Dan Parks and Euan Murray return for Scotland

　　

　　RBS SIX NATIONS - WALES v SCOTLAND

　　Venue: Millennium Stadium Date: Saturday, 13 February Kick-off: 1400 GMT

　　Coverage: Exclusively live on BBC ONE, BBC HD channel, Red Button and online, full commentary on BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio 5 Live, Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, live text commentary and score updates on BBC Sport website

　　

　　Parks' return was a surprise, while Murray's had been expected

　　Scotland have recalled Dan Parks, Euan Murray and Rory Lamont and dropped Phil Godman, Moray Low and Max Evans for Saturday's Six Nations trip to Wales.

　　Sean Lamont switches to centre in place of Evans, with Rory Lamont taking his brother's spot on the left wing.

　　Parks replaces Godman at fly-half and, as expected, Murray takes the place of Low - who is left out of the 22 - after the 18-9 defeat by France on Sunday.

　　Full-back Chris Paterson will win his 100th cap, the first Scot to do so.

　　The 31-year-old will join 12 other players who have reached the century landmark in Test rugby, a list led by former Australia captain George Gregan with 139 caps.

　　Robinson, who coached Paterson at Edinburgh, said: "He has been a fantastic ambassador for the team and it's a tremendous honour for him to win his 100th cap.

　　

　　"It's well-deserved and I'm looking forward to seeing him perform at the weekend.

　　"I've really enjoyed working with Chris over the last couple of years. He's a great professional both on the pitch and also off it.

　　"He thoroughly deserves the honour and the tributes bestowed upon him because of the way that he's performed consistently with a number of different coaches."

　　The return of Murray, who was not available for selection against France on Sunday because of his religious beliefs, had been much anticipated, but Low's axing from the squad altogether came as a surprise.

　　The recall for Parks is particularly notable considering the Australia-born Glasgow Warriors fly-half was left out of the autumn Test series and did not even play for Scotland A against their French counterparts last week.

　　"I'm pleased to welcome Dan back," said Robinson. "He comes in after playing consistently well for Glasgow."

　　Parks, who will move to Wales with the Cardiff Blues next season, won the last of his 47 caps against Canada in November 2008.

　　However, Robinson revealed the inclusion of the big-kicking Parks was in order to play a more territorial game after France dominated in that department on Sunday.

　　"We needed to improve our owning of territory, winning the territorial battle and marrying the two together of being able to play with the ball in hand but also looking to be able to dominate territory," he said.

　　

　　"We didn't do that well enough last week and, while we showed some really good attacking intent, we turned too many balls over.

　　"Dan's coming in not just to kick the ball - we still want to move it, we still want to play with the ball in hand."

　　Robinson also admitted that Sean Lamont - Scotland's best player on Sunday - had been switched from wing to beef up the centre.

　　"Sean's played at centre for the Scarlets, so he's had the ability to play there," Robinson said.

　　"He's very physical; we think there's going to be a big physical battle in the centres but also in the way that Wales defend. They really do rush up hard."

　　Robinson also welcomed the recall of Murray in the scrum.

　　"He's a fantastic tight-head prop, he's a real rock in the way that he performs and we need that level of physicality in the game," added the coach.

 

India puts on hold first GM food crop on safety grounds

　　

　　

　　The cultivation of the BT brinjal aubergine variety has divided opinion

　　India has deferred the commercial cultivation of what would have been its first genetically modified (GM) vegetable crop due to safety concerns.

　　Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said more studies were needed to ensure genetically modified aubergines were safe for consumers and the environment.

　　The GM vegetable has undergone field trials since 2008 and received approval from government scientists in 2009.

　　But there has been a heated public row over the cultivation of the GM crop.

　　The BBC's Geeta Pandey, who was at the news conference in Delhi, says Mr Ramesh's decision has put any cultivation of GM vegetables in India on hold indefinitely.

　　'Difficult decision'

　　"Public sentiment is negative. It is my duty to adopt a cautious, precautionary, principle-based approach," Mr Ramesh said.

　　

　　The decision is responsible to science and responsive to society

　　Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh

　　He said the moratorium on growing BT brinjal - as the variety of aubergine is known in India - would remain in place until tests were carried out "to the satisfaction of both the public and professionals".

　　The minister said "independent scientific studies" were needed to establish "the safety of the product from the point of view of its long-term impact on human health and environment".

　　Mr Ramesh said it was "a difficult decision to make" since he had to "balance science and society".

　　"The decision is responsible to science and responsive to society," he said.

　　India is the largest producer of aubergines in the world and grows more than 4,000 varieties.

　　Indian seed company Mahyco - partner of US multinational corporation Monsanto - which has developed BT brinjal, says the GM vegetable is more resistant to natural pests.

　　But anti-GM groups say there are serious health concerns and they allege that consumption of GM crops can even cause cancer.

　　The government-controlled Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) approved BT brinjal for commercial cultivation in October 2009.

　　Following an uproar from farmers and anti-GM activists, the environment minister held a series of national consultation meetings across India.

　　Several of the aubergine-growing Indian states have already said they were opposed to BT brinjal.

　　India allowed the use of genetically modified seeds for cotton in 2002.

 

Iran 'starts enriching nuclear fuel to 20%' at Natanz

　　

　　

　　Western powers have urged further sanctions over Iran's nuclear activity

　　Iran has started the process of enriching uranium to 20% in defiance of the West, Iranian state media says.

　　It said the process, which experts estimate would take about a year, began at the Natanz plant in the presence of international inspectors.

　　The move came as Western powers stepped up pressure on Iran, with the US saying it wanted UN sanctions within "weeks".

　　China, a UN Security Council member, called for further talks over Iran's nuclear programme.

　　The US and its western allies say Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon - a charge Iran denies.

　　Iran's top nuclear official, Ali Akbar Salehi, was quoted by state news agency Irna as saying Iran "had started the 20% enrichment in a separate cascade in Natanz" for use in a Tehran research reactor.

　　He said the cascade contained 164 centrifuges and had a production capacity of 3-5kg (6-11lb) a month - more than the 1.5kg (3.3lb) needed for the research reactor.

　　

ANALYSIS

　　

　　Jon Leyne, BBC News

　　Technically, anything up to 20% enrichment still qualifies as low-enriched uranium. So Iran could argue that it is still keeping within the letter of the law.

　　But the fear is that this move brings Iran closer to the capability to make a nuclear bomb. Experts say that once Iran has a stockpile of 20% enriched uranium, it could take as little as six months to convert it to weapons grade.

　　It's hotly disputed whether Iran has yet made a conscious decision to make a bomb. But as it builds up, at least the capability, the situation becomes increasingly dangerous.

　　As international pressure grows on Iran, there will surely be those within the Islamic Republic who will argue that Tehran should build a bomb - if only to protect against an attack designed to prevent just such a danger.

　　A spokesman for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that its inspectors were at Natanz on Tuesday, but said that they were not expected to report on activities there until next week.

　　The BBC's Jon Leyne says Tuesday's announcement is designed to stress Iran's view that it is only acting within its rights.

　　Iran currently enriches uranium to a level of 3.5% but requires 20% enriched uranium for its research reactor, which is meant to produce medical isotopes. A bomb would require uranium enriched to at least 90%.

　　Enriching to 20% would take about one year, using the 2,000 centrifuges at the underground Natanz facility, experts say.

　　But moving from 20% to 90% would take only six months and only require between 500 and 1,000 centrifuges.

　　Asked if Iran was capable of enriching uranium to 20% and processing it as fuel, Mr Salehi told state news agency Isna: "We have the technical knowledge for this task. However, since it is our first experience we will move more cautiously."

　　Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and designed to provide civilian power.

　　It had already announced on Sunday that it aimed to start producing uranium enriched to 20% for its Tehran reactor.

　　Pressure for sanctions

　　Mr Salehi also said the government would build 10 new enrichment plants next year, despite the fact that it still had problems with its first one.

　　Benjamin Netanyahu: "This means crippling sanctions... applied right now"The US and France reacted by saying that the time had come "for the adoption of strong sanctions", while the British government described Iran's new position as deeply worrying.

　　Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said on Tuesday that US Defense Secretary Robert Gates wanted to see UN sanctions against Iran in "weeks, not months", and that Mr Gates "clearly thinks time is of the essence".

　　The UN Security Council has already imposed three rounds of sanctions against Iran in an effort to make it cease all uranium enrichment activities and heavy-water projects, which could produce plutonium suitable for use in weapons.

　　Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu refused to comment directly on sanctions at a press conference on Tuesday, the Associated Press news agency reported.

　　"I hope the relevant parties will step up efforts and push for progress in the dialogue and negotiations," he was quoted as saying.

　　

URANIUM ENRICHMENT

　　

　　Iran says it is increasing uranium enrichment from 3.5% needed for commercial nuclear reactors

　　Says it will enrich to 20%, needed for a research reactor near Tehran

　　Weapons-grade uranium is at least 90% enriched

　　Experts say achieving 20% is a key step towards weapons grade

　　

　　In depth: Nuclear fuel cycle

　　Iran confuses West again

　　Send us your comments

　　As a UN Security Council member, China's support would be needed for any new round of sanctions against Iran.

　　Russia, another Security Council member which has been uncertain over backing new sanctions, signalled its disapproval of Iran's move.

　　"Actions such as starting to enrich low-enriched uranium up to 20% raise doubts in other countries and these doubts are fairly well-grounded," Nikolai Patrushev, head of Russia's security council, was quoted as saying.

　　"Political-diplomatic methods are important for a resolution, but there is a limit to everything," he said.

　　Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed for "tough action" from the international community.

　　"This means crippling sanctions and these sanctions must be applied right now," he said.

　　In October, a deal brokered by the IAEA was thought to have been struck for Iran to send its uranium to Russia and France for enrichment.

　　But last month, diplomats said Iran had told the IAEA that it did not accept the terms of the deal - though there have since been other, conflicting messages.

　　Mr Salehi has said that enriched uranium production would be halted if Iran received fuel enriched to 20% from abroad.

Sponsors try to convert rugby appeal at Six Nations

　　

　　

　　By Simon Atkinson

　　Business reporter, BBC News

　　

　　For every penalty kick and conversion at this year's Six Nations tournament, all eyes will be on the goalposts, complete with their protective pads featuring the logo of tournament sponsor, Royal Bank of Scotland.

　　It is among the most high-profile pieces of corporate backing in rugby union.

　　But will crowds inside the likes of Twickenham and Murrayfield, plus the millions watching on terrestrial television, continue to see the bank as simply the long-time sponsor of the northern hemisphere's primary rugby competition?

　　Or will they instead identify that logo with the bailed-out RBS, a struggling firm, 84%-owned by the UK taxpayer and controversially paying bumper bonuses?

　　RBS clearly hopes the Six Nations can help rebuild its battered image and boost its profile, especially given the way its business has become more focused on UK markets in the past year.

　　"Every piece of marketing is done with a view to building favourability towards a brand," says its head of branding Allan Watt.

　　"But our aim is to remind people that in these difficult times for everybody, we are very much open for business."

　　Excitement

　　The latest £20m sponsorship deal was struck in early 2008 before the full extent of the bank's difficulties were known - even though details of the renewal were not released until after its taxpayer bailout. And Mr Watt insists that breaking the contract was never considered.

　　However, there would have been no shortage of firms ready to step in, with sponsors increasingly keen to get involved since the game turned professional in 1995 and its profile rocketed.

　　

　　The Six Nations itself almost always brings excitement. In the past ten tournaments, all of the participants bar Italy and Scotland have won it at least once.

　　In England especially, the national team winning the 2003 World Cup sparked new interest, increasing the appeal of the game and prompting a shift in the demographic make-up of both its fans and the youngsters who began to pick up the oval ball.

　　Meanwhile match attendances in the English top flight, the Guinness Premiership, may be considerably lower than at top-level football (an average of about 11,400 last season compared with 35,600 in the Premier League) - but they are growing. Only in Wales are real concerns being expressed about crowds at domestic league games.

　　'Desirable audience'

　　However while rugby's fanbase might have broadened from what has always been (especially in England and Scotland) a core support of middle class fans, the sport still primarily attracts what in advertiser speak is "ABC1's" - more wealthy people who are attractive targets for sponsors and advertisers.

　　"Rugby union doesn't have the mass appeal of football - but it's an audience that these brands want to get to," says Nigel Currie of the marketing and sports consultancy Brand Rapport.

　　

　　The English domestic competition is seeing increasing crowds

　　He believes RBS was right not to walk away from the Six Nations as it competes for business against its rivals, including HSBC which sponsors the British Lions. Investec is another key rugby backer and insurer Liverpool Victoria supports an Anglo-Welsh trophy.

　　"For financial services, which are basically pretty boring brands and boring products, rugby adds a bit of excitement, glamour and sexiness," Mr Currie says.

　　However, he agrees that the dominance of banks and drink companies (besides Guinness, Heineken, Magners, Brains beer and Famous Grouse Scotch whisky are among the game's big backers in the UK) is not ideal, and that a wider range of sponsors would be welcome.

　　Indeed some in the game are cautioning that this heavy reliance on sponsorship from particular alcohol brands, which see rugby fans as being among their core audience, could prove devastating if a ban on alcohol sponsorship in sport ever materialised.

　　'Family audience'

　　Growing levels of corporate hospitality at rugby has also been a welcome addition to the game's coffers, though there will be less of that at this year's Six Nations after RBS cut its corporate hospitality bill by about 90% - to save money and to save face.

　　

　　'Bloodgate' has had little effect on sponsorship of the game

　　Its guests, who may in previous years have enjoyed pre-match meals and entertainment, will instead be more likely to get just a match ticket. There will be no formal RBS hospitality in Cardiff or Dublin. A branded marquee, once a feature of games at Scotland's Murrayfield, is also no more.

　　Instead more of the bank's ticket allocation will go to charities, and it says it is giving greater focus to a campaign that encourages people to help their local amateur rugby clubs.

　　But far from being just beneficiaries, these strong communities that form around rugby are another element that makes it attractive to sponsors, says Jeremy Summers of the legal and commercial consultancy Pitmans SK Sports and Entertainment.

　　"The game's sporting ethic stands above other sports," he says.

　　"Rugby tends to attract quite a family audience and it's seen as a nice, pleasant event to go to. There is obviously some real aggression on the field but there is still a sense that the referee has the last word and is shown respect."

　　Commercial sense

　　Such an image meant that last year's "Bloodgate" affair, where a Harlequins player faked a blood injury to allow his side to make a tactical substitution, was enough to put the sport on the front of newspapers - at a time when club rugby still struggles to make the back pages.

　　However, while such cheating arguably dented rugby's "family" reputation, it appears to have done it no long-term commercial damage.

　　Indeed Harlequins chief executive Mark Evans told a conference last year that such scandals helped to generate interest among fans, and the club says it has lost no sponsorship as a result of the incident.

　　

　　Its main sponsor, Etihad, perhaps prizes its logo on Harlequins' stadium roof (which is on the London Heathrow flight path) as much as it does having the emblem on the famous quartered shirt.

　　The UAE airline is holding a "full review" over whether to renew its contract which expires this summer. But the decision will be based on whether it is getting good value, an Etihad spokeswoman said.

　　In a sport where team sponsorships have been treated more like patronages or community donations, this is a concept which is relatively new but one which is becoming more prevalent says consultant Mr Summers.

　　"There has been a history of corporate chief executives who happened to like a particular sport or a particular club, and that was enough for them to offer financial backing," he says. "And this probably happened in rugby more than most sports.

　　"But we're not seeing that nowadays. Today a sponsorship has to be justified much more commercially. It has to make business sense."

　　Anyone could win the Six Nations this year (well, apart from Italy....)

　　Those thoughts are echoed by Lee Bailey, sponsorship manager at Guinness which is in discussions about renewing naming rights for next season's top English league.

　　"Rugby sometimes used to be that way, to be run unprofessionally, but that's because it was an amateur game. Things have changed," he says.

　　"Bloodgate was a good example of that. It was impressive how the sport responded. They made immediate rule changes, they didn't just sit back. That's the kind of approach which encourages sponsors.

　　"Rugby fans are really getting involved as the growing attendances show. It's becoming more about passion to support your local team rather than just filling out Twickenham for international games."

American football faces financial reform

　　

　　By Caroline Hepker

　　Business reporter, BBC World, New Orleans

　　

　　

　　Quarterback Drew Brees is well paid in a "socialist system"

　　Most of the pros wear earplugs. American football is ear-shatteringly loud.

　　Inside the 70,000 seat Louisiana Superdome it is clear why fans love it.

　　The New Orleans Saints collide, crunch and sprint across the field in their crucial play-off game against the Arizona Cardinals.

　　Occasionally, giant screens flash "TOUCHDOWN" and sparkling cheerleaders pose on the sidelines.

　　But few of the New Orleans Saints fans in their gold and black supporters' jerseys will have given much thought to how America's most popular sport is run.

　　It is a unique business model.

　　Socialist capitalism

　　The National Football League is a closed shop.

　　

　　All NFL teams share in the vast majority of revenues on an equal basis

　　There are only 32 professional football teams in the United States and strict rules about who can own a team.

　　But uniquely, the teams share at least half of their revenue from lucrative TV rights, merchandising and ticket sales.

　　"The revenue sharing keeps all 32 clubs in the hunt," says Mike McCarthy, who writes about the business of sport for the national newspaper USA Today.

　　"Every year they get to split up a huge amount of TV money, so you don't have this huge gap between the richest clubs and the smallest clubs.

　　Any team can compete for the Super Bowl title every year in America. Particularly in a capitalist country like ours, that is very unique. As one NFL owner put it 'we are 32 fat cat republicans who vote socialist'."

　　In contrast, in other sports leagues the burden of rapidly rising player salaries has broken smaller clubs, leaving larger ones to dominate the landscape.

　　Think of Premier League football in the UK or US professional sports such as basketball, baseball and ice hockey.

　　Limits on pay

　　Salaries for players such as the Saints star quarterback Drew Brees are limited by a centrally set budget.

　　This season, team bosses were limited to $127m (£80m) for their entire squad of players.

　　That means some footballers are handsomely paid - Mr Brees has a six years $60m contract.

　　But the system has other benefits too, explains Marc Waller, the NFL National Football League's chief marketing officer.

　　"We have a sort of socialist capitalism, I think is the best way to describe it," he says.

　　"Essentially all teams share in the vast majority of revenues on an equal basis."

　　"So whether you come from New York or Green Bay, irrespective of the size of your market, the size of your fan base or your TV audience, revenues are shared equally and equitably, which is fantastic.

　　Costs are controlled in a similar way, Mr Waller explains.

　　"There is a salary cap, everyone has the same salary cap - so you can't buy your way to the best players."

　　One business?

　　But not everyone thinks the NFL model is the right one.

　　

　　The NFL system means even small teams can stay in the league

　　The US Supreme Court is currently deciding on a case about whether the NFL is one organisation or 32 separate businesses.

　　The case could have big implications for holding the league accountable and will have ramifications for many other sports leagues, from tennis to basketball.

　　Then there is the union that represent football players, past and present.

　　The National Football League Players' Association is negotiating to renew the collective bargaining agreement between players and bosses, which expires at the end of this season.

　　They have been locking horns over pay.

　　DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players' Association, says the team bosses now wield too much power: "We are in a situation where the owners believe the players should take about 20% less than they are making right now."

　　Superdome rebirth

　　With no new agreement in sight, the lynchpin of the NFL could crumble.

　　The deal that caps player salaries has in the past prohibited players from going on strike - such as the walk-outs that have plagued the National Hockey League over the last two decades and damaged the popularity of ice hockey.

　　And yet, the New Orleans Saints would not have a home stadium in the city known as "the Big Easy", without the NFL, according to Doug Thornton.

　　This neat former college football player now manages the Superdome for the State of Louisiana.

　　He was also there when desperate New Orleans residents used its damaged shell to shelter from the wind and the rain.

　　He says the money from the NFL meant they could be a symbol of rebirth for the city

　　"After Katrina, people realised that there was a lot of misery and suffering in this building," he says.

　　"It played out on a worldwide stage. It was important to turn the Superdome back into a symbol of inspiration and hope, rather than a symbol of misery."

　　The building was returned to commercial operations a year after the the hurricane struck.

　　"It has meant an awful lot to the people of New Orleans and to the fans," says Mr Thornton.

　　And what better come-back story for the Saints than to win the Super Bowl this February in front of an estimated 140 million viewers, for the first time in their 43-year history?