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

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

Deformed frogs an update. (Science Scoops).
January 1, 2003... Concern about frog deformities dates to the early 1990s, when school-children and amateur naturalists first began finding frogs with deformed legs in U.S. wetlands. Ever since, scientists have been trying to determine the cause (see ODYSSEY,...

A huge eruption on the sun! (Science Scoops).
January 1, 2003... Last July, a massive eruption occurred on the sun. The mega-event, captured in graphic detail by the SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) satellite, first appeared as a fiery-looking "leg" stretching 30 Earth diameters into space. Over the...

Around the world in 14 days! (Science Scoops).(Steve Fossett)
January 1, 2003... After five previously failed tempts, U. S. balloonist Steve Fossett achieved a world record. He is the first person to fly a balloon solo around the world. Yes, the 58-year-old millionaire-adventurer finally succeeded. He ended his...

A fish story? (Science Scoops).(evolution of aquatic animals into land animals researched)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... For years, scientists have been fishing around for evidence that the ancestors of land animals crawled out of the sea between 335 million and 365 million years ago. A fossil collected in Scotland in 1971--which had been misidentified as a fish,...

Siesta fiesta! (Science Scoops).(benefits of napping researched)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Studying hard? Homework got you down? Feeling burned out? Well, take a snooze! That's right. According to Harvard neurologist Sara Mednick and her colleagues, taking an afternoon nap can reverse "burnout" from information overload and improve...

What should schools teach?(creationism versus evolution)
January 1, 2003... For more than a century after Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859, many public schools fought against teaching evolution. Adherents of creationism, or "creation science," insisted that humans could not have evolved from...

Evolution and religion?(science and religion)
January 1, 2003... One night last August I went out with friends and met a man named Billy. He's a teacher at a Catholic middle school in Chicago who studied theology in college. I'm a scientist. So when he sat down next to me I knew there would be "trouble." Put...

A passion for writing.(Stephen Jay Gould)
January 1, 2003... Much of Stephen Jay Gould's office appeared to have been locked in a Victorian Era time warp. Book cases lined the walls and 19th-century books and fossils lined their shelves. Old typewriters awaited his touch. For Gould, the Victorian Era...

Making magic with metaphors: good as Gould! (Activity To Discover).(Stephen Jay Gould)
January 1, 2003... Quick! What do cakes, cats, handkerchiefs, bedrooms, diseases, pool tables, and Joe DiMaggio have in common? If you said "nothing," you're wrong. Stephen Jay Gould used them all--and hundreds of other examples as well--to explain science to his...

Pandas, piggies, & more. (Activity To Discover).(Stephen Jay Gould books)
January 1, 2003... Stephen Jay Gould used fresh metaphors in his writing to lure readers into learning about science, but he also used something else--catchy titles! Grab a friend and go on a Gould scavenger hunt at your public library. See if you can match these...

Testing ... testing: the IQ, the SAT & SJG.(intelligence tests)
January 1, 2003... Think you're pretty smart, huh, reading this science magazine? Okay, just how smart? Are reading, writing, and computing your main claim to fame? What about your ability to use a thin stick to hit a hard little baseball, or your creative way...

Gould flunks The Bell Curve authors.(Stephen Jay Gould)
January 1, 2003... Like other scientists who need to prove their point, The Bell Curve authors collected information and plotted it on a graph. The information they collected was IQ scores of thousands of young Americans. When they drew a line above all the...

Gould as teacher and mentor. (A Student's Appreciation).(Stephen Jay Gould)
January 1, 2003... I got interested in fossils exactly the same way that Stephen Jay Gould did, only 16 years later. I was 3 when my mother took me to the American Museum of Natural History in New York (Gould was 5), and I saw the same amazing skeleton (T. rex)...

Archaeological puzzle. (Brain Strain).
January 1, 2003... You are an archaeologist researching the evolution of humans. Today, you are in Central Asia studying a Neanderthal burial site. Neanderthals were a prehistoric race of people who lived in Europe, the Near East, and Central Asia. The earliest...

Meteors and planets to view in January! (What's Up).
January 1, 2003... Check out the predawn skies on the morning of Jan. 4 for the Quadrantid meteor shower. The shower is named for a constellation called Quadrans Muralis, which is no longer recognized. However, look to the north near Ursa Major and Draco, and...

Planet watch. (What's Up).
January 1, 2003... Evening Planets: Mercury (in Sagittarius) sets one hour after the sun at the start of the month. Each night, the planet sets earlier. By midmonth it is lost in the sun's glare. Look for Mercury to reappear in the predawn sky during the last...

Planetary meteorologist! (You Can Do Astronomy).
January 1, 2003... Several times a day, your local news station provides a weather forecast for your area. Meteorologists base their weather predictions on factors such as cloud types observed and wind speed and direction. They use satellite images to check out...

January 2003. (What's Up).(January sky)
January 1, 2003... The moon viewing conditions characterize the January sky as it appears about 6 p.m. On the dates that show the sky to be moonless, it is usually so just because the moon is below the horizon at 6 p.m. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The armpit of winter's most famous constellation! (StarGazing with Jack Horkheimer).(Betelgeuse)
January 1, 2003... GREETINGS, GREETINGS FELLOW STARGAZERS. THE MOST FAMOUS STAR PATTERN OF WINTER IS ORION, THE GREAT HUNTER. ORION'S MOST FAMOUS STAR IS GOOD OLD BETELGEUSE--WHOSE NAME IS AN ARABIC WORD THAT MEANS "ARMPIT OF THE GIANT." BETELGEUSE IS...

A visit to the American Museum of Natural History. (Fantastic Journeys).
January 1, 2003... Editor's note: Celeste Carballo, an 18-year-old native New Yorker, first visited the American Museum of Natural History when she was 7 years old. The museum is a long walk (about 20 blocks) from her home. In this month's "Fantastic Journeys,"...

Natural History Museum Tour: Odyssey's top picks! (Fantastic Journeys).(Directory)
January 1, 2003... For most young scientists, the whole outdoors is a museum. Still, it's fun to go to the inside kind, too. Here's ODYSSEY's list of the top ten... er, ten and a half... natural history centers in North America: 1. American Museum of...

Sniff! Sniff! (Countdown).(odors)
January 1, 2003... Don't you love the mouthwatering smell of chocolate chip cookies baking or the sweet scent of a perfect pink carnation? But how about that knock-you-down smell of your gym locker filled with sweaty socks? Yuck! Odors have a powerful effect...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2003... In the October 2002 issue, in the article "Taking Math into the Streets," page 38, the answer to the problem about Yahuta and his son is 36 B.C. If we were dealing with a pure number line, including a zero between the positive (A.D.) and...

Serious about Cerion. (Animal Angles).(land snails)
January 1, 2003... In his 100th column for Natural History, Stephen Jay Gould wrote: "I ask your indulgence and foist upon you the Bahamian land snail Cerion, mainstay of my own personal research and fieldwork. I love Cerion with all my heart and intellect." ...

2002 Odyssey index.
January 1, 2003... A Activities air-formed stadium dome, Sep 02, 34 Big Dipper in 3-D, Apr 02, 40-42 changing seasons, Mar 02, 44-46 constellation story, Nov 02, 43-44 counting sheep... and dogs, Jan 02, 35 doctor's dilemma, Nov 02, 31...

British Firm Chops the Price of E-mailing Telephone Gadget.
January 2, 2003... Jan. 2--Amstrad chairman Sir Alan Sugar today halved the price of his flagship e-mailing telephone gadget to boost sluggish sales. The e-m@iler will be cut from UKpound 99.99 to UKpound 49.99, Amstrad said, insisting it was still "fully...

Bad News from Retail, Manufacturing Sectors May Cause Britain to Lower Rates.
January 2, 2003... Byline: Jane Padgham Jan. 2--A double dose of disastrous economic news today left the City pondering whether interest rates could be lowered sooner rather than later. A CBI report showed retailers have suffered their worst Christmas...

London Tops Expensive Cities Chart.
January 2, 2003... Jan. 2--British cities are among the most expensive in the world to work in, according to latest statistics. A report from property specialists DTZ reveals that London's West End and the City, along with central Tokyo, are the world's most...

Grim View Seen in Britain As Factory Activity is Down Again.
January 2, 2003... Byline: Jane Padgham Jan. 2--Britain's battered manufacturing sector ended 2002 on a grim note with factory activity contracting in December for the first time since July, writes. The latest snapshot of the sector from CIPS/Reuters...

Australian Mining Group Wins UKpound 9 Million Patent Dispute.
January 2, 2003... Jan. 2--Mining giant Rio Tinto has won a long-running patent dispute over mineral processing technology. West Australia-based Iluka Resources has agreed to pay Rio A$26.5 million (UKpound 9.3 million) and share worldwide the patent for the...

British Audit Board Seeks Clampdown on Profits Figures in Press Releases.
January 2, 2003... Byline: Paul Armstrong Jan. 2--Corporate spin doctors face the prospect of having to submit their glossy Press releases for approval by auditors under a proposal aimed at reducing misleading information supplied to investors. The...

U.S. Retailers Fear Profits Will Suffer from Slow Post-Holiday Sales.
January 2, 2003... Byline: Bill Condie Jan. 2--The much-hoped-for post-Christmas sales rush in US stores has failed to materialise, raising questions about crucial fourth-quarter profits. Sales rose 2.1 percent in the week ended 28 December from the...

Passenger Numbers up at Virgin Express.
January 2, 2003... Jan. 2--Sir Richard Branson's once-struggling budget airline Virgin Express carried 2.7 million passenger last year, a 14 percent increase on 2001. The Brussels-based airline has gained from the demise of Belgian flag carrier Sabena, which...

Head of Irish Airline Cautions Investors after Sales Boom.
January 3, 2003... Jan. 3--Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary today warned investors not to get carried away with December passenger figures which revealed a soaraway Christmas and New Year for the Stansted-based airline. It carried 1.3 million passengers last...

Airbus Outsells Boeing in 2002.
January 3, 2003... Byline: Lachlan Colquhoun Jan. 3--Confirmation of a 120-plane order from no-frills carrier easyJet has lifted Toulouse-based Airbus Industrie's 2002 order book to more than 300 aircraft -- easily outstripping US rival Boeing. The...

British Rebel Spread Bookies Face Legal Hurdle in Data Fees Row.
January 3, 2003... Byline: Sarah Marks Jan. 3--Four spread betting firms have been threatened with legal action by the British Horseracing Board if they continue to resist its demands for more money for using its data. Under the terms of the current...

British Agency Gives Betting Firm Deadline for Offer on Rival.
January 3, 2003... Jan. 3--Stanley Leisure was today told by the Takeover Panel that it has until 22 January to reveal whether it would make a formal offer for fellow casino operator London Clubs International. Stanley has indicated that it may pitch a bid at...

Britain-Based Industrial Gas Firm BOC Faces Rebellion in Board Election.
January 3, 2003... Byline: Jonathan Prynn Jan. 3--A City shareholder revolt is brewing against the re-election of two non-executive directors to the board of the UKpound 4.4 billion gases multinational BOC. The National Association of Pension Funds is...

British Insurer Seals Sale of Australian Business.
January 3, 2003... Jan. 3--Aviva has finally completed the A$1.86 billion (UKpound 657 million) sale of its Australasian general insurance businesses to Insurance Australia Group. The sale was announced in October but stalled by regulators in New Zealand and...

Moody's Lowers a Record 651 Ratings.
January 3, 2003... Byline: Lachlan Colquhoun Jan. 3--In a telling reflection of sliding investment markets, Moody's Investors Service today said that it downgraded a record 651 US companies during 2002. The credit rating agency said that beat the...

Britain's Sports Resource Sells Professional Football Division.
January 3, 2003... Byline: Nick Goodway Jan. 3--Ailing marketing and management group Sports Resource today sold its entire professional football player division to management for a nominal amount, leaving it nursing a UKpound 1.6 million write-off. The...

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
January 6, 2003... Jan. 6--CHINESE STOCKBROKER GOES PUBLIC, HAS DISAPPOINTING DEBUT: The flotation of China's largest stockbroker, CITIC Securities, disappointed investors today as the shares began their first day of trading at a premium of only 12 percent....

Chairman of British Paving Stone, Landscaping Group Flags Exit.
January 6, 2003... Jan. 6--Christopher Burnett, chairman of the paving stone and landscaping group Marshalls, is to step down at the end of the year after six years in the job, writes Jonathan Prynn. He was appointed in 1996 -- the first chairman from outside...

European Union Adds UKpound 1 Million to Cruise Deal Costs.
January 6, 2003... Byline: James Rossiter Jan. 6--Brussels' bungled merger regulations could cost Carnival Cruises' UKpound 3.5 billion takeover of P&O Princess up to UKpound 1 million in extra advisory fees. The European merger task force green-lighted...

Nippon Sheet Glass Keeps Bid Options Open on British Rival.
January 6, 2003... Byline: Ray Heath Jan. 6--Nippon Sheet Glass today denied reports that it was preparing a full-scale bid for Pilkington Glass but did not rule out a move to use its 20.6 percent stake as springboard for an offer. The Japanese group was...

Champagne Helps British Wine Retailer Sparkle.
January 6, 2003... Byline: Jim Armitage Jan. 6--Majestic wine warehouses painted a blooming picture of consumer confidence today, reporting a near 11 percent leap in Christmas like-for-like sales fuelled by a strong customer taste for champagne. Shares...

Oil, Gold Soar on Black Outlook in World Markets.
January 6, 2003... Byline: Jane Padgham Jan. 6--World financial markets were gripped by mounting tension over war with Iraq today, driving the oil price back near two-year peaks and gold to its highest in six years. Escalating fears of an American...

Japan Expects Yen to Plummet.
January 6, 2003... Jan. 6--A rise in the yen to 119.25 against the dollar today triggered more warnings from Japanese ministers that it was due for a major downward correction. Government attempts to talk the yen down have been frustrated by Iraqi war fears...

Britain's Biggest Aircraft Charter Group Warns of Business Gloom.
January 7, 2003... Byline: Robert Lea Jan. 7--Britain's biggest aircraft charter group issued a stark profit warning today, deepening fears of a collapse in the business travel market. Shares in Air Partner plunged by a third, 92 1/2 pence to 196 pence,...

Airbus Aims to Win Air Hong Kong Order for Six Freighters.
January 7, 2003... Byline: Ray Heath Jan. 7--Airbus Industrie looks set to win a crucial US$300 million (UKpound 187 million) order for six A300-600 freighters for Air Hong Kong-Cathay Pacific's cargo offshoot. The deal would be good news for 5000 Airbus...

Two Regional Airport Groups Head Bids for Belfast City, Ireland, Airport.
January 7, 2003... Byline: Jim Armitage Jan. 7--Regional airport groups TBI and Spanish-owned Cintra are front runners in the bidding to take over Belfast City Airport, it emerged today. Venture capitalist Hg, formerly known as Mercury Private Equity, is...

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
January 7, 2003... Jan. 7--EX-MERRILL MAN FOR ELAN: Troubled pharmaceuticals group Elan has named former Merrill Lynch executive G Kelly Martin as its new president and chief executive. The Irish drugs group has been hit by concerns over its accounting...

British Burger King Operator Chief's Dual Role Defies Governance Standards.
January 7, 2003... Byline: Paul Armstrong Jan. 7--Burger King group Gowrings has thumbed its nose at the City by giving chief executive Derek Coulson the additional role of chairman. The move contravenes widely accepted corporate governance standards,...

Minolta, Konica in Merger Bid.
January 7, 2003... Jan. 7--Camera and copier makers Minolta and Konica are planning to merge in a UKpound 2.4 billion deal intended to enable the Japanese manufacturers to take on major American and domestic rivals in the office equipment market. Shares in...

Holiday Parties Boost British Nightclub Operator.
January 7, 2003... Jan. 7--A surprisingly strong London Christmas party season boosted nightclub operator Urbium, which today reported a 3.4 percent rise in like-for-like sales for December despite the increasingly gloomy economic backdrop. Chairman John...

New York Firm Prepares Bid for British Office Provider.
January 7, 2003... Jan. 7--New York-based Indigo Capital may bid for troubled office provider Regus. Indigo said today that it planned to "explore a wide range of strategic, commercial and financing alternatives" with Regus, including a possible takeover....

British Firms' Profitability Slumps as Downturn Bites Hard.
January 7, 2003... Jan. 7--The New Year's dose of grim economic news continued today with official figures showing the profitability of British companies at a nine-year low in the third quarter of 2002, writes Paul Armstrong. Both the manufacturing and...

British Retailers Begin Reporting Christmas Trading.
January 7, 2003... Byline: Fiona Walsh Jan. 7-- Fashion group Alexon kicked off the festive reporting season with an upbeat forecast of full-year profits and said its stocks are clearing well. Sales in the six weeks to 4 January were ahead by only 2...

British Auto Dealer Set for Expansion.
January 8, 2003... Jan. 8--Motor dealer Reg Vardy is set to embark on a UKpound 60 million spending spree buying upmarket dealerships, its chief executive Sir Peter Vardy said today. He said he had put in place a UKpound 50 million debt facility to acquire...

Deputy Chief Executive of Oil Giant BP Retires.
January 8, 2003... Jan. 8--BP veteran and deputy chief executive Rodney Chase is retiring after 38 years, paving the way for a boardroom shake-up. He is succeeded by Richard Olver, who currently heads exploration and production. Three others join the main...

Chief Executive of British Catering Firm Had UKpound 2 Million Pay Package.
January 8, 2003... Jan. 8--One-time chef Michael Bailey picked up a UKpound 2 million pay package last year as chief executive of Compass, the world's biggest caterer. The deal was a jump from 2001's UKpound 1.8 million even though the group's share price...

Federal Reserve: U.S. Consumer Debt Fell $2.2 Billion in November,.
January 8, 2003... Jan. 8--There was further evidence today that consumer spending in the US, the main economic driver, may be faltering, with the Federal Reserve reporting an unexpected decline in outstanding credit. The Central Bank said consumer debt fell...

British Department Stores Group Is in Stable Condition for New Chief Executive.
January 8, 2003... Jan. 8--Upmarket department stores group Selfridges had a "reasonable" Christmas and departing chief executive Vittorio Radice said he believes the group should prove "comparatively resilient" in the months ahead. Sales growth at its...

Londoners Express Lack of Optimism in Survey on Economy.
January 8, 2003... Jan. 8--Londoners do not share Experian's optimism, a survey by accountants KPMG has found, with 66 percent of them believing the economy will get worse this year compared with the 28 percent who said it would improve. About 85 percent...

Analysts Predict London Economic Expansion for 2003.
January 8, 2003... Byline: Jane Padgham Jan. 8--London will regain its status as the locomotive of the economy, rather than the laggard, in coming months as the economic storm clouds hanging over the capital lift, a new report predicts. Driven by a...

Most British Entrepreneurs Disappointed with Government, Survey Says.
January 8, 2003... Jan. 8--An overwhelming majority of British entrepreneurs feel let down by the Government, according to a report by accountants Ernst & Young today. Only 27 percent felt the Government provided an environment in which business could...

British Fashion Retailer Sees Sales Fall 0.8 Percent.
January 8, 2003... Jan. 8--Fashion retailer Next also had a grim Christmas, with underlying sales falling below the previous year's total, at minus 0.8 percent, although the rate of decline has slowed since the 3.1 percent setback revealed in October, writes...

Book of Bizarre Lists Is Big Christmas Seller for British Publisher.
January 8, 2003... Jan. 8--The Christmas publishing sensation -- or the gift for everyone whom you couldn't think what they would want -- was Schott's Original Miscellany, a UKpound 9.99, 160-page, stylish hardback book of lists. Currently ranked 17th on...

British Magazines Group Emap Names Internal Candidate as Chief Executive.
January 8, 2003... Jan. 8--Magazines group Emap has opted for an internal candidate to replace Robin Miller as chief executive. Miller's No 2, Tom Moloney, is to succeed him at the head of the FTSE 100 company which publishes Smash Hits, FHM, Elle and a...

Newly-Departed CEO of BHP Billton May Get Payout of Up to UKpound 11 Million.
January 8, 2003... Byline: Lachlan Colquhoun Jan. 8--Departing BHP Billiton chief executive Brian Gilbertson could walk away with a payout of about UKpound 11 million -- almost double the early estimates that followed his controversial resignation on Monday....

Bank of England Continues Freeze on Interest Rates at 4 Percent.
January 8, 2003... Byline: Jane Padgham Jan. 8--The Bank of England today left interest rates on hold for the 14th successive month as fresh evidence emerged that the runaway housing boom has not yet hit the buffers. The Bank's monetary policy committee...

OPEC Considers Increasing Production.
January 8, 2003... Jan. 8--OPEC oil ministers could raise output by up to 1.5 million barrels at Sunday's emergency meeting. They hope this will stop a price rise because of the Venezuelan strike and the threat of war with Iraq. To see more of the Evening...

Chief of Britain's Princess Cruises Given Full-Time Job with New Owner.
January 8, 2003... Byline: Paul Armstrong Jan. 8--P&O Princess Cruises' chief executive Peter Ratcliffe has secured a full-time role with the company's new owner, Carnival Corporation, but there is no room in the merged group for P&O finance director Nick...

Bush's Boost Fails to Excite London Share Market.
January 8, 2003... Jan. 8--The London share market was expected to give a lukewarm reception to President George Bush's $670 billion (UKpound 416 billion) plan to jump-start the US economy. Financial bookies City Index predicted the FTSE 100 index would open down...

British Commercial Vehicle Renter Plans Expansion into Spain.
January 8, 2003... Byline: Robert Lea Jan. 8--Van Man, the curse of the highways of Britain, is being exported to Spain. Northgate, the leading renter of white vans and other light commercial vehicles, today said the next stage of its strategy, which...

British Rubbish Disposal Firm Admits to Takeover Talks.
January 8, 2003... Jan. 8--Bid fever ignited the prosaic world of rubbish disposal today when landfill operator Waste Recycling owned up to a takeover approach. Its shares immediately leaped 32 percent, or 71 pence, to 292 pence. They have risen 85 pence...

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
January 9, 2003... Jan. 9--GATES'S GADGETS : Microsoft chairman Bill Gates believes his company can overcome the damage of sluggish personal computer sales by developing a new range of "smart objects", starting with watches. "The only screen you carry around...

British Bookie Sees Profits Improve in Final Months of 2002.
January 9, 2003... Byline: Jim Armitage Jan. 9--The fortunes of bookie William Hill improved in the final three months of 2002 in a racecourse rebound from a summer when punters got the upper hand for a change. A dry summer led to an unusually large...

CEO of P&O Princess Cruises to Receive Windfall on Takeover by Carnival.
January 9, 2003... Jan. 9--Carnival Cruises' takeover of P&O Princess Cruises will trigger a UKpound 1.6 million stock windfall for P&O chief executive Peter Ratcliffe -- despite him being retained as a senior executive in the newly formed group, writes James...

British Christmas-Tree Specialist Issues Profit Warning.
January 9, 2003... Jan. 9--The festive season failed to arrive at Wyevale Garden Centre, the company admitted today as it sounded a full-year profit alert. The specialist in Christmas trees and seasonal decorations revealed a 0.5 percent fall in like-for-...

British Healthcare Group Amersham to Change Chairmen.
January 9, 2003... Jan. 9--Richard Lapthorne, chairman of Amersham, the first company privatised by a British government, will step down from his UKpound 120,000-a-year job in May to be succeeded by Donald Brydon, a non-executive director of the healthcare group....

News Corporation Continues to Make Inroads in China.
January 9, 2003... Byline: Lachlan Colquhoun Jan. 9--Rupert Murdoch's overtures to the Beijing leadership continue to be rewarded, with News Corporation's Hong Kong unit Star TV gaining approval to broadcast to hotels on the Chinese mainland. Star's...

U.K.-Based Oil Industry Services Firm Dispels Profit Fears.
January 9, 2003... Jan. 9--Oil industry services company John Wood Group today scotched fears of a profits warning, revealing that its full-year results would be in line with expectations. False rumours of a profits warning yesterday sent the shares plunging...

SEC Gets Board Chief.
January 9, 2003... Jan. 9--The Securities and Exchange Commission has named one of its former chief accountants, Charles Niemeier, as acting chairman of a board set up to police corporate accountants. William Webster, the first chairman of the board of...