Whitney Houstons croaky and disorientated opening disappoints fans Down Under`

Whitney Houston"s Australian comeback is under fire after fans criticised the opening night of her Australian tour claiming the singer sounded "croaky and appeared "disorientated".

The American star struggled through the opening night ofher first Australian tour since 1988, and was left breathless and exhausted after just two songs at her show at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, it was claimed.

And even more bizarrely, the 46-year-old took a 20 minute break to catch her breath mid-way through the show.

Poor show: Whitney Houston"s Australian comeback tour got off to a poor start after fans said the singer sounded "croaky" and appeared "disorientated" in Brisbane last night

After half a dozen songs she leftthe stage for twenty minutes to take a break, bringing on her brother, Gary Houston, tosing in her absence.

The band and backing singers then performed an energetic version ofone of her biggest hits, Queen of the Night, from The Bodyguardsoundtrack.

One fan interviewed on Australian TV after the show said: "It was adisgrace.

"She can"t sing. She didn"t sing one song properly.

"She was disorientated and she needed a 20-minute break. It was the first concert I have walked out of in my life."

Another fan said: "She couldn"t entertain a dead rat, to be honest."

Comfort break: Houston, we have a problem: Whitney took a 20 minute break in the middle of her show after sounding breathless

Other fans took to Facebook and Twitter to complain about the "croaky" quality of her voice. "

"We just got back from Whitney Houston concert in Brizzy and I feelso sorry for her. She sounded croaky," fan Rick Crystal said onFacebook.

"#whitneyhouston should have toured 15 years ago. Voice not what itused to be," adavidholloway said on Twitter after the concert.

Some fans said they would be demanding their money back.

"The multi-award winning singer appeared disoriented and failed toproperly name some of her backing band as she introduced them to theaudience, " wrote the Australian Associated Press"s music reviewer.

"But the final act faltered at the finale when she croaked her waythrough I Will Always Love You, pausing to get a drink and towel herself down justas she was about to hit the song"s epic high note, which she turnedinto a soft coo," he added.

Defensive: The singer"s spokesman said the star was "surprised" at the criticism and denied she was suffering from any health-related issues

Whitney has sold more than 170 million albums, singles and videos,with her career soaring through the 1990s, but was later almostconsumed by her heavy drug addiction and abusive relationship withsinger Bobby Brown.

Meanwhile the singer"s spokesman Andrew McManus said Whitney was"surprised" by the negativity and rejected tabloid rumours that she wasseriously ill after the performance.

U.S. tabloid the National Enquirer claimed the 46 year old had collapsed due to a drug and alcohol binge, and that her health has declined in recent months, with family members begging the star to postpone her planned concerts.

"It was not a train wreck," McManus said. "She was hitting most of the notes, yes her throat was a little croaky.

"Her health is fine but she"s also not 22 years of age anymore."

The Australian concerts are part of her comeback "Nothing But Love" tour which kicked off at the end of last year.

"She was not fit to perform," wrote one on the Courier Mail newspaper"s website.

"She seemed to be on another planet and the concert was laughable."

US pop icon Britney Spears attracted the ire of Australian fans in November, with concert-goers reportedly walking out of her show because she was lip-synching.

The tour is scheduled to continue in Sydney, the Hunter Valley, Melbourne and Adelaide.

A sailing legal holiday around Cahors on Frances Lot River

Half way through my wine tasting session on the sunny banks of the River Lot, I asked our vineyard host whether it was acceptable to drink and drive a boat in this part of France. Bernard Bouyssou offered a short answer. "Pfft!" he said.

"Pfft!" is the Gallic equivalent of "Do me a favour" and sums up the nature of all life here in the tranquil Lot Valley, where visiting boaters rule the waves and locals waive the rules.

The Lot doesn"t scream tourism so much as murmur the word with some grace, so after testing eight varieties of heavy red, in the blistering sunshine at Bernard"s riverside Chateau Armandiere, my small party re-boarded our floating wine-shack - and motored meanderingly back upstream.

Bridge of sighs: The striking Pont Cahors cuts across the Lot

It was a moving moment, on that first morning when I awoke on board our jolly boat Salsa, moored at the village of Douelle, and simply stared out across the water. A sheet of shimmering mist hovered just above the river and the thin silver line of a weir"s edge stretched right across the glass-like water to walls of a formidable lock.

Stone houses squatted bankside and the silence was profound as a reddish sun rose over vineyards. A quick trip to the boulangerie; a croissant breakfast on a dewy deck and we were off. Putter-putter-put.

The Lot, France"s seventh-longest river, slicing east to west well inland from Bordeaux, carries no commercial traffic and the landscape is achingly rural. Boating around the sweet little town of Cahors is filled with this kind of detail and small drama, and genuine French colour.

That wine-tasting came on the first morning - a downstream trip to begin. Then we turned round and passed Douelle again, heading upstream and east. Lovely views, greetings from other boaters and the comfort of a case of wine and a larder crammed with fine market food down below.

Our first night was spent in Cahors - 22,000 people held within a wide meander. We moored on grassy banks near the most elegant bridge in France, the stonily turreted Pont Valentre. It"s a small town, yet walking its tight streets with English guide Susan Baxter (who"s lived here for 17 years) was intriguing.

Street life: The rural markets offer everything from fruit and vegetables to over 300 different cheeses

The medieval quarter on the eastern side is riddled with small shops,cafes and restaurants. Gloomy passages offer a tiny glimpse of historyand human activity. In the market square near the 12th-centurycathedral, for instance, we found Marty the dairy man surrounded by araucous flutter of stalls, offering at least 300 varieties of cheese.

Calling at the small village of Vers, four hours upstream, I met English artists Sally and Jeffery Stride, who live near the water, their garden ablaze with flowers. They told me how they fetched up here in the Seventies, but their van broke down so they stayed.

The local mayor was so impressed by their artistic credentials he gave them a flat to live in free; so they settled in the valley and raised three children. Their river paintings not only sell to locals and visitors but also hang in Downing Street and the Elysee Palace; not bad for a couple of van-driving hippies. More...France holidays: Food, wine, chateaux (and the law) in the lovely LoireLanguedoc cooking course: The key to French cuisine? Add more butter!Beaujolais Nouveau: A time-traveller"s journey in search of the wine the Eighties adored

Mooring at villages was free; "Stay as long as you like!" said a passer-by and good restaurants were everywhere, with dinner at around 25 a head. La Truite Doree, in Vers, was probably the jolliest.

But the main point of boating holidays is the water itself.

That"s where much of the small-time drama came in as we dashed into locks, narrowly missed other boats, or sometimes didn"t. The best accident I saw involved a bunch of Britons charging into the mooring at Vers forgetting that they"d laid out a dinner table on the top deck - and that the trees under which they were passing were, in fact, very low indeed.

Watching an entire table of crockery being swept, broken and jangling, into the water while locals applauded wildly was an evil joy. How did we ever rule those waves?

Lovely Lot: Saint Cirque Lapopie is a towering medieval village overlooking the river and very popular with tourists

Finally, we arrived at St Cirque Lapopie, a towering, medieval village clinging to rocks overlooking the Lot, the high water mark of our upstream journey.

It"s so exquisitely preserved, it attracts huge numbers of tourists, so one moment I was eating purple figs plucked from wild trees; next there was a deluge of English voices and someone in a cafe playing Purple Rain on a guitar.

Later that evening, the crowds vanished and I was left drinking fenelon, a local aperitif (Cahors red wine, cassis, with a dash of walnut liquor) in silky dark silence.

On my final morning, I borrowed a bike and cycled four miles to the Pech Merle Caves a little inland where guides took us deep into the limestone to view the 25,000-year-old paintings.

They told me a couple of local lads discovered the ancient artwork by accident in 1922; and in the gloom, I imagined their delight, running home to tell their parents what treasures they"d found in the depths of the Lot valley. I felt pretty similar, in fact, cycling back to the boat; casting off, heading back to Douelle.

Travel Facts

A week"s cruising, based on a boat sleeping ten, starts at 1,640. Hoseasons (0844 847 1100, www.hoseasons.co.uk). Flybe flies from London to Bergerac (0871 700 2000, www.flybe.com) from 112 return.

Double from Fernando Torres eases vigour on Rafael Benitez Liverpool

Tony Barrett & , : {}

Rafael Benítez competence have suffered the violation of carrying his man- government skills and capability to enthuse brought in to subject by one of his own players. But if there is one thing about the Liverpool physical education instructor that has frequency been in doubt, it is his genius to get a outcome when he needs it most.

Lille had hoped to take value of both their first-leg value and any noise in the Liverpool ranks after Albert Rieras coming out opposite his manager, but they had not reckoned on the happy knack common by Benítez and his group of anticipating strength in adversity, quite on European nights at Anfield.

Throughout his time with Liverpool, there have been countless occasions when the walls have appeared to be shutting in on the Spaniard, when his critics inside and outward the bar see set to move him down, usually for him to conjure up an doubtful feat that restores his respirating space.

Last night was an additional such occasion, as Rieras perspective that his associate Spaniard is presiding over a falling boat was challenged, if not refuted altogether.

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On this evidence, there is no need to send for the lifeboats usually yet. Not with Fernando Torres in abounding goalscoring form, on condition that a irresolution that is so unequivocally bad indispensable among a deteriorate when the waters have not usually been choppy, but have been to make use of a word that Riera will know well treacherous.

Torres scored twice, his initial European goals in roughly a year, to take Liverpool in to the quarter-finals of the Europa League and give Benítez an event to explain the dignified high belligerent on top of Riera, who has been dealt with by the bar on comment of his comments.

It is unequivocally clear, Benítez said. Sometimes you dont need to speak as well much. You usually need to see the players together on the pitch, operative together with the throng at the behind of them. It is a illusory thing. It was a unequivocally great opening and a great night to enjoy.

On Rieras attack, he would usually supplement bluntly that the timing was not the majority appropriate for the group and we will understanding with this internally. The probability is that that the winger competence well have over Anfield by the time the quarter-finals take place early subsequent month.

Liverpools thoroughfare to the subsequent turn was not as candid as the last measure competence suggest. After receiving a two-goal lead in the arise of Steven Gerrards early penalty, awarded after a shining run by Lucas Leiva was halted illegally by Adil Rami, and Torress heading dinked finish, the jitters set in as the realization dawned that a Lille idea could lean the tie behind in the foster of the on vacation team.

Clearly the diversion was not over at 2-0 since theyre a great team, Benítez admitted. We indispensable to measure a third idea to relax.

Fittingly, that third idea was scored by Torres. Significantly, quite with Sundays revisit to Old Trafford appearing large, it was combined by Gerrard. On far as well majority occasions this season, Liverpools star span have been short of their majority appropriate form since of fitness problems, but with Manchester United on the setting they crop up to be attack their walk once more.

Liverpool will be carried by that, nonetheless Nemanja Vidic is no disbelief less in love by it after his practice at their hands last year.

Torres was operative unequivocally tough with the physios when he was harmed and they were you do a illusory pursuit that you can see now, but I still think he can improve, Benítez said. It creates a big disproportion to us when he and Gerrard are personification well.

I would similar to to contend that Torres is usually 50 per cent since that would unequivocally greatfully me, but, seriously, he is unequivocally close to his best.

Had Pepe Reina not denied the sparkling Eden Hazard with an unusual save with his head when the total scores were level, Liverpool competence have struggled to levy their authority of proceedings.

Unlike during their luckless Champions League campaign, however, the big moments were to go their approach and Lille offering no complaints about that such was the altogether peculiarity of Liverpools opening on the night.

They positively could not cope with Torres, who over the locus to a station ovation, that was even assimilated by Diego Maradona, who was examination from the directors box. The Argentina manager and fable has trodden the trail to mass that Torres is anticipating to obey in South Africa in the summer and he could not censor his high regard of the Spain forwards goalscoring artistry.

That would have been the majority good end of all had it not been for the preference of jot down played over the Anfield Tannoy before long after the last alarm had been blown.

As the Liverpool players left the representation they were serenaded with Gerry Marsdens 1960s classical Ferry Cross The Mersey. As a come-back of Rieras explain that Liverpools boat is sinking, it was superseded usually by the result.

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): J M Reina G Johnson, J Carragher, D Agger (sub: S Kyrgiakos, 90min), E Insúa Lucas Leiva, J Mascherano D Kuyt, S Gerrard, R Babel (sub: Y Benayoun, 80) F Torres (sub: D Ngog, 90). Substitutes not used: D Cavalieri, P Degen, N El Zhar, M Kelly. Booked: Insúa, Torres.

Lille (4-1-2-2-1): M Landreau F Beria, A Chedjou, A Rami, Emerson R Mavuba F Balmont (sub: P-E Aubameyang, 71), Y Cabaye E Hazard (sub: J Vandam, 86), L Obraniak P-A Frau (sub: L Tour, 58). Substitutes not used: L Butelle, S Dumont, P Souare, A Souquet. Booked: Cabaye.

Referee: N Rizzoli (Italy).

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British Library launches UK internet archive

Nigel Kendall, Technology Editor & , : {}

So, the internet of today"s not big sufficient for you?

Then have a see at the 6,000 or so comparison sites that have been newly picked up by the British Library for the UK Web Archive, that launched today.

The Library, that collects each only at certain time of year and book published in English, motionless to magnify the reach to cover the internet in 2004, when it was transparent that the web"s expansion would fundamentally meant that a little sites would disappear.

At the launch in London last night, British Library Chief Executive Dame Lynne Brindley said, The Library has worked without delay with copyright holders to constraint and safety over 6,000 delicately comparison websites, assisting to equivocate the origination of a digital black hole in the nations memory."

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At present, she warned, copyright restrictions meant that the Library is doubtful to be means to jot down most some-more than 1 per cent of online calm by 2010, a incident she hopes new legislation will assistance to change. The UK is now home to 8 million websites.

The little fragment comparison by the Library represents an appealing cross-section of British concerns over the last 6 years, in 7 categories: Arts Humanities; Business, Economy Industry; Education Research; Government, Law Politics; Medicine Health; Science Technology; and Society Culture. The repository is searchable, and the home page groups together a preference of themes that might be of seductiveness to infrequent readers.

The display of comparison sites is impressive, permitting users to perspective a image of a site"s growth over the years. Early sites, such as those of the Royal Society, show the kind of full-frame text-heavy page that was usual in the early days of the net. A slider allows you to fast-forward to 2009, to see how the site has changed.

The new UK Archive reflects flourishing regard about the impermanence of interpretation - from "printed" difference to photography, promotion and movie - in the digital age. In the US, the not-for-profit Internet Archive performs a identical function, but with a larger importance on multimedia content.

The Times maintains the own repository of element from the newspaper"s 225-year history.

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Roberto Mancini vows to stay at Manchester City even if they destroy to finish in tip four

By Mark Ogden 730AM GMT twenty-four March 2010

Looking to the destiny Roberto Mancini aims to stay put Photo GETTY IMAGES

The Italian, recruited to reinstate the sacked Mark Hughes last December, can lift Man City in to fourth on all sides on Wednesday night with a feat opposite in-form Everton at Eastlands.

Securing a place in the Champions League is regarded as the consequential subsequent step for the bar by owners Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the doubt over Mancini"s pursuit prospects at City should he destroy to grasp that idea have led to conjecture in Italy joining him with the inhabitant group pursuit and a probable move to Juventus.

Manchester City v Everton preview Neville I"d never stick on City Mancini Lescott out for five weeks Garrido Tevez is Man City"s Rooney Fulham 1 Manchester City 2 Sport on radio

Mancini has distanced himself from both the Italy and Juventus rumours, however, and he insists that he is formulation to be at City subsequent season, either they are in the Champions League or not.

He pronounced "Our aim is fourth but yes, if we didn"t finish fourth I still design to lift on in this job. I would similar to to fool around in the Champions League subsequent deteriorate usually similar to the players. But it depends on all of us. It is up to us to get the formula to finish fourth and qualify. We have a good possibility to fool around in the Champions League.

"Liverpool have been struggling but I don"t think they are out of the competition yet. Nor are Tottenham or Villa. But this is a singular event to force the approach in to the tip 4 and we can"t equates to to let it go."

City"s Champions League hopes have been strike with acknowledgment that twenty-two million defender Joleon Lescott will be sidelined for up to five weeks after pang shop-worn injure leg tendon tendons.

The former Everton defender, who left Goodison Park in hostile resources last August, will thus miss out on a reunion with his former team.

Everton physical education instructor David Moyes claims that the outrageous monetary resources at City usually offer to enlarge the vigour on the bar to attain quickly.

Moyes pronounced "How most trophies are there to win? There are not enough, but if the big owners outlay income it puts them [managers] underneath a lot of pressure.

"The common is important. It"s what is indispensable for any football bar and you usually get that by a small bit of time and a possibility to work with the players.

"Manchester City have paid for players who have got undoubted bent who can win games, people who can have the difference, and since time, they competence have a group similar to Everton. But I"ve been advantageous and been since eight years to cover a group that knows what it equates to to fool around for Everton and what it equates to to supporters.

"I don"t know if all the Manchester City players know what it equates to to the supporters. Or what it equates to to fool around for Manchester City.

"I think the people who are here assimilate what"s required. That"s since we can"t unexpected go out and shift things and have a difference."

Lottery winners "give old home to cleaner" UK headlines

EuroMillions lottery winners Nigel Page and Justine Laycock have reportedly since their old home to their cleaner. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

The winners of Britain"s biggest-ever lottery esteem have since their old residence to their cleaner, it was reported today.

Nigel Page and Justine Laycock, who won £56m on the EuroMillions lottery last month, have changed from their home in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, to what has been described as an "eco-friendly £4m mansion".

The Daily Mail reported that the couple"s cleaner, Denise Kelso, had changed in to their former four-bedroom residence with her husband, James.

The paper pronounced she would lift on operative for the lottery winners at their new home, nearby Cirencester.

"They are not vital at their old place any more, so they longed for to give it to someone who would conclude it," a crony of Laycock"s was reported as saying.

Kelso, a former beer hall landlord, has additionally been since Laycock"s Honda Civic, according to reports, with the family carrying taken receive of a new BMW.

It is not well known either the Kelsos have been means tenure of the skill or are being authorised to live there rent-free.

Killed Hamas central Mahmoud al-Mabhouh tricked by associate, says Dubai military arch World headlines

The father of killed Palestinian belligerent Mahmoud al-Mabhouh binds up a sketch of his son Photograph: Hatem Moussa/AP

Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, the Hamas central assassinated in Dubai, was tricked by a close associate, the emirate"s troops arch claimed as it emerged currently that the Palestinian"s murderers used some-more feign Irish passports.

Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim described whoever leaked sum of Mahbouh"s attainment to his assassins as "the genuine killer", Abu Dhabi"s al-Khalij journal reported. Tamim pronounced last week he was 99% sure Israel"s Mossad tip make use of was responsible.

Mabhouh, pronounced by Israel to have been bootlegging Iranian weapons and income in to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, was murdered in his room at the al-Bustan Rotana road house in Dubai on Jan 19. Israel has conjunction reliable nor denied the involvement.

Tamim, voicing guess of an "agent" in Hamas"s ranks, urged it to investigate. But the Islamist transformation has blamed the Fatah rival, that controls the West Bank, for assisting the purported Israeli strike team. Two Palestinians from Gaza who once worked for Fatah security are in control in Dubai after being handed over by Jordan.

Nahru Massoud, a comparison figure in the Izzedine al-Qassam brigades, the troops wing of Hamas, has denied he was being investigated for involvement. He had been in Abu Dhabi but left the UAE prior to to Mabhouh"s murder, he told Hamas"s al-Aqsa TV from Syria. Fatah officials had claimed he was underneath detain in Damascus.

In Gaza, a Hamas MP, Salah Bardawil, pronounced on Saturday that Mabhouh had unwittingly helped his killers by creation transport plans online and deliberating them on the phone, implying he was underneath notice by the Mossad. The explain was denied by Mabhouh"s hermit Fayek.

Dubai troops right away contend up to eighteen suspects used changed British, Irish, French and German passports prior to to the killing. Officials pronounced currently that at slightest dual some-more fake Irish passports had been related to the murdering and that a little of the suspects had visited the city on a reconnoitering mission.

Tamim described the attempted attempted murder as "no longer a internal issue, but a security issue for European countries".

David Miliband, the unfamiliar secretary, and his Irish counterpart, Michael Martin, are both due to encounter the Israeli unfamiliar minister, Avigdor Lieberman, tomorrow in Brussels, where the passports issue is sure to be raised. Britain has insisted it had no prior to believe of the gangland slaying or the fake make use of of the passports.

The Foreign Office pronounced it did "not recognise" a Sunday journal inform claiming a British apportion had been briefed that Israeli immigration officials had copied the pass details. "The defrauding of British passports is a really critical issue," a orator said. "The supervision will go on to take all the movement that is required to strengthen British nationals from temperament fraud."

UK officials have pronounced no movement is approaching prior to to the execution of an review in to the event by Soca, the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

The National, the UAE"s heading English-language paper, yesterday described Britain"s snub over the passports as "less full-throated than one competence have expected."

It added: "Israel"s determined defilement of an additional nation"s government to dedicate a attempted attempted murder deserves all the indignation it garners. But that so most passports have been used fraudulently is not only a make a difference of inhabitant shame, it is a make a difference of tellurian security. There are most questions that remain. What is extravagantly clear, however, is that the gangland slaying tract is as most a European complaint right away as a Middle Eastern one."