Europe Intelligence Wire articles from December 2008, page 2

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from December 2008

Tiger's incredible desire to win remains undiminished.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: michael.gannon THERE is no doubt 2008 belonged to Padraig Harrington, but as we look forward to the new year, the biggest question in golf is will 2009 be the year of the Tiger? ...

Josh hopes to become wrestling star.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: shona.gossip AN ABERDEEN teenager is hoping 2009 will be the year he becomes an international wrestling superstar. Josh Monro, 17, has been hooked on American professional wrestling since...

Airport chiefs count cost of freezing fog.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: iain.ramage INVERNESS Airport chiefs and airlines are counting the cost of dozens of cancelled and diverted flights over the past three days due to a lingering, freezing fog hanging over the...

Police launch hunt for missing sex offender.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: alison.middleton POLICE are hunting for a convicted sex offender who has been missing for a week. Robert Marr, who lives in Perth, has not been seen since he left Inverness on December 23....

Ex-pats able to register births in Scotland.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: tim.pauling Scots living abroad will be able to register the major events in their lives back home thanks to a new public record. Birth, marriages and deaths in other countries will soon be...

Caley Jags fans' trust calls crisis meet.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: paul.third The Inverness Caledonian Thistle Supporters' Trust has called a meeting with club shareholders as fears for the club's future in the Scottish Premier League grow. The meeting...

Grampian chief gets second honour.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: ryan.crighton The north-east's top police officer says he is frustrated at the number of lives being lost to drug abuse and road accidents in the area. Grampian Chief Constable Colin...

North-east woman made CBE for services to science.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: ross.reid THE work of a north-east academic who went on to become Scotland's first chief scientific adviser has been recognised. Anne Glover, a professor of molecular biology at Aberdeen...

Swimming club's veteran 'unsung hero' honoured.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: iain.ramage INVERNESS Swimming Club veteran Alex Sutherland has capped a memorable year with the news that he is to be made a MBE for voluntary service to the sport he has loved since his...

Fireman who saved station earns medal.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: iain.ramage A volunteer fireman with 30 years' service who played a key role in saving his station in Strathspey from closure is to receive the Queen's Fire Service Medal. Dougie...

Lossie fiddler adds another string to his bow.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: jonny.muir A MORAY fiddler said he had his mother to thank for sparking a longstanding passion for music that led to his MBE. Raymond Wood, 71, of Dunbar Street, Lossiemouth, received the...

Outstanding achievements of Moray-based RAF personnel hailed.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: jonny.muir THE dedication of two servicemen stationed at RAF Lossiemouth has been recognised. Group Captain Peter 'Rocky' Rochelle was made an OBE for his 'magnificently inspirational'...

Maggie shares reward.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: iain.ramage MAGGIE Fyffe, secretary of the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust, said she would share her MBE accolade with her fellow islanders, for whom she has worked tirelessly. The Bolton-born...

Drink and drug-free care shelter pilot for Aberdeen.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: declan.harte Homeless people in Aberdeen will be offered a safe place to sleep when a drink and drug-free care shelter is piloted in the city next month. City churches will take turns to...

North Sea 'rescue' of inflatable penguins cost GBP20,000.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: ryan.crighton A SEARCH and rescue mission for what turned out to be two inflatable penguins which had fallen into the North Sea cost GBP20,000. The operation was launched amid fears a small...

Children's charity seeking volunteers.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: gillian.bell A CHARITY is hoping people will remember Scotland's vulnerable children when they make their New Year resolutions tonight. Barnardo's Scotland has launched a new recruitment...

Voluntary groups to get GBP1.2m boost.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: rita.campbell Voluntary support groups across Scotland are to share a GBP1.2million funding boost. The groups in Argyll and Bute, the Highlands, Western Isles, Shetland, Aberdeenshire and...

Council shows group red card over non-job claim.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: david.perry MORAY Council last night hit back at the Taxpayers' Alliance for claiming it had created one of the top 10 'non-jobs' in Britain. The row blew up after the alliance issued a...

Grieving son sent council tax demand.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: gillian.bell A GRIEVING son received a council tax demand for his mother's property on Christmas Eve -- for a 'paltry' bill which dated back more than a decade. Annie Mowat, who lived at...

Three hurt in A93 crash.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: ross.davidson AMBULANCE crews took three casualties to hospital last night after a two-vehicle collision on a north-east road. Emergency services were called to the A93 Aberdeen to Banchory...

First chief scientific adviser recognised.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: ross.reid THE work of a north-east academic who went on to become Scotland's first chief scientific adviser has been recognised. Anne Glover, a professor of molecular biology at Aberdeen...

Celebrated artist builds on previous honour.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: alison.middleton A CELEBRATED Scottish artist has been recognised in the New Year Honours. Ian McKenzie Smith, 73, who lives near Montrose, has been made a CBE in recognition of his...

War veteran honoured for work with heritage.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: alistair.beaton A north-east war veteran who has become an expert conservationist and armourer with the National Trust for Scotland has been made an MBE for his services to heritage. For...

Garioch riding for disabled stalwart is honoured.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: alistair.beaton A WOMAN who organises pony and carriage-driving group outings in the heart of Aberdeenshire has been made an MBE for services to riding for the disabled and the community. ...

Man missing in severe conditions found dead.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: ken.jones A mountaineer missing overnight in bitter cold and icy conditions was found dead by another climber yesterday afternoon on Ben Nevis's sister peak. The search and rescue...

Renewed calls for ban on airguns.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: calum.ross A SERIES of airgun shootings in Aberdeen have prompted renewed calls for a city-wide ban on the weapons. Police have arrested three men in connection with a number of incidents...

Series of airgun shootings prompt renewed calls for ban.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: calum.ross A series of airgun shootings in Aberdeen have prompted renewed calls for a city-wide ban on the weapons. Police have arrested three men in connection with a number of incidents...

Aberdeen homeless shelter to be piloted.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: declan.harte HOMELESS people in Aberdeen will be offered a safe place to sleep when a drink and drug-free care shelter is piloted in the city next month. City churches will take turns to...

Council gritter lorry overturns on rural road.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: gillian.bell A GRITTER lorry tipped over after a north-east road gave way under its weight when it pulled in to let a car pass. A small section of the Cairn o' Mount road near Banchory...

Warning over parking facilities.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: shona.gossip FIXED penalty notices will be issued to shoppers abusing the parking facilities of an Aberdeen retail park, car park owners have warned. In an attempt to cut the number of...

Shake-up of farm subsidy appeals regime in pipeline.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: joe.watson Huge changes to Scotland's agricultural subsidy appeals process are expected after the Scottish Government yesterday acknowledged the need for urgent reforms. Rural Affairs...

Review group chief wants culture change.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: joe.watson REVIEW group chairman John Kinnaird welcomed the government's acceptance of the report, saying it had listened to the concerns voiced. He too expressed delight at the...

Still keen to help Keith maintain title push.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: dave.edwards KEITH skipper Darren Still is a veteran of the Maroons squad and he has no intention of hanging up his boots just yet. The 37-year-old midfielder has missed the last three...

Mackay lured by the success of Vale.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: dave.edwards SAM MACKAY says Deveronvale's reputation in the Highland League and ability to regularly challenge for the championship convinced him to sign for the club. The 19-year-old...

Duncan welcomes Highland extras.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: dave.edwards Highland League football's longest-serving manager hopes renewed interest in the division from junior clubs can lead to an 18-team championship next season. Junior clubs...

Sheran targets a little bit of history at Cove.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: dave.edwards Cove Rangers manager John Sheran believes this season's Highland League title race is shaping up to be another close-run affair. League leaders Deveronvale lost at home to...

Shocking toll of bus accidents revealed.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: ryan.crighton Accidents involving buses left more than 1,000 people in the north and north-east injured and 19 dead in the past six years, the Press and Journal can reveal. The shock...

New boss confident about RAF squadron.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: heather.baillache THE incoming boss of a Moray RAF squadron which lost 12 of its crew in Afghanistan two years ago has spoken of his confidence in its members. The crew, from 120 squadron...

Dons hit for six as they focus on Accies.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: michael.gannon Aberdeen have been unable to prevent a flu virus blighting their squad. Now Dons manager Jimmy Calderwood is hoping the outbreak does not halt his side's charge up the SPL table....

Missing mountaineer found dead.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: ken.jones A mountaineer missing overnight in bitter cold and icy conditions was found dead by another climber yesterday afternoon on Ben Nevis's sister peak. The search and rescue...

Riding stalwart honoured.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: alistair.beaton A WOMAN who organises pony and carriage-driving group outings in the heart of Aberdeenshire has been made an MBE for services to riding for the disabled and the community. ...

Volunteer dedicated to 'fighting for the underdog'.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: ryan.crighton A NORTH-EAST volunteer who has spent the past four decades 'fighting for the underdog' has been made an MBE. Since 1970, Aberdeen woman Jenny Shirreffs has dedicated her life...

Expert in arms and armour is made an MBE.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: alistair.beaton A war veteran who has become an expert conservationist and armourer with the National Trust for Scotland has been made an MBE for his services to heritage. For the past 19...

City professor made CBE for services to science.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: ross.reid THE work of a north-east academic who went on to become Scotland's first chief scientific adviser has been recognised. Anne Glover, a professor of molecular biology at Aberdeen...

Artist honoured for services to culture in Scotland.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: alison.middleton A CELEBRATED Scottish artist has been recognised in the New Year Honours. Ian McKenzie Smith, 73, who lives near Montrose, has been made a CBE in recognition of his...

Scottish Water upgrades on track.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: calum.ross SCOTTISH Water yesterday highlighted progress made on its GBP48million programme of improvements to supplies in the north-east. New figures show Scottish Water spent GBP12million...

Support service set up for pregnant women.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: jamie.buchan EXPECTANT mums who have their hearts set on giving birth at home are to benefit from the launch of a new support service next month. Peterhead mothers Amber Sebold and Charlie...

Raising the rafters into 2009.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: pjwx03 BELLS will ring out, glasses will clink, and bagpipes and verses of Auld Lang Syne will fill the air. Scotland is renowned the world over for its Hogmanay celebrations and this year...

Your stars.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: sonja.cox ARIES Mar 21st - Apr 20th People often see you as ambitious, but in recent years your journey has been more philosophical. However, 2009 does represent a time when you can...

Lighting up the Highland capital.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: susan.welsh INDIE rock band The Magic Numbers are headlining the Inverness Hogmanay party which organisers claim will rival those taking place in bigger Scottish cities. As well as an...

New year, new resolve, new you.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: susan.welsh AROUND 7million of us will wake up tomorrow morning sharing a similar thought -- that 2009 is going to be the year we improve at least one aspect of our health. After the...

Miracle escape as bus hits bridge.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) Byline: Dan Warburton BUS passengers had a Christmas miracle escape last night after a double decker bus ploughed into a low bridge on Tyneside. Two passengers and the driver were taken to hospital after the...

Passengers escape as bus hits bridge.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) Byline: Dan Warburton PASSENGERS had a Christmas miracle escape last night when a double decker bus ploughed into a low bridge, shearing its roof off. Local home-owners last night described how they scrambled...

Technology centre boost for the Tyne.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) EXPANDING offshore oil and gas industry supplier Wellstream International has provided Tyneside with a welcome confidence booster. The company is planning to build a new technology centre at its Newcastle base,...

Appeal on unwanted 999 calls.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) AMBULANCE service chiefs yesterday urged the public to stop making unnecessary 999 calls after recording an 8.5% increase in activity over Christmas. The North East Ambulance Service NHS Trust said staff coped...

ISRAEL WARNS GAZA ATTACKS WILL GO ON.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) ISRAEL warned yesterday it would step up its assault on Gaza until it had smashed the militants of Hamas. The security cabinet will meet today to consider various plans for a ground invasion, a defence official...

More jobs lost on high street.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) Byline: Alan Jones FRESH job losses and store closures were announced yesterday as the year approached its end, coupled with dire warnings that the economic downturn will get worse in 2009. Studio photography...

Last-minute presents for home alone girls.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) THREE young sisters were found home alone on Christmas Eve, it was revealed yesterday. The girls, who were all under the age of 10, were discovered by police in Gorton, Manchester. Their plight sparked a wave...

Flat-screen TV bill at Whitehall.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) GOVERNMENT departments have spent more than pounds 320,000 of taxpayers' money on electronic equipment such as stereos, DVD players and flat-screen televisions over the past three years. Biggest spender was Lord...

County set to abandon huge schools shake-up.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) Byline: Dave Black THREE-TIER education could be retained in parts of Northumberland - three years after a huge petition to keep it. A major review of education plans in the county could now ditch the...

Awards mark year of sporting heroes.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) Byline: Sam Marsden BRITAIN'S golden year of sporting triumph is celebrated today with Olympic cycling champion Chris Hoy, racing driver Lewis Hamilton and 14-year-old Paralympian Eleanor Simmonds among the...

pounds 2,600 raised by fans at match.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) Byline: Paul James Chief Reporter THE day of celebrations for Sir Bobby Robson saw fans raise more than pounds 2,600 in an hour for his cancer charity. The cash was donated by both Newcastle and Liverpool fans...

Emotional farewell for Woolies' staff.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) Byline: Dave Black EMOTIONAL workers at Woolworths stores in the North were drowning their sorrows at farewell parties last night. Stores in Morpeth, Alnwick and Whitley Bay were among a further 150 across the...

NORTH TODAY: Have your say.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) PEOPLE in Ponteland will get the chance to view and comment on plans to regenerate the town centre at a special public consultation event in February. Two separate developers have drawn up proposals for the...

Pictures of the year.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) Byline: Dan Warburton FROM seaside fiddlers to post office protests, these are some of the outstanding images our photographers have brought you in the past 12 months. The Journal snappers have braved all...

BRITAIN TODAY: Money on mind.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) FOUR out of 10 people are planning to make New Year's resolutions, with many pledging to sort out their finances, a survey showed yesterday. Around 43% of people hope to use the start of the year to turn over a...

CLUB PLEDGES BACKING TO GERRARD OVER CHARGES.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) PREMIERSHIP footballer Steven Gerrard was publicly backed by his club yesterday after being charged over a nightclub brawl. Liverpool Football Club issued a statement offering him "all the support he needs" in the...

Backing for car speed limiters.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) Byline: Peter Woodman FITTING speed-limiting devices in cars could prevent up to 29% of injury accidents on the roads, a report by a Government advisory body said yesterday. The Commission for Integrated...

Spotlight on public sector 'non-jobs'.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) A TAXPAYERS' group yesterday published a list of "non-jobs" - including a street football co-ordinator and head of participation and inclusion at salaries of up to pounds 45,000 - to claim that the public sector was...

Alcohol problems rocketing.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) THE number of people aged 18 to 40 admitted to hospital suffering from alcoholic liver disease has rocketed, the Liberal Democrats claimed yesterday. Cases of alcoholic liver disease among this age group more than...

Cash row on fire centres.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) A STUDENT from Gosforth in Newcastle is vying to become the next Miss Student UK and showing she has brains as well as beauty. The competition is branded as an alternative to the stereotypical beauty pageant....

'Less risk of cancer' in steak marinated with wine or beer.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) STEAK is less likely to contribute to cancer when marinated in beer or red wine, according to experts. Fried and grilled meat have especially high levels of cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic amines...

Union claim over unused buildings.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) Byline: Sam Wood THE Government is spending thousands of pounds on an unused fire control centre in the North East, union leaders claimed. Fire Brigades Union leaders said pounds 750,000 a month was being...

Bringing together hopes to hit goals.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) Byline: Tony Henderson Environment Editor HISTORY was played out yesterday in a suitable setting as FA Cup heroes Blyth Spartans took over Seaton Delaval Hall. The club held its first ever press conference in...

HALL AND FOOTBALL CLUB ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) BLYTH Spartans' chairman Tony Platten enjoys a view of Seaton Delaval Hall from the windows of his home. So yesterday he was happy to host the club's first press conference at the hall and to back the National...

KERSTIN JUMPS STRAIGHT INTO TOP FLIGHT.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) A NORTH East schoolgirl is taking part in national show jumping competitions less than a year after taking up the sport. Kerstin Deakin, 11, of Dissington, near Ponteland, finished fifth in her category at Olympia...

Ex-rugby player in wrangle over bar.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) Byline: Brian Daniel POLICE are leading the objections to an attempt by a former Newcastle Falcons rugby player to open his Northumberland pub until 3am every night. The Falcon's Rest in Alnwick town centre...

Bin fires dangerous, say police.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) ARSONISTS who set fire to wheelie bins in the Stanley area of County Durham could have put lives at risk, police say. During Sunday night fires were reported in Spen Street, the town centre, Gainsborough Road and...

Parking improvements for town's rail travellers on the agenda.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) PLANS to significantly improve car parking provision at a Northumberland railway station go before local councillors next month. Network Rail wants to create a new, 92-space car park at Morpeth Station, together...

Bus station roof to be replaced after payout.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) Byline: Sam Wood A BUS station roof is to be replaced after glass panels shattered and endangered people below. It follows a successful claim for compensation by Newcastle City Council against the builders of...

NORTH TODAY: Emaciated dog.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) THE RSPCA yesterday appealed for information after a severely emaciated dog was found wandering the streets of Newcastle. The brindle-coloured adult male blue Neopolitan mastiff was found by police in the vicinity...

NORTH TODAY: Granary scheme.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) A KELSO firm has won the contract to carry out a pounds 5m refurbishment of an old granary building in Berwick. M and J Ballantyne are scheduled to start work on the five-storey Dewar's Lane granary near the town...

Tributes to 'kind' former bishop.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) Byline: Dan Warburton TRIBUTES were last night paid to a former North bishop who died at the age of 76 following a long illness. Bishop Ian Harland passed away on Saturday morning at a hospice in Yorkshire,...

Big Brother auditions for North in New Year.
December 31, 2008... (From The Journal) AUDITIONS for the next series of Big Brother have been announced for Newcastle in the New Year. The annual event takes place at St James's Park on Saturday, January 17, for those hoping to follow in the footsteps...