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

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

This month in Odyssey.
September 1, 2003... Since 9/11 and the Iraq War, terms such as national secure?, intelligence, and surveillance have become part of the evening news... and part of our everyday lives. We depend on agencies such as the National Security Agency (NSA), the Central...

Diamonds are for terror.(Science Scoops)
September 1, 2003... It's scary, this new biotech world we live in--especially because terrorists claim to have biological weapons. But our ability to detect the presence of dangerous biological agents has just gotten better--thanks to the help of a new diamond...

Wing damage caused space shuttle break-up.(Science Scoops)
September 1, 2003... The Columbia Accident Investigation Board, formed to find the cause of the loss of the space shuttle Columbia over Texas on February 1, 2003, has determined that a damaged wing caused the shuttle to spin out of control and break into fiery...

Medical maggots.(Science Scoops)
September 1, 2003... If you're the kind of person who cringes at the thought of medieval doctors using leeches to bleed patients, cover your eyes fast--because doctors may soon be using maggots to treat stubborn wounds that refuse to heal! Troublesome wounds...

Good-bye, Dolly.(Science Scoops)
September 1, 2003... Dolly, the world's first cloned mammal (a sheep), was born on July 5, 1996, at the Roslin Institute, Edinburgh, Scotland. She died on February 14, 2003, of progressive lung disease. For six and a half years, Dolly was the focus of world...

Cloaning hoax?(Science Scoops)
September 1, 2003... You probably heard it first on the local news. And if you did, you probably didn't know whether to laugh or act surprised. The news? A research company claimed to have cloned a human. "That's not so surprising," you say. Here's the...

Keeping our nation safe: the serious spy game.
September 1, 2003... Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Americans--including young people like you--have been seriously concerned about the possibility of another assault on this nation. Countries and groups of individuals engaged in activities that...

Peeking through the keyhole.
September 1, 2003... Have you ever tried to spy on someone or eavesdrop on a conversation? A hundred years ago, doors and locks were different. The lock was separate from the knob and had a large key. The hole for the key went all the way through the door, so if...

"Spying" on the environment: interview with Bjorn Eng.(People To Discover)
September 1, 2003... ODYSSEY spoke with ASTER Project Manager Bjorn Eng about how satellites observe our planet and monitor its health and well-being. ASTER is an imaging instrument on the Terra satellite, part of NASA's Earth Observing System. A joint effort of...

Trading faces: the art and science of disguise.
September 1, 2003... WHAT DO YOU DO when you don't have a date for your high school dance, and only couples are allowed? Ask Tony Mendez, former CIA Chief of Disguise. His solution was to dress as a girl and go with a friend, slipping easily past police at the...

True lies? A new report questions the science behind lie detectors!
September 1, 2003... Polygraph or "lie detector" testing is a key part of security clearance for thousands of highly, sensitive positions throughout the United States, from those in military, intelligence to ones in atomic research. But now, in a 245-page report, a...

Information technology warfare: can computers defeat terrorists and win wars? Maybe.
September 1, 2003... Terrorist X: Has the bomb arrived yet? Terrorist Y: The drop-off is at 7:14 tonight. Parking garage 13, level D. FBI computer to Terrorists X and Y: And you're going to take us to it, guys. You're surrounded by the FBI. Don't bother to...

The secret writing that helped forge a nation.
September 1, 2003... IMAGINE THAT IT IS 1778 and you are a spy working for General George Washington of the Continental Army. You have no cell phone, no e-mail, and no tape recorder, yet you have important information about the movements of the British troops that...

The last case of S.P. O'Nahge?
September 1, 2003... What does the future hold for world-class spy S.P. O'Nahge? "Case out" his situation by filling in the blanks. Use the spy terms at right. IT WAS OFFICIAL. Secret agent S.P. O'Nahge had resigned. No longer would he spend dangerous days and...

Play the spy game! Uncover the science behind three covert technologies--and then use them on a "secret mission" of your own.(Activity to Discover)
September 1, 2003... UOY REA A PYS! If you can read that coded message, then you are on your way to becoming a good one. Because you just cracked a transpositional cipher--a hidden message made by rearranging letters. Messages like these are part of a...

Hollywood spies: spying has been in filmmakers' spotlights for over 60 years. Check out these classic and modern movies.
September 1, 2003... James Bond series, 1962-present Since 1962's Dr. No, British agent 007 has been featured in 20 James Bond adventures. Bond creator Ian Fleming drew on his experiences in the British Secret Service to write stories with quirky characters,...

Find the bugs.(Brain Strain)
September 1, 2003... Adevious spy has planted "bugs" in a top-secret government facility composed of 16 rooms arranged in a 4-by-4 array. Here's a top view of the facility. Your mission is to determine where the bugs are located, given the following...

What does he know? An interview with spymaster Peter Earnest.(People to Discover)(Interview)
September 1, 2003... In the world of ,espionage, "ground thruth" describes something as it really is, stripped of our myths and prejudices. With an eye toward checking out cool technology, ODYSSEY visited the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC, a city where...

The real toys!
September 1, 2003... Let's face it: Espionage wouldn't be as much fun without all that neat stuff you get to play with--photos the size of pinheads, cars that fire rockets and are equipped with ejection seats, formal-looking hats which, when thrown, can sever the...

So, how good are you? Test your spy IQ.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2003... AGENTS NEED TO BE SNEAKY, AND UNCOVERING OTHER AGENTS REQUIRES CLOSE OBSERVATION. THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES TEST BOTH SKILLS. The Hidden Camera: For this activity, you'll need to purchase one of those small, disposable cameras. (Sorry...

Destination: the International Spy Museum.(Place to Discover)
September 1, 2003... The elevator door slides slowly open.] Leave the old you inside, because it's time to adopt a cover and memorize your new name, age, and legend. That was easy. Now proceed directly to the Briefing Room, where you will come face to face with a...

Science at the CIA.
September 1, 2003... Does the science of spying make you think of Marshall on ABC's Alias or Q from the ,lames Bond movies? Take a peek inside the Central Intelligence Agency's real-life Directorate of Science and Technology (DS&T). Great Gadgets ...

The harvest moon & planet to spy!(What's Up)
September 1, 2003... The monthly All-Sky Chart depicts the sky (minus the moon) as it appears at 7:30 p.m. (your local time) on Sept. 15. Useful all month, the chart (except for planet positions) is also accurate for 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 1 and 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 30....

Planet watch.(What's Up)
September 1, 2003... Evening Planet: Mars (in Aquarius) rises at 7:30 p.m. (your local time) in early September and is visible for most of the night. By the end of the month, look for Mars to rise near 5:30 p.m. (your local time) and set by 3:30 a.m. Morning...

Make a stellar notebook.(You Can Do Astronomy)
September 1, 2003... The night sky is an amazing sight, filled with stars of various hues and arranged in exciting patterns. Some ancient sky watchers once believed that all the stars were at the same distance from Earth and were attached to great black curtains in...

An arrow aimed at the heart of our galaxy.(Stargazing with Jack Horkheimer)
September 1, 2003... Named for a mythical He is an archer... creature half man and and a sharpshooter half horse, sagitarius with a bow and arrow. follows the scorpion across the sky. And the tip of his ...

On the move.(Countdown)
September 1, 2003... From whales to wildebeests, butterflies to birds - animals around the globe are on the move. We've all noticed the almost clockwork disappearance of certain species of birds in the fall and their magical reappearance in the spring. While most...

Correction.
September 1, 2003... Correction: In the April 2003 issue, "Spirits of the North: Aurora Borealis," an error appeared in the article "Auroras: To See or Not to See...That Is the Question." Tourist facilities in and near Fairbanks, AK, and Yellowknife, Northwest...

A lofty goal.(Animal Angles)
September 1, 2003... Pigeons aloft (in the air) can fly 80 (km) an hour and cover 1,600 km in two days to reach their home loft (a building that houses pigeons). For millennia, humans have trained and bred pigeons to use this homing instinct. Greeks used pigeons to...

Evening Standard, London, Asian Markets Column.
September 1, 2003... Byline: Jake Lloyd-Smith Sep. 1--AMP, the beleaguered Australian financial group, pushed higher again today as investors bet that there is further upside in the price after National Australia Bank's slapdash share raid last week. The...

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
September 1, 2003... Sep. 1--HONG KONG, JAPAN 'PULLING OUT OF THEIR SLUMPS': East Asia's economies received a twin boost today with signs of an upswing in Japan and Hong Kong as the impact of Sars faded. In Japan the purchasing managers index climbed to 52.5...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton Column.
September 1, 2003... Byline: Anthony Hilton Sep. 1--Small business has been much more vocal in its criticisms of Government than has big business. The Institute of Directors and organisations representing small firms and the self-employed have been banging...

Evening Standard, London, Market Report Column.
September 1, 2003... Byline: Michael Hart Sep. 1--Housebuilders were back on the shopping list of City investors today following news of further consolidation within the industry. This time Taylor Woodrow, up 12 1/2 pence at 240 1/2 pence, is launching an...

New Three-Way Bid Adds Twist to Battle for Control of London Property Firm.
September 1, 2003... Sep. 1--US bank Morgan Stanley today confirmed it was working with rival Goldman Sachs and diamond magnate Simon Glick on a joint bid for London property giant Canary Wharf. The bank said the three parties were looking at making an offer...

Man in the Driver's Seat Quits Avis Europe.
September 1, 2003... Sep. 1--Mark McCafferty, head of car hire firm Avis Europe, has quit to pursue a new career in the private equity market. He will leave in the New Year to allow a new chief executive to be appointed. The move comes during one of the most...

Struggling British Construction Firm Builds for Future.
September 1, 2003... Byline: Jim Armitage Sep. 1--Drastically slimmed-down construction group John Laing today reported a sharp drop in profits but declared it was set to rebuild itself as a more robust company. Once the top contractor on large-scale...

British Developer Digs Deep to Snap Up Rival.
September 1, 2003... Byline: Jonathan Prynn Sep. 1--Wilson Connolly, the housebuilder that is developing two new sites around Arsenal's proposed new football stadium, has been sold for UKpound 480 million. The acquisition by larger rival Taylor Woodrow...

EDS Heads for Storm over Council Tax Deal.
September 1, 2003... Byline: Mira Bar-Hillel Sep. 1--American computer services giant Electronic Data Systems (EDS), embroiled in the bungling of the Inland Revenue's Child Tax Credit, is heading for a row over the award of a council tax contract to a...

UK Industry Gets a Lift as Index Soars.
September 1, 2003... Sep. 1--Britain's manufacturing sector grew at the fastest pace for 15 months in August, signalling that industry is finally on the road to recovery. A key barometer of the sector showed output and new orders accelerated thanks to a weaker...

London-Based Brokerage Services Firm Sues Newspaper over 'Hatchet Job'.
September 1, 2003... Byline: Patrick Hosking Sep. 1--Collins Stewart Tullett chief Terry Smith today dramatically raised the temperature in the row over alleged irregularities at his stockbroking firm, launching a defamation suit against the Financial Times....

Pixar Aims to Break Disney Link.
September 1, 2003... Sep. 1--Animated film-maker Pixar, with growing market recognition in its own right, may break off its relationship with giant partner Disney and go it alone, if increasingly bitter negotiations to renew the contract fail. The argument...

Trio's Move Adds Twist to Battle for London Property Giant.
September 1, 2003... Byline: Steve Hawkes Sep. 1--US banks Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are working with influential New York-based investor Simon Glick on an exclusive basis in their bid to land London property giant Canary Wharf. After a weekend of...

Australian Wine Firm Tries to Flush Out Higher Bid for Firm.
September 1, 2003... Byline: Bill Condie Sep. 1--The founder of Peter Lehmann Wines, one of Australia's best-known wine labels, sold 5.4 percent of his personal stake in the company to the Swiss Hess Group of Switzerland in order to squeeze a higher bid from...

Asian Shares Surging on, as Politics Threaten as Risk Factors.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Jake Lloyd-Smith Sep. 2--Most Asian share markets pushed higher again today as investors resisted profit-taking impulses, and instead continued to bet that prices are heading north as the global economy gathers speed. That...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton Column.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Anthony Hilton Sep. 2--TAX LESSON THAT GORDON FORGOT: Art Laffer is an economist who has probably had more influence on political thought and development than any other person in the past 20 years. He hit on the idea that if you...

Evening Standard, London, Market Report Column.
September 2, 2003... Sep. 2--Royal Bank of Scotland was a casualty today, falling 12 pence to 1556 pence after several City players took the view that investors have probably seen the best from the shares for the time being. US securities house Morgan Stanley...

Scottish Entrepreneur Hopes to Team with Oil Giants to Tap North Sea Reserves.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Steve Hawkes Sep. 2--A Scottish entrepreneur is hoping to team up with leading oil giants to extract some of the billions of barrels of reserves stuck below the North Sea. Larry Kinch, estimated to have a personal fortune of...

British Hotel Chain Sees Higher Sales in Aftermath of Restaurant Renovations.
September 2, 2003... Sep. 2--Whitbread's revamp of the tired-looking Beefeater restaurant chain is paying off handsomely, latest figures showed today. Once a bastion of tacky dining, Beefeater's recent improvement campaign has boosted like-for-like sales 5.2...

Evening Standard, London, Fiona Walsh Column.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Fiona Walsh Sep. 2--Bid-target Debenhams today reassured the City that its sales have held up well despite the sweltering summer temperatures. In an unscheduled year-end trading statement, chief executive Belinda Earl said...

British Radio Company May Sue over Audience Count.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Bill Condie Sep. 2--The Wireless Group is considering legal action against radio industry body Rajar over the way it counts listeners. Chief executive Kelvin MacKenzie, the former editor of The Sun, has been campaigning for...

Military Spending Drives Advance at British Aerospace Group.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Bill Condie Sep. 2--Aerospace group Meggitt made a net profit of UKpound 2.5 million in the first half of the year after taking a UKpound 13.3 million loss on the disposal of its Petroleum Systems division. Operating profits at...

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
September 2, 2003... Sep. 2--FINSBURY SWEET ON FIVE-YEAR NESTLE TIE: Rolo, Smarties and After Eight cakes and muffins will be created by Lord Saatchi's Finsbury Food Group and sold all over Britain after a five-year link-up with Nestle. The former advertising guru...

Bush Tackles Industrial Job Losses.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Jake Lloyd-Smirth Sep. 2--George Bush has pledged to help restore some of the millions of jobs lost in US manufacturing, signalling the White House's increased focus on the area ahead of next year's election, writes Jake...

Study Finds Two in Five Londoners 'Are Using Credit To Stay Afloat'.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Jane Padgham Sep. 2--More than a third of Londoners are living on credit, routinely using their plastic or borrowing extra cash to pay household bills and meet other everyday expenses, a study shows today, writes Jane Padgham. ...

Fugitive Financier Nadir Coming Back to London 'to Clear His Name'.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Brett Arends Sep. 2--Fugitive financier Asil Nadir says he plans to return from his exile in northern Cyprus in an attempt to clear his name. Reports from Turkey say the fallen tycoon has issued a statement that he 'has decided...

Britain-Based Hilton Turns to Bond Markets for Funds.
September 2, 2003... Sep. 2--Hotels group Hilton today became the latest London company to turn to the convertible bonds market for fresh funds as it launched a UKpound 300 million debt offer. Holders of the debt, which is currently being priced, will be able...

Industrial Group BBA Slumps as Iraq War Deals Double Blow.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Robert Lea Sep. 2--War in Iraq was blamed for a 12 percent slide in profits at industrial group BBA as uncertainty hit both pillars of its operations -- servicing business and commercial jets and making materials such as sanitary...

European Overhaul Deals Financial Blow to Australia Logistics Firm.
September 2, 2003... Sep. 2--Restructuring costs have hit Anglo-Australian logistics group Brambles Industries, which today disappointed the market once more with a 39 percent profits slump. Net figures fell to A$330 million (UKpound 135 million) for the 12...

Former British Publishing CEO to Bid on London-Based Firm's Irish Papers.
September 2, 2003... Byline: James McLean Sep. 2--Former Financial Times group chief executive David Palmer is set to make a bid of up to UKpound 40 million for Trinity Mirror's Irish titles. He has teamed up with private equity group Hg Capital to enter a...

Schroders Cautious after Surprise Leap.
September 2, 2003... Sep. 2--Schroders cautioned today that it expects to lose more mandates in the second half after reporting better-than-expected first-half profits. The fund management group lifted pre-tax profits from UKpound 20.5 million to UKpound 27.2...

Fugitive to Return to Britain, Face Charges over Collapse of Travel Business.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Bill Condie Sep. 2--Fugitive tycoon Asil Nadir has reportedly decided to return to the UK to face the music over his failed Polly Peck travel empire. Reports in Turkish newspaper Hurriyet say that Nadir, who has been living in...

Vodafone Targets Customers of Top Australia Wireless Provider.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Lachlan Colquhoun Sep. 2--Vodafone's underperforming Australian operation is preparing a new range of pricing plans targeting market giant Telstra's A$8 billion (UKpound 3.3 billion) revenues from fixed-line operations. The...

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
September 4, 2003... Sep. 4--SIGNS OF CHEER AS DIAGEO SEES PROFITS SURGE: Signs of an upturn in North America and Britain were today reported by Diageo, the world's biggest spirits group, although chief executive Paul Walsh cautioned that "more evidence" is needed...

Collins Stewart Tullet Inquiry Chief's Company Share Options in 'Conflict'.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Patrick Hosking Sep. 4--The "independent" senior non-executive director who cleared Collins Stewart Tullett of regulatory mispractice was at the time within weeks of being allowed to cash in UKpound 113,000 of profits from Collins'...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton Column.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Anthony Hilton Sep. 4--There might be someone out there just returned from holiday on Planet Zog who is surprised by the UKpound 960 million fund-raising rights issue announced this morning by Royal & SunAlliance, otherwise known...

EMI Strikes Flat Chord as CD Price War Starts with US.
September 4, 2003... Sep. 4--EMI hit a flat note with investors today as almost UKpound 83 million was wiped from its stock market value. The shares fell 91/4 pence to 1621/4 pence after it emerged a price war has broken out between the big music publishers in the...

Japanese, British Companies to Develop Next-Generation Computer Chips.
September 4, 2003... Sep. 4--TOKYO--British chip designer ARM Ltd. said Thursday it and two Japanese joint research organizations will jointly adjust ARM's core microprocessor design so it can be combined with the pair's 90-nanometer circuit-width technology to...

CORRECTION: Japanese, British Companies to Develop Next-Generation Chips.
September 4, 2003... Sep. 4--TOKYO--The story slugged EV-COMPUTER-CHIP, which was moved by EV-COMPUTER-CHIP for Sep. 4, was credited to the wrong newspaper. The story was published by Kyodo News International, Toyko. Please delete or kill the story. A new...

CORRECTION: Fugitive Financier Nadir Coming Back to London 'to Clear His Name'.
September 4, 2003... Sep. 4--The story slugged EV-FINANCIER, which was sent by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News for Sep. 2, was attributed to the wrong newspaper. The story was published by Daily Mail, London. A corrected version will be sent out as...

New York Attorney General Puts Illegal Hedge Fund Trading on Spot.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Bill Condie Sep. 4--New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has launched a new campaign against illegal trading schemes which he claims are enriching hedge funds at the expense of small investors. The schemes, which allow the...

Bank of England Keeps Interest Rates on Hold, But Sees Rise on Horizon.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Jane Padgham Sep. 4--The Bank of England today kept interest rates on hold, freezing the cost of borrowing at a 48-year low. The decision to keep rates at 3.5 percent had been widely expected after positive news on the economy...

Anglo-Australian Logistics Group Shares Hit as Profits Dive 39 Percent.
September 4, 2003... Sep. 4--Restructuring costs have hit Anglo-Australian logistics group Brambles Industries, which has reported a 39 percent slump in profits, disappointing the market and sparking a 10 percent fall in its shares. The world's largest pallet...

Northern Foods Sacks CEO after Profits Warning.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Jonathan Prynn Sep. 4--Northern Foods today sacked its chief executive as it warned of "significantly lower" profits in the first half of the year. The company, the biggest supplier of ready meals to Marks & Spencer, said Jo...

Spirits Soar as Party Drink Pimm's Is Toast of Diageo Promotion.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Jonathan Prynn Sep. 4--Sales of the posh party drink Pimm's have soared by almost half under the limpid blue skies of the perfect English summer. Sales of the vodka and gin-based cocktail were ahead by 45 percent, according to...

CBI Final-Salary Pensions on Way Out, Says Deputy Director-General.
September 4, 2003... Sep. 4--CBI final-salary pension schemes are dying out as companies struggle to cope with rising costs, the CBI warns today. In its latest annual survey of workplace trends, the CBI said that only 27 percent of employers offered...

Royal & SunAlliance Sells Troubled US Arms.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Steve Hawkes Sep. 4--Troubled insurer Royal & SunAlliance is turning its back on its crisis-hit US business as part of a radical restructuring promised alongside a UKpound 960 million rights issue announced today. RSA said the...

US-Type Swindle of Investors 'Could Hit Unit Trusts' in UK, Adviser Warns.
September 4, 2003... Sep. 4--The alleged swindling of millions of mutual fund investors in the US could in theory be replicated with unit trust investors here, a leading independent financial adviser has warned. "It's technically possible," said Bestinvest...

Yen Slides Overnight on Bank of Japan's Suspected 'Intervention'.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Robert Lea Sep. 4--The yen slid by more than 1 percent overnight as foreign exchange dealers speculated that the Bank of Japan had once more waded into the market to block the rise of the currency. Though the Tokyo Finance...

Evening Standard, London, Asian Markets Column.
September 8, 2003... Byline: Jake Lloyd-Smith Sep. 8--Back in July Goldman Sachs said Japanese equities were a sound bet, arguing that rising corporate profitability and improving macro-economic fundamentals would combine to drive share prices higher. To...

Evening Standard, London, Business Briefs Column.
September 8, 2003... Sep. 8--IMI FINDS NEW FIZZ IN HEALTHIER DRINKS: Chilled Lipton tea dispensers are starting to replace fizzy drinks machines in health conscious US fast-food restaurants, claims engineering group IMI, one of the world's leading suppliers of...

Developer of Residential Project in Wembley, England, Warned of Side Effects.
September 8, 2003... Byline: Robert Lea Sep. 8--A massive Richard Rogers-designed residential development in Wembley could see the new UKpound 750 million National Stadium engulfed in a vast housing estate, locals are warning. The company masterminding the...

Britain's Top Economic Official to Make Speech to Trades Union Congress.
September 8, 2003... Byline: Jane Padgham Sep. 8--Gordon Brown bursts back on to the public stage tomorrow with a speech to the Trades Union Congress annual conference in Brighton. In his start-of-term report on the economy, a relaxed Chancellor, fresh from...

Evening Standard, London, Anthony Hilton Column.
September 8, 2003... Byline: Anthony Hilton Sep. 8--There is probably no more formidable lobbying machine in the world than the New York Stock Exchange. For 20 years while in every other developed country stock markets have been forced by the impact of...

Evening Standard, London, Market Report Column.
September 8, 2003... Sep. 8--Share prices recovered from a slow start to begin nudging back towards their highest level in more than a year. Further signs of an improvement in manufacturing and industrial output provided the inducement to lure buyers back into...