2007's best selling game revealed

Call of Duty 4 has won many awards since its launch

First-person-shooter Call of Duty 4 was last year's biggest selling game, according to sales figures.

It has sold more than seven million units since its launch in November, says its publisher Activision.

The claim is based on sales figures from research firms The NPD Group, Chart Track and The GFK Group.

The game was just one of a raft of high profile releases in 2007 including the third instalment of the Halo series for the Xbox 360.

Halo 3 earned more than £84m ($170m) in sales in its first 24 hours on release, according to Microsoft.

The game sets the record for the most money earned in a day by an entertainment product, topping figures set by film Spiderman 3.

'Perfect 10'

However, Microsoft recently announced that Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare had overtaken Halo 3 for the first time as the most popular game on Xbox Live, based on unique users.

And despite being released six weeks after Halo 3 it has also sold more units.

"We're very excited about this achievement especially given so many competitive titles this year," said Will Kassoy, of the game's publisher Activision.

Call of Duty 4 was developed by Infinity Ward and is available for PC, PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.

It follows the story of a American and British Special Forces in Russia and the Middle East and won "Best Action game" at the video game industry's leading event, E3.

It also won the Spike TV awards for "Best Shooter" and "Best Military Game".

However, the title narrowly missed a perfect 10 out of 10 score in computer game's magazine Edge.

Halo 3, The Orange Box and Super Mario Galaxy all achieved a perfect score.

Gunmen kill Kenyan opposition MP

The national death toll since the elections is now about 800

A Kenyan opposition MP has been shot dead in Nairobi, police say, adding they could not rule out a connection to disputed presidential elections.

Mugabe Were, a member of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) of the defeated candidate, Raila Odinga, was attacked outside his home, police said.

An ODM spokesman called for calm and restraint following the MP's death.

Meanwhile the parties will begin formal talks on Tuesday to resolve the crisis, mediated by former UN chief Kofi Annan.

A UN spokesman said the dialogue process would start at 1600 local time (1300 GMT) at a neutral location.

'Shun violence'

Mr Were is the first leading politician to have died amid violence that has gripped Kenya since December's poll.

Two gunmen shot Mr Were as he drove up to the gate of his house in the capital just after midnight, Kenya police spokesman Eric Kiraithe was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying.

This is a new kind of violence but let's call again on people to be peaceful and to only respond to this kind of violence by shunning violence Salim Lome ODM spokesman

"We are treating it as a murder but we are not ruling out anything, including political motives. We are urging everyone to remain calm," he said.

Mr Were, who represented Nairobi's Embakasai district, won a seat in the 27 December legislative election, which was held at the same time as the presidential vote.

ODM spokesman Tony Gachoka said: "The current situation makes one suspicious. All fingers will point at the government, and the government will have to show it is not involved."

Another ODM spokesman, Salim Lome, called on people "to be peaceful and to only respond to this kind of violence by shunning violence".

The appeal came amid reports of opposition supporters pouring onto the streets in several cities.

In the Kibera slum in Nairobi, eyewitnesses spoke of clashes between rival ethnic groups.

Members of President Mwai Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe have been fighting with Luos and Kalenjins who backed his rival, Mr Odinga, in last month's election.

International concern

Police fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse a crowd of about 100 opposition supporters who had gathered in the western city of Kisumu in a show of anger at Mr Were's killing, AFP news agency reported.

"First they started killing the ordinary people like us, now they are killing our leaders, we won't accept it," demonstrator Justus Othieno told AFP news agency.

The protest followed bloodshed in Kisumu and also in Eldoret.

Riots have also been ongoing in the towns of Naivasha and Nakuru in the Rift Valley, where dozens of people have been killed in five days of ethnic violence.

Plumes of smoke were seen rising from the lakeside at Naivasha, as crowds apparently looted the homes of people fleeing the violence.

Mr Odinga accuses Mr Kibaki of stealing the vote and has refused to recognise the result.

Analysts warn a cycle of violence is emerging amid the political impasse, where the pattern of attacks is followed by reprisals.

The former UN secretary general Kofi Annan has been trying to mediate a solution between the two sides.

He set Tuesday as a target for Kenya's government and opposition to name negotiators, in the hope that engaging in formal talks might make it possible to quell the violence.

Bush addresses US economy fears

Mr Bush also warned Iran over its nuclear plans

President George W Bush has admitted US economic growth is slowing, but in his final State of the Union address urged Americans to have long-term confidence.

The president acknowledged that the US was facing "uncertainty".

A $150bn (£76bn) stimulus plan negotiated with Congress would help, he said, and must be passed soon.

Mr Bush also said his troop "surge" in Iraq was succeeding after a long and costly war, and that al-Qaeda was "on the run" and would be defeated.

He called on Iran's leaders to cease their "support for terror abroad", although he said the US respected the country's people.

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said that while they agreed with Mr Bush on the need for a bipartisan approach, he "offered little more than the status quo".

"At a time when our economy is on shaky ground and our leadership around the world is eroding, the status quo won't do," they said in a joint statement.

Oil dependence

Mr Bush acknowledged that the US was "undergoing a period of economic uncertainty", but sought to reassure the nation.

"At kitchen tables across our country, there is concern about our economic future," he said.

But, he added: "In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth."

Mr Bush urged Congress not to expand the economic stimulus package beyond what had been agreed, or risk derailing it. He also urged lawmakers to make his tax cuts permanent.

Echoing a theme of his 2006 address, when he spoke of the US being "addicted to oil", Mr Bush spoke about the importance of US energy independence.

"Our security, our prosperity and our environment all require reducing our dependence on oil," he said.

Mr Bush also urged Tehran to suspend its nuclear enrichment programme and "come clean" about its intentions.

He continued: "But above all, know this: America will confront those who threaten our troops, we will stand by our allies, and we will protect our vital interests in the Gulf."

'American response'

On Iraq, Mr Bush acknowledged that the "enemy is still dangerous and more work remains" to be done.

But he praised the work of American and Iraqi forces in achieving "results few of us could have imagined just one year ago", and assured Americans that al-Qaeda "will be defeated".

He urged Congress to "meet its responsibilities to these brave men and women by fully funding our troops".

Mr Bush said that as a result of progress in Iraq and a transition of operations to Iraqi forces, more than 20,000 troops would be returning to the US in the coming months.

Mr Bush said 20,000 troops would be withdrawn in the coming months

In the official Democratic reply to the president's speech, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius said: "In this time, normally reserved for the partisan response, I hope to offer you something more: an American response.

"There is a chance, Mr President, in the next 357 days, to get real results and give the American people renewed optimism that their challenges are the top priority."

But the leading Democratic presidential candidates, Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, took much tougher lines.

Mr Obama said Mr Bush's speech was full of empty rhetoric, and criticised his "failed politics and policies of the past".

Mrs Clinton said Mr Bush had only offered "more of the same: a frustrating commitment to the same failed policies".

The two rival Democrats have been fighting a bitter campaign for the candidacy, and although they sat only metres away from each other in Senate for the address, they did not speak.

At one point, Mrs Clinton reached across to shake the hand of Senator Edward Kennedy, who hours earlier had endorsed Mr Obama.

As she did so, Mr Obama turned his back.

Republican candidate Senator John McCain stayed in Florida ahead of his party's primary in the state on Tuesday.

Lame duck?

The State of the Union address is expected to be Mr Bush's last before he leaves office in January 2009, although he does have the right to deliver one more immediately before he goes.

According to Gallup polls of approval ratings around the time of the State of the Union addresses, this is the worst year for Mr Bush since his presidency began.

The BBC's James Coomarasamy in Washington says Mr Bush's speech was overall more businesslike than inspirational, perhaps more reflective of a more realistic president - aware that some of his policy goals would now remain elusive but determined that others would not.

Russia summons UK envoy over row

Two British Council offices defied a Russian closure order by re-opening

The Russian foreign ministry has summoned the UK ambassador amid an escalating row over the reopening of two British Council offices.

The Council's branches reopened on Monday despite a government ban.

Russia called the move a "provocation" and said it would not issue new visas to British Council staff.

The offices were ordered to shut last month in the latest clash over the fatal poisoning of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko in London.

The branches which reopened are in St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. The ban does not apply to the British Council's Moscow office.

'Inflaming tensions'

A statement on the Russian foreign ministry's website said: "Russia views such actions as an intentional provocation aimed at inflaming tensions in Russian-British relations.

UK-RUSSIA ROW Nov 2006: Alexander Litvinenko dies in London May 2007: UK accuses ex-KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi of murder July: Russia refuses UK request to extradite Mr Lugovoi July: UK expels four Russian diplomats July: Russia expels four British embassy staff December: Russia tells British Council to shut two offices Jan 2008: British Council re-opens both offices

"The Russian side will not issue visas to new employees sent to work in the (British) consular offices of St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg to carry out British Council work."

The UK embassy in the Russian capital declined to comment on the schedule of the ambassador, Sir Tony Brenton.

But BBC Moscow correspondent Richard Galpin says the envoy will appear at the Russian foreign ministry on Monday afternoon.

He says the escalating diplomatic crisis between the two countries is now coming to a head and it is not clear if either side is willing to back down.

The British Council, which aims to promote cultural and educational ties, was accused of violating Russian tax rules.

A spokesman for the Council insisted on Monday that its activities were "fully compliant with Russian and international law".

"We believe we're caught up in a political matter," the spokesman told the BBC News website.

'Valuable work'

The British Council's chief executive, Martin Davidson, said they would continue talking to the Russians in the hope of continuing their work.

He told the BBC: "We have to understand the issues, the problems they have with our work, but we believe [our work] is enormously valuable.

Russia has linked its action to wider British-Russian tensions

"We know ordinary Russian people believe it is of real value to them, as well of course to us here in the UK, to have that relationship with Russia."

The offices in Yekaterinburg are on the premises of the UK consulate-general.

The row came on top of continuing tensions over the death of former KGB officer Alexander Litvinenko in London in November 2006. He had been given a fatal dose of radioactive polonium 210.

The UK wants Russia to hand over businessman Andrei Lugovoi, whom UK investigators suspect of murdering Mr Litvinenko.

When Russia refused to extradite Mr Lugovoi, Britain expelled four Russian diplomats and Moscow followed suit.

Russian officials have described the action against the British Council as a retaliatory measure.

Call for rethink in obesity fight

Obesity rates are set to double

Obesity cannot be tackled by just encouraging healthier eating and more exercise, health experts say.

The experts, led by a London-based academic, say governments should adopt more sophisticated approaches.

Work conditions, food subsidies, town planning and advert restrictions are all key, the experts wrote in the British Medical Journal.

The UK's Association of Directors of Public Health said change was happening but further improvements were needed.

Latest statistics show that a quarter of adults are obese in the UK, but the percentage is predicted to rise to over 50% if current trends continue.

There has been a lack of co-ordination over this and the response has therefore been slow Dr Tim Crayford, of the Association of Directors of Public Health

The findings mirror the conclusions of the recent government-backed Foresight report in the UK, which said societal issues were also to blame for rising obesity levels.

These experts, led by a University College London academic, agreed, saying tackling obesity was far more complex than just encouraging healthy eating and more exercise.

They said large supermarket chains had displaced small, family-run stores and encouraged bulk purchases, convenience foods and super-sized portions.

They also criticised the impact of food advertising which they said encouraged children in particular to desire foods "high in saturated fats, sugars and salt".

And they said urban planning and design could play a key role in encouraging people to walk around towns rather than rely on cars.

These factors were particularly important for people from deprived areas as they were often more constrained by such barriers, they said.

'Dynamic'

The authors pointed to the example set by Norway, which has used a combination of food subsidies, price manipulation and clear nutrition labelling to steer people away from unhealthy food.

UCL expert Sharon Friel said a "dynamic" response was needed that included joined-up action at global, national and local levels.

"Missing in most obesity prevention strategies is the recognition that obesity - and its unequal distribution - is the consequence of a complex system that is shaped by how society organises its affairs."

Dr Tim Crayford, president of the Association of Directors of Public Health, said it was well-known that obesity was caused by multi-factoral problems.

"There has been a lack of co-ordination over this and the response has therefore been slow."

And he added: "There are signs that is now changing, but we are battling against the desire in western societies for more affluence which means more cars and richer food."

Climate talks near end amid row

If global temperatures rise, billions will face water shortages

World climate talks in Bali have gone into their scheduled last day amid fierce disagreement over targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

EU ministers have warned they will boycott a US-led climate summit next month unless the Bush administration backs firm targets for emissions cuts.

The US favours allowing governments to set voluntary targets.

Indonesia is reported to be trying to broker a compromise that would remove firm targets from the final text.

Former US vice-president Al Gore has criticised the US approach.

He won loud applause from delegates as he said: "My own country, the United States, is principally responsible for obstructing progress in Bali."

'Don't give up'

But the Nobel Peace Prize laureate also urged delegates not to give up.

"You can decide to move forward and do the difficult work that needs to be done," he said.

If they get this text through the conference then the next treaty won't be worth the paper it's written on John Sauven, Greenpeace

Officials say agreement has been reached on many issues. Disagreement centres on pollution by industrialised countries.

On one side are the European Union states and their allies.

They want industrialised countries to agree to cuts of 25%-40% in greenhouse gas emissions - which mainly come from burning fossil fuels - from 1990 levels by 2020. The target would not apply to developing countries.

"We continue to insist on including a reference to an indicative emissions reduction range for developed countries for 2020," the EU's Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said in a statement.

On the other side are the US, Canada and Japan. The US in particular, which has not ratified the Kyoto agreement, says any numerical agreement would prejudge the outcome of future talks.

The environmental group Greenpeace has accused the US of trying to kill off the international fight against climate change.

"If they get this text through the conference then the next treaty won't be worth the paper it's written on because it will give a free pass to any nation that wants to keep polluting," Greenpeace's UK executive director John Sauven told the BBC.

Meaningless talks

The US is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, and most parties recognise that climate change talks without it would be meaningless.

In September the US hosted the inaugural summit of the "major economies" or "big emitters" group, which brings together 16 of the leading greenhouse gas producing countries.

The US is due to host a second summit next month in Honolulu.

The BBC's environment analyst Roger Harrabin, reporting from Bali, says the European threat to boycott the conference pushes President Bush into a corner.

Either he agrees to negotiate big cuts, or he has to explain to an increasingly concerned American public why Europe is boycotting a meeting which the president himself has invented and championed, our correspondent says.

Lily Allen to judge fiction prize

Allen

Singer Lily Allen has been selected to help judge the winner of next year's Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction.

The 22-year-old, best known for hits like Smile and LDN, will join the five female panellists to decide the winner of the £30,000 prize.

Broadcaster Kirsty Lang will chair the panel. She said she was "extremely honoured" to be to be asked and "a little daunted by the task".

The shortlist will be unveiled in April and the winner announced in June.

The award was set up in 1996 to promote female authors.

Previous winners include Zadie Smith, Andrea Levy and Helen Dunmore.

Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie took the award home this year.

The winner of the £10,000 Orange Broadband Award for New Writers will also be announced at the June ceremony.

The judging panel will be chaired by Shami Chakrabarti, director of human rights organisation Liberty.

Melua duet headed for number one

The original Louis Armstrong song was first released in 1967

What A Wonderful World, Katie Melua's charity duet with the late Eva Cassidy, will top the UK singles chart this weekend, midweek sales data suggests.

According to Music Week, their version of the Louis Armstrong song will knock Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis off the top spot after seven straight weeks.

Profits from the sale of the single - only available via supermarket Tesco - will go to the British Red Cross.

Cassidy, a heroine of Melua's, died of cancer in 1996 at the age of 33.

Bookmakers Ladbrokes make the single 5/1 to be Christmas number one, just behind Leona Lewis.

Sales spike

However, the eventual winner of The X Factor remains the overwhelming favourite to top the chart.

Lewis's debut record Spirit is expected to remain top of the album chart according to midweek data.

Meanwhile, music chain HMV report a significant spike in sales of Led Zeppelin records in the wake of the rock band's reunion concert on Monday.

According to spokesman Genarro Castaldo, sales of the group's back catalogue are five times their normal level.

Led Zeppelin's greatest hits collection Mothership was the store's best-selling artist album on Tuesday, he added.

Writer wins fifth child book gong

Chris Riddell scooped his first gold medal in 2004

Author Chris Riddell has won his fifth Nestle Children's Book Prize with his book Ottoline and the Yellow Cat.

Riddell received his gold medal in the six to eight-year-old category during a ceremony at the British Library.

In previous years Riddell, who is also a successful illustrator and political cartoonist, has won gold and silver medals for his work.

The prize, now in its 23rd year, celebrates the nation's best children's books as voted for by children.

Matt Haig won the top prize in the nine to 11-year-old category with his fantasy tale Shadow Forest.

The 31-year-old's book is an atmospheric tale of "one-eyed trolls, murderous truth pixies, witches and humans who turn into rabbits".

When a Monster is Born by Sean Taylor and Nick Sharratt scooped the gold prize in the under-five category.

Young judges

Riddell, who has sketched cartoons for several publications such as The Observer and The New Statesman, last scooped the gold medal award in 2004.

He was awarded the top prize for his illustrations to Paul Stewart's Fergus Crane.

His other medals were awarded for The Emperor of Absurdia and Hugo Pepper and Corby Flood with Paul Stewart.

Sam Fulton from Nestle said: "I'd like to thank the thousands of school children who took part in this year's Nestle Children's Book Prize and especially our young judges who worked so hard to choose the winners."

US anthem to be played in N Korea

Zarin Mehta said the concert would represent 'a giant leap'

New York's Philharmonic Orchestra will perform the US anthem at its historic concert in North Korea on 26 February.

The Star Spangled Banner will feature in a programme that will also include the North Korean anthem and Gershwin's American in Paris.

The Philharmonic's two-day trip is the first US cultural visit to North Korea and is being seen as a breakthrough in the two countries' tense relationship.

Orchestra president Zarin Mehta said it would show how "music can unite".

"All I can say is one small symphony is a giant leap," he said at a joint news conference on Tuesday with North Korea's UN ambassador, Pak Gil Yon.

Invitation

"We only play great music," he added when asked whether the choice of pieces had been politically inspired. "We don't think about politics."

The orchestra's concert in the North Korean capital Pyongyang will follow a trip to China.

After the engagement, the 250-person party will travel to Seoul in South Korea.

Pak Gil Yon said the invitation to perform had been extended to the Philharmonic several months ago.

The UN ambassador said he did not know whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il would attend the event.

Citizen Kane Oscar fails to sell

Orson Welles made Citizen Kane at the age of 25

Orson Welles's Oscar for the 1941 film Citizen Kane failed to sell at an auction at Sotheby's in New York.

The statuette, for best original screenplay, had been expected to fetch up to $1.2m (£586,000).

However, Welles's personal working copy of the script, which also went under the hammer, sold for $97,000 (£47,475).

The sale of the Oscar was controversial as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences prefer the awards to remain in the hands of the winners.

No-sale policy

To enforce its policy, the Academy requires nominees to sign a contract agreeing "not to sell or otherwise dispose" of the award, should they win.

In addition, the agreement requires that a winner who no longer wishes to retain the statuette should first offer to sell it back to the academy for $1 (49p).

But the no-sale policy did not come into effect until 1950, meaning Welles's Oscar is free to be sold.

The award was believed to have been lost until it appeared at a 1994 Sotheby's auction.

A Los Angeles cinematographer had held it in secret, after Welles gave it to him as payment. Welles's youngest daughter, Beatrice, claimed the Oscar for herself after suing Sotheby's and the cinematographer.

It was acquired by the Dax Foundation in 2003, a Los Angeles-based charitable foundation which decided to sell the Oscar.

Proceeds made from the sales of the script will help fund the organisation's worldwide humanitarian efforts, a spokeswoman said.

Pratchett has Alzheimer's disease

The writer said he would continue to work on his latest book

Author Terry Pratchett is suffering from a rare form of early Alzheimer's disease, it has been revealed.

He said in a statement that with forthcoming conventions and the need to inform his publishers it would have been "unfair to withhold the news".

Discworld author Pratchett has sold more than 55 million books worldwide.

The writer, 59, who gave the news on the website of Discworld artist Paul Kidby, said the condition was behind a "phantom stroke" earlier this year.

'Mild optimism'

He said: "I would have liked to keep this one quiet for a little while, but because of upcoming conventions and of course the need to keep my publishers informed, it seems to me unfair to withhold the news.

"I have been diagnosed with a very rare form of early onset Alzheimer's, which lay behind this year's 'phantom stroke'."

He added: "We are taking it fairly philosophically down here and possibly with a mild optimism.

The author said work was continuing on his latest book, Unseen Academicals.

'More books'

"All other things being equal, I expect to meet most current and, as far as possible, future commitments but will discuss things with the various organisers," he said.

"Frankly, I would prefer it if people kept things cheerful, because I think there's time for at least a few more books yet."

He told fans the statement should be interpreted as "I am not dead".

"I will, of course, be dead at some future point, as will everybody else," he said.

"For me, this may be further off than you think. It's too soon to tell.

"I know it's a very human thing to say 'is there anything I can do', but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry."

Pratchett was made an OBE in 1998 for services to British literature.

US soul musician Ike Turner dies

Turner denied claims of abuse by his former wife

US soul legend Ike Turner, the former husband of Tina Turner, has died at the age of 76.

He died at his home near San Diego, California. There was no immediate word on the cause of death.

He rose to fame in the 1960s, and is best remembered for his musical partnership and stormy marriage with Tina Turner.

She said he abused her, but he somewhat rehabilitated his image in his later years, winning a Grammy in 2007.

"Ike Turner passed away this morning. He was at his home," said Scott Hanover, an official at the performer's management company.

'Demonised'

Turner, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is credited by many music historians with making the first rock 'n' roll record in 1951.

Turner was also known as a prolific session guitarist and piano player.

After marrying Tina Turner in 1959, the pair produced a string of hits, including A Fool In Love, It's Gonna Work Out Fine.

The song River Deep Mountain High, produced by Phil Spector, was one of their most successful singles.

But Mr Turner will be forever remembered for his turbulent relationship with Tina Turner, the BBC's Peter Bowes in Los Angeles says.

In 2001, Mr Turner denied his ex-wife's claims that he abused her and expressed frustration that he had been demonised in the media.

In 2007, he won a Grammy award in the traditional blues album category for Risin' With the Blues.

Mid-East leaders in fresh talks

There has been scepticism over the drive in the region in question

Israeli and Palestinian leaders are set formally to begin a new round of peace talks at the White House.

US President George W Bush will meet with Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas alone before a rare three-way meeting.

It follows a conference on Tuesday when both sides agreed to engage in "vigorous" efforts to reach a peace deal by the end of 2008.

But the Palestinian group Hamas said the conference - from which it was excluded - had been a "failure".

Expectations had been low as representatives of more than 40 countries and international agencies gathered in Annapolis, Maryland, ahead of Tuesday's conference.

But in a joint statement concluded with only minutes to spare before the conference formally opened, the two sides agreed to launch negotiations for a treaty "resolving all outstanding issues, including all core issues without exception".

Both sides have said those "core issues" will include the thorny so-called "final-status issues" - the future of Jerusalem, borders, water, refugees and settlements - which have scuppered previous attempts at a peace deal.

'The beginning'

Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and the Palestinian President Abbas will formally inaugurate the new peace drive in meetings in the White House on Wednesday, said US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in a closing news conference on Tuesday.

According to the agreement, they will go on to meet every other week.

In addition, teams of negotiators will be led by a joint steering committee which will meet for the first time on 12 December.

In Tuesday's conference, Mr Bush committed himself to spending the rest of his presidency - until January 2009 - working towards "an independent democratic viable Palestinian state".

"Such a state will provide Palestinians with the chance to lead lives of freedom, purpose and dignity," Mr Bush said.

"And such a state will help provide Israelis with something they have been seeking for generations: to live in peace with their neighbours.

"This is the beginning of the process, not the end of it," he said.

Peace hopes

Mr Abbas repeated demands including that Israel stop building settlements, and release some of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

"Neither we nor you must beg for peace from the other," he said.

"It is a joint interest for you and us."

Mr Olmert said he had come to Annapolis despite the obstacles posed by continuing violence against the people of Israel.

"We want peace. We demand an end to terror, an end to hatred. We are prepared to make a painful compromise rife with risks, in order to realise these aspirations," he said.

In a closing news conference, Ms Rice said the event had demonstrated "unambiguously" that the new initiative had international support.

Nations will be asked to provide financial support for Palestinian aid programmes at a donors' conference in Paris in mid-December.

Caution urged

Observers say the fact that the summit is being hosted by the US and has attracted the participation of Saudi Arabia and Syria, two Arab states that do not recognise Israel, is critical to its chances for success.

In Ramallah, Palestinians protested against the conference

But following the main speeches, both countries cautioned that a "comprehensive peace" which saw relations normalised between Israel and Arab countries was dependent on Israel first meeting demands to withdraw from occupied land.

Expectations going into Annapolis have been low because every other attempt at negotiation between the Israelis and the Palestinians has failed, says the BBC's Jeremy Bowen at the conference.

However, there are grounds for optimism, says our correspondent: the Americans are behind the talks, there is no plan B and the consequences of failure could be bloody.

Hamas dismissal

The absence of the Palestinian faction Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organisation by the US, the EU and Israel, could also make negotiating a deal problematic.

Hamas controls the internal affairs of the Gaza Strip and says it will not be bound by anything decided in Annapolis.

Following the conference, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu-Zuhri said it had only achieved "a declaration of the beginning of negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis and not a declaration of an agreement between them.

"This by itself is a sharp proof of the failure of the Annapolis meeting," he said.

In Gaza on Tuesday, tens of thousands of Hamas supporters demonstrated against the talks.

In the West Bank - a Fatah stronghold - police violently broke up some demonstrations, with one person killed in clashes in Hebron.

Musharraf gives up army uniform

Gen Musharraf said the army was the saviour of Pakistan

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has handed over the command of the military in a ceremony in Rawalpindi.

Gen Musharraf passed a ceremonial baton to Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kiani at the army's headquarters.

In his farewell address, Gen Musharraf said the army was his "life" and he was proud to have been the commander of this "great force".

He had been under huge pressure to quit as army chief and is due to be sworn in as civilian president on Thursday.

The move will mean an end to nine years of military rule in Pakistan.

'Half a century'

Dressed in full military uniform, Gen Musharraf arrived at the ceremony with a baton under his left arm.

On his arrival, he was greeted by Gen Kiani and inspected a guard of honour.

A military band played Pakistan's national anthem and the ceremony began with a recitation from the Koran.

The colourful ceremony was shown live on PTV, Pakistan's national channel.

"I am bidding farewell to the army after having been in uniform for 46 years," Gen Musharraf said in his address.

Gen Musharraf's army seized power in a 1999 coup

"This army is my life, my passion. I love this army, and this relationship will continue, although I will not be in uniform," he said.

Gen Musharraf said it was difficult to describe his emotions.

"When one has lived half a century with a family, a family like the army, united, and fully loyal... then leaving it is bound to bring on emotions. But such is the system of life. People come, and they have to go. Good things also come to an end. Everything is mortal," he said.

"I am fortunate to have commanded the best army in the world. This army is an integrating force, the saviour of Pakistan," Gen Musharraf said.

"Without this army, the entity of Pakistan cannot exist".

'Excellent soldier'

Gen Musharraf expressed full faith in the ability of his successor, Gen Kiani, to lead the force.

President Musharraf's unpopularity has caused Western concern

"He's an excellent soldier and I can say with full confidence that under his command, the armed forces will achieve great heights," Gen Musharraf said.

He had designated Gen Kiani, a former head of the intelligence services, as his successor in October.

The most serious pressure on the president to give up his uniform had come from the United States, his main international backer.

Washington has grown concerned in recent months at the army's inability to rein in pro-Taleban militants and by Gen Musharraf's growing unpopularity.

As a civilian leader, Gen Musharraf will still have considerable powers, including the ability to sack a civilian government.

He imposed emergency rule on 3 November in order, he said, to control an unruly judiciary and deal with the growing threat from Islamist militants.

General elections are to be held on 8 January, but Gen Musharraf has yet to say when the emergency will be lifted.

India v Pakistan 1st ODI

India 242-5 (47 ovs) bt Pakistan 239-7 (50 ovs) by 5 wkts

Mahendra Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh hit half-centuries to inspire India to a five-wicket win over Pakistan in their opening one-day match in Guwahati.

They put on 105, the aggressive Dhoni hitting eight fours in his 63, while Yuvraj fired six fours and a six in 58.

Both fell near the end but India got to their 240 target with 18 balls left.

Salman Butt gave Pakistan a good start with 50 from 57 balls and Mohammad Yousuf, dropped on nine, hit eight fours in a battling unbeaten 83.

Given the talent of India's batsmen, a target of 240 initially seemed somewhat insufficient, particularly as there were no floodlights to encourage movement for the bowlers.

After Sachin Tendulkar was lbw to a Shoaib Akhtar slower ball in the third over, it quickly became evident that it would not be so straightforward.

Gambhir twice edged a noticeably portly Shoaib - who left an advertising hoarding in need of repair when colliding with it in the field - between keeper and slip to the boundary early in his innings.

But the two left-handers slowly came to terms with the slow surface, Ganguly recording the 50 with a lofted straight drive for six as Umar Gul tried a slower ball.

They were progressing serenely until Ganguly was sent back and the throw from backward square-leg saw him short of his ground by the narrowest of margins.

Four overs later Gambhir missed a straight one from Shahid Afridi that bowled him around his legs and 127 were still needed.

But Dhoni signalled his intentions by flashing at his first ball, which fizzed off the outside edge to the boundary, and the batting side were soon firmly in command again.

Butt was needlessly run out having completed a fine fifty

Yuvraj, who survived a confident lbw appeal from spinner Abdur Rehman, wafted the next ball effortlessly over mid-wicket for six to keep his team well ahead of the rate.

He was first of the pair to fifty, from 66 balls, Dhoni following suit in the next over, and the searing boundaries continued as the 100 stand came up in 129 balls.

With 22 needed from 42 balls, Yuvraj top-edged a sweep to fine-leg and the requirement was 15 from 35 when Dhoni was smartly caught behind off the persistent Shoaib.

There were a couple more moments of anxiety before Robin Uthappa thumped Shoaib down the ground for four and advanced down the pitch to slice the winning runs in style with a six over third man.

When Shoaib Malik elected to have first use of the pitch, Butt played some fluent strokes with the field up for the powerplay overs, taken in one bundle by India captain Dhoni.

Kamran Akmal was not able to score as freely and succumbed playing an ungainly stroke across the line, although replays suggested that umpire Ian Gould, resplendent in old school colonial-style panama hat, was incorrect as the ball pitched outside leg-stump.

After the drinks break, spin was introduced in the form of Harbhajan Singh and he made the breakthrough, although not with any magical delivery.

Having completed his fifty from 56 balls, Butt miscued to mid-off but set off for a perfectly realistic single, only to find Younus Khan rooted to the non-striker's end.

Butt was unable to scramble back as Yuvraj Singh whistled the ball back to Dhoni and with slow left-armer Murali Kartik in operation from the other end the scoring slowed, 16 overs passing by without a boundary.

Yousuf was reprieved when he got a leading edge playing against the spin of Kartik but Ganguly, running back towards mid-off, could not cling on to the chance.

Younus also felt the urgency to accelerate the scoring but succumbed, lofting to long-off.

It took until 35th over for the first six of the innings, a brutal heave over long-on from Afridi as Pathan dropped short, but when spin returned problems mounted for Pakistan.

Having butchered another boundary, Afridi was hopelessly deceived in the flight by Tendulkar and was almost nearer the bowler's end than the crease as Dhoni took off the bails.

Worse was to follow as Malik, wearing eye-catchingly luminous green pads, fell to an eye-catchingly bad shot, hoiking a full toss from Sachin Tendulkar straight to the fielder on the mid-wicket boundary.

Yousuf grinded out a 68-ball half-century, the 200 coming up in the 46th over, but the lack of significant support from his middle-order colleagues proved decisive.

Spears defends parenting skills

Pop star Britney Spears has defended her parenting in a US radio interview.

When asked by American Idol host Ryan Seacrest on his Los Angeles show if she was doing all she could for her children, Spears said: "Oh, God yeah."

The singer is currently embroiled in a custody battle over her two young boys with ex-husband Kevin Federline.

"It's sad, how cruel the world can be. At the end of the day, you've just got to know in your heart you're doing the best you can," she said.

"I try not to let it get to me," she added, referring to recent media coverage.

Unsure

Federline has full custody of Sean Preston, aged two, and one-year-old Jayden James but Spears is allowed three monitored visits with them a week.

In Tuesday's ruling, Spears was granted two afternoons and one full night per week with her two sons.

But the pop star seemed unsure when asked by Seacrest how often she would have access to them.

"That's, like, all in the court. Stuff like that, my lawyers know all that stuff," she said.

Spears told Seacrest she did not do anything special to celebrate the release of Blackout, her first studio album in four years.

"We watched movies... had fried chicken," she said.

She said her favourite track on the album was Heaven on Earth.

The short telephone interview on radio station KIIS-FM was ended abruptly when her assistant Alli Sims told Seacrest that Spears had left to have a shower.

Detailed testimony was presented during the latest custody court ruling.

Spears' parenting coach Lisa Hacker concluded in her report that the singer loved her sons and that they were bonded to her.

But the report also criticised Spears, calling the atmosphere at her home "chaotic" and saying she rarely played with or spoke to the boys.