Two weeks ago, the former South African president, who will be in London this week, spoke movingly about the death of his son, Makgatho, from Aids, saying that HIV and Aids should be treated by society as nothing more than illnesses.As Mr Smith read newspaper reports of Mr Mandela’s speech, he knew he had to speak out. He did not want to provoke a media feeding-frenzy about his life or for other public figures who were gay. Although much progress had been made in the past 20 years, there was still much prejudice about HIV so perhaps he should use the moment to try to puncture the myths about the condition?Nelson Mandela tipped the balance. As his party approached, Mr Smith thought to himself, “Well, exactly the same is true for people with HIV”. It’s even been suggested they could wear electronic sensors as worn by fencers to determine when there is a good hit.The senator asked: “Who’s going to object to chickens fighting like humans do?”. Twenty years ago, Chris Smith made headlines when he “came out” as Britain’s first openly gay MP.

As he prepared to celebrate that landmark moment at a reception in his honour tomorrow week, the former cabinet minister wondered whether to reveal he had been HIV-positive for 17 years. Fortune magazine last year estimated they were worth $137m (£72m) each.* LAST WEEK I saw Senator Ted Kennedy deliver a foreign policy address in Washington in which he essentially called for US and British troops to get out of Iraq. He said: “The US military presence has become part of the problem, not part of the solution.”It was good, common-sense stuff. But standing listening one could not help but wonder why Mr Kennedy, had not encouraged his friend John Kerry to take a similar stance when he was running for president rather than engaging in a bout of one-upmanship with Mr Bush to see who could be the “toughest” on Iraq. Has there, one wonders, been a parting of the ways between the two members for Massachusetts?* WAS THE Foreign Secretary Jack Straw – fresh from the Far East – particularly tired last week when he arrived in Washington to meet the new Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice?Pandora only asks because when it came to his briefing of British newspaper reporters after his two-hour lunch meeting, Mr Straw – usually bright and breezy and handshakes-all-round – was decidedly grumpy. Several years ahead of schedule, the 18-year-old twins have bought out the lawyer who helped them make it big. Robert Thorne said the women approached him to buy his “very substantial minority stake” in their privately held Dualstar company.I didn’t want to stand in their way provided I was taken care of, as I was handsomely,” he said.Dualstar, which employs about 40 people in Los Angeles, with additional staffers in New York and London, targets young girls with home videos, CDs, books, apparel, fragrances and Barbie dolls all bearing the twins’ wholesome image.

Will the government try to stop it An earlier project involving the Film Council was dropped after the council, funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, failed to come up with the money.Secondly who will star as Prezza? After the untimely death of Marlon Brando, there are few remaining dramatists with the sufficient stature to play Mr Prescott.* THE TEEN moguls everyone loves to hate are going to be busier than ever.Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, have taken full control of their billion-dollar media empire. US – Non farm payrolls (Jan); Unemployment rate (Jan); Michigan consumer sentiment survey (Jan).. Could Prezza be heading for Hollywood? Such a possibility emerges with the news that an independent film-maker might make a movie of the book Dustbingate. US – ISM manufacturing index (Jan).WEDNESDAY: Eurozone – Producer price inflation (Dec). US – Interest rate decision.THURSDAY: UK – Services PMI (Jan) Eurozone – Services PMI (Jan) ECB Interest rate decision.