Europe Intelligence Wire articles from August 2005

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from August 2005

A time of change as US companies consolidate.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Spate of acquisitions alter sector's structure, writes Phil Hastings CONSOLIDATION in the US logistics industry is accelerating, boosted by a continuing flow of company acquisitions. Meanwhile, the...

Has the box bubble burst?
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) T he penny seems at last to have dropped that the shipowners' market which has obtained albeit briefly in the liner trades, would appear to be over. There are still some optimists suggesting that this is but a...

Barbados flag chief queries value of document checks.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Not a matter for endorsing flag states, Sawyer suggests, writes David Osler THE case for tighter flag state verification of officer documents has 'yet to be made', the head of an up-and-coming open register...

BUNKER MARKET REPORT.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) BUNKER MARKET REPORT - July 19, 2005 Compiled for Lloyd's List by Egil Bjorn-Hansen, Oslo CONTINENT: Stable. AFRICA'MIDDLE EAST: Soft. FAR EAST : Singapore and Korea: soft. Japan: steady. USA:...

Mumbai numbed by 'worst floods in living memory'.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Shirish Nadkarni in Mumbai INDIA'S commercial capital Mumbai shuddered to a halt on Wednesday as heavy rains, touching over 90 cm in a single day, stopped rail and bus traffic, silenced mobile phones and land...

Pension protests set to derail Panama Canal widening.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) CIVIL unrest is jeopardising two of the Panamanian government's key policies, pension reform and a national referendum on widening the Panama Canal, writes Carlos Calcedo. President Martin Torrijos came to power last...

Italians take control at TX Logistik.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) TRENITALIA has effectively taken control of TX Logistik by taking a majority stake in the private German rail operator, writes Katrin Berkenkopf in Cologne. The company, which is a subsidiary of Italy's state-owned...

Last Word.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Joint venture Last year saw The Marine Society, the oldest marine charity, merge with The Sea Cadets to become The Marine Society ' Sea Cadets, which maintains the continuity in a pleasing fashion and eschews the...

ITF mulls wisdom of Solomon Islands registry.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: David Osler THE Solomon Islands has passed legislation to allow the country to enter the open registry market. The impoverished archipelago, situated east of Papua New Guinea, hopes to earn up to...

Italy throws down the gauntlet to Indian Ocean pirates as warship is dispatched.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Move follows two attacks within a week off Somalia, writes John McLaughlin ITALY will despatch a warship to the Indian Ocean to protect Italian merchant ships operating in the region, the country's Ministry...

Nelson's seven signatures.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) A complete set of Lord Nelson's seven signatures marking key stages in his life will be on display for the first time as part of a new exhibition created by Lloyd's to celebrate the bicentenary of Trafalgar. It is...

CP Ships breaks silence on takeover talks.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Line remains tight-lipped on offer details, writes Janet Porter CP Ships ended weeks of speculation about its future on Friday afternoon by confirming that it was in discussions 'regarding a possible...

Great Eastern dazzles more cautious rivals.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: First quarter net profit sees 245% jump, writes Shirish Nadkarni INDIA'S largest private sector shipowner, Great Eastern Shipping,has turned in a dazzling performance during the first quarter of the...

Sumitomo lands China Merchants order.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Mike Grinter in Hong Kong SUMITOMO Heavy Industries of Japan has confirmed signing a deal with China Merchants Group for two 105,000 dwt tankers. Priced at $62.5m each, the vessels will be deployed by...

Senior Willis trio move to Integro's New York operation.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: James Brewer INTEGRO, a new insurance brokerage set up to challenge the majors in big ticket areas following the Spitzer-investigated scandals, has lured three senior brokers from Willis, the world's third...

Property sale raises ports cash for P'O.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) THE P'O quest to recycle capital into its high growth ports business continues with the British group raising more than GBP50m ($94.3m) through a property sale, writes Tony Gray. Subsidiary Boston Wharf has sold the...

K Line Europe wins twin Arcelor Atlantic deals.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Tony Gray Japan's K Line has secured major new dry bulk shipping contracts from Arcelor, the Luxembourg-based steel giant. The two contracts have been won by the group's subsidiary K Line (Europe) and...

Texas refinery blaze is new blow to BP.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) BRITISH oil major BP is reeling from another accident at its giant US operations with a fire at the Texas City refinery, writes Martyn Wingrove. The world's second largest oil company has extinguished a fire at the...

Clerici group given nod to manage specialised 'cold centre' near Naples.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Deal will boost massive new logistics hub that is only short of customers, writes John McLaughlin THE Clerici Logistics Group has added significantly to its warehousing portfolio with a new agreement to...

Seafarers 'still the subject of abuse'.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Michael Grey ABUSES and exploitation of seafarers still exist despite improvement, the International Commission on Ship-ping said in its final report. The commission, under the chairmanship of former...

Democracy allows all people to express opinions freely even seafarers.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: From Andreas A Constantinou Letters To The Editor SIR, I refer to the letter from Ronald Vopel, entitled 'No democracy if owners dictate to politicians' (Lloyd's List, July 18). Democracy is a big...

Malaysia ready for help over Malacca Strait.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: But military aid ruled out, writes Mike Grinter in Hong Kong MALAYSIA has told the US and other members of a regional security forum it was willing to accept their help to improve security in the Malacca...

UN aid ship hijackers say crew members will be released.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: David Osler The Somali gang holding the crew of a general cargoship have agreed to release most of the men, according to a spokesman for the hostage takers. Eight Kenyan nationals will be the first to be...

Third World wages won't stem shortages.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: From Captain C R Kelso Letters To The Editor SIR, The cogent viewpoint put forward by William O'Neill in Viewpoint (Lloyd's List, July 25) virtually encapsulates all that need be said about the sorry...

Sewage rules come on stream.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Sandra Speares NEW rules preventing sewage pollution from ships come into force today. They implement revisions to Marpol Annex IV which were adopted by resolution MEPC 115 (51). According to the...

CNOOC may raise bid to stay in battle for Unocal.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) CHINA National Offshore Oil Corporation is considering raising its bid for Unocal after the California company opted to back a rival offer from US major Chevron, writes Martyn Wingrove. State-controlled CNOOC could...

IMO agrees on cleaner air.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) NEW rules on air emissions are expected to enter into force in November next year following agreement at the International Maritime Organisation, writes Sandra Speares. The IMO's Marine Environmental Protection...

Things look up for tankers.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Even older vessels are said to be attracting overtures from the Far East but bulk carrier market is quieter, writes David Osler SUGGESTIONS of a relative upturn in the tanker sale and purchase market...

Dry Bulk Fixtures.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) MISC Santos to Egypt Tyhi, 28,000t, $27 per tonne, fio 6,000'3,000, spot. (Noble Chart) Cape Century (172,683 dwt, 14.4'57L 15.75'57B, 2001-built) delivery Qingdao Aug 1-5, redelivery Continent, $13,250 daily....

Product seesaw puts East before West.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Rajesh Joshi in New York Tankers UP IN the east, down in the west, and, for good measure, steady in the middle. That was the product story last week. The Singapore to Japan 30,000 tonne sector...

Handy rates gloom spreads to the Atlantic.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Dry Trade AFTER the sustained slide in the Pacific it is now the turn of handy bulk rates in the Atlantic to join the race to the bottom, writes Rajesh Joshi in New York. With brokers in certain parts of the...

Tanker Fixtures.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) CLEAN Tuapse to Mediterra-nean Roy Maersk , 30,000t, W185, Aug 1. (Alpine) Constantza to US Gulf Rosa Tomasos , 32,000t, W230, Aug 1. (Agip) Caribbean to US Atlantic coast San Jacinto, 38,000t, W227.5, Aug...

Bangladesh or bust: the only choice in scrap.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Brian Reyes in Gibraltar BANGLADESH remains the only destination of interest for shipowners thinking about scrapping their vessels. Despite talk that Pakistan, propped up by recent tax breaks, is set to...

Postal bureaux team up to launch express service.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Partnership will compete with private express delivery operators, writes Mike Grinter in Hong Kong NATIONAL postal bureaux across Asia Pacific are poised to boost profitability at the expense of private...

Alianca swaps service calls.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Rob Ward BRAZILIAN coastal operator Alianca Navegacao e Logistica, has revamped its cabotage service axing the call to Vila do Conde, at the northern extremity of its Sling Two operation and replacing it with...

Battle over opening up Brazilian dredging.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Rob Ward OCTAVIO Bertacin, the president of Brazilian flag dredging company Dragaport, has spoken out against Brazilian government moves to allow foreign dredging companies to tender for contracts in the...

Irish Rail axes containers.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Tom MacSweeney in Dublin THE Irish state rail company has decided to close its container freight business, claiming that it accounted for only 10% of its freight business but was losing money to the extent...

Hellmann targets bigger British role.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) MULTIMODAL forwarder Hellmann Worldwide Logistics is stepping up its presence in the British ocean freight market. It has started a push to raise the profile of the business both internally within the company and...

India and US in joint plan for data exchange.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) THE US and India have presented a joint proposal at WTO trade talks that calls for the establishment of a global information exchange and handling mechanism to enhance customs efficiency, writes John Zarocostas in...

Names pour in for Middle East'India gala awards.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Dubai is the fitting host for this exciting new annual event, which recognise excellence in the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent, writes Christopher Mayer NOMINATIONS are pouring in for the first Lloyd's...

BUNKER QUALITY REPORT - July 21, 2005.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) BUNKER QUALITY REPORT - July 21, 2005 U'F = unfilterable This Bunker Quality Report is based on samples analysed by DNV Petroleum Services and is an abstract from their more detailed fuel quality statistics...

BUNKER MARKET REPORT - July 27, 2005.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) BUNKER MARKET REPORT Compiled for Lloyd's List by Cockett Marine Oil Ltd July 27, 2005 PRICES are current and based on live, average sized, bunker deals. The Cockett Bunker Price Index is based on 1000 as of...

River Trade Terminal faces fresh legal problems.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Row over handling regional traffic, writes Keith Wallis RIVER Trade Terminal Co of Hong Kong is facing fresh legal difficulties after the government confirmed it was taking action against it for breaching...

Seasonal investors and super seamanship.
August 1, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Michael Grey Viewpoint Summertime and the weather has broken, school is out and the roads are all choked. Large sections of European enterprise are effectively closed for the duration, and Greek...

Smedvig inngar ny kontrakt for T-9 i Malaysia.
August 1, 2005... (From Hugin) Stavanger, 1. august 2005 Tender-riggen T-9, hvor Smedvig har en eierandel pa 49 prosent, har blitt tildelt ny kontrakt av ExxonMobil i Malaysia. Produksjonsboreoppdraget har en varighet pa ca. tre ar. Planlagt oppstart er i...

Ahold in first acquisition for three years.
August 1, 2005... (From FT Investor (Pulses)) Ahold shares rose 1.1 per cent to 7.34 on Monday after it announced the acquisition of 67 Julius Meinl supermarkets in the Czech Republic. The purchase, for an undisclosed sum, is the first acquisition by the...

Smedvig secures new contract for T-9 in Malaysia.
August 1, 2005... (From Hugin) STAVANGER, Norway, August 1, 2005 -- The tender rig T-9, in which Smedvig owns 49 percent, has been awarded a contract extension by ExxonMobil in Malaysia. The production drilling assignment has a duration of three years....

Aircraft evacuated in Stockholm before takeoff.
August 1, 2005... (From Airline Industry Information) Passengers were evacuated from a Scandinavian Airlines aircraft prior to takeoff from Stockholm, Sweden on Saturday (30 July) after a mobile phone was left on a seat. The phone belonged to a Russian...

Vienna airport luggage system breaks down.
August 1, 2005... (From Airline Industry Information) A malfunction of the luggage sorting system at Vienna's international airport on Saturday morning (30 July) reportedly caused delays. The system breakdown led to a backlog of at least 500 bags,...

3 NEW MEMBERS APPOINTED TO GOVT'S ADVISORY BODY ON ZOOS.
August 1, 2005... (From Government News Network (Was Hermes-Government Press Releases)) ] DEPARTMENT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS ref: 339/05 1 August 2005 THREE NEW MEMBERS APPOINTED TO GOVERNMENT'S ADVISORY BODY ON ZOOS Three new...

Hugin Ad hoc announcement according to 15 WpHG: Board of directors: NOKIA: Nokia moves forward with management succession plan.
August 1, 2005... (From Hugin) Ad-hoc announcement processed and transmitted by Hugin ASA. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- -...

Pope urges all sides to embrace peace.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Fionnan Sheahan Pope Benedict yesterday welcomed the IRA decision to end its armed campaign and urged all sides to take further steps for peace. "It's fine news that contrasts with the painful...

Third victim of loyalist feud had survived murder bid six years ago.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: David McKittrick A deadly feud between loyalist paramilitary groups in Belfast claimed its third life at the weekend with the killing of a man in the north of the city. Stephen Paul, in his late...

Lotto winner in hiding as GBP80m win raises security fears.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Helen Bruce The elation over Eurolotto Dolores McNamara's 80m windfall subsided somewhat last night as the implications for her lifestyle began to dawn. As the Limerick woman went into hiding to...

Seven more held after police raids in Brighton.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Terry Kirby and Nigel Morris Seven people were arrested yesterday as the extensive investigation into the London bombing attacks of 21 July moved rapidly in Britain and Italy. The latest arrests...

The Brazilian's killing.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Terry Kirby Jean Charles de Menezes A 27-year-old electrician from Brazil, he had been living in this country for about three years. He was shot dead by police at Stockwell station on 22 July....

Two bombing plots, many unanswered questions.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Terry Kirby Are the 7 July and 21 July plots linked? So far there is little direct evidence to link the plots and police are treating them as separate inquiries. Although there are reports of...

Extraordinary admission to interrogators by London bomb suspect.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Francis Elliott and Sophie Goodchild in London and John Phillips in Rome A suspected member of the 21 July bomb cell has told investigators he was motivated by the Iraq war, not religion Osman...

Ex-policemen immersed in controversy.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Lisa Smyth and Heather Simpson At one time a sectarian killer, now he's cleaning up graffiti on Catholic churches A former policeman who carried out a sectarian murder in 1977, and later became a...

Blame for armed raid on family pointing to IRA.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Breda Heffernan A cross-border gang has been blamed for the armed raid on a family in Co Monaghan after the getaway van used by the robbers was found burned out at Forkhill, Co Armagh, on Saturday. ...

Running to the aid of meningitis charity.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Linda McKee Lace up your trainers and start pounding the pavements - the Meningitis Research Foundation needs local runners to face the challenge of the Great North Run. The intrepid...

Ulster farmers issue planning plea.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Michael Drake Northern Ireland farmers don't want to be hindered by planners as they try to comply with new environmental regulations. So the Ulster Farmers' Union has called on the Department of...

Rooker's planning moves 'undemocratic'.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: David Gordon Environment Minister Lord Rooker was today facing a growing revolt over a move to curtail the ability of councils to defer planning decisions. The clampdown is aimed at cutting delays...

Survey into prospects of gold rush.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Fiona McIlwaine Biggins A cutting-edge aerial technological survey is being used to reveal if Tyrone and Fermanagh could be the next 'gold rush' hotspot. In recent weeks the Galantas Gold...

Illegal dumping could soon cost you [pounds sterling]50,000 or five years in jail.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Jonathan McCambridge The Government is considering introducing tough new laws in Northern Ireland which could give courts powers to jail fly-tippers for up to five years, it emerged today. The DoE...

One in five Ulster workers admit to sleeping at work.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Lisa Smyth One in five Ulster workers have confessed to sleeping during work, according to a major survey carried out by an online Northern Ireland recruitment agency. The surprise statistics were...

A new era close at hand.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) The Roman Catholic Primate Archbishop Sean Brady has said that "things will never be the same", following the Provisional IRA's announcement of an end to Republican violence. In a keynote speech last night at...

Ulster's troop levels to be cut.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Chris Thornton A plan to halve troop levels in Northern Ireland is about to be unveiled by the Government in response to last week's IRA statement. The demilitarisation document will give details...

Sinn Fein leaders are replaced on the IRA Army Council.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Jim Cusack A Dubliner, a Tyrone man and one of the leading IRA figures in Belfast have replaced Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and Martin Ferris on the IRA Army Council. But the three Sinn Fein...

McKenna due back at college.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Claire Regan Professor Gerry McKenna is due to return to the University of Ulster today amid confusion over what his new role will entail after he stepped down as vice-chancellor in the wake of a...

'Ulster link' in shoot-to-kill case.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Michael McHugh An Ulster-based Army unit may have been involved in the shoot-to-kill death of an innocent Brazilian in London last month, it has been reported. The secretive 14 Int, a branch of the...

Former RUC man dies in Iraq.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Michael McHugh The first death of a former policeman from Northern Ireland in Iraq may make Ulster recruits think twice about working as a security guards in the Middle East, whatever the cash rewards,...

Palestinian hijacker in Feile video-link.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Michael McHugh A Palestinian plane hijacker will give a talk to the West Belfast Festival via video-link because she has been denied a visa for the UK. Arrangements are being made to use the...

Feud shows no signs of ending.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Lisa Smyth The Ulster Volunteer Force appears hell-bent on driving out rival members of the Loyalist Volunteer Force, it was claimed last night. After the bitter feud between the two terror groups...

Stalker 'flouted ban order'.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Nevin Farrell A born-again Christian who stalked a woman after saying God told him he had to 'save' her appeared in court on Saturday accused of flouting an order banning him from the town where his...

NI tourism 'being hit by drink laws'.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Claire Regan Tourism is being hit by delays to reform Northern Ireland's licensing laws which could enable later pub opening hours, leading voices in the drinks trade said last night. An overall...

25 kittens cruelly abondoned in Dundonald.
August 1, 2005... (From Belfast Telegraph) Byline: Ashleigh Wallace The anonymous dumping of 25 dehydrated kittens outside a cat refuge in Dundonald was slammed as "callous" last night. Janice Watt of the Cats Protection Centre revealed the kittens...

GOVERNMENT CONSULTS ON WORLD-CLASS HEALTH RESEARCH STRATEGY.
August 1, 2005... (From Government News Network (Was Hermes-Government Press Releases)) ] DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 2005/0276 1 August 2005 GOVERNMENT CONSULTS ON WORLD-CLASS HEALTH RESEARCH STRATEGY The Department of Health today launched a consultation on...

SECURITY NORMALISATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND - STATEMENT.
August 1, 2005... (From Government News Network (Was Hermes-Government Press Releases)) ] MINISTRY OF DEFENCE 156/2005 1 August 2005 SECURITY NORMALISATION IN NORTHERN IRELAND - STATEMENT BY DEFENCE SECRETARY JOHN REID The first steps in moving the...

Uncertainty over successor to HVB head (Familienkrach bei der HypoVereinsbank).
August 1, 2005... (From Die Welt) An internal dispute has erupted at HypoVereinsbank (HVB), the German banking group, as Christine Licci, head of private customer business, has criticised the accounting department for having failed to show, adequately, the...

Number of broadband internet connections rising at high speed (Las lineas de acceso rapido a Internet superan los 40 millones en la UE).
August 1, 2005... (From El Pais) While back in July 2002 there were only 8.7 million broadband internet connections in the EU, this number had increased to over 40 million in January 2005, and it is now increasing at an average rate of 45,000 new lines per...

OVERNIGHT SAFETY WORK ON A21 TONBRIDGE, KENT.
August 1, 2005... (From Government News Network (Was Hermes-Government Press Releases)) ] HIGHWAYS AGENCY SE154-05 1 August 2005 OVERNIGHT SAFETY WORK ON A21 TONBRIDGE, KENT Overnight safety work will take place on the A21/A26 Quarry Hill junction,...

IWKA appoints Wolfgang-Dietrich Hein as new head (Maschinenbauer IWKA mit neuem Vorstand).
August 1, 2005... (From Suddeutsche Zeitung) IWKA, the German mechanical engineering and plant construction group, is reported by the supervisory board to have appointed Wolfgang-Dietrich Hein to the post of management board chairman. Mr Hein, regarded as...

MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT SURVEY 2003/2004.
August 1, 2005... (From Government News Network (Was Hermes-Government Press Releases)) ] DEPARTMENT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS 341/05 1 August 2005 MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT SURVEY 2003/2004 STATISTICAL RELEASE: The full 2003/04...