Next sees the arrival of three romantic and charming world-class operas as Welsh National Opera presents the dreamlike classic The Magic Flute to Mozart's instantly recognisable score, a beautiful and traditional production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin full of drama and suspense, and Verdi's wonderfully witty Falstaff which has not been performed since 1993 (April 1 to 5). Passionate and sultry, dark and thrilling - the legendary story of swashbuckling hero Zorro will soon be brought to life on stage by an award-winning creative team in a brand new musical (April 8 to 12). A gripping tale of good versus evil, full of sword fighting action, adventure, colour and romance, this fast-moving musical is ready to set the stage alight. Direct from a sell-out run in the West End, Sadler's Wells and Congas Productions present Havana Rakatan (April 17 to 20), a dazzling dance spectacular bringing all the passion and heat of a Cuban summer to Milton Keynes.

Place your bets

Gates' replacement Ray Ozzie won't excite the bookies while Steve Ballmer is too sweaty and kooky. Larry Ellison's Oracle has no direct impact on consumers. Vinod Khosla founded Sun and as a venture capitalist helped Amazon.com, Netscape, Electronic Arts and Google get off the ground but is more interested in ethanol than IT these days. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg is too young. Google's Page and Brin have the backstory, the bank balance and ambition to match, but may lack the necessary charisma. That leaves Apple's Steve Jobs (above) odds-on to become top geek. So tell us about the future, Steve.
-- SIMON SHARWOOD

Last year eBay red-facedly admitted it paid about $US1 billion ($1.3 billion) too much for Skype in 2005, having over-estimated its revenue potential.

Illinois Employment Report: Employee Confidence Index Slightly ...

The Illinois Employee Confidence Index declined 0.3 points to 49.7 in January, according to the latest Spherion(R) Employment Report. The monthly survey of Illinois workers, conducted by Harris Interactive(R) on behalf of Spherion Corporation, indicates that more workers are concerned about the economy. However, the survey also shows that workers are more confident in the future of their employer.

"From month to month Illinois has remained a stable market for job seekers, despite widespread economic concerns. Although there was a small decrease in the Confidence Index in January, job seekers looking for employment throughout the state are not having experiences that reflect this," explained Jodie Wood, regional director of Spherion Staffing Services in Illinois.

Jim Zarroli, NPR Biography

He is a 1980 graduate of Pennsylvania State University, with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. He loves traveling to new places, reading, gardening, and he likes most people except those who mistreat animals. He lives with his partner in New York and has two formerly stray cats.