Europe Intelligence Wire articles from July 2003

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from July 2003

Czech press survey.
July 1, 2003... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, July 1 (CTK) - The Czech dailies today comment on the case of former Foreign Ministry general secretary Karel Srba, who was convicted on Monday of planning the murder of journalist Sabina Slonkova because...

Govt to set up single agency for granting state orders -- press.
July 1, 2003... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, July 1 (CTK) - The Czech government coalition is considering setting up a single agency that would grant state orders, daily Lidove noviny (LN) writes today. During talks on public finance reform,...

Number of mortgage banks likely to rise next year -- press.
July 1, 2003... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, July 1 (CTK) - The number of banks granting mortgage loans in the Czech Republic is likely to rise after the country's accession to the EU next year, daily Lidove noviny (LN) writes today. Several...

Limonov Set Free, Vows to Fight On.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) Eduard Limonov, a writer and head of the radical National Bolshevik Party, walked free Monday after serving almost 25 months of a four-year sentence on an arms conviction -- and immediately headed for the Volga...

Players Team Up to Fight Racism.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) Thirteen nations took on Russia at the Lokomotiv Stadium on Monday. The idea, however, was not to divide but unite. The Rostelecom Cup -- Russia's first all-star match -- saw the Russian national team hammer a...

Pulp Non-Fiction Fuels Hostile Takeovers.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) With its bullet-riddled cover design, "Shareholder vs. Joint Stock Company" looks more like a detective novel than a consultant's guide to doing mergers and acquisitions the Russian way. But pulp fiction it is...

Over-30 Expats in League of Their Own.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) Athletes may hit their physical peak in their late 20s, but a group of over-30 expats aren't letting that stop them from taking their skills to the soccer pitch. The action in Moscow's new expat soccer league...

$100,500 Check at Gas Pump.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) What could bring businessmen, children and folk singers to a gas station on a sunny afternoon? Not empty gas tanks. They were on hand for a ceremony Thursday at which BP and 19 other companies presented a check...

Volsky Brothers Built a Bolshoi Career in Stages.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) When the curtain went up on Tchaikovsky's "The Queen of Spades" at the Budapest Opera House in May, Viktor and Rafail Volsky counted it as their 200th premiere. But the Volsky brothers have never taken the stage...

Banking on Bolder Reforms.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) To Our ReadersHas something you've read here startled you? Are you angry, excited, puzzled or pleased? Do you have ideas to improve our coverage? Then please write to us. All we ask is that you include your...

License to Pre-Emptively Censor?
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) A few days ago I ran into a good friend who works as a journalist. When she caught my eye she looked around furtively, then moved in close and whispered: "What I'm about to do is completely illegal. If anyone finds...

Flaming Self-Abuse Not Like in the Olden Days.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) To Our ReadersHas something you've read here startled you? Are you angry, excited, puzzled or pleased? Do you have ideas to improve our coverage? Then please write to us. All we ask is that you include your...

Territorial Reform in a Rut.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) The perception of bureaucracies as inherently conservative and inert is common, but mistaken. Bureaucracies welcome change because they tend to grow as a result, sprouting new departments. At the same time, they are...

Russia Presses Iran Over Nukes.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) The head of Iran's nuclear energy program, Gholamreza Aghazadeh, arrived Monday on a four-day visit to discuss cooperation with Russia, and the first thing he heard was that Iran should do as the West is urging and...

Police Unit Suspended In a Corruption Probe.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) The entire staff of the Moscow police force's elite criminal investigations directorate was suspended Monday as federal investigators continued to look into allegations that officers from the unit ran an extortion...

June Was The Coldest Since 1941.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) Moscow saw its coldest June in 62 years this year, with the average temperature ringing in at a chilly 13 degrees Celsius, a top meteorologist said Monday. The usual average for June is a more balmy 17.5...

News in Brief: St. Petersburg Vote.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) MOSCOW -- St. Petersburg will hold its early gubernatorial election on Sept. 21, the same day that the Leningrad region will vote for a governor, Interfax reported Monday. Vadim Tulpanov, the speaker of the...

News in Brief: Seleznyov for President.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) MOSCOW -- but only in 2008 because President Vladimir Putin would be too difficult to challenge in next March's election, Interfax reported. "We all know that a person can be elected president for two...

Dead Soviet Dam Comes Alive.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) It took nearly 30 years, but the largest power plant in the Far East finally came online Monday. Officials said the completion of the Bureya hydroelectric dam in the Amur region will give the depressed regional...

Business in Brief: Sweet Deal.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) MOSCOW -- The Sladco confectionary concern said Monday that it has sold one of its three factories, Zarya, in the Tatarstan capital of Kazan, which it purchased at the end of 2001. Details were not disclosed....

Satellite Technology to Revive Russian Cinema.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) Everybody is used to watching satellite television at home and in their offices, but a new Russian company wants to beam feature-length films straight to a theater near you. Narodny Ekran, or The People's...

Squatters Crash Yukos, Sibneft Virtual Merger.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) A benevolent cybersquatter has registered the domain name of nascent YukosSibneft and promises to give it back to the company for free, "if they need it." Givi Barkalaya, a resident of St. Petersburg, said he is...

Welltone Park, Moscow's Answer to La Defense.
July 1, 2003... (From The Moscow Times) Giant Moscow residential investment and development company Krost plans to build Moscow's answer to Paris' La Defense in the upmarket northwest of the city between Polezhayevskaya metro station and Serebryany Bor....

Differences between Ministers Postpone Fast Sale of Bulgaria Air.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) Byline: Iliana TONCHEVA and Valentin GEORGIEV Milen Velchev asks PA about the delay of the privatisation THE ECONOMY ministry has not yet submitted the strategy for privatisation of Bulgaria Air to the council of...

Current Account Deficit Exceeds USD 700m End-April.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) Byline: Valentina ILIEVA BULGARIA'S current account deficit for the first four months of 2003 was USD 721.2 million (3.8% of GDP), increasing by nearly 93% year on year, BNB data show. The deficit for January-April...

Turkish Holding Already Owns Hlebna Maya.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) Byline: Hristo ATANASOV in Rousse TURKEY'S Altin Mai Sanai undertakes the management of Bulgaria's only leaven enterprise, Hlebna Maya of Rousse. The holding, which is also owner of Kapitan Dyado Nikola of Gabrovo,...

Four Bulgarian Weapon Producers Work with US Giants.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) Byline: Vesela YANEVA FOUR Bulgarian weapons producers are already working with US giants in the branch, Pavel Ezekiev, chairman of the Foreign Investment Agency, told the PARI daily. These are Electron Progress,...

Varna-Pro Refuses Public Contract for Gas Supply.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) Byline: Kremena KAPRALOVA in Dobrich VARNA-PRO cannot provide financing for the public contract for re-equipment of 38 municipal projects in Dobrich with local gas heating installations, the mayor of the town,...

Foreign Minister: Political Consent Needed for Corridor No. 8.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) Byline: a PARI daily's team THE SIX-month mandate of Italy as the country chairing the EU should see the implementation of the specific parameters in the construction of Corridor No. 8, said Bulgaria's foreign...

Skiing Center Worth USD 20m Planned Near Blagoevgrad.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) Byline: Ophelia ILIEVA THE MUNICIPAL council of Blagoevgrad voted a decision to establish a joint company with the local Prima FR OOD managed by Iliya Rizov. The objective of the enterprise is to build in a 2 year...

Motorola Israel Ltd Installs TERAA System in Bulgaria.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) Byline: Ani DIMITROVA Motorola announced it had completed the production and tests of the third TETRA TErrestrial Trunked Radio) digital radiosystem, created for the needs of the Bulgarian government administration....

LUKoil Neftochim Allocated Whole Profit to Reserves.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) Byline: Marieta HANDZHIEVA in Bourgas THE BOURGAS refinery posted BGN 4.132 million in profit for 2002, it emerged after the general shareholders meeting. The total amount of taxes and government fees paid stands at...

Candidates for EDCs Required to Have EUR 1bn Equity Capital.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) Byline: Svetoslava BANCHEVA ONLY strategic investors with at least EUR 1 billion equity capital which sell over 8-12 billion kWh of electricity a year will be able to participate in the privatisation of Bulgaria's...

CCB Allocates Profit to Reserves.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) Byline: Valentina ILIEVA CENTRAL Cooperative Bank (CCB) posted a BGN 4.296 million net profit for 2002, it emerged after a general shareholders' meeting. The shareholders decided to allocate the whole profit to the...

Sviloza Reinvests '02 Profit.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) Byline: Emilia GUGOVA THE WHOLE net profit for 2002, standing at BGN 4.81 million, will be reinvested in upgrading and modernization of the technology, the Sviloza AD general shareholders meeting decided. last year...

Turnover with Germany to Exceed USD 2bn.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) Byline: Vesela YANEVA GERMANY may again become Bulgaria's No. 1 trade partner this year, vice premier Nikolay Vasilev said at the opening of the Bulgarian-German cooperative exchange in Sofia. He forecast that this...

Bourgas-Alexandroupolis Project Presented to US Companies.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) Byline: Evdokia DIMITROVA MEETINGS with the managements of some of the biggest companies for prospecting, production and transit of oil are included in minister Valentin Tserovski's programme, the ministry of regional...

IN A NUTSHELL.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) PRESIDENT Parvanov summons the Consultative Council on National Security (CCNS) on the problem of crime escalation for a third time in a row. The news emerged after Parvanov's meeting with general Boyko Borissov, chief...

Vassilev Changes Cabinet representative to Kremikovtsi Board.
July 1, 2003... (From PARI Daily) Byline: Vessela YANEVA THE REPRESENTATIVE of the government on the board of directors of the Kremikovtsi steel works Andrei Breshkov, who also heads the sector analysis department at the economic ministry, was...

VAT change downside for Ireland, says ICT lobby.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) REGULATIONS coming into force today forcing companies outside the EU to levy VATon electronic goods and services sold online will put Ireland at a competitivedisadvantage, ICT Ireland said. This is because of...

CAI call to regulate debt collectors.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) THE Consumers' Association of Ireland has called for legislation to regulate debt collectors, accusing some firms of intimidation. Unlike other countries, debt collectors are not licensed in Ireland. This...

Hotels face TV licence hike under RTE plan.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) HOTELS, pubs, bed and breakfasts and betting shops with 16 televisions ormore might have to pay a television licence fee of [euro]750, under proposals from RTE. In a submission to the Department of...

CRH blames weather for slippage.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) CRH HAS flagged the market to expect lower than expected profits this year, as badweather continued through May and June, disrupting US operations and aggravating theprofit translation effect of adverse currency...

Airtricity managers, staff up stake to 18pc.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) MANAGEMENT and staff at green energy company Airtricity have stumped up [euro]1.1m tobring their stake in the firm to 18pc. This was part of a [euro]28m fund-raising by the firm. The fund-raising values...

Petrel advances Iraqi deals despite chaos.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) PETREL Resources, the exploration junior with interests in Iraq, will continue its policy ofmaking small placings for funds until it needs to raise substantial finance for oilfielddevelopment, according to the...

News In Brief.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) [euro]4m revamp at Heiton outlets BUILDERS merchant and DIY provider Heiton Group has completed a [euro]4.2m refurbishment programme of its 20 Heiton Buckley builders merchanting outlets. The company reports...

Film industry at risk if tax breaks axed.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) OVER 3,400 Irish film industry jobs could be lost if the Government goes ahead with a plan to axe tax incentives for film-makers, Screen Producers Ireland (SPI) warned yesterday. The body urged the Government...

INM now on course to beat 2002 earnings.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) SHARES in Independent News & Media (INM) rose further yesterday afterthe company said its revenues were running ahead of the same period last year. In a pre-close period trading statement, INM said it was on...

Glanbia may sell UK pork business.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) FOOD processing group Glanbia is in talks to sell its UK fresh pork business,theIrish Independent has learned. A reduced pig supply, a weaker tradingenvironment in the sector and a strong strategic focus have...

Flak for Companies Bill.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) THE proposed Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill has come in for further flak, thistime from the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME), which hasestimated that its introduction will mean a hike...

Big surge in mortgage debt.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) RESIDENTIAL mortgage lending grew almost [euro]1bn during the month of May, but overallthe growth in private sector credit was curtailed, thanks to a drop in the other major loan categories, including short and...

Providence renews licence talks.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) PROVIDENCE Resources is in negotiations with the Department of the Marine & Natural Resources for continued licensing of a collective portfolio of licensing interests in the Celtic Sea. The discussions are...

Derry wind farm set to enter market.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) BELFAST-based power company Viridian has opened the largest wind farmon the island in Derry in a move that will allow it to enter the green energy market in the Republic. The wind-generated electricity will be...

Disruptive pupils must be removed.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) Sir - Much has been said about the right of each individual to an education. We are told that everyone should be accommodated within the school system, both atprimary and post-primary levels. Provided they are...

Improved efficiency not higher charges way forward.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) IRISH RESIDENTS (both medical card holders and non-medical cardholders) are entitled to be treated as public patients in our public hospitals, subject tomodest charges. The current charge for one night as a...

Nation's annual bout of health charge-itis.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) EVERY YEAR, around this time, we get into a state of feverish indignation at the prospect of more VHI premium increases - but the reality is there is a huge level ofcomplacency among the privately insured, many of...

What can we do now, Mum?
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) Summer holidays are here from this week and parents are panicking at the idea of having to amuse their little darlings for weeks on end. CATHERINE MURPHY reports on a newbook called Dublin for Kids and the author...

Farmers must learn to compete in marketplace.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) WHAT came out of the negotiations last week in Luxembourg was possibly the most radical reform of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) in its history to date. This reform has not only made the CAP more secure in the...

The Top Ten this summer.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) 1 Surfdock Grand Canal Yard Thrills and spills with kids on windsurfing courses. It costs [euro]190 all-in for five days,10am to 5pm. All they need is togs, towel, packed lunch, spare clothes (in case!) and...

So, you wanna be in pictures.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) DAY IN THE LIFE Derek Quinn, movie extra casting agent 'I start work at 8.30am, so I get up at five to eight. I'm not a breakfast man; Ihave croissants and coffee when I get to the office. At least I'm driving...

RUS IN URBE : Dogged loyalty of man's best friend.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) There have been many recorded instances by the eminent 19th centurynaturalist W H Hudson, and others, of bird and animal grief for mates - and evencreatures of other species to which they had become attached. And,...

A bridge too far as ambition outstrips reality.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) STILL sitting on the bridge, Mary. The James Joyce Bridge, that is. A reader who works in the Arbour Hill area agrees with me that it is a fine piece of work. As alunchtime pedestrian he has stood on it, sat on it,...

I remember that summer in Dublin.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) (. . . and the Liffey it stank like hell etc) The old hit song by Liam Reilly and Bagatelle is still popular with people here because it evokes memories of the golden summers of years gone by when Dublin was a...

Get a taste of truly local flavours at the food fair.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) In the past, Irish foodies have had good reason to be envious of the Frenchand Italians with their open-air markets and specialist shops selling mouth-watering localdelicacies from salamis to cheeses. Now,...

The Irishman who made Churchill great.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) Winston Churchill could never be regarded as one of Ireland's greatest friends. His first memories were as a young child in Dublin, walking in the Phoenix Parkwhere his nanny whispered dark warnings about murderous...

Street smart in Cow's Lane.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) Cow's Lane is already a centre for high quality fashion and design with anumber of clothes, design and craft stores. The market will make Cow's Lane a must forSaturday and will include regular live music...

Sidewalk style.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) COW'S LANE Market will attract some of the top, up-and-coming designersand will include unique one-off garments from Suzuki Jimny Young Designer of the Year Finalists, Suki & Nic and Graham Cruz, as well as...

Celebs finding sweet smell of success...
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) Everyone who is anyone these days is launching his or her own signaturescent. In essence, you have not arrived in celebrity terms until you have your ownfragrance line with your name proudly emblazoned on the...

EATING OUT : Cheap and cheerful will have them coming back for more.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) Alan Stanford reviews Odessa Lounge and Grill Within moments of taking our seats in Odessa, Maeve leaned across thetable and said: "I really like this room." I had just been on the point of saying exactly the...

BEST CELLARS : Taking a peak at a solid South African.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) A couple of weeks ago the wine arm of Irish Distillers introduced us to Bernice Harington,the new winemaker for Long Mountain, which is the number one South African wine brand in Ireland. Talk about flying...

THE SCENT OF CELEBRITY.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) NAOMI CAMPBELL - Mystery, her third fragrance, launches in Ireland inSeptember. J-LO - Glow was inspired by the smell of getting out of the shower freshly washed withivory soap. ELIZABETH TAYLOR - Forever...

A pad fit for a star.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) PERSONAL SPACE Boutique owner Mary Daly 'It's a town apartment in an old building," came Mary Daly's voice over thephone. I had visions of a pad that was convenient but spatially challenged. When I arrivedat...

Is this the face of the new religion?
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) What IS it with those Star Wars fans? Last year they staged mass camp-outs at cinemas screeningAttack of the Clones, menacing other movie-goers with their papermache Darth Vader costumes and baco-foil light sabres....

Big is beautiful too - and sexy.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) Lisa Mitten opened Kitten Lingerie a year ago, catering for woman of all agesand sizes - from those of Twiggy-sized proportions (30 back, size A cup), right up to large and curvaceous females. "I opened the...

UNDERSTANDING YOUR WEIGHT.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) Your Body Mass Index, (BMI) measures body fat according to heightand weight. Medically, weight is categorised within a range of underweight, normal, overweight and obese according to BMI rating. So if you're, say...

Let's hear it for size 16s!
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) (Or why J-Lo is a better role model than Jennifer Aniston) Jennifer Aniston may have been voted the most powerful celebrity on theplanet last week but, according to some experts, she's not the top role model...

Top doctors pocket more pay and warn of fees hike.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) HOSPITAL consultants who will get a big salary increase from the VHI today are threatening to hit patients with demands for extra payments. The specialists, who earn an annual average of [euro]127,000 for...

Hunt under way for missing Olympians.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) AS the country said farewell to the Special Olympians yesterday, the huntwas on for four who have gone missing. The members of the Niger team have no passports or tickets home. And a colleague claimed yesterday...

Teachers face term-time training ban over legal fears.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) SCHOOLS may ban teachers from attending in-service training coursesduring term because they fear legal action by students over the continued loss of teaching time. The three managerial bodies are considering...

Heaney's ode of praise for Eminem.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) SEAMUS Heaney has praised American rap star Eminem, calling him as influential in popular culture as Bob Dylan and John Lennon had been in their heydays. The Nobel Prize-winning poet was asked by journalists at...

Ad authority clips air rivals' wings.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) BOTH Aer Lingus and its rival Ryanair have fallen foul of the AdvertisingStandards Authority following complaints by members of the public. But in addition to upholding individual complaints against both...

Hi-tech rail fleet 'will greatly increase capacity'.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) COMMUTERS on the 18.45 Dublin-Dundalk service got an unexpected firsttaste of Iarnrod Eireann's new fleet as the first four carriages began in-service trials last night. Iarnrod Eireann believes the new...

Man found with GBP42,000 in cocaine search 'was buying horse'.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) THE Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) alleged in the High Court yesterday thata man was found in possession of almost GBP42,000 during a garda investigation of a criminal network in Co Limerick involved in importing and...

[euro]7m price tag for celebrities' haunt.
July 1, 2003... (From Irish Independent) THE Queens pub and restaurant in Dalkey, Co Dublin has fetched around [euro]7m in one of the biggest licensed premises sales this year. The property was withdrawn from auction unsold last Thursday, but has now...