The Evening Standard (London, England) articles from May 2002

The Evening Standard (London, England) archives from May 2002

This month in Odyssey.
May 1, 2002... Do you live near a pond or creek? If you do, you are probably beginning to hear the enchanting melody of spring peepers. If you don't, I'm sure you've met a fairy tale frog prince or two, or are familiar with Kermit's green, throaty presence on...

Scientists sinking teeth into tadpoles. (Science Scoops).
May 1, 2002... It's amazing Who ever thought the day would come when scientists would start calling tadpoles--those wriggling, squiggling, pond-pips soon to become frogs--not just interesting, but "remarkably sensitive organisms" and "amazingly complex...

Squeam! (Science Scoops).(tadpoles)
May 1, 2002... If you thought that last scoop was exciting, wait until you read this one! Science News also reports that the most exciting finding to come out of recent tadpole research is the way tadpoles respond to danger. Yes, tadpoles have a reason for...

Dying to get your tongue pierced? (Science Scoops).
May 1, 2002... Well, think again, and here's why: A young woman in Connecticut got her tongue pierced. A couple of days later her tongue became sore and swollen. She also complained of a foul-tasting discharge from the pierced region. The young woman removed...

Destination: Space Station. (Science Scoops).
May 1, 2002... 3... 2... 1... blastoff! You have just lifted off to the International Space Station, transported by the magic of IMAX technology. Space Station, a new movie from IMAX Corporation and Lockheed Martin, is the first cinematic journey to...

Musical surgery. (Science Scoops).
May 1, 2002... Whenever we see an operating room on TV, it is usually full of scary sounds--like beeping monitors, tinkling surgical tools, and mumbling doctors. Well, a recent study by Swedish researchers might change all that. They found that patients who...

What's in Vesuvius' belly?
May 1, 2002... Lava! And lots of it! That's right. According to a team of European researchers, a giant pool of magma (what lava is called when it is underground) lies beneath Mt. Vesuvius, the volcano that buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum...

From a tadpole's point of view.
May 1, 2002... Tad, would you please tell me a little about yourself? Sure. I'm a xenopus frog tadpole, just two days old. Aren't I cute? I'd like to be swimming in a lake in South Africa. Instead, I'm lying in a petri dish with a bunch of my...

What's the fuss: about frogs?
May 1, 2002... Now you see them. Now you don't. Such is the game frogs seem to be playing with herpetologists (scientists who study amphibians) worldwide. Except that this game is not fun. The gastric brooding flog, for example, was first discovered in...

Frog fable: in search of princes in disguise.
May 1, 2002... You've got to be kidding," said the princess. A frog had just ribbited in her ear something so silly, so outrageous, that she could hardly keep from laughing. The frog, it seemed, wanted to marry her. But he was slimy. He was dull. He wasn't...

Who'll be left to play leapfrog? (Activity To Discover).
May 1, 2002... The world's amphibian populations are under attack! One study on data through 1997 estimated an overall drop of 15 percent per year from 1960 to 1966. After that, populations declined at about 2 percent each year. If that continues, which...

The extreme team: one survives in the blistering Australian desert. The other, deep in the frozen Arctic. They're part of the few. The proud. And the slimy.
May 1, 2002... It's summer in the Australian desert. The last puddles of rainwater are quickly disappearing under the burning sun. A tubby gray-green frog squats under an acacia bush, digging backwards. The heels of his back feet have special claws to help...

Slick trick from Dr. Ick. (Brain Strain).
May 1, 2002... While exploring the beauty of a vernal pool at dusk, you spot a frog--rather large as these amphibians go. All of a sudden, it speaks to you in a deep, throaty voice. "The name is Ick--Doctor Ick," the proud frog says without the slightest...

Toad-ally out of control: not all amphibians are exactly fragile. There are some bullies in the class. Watch out for invading cane toads and bullfrogs!
May 1, 2002... Out of hundreds of toad species, only one lives in Australia. Don't feel sorry for the people "Down Under," though. Most Australians will be quick to assure you that one toad is more than enough, thank-you-very-much. Australia's toad is...

Have you ever seen a frog wearing camouflage?
May 1, 2002... Would you know it if you had? Frogs use camouflage to hide from predators and conceal themselves when hunting. They don't wear the kind of camouflage used by the military, but it serves the same purpose: enabling them to blend into the...

Frog escorts.
May 1, 2002... Rain beats the black pavement. Hundreds of tiny yellow eyes peer out from behind the trees on the side of the road. Their owners are waiting for their chance. The coast is clear. They make their move. Hop... hop... hop, hop, hop. Suddenly a...

How many frogs can you ferry to safety? (Activity to Discover).
May 1, 2002... Answer each question by circling the correct answer. At every correct answer, a frog escort awaits to carry your frog safely to the other side. For every wrong answer, SPLAT!, the frog gets flattened by a car. How many frogs can you save?...

Mystery voices.(frogs)
May 1, 2002... They bark, peep, croak, quack, twang, trill, whistle, chirp, click, oink, snore, bleat, chuckle, grunt... and ribbit. And that's just the tip of the vocal iceberg for frogs. Spring through summer, the rhythm of frog songs gives the night...

Planet watch. (What's Up).
May 1, 2002... The monthly All-Sky Chart depicts the sky (minus the moon) as it appears at 9:30 p.m. (your local daylight-saving time) on May 15. Useful all month, the chart (except for planet positions) is also accurate for 10:30 p.m. on May 1 and 8:30 p.m....

Summertime star parties. (You Can Do Astronomy).
May 1, 2002... The summer months are a great time to introduce yourself--and your family and friends as well--to the wonders of the night sky. Plan to attend an organized star party offered by an amateur astronomy club or planetarium... or, plan your own!...

Stargazing: Regulus and Denebola, the heart and tail of Leo, the lion.
May 1, 2002... GREETING, GREETINGS, FELLOW STARGAZER. LET'S LOOK AT THE TWO BRIGHTEST STARS OF SPRING'S MOST PROMINENT CONSTELLATION, LEO THE LION. ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER SUNSET, THE CELESTIAL KING OF BEASTS IS ABOUT HALFWAY UP THE WESTERN SKY. LEO'S...

Frog watching. (Fantastic Journeys).
May 1, 2002... There is nothing better than frog watching on a spring evening. As my mom and I begin our adventure, we are equipped with boots, a flashlight, and a clipboard. Our back yard slopes down to a creek lined with oaks and redwoods. We walk down...

Tall and tough. (Countdown).
May 1, 2002... One year ago, the world's "view" of tall buildings was altered forever when the World Trade Center towers collapsed after being struck by terrorists-controlled jetliners. Almost 2,000 people perished in the progressive collapses--two stacks of...

Frogs' friends. (Animal Angles).(salamanders)
May 1, 2002... Frogs have amphibian classmates--Eastern red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus)--whose eating habits help them, and perhaps us too, to survive. The bad news is that Eastern red-backed salamanders are also threatened, like frogs, by...

Airline easyJet Plans to Buy British Airways' German Operations.
May 8, 2002... Byline: Robert Lea May 8--Budget airline easyJet, in the throes of thrashing out a deal to buy rival Go for up to UKpound 500 million, pulled another rabbit out of the hat today by announcing the planned acquisition of British Airways'...

Evening Standard, London, Asian Markets Column.
May 8, 2002... Byline: Ray Heath May 8--Asian technology stocks were climbing back up the yo-yo string today, jerked out of recent falls by upbeat profits from Cisco Systems overnight. Tokyo stocks recovered more than half of yesterday's loss, led...

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
May 8, 2002... May 8--UNIQ FD'S FAREWELL: Uniq's long-standing finance director and deputy chairman John Worby is saying goodbye to the milking stool after nearly a quarter of a century with the company. Worby, who joined Uniq in 1978, when it was known...

EasyJet's Gambles on Domestic German Market.
May 8, 2002... Byline: Robert Lea May 8--The Deal to buy Go may be the headline-grabbing, business-transforming acquisition in the news but today's move by easyJet's Ray Webster to move aggressively into the domestic German market is a key strategic...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton Column.
May 8, 2002... Byline: Anthony Hilton May 8--As the National Association of Pension Funds gathers in Brighton for its spring conference, it could usefully examine the big lie at the heart of the debate about pensions provision in this country. We are...

Evening Standard, London, Stock Markets Column.
May 8, 2002... May 8--There is everything to play for in the media sector following the biggest shake-up in the industry for years which has accompanied the draft publication of the Communications Bill. The Government is set to relax the rules on media...

Evening Standard, London, Angus McCrone Column.
May 8, 2002... Byline: Angus McCrone May 8--Turn the clock back seven years to 1995. John Major was Prime Minister, Barings Bank had just succumbed to Nick Leeson's rogue trade and the Dow Jones index was around 4000 (it's around 10,000 now). It was...

Global Container Shipping Line P&O Sails into Shock with Heavy Losses.
May 8, 2002... May 8 --P&O'S international container shipping line has been hit hard by the slowdown in global trade and overcapacity in the world's shipping lanes, it admitted today, turning profits 12 months ago into heavy losses in the first quarter of...

Companies Makes Military Moves on a Corporate Battlefield.
May 8, 2002... Byline: Allan Hall May 8--If war is politics by other means, then so is big business. While Hollywood mega-agent Michael Ovitz likes to begin each day reading tracts of Sun Tzu's The Art of War, and BMW's Quandt clan prepare themselves for...

Anglo Irish Banks Notes 27 Percent Jump in Pre-Tax Profits for 6-Month Period.
May 8, 2002... Byline: Joanne Hart May 8--Anglo Irish Banks, the best-performing bank stock in Europe over the past year, today provided fresh evidence of its abilities with strong interim figures and an ebullient message on future growth. The...

Former British Politician Makes Fortune on Sale of Retail Cleaning Business.
May 8, 2002... Byline: Nick Goodway May 8--Former Conservative MP and chairman of Luton Town football club David Evans has made another fortune after he sold his shop-cleaning business to AIM-listed MacLellan today for up to UKpound 19.4 million. ...

British Firm UK Coal Considers Closing of Mine, Cutting Jobs.
May 8, 2002... Byline: Paul Armstrong May 8--UK Coal has warned the Government it plans to announce the closure of the loss-making Selby mine in Yorkshire by the end of this month, costing 2100 jobs and furthering the demise of the region's collieries....

Outlook Is Bright for British Conservatory Company.
May 8, 2002... Byline: Malcolm Withers May 8--A mild winter on both sides of the Atlantic boosted conservatory sales for Ultraframe, based in Clitheroe, one of England's wettest towns. The warm spring in Britain has ensured further demand for its...

March Factory Production Drops in England.
May 8, 2002... Byline: Jane Padgham May 8--A disastrous slump in manufacturing output has all but guaranteed the Bank of England will keep interest rates on hold tomorrow. Factory production plunged by 0.8 percent in March, official figures showed...

Academics Get the Vote in Federal Reserve Revamp.
May 8, 2002... May 8--When President Bush came to office there were worries on Wall Street he would stack the Federal Reserve's five open seats with iconoclastic economists or colourful Texas business types out of step with the grey suits on Wall Street. ...

British Ice Cream Firm Richmond Foods Reports 15 Percent Jump in Sales.
May 8, 2002... Byline: Sarah Marks May 8--The unseasonably warm Easter and ensuing four weeks of balmy April sunshine gave a welcome boost to Britain's largest independent ice cream producer, Richmond Foods. Like-for-like sales rose by 15 percent...

Mobile Phones Pile Up Worldwide as Demand Eases.
May 8, 2002... Byline: Nick Goodway May 8--Up to 80 million unwanted, brand new mobile phones worth $8 billion (UKpound 5.5 billion) are sitting unsold in shops and warehouses worldwide at any one time, a major report says today. As these phones lose...

British School to Open in Shanghai.
May 8, 2002... May 8--NORD Anglia has won a licence to open the "first British school" in Shanghai since colonial days. The school will teach in English both to Chinese and to expatriates, and is the education services group's ninth overseas venture. At...

Chief Executive Reportedly Resigns from London-Based Software Firm.
May 8, 2002... Byline: James Mclean May 8--A further slump in the performance of network software group Orchestream led chief executive Ashley Ward to fall on his sword today. Ward, 48, is said to have resigned after a disagreement with...

Thousands from Various Industries Strike in Germany.
May 8, 2002... Byline: Allan Hall May 8--Germany's IG Metall union hit industries for the third day running today in its strike for higher pay that leaders and economic analysts say threatens the country's economic recovery. Twenty-one plants,...

Japan's Biggest Wireless Phone Group Able to Stay Steer Clear of the Red.
May 8, 2002... May 8--Japan's biggest wireless telephone group, NTT DoCoMo, delighted analysts today by staying in the black for the year to end-March. After forecasting earlier this year that it was heading for its biggest-ever loss, DoCoMo, an offshoot...

Tokyo Reaps Benefit of Cisco-Led Surge.
May 9, 2002... Byline: Ray Heath May 9--Asian markets today had nowhere to go but up after the overnight surge on Wall Street and Nasdaq. Investors streamed into technology stocks after the powerful profits performance from Cisco Systems had taken...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton Column.
May 9, 2002... Byline: Anthony Hilton May 9--FORGOTTEN WARNING THAT COULD HAVE KEPT NATS OFF ROPES: While Transport Secretary Stephen Byers received another pasting in the Commons over the Martin Sixsmith affair, MPs missed the rather more significant...

Lacklustre Show Puts British Insurer's Chief in Line of Fire.
May 9, 2002... Byline: Paul Armstrong May 9--Royal & SunAlliance revealed today its profit was flat in the first quarter of this year and key efficiency targets were still being missed, ensuring chief executive Bob Mendelsohn will remain under intense...

British Investors Rub Their Eyes in Disbelief at US Surge.
May 9, 2002... May 9--We see it, but we do not believe it. That was the verdict of City investors to yesterday's surge of more than 300 points in the Dow Jones and 8 percent spurt by the tech-heavy Nasdaq in the US. Better-than-expected quarterly numbers...

Savvy British Customers Can Make the Most of Their Air Miles.
May 9, 2002... Byline: Beverley Fearis May 9--Not all frequent flyer schemes are equal so it can pay to look at how many miles it takes from different airlines for the same trip. The difference can be huge. Other anomalies apply. In the US, for...

Former Enron Employees Join Energy Trading Arm at Barclays Bank.
May 9, 2002... May 9--Barclays Bank has hired about two dozen former Enron traders in an ambitious bid to beef up its energy trading operation. The move is one of the largest forays by a British bank into the emerging markets for natural gas and...

British Music, Book Retailer's Share Offer Fails to Tempt Private Investors.
May 9, 2002... Byline: Nick Goodway May 9--Private investors shunned the offer for sale of shares in records and Waterstone's books retailer HMV, leaving institutions to take up the bulk of the offer. The shares were last night priced at 192 pence,...

British Firm Holidaybreak Reports Increase in Camping Trip Bookings.
May 9, 2002... May 9--Sales of camping holidays have held up well while trips to far-flung destinations have been hit in the wake of 11 September, says Holidaybreak. Bookings in the camping division, which is responsible for 67 percent of annual profits,...

Chrysalis Climbs Back into the Black.
May 9, 2002... Byline: Nick Goodway May 9--Music, radio and publishing group Chrysalis burst back into profit in the past six months, just in time to highlight its attractions to potential bidders under the new Communications Act regime. Chief...

British Taxpayers Face Fines of Up to UKpound 300 for Posted, Late Filing.
May 9, 2002... May 9--Individual taxpayers could face a huge increase in fines if they file their self-assessment income tax returns late or post them instead of filing on the internet, it emerged today. A row has broken out between the Inland Revenue and...

Rail Link Helps Push Port of London Toward Operating Profit.
May 9, 2002... Byline: Ross Davies May 9--The Port of London is back in the black, and making an operating profit, helped by an increase in revenue on landings of building materials for the high-speed Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Cement volumes were up...

British Electronics Firm to Develop Hi-Fi Sound Equipment to Attract Clubbers.
May 9, 2002... May 9--Alba, the Essex-based consumer electronics group, has signed a licensing agreement with the Ministry of Sound to develop a range of hi-fi equipment that will appeal to a generation of affluent clubbers. Finance director Andrew Rose...

Evening Standard, London, Travel Notes Column.
May 9, 2002... May 9--THE ANNUAL JULY/August hotel bargain season is starting early, with Inter-Continental slashing rates by up to 50 percent from 14 June to 8 September at 140 of its properties. The Whole World Half Price promotion is geared to...

United States Needs Skipper to Steer Home Dollar.
May 10, 2002... Byline: Stewart Fleming May 10--The last time the dollar crashed against a clutch of currencies, between 1985 and 1988, there was no doubt who was in charge of economic policy in Washington. James A Baker, the polished but ruthless Texan,...

British Printing Company Centurion Purchased for UKpound 42 Million.
May 11, 2002... May 11--One of Britain's biggest privately-owned printing companies, Centurion, was snapped up today in a UKpound 42 million deal, landing its founder and owner a UKpound 36 million fortune. Lord Evans of Watford -- Tony Blair supporter...

Toyota Motor Makes Record Annual Profits.
May 11, 2002... Byline: Ray Heath May 11--Soaring sales in Europe and booming US demand for its Lexus luxury cars took Toyota Motor to record profits in the year to end-March. Japan's largest motor manufacturer lifted net profits 31 percent to 616...

Evening Standard, London, Asian Markets Column.
May 13, 2002... Byline: Ray Heath May 13--Nikkei Japanese stocks took their second big tumble in two days today as fears that the country's credit rating is about to be downgraded once more by Moody's added to growing gloom about prospects for...

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
May 13, 2002... May 13--COMMUNISIS IN UKPOUND 42M BUY: COMMUNISIS, the printing group formed out of the restructuring of the old Waddington group, is paying UKpound 42 million for printing services group Centurion in a cash-and-shares deal. Centurion was...

Evening Standard, London, Hugo Dixon Column.
May 13, 2002... Byline: Hugo Dixon May 13--C&W TO CLIMB WHEN THE CASH BURN COOLS: It is dangerous to spy a floor in Cable & Wireless's stock. Just after breakingviews thought it saw one in February, the company proceeded to issue a profit warning. ...

Evening Standard, London, Economy Column.
May 13, 2002... Byline: Jane Padgham May 13--Confidence among small and medium-sized manufacturers has risen for the first time in a year -- the latest sign that Britain's long-suffering industrial sector is on the road to recovery. The new-found...

British Bookmaker William Hill Plans Flotation on Market.
May 13, 2002... May 13--William Hill today unveiled plans for a flotation likely to value the bookmaker at up to UKpound 1.6 billion and win chief executive David Harding up to UKpound 4.5 million in cash and shares. Harding, who has been with Hills for...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton Column.
May 13, 2002... Byline: Anthony Hilton May 13--SHAREHOLDERS MUST SPEAK OUT OVER PAY MOCKERY: Perhaps the tide is turning on executive pay. The Prudential board last week decided to withdraw its incentive scheme for top management rather than force it...

British Rail Maintenance Company Sees Shares Slide after Deadly Crash.
May 13, 2002... May 13--Shares in Jarvis slid 15 percent to a seven-month low today as investors ran scared of the fallout for the rail maintenance company after Friday's derailment at Potters Bar, which killed seven and injured 90. Jarvis, a key...

British Telecoms Sector Hurt by Possibility of More Regulation.
May 13, 2002... May 13--Concern over further regulation hit the telecoms sector today with Vodafone slipping 2 pence to 101 pence as more than 137 million shares changed hands. MmO2 followed with a 11/4 pence decline to 443/4 pence, not far off its...

Germany Hopes to Lure Unions Back to Work with 'Football Breaks'.
May 13, 2002... Byline: Alan Hall May 13--Striking German workers threatening the country's fragile economic recovery are being tempted back to work with the offer of "football breaks" during the World Cup. The lure of downing tools to watch soccer is...

British Venture Capital Industry Remains Healthy in 2001.
May 13, 2002... Byline: Anthony Hilton May 13--The British venture capital industry financed a record number of companies last year, raised a record amount of new money and more than doubled the amount of investment it received from pension funds to...

British Computer Distributor Eliminates 50 Jobs.
May 13, 2002... Byline: James Mclean May 13--Computer distributor Azlan has cut 50 jobs from its struggling training division as part of a restructuring aimed at taking UKpound 4 million a year from its bottom line. The revamp comes as Azlan warned...

Tokyo Stock Exchange Hurt by Fear of Credit Downgrade.
May 13, 2002... May 13--Fears of a downgrading of Japan's credit rating by the Moody's agency shook the Tokyo stock market today. The Nikkei 225 Average ended down 194.16 points at 11,336.95, adding to Friday's 102-point fall. Moody's is said to be...

Evening Standard, London, Japanese Market Column.
May 13, 2002... Byline: Ray Heath May 13--Fears of a downgrading of Japan's credit rating by the Moody's agency shook the Tokyo stock market today, causing shares to tumble heavily for the second trading day running. The Nikkei 225 Average ended a...

Evening Standard, London, Look Ahead Column.
May 13, 2002... Byline: Lauren Chambliss May 13--The data watch will be in full swing this week as US investors pore over a flow of information from the US Government, hoping for some indication that the economy is picking up speed. Retail sales...

British Metals Publication Company Sees Revenues Fall UKpound 450,000.
May 13, 2002... Byline: Nick Goodway May 13--Metal Bulletin's flagship publication, after which the company is named, was hit by a UKpound 450,000 fall in its revenues in the first three months of this year. Demand for advertising and subscriptions...

Britain Sees High Manufacturing Inflation Due to Higher Oil Prices.
May 13, 2002... May 13--Surging oil prices have triggered the biggest increase in the price of goods leaving Britain's factory gates for 18 months, official figures showed today. In a sign that the manufacturing recovery is enabling manufacturers to pass...

Directors of British Retailer Tesco Receive More Than UKpound 1 Million.
May 13, 2002... May 13--Eight Tesco directors were paid more than UKpound 1 million last year. Chief executive Sir Terry Leahy's 53 percent increase brought his total remuneration to UKpound 2.45 million. A further seven of Sir Terry's boardroom colleagues...

Sweden-Based Security Company Decides Not to Buy Chubb Corp.
May 13, 2002... Byline: Patrick Hosking May 13--Swedish security group Securitas today pulled out of UKpound 1.7 billion takeover talks with Chubb only three days after confirming discussions were taking place. Chubb shares retraced all of Friday's...

British Supermarkets Company Somerfield Makes UKpound 20 Million Profit.
May 13, 2002... Byline: Fiona Walsh May 13--Supermarkets group Somerfield today promised it will meet the City's expectations of about UKpound 20 million profit for the year just ended, despite a sharp fall in sales growth over the second half. The...

Evening Standard, London, Asian Markets Column.
May 21, 2002... Byline: Ray Heath May 21--A pumped-up yen halted Japan's five-day bull run today as other Asian markets shuddered after warnings of more terrorist attacks on the United States. A drop in the US index of leading indicators in April also...

Europe Hits Out at U.S. Deficits, Tariffs.
May 21, 2002... Byline: Jane Padgham May 21--Europe today took a sideswipe at America as it warned that the US administration's return to protectionist policies and its ballooning trade deficit could jeopardise the global economic recovery. Wim...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton Column.
May 21, 2002... Byline: Anthony Hilton May 21--PENSION FUNDS FACE POOR HEALTH AS LIVES GET LONGER: The Financial Services Authority has warned insurance companies to make sure they are not caught out by people living much longer than hitherto, and...

Evening Standard, London, Stock Markets Column.
May 21, 2002... Byline: Michael Clark May 21--Big City fund managers were topping up their holdings today in Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB, up 9 1/2 pence at 738 1/2 pence. They need to buy more shares in the satellite broadcaster in order to increase their...