Europe Intelligence Wire articles from November 2008

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from November 2008

ERICSSON RACING TEAM WINS LEG 2 OF VOLVO OCEAN RACE.
November 30, 2008... (From Hugin) COCHIN, India (Nov. 30, 2008) - Ericsson Racing Team won Leg 2 of the Volvo Ocean Race today when Ericsson 4, skippered by Olympic gold medalist Torben Grael of Brazil, crossed the finish line at 0422:30 local time, 2252:30...

Barking ticket.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) A DOG waiting in a car while at a car wash slipped the vehicle into gear and drove in a loop before the car came to a stop. Police officer Brent Crittenden, from Pryor in Oklahoma, said the dog's owner was washing...

Purple perfection.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) AS A native of Co Down, I have to admit I'm surprised I'd never visited the wonderful Purple Sage Restaurant in Downpatrick. But after receiving glowing reports from family and friends, I finally decided to make a...

'Felt every cut'during operation.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) AN Australian woman says she will have nightmares for the rest of her life after a horrific operation gone wrong. During the ordeal, Rebecca Jones (24) claims she woke up during abdominal surgery at a hospital in...

MEXICO'S NEWEST CELEBRITY IS MAN WHO NEVER LEAVES AIRPORT TERMINAL.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) TOM Hanks' film The Terminal about a man stranded at an airport for months became a box office smash and now its storyline has come to life in Mexico. In The Terminal Hanks plays Viktor Navorski, a man from an...

Boffins take 'fly on wall' surveillance to extremes.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) US MILITARY engineers are designing flying robotos disguised as insects so they can one day spy on their enemies and conduct dangerous missions without risking lives. "The way we envision it is, there would be a...

American Idol fan found dead near judge's home.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) AN obsessive fan of Paula Abdul who was ridiculed when she auditioned for American Idol has committed suicide in a car near the home of the pop star and judge she adored. Paula Goodspeed, whose rendition of Proud...

Puff-fect reunion.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) A PENSIONER couple have been reunited with their pet tomcat - after he went missing 13 years ago. George was last seen by Melinda Merman and her partner Frank Walburg when he went for a walk in their garden in...

DON'T make it a manic mum day.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: SUE LEONARD SHE's a great ad for plastic surgery and her husband likes swearing - but despite their unconventional rock 'n' roll lifestyle, Sharon Osbourne was once voted mum of the year. In 2006, she...

SEVEN WEEK SOLUTION.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) * WEEK ONE* Setting goals: Write down the goals you have as a parent. Make them positive, explicit and in the present tense. Act as if you've achieved your goals and become the parent you want to be. ...

TIPS FOR MAGNIFICENT MUMS.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) * Encourage children to work, save or negotiate for things they want, so they value and care for what they have. * Encourage children to feel good about who they are. Comment on positive characteristics. *...

Best cellars.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Paula McCrory ISN'T it funny how our tastes change in tandem with the seasons? There's nothing I enjoy more than a tasty piece of grilled swordfish with a crispy salad and some freshly baked bread - when...

Concerned about your cat? Depressed by your dog? Gobsmacked by your goldfish?
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Chamois Rose-Wood Q: MY partner has two dogs, one is a four-year-old Patterdale Terrier. The problem is that whenever anyone tries to leave the house he goes completely mad, starts barking and is...

Concerned about your cat? Depressed by your dog? Gobsmacked by your goldfish?
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Chamois Rose-Wood Q: MY shy, nervous cat is becoming a little bolder and puts her paws on my arm when she wants me to stroke her. Unfortunately, she always has her claws out and snags my jumper or scratches...

Knocked the shine of our dream tile floor.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Q: IN July, we purchased marble floor tiles for our hall. When buying the tiles, the shop also sold my wife sealer and advised her they should be sealed approximately one week AFTER they had been grouted as the...

Nitelife.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Edwin McFee BETTY Black's in Bangor is a pub that just oozes cool as soon as you walk in through the front door. The hip little bar is a favoured haunt of many an up-and-coming man or woman about town...

Credit card company liable for taxi costs.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Q: IN April I booked taxi transfers with Sky Transfers.com from Bodrum airport to our hotel in Kusadasi at a cost of GBP200. I booked it over the internet, but the payment was made verbally over the phone using my...

I'm not remotely pleased with sofa.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Q: I PURCHASED a top-of-the-range sofa at a cost of GBP1,279, because it had a flexi-card and remote control which tucked into a pocket at the side. The sales assistant advised me to take out insurance for...

Timeless and trifty treat.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: With Paula McIntyre SMOKED salmon pate is one of those seventies dinner party staples that deserves a second chance -sometimes, following food fashions makes us forget the timeless classics. Smoked...

Water laugh in Turkey!
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: LESLEY RICHARDSON AFTER one capsize too many, Spliff, our lazy-eyed, Antiguan sailing instructor, decided to call it a day. It wasn't the capsizing or the getting wet that abruptly ended our class - it...

FACTFILE.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Lesley Richardson was a guest of Sunsail, which offers seven night, all-inclusive holidays in Club Javelin on the Bodrum Peninsula, from May 2 2009, from GBP789. It includes return flights ex-Gatwick, free daily...

Man with the plan...
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) What is your educational background? I studied in Strathclyde University in Glasgow, graduating with a first class BSc honours degree in architecture in 1999. I then went to America for six months on a student...

Late deals.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) 1AHOLIDAY.COM From Belfast, based on 2 sharing: * European city breaks to Rome, Paris, London, Edinburgh, Amsterdam and Krakow, departing on selected dates from now until March, from GBP129pp. * Eastern...

Mini offers max return.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: SUE CORBETT SHIFTS INTO TOP GEAR MINI'S diesel-powered 1.4TD is the UK's slowest-depreciating used car, according to new analysis of the residual values of three-year-old vehicles carried out by...

PICK OF THE WEEK.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) The Ascent of Money (C4, Mon 8pm) Prof Niall Ferguson charts the history of stockmarket disasters and explains how the herd mentality keeps leading financiers to ruin. Survivors (BBC1, Tues 9pm) ...

Murder picture-esque.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Stephen Gordon PREVIEW Wallander: Sidetracked (BBC1, tonight 9pm) MY favourite description of Kenneth Branagh is that he looks like a modest member of the local rugby club. He may be one of...

The Killadelphia story.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Stephen Gordon Preview Louis Theroux: Law and Disorder in Philadelphia (BBC2, tonight 9pm) HAS Louis Theroux run out of eccentric British celebrities and American whackos to wind up? Surely not....

Managers' Pat on the back.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: EDITED BYSTEPHANIE BELL stefbell@hotmail.co.uk It is a double celebration for Patton Homes as two of its site managers have made it into the Top 10 in the prestigious NHBC Northern Ireland Pride in the Job...

'Supermove' the answer.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: EDITED BYSTEPHANIE BELL stefbell@hotmail.co.uk IF BEING unable to sell your own home in the current market is stopping you from moving on, then a local company may have the answer. Dingles Builders...

ANGER OVER SINGING PRIEST'S COMMENT ON ABUSE VICTIMS.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: STEPHEN GORDON ONE of Northern Ireland's chart-topping singing priests has been slammed over comments he has made about sex abuse victims. Sex attack survivor Roisin Fry says she's seething over a...

Inspirational stories help rape centre's fight for survival.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) DONATIONS and messages of support have been flooding into Belfast's cash-strapped Rape Crisis Centre following a hard-hitting TV documentary about the unit's work. Now the group's directors have urged First...

DVD rental.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Space Chimps (U) ** Family/sci-fi/comedy/action, featuring the voices of Adam Samberg, Patrick Warburton, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Daniels, Kristin Chenoweth, Carlos Alazraqui, Zack Shada. Performing circus...

MOVIEWATCH.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) FOUR CHRISTMASES (12A) ** Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn fail to impress in this lifeless romantic comedy. Happily unmarried San Francisco couple Brad (Vaughn) and Kate (Witherspoon) have been...

Book reviews.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) FICTION Just After Sunset Stephen King, Hodder & Stoughton, GBP18.99 He's the undisputed master of the spooky tale and this collection of short stories demonstrates that Stephen King is still at the top...

BESTSELLERS.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) PAPERBACKS 1/ Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama 2/ The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama 3/ The Appeal, John Grisham 4/ A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini ...

Turnkey specs at a value price.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: EDITED BYSTEPHANIE BELL stefbell@hotmail.co.uk ONE area where property has been shifting at a steady rate in recent weeks is at the superb GR Homes Montgomery Chase development in east Belfast. With...

GAME PLAY.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Pavel Barter Mirror's Edge PS3 (EA) Take a look into this Mirror, and chances are, you will like what you see. With its washed-out high rise buildings and corporate office blocks, Mirror's...

Game of the week.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Pavel Barter Left 4 Dead (18+) Xbox360 (Microsoft) Welcome to the nightmare before Christmas. You are one of four survivors of a zombie holocaust, and must traverse the streets of an abandoned...

Boy lost in the plot.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: PAUL WHITINGTON Changeling (16) *** CLINT Eastwood's late flowering as a director has been nothing short of remarkable. He was in his 60s by the time he earned his first Oscar nomination, but...

Mart has Cross to bear.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: BALLINDERRY v CROSSMAGLEN ENNISKILLEN, 3.45pm, live on TG4 MICHEAL McGEARY REPORTS MISSING a final is every player's worst nightmare. But typically Martin Aherne will put his disappointment to one side...

A FINAL CHANCE TO GET IT RIGHT.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: MICHEAL McGEARY TWO recent defeats have provided the catalyst for Ballinderry's surge to today's AIB Ulster club decider. Two seasons ago they lost a low scoring final 5-3 to Rangers while last year...

Lis way or that.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: LISSAN v DRUMHOWEN ENNISKILLEN, 2.00pm BY KEVIN KELLY THE first game in an attractive double bill at Brewster Park today sees Derry champions Lissan going head to head with the Monaghan kingpins Drumhowan...

Competition winners.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) OUR winners of the new GAA DVD 'Part of What We Are' were Martina Bradley (Kilrea), Aodhan Harkin (Strabane), Grainne Morgan (Belfast), Joseph Matthews (Crumlin) and Paul McCaffrey (Dromore, Co Tyrone). The DVD,...

Patty puts to bed real classic.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Ralph McLean AS modern Nashville moves further away from the traditional sounds of yesteryear and ever closer to bad rock music played by young blokes in over-sized Stetson hats, Patty Loveless stands out...

Sobering truth... HEALTH BY PAULINE REYNOLDS.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) EACH year in Northern Ireland, alcohol-related health problems cost the government a staggering GBP770 million. Binge drinking - where adult males down five drinks or more and adult females four drinks or more in a...

Kerr's chamelons.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: John McGurk MOVING on up from the Waterfront, veteran rock chameleons Simple Minds celebrate their 30th anniversary at Belfast's Odyssey Arena this weekend. And the Glaswegian outfit, which has clocked...

The perfect gift.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) THE holiday season is a time for rejoicing in life's luxuries and is also a time to remember what it feels like to really put your feet up and relax. Often though we spend the entire month of December rushing...

DRINKING MYTHS.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) DON'T just swallow everything you hear about alcohol. Here's some help with those frequently aired myths from the health Promotion Agency * Alcohol is good for the heart Research shows that moderate drinking -...

Lubricant could help.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Sarah Brewer Q: I HAVE started to find sex uncomfortable. Is it linked to my age? I'm 50 this winter. Can you suggest anything to help? I don't really want to go to my GP. A: AS many as one in 10 women...

Gigs of the week.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) TONIGHT: * The Belfast man who never lets his audiences down, with his crowd pleasing policy of regular concerts, Brian Kennedy kicks off a nine-date Northern Ireland tour, at the Millennium Forum, Londonderry. For...

Do not ignore lesions.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Sarah Brewer Q: I HAVE a crusty area on my cheek which has not healed with 1pc hydrocortisone or Canesten cream recommended by my doctor. It's causing me embarrassment. A: GO back and see your doctor....

'Cold' could be rhinitis.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Sarah Brewer Q: I SEEM to have had a cold just about every month this year. I'm a non-smoker and otherwise well. Can you help? A: IT is possible that you are experiencing perennial rhinitis, a...

Aloe vera and children.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Sarah Brewer Q: MY 10-year-old daughter has recurrent bowel problems and I'd like to try her with Aloe vera juice which I've found helpful in the past. Is this OK at her age? A: ONLY a few Aloe vera...

Dermot-magic!
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Cool FMas Pete Snodden I WAS delighted to catch up with Dermot O'Leary on Thursday night. As patron of the Cinemagic charity, he was here to host workshops for young people keen to work in film, radio...

Cheers & Jeers.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Cool FMas Pete Snodden Cheers * I have to admit that I'm hooked on this year's I'm A Celebrity. The contestants are great and my highlights are the Nicola v David and Timmy battle and Joe straddling...

Lovely Bubbly for sparkling performers.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: ATHLETICS: GERRY CARSON ATHLETICS Northern Ireland named its stars of the year at a special champagne reception evening at the Mary Peters Track when UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner made the presentations....

GAME ON FOR OUR SPORTS.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: FRANK BROWNLOW THE credit crunch is beginning to bite - and sport has the scars to prove it. Empty seats and terraces have been a feature at some recent big football and GAA matches, although the...

Just ticket or leave it...
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) A WHOPPING 750 tickets were sold for a St Brigid's GAA club dinner in September - but a club official fears tickets would be a lot harder to shift now, just over two months later. "People have less money to spend...

Always look on the bright side of life.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) THE Irish FA admits football is feeling the pinch - but is quick to point out that every cloud has a silver lining. Although some sectors been hit by the credit crunch, others have seen recent improvements. ...

Going cheap!
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) THE credit crunch could ironically be a boost for certain aspects of the running of Irish League clubs. That's the view of Cliftonville director Gerard Lawlor, who explained: "The credit crunch has helped our...

We won't walk from North West.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: JIMMY WALKER REPORTS "I'LL be back for the North West 200. Take that as definite." That's the promise of 12 times winner Michael Rutter, despite his possible departure from the North West 200 Ducati...

Galway's look on the bright side.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: SAMMY HAMILL REPORTS RALLY Ireland will either be a boon or a burden to the Galway International, opening round of the 2009 Irish Tarmac championship. The two major events are just a fortnight apart,...

My best moment in football? - has to be beating England in 05.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Ruth Gorman gets up close and personal with the stars MAIK TAYLOR Q. Your Northern Ireland debut was ironically against the country of your birth, Germany - you lost 3-0 but was it still special for...

A bench marker.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: GORDON HANNA STEVIE McBride admits being puzzled by the roller-coaster ride of gifted winger Eamonn Murray. Frequently when the youngster starts matches he's not very effective. But bring him off the...

I WANT TO CONTINUE GRANDAD'S WORK.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: DINA BEHRMAN MISS Northern Ireland Judith Wilson is on top of the world as she prepares to sing her way to the Miss World title. And the stunning 23-year-old model says her grandfather Gordon Wilson...

Street smart.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: KERRY McKITTRICK Sharon McCoy (28) is a project administrator from Monaghan. She says: "I got my boots in Barratts for GBP60, and my dress came from Topshop for GBP30. "My jacket actually belongs...

Street smart.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: KERRY McKITTRICK Anne McCleery (60) owns a residential home in Ballynahinch. She says: "My boots came from Jacksons of Saintfield and they were GBP85. "My skirt came from a shop called Dress in...

Street smart.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: KERRY McKITTRICK Emma Martin (22), is a bank teller from Bangor. She says: "My boots came from Aldo for GBP110 and my jeans came from Miss Selfridge for around GBP30. "My jacket was from River...

Street smart.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: KERRY McKITTRICK Samantha Cousins (23) is a stylist and lives in Belfast. She says: "I got my dress in the Rusty Zip on Botanic Avenue and that was GBP15. "My cardigan came from Zara at GBP20 and...

Johnny wins in Keith of a gale.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: VIC THOMAS REPORTS THE fourth round of the East Belfast Winter League took place on a horrendous day at Movanagher Canal. However, despite gales, horizontal hail and rain, some good weights were...

Kids knead to know their bread.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: GAIL EDGAR gedgar@belfasttelegraph.co.uk SUPPORTERS of the 11-plus exam have always argued that the exam was put in place to offer children of all backgrounds the opportunity of a grammar school education....

Dannii's tear talent.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: GAIL EDGAR gedgar@belfasttelegraph.co.uk AUSSIE X factor judge Dannii Minogue was the victim of a no-holds-barred interview Sharon Osbourne gave last week. Ma Osbourne has accused Ms Minogue of being as...

Now Shoukri will never be brought to justice for what he did to my boy.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: CIARAN McGUIGAN CHIEF REPORTER EXCLUSIVE A GRIEVING mum - who watched Ihab Shoukri drive her son to his brutal murder - believes the junkie former UDA brigadier escaped justice when he suffered a...

Style renaissance.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: Liz Mckenna BELFAST now has its own, perfect shopping Oasis - with a revamped store right in the city centre This high street Mecca for fashionistas has glammed up its Donegall Place premises with a...

Gift sets back on Santa's list.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) THERE was a time when most of us girlies would have turned our pretty little noses up, if we found toiletries in our Christmas stocking. Gift sets rarely featured on our wishlist for Santa, bubble bath was a...

Pussycat Dolls competition.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) IF you're a Pussycat Dolls fan and you haven't yet bought tickets for their Belfast gig in February, you just can't miss out on this fab competition. We've got five pairs of tickets to give away to five lucky...

Heroes outshine one sad Zucker.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: GAIL EDGAR gedgar@belfasttelegraph.co.uk POOR little Carly Zucker. As well as being booted out of I'm a Celebrity, the fiancee of footballer Joe Cole has ended up alienating most of the nation by...

An F-word? What about fool, Gordon.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: GAIL EDGAR gedgar@belfasttelegraph.co.uk GORDON Ramsay was uncharacteristically subdued last week when he was asked to comment on allegations that he's been having an affair with serial mistress Sarah...

Time for the snail mail to pick pick up the pace a wee bit.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: RODNEY EDWARDS rodney@rodneyedwards.co.uk SOMETIMES I put aside three, maybe four days in preparation for buying a stamp at the Post Office. Through the years I have become immune to the lengthily queue...

Why I'm holed up in my credit-crunch bunker.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: RODNEY EDWARDS rodney@rodneyedwards.co.uk I'VE had enough of unpleasant news this week and have decided to flit to an underground bunker. You see, it's all about going back to basics in an attempt to...

Alesha's words of wisdumb.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: RODNEY EDWARDS rodney@rodneyedwards.co.uk ALESHA Dixon has done for music what Jade Goody's several "autobiographies" have done for English literature. The one-time winner of Strictly Come Into the...

Stone not expecting life terms.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: ALAN MURRAY MILLTOWN murderer Michael Stone is optimistic he won't get life behind bars when he's sentenced tomorrow for trying to kill Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness. Stone has told friends during...

Roma in comeback film with Bo Duke.
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) IT'S not every day you have an Angel and a Duke of Hazzard in your house - so Canadian gardener Tamara Jansen recorded the moments for posterity. Londonderry-born actress Roma Downey - best known for playing...

RICE WORK BELFAST!
November 30, 2008... (From Sunday Life) Byline: INGRID LOPEZ A PARTY for the lights switch on, a Continental Market and a huge Christmas tree at the City Hall. We don't have any of these back home in Spain. But there is something familiar to me in...