The Evening Standard (London, England) articles from January 2005

The Evening Standard (London, England) archives from January 2005

This month in Odyssey.(Editorial)
January 1, 2005... With our apologies to "cat people," this issue explores dogs and our remarkable 12,000-year-old connection to them. Any dog owner knows that our canine friends exist to please us, but there is new scientific evidence indicating that besides...

Mutant collies!(Science Scoops)(dogs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... They're all dogs! Believe it or not, intelligent collies, graceful whippets, and Old English sheepdogs may be related! That's right. After Mark W. Neff (University of California, Davis) and his colleagues studied a single mutated gene (called...

Birds hit the highways!(Science Scoops)(homing pigeons)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... You've heard of homing pigeons? But how about highway birds? We all know that some species of pigeons--no matter how far away we take them--can find their way home on the first try. But researchers are now finding that other species of birds...

The ringed wonder!(Science Scoops)(the planet Saturn)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The Cassini spacecraft, now in orbit around Saturn, captured this exquisite natural color view of Saturn's rings. At the time, the spacecraft was at a distance of 4 million miles from Saturn and looking at the rings from a vantage point beneath...

ET: phone home!(Science Scoops)(extraterrestrial intelligence)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... If intelligent beings live elsewhere in the universe, how long will it take before we know they are "out there"? Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute in Mountain View, CA, says within...

Black holes turned upside down.(Science Scoops)
January 1, 2005... And now for some really way-out news. Three decades ago, Stephen Hawking, a renowned physicist at Cambridge University in England, insisted that matter entering a black hole disappears and emits only a generic form of radiation. He also said...

The dog code.
January 1, 2005... The prey takes flight across the grass; the predator launches itself in pursuit and brings the prey down with a snap of its jaws. Deer and wolf... or tennis ball and Labrador retriever? The pack is separated for most of the day. When they...

Doggy diversity.(dog breeds)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Forget ice cream and jellybeans. Dogs come in more "flavors" than any other species on Earth. There are 400 different dog breeds, from caramel-color tidbits like the toy Pomeranian to massive vanilla mountains like the Great Pyrenees. ...

Dogs mirror people.
January 1, 2005... Dogs have been helping us for thousands of years, and now even their genetic code is helping us to solve medical puzzles. Common diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's, are caused by many different genes that interact with...

Call it puppy love.(dogs and people)(Column)
January 1, 2005... So often we hear that a dog is man's best friend. The familiar saying implies that man is master and dog is faithful servant. The fact is, humans need dogs just as much as dogs need humans. And scientists are only beginning to understand why....

Rico, a dog of many words.(intelligent dog)
January 1, 2005... The words Panda, Oscar, and Jumbo may mean nothing to your dog, but to Rico, a border collie from Germany, they're the names of objects in an everlasting game of fetch. Ever since he was 10 months old, Rico's owners played a game with him using...

Lights, camera, barking! The world of dog actors.
January 1, 2005... Do you marvel at how movie dogs get their daring rescue scenes just right? Ever wonder how TV dogs know just when to nuzzle up to their "owners"? Not just any old dog can show up on a set and become a star. Lots of hard work goes on behind the...

All in a day's work: dogs do lots of different jobs. Here are just a few canine careers.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... * RESCUE DOGS can squeeze into tight spots or travel over rough terrain more easily than humans. Their keen sense of smell helps find survivors of a disaster or accident. Even if it's too late to find survivors, dogs can locate victims'...

Robo-dog: he has no soulful eyes or wet nose, but this new breed of cyber-hound might become your other best friend.(robot dogs)
January 1, 2005... Welcome to the Robo-Dog Superstore! Model 101 ("Robo-Retriever") is excellent for minding small children. Model 102 is bright and playful. And Model 103 (our cyber-St. Bernard) is an expert at finding lost travelers. Sound like a scene from The...

Don't mind my dog ... she's got a strange personality!(advice column)
January 1, 2005... An English bulldog that won't sit still? A Labrador retriever that scares children with its aggressive snarl? A Doberman pinscher that cowers with fear when the doorbell rings? Not what you might expect, but still within the range of what dog...

Pooch match.(Activity To Discover)(dogs and owners)
January 1, 2005... Matching dogs with owners can be tricky--there are many things to consider! But thinking about what each dog and each owner need to be happy can lead to some great pair-ups! See if you can make the best matches among the following choices: ...

Click 'n' treat.(Activity To Discover)(dog training)
January 1, 2005... When my mixed-breed puppy, Thibodeaux, first joined the family, he jumped on visitors and pulled on the leash. If he spotted a chipmunk, he was outta there! Would I ever be able to handle this dog? A year later, not only is he well-mannered,...

Should angel go to school?(dog training)
January 1, 2005... Having trouble teaching your dog? Angel doesn't seem to understand what you're asking? Obedience school can help. Or maybe the trouble is more serious: She's digging, escaping, chewing furniture, even acting aggressively. Then the advice of a...

Tuning in to dogs: scientist and author Rupert Sheldrake.(People To Discover)(Interview)
January 1, 2005... Has it ever occurred to you that your pet might be able to read your mind? Rupert Sheldrake not only believes that this is a common ability of dogs--and some cats, horses, parrots, and even sheep, too--but he has also done scientific...

Animal farm.(Brain Strain)(quiz)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... My animal farm has several rabbits. To provide some protection for them, I want to position dogs so that every rabbit has exactly one dog next to it in a horizontally or vertically adjacent hutch. To be sure that the dogs can see danger coming...

Crisp nights for stargazing!(What's Up)(astronomy)
January 1, 2005... The monthly All-Sky Chart depicts the sky (minus the moon) as it appears at 6:00 p.m. (your local time) on Jan. 15. Useful all month, the chart (except for planet positions) is also accurate for 7:00 p.m. on Jan. 1 and 5:00 p.m. on Jan. 31. ...

Observing the ringed planet!(You Can Do Astronomy)(Saturn, planet)
January 1, 2005... Saturn is the second largest planet in our solar system, with a diameter of about 75,000 miles. A comparison with Earth reveals some amazing facts. More than 500 Earths could fit inside Saturn, yet Saturn rotates twice as fast as Earth. One day...

Orion and his rival.(Stargazing Comic)
January 1, 2005... GREETINGS, GREETINGS, FELLOW STARGAZERS. OF THE 88 CONSTELLATIONS, I'D SAY THAT WINTER'S ORION THE HUNTER IS MY FAVORITE. I ESPECIALLY LIKE HIS RED SHOULDER STAR, BETELGEUSE. BETELGEUSE IS HUGE, AND IT CHANGES SIZE. AT ITS SMALLEST, WE...

Graduation.(Fantastic Journeys)(dogs, poems)(Poem)
January 1, 2005... Graduation is Watching Waiting Wondering. Graduation is The movement of the tail-- Wagging so hard it just might... Fall off. Graduation is Reuniting Remembering Rejoicing. ...

Dingo!(Animal Angles)(Canis lupus dingo )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... A dog? Not exactly. This is a dingo--Canis lupus dingo to be precise. Dingoes look like medium-size, domesticated dogs, but instead of barking they howl like wolves. They also purr! Dingoes produce only one litter of pups per year (dogs can...

Evening Standard, London, business briefs column.
January 4, 2005... Jan. 4--FACTORY OUTPUT GROWTH SLOWS AS ORDERS RISE AGAIN: British manufacturing output growth slowed last month but orders came in apace. Survey data showed new orders rose for the 21st month running in December, bosses citing improved business...

Evening Standard, London, City Spy column.
January 4, 2005... Jan. 4--Stephanie Villalba, the former Merrill Lynch executive who has just lost the bulk of her 7.5 million pounds discrimination claim against the bank, ought to have known her former boss Ausaf Abbas was made of fighting spirit. He was once...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton column.
January 4, 2005... Byline: Anthony Hilton Jan. 4--WHY EXCHANGE MERGER MATTERS: January can be a dull month but this year promises to be rather different as the battle for ownership and control of the London Stock Exchange unfolds. Deutsche Borse head...

Evening Standard, London, market report column.
January 4, 2005... Byline: Mickey Clark Jan. 4--FOOTSIE HITS A 30-MONTH HIGH AMID BULLISH START: City investors were quick off the mark on the first day of trading in 2005 with share prices racing up to a two-and-a-half-year high. Their first day back...

Mild winter cuts oil price.
January 4, 2005... Jan. 4--Crude oil fell more than a dollar a barrel overnight after US weather forecasters predicted a mild winter. The northeast region of the States, which accounts for 80 percent of the country's heating oil demand, looks set for warmer...

Global insurers facing $10 billion tsunami payout.
January 4, 2005... Byline: Bill Condie Jan. 4--The total global insured loss resulting from the Asian tidal wave disaster is likely to be between $5 billion (2.6 billion pounds) and $10 billion, according to the industry's latest estimates. Marie-Louise...

UK retailer Woolworths admits to a Christmas sales flop.
January 4, 2005... Byline: Fiona Walsh Jan. 4--Woolworths today rushed out news of disappointing Christmas trading, the first of the major retailers to update the market on how it has fared over the past few nail-biting weeks. The group had been expected...

New accounting rules 'to spark rush of alerts,' U.K. experts warn.
January 4, 2005... Byline: Robert Lea Jan. 4--Stock market investors should brace themselves for a string of damaging new year alerts from companies in breach of their bank lending agreements, experts are warning. The Association of Corporate Treasurers...

U.K. room rates go on rise as confidence returns to hotels.
January 4, 2005... Byline: Jim Armitage Jan. 4--Hoteliers pushed room rates up in November, signalling a further improvement both in the capital and the provinces. Industry figures from the TRI Hospitality Consulting Group reinforced the view that...

CEO of U.K. insurer Standard Life gives up 1/2 million pounds in bonuses.
January 4, 2005... Byline: Nick Goodway Jan. 4--Sandy Crombie, the 55-year-old chief executive of Standard Life, is giving up just over 500,000 pounds in bonuses and rewards he was due to receive for the last four years. Crombie, who was promoted to the...

U.K. mortgage, credit slowdown points to rate cuts.
January 4, 2005... Byline: Jim Armitage Jan. 4--Interest rates looked set to fall by the spring as the economy was today hit by a slew of poor economic data including evidence that mortgage applications were at their lowest for more than nine years. ...

Miner WMC Resources throws out rival Xstrata's bid as '30 percent too low'.
January 4, 2005... Byline: Bill Condie Jan. 4--An independent takeover adviser has valued Australian miner WMC Resources at up to 30 percent more than the hostile takeover bid for the company by London-listed Xstrata. WMC has told shareholders to reject...

U.S. watchdog fails to gag critic of Vioxx.
January 5, 2005... Jan. 5--The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given up trying to stop medical journal The Lancet from publishing research which purports to show that osteoarthritis treatment Vioxx may have caused heart attacks in up to 139,000...

Evening Standard, London, business briefs column.
January 5, 2005... Jan. 5--GLAXO SET TO SWALLOW UP US PAINKILLERS FOR 523 MILLION POUNDS: Drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline is tipped as a buyer for Bristol-Myers Squibb's Excedrin line of pain relievers in a deal that could be worth $1 billion (532 million pounds)....

Evening Standard, London, City Spy column.
January 5, 2005... Jan. 5--DOUBLE-DIGIT SALES GROWTH from discount fashion retailer New Look does not bode well for Philip Green: along with Next and Marks & Spencer, New Look's biggest rivals are his Top Shop and Dorothy Perkins. There has been no word so far on...

British fashion group Next lowers its sights after winter sale chill.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Fiona Walsh Jan. 5--Fashion group Next has lopped 5 million pounds off its profit targets after difficult Christmas trading and a worse-than-expected start to its winter sale. But the group still pushed underlying sales ahead...

GlaxoSmithKline may swallow US painkillers for 523 million pounds.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Bill Condie Jan. 5--Drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline is tipped as a buyer for Bristol-Myers Squibb's Excedrin line of pain relievers in a deal that could be worth $1 billion (532 million pounds), writes Bill Condie. Bristol-Myers is...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton column.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Anthony Hilton Jan. 5--LEADING QUESTION FOR OUR BOSSES: DDI, a human resources consultancy of which until this week I had never heard, has generated a lot of publicity with a survey of what business leaders were like at school. ...

Evening Standard, London, market report column.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Mickey Clark Jan. 5--POOR TRADING FIGURES MAY BE IN STORE AT MARKS & SPENCER: There could be more misery ahead for loyal Marks & Spencer shareholders. That was the story doing the rounds today as the shares fell 3 1/4 pence to...

Distractions cost British business a distracting 139 billion pounds.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Nick Goodway Jan. 5--"Derddle dur, derddle dur," shrills the mobile phone. "Ping" goes the incoming email. "Did you see Corrie last night?" asks the colleague. "Whir, whir, clackety-clack," groan the fax and printer...

Chunnel operator Eurostar on fast track to breaking into profit.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Ross Tieman Jan. 5--Eurostar should be profitable within three years after a big jump in passenger numbers and sales last year. Director Paul Charles said today that rising passenger numbers on the cross-Channel train service,...

UK-based Premier Foods is getting out a pickle despite sales slide.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Jim Armitage Jan. 5--Premier Foods' shares slumped 4 percent today after it warned of lower sales of its own-label drinks for supermarkets and said underlying sales growth in 2004 was just 1 percent. When the first full year of...

Motor racing magnate revs up for battle over British Grand Prix.
January 5, 2005... Jan. 5--Motor racing magnate Bernie Ecclestone, who recently threatened to axe British Grand Prix, is now locked in a bitter fight with Formula One's governing body for the rights to the race name. Ecclestone's attempts to patent the rights...

Deep holiday price cuts save London retailers from even bleaker fate.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Jane Padgham Jan. 5--Deep discounts saved retailers from a disastrous Christmas, it emerged today as Britain's biggest business group reported a surge in High Street sales in the first two weeks of December. In the first major...

Europe's stagnant ski business on slippery slopes to consolidation.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Ross Tieman Jan. 5--As in the lift queues at the bottom of Europe's pistes, the elbows are out in the global ski industry. The takeover approach by US surfwear giant Quiksilver to France's Skis Rossignol is but the latest...

UK casinos group Stanley Leisure stung by big losing streak.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Jim Armitage Jan. 5--Casinos group Stanley Leisure today issued a major profit warning that sent its shares into a tailspin and rocked rivals in the gambling industry. The shares crashed 10 percent as it alerted investors that...

World's largest law firm Clifford Chance names new finance director.
January 5, 2005... Byline: Nick Goodway Jan. 5--Stephen Purse has been recruited as the new finance director of Clifford Chance, the world's biggest law firm. He will step down as finance director of Management Consulting Group (MCG), the 100 million...

Apple sues website over trade secrets.
January 6, 2005... Jan. 6--Apple Computer is suing the website ThinkSecret for giving away trade secrets after a series of revelations about forthcoming product launches by the maker of the iMac and iPod music player. It is the second time in a month Apple...

Evening Standard, London, business briefs column.
January 6, 2005... Jan. 6--MUSIC SALES BACK ON THE GROWTH TRACK IN AMERICA: US music sales grew by almost 2 percent in 2004, the first gain in four years of sagging sales that the industry blames on illegal digital downloading. According to Nielsen SoundScan,...

Firms tell London mayor to clear routes to growth.
January 6, 2005... Byline: Jane Padgham Jan. 6--London companies today called on Mayor Ken Livingstone to pour all his efforts into overhauling the capital's creaking transport system amid concerns it is hampering their growth prospects. An overwhelming...

Evening Standard, London, City Spy column.
January 6, 2005... Jan. 6--It was interesting to see a long article in yesterday's Financial Times written by Daniel Godfrey, the chief executive of the Association of Investment Trust Companies, in which he made an impassioned plea for his industry NOT to be put...

Former BSkyB finance boss gets in groove at EMI.
January 6, 2005... Byline: Robert Lea Jan. 6--Martin Stewart, the former BSkyB senior executive whose ambition to head the satellite broadcaster was dashed by the appointment of James Murdoch, has re-emerged in a top role at EMI. The music group said it...

Euronext springs London Stock Exchange 'all-cash' bid surprise.
January 6, 2005... Byline: Nick Goodway Jan. 6--Euronext today dramatically raised the stakes in the 1.5 billion pounds auction for the London Stock Exchange by announcing that its bid is "likely to be solely in cash". This came as a surprise to...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton column.
January 6, 2005... Byline: Anthony Hilton Jan. 6--EURONEXT DRAWS LSE BATTLE LINES: Jean Franaois Theodore today officially confirmed what everyone has assumed for the past two weeks -- that Euronext, the business he heads, is interested in bidding for the...

10 percent rise in prices buoys housebuilder Redrow.
January 6, 2005... Jan. 6--Regional housebuilder Redrow sought to reassure the housing market today as it delivered a healthy increase in house prices despite a dip in forward sales. Redrow signalled its long-term confidence with a promise to lift the number...

Services sector slowdown signals U.K. interest rate cuts.
January 6, 2005... Jan. 6--Growth in Britain's massive services sector slowed to its weakest in three months in December as business and spending decisions were put on ice until the New Year. Triggering fresh speculation about interest rate cuts this year,...

Now Laura Ashley chief no.2 steps down.
January 6, 2005... Jan. 6--Laura Ashley has lost another chief executive, its second in less than two months, and has again chosen a Malaysian businesswoman as its new boss. The struggling home furnishings and fashion retailer split the role in June 2003,...

Evening Standard, London, market report column.
January 6, 2005... Byline: Mickey Clark Jan. 6--BANKS AND TELECOMS GO IN SHOPPING BASKET AT CSFB: They have been gazing intently into crystal balls at Credit Suisse First Boston and decided European stock markets will outperform the US again this year. ...

Legal bills push up splits cost at asset manager Aberdeen to 85 million pounds.
January 6, 2005... Byline: Nick Goodway Jan. 6--Aberdeen Asset Management, the largest player in the split-capital investment trusts scandal, today revealed it has spent 7 million pounds on lawyers and other advisers "plus considerable management time and...

Majestic Wines tastes festive sales success.
January 6, 2005... Byline: Jim Armitage Jan. 6--Majestic Wines toasted a vintage Christmas performance today as Britain's biggest wine warehouses chain reported like-for-like sales up 10.4 percent during the festive trading period from a year ago. The...

Evening Standard, London, business briefs column.
January 7, 2005... Jan. 7--SHARES PACKAGE CHANGED: New mmO2 chairman David Arculus has had a free shares package amended by the board. He was granted 350,877 shares in the summer which, at 8512 pence each, had a nominal value of 300,000 pounds. But after...

Evening Standard, London, City Spy column.
January 7, 2005... Jan. 7--Keith Carter, chief executive of vaccine developer Allergy Therapeutics, reveals a distinctly dark streak when he describes experiments involving its Canadian partner's "environmental exposure chamber". In order to win approval for a...

Poor computer security could leave British firms vulnerable to lawsuits.
January 7, 2005... Byline: Pete Warren Jan. 7--British firms could face a wave of costly litigation because of poor computer and customer data security, according to a new survey. Businesses believe it is a question of "not if but when" they will be...

UK-based Big Food Group reports slow sales during holiday season.
January 7, 2005... Byline: Fiona Walsh Jan. 7--More grim trading news came today from Big Food Group, which owns the Iceland frozen foods chain and Booker cash and carry. The group, which last month agreed a 326 million pounds takeover bid from...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton column.
January 7, 2005... Byline: Anthony Hilton Jan. 7--It was reported on Christmas Eve -- so not a lot of people noticed -- that Britannic Assurance had switched its entire employee pension scheme from equities into bonds, a move reminiscent of that by Boots a...

Evening Standard, London, market report column.
January 7, 2005... Byline: Mickey Clark Jan. 7--BG BROUGHT BACK TO BOIL AS MERRILL SPIES DRILLER THRILLER: Exploration companies rode high last year on the back of a soaring oil price but have come off the boil lately, and that may be a golden opportunity...

Commentary: Give new Marks & Spencer chief time to turn business around.
January 7, 2005... Byline: Anthony Hilton Jan. 7--When Marks & Spencer launched its first-ever pre-Christmas sale day last month, it was a strong hint that trading was not going well. Successful retailers do not slash prices to bring in the customers at...

Marks & Spencer profits hope dashed after UK retailer's Christmas slump.
January 7, 2005... Byline: Fiona Walsh Jan. 7--Marks & Spencer fulfilled the City's worst fears today as chief executive Stuart Rose delivered a grim profits warning after a Christmas trading disaster left the group with a mountain of stock to shift in the...

BHS tycoon soaks up sun, and rival's figures for Marks & Spencer.
January 7, 2005... Jan. 7--As Stuart Rose sweated it out in the City spotlight today, takeover rival and former friend Philip Green was sunning himself at the exclusive Sandy Lane hotel in Barbados, where he and his wife Tina are enjoying an extended New Year...

Shell's finance chief quits with 1 million pounds-plus despite scandal.
January 7, 2005... Jan. 7--Judy Boynton, former chief finance officer at Shell, today finally quit the company with a pay-off and pension package of more than 1 million pounds despite her role in the oil reserves scandal, writes Jim Armitage. She also walks...

Price cuts fail to score for UK retailer JJB Sports.
January 7, 2005... Byline: Jim Armitage Jan. 7--JJB Sports, Britain's biggest sports retailer, slashed its profit forecasts again today after poor Christmas trading. Although it pulled in more shoppers by launching its festive sale early, prices were so...

Richard Branson may sell stake in Virgin Mobile telecom via IPO.
January 7, 2005... Byline: Jane Padgham Jan. 7--Sir Richard Branson is considering selling a stake in his wireless joint venture, Virgin Mobile USA, in an initial public offering (IPO). The rapidly-growing company, a 50-50 joint venture between Virgin...

UK-based betting shops group says football's top punters continue to win.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Robert Lea Jan. 10--William Hill today warned that punters backing the big football teams are continuing their winning streak. "Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Celtic and Rangers and the top teams in Italy and Spain have...

Evening Standard, London, business briefs column.
January 10, 2005... Jan. 10--TELETEXT SIGNS UP WITH ITV FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS: Teletext, which is 90 percent-owned by Daily Mail and General Trust, has signed a new 10-year contract with ITV that will see it extend its coverage across the broadcaster's digital...

Evening Standard, London, City Spy column.
January 10, 2005... Jan. 10--WHAT IS IT WITH the drinks industry? The latest report of complaints to the Portman Group, the self-appointed booze regulator, is awash with grievances against the trend of companies to market their drinks in sexual terms. Thus...

Energy watchdog unveils plan to fine power company for future blackouts.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Robert Lea Jan. 10--Officials have finally admitted that London's massive blackout in August 2003, when almost half a million homes were left without electricity and hundreds of thousands of commuters were stranded, should have...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton column.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Anthony Hilton Jan. 10--HOW RETAILING LOST ITS SPARKLE: It became obvious last week -- if it had not been obvious before Christmas -- that it was going to be a poor season for retailers. Evidence from the companies that have...

British housebuilder Taylor Woodrow warns that 2004 profits will be low.
January 10, 2005... Byline: James Rossiter Jan. 10--Worse-than-expected sales have prompted housebuilder Taylor Woodrow to warn that its annual profits will be at the bottom of market expectations. Taylor completed on 9053 UK house sales in the year to 31...

London-based Standard Chartered acquires Korea First Bank.
January 10, 2005... Byline: Nick Goodway Jan. 10--Standard Chartered has won the weeks-long auction for Korea First Bank with a bid worth $3.3 billion (1.8 billion pounds). The London-based bank, with interests stretching from India to China, has beaten...