Newspaper reports have alleged that McClaren and striker Wayne Rooney were involved in a heated bust-up after the Euro 2008 qualifier in Tel Aviv.

"I am absolutely 100% convinced the players are still playing for me," said the under-fire McClaren.

"I feel as though the effort is there but they are not happy because they are not winning and not scoring goals."

Rooney and McClaren are alleged to have exchanged words in the dressing room after the game but are now thought to have resolved any differences.

BBC Five Live football correspondent Jonathan Legard said: "I'm told they were talking yesterday and they are focusing on the game against Andorra."

The goalless draw in Israel puts England's qualification for the European Championship finals in Austria and Switzerland in some doubt.

They are now three points behind second-placed Russia and five behind Group E leaders Croatia, with seven qualifiers left.

More worrying is England's current form, having now gone five games without a win and having managed only one goal during that time.

We know we have to win a good proportion of our remaining games - if not every one Frank Lampard

After another poor showing from some of his so-called big-name players, McClaren insists no-one is safe from the axe ahead of Wednesday's game in Andorra.

"People must produce. They must perform. They know that," he said. "But it is too early to say what the team against Andorra is going to be.

"People are just reacting at the moment. I have to reflect and look in the players' eyes."

Skipper John Terry revealed that the coach had let rip on the players after they walked off the pitch on Saturday.

He revealed: "It certainly felt like a defeat walking into the dressing room after the game. It was dead. The manager had his rant and rave and rightly so.

"What happened in there stays inside the dressing room. That's between us and we'll talk about it a lot more.

"But it was mainly just sheer silence amongst the lads and more frustration within ourselves that we haven't come away with three points.

"I said in the build-up to the game that a draw would not be good enough for us, which it isn't.

"We are very disappointed, after the way we played and the chances we created, that we haven't come away with the three points."

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, one of those players whose place may be in doubt, admitted England may have to win all of their games to qualify.

"We have to be realistic. We know we have to win a good proportion of our remaining games - if not every one," he stated.

It was a better performance in Israel than in some recent games Phil Neville

"We have a lot of home games to come at the new Wembley and we can't be negative about things and get our heads down. We all know there is a great deal of work to be done to get to where we want to be in 2008.

"Most definitely we've got the players in the squad capable of doing that and now it's important we stand up and be counted and do the business.

"We're in one of those patches now where it's not coming but it's not for the want of trying.

"People can talk all they like about waiting for it to come but we're trying to make it happen. It's as simple as that."

Lampard has failed to find the net in his last 10 competitive internationals, while Rooney has gone 15 without finding the net.

Rooney's last competitive goal was against Croatia at Euro 2004.

England defender Phil Neville said after the game McClaren had called for more creativity from his side.

"It was a better performance in Israel than in some recent games but the result was still disappointing," said the Everton star.

"We did everything but score a goal. We didn't take our chances when they came and at this level you have to do that.

"We need to show a lot more invention and creativity to break down another stubborn team. The manager spelt that out in the dressing room on Saturday."

Director Martin Scorsese has never won an Academy Award Clip of The Departed

Martin Scorsese's thriller The Departed has been named favorite to win both best picture and best director at this year's Academy Awards by bookmakers.

Ladbrokes have cut the odds on the film winning best picture to 10/11, while Scorsese is 1/3 favorite to win his first Oscar, according to William Hill.

Dame Helen Mirren is hot favorite to win best actress for The Queen, with William Hill offering odds of 1/12.

Forest Whitaker is odds-on to win best actor for The Last King of Scotland.

This year's Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday, with the awards ceremony to be held in Los Angeles on 25 February.

OSCARS BEST PICTURE ODDS The Departed - 10/11 Babel - 9/4 Little Miss Sunshine - 4/1 The Queen - 8/1 Letters from Iwo Jima - 12/1

In the best picture race, The Departed's closest challenger is Babel, according to Ladbrokes, followed by Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen and Letters From Iwo Jima.

A Ladbrokes spokesman said: "We opened at 5/4 [for The Departed] but had to go odds-on when the money flooded in.

"Often the early money is the best guide to where the gongs are heading."

The bookmaker has already stopped taking bets on Dame Helen because, Ladbrokes said: "Punters have gone bonkers for Mirren and we can't take any more punishment."

In the best actor category, Whitaker's main competition is expected to come from Peter O'Toole and Leonardo DiCaprio.

DiCaprio is nominated for his role in action thriller Blood Diamond, which had its UK premiere in London on Tuesday.

DiCaprio and co-star Djimon Hounsou are both up for Oscars

"I couldn't be happier," DiCaprio said in Leicester Square. "This is a movie I am very, very proud of."

DiCaprio, who also appears in The Departed, said he would be "rooting" for Martin Scorsese to win best director.

As well as familiar names from Britain and the US, this year's nominations feature a significant number of candidates from Mexico.

Adriana Barraza has been shortlisted for best supporting actress for Babel, while her director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu will challenge Scorsese for best director.

Pan's Labyrinth - a fantasy set during the Spanish Civil War directed by Guillermo del Toro - has six nominations, while Alfonso Cuaron was shortlisted in two categories for his dystopian thriller Children of Men.

Laura Ziskin, producer of the Oscars television broadcast, said the diversity of this year's line-up was "thrilling".

Dark fantasy Pan's Labyrinth is up for six Academy Awards

"The Academy Awards go all over the world and I think it is only right that we celebrate the industry throughout the world," she said.

It was "obviously a big year for the Mexican film industry", she added.

Speaking from Miami, Barraza called Babel's seven Oscar nominations "a joy".

"American cinema is receiving people from all over the world," she told the Associated Press news agency. "This can open the doors for everybody."

Fellow Spanish-speaker Penelope Cruz, up for best actress for Volver, said she was "a little bit overwhelmed" by her nomination.

But the Madrid-born star said she felt "a bit confused and sad" that her director Pedro Almodovar had been overlooked.

Since she helped make knitting chic again, it's only fair that Julia Roberts gets the chance to spin a good yarn. 

The Oscar winner, who incidentally was one of the first celebs spied knitting between takes before it became "the latest thing," has signed on to star in The Friday Night Knitting Club, Daily Variety reported Thursday. 

Roberts' Red Om production company will also share producing duties on the Universal drama, based on an upcoming novel by Kate Jacobs about a single mom who runs a Manhattan knitting shop where the regulars gather once a week, Steel Magnolias-style, to chat about life and work on their latest projects. 

Building an indomitable support system in the process, we assume. 

While Roberts has taken time off from the joys of motherhood to lend her voice to The Ant Bully and present pal George Clooney with the American Cinematheque Award last month, Phinnaeus and Hazel's mom has been largely absent from theaters since Ocean's Twelve. 

Pretty Woman fans will be happy to hear then that The Friday Night Knitting Club is just one of three projects in the works for Roberts.  

She's currently in Morocco shooting the political drama Charlie Wilson's War, costarring Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman, and was recently tapped to star in the film version of the memoir Eat, Pray, Love, which Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy will adapt for the big screen. 

But first, another Roberts teaser: Charlotte's Web, with the actress voicing the sage title character, hits theaters Dec. 20.

The Taj Mahal in Agra is India's most popular tourist destination

India has a rich and unique cultural heritage, and has managed to preserve its established traditions throughout history whilst absorbing customs, traditions and ideas from both invaders and immigrants. Many cultural practices, languages, customs and monuments are examples of this co-mingling over centuries. Famous monuments, such as the Taj Mahal and other examples of Islamic-inspired architecture have been inherited from the Mughal dynasty. These are the result of a syncretic tradition that combined elements from all parts of the country.

The magnificent Brihadisvara Temple, built 1000 years ago.

Indian music is represented in a wide variety of forms. The two main forms of classical music are Carnatic from South India, and Hindustani from North India, each of which has several popular sub classes. Popular forms of music also prevail, the most notable being Filmi music. In addition to this are the diverse traditions of folk music from different parts of the country. Many classical dance forms exist, including the Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, and Manipuri. They often have a narrative form and are usually infused with devotional and spiritual elements.

The earliest literary traditions in India were mostly oral, and were later transcribed. Most of these are represented by sacred works like the Vedas and the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Sangam literature from Tamil Nadu represents some of India's oldest traditions. There have been many notable modern Indian writers, both in Indian languages and in English. Millions of ancient handwritten manuscripts have been identified and classified. India's only Nobel laureate in literature was the Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore. India is the third largest newspaper market in Asia with an estimated circulation of at least 66 million copies daily in 2003.

The nation also produces the world's largest number of motion pictures every year. Most cinema productions are based in Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. Popular cinema industries are based on regional languages such as Urdu, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, and Kannada languages.

Varanasi, the religious and cultural center of India for thousands of years is the oldest living city in the world and is considered as one of the most sacred places of pilgrimage for Hindus irrespective of denomination.

Religious practices of various faiths are an integral part of everyday life in society. Religion in India is a very public affair, with many practices imbued with pomp and vitality accompanying their underlying spiritual qualities. Education is highly regarded by members of every socio-economic stratum. Traditional Indian family values are highly respected, and considered sacred, although urban families have grown to prefer a nuclear family system, owing to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system.

The cuisine of India is diverse, as ingredients, spices and cooking methods vary from region to region. Rice and wheat are the staple foods in the country. The country is notable for its wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisine. Spicy food and sweets are popular in India. Traditional dress in India greatly varies across the regions in its colours and styles, and depend on various factors, including climate. Popular styles of dress include the traditional sari for women and the traditional dhoti for men.

India's national sport is field hockey, although cricket is now the de facto national game. In some states, particularly in the northeast, football (soccer) is the most popular sport and is widely watched. In recent times, tennis has gained popularity in India. Chess is also gaining popularity with the rise of the number of recognised grandmasters. The most commonly held view is that chess originated in India. Traditional indigenous sports include kabaddi, Kho Kho and gilli-danda, which are played in most parts of the country.

India is also known as a land of festivals. A melting pot of many religions, India has a rich diversity of festivals, many of which are celebrated irrespective of caste and creed. The most widely known and popular festivals include the Hindu festivals of Diwali, Holi, Pongal and Dussehra and the Muslim festivals of 'Id al-Fitr and 'Id al-Adha. A number of festivals are common to most parts of India; however, they may be called by different names in the various parts of the country or may be celebrated in a different fashion and style

Steven Spielberg was discussing his new project - an action docudrama about famous composers starring top movie stars. Sylvester Stallone, Steven Seagall, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger were all present. Spielberg strongly desired the box office 'oomph' of these superstars, so he was prepared to allow them to select whatever composers they would portray, as long as they were very famous.

"Well," started Stallone, "I've always admired Mozart. I would love to play him."

"Chopin has always been my favorite, and my image would improve if people saw me playing the piano" said Willis. "I'll play him."

"I've always been partial to Strauss and his waltzes," said Seagall. "I'd like to play him."

Spielberg was very pleased with these choices. "Sounds splendid." Then, looking at Schwarzenegger, he asked, "Who do you want to be, Arnold?"

So Arnold says, "I'll be Bach."

 Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra -- speaking from U.N. headquarters in New York -- declared a state of emergency Tuesday after members of the Thai military attempted to seize power in Bangkok.It is unclear who is in control in Bangkok, where tanks are surrounding government headquarters and the royal palace.

The coup is being led by Thai army chief Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratkalin and Thailand's opposition Party of Democratic Reform.

After seizing control of at least one Thai television station, a coup spokesman announced Sonthi has the loyalty of Thailand's armed forces and has declared martial law.

The general has also ordered all troops to remain in the capital, according to a statement by Prapart Sakultanart, who was identified as a spokesman for the military. He said the coup seekers are loyal to Thailand's long-reigning King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Troops on the street were donning yellow ribbons on their weapons, a sign of loyalty to the Thai king.

Earlier, on another Thai television station still under the prime minister's control, the prime minister announced his government remained in control of the armed forces and the capital, and declared the state of emergency.

He also put the country "under the instruction of the supreme commander of the Thai military, who is in Thailand," Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai

The Thai leaders are in New York for the annual meeting of the U.N. General Assembly.At least four tanks and a number of armored vehicles were stationed around the royal palace in Bangkok, CNN's Dan Rivers reported. Soldiers were apparently setting up roadblocks and what appeared to be members of the royal guard surrounded the palace.It was unclear if the soldiers were loyal to the government or to those attempting to seize power.

Two tanks were parked outside the government headquarters, which houses Thaksin's office."We hope that there will not be any violence in Thailand," Surakiart said. "We have come a long long way from that (and) hope that that will continue."Rivers described the scene outside the government headquarters as calm.Thailand operates as a constitutional monarchy, with the king as head of state and the prime minister leading the government. The country is an ally of the U.S. and contributed troops to the U.S.-led military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.Rumors have been swirling in the Thai capital in recent weeks that a coup d'etat was being planned.Thaksin has been under considerable pressure to step down. Elections in Thailand are scheduled for November after the country's constitutional court ruled April's vote was unconstitutional.Thaksin had called for the elections in April, three years early, after opponents accused the billionaire leader of abusing the country's system of checks and balances and bending government policy to benefit his family's business.

Thailand has seen dozens of government coups since the end of World War II.

Both HD DVD and Blu-ray promise clear pictures on high-definition TVs and extra bonus features. But discs in one format won't work in players designed for the other, and consumers who buy gear now run the risk of ending up with a high-def version of a Betamax VCR.

The limited number of high-definition DVD titles available now — lots of warmed-over action flicks — also could temper the immediate acceptance of the technology

The movies aren't cheap, either. The HD DVD version of "Backdraft," a 15-year-old movie starring Kurt Russell, lists for $30.