Europe Intelligence Wire articles from November 2003

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from November 2003

Trial set to open in suit over Daimler-Chrysler merger.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) A three-year legal battle over the mega-merger between Germany's Daimler-Benz and US-based Chrysler comes to a head Monday with a trial set to open in a lawsuit by billionaire Kirk Kerkorian. The trial to...

Playboy at 50 finds sex is still hot.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Clad in a smoking jacket in his licentious Los Angeles mansion, Hugh Hefner bragged: "The three great inventions of civilization were fire, the wheel and Playboy." "Nobody was having sex before Playboy,"...

NATO battles to drum up Afghan force.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) NATO may have taken the political decision to expand an Alliance-led peacekeeping force in Afghanistan beyond the capital Kabul -- but it is struggling to drum up the necessary hardware. The embarrassing...

Asia's HIV threat galvanises governments for World AIDS Day.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) An unlikely coalition of pop acts, Buddhist ceremony and a former Japanese porn star are combining to give the strongest indication to date that Asia is finally facing up to the threat of a devastating and...

Japan vows to "never give in" to terrorism after two diplomats shot in Iraq.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Japan said it will "never give in" to terrorism after two of its diplomats were shot dead in Iraq on the way to a conference on rebuilding the shattered country. The pair's Lebanese-registered Toyota Land...

British Guantanamo detainees heading home: report.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) London and Washington are set to strike a deal for the return to Britain of nine British "terror" suspects held by the United States at a naval base in Cuba, a lawyer for the detainees was quoted as saying in...

Frodo economy rings up the dollars for New Zealand.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) New Zealand is ringing up the dollars on the back of a booming "Frodo economy", with a tourism and movie-making upsurge fuelled by the runaway success of "The Lord of the Rings" films. As Hollywood's...

Loose credit management blamed for consumer debt mountain.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Instability in South Korea's financial markets stems from loose credit management by the government and financial institutions that encouraged an explosion of consumer debt, analysts said. The government...

Democrats must unite for 2004 legislature polls to challenge HK govt.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Hong Kong's divided pro-democracy groups must unite and field a wider range of candidates at key legislature elections next year if they are to seriously challenge the unpopular government, analysts said. ...

The chips are down as EU constitutional struggle enters final round.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) The stakes in the European Union's constitutional poker game have got higher as EU leaders prepare to battle it out at a crunch summit in two weeks. A two-day meeting of foreign ministers, which ended...

Oversupply undermines property sector recovery: Standard and Poor's.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Singapore's property sector is likely to remain soft in the next two to three years despite an economic rebound as a supply glut keeps rentals and prices down, Standard and Poor's said. "Despite recent...

Further collapses not foreseen after Ashikaga bailout: Japan minister.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Japan's finance minister said he did not foresee further bank failures a day after the government decided to nationalize the collapsed regional bank, Ashikaga Financial Group. "I don't think there will be...

Sri Lanka heading towards snap poll amid fears for peace process.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Sri Lanka looked headed for a snap poll as attempts to resolve a power struggle hit a dead-end, sparking new fears for the peace bid with Tamil rebels, political sources said. Highly placed sources close...

Australia and US to begin final negotiations on free trade deal.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Australia admitted that finalising a free trade deal with the United States by Christmas would be an uphill battle as negotiations reach crunch time on a number of politically-sensitive issues. With the...

Top US envoy to meet Israeli PM in bid to revive stalled peace process.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Top US Middle East envoy William Burns was due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom as part of efforts to restart the stalled Middle East peace process. Burns held...

Failure to launch Rocket casts shadow on Japan's space, defence plans.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Japan's failed launch this weekend of a rocket carrying spy satellites has cast a shadow over its ambitions to lead Asia's space race, especially following China's successful manned space flight, experts said....

Seven Spanish intelligence officers killed in Iraq attacks.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Seven Spanish intelligence agents were killed in a mortar and grenade attack on their convoy near Baghdad, the deadliest such incident to hit Spanish troops since they deployed in Iraq in August, Spain's...

Two Japanese diplomats killed as they stopped en route to Iraq aid meeting.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Two Japanese diplomats killed in Iraq in a new blow to the US-led coalition were shot dead as they stopped at a food stall en route to Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's birthplace, where an aid conference was taking...

Japan vows to "never give in" to terror after two diplomats killed in Iraq.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Japan said it will "never give in" to terrorism after two of its diplomats were shot dead in Iraq, but stopped short of saying whether the attack would affect a plan to send troops to the war-torn country. ...

400,000 police, troops on guard for India's regional elections.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) India has deployed around 400,000 security personnel for elections in four states, as six people were killed in scattered pre-poll violence, officials said. "The 400,000 security staff include state police...

Afghanistan-Turkey,lead KABUL,.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Suspected Taliban militants have freed a Turkish road engineer almost a month after his abduction, spokesmen for the US construction firm Louis Berger Group Inc. and the ousted militia said. Hasan Onal...

Afghan Taliban free abducted engineer: report.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Suspected Taliban militants have freed a Turkish road engineer almost a month after his abduction, spokesmen for the US construction firm Louis Berger Group Inc. and the ousted militia said. Hasan Onal...

Six men held in fresh terror probe.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Police said they were questioning six men of north African origin over a probe into "the arranging of funds or property for the purposes of terrorism." The men, all in their mid-20s, were arrested under...

Seven Spaniards, two Japanese, two Americans die in Iraq bloodbath.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Seven Spanish intelligence officers, two Japanese diplomats and two US soldiers were killed in an upsurge of violence in Iraq just as US commanders hailed the success of two massive counter-insurgency...

India's Laxman finds form in pre-Test hitout.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Indian batsman Venkatsai Laxman warmed up in fine style here for the first cricket Test against Australia starting in four days with a stylish 74 against the Queensland Academy of Sport. Laxman held centre...

Qualify for Champions League or Owen will leave says Gerrard.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Steven Gerrard has revealed he fears Michael Owen will quit Liverpool if they fail to qualify for the Champions League this season. Club captain Gerrard says that it is essential for the four-time European...

Dead Japanese, Spanish and US haunt general's "great two weeks" in Iraq.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Violence flared again across Iraq where seven Spanish intelligence officers, two Japanese diplomats and two US soldiers died at the weekend just as the top US general hailed a major decline in attacks. ...

Japan PM outraged at fatal shootings of two diplomats.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said he was enraged at the fatal shootings of two Japanese diplomats and vowed to continue the country's support for Iraq's reconstruction. "Why could such a thing...

China Internet dissident released, rights group says.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Chinese Internet dissident Liu Di has been released from a Beijing prison after being held for a year without charges, a Hong Kong rights group said. Liu, 23, who used the online name of Stainless Steel...

Zimbabwe by-election to wrap up after ruling party accused of intimidation.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Voting in a by-election in Zimbabwe entered its second and final day, after ruling party supporters were accused of firing weapons to scare opposition voters. The by-election in the central town of Kadoma...

Afghanistan queries swift Pakistan denial over Mullah Omar.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Afghanistan questioned Islamabad's swift denial of President Hamid Karzai's claim that fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Omar had been seen in the southwest Pakistan city of Quetta. "The Afghan government is...

Pakistan willing to revive air links with India: Musharraf.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) President General Pervez Musharraf said that Pakistan would agree to the resumption of air links with India in the second round of talks in New Delhi next week, the official Associated Press of Pakistan...

Coach Miandad confident of Pakistan victory against New Zealand.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Pakistan coach Javed Miandad said his side will battle for a second straight win against New Zealand in their one-day match to put them in the same group as arch-rival India in a major tournament next year. ...

Phelps makes it five out of five at World Cup.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) American sensation Michael Phelps will keep the swimming world guessing until just before next year's Athens Olympics as to what events he will compete in after winning all his five events at the shortcourse...

England Lose 2-1 to Korea.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Korea defeated England 2-1 in the women's Champions Trophy field hockey tournament here. After a bad start Saturday with a 5-0 loss to Australia, England took the field with more conviction and with their...

England drawn with holders France in Euro 2004 group.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) England were paired with title-holders France, Switzerland and Croatia in the group stages of the Euro 2004 finals after the draw for the tournament here. While England and France will slug it out in Group...

Indian AIDS patients to get world's cheapest AIDS drugs.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) India, which has more people with HIV than any country except South Africa, said it planned to provide its AIDS patients the cheapest drugs in the world through a deal with its pharmaceutical firms. The...

Britain fights for N Ireland peace pact after election setback.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) The British government will meet Northern Ireland's triumphant hardline Protestant leaders this week to try to salvage the province's peace process after elections reshaped its political landscape. Last...

Japan vows to "never give in" to terror after two diplomats killed in Iraq.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Japan vowed it would "never give in" to terrorism after two of its diplomats were shot dead in Iraq, but did not say whether the attack would delay a plan to send troops to the war-torn country. The pair...

England meet old foes France in Euro 2004 clash.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) England were paired with title-holders France while Holland and three-time winners Germany were drawn in the same group for the Euro 2004 finals in Portugal here. England and France will slug it out in...

Governing Council wants Iraqis to vote on power transfer: Hakim.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Iraq's interim Governing Council is "unanimously" in favour of consulting Iraqis on the best method of transferring power from the US-led coalition, council member and leader of the main Shiite party, Abdel...

Spain's Aznar vows to stay in Iraq despite killings.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Under intense pressure from political rivals and an equally hostile public, Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar vowed that Spain would stay in Iraq despite the killing of seven intelligence agents. In an...

US envoy, Palestinian PM meet Jordanian monarch for peace talks.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei gave Jordan's King Abdullah II "ideas" to revive peace talks with Israel after the monarch discussed the stalled negotiations with top US envoy William Burns, officials...

Al Fayed planning bid for Daily Telegraph: report.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Mohamed Al Fayed, the Egyptian-born owner of London's Harrods department store, is preparing a bid for the Daily Telegraph and its Sunday sister edition, the Observer reported. Fayed is believed to have...

France will be back to best at Euro 2004 says Eriksson.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Sven-Goran Eriksson predicted that his England side would face a France team which had put its disastrous 2002 World Cup campaign behind it when the two nations meet in next year's Euro 2004 finals. And...

Further collapses not foreseen after Ashikaga bailout: Japan minister.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Japan's finance minister said he did not foresee further bank failures after the government decided to nationalise a collapsed regional bank, but analysts warned it is just the tip of the iceberg. "I don't...

Germany's WestLB bank set to record new loss in 2003: press.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Troubled German public sector bank, West LB, is set to record losses again in 2003 of at least 1.7 billion euros (1.9 billion dollars), a German magazine reported. Der Spiegel, in its Monday edition, cited...

Bundesbank chief voices concern about euro stability.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) German central bank chief Ernst Welteke expressed concern about the stability of the European single currency, which he said could be undermined if the growth and stability pact is weakened. Weakening the...

HP plans to buy out public shares of India's Digital Globalsoft.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Hewlett-Packard said it planned to purchase all 16.4 million publicly-held shares to fully own its Indian subsidiary Digital Globalsoft and expand its presence in the country. The US tech giant said it...

Gayles blows Zimbabwe away.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) West Indies' part-time off spinner Chris Gayle set the tourists on a series-winning path at the Harare Sports Club by taking four Zimbabwe wickets for only 24 in the fifth and final one-day international. ...

Stretched Paris hospitals call back staff in flu outbreak.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Hospitals in the Paris area were Sunday struggling to cope with a rush of emergency cases linked to simultaneous outbreaks of flu and gastroenteritis, and several were forced to call back staff from their...

US to release 140 detainees from Guantanamo: report.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) The United States plans to release 140 detainees from its naval base in Cuba, where captured al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters from 42 countries have been kept in secret, a US news magazine reported. A US...

Irish PM offers direct talks with hardline Protestants in Northern Ireland.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern offered direct face-to-face talks in Dublin with hardline Northern Ireland Protestant leader Ian Paisley to discuss ways of salvaging the province's peace process and...

Zimbabwe by-election's final day calm after intimidation claims.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Voting in a key by-election in Zimbabwe, marred on its first day by opposition claims of intimidation, entered its second and final day peacefully, the opposition candidate and an electoral official said. ...

Spain and Japan vow to fight "terror," but Koreans killed in new Iraq attack.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Madrid and Tokyo vowed not to give in to "terrorists" after seven Spanish intelligence officers and two Japanese diplomats were killed in Iraq as insurgents stepped up attacks on "soft targets." In the...

Dutch protest ahead of OSCE Maastricht meeting.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Some 400 people protesting against the US-led war on terrorism gathered in the Dutch town of Maastricht ahead of a meeting of the the European security body, the OSCE. Chanting "George Bush terrorist" and...

Skandia board faces purge after "fat cat" scandal: reports.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) The chairman of Swedish insurance group Skandia and other board members face the sack following an investigation into a scandal involving misuse of corporate assets and gigantic bonuses, reports said. The...

Heroic Van der Sar keeps Arsenal at bay.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Fulham keeper Edwin Van der Sar kept Arsenal at bay as he kept a clean sheet in their goalless Premiership draw at Highbury despite constant pressure from the Gunners. The tabletoppers must have had a...

Two Iraqi Governing Council members deny accord on direct elections.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Two members of Iraq's US-installed interim Governing Council denied that the body had reached accord over a call by the country's top Shiite Muslim authority for direct elections. "The discussions are...

Roma and Milan share top spot in Italy.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Roma and AC Milan replaced Juventus at the top of Italy's Serie A after extending their unbeaten records with home victories. Roma, who won the title in 2001, defeated Lecce 3-1 at the Olympic stadium...

Chelsea beat United to go top.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Chelsea stormed to the top of the Premiership with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. Frank Lampard's 30th minute penalty was enough to secure a crucial victory over United that sent...

US favors eventually handing role in Afghanistan to NATO: Rumsfeld.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) The United States favors eventually turning over the US-led coalition's military operations in Afghanistan to NATO as the alliance expands its security role there, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said....

Pakistan agrees to resume air links with India: Musharraf.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said his country will agree to resume air links with India at forthcoming talks in New Delhi, the latest sign of thawing relations between the nuclear rivals. In a...

Glow of Bush's Thanksgiving trip fades as rivals renew criticism over Iraq.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) A wave of attacks on US allies in Iraq quickly overshadowed the holiday glow of President George W. Bush's surprise Thanksgiving trip to Baghdad, as his rivals renewed their criticism of his management of the...

Venezuelan opposition claims success in petition drive against president.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) The Venezuelan opposition claimed huge public support for its new drive to oust President Hugo Chavez whose government sealed part of the border with Colombia claiming illegal immigrants were involved in...

DNA tests in Turkey reveal identity of British bank suicide bomber.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) The suicide bomber who detonated a truck bomb outside the offices of British-based banking giant HSBC in Istanbul has been formally identified by DNA testing, Turkey's Anatolia news agency said. The agency...

Armed men on I. Coast TV demand departure of French peacekeepers.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Men wearing army uniforms and carrying weapons appeared live on Ivory's Coast national television demanding the resignation of the country's army chief and the departure of French peacekeepers. The men...

Chelsea beat United to go top.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Chelsea stormed to the top of the Premiership when a controversial penalty gave them a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. Frank Lampard's 30th minute spot-kick was enough to secure a...

US to open new anti-drug base in Peruvian jungle: report.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) The United States is to open a new anti-drug center at a secret location in the Peruvian Amazon in December to step up the battle against drug trafficking, the Andina news agency said. An undisclosed...

Venezuelan opposition steps up drive for recall referendum.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) The Venezuelan government closed part of the border with Colombia and closed private airports as the opposition staged a late campaign drive to get backing for a referendum to oust President Hugo Chavez. ...

Foreign nationals killed in wave of weekend attacks in Iraq.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) At least 14 foreign nationals including seven Spanish intelligence officers and two Japanese diplomats, were killed in a spate of weekend attacks in Iraq that sparked world condemnation and vows not to give in...

Chelsea beat United and take charge in England.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Chelsea stormed to the summit of the English Premiership when a controversial penalty gave them a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge while previous leaders Arsenal were held to a 0-0 draw by...

Armed men on Ivory Coast TV demand departure of French peacekeepers.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Armed men wearing army uniforms interrupted Ivory's Coast national television to demand the resignation of the country's army chiefs as well as the departure of French peacekeepers. The men, who said they...

US forces kill 46 people after ambush attempts north of Baghdad: military.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) US forces killed 46 attackers and wounded at least 18 others who tried to strike military convoys in Samarra, north of Iraq, a spokesman for the 4th Infantry Division said. Five US troops and a civilian...

Syria hands over 22 Turkish suspects wanted for Istanbul bombings.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Syria has handed over to Turkey 22 suspects wanted as part of the investigation into this month's Istanbul bombings in which 61 people were killed, police said, quoted by the Anatolia news agency. The...

Maier win's men's alpine World Cup super-G.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Double Olympic gold medallist Hermann Maier, continuing his return from a career threatening motorcycle crash, captured the first super-G of the alpine World Cup season. Maier clocked 1min 36.69sec on the...

Armed men on I. Coast TV demand French peacekeepers quit country.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Armed men wearing army uniforms interrupted Ivory's Coast national TV to demand the resignation of the army chief and that French peacekeepers leave the troubled country within 48 hours. The men, who said...

US forces kill 46 people after ambushes north of Baghdad: US military.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) US forces killed 46 attackers and wounded at least 18 others in Samarra, north of Baghdad, after the largest attack to date against the 4th Infantry Division in Iraq, a military spokesman said. Five US...

Africa demands right to produce their own drugs.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) In much of Africa, a trademark is often all that stands between life and death. Faced with the increasing urgency of caused by major killers such as AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, governments in the...

Maier leads Austrian sweep in Lake Louise super-G.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Double Olympic gold medallist Hermann Maier, continuing his return from a career threatening motorcycle crash, captured the first super-G of the alpine World Cup season. Maier clocked 1min 36.69sec on the...

American movie goers push "The Haunted Mansion" to top spot.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) American movie goers sought out scary laughs this weekend pushing the ghoul-packed comedy "The Haunted Mansion" to the top spot at the North American box office. The Disney movie, starring Eddie Murphy and...

USS Cole back in service three years after Yemen attack.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) The destroyer USS Cole has rejoined the US war on terrorism three years after it was the target of a suicide bomb attack in Yemen. The Cole was nearly sunk when the bomb ripped a hole in its side in the...

African health experts vow to join forces against malaria.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) Health experts from 14 African countries have vowed to join forces in the fight against malaria, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. "We have agreed among ourselves to fight the malaria pandemic...

In a dusty township, containers hold AIDS key, but remain unused.
November 30, 2003... (From Agence France Presse) In a dusty South African township, two empty shipping containers could change the lives of hundreds of people dying of AIDS every week, but they remain unused. Members of Hospice, the organisation in...