Europe Intelligence Wire articles from October 2003, page 10

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from October 2003

Ballooning pioneer swaps hot air for computer trickery.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) HOT-air balloon expert Don Cameron has unveiled a new flight simulator at the Air Training Corps headquarters in Portishead. The new piece of equipment, costing GBP3,500, has the capability to simulate the...

Guidelines for safe bonfires.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) IN the run-up to Guy Fawkes' Night, the Environment Agency has issued a series of helpful guidelines. Bosses at the agency issued the tips to ensure the celebrations have as little effect as possible on...

'There are no secrets to be told'.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) MICHAEL Flynn's handshake was warm and friendly, nothing more sinister. We met in a neat office in the Tardis-like surroundings of Freemasons' Hall in Park Street. There, people were busy preparing...

Talented children take the plunge.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) TALENTED youngsters from across Bristol jumped in at the deep end at the Longwell Green Eisteddfod. The annual festival of art and music celebrated its 57th year by providing a showcase for the deep pool...

Masks for meningitis research.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) CHILDREN at a Clifton day nursery have been decorating masks to raise money for meningitis research. Youngsters at Mornington House Day Nursery, took part in a mask-decorating competition in aid of the...

Owners urged to keep pets inside.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) AN animal sanctuary has appealed to people to keep their pets indoors on bonfire night this year. Pauline Leeson, from Holly Hedge Sanctuary, in Barrow Gurney, says every year animals are brought to the...

Is that a garden in there?
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) RESIDENTS on the Hillfields Park estate are celebrating after unsightly rubbish was removed from their gardens. Operation Clean-up removed 4.5 tonnes of heavy items of rubbish, such as washing machines,...

Eyes down! Bingo tax scrapped.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) BINGO players are set to benefit as the Government has abolished tax on their winnings. The Government replaced the tax on bingo winnings with a new levy on companies' gross profits, called Gross Profits...

Quotes OF THE DAY.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) We spent three hours talking about this last night. We were watching girls taking their clothes off and what were we doing? Talking about Michael Howard - Nightclub proprietor Peter Stringfellow on his...

Internet trial gives lifeline to shoppers.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) A STUDY to help elderly and disabled people shop from home is being carried out in Bristol. The research project is funded by the Dolphin Society, one of the city's oldest charities, to investigate ways of...

Post office closure to hit elderly.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) PENSIONERS are facing long walks up a steep hill to find their nearest post office after it was revealed that yet another counter is to close in Bristol. Royal Mail confirmed in a statement that the...

Cut above.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) MOVIES are replacing magazines in hair salon waiting rooms. Clients can watch shows including celebrity gossip programme Liquid News and fashion programmes from around the world. The UK Film Council...

Winter fun at the beach.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) SUMMER may be over, but people in Bristol do not have to wait until next year to go to the beach. Explore@Bristol's 'On the Beach - Under the Sea' touring exhibition returns from Monday, November 17,...

War dead to be remembered in city.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) THE millions of British servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice will be honoured when Bristol hosts a Festival of Remembrance this weekend. On Saturday, the Colston Hall will become a focal...

Can we be trusted with poppy pins?
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) TRADITIONAL poppy sales in Keynsham and Saltford have come unstuck by fears over the safety of pins. Local Royal British Legion officials have had their consciences pricked by worries that the traditional...

Two tales from the dark side...
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) THE pendulum sways back and forth and I cannot keep my eyes off it. It signals a "yes". The spirit in our presence seems keen to answer our questions. I am transfixed. Several times, until Lainie and I...

Life's a gas for Rovers' first team members.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) BRISTOL Rovers players are proving to be true Gasheads - by signing up for a college course in gas engineering. Nine members of Rovers' first team squad have joined a new course at Filton College to help...

Lesley's got no fear of the reaper.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) AS introductions go, my first conversation with Lesley Felix takes some beating. "I'm waiting for the Grim Reaper, " he said, followed by a raucous laugh. "There's no point in being frightened by...

Judo team fights its way to victory.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) MEMBERS of a Bristol judo club have returned victorious from their latest competition. The young fighters are members of Kodachi which caters for people with mental and physical disabilities. Nine...

Luxury life for Melanie.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) A LITTLE Stoke woman has been living the high life after winning the Evening Post's Key to the City competition. Melanie Rowbottom spent a week sipping champagne at some of the city's top hotels and...

Soldiers step up to hot challenge.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) TERRITORIAL Army soldiers Dave 'Dizzy' Dawson and Andrew Mercer endured 40[degrees]C heat in the Iraqi desert when they took part in a 24-hour charity stunt. There was no snow or ice to slip up on, but...

Library open to suggestions.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) AN open evening is being held at Downend library next week to give local people the chance to learn about services and suggest improvements. Martin Burton, head of South Gloucestershire libraries and...

Paulton hit for six ahead of Bridport showdown.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) INJURIES have decimated the Paulton Rovers squad for their visit to Bridport, with six players definitely out and two others facing fitness tests. Lee James, Mike Kilgour, Mark James, Ian Symonds, Andy...

BLACK HOPING IT'S THIRD TIME LUCKY.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) MANGOTSFIELD boss Andy Black is hoping to make it third time lucky in the cups this week as his side take on Bath City in an intriguing FA Trophy first round tie at Cossham Street on Sunday (3pm). A...

Thompson expecting tough afternoon.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) YATE Town boss Richard Thompson, buoyed by some much-improved performances in the league of late, is warning his men not to underestimate fellow strugglers Evesham in tomorrow's away Western Division tussle....

Farewell flypast to be last the world sees.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) THE Concorde flight into Filton, which will swoop low over Bristol in a farewell flypast, will be the last the world ever sees, the Evening Post can reveal. The plane being delivered to its Bristol...

Driver fighting for life.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) A MINIBUS driver is fighting for his life in hospital after a head-on collision today. The driver was taking some police officers to Avon and Somerset Police HQ in Portishead when the accident happened on...

Plea for action over post strikes.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) NATIONAL: The Government has been urged to intervene in the postal workers' dispute which is costing the Royal Mail millions of pounds and causing huge problems for businesses. Malcolm Bruce, the Liberal...

Brick thrower in court.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) SURREY: A teenager appeared in court today charged with the murder of a lorry driver who died when a brick was thrown through his windscreen on a motorway. Craig Harman, 19, of Glamis Close, Frimley,...

Science rap on GM.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) NATIONAL: More than 100 scientists have written to Prime Minister Tony Blair criticising the way the Government has handled the national debate on GM crops, it was reported today. Some of the UK's leading...

Pensioner still 'critical'.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) NATIONAL: A pensioner remained in a critical condition in hospital today after allegedly being attacked when he told a child not to drop litter in the street, police said. The 66-year-old man warned the...

West heroes honoured for actions in Iraq.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) FIVE men from the Bristol area are being honoured for their actions during the Gulf War. Among them is Lieutenant Commander Anthony King, aged 35, who was killed when the Sea King helicopter he was...

Police act to stop gangs fighting with fireworks.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) POLICE have launched an operation to prevent the violence with fireworks that has marred Bonfire Night in central Bristol for the past two years. Under Operation Hercules, officers will crack down on...

Union alarmed at decision to move jobs to Asia.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) BRISTOL employer Lloyds TSB is to close a UK call centre and move almost 1,000 jobs to India. The bank yesterday said 986 jobs would go as part of a strategy to have 1,500 call centre jobs in India by...

Pension talks on hold.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) TALKS between Rolls-Royce unions and management on the controversial pensions issue were on hold today. It was hoped that an agreement could be reached yesterday that would prevent strike action over the...

New stadium set to boost rail stations.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) PROPOSALS for a 30,000-seat stadium for Bristol's two football clubs and 1,600 new homes on Severnside could give a boost to the area's two rail stations. A housing development on that scale would bring an...

We're sick of our street flooding.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) RESIDENTS in Hartcliffe are calling for action after their road was flooding following last night's torrential rain. People living in Whitchurch Lane saw standing water rise to 3ft as drains overflowed and...

MMR jab critic in welcome 'U-turn'.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) A BRISTOL health expert today welcomed the news that a key researcher involved in criticism of the controversial MMR vaccine is now encouraging parents to give their children the jab. Dr Simon Atkins, of...

A powerful performance.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) Mariza, the Fado Curvo Tour: Colston Hall YOU know you've made it when there's a guy at all your concerts whose job it is to carry your chair. This is a privilege Portuguese Fado singer Mariza can...

Spaniards sail through effor tlessly.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) Maximiliano Martin (Clarinet) and Javier Negrin (Piano): St George's THE Fantasyland recital was given by two young Spanish artistes Maximiliano Martin and Javier Negrin. They began with Miguel Uste's...

Hooray Henry.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) VALLEY Henry can put himself in line for a GBP75,000 bonus with victory in the bet365 Charlie Hall Chase at Wetherby tomorrow. The money has been put up by the sponsors and will go to the connections of...

ENGLAND IN CHARGE AS HUSSAIN HITS BACK.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) NASSER Hussain fell just short of claiming his 14th Test century after making amends for his role in running out the captain to guide England into a commanding position in the second Test against Bangladesh....

Cotter wants poll chance to stay as town's MP.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) WESTON-super-Mare's Liberal Democrat MP, Brian Cotter, wants to stand for election for a fourth time. Mr Cotter first stood in the resort in 1992 when he failed to win but dramatically cut the majority of...

GBP4m prize if you hit vital targets.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) NORTH Somerset Council could receive a GBP4 million windfall if it hits 12 targets in key public services. The authority's executive has agreed that it should sign up to a dozen different goals such as...

Wrinkly Bob is busking for charity.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) A MUSICAL pensioner from Weston-super-Mare is turning back the years with a marathon busking session for charity. Bob Allam, aged 73, of Uphills, the "Wrinkly Busker of Weston", will perform to passers-by...

Plea for more foster parents.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) A CAMPAIGN to attract more people to adopt or foster children is being run in North Somerset next week. It is part of National Adoption Week which is being held from November 3-9. During the week,...

Cutting down on crime in the hills.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) AVON and Somerset Chief Constable Steve Pilkington and Somerset County Council leader Cathy Bakewell are heading for the hills next week. The pair will be at the Charterhouse Centre on the Mendips, near...

Stubbing out the danger.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) TOUGH anti-smoking measures are being introduced for health workers in North Somerset from tomorrow. The North Somerset Primary Care Trust today unveiled its ground-breaking new policy aimed at protecting...

Balloon pioneer swaps hot air for virtual flight.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) HOT-air balloon expert Don Cameron has unveiled a new flight simulator at the Air Training Corps headquarters in Portishead. The new sophisticated piece of equipment, costing GBP3,500, has the capability...

Relics found in the cellar.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) PARENTS have raised GBP600 for a Portishead school after rummaging through its cellar and finding several old relics to sell off at auction. Portishead Primary School made news last month when two rare...

Last round for village newsagent.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) WHEN newsagents Peter and Di Wilson close their village shop in Almondsbury for the last time on Sunday it will be the end of an era. Next week, the couple will be able to enjoy a late-morning lie-in for...

New twin bins system - but who cares?
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) FEWER than 20 people took the chance to have their say on South Gloucestershire Council's controversial dual bin collection service at a meeting in Severn Beach. The Severn Vale Area Forum was held at the...

Artist returns to place of first exhibition.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) THORNBURY artist Christine Russell is about to stage an exhibition of her work in a prestigious hotel. Christine turned professional 10 years ago, after previously working as a classroom assistant at...

Appeal for new seating in hall.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) AN appeal has been launched to buy a raised seating system for a major South Gloucestershire community building which will ensure the future of local theatrical groups. The Armstrong Hall complex, in...

Police spend 5,700 more hours on patrol.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) POLICE in Gloucestershire are aiming to get even more bobbies on the beat after already exceeding their first target. The county force pledged last year to boost the number of hours officers spent on...

Resort's traders are hoping for a wheel Christmas.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) WESTON-super-Mare hopes to brighten up its Christmas with a 28-metre ferris wheel decked with thousands of lights. Business leaders in the resort hope the wheel will draw massive crowds and shoppers over...

Second list fiddling inquiry at hospital.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) A NEW investigation is to be carried out into allegations of waiting list fiddling at Weston-super-Mare General Hospital. It follows claims by Michele Masson, a former waiting list co-ordinator at the...

Banque de France restructuring plan finalised (Le plan de reorganisation de la Banque de France est boucle).
October 31, 2003... (From Le Monde) The plan drawn up by the Banque de France for the reorganisation of its activities was approved by the bank's central works council on Wednesday. The project, which has been six months in the making, has provoked...

Teacher climbed into my son's bed, mother tells court.
October 31, 2003... (From Bristol Evening Post) THE mother of a teenager who claimed he was indecently touched by a teacher told a jury how the boy described to her what happened. Preantharan Naidoo, aged 38, of South Road, Weston-super-Mare, is said...

MG Technologies plans to replace top management at Lurgi (MG Technologies-Chef Stark wechselt Fuhrung beim Teilkonzern Lurgi AG aus).
October 31, 2003... (From Die Welt) Udo Stark, the new head of MG Technologies, the German company which specialises in industrial plant engineering and chemicals, is reported to be planning to replace the top management of Lurgi AG, one of its...

European bourses trim losses at the close on early US gains.
October 31, 2003... (From FT Investor (Pulses)) European stock markets closed modestly lower but off their worst levels on Friday afternoon as some disappointing economic data and solid gains over the week made investors cautious. The FTSE Eurotop 300, which...

Footsie closes lower on rate-rise fears.
October 31, 2003... (From FT Investor (Pulses)) In the absence of direction from quarterly earnings, stocks in London drifted lower in light trade on Friday as investors mulled prospects of future near-term increases in interest rates. The FTSE 100 closed...

UPDATE 3- Footsie falls on rate-rise fears.
October 31, 2003... (From FT Investor (Stories)) In the absence of direction from quarterly earnings, stocks in London drifted lower in light trade on Friday as investors mulled prospects of future near-term increases in interest rates. The FTSE 100...

Limited company loyalty for French executives (Les cadres prennent leur distance avec leur entreprise, selon l'APEC).
October 31, 2003... (From Le Monde) According to a survey conducted by the French executive employment association (APEC), 46 per cent of French executives have a relatively detached approach to the company for which they work. The survey of 3,000...

We want to raise stake in Edison, says EDF (EDF).
October 31, 2003... (From Le Monde) Francois Roussely, the chairman of French electricity group EDF, said on Wednesday that his group hopes to increase its stake in the Italian energy specialist Edison to between 49 and 50 per cent. At present, EDF has a...

UPDATE 15- Russian PM worried about Yukos crackdown.
October 31, 2003... (From FT Investor (Stories)) Russia was on the brink of a full-blown political crisis on Friday after the country's prime minister pitched himself against President Vladimir Putin by saying he was "deeply concerned" about the freezing of...

ChevronTexaco swings back into the black.
October 31, 2003... (From FT Investor (Stories)) ChevronTexaco, the second-largest US oil and gas company, moved back into the black in the third quarter as both upstream and downstream operations saw strong growth. Earnings were boosted by high oil and...

France Telecom sticks to targets (France Telecom).
October 31, 2003... (From Le Monde) France Telecom, the French telecommunications group, announced on Wednesday that its operating profit jumped 38.2 per cent, to 7.5bn euros, in the nine months to 30 September 2003. As a result, the operator has decided to...

DaimlerChrysler increases bond from $1.5bn to $2bn (Daimler-Chrysler stockt seine neue Anleihe auf zwei Milliarden Dollar auf).
October 31, 2003... (From Die Welt) DaimlerChrysler, the German-US car manufacturer, is said to have increased its latest ten-year bond from $1.5bn to $2bn. The bond was issued in 2002 and will mature in January 2012. It currently pays interest at a rate of...

UPDATE 1- Google approached by Microsoft for takeover.
October 31, 2003... (From FT Investor (Stories)) Microsoft approached Google within the last two months to discuss options, including a takeover of the leading search engine company, according to the New York Times. The approach "gained little traction"...

Uncertainty over new securitised derivatives section of Deutsche Borse (Deutsche Borse droht Flop mit ,Smart Trading').
October 31, 2003... (From Financial Times Deutschland) The success of 'Smart Trading' the new securitised derivatives section of the Frankfurt stock exchange, owned by Deutsche Borse, now appears uncertain. It was launched on September 26 in a second...

Record losses for Rhodia (Rhodia affiche des pertes historiques).
October 31, 2003... (From Le Figaro) The French chemicals group Rhodia, yesterday unveiled its worst-ever quarterly results. The disappointing figures include a net loss of 89m euros, compared with 16m euros for the third quarter of 2002, and a gross...

Aventis lowers its forecast for this year's turnover (Aventis lasst fur das Gesamtjahr Vorsicht walten).
October 31, 2003... (From Die Welt) Aventis, the Franco-German pharmaceuticals company, has lowered its forecast for this year's turnover. In September, Igor Landau, the head of the company, had confirmed his expectations that the company would achieve an...

French government launches digital offensive (Matignon lance une campagne pour l'Internet).
October 31, 2003... (From Le Figaro) The French prime minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, yesterday launched a campaign to increase the rate of internet usage in France. At present, 42 per cent of French households is equipped with a computer -- a rate which...

IFCO Systems N.V. expects to report a net profit of US$ 4.9 million for Q3 2003.
October 31, 2003... (From Hugin) Corporate news announcement processed and transmitted by Hugin ASA. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------...

gabbing M&As fail to impress investors.
October 31, 2003... (From FT Investor (Stories)) Despite several tempting alternatives this week - including the biggest banking takeover for several years, a green light on low interest rates from the Federal Reserve, and evidence of just how strongly the...

UPDATE 4- Footsie ends October below 4,300.
October 31, 2003... (From FT Investor (Stories)) In the absence of direction from quarterly earnings, stocks in London drifted lower in light trade on Friday as investors mulled prospects of future near-term increases in interest rates. The FTSE 100...

UPDATE 4- Banks shine as bourses get bogged down.
October 31, 2003... (From FT Investor (Stories)) A week in which European stock markets were buoyed by powerful performances from financial sectors saw ABN Amro emerge from the back of the pack after the Dutch bank delivered an excellent set of results and...

UPDATE 2- Fresh data encourage Wall Street investors.
October 31, 2003... (From FT Investor (Stories)) US markets posted gains in morning trading after two fresh economic reports encouraged buyers back into market. By midsession, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.2 per cent to 9,808.89. The Nasdaq...

Metro profits rise despite effects of heatwave.
October 31, 2003... (From FT Investor (Stories)) Metro, the world's fifth-largest retailer, on Friday reported stronger-than-expected earnings for the third quarter, as improved profitability helped offset the adverse effects of the summer's heatwave, which...

UPDATE 1- Rexam claims 'top can' title after Latasa deal.
October 31, 2003... (From FT Investor (Stories)) Shares in Rexam rose sharply on Friday after the FTSE100 packaging group unveiled plans to expand its foothold in Brazil by acquiring the country's largest beverage can maker for GBP272m ($462m). It...

Joking GP groped me, says Miss B.
October 31, 2003... (From Manchester Evening News) Byline: jon wise A DOCTOR allegedly squeezed a woman's breasts and joked she had "big boobs" while examining her for headaches. She told a jury at Manchester Crown Court: "I just couldn't believe...

BRIEFING.
October 31, 2003... (From Manchester Evening News) Citypress is Raisin' Cain CITYPRESS PR, Manchester, is raising a glass to a new contract for Liverpool's Cains Brewery. Its brief includes the launch of Cains Raisin Beer, which was introduced to 650 Tesco...

Jon's the BBC's new funny man.
October 31, 2003... (From Manchester Evening News) Byline: simon donohue JON Montague is paid to know what makes 'em laugh on TV. As head of the newly-launched BBC Comedy Unit in Manchester, he is charged with finding the next Caroline Aherne, Steve...