partizan have fantastic experience in Europe. "The pleasing thing is we did the business in the first two games. "Winning those two has put us in a great position and it has been a fantastic experience playing these teams."


Former France fly half Thomas Castaignede has warned the pressure is mounting on coach Bernard Laporte following their defeat by Wales. France suffered a shock loss against the Welsh at the weekend after looking on course for an easy win. Castaignede told BBC Sport: "The pressure is big on Laporte after a huge loss to New Zealand, a slim win over Scotland and a miracle against England. "But the French have to get behind him and the team at Lansdowne Road." Following victories over South Africa and Australia in November, France were deemed by many to be the world's leading side. But they were then trounced 45 6 by New Zealand and only just beat Scotland after the Scots had a try disallowed in their Six Nations opener. It then took some woeful spot kicking from Charlie Hodgson and Olly Barkley to help them to victory against England at Twickenham. lt; Castaignede said: "You can't say any of those results have eased the pressure on Laporte. "Had England's kickers not been so bad, the position in the Six Nations would be very different now." Laporte has been criticised for France's negative tactics in their wins over Scotland and England. But his side played a more free flowing style against Wales, making a mockery of the opposition's defence in the first half before suffering a shock turnaround in fortunes after the interval. "All the chat in France has been about how France will play against Ireland," said Castaignede ahead of the 12 March tie. "Everyone wants to see the sort of play we saw against Wales. But everyone also wants a win." Castaignede, a veteran of 43 international caps, admitted the French would go in as underdogs against Ireland. "Going to Ireland is never easy but the way they're playing right now, it's harder than ever," said Castaignede. "They're very experienced and don't often lose at home. They've got some great forwards and some electric runners on the break." Despite praising the Irish he claimed the Welsh had the upper hand in the Six Nations run in. "Ireland have such a good pack but Wales are something else on the break," he added. "At the weekend they were simply awesome. As a Frenchman it was disappointing to see, but you had to admire it. "Their commitment to every cause can make them win this championship." The 30 year old also tipped Yann Delaigue to start ahead of Frederic Michalak at number 10 after an impressive display in Paris last weekend. "Delaigue played really well and admittedly Michalak played well too," said Castaignede. "I'm just glad I'm not the one who has to make the decision."


UK firms are embracing internet trading opportunities as never before, e commerce minister Mike O'Brien says. A government commissioned study ranked the UK third in its world index of use of information and communication technology (ICT). The report suggests 69% of UK firms are now using broadband and that 30% of micro businesses are trading online. Mr O'Brien said UK businesses were sprinting forward in ICT use, but that there were more challenges ahead. The report, carried out independently by consultants Booz Allen Hamilton and HI Europe, placed the UK third behind Sweden and Ireland for business use of ICT. It showed British business brought greater maturity to their ICT use, by using broadband in increased numbers, bringing ICT into their business plans and using new technologies such as voice activated programmes and desktop video conferences. Mr O'Brien said: "The increase in the proportion of business connected by broadband shows that UK companies are embracing the opportunities that ICT can bring. "It is particularly encouraging to see that small businesses are beginning to narrow the digital divide that appeared to have opened up in recent years." The government would play its part in "cultivating an environment where information and communication technologies can flourish", Mr O'Brien said. The "clear message" the report sends is that effective use of ICT can bring real improvements in business performance for all business. "However, we are not at the finishing line yet and many challenges remain if the UK is to reach its aim of becoming a world leading e economy," he added. The International Benchmarking Study was based on 8,000 telephone interviews with businesses, of which more than 2,700 were UK businesses. It is the eighth in a series of examining the adoption and deployment of ICT in the world's most industrialised nations.


Oil prices retreated from four month highs in early trading on Tuesday after producers' cartel Opec said it was now unlikely to cut production. Following the comments by acting Opec secretary general Adnan Shihab Eldin, US light crude fell 32 cents to 51.43 a barrel. He said that high oil prices meant Opec was unlikely to stick to its plan to cut output in the second quarter. In London, Brent crude fell 32 cents to 49.74 a barrel. Opec members are next meeting to discuss production levels on 16 March. On Monday, oil prices rose for a sixth straight session, reaching a four month high as cold weather in the US threatened stocks of heating oil. US demand for heating oil was predicted to be about 14% above normal this week, while stocks were currently about 7.5% below the levels of a year ago. Cold weather across Europe has also put upward pressure on crude prices.


Tony Blair promised Gordon Brown he would stand down before the next election, a new book about the chancellor claims. But the prime minister changed his mind following intervention from allies in the Cabinet, according to the book. The book by Sunday Telegraph journalist Robert Peston said the pair had "mutual animosity and contempt" for each other. The book, Brown's Britain, said Tony Blair felt by November 2003 he had lost voters' trust. The author's sources, all unnamed "allies" of Mr Blair and Mr Brown, said the prime minister felt the Iraq war had undermined him and that he was no longer an asset to the Labour Party. The book, serialised in the Sunday Telegraph, alleges that Mr Blair told the chancellor at a dinner hosted by deputy PM John Prescott in November 2003 of his intention to stand down. "At that stage he saw Gordon Brown and said, 'look you are the next most influential member of the government, I need your help to get through the next year," Mr Peston said. "I myself recognise that I'm going to have to stand down before the election but help me to get through the year and I will then stand down.'" But he changed his mind in June 2004, following intervention from allies in the Cabinet and the suspicion that the chancellor was deliberately manoeuvring against him, the book claims. Mr Peston told BBC News: "My understanding is that they are not nearly as close or as friendly as they once were. "What the book says is there now a pretty profound mutual mistrust, mutual animosity. "I think in public you see this double act pretending everything is alright but in private I don't think the relationship is good because Brown, understandably, feels deeply betrayed particularly over this issue of the leadership." There has been fresh speculation of a rift recently, following their separate responses to the Asian tsunami. Rumours of a rift were fuelled by the sudden decision to hold Mr Blair's monthly media conference at the same time as a long planned speech by Mr Brown on UK plans to tackle global poverty with a new "Marshall Plan" for Africa. There was speculation the pair were trying to outdo each other's response to the disaster. Former welfare minister Frank Field MP criticised the reported rivalry between the pair on GMTV's Sunday Programme. "What sort of model does it give to the nation when the two most important political leaders do nothing but fight it out together or use their aides to fight it out?" the Labour MP for Birkenhead asked. He said the prime minister should sack Mr Brown, but did not believe Mr Blair was strong enough to do so. Conservative policy co ordinator David Cameron, MP for Witney, added: "If it wasn't so serious it would be funny. "But it is serious you've got the two most senior people in the government not concentrating on fighting crime, poverty or dirty hospitals they are fighting each other." Carol Walker, BBC News 24 political correspondent, added: "There is a real concern that this could undermine the general election campaign. "And clearly it is very bad news for the government at a time when it is trying to explain what it is doing to respond to the terrible problems thrown up by the tsunami disaster."


The trial date for the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (Balco) steroid distribution case has been postponed. US judge Susan Illston pushed back a preliminary evidentiary hearing which was due to take place on Wednesday until 6 June. No official trial date has been set but it is expected to begin in September. Balco founder Victor Conte along with James Valente, coach Remy Korchemny and trainer Greg Anderson are charged with distributing steroids to athletes. Anderson's clients include Barry Bonds, and several other baseball stars have been asked to appear before a congressional inquiry into steroid use in the major leagues. The Balco defence team have already lost their appeal to have the case dismissed at a pre trial hearing in San Francisco but will still argue the case should not go to trial. The hearing in June will focus on the admissibility of evidence gathered during police raids on Balco's offices and Anderson's home. Conte and Anderson were not arrested at that point but federal agents did obtain statements from them. The defence are expected to challenge the legality of those interviews and if Ilston agrees she could could reject all the evidence from the raids. Balco has been accused by the United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA) of being the source of the banned steroid THG and modafinil. Former double world champion Kelli White and Olympic relay star Alvin Harrison have both been banned on the basis of materials discovered during the Balco investigation. Britain's former European 100m champion Dwain Chambers is currently serving a two year ban after testing positive for THG in an out of competition test in 2003. And American sprinter Marion Jones has filed a lawsuit for defamation against Conte following his allegations that he gave her performance enhancing drugs.


Shares in Cairn Energy have jumped 6% after the firm said an Indian oilfield was larger than previously thought. Cairn said drilling to the north west of its development site in Rajasthan had produced "very strong results". The company also said it now believed the development area would be able to produce oil for more than 25 years. Cairn's share price rose 300% last year after a number of oil finds, but its shares were hit in December following a disappointing drilling update. December's share fall means that Cairn is still in danger of being relegated from the FTSE 100 when the index is reshuffled next month. Cairn's shares closed up 64 pence, or 6%, at 1130p on Thursday. Before Christmas, Cairn revealed that drilling to the north of the field in Rajasthan had been disappointing, which caused its shares to lose 18% in one day. However, on Thursday, the group said its belief that the path of oil in the area actually moved further to the west had proved correct. "This area does need more appraisal drilling but it looks very strong," Dr Mike Watts head of exploration said. Chief executive Bill Gammell added: "The more we progress in Rajasthan the better we feel about it." Cairn made the discovery after having been granted an extension to their drilling licence in January by Indian authorities. The firm has applied for a 30 month extension to scout for oil outside its main development area, which includes the Mangala and Aishwariya fields where Cairn has previously announced major discoveries. It also said production at its other fields across the globe was likely to surpass levels seen in 2004.


Paul Boateng, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, is to step down as a Labour MP at the forthcoming general election. Mr Boateng, 53, is to become the UK's high commissioner to South Africa. He was the UK's first black cabinet minister when appointed to his post in 2002, promoted from the Home Office, where he had been prisons minister. Mr Boateng served on the Greater London Council before being elected to Parliament in 1987, declaring "today Brent South, tomorrow Soweto". He will succeed the previous High Commissioner, Ann Grant, shortly after the next election, which is widely expected to be held on 5 May. The appointment is dependent on Labour's re election. Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "Paul has been both a valued colleague and a trusted friend for many years. "He has made an immense contribution to public life in Britain and I am delighted that he has agreed to continue that service to the people of Britain by acting as their representative in South Africa." Chancellor Gordon Brown said: "Over the past eight years Paul's contribution to the Treasury and the government has been exceptional and it has been my privilege to have worked closely with him closely at the Treasury. "I congratulate Paul on his new appointment. "He has displayed huge dedication to the cause of African development for many years and it is fitting that, in this year of challenge and opportunity for the African continent, Paul has been given such a pivotal role in our fight against poverty and injustice. "I look forward to continuing to work with Paul on this vital agenda." Mr Boateng said: "I am honoured to be asked to take on this role, especially as it comes at such an integral time for our relationship with South Africa and the African continent. "There shall be many new challenges and opportunities ahead and I look forward to embracing them with great anticipation." Asked if he was appointed as the result of a "fair and open" competition, he replied: "I have been appointed as a result of a process that's been used before by Labour and Conservative governments to appoint people of all parties who have relevant experience." Mr Boateng also laughed off suggestions that his re election in Brent South seat had been in danger saying it was "one of the safest Labour seats in the country". Shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram said that, if in government, he would refuse to approve either Mr Boateng's appointment or that of ex Cabinet minister Helen Liddell as high commissioner to Australia. "Mr Blair's appointment of Paul Boateng is the latest example of a worrying trend of failed Tony's cronies being appointed to senior diplomatic posts," he said.


The China Three Gorges Project Corp is refusing to obey a government order to stop construction of one of its giant dams, the Chinese state press has said. The builder of the Three Gorges Dam is continuing work on the sister Xiluodu dam, said the Beijing News. The Xiluodu dam is one of 30 such large scale construction projects called to a halt because of a lack of proper environmental checks. The Beijing News said the company may instead choose to pay a fine. The firm has also ignored orders to stop construction at two of its other projects the Three Gorges Underground Power Plant and the Three Gorges Project Electrical Power Supply Plant. So far, only 22 of the 30 construction projects targeted by China's State Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) for having not carried out mandatory environmental impact assessments have complied with its shutdown order. The China Three Gorges Project Corp could now face a fine up to 200,000 yuan ( 24,000; 12,700). Last week, it denied that its projects violated regulations. "The Three Gorges Corporation has all along abided by the law and have built our projects in accordance with the law," it said. The Sepa order comes as the Chinese government appears to be trying to cool the country's booming economy. Previously it has encouraged construction of new electricity generating capacity to solve chronic energy shortages, which forced many factories into part time working last year. In 2004, China increased its generating capacity by 12.6% to 440,700 megawatts (MW). The Xiluodu Dam is designed to produce 12,600 MW of electricity, and is being built on the Jinshajiang or "river of golden sand" as the upper reaches of the Yangtze are known. It is a sister project to the main Three Gorges Dam downstream where more than half a million people have had to be relocated, drawing criticism from environmental groups and overseas human rights activists.


Millions of the world's poorest textile trade workers will lose their jobs under new trade rules to be introduced in the new year, a charity has warned. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is to end its Multi Fibre Agreement (MFA) on midnight of 31 December. Christian Aid condemned the move, saying it would see almost a million jobs in Bangladesh alone being axed. However, supporters of the change claim it will mean increased efficiency and lower costs for Western consumers. It will also see more jobs created in India and China, advocates argue. The WTO said that many developing countries support the end of quotas and stressed that funding was available to countries such as Bangladesh to help them make the transition to a fully liberalised market. "There will be a period of adjustment required," said WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell. "Some countries will do better than others but there is no one who is suggesting that no developing country will do well out of this. "Some countries where it may appear that orders will dry up have seen orders surging and there are many companies who will continue with existing trading relationships." Christian Aid has called on British firms not to simply "cut and run" but look after their workers, in a new report called Rags To Riches To Rags. It added that with few employment alternatives available many sacked garment workers could end up in far worse jobs with some of the mainly female workers forced into the sex trade. The WTO itself has warned that as many as 27 million jobs could be lost as a result of liberalisation in the textile industry. Some of the world's fastest developing countries which rely on textile exports to build growth for example in Bangladesh textiles account for almost 85% of the country's exports and the industry employs around 1.5 million people. The MFA pact has helped developing countries get a bigger share of the world market. "The losers in this new trade landscape will be some of the most vulnerable workers in countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Nepal," Andrew Pendleton, Christian Aid's head of Trade Policy, said. "They will be hard pressed to cope when garment industries there lose their protection. "We are deeply concerned that the New Year will spell misery for huge numbers of garment workers." The WTO said there was no consenus among its members to retain the quotas and emphasised that funding was available to countries such as Bangladesh to help them adjust to the liberalised market. It added that the impact of the changes for workers most affected by the shake up had not been considered, adding such seismic changes to policy should "put the interests of poor people first rather than simply aiming to liberalise markets at any cost". While the current MFA was not perfect, its did allow Third World countries like Bangladesh to get onto the first rung of industrial development, Christian Aid said. "International trade must not be governed by a 'race to the bottom' that pitches one set of poor people against another," Mr Pendleton added.


Owners of some Nokia smartphones are being warned to watch out for malicious wallpaper. Those downloading the software could find all the icons on their 7610 phone swapped for images of skulls. When installed the malicious program also locks many of the 7610's functions making it hard to use and harder to repair. The program is only the latest in a series of viruses produced to attack mobile phones. The file, nicknamed Skulls, is thought to have surfaced on shareware sites where people can pick up free add ons, such as wallpaper, games and ringtones, for their phones Symbian said that it was not sure if the damage Skulls does was intentional or simply a result of bad programming. Soon after being discovered the file is thought to have been removed from the sites that were unwittingly harbouring it. The program is masquerading as software that creates new background images and themes for the main screen of the 7610 phone. The Skulls program is labelled as a file called: 7610.extended.theme.manager.zip. Once installed the program replaces all the icons on the main page with skulls and replaces all the working applications, such as contacts, calendar, notebook etc with non working versions so the phone becomes almost useless. The only thing the phone can do is make and take calls. A statement by Symbian played down the significance of the malicious program and said few people would fall victim to it as users have to go through several steps to install it, one of which includes ignoring a security warning. Symbian said that the spread of the Skulls program was likely to be limited as the program cannot travel from one phone to another by itself. Despite this Finnish anti virus lab F Secure said it had sporadic reports of 7610 owners being caught out by it. The firm has produced guidance for users caught out to help them remove the program and get their phone working again. The Skulls program is thought to have been written by a malicious hacker using the alias Tee 222. Symbian phones produced by Sony Ericsson, Motorola, BenQ, Arima and Fujitsu are unaffected by the Skulls program.


Air Deccan has signed a deal to acquire 36 planes from Avions de Transport Regional (ATR). The value of the deal has not been revealed, because of a confidentiality clause in the agreement. But Air Deccan's managing director Gorur Gopinath has said the price agreed was less than the catalogue price of 17.6m ( 9.49m) per plane. Recently, India's first low cost airline ordered 30 Airbus A320 planes for 1.8bn. Under the agreement, Air Deccan will buy 15 new ATR 72 500 and lease another 15. ATR will also provide six second hand airplanes. In a statement, ATR has said deliveries of the aircraft will begin in 2005 and will continue over a five year period. Mr Gopinath said the planes will connect regional Indian cities. "After an evaluation of both ATR and Bombardier aircraft, we have chosen the ATR aircraft as we find it most suitable for our operations and for the Indian market for short haul routes." Filippo Bagnato, ATR's chief executive, has said that his firm will also work with Air Deccan to create a training centre in Bangalore. The potential of the Indian budget market has attracted attention from businesses at home and abroad. Air Deccan has said it will base its business model on European firms such as Ireland's Ryanair. Beer magnate Vijay Mallya recently set up Kingfisher Airlines, while UK entrepreneur Richard Branson has said he is keen to start a local operation. India's government has given its backing to cheaper and more accessible air travel.


A strike on the Buenos Aires underground has caused traffic chaos and large queues at bus stops in the Argentine capital. Tube workers walked out last week demanding a 53% pay rise and in protest against the installation of automatic ticket machines. Metrovias, the private firm which runs the five tube lines in the city, has offered an 8% increase in wages. The firm promised no jobs would be lost as a result of new ticket machines. It said it would put this commitment on paper. Underground staff have warned they will continue with the protests until the management put an acceptable offer on the table. The Argentine Work Ministry has been mediating in the conflict and it could call an "obligatory conciliation", which would force both sides to find a solution and put an end to the conflict. Some tube commuters have not hidden their frustration at the ongoing strike and have broken the windows of the underground trains, according to the local press. "We are taken as hostages. I don't know who is right, but the harm ones are us," said accountant Jose Lopez.


Murrayfield, Edinburgh Saturday, 26 February 1400 GMT BBC1, Five Live and this website Victory for the Azzurri in Rome last year saw Scotland end their campaign without a victory. And the pressure is on Scotland coach Matt Williams as he seeks a first Six Nations victory at the eighth attempt. Italy have lost both their opening games at home to Ireland and Wales, but travel to Edinburgh with high hopes. Their coach John Kirwan has warned his side they must eradicate the errors that blighted their loss to Wales however or risk suffering a third successive defeat. "If the defeat against Wales has taught us anything, it's that at this level we can't make any mistakes," Kirwan said. "In the Six Nations, every error you make will come at a high price. "We have to be aggressive for 80 minutes, keep calm in every situation and display great maturity on the pitch. "It will be fundamental to keep cool in the difficult moments in the key situations of the game." Kirwan has recalled the experienced Cristian Stoica at centre and drafted in David dal Maso at open side after star flanker Mauro Bergamasco was ruled out for the rest of the tournament. Scotland have also made two changes, Simon Webster replacing Simon Danielli on the wing and Simon Taylor returning for his first Test in a year, for injured flanker Jason White. Taylor's recovery from a serious knee injury is a major boost to Scottish hopes. "He is one of the world class players in the tournament and you want them in your team," acknowledged Williams. Despite a record of only two victories from 14 Tests, Williams insists he is revelling in the pressure. "I actually really enjoy seeing how you cope with such pressure as a coach," he said, optimistic despite opening defeats to France and Ireland. "We were confident for those two first games and we are confident we can beat Italy too," he added. : C Paterson; S Webster, A Craig, H Southwell, S Lamont; D Parks, C Cusiter; T Smith, G Bulloch (capt), G Kerr; S Grimes, S Murray; S Taylor, J Petrie, A Hogg. R Russell, B Douglas, N Hines, J Dunbar, M Blair, G Ross, B Hinshelwood. R de Marigny; Mirco Bergamasco, C Stoica, A Masi, L Nitoglia; L Orquera, A Troncon; A Lo Cicero, F Ongaro, M Castrogiovanni; S Dellape, M Bortolami (capt); A Persico, D Dal Maso, S Parisse. G Intoppa, S Perugini, CA del Fava, S Orlando, P Griffen, R Pedrazzi, KP Robertson.


Deutsche Boerse investors unhappy with its London Stock Exchange bid will have no chance to throw out the exchange's management until May, Reuters says. The Sunday Times reported that hedge funds TCI and Atticus were planning to demand the removal of the group's chairman and chief executive. But Deutsche Boerse told news agency Reuters such a move would have to wait until May's annual general meeting. Investors want Deutsche to return cash to shareholders rather than bid. "We are long term investors and are experienced in removing management. We are not scared to take this to its conclusion this time," Atticus' David Slager told the Sunday Times. However, Deutsche Boerse told Reuters: "TCI's request for the removal of the supervisory board will be considered at the annual general meeting on May 25." The Sunday Times reported that TCI had been drawing up a list of heavyweight executives to replace Deutsche's chairman Rolf Breuer and chief executive Werner Seifert. The group owns more than 5% of Deutsche more than enough to demand an extraordinary general meeting to call on shareholders to oust the German exchange's management. Under German law Deutsche does not need investor backing to make a takeover bid. TCI and Atticus have opposed the LSE bid for some time saying it would destroy shareholder value, and would be better spent on a share buyback. Deutsche is in competition with pan European bourse Euronext to take over the London exchange. Many commentators have suggested a bidding war between the two could break out. However, any such move would have to wait until March when the Office of Fair Trading completes an investigation into the competition aspects of the pair's takeover proposals.


A fresh delay has hit controversial new European Union rules which govern computer based inventions. The draft law was not adopted by EU ministers as planned at a Brussels meeting on Monday during which it was supposed to have been discussed. The fresh delay came after Polish officials had raised concerns about the law for the second time in two months. Critics say the law would favour large companies over small ones and could impact open source software innovation. "There was at one point the intention to put the item on today's agenda. But in the end we could not put it on," an EU spokesman told the Reuters agency. He added that no date had been chosen for more discussion of the law. In December, Poland requested more time to consider the issue because it was concerned that the law could lead to the patenting of pure computer software. Its ministers want to see the phrasing of the text of the Directive on the Patentability of Computer Implemented Inventions changed so that it excludes software patenting. Poland is a large EU member, so its backing for the legislation is vital. The EU says the law would bring Europe more in line with how such laws work in the US, but this has caused some angry debate amongst critics and supporters. In the US, the patenting of computer programs and internet business methods is permitted. This means that the US based Amazon.com holds a patent for its "one click shopping" service. Critics say a similar model in Europe would hurt small software developers which do not have the legal and financial might of larger companies. But supporters say current law does not let big companies protect inventions which they have spent years developing.


Chancellor Gordon Brown will deliver his Budget to the House of Commons on 16 March, the Treasury has announced. The Budget, likely to be the last before the General Election, will be at about 1230 GMT on that Wednesday, just after Prime Minister's question time. The annual event is when the chancellor outlines the government's taxation and broader economic predictions. The Tories say it is likely the Budget will contain measures to attract votes. The election is expected on 5 May. Next month's Budget will be Mr Brown's ninth since Labour came to power in 1997. If a May election is called, there could be as little as 18 days between the Budget and the announcement of a date for the election. A shortened Finance Bill would have to be rushed through Parliament with all party support to allow the Government to continue collecting revenue. The full Finance Bill, with the Budget measures in it, would then be returned to the Commons after the election, if Labour secures another term in office. Tory shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin said: "We can be sure of two things: the Budget will contain measures to attract votes, and it will not contain the 8 billion of tax rises which independent experts say are inevitable if Labour wins the election." As Mr Brown announced the Budget date in a short ministerial statement, accountancy firm Ernst Young urged him to put politics aside and focus on the long term requirements of the economy. "In the Budgets that were given immediately before the last six elections, taxes were cut by the incumbent chancellor and, in many cases, taxes were increased soon after the election result," said Aidan O'Carroll, E Y's UK head of tax.


Government figures have confirmed a widely reported slowdown of the UK's housing market in late 2004. House prices were 11.8% higher on the year in the last quarter of 2004, down from 16.3% in the July to September quarter, the Land Registry said. The average house price in England and Wales was 182,920, down from 187,971 in July September. The volume of sales between October and December dropped by nearly a quarter from the same period in 2003. The government figures are the first official confirmation of falls in the market at the end of 2004. Land Registry figures are less up to date than those of banks and building societies, since they record completions not mortgage approvals. However, the figures are viewed as the most accurate measure of house prices as they include all property transactions, including cash sales. The cost of buying a home fell in seven out of 10 regions between the third and fourth quarters of 2004. The biggest annual gains were made in Wales, where house prices were up by 23% in the fourth quarter. House prices rose the slowest in Greater London, being up by 6%. In the capital, the volume of sales fell by 23% from 36,185 in 2003 to 28,041 for the same period in 2004. There was also a decline in the number of million pound properties sold in the capital, with 436 properties over 1m sold compared to 469 for the same period in 2003. Although the figures point to a slowdown in the market, the most recent surveys from Nationwide and Halifax have indicated the market may be undergoing a revival. After registering falls at the back end of 2004, Halifax said house prices rose by 0.8% in January and Nationwide reported a rise of 0.4% in the first month of the year. Members of the Bank of England's rate setting committee will make their latest decision on interest rates on Thursday.


Spam traffic is up by 40%, putting the total amount of e mail that is junk up to an astonishing 90%. The figures, from e mail management firm Email Systems, will alarm firms attempting to cope with the amount of spam in their in boxes. While virus traffic has slowed down, denial of service attacks are on the increase according to the firm. Virus mail accounts for just over 15% of all e mail traffic analysis by the firm has found. It is no longer just multi nationals that are in danger of so called denial of service attacks, in which websites are bombarded by requests for information and rendered inaccessible. Email Systems refers to a small UK based engineering firm, which received a staggering 12 million e mails in January. The type of spam currently being sent has subtlety altered in the last few months, according to Email Systems analysis. Half of spam received since Christmas has been health related with gambling and porn also on the increase. Scam mails, offering ways to make a quick buck, have declined by 40%. "January is clearly a month when consumers are less motivated to purchase financial products or put money into dubious financial opportunities," said Neil Hammerton, managing director of Email Systems. "Spammers seem to have adapted their output to reflect this, focussing instead on medically motivated and pornographic offers, presumably intentionally intended to coincide with what is traditionally considered to be the bleakest month in the calendar," he said.


The original Blinx was intended to convert many platform game lovers to Microsoft's then new Xbox console. Its sharp graphics and novel gameplay, with the main character able to pause, slow, rewind and fast forward time, were meant to lure many fans to the new machine. But poor design meant the game became a very frustrating affair with players often stranded half way through a level without the required tools to finish. Thankfully, the sequel has fixed many of the original faults. This time around you do not play as Blinx but instead you are given the chance to create two unique cat characters and two pig characters. The character generator is very detailed and a few minutes of tweaking and adjusting will create a unique personality to unleash on the game. As the game progresses you swap between the two rival factions, pig and feline, assuming the role of your created characters. The thrust of the game sees the two factions competing to recover pieces of a missing Time Crystal. As in the original, your feline persona can control time, but this time the pigs get to control space. There are a number of puzzles which require control over time to solve while the pigs can create things such as warps, space bubbles and void traps in order to progress. The control over space and time is achieved through a number of VCR style icons and is quite intuitive. Annoyingly, the puzzles are a little too obviously flagged up and most gamers will find it more of a chore than a challenge to solve them. The game has also tried to emulate franchises such as Jak and Daxter and Ratchet and Clank on PS2 and so there are a number of combat elements. These are a little predictable and tend to drag the general polish of the game down to a more dulled affair. But the game's excellent graphics, easily the best looking platform game around, sound and dollops of humour make it an attractive game for younger platform fans. Blinx 2 is out on Xbox now.


A 22 year old gamer has spent 26,500 ( 13,700) on an island that exists only in a computer role playing game (RPG). The Australian gamer, known only by his gaming moniker Deathifier, bought the island in an online auction. The land exists within the game Project Entropia, an RPG which allows thousands of players to interact with each other. Entropia allows gamers to buy and sell virtual items using real cash, while fans of other titles often use auction site eBay to sell their virtual wares. Earlier this year economists calculated that these massively multi player online role playing games (MMORPGs) have a gross economic impact equivalent to the GDP of the African nation of Namibia. "This is a historic moment in gaming history, and this sale only goes to prove that massive multi player online gaming has reached a new plateau," said Marco Behrmann, director of community relations at Mindark, the game's developer. The virtual island includes a gigantic abandoned castle and beautiful beaches which are described as ripe for developing beachfront property. Deathifier will make money from his investment as he is able to tax other gamers who come to his virtual land to hunt or mine for gold. He has also begun to sell plots to people who wish to build virtual homes. "This type of investment will definitely become a trend in online gaming," said Deathifier. The Entopia economy lets gamers exchange real currency into PED (Project Entropia Dollars) and back again into real money. Ten PEDs are the equivalent to one US dollar and typical items sold include iron ingots ( 5) and shogun armour ( 1.70) Gamers can theoretically earn money by accumulating PEDs through the acquisition of goods, buildings, and land in the Entropia universe. MMORPGs have become enormously popular in the last 10 years with hundreds of thousands of gamers living out alternate lives in fantasy worlds. Almost 200,000 people are registered players on Project Entropia.


Hearts manager John Robertson hopes a place in the knock out stages of the Uefa Cup could help keep some of his out of contract players at the club. "It could help. If we get through and have another European tie it may encourage players to stay at least until the end of the season," he said. "If we manage to get through it shows how well the club's progressing. "They have to think whether they are going to get other clubs like that should they decide to move on." A win for Robertson's side against Ferencvaros would put them through to the last 32 if Basle fail to beat Feyenoord. "It's very much the player's prerogative but the fact that we've been playing European football for the last three or four years is obviously an incentive," added Robertson. "But we want players who want to play for the football club, who are committed and a run in Europe always helps a little bit." With the game being played at Murrayfield instead of Tynecastle because of Uefa regulations, Robertson sees both positive and negative aspects to the change of venue. "The pitch is not in the greatest condition. The Heineken Cup game was there at the weekend and the pitch is a bit threadbare," he said. "It's not ideal but it's the same for both teams so we just have to go out and there and perform. That's the most important thing." But he added: "If Tynecastle could have hosted 30,000 it would have been fantastic but that's one of the benefits of Murrayfield it allows us to bring even more of our supporters into it. "There will be a good atmosphere and the Hearts fans have an important role to play. "We need their encouragement, we need them to get right behind the side and make it as good an atmosphere as possible. "Hopefully the players will respond to that and I know they will because it's a fantastic European night for the club."


People using wireless net hotspots will soon be able to make free phone calls as well as surf the net. Wireless provider Broadreach and net telephony firm Skype are rolling out a service at 350 hotspots around the UK this week. Users will need a Skype account downloadable for free and they will then be able to make net calls via wi fi without paying for net access. Skype allows people to make free PC based calls to other Skype users. Users of the system can also make calls to landlines and mobiles for a fee. The system is gaining in popularity and now has 28 million users around the world. Its paid service dubbed Skype Out has so far attracted 940,000 users. It plans to add more paid services with forthcoming launches of video conferencing, voice mail and Skype In, a service which would allow users to receive phone calls from landlines and mobiles. London based software developer Connectotel has unveiled software that will expand the SMS functions of Skype, allowing users to send text messages to mobile phones from the service. Broadreach Networks has around two million users and hotspots in places such as Virgin Megastores, the Travelodge chain of hotels and all London's major rail terminals. The company is due to launch wi fi on Virgin Trains later in the year. "Skype's success at spreading the world about internet telephony is well known and we are delighted to be offering free access to Skype users in our hotspots," commented Broadreach chief executive Magnus McEwen King.


Russian oil and gas company Yukos is due in a US court on Thursday as it continues to fight for its survival. The firm is in the process of being broken up by Russian authorities in order to pay a 27bn ( 14bn) tax bill. Yukos filed for bankruptcy in the US, hoping to use international business law to halt the forced sale of its key oil production unit, Yuganskneftegas. The unit was however sold for 9.4bn to state oil firm Rosneft but only after the state auction had been disrupted. Yukos lawyers now say the auction violated US bankruptcy law. The company and its main shareholders have vowed to go after any company that buys its assets, using all and every legal means. The company wants damages of 20bn, claiming Yuganskneftegas was sold at less than market value. Judge Letitia Clark will hear different motions, including one from Deutsche Bank to throw out the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. The German lender is one of six banks that were barred from providing financing to Gazprom, the Russian state owned company that was expected to win the auction for Yuganskneftegas. Deutsche Bank, which is also an advisor to Gazprom, has called on the US court to overturn its decision to provide Yukos with bankruptcy protection. Lifting the injunction would remove the uncertainty that surrounds the court case and clarify Deutsche Bank's business position, analysts said. Analysts are not optimistic about Yukos' chances in court. Russian President Vladimir Putin and the country's legal authorities have repeatedly said that the US has no jurisdiction over Yukos and its legal wranglings. On top of that, the firm only has limited assets in the US. Yukos has won small victories, however, and is bullish about its chances in court. "Do we have an ability to influence what happens? We think we do," said Mike Lake, a Yukos spokesman. "The litigation risks are real," said Credit Suisse First Boston analyst Vadim Mitroshin The dispute with the Russian authorities is partly driven by President Putin's clampdown on the political ambitions of ex Yukos boss Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Mr Khodorkovsky is in jail on charges of fraud and tax evasion.


Aid workers trying to house, feed and clothe millions of homeless refugees in the Sudanese region of Darfur are getting a helping hand from advanced mapping technology. A European consortium of companies and university groups known as Respond is working to provide accurate and up to date maps. The aim is to overcome some of the huge logistical challenges in getting supplies to where they are needed. Respond is using satellite imagery to produce accurate maps that can be used in the field rapidly. "Respond has produced very detailed maps for example for the road networks, for the rivers and for the villages, to more large scale maps useful for very general planning purposes," said Einar Bjorgo from Unosat, the UN satellite mapping organisation that is part of the Respond consortium. The group uses satellites from Nasa, the European Space Agency and the Disaster Monitoring Constellation. The satellite data is transmitted to ground stations. From there, the information makes its way to Respond organisations that specialise in interpreting such data. "You have to convert the data into images, then the interpreter has to convert all this into crisis, damage, or situation maps," said Stefan Voigt, who works in the remote sensing department of one of those organisations, the German Aerospace Centre. This kind of detailed analysis usually takes a couple of months but Respond gets it done in about 12 hours. "Our users are usually not so much familiar with reading satellite imagery, reading satellite maps, so it's our task to transfer the data into information that non technical people can read and understand easily and very, very efficiently," said Mr Voigt. Respond supplies maps to aid groups via the web, and on compact disc. But the best map is one you can hold in your hands, especially in remote areas where internet connections and laptops are scarce. "A map is a working document," explains Herbert Hansen of Respond's Belgian partner Keyobs. "You need to use it, you need to write on it, correct, give feedback and so on, so you need paper to write on. "We print maps, we laminate the maps, we encapsulate the maps if needed so you can take a shower with the map, it's completely protected." Humanitarian groups in Darfur have been making good use of Respond's maps. They have come in especially handy during Sudan's rainy season, when normally dry riverbeds, or wadis, became flooded. "These wadis had a very small amount of flooding, generally, in terms of depth, but greatly impeded the transport capabilities and capacities of the humanitarian groups on the ground," says Stephen Candillon of Respond imaging partner Sertit. Respond's rapid imaging has allowed aid groups to find ways around the wadis, allowing then to mark on their maps which roads were washed out at which times. Aid groups say that combination of satellite technology and on the ground observation helped keep relief flowing to those who needed it. Clark Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a BBC World Service and WGBH Boston co production


Ministers have been asked to explain how Budget details were printed in a London newspaper half an hour before Gordon Brown made his speech. The Tories said a large chunk of the Budget appeared to have been leaked in what they describe as a "serious breach of Treasury confidentiality". The Lib Dems called for Commons leader Peter Hain to make a statement and said chancellors had resigned over leaks. They were told it would be brought to Speaker Michael Martin's attention. In the Commons, Tory frontbencher Andrew Tyrie MP demanded an immediate ministerial statement about how measures had been "clearly, or at least apparently, leaked to the Evening Standard". Raising a point of order, he said it was "the latest in a long line of discourtesies to this House", as well as a breach of confidentiality. He said: "I can only hope it is unintentional. If it were planned it would be a very grave matter indeed. A previous Labour chancellor resigned after he leaked the Budget." Hugh Dalton resigned after leaking details of his 1947 budget to journalist John Carvel, who published them in a London newspaper, just minutes before they were announced to the House of Commons. Liberal Democrat David Laws said it was a "very serious matter" and said Mr Hain should make a statement on Thursday. Deputy Speaker Sylvia Heal agreed it was "of concern" but said nothing could be done immediately but the issue would be brought to Mr Martin's attention.


Standard Life is the latest shareholder in Deutsche Boerse to express concern at the German stock market operator's plans to buy the London Stock Exchange. It said Deutsche Boerse had to show why its planned 1.35bn ( 2.5bn) offer for the LSE was good for shareholder value. Reports say Standard Life, which owns a 1% stake in Deutsche Boerse, may seek a shareholder vote on the issue. Fellow shareholders US based hedge fund Atticus Capital and UK based TCI Fund Management have also expressed doubts. Deutsche Boerse's supervisory board has approved the possible takeover of the LSE despite the signs of opposition from investors. "The onus is on Deutsche Boerse's management to demonstrate why the purchase of the LSE creates more value for shareholders than other strategies, such as a buyback," said Richard Moffat, investment director of UK Equities at Standard Life Investments. Atticus Capital, holding 2% of Deutsche Boerse, wants it to buy back its own shares rather than buy the LSE. And TCI which holds about 5%, has made a request for an extraordinary shareholders meeting to be held to vote on replacing the company's entire supervisory board. It has also demanded that shareholders be consulted about the proposed acquisition, and whether the operator of the Frankfurt stock exchange should return 500m ( 266m) to shareholders instead. In December, Deutsche Boerse, which also owns the derivatives market Eurex and the clearing firm Clearstream, put an informal offer of 530 pence per LSE share on the table. However, the LSE said the cash offer "undervalued" both its own business and the benefits of such a tie up. Since then an improved offer from Deutsche Boerse has been anticipated as its management has continued talks with LSE chief executive Clara Furse. But the London exchange is also holding talks with Deutsche Boerse's rival Euronext, which operates the Amsterdam, Brussels, Lisbon and Paris exchanges, as well as London based international derivatives market Liffe.


The question to be asked in the referendum on the EU Constitution has been unveiled by the government. It will be: "Should the United Kingdom approve the treaty establishing a constitution for the European Union?" The constitution will be incorporated into UK law if there is a yes vote in the referendum, expected in 2006. Critics say the constitution is a further step towards a federal Europe, but advocates say it ensures effective operation of the enlarged 25 state EU. "If we reject this treaty, Britain will be isolated and weak in Europe," said Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who along with the rest of the Cabinet, will back a "yes" vote. Patriots by definition wanted the UK to be prosperous at home and strong and influential abroad, Mr Straw said. "Our role as a leading member of the EU is a crucial part of securing that." Conservative shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram said the referendum question "seems straightforward". But he accused the government of trying to confuse the issue by putting the EU referendum question in the same bill as the ratification of the constitution, when they should be treated as "two separate issues". Despite this "underhand trick," the referendum bill stood "no chance of becoming law before the election," he added. "This is Tony Blair's cheap gesture to the pro constitution lobby while he runs scared of a debate on Europe he knows he cannot win." Neil O'Brien, director of anti constitution group Vote No, said: "The reality is that the government doesn't want to discuss the EU constitution ahead of the election because they know it is extremely unpopular with voters and with business." The UK Independence Party said: "If the government believes that a No vote would mean that we should leave the European Union, they should just ask us if we want to leave the EU. Then we can be out of it and better off much sooner." Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy, who backs the constitution, said he expected the referendum would come in the first half of next year. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The sooner we get on with this, the better." He said the question sounded "very neutral" and "balanced," adding it would enable the argument "to be enjoined fairly and squarely on both sides". Green MEP Caroline Lucas welcomed Tony Blair's "courage in keeping his word" on holding a referendum. But she added: "This treaty is a flawed document that will make the EU less accountable, less sustainable, and less just." Mr Blair signed the constitution at a ceremony in Rome in November, but had already made it clear the issue would be put to voters in a referendum. That promise came after sustained pressure from opposition parties. Jack Straw, who argues the constitution reflected a "British vision for Europe" and gives "national governments a stronger grip", has said the referendum could be held in spring 2006. But in an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Blair refused to be pinned down to that date, saying Britain would hold a poll "some time in 2006 but when, I don't know". The paper said the prime minister "claimed ignorance" of when other countries were planning to hold their referendums.


The dollar has hit its highest level against the euro in almost three months after the Federal Reserve head said the US trade deficit is set to stabilise. And Alan Greenspan highlighted the US government's willingness to curb spending and rising household savings as factors which may help to reduce it. In late trading in New York, the dollar reached 1.2871 against the euro, from 1.2974 on Thursday. Market concerns about the deficit has hit the greenback in recent months. On Friday, Federal Reserve chairman Mr Greenspan's speech in London ahead of the meeting of G7 finance ministers sent the dollar higher after it had earlier tumbled on the back of worse than expected US jobs data. "I think the chairman's taking a much more sanguine view on the current account deficit than he's taken for some time," said Robert Sinche, head of currency strategy at Bank of America in New York. "He's taking a longer term view, laying out a set of conditions under which the current account deficit can improve this year and next." Worries about the deficit concerns about China do, however, remain. China's currency remains pegged to the dollar and the US currency's sharp falls in recent months have therefore made Chinese export prices highly competitive. But calls for a shift in Beijing's policy have fallen on deaf ears, despite recent comments in a major Chinese newspaper that the "time is ripe" for a loosening of the peg. The G7 meeting is thought unlikely to produce any meaningful movement in Chinese policy. In the meantime, the US Federal Reserve's decision on 2 February to boost interest rates by a quarter of a point the sixth such move in as many months has opened up a differential with European rates. The half point window, some believe, could be enough to keep US assets looking more attractive, and could help prop up the dollar. The recent falls have partly been the result of big budget deficits, as well as the US's yawning current account gap, both of which need to be funded by the buying of US bonds and assets by foreign firms and governments. The White House will announce its budget on Monday, and many commentators believe the deficit will remain at close to half a trillion dollars.


The European Commission has written to the mobile phone operators Vodafone and T Mobile to challenge "the high rates" they charge for international roaming. In letters sent to the two companies, the Commission alleged the firms were abusing their dominant market position in the German mobile phone market. It is the second time Vodafone has come under the Commission's scrutiny. The UK operator is already appealing against allegations that its UK roaming rates are "unfair and excessive". Vodafone's response to the Commission's letter was defiant. "We believe the roaming market is competitive and we expect to resist the charges," said a Vodafone spokesman. "However we will need time to examine the statement of objections in detail before we formally respond." The Commission's investigation into Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom's T Mobile centres on the tariffs the two companies charge foreign mobile operators to access their networks when subscribers of those foreign operators use their mobile phones in Germany. The Commission believes these wholesale prices are too high and that the excess is passed on to consumers. "The Commission aims to ensure that European consumers are not overcharged when they use their mobile phones on their travels around the European Union," the Commission said in a statement. Vodafone and O2, Britain's other big mobile phone operator, were sent similar statements of objections by the Commission in July last year. Vodafone sent the Commission a response to those allegations in December last year and is now waiting for a reply. The Vodafone spokesman said a similar process would be set in motion with these latest statement of objections about its operations in Germany. The companies will have three months to respond to the Commission's allegations and the process "may go on for some time yet", the spokesman said. The Commission could charge the companies up to 10% of their annual turnover, though in practice that sort of figure is rarely demanded. The Commission's latest move comes just a few months after national telecoms regulators across Europe launched a joint investigation which could lead to people being charged less for using their mobile phone when travelling abroad. The investigation involves regulators assessing whether there is effective competition in the roaming market.


Violent video games should carry larger warnings so parents can understand what their children are playing, the trade and industry secretary has said. Patricia Hewitt is expected to call for the law banning the sale of 18 rated games to children to be enforced better at a games industry meeting on Sunday. She is concerned too many children are playing games aimed at adults which include "high levels of violence". Parents are expected to spend millions on video games as Christmas presents. Violent games have been hit by controversy after the game Manhunt was blamed by the parents of 14 year old Stefan Pakeerah, who was stabbed to death in Leicester in February. His mother, Giselle, said her son's killer, Warren Leblanc, 17 who was jailed for life in September had mimicked behaviour in the game. Police investigating the Stefan's murder dismissed its influence and Manhunt was not part of its legal case. Ahead of Sunday's meeting in London, Ms Hewitt said she was proud of the UK's "vibrant games industry" but was concerned too many children were playing games which should only be sold to adults. Roger Bennett, head of gaming industry body ELSPA, said banning violent games would be wrong. He said: "We don't want to go down that route. We have seen that the government is supportive of the industry." The government is holding a further meeting on Friday with industry and retail representatives as well as the British Board of Film Classification to discuss how labelling can be made clearer. Ms Hewitt said: "Adults should be treated as adults and children as children. It is important that retailers respect the classifications and do not sell games with high levels of violence to minors. "Equally parents need to know what they might be buying for their children. "Video games are different to films or videos, and not all parents have grown up playing games in the way our children do. "We need to look carefully at how we improve content warnings and strengthen sales enforcement." Her call was backed by Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Tessa Jowell who said: "You wouldn't let your child watch the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. You wouldn't let them go to a strip club. "So you shouldn't let them play an 18 rated game. It's the same principle adults can make their own informed choices, but children can't always and need to be protected." Anyone convicted of selling an 18 rated game to a child can be jailed for six months and fined up to 5,000. Rockstar Games, the makers of Manhunt, has said in the past it markets its games responsibly and only targets its adverts at adults.


An organisation has been launched to encourage disabled people to get involved in all aspects of motorsport, which is now increasingly possible thanks to technological innovations. The Motorsport Endeavour Club left the starting grid yesterday at the Autosport International 2005 show at Birmingham's NEC, with several technologies to adapt vehicles on display. Motorcycle racer, Roy Tansley, from Derby developed his electronic sequential gear changer following an accident which resulted in part of his left leg being amputated. "I needed to find a way of changing gear and generally you do that with your left leg," Mr Tansley told the BBC News website. "In simple terms, I needed to invent a left foot initially it was quite a Heath Robinson device." Mr Tansley had to argue his case to be allowed to continue competing with motorcycle racing's governing body, the Autocycle Union. "At that time they wouldn't let any amputee race at all, but eventually they told me I could have a licence as long as I raced sidecars." Mr Tansley's invention, the Pro Shift, is designed to work with Hewland gearboxes which are widely used in motorcycle racing. In addition to helping disabled riders to compete, Mr Tansley reckons that the Pro Shift saves at least 20 seconds per lap when he competes in the Isle of Man TT. As a result, there has been considerable interest in the product from other riders keen to improve their performance. "I'm not prejudiced, I'll sell to able bodied people if I have to!" he joked. Another exhibit on the Motorsport Endeavour stand is a Subaru Impreza rally car, adapted to accommodate a variety of disabilities. The vehicle belongs to ParaRallying, the world's only rally school for disabled drivers which is based in Lincolnshire. "We use the latest technology supplied by an Italian company," said rally driver Dave Hawkins who runs the company. "The cars have electronic throttles, electronic brakes, electronic clutches we've yet to turn anybody away." Mr Hawkins a paraplegic himself says his customers have included right or left arm amputees, quadriplegics, people who have had strokes and a woman who had had all four limbs amputated. ParaRallying uses a Vauxhall Astra GSI with an automatic gearbox and manual Subaru Imprezas. The car on display is fitted with a 'duck clutch' a switch on the gear stick used instead of the clutch pedal. It also has a second ring behind the steering wheel to operate the throttle and a hand operated brake bar. When Joy Rainey started competing in motorsport in 1974 she was continuing the family tradition her father, Murray, is a former Australian Formula 3 champion. And it was Rainey Senior who modified a sports racer to accommodate his daughter's small stature so that she could take part in hill climbs. She uses an ordinary road car by putting extensions on the pedals, a cushion behind her back and raising the seat. "But in a competition car you have to have everything right or you'll lose the balance of the car," she said. "I bring everything back to me steering wheel, steering column, gear lever and pedals." When she recently took part in the London to Sydney Marathon she shared the driving with her partner, Trevor, who now does the engineering work. He designed a system for their Morris Minor so that the adaptations could be totally removed in under a minute. The Motorsport Endeavour Club is hoping that putting such technologies on display will result in more disabled people becoming involved in all areas of the sport and at every level.


What have the European Indoor trials told us? Well, I think we could be heading to the European Championships with half a dozen medal prospects. It was good to see athletes beginning to make steps forward, to see a few new faces and there were lots of personal bests kicking around. The best performance on the track for me was Sarah Claxton's win in the 60m hurdles. Running sub eight seconds twice in a week puts her right up there and if she repeats that in Madrid she will be close to picking up a medal. But what was great about Sunday's performance was that she was under pressure to produce the goods when it counted. Diane Allahgreen has been our best hurdler for some time now and I think she was surprised to be beaten by Sarah. And knowing that she got the better of Diane in a head to head race will give Sarah confidence. In the men's race on Saturday, Allan Scott was right in there and there is definitely more to come from him. In fact, the men's 60m hurdles is so strong, I think the selectors will pick three hurdlers to go to Madrid. Phillips Idowu lit up the field events, not only with his hair, but also with his leap of 17.30m, which puts him at the top of the world rankings. I had a chat with him before the competition and he was really looking forward to getting out there. He feels he is in great shape and has some big jumps inside him but then Phillips always has. A lot of the athletes said the runway was not very helpful, so for Phillips to jump like that is a good performance. He is such a huge talent but just needs some consistency and if he does that then the big jumps will get even further. Across the board I thought Kelly Sotherton had a great weekend and continued to show she is developing. She picked up three personal bests in the long jump, high jump and 60m hurdles and you can't ask for more than that. Kelly will be up against Carolina Kluft in the pentathlon at the European Championships but she has every chance of a medal on the basis of what we've seen so far. She has a complicated training regime where different people help her with different disciplines but it seems to be working really well. It wasn't all good news in Sheffield. I thought both the 60m races were disappointing in different ways. Jason Gardener may have won but he wasn't at his best. I chatted to him afterwards and he knows it was an off day for him. He's there to be shot at and the other lads nearly got a big scalp out there. In the women's race, Jeanette Kwayke was hoping to run against defending champion Joice Maduaka. The pair are enjoying a bit of rivalry but Joice had to pull out with a chest infection. If she had made the final I think Jeanette would have gone a bit quicker. Janine Whitlock competed well in the pole vault on her return following a two year drugs ban. But the most disappointing thing in the wider view is that she is our best pole vaulter by a long way and that shouldn't be the case. The event has moved on immensely since Janine has been away and if there was more domestic competition I think that would help her. A couple of other interesting topics to look out for are the citizenship issues surrounding Mark Findlay and Rabah Yusuf. Findlay is a Londoner who has chosen to represent Trinidad and Tobago but has never run for them so he could still compete for Great Britain. Yusuf, who came third in the 400m, is from the Sudan but is trying to gain British citizenship. He came to Britain as a high jumper but damaged his toe, started doing more running and found his talent. So we shall have to see what happens to both of them.


Viewers could soon be rewarded for watching TV as loyalty cards come to a screen near you. Any household hooked up to Sky could soon be using smartcards in conjunction with their set top boxes. Broadcasters such as Sky and ITV could offer viewers loyalty points in return for watching a particular channel or programme. Sky will activate a spare slot on set top boxes in January, marketing magazine New Media Age reported. Sky set top boxes have two slots. One is for the viewer's decryption card, while the other has been dormant until now. Loyalty cards have become a common addition to most wallets, as High Street brands rush to keep customers with a series of incentives offered by store cards. Now similar schemes look set to enter the highly competitive world of multi channel TV. Viewers who stay loyal to a particular TV channel could be rewarded by free TV content or freebies from retail partners. Broadcasters aiming content at children could offer smartcards which gives membership to exclusive content and clubs. "Parents could pre pay for some content, as a kind of TV pocket money card," said Nigel Whalley, managing director of media consultancy Decipher. Viewers could even be rewarded for watching ad breaks, with ideas such as ad bingo being touted by firms keen to make money out of the new market, said Mr Whalley. Credit cards that have been chipped could be used in set top boxes to pay for movies, gambling and gaming. "The idea of an intelligent card in boxes offers a lot of possibilities. It will be down to the ingenuity of the content players," said Mr Whalley. For the BBC, revenue generating activity will be of little interest but the new development may prompt changes to Freeview set top boxes, said Mr Whalley. Currently most Freeview boxes do not have a slot which would allow viewers to use a smartcard. Some 7.4 million households have Sky boxes and Sky is hoping to increase this to 10 million by 2010. Loyalty cards could play a role in this, particularly in reducing the number of people who cancel their Sky subscriptions, said Ian Fogg, an analyst with Jupiter Research.


US gamers will be able to buy Sony's PlayStation Portable from 24 March, but there is no news of a Europe debut. The handheld console will go on sale for 250 ( 132) and the first million sold will come with Spider Man 2 on UMD, the disc format for the machine. Sony has billed the machine as the Walkman of the 21st Century and has sold more than 800,000 units in Japan. The console (12cm by 7.4cm) will play games, movies and music and also offers support for wireless gaming. Sony is entering a market which has been dominated by Nintendo for many years. It launched its DS handheld in Japan and the US last year and has sold 2.8 million units. Sony has said it wanted to launch the PSP in Europe at roughly the same time as the US, but gamers will now fear that the launch has been put back. Nintendo has said it will release the DS in Europe from 11 March. "It has gaming at its core, but it's not a gaming device. It's an entertainment device," said Kaz Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America.


Video game firm Bioware is to hold open auditions for people to become cast members for future games. The company, which makes role playing games such as Knights of the Old Republic and Neverwinter Nights, is seeking people aged 18 to 99. The Canada based company says it was looking for "a wide variety of people to use as face models for characters". Everyone chosen to appear in a video game will receive a performer's fee for the use of their image. The company is inviting people to come along to a shopping mall in West Edmonton, Alberta, on Friday and Saturday, bringing along a piece of photo identification. "There are hundreds and hundreds of characters in a typical Bioware game," said Shauna Perry, Bioware's audio and external resources producer. "Those people live in any city and village and so we need ordinary people, people with interesting faces." She added: "Not everyone is a model in the world so we don't want just models in our games." People chosen to appear in a game will have their head scanned in three dimensions. Hundreds of photos of the person's head are taken so that a model of the head can be generated in 3D. "The 3D model will look exactly like the person it's really quite incredible how detailed they are," said Ms Perry. She said chosen participants will have no control over how the image is used in a computer game. "We cannot give people any control over how the images are used. "But their face could be used in multiple games so they could be the hero in one, the villain in another and just a merchant in a third."


Ireland and Munster lock Paul O'Connell has dismissed media reports linking him to the captaincy of the Lions tour to New Zealand this summer. O'Connell is rumoured to be among the front runners for the job, but says he is totally focused on Sunday's Six Nations crunch clash with England. "I honestly don't think about these reports," he told BBC Sport. "The Lions thing is all speculation and newspaper talk, nothing more. I just ignore it and get on with my job." He added: "The only thing that annoys me after reading some reports is what the opposition locks think. "I can just imagine them saying 'I'm going to show this guy what's what about second row play'. That's the one thing that makes me cringe." O'Connell, who made a try scoring international debut against Wales two years ago, is enjoying his meteoric rise into rugby's shop window but refuses to be drawn on the Lions. "I have spoken to Sir Clive Woodward a few times, but not for very long, certainly nothing about summer holidays," he joked. He also said he remains wary of wounded England's abilities coming into Sunday's game after two straight defeats, dismissing predictions of a certain Irish victory. "It's very dangerous to think that. This England team has so much experience and skill. You do not become a bad team overnight. "They have two world class game breakers in Josh Lewsey and Jason Robinson, while Charlie Hodgson is just ready to click into place." He insisted Ireland will not make the mistake of being over confident. "That's not going to happen in our squad. No Ireland team lining up to play England will ever fall into that trap," he said. "Every time we play England we know what a big task it is. Look at what they did to us two years ago. I remember that game all too well, and it was not a good feeling. "I came on as a replacement and we were losing 13 6, and ended up getting hammered 42 6, so I know what can happen when England come to Dublin. "They could so easily have been coming to Dublin with two wins and staring a Grand Slam in the face as well."


We are reaching the point where broadband is a central part of daily life, at least for some, argues technology analyst Bill Thompson. One of the nice things about being a writer is that I rarely have to go to an office to work. I can sit in a caf 233; or a library, with or without a wi fi connection, and research and write articles. If I am passing through Kings Cross station on my way to a meeting then I can log on from the platform. And I can spend the day working with my girlfriend Anne, a children's writer, at her house in Cambridge, sharing her wireless network. But just over a week ago I arrived at her house to find that there was no network connection. We checked the cable modem and noticed that it had no power, and when she changed the power lead it sparked at her in a way which made it abundantly clear that it was never going to talk to the internet again. She called her service provider, and they told her it would be five days before an engineer would show up with a new cable modem. This did not seem too bad, but in fact she really suffered until her connection was restored on Wednesday. With no modem installed in her computer, she had to borrow internet access from friends or use the dial up connection on her daughter's laptop, so she had to choose between copying her files onto her USB memory card or accepting a slower and flakier net connection. As a result she did not submit the pictures she wanted to use for a book on earthquakes because they were too big to send over dial up. She could not research other material because she is used to having easy access to a fast link that lets her search quickly and effectively. But the impact spread into her personal life too. She did not take her children to the cinema during half term because she could not find out which films were showing at the local cinemas. She planned a trip to Norfolk but did not check the weather because the only place she knows to look for weather information is the BBC website. And she did not know where to go fossil hunting on the trip because she could not type "fossils Norfolk" into Google. Of course, she readily admits, she could have answered these questions if she had looked in the local paper, listened to the radio or found a book on fossils. But she did not, because having fast, always on, and easy access to the net has become part of the routine of her daily life, and when it was taken away it was too much effort to go back to the old ways of doing things. She may be unusual, but I do not think Anne is alone. According to Ofcom there were almost four million broadband users in the UK in April 2004, and numbers are climbing fast. There will certainly be five million by the end of the year. Dial up users are switching to broadband. My dad finally made the change earlier this month and new net users are selecting broadband from the start. More and more of these broadband users are beginning to mould their daily lives around the availability of broadband internet connections, and they too will find it difficult to cope if they cannot get online for any reason. It is part of the process of adaptation, and it is a vital step in the growth of broadband in the UK and elsewhere. People who have integrated net access into their daily lives tell their friends about it, and show off the cool stuff they can do. They encourage other people to get broadband so that they can share digital photos and do all of the other things that need fast and reliable connectivity. Of course, broadband in the UK is laughably slow compared to other parts of the world. In South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong normal connection speeds are measured in megabits, or millions of bits, a second rather than the thousands that we are supposed to be happy with. But speed is only a small part of the attraction of broadband, and when it comes to checking websites for film times, looking at weather forecasts, or all of the other small things that make a real difference to the routines and habits of our daily lives, even UK speeds are sufficient. It may not be the brave new world of streaming full screen video and superfast file downloads, but it will do for now. And it is certainly better than slow access or no access. Just ask Anne. Bill Thompson is a regular commentator on the BBC World Service programme Go Digital.


US retail sales ended the year on a high note with solid gains in December, boosted by strong car sales. Seasonally adjusted sales rose 1.2% in the month, compared to 0.1% a month earlier, boosted by a surge in shopping just before and after Christmas. Sales climbed 8% for the year, the best performance since an 8.5% rise in 1999, the Commerce Department added. The gains were led by a 4.3% jump in auto sales as dealers used enhanced offers to get cars out of showrooms. Dealers were forced to cut prices in December to maintain sales growth in a tough quarter when the usual end of year holiday sales boom was slow to get started. The increase in sales during December pushed total spending for the month to 349.4bn ( 265.9bn). Sales for the year also broke through the 4 trillion mark for the first time with annual sales coming in at 4.06 trillion However, if automotives are excluded from December's data, retail sales rose just 0.3% on the month. Home furnishings and furniture stores also performed well, rising 2.2%. But as well as hitting the shops, more US consumers were going online or using mail order for their purchases with non store retailers seeing sales rise by 1.9%. However, analysts said that the strong figures were unlikely to put the Federal Reserve Bank off its current policy of measured interest rate rises. "Consumers for now remain willing to spend freely, sustaining the US expansion. Given that attitude, the Fed remains likely to continue boosting the Fed funds rate at upcoming meetings," UBS economist Maury Harris told Reuters. Retail sales are seen as a major part of consumer spending which in turn makes up two thirds of economic output in the US. Consumer spending has been picking up in recent years after slumping during 2001 and 2002 as the country battled to recover from its first recession of the decade and the World Trade Centre attacks. During that time, sales grew a lacklustre 2.9% in 2001 and 2.5% a year later. Looking ahead, analysts now expect improvement in jobs growth to feed through to the High Street with consumer spending remaining strong. The belief comes despite the latest labor department report showing a surprise rise in unemployment. The number of Americans filing initial jobless claims jumped to 367,000, the highest rate since September. However, long term claims slipped to their lowest level since 2001.


Referee Graham Poll said he applied the laws of the game in allowing Arsenal striker Thierry Henry's free kick in Sunday's 2 2 draw with Chelsea. Keeper Petr Cech was organising his defensive wall when Henry's quick free kick flew in, which angered Chelsea. "The whistle doesn't need to be blown. I asked Henry 'do you want a wall?'. He said 'can I take it please?' He was very polite. I said 'yes'," said Poll. "I deal with the laws of the game. I deal with fact." Poll added: "I gave the signal for him to take it. That's what he did. "The same thing happened when I refereed Chelsea against West Ham in an FA Cup replay two years ago when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored and I don't remember them complaining about that." Henry explained why he paused before striking the ball for the goal, which put Arsenal 2 1 ahead. Henry told BBC Radio Five Live: "The ref asked me if I wanted 10 yards or if I wanted to take it straight away and I said that I wanted to take it straight away. He said to me, 'go'. "It looks a bit strange because I took my time. I was waiting for Eidur Gudjohnsen to move and give me some space. "At one point, he turned and that's when I tried it." Former referees' chief Philip Don backed Poll's decision to allow the strike. "The advantage should go to the non offending team. On this occasion it was Arsenal," Don told BBC Radio Five Live. "Referees have been told to ask the player 'do you want to take the quick free kick?' or 'do you want me to get the wall back 9.15 metres?' "If they say 'quick', the referee tends to move away and allow the kick." Don was head of the referees for the Premier League and revealed all clubs were informed of free kick options. "We spoke to all the Premier League clubs as well as all the Football League clubs in the summer of 2003 explaining what the situation was," he added "We gave them the option of either the quick free kick or the 'ceremonial' free kick. Players and clubs were aware of what referees were doing."


The Welsh Rugby Union wants to restructure the Northern Hemisphere season into four separate blocks. The season would start with the Celtic League in October, followed by the Heineken Cup in February and March, and the Six Nations moved to April and May. After a nine week break, the WRU then proposes a two month period of away and home international matches. WRU chairman David Pickering said the structure would end problems of player availability for club and country. He added: "We feel sure that spectator interest would respond to the impetus of high intensity rugby being played continuously rather than the fragmented timetable currently in operation. "Equally, we suspect that the sponsors would prefer the sustained interest in a continuous tournament and hopefully, the broadcasters would also enjoy increased exposure." Moving the Six Nations from its traditional February beginning should also ensure better weather conditions and "stimulate greater interest in the games and generally provide increased skills and competition and attract greater spectator viewing", Pickering argued. The plan will be put before the International Rugby Board next month, where four other plans drawn up by independent consultants for a global integrated season will also be discussed. Pickering added: "It's very early days and there are a number of caveats associated with it not least the revenue from the broadcasters, which is extremely important. "We've got a good plan and one which should be judged on its merits."