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

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

This month in Odyssey.(skin care )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Beauty certainly isn't skin deep. And skin certainly isn't just about making us beautiful. From vanilla to the darkest chocolate shade, skin is amazing! It is our heaviest organ and has an array of important jobs, from sensing pain and warm...

Mount St. Helens stinks!(NEWS! Science Scoops)(Volcanoes pollution)
May 1, 2005... The April issue of ODYSSEY was devoted entirely to Mount St. Helens, to prepare you for the 25th anniversary this month of the big blast, which occurred on May 18, 1980. Since that issue went to press, the volcano has continued to make national...

A dol"fin" rescue.(Science Scoops)(rubber fin for dolphin )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... It's a nice tale... er, tail... with a happy ending. Fuji, a popular dolphin at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium--Japan's largest--was stricken by a mysterious disease in 2002. To save her life, veterinarians had to remove 75 percent of her tail...

This is your brain ... on smoke.(Science Scoops)(smoking risk factors)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Think it's cool to smoke? Don't answer right away, but give it some thought. Then again, if you're a smoker, maybe you can't. You see, evidence is weighing in that smoking not only damages your health but also reduces your IQ. Just ask...

Dangerous teens.(Science Scoops)(teen people tendency to take risks in life)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Are you a risk taker? If you re a teenager, maybe you can't help it. At least that's what a new study would like you to believe. Abigail Baird, a cognitive scientist from Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, has been collecting evidence to prove...

Let's talk turkey.(Science Scoops)(dung based power plants)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... How do you solve the United States' dependency on foreign oil? Turkey droppings! Yes, a company in Benson, MN, is close to finishing the construction of a new power plant that will burn 90 percent turkey dung and create clean power for...

Skin to skin: the science of touch.(skin touch senses and receptors)
May 1, 2005... Imagine a life without touch. No warm hugs or affectionate kisses. Forget reassuring pats on the back. Erase the desire for the warmth and silky softness of a pet's fur or a soak in a hot tub. None of those pleasurable sensations would exist in...

Itching vs. tickling.
May 1, 2005... As far as the body is concerned, a tickle and an itch begin the same way. Both sensations have the same physiological response. Tickling and itching, called pruritus, start with a stimulus that irritates the skin. The stimulus can be...

Tactile illusions.(Activity to Discover)(senses and sensation)
May 1, 2005... There are plenty of optical illusions that fool our sense of vision. Is our sense of touch any better at resisting being tricked? See for yourself by trying the following tactile illusions. Cool Coinage Chill two quarters in the...

Second skin.(artificial skin for skin replacement therapy)
May 1, 2005... Sarah Yeargain had never really thought about her skin before, until the day it started to fall off! The young woman from San Diego lost nearly all of her skin--and her life--due to a rare allergic reaction to her sinus medication. Her skin was...

Sensitive robots?(pressure-sensitive membrane or electronic skin )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... What if your carpet could tell you whether a stranger has entered the house? What if it could determine if your grandmother is merely resting or has fallen and needs assistance? These are just two of many potential applications for a new...

When acne attacks.(Pimples and their treatment techniques)
May 1, 2005... It's Friday night and you're just getting ready to go out. You look in the mirror and see a huge zit--ZAPPED AGAIN! Read on to learn what causes acne, and how science can help. Why Do Pimples Pop Up? Acne affects almost all teens at...

Is it possible to get a healthy tan?(skin tanning in beauty salons)
May 1, 2005... The dance everyone's been waiting for is next week, and you've decided what you'll wear. But you don't think you'll look your best without a tan. It's too cold and cloudy to sunbathe. What to do? Increasingly, the answer among teens is to dial...

Big Hopes for a tiny molecule.(dithymidine protects skin tanning)
May 1, 2005... If Dr. Gilchrest and her colleagues have their way, the molecule dithymidine, or pTT (just two little thymidines linked by a phosphate molecule, forming a small DNA fragment), may someday become a household word. When you go out in the...

Making morphs.(Brain Strain)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Suzy has created a new form of life with a peculiar kind of skin. She calls the lizardlike animals morphs, because she can actually design their skin pattern simply by drawing with a magic marker on their backs. (Don't worry, it doesn't hurt or...

The color of skin.(To Kill A Mockingbird book by Harper Lee)(Book Review)
May 1, 2005... I refused to eat chocolate cake because I thought it would turn my skin a dark, chocolate-brown. I was five at the time. Even at such a young age, I had figured out that being lighter was considered more desirable. I turned cinnamon-brown,...

Tattoos: fad, fashion, or folly?(tattooing comes from prehistoric times)
May 1, 2005... From a tiny butterfly hiding behind a knee to an elaborate, multicolored, geometric design emblazoning muscular arms--tattoos are cropping up everywhere. Just take a look at some of the famous tattoo canvases. For instance, professional...

Is a tattoo for you? Take the tattoo test!(tattooing health aspects)
May 1, 2005... Never make an important decision that could affect your health or well-being before weighing all the information. See if you know the straight facts about tattoos. Answer True or False to the following questions: 1. Thomas Alva Edison...

A tattoo is forever--or maybe not: make your own temporary tattoos!(Activity to Discover)
May 1, 2005... From fun, wash-off birthday or Halloween decorations to "gone-tomorrow" body art for a Hollywood actor's latest role, temporary tattoos are in. While permanent tattoos are injected under the skin (and often use pigments derived from heavy...

What's up.(usage of sky chart )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The monthly All-Sky Chart depicts the sky (minus the moon) as it appears at 8:30 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....

Check out the early summer sky and meteor showers!(What's Up)(sky charts)(Brief Article)(Column)
May 1, 2005... To watch the Eta Aquarid meteor shower (don't miss it!), you'll need to observe before sunrise. Just look toward the eastern sky, and you'll be looking in the general direction of Aquarius, the water bearer. Expect to see one meteor every few...

Planet watch.(astronomical chart)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Evening Planets: Venus (in Aries, moving into Taurus) is difficult to see in the early part of the month. By mid-May, you can spot our sister planet setting about 30 minutes after the sun. During the end of May, you'll easily spot Venus,...

You can do astronomy: do the moon phase!(Activity to Discover)
May 1, 2005... You'll Need: Lamp (without a lampshade) Sharp pencil Styrofoam ball (about the size of a baseball) When you look up on a clear night, what do you see? Stars? Planets? Most people expect to see something that is big, round, and...

Get ready for the summer solstice!(StarGazing)(www.jackstargazer.com)
May 1, 2005... GREETINGS, GREETINGS, FELLOW STARGAZERS. THIS MONTHS, I'D LIKE YOU TO EXPERIENCE SOMETHING THAT MOST PEOPLE MISS MOST OF THE TIME. IT'S THE RISING OF THE ONLY STAR WE CAN SEE IN THE DAY TIME, THE STAR WE CALL OUR SUN, AND A STAR THAT I LIKE...

Skin that can make your skin crawl! From paralyzing poisons to colorful camouflage, the skin of some amazing animals can be used in the strangest ways.
May 1, 2005... The surfaces of their bodies change color before your eyes. To slime you. Or poison you. Or peel off in your hands. And that's just a sample of how some fascinating animals can use their skin to its best evolutionary advantage. Skin adaptation...

Into the Volcano: Donna O'Meara--A Volcano Researcher at Work.(Kids' Picks)(book by Donna O'Meara)(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
May 1, 2005... by Donna O'Meara (Kids Can Press, 2004) The first thing that drew our attention to this book was its pictures. As we flipped through the pages, we found ourselves wanting to read more because of the beautiful and colorful photographs. When...

Animals and Their Mates.(Kids' Picks)(book by Pamela Hickman)(Brief Article)(Children's Review)(Book Review)
May 1, 2005... written by Pamela Hickman/ illustrated by Pat Stephens (Kids Can Press, 2004) I was drawn to this book by the colorful anole lizards on its cover and because I love animals. Although it is really more suitable for elementary school-age...

A tale unfolds.(Animal Angles)(Rhinoceros skin)
May 1, 2005... In his Just So Stories, Rudyard Kipling describes how "Rhinoceros's skin fitted him quite tight... [and] buttoned underneath." Rhinoceros once bathed in the Red Sea, leaving his skin on shore. A man from whom he had stolen cake filled that...

Evening Standard, London, City Spy column.
May 3, 2005... May 3--AS HARRODS CHAIRMAN Mohamed Fayed does not possess a British passport, he does not have a vote in the election. But he wouldn't use it anyway. "The unions must be mad to support Tony Blair and his tribe of tinpot ministers," says...

Shops and factories deal twin blow to economy.
May 3, 2005... Byline: Jane Padgham May 3--A double dose of dreadful news triggered fresh fears about the economy today. Retail sales suffered their biggest fall in April since Britain was mired in the early-1990s recession, according to the CBI....

Election punters ignoring attacks on 'liar' Blair.
May 3, 2005... Byline: Angus McCrone May 3--Ferocious attacks in the last week on Tony Blair's honesty may have disrupted Labour's campaign, but they have been shrugged off by City punters who are risking millions on the result of the general election....

Equitable's 'policy of shifting blame'.
May 3, 2005... May 3--Equitable Life chief executive Charles Thomson was today accused of deliberately setting out to blame the financial woes of the mutual on its former directors before a controversial decision four years ago to cut bonuses. ...

Step up at Fidelity for boss's daughter.
May 3, 2005... Byline: Steve Hawkes May 3--Company executives under ever more pressure to improve corporate governance will allow themselves a wry smile today after it emerged that US investment giant Fidelity has taken another step in grooming the...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton column.
May 3, 2005... Byline: Anthony Hilton May 3--BRITISH BUSINESS'S LETHAL COCKTAIL: As we move into election week, the City is rubbing its hands at the possibility that there will be a counter-bid for Allied Domecq, the world's second-largest drinks...

Brussels to boost Europe-wide competition for home loans.
May 3, 2005... Byline: Duncan Lumsden May 3--British banks and lenders are poised to benefit from a fresh Brussels campaign to help people across Europe shop around for the best deals on loans and savings. In a policy document to be unveiled this...

Fed poised to tighten US rates to curb inflation.
May 3, 2005... Byline: Jane Padgham May 3--Alan Greenspan's Federal Reserve is expected to lift US interest rates by another quarter-point to 3 percent tonight, despite mounting worries that the world's biggest economy is running out of steam. The...

Marconi seeks a buyer amid fears for UK jobs.
May 3, 2005... Byline: Nick Goodway May 3--Battered Marconi hoisted the For Sale sign today as it told investors it will "pursue all strategic options with the objective of maximising shareholder value". It also put thousands of jobs under threat,...

Evening Standard, London, market report column.
May 3, 2005... Byline: Tom Nicholls May 3--ROLLS-ROYCE POISED FOR TAKE OFF AS BROKER TALKS UP STOCK: A FEW days after its engines lifted the giant Airbus A380 jet off the ground for the first time, Rolls-Royce could be about to take off itself. CSFB...

House-price pain spurs rush to pubs.
May 3, 2005... Byline: Nick Goodway May 3--Record numbers of people are applying to run pubs, partly because sky-high house prices have made the on-site accommodation that comes with tenancies more attractive. According to Giles Thorley, chief...

Planning hitch holds up [pounds sterling]2bn regeneration at King's Cross.
May 3, 2005... Byline: Mira Bar-Hillel May 3--Delays in getting planning approval are threatening to put central London's largest redevelopment project behind schedule. Revised plans for the [pounds sterling]2 billion-[pounds sterling]2.5 billion...

Tyco chief Kozlowski defends big spending.
May 3, 2005... Byline: Bill Condie May 3--Former Tyco International boss Dennis Kozlowski, accused of looting the company of hundreds of millions of dollars, has told a New York court that he had little control over the spending of "an awful lot of...

UBS profits slip as world shares revival fades away.
May 3, 2005... Byline: Robert Lea May 3--The two-year rally on world equity markets has ended, says financial and broking giant UBS. Reporting its quarterly profit performance today, UBS, Europe's largest bank, said it could not predict how financial...

Evening Standard, London, Chris Blackhurst column.
May 4, 2005... Byline: Chris Blackhurst May 4--Tomorrow we will go to the polls to elect a Prime Minister who doesn't have a clue about business. He will appoint someone to run the Department of Trade and Industry who lacks the faintest idea about trade...

Evening Standard, London, City Spy column.
May 4, 2005... May 4--WHEN MG Rover collapsed, Patricia Hewitt was desperate to be seen to be helping, promising her support and pledging Government money. But now that Marconi is in trouble, the Trade Secretary doesn't want to know despite 2000 jobs being at...

Credit Suisse in market warning.
May 4, 2005... Byline: Steve Hawkes May 4--Credit Suisse today sounded the alarm over market conditions by warning that the rest of the second quarter could see a "considerable" slowdown in client activity. Reporting results for the first three...

Retail trio's sales dive shows how tough it is.
May 4, 2005... May 4--The severity of the consumer spending slowdown was underlined today by grim trading updates from a trio of leading retailers, writes Fiona Walsh. Poor sales performances at discount retailer Matalan, entertainment group HMV and...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton column.
May 4, 2005... Byline: Anthony Hilton May 4--UNDONE BY A PERCEPTION PROBLEM: If shareholders of Prudential are not totally supine, they might care to use the opportunity at tomorrow's annual meeting to ask chairman Sir David Clementi why he sacked...

Hollinger chiefs in $50M deal with shareholders.
May 4, 2005... Byline: Billl Condie May 4--Hollinger International's independent directors have agreed to pay $50 million ([pounds sterling]26.2 million) to settle a shareholder action against them, leaving fallen Press Baron Lord Black, his wife Barbara...

City's law firms get on the case of chasing big US money.
May 4, 2005... Byline: James Rossiter May 4--We may think the City's law firms are high-earners -- and high-chargers -- but they are nothing compared with their New York counterparts. As our elite practices target New York as a major growth area, they...

Evening Standard, London, market report column.
May 4, 2005... Byline: Tom Nicholls May 4--CREST SHARES DIVE AS HERON DECIDES AGAINST A SWOOP: Crest Nicholson shares slid 13 1/2p to 364 1/2p today after Gerald Ronson's Heron Corporation put its takeover bid for the housebuilder on hold. Heron,...

Threat to Edmonds Oil quest.
May 4, 2005... May 4--Former England cricketer Phil Edmonds's bid to look for oil in Sudan faces a new threat after US explorer Marathon threw its weight behind French supermajor Total's bid to win back its contract in the country. A spokesman for the...

Sales fall threatens Matalan's full-year prospects.
May 4, 2005... Byline: Fiona Walsh May 4--Discount retailer Matalan piled on the gloom for the retail sector today as it revealed a sharp fall in sales in March and April. Chief executive John King warned that unless trading conditions improve,...

Shaky start for Sotheby's sales.
May 4, 2005... May 4--Auction house Sotheby's has had a wobbly start to its spring art season in New York, with the highest-priced work and other top lots failing to sell at its Impressionist and modern sale. But Sotheby's executives brushed off the...

Firms give transport their election vote.
May 4, 2005... Byline: Jane Padgham May 4--Transport tops the election wish-list for business, a new survey shows. A poll of 100 small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) carried out for accountants KPMG, found that 68 percent want the new Government...

Economists warn of worsening outlook on eve of British election.
May 4, 2005... May 4--Gordon Brown was dealt an election eve blow today with City economists warning the economy is faltering as the retail and manufacturing sectors stall. Just hours before the polls open, a fresh batch of awful figures from retailers...

William Hill putting its shirt on Stanley's shops.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Robert Lea May 16--Bookmaking on the High Street effectively became a two-horse race today after William Hill drew clear from arch-rival Ladbrokes with the [pounds sterling]504 million cash acquisition of 600 betting shops from...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton column.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Anthony Hilton May 16--People who think the investment community is not hopelessly biased towards short-termism need to take a look at three things that happened last week. On Monday it was revealed that a hedge fund had paid...

Khodorkovsky guilty on four charges.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Nick Goodway May 16--Oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky was today found guilty on the first four charges he faced in a Moscow court. The other three verdicts will be announced tomorrow by the judge, who today referred repeatedly...

Whitbread boss picks up [pounds sterling]1m.
May 16, 2005... May 16--Alan Parker more than doubled his total pay packet to just over [pounds sterling]1 million in his first year as chief executive of leisure group Whitbread. On top of his annual pay, Parker made a gain of about [pounds...

Shell set for stormy summer as 'green' protests take shape.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Steve Hawkes May 16--Friends of the Earth will launch its biggest protests of the summer AGM season next month when it attacks Shell over a series of "broken promises" to communities affected by the oil giant across the world. ...

Brokers mark down British supermarket chain after third profit warning.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Mickey Clark May 16--Wm Morrison supermarkets continued to plumb new depths with a fall of 1p to 186 1/2p in the wake of Friday's profits warning -- its third in less than a year. The group rattled the City with news that...

Cloud over Crossrail future as boss heads for the exit.
May 16, 2005... May 16--Crossrail suffered a new blow today with the unexpected resignation of chief executive Norman Haste, write Robert Lea and Dick Murray. He has quit his [pounds sterling]150,000-plus a year job just weeks before the controversial...

Evening Standard, London, City Spy column.
May 16, 2005... May 16--WHATEVER HAPPENED TO "Red Ken" Livingstone? Despite working for a socialist Mayor, Transport for London boss Bob Kiley is happily flogging off assets to the highest bidder. "For many years, London Underground has operated a...

Familiar face returns to easyJet's board after CEO quits.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Robert Lea May 16--Stelios Haji-Ioannou is returning to the board of easyJet as a director of the budget airline he founded, after the carrier announced long-time chief executive Ray Webster is quitting. Webster, co-architect...

Sony to fire broadside in bitter console battle with Microsoft.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Jake Lloyd-Smith May 16--Japan's Sony Corp is expected to come out with all guns blazing today, with details of its next-generation games console, and may even advance its release date to compete more effectively with US rival...

Russian oil tycoon awaits his fate.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Bill Condie May 16--Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky was today set to hear a verdict on the fraud and tax evasion charges he faces -- but whatever the judge decides, prosecutors vow to bring new charges that will keep him...

Skepticism greets announcement of soaring profits by British railway company.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Robert Lea May 16--GNER has become latest group to stoke worries of an accelerating gravy train on the railways as the intercity carrier operating out of King's Cross said profits soared 30 percent in the first three months this...

Shoppers spring into action as sun brightens London's retail outlook.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Jane Padgham May 16--The sunshine brought Londoners on to the High Street in droves in April, helping the capital buck the national trend of a retail meltdown. With spring fashions flying off the shelves as warm weather finally...

Manchester United boss threatens to put U.S. bank on sidelines.
May 16, 2005... May 16--Manchester United chairman Sir Roy Gardner is set to cut all his business links with JP Morgan after the US bank acted as main financier in the [pounds sterling]790 million takeover while its UK venture was the football club's corporate...

BAA is flying high but bumpier ride in store.
May 17, 2005... Byline: Robert Lea May 17--Profit growth at London airport monopoly BAA has soared above City expectations, but is likely to swoop lower this year with slower passenger increases and rising energy costs and business rates. The operator...

Evening Standard, London, City Spy column.
May 17, 2005... May 17--Ian Mullen, head of the venerable British Bankers' Association, is the last person City Spy would expect to be associated with anything dodgy. But, through no fault of his own, he is among various eminent individuals to feature on a...

M&S brings in outside chairman to heal rift.
May 17, 2005... May 17--Former Treasury mandarin Lord "Terry" Burns is to be the new chairman of Marks & Spencer but, in a move seen as a compromise deal to heal the deep rift in the M&S boardroom, he will not take on the role until July next year. Burns,...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton column.
May 17, 2005... Byline: Anthony Hilton May 17--It is widely believed that London-based hedge funds have had a rough year so far and the events of the past few weeks have resulted in huge losses for some. Rumours had been circulating for months that...

Taylor Woodrow lashes Gateway building plans.
May 17, 2005... Byline: James Rossiter May 17--Government plans to build 128,500 new homes along the Thames Gateway over the next 11 years are "over-optimistic", according to the country's second largest housebuilder. Taylor Woodrow chief executive...

Evening Standard, London, market report column.
May 17, 2005... Byline: Mickey Clark May 17--Has Barclays got its sums wrong in its decision to pay almost [pounds sterling]3 billion for a 60 percent stake in South Africa's biggest retail banking outfit Absa? That is the question being posed by...

Russian oil tycoon guilty on six fraud charges.
May 17, 2005... May 17--Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, was today found guilty on six charges including tax evasion and embezzlement, his lawyers said. The Moscow court adjourned until tomorrow when it is expected to add its verdict on a...

Yell rings up [pounds sterling]829m deal to take over US rival.
May 17, 2005... May 17--If you are after a number for a Hollywood star, the UK phone directories group Yell may now be able to provide it. Yell today became the world's third-largest telephone directories publisher after it announced American subsidiary,...

The safe pair of hands with a tough task ahead.
May 17, 2005... Byline: Fiona Walsh May 17--Sometimes known as "Lord Fixit" and sometimes as "Teflon Terry", Lord Burns is widely regarded as a safe pair of hands. But all his diplomatic skills, finessed during his time as a top civil servant, will...

New wave of shipbuilding helps VT to steam ahead.
May 17, 2005... Byline: Robert Lea May 17--VT Group has reinvented itself as a support services business helping to run schools and fire brigade training centres, but it admitted today that its heritage business of building warships can still be a...

Postman is knocked by UK Mail's early delivery.
May 17, 2005... Byline: Robert Lea May 17--The Royal Mail will lose one billion letters this year to its new upstart competitor UK Mail. Business Post, the courier company that launched UK Mail 12 months ago to deliver post for utilities and banks to...

Pub boss predicts smoking ban in public places.
May 17, 2005... Byline: Nick Goodway May 17--The boss of Britain's biggest pub chain believes that smoking will be banned in all public places within the next few years rather than just from pubs serving food as the Government plans now. Ted Tuppen,...

Marconi warning as it counts cost of BT blow.
May 17, 2005... May 17--Marconi today spelled out the extent of the fallout from its failure to win contracts to help build BT's [pounds sterling]10 billion 21st Century Network. The BT blow, at the end of last month, has already forced the telecom parts...

New Playstation to miss Christmas launch.
May 17, 2005... Byline: Jake Lloyd Smith May 17--Sony has paraded its next-generation games console, but said the Playstation 3 will not go on sale until next spring, allowing rival Microsoft a clear run at this Christmas's selling season. Bill...

'Plumber' to seek FSA damages.
May 18, 2005... Byline: James Rossiter May 18--Paul Davidson, the entrepreneur known as The Plumber, today called for the Financial Services Authority to pay him damages of "tens of millions of pounds" after a tribunal last year was abandoned by the...