Europe Intelligence Wire articles from March 2009, page 7

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from March 2009

Becoming a figure of fun.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) HOME Secretary Jacqui Smith was dressed yesterday in totteringly high heels and black tights. It is, of course, wrong to judge anyone purely on what they wear, but Ms Smith's reputation is in such tatters...

Death wish.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Steve Pratt The death of his father prompted broadcaster John Humphrys to write a book about a 'good' death. He tells Steve Pratt why he came out in favour of assisted suicide BROADCASTER John...

Hear all sides.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) GET A GRIP WE hear and read much of the billions of pounds in unclaimed benefits while recent HAS contributors have expressed their disappointment at the lack of advice available when they became unemployed. ...

Uefa boost for campaign to honour player.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Jim Entwistle ONE of the world's largest sporting organisations has pledged GBP17,500 to a campaign to honour a North-East footballing pioneer. European football's governing body Uefa has bought a...

Eating Owt - Wishful thinking.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Mike Amos The column tries out the Plough in Shadforth, where diners decide what they want to pay for their food THOUGH widely publicised a couple of months back, the "Pay as you wish" initiative at...

Eating Owt.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Mike Amos THOSE accustomed to fish shop queues will attest to the pleasure of reading the writing on the wall. At Turnbull's in Malpas Road, Northallerton - just behind the High Street, a short stroll...

Eating Owt.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Mike Amos CHRIS Willsden, still remembered for a high-profile spell as landlord of the Bay Horse in Hurworth, left yesterday for a new life in Texas.We'd a farewell meal in Hogarth's in Darlington...

Sour notes.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Steve Pratt All The Small Things (BBC1, 9pm) TWELVE years after tottering across Coronation Street's cobbles as loveable but dippy barmaid Raquel Watts, actress Sarah Lancashire is adamant that she'll...

Bungling thief runs into 30 police officers.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Tony Kearney AN unlucky shoplifter left a store with more than GBP100 of stolen goods and ran straight into more than 30 trainee police officers on a training exercise. The startled thief pushed...

Students get to grips with bank skills.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) STUDENTS have spent a day learning how to get to grips with money during a roadshow. Financial experts visited St Bede's School, in Lanchester, County Durham, to teach young people about the basics of money...

Mother's secret tape sends pervert to jail.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Graeme Hetherington A MOTHER'S secret recording put a pervert behind bars for three years yesterday. Her daughter had told her that kitchen fitter Michael Jennings sexually assaulted her in her...

Big Night Out is planned for town.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) PEOPLE in a town are being invited to find out what nightlife the area has to offer. One Big Night will allow residents in Middlesbrough to discover the town's entertainment and culture. The event, on...

KLM denies rumours of flights axe.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Joe Willis AN airline has dismissed rumours that it is planning to end flights from an embattled North-East airport. KLM said there had been no talk of the company cancelling its service from...

Soldiers in 3,000-mile challenge for charity.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) SOLDIERS from the region have travelled 3,000 miles to raise money for charity. Seventy-one members of the Close Support Medical Regiment, from Catterick Garrison, North Yo rkshire, covered the 3,040 miles...

Women's own.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Sharon Griffiths Mslexia, the magazine for women writers, is celebrating its tenth birthday this year. Sharon Griffiths talks to editor Daneet Steffens about the help it offers fledgling writers from...

Home-turf heebie-jeebies.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Steve Pratt As a child, Twinnie-Lee Moore danced her heart out in panto at the Grand Opera House in York. Now she's back in the North-East in a starring role. Steve Pratt reports THE band strikes up...

Readers' poems.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) SWIFT Circling and swooping, a blade on the breeze, Cleaving the ether with elegant ease, Scything the skyline and topping the trees, The swift; he's a flier of flair! High in the heavens, he's loath to alight,...

TALES FROM THE COUNCIL CHAMBER.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Joe Willis TALES FROM THE COUNCIL CHAMBER by Olive Brown MBE and Chris Foote Wood WRITING a book about local government and making it interesting is no easy task, so it is with a great deal of...

Tributes to dedicated councillor.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Helen Smithson TRIBUTES have been paid to a veteran Durham county councillor who died at the weekend. Councillor Jo Fergus, aged 77, was found dead in her home in South View, Gainford, County...

Saunders shaping up for ring return.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Paul Fraser OLYMPIC boxer Bradley Saunders will spend the next 48 hours in Sheffield working his way back into shape ahead of his long-awaited return to competitive action. Following months of...

Backtrack - Peppa flies in to halt the traffic.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Mike Amos PEPPA PIG may never have expected to find herself in the Backtrack column. Nor would she have been, save for an unscheduled appearance on the unwinding road to Wembley. Saturday...

Backtrack - . . . and finally.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Mike Amos THE batsman whose double century last season was his third for different teams in the County Championship (Backtrack, March 28) was the Australian, Chris Rogers. He hit an undefeated 248 for...

Pools say swearing row over.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Nick Loughlin HARTLEPOOL United last night distanced themselves from comments made by Micky Nelson after last Friday's game at Southend. The central defender claimed referee Mick Russell used foul...

Taylor predicts Boro will pull off great escape.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Paul Fraser TWO years ago it was West Ham United and last season it was Fulham. Now Andrew Taylor believes Middlesbrough can pull off a great escape and avoid relegation from the Premier League. ...

Capello is best in world says League boss.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Andy Richardson PREMIER League chairman Sir Dave Richards rates Fabio Capello above any other manager in the game and backed the Italian to end England's 44-year wait for a second World Cup success....

Hughton defends Owen.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Paul Fraser CHRIS HUGHTON has defended his decision to wrap Michael Owen in cotton wool after learning that England manager Fabio Capello questioned the merits of the striker's substitute role at St...

Just three weeks left to save Darlington.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: David Roberts A DEADLINE of just over three weeks has been set for a buyer to come forward to save Darlington Football Club. The administrators have set a cut-off point of Monday, April 20, for...

Green new deal could ease triple crunch in finance, environment and resources.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) The UK economy faces a triple crunch: a recession triggered by a major credit crisis, the looming reality of runaway climate change and critical resource depletion. As a result we face serious challenges to our...

Joy of Six: amateur TV sleuths.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) They're not on Her Majesty's payroll, yet somehow they constantly find themselves banging up badduns. Have-a-go heroes or interfering know-it-alls, we're not sure, but we do know one thing: Britain would be...

UK has run out of money to pump into economy, OECD warns.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) The UK government cannot afford to pump more money into Britain's struggling economy, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development warned today, piling further pressure on Gordon Brown ahead of the...

Hundreds of colleges refused permission to take overseas students.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) More than 400 colleges and schools have been refused permission to take overseas students under immigration controls designed to weed out bogus institutions and students. The UK Border Agency has turned...

Nordic American Tanker Shipping Ltd. (NYSE:NAT) Updated Dividend & Earnings Calendar.
March 31, 2009... (From Hugin) Hamilton, Bermuda, March 31, 2009. In accordance with information given on our web site Nordic American Tanker Shipping Limited (the "Company") today announced that it expects to issue its 1st quarter 2009 dividend and...

Committee on Standards in Public Life to bring forward review of MPs' allowances.
March 31, 2009... (From Government News Network) ] COMMITTEE ON STANDARDS IN PUBLIC LIFE 31 March 2009 Committee on Standards in Public Life to bring forward review of MPs' allowances Sir Christopher Kelly, Chairman of the Committee on Standards in...

SeaChange continues rollout of IPTV services in India.
March 31, 2009... (From Telecom World Wire) SeaChange International (Nasdaq:SEAC), a provider of IPTV and on-demand television solutions, announced on 30 March that two Indian companies, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), a telecomms operator, and Mahanagar...

Intel announces new processors.
March 31, 2009... (From Telecom World Wire) Intel Corporation (Nasdaq:INTC), a manufacturer of computer processors, announced on 30 March a range of new processors, server boards and management software. The company said that the Intel Xeon 5500...

FutureIT releases new version of EZManage SQL Pro.
March 31, 2009... (From Telecom World Wire) FutureIT Inc (OB.FITI) announced on 31 March the release of the latest version of its EZManage Pro agentless tool for centralising and automating the management of multiple Microst SQL servers. The company...

MoD announces pay rise for Armed Forces.
March 31, 2009... (From Government News Network) ] MINISTRY OF DEFENCE 067/2009 31 March 2009 MoD announces pay rise for Armed Forces All service men and women in the Armed Forces are to receive a 2.8 per cent pay rise, Defence Secretary John Hutton...

President Papoulias receives GSEE leaders ahead of strike.
March 31, 2009... (From Athens News Agency) President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias stressed that the crisis should not be paid for by the working people, who were not to blame for it, speaking after a meeting with the General Confederation of Workers...

-IETHA AETHA Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana declared Democritus University professor emeritus.
March 31, 2009... (From Athens News Agency) The title of professor emeritus of the History and Ethnology, Black Sea Countries Language, Literature and Culture Faculty was conferred upon Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Durres and All Albania at a special...

-IETHA AETHA Exhibition on Maria Callas opens in Nicosia.
March 31, 2009... (From Athens News Agency) Nicosia (ANA-MPA / A. Viketos) -- A photography exhibition on Maria Callas opened at the Journalist Center congress halls in Nicosia within the framework of the cooperation memorandum signed between the...

Joss Whedon's Dollhouse is worth the wait.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) There is such a thing as delayed gratification. I know this mainly because I've been watching Dollhouse . And gratification was a few weeks in coming. But then, I found that I'd turned from being interested and...

Terry Gilliam denies distribution glitch for final Heath Ledger film.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) Terry Gilliam has denied that his film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which features Heath Ledger's final performance, is struggling to secure a distribution deal for release in US cinemas. The former...

Traders report share sales in Sainsbury and Debenhams.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) The retail sector is a hive of activity at the moment, with talk of a placing in J.Sainsbury coming hard on the heels of a stake sale at Debenhams . The supermarket group is up 3.25p at 310.5p as traders...

From Wrapit anguish to bliss with gift shop.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Deborah Johnson Deputy Business Editor Deborah Johnson finds out how Nicola Reading dealt with the collapse of wedding gifts firm Wrapit by starting out in business again FOR Nicola Reading, setting...

Chance to swap sports equipment on the web.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Deborah Johnson Deputy Business Editor A FATHER-OF-THREE has started a business that could become the eBay of the sports world after becoming frustrated with his children's rapidly-changing hobbies....

Heeding lessons over Dreamspace.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Owen McAteer Business Editor ORGANISATIONS holding leisure events should heed the lessons of the Dreamspace tragedy, an expert in health and safety law has warned. The case showed that health and...

Kansas electric car plant deal will secure NE jobs.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Owen McAteer Business Editor JOBS in the North-East will be safeguarded by a deal to site an electric car plant in Kansas, US. Smith Electric Vehicles US Corp, (SEV US Corp), which is 49 per cent...

Trade show visit triggered success.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Business Editor Owen McAteer The defence sector brings billions of pounds and thousands of jobs to the North-East. Business Editor Owen McAteer visited the annual conference of support group Northern...

Cutting costs with natural fertilisers.
March 31, 2009... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: Mike Bridgen Rural Affairs Editor FARMERS have been told how using slurry and farmyard manure can save money on chemical fertilisers. Stephen Watson, Adas specialist, said rising chemical...

Appointment of Director.
March 31, 2009... (From Hugin) Puma Brandenburg Limited (the "Company") 31 March 2009 Puma Brandenburg Limited is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Terry Rhodes as non-executive director with immediate effect. Terence Edward Rhodes, aged 54, was...

Vessel Delivery and long-term financing.
March 31, 2009... (From Hugin) "Far Serenade" (PSV UT751CD) has today Tuesday 31st March been delivered from STX Norway Offshore AS, Brevik, to Farstad Supply AS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Farstad Shipping ASA. The vessel will immediately commence on a...

MPs' expenses inquiry to be brought forward.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) The chairman of the Commons sleaze watchdog is to bring forward his inquiry into MPs' expenses following overnight pressure from Gordon Brown. Sir Christopher Kelly, the chairman of the committee on...

Catholics still joining Northern Ireland police force despite attacks, says minister.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) More Catholics are joining the police in Northern Ireland despite being targets for the Real IRA and Continuity IRA, a Cabinet minister revealedtoday . Northern Ireland's security minister Paul Goggins said...

Annual report 2008.
March 31, 2009... (From Hugin) Summary The Board of Directors and Management of FirstFarms A/S has today reviewed and adopted the annual report for 2008. Highlights in 2008 In the period under review, a turnover of DKK 59.5 million, an...

Iran offers to help US rebuild Afghanistan.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) Iran made a significant conciliatory gesture towards the Obama administration today, offering to help US-led efforts to stabilise and rebuild Afghanistan. At an international conference on Afghanistan at...

What the commentators say today...
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) In association with media analysis firm Editorial Intelligence SMITH'S EXPENSES: The Guardian's Polly Toynbee says after Jacqui Smith, expect a lot more MP expense scandals. But Toynbee says those who abuse...

Eco Soundings: Take a spin on MIT's greenhouse gas Roulette wheel.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) Up and up the temperature goes, where it stops nobody knows. We are all -climate gamblers now, and experts at the -Massachusetts Institute of Technology have produced a stunning illustration of the risk posed by...

Alternative G20 summit cancelled.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) The university that suspended a professor for inciting criminal action at this week's G20 summit has cancelled plans to host an "alternative G20 summit" and is to close its doors for the duration of the talks....

England's South Downs gain national park status.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) Hundreds of square miles of woodland, rolling chalk uplands and river valleys across southern England will be made a national park, the government announced today. The new South Downs national park will...

Punch-up in the Commons: it happens -- as I know.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) Oh dear, fighting at the Palace of Westminster, and this time it's the hacks in trouble again. Thank goodness I left Eric Pickles's party before they started. Drink and politics, it's a heady brew, as the...

BERGEN GROUP: NEW MAINTAINCE CONTRACT WITH THE NORWEGIAN DEFENCE.
March 31, 2009... (From Hugin) The Norwegian Defence and Bergen Group will sign a new maintenance contract. The contract includes maintenance of MTU diesel engines and has a value of NOK 10 -15 million per year. The contract is for three year with...

New coalition command structure marks start of Iraq drawdown for UK ForcesVBCRLF.
March 31, 2009... (From Government News Network) ] MINISTRY OF DEFENCE 069/2009 31 March 2009 New coalition command structure marks start of Iraq drawdown for UK Forces The UK's six-year combat mission in Iraq begins to draw to a close today, with the...

Iper Montebello Gets More for Less With Xsigo Virtual I/O.
March 31, 2009... (From Hugin) One of Italy's Larger Hypermarket Chains Reduces Server Deployment Costs by 50%, Increases Performance, and Eliminates Vendor Lock-In With Xsigo SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - March 31, 2009) - Xsigo Systems, Inc., a...

Why do we tolerate misogyny in music?
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) French rapper OrelSan was forced to explain himself this week, as outrage over his song Sale Pute (Dirty Slut), hit the headlines. Sale Pute is an immediately recognisable type: women are described only as...

British army hands over control of Basra to US forces.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) A British military pennant was symbolically lowered over Basra today as UK troops began their withdrawal from Iraq by formally handing command of the southern area of the country to the US army. The ceremony...

NBA in the UK? Why pre-season games just don't hit the mark.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) Burdened by the dilemma of whether to go to the NBA pre-season game in London between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz ? Hovering over the decision whether to pay GBP35 for a cheap seat in the upper deck of the...

Buy to let: The truth is out.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) Back in 2007 Bradford & Bingley issued a dossier challenging the "myths" and "misperceptions" held by critics of buy-to-let lending. It wanted to "celebrate the resounding success" of the hundreds of thousands...

Eco Soundings: Peregrines nest at Birmingham tyre factory.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) Fort Dunlop, the giant former tyre factory at the side of the M6 in Birmingham, may look an ugly brute of a building, but it is now home to a very precious egg. A pair of peregrine falcons have nested since...

MPs asked to pay more towards their pensions.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) MPs are being asked to contribute more towards their pensions to make up for a shortfall in the scheme, Harriet Harman, the leader of the Commons, announced today. In a written statement Harman said that MPs...

Finnish Nokia signs USD1.76bn distribution agreement with China PTAC.
March 31, 2009... (From Telecom World Wire) Finnish mobile handset maker Nokia (Helsinki: NOK1V) (NYSE: NOK) has signed a contract with mobile phone distributor China PTAC Communications Service Co Ltd worth about USD1.76bn, Nokia said in a statement,...

Star Trek sequel greenlit before new film's release.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) It's a sequel, Jim, but not as we know it. The team behind the new Star Trek movie are to return for a second film, even though the JJ Abrams reboot has not opened yet, Variety reports . Star Trek, which...

Has the Reading and Leeds festival forgotten how to rock?
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) When this year's Reading and Leeds festival lineup was announced at an industry party last night, you may have heard the distinct sound of rockers spluttering into their beer. For the infamously hard-rockin'...

Gordon Brown curbs pay rises for civil servants.
March 31, 2009... (From Guardian Unlimited) Gordon Brown announced today that he was curbing pay rises for senior civil servants, senior NHS managers and judges because of the economic crisis. They will receive annual pay rises worth 1.5%, rather...

Research Update.
March 31, 2009... (From Hugin) Liraglutide briefing documents now available for the FDA Advisory Committee meeting on 2 April Novo Nordisk announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made liraglutide briefing documents...

Completed patient inclusion in both phase III diabetic ulcer studies.
March 31, 2009... (From Hugin) Oslo 31 March, 2009: Biotec Pharmacon has included 130 patients and reached the planned size in the second of its two phase III studies with SBG for treatment of diabetic foot ulcer. An interim analysis was initiated earlier...

Final Results.
March 31, 2009... (From Hugin) Downing Protected VCT IV plc Final Results for the year ended 30 November 2008 Financial Highlights 30 Nov 2008 30 Nov 2007 Pence Pence Net asset value per Ordinary share 95.5 97.0 Cumulative distributions per Ordinary share...

Ministry works on comprehensive renewable energy bill.
March 31, 2009... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, March 31, 2009 (MTI-ECONEWS) - The Ministry of Transportation, Telecommunications and Energy Affairs is working on a comprehensive bill that will bring together various regulations to give...

Consumer confidence improves slightly in March - Ecostat.
March 31, 2009... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, March 31, 2009 (MTI-ECONEWS) - Consumer confidence in Hungary improved slightly in March, but only because fewer households expected a further deterioration on the employment market, the...

Hungary opposition liberals see technocrat gov't best to tackle crisis.
March 31, 2009... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, March 31 (MTI) - The executives and parliamentary group of Hungary's liberal opposition Free Democrats have proposed to the party's national board to back a technocrat government, as this is...

Forint home loan rates rise in February.
March 31, 2009... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, March 31, 2009 (MTI-ECONEWS) - The average interest rate for forint-denominated home loans was 12.53pc in February, up 94bp in a month and 281bp higher than a year earlier, National Bank of...

Hungarian feature, short film win award in US, Italy.
March 31, 2009... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, March 31 (MTI) - A Hungarian feature film and a short film won awards at international festivals in the United States and Italy, the Hungarian Film Union told MTI on Tuesday. Young...

Int'l Choir Competition in Budapest starts at weekend.
March 31, 2009... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, March 31 (MTI) - The 12th International Budapest Choir Competition will start on Sunday with 50 choirs from some 15 countries in the competition, Arts Director and organiser Gabor Hollerung...

Righteous among the Nations award to Swiss Red Cross representative in Hungary.
March 31, 2009... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, March 31 (MTI) - A Swiss Catholic representative of the Red Cross, who helped save the lives of thousands of Hungarian Jews in the final months of WWII, was given a posthumous Righteous among...

Hungary consumer confidence up slightly in March.
March 31, 2009... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, March 31 (MTI) - Consumer confidence in Hungary improved slightly in March, as a result of fewer households expecting worsening conditions on the employment market, economic research firm...