Australian airline Qantas could transfer as many as 7,000 jobs out of its home country as it seeks to save costs, according to newspaper reports. Chief executive Geoff Dixon was quoted by The Australian newspaper as saying the carrier could no longer afford to remain "all Australian". Unions criticised the possible move which may affect cabin and maintenance staff saying Qantas was profitable. More than 90% of the airline's staff are based in Australia. Qantas confirmed it was looking at whether it might recruit and source products overseas potentially through joint ventures but said it would continue to create jobs in Australia. Despite making a record Australian dollars 648m ( 492m) profit last year, Qantas has argued that it needs to make considerable savings if it is to remain competitive. "We're going to have to get the lowest cost structure we can and that willmean sourcing things more and more from overseas," the newspaper quoted Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon as saying. Early this year, Qantas increased the number of flight attendants based in London from 370 to 870. If Qantas were to follow the lead of other airlines moving staff 'offshore' 7,000 jobs could shift overseas, the newspaper reported. In a statement, Qantas said it was looking to build its operations overseas. However, it stressed this would not result in large scale redundancies in its home market, where most of its 35,000 staff are employed. "We are totally committed to continuing to grow jobs in Australia," Mr Dixon said. "We are, however, operating in a global market and there is no room for complacency simply because we are currently profitable and successful." Unions reacted angrily to the reported disclosure, arguing that Qantas was profitable and did not need to take such action. "We could understand if Qantas was a struggling airline about to go under," Michael Mijatov, international division secretary of the Flight Attendants Association, told Agence France Presse. "Qantas announced a record profit last year and is on course this year for an even greater profit so it is totally unnecessary." In an effort to meet the challenge posed by low cost carriers, Qantas sought a tie up with Air New Zealand last year However, the deal was thrown out by the New Zealand High Court on competition grounds.


Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou says she is eager to compete again after being cleared of missing a drugs test by an independent Greek tribunal. Thanou, 30, was provisionally suspended for missing a test before the Olympics, but the decision was overturned. "The IAAF will decide if we can compete again in Greece and abroad," Thanou told To Vima newspaper in her first interview since the Athens Olympics. "If given the green light I will run again that's the only thing I want." Thanou, 30, and her compatriot Kostas Kenteris were provisionally suspended by the IAAF in December for missing three drugs tests. The third was alleged to have been on the eve of the opening ceremony of the Athens Olympics. But an independent tribunal of the Greek Athletics Federation overturned the provisional ban on 18 March. The IAAF which said it was "very surprised" by the decision of the Greek tribunal is deciding whether to appeal against the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. However, Dick Pound, the chairman of the World Anti Doping Authority, has said he will appeal against the decision if the IAAF does not. And Thanou and Kenteris face a criminal trial later this year for allegedly avoiding the test and then faking a motorcycle accident. Thanou said: "I can see how people can think the accident seemed like a childish excuse. "I cannot deny that we made a lot of mistakes during that time. I always said we needed a PR person. "An athlete would have to be very stupid to take illegal substances when he or she knows that they will undergo tests at any given moment. "I am a champion. I cannot risk everything I've achieved in such a silly way."


The minimum wage will rise in October, benefiting more than 1m people, the government has announced. Adults must be paid at least 5.05 an hour, up from 4.85, while 18 to 21 year olds will be paid 4.25. The recommendations came from the Low Pay Commission which said the number of jobs had continued to grow since the minimum wage was introduced in 1999. Businesses wanted it frozen, warning more rises could damage competitiveness but the unions want a 6 rate. A further increase in the adult rate to 5.35 an hour is provisionally scheduled for October 2006. According to the commission, many businesses had found the last two significant increases in the minimum wage "challenging". "We have therefore recommended only a slight increase above average earnings, and concentrated it in the second year to allow business more time to absorb the impact," said chairman Adair Turner. The government says most of those on the minimum wage are women with many working in cleaning, catering, shops and hairdressing. Unveiling the latest increase, Mr Blair said he wanted the minimum wage to become a "symbol of decency and fairness". "For too long, poverty pay capped the aspiration and prosperity of far too many hard working families," he said. "Too often, people were told to make a choice between the indignity of unemployment or the humiliation of poverty pay." Chancellor Gordon Brown and Transport Secretary Alistair Darling promoted the news in Edinburgh, Wales Secretary Peter Hain and Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan in Cardiff and Northern Ireland Minister John Spellar in Belfast. The government has not accepted the commission's recommendation that 21 year olds should be paid at the adult rate, but says it will look again at the rate later on. Mr Brown said: "We want to do nothing that can damage the employment opportunities for young people, particularly young people entering the labour market for the first time." The government has said it will look at tougher action against the small number of employers who consistently refuse to pay the minimum wage. The national minimum wage is currently set at 4.85 per hour for those aged 22 and above, and at 4.10 for those aged 18 to 21. A 3 per hour minimum wage was introduced last October for 16 to 17 year olds, but apprentices are exempt. The Trade Unions Congress welcomed the increase, but has called for a 6 minimum wage by next year. But the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) called for a "pause year" to assess the impact of the above inflation rise in the minimum wage in October. And David Frost, director of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "The level of increase each year has increased by rates far outstripping the rates of inflation. "What employers are saying to us now is that it's at a level where it's starting to bite into the competitiveness of companies right across the country." The Liberal Democrats' economics spokesman Vincent Cable said he supported the move to raise the minimum wage. "It's not just good for the workers themselves but it lifts them out of benefits and therefore is good for the Exchequer too," he said. Conservative leader Michael Howard said he accepted the principle of the minimum wage and would not "seek to disturb" the increase. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, Mr Howard hinted the Tories might go into the general election with a promise to cancel income tax for the lowest paid workers. "There are people on very low salaries, very low incomes indeed who really shouldn't be paying income tax," he said. It would be better to decrease taxes on earnings below 12,000 a year, with say no tax on below 6,000. The losses in tax can be recouped by having a 50pc tax band for people making over 100,000. Our minimum wage is going to be effectively almost twice the US minimum wage, yet our economy per person is only 2/3rds of the US! Perhaps, we have to really starting questioning why some products cost 50 60% more here than they do in the US. This combined with the tax decreases would make the pounds the low paid people do make go much further. It's still not good enough! I got a part time Job at 16 when I was doing my A levels in an attempt to get a little money saved for Uni. This was only 2 years ago and I was getting paid 2.75 an hour, and working as hard as any of the older staff, maybe it's about time 16 21 year olds got a fair wage! We must remember that the minimum wage is only part of the picture and must not rise to a level that makes employing people unattractive and encourages businesses to send work and therefore jobs abroad. Still government and local councils employ staff via their contractors that pay at the minimum wage or very close to it. An easy way for the government to do as it preaches would be to insist on floor pay levels for all government workers and take tens of thousand of civil servants out of the social security system all together. Any increase is certainly welcome news. However for all those whining about the pressures of an increase in the minimum wage I would simply ask them: "Would you be happy to work for less than 5.05 an hour?". Thought not ... so then, don't expect others to either. I can't believe that so many of these comments are against the minimum wage! Also I personally take great offence at the insinuation that people earning minimum wage were lazy at school if everyone went to university then who would serve you in the supermarkets and clean up after you? It's about time that these hardworking people are rewarded with only what they deserve and have earned fair pay and a bit of respect wouldn't go a miss either. br / gt; This is good news. The minimum wage has put a sense of equality back into a worker's relationship with their employer. Wages are supposed to be a fair reflection of an employee's efforts. For too long wages were a point of exploitation what could an employer get away with. In very simplistic terms this put a pressure to keep low paid wages low. With the minimum wage this downward pressure is at least partly removed. It is also interesting to read the comments from so called business leaders. They are the first to defend the rights and privileges of boards to award fat cat salaries, bonuses and pension rights to the select few but they are the first to attack policies that are put in place to merely defend the rights of those that really make those fat cats purr! I feel there are both negatives and positives to the increase, on one hand some businesses will struggle to stay afloat but on the other hand in today world many young people can't afford to move out as property costs too much and only by earning more will they be able to get on in life. Its true many may get complacent but the minimum wage could be looked at as more of a stepping stone rather than a hand out. Here come the usual whines about how difficult it will be for businesses! We all remember Michael Howard's protestations that the minimum wage would cost a million jobs when it was introduced funny how he's gone quiet on that one! Jobs have continued to increase since this humane legislation was brought in. I think if any job is worth doing then it's worth being paid a fair wage for, and 5.05 is hardly a fortune. If your business cannot pay its workers a decent wage then maybe it's not being run properly and if it folds, a better run company will take over its duties and employ more people, so everybody wins except incompetent business owners! Great keep at it Tony, I remember the despair of the 80s and the low wages employers got away with. At last we can make a difference to people and reward them for working. We can't afford not to pay a decent wage. It's not a jobs at any price economy, goodbye sweatshops hello decency. The increase in minimum wage is a good thing. Living in the southwest where house prices and rent have increased hugely (like the rest of the country) over the past 5 years has made living for you average 18 21 years old very difficult. In the south west the increase in living costs have not been matched by an increase in pay, for example a job I did in Plymouth was underpaid to an equivalent worker in Exeter by 75p an hour. Hopefully the increase in the minimum wage will bring in to balance pay on a regional and national level, and in turn allow people like myself who do work hard, but might never earn a 6 figure salary the chance to branch out on our own. I work at a large Hospital where the contractors providing all ancillary services domestic, catering portering etc pay the minimum wage of 4.85 as the basic rate. Someone has to do these unglamorous jobs and earn enough to live decently. How dare people suggest we are lazy or complacent for accepting these jobs and these wages? Who do they think will be carrying out these public service jobs if contractors are allowed to pay as little as their consciences allow? This is definitely the right step in the right direction. It shows that this government cares for the low income earners as well. This is a million votes more. Good strategy isn't it? Although I would not deny people the minimum wage increase, its timing stinks. I am quite prepared for a raft of 'bribes' to come from the government before the election and a raft of taxes afterwards, they are playing us for the fools they think we are. This is extremely bad news for any business whether they are small and medium enterprises or even large companies. By increasing overheads, for business, there will be an almost certain rise in costs to the consumer who while they openly welcome the idea of an increase in the minimum wage are the same people who still want to buy that shirt, or that pair of trainers for next to nothing. The extra cost this increase will bring, will only be reflected in the price of the goods we buy, which, in turn will only serve to discourage companies from setting up business in the UK, or encourage those companies already based here to look elsewhere. The jubilation felt by "low paid" workers here will soon give way to misery as they lose their jobs. This will only lead to a reduction in jobs. Why have many of the call centre jobs gone to India. Blair say's the economy is "strong and stable economy" however consumer debt and the country's debt is at its highest and now they heap this onto businesses, that will have no choice but to cut the workforce. The timing cannot be coincidental. This is blatant electioneering and should be exposed as such. Andrew in Derby complains that raising the minimum wage is 'blatant electioneering'. I don't mind if it is. In our degraded democracy, elections are the one time when elites really have to worry about doing something concrete for the majority. My only complaint is the paltry figures being discussed. If my maths is right, a 35 hour week at 5.05 gives you an annual income just over 9,000 and raising it to 6 leaves it under 11,000. The unions should be putting the Government under pressure for much more. Businesses complaining might like to take a look at corporate pay, shareholder payouts and profits before wondering if paying a living wage is really a controlling factor in the viability of their firm. I am all for lifting the minimum wage of workers to a reasonable level, but we have to accept that with this will come competition from overseas workers. Also small businesses will have to be able to afford this manpower cost. We are already seeing a sweeping change in IT work being lost to India where people are paid much less. It is difficult for me to understand that only five years ago cheap labour abroad was classified as 'sweat shop', but now we are told it is global competition. With our manufacturing industry in serious decline the country cannot be entirely service industries without something tangible to serve. There has to be something at the top of the food chain and that is manufacturing. The whole picture needs to be looked at. This is great news, but that might be because I work for minimum wage. Seems a good idea and will hopefully be an incentive to those who live to claim to actually get a job. When you can "earn" more from claiming than you can from work, there is no incentive. Perhaps a step in the right direction. If the TUC get their way a very large number of SMEs will have to close this will put more people out of work. How then will the government fudge the unemployment figures! The government know it is not big business that keeps the economy going but the SMEs but we always get overlooked, they will only take notice if these large corporations close and move to other countries, after all they are predominantly owned by foreign companies. We are a specialist company but with these increases have already had an effect on us and we have lost work another one will close us. While I'm delighted for those on low pay that this increase is being put forward, I am extremely concerned at the implications for small businesses. As an employee for a small nursery, I know this increase will cause great hardship for my employer, who has been unable to increase salaries for higher paid employees because of last October's increase for the lower paid employees who were originally being paid slightly above the minimum but are now on the minimum. This latest increase of 20p an hour will cause even more financial hardship. If the rate rises to 6 then I can foresee many small businesses having to pay off employees. The increase in minimum wage will have a serious effect on my business. Although we pay above the minimum level we will have to increase our pay rates to maintain the differential. The raise is well above inflation and without significant increases in sales, it will mean that I will not be taking on a new member of staff as planned and I will be looking to reduce the total hours worked by the other members of staff, overtime being the first to go. I currently employ 42 staff whose wages mirror the national minimum wage. Increases above inflation are fine but all of my business is conducted with local authorities who will not accept above inflation rises in my service delivery. 80% of my costs are labour. The other aspect that is always hidden is that the thresholds for tax credits do not move in line with these increases so that all that happens is that employees tax credit support is reduced by the amount of the increase, thereby saving the government money but increasing the financial burden on small to medium businesses It is very good that the government has decided to increase the minimum wage this should hopefully motivate people to undertake the "lower status" jobs. I know about this great idea don't bother getting qualifications, laze about at school, no need to do anything other than attend so your parents don't get fined because remember, when you do eventually start working, doesn't matter how lazy you are, you'll be guaranteed a decent wage. The ones who suffer are the employers. I hope that if industry and business have to pay this new rate that Mr Blair and Mr Brown will increase tax allowances and raise national insurance thresholds so that the treasury won't take some of this increase off the people they say they are helping, or is this just another form of stealth tax on business through the back door? I don't believe in the minimum wage at all! I think jobs should create their own wage value and that if people want higher wages they should earn them. Now, before everyone thinks that I am some "rich kid", I can assure you I am not. I came from a very much working class background and started work 20 years ago on a Youth Opportunity Program earning 25 per week. I worked hard, went to college part time, got my A levels and degree bettered myself. I now earn a 6 figure salary. I did that through hard work and getting off my backside. A minimum wage just makes people complacent. To Ashley, of Swindon: when you earned 25 per week, it was worth something. These days that 25 would need to be near to 60 to have the equivalent buying power. I might add, that thanks to successive governments holding down the tax allowance threshold below inflation, people earning the minimum wage are paying taxes that they never would have done 10 years ago at equivalent wages. "In my day" type arguments are a view that belong in the 'your day' 20 years ago! As a graduate working for minimum wage, I welcome any increase of pay I can get. I disagree with Ashley, Swindon saying I have to work harder to get more pay. I have my GCSE's A Levels and A degree and have chosen to work for a small business that can't afford the wages I should be getting, I should be on at least 3x what I'm getting but they can't afford it. We all work hard but the money is just not there. But on the plus side I love my job and wouldn't change it just to get more pay. As an employer of staff in several shops the last rise in the minimum wage cost my company an additional 5000 per year. These next rises will cost me more. I have to get the money from somewhere so pass it on to customers. So no one really wins in the end. In answer to Emma from Sleaford regarding no one really wins in the end... on the contrary Mr Blair wins he wins because he obviously has announced this to be a vote winner and his treasury wins because as an employer you will know that the amount of tax and national insurance that the government will receive from all the minimum wage increases will rise and of course not only will be paying out higher wages but as an employer higher Employer NI Contributions as well. If the minimum wage increases again and if it hits anywhere near the 6.00 mark there will be 12 more people on the employment line and one more small business going bankrupt namely mine. Think of us employers as well Mr Blair, we are not all big corporations earning millions. All workers should be entitled to a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. How many people on the minimum wage have any hope of obtaining a mortgage or saving towards retirement? It is good news for many Asians living in UK. Students who do odd jobs can increase their income and can help there family in their home country. I thank Mr. Blair and his government for increase in the national minimum wage.


Chinese police have detained three top executives at milk firm Yili, with reports suggesting that they are being investigated for embezzlement. Yili full name Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial confirmed its chairman, chief financial officer and securities representative were all in custody. The company, China's third largest milk producer, is to hold an emergency meeting to debate the issue. A Yili spokesman said it may now move to oust chairman Zheng Junhuai. The spokesman did not say why the three had been detained by the police. The official Xinhua News Agency said the arrest was linked to alleged embezzlement. Yili has recently been the subject of intense media speculation over its financial operations. Executives are suspected of wrongly using 417m yuan ( 50.4m; 26m) of company funds to support a management buyout back in July 2003. Yili's shares were suspended on Tuesday, having fallen by 10% on Monday. The company and its two main rivals market leader Mengniu Dairy and second place Bright Dairy dominate a Chinese milk market that has grown by almost 30% over the past five years. Analysts wondered if the scandal at Yili the latest to befall Chinese companies this year could be followed by further revelations of corporate wrongdoing. "Investors wonder if Yili's scandal, one of a slew to be uncovered this year, isn't just the tip of the iceberg," said Chen Huiqin, an analyst at Huatai Securities.


Claudio Ranieri has been sacked as Valencia coach just eight months after taking charge at the Primera Liga club for the second time in his career. The decision was taken at a board meeting following the side's surprise elimination from the Uefa Cup. "We understand, and he understands, that the results in the last few weeks have not been the most appropriate," said club president Juan Bautista. Former assistant Antonio Lopez will take over as the new coach. Italian Ranieri took over the Valencia job in June 2004 having been replaced at Chelsea by Jose Mourinho. Things began well but the Spanish champions extended their winless streak to six after losing to Racing Santander last weekend. That defeat was then followed by a Uefa Cup exit at the hands of Steaua Bucharest. Ranieri first took charge of Valencia in 1997, guiding them to the King's Cup and helping them to qualify for the Champions League. The 54 year old then moved to Atletico Madrid in 1999, before joining Chelsea the following year.


Michael Howard is to make a pitch for Britain's ethnic vote urging people who feel "taken for granted" by Tony Blair to vote Conservative. He will say Conservatives "share the same values" as the UK's minorities. And that he wants to build a "better Britain" where everyone, whatever the colour of their skin or religion, can "make the most of their talents". But the Tory leader will argue against positive discrimination saying it is "outdated and unjust". "It sets family against family and it leads ethnic communities to doubt their own abilities," he will argue. Mr Howard himself the son of immigrants will acknowledge that racial discrimination still exists in the UK. "People from ethnic communities, for example, still earn less than their white counterparts," he will say before arguing the answer to helping everyone to get on was "free enterprise, free trade, free speech". The Tory leader will also call for religious tolerance arguing that Hindus and Sikhs as well as Muslims got "caught in the downdraft of Islamaphobia which was one of the terrible side effects of 9/11". Mr Howard will make his speech during a visit to support Tory Parliamentary hopefuls Robert Light and Sayeeda Warsi "the first British Muslim woman" selected to run for MP as a Conservative candidate. He will attack Labour's record in government over issues such as tax and he will set out Tory plans for an immigration quota to be set by MPs. Mr Howard will also attack the Lib Dems for wanting to abolish faith schools, introduce compulsory sex education from the age of seven, and "give contraceptives out in schools from the age of 11". "So I say to all those people from ethnic minorities who feel Mr Blair and the Liberal Democrats take their votes for granted come join us," he will say. Lib Dem president Simon Hughes branded Mr Howard "arrogant and wrong" for claiming the Tories were the "natural party" for Britain's ethnic minorities. "Given the Tories' considerably reduced support in urban areas, where many black and Asian Britons live, during their time in power, the evidence simply does not support his claims that the Conservatives are the party for these communities," he said.


The International Monetary Fund is to cut its 2005 growth forecast for the German economy from 1.8% to 0.8%, the Financial Times Deutschland reported. The IMF will also reduce its growth estimate for the 12 member eurozone economy from 2.2% to 1.6%, the newspaper reported. The German economy has been faltering, with unemployment levels rising to a seventy year high of 5.2 million. Its sluggish performance continues to hamper the entire eurozone. The IMF's draft World Economic Outlook due to be published in April would point to a marked deterioration in Germany's economy, the FT report said. In September, the IMF had said that German growth for the current year would be 1.8%. The IMF has also revised eurozone forecasts, the paper said, taking into account high oil prices, the strength of the euro and weak demand in many of the world's leading economies. Europe's economic difficulties have been highlighted by the Organisation for Economic Co operation and Development, which argued in a report published on Tuesday that the continent could only achieve US living standards by freeing up its labour markets. "The eurozone does not look like it has a self sustaining recovery," James Carrick, an economist with ABN Amro, told the newspaper. "It is too dependant on the rest of the world."


Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has played down reports that Arjen Robben will return for the Champions League match against Barcelona. "He's been responding well to treatment and started running on Friday, but we'll have to wait and see," he told BBC Five Live's Sportsweek. "We're looking to getting him back as soon as possible, but he'll be back when it's right for him and for us. "There's no plans at the moment around the Barcelona game." His comments contradict those of chiropractor Jean Pierre Meersseman who treated the Dutchman after he fractured his foot at the start of February. Robben had been expected to be out for six weeks, but Meersseman hinted that the winger could be fit for the vital Stamford Bridge game on 8 March. "I hope he can be back and I will try to help him make that happen," Meersseman told the Mail on Sunday. "I put everything right with Arjen's foot the last time I saw him 12 days ago. It was an obvious correction and easy to perform. "I know he was pleased with what I did and now that he is running again. I am due to see him one more time again in the next few days." Meersseman is the medical co ordinator at Italian side AC Milan.


Nasa is doing it, 14 year old boys in bedrooms are doing it, couples are doing it, gadget lovers male and female are definitely doing it. It is podcasting DIY radio in the form of downloadable MP3 audio files. They can done by anyone who has a microphone, simple software, the net, and something to say. Some liken them to talking "audioblogs" because many complement text based weblogs diary like sites where people share their thoughts. They are essentially amateur radio shows on the net, on demand, and the "movement" is at very early stages. "It's about real people saying real things and communicating," says Adam Curry, former MTV VJ and the Pied Piper of podcasting. He was one of a community of people who created iPodder, a small computer program, known as an "aggregator". It collects and automatically sends MP3 files to any digital music playing device that can play WMP formats. Those with digital music players can select which podcasts they like, and subscribe for free to that show's "feed". When a new podcast is available, it is automatically sent to the device when connected to a computer. "It is totally going to kill the business model of radio," thinks Curry. "I just did a tour of Madison Avenue where all the big brands and advertising agencies of the world are," he says. "And they are scared to death of the next generation like my daughter who is 14 who don't listen to radio. "They are on MSN, they've got their iPod, their MP3 player, they've got their Xbox they are not listening to radio. "So how are they going to reach these audiences? "It is the distribution that is changing and the barriers are being brought down so everyone can be part of it." It is a fledgling movement, but it is gaining momentum now that people have started thinking about how to make a business from it. Ian Fogg, Jupiter Research analyst, thinks there could be potential for business, but it could take an interesting turn if big companies, like Apple and Microsoft, get involved. "It is a nascent area but quite exciting. It is yet another area that demonstrates the move to a digital lifestyle and digital home is not over," he says. "Podcasting is one of those interesting areas that bridges what you do at home and what you do out and about a classic hybrid. It is another aspect of the "time shifting" of content the latest industry buzzword for being able to listen to what you want, when, and wherever you want. Audiences are in the 10s, 100s, and 1,000s rather than millions. More than 4,300 podcasts are currently listed. Curry's Daily Source Code which he committed to doing daily to inspire the community has 10s of thousands of listeners. But Dave Winer is doubtful. He designed the format called RSS (Really Simple Syndication), which gives web users an easy way to keep updated automatically on sites they like. Podcasts rely on his technology because it is the way they are distributed. He is also writer of the longest running weblog on the net, Scripting News. He thinks its power lies in its democratising potential, not in its "over hyped" business promise. "We're the sources, the people doing stuff, and podcasting is a way to tell people who care what we're doing. "No matter how you look at it, commercialising this medium isn't going to make very much money," he says. "Podcasting is going to be a medium of niches, with 'audiences' measured in the single digits, like e mail or blogs. "Maybe in a few years, maybe six or seven digits. But it will have to sustain interest beyond the hype balloon." Curry and associate Ron Bloom's new venture, called PodShow, is to help ordinary people produce, post, distribute and market their podcasts. Because of the way podcasts work, based on RSS, the latest podcasts which people can select mean that they are ready made targets. "When you look at podcasting wow this is a pretty interesting audience. The audience is pre selected. They have decided to subscribe to your program," explains Curry. Advertising, in his eyes, can be tailored to podcasts, to make it more imaginative and unobtrusive. "How I believe this will work, is to create a network that, in aggregation, will have enough numbers to support a return on investment for the advertisers and for the podcasters. "I have 50, 60, 70,000 listeners. I could make a couple of bucks off that, but not much. If you are talking a million podcasters, and then you can kind of divide that amongst ourselves, then that is kind of interesting." Essentially, he says, if you are doing a bass fishing podcast, someone who is selling bait and tackle will probably want to advertise on your show. He is clear the ads will not be the traditional "in your face" type familiar to commercial radio now. "We are really going to see these microcosms and commerce will be all over the place." It is happening already. Coffee loving Curry has sold 4,000 worth of coffee machines through a referral link to Amazon from his site. Others use in show promotions, like The Dawn and Drew Show. One, Eric Rice, has won sponsorship from Warner Bros. He can now legally play the music of a band Warner Bros wants to push. Some commentators on the net say it has a similar feel to the dotcom days. Others say it is just another element of setting media free from big companies and letting people be creative. One thing is for sure; they are not about to disappear in a hurry. The creative forces behind radio are elated, says Curry. For now, he tunes out the negative comments within the podcasting community. "I should be knighted for this," he adds, with a wry chuckle, "People are going to be so happy to sit at home, make their podcast, and make a little money."


A regiments' campaign group is to target nine marginal Labour seats at the General Election. Save the Scottish Regiments will also field a candidate against Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram in East Kilbride. The group, which is unhappy at defence merger plans, is endorsing opposition candidates in nine seats. The marginals are Aberdeen South, Dumfriesshire, Dundee East and West, South West Edinburgh, Ochil, Stirling, East Renfrewshire and Western Isles. The campaigners unveiled a huge poster featuring Black Watch soldiers fighting the war in Iraq before they announced their election plans. Former Scots Guardsman Allan Hendry will challenge Mr Ingram. The group said it is well organised, with 350 volunteers, and will be announcing at least one other candidate later. It added that it can only be stopped from inflicting serious damage on Labour if the government reverses its plan to merge the six Scottish regiments. Scotland's only Conservative MP Peter Duncan said the Save the Scottish Regiments had done a "superb job" in fighting against defence cuts. He added: "Their actions have reflected the pride that most people in this country have in our troops, and have shown a steely determination to make Labour pay for their betrayal. "I have been honoured to speak at their rallies throughout Scotland." Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond said it had received a "big boost" from the campaign's decision to endorse SNP candidates in four marginal seats. "Labour's arrogance has been their undoing. In trying to get rid of Scotland's historic regiments, Labour MPs will end up being scrapped themselves," he said. However, Labour MP George Foulkes said the campaigners would not make any difference to the outcome of the election and would not win the argument. "A serving soldier knows that what Labour is proposing is right," he said. As well as their election move, Save the Scottish Regiments will join other campaigners at a rally in London in the spring. Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon announced last year that Scotland's regiments would be combined into a single unit. The move was part of overall Army reforms.


Chelsea have sacked Adrian Mutu after he failed a drugs test. The 25 year old tested positive for a banned substance which he later denied was cocaine in October. Chelsea have decided to write off a possible transfer fee for Mutu, a 15.8m signing from Parma last season, who may face a two year suspension. A statement from Chelsea explaining the decision read:"We want to make clear that Chelsea has a zero tolerance policy towards drugs." Mutu scored six goals in his first five games after arriving at Stamford Bridge but his form went into decline and he was frozen out by coach Jose Mourinho. Chelsea's statement added: "This applies to both performance enhancing drugs or so called 'recreational' drugs. They have no place at our club or in sport. "In coming to a decision on this case, Chelsea believed the club's social responsibility to its fans, players, employees and other stakeholders in football regarding drugs was more important than the major financial considerations to the company. "Any player who takes drugs breaches his contract with the club as well as Football Association rules. "The club totally supports the FA in strong action on all drugs cases." Fifa's disciplinary code stipulates that a first doping offence should be followed by a six month ban. And the sport's world governing body has re iterated their stance over Mutu's failed drugs test, maintaining it is a matter for the domestic sporting authorities. "Fifa is not in a position to make any comment on the matter until the English FA have informed us of their disciplinary decision and the relevant information associated with it," said a Fifa spokesman. Chelsea's move won backing from drug testing expert Michelle Verroken. Verroken, a former director of drug free sport for UK Sport, insists the Blues were right to sack Mutu and have enhanced their reputation by doing so. "Chelsea are saying quite clearly to the rest of their players and their fans that this is a situation they are not prepared to tolerate. "It was a very difficult decision for them and an expensive decision for them but the terms of his contract were breached and it was the only decision they could make. "It is a very clear stance by Chelsea and it has given a strong boost to the reputation of the club." It emerged that Mutu had failed a drugs test on October 18 and, although it was initially reported that the banned substance in question was cocaine. The Romanian international later suggested it was a substance designed to enhance sexual performance. The Football Association has yet to act on Mutu's failed drugs test and refuses to discuss his case.


Playing colours: All black The Haka and more! The All Blacks Charles John Munro discovered rugby at London's Christ College, and on his return to Nelson he staged New Zealand's first game. Nelson Town met Nelson College on 14 May, 1870, the Town triumphing by two goals to nil, instigating a game that would become a national obsession and come to dominate the country's sporting passions. The game appealed to the Kiwi psyche and quickly spread, the native Maoris finding a particular empathy with the sport's warrior ethos. In 1888 a British team led by AE Stoddart toured New Zealand and Australia, and soon after a Maori named Joe Warbrick and an English ex pat called Thomas Eyton decided to gather a combined New Zealand team. Twenty two Maori and four 'pakiha' formed the 'New Zealand Native Team,' who played a total of 107 matches in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. The integration of white and Maori was a reflecion of enlightened New Zealand rugby and society, even if the British press were somewhat mystified by the pre match tradition of the Maori war dance, the Haka! The other great symbol of New Zealand rugby, the all black kit with the silver fern on the breast, was proposed by Tom Ellison at the first annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union in 1893. New Zealand played their first international against Australia in 1903, the Kiwis triumphing 22 3 in Sydney, and the following year an official British touring team came to New Zealand for the first time. The tourists had gone through Australia undefeated but their captain, David Revell Bedell Sivright, created animosity in New Zealand with his patronising attitude. The Kiwis shocked the rugby world with a 9 3 triumph in Wellington, sparking great celebrations across the country, but Bedell Sivright churlishly suggested that the victors would have no chance when they visited the UK. Their opportunity to prove him wrong came in 1905 with the first official New Zealand tour to Europe. The tourists won their early games with a quick thinking, inventive approach, but press criticism began to grow over their 2 3 2 scrum formation that left a 'roving' forward free to disrupt opposition attacks. The tactic was effective, two late tries seeing the Kiwis to a 12 7 win over Scotland, before Ireland were despatched 15 0 in Dublin. A huge crowd at Crystal Palace convulsed with laughter at the sight of the Haka but the smiles were soon wiped from their faces when the tourists ran in five tries in a 15 0 hammering of England. New Zealand headed to Wales to meet a country in the midst of its first 'Golden Age,' and the encounter would be the first in a series of controversial clashes between the sides. An excellent try on the left wing by Teddy Morgan sealed a 3 0 win in a hard fought encounter at Cardiff Arms Park, but post match talk was dominated by a Bob Deans try that was ruled out by Scottish referee John Dallas. Dallas said that Deans was tackled short, but the Kiwi said he was dragged back into the field of play after grounding a try on his death bed three years later he exclaimed: "I did score that try in Cardiff." Four of the 1905 All Blacks went over to the newly formed 'All Golds' rugby league side soon after the tour, but New Zealand were strong enough to crush an Anglo Welsh touring team in 1908. The first South Africa tour of New Zealand in 1921 saw honours shared in a three Test series, starting the greatest rivalry in rugby and the long running controversy between the countries over the All Blacks' inclusion of Maori players. The awesome 1924 5 All Black tourists became known as 'The Invincibles' after winning all 30 of their games in France, Britain and Ireland, including a crushing 19 0 victory over Wales at St Helen's. Despite their success, the All Blacks' 2 3 2 scrum formation left them somewhat short of possession at times, and the flaws were exploited by the Springboks in South Africa in 1928. Employing the modern 3 4 1 scrum line up against the New Zealand 'rover' system for the first time, South African teams defeated the All Blacks in five games and the Test series was drawn two all. The controversial New Zealand scrum method finally disappeared after the 1930 Lions tour (a series won 3 1 by New Zealand), the Lions manager describing the tactic as 'cheating,' prompting the International Rugby Board to rule that three men had to pack down in the front row of the scrum. The All Blacks' 1935 European tour started inauspiciously with an 11 3 loss to a Swansea side inspired by teenage, schoolboy half backs Hayden Tanner and Willie Davies. A thrilling Test at Cardiff Arms Park went to Wales 13 12, although the winning try from Geoffrey Rees Jones was controversial following an illegal Claude Davey tackle in the build up. New Zealand's next visit to Wales in 1953 proved difficult as they lost 8 3 to Cardiff and drew 6 6 at Swansea. The All Blacks were on top in the Test with Wales at the Arms Park, but the teams were locked at 8 8 when a Clem Thomas cross kick was gathered by Ken Jones for a famous, match winning try. The tourists made some amends with wins over the other home nations, before a 19 5 success over the Barbarians in an Arms Park thriller. New Zealand built from that tour, and by the time they returned in 1963 4 they were undoubtedly the leading side in the world. That made the shock all the greater when a drop goal by student John Uzzell gave Newport an unlikely 3 0 win over the tourists at Rodney Parade. Wilson Whinneray's side rallied to beat Wales 6 0, their first win at the Arms Park in four attempts, and went unbeaten through the rest of the tour, but when they returned home the first question put to them was: "What happened in Newport?" The only blemish on the record of the awesome 1967 tourists was a draw with East Wales, as they beat the full Wales team 13 6 in Cardiff to take the lead in the series between the countries for the first time. That lead was increased with two comfortable wins for the home side in New Zealand in 1969, the first time Wales had toured the country as an independent team. A ferocious game at the Arms Park in 1972 was edged 19 16 by the All Blacks, a measure of revenge for the defeat inflicted on New Zealand by the Carwyn James inspired Lions of 1971. James guided Llanelli to a famous 9 3 win over the tourists at Stradey Park, though, and in the final game of the tour the Barbarians defeated the All Blacks 23 11 in Cardiff in a game regarded by many as the greatest ever played. New Zealand defeated a Wales XV 12 3 at the Arms Park in a non cap game in 1974, but it was the 1978 game in Cardiff that would reignite the history of controversy between the two countries. Wales were leading 12 10 with one minute left when Andy Haden flew to the floor from a line out. Television pictures clearly showed that he dived, but English referee Roger Quittenton was fooled and awarded a penalty, duly converted by Brian McKechnie for a 13 12 win. Since that infamous game, the competition has largely left Wales v New Zealand fixtures as the men in red have slipped from the pinnacle of the world game. A crushing 23 3 win for New Zealand in Cardiff in the Welsh Rugby Union's 1980 centenary game was a sign of things to come. The new professionalism in the southern hemisphere game that had left Europe behind was shown as the All Blacks swatted Wales aside 49 6 in Brisbane in the semi final of the inaugural World Cup. The Kiwis went on to claim the Cup, and would inflict further misery on Wales on their ill fated 1988 tour of New Zealand. A young, talented Wales side left Britain full of confidence as Triple Crown winners, but one of the greatest ever New Zealand teams demolished them 52 3 and 54 9. After also taking some fearful beatings in the provincial games, Wales captain Jonathan Davies returned home calling for urgent change in the national game, but as his views were ignored he along with a generation of Wales' best players chose to head north to rugby league. A 34 9 win in Cardiff followed for New Zealand in 1989, and at the 1995 World Cup Wales' big talk was made to look embarrassing as the All Blacks eased to victory in Johannesburg. A crushing 42 7 Kiwi triumph in Wembley followed in 1997, and as Wales' misery increased they turned to New Zealand for their salvation in the shape of coaches Graham Henry and Steve Hansen. There was a temporary resurgence in the Welsh game, but when an experimental New Zealand side came to Cardiff's new Millennium Stadium in 2002 they left with a 43 17 victory. A bruising 55 3 defeat followed for Wales in Hamilton in 2003 as Hansen built towards the World Cup, but in Australia it was a remarkable performance against the All Blacks that gave his side renewed hope. Wales were given no chance going into the game, but in the course of the match they rediscovered the value of attacking flair to lead 37 33 early in the second half. New Zealand rallied to a 53 37 win, but the style shown by Wales has been used as an inspiration as they look to a better future. They now face an All Blacks team led by Henry and Hansen, coming to Europe with a weakened squad at the end of a long season. An encouraging display against South Africa has inspired a confident Wales camp to believe they can claim their first win over the men in black for over 50 years. They have a chance, but clearly history is not on their side.


The US trade deficit widened by more than expected in October, hitting record levels after higher oil prices raised import costs, figures have shown The trade shortfall was 55.5bn ( 29bn), up 9% from September, the Commerce Department said. That pushed the 10 month deficit to 500.5bn. Imports rose by 3.4%, while exports increased by only 0.6%. A weaker dollar also increased the cost of imports, though this should help drive export demand in coming months. "Things are getting worse, but that's to be expected," said David Wyss of Standard Poor's in New York. "The first thing is that when the dollar goes down, it increases the price of imports. "We are seeing improved export orders. Things seem to be going in the right direction." Despite this optimism, significant concerns remain as to how the US will fund its trade and budget deficits should they continue to widen. Another problem highlighted by analysts was the growing trade gap with China, which has been accused of keeping its currency artificially weak in order to boost exports. The US imported almost 20bn worth of goods from China during October, exporting a little under 3bn. "It seems the key worry that has existed in the currency market still remains," said Anthony Crescenzi, a bond strategist at Miller Tabak in New York. The trade deficit and the shortfall with China "are big issues going forward". The Commerce Department figures caused the dollar to weaken further despite widespread expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates for a fifth time this year. Borrowing costs are tipped to rise by a quarter of a percentage point to 2.25% at a Fed meeting later on Tuesday.


Up to 2,500 jobs are to go at US insurance broker Marsh McLennan in a shake up following bigger than expected losses. The insurer said the cuts were part of a cost cutting drive, aimed at saving millions of dollars. Marsh posted a 676m ( 352m) loss for the last three months of 2004, against a 375m ( 195.3m) profit a year before. It blamed an 850m payout to settle a price rigging lawsuit, brought by New York attorney general Elliot Spitzer. Under the settlement announced in January, Marsh took a pre tax charge of 618m in the October to December quarter, on top of the 232m charge from the previous quarter. "Clearly 2004 was the most difficult year in MMC's financial history," Marsh chief executive Michael Cherkasky said. An ongoing restructuring drive at the group also led to a 337m hit in the fourth quarter, the world's biggest insurer said. Analysts expect its latest round of cuts to focus on its brokerage unit, which employs 40,000 staff. The latest layoffs will take the total number of jobs to go at the firm to 5,500 and are expected to lead to annual savings of more than 375m. As part of its efforts to cut costs, the company said it was halving its dividend payment to 17 cents a shares from 34 cents, a move which should enable it to save 360m. Looking ahead, Mr Cherkasky forecast profitable growth for the year ahead "with an operating margin in the upper teens, and with the opportunity for further margin expansion". Meanwhile, the company also announced it would spin off its MMC Capital private equity unit, which manages the 3bn Trident Funds operation, to a group of employees. Marsh did not say when the move would take place, but said it had signed a letter of intent. The insurer hit the headlines in October last year when it faced accusations of price rigging. New York Attorney General Elliot Spitzer sued the company, accusing it of receiving illegal payments to steer clients to selected firms as well as rigging bids and fixing prices. In January, Marsh agreed to pay 850m to settle the suit a figure in line with the placement fees it collected in 2003 and agreed to change its business practices. In February, a former senior executive pleaded guilty to criminal charges in a wide ranging probe of fraud and bid rigging in the insurance industry. In January, a former senior vice president also pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to the investigation. In an effort to reform its business practises, Marsh said it has already introduced new leadership, new compliance procedures and new ways of dealing with customers. "As a result, we are ready to put these matters behind us and move ahead in 2005 to restore the trust our clients have placed in us and to rebuild shareholder value," Mr Cherkasky said.


Kraft plans to cut back on advertising of products like Oreo cookies and sugary Kool Aid drinks as part of an effort to promote healthy eating. The largest US food maker will also add a label to its more nutritional and low fat brands to promote the benefits. Kraft rival PepsiCo began a similar labelling initiative last year. The moves come as the firms face criticism from consumer groups concerned at rising levels of obesity in US children. Major food manufacturers have recently been reformulating the content of some calorie heavy products. Kraft's new advertising policy, which covers advertising on TV, radio and in print publications, is aimed at children between the ages of six and 11. It means commercials for some of its most famous snacks and cereals shown during early morning cartoon shows on TV will now be replaced by food and drink qualifying for Kraft's new "Sensible Solution" label. But the firm said it would continue to advertise all its products in media seen by parents and "all family" audiences. "We're working on ways to encourage both adults and children to eat wisely by selecting more nutritionally balanced diets," said Lance Friedmann, Kraft senior vice president.


European Union finance ministers are meeting on Thursday in Brussels, where they are to discuss a controversial jet fuel tax. A levy on jet fuel has been suggested as a way to raise funds to finance aid for the world's poorest nations. Airlines and aviation bodies have reacted strongly against the plans, saying they would hurt companies at a time when earnings are under pressure. The EU said a tax would only be passed after full consultation with airlines. It was keen to point out earlier this week that any new tax on jet fuel should not hurt the "competitiveness of the airlines". Ministers will also be discussing reforms to regulations governing European public spending. Global leaders have focused attention on poverty reduction and development at recent meetings of the G7 Group and World Economic Forum. The world's richest countries have said they want to boost the amount of aid they give to 0.7% of their annual gross national income by 2015. Many EU ministers are thought to support the plan to tax jet fuel tabled by France and Germany following the recent G7 meeting. At present, the fuel used by airlines enjoys either a very low tax rate or is untaxed in EU member states.


In 2020, whipping out your mobile phone to make a call will be quaintly pass 233;. By then phones will be printed directly on to wrists, or other parts of the body, says Ian Pearson, BT's resident futurologist. It's all part of what's known as a "pervasive ambient world", where "chips are everywhere". Mr Pearson does not have a crystal ball. His job is to formulate ideas based on what science and technology are doing now, to guide industries into the future. Inanimate objects will start to interact with us: we will be surrounded on streets, in homes, in appliances, on our bodies and possibly in our heads by things that "think". Forget local area networks these will be body area networks. Ideas about just how smart, small, or even invisible, technology will get are always floating around. Images of devices clumsily bolted on to heads or wrists have pervaded thinking about future technology. But now a new vision is surfacing, where smart fabrics and textiles will be exploited to enhance functionality, form, or aesthetics. Such materials are already starting to change how gadgets and electronics are used and designed. So MP3 players the mass gadget of the moment will disappear and instead become integrated into one's clothing, says Mr Pearson. "So the gadgets that fill up your handbag, when we integrate those into fabric, we can actually get rid of all that stuff. You won't necessarily see the electronics." Wearable technology could exploit body heat to charge it up, while "video tattoos", or intelligent electronic contact lenses, might function as TV screens for those on the move. However, this future of highly personal devices, where technology is worn, or even fuses with the body itself, raises ethical questions. If technology is going to be increasingly part of clothing, jewellery, and skin, there needs to be some serious thinking about what it means for us as humans, says Baroness Susan Greenfield. At a recent conference for technology, engineering, academic and fashion industry experts, at the Royal Society in London, neuroscientist Baroness Greenfield cautioned we "can't just sleepwalk into the future". Yet this technology is already upon us. Researchers have developed computers and sensors worn in clothing. MP3 jackets, based on the idea that electrically conductive fabric can connect to keyboard sewn into sleeves, have already appeared in shops. These "smart fabrics" have come about through advances in nano and micro engineering the ability to manipulate and exploit materials at micro or molecular scale. At the nanoscale, materials can be "tuned" to display unusual properties that can be exploited to build faster, lighter, stronger and more efficient devices and systems. The textile and clothing industry has been one of the first to exploit nanotechnology in quite straightforward ways. Many developments are appearing in real products in the fields of medicine, defence, healthcare, sports, and communications. Professional swimming suits reduce drag by incorporating tiny structures similar to shark skin. Nanoscale titanium dioxide (TiO2) coatings give fabrics antibacterial and anti odour properties. These have special properties which can be activated in contact with the air or UV light. Such coatings have already been used to stop socks smelling for instance, to turn airline seats into super stain resistant surfaces, and applied to windows so they clean themselves. Dressings for wounds can now incorporate nanoparticles with biocidal properties and smart patches are being developed to deliver drugs through the skin. But Baroness Greenfield is concerned about how far this more personal contact with technology might affect our very being. If our clothing, skin, and "personal body networks" do the talking and the monitoring, everywhere we go, we have to think about what that means for our concept of privacy. Mr Pearson picks up the theme, pointing out there are a lot of issues humans have to iron out before we become "cyborgian". His main concern is "privacy". "We are looking at electronics which are really in deep contact with your body and a lot of that information you really don't want every passer by to know. "So we have to make sure we build security in this. If you are wearing smart make up, where electronics are controlling the appearance, you don't want people hacking in and writing messages on your forehead." As technology infiltrates our biology, how will our brains function differently? "We cannot arrogantly assume that the human brain will not change with this," warns Baroness Greenfield. There have already been successful experiments to grow human nerve cells on circuit boards. This paves the way for brain implants to help paralysed people interface directly with computers. Clearly, the organic, carbon of our bodies and silicon is increasingly merging. The cyborg a very familiar part human, part inorganic science fiction and academic idea is on its way.


Greek athletics' governing body has postponed by two weeks the judgement on sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou for missing doping tests. The pair are facing lengthy bans for the missed tests, including one on the eve of last year's Athens Olympics. They were set to learn their fate by the end of February, but late evidence from them has pushed the date back. "A decision is now expected by around mid March," said one of their lawyers, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos. Kenteris, 31, who won the men's 200m title at the 2000 Sydney Games and Thanou, 30, who won the women's 100m silver medal in Sydney, face a maximum two year ban if found guilty. The athletes, who spectacularly withdrew from the Athens Olympics, have been suspended by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for missing the three tests. The IAAF said the sprinters had failed to provide samples for tests in Tel Aviv, Chicago and Athens and ordered Greek athletic's governing body, Segas, to hold a disciplinary inquiry. The athletes also face a criminal hearing in Greece over the missed drugs tests and have been charged with faking a motorcycle accident on the day of the Athens test, which led to them spending four days in hospital. Following the final hearing in late January, the athletes sounded confident they would be acquitted. "I am confident and optimistic," Thanou had said at the time. "We presented new evidence to the committee that they were not aware of." It was not clear what this new evidence was.


Martin O'Neill hopes to block Stilian Petrov's call up by Bulgaria during Celtic's busy festive programme. The Celtic manager does not view the friendly against Valenciana a region of Spain on 28 December as important. "I can't say I was overly pleased at the fixture being played just after Christmas," said O'Neill. "We will have to speak with the Bulgarian FA. It's their prerogative for them to arrange a fixture and our prerogative how we handle it." Bulgaria's game comes between Celtic's Boxing Day meeting with Hearts and their 2 January fixture against Livingston. O'Neill believes the extra game will not help a midfielder whose season has already been affected by injury. "They have organised a game at a rather awkward time," he added. "When we were out playing Barcelona, I spoke with the Bulgarian manager, Hristo Stoichkov, and he mentioned this game to me. "We pay his wages, we are the ones that if an awkward fixture is going to be played at some stage or another it should be to our benefit, rather than anyone else. "I have said this before, but Bulgaria are the one nation who seem to organise a lot of friendly games."


Shares in Manchester United closed up 4.75% on Monday following a new offer from US tycoon Malcolm Glazer. The board of the football club is expected to meet early this week to discuss the latest proposal, which values the club at 800m ( 1.5bn). Manchester United revealed on Sunday that it had received a detailed proposal from Mr Glazer, which looks set to receive more serious scrutiny. The club has previously rejected Mr Glazer's approaches out of hand. But a senior source at the club told the BBC: "This time it's different." Supporters' group Shareholders United, however, urged the club to reject the new deal. A spokesman for the Shareholders United said: "I can't see any difference (compared to Mr Glazer's previous proposals) other than 200m less debt. "He isn't bringing any money into the club; he'll use our money to buy it." Mr Glazer's latest move is being led by Mr Glazer's two sons, Avi and Joel, according to the Financial Times. A proposal was received by David Gill, United's chief executive, at the end of last week, pitched at about 300p a share. David Cummings, head of UK equities for Standard Life Investments, said he believed a "well funded" 300p a share bid would be enough for Mr Glazer to take control of the club. "I do not think there is anything that Manchester United fans can do about it," he told the BBC. "They can complain about it but it is curtains for them. They may not want him but they are going to get him." The US tycoon, who has been wooing the club for the last 12 months, has approached the United board with "detailed proposals", it has confirmed. Mr Glazer, who owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, hopes this will lead to a formal bid being accepted. He is believed to have increased the amount of equity in the new proposal, though it is not clear by how much. For his proposal to succeed, he needs the support of United's largest shareholders, the Irish horseracing tycoons JP McManus and John Magnier. They own 29% of United through their Cubic Expression investment vehicle. Mr Glazer and his family hold a stake of 28.1%. But it is not yet known whether Mr McManus and Mr Magnier would support a Glazer bid. NM Rothschild, the investment bank, is advising Mr Glazer, according to the Financial Times. His previous adviser, JPMorgan, quit last year when Mr Glazer went ahead and voted against the appointment of three United directors to the board, against its advice. But the FT said it thought JP Morgan may still have had some role in financing Mr Glazer's latest financial proposal.


Gaming on the move is one of the fastest growing activities among the tech savvy in India, says a report. The Indian mobile gaming market is expected to generate about 26m ( 13.8m) by the end of 2004, according to market analysts In Stat/MDR. In October, mobile phone users grew by 1.4 million to 44.9 million, overtaking the number of landlines, said the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Analysts say cheap rates and a huge youth market is driving the market. India has a large population of under 25s, and many in urban areas are fast adopting mobiles as must have gadgets. India's mobile gaming market will bring in about 336m ( 178m) by 2009, according to the report. Mobile gaming is expected to explode globally over the next few years. Analysts predict that 220 million people will be playing games on phones by 2009, generating billions for mobile companies. Services other than just voice calls which are offered by mobile operators in India have, as a result of the huge rise in subscribers, grown significantly and rapidly. "The growth of this market sector has attracted publishers, developers, animators, musicians, and content providers, and is also stimulating the development of innovative business models," said Clint Wheelock, director of In Stat/MDR's wireless research group. "Mobile gaming is not just about fun; it also represents one key element of a rich mobile entertainment experience for consumers, and a lucrative market opportunity for industry players." Currently, India has six big games developers and four mobile operators that offer games to their subscribers, said the report. According to In Stat/MDR, it is tipped to make up one of the most important markets in the next wave of mobile multimedia growth. In January 2003, there were only 10 million mobile subscribers in India. Many choose mobiles in rural areas in order to bypass poorer telecoms infrastructure. Despite this, the penetration rate is still much lower that other countries. Less than 20% of India's total population own a mobile in India, compared to well over 50% in most European countries. The trend echoes the uptake of mobiles in many developing economies, which continues to grow as people opt to leapfrog slower and more expensive state run fixed line operators.


Sprinter Michelle Collins has lodged an appeal against her eight year doping ban with the North American Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The 33 year old received the ban last month as a result of her connection to the federal inquiry into the Balco doping scandal. She is the first athlete to be banned without a positive drugs test or an admission of drugs use. CAS has said that a ruling is normally given within four months of an appeal. Collins was suspended by the US Anti Doping Agency based on patterns observed in her blood and urine tests as well as evidence in the Balco investigation. As well as being hit with the ban, Collins was stripped of her 2003 world and US indoor 200m titles. The San Francisco based Balco laboratory is at the centre of the scandal which has rocked the sport. The company has been accused of distributing illegal performance enhancing drugs to elite athletes.


A major reform of Brazil's bankruptcy laws has been approved by the country's Congress, in a move which it is hoped will cut the cost of borrowing. The bill, proposed in 1993, has finally been approved by the leadership of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The old law, dating from 1945, gave priority first to workers, second to tax revenue and finally to creditors. The new legislation changes this, giving priority to creditors and limiting payments to workers. The new regulations will limit payments to workers to 150 times the minimum monthly salary, which is currently 94. The law also makes it more difficult for a company to declare bankruptcy. However, when a firm is declared bankrupt it will gain protection from creditors for 180 days while a recovery plan is worked out. The proposals were opposed in the past by leftist parties, including Mr Lula's Worker Party. They considered that they undermined workers' rights. But President Lula became a defender of the reforms, arguing that the country's bank lending margins were among the highest in the world and were damaging the economy. According to Andreas Adriano of Latin Trade Magazine, the new bankruptcy law will help in reducing the spread difference between the interest rates of the banks and federal bonds. Nevertheless, Mr Adriano said to reduce the basic interest rate the Central Bank needs to change its policy, focusing not only on inflation but also on economic growth.


The BBC News website takes a look at how games on mobile phones are maturing. A brief round up follows but you can skip straight to the reviews by clicking on the links below. If you think of Snake when some mentions "mobile games" then you could be in for a bit of a surprise. This is because mobile games have come a long way in a very short time. Even before Nokia's N Gage game phone launched in late 2003, many mobile operators were realising that there was an audience looking for something to play on their handset. And given that many more people own handsets than own portable game playing gadgets such as the GameBoy it could be a very lucrative market. That audience includes commuters wanting something to fill their time on the way home, game fans looking for a bit of variety and hard core gamers who like to play every moment they can. Life for all these types of player has got immeasurably better in the last year as the numbers of titles you can download to your phone has snowballed. Now sites such as Wireless Gaming Review list more than 200 different titles for some UK networks and the ranges suit every possible taste. There are ports of PC and arcade classics such as Space Invaders, Lunar Lander and Bejewelled. There are also versions of titles, such as Colin McRae Rally, that you typically find on PCs and consoles. There are shoot em ups, adventure games, strategy titles and many novel games only found on handsets. Rarely now does an action movie launch without a mobile game tie in. Increasingly such launches are all part of the promotional campaign for a film, understandable when you realise that a good game can rack up millions of downloads. The returns can be pretty good when you consider that some games cost 5. What has also helped games on mobiles thrive is the fact that it is easier than ever to get hold of them thanks to technology known as Wap push. By sending a text message to a game maker you can have the title downloaded to your handset. Far better than having to navigate through the menus of most mobile operator portals. The number of handsets that can play games has grown hugely too. Almost half of all phones now have Java onboard meaning that they can play the increasingly sophisticated games that are available even the ones that use 3D graphics. The minimum technology specifications that phones should adhere to are getting more sophisticated which means that games are too. Now double key presses are possible making familiar tactics such as moving and strafing a real option. The processing power on handsets means that physics on mobile games is getting more convincing and the graphics are improving too. Some game makers are also starting to take advantage of the extra capabilities in a mobile. Many titles, particularly racing games, let you upload your best time to see how you compare to others. Usually you can get hold of their best time and race against a "ghost" or "shadow" to see if you can beat them. A few games also let you take on people in real time via the network or, if you are sitting close to them, via Bluetooth short range radio technology. With so much going on it is hard to do justice to the sheer diversity of what is happening. But these two features should help point you in the direction of the game makers and give you an idea of where to look and how to get playing. TOO FAST TOO FURIOUS (DIGITAL BRIDGES) As soon as I start playing this I remember why I never play driving games because I'm rubbish at them. No matter if I drive the car via joystick or keypad I just cannot get the hang of braking for corners or timing a rush to pass other drivers. The game rewards replay because to advance you have to complete every section within a time limit. Winning gives you cash for upgrades. Graphically the rolling road is a convincing enough evocation of speed as the palm trees and cactus whip by and the city scrolls past in the background. The cars handle pretty well despite my uselessness but it was not clear if the different models of cars were appreciably different on the track. The only niggle was that the interface was a bit confusing especially when using a joystick rather than the keypad to play. FATAL FORCE (MACROSPACE) A futuristic shooter that lets you either play various deathmatch modes against your phone or run through a series of scenarios that involves killing aliens invading Earth. Graphics are a bit cartoon like but only helps to make clear what is going on and levels are well laid out and encourage you to leap about exploring. Both background music and sounds effects work well. The scenarios are well scripted and you regularly get hints from the Fatal Force commanders. Weapons include flamethrowers, rocket launchers, grenades and at a couple of points you even get chance to use a mech for a short while. With the right power up you can go into a Matrix style bullet time to cope with the onslaught of aliens. The game lets you play via Bluetooth if others are in range. Online the game has quite a following with clans, player rankings and even new downloadable maps.


PC first person shooter Half Life 2 has won six Bafta Awards, including best game and best online game. The title, developed by Valve, was released last year to universal acclaim receiving special praise for its immersive plot and physics engine. The game also won Baftas for best action adventure, best PC game, art direction and animation. Burnout 3 won three awards in the categories for racing, technical direction and best PlayStation 2 game. Grant Dean, chairman of the Bafta games awards, said at a ceremony in London on Tuesday: "The last year has been a great year for the interactive entertainment industry. "These awards reflect the enormous achievements, progress and diversity that we have seen in that time." Halo 2 won the best Xbox game category, while Prince of Persia: Warrior Within was adjudged the best GameCube title. The sports award went to Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 4. Bafta said the "significant feature" of this year's awards was the number of "non traditional games". The originality award was won by PlayStation 2 title Singstar while the children's award went to GameCube bongo rhythm game Donkey Konga. The Handheld Award went to Colin McRae Rally 2005 while the mobile category was won by Blue Tooth Byplanes. The audio award was won by Call of Duty: Finest Hour and Hitman: Contracts won the music award.


The world's first digital cinema network will be established in the UK over the next 18 months. The UK Film Council has awarded a contract worth 11.5m to Arts Alliance Digital Cinema (AADC), who will set up the network of up to 250 screens. AADC will oversee the selection of cinemas across the UK which will use the digital equipment. High definition projectors and computer servers will be installed to show mainly British and specialist films. Most cinemas currently have mechanical projectors but the new network will see up to 250 screens in up to 150 cinemas fitted with digital projectors capable of displaying high definition images. The new network will double the world's total of digital screens. Cinemas will be given the film on a portable hard drive and they will then copy the content to a computer server. Each film is about 100 gigabytes and has been compressed from an original one terabyte size file. Fiona Deans, associate director of AADC, said the compression was visually lossless so no picture degradation will occur. The film will all be encrypted to prevent piracy and each cinema will have an individual key which will unlock the movie. "People will see the picture quality is a bit clearer with no scratches. "The picture will look exactly the same as when the print was first made there is no degradation in quality over time." The key benefit of the digital network will be an increase in the distribution and screening of British films, documentaries and foreign language films. "Access to specialised film is currently restricted across the UK," said Pete Buckingham, head of Distribution and Exhibition at the UK Film Council. "Although a genuine variety of films is available in central London and a few other metropolitan areas, the choice for many outside these areas remains limited, and the Digital Screen Network will improve access for audiences across the UK," Digital prints costs less than a traditional 35mm print giving distributors more flexibility in how they screen films, said Ms Deans. "It can cost up to 1,500 to make a copy of a print for specialist films. "In the digital world you can make prints for considerably less than that. "Distributors can then send out prints to more cinemas and prints can stay in cinemas for much longer." The UK digital network will be the first to employ 2k projectors which are capable of showing films at resolutions of 2048 1080 pixels. A separate competitive process to determine which cinemas will receive the digital screening technology will conclude in May. The sheer cost of traditional prints means that some cinemas need to show them twice a day in order to recoup costs. "Some films need word of mouth and time to build momentum they don't need to be shown twice a day," explained Ms Deans. "A cinema will often book a 35mm print in for two weeks even if the film is a roaring success they cannot hold on to the print because it will have to go to another cinema. "With digital prints, every cinema will have its own copy."


The Liberal Democrats have unveiled plans to build 100,000 new "affordable" homes on publicly owned land. The party's scheme would allow people to buy a share in a home through a mutual home ownership trust, as a way of getting onto the housing ladder. The Lib Dems would also encourage the conversion of existing buildings in an effort to protect greenfield sites. Labour has already announced plans to help first time buyers and the Tories would extend right to buy schemes. All the major parties are focusing on the issue in the run up to the election after a survey suggested first time buyers could not afford a home in 92% of UK towns. The Lib Dems say their "mutual homes" would let people buy a share of a property, usually worth about 5% of the building costs. Party leader Charles Kennedy said the homes would be affordable because they would be built on surplus public sector land, donated by central or local government. People would also only have to pay for the cost of the building and not the land, he added. They would spend about 30% of their monthly salary on rent and buying extra shares in the property. When they moved house, they would be able to cash in on any rise in property prices by selling their share. It would also allow councils to vary discounts to tenants given the right to buy their council homes so local needs were taken into account. Mr Kennedy said: "Mutual homes will offer people the opportunity to build up an equity stake in a home gradually, investing only as much as they can afford." There are also plans to prevent high house prices forcing people out of their local communities. The kind of "golden share" used by the Lib Dems in South Shropshire could be rolled out more widely. Under the plan, councils secure deals with developers where they keep a 1% share in a property scheme so properties cannot be sold on the open market. Instead, they are sold at "build cost" to people who the local council decides have local needs. The party says its help for first time buyers can be funded at no extra cost to the taxpayer. But the plans involve changing the VAT system, which the party says often makes it too expensive to renovate existing buildings. The Conservatives claimed the plans would amount to an extra tax of up to 11,000 on every new house. "This is typical of Lib Dem hypocrisy," said Tory shadow local government secretary Caroline Spelman. "They claim that they want to help people on to the property ladder, but the small print of their policies reveal how they intend to price even more people out of the housing market." The flagship Tory proposal on housing policy is to give a million more housing association tenants the right to buy their homes. Labour has said it will allow 300,000 council and housing association tenants to buy a share in their homes. Housing Minister Keith Hill said much of the Lib Dem plans mimicked the government's strategy. "However, as usual, the Lib Dems' proposals are completely uncosted," he said. Mr Hill said he also asked whether the Lib Dems would match Labour's promise to spend 42bn on making refurbishing and repair council homes by 2010.


Tony Blair's big speech will be looked back on as the performance that kicked off the election campaign. That poll may still be about 16 weeks away, but there can be little doubt left that the campaign is now in full swing. The prime minister used his speech to a selected audience in the south east to set out his broad brush election manifesto. There was a detailed account of the government's past record, with a major emphasis on the economy and public services. There was an attempt to draw the line under the gossip surrounding his rift with Chancellor Gordon Brown. And there was an insistence on the importance of the party continuing to operate as unremittingly "New" Labour although that may continue to irritate his chancellor. There was little in terms of concrete proposals or what might form manifesto pledges, although the prime minister talked about a "New Labour manifesto that will be aimed at all sections of society". His was more a speech designed to remind people, and some in his own party, precisely what New Labour stood for, and to leave them in no doubt there would not be any shrinking away from that approach. And, for some, that means showing that New Labour actually does stand for something that it is, as he said, more than "an electoral device". To that end he set out a broad programme aimed to appeal to both middle England voters who switched to the party in 1997 and stuck with it, possibly through some gritted teeth, in 2001, and to more traditional lower income old Labour supporters. In a key section, he declared: "In our third term we can achieve an unprecedented widening of opportunity and prosperity. "For the first time ever a whole generation growing up with unbroken economic stability. Every family not just the fortunate few knowing their children will have an inheritance at adulthood. "Every pupil in every secondary school guaranteed a place in university or a quality apprenticeship. Every adult including those who missed out at school able to get the skills then need to advance. "Home ownership extended to its highest ever level and to families who have never before been able to afford it. "The highest ever level of employment with everyone in work guaranteed a decent wage and decent conditions". Under what is to be the general election slogan "Britain is working", the prime minister time and again insisted the future direction would be unremittingly New Labour. That might get under the skin of Mr Brown, but he also heaped praise on him as the most successful post war chancellor Britain has had. Probably the greatest ideological divide between the two men, in so far as there is one, is about the degree of private finance allowed into the public services. An unremittingly "New" Labour manifesto, as the prime minister is happy to make plain, will stress the importance of that the belief patients and parents, for example, want a choice of good services before they start worrying about who has provided them. The chancellor is said to be far more sceptical about private finance, although there is no suggestion he opposes it in principle. With an election looming the next big speech from Gordon Brown will be closely examined for any signs of divisions and, in particular, the use of that little three letter word. But for now, all eyes have been focused on the next general election. And for many in Westminster, Mr Blair's performance has only succeeded in hardening the belief that will be on 5 May.


People could be given the mobile phone number of their local bobby under an overhaul of policing in England and Wales unveiled by David Blunkett. The plans include a dedicated policing team for each neighbourhood and a 10 point compulsory customer charter. The home secretary said targets would be put in place to ensure that the public got a good response from police. Local people would also be able to "trigger" action on specific problems if they felt nothing was being done. Local councillors would have to show certain conditions had been met before invoking the power. And police could refuse the request if the complaints were frivolous, would only cause annoyance or would pose too heavy a burden on resources. Mr Blunkett said a new three digit number would be created for non emergency phone calls to police. The best performing police services would get more cash and extra freedoms, he said, but he would not shirk from stepping in where the public was being failed. The home secretary's powers to suspend or sack chief constables are being reviewed after Mr Blunkett's battle with Humberside chief David Westwood over intelligence failures on Soham murderer Ian Huntley. Opposition parties also want more local policing to tackle nuisance behaviour and other crime but they accuse ministers of tying the police up with paperwork. Tory spokesman David Davis said the proposals were "little more than a taxpayer funded PR exercise" ahead of a general election predicted for next May. Police forces were already "buried" under existing government initiatives and there was little in the latest plans to reassure them," said Mr Davis. Earlier Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten said the government was right to want to increase the links between local people and the police. "But these measures will only work if they're matched with a cut in the amount of paperwork and investment in modern equipment to keep the police out on the streets." Before delivering a statement to MPs, Mr Blunkett was joined by Tony Blair at Welling School, in south east London, which is at the heart of a community policing initiative. Mr Blunkett said he wanted "to go back to a time when I was very young, when you expected the police to be part of the community and the community to be part of policing and where people were joined together in partnership making it work". The prime minister said the law abiding citizen should be in charge of the community and "not the minority who want to cause trouble". Mr Blunkett already boasts about producing record police numbers. He has also started to recruit 25,000 Community Support Officers (CSOs) and the new plans would allow all police forces to give them the power to detain suspects. An extra 50m was promised on Tuesday so 2,000 new CSOs can be recruited now rather than next year. Within two years, every force will be expected to keep to a "coppers' contract" on what kind of service the public can expect. A Mori poll this summer suggested policing, unlike health and education, was the one major public service where people were less satisfied the more contact they had with it. The plans also include the idea of allowing people join police forces at different levels rather than the traditional way of making everybody spend specific amounts of time as a constable before being promoted. There will also be "specific exercises" to encourage black and Asian people to join the police at senior ranks.


Scotland manager Walter Smith has given his backing to the reinstatement of the Home International series. Such a plan is to be proposed by the new chief executive of the Northern Irish FA, Howard Wells, at the next meeting of the four home countries. The English FA has expressed doubt as to whether the fixtures could be accommodated at the end of each season. But Smith said: "Bringing it back would add meaning to friendly games and that's something that's needed." The Home International series was done away with in 1984, with the traditional Scotland England fixture continuing until 1989. That game is one Smith would be delighted to see reinstated. "The Scotland v England match was a highlight of the end of the season," he added. "I was in Italy for their friendly with Russia last week and they made seven substitutions while only around 20,000 fans turned up to watch. "England were criticised for the 0 0 draw against Holland the way Scotland were slammed in the past for poor results in friendlies. "You have to put a performance on in friendly games. If you don't, they can be de motivating. "It can be a dangerous road to go down, if players don't apply themselves in the manner they should. "So I would support the return of the home internationals the only problem would be fitting them in to the fixture schedule."


Delta Air Lines is cutting domestic fares by as much as 50% as part of a plan to ensure its financial survival. Other US carriers, including United, have sought bankruptcy protection, amid high fuel costs and competition from discount carriers. Delta is restructuring in a bid to fight off insolvency. This latest move to boost business has prompted speculation other firms will be forced to match their fares, hurting revenues in the sector. Delta's new SimpliFares were trialled from August last year on tickets from Cincinnati, its second largest hub. The airline says no one way economy fare will now be priced higher than 499 ( 264), and no first class fare will be priced higher than 599. It is also eliminating a Saturday night stay requirement on discount fares and will give further reductions to customers opting for non refundable tickets, booking in advance and online. Delta, which lost 646m in the three months to September, was forced to cut 6,900 jobs worldwide as part of its aim to slash 5bn from its costs. In October, it reached a crucial agreement with pilots on pay and conditions and it has also issued new shares to staff in return for wage cuts. Airline shares closed lower on the announcement, with Delta, Continental and American Airlines all falling by more than 7%. "We believe the whole airline industry will now have to move in this direction; this will likely hurt revenue in the short run but could be beneficial in the long run," said analyst Ray Neidl at Calyon Securities.


New safeguards on credit and debit card payments in shops has led fraudsters to focus on internet and phone payments, an anti fraud agency has said. Anti fraud consultancy Retail Decisions says 'card not present' fraud, where goods are paid for online or by phone, has risen since the start of 2005. The introduction of 'chip and pin' cards has tightened security for transactions on the High Street. But the clampdown has caused fraudsters to change tack, Retail Decisions said. The introduction of chip and pin cards aimed to cut down on credit card fraud in stores by asking shoppers to verify their identity with a confidential personal pin number, instead of a signature. Retail Decisions chief executive Carl Clump told the BBC that there was "no doubt" that chip and pin would "reduce card fraud in the card present environment". "However, it is important to monitor what happens in the card not present environment as fraudsters will turn their attention to the internet, mail order, telephone order and interactive TV," he said. "We have seen a 22% uplift in card not present fraud here in the UK... since the start of the year. "Fraud doesn't just disappear, it mutates to the next weakest link in the chain," he said. Retail Decisions' survey on the implementation of chip and pin found that shoppers had adapted easily to the new system, but that banks' performance in distributing the new cards had been patchy, at best. "The main issue is that not everyone has the pins they need," said Mr Clump. Nearly two thirds 65% of the 1,000 people interviewed said they had used chip and pin to make payments. Of these, 83% were happy with the experience, though nearly a quarter said they struggled to remember their pin number. However, only 34% said they had received replacement cards with the necessary 'chip' technology from all their card providers. Furthermore, 16% said that none of their cards had been replaced, while 30% said only some had. UK shoppers spent 5.3bn on plastic cards in 2003, the last full year for which figures are available from the Association of Payment Clearing Services (Apacs). Altogether, card scams on UK issued cards totalled 402.4m in 2003. Card not present fraud rose an annual 6% to 116.4m, making it the biggest category even then. Within this, internet fraud totalled 43m, Apacs' figures show.


The movie industry has struck out at file sharing networks with another round of lawsuits in the US. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) also said it had succeeded in getting a network called LokiTorrent closed down. It is the latest network which uses the peer to peer system called BitTorrent to be hit by the MPAA. The MPAA began its legal campaign against operators of similar networks across four continents in December. A Dallas court agreed that Hollywood lawyers would be allowed access to LokiTorrent's server records which could let them single out those who were sharing files illegally. In October 2004, the site had provided links to more than 30,000 files. The action came after the operators of LokiTorrent agreed a settlement with the MPAA. A stark message has appeared on the site from the MPAA warning "You can click, but you can't hide". In BitTorrent systems, server sites do not host the files being shared. They host links, called "trackers" that direct people to others that have it instead. As well as filing an unspecified number of file suits across the US, the MPAA said it had given operators that host eDonkey servers "take down" notices. Hollywood studios are aggressively clamping down on file sharers who it says infringe copyright laws by copying films and TV programmes then share the files online. But it is now targeting the operators of BitTorrent networks themselves. It has filed 100 lawsuits against operators of BitTorrent server sites since December. The strategy of hitting those who run the servers which link to copyrighted material is intended to stunt file sharers' ability to swap content using BitTorrent systems. The film industry says the black market for illegally copied videos and DVDs already costs them billions every year and it is worried that illegal file sharing is adding to their losses. In December, the legal action claimed its most high profile victim. The popular Suprnova.org website was forced to close, and others like Phoenix Torrent followed soon after.


Visitors to the British Library will be able to get wireless internet access alongside the extensive information available in its famous reading rooms. Broadband wireless connectivity will be made available in the eleven reading rooms, the auditorium, caf 233;, restaurant, and outdoor Piazza area. A study revealed that 86% of visitors to the Library carried laptops. The technology has been on trial since May and usage levels make the Library London's most active public hotspot. Previously many were leaving the building to go to a nearby internet caf 233; to access their e mail, the study found. "At the British Library we are continually exploring ways in which technology can help us to improve services to our users," said Lynne Brindley, chief executive of the British Library. "Surveys we conducted recently confirmed that, alongside the materials they consult here, our users want to be able to access the internet when they are at the Library for research or to communicate with colleagues," she said. The service will be priced at 4.50 for an hour's session or 35 for a monthly pass. The study, conducted by consultancy Building Zones, found that 16% of visitors came to the Library to sit down and use it as a business centre. This could be because of its proximity to busy mainline stations such as Kings Cross and Euston. The study also found that people were spending an average of six hours in the building, making it an ideal wireless hotspot. Since May the service has registered 1,200 sessions per week, making it London's most active public hotspot. The majority of visitors wanted to be able to access their e mail as well as the British Library catalogue. The service has been rolled out in partnership with wireless provider The Cloud and Hewlett Packard. It will operate independently from the Library's existing network. The British Library receives around 3,000 visitors each day and serves around 500,000 readers each year. People come to view resources which include the world's largest collection of patents and the UK's most extensive collection of science, technology and medical information. The Library receives between three and four million requests from remote users around the world each year.