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

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

This month in Odyssey.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... If I asked you which sense you'd be most willing to give up, you would probably say, "Smell." Yet smell is vital to human health and survival. It alerts us to danger and disease. Odor often tells us which foods are safe to eat and which are...

Sock odor skunked. (Science Scoops).
February 1, 2003... Who will ever forget the aroma of a school's locker room--that pungent, knock-you-in-the nose "perfume" of body odor mixed with sweaty socks? Well, get ready, because this scoop aims to knock your socks off. Thanks to odorless sports...

Frankenfish fright! (Science Scoops).
February 1, 2003... There's a freakish fish out there, lurking in our freshwater streams and ponds, that's causing our government quite a flight. Frankenfish, an Asian snakehead fish, is truly a monster. It has heavy scales and a wide, ugly mouth--with teeth sharp...

War stinks. (Science Scoops).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Speaking of smells, did you know that the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is trying to harness the power of foul odor and use it to their advantage? Think of it. What teenage kid hasn't made a stink bomb? Is it surprising, then, that the DOD...

Rocking the Earth. (Science Scoops).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The idea of a large rock from space walloping Earth and wreaking havoc among its citizens is not solely the stuff of Hollywood movies such as Armageddon. Ask any planetary astronomer, and he or she will tell you that our planet is...

Fragrant waste? (Science Scoops).
February 1, 2003... Traveling past a pig farm on a hot summer's day can be quite the nasal experience--similar to standing in a closed closet filled with rotten eggs. That disgusting odor emanates from pork waste and is also the source of major complaints against...

Air bags to the rescue! (Science Scoops).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... How will scientists protect us from space rocks targeting Earth? If you're thinking of nuking the invader, forget about it. Erik Asphaug (University of California, Santa Cruz) says, "You probably can't reliably use a nuclear explosion with...

A big fat Italian dinner.
February 1, 2003... Th Scapucino dinner table, laden with a huge variety of rich and colorful Italian dishes, looks sumptuous. The enticing aroma of herb-rich pasta sauce dominates the feast and fills the air. It is Papa Scapucino's birthday, and Mama Scapucino...

What smell?
February 1, 2003... Can you imagine a world without the smell of a pepperoni pizza fresh from the oven? Well, about 2 million adult Americans (about 1 percent of the U. S. population) can. They suffer from serious smell disorders. Those who have difficulty...

Scents-ual smells: consumers spend billions of dollars each year on fragrance products. What's the attraction?
February 1, 2003... Perfumery goes back thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and other cultures used scented oils and incense. Renaissance people who bathed infrequently used perfumes that masked smelly sweat and blended with their natural body odor....

Design your own fragrance. (Activities).
February 1, 2003... Haven't found the "just right" scent for you? You can design your own with just a few ingredients. Try this activity with a group of friends so that you can share the cost of essential oils; each person needs just a few drops. 1. Choose...

Mom ... my computer smells!(TriSenx' Scent Dome for scented web sites)
February 1, 2003... You're in biology class studying the anatomy of a skunk via the Internet, when suddenly the skunk sprays you. Yuck! You stink! Later on in science class, while traveling through space on the NASA Web site... whoosh!... a meteor buzzes...

You can run but you can't hide ... yet! Mosquitoes sniff out humans for their blood. Diseases transmitted by their bite kill millions each year.
February 1, 2003... At first glance, it seems hard to get malaria, a dreaded infectious disease spread by the Anopheles mosquito that causes cycles of chills, fever, sweating, and often death. To get it, every one of the events has to occur: * A female...

Sniff out the smell words. (Brain Strain).
February 1, 2003... Olfactora enters a castle filled with strange scents. The king of the castle brings Olfactora a puzzle--a 15 by 15 array of letters. "Olfactora," he says. "I will bring you a sweet-smelling red rose every day for the rest of your life if...

Take a whiff on the wild side.
February 1, 2003... Like the wild animals, primitive human beings depended, in part, on their keen noses for survival--to sniff out dangerous animal predators, spoiled food, and smoke from encroaching fires. Today, most of us live in towns or cities where there...

The full snow moon, bright stars, and many planets to fill your skies! (What's Up).
February 1, 2003... Full moon occurs this month on the 16th and is called the Full Snow Moon. The name refers to this time of the year, when snow is often abundant in many northern states! The February All-Sky Chart shows the bright star Sirius (in Canis...

Planet watch. (What's Up).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Evening Planets: Saturn (in Taurus) is high in the south at sunset and sets around 4 a.m. at the start of the month. By the end of February, Saturn sets two hours earlier. Jupiter (in Cancer) rises at sunset and is visible all night. By...

Prove the Earth spins at night! (You Can Do Astronomy).
February 1, 2003... Imagine that no one had ever told you that the Earth spins on its axis, taking 24 hours to turn once. Would there be a way to figure it out on your own? During the day, we see the sun rise near the east and set near the west. The sun's...

Lady moon and a rabbit. (Stargazing with jack Horkheimer).
February 1, 2003... IS IT A MAN IN THE MOON... OR IS IT A LADY? LET'S INVESTIGATE. ANYONE WHO LOOKS AT THE MOON WILL AGREE THAT IT IS NOT A DISK OF PURE WHITE LIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT! THE MOON HAS DARK PATCHES THAT EARLY ASTRONOMERS CALLED MARIA, MEANING...

Announcing: Design for New York Contest winners. (Sci-Chat).
February 1, 2003... In ODYSSEY's "DESIGN FOR NEW YORK CONTEST" from the September 2002 issue, we asked readers to design a memorial for the victims of 9/11, explain why they thought their design would be appropriate, and include a drawing of it with their entry....

Plant power! (Countdown).
February 1, 2003... Are plants as exciting as animals? Some botanists think so. In fact, they are convinced that plants display a form of "intelligence" and even can "talk." (Well, maybe "communicate" is a better word.) Whether plants have IQs is still...

Having a ball. (Animal Angles).(red-sided garter snakes)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Thanks to limestone caverns in Manitoba, Canada, red-sided garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis) live farther north than other reptiles in North America. These caverns are several meters (yards) deep, enabling the snakes to hibernate...

Australia's Wealthiest Midas Gives His Son Chance to Make Good.
February 3, 2003... Byline: Lachlan Colquhoun Feb. 3--James Packer, son of Australia's richest man Kerry Packer, is hoping his newly-embraced Scientology beliefs can help him turn around his reputation. Eighteen months after losing A$500 million (UKpound...

British Brewing Giant Raises Reorganization Costs by UKpound 15 Million.
February 3, 2003... Byline: Fiona Walsh Feb. 3--Debt-laden brewer Scottish & Newcastle disappointed the market again today with its second warning on reorganisation costs in just two months. Its shares slid 35 pence to 376 pence, their lowest in more than...

Ericsson Continues to Lose But Expects Upturn This Year.
February 3, 2003... Byline: Nick Goodway Feb. 3--Mobile phone equipment maker Ericsson today reported its seventh quarterly loss in a row but claimed that it would return to profit "at some point in 2003." The Swedish group, which has moved its handsets...

Financial Scams Rise in London, South East England.
February 3, 2003... Byline: Jane Padgham Feb. 3--London and the South East have become the fraud hotspots of Britain, accounting for 60 percent of the national total during 2002, according to a new report. The region witnessed a UKpound 313 million...

German Chancellor's Defeats Likely to Usher in Reform.
February 3, 2003... Byline: Allan Hall Feb. 3--German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's political future is in doubt after a humiliating defeat in two key regional elections last night. His defeat has ushered the way for more pro-big business policies as the...

Interest Rate in United Kingdom Likely to Stay at 4 Percent Despite Bad News.
February 3, 2003... Byline: Jane Padgham Feb. 3--The City was today confidently predicting the Bank of England would leave the interest rate on hold this week, despite evidence that manufacturing has plunged deeper into crisis and the High Street spending...

KPMG Chief Gets UKpound 1.7 Million As Partners Take Cuts.
February 3, 2003... Byline: Robert Lea Feb. 3--The head of accounting giant KPMG has emerged as one of the best-paid executives in the City last year, earning UKpound 1.7 million. Among top company executives, Rake's pay -- revealed in the firm's annual...

British Market Shares Stage Fightback amid Worries.
February 3, 2003... Feb. 3--Investors enjoyed a stock market surge today but analysts warned that worries about war and the global economy meant the gains could prove short-lived. The FTSE 100 index jumped 90.6 points to 3658.0, temporarily halting the slide...

Television Corporation Suffers U.S. Robot Wars Blow.
February 3, 2003... Byline: Nick Goodway Feb. 3--Television Corporation will miss profit forecasts for 2002 after the shock decision by US broadcaster Viacom to drop its crowd-pulling Robot Wars. TV Corp shares crashed 24 pence to a five-year low of 120...

British Bank Raises UKpound 848 Million Cash from Credit Deal.
February 4, 2003... Feb. 4--Abbey National has raised UKpound 848 million cash from the sale of the bulk of its First National consumer credit business to GE Consumer Finance. The First National sale is the first significant step in a slimming-down programme...

UKpound 200 Million Deal Leaves Host Firm to London Boat Show in Good Trim.
February 4, 2003... Byline: James Rossiter Feb. 4--ExCel, Docklands-based host of the London International Boat Show, has put an end to several months of financial uncertainty with the completion of a UKpound 200 million debt-for-equity swap. The deal...

Credit Suisse First Boston Suspends Banker Pending Investigation.
February 4, 2003... Feb. 4--Investment banker Frank Quattrone was suspended by Credit Suisse First Boston in the US yesterday pending an internal investigation of dot com share offerings in which he was involved. Quattrone, who made his name taking companies...

Low-Cost Air Carriers Spring Up in Asia.
February 4, 2003... Byline: Ray Heath Feb. 4--The success of Ryanair, easyJet and other European low-cost carriers is spawning imitators in Asia, keen to cash in on the growing demand for no-frills short-haul travel. Local carriers have been encouraged by...

British Energy Lands New Chief.
February 4, 2003... Byline: Nick Goodway Feb. 4--Stricken nuclear generator British Energy today recruited Mike Alexander from Centrica as its chief executive. Alexander, who was chief operating officer at Centrica, will join British Energy at the start...

Embattled Australian Financial Firm Gets Pressured on Payout to Former Chief.
February 4, 2003... Byline: Lachlan Colquhoun Feb. 4--Beleaguered Australian financial services group AMP is under pressure to divulge details of its payout to former chief Paul Batchelor amid reports that he will receive more than A$20 million (UKpound 7...

British Financial Agency Holds Out New Hope for Split-Level Trust Losers.
February 4, 2003... Byline: Anthony Hilton Feb. 4--Hopes that investors in split level trusts may receive compensation for some of their losses received a boost today from John Tiner, managing director of the Financial Services Authority. He told the...

British Gas Company Infuses Pension Fund with UKpound 9 Million.
February 4, 2003... Feb. 4--Servicing the black hole in the British pension fund for gases group BOC cost it UKpound 9 million in cash in the first quarter of its financial year, hitting operating profits. These improved by 8 percent to UKpound 118.6 million...

Merrill Lynch Boss Picks Up UKpound 3.3 Million Despite Bonus Hit.
February 4, 2003... Byline: Patrick Hosking Feb. 4--Times are tough on Wall Street but not that tough for some. Merrill Lynch chairman David Komansky's stock bonus was slashed by 48 percent last year but he still received a $5.4 million (UKpound 3.3 million)...

British Mobile-Phone Operator Stuns with Subscriber Leap.
February 4, 2003... Byline: Nick Goodway Feb. 4--A stunning performance in Britain in the run-up to Christmas allowed former BT subsidiary mmO2 to deliver a forecast-busting set of new subscriber numbers today. It attracted a net 503,000 new customers,...

NASA Shuttle Contractors Face Spotlight after Columbia Disaster.
February 4, 2003... Byline: Bill Condie Feb. 4--Doubts about the future of the American manned space programme following the Shuttle disaster dragged down shares in NASA contractors Boeing and Lockheed Martin by about 3 percent in New York last night, writes....

Embattled London Stockbroker Pays Steep Fee to Raise UKpound 2.9 Million.
February 4, 2003... Byline: Patrick Hosking Feb. 4--Embattled City stockbroker Teather & Greenwood is paying fees of UKpound 522,000 to pull in less than UKpound 3 million in an emergency capital-raising. The deeply discounted and highly dilutive rights...

Revamp Costs Push French Telecommunication Firm UKpound 3.2 Billion into Red.
February 4, 2003... Byline: Ross Tieman Feb. 4--Troubled French telecoms equipment colossus Alcatel today unveiled a net loss of euro4.96 billion (UKpound 3.2 billion) for 2002, even worse than analysts had predicted. Far from showing a hoped-for pick-up...

Embattled British Tour Operator Warns 700 Face Axe.
February 4, 2003... Byline: Nick Goodway Feb. 4--Troubled tour operator MyTravel today told its 15,000 UK staff that up to 700 of them will lose their jobs unless it can come up with some alternative cost savings. It said difficult trading conditions had...

US Swears In New Treasury Secretary.
February 4, 2003... Feb. 4--Former railway executive John Snow was sworn in yesterday as US Treasury Secretary, taking over the senior Cabinet post following the resignation under fire of Paul O'Neill in December. Snow's first job will be to sell President's...

Wall Street Analysts Face New Research Curbs.
February 4, 2003... Byline: Lauren Chambliss Feb. 4--Wall Street stock analysts would have to certify that the views expressed in their research reports are really their own under a rule to be voted on today by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. ...

High-Tech Firms Face Rough Ride, Says Cisco.
February 5, 2003... Feb. 5--Despite reporting a higher quarterly profit than a year ago, Cisco Systems became the latest tech titan to warn that the coming year will be a tough one for the sector. Chief executive John Chambers said it was up against the "most...

British Homebuilder Lifts Profits Target.
February 5, 2003... Feb. 5--The continuing property price boom is proving positive for housebuilders, with Bellway today upping its profits forecasts and shrugging off speculation of an impending slump in the housing market. Britain's fourth-largest...

Weekend Revellers Keep Spirits Up at Regent Inns.
February 5, 2003... Byline: Fiona Walsh Feb. 5--Drinkers at the Walkabout and Bar Risa/Jongleurs chains are holding back early in the week but are still keen to party hard as the weekend approaches, according to owner Regent Inns. Announcing the expected...

Clerical Medical Investment Group Cuts With-Profit Bonuses.
February 5, 2003... Byline: Nick Goodway Feb. 5--Millions of investors with Clerical Medical had their annual and terminal bonuses on with-profit policies slashed today. But the cuts, averaging 25 percent for annual and 10 percent for final bonuses, are...

Murdoch Baby News Poses Succession Question.
February 5, 2003... Byline: Lachlan Colquhoun Feb. 5--Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has confirmed he is to become a father for the sixth time at 71. "I'm lucky in my profession and I'm lucky at home," said Murdoch, adding he was also "very, very happy"....

Elan Pharmaceuticals Plunges to Massive UKpound 1.5 Billion Loss after Charges.
February 5, 2003... Feb. 5--Troubled Dublin-based pharmaceuticals group Elan has revealed one of the biggest losses in Irish corporate history with a spectacular $2.4 billion (UKpound 1.5 billion) fall into the red last year. Elan, Ireland's biggest quoted...

British Property Group Raises Bid for Department-Stores Company.
February 5, 2003... Byline: Fiona Walsh Feb. 5--Property group Minerva has increased its agreed bid for Croydon-based department stores group Allders after thrashing out higher terms with Scottish entrepreneur Tom Hunter. Minerva has upped its bid from...

Customer Surge Gives Boost to Scottish Power.
February 5, 2003... Byline: Malcolm Withers Feb. 5--Customer gains of around 20,000 a month at Scottish Power, many from lower-income households, helped lift pre-tax profits before exceptions and goodwill amortisation in its third quarter to last December to...

Britain Faces Hard Decisions over Airport Expansion.
February 6, 2003... Byline: Jonathan Prynn Feb. 6--The decision on where -- or indeed whether -- to build more runways in the South-East is one of the hardest policy moves any Government will make. Whichever way ministers jump, they will unleash a storm of...

Burger King Owner Backs UKpound 2.4 Billion Takeover Bid for Cable & Wireless.
February 6, 2003... Byline: Patrick Hosking Feb. 6--Texas Pacific is backing Richard Li's UKpound 2.4 billion takeover tilt at embattled telecoms group Cable & Wireless, the Evening Standard can reveal. Deep-pocketed Texas, which recently bought Burger...

Ericsson Surges as It Names New Head.
February 6, 2003... Byline: Nick Goodway Feb. 6--Investors put a UKpound 1.1 billion value on Carl-Henric Svanberg today as he was revealed as the surprise new head of Swedish mobile phone equipment maker Ericsson. The shares shot up 13 percent, adding...

Abbey National to Give No Bonuses on With-Profits Insurance Policies.
February 6, 2003... Feb. 6--A million Abbey National savers and pensioners will receive no annual bonuses on their with-profits insurance policies as Britain's fourth largest bank becomes the eighth UK insurance provider to slash rates in response to declines in...

Bank of England's Interest Rate Cut Surprises London Investment World.
February 6, 2003... Byline: Jane Pagham Feb. 6--The City was today totally wrong-footed by the Bank of England, which delivered a shock cut in interest rates, taking the cost of borrowing to its lowest since 1955. The quarter-point reduction in the base...

British Clothing Retailer Confident after First Profit in Three Years.
February 6, 2003... Byline: Fiona Walsh Feb. 6--Menswear group Moss Bros has moved back into the black over the second half -- its first profit in three years. Although it will still be in the red for the year to 25 January, losses will be sharply lower...

Architects of Schroder Salomon Smith Barney's Top-Rated Team Go in Cutbacks.
February 6, 2003... Byline: Patrick Hosking Feb. 6--The architects of Schroder Salomon Smith Barney's top-rated research team in London resigned today as the investment bank moved to slash its costs. Richard "Dicky" Dale and Mike Crawshaw, co-heads of...

Shell Sounds Sure of Hitting Production Targets.
February 6, 2003... Feb. 6--Oil giant Shell continued to rub salt into the wounds of its rival BP as it unveiled full-year figures well up to expectations, and sounded confident about the future. Next week, BP is widely expected to abandon its procedures for...

Australian Tycoon in Court to Fight A$84 Million Tax Bill.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Lachlan Colquhoun Feb. 7--Australia's richest man, Kerry Packer, is back in a Sydney court today fighting an A$84 million (UKpound 30 million) tax bill sent to 17 of his companies by the Australian Taxation Office. Packer, a...

British Factory Output Suffered in 2002; Bank of England May Lower Rates Again.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Jane Padgham Feb. 7--The Bank of England's shock decision to cut interest rates looked vindicated today as it emerged that manufacturing last year suffered its worst slump since the depths of the last recession. Factory output...

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
February 7, 2003... Feb. 7--AMERICAN FIRM BUYS PURA FOR UKpound 48.2M: An agreed UKpound 48.2 million bid for edible oil and fat maker Pura has been made by US-owned Archer Daniels Midland. Pura shares added 22 pence to 1071/2 pence, having risen from 66 pence...

Mad Cow Disease Test Breakthrough Boosts Australian-Based Bio Firm.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Lachlan Colquhoun Feb. 7--As Prince Charles talks up British beef in Paris, scientists in Scotland and Australia believe they have come up with a screening test for mad cow disease which will satisfy the most sales-resistant French...

British Energy Sells up to 15 Percent of Annual Output to Retail Client.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Robert Lea Feb. 7--Troubled nuclear generator British Energy today signed a four-year contract to sell up to 15 percent of its annual output to retail power giant Centrica in a deal worth about UKpound 700 million. The deal was...

China Fast-Tracks 3G Licences Push for Cell Phone Firms.
February 7, 2003... Feb. 7--The Chinese government has announced plans to distribute 3G licences as early as this year. It plans to approve licences for TD-SCDMA, an original communications standard developed in China, as well as the WCDMA system used by...

British Pharmaceuticals Chief Gives Up Chairmanship, Keeps CEO Title.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Malcolm Withers Feb. 7--Powderject Pharmaceuticals' Paul Drayson is to step down as chairman of the vaccines group and hand over the role to vice-chairman Gerald Moller. Drayson will remain as chief executive. For the first...

easyJet Announces New Role for Former Executive at Merged Airline.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Robert Lea Feb. 7--Budget airline easyJet today warned that its profits-per-passenger figures are still under pressure as it unveiled a far bigger role for the former Go executive who helped push through the merger of the two...

Profit of Electronic Data Systems Falls 11 Percent in Fourth Quarter.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Bill Condie Feb. 7--Embattled computer services company Electronic Data Systems' fourth-quarter net profit has fallen by 11 percent. This gives even greater importance to its ambitious plans to play a major role in Whitehall's...

Three London Banks Settle for 20 Percent of Original Claim against Marconi.
February 7, 2003... Feb. 7--Three major City banks have abandoned a UKpound 170 million claim against Marconi over derivative contracts to buy shares for the bombed-out technology company's staff. Barclays, Salomon Brothers and UBS today agreed to take...

Five British Employers May See Debt Ratings Drop Due to Pension Deficits.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Jonathan Prynn Feb. 7--Five of Britain's best known blue-chip employers have been threatened with damaging debt rating downgrades due to deficits in their pension funds. The downgrade warning from Standard & Poor's is believed...

Evening Standard, London, Stock Watch Column.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Malcolm Withers Feb. 7--London share markets should steady today as dealers reassess the impact of yesterday's quarter-point cut in interest rates and its effect on sensitive sectors such as banking, insurance and housebuilding....

Domestic Air Travel Feeds Passenger Surge at British Operator's Seven Airports.
February 11, 2003... Byline: Robert Lea Feb. 11--Holidaymaking Britons -- and the decision by many at home to fly rather than go by road or train -- sent passenger numbers at BAA's seven UK airports up by more than 10 percent last month. However, the...

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
February 11, 2003... Feb. 11--SCHOLASTIC LOOKS FOR POTTER MAGIC: Harry Potter's US publisher Scholastic is hoping for a touch of magic after warning that full-year results will fall short of expectations. At best, it hopes to break even. The company said sales were...

BP Ushers in New Era with UKpound 4 Billion Russian Deal.
February 11, 2003... Byline: Steve Hawkes Feb. 11--BP chief executive Lord Browne fired back at his critics today by unveiling a bumper $6.75 billion (UKpound 4.22 billion) deal in Russia that is certain to herald a new era for the oil giant. BP, hit by...

CORRECTION: French Set to Beat BAE to British Military Contracts.
February 11, 2003... Byline: Malcolm Withers Feb. 11--Evening Standard, London, has moved a correction for a story slugged EV-BAE, which was moved by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News for Jan. 15. The story criticized Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon's...

French Trade Unions Strike Causes Chaos for Central Bank.
February 11, 2003... Feb. 11--Banque de France, the country's central bank, faced chaos today as trade unions called a 24-hour strike over fears that up to 3200 jobs -- 40 percent of the workforce -- could be axed to cut costs. The strike, on Thursday, follows...

Shares of British Life Insurance, Financial Services Firm Slump.
February 11, 2003... Feb. 11--Sir Mark Weinberg, executive chairman of wealth manager St James's Place Capital, issued a stormy profits warning from a balmy Caribbean beach today. St James's revealed a raft of problems at privately-owned Life Assurance Holding...

Philips Sees UKpound 2 Billion Loss after Writedowns.
February 11, 2003... Feb. 11--Philips, Europe's biggest consumer electronics manufacturer, dived to a record loss last year after massive writedowns and restructuring charges. Net losses soared to euro3.21 billion (UKpound 2.1 billion) from euro2.48 billion...

Struggling British Pizza Chain Hints at Takeover Bid.
February 11, 2003... Byline: Steve Hawkes Feb. 11--Struggling restaurant chain Pizza Express hinted today that a firm takeover bid may finally be in the offing despite a sharp fall in profits and little sign of improving sales. The group, whose fortunes...

Punters Bet Big with Dublin, Ireland-Based Online Firm on Ousting of Saddam.
February 11, 2003... Byline: Angus McCrone Feb. 11--Gamblers have staked UKpound 250,000 in a controversial new market that covers Saddam Hussein's chances of staying in power. The money has been put on bets with TradeSports, a Dublin-based online betting...