Europe Intelligence Wire articles from December 2008

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from December 2008

Net Asset Value(s).
December 31, 2008... (From Hugin) BOUSSARD & GAVAUDAN HOLDING LIMITED Ordinary Shares The Directors of Boussard & Gavaudan Holding Limited would like to announce the following information for the Company. Close of business 30 Dec 2008. Estimated NAV Euro...

Helping Highlands to prosper.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: ian.forsyth The new chief executive of Inverness Chamber of Commerce has had a busy time since taking up the post on September 1. The organisation is much smaller than many other chambers,...

Stage set for Scots stars.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: caroline.brodie THOUSANDS of revellers are expected to make merry at Aberdeen's Hogmanay street party tonight with some of Scotland's best young musical talent topping the bill. Live music...

Oban revellers can expect clear night for Hogmanay party.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: rita.campbell Hordes of revellers are descending on Oban for the Hogmanay celebrations when a cold, clear night is forecast. Organisers of Oban Hogmanay Homecoming Street Party yesterday...

North-east village post office to close doors temporarily.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: gillian.bell A north-east Post Office branch which had its hours cut will shut temporarily from next month. The owner of the village shop in Strachan, Banchory -- which currently hosts the...

Rotarian honoured for Wateraid work.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: pjwx01 A MEMBER of the Loch Ness Rotary Club has been recognised by the charity Wateraid with a national award for his humanitarian support in 17 countries in Africa and Asia. Denis Addly,...

Lochaber community revives plan for new shop and filling station.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: ken.jones A tiny Lochaber community is reviving its 10-year campaign to build a new shop and filling station. Glenuig Community Association has been given a GBP5,175 Big Lottery grant to update...

Renewed pleas for city 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...

Lean second half forecast for North Sea.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: david.telfer Hundreds of millions of pounds of oil and gas exploration and development activity in the North Sea will be shelved next year, the senior partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers in...

Call for new pay structure for lecturers.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: tim.pauling College lecturers are being discriminated against over pay and conditions depending on where they live in Scotland, it was claimed last night. The Educational Institute of...

Man allowed cannabis to be grown in church.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: alison.middleton A man has admitted allowing cannabis plants to be grown in a former church building in Forfar. Calum Menzies pleaded guilty to a charge on indictment of knowingly...

Latest event wins just the job for George.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: keith.findlay ABERDEENSHIRE businessman George Walker is looking to a contract won at the Grampian Transport Museum to help to propel his firm to new heights during 2009. Mr Walker, who...

Details on drug deaths to be collected for database.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: tim.pauling Personal and background details of every person who dies from drugs in Scotland will be collected from the start of 2009 in an attempt to cut the number of future deaths. The...

Cautious update from Turner boss.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: david.telfer THE chairman of the diversified Turner & Co (Glasgow) said in the group's latest annual report that pre-tax profits in the year to March 28 were broadly in line with expectations...

Cynical exploitation versus dedication.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: derek.tucker FITTING recognition of those who help put the Great into Britain or a cynical exploitation of the celebrity obsession? The annual debate over the New Year's honours has fresh...

Churchman 'concerned'.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: calum.ross A LEADING churchman in Scotland yesterday expressed deep concern about the human impact of Israel's bombardment of Gaza. Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of...

Lib Dems put on war footing.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: tim.pauling SCOTTISH Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott put his party on a war footing yesterday, saying he believes Labour will probably call a general election in 2009. In a New Year's...

Laughable job titles raise a serious point.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: lewis.macdonald POLITICAL opponents have suspected for some time that the government has achieved a hitherto reduction in unemployment by encouraging local authorities to create sinecures with...

No shortage of Christmas nuts -- they were all busy smoking.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: lewis.macdonald DO YOU know what I shall remember most about Christmas Day 2008? Not the beautifully decorated trees glittering in people's windows, not the midnight choirs or the brilliant...

What will I drink at New Year?
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: lewis.macdonald CHRISTMAS morning and after I had tuned into Angela MacKinnon and Terry Wogan for a bit, the little schnauzer nuzzled me and dragged me out for a Christmas morning walk on...

Police hunt Broughty Ferry attacker.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: alison.middleton AN 18-YEAR-OLD man was found to have a fractured skull after he was attacked on a night out. The teenager was found lying in a street in Broughty Ferry, bleeding from the...

Concern as youngsters in Elgin ignore warnings of ice dangers.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: jonny.muir Teenagers defied council and police warnings to stay off a thinly-iced pond in Elgin yesterday. At one point, almost a dozen youngsters congregated on the frozen surface of the...

Latheron Show evening will double up for village's school reunion.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: neil.macphail THE next Latheron Show night in Caithness is being earmarked for a reunion of ex-pupils of the former village school. An initial appeal has proved encouraging, and organisers...

Trudy hopes to be Caithness jobs saviour.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: neil.macphail An Inverness-based businesswoman has been recruited to help breathe new life into Caithness Chamber of Commerce. Trudy Morris will start on January 5 as chief executive of the...

Inverness Airport managers count the costs of sub-zero temperatures.
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...

Turn rhetoric into reality, urges Goldie.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: tim.pauling SCOTTISH Tory leader Annabel Goldie says the new year will be a time to turn political rhetoric into reality. In her New Year message, Miss Goldie said 2009 will be 'momentous'...

MSP plans most remote Scots 'surgery' on far-flung St Kilda.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: neil.macphail A POLITICIAN yesterday revealed plans to hold Scotland's most remote surgery when he visits a group of islands with just a dozen inhabitants. Western Isles MSP Alasdair Allan...

Public urged to donate unwanted Christmas presents.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: alison.middleton PEOPLE in Perth are being urged to put their unwanted Christmas presents to good use. Staff at the Perth branch of the British Heart Foundation (BHF) are encouraging...

No relief for islanders from petrol price fall.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: neil.macphail AS THE average cost of petrol in the UK hits a three-year low, motorists on the island of Coll are still paying a whopping GBP1.44 a litre. And the 220 islanders are being...

Aviemore man beat his mum's partner.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: samantha.chetwynd A MAN assaulted his mother's partner with a baton after she returned home with broken ribs and a punctured lung, Inverness Sheriff Court heard yesterday. Joseph Hardie,...

Engineers back team of students.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: shona.gossip AN ENGINEERING company has donated GBP2,000 to help steer a team of Aberdeen University students towards success in an international competition. The money from Aker Solutions...

Company supports engineering students.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: shona.gossip AN ENGINEERING company has donated GBP2,000 to help steer a team of Aberdeen University students towards success in an international competition. The money from Aker Solutions...

Cameron's Hadrian comment under fire.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: david.perry TORY leader David Cameron was under fire last night after appearing to compare himself with the Roman Emperor Hadrian in his determination to rebuild the British economy 'brick by...

Mums unite to launch new home birth group.
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...

Beach shoppers who abuse parking face GBP85 penalty.
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...

Retail park to get tough with rogue parkers.
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...

Scottish Water on track in the north-east.
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...

Dundee vigil over attacks.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: ross.davidson A SILENT vigil was held in Dundee in support of the victims of the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Hundreds of people gathered in the City Square yesterday afternoon in protest...

Hunt for sex attacker last seen leaving Inverness.
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....

Alness man reveals letter sent by the Queen to his grandparents.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: nichola.rutherford A Highland man has uncovered a historic letter from the Queen, written to his grandparents more than 60 year ago. The facsimile sent to Invergordon couple John and...

New pilot scheme to help homeless.
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...

Step in right direction -- trainers made from bus seats and tyres.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: shona.gossip A NEW range of limited-edition trainers, made from bus tyres and seats, hit the streets of Aberdeen yesterday. The shoes, made entirely of recycled materials, have been created...

Gritter lorry tips over near Banchory.
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 Cairn o' Mount road near Banchory...

Council gritter lorry overturns.
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 Cairn o' Mount road near Banchory...

Council gritter lorry overturns.
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 Cairn o' Mount road near Banchory...

Josh hopes 2009 will bring success in ring.
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...

Former nurse celebrates 100th birthday with family's help.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: jamie.buchan ONE of the north-east's grand old ladies marked her 100th birthday yesterday, surrounded by friends and family. Former district nurse Mary Webster celebrated the milestone with...

Former nurse celebrates 100th birthday with family's help.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: jamie.buchan ONE of the north-east's grand old ladies marked her 100th birthday yesterday, surrounded by friends and family. Former district nurse Mary Webster celebrated the milestone with...

Fort William youngsters enjoy a look back in time.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: neil.macphail FORT William youngsters were yesterday given a flavour of what it was like during World War II when the local museum held one of its 'travel through time' days. Under the...

Highland Council counts up the cost of potholes in the roads.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: samantha.chetwynd Highland Council has been forced to pay nearly GBP250,000 in compensation in the past six years, the Press and Journal can reveal. Figures obtained using Freedom of...

Islanders' fuel price still at a premium.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: neil.macphail AS THE average cost of petrol in the UK hits a three-year low, motorists on the island of Coll are still paying a whopping GBP1.44 a litre. And the 220 islanders are being...

Days of freezing fog set to cost airport dear.
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...

Bus firm's green trainers step out in style.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: shona.gossip A NEW range of limited-edition trainers, made from bus tyres and seats, hit the streets of Aberdeen yesterday. The shoes, made entirely of recycled materials, have been created...

Police launch hunt for missing convicted 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....

Council paid out almost GBP250,000 compensation.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: samantha.chetwynd HIGHLAND Council has been forced to pay nearly GBP250,000 in compensation in the last six years, the Press and Journal can reveal. Figures obtained using Freedom of...

Council paid almost GBP250,000 compensation.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: samantha.chetwynd HIGHLAND Council has been forced to pay nearly GBP250,000 in compensation in the last six years, the Press and Journal can reveal. Figures obtained using Freedom of...

Highland regiment'sex-CO has new title.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: david.perry A FORMER commander of the Queen' Own Highlanders has been made a knight. Lieutenant General Graeme Lamb, commander of Britain's Field Army and one of the most senior generals,...

A guiding light to doctors worldwide.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: neil.macphail THE work of retired Wick surgeon Pradip Datta in advancing the careers of doctors throughout the world has been recognised by him being made an MBE. Mr Datta established and...

Leading fertility expert is made a CBE.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: alistair.beaton NORTH-EAST expert in women's health and IVF treatment, Professor Allan (Alexander) Templeton, has been made a CBE for services to medicine. Aberdeen-born Prof Templeton,...

I'm delighted with award, says meat company's boss.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: joe.watson The boss of one of Scotland's biggest family-owned meat processors has been made an OBE. Neil Stoddart, 49, the managing director and owner of A.K. Stoddart, said he was...

Asda must probe flooding before expansion plan approval.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: jamie.buchan Supermarket giant Asda has been told to investigate flooding problems at its Peterhead store before embarking on an ambitious GBP15million plan to replace the building with a new...

Insight into excavation.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: alistair.beaton NORTH-EAST local history enthusiasts will be given an insight into a local archaeological excavation that has gained international recognition next week. Garioch Heritage...

Funeral colour plea for girl's mourners.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: shona.gossip MOURNERS at the funeral of a north-east teenager who died in a road accident at the weekend are being asked to wear a splash of colour. Michelle Lowrie, of Henderson Circle,...

Council tax demand for GBP130.47 shocks son grieving for mum.
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...

Dedication of RAF pair recognised as 12 others are commended.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: jonny.muir THE dedication of two servicemen at RAF Lossiemouth has been recognised. Group Captain Peter 'Rocky' Rochelle was made an OBE acknowledging his 'magnificently inspirational'...

Surprise for retired Kirriemuir teacher.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: ross.reid A FORMER deputy head teacher and school inspector has been made an MBE for services to education. Mo Brodie, 60, who retired in the summer after 10 years as deputy head at...

Maggie to share her honour.
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...

Dundee City Council chief's delight at honour.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: alison.middleton Dundee City Council's chief executive has been honoured for his services to local government. Alex Stephen has been made an OBE, it was announced yesterday. Among...

Public record for diaspora.
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...

Move for ex-pats to keep a link with old country.
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...

Scots abroad get new register.
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...

Crash driver praised for avoiding collision.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: alison.middleton THE SELFLESS actions of a lorry driver killed in an Angus crash may have saved the lives of other motorists, a sheriff said yesterday. Sheriff Kevin Veal paid tribute to...

Missing mountaineer found dead by climber.
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...

Island champion to share award.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: iain.ramage Two community stalwart from Inner Hebridean islands were named as MBEs in the New Year Honours. Maggie Fyffe, secretary of the Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust, said she would share...

Designer who made outfit for Queen is made an MBE.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: samantha.chetwynd AN INVERNESS designer who was commissioned to make an outfit for the Queen for the reopening of the Scottish Parliament has been honoured. Sandra Murray, who lives in the...

Loss of life frustrates police chief.
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...

Cheryl rewarded for services to Lochaber community.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: rita.campbell A FORMER Lochaber nurse who is spending her retirement working in the community has been made an MBE for her voluntary service. Cheryl MacIntosh, of Achintore Road, Fort...

CAB worker praises 'worthwhile job'.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: neil.macphail A LOYAL member of the Citizens' Advice Bureau (CAB) in Ross and Cromarty said one of the main reasons she accepted an MBE in the New Year Honours List was to publicise the...

Medal for fireman who saved station.
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 the Highlands from closure is to receive the Queen's Fire Service Medal. Dougie...

Honour for swimming's 86-year-old 'unsung hero'.
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 an MBE for voluntary service to the sport he has loved since his...

Insight on probe into Bishop's Palace.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: alistair.beaton NORTH-EAST local history enthusiasts will be given an insight into a local archaeological excavation that has gained international recognition, next week. Garioch Heritage...

Sighting of dinghy sets off Loch Ness search.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: neil.macphail LOCH Ness lifeboat Mecurius was launched yesterday after reports that a man and a small boy could be in difficulty in a flimsy inflatable dinghy. But mystery surrounds the...

Loch Ness sighting of man and boy in dinghy prompts alert.
December 31, 2008... (From Aberdeen Press & Journal) Byline: neil.macphail The Loch Ness lifeboat was launched yesterday after reports that a man and a small boy were in difficulties in a flimsy inflatable dinghy. But mystery surrounds the fate of...

Drink and drug-free care shelter pilot for north-east.
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...