Old News: Ageing rock stars and session musicians will keep receiving royalties for their old recordings for the rest of their lives under a European Union plan.Performers currently lose the rights to their recordings after 50 years.Veteran artists like Sir Cliff Richard and Roger Daltrey are among those who have campaigned for it to be extended. The EU has now announced a scheme for copyright on recordings to last for 95 years. EU governments and the European Parliament still need to give approval.
International News: Sir Paul McCartney performed his greatest hits and spoke French to more than 200,000 fans at a Quebec City concert opposed by nationalists. The 66-year-old played Beatles, Wings and solo songs in the outdoor concert - part of the 400th anniversary celebrations of Quebec. Critics questioned Sir Paul's presence because of Britain's 1759 conquest of New France including Quebec. Before the concert, Sir Paul said they should "smoke the pipes of peace". Speaking in a mixture of French and English, he told the crowd: "Bonsoir les Quebecois [Good evening people of Quebec]." "Je parle seulement un petit peu Francais" - I only speak a little bit of French - "so I will be speaking in English - but I think most of you get it."
And finally . . . It's nearly 40 years old but one leading research company says the days of the computer mouse are numbered. A Gartner analyst predicts the demise of the computer mouse in the next three to five years. Taking over will be so called gestural computer mechanisms like touch screens and facial recognition devices. "The mouse works fine in the desktop environment but for home entertainment or working on a notebook it's over," declared analyst Steve Prentice. He told BBC News that his prediction is driven by the efforts of consumer electronics firms which are making products with new interactive interfaces inspired by the world of gaming.
(Jim Evans)
