Europe Intelligence Wire articles from February 2004

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from February 2004

Tragic Loss of Bow Mariner.
February 29, 2004... (From Hugin) Early this morning Norwegian time, we received information from the US Coast Guard that the MT BOW MARINER had suffered an explosion and sank about 50 nautical miles off the coast of Virginia on the US east coast. The...

Chicago Law Firm Much Shelist Reminds Investors that Only Seven Days Remain to File Lead Plaintiff Motions, or until March 5, 2004, for a Securities Fraud Lawsuit on Behalf of Investors Who Purchased Parmalat Finanziaria SpA -- PARAF, PRFI, PRFI, PRFIbl.
February 29, 2004... (From Hugin) CHICAGO, Feb. 27, 2004 -- The deadline for investors in Parmalat Finanziaria to move for lead plaintiff in a class action pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is rapidly...

UPDATE - Tragic Loss of Bow Mariner.
February 29, 2004... (From Hugin) Odfjell is deeply saddened that lives were lost when BOW MARINER sank in international waters outside the coast of Virginia last night. The vessel had a crew of 27 whereof 24 Filipino and 3 Greek. Nine crewmembers are...

Stock Exchange: BUX up 2.79pc for week.
February 29, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, February 29 (MTI) - The Budapest Stock Exchange's BUX index closed trading on Friday at 10,242 points, up by 2.79pc for the week. Overall trading amounted to HUF 45bn (EUR 1 = HUF 258) for...

MTI's news schedule for March 1 - 7.
February 29, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, February 29 (MTI) - MTI's daily news service in English expects to include coverage of the following events from March 1 to 7: Monday, March 1 - Parliament holds plenary session ...

Gov't says EU labour talks well underway, Fidesz demand.
February 29, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, February 29 (MTI) - The Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that after two years of ongoing talks with EU members on labour market restrictions, opposition Fidesz's sudden demands for such talks...

Suspect in Kosovo war crimes apprehended in Budapest.
February 29, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, February 29 (MTI) - One-time Albanian guerrilla leader Agim Ceku, who is currently the commander of the Kosovo Protection Force was apprehended at Budapest's Ferihegy International Airport on...

Women's Fencing - Sabre World Cup.
February 29, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, February 29 (MTI) - Anne-Lise Touya of France won the women's sabre World Cup in Budapest on Sunday. OpreU quarter finals: Sada Jacobson (USA)-Susanne Koenig (Germany) 15-8 Emily Jacobson...

Small parties respond to PM's referendum proposal.
February 29, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, February 29 (MTI) - The smaller opposition party and the junior member of the government coalition responded on Sunday to Saturday's comment by the prime minister that he might call for a...

Senior opposition party responds to PM's referendum proposal.
February 29, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, February 29 (MTI) - Mariusz Revesz, spokesperson for the Fidesz Hungarian Civic Alliance, the largest opposition party, said on Sunday, that he believed the prime minister and his advisors were...

Goldfinch smuggler stopped at border.
February 29, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, February 29 (MTI) - Customs officials on Hungary's border with Serbia discovered 35 live goldfinches hidden in a car on Sunday, turned the protected birds over to ornithologists, and initiated...

IUSY concludes world congress.
February 29, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, February 29 (MTI) - The International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) concluded its world congress in Budapest on Sunday. Summing up Hungary's benefits from the congress, Istvan Ujhelyi,...

Kosovo PM: Ceku apprehension could endanger Belgrade-Pristina.
February 29, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Belgrade, February 29 (MTI) - Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi warned on Sunday that apprehension of Agim Ceku, commander of the Kosovo Protection Force (TMK) in Budapest on Sunday could put...

Hungarian authorities release Ceku.
February 29, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Belgrade, February 29 (MTI) - Hungarian authorities apprehended Agim Ceku, a one-time ethnic Albanian guerrilla leader and current commander of the Kosovo Protection Force (TMK) and, according to sources...

Socialist Party chair comments PM's referendum idea.
February 29, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, February 29 (MTI) -Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) chair Laszlo Kovacs told MTI on Sunday evening that the party's leadership had not yet discussed the prime minister's idea of a referendum...

Heil of Canada wins women's moguls at Ski Aerials World Cup event.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) SPINDLERUV MLYN, East Bohemia, Feb 29 (CTK) - Nikola Sudova ended sixth in women's moguls at a Ski Aerials World Cup event in Spindleruv Mlyn today. In the strong wind and snow she failed to defend the forth...

Bloom of USA wins men's moguls at Ski Aerials World Cup event.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) SPINDLERUV MLYN, East Bohemia, Feb 29 (CTK) - Jeremy Bloom of the USA won men's moguls at a Ski Aerials World Cup event in Spindleruv Mlyn today. He was followed by Janne Lahtela of Finland and Toby Dawson of...

President Schuster receives Romany representatives in Kosice.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) KOSICE, East Slovakia, Feb 29 (CTK) - Slovak President Rudolf Schuster received representatives of the Romany Parliament crisis committee in his office in Kosice today and called on them to abandon radical forms...

Czech people-smugglers detained in Germany.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) DORTMUND, Germany, Feb 29 (CTK) - German border police detained six men in Dortmund and Bochum on Saturday who allegedly smuggled 26 Chinese nationals to Germany. There are two Czechs among the arrested who...

Sir Paul McCartney to play and sing in Prague in June.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) LONDON, Feb 29 (CTK) - Sir Paul McCartney, the world's most successful songwriter and musician best known as a founding member of the British band "The Beatles," will play and sing in Prague on June 6, according...

Svoboda stresses importance of fighting terrorism in Syria.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) DAMASCUS, Feb 29 (CTK) - Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda supported in Damascus today the signing of the association agreement between Syria and the European Union, which is under preparation, but stressed...

Zahradil points to Spidla's unfair play in appointment of Telicka.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, Feb 29 (CTK) - Opposition Civic Democrat (ODS) shadow foreign minister Jan Zahradil today criticised Premier and Social Democrat (CSSD) chairman Vladimir Spidla for the method of the appointment of...

Czech govt fails to cut VAT on sweets despite promises--press.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, Feb 29 (CTK) - Coffee, tea, sweets and spices will stay under the main value-added tax rate despite an original government proposal to shift them under the preferential rate, daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD)...

Culture minister to ask government for 65 million for theatres.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, Feb 29 (CTK) - Culture Minister Pavel Dostal will ask the government on Wednesday to allot 65 million crowns from its budget reserve to help professional theatres, symphonic orchestra and choirs which...

Skoda introduces new Octavia model in TV show Saturday.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, Feb 29 (CTK) - Czech car maker Skoda Auto introduced its new Skoda Octavia model in a TV show on Saturday before an official introduction at the Geneva motor show next week. Skoda managers expect the...

Sobotka says state, firms could start to co-operate by 2006.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, Feb 29 (CTK) - Pilot projects within co-operation between the Czech government and companies should emerge by 2006, still under the current government, Finance Minister Bohuslav Sobotka told CTK on...

Hucin files complaint against Ostrava foreigner police chief.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) PREROV, North Moravia, Feb 29 (CTK) - Vladimir Hucin, a pre- 1989 dissident and a former BIS counter-intelligence agent, has filed a complaint against chief of the Ostrava foreigner and border Police, Jan Husar,...

Results of 1st Czech Soccer League 19th round matches.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, Feb 29 (CTK) - The results of the 1st Czech Soccer League 19th round matches played today: Olomouc vs Pribram 1-0 (1-0), Blsany vs Ostrava 2-1 (1-0), Zizkov vs Brno 2-0 (2-0). Standings: 1....

New bishop of Litomerice Catholic diocese Posad celebrates mass.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) LITOMERICE, North Bohemia, Feb 29 (CTK) - New bishop of the Litomerice Catholic diocese Pavel Posad celebrated his first mass at the St.Stephen Cathedral in Litomerice today. Priest from Brno Posad, 50, was...

Shell, KazMunaiGaz likely to place joint bid for Unipetrol--press.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, Feb 29 (CTK) - The Royal Dutch/Shell group has probably invited Kazakhstan's KazMunaiGaz to place a joint bid in the privatisation of Czech oil and chemicals group Unipetrol, the Tyden weekly says in the...

Prazdroj raises beer prices Monday, rivals stay put for now.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) PLZEN, West Bohemia, Feb 29 (CTK) - The largest Czech brewing group Plzensky Prazdroj with almost 50 per cent of the local market said it was raising beer prices from Monday. "This is a reaction to the...

Czech Romany Union begins aid collection for Slovak Romanies.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, Feb 29 (CTK) - The Romany Union in the Czech Republic has started a humanitarian aid collection for Slovak Romanies. Czech Romany Union chairman and International Romany Union president Emil Scuka...

CzechTrade opens second office in Germany.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, Feb 29 (CTK) - CzechTrade, the Czech government's agency to support exports, opened its second office in Germany in Hamburg a week ago, Josef Nemecek from CzechTrade's PR section has told CTK. "The...

Czech soft drinks consumption up on hot summer in 2003.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, Feb 29 (CTK) - Czechs drank more alcohol-free drinks in 2003 than a year earlier owing to a rich supply of quality beverages but also to an extremely hot summer, an association of soft drinks makers has...

Summary of the main business news published by CTK on Feb 29:.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE - Coffee, tea, sweets and spices will stay under the main value-added tax rate despite an original government proposal to shift them under the preferential rate, daily Mlada fronta Dnes (MfD) said on...

New Harry Potter novel out in Czech, finds thousands of readers.
February 29, 2004... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, Feb 29 (CTK) - Thousands of Czechs have bought the Czech version of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix since bookshops around the country started selling it at midnight on Saturday...

Macedonian PM criticizes NATO peacekeepers over probe into president's death.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) The Macedonian prime minister criticized NATO peacekeepers in Bosnia, saying they had made mistakes in investigating the plane crash that killed president Boris Trajkovski and insisting on clarification of...

Canadian troops secure airport in Haitian capital, police return to streets.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Canadian troops took control of the Port-au-Prince airport while Haitian police resumed patrols in the capital to end the violence that erupted upon the departure of embattled president Jean Bertrand Aristide,...

Kerry success forces Bush to speed up and toughen re-election campaign.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) President George W. Bush has been forced to throw himself into his battle for re-election earlier than expected because of the success of Senator John Kerry on the Democratic side. Republican strategists...

Middlesbrough edge Bolton in League Cup Final to make history.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Middlesbrough won a major trophy for the first time in their 128-year history when they beat Bolton Wanderers 2-1 in the League Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium. Boro, who now qualify for the UEFA Cup,...

Canada to join international force, evacuates nationals from Haiti.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Canada will join a multinational force to restore order in Haiti, if the United Nations agrees to the mission, Prime Minister Paul Martin said. Martin issued a statement saying he hoped the departure of...

Kuwait to export 250,000 barrels of Iraqi oil daily.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Kuwait has agreed to export nearly 250,000 barrels of Iraqi oil via its terminals, Energy Undersecretary Issa al-Oun said. Oun announced after a meeting of a joint Kuwaiti-Iraqi oil committee that his...

Iraqi leaders make new push on basic law, as casualties mount.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Iraqi leaders made a new push to draw up a temporary constitution, a major step on the road to winning back sovereignty, as police and US-led occupation forces suffered new casualties. After working...

Bush orders US Marines to Haiti.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) US President George W. Bush ordered US Marines to Haiti as the vanguard of an international security force and urged Haitians to forgo violence and give their political process "a chance to work." "It...

Two die as Venezuelans protest for Chavez, against US.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Two people died and thousands of demonstrators marched for President Hugo Chavez and against US opposition to Venezuela's leader, state-owned television said. "We have a slogan: We are against (US...

Portuguese anti-abortionists fight to keep restrictive laws in place.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) As Portugal's parliament prepares to debate the nation's restrictive abortion laws, opponents of the procedure, which is banned except in cases involving rape or where there are serious health concerns, are...

Former Kosovo Albanian rebel leader briefly detained in Hungary.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) The former leader of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian rebels, Agim Ceku, was briefly detained in Hungary on the basis of an international arrest warrant. Ceku, the current head of a UN-supervised force in Kosovo,...

Jesse Jackson faults Bush in Aristide overthrow.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson accused the US administration of having contributed to the ouster of democratically-elected Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. "The US assisted in and helped...

Aristide flees, Bush orders Marines to Haiti.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) President Jean Bertrand Aristide fled Haiti in the face of an armed revolt and world pressure as the United States ordered Marines to the Caribbean state to help restore order. As angry Aristide supporters...

Former Philippine leader mourns death of ex-Time correspondent.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Former Philippine president Corazon Aquino expressed sorrow at the death of leading US journalist Sandra Burton and recalled her role in pivotal events in this country's history. "Her death is a personal...

Moroccan monarch visits earthquake-stricken villages.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) King Mohammed VI of Morocco visited the small town of Imzouren, nearly empty of its 30,000 residents since last week's devastating earthquake. The king himself took the wheel of a Range Rover, accompanied...

Canadians evacuated from Haiti, police return to streets.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Canadian troops secured Port-au-Prince airport Sunday to conduct evacuation flights while Haitian police resumed patrols in the capital to end violence that erupted upon the departure of president Jean...

Need for "robust" foreign military presence in Haiti - Canadian minister.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Canada plans to join a multinational security force to restore order in Haiti, Prime Minister Paul Martin said. Martin initially said that such a force would require United Nations authorization, but...

BAE Systems wins contract to supply advanced reconnaissance system to Oman.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) British aerospace and defence giant BAE Systems announced it has won a contract to supply Advanced Airborne Reconnaissance Systems (AARS) to Oman's Royal Air Force. The fully digital intelligence gathering...

Gibson's "Passion" ascends to top at boxoffice.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" ascended to number-one at the box office, earning more than the rest of the top 10 films combined, preliminary figures showed. The controversial drama of the final...

Democrats play the protectionist card in US presidential campaign.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Democratic candidates are playing the trade protectionist card in their bids for the presidency, scrambling to draw in blue- and white-collar voters fearful of persistently weak US job markets. The US...

Former Kosovo Albanian rebel leader briefly detained in Hungary.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) A former leader of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian rebels, Agim Ceku, was briefly detained in Hungary on the basis of an international arrest warrant. Ceku, the current head of a UN-supervised force in Kosovo,...

Hollywood's a-jitter as Oscars countdown ticks.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Hollywood was nervously slipping into designer gowns and tuxedos for cinema's glitziest celebration, the Oscars, where the final episode of the "Lord of the Rings" is tipped to win big. "Colour, colour and...

Iraqi leaders make new push on basic law, as casualties mount.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Iraqi leaders made a new push to draw up a basic law, a major step on the road to winning back sovereignty, as Polish troops shot dead a bus driver and wounded several others at a checkpoint. After working...

Cheap J-pop CD imports facing the music in Japan.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Japanese salaryman Hidefumi Akashio, 30, surveys aisles of CDs in a Tokyo music store, noticing the huge price difference between the Japanese editions and Asian imports of the same albums by Japanese...

Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" to be shown in France.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Mel Gibson's controversial film "The Passion of the Christ" will be shown in France despite rumours that it could not find a distributor. Gibson's production company Icon was quoted as saying that the...

British troops slam poor planning by officers in Iraq war: press report.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Thousands of British soldiers have complained that they suffered equipment shortages during the war in Iraq last year because of poor planning by senior officers, a newspaper said. A confidential report to...

Hollywood's night of nights to get underway with Oscars ceremony.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Hollywood was set to hold its glitziest annual bash, the Academy Awards ceremony, with the final installment of the "Lord of the Rings" tipped by pundits to snatch the biggest prize -- the coveted best picture...

Musharraf orders probe into killings of 11 near Afghan border.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) President Pervez Musharraf has ordered a full probe into the killing of 11 people in a gunfight between Pakistani troops and gunmen in a remote tribal area near the Afghan border, officials said. ...

North Korea blames US for lack of progress at nuclear crisis talks.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) North Korea Sunday blamed the United States for a lack of progress at six-nation nuclear crisis talks as delegates left Beijing following discussions that fizzled out after four days. As the Japanese,...

Indian national polls to be held in stages in April, May.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Indian voters will go to the polls in national elections to be held in four stages in April and May that are seen as likely to return the ruling Hindu nationalist-led alliance to power. The Bharatiya...

Be aggressive against India, Imran tells Pakistan players.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Former Pakistan cricket great Imran Khan told Pakistani cricketers to be aggressive and keep up the mental pressure in next month's historic series against India. "It's the power of the mind which will...

Ranatunga says Warne should have had life ban.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga launched a fresh attack on his cricketing nemesis Shane Warne, saying the Australian spinner should have been banned for life for taking drugs. Warne, who...

Aristide leaves Haiti: diplomatic sources.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide -- facing an armed rebellion and international pressure to step down -- left the country, diplomatic sources said. One source said Aristide was going to the...

Iraqi leaders make final push on basic law, as casualties mount.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Iraqi leaders made a last push to draw up a temporary constitution, a major step on the road to winning back sovereignty, as police and US-led occupation forces suffered new casualties. After working...

Iraqi leaders make final push to complete basic law after missing deadline.
February 29, 2004... (From Agence France Presse) Divided by their politics but united in a desire to get the job done, Iraqi leaders battled to finish a basic law for Iraq's immediate future, but any official signing was put off until at least mid-week. ...

Rogge: Success of 2004 Games a challenge for Greece.
February 29, 2004... (From Athens News Agency) International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jacques Rogge reiterated here over the weekend the IOC's leitmotif of successful Olympic Games in Athens, "as long as the same intensive rate" of progress continues,...

Ministry flatly denies quote attributed to DM in 'Financial Times' story.
February 29, 2004... (From Athens News Agency) The defence ministry over the weekend issued a press release categorically denying that Defence Minister Yiannos Papantoniou referred to patrols by Italian and Turkish naval vessels in the Ionian and Aegean,...

Karamanlis: Change in policy achieved only with change in gov't.
February 29, 2004... (From Athens News Agency) Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis lashed out at rival PASOK over the weekend, warning, in a published interview, that "a change in policy is achieved only with a change in government"...

Candidates tour the provinces a week before election (recast).
February 29, 2004... (From Athens News Agency) Candidates were out in full force over the weekend, days after a nationally televised debate of all Parliament or Europarliament-represented political leaders and only a week before voters cast their ballot in...

Papandreou outlines local gov't policy.
February 29, 2004... (From Athens News Agency) PASOK leader and former foreign minister George Papandreou on Sunday unveiled his party's policy for local government issues, stressing that PASOK led the way in the transformation of the sector by weaning local...

Karamanlis sharply attacks ruling PASOK in Thessaloniki address.
February 29, 2004... (From Athens News Agency) Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis spoke at his party's main election rally in northern Greece on Sunday evening, addressing a crowd in Thessaloniki's central Aristotelous Square....

Papandreou: ND's charges of mismanagement are 'lies'.
February 29, 2004... (From Athens News Agency) PASOK leader and former foreign minister George Papandreou on Sunday continued his latest attack against the rival New Democracy party, this time from the eastern Aegean island of Samos, where he said the...

Greek first division football results, standings.
February 29, 2004... (From Athens News Agency) Olympiakos Piraeus remained a point ahead of its bitter rival Panathinaikos Athens after edging a tough Kallithea side 2-1 away on Saturday. Panathinaikos remained in the championship hunt by outlasting this...

DIKKI's Tsovolas outlines party's economic policy.
February 29, 2004... (From Athens News Agency) Democratic Social Movement (DIKKI) leader Dimitris Tsovolas outlined what he called a "realistic and alternative programme for governing" this week, during an interview with the Athens News Agency (ANA) In...

BOOK BY LATE ALIJA IZETBEGOVIC PROMOTED IN SARAJEVO.
February 29, 2004... (From ONASA News Agency) SARAJEVO, Feb 29 (ONASA) - A book by the first president of BiH, late Alija Izetbegovic, was promoted on Sunday evening in the National Theater in Sarajevo. Promotion of the book, "Tajna zvana Bosna" (Bosnia...

Athens press review.
February 29, 2004... (From Athens News Agency) The Sunday editions of Athens' dailies at a glance ADESMEFTOS TYPOS (Mitsis): "Seven steps towards victory - (ND leader Costas) Karamanlis absolutely ready to govern " ADESMEFTOS TYPOS (Rizos): "Major address by...

Church of Greece, Patriarchate reportedly move towards compromise.
February 29, 2004... (From Athens News Agency) A bitter spate recently between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece over ecclesiastical jurisdiction in northern Greece and the Aegean islands, the so-called "New...

TERZIC TO MEET WITH COMSFOR ON PLANE CRASH INVESTIGATION.
February 29, 2004... (From ONASA News Agency) SARAJEVO, Feb 29 (ONASA) - Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers Adnan Terzic told ONASA on Sunday that he is to meet with SFOR Commander in BiH Virgil Packett next week in order to analyze the events related...