The Evening Standard (London, England) articles from April 2003

The Evening Standard (London, England) archives from April 2003

This month in Odyssey.
April 1, 2003... Arctic locations with their frigid temperatures and long nights can make life pretty hard on those who live in them. But nature has planned one spectacular perk for these stalwart cold dwellers--the fantastic light show called the aurora...

Kilimanjaro snowcap may melt soon. (News! Science Scoops).
April 1, 2003... When Ernest Hemingway wrote his famous short story, "The Snows of Kilimanjaro," in 1938, he probably never considered that the snows might one day disappear. But if scientists are correct, the snows atop the 5,895-meter African mountain could...

Earth's central pip. (Science Scoops).
April 1, 2003... Well, not only are computer chips and the portions of our French fries getting smaller nowadays, but so is the center of the Earth! We have known about Earth's core only since 1936. It had been there all along, but we just had no way to "see"...

It isn't always best to share! (Science Scoops).
April 1, 2003... Environmental monitoring stations atop the nearly 4,200-meter-high summit of Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano are showing that air pollution can be more than a local phenomenon. That's right. The sensitive instruments have found traces of...

A "chip" off the ol' block. (Science Scoops).
April 1, 2003... A new study is trying to link parents with their children--in a most bizarre way. For instance, are you one of those kids who will grab a giant-size bag of chips and gobble them up every time you're sad? Well, that behavior might have come from...

No more reading at the airport. (Science Scoops).
April 1, 2003... Having trouble focusing on your reading assignments? Can't remember that poem for English class? Well, you now have an excuse... if you live near an airport! It's true. Noise from airports can impair a kid's reading ability and long-term...

When the heavens dance: how does nature stage a breathtaking light show called the aurora borealis?
April 1, 2003... The night starts out like any other clear evening for stargazing... until an unusual green "cloud" appears across the northern sky. The cloud brightens and begins to take shape, forming rippling curtains. They grow in size and climb the sky,...

Drawn to the lights: the myths and legends of ancient cultures.
April 1, 2003... The Chinese called it "candle dragon." The Romans called it "blood rain." Eurasians called it "wind light." But it was Italian astronomer Galileo who in 1620 applied the Latin term aurora boreails, "northern dawn," to describe the Earth's...

Spirit lights: a tale of the aurora borealis.
April 1, 2003... Tears fell silently down the faces of the women in the small room. Keelut sat watching from the side as friends and family brought food. The rich smell of aalu rose from the dish nearest him. Part of him wanted to rise to see if it were made of...

Say "cheese!" cinematographer Robert Eater films the aurora.
April 1, 2003... How do you capture on film the brilliant colors and dancelike movement of the aurora? WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY! That's what Robert Eather, the father of aurora cinematography, has been striving to do ever since he saw his first aurora...

Walrus array. (Brain Strain).
April 1, 2003... Aurora is exploring the North Pole when a talking walrus approaches her. "Miss, did you know that to survive the extreme cold of the polar winter, I have an 8-centimeter blubber layer beneath my skin?" the walrus asks. "Very...

The mystery of auroral sounds: snap! Crackle! Pop!
April 1, 2003... They rolled around with a soundless sound like softly bruised silk. --From "The Ballad of the Northern Lights" by Robert W. Service When you hear "Snap! Crackle! Pop!" you're probably listening to your morning bowl of cereal. But...

See the northern lights at home.
April 1, 2003... Can you really see the aurora at home? Well, almost! You can experience the basic "science" ofthe aurora borealis--and you don't even have to wait until dark. But before we get to the light show, let's retrace how one determined scientist...

Auroras on other words: the auroras of other planets reveal information about their magnetic fields, atmospheres, and even interactions with their moons.
April 1, 2003... If you were to visit Jupiter, you'd notice many differences from Earth: It is agaseous planet, with no continents, oceans, animals, or breathable air, for example. However, one similarity that Jupiter does share with Earth is the presence of...

Painted black!
April 1, 2003... Look at the photograph on this page. What do you see? If you re like most sky watchers, you'll notice the beautiful aurora borealis glowing above a country landscape; its brilliant greens; and the shape of its arcs. But if that's all you see,...

The full pink moon, lyrids meteors, and spring stars. (What's Up).
April 1, 2003... The monthly All-Sky Chart depicts the sky (minus the moon) as it appears at 8:30 p.m. (your local time) on April 15. Useful all month, the chart (except for 8:30 p.m. (standard time) on April 1 (honest!) and 7:30 p.m. (daylight savings time) on...

Planet watch.
April 1, 2003... Evening Planets: Mercury (in Pisces moving into Aries) is low in the west at sunset at the start of April, setting one hour after the sun. Mercury is visible later each night through midmonth, when it sets after 9 p.m. Toward the end of April,...

Tracking Jupiter's moons! (You Can do Astronomy).
April 1, 2003... The Italian scientist Galileo Galilei did not invent the telescope, but he may have been the first person to use an optical aid to make systematic observations of celestial objects. (Hans Lippershey, a spectacle-maker from Holland, is the man...

Stargazing with Jack Horkheimer: the planets disguised as stars.
April 1, 2003... GREETINGS, GREETINGS FELLOW STARGAZERS! SINCE OUR SUN IS THE ONLY STAR WE CAN SEE IN THE DAYTIME, I LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS OUR "DAY STAR." SO THE NEXT TIME YOU LOOK AT THE STARS AT NIGHT, TELL YOURSELF THAT EACH ONE IS A START SIMILAR TO...

Astro Camp and beyond ... (Wow! Fantastic Journeys).
April 1, 2003... Editor's Note: With summer just two months away, your thoughts might be turning to what camp to attend this year. How about Astro Camp? In this month's Fantastic journeys, Jackson Caldwell, age 12, of Benton Harbor, MI, tells us how he...

Up-close and comfortable with Mars. (Countdown).
April 1, 2003... This August, Mars and Earth will be just 56 million kilometers apart--the closest the two worlds will have ever been in recorded history! Of course, the closeness of our sister planet did not escape the futuristic gaze of NASA and ESA (European...

Tall tails. (Animal Angles).
April 1, 2003... The Finnish word for the aurora borealis is revontuli, which literally means "fox fire." In Finnish, "fox" is similar to an ancient word for magic. According to one legend (Finns have many), an arctic fox raced along the snowy moors on a wintry...

American Airlines Avoids Bankruptcy.
April 1, 2003... Apr. 1--American Airlines has averted bankruptcy -- at least for now -- by reaching concession deals with its mechanics' and pilots' unions. The world's largest airline says it is close to reaching a similar deal with flight attendants....

UK Traders Face Fight against Bears as Confidence Weakens.
April 1, 2003... Apr. 1--London share traders braced themselves for a long-drawn-out battle against the bears as the war in Iraq looked set to last for much longer than the optimists had hoped and the second quarter opened with a whimper rather than a bang,...

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
April 1, 2003... Apr. 1--RENEURON TAKING THE PRIVATE PLUNGE: Stem-cell researcher ReNeuron became the first European quoted biotech to go private today as it agreed a cash offer of 10 pence a share from St James MGP valuing it at UKpound 3.6 million. The bid...

UK Draft Code on Corporate Governance Should Be Rewritten, Executive Says.
April 1, 2003... Apr. 1--Derek Higgs' draft code on corporate governance should be rewritten and halved in length, according to accountants' leader Peter Wyman. Wyman, president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, will tell members at their annual...

London Braces for Tougher Energy Regulation after Chair Appointment.
April 1, 2003... Apr. 1--The City is bracing itself for a cold new era of far tougher regulation following today's appointment of energy regulator Callum McCarthy as chairman of the Financial Services Authority, writes Jonathan Prynn. The appointment,...

Battered UK Manufacturing Group Slashes Final Dividend.
April 1, 2003... Apr. 1--Troubled engineering group FKI bowed to market pressure today and cut its final dividend for the year to March by an unspecified amount. The share price has been under pressure all year on rumours of a cut in the payout. The...

Report Finds Third-Generation Mobile Phones Cost Too Much to Buy, Run.
April 1, 2003... Byline: Nick Goodway Apr. 1--The cost of buying and running third-generation (3G) mobile phones with always-on internet and video conferencing is too high and will slow demand for the new technology, according to an influential report...

Anglo-Dutch Publisher Rethinks Ukpound 20 Million Incentive Plan.
April 1, 2003... Apr. 1--Anglo-Dutch publishing giant Reed Elsevier has bowed to shareholder pressure over a controversial scheme in which five of its directors share a UKpound 20 million bonus payout, writes Nick Goodway. An outcry started by proxy voting...

British Companies Revamp Hong Kong Operations in Wake of SARS Virus.
April 1, 2003... Apr. 1--British companies operating in flu-hit Hong Kong are revamping operations to try to safeguard critical functions from the impact of the deadly disease, the British Chamber of Commerce in the territory said today. In addition, some...

Britons in Rush to Grab French Second Homes.
April 1, 2003... Byline: Jonathan Prynn Apr. 1--The entente cordiale may be under intense strain over Iraq but one aspect of Anglo-French relations -- the second-homes market -- is smashing all records. The number of British people buying property...

UK Soccer Team Wages Head Higher.
April 1, 2003... Apr. 1--The United wages bill is set to soar 14 percent this year to UKpound 80 million as the club takes the hit for new contracts signed last year by Britain's two best-paid footballers, UKpound 90,000-a-week David Beckham and UKpound...

Resurgent UK Mobile Phone Company Beefing Up Its Board.
April 1, 2003... Byline: Nick Goodway Apr. 1--Victorious England rugby sponsor mmO2 today moved to bolster its own front row with the appointment of David Arculus, media guru and Government czar, as a non-executive director. The move comes as chairman...

London Shares Drift as War in Iraq Appears Likely to Last Long.
April 1, 2003... Byline: Nick Goodway Apr. 1--London shares drifted listlessly today as traders decided the war in Iraq looked set to last for much longer than the optimists had hoped and world financial markets' second quarter opened with a whimper rather...

Far East Faces Economic Crisis As Killer Virus Spreads.
April 2, 2003... Byline: Jake Lloyd-Smith Apr. 2--Fears are growing that the deadly flu virus sweeping Asia could take a devastating toll on the region's fastest-growing economies. Economists are scrambling to downgrade their forecasts of economic...

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
April 2, 2003... Apr. 2--PROTEOME BOOSTED AFTER MAD COW DEAL: AIM-listed Proteome Sciences shares soared 11 percent to 70 pence today after a licensing deal with the world's biggest veterinary products group, US-owned Idexx Laboratories, to market its test kits...

Big-hitting duo takes helm at Cable & Wireless.
April 2, 2003... Byline: Nick Goodway Apr. 2--Cable & Wireless today hired a heavy-hitting two-man team to replace Graham Wallace who was given his marching orders after presiding over a collapse in the telecoms giant's share price. Francesco Caio...

British Racecourse Casino Is under Starter's Orders.
April 2, 2003... Byline: Robert Lea Apr. 2--With Britain gearing up for its biggest betting day of the year -- Saturday's Grand National -- the country is set to get its first racecourse casino. A "racino" is to be up and running at Wolverhampton's...

Lawyers Went through Disney Bins in Hunt for Pooh Evidence.
April 2, 2003... Byline: Bill Condie Apr. 2--Lawyers suing the Walt Disney company over marketing rights to Winnie the Pooh admitted yesterday that they had rummaged through Disney's rubbish bins looking for evidence. Stephen Slesinger, which holds the...

British Oil Price Dips after Nigerian Strikes End.
April 2, 2003... Byline: Robert Lea Apr. 2--The price of oil slipped after news of the cancellation of strikes in major producer Nigeria, while the dollar firmed in overnight trading on better news of the coalition advance in the Iraq war. The FTSE 100...

SkyePharma Goes into Black for First Time.
April 2, 2003... Byline: Malcolm Withers Apr. 2--Drugs development group SkyePharma joined the elite number of profitable biotech companies last year with a first-time operating profit of UKpound 5 million against a loss of UKpound 5 million in 2001. It is...

British Spending Slowdown Freezes New Store Plans.
April 2, 2003... Apr. 2--Falling consumer confidence is hitting retailers' plans for new property, figures out today show. The CBI yesterday said High Street sales fell at the fastest pace for 11 years in March as shoppers tightened their belts. ...

Bank of England Loses Landmark Legal Case.
April 3, 2003... Apr. 3--The Governor of the Bank of England, Sir Edward George, faces an embarrassing finale to his term in office after the Bank today lost a landmark legal case. The Court of Appeal has ruled that Deloitte & Touche, liquidators to the...

Woman Wins Judgment in Bias Suit against South African-Owned London Broker.
April 3, 2003... Byline: James Rossiter Apr. 3--Former media analyst Louise Barton has won a landmark legal judgment in her battle to prove sex discrimination by Investec Henderson Crosthwaite Securities which puts City employers on the back foot over how...

Goldman Sachs to Lay Off 3 Percent of Equity Division.
April 3, 2003... Apr. 3--Goldman Sachs is firing 3 percent of its equity division, reflecting the ongoing slump in trading that has ravaged Wall Street's ranks. The lay-offs will be shared by the investment bank's 3000 stock traders and support staff...

UK Insurer Paid Ousted Chief Executive Nearly UKpound $2.5 Million in 2002.
April 3, 2003... Byline: Jonathan Pryne Apr. 3--The row over boardroom "rewards for failure" ignited again today when it was revealed that troubled insurer Royal & SunAlliance paid former chief executive Bob Mendelsohn almost UKpound 2.5 million in the...

Possibility of Cut in British Interest Rates Grows as Service Sector Struggles.
April 3, 2003... Byline: Jane Padgham Apr. 3--The odds on a cut in interest rates next week shortened today as it emerged that the dominant services sector shrank in March for the first time in more than a year. Concerned about the economic...

Mortgage Equity Withdrawal in England Skyrocketed in Fourth Quarter.
April 3, 2003... Apr. 3--Mortgage equity withdrawal, where homeowners unlock cash tied up in their properties to spend on major purchases, hit a record in the final quarter of 2002, according to new Bank of England figures. Boosted by the housing boom and...

Oil, Gold Prices Drop as War Intensifies.
April 3, 2003... Byline: Robert Lea Apr. 3--Oil and the safe haven of gold were on the slide again today as coalition forces closed in on Baghdad. The price of Brent Crude was down 41 cents at $24.80 a barrel in early London trading as fears receded...

Savings Industry Heads Appear to Reap Good Pay Even in Bad Times.
April 3, 2003... Apr. 3--Savings industry chiefs seem immune to the financial pain suffered by their owners, customers and employees. While share prices have plunged, dividends cut, policy bonuses slashed and jobs axed, directors of life firms continue to get...

Vivendi Universal Paid Former Chief Messier UKpound 3.9 Million in 2002.
April 3, 2003... Apr. 3--French media group Vivendi Universal paid former chief Jean-Marie Messier euro5.6 million (UKpound 3.9 million) last year, despite racking up France's worst-ever corporate loss in that time. Before the company dumped him for nearly...

NBC's War Coverage Costs Company $50 Million So Far.
April 3, 2003... Apr. 3--Round-the-clock reporting on the Gulf war may be taking its toll on the bottom line of US television networks with General Electric, parent of NBC, saying it has cost the company $50 million (UKpound 32 million). Chief financial...

British Furniture Retailer to Contest Ukpound 28 Million Customs Tax Bill.
April 4, 2003... Byline: Patrick Hosking Apr. 4--Kitchens and bathrooms retailer MFI has been accused of ducking VAT and clobbered with a back-tax bill of UKpound 28.5 million. Customs and Excise has begun a clampdown on the tax treatment of product...

Goldman Sachs Lays Off 3 Percent of Its Equity Division.
April 4, 2003... Apr. 4--Goldman Sachs is sacking 3 percent of its equity division, reflecting the slump in trading that has ravaged Wall Street. The lay-offs will be shared by the investment bank's 3000 stock traders and support staff worldwide, but most...

German Property Investors Pour Funds into London Real Estate Market.
April 4, 2003... Apr. 4--Multi-billion-euro German property funds are coming to the rescue of the struggling London office property market as British developers pull out on concern the rental market is going to deteriorate in the next couple of years. The...

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
April 7, 2003... Apr. 7--MURDOCH TO LAUNCH DIRECTV BID: Rupert Murdoch's News Corp will this week launch a $7 billion (UKpound 4.5 billion) bid to win control of US satellite TV giant DirecTV. News Corp is reportedly ready to pay a premium of up to 15...

EasyJet Suffers from War Fears despite Savage Fare Cuts.
April 7, 2003... Byline: Robert Lea Apr. 7--Tickets being sold at near-giveaway prices to keep people flying despite Iraq war fears failed to prevent a fall in passenger growth numbers at easyJet. More worryingly for investors -- though not customers...

Shareholder to Make Play for British Estate Agent.
April 7, 2003... Apr. 7--A large minority shareholder in upmarket estate agent Chesterton International will this week make a formal offer for the company valuing the business at around UKpound 17 million. Mohammed Jafari-Fini, who bought a 10.7 percent...

UK Financial Services Jobs Are Being Axed at Rapid Rate, Report Shows.
April 7, 2003... Byline: Jane Padgham Apr. 7--The full extent of the slump in the City was revealed today in a report showing financial services jobs are being axed at the fastest rate for more than six years. The grim CBI/PricewaterhouseCoopers survey...

German Food-Beverage Industry Faces Slump as Drinkers Forego Beer.
April 7, 2003... Byline: Bill Condie Apr. 7--The German food and beverage industry is facing a crisis, suffering an 8.3 percent drop in total turnover last year as Germans apparently lose their taste for beer, writes Bill Condie. The industry has borne...

Success in Iraq May Not Translate to U.S., U.K., Economic Turnaround.
April 7, 2003... Byline: Michael Clark Apr. 7--The war with Iraq has provided an intriguing diversion. But once victory has been achieved, George Bush and Tony Blair will need to focus on the problems back home. Consumer confidence on both sides of the...

Montana Terminates Its French Connection in State Pension Plan.
April 7, 2003... Byline: Nick Goodway Apr. 7--The U.S. state of Montana -- home of open skies, right-wingers and little else -- has sent a severe message to President Jacques Chirac by dumping its public pension scheme's entire shareholding in French...

London's Evening Standard Business Writers Win Top Awards.
April 7, 2003... Apr. 7--Evening Standard Business journalists have claimed two of the most prestigious awards in financial media -- confirming the business section is not only first for speed but also ahead of the pack for quality. Financial editor...

British Firm Scales Pay Raises according to Pension Plan Participation.
April 7, 2003... Byline: Patrick Hosking Apr. 7--A British employer has taken the unprecedented step of awarding lower pay rises to those of its employees who are on more generous pension arrangements. The Financial Services Authority is giving a 4.2...

UK Fund Manager Set to Take Control of Australian Smart Card Firm.
April 7, 2003... Byline: Lachlan Colquhoun Apr. 7--UK fund manager Ingot Capital Management is set to take control of Australian smart card company ERG in a major debt-for-equity deal. Ingot director Duncan Saville plans to seek a seat on the ERG...

British Fraud Office Investigates Sale of Grocery Stock by Firm's Chairman.
April 7, 2003... Byline: James Rossiter Apr. 7--The Serious Fraud Office is understood to be looking at the UKpound 13.5 million sale of shares in Iceland by the food chain's founder and former chairman Malcolm Walker, writes James Rossiter. The...

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
April 8, 2003... Apr. 8--BMI FEELING PAIN OF AIR TRAVEL'S COLLAPSE: Heathrow's second-largest airline, bmi, said today the collapse in international travel is hurting its numbers. It carried 704,000 passengers in March, up 15 percent on a year ago, though much...

British Brand Management Group Gets Poirot Perk.
April 8, 2003... Byline: Nick Goodway Apr. 8--Noddy's owner Chorion today told its shareholders that it is growing up. Despite failing to sell its children's division or to be taken over by rival Entertainment Rights, Chorion now claims to be driving...

Iraq Puts Brakes on Buyouts Market.
April 8, 2003... Apr. 8--Uncertainty sparked by the Iraq conflict is taking the steam out of the management buyout market. Finance group Intermediate Capital said more deals were now being deferred and warned that activity may not pick up until summer....

Citigroup Sharpens Equities Jobs Axe after Revenue Blow.
April 8, 2003... Byline: Bill Condie Apr. 8--Citigroup has become the second financial services giant in a week to signal more staff cuts in its equities divisions around the world. It is not yet known how many jobs will go or where but, according to...

Air-Traffic Manager's Hard-Nosed Saviour Takes Helm at London Stock Exchange.
April 8, 2003... Byline: Robert Lea Apr. 8--A former career BP manager and most recently the man who brokered the Government bailout of National Air Traffic Services has landed the top job at the London Stock Exchange. Chris Gibson-Smith was today...

Clothing Sales Slowdown Hits Marks & Spencer.
April 8, 2003... Byline: Fiona Walsh Apr. 8--Shares in Marks & Spencer, Britain's largest clothing retailer, tumbled 12 3/4 pence to 282 1/2 pence today as the group reported a sharp slowdown in clothing sales growth. It also revealed that the costs of...

Police Call Australian Media Mogul's Court Summons a Mistake.
April 8, 2003... Byline: Bill Condie Apr. 8--Australia's richest man, Kerry Packer, was listed to face court today on a gun charge, but the media mogul will not be showing up after New South Wales police said the summons was a mistake. The NSW Local...

Mining Giant's Chief to Retire with Huge Pension Payouts.
April 8, 2003... Apr. 8--Sir Robert Wilson is to retire as chairman of Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto later this year with one of the largest pension payouts ever seen in the City -- UKpound 656,000 a year. After 31 years with the business, and 16...

Controversial British Investor Takes Aim at Real-Estate Firm.
April 8, 2003... Apr. 8--Controversial young investor Jonathan Rowland, former head of mercurial internet incubator and penny-stock favourite Jellyworks, is in talks to participate in a public-to-private bid for upmarket estate agent Chesterton International by...

British Retailer JJB Sports Braces for Guilty Verdict in Pricing Probe.
April 8, 2003... Apr. 8--Retailer JJB Sports warned today that it expected to be found guilty of price-fixing of replica football kits. The group insisted it was innocent but added: "JJB believes that the Office of Fair Trading may nevertheless find that...

British Telecom Firm BT Group Replaces Prancing Piper Logo.
April 9, 2003... Apr. 9--BT Group today unveiled its new logo, replacing the prancing piper that has graced its vans and letterheads for the past 12 years. The new design cost little to create since it is a recycling of the logo for BT Openworld, the...

British Firm Close to Winning Fight for Biotech.
April 16, 2003... Apr. 16--Celltech was near to victory today in Britain's first hostile biotech-sector bid battle as it took control of 61.33 percent of Oxford GlycoSciences following its 182 pence cash bid for the group. The offer is extended until 29 April....

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
April 16, 2003... Apr. 16--RATE-CUT POINTER AS BONUS CUTS HIT HOME: The slump in City bonuses triggered slowed private-sector earnings growth to 2.4 percent in February, from 3.2 percent in January, official figures showed today. The public-sector growth rate...

Goldman Sachs Negotiates $1 Billion Bond Sale for Hong Kong Tycoon.
April 16, 2003... Apr. 16--Goldman Sachs -- apparently eager to secure more business from Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing -- has arranged a $1 billion (UKpound 636 million) bond sale for his listed flagship Hutchison Whampoa but made no money on the...

Clinton Cards Attempts to Repeat Success with Cliff Richard Performance.
April 16, 2003... Apr. 16--Cards that play Congratulations by Sir Cliff Richard will be dropping though thousands of letterboxes this year as Clinton Cards attempts to repeat the success of the singer's Christmas card version of Mistletoe and Wine. Those...

British Restaurateur's Struggling Brasseries Throw in the Towel.
April 16, 2003... Byline: Jonathan Prynn Apr. 16--The savage downturn in the posh-nosh industry has claimed the chain of upmarket brasseries run by super-chef Raymond Blanc. Four restaurants -- in Birmingham, Cheltenham, Manchester and Oxford and all...

British Food Conglomerate Remains Wary despite Surge in First Quarter Profits.
April 16, 2003... Byline: Jim Armitage Apr. 16--Associated British Foods today reported a 13 percent jump in profits for the first half of the year but warned that earnings would not surge as strongly for the rest of the year. Chief executive Peter...