Europe Intelligence Wire articles from October 2004

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from October 2004

SWISS's last MD-11 bows out.
October 31, 2004... (From Hugin) The sole remaining SWISS Boeing MD-11 performed its last commercial flight in SWISS colours today from Chicago to Zurich, concluding a further chapter in Swiss aviation history. SWISS has replaced its MD-11s with the...

SWISS verabschiedet die MD-11.
October 31, 2004... (From Hugin) Heute Sonntag 31. Oktober absolvierte die einzige in der SWISS-Flotte verbliebene Boeing MD-11 ihren letzten kommerziellen Flug auf der Strecke Chicago - Zurich. Damit geht ein Stuck Schweizer Luftfahrtgeschichte zu Ende....

SWISS fait ses adieux au MD-11.
October 31, 2004... (From Hugin) Aujourd'hui, dimanche 31 octobre, l'unique Boeing MD-11 faisant encore partie du parc aerien de SWISS effectue son dernier vol commercial sur la liaison Chicago - Zurich. Ainsi s'acheve une page de l'histoire de l'aviation...

Soccer.
October 31, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, October 31 (MTI) - Result of a match played in the 11th round of Hungary's first-division soccer championship on Sunday: Bekescsaba - Ferencvaros 0:3 (0:1) Results in further matches...

Memorial tablet of Bela Bartok unveiled at Saranac Lake.
October 31, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Washington, October 31 (MTI) - A memorial tablet dedicated to renowned Hungarian composer, folk music researcher and pianist Bela Bartok (1881-1945) was inaugurated at Saranac Lake, N. Y., on Saturday....

Kovacs should get new post in EC, ex-premier says.
October 31, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, October 31 (MTI) - Laszlo Kovacs should be given a new post in the European Commission, Socialist ex-premier Gyula Horn told Hungarian Television on Sunday. The Hungarian candidate was...

MVSZ asks voters to turn up for dual citizenship referendum.
October 31, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, October 31 (MTI) - The World Federation of Hungarians (MVSZ) urged Hungarian voters to turn up for the December 5 binding referendum and support granting dual citizenship to ethnic Hungarians...

Day of Reformation commemorated in Debrecen.
October 31, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, October 31 (MTI) - A religious service was held in the Great Church of Debrecen on Sunday to mark the Day of Reformation, the 487th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to the...

MTI's news schedule for November 1-7.
October 31, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, October 31 (MTI) - MTI's daily news service in English expects to include coverage of the following events from November 1 to 7: Monday, November 1: - Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany...

Authority lifts ban on further paprika products.
October 31, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, October 31 (MTI) - Hungary's public health authority (ANTSZ) allowed another 24 paprika products to go for sale on Sunday. The government imposed a ban on the sale of red paprika powder...

Laszlo Kovacs remains Hungary's candidate for EU commissioner.
October 31, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, October 31 (MTI) - Laszlo Kovacs has remained as Hungary's candidate for European commissioner, government spokesman Andras Batiz told the public Hungarian Television on Sunday evening. ...

Gov't pursues "apartheid policy" against churches, bishop says.
October 31, 2004... (From Hungarian News Agency (MTI)) Budapest, October 31 (MTI) - A Calvinist bishop has charged the Hungarian government with pursuing a "policy of apartheid" against the churches. "The governing coalition hits the churches, first of...

Argentina, a mixed blessing for Repsol YPF.
October 31, 2004... (From El Pais) In his quest to make Spanish hydrocarbons group Repsol a major player in the global petrochemicals sector, Alfonso Cortina, who was ousted as Repsol chairman last week, purchased Argentinian counterpart YPF in two stages...

CRM pay back not being realised - report.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Banks are still not obtaining suitable payback from their massive investments in customer relationship marketing (CRM) systems, according to the latest research from Total DM, a UK-based direct...

BNP Paribas subsidiaries in global branding drive.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) French financial services giant BNP Paribas has announced plans to attach its logo to most of its subsidiaries in a global rebranding drive. The bank said it wants to develop a "visual identity...

Hartford looks at ad business.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Hartford, the US financial services company, has been soliciting ideas from outside agencies in what could be a prelude to an agency review, according to reports in the US press. The reports say...

Australian bank unveils campaign.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Australia-based BankWest has launched a new ad campaign in the east coast of Australia. With the tagline "Welcome To The Rebellion," the campaign is being rolled out in New South Wales. BankWest is a...

British banks not making the most of information.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) UK commercial banks are failing to properly exploit external information sources such as newswires, analyst reports, financial statements and the press, according to a survey by OneSource Information...

Banking industry responds fast, says survey.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) The banking industry is among the most efficient at handling campaign responses, according to research by marketing contact specialist Ion Group. The top thousand UK senior marketing professionals...

South Africa's Absa reviews advertising strategy.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Despite being in the midst of a takeover bid, Absa - South Africa's second-largest bank by assets - is reviewing its $21 million advertising account. Speculation is growing that the review is part of a...

Standard Bank gets top brand vote.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Standard Bank, South Africa's largest bank by assets, is the top brand in South Africa's financial services industry, according to the Markinor/Sunday Times Top Brands Survey for 2004. The bank has not...

Visa rolls out new Middle East campaign.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Visa International has launched a new Middle East brand campaign to reinforce what it says is the relevance of Visa cards in everyday life as an alternative to cash. The new marketing campaign aims...

Support for credit card summary box.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) An overwhelming majority of the British population back the introduction of a Summary Box on credit card marketing materials, according to research published this month by the Association for Payment...

Australian banks spend more on marketing.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) The growth of smaller competitors and a softening mortgage market is forcing Australia's major banks to spend more on marketing. Major banks spent $A76 million ($56.2 million) on advertising during...

Amex launches new campaign.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) American Express Financial Advisors has launched a new advertising campaign in the US focused on the power of personalised financial advice in times of market uncertainty. The campaign focuses on...

Revamped internet banking service.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Lloyds TSB in the UK has revamped its internet banking service, following an overhaul by the bank in league with interactive agency Digitas. The new look site is designed to be easier to use and...

Ads on bank statements - the next big thing?
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Banks are missing out on a major advertising opportunity by failing to see the potential of advertising on utility bills or bank statements, according to a study by Group 1 Software. The software...

Investec continues to sponsor rugby.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Investec, the owner of South Africa's second-biggest money manager, will continue to sponsor England's rugby Autumn Internationals for four years until the 2007 World Cup. Investec began its...

New site to help counter phishing.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) The use of malicious code and phishing scams to extract confidential account details from consumers are estimated to have cost British banks more than [pounds sterling]4.5 million ($8.2 million)...

Offshoring debate intensifies.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) More than half of states in the US have proposed legislation restricting offshoring to countries where costs of services are much less than what is paid to workers in developed countries. The...

US loyalty schemes enter a new phase.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Loyalty programmes have been one of bank marketing's greatest hits, producing warm feelings on both sides of the banking relationship, but now seemingly every retail establishment in the US offers...

Waste of money.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Financial advisers in the UK have slammed the direct marketing material that financial services companies send to their customers as "a waste of money." A survey by government-backed National Savings &...

Anytime, and now anywhere.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) In 2003 Rabobank became the first European bank to offer transactional services on mobile telephones. A new service now offers money transfers, balance checks, brokerage services, stock details, market...

Bank of Scotland says sorry.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Thousands of Bank of Scotland customers have been written to by the company's head of retail banking apologising "personally for disruptions to customer service levels." The move comes more than two...

Amex targeting Asia's affluent.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) American Express has embarked on an aggressive marketing campaign for its platinum card offering in Singapore as it continues to build its brand in Asia. The October launch of the Amex platinum...

'Plane' sailing as HSBC builds brand in Thailand.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Advertising agency WPP/MindShare has kicked off its first major campaign for HSBC since winning the bank's [pounds sterling]350 million a year ($640 million) global account in May, beginning with...

Italian banks fail to market net banking.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Italian banks need to put more effort into convincing Italians of the benefits of online banking, argues Forrester. Internet users in Italy are less tuned into online banking compared with their...

Thinking outside the tick-box.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Canadian benefit society Foresters, which has been providing investment products to customers for more than 130 years, has launched its first ever advertising campaign. The campaign is part of a wider...

The new 21st century advertising?
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Corporate sponsorship is increasingly becoming the new form of advertising for the 21st century. Financial services providers are waking up to the importance of sponsorship from not just an external...

MasterCard picks the best co-brands in Europe.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Bank of Ireland, SEB Kort and Garanti Bank won top honours at the MasterCard Co-Brand Partner of the Year awards held in Athens at the end of September. These banks' products were selected from...

Branch merchandising takes centre stage.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Branch merchandising is a major advertising medium in its own right, not just because of the sheer amount of advertising material distributed via branches but also because this is the medium where banks...

Price no object as Spain's Caja Madrid unveils card campaign.
October 31, 2004... (From Bank Marketing International) Spanish savings bank Caja Madrid has launched a new marketing push for its credit card business, which could see the bank paying out between E300,000 and E600,000 ($380,500 and $761,000) to cardholders...

US funds investment slows to a trickle.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) Statistics released by the Investment Company Institute (ICI) suggest that US investors are growing disillusioned with the 'get nowhere' US equity market that has seen the S&P 500 Index gain a miserly 1.2...

New Chinese ETFs set to increase competition.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) Barclays Global Investors (BGI), the world's biggest provider in the rapidly expanding exchange traded funds (ETF) industry has just opened a new door for investors targeting China's mainland equity market. ...

Canadian mutual funds take another tumble.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) The tale of woe continued to flow from the Canadian mutual fund industry with the release of data for September by the Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC). The IFIC reported net redemptions,...

SEC opens new fronts in war on abuse.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) There could be more bad news coming for mutual fund management firms as many limp away from the market-timing-abuse battlefield with the US Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). A senior official at the...

Signs of overkill by US legislators.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) In a frenetic scramble to clean-up the fund management industry's act, there are indications that US legislators could be in overkill mode. The US Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has proposed a...

Arlington Securities expands in Spain.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) Arlington Securities, a UK property services and property fund management company, added a second Spanish property to its unlisted Ceurlogix Property Fund (CPF) in September with the E11.76 million ($15...

Checkmate for AXA's Australian bid.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) French asset management firm, AXA, has been forced to abandon its bid to acquire 48 percent of the shares of its Sydney based subsidiary, AXA Asia Pacific Holdings (AAPH), that it does not already own. ...

Strong flows into South African mutual funds.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) Net inflows of R4.3 billion ($680 million) from institutional investors and R10.8 billion from retail investors into South African mutual funds in the three months to 30 September have been reported by the...

Parmalat collapse leaves most scars on US fund managers.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) As legal proceedings to claim money lost in the collapse of Parmalat, the Italian dairy group, start in Italy and the US, it looks increasingly likely that Italian fund managers will have suffered least from...

Expenses of US ETFs versus open-end mutual funds.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) Expenses of US ETFs versus open-end mutual funds Category Average expense ratio Exchange traded funds US major market ETFs 0.18% US style...

Vanguard holds its fire in index fund fee war.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) The Vanguard Group has always prided itself on its low-cost status on fees and expenses of its managed index funds. However fierce competition in the marketplace means that several rivals look set to undercut...

Exchange traded funds gaining momentum in US.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) The battle for dominance of the index tracking fund market between conventional mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETF) is hotting- up. And as the trend is now developing, ETFs are edging increasingly...

Costs of doing business for US fund managers set to soar.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) There could be tough times ahead for fund managers as the US Securities & Exchange Commission vows it will put the US funds industry under the spotlight as never before. Charles Davis reports As regulators...

Bridgeway tarnishes its squeaky clean image.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) An article published by Forbes in December last year described mutual fund management firm Bridgeway Capital Management as "a model of good mutual fund governance." It seems the US Securities and Exchange...

Technology helps Old Mutual's Selestia multi-management arm forge ahead.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) Selestia, the British multi-management division of UK financial services group Old Mutual, has just announced its best quarter performance since its launch in November 2001. Chief executive officer Brett...

Top 10 Indian fund management firms.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) Table 2: Top 10 Indian fund management firms Assets $ Percent of Billions total UTI Asset...

Janus' smart computer shows the way.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) US growth-fund specialist, Janus Capital Group, has a new stock-picking star on its team. But it is unlikely that this one will be in line for a bonus payment. Janus' new guru turns out to be a computer that...

Study shows institutions are consistent winners.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) Fund managers burdened by criticism of their abilities can take heart that they beat the average private individual in the trading game. At least, that is, those trading on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, the 12th...

Internet scams targeting mutual funds.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) Poor stock market performance and low interest rates are providing a fertile breeding ground for investment scams. These are often referred to as 'Ponzi schemes' in dubious honour of one Charles Ponzi who in...

A new artistic slant coming fund investors' way next year.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) There is good news for investors who have tired of the traditional asset classes offered by the fund management industry. From February next year they will be able to diversify their holdings into fine art...

Hedge funds head into troubled waters.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) The success of the burgeoning hedge fund industry is working against it, delegates to a hedge fund conference, held in London in October, were told. There was an avalanche of new investment into hedge funds...

Passive versus active management in US.
October 31, 2004... (From Funds International) Passive versus active management in US percentage of actively managed equity funds out-performed by an index in the three years ended 3 December 2002 Morningstar category Average Index ...

SPECULATION ON MARSH SETTLEMENT AS SUBPOENAS CONTINUE TO BE SERVED.
October 31, 2004... (From InsuranceNewslink.com) After an article on Thursday in the Wall Street Journal suggested that Marsh will have to settle with Spitzer for at least USD 500m, there was a quick denial from the New York Attorney General who said that...

Sabino Arrieta throws towel in (Sidenor abandona la estrategia global).
October 31, 2004... (From El Pais) Sabino Arrieta, a former regional minister for industry in the Spanish autonomous region of the Basque Country, became the managing director of Sidenor, Spain's leading speciality steel forging and casting company, when it...

NH Hoteles aims for pan-European expansion (NH confia en Italia).
October 31, 2004... (From El Pais) NH Hoteles, Spain's leading business hotel operator, wants to become a pan-European chain. Expectations are high for expansion in Italy and in 15 Spanish cities with a population of over 100,000, as well as in Latin...

Relay loss no harm to Leander's dominance.
October 30, 2004... (From Western Daily Press) City of Plymouth Championships The second and final weekend of the 2004 City of Plymouth ASA Age Groups and Championships at Central Park saw a familiar end to the competition as Plymouth Leander once again...

The Pub: Bristol Inn.
October 30, 2004... (From Western Daily Press) While the cry goes up from time to time about the excessive number of licensed premises in and around the Barbican today, there were at one time, around the middle of the 19th century, just four small pubs (they...

The Place: Palmerston Street.
October 30, 2004... (From Western Daily Press) Henry John Temple, better known as the Third (and last) Viscount Palmerston, was a remarkable politician. Potentially one of the youngest ever Chancellors of the Exchequer (he was offered the post at 25, but...

Some home thoughts from abroad.
October 30, 2004... (From Western Daily Press) Letters home from one loving son to his parents during World War One contained enough detail to fill a book. Sergeant William Henry Meatyard RM, admitted as much in one of his missives, which began: "dear...

How to stay out og harm's way on those dark winter evenings.
October 30, 2004... (From Western Daily Press) On a warm summer's evening there are few things more enjoyable than a relaxing stroll, or a brisk walk to the pub to meet up with friends. But when the clocks go back this weekend, those same streets will...

Shipping.
October 30, 2004... (From Western Daily Press) Today No Movements. TOMORROW 7.30am HMS Endurance (Ice Survey Vessel), sea to Sound o/c sea. 6.20pm HMS Endurance, sea to Sound o/c sea. MONDAY 6.00am RFA Orangeleaf (Support Tanker), C Buoy to...

Why secrecy?
October 30, 2004... (From Western Daily Press) I was doubly concerned after reading Hannah Wood's report on the proposal for another bar on Mutley Plain: first of all the way in which the Mutley Plain/North Hill parade of shops is now being referred to as...

Adoptive parnets urge others to offer youngsters a family home.
October 30, 2004... (From Western Daily Press) Proud parents Andy and Nicki Wheeler have backed a council campaign to encourage more people to consider adopting children. The couple, who adopted two boys after 10 years of trying for a family, urged...

'Too difficult to imagine life without our parents'.
October 30, 2004... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: LIZ LAMB THE family of the North-East couple who died in the Jordan bus crash on Thursday led the tributes last night. Richard and Angela Fothergill's three daughters, Alison Atkinson, Celia...

Scale of post site closures is 'shocking'.
October 30, 2004... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: LIZ LAMB AT least 100 post offices in the region have closed or will close by the end of the year. Figures obtained by The Northern Echo reveal 88 urban post offices have closed in the North-East...

Retailers fear expansion of supermarket will ruin trade.
October 30, 2004... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: JOE WILLIS A SUPERMARKET extension could further damage trade in nearby town centres, retailers have warned. Tesco wants to add 20,000sq ft of floorspace to its Catterick Garrison store, which...

'Car ban will hurt town centre'.
October 30, 2004... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: DAVID ROBERTS PLANS to pedestrianise Darlington's town centre could damage the town's economy a leading Conservative has said. Anthony Frieze, the prospective Conservative parliamentary...

SURGERY OPENS THE GATEWAY TO A NEW ERA.
October 30, 2004... (From The Northern Echo) A DOCTORS' surgery which has served patients in Darlington for 85 years is set to move into plush new premises on Monday. The Netherlaw surgery on Stanhope Road is moving to the former Blacketts pub on...

Police chief in the clear after inquiry.
October 30, 2004... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: CHRIS BRAYSHAY A CHIEF Constable has been cleared by an independent inquiry of misleading a police authority over a GBP7.3m financial "black hole". Last night, Cleveland Chief Constable Sean...

NEIL'S NEW YORK DATE FOR CHARITY.
October 30, 2004... (From The Northern Echo) RUNNER Neil Defty will test himself in his first marathon on the streets of New York. The 25-year-old, of Crossgate Moor, Durham, will fly to the Big Apple with his wife, Claire, on Wednesday and will join...

DAD'S LATEST ADVENTURES TO AID CHILDREN'S HOSPICE AGAIN.
October 30, 2004... (From The Northern Echo) THE latest adventures of "Dad At Large" have been compiled in a book that will raise money for a children's hospice. Dad At Large 3 - Whose Paper Round Is It Anyway? , available priced GBP5, is the third book...

Inquest begins into death of bike rider and passenger.
October 30, 2004... (From The Northern Echo) Byline: KATIE BARLOW AN inquest opened yesterday into the death of a motorcyclist and his pillion passenger, who were involved in a collision with a minibus. The accident happened when the bike and the...