But military authorities in Batna and hospital officials refused yesterday to comment on the report.The attack was the most damaging on the military since at least February 1998, when 28 soldiers were killed in an ambush in Boghni in the restive Kabyle region, 80 miles east of Algiers.More than 120,000 people have been killed in more than a decade of civil strife in Algeria, where Islamic militants have been staging massacres since they were shut of out parliamentary elections in 1992. Last year some 1,100 civilians, militants and security forces were killed in violence linked to the insurgency, roughly the same number as in 2001 (AP). Tom Clancy’s fat thrillers are becoming feedstock for games-makers who want to combine realism, action and military precision. Some efforts have been dire, but Splinter Cell is an extraordinary tour de force. The game emphasises stealth over outright action, and the style of play will be familiar to fans of Metal Gear Solid. You conserve ammo, hide behind walls and learn the guards’ patrol patterns. The graphics are on another level: everything is crisp and detailed, with curtains billowing gently as you pass, and shadows playing an important role in spotting what is coming.

The story, based on Clancy’s oeuvre, starkly demonstrates how much better games’ plotlines could be if they got a pro to write them. It’s hideously complicated, but once you’ve invested the time it takes to get used to the controls, it’s a clear contender for best stealth game ever. Splinter Cell, Xbox (Ubi Soft), £39.99
Tom Clancy’s fat thrillers are becoming feedstock for games-makers who want to combine realism, action and military precision. Big Mutha Truckers is a miserable attempt to make trucking exciting by having you race against other lorries in order to make money from various jobs.

The missions are all the same: drive as fast as possible through an all-American countryside without jack-knifing your load across the freeway. There is a distinct lack of any sense of speed, adventure or fun. The graphics are all right, if you like that kind of thing.*. We watch less television, do more of our work from home, spend less time shopping in stores and are devoting less time to our families. These and other changes to our lives and habits are being brought about by the internet, suggestsa study on how and why we use the web.