EBEX APRIL 08 AW ALTS.indd - European Business Express

Transcription

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FLIRTING WITH MONARCHY
In this issue:
PORTO - CITY GUIDE
FINLAND - COUNTRY REPORT
ALAIN DUCASSE - PROFILE
ITALY MILITARY CONTRACT - LAW
27 EUROPEAN MARKETS: BUSINESS, POLITICS, CULTURE & EVENTS
Issue: April - May 2008
COVER STORY:
Europe is Flirting
with a New Monarchy
In This Edition
News
Contents:
4 - 16
Features
p.4
Silvio Burlusconi
Porto, Capital of the North
17
City Guide
Spain, Finland, Portugal, Estonia
18 - 21
Country Reports
Three Flavours of Alain Ducasse
p.18
Jose Zapatero
In the 21st Century, our tendency is to glamorise the ascendency of kings. In reality, European kings and
queens acquired their thrones through bloody coups, and horrific wars. The Principality of Monaco, for
example, was firmly established by the Grimaldis with a swift, ruthless assault on the region’s unfortunate
rulers. Little more than a gang of Mafiosi, the Grimaldis created a tidy monarchy, which prospered with
the noble trades of obscure finances and gambling – how very Gambino. Even some of the founders of the
American constitution favoured a form of monarchy – every family needs a boss!
European Business Profile
23
Cafe Majestic
Great Cafes of Europe
Europe loves a monarch. Forget Paris. The real story’s in Chicago. Take a talented, ambitious young man, or
woman, teach the star how to ‘Razzle, dazzle ‘em’, put them on a stage, cue lights, and you’ve got real political action. Want a monarchy instead of a politician? Take the razzle-dazzle recipe and add foreign policy.
So when Carla Bruni-Sarkozy accompanied her husband to London recently, sat beside the Queen of England, and addressed a public meeting with the British Prime Minister’s wife, Carla trumped the resilient
Roxy with a global display of pomp and new circumstance.
22
The Italian Property Market
24
European Investment Property
p.22
Alain Ducasse
The Loftlands, Berlin
25
European Investment Property
Public Sector Contract Bidding
26
European Law
28
Brussels Briefing
p.25
Fergal Creed
European Lobby Report
Lifestyle Brands - Culti
Gentlemen, Rogues and Spies, in Black Tie
In France, a new monarchy has been born which could one day rival the Clinton staying power. Carla is the
magician’s cloak, obscuring the failings of her prince, Sarko, for a time. Then watch as Sarko reinvigorates
his presidency, rebuilds the political programme he set out.
p.28
Peter Mandelson
Voltaire, the French philosopher and satirist, who lived close to the Élysée Palace, said: “Love is a canvas
furnished by Nature and embroidered by imagination.” There is no doubt that Sarkozy experienced a natural
attraction to Carla Bruni, but with such a canvas they have together begun embroidering the public imagination. It seems that in today’s consumer-driven culture, we allow the creation not just of political dynasties,
but of a new-style monarchy, ‘monarchy-lite’.
30
Innovative Brands Series
p.36
News Briefs by Country
41 - 61
Events - Business & Cultural
62 - 63
Contact Information:
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p.40
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36
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3
Spain’s inflation rate in
March rose to the highest
in more than 12 years on
record oil prices and rising
food costs.
“Did you
miss me?”
Silvio’s back, just in
case you didn’t know.
Following the collapse
of Italian Premier,
Romano Prodi’s coalition, Berlusconi, ‘The
Hair Apparent’, continued with his march
back to power; not
that he’d ever really
been out of power.
Consumer prices gained
4.6 percent from a year ago
using the European Union’s
calculation method, the
Madrid-based National Statistics Institute said in an emailed statement today.
Santander Crowned
Best Global Retail Bank
S
panish retail banking
leader, Santander, was
crowned Best Global
Retail Bank at the prestigious
Retail Banker International
Global Awards in London.
Santander, which was nominated in six categories, also
won the hotly contested award
for M&A Deal of the Year.
“Santander's performance as
well as activities such as the
strategic sale of Banca Antonveneta in the aftermath of the
ABN AMRO deal was truly
outstanding in a year where
many of its peers posted results
ranging from flat to dire,” remarked Hugh Fasken, Editor
of Retail Banker International.
Santander's profits were up 19
percent compared with 2006
and its focus on technology and
cost controls has allowed it to
4
reduce its efficiency ratio to 44
percent.
JP Morgan Chase, Standard
Chartered and UniCredit, each
won regional award for retail
banking excellence while Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan
Chase, received the award for
CEO/Chairman of the Year. Dimon was a convincing winner
of the category even without
the high-profile deal to acquire
Bear Stearns, says Fasken. Under his stewardship, Fasken
points out, Chase has performed
well in a difficult year, notably
avoiding the need to attract infusions of international capital
to shore up its Tier 1 capital.
The Retail Banker International Awards honour innovation and leadership in the global
retail banking industry.
Spain's 12 Year
Inflation High
by Ben Sills
A surge in oil and food prices
is driving up inflation across
Europe even as economic
growth cools. European
Central Bank governing
council member Axel Weber described price gains
across the euro region at the
beginning of April as "alarming." The price of crude oil
touched a record $111.80 a
barrel in New York on March
17. Droughts in Australia,
Canada and the Ukraine are
pushing up the price of food
commodities including wheat
and soybeans.
Spain’s economic growth is
set to slow to 2.7 percent this
year from 3.8 percent in 2007,
according to the European
Commission.
Norway’s Nimsoft Acquires
Indicative Software
N
orwegian based firm,
Nimsoft, Inc., the
“Big 4” alternative for
IT performance and availability
monitoring solutions, has announced that it has acquired Indicative Software to add business
service management (BSM) and
end-user response time monitoring capabilities to its widely
accepted solutions for network
monitoring, server monitoring,
database monitoring, application monitoring and service level
management (SLM). “As a current Indicative customer, we
already benefit from a strong
service delivery offering. The
m e r g e r
brings together two
complementary
technologies and offers us the opportunity to draw on a broader IT
service delivery portfolio to
meet our future requirements.
We believe that the combined
resources of Nimsoft and Indicative will continue to deliver
value to organizations such as
ours and other enterprises,”
said David Doherty, IS director
of Easynet, an international networks and hosting company.
O’Leary
Waits in
Departure Area
Michael OʼLeary has said his
departure date as chief executive officer of Ryanair Holdings
Plc, Europeʼs biggest discount
airline, is "a moveable feast,"
seeking to damp speculation
that he might leave this year.
"Iʼve always said Iʼll leave
within two or three years,"
OʼLeary said today at a
Sharon Stone’s Sorbonne
US actress, Sharon Stone delivers a speech during the annual forum cultural, economic,
science and politics debates at the Sorbonne University in Paris.
news conference in Dublin.
"Eventually Iʼll be right." The
47-year-old former tax consultant joined the airline in 1988.
"There are two things Iʼd like
to have addressed before I
think itʼs appropriate to go,"
said OʼLeary, who remarked
at one point during the news
conference he may go "on and
on." "One, Iʼd like to sort out
the Dublin airport monopoly,
and two, the regulatory environment at
Stansted airport," Ryanairʼs main London
base.
Wizz Air
Strengthens Its
Leadership in
Poland
Wizz Air remains the largest
low cost airline in Poland. In
2007 the airline carried 2.8
million passengers on its Polish routes, 33% more that in
2006. The Company currently
holds 35% of the Polish LCC
market and its leadership will
further strengthen in the course
of the summer.
On a press conference in Warsaw today the carrier said it
was committed to a further
growth in Poland and will
achieve its goal through opening new routes and bases,
increasing frequencies on existing routes and putting more
aircraft into its Polish bases.
As a matter of fact Wizz Air
already committed 3 of its 6
brand new Airbus A320s to
Katowice, Gdansk and Poznan.
The Company will have 12
aircraft operating in Poland in
2008. By basing an aircraft in
Poznan, Wizz Air will be opening its newest (7th) base on 31
January. As far as the route development is concerned, Wizz
Air has already announced 14
new routes to be started in the
first half of 2008. More news
will be announced shortly.
HRG Expands Corporate Services Into Tunisia
H
ogg Robinson Group
(HRG), the international corporate services company, has announced
that Tunis-based Fides Voyages
has joined the HRG worldwide
network as its dedicated Partner
in Tunisia.
Joining HRGʼs MEWA (Middle East & West Asia) region,
Fides Voyages will trade as
HRG Tunisia. Founded in 1996
in recognition of the growing
need to provide business travel
related services in the country,
Fides Voyages now focuses exclusively on corporate travel
and events & meetings management. Tunisia is now looking to
create additional opportunities
for growth through broader privatisation and increased foreign
investment.
‘Get Corporation
Tax Lower’, Hears
NI Assembly
Committee
T
he Institute of Chartered Accountants in
Ireland (ICAI) has
called on the Assemblyʼs Finance and Personnel Committee to continue to pressurise the British Government
to grant Northern Ireland a
reduced rate of corporation
tax.
Giving evidence to the
Committee the President of
ICAI, Vincent Sheridan, said
it was low corporate tax rates
that provided the vital stimulus for foreign direct investment in the Republic of Ireland over the past decade and
that foreign direct investment
will be key in Northern Ireland if the economy is to grow
and reduce itʼs dependency
on GB.
Eamon Donaghy, ICAI
Addressing the Committee, Mr Sheridan said: “ICAI
contend that there are no significant legal or fiscal impediments to the introduction of a
12.5% rate and that the British Government should move
now to provide Northern Ireland with the means to grow
its own economy."
5
Smyth & Gibson Gets Shirty
I
to meet increasing market de- of work. They can then choose
nvest Northern Ireland today
the design and fabric as well as
welcomed plans by Belfast mand.
based shirtmakers Smyth
Richard Gibson, Founder of cuff and collar options so the
& Gibson, to expand into new Smyth & Gibson said: “The shirt is unique to them. The final
export markets with the help of Made-to-Measure and Custom handmade product is delivered
a new online bespoke shirtmak- Grade facilities are a new ele- within two weeks, with personal
ing service developed as part of
ment of our unique, high qual- details held on file to facilitate
a £500,000 investment.
ity product offering. It allows repeat orders.
“Building on the success of
The 22 year old firm is al- customers to enjoy the luxury of
these product offerings,
ready renowned for high
the new online ordering
quality shirtmaking censystem, developed in
tred at its store on Bedassociation with Tibus,
ford Street in Belfast.
will take elements of
It has now developed a
our custom services
new custom grade shirt
to clients around the
facility which will be
world.”
launched online to cuswww.smythandgibtomers around the world
on 1st November and is
son.com will open up
expected to double turnnew export markets
particularly in Great
over by 2009.
Smyth & Gibson are one of only a few hand-made shirt
Britain and the RepubInvest NI has been
makers still manufacturing in the UK
working closely with the
lic of Ireland, whilst
company which recently
strengthening the
established a specialised Smyth a bespoke product at an afford- Smyth & Gibson brand. In ad& Gibson shirtmaking facility in able price.
dition, more than 1500 ready to
the North West, a move that has
“We take the measurements of wear products will be available
expanded the firmʼs workforce each individual customer – often to worldwide customers.
of highly skilled seamstresses travelling to their home or place
New World Trade
Centre Initiative
Launched
The logo for World Trade
Centre Belfast was revealed recently at an event
hosted by Belfast City
Council, the license holders for the WTC Belfast
brand. Designed by local
company Albino Branding and Design, the logo
reflects the aspirations of
World Trade Centre Belfast
to support the growth of
world class companies
from the region.
6
Trampoline
Systems
launches
world’s first
organisational
intelligence and
diagnostics tool
Trampoline Systems, the enterprise social computing pioneer,
today announces SONAR Flightdeck, the worldʼs first organisational intelligence and diagnostics tool for managers. SONAR
Flightdeck provides strategic
intelligence about the informal
networks that power organisations so managers can make better, more informed decisions,
faster. It brings groundbreaking
network analysis techniques to
business managers to expose the
Valence Technology Signs Zero
Emission Supply Agreement
V
alence Technology
has announced it has
entered into a contract
with The Tanfield Group Plc
(LSE: TAN) to manufacture
and supply safe, Lithium Phosphate energy storage systems
to power zero emission, allelectric commercial delivery
vehicles.
The Valence battery systems
will be installed in leadingedge vans and trucks produced
by Tanfieldʼs UK-based trading division, Smith Electric
Vehicles, the worldʼs largest
manufacturer of electric vans
and trucks.
The company has its headquarters in Austin, Texas, and facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mallusk, Northern Ireland and Suzhou, China. Under the agreement, Tanfield will purchase
up to $70 million of Valence
products in the contractʼs first
social networks and information
flows contained within everyday
electronic communications.
phase and Valence has already
received a firm purchase order
for the first calendar quarter.
The agreement will also result
in Tanfield becoming the first
volume customer for Valenceʼs
third generation Lithium Phosphate EpochTM technology, a
battery system equipped with
an advanced management system that monitors and automatically adjusts cell performance
so battery packs operate at their
optimum performance capacity.
Epoch benefits include a failsoft capability that is designed
to eliminate system failure
caused by a single cell.
Charles Armstrong, Chief Executive Officer of Trampoline Systems, says, “SONAR Flightdeck
extends the scope of Enterprise
Social Computing by bringing
the specialised techniques of organisational network analysis to
business users."
"It derives vital intelligence
from the millions of fragments
of electronic information flowing around an organisation and
presents it in interactive visualisations. SONAR Flightdeck
reveals the strategic insight that
has long been locked inside everyday communications.”
Qualcomm Driving
Collaboration, Productivity
and Efficiency via
Telepresence
Q
ualcomm recently announced that it will be integrating
state of the art Teliris telepresence technology into its
R&D program to help drive employee collaboration, productivity and efficiency.
The trial program, which will utilise Telirisʼs VirtuaLiveTM
Modular Systems, is designed to foster deeper integration and increased communication between engineers at its headquarters and
research facilities.
Barbara Noerenberg, vice president of corporate R&D program
management, Qualcomm, comments, “Research and development
are cornerstones of Qualcommʼs long history of technology innovation, and collaboration among our various remote locations has
been an important part of our success.
“Telirisʼ telepresence solutions provide us with a new layer of
communications that will help us bridge the geographic gaps and
work more closely across our offices.”
A New Welcome to
George Best
The trial program, which will utilise Teliris’s VirtuaLiveTM Modular
Systems, is designed to foster deeper integration and increased
communication between engineers at its headquarters and research
facilities.
BlueBiz, KLM’s
Corporate Loyalty
Program, Welcomes
25,000th Member
KLM BlueBiz program
manager Joanne Oram recently welcomed JF Prior
Consult to the BlueBiz program - the enrolment of the
25,000th company. More
than 2,500 UK companies
have now joined the BlueBiz
program, which is active in
over 60 countries worldwide.
Paul Rombeek, director
of KLM Customer Relationship Management said: “It
really is fantastic to welcome
the 25,000th member within
five years of BlueBizʼ launch.
More and more companies
Welcome Centre Travel Advisor Sarah Gibson was
offering a warm welcome to visitors arriving at the George
Best Belfast City Airport at the launch of the airport’s new
tourist information centre along with Kieran Rogan, Chairman
of the Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau, Councillor Michael
Browne, Chair of Belfast City Council’s Development
Committee, Tom McGrath, NITB Chairman and George Best
Belfast City Airport Chief Executive, Brian Ambrose at the
opening of the new tourist information centre.
The new information centre is being run by the Belfast Visitor
and Convention Bureau and is designed to welcome visitors
as soon as they step off the plane with tourist information,
assistance with onward travel arrangements, accommodation
and event bookings and advice on dining out.
8
Frankfurt Airtec
Attracts UK Aerospace Delegates
Key players in the aerospace sector will participate in
AIRTEC, a major aerospace
trade show in Frankfurt on
23-26 October.
Eight firms and representatives from the Northern
Ireland Technology Centre
that fly regularly with KLM
or participating partners are
finding their way to BlueBiz,
which allows them to earn
free flights for their company.”
For more info: www.klm.
com/bluebiz
Above: KLM BlueBiz, program manager
Joanne Oram recently welcomes JF
Prior Consult to the BlueBiz program.
at Queenʼs University Belfast
will participate in AIRTEC, a
major aerospace trade show
in Frankfurt on 23-26 October. During the show, local
business people and academics will have meetings with
key potential customers and
industry influencers.
For more information:
www.airtec.aero/english/theairtec/index.html
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City Bonus Boost Sees Private Jet Bookings Soar
H
unt&Palmer, one of
the worldʼs leading
providers of air charter
solutions is reporting a peak in
executive jet bookings, follow-
Number of Property
Millionaires Almost
Doubled in Three
Years
According to the latest research from Hamptons International, one of the UKʼs premier residential estate agents,
the number of its UK property
millionaires has nearly doubled
in the last three years. Figures
reveal that 21% of properties
were sold in excess of £1million during 2008 (year to date),
compared to just 12% in 2006.
ing the announcement of £7 billion in bonuses in London City
and Canary Wharf.
From a weekend heli-skiing
in Chamonix combined with
a dose of winter sun onboard
a luxury yacht in St Tropez,
Hunt&Palmer is well positioned
to provide bespoke tailor-made
In addition, whilst the number of property millionaires in
London remains high overall, a
year-on-year comparison across
UK regions reveals a lower percentage rise in the number of
new London property millionaires. The West Country has
witnessed the greatest increase
in the number of applicants
seeking properties over £1million, with almost two and a half
times (134%) as many applicants in Q1 2008, compared to
the first quarter of 2007. The
Hamptons research compares
the number of millionaires
across its network since 2006
year-on-year and identifies the
top millionaire ʻhotspotsʼ.
Zapatero Depletes
Surplus as Housing
Shakeout Reduces
EU Growth
Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spain’s
prime minister, celebrates with supporters after winning the general election in Madrid, Spain, in March. Jose
Luis Rodriguez Zapatero was reelected
Spanish prime minister after promising tax cuts and increased benefits
to voters facing rising unemployment
and slower economic growth. Photo:
Markel Redondo/Bloomberg
10
Reporting by Ben Sills
Miguel Angel Lopez and Virginia Pardo watched the steady
rise of interest rates last year as
they expected their first child
and wondered whether they
would be able to keep up with
the mortgage on their two-bedroom Madrid apartment.
Then the government introduced a 2,500 euro ($3,947)
payment for each newborn, the
first in a series of benefits and
itineraries. This is possible
through their unparalleled access to a huge range of modern wide-bodied luxury jets,
private yachts and exclusive
villas.
“The City Bonus payout period is always a peak time for
us and we are accustomed to
dealing with lavish requests as
individuals seek to outdo their
peers,” commented Jamie Martin, Hunt&Palmer Director of
Corporate Development.
More information: www.huntandpalmer.com
Laird Makes MKB
Senior Team
Above: MKB Russells Solicitors has
just announced the appointment of
Catherine Laird to its senior legal
team.Catherine Laird has recently
been appointed as a solicitor within
the firm’s expanding litigation department. She graduated from the
University of Dundee in 2002 with
a LLB Honours Degree and was
admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Judicature in Northern Ireland in September 2006.
tax breaks aimed at cushioning the impact as Europeʼs biggest housing boom shudders
to a halt. Permits to build new
homes, which peaked in 2006 at
734,978, two-thirds more than
Germany and the U.K. together,
will drop to 500,000 this year
from 675,000 in 2007, according to Banco Bilbao Vizcaya
Argentaria SA, Spainʼs No. 2
lender.
"Lots of people may have
to stop paying their mortgages
if rates keep increasing," says
Pardo, a 29-year-old homemaker whose husband makes
about 1,000 euros a month as a
Mimix Wins
Satellite Success
Mimix Broadband has secured major export success
following an investment of
almost £700,000 backed by
Invest Northern Ireland.
Research and Development
support from Invest NI helped
the company, formerly known
as Celeritek UK, to develop
a range of high-tech power
amplifiers for use in satellite
phones. The company has
also secured sales of various power amplifiers to other
major telecoms firms, including Siemens, Ericsson and
Alcatel.
The power amplifiers are
small electronic components
that enable satellite phones to
work in any part of the world,
linking them to a network of
orbiting satellites. Satellite
phones are primarily used in
parts of the world where conventional mobile phones cannot operate and are used by a
diverse range of customers.
More information: www.mimixbroadband.com
warehouse manager. "This will
give us room to breathe," she
says, cradling their 2-day-old
daughter, Ainhoa.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, whose Socialist Party retained control
of parliament in March 9 elections, is increasing government
spending to avoid a real estate
fire sale. In a country with an 86
percent home ownership rate,
highest in the 15-nation euro
region, the collapsing housing
market is already slowing the
economy. Growth will dwindle
to 2.5 percent this year from 3.8
percent in 2007.
Multi-Channel Exports for
Lucid Interactive
L
ucid Interactive Limited,
a Derry city-based specialist in multi-channel
retail systems, is investing almost £250,000 in a new business
plan to expand sales in export
markets. The expansion is being assisted by Invest Northern
Ireland.
The investment was announced by Brendan Doherty,
Lucid Interactive Managing Director.
The company currently employs five software developers.
Outlining the expansion, Mr
Doherty said: "Sellernet is the
only system on the market that
enables retailers to manage and
sell their products in marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon
and Play.com as well as their
own websites
and has the
added advantage of a comprehensive retail system to
manage customersʼ traditional bricks
and mortar retail outlets.
"These marketplaces and
Sellernet is the only system on the market that encustomersʼ
ables retailers to manage and sell their products in
own websites
marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon and Play.com as
well as their own websites.
provide retailers with a
prices in multiple marketplaces
much needed boost in unit sales,
whilst our unique intelligent and re-prices products to ensure
pricing component automati- the highest sales levels at the opcally compares our customersʼ timal margin."
product prices with competitorsʼ
Italy’s Output
Slowed
Italy’s national statistics office
said industrial output there declined in February as the worsening economic outlook choked
demand for manufactured products.
At the same time, inflation in
the euro region will accelerate
to 2.8 percent this year before
slowing to 1.9 percent next year,
just below the European Central Bank’s 2 percent target, the
Washington-based institution
also said.
However, Industrial production in France unexpectedly
climbed for a third month in
February on higher consumer
spending and record exports.
Production at factories and
utilities, which accounts for 15
percent of the economy, rose
0.3 percent from January, when
it gained a revised 0.6 percent,
the national statistics bureau,
Insee, said today in Paris. Economists expected no change,
the median of 25 forecasts
in a Bloomberg News survey
showed.
12
Ritz-Carlton
Launches Short
Films At Electric
Cinema
I
n an innovative joint partnership, The Ritz-Carlton
and American Express are
launching a trio of short films
to reach a new demographic of
Ritz-Carlton consumers. The
films are written and filmed by
Anonymous Content; the studio
that produced hit movies Babel and Eternal Sunshine of the
Spotless Mind. The films aim
to contemporise and bring relevance to The Ritz-Carlton brand
by working in the innovative medium of film.
The Ritz-Carlton is the first
hotel company to debut short
films and will tie the movies to
unique experiential travel offers
and packages from American
Express. Directed by rising star
Shyam Madiraju, the first film
can be viewed currently online,
with the second and third films
to be posted on 1st April and 1st
June, respectively, with complementary packages synchronized
to run for the period over which
each film is highlighted on www.
ritzcarltonfilms.com.
The films will be shown on
in-room televisions, the American Express website and through
www.ritzcarltonfilms.com. They
include: “Heads or Tails” (two
very competitive men get into
an escalating game of one-upmanships, with an outcome that
neither expected) “The Delay”
(a womanʼs delayed flight causes
her to miss the concert of favourite singer/songwriter, Duncan
Sheik. Fate, however, makes it a
night to remember). “Last Night”
(a manʼs last night before his
wedding
includes
an encounter with a
beautiful,
mystery
woman).
HRG Report
Shows Strong
Hotel Growth
Despite difficult market conditions and ongoing concerns
over the global credit crunch,
Hogg Robinson Group (HRG)’s
full year hotel survey reports
strong rate growth in 2007
across key global cities. Reflecting the increasing importance of the emerging economies, Moscow was highlighted
as the most expensive destination worldwide for the third
consecutive year, with the Russian capital posting a staggering 93% rise in average hotel
rates since 2004.
Other trends noted by the
international corporate services
company include:
• US market reported mixed
results, in part due to weak
dollar exchange rate and
economic concerns, particu
larly in the last quarter. New
York retained its position as
the second most expensive
city worldwide
• All international markets
outside the US demonstrated
steady average room rate
growth
• India continues to exhibit
exceptional growth potential
with its financial capital
Mumbai achieving a 37%
average room rate increase
- the highest of any city
surveyed
• Some companies are adding
serviced apartments to their
accommodation mix as an
option for long stays with the
average length of stay
standing at 7.25 nights in
2007
BiancaMed Develops Unique
Healthcare Technology
Unique healthcare technology is being developed by NovaUCD firm
BiancaMed at its new
R&D centre in Belfast.
I
nvest NI has offered
£250,000 towards the set
up of the research and
development centre at the
Queenʼs University, Institute of
Electronics, Communications
and Information Technology
(ECIT).
BiancaMedʼs core product
is a unique wireless sensor that
can detect breathing and heart
rate up to a distance of two metres. The first application for
the technology is a baby monitor, but it will be developed
further for use in other applications with life-saving potential,
such as home health and exercise monitors. The technology
Europe Get Ready!
Bartering Set To
Boost Bottom Line
B
artercard Australia
was, at one stage, processing more individual transactions than American Express and Diners Card
combined – and looks set to
take the European market by
storm, with a shift in strategic direction to concentrate on
more familiar shores.
Bartercard International
has sold its inaugural Australian operation as a Licence operation for $25.5 million, after
14
will be launched at the 2007
Connected Health Symposium,
a major US international life
sciences event, organised by
Partners Healthcare, Boston,
from 22-23 October.
John Thompson Invest NIʼs
Director of Innovation, Research and Technology, says;
“This innovative technology
has the potential to add significant momentum to the drive in
modern healthcare towards effective care management for
chronic diseases. Through
direct application to products
as well as licensing it to other
companies, BiancaMed has the
potential to access a global market for its unique technology.”
Biancamed is headquartered
at NovaUCD the Innovation
and Technology Transfer Centre at UCD.
building it up to 58 offices and
25,000 businesses as members.
New age bartering was first
introduced into Australia in
1991, following a recession that
hit the country, and Bartercard was established. Within
two years it was dubbed the
'Recession Buster'.
Since launching its international license program 10
years ago, Bartercard now operates in 12 countries across
Asia and the Middle East. The
next two license operations to
commence are India and South
Africa. For more information:
www.bartercard.com
Conjungo Search
Engine Launched
For Business
Technologies
Technology supplier search
engine, Conjungo, was officially launched to radically
reduce online search times for
companies looking for local or
specialist suppliers of business technologies.
Conjungo, from the Latin
meaning ‘to unite’, already
has well over 15,000 technology suppliers listed. It is set to
become the first port of call for
anyone trying to find business
technology suppliers, particularly small and medium-sized
business owners .
The Conjungo Team celebrate the
launch of their new supplier search
engine
"Conjungo does exactly
what vertical search should do
– deliver meaningful results."
GE Money Chief Cary Pursues Growth in
Poland, India By Rachel Layne
General Electric Co. is divesting consumer-finance businesses
in the U.K. and Germany and selling its U.S. corporate creditcard unit to concentrate on higher-margin areas and developing
markets, GE Moneyʼs chief executive said.
"This is a thoughtful effort to really, aggressively look at where
we make money, where we donʼt and
where we should have capital redeployed," said William Cary.
GE recently agreed to sell its corporate
charge card unit to American Express
Co. for $1.1 billion. It also agreed to
swap GE Money units in Germany and
the U.K. to Spainʼs Banco Santander
SA in exchange for Italian commercial
lender Interbanca, which is valued at
William Car y, CEO, GE Money
1 billion euros ($1.58 billion).
Bartercard is used by 250,000 businesses worldwide. It was dubbed the
'Recession Buster'
Dutch Foreign Trade Minister Visits NI
D
utch Foreign Trade
Minister Heemskerk
and Ambassador
Waldeck recently visited Northern Ireland.
Minister Heemskerk was the
first Dutch politician to visit
Northern Ireland after the new
regional government took office in May 2007 and he was accompanied by the largest group
of Dutch industrialists (25) ever
to visit the region.
The Ministerial delegation
and Dutch companies availed
of the newly launched Aer Lin-
American Express
Business Travel’s
‘Loves and Hates’
Survey
Despite growing environmental concerns and advances in communications
technology, American Express Business Travel reveals
that for many European
employees, business travel
remains an integral part of
working life. American Express Business Travelʼs latest
ʻLoves and Hatesʼ survey revealed that 93% of frequent
travellers expect to travel on
business as frequently, if not
more than they did in 2007.
Whereas ten years ago
business travel was perhaps considered the reserve
of board directors and high
flying executives, it has now
become much less of a status
symbol and more a corporate
necessity in order to attend
training (46%), conferences
and seminars (46%) and conduct client meetings across
the globe (43%).
The survey further ex-
Europe’s Inflation, Labor-Costs Accelerate
European consumer prices and wages rose more than economists forecast, leaving the European Central Bank with little
room to lower interest rates.
Consumer-price inflation
year-over-year change
Labor cost index
year-over-year change
3.5%
3.0%
3.0
2.5
2.5
2.0
2.0
1.5
1.5
1.0
1.0
0.5
0.5
0.0
0.0
F M A M J J A S O N D J F
‘07
‘08
16
4Q
‘06
1Q
2Q
3Q
‘07
4Q
gus direct route between Amsterdam and Belfast, and were
shuttled to Stormont Buildings
in a Wrightbus double deck bus
– in itself an example of NI-NL
cooperation.
The visit to Stormont included meetings with First
Minister Ian Paisley, Deputy
First Minister Martin McGuinness and counterpart Minister
Nigel Dodds of the Department
of Economy, Trade and Investment who briefed the delegation on economic progress in
the province.
plores what motivates business travellers and what they
like and dislike about travelling in general. It also reveals
the truth about corporate
travel policy and compliance.
The findings are from a survey of 500 European business
travellers, conducted by independent research company,
Loudhouse.
Travel Broadens The Mind
Almost two thirds (63%) of
business travellers admit they
enjoy travelling on business
and interestingly satisfaction levels rise amongst those
who travel abroad more frequently, with 76% of people
who fly more than ten times
a year claiming to relish the
experience.
Minister Heemskerk was the
keynote speaker at the Northern Ireland Netherlands Trade
and Export Society New Years
Dinner at Hillsborough Castle
which celebrated Trade Partnerships developed between Northern Ireland and the Netherlands
over the last number of years.
The dinner, hosted by Ambassador Waldeck, was attended
by 70 Dutch and Northern Irish
businesses directly involved in
bilateral trade between the two
regions.
Conway Gains Legal
Appointment
Maria Conway has been appointed
to MKB Russells Solicitors senior
legal team.
Maria Conway has recently been
appointed a Partner in the firm.
She specialises in all property matters with a particular interest in the
acquisition and leasing of licensed
premises. A past student of both
the University of Ulster and Queens
University Belfast, she was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme
Court of Judicature in Northern
Ireland in May 2005 and holds a
First Class Honours degree in Law
and Government.
Upaid Opens New Technical
Development Centre
O
nline and mobile
payments specialist, Upaid, has announced the formation of its
Unified Development Group.
The new endeavour brings
together the companyʼs existing technical development
groups, currently based in the
UK, France and Brazil.
The Brazil-based Unified
Development Group will provide streamlined, efficient
and rationalized development
operations to customers and
business partners worldwide.
Account management and
customer support operations
for Upaidʼs European, Middle East and Africa business
will remain centred in the UK
or in-country.
For more information: www.
upaid.net.
Porto
City Guide
T
he principal urban centre of northern Portugal and the countryʼs second largest city, Oporto is wellknown for its exquisite cultural heritage.
On a daily basis, more than a million people
make this bustling “capital of the north”
their workplace, which adds a very special
vitality and energy to the city.
After its year of being designated European Capital of Culture, the city of Oporto
continues to attract international tourists
thanks to its architectural jewel, the Casa da
Música, a unique and magnificent concert
hall which is part of that privileged circuit of
distinguished cultural landmarks that cannot
be missed.
The brainchild of Rem Koolhaas and
erected in the Boavista neighbourhood of the
city, this astounding and exceptional modern building is reminiscent of a diamond in
the rough, with its large irregular sides and
smooth surfaces. Without question, the Casa
da Música has become a must for any visitor
to the north of Portugal.
The space itself will fascinate not only those
who love music, but those who are passionate
about architecture. The Casa da Música blends
together superior technical and acoustical conditions and is the heir to the musical traditions
of the city of Oporto begun at the end of the
19th century, offering a multifaceted series of
programmes of great notoriety.
Should you have some time and wish to
acquaint yourself with what Porto has to
offer, we suggest a one day tour through the
Historical Centre.
"On a daily basis, more
than a million people
make this bustling
“capital of the north”
their workplace."
Begin in the shopping area whose hallmark is the Rua de Santa Catarina (street).
In this area you will find a large and varied
selection of shops, some of which are of Art
Nouveau architectural style. Of these, be
sure to appreciate the greatest achievement
of this artistic movement; the Café Magestic. Here you can drink a “cimbalino”, the
name given a traditional coffee, and taste
the cityʼs confectionery.
Descend the Avenida dos Aliados (avenue) where you should not miss the Câmara
Municipal (Municipal Council Hall) of an
architectural style dating from the beginning of the 20thC.
Descend towards the Ribeira (riverbank)
by the Escadas das Verdades (The Steps of
the Truths) from which you can observe
a notable view of the Ponte Dom Luís
(bridge). Then walk through the Barredo
quarter.
The Casa do Infante, an archaeological centre and museum in a building with mediaeval foundations, is an obligatory stop. It was
where the great impeller of the Portuguese
Discoveries, Prince Henry the Navigator,
was born in 1394. In the Centro Regional
de Artes Tradicionais (Regional Centre of
Traditional Arts) in the very heart of the
Ribeira, you can acquaint yourself with the
handicrafts of the north. Then climb up to
the Praça Infante Dom Henrique (square) to
visit the Palácio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange
Palace).
In Rua Ferreira Borges (street) you will
find the old market building, now an exhibition hall whose ironwork architecture is
worthy of admiration.
End your tour by climbing the 240 steps
of the Torre dos Clérigos, one of the viewing points that provides one with a global
view of the mediaeval city.
Launched to coincide with the signing of the Treaty of Lisbon by the European Unionʼs
27 member states - this campaign promotes Portugal as a whole, including its tourism
and cultural offer, exports, investment attraction, technical capacity, innovation and
creative force. Café Savoy
17
Spain
"In Spain there's the king - and then there's
Antonio." Melanie Griffith
Madrid
Helsinki
Positive,
And Negative
Here's Looking At You
Come Fly With Me
Baltic Exchange
Steel Yourself
Downloading Contracts
Slippery Slope
Spain's Prime Minister Jose
Luis Rodriguez Zapatero gives a
speech in the southern village of
Almonte.
economic slowdown and have
adverse effects on the public
finances. The government accounts have been strongly in surplus, but are likely to deteriorate
because of an expansionary fiscal
policy and weaker revenue growth
as the economy slows.
A program broadcast by the
channel Cuatro is shown on televisions for sale in an electronics
store in Bilbao. Promotora de
Informaciones SA, Spain's largest
publicly traded media company,
offered 2 billion euros ($2.87 billion) for the 53 percent stake it
doesn't own in Sogecable SA, the
nation's biggest pay-television
operator.
Fernando Conte, chairman and
chief executive officer of Iberia
Lineas Aereas de Espana SA
reacts during celebrations of
Iberia's 80th anniversary, at
Cuatro Vientos aerodrome, near
Madrid, Spain. Iberia, Spain's
biggest airline, said passenger traffic rose 5.2 percent in
November compared with a year
earlier, boosted by services to
Latin America.
People shop in a KappAhl store
in Helsinki, Finland. KappAhl
Holding AB, a Nordic clothes
retailer, plans to buy rival Lindex
AB for 7.01 billion kronor ($1.03
billion), creating a company
with 589 stores across Sweden,
Norway and Finland and establishing entry to the Baltic states.
The Ruukki sign hangs outside the Rautaruukki offices in
Helsinki, Finland. Rautaruukki
Oyj, Finland's biggest carbonsteel maker, dropped the most in
more than two months in Helsinki
trading after reporting thirdquarter profit below analysts'
forecasts.
The Nokia 6300 phone displayed
at the Nokia news conference in
Helsinki, Finland. BYD and rivals
including Foxconn International
Holdings Ltd. won more orders
from Nokia last year, as the
Finnish company farms out more
production of casings and keypads.
The newly built ski jump is
reflected in the goggles as
Finland's Janne Ahonen as he
prepares for the first practice
jump for the second event of the
Four-Hills ski jumping tournament
in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Photo: Päivi Väyrynen / Bloomberg
Source: Risto Laine/Ruukki
via Bloomberg News
Photo: Henrik Kettunen/Bloomberg News
Despite the economy's relative
solid footing significant downside
risks remain including Spain's
continued loss of competitiveness,
the potential for a housing market
collapse, the country's changing
demographic profile, and a decline
in EU structural funds.
This year, a decade-long property boom is coming to an end,
which will lead to a more general
Although Spanish companies will
continue to be acquisitive abroad,
the government will remain
inclined to lean on regulatory
authorities to impede any further
attempts by foreign companies to
take over national champions.
Photo: Markel Redondo/Bloomberg
News.
Photo: Daniel Sanchez/Bloomberg News
Inflation according to the national
measure has risen to an estimated average of 2.6% in 2006,
driven in part by higher housing
costs, but economists expect the
rate to ease back towards 2%
REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
REUTERS/Javier Barbancho
“In Finland, seasons
mark the progress of
the year with striking conspicuousness.
Summer is so
important that
almost the entire
country 'shuts down'
for the five or six
weeks that follow
Midsummer, in late
June...”
“Despite the
economy's relative
solid footing
significant downside risks remain
including Spain's
continued loss of
competitiveness...”
Reform
Unemployment
Mixed Progress
Risks
Geography
Competitiveness
Knowledge Economy
Innovation
Following his election victory,
Zapatero lived up to his promise to withdraw Spanish troops
from Iraq. He also embarked on
significant labour and economic
reforms, which have led to a drop
in unemployment. Social reforms
have been no less radical and
modernisation of central relations
with the autonomous communities continues.
Unemployment fell steadily under
the AZNAR administration but
remains high at 8.1%. Growth
averaging 3% annually during
2003-06 was satisfactory given
the background of a faltering
European economy.
The Socialist president, Zapatero,
has made mixed progress in carrying out key structural reforms,
which need to be accelerated
and deepened to sustain Spain's
strong economic growth.
Major industries: agriculture,
fishing, construction, wine,
cement, chemicals, engineering, petroleum refining, forestry and timber, iron and steel
automobiles,textiles, telecommunications
Forest cover about 75 per cent
of Finland, while bodies of water
- mainly lakes - cover almost
10 per cent. Finland is the most
heavily forested country in
Europe, with 23 million hectares
under forest cover. There are
approximately 190,000 lakes and
about 180,000 islands.
Since the start of the 21st century Finland has topped the
World Economic Forum’s (WEF)
competitiveness rankings three
times. It has also reaped rewards
for educational achievement,
coming first in the OECD’s PISA
(Programme for International
Student Assessment) rankings of
youth learning skills and educational attainment.
The core of the Finnish knowledge economy is the Nokia-driven ICT cluster. This cluster comprises about 6000 firms, including
300 first-tier subcontractors of
Nokia, responsible for digital
content provision and packing via
network infrastructure, equipment
manufacturing and operation to
end-user terminals and portals.
Benecol, the cholesterol-cutting margarine produced by the
Raisio Group, is an example
of successful collaboration
between academic and private
sector research. Professor Tatu
Miettinen and his team developed
a plant-derived stanol capable of
significantly reducing human cholesterol levels.
To advertise with European Business Express, contact our sales team:
Tel: + 44 (0) 28 9043 6677, or Email: [email protected]
Subscribe to European Business Express magazine and supplements: /subscribe.asp
18
Finland
"Digital Chocolate has 60% of its developers in Finland
where the sun never sets in the summer and there
is nothing to do outside in the winter, so we are very
productive!" - Trip Hawkins
Major trading partners: EU,
Japan, Latin America.
To contribute to European Business Express, contact our editorial team:
19
Portugal
Lisbon
"This is how everyone has to begin, men who have never
known a woman, women who have never known a man,
until the day comes for the one who knows to teach the
one who does not" - Jose Saramago, Portuguese novelist and man of let-
ters, 1998 Nobel Prize for Literature
Swap Shop
I Have One Already
Felipe's 'X' Factor
"... And The Tiger Said..."
Portugal has been at the forefront
of an accord between the EU and
African leaders pledging closer
cooperation in addressing poverty, countering terrorism and promoting good governance. In 2007
the government made substantial
progress in restructuring ministries and departments, although
resistance from public-sector
trade unions and from within the
civil service has meant that public
spending is above target, largely
because of higher than expected
personnel costs.
Slovenia's Foreign Affairs Minister
Dimitrij Rupel (R) receives a
European Union flag from his
Portuguese counterpart Luis
Amado (L) during a ceremony
in Funchal on Madeira island.
Slovenia heads the European
Union presidency from January,
until France takes over in July '08.
Portugal's soccer coach Luis
Felipe Scolari of Brazil gestures
during an "Aspire Africa. Football
Dreams" news conference at
the Aspire Academy of Sports
Excellence in Doh. "Aspire Africa.
Football Dreams" is a football talent search project that provides
African students from seven
nations with a chance to study
and train.
Portugal's Prime Minister Jose
Socrates addresses parliament
members about the EU-Treaty
at the Portuguese parliament in
Lisbon. Portugal will ratify the
Treaty of Lisbon to reform EU
institutions in parliament and
not through a referendum, Prime
Minister Socrates.
REUTERS/Duarte Sa
REUTERS/ Mohammad Youssef
Jose Socrates, will continue to
make some progress with implementing a wide-ranging reform
programme to raise growth prospects and reduce the fiscal deficit.
Tallinn
Fast Wage Growth
Nazis Glory Condemned
Private Consumption
Surge
Bubble Bursting Point
Juhan Parts, Estonia's minister
of economic affairs and communications, speaks in his office
in Tallinn, Estonia. Estonia's fast
wage growth has erased the
Baltic country's competitive edge
of low labor costs, and will force
it to invest more in education and
technology, Parts said earlier this
year.
Vladimir Putin, Russia's president, returns to an official group
dialogue sessions on day seven
of the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) meeting
in Sydney. Russian President
Vladimir Putin urged the
European Union to crack down
on the "glorification of Nazis'' in
Estonia and Latvia, two former
Soviet republics that joined the
bloc in 2004.
IIvari Padar, the Estonian finance
minister, poses in his office in
Tallinn, Estonia. Estonia's economy expanded an annual 11.2
percent in 2006, the second-fastest in the European Union, led by
private consumption.
John Bennett, investment director at GAM UK Ltd., poses in
London, U.K.. Bennett, who oversees GAM's $1.1 billion European
Equity Hedge Fund, says stock
prices in developing economies
are rising too quickly and the first
markets to burst will be those of
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
Photo: Timur Nisametdinov/Bloomberg
Photo: Timur Nisametdinov/Bloomberg
Photo: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg News
Photo:Jack Atley/Bloomberg News
REUTERS/Nacho Doce
Photo: Suzanne Plunkett/Bloomberg
News
“Finland 18.4%,
Sweden 12.4%,
Latvia 8.9%, Russia
8.1%, US 5.5%,
Germany 5.1%,
Lithuania 4.8%,
Gibraltar 4.7%” -
“When Napoleon's
army threatened
Portugal, the Royal
Family fled to Brazil
and ruled from Rio
de Janeiro where
they remained for
14 years. The
French were expelled in 1811,
with the help of the
English...”
Export Partners, 2006
Liberalisation
Growth and Education
Country
Country
Business Environment
History
Executive
Economy
Over the past two decades, successive governments have privatised many state-controlled firms
and liberalised key areas of the
economy, including the financial
and telecommunications sectors.
Economic growth had been
above the EU average for much
of the 1990s, but fell back in
2001-06. GDP per capita stands
at roughly two-thirds of the EU27 average. A poor educational
system, in particular, has been
viewed an obstacle to greater
productivity and growth.
Portugal has been increasingly
overshadowed by lower-cost
producers in Central Europe and
Asia as a target for foreign direct
investment. The budget deficit
surged to an all-time high of 6%
of GDP in 2005 but was reduced
to 4.6% in 2006.
On taking office in 2005 Prime
Minister Socrates, outlined
his key priorities as promoting growth and innovation, and
tackling unemployment, social
exclusion and poverty. Tough
goverment spending decisions
were required to keep Portugal
with the Eurozone's 3%-of-GDP
ceiling. A successful tenure of EU
presidency has helped.
With a flat-rate income tax, a
balanced budget maintained by
law, virtually no custom tariffs,
a currency board system, 100%
profit repatriation and foreign
ownership of land, Estonia is one
of the most successful, businessfriendly and rapidly developing
countries not only in all of the
Eastern and Central Europe
After centuries of Danish,
Swedish, German, and Russian
rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940. It
regained its freedom in 1991, with
the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Since the last Russian troops
left in 1994, Estonia has been
economically free. It joined both
NATO and the EU in the spring of
2004.
Chief of State: President Toomas
Hendrik ILVES (since 9 October
2006).
The economy benefits from
strong electronics and telecommunications sectors and is greatly influenced by developments in
Finland, Sweden, and Germany,
three major trading partners. The
current account deficit remains
high; however, the state budget is
essentially in balance, and public
debt is low.
20
Estonia
"I don't understand those wanna-be Maris Lauris and Hardo Pajulas (foremost analysts) who say that Estonia is no longer an attractive investment
country. That it doesn't pay to invest in Estonia, but it's worth investing in
Romania. It makes me scratch my head and ask why they continue investing in Finland and in Luxembourg." Andrus Ansip - current Prime Minister of Estonia
Head of Government: Prime
Minister Andrus ANSIP (since 12
April 2005).
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
appointed by the prime minister,
approved by Parliament.
21
Three Flavours
of Alain Ducasse
The French chef has new restaurants in
London, New York, and Paris, each with
a taste of his Michelin-star magic.
By Richard Vines
W
hen one of the most-celebrated
names in food opens a restaurant
in a luxurious setting, itʼs reasonable to expect memorable dining. Alain
Ducasse did that three times in three months,
and for the most part, he delivers.
Adour at the St. Regis Hotel in New York
is the newest. Located in a 1904 beaux-arts
landmark that overlooks Fifth Avenue, it
opened in January following Ducasseʼs London flagship at the Dorchester and Le Jules
Verne in the Eiffel Tower, 125 meters (410
feet) above Paris. In each case, the food is
modern with luxurious seasonal ingredients.
The differences are subtle.
“Itʼs the application of French technique
and the constant striving to source good produce, the quality ingredients of the country,”
Ducasse, 51, says through an interpreter during an interview at Adour. “In Paris, itʼs more
this; in London, itʼs more that. Itʼs my sensibility. If I had that view of all the dishes, only
I could know where to place them. And if I
scrambled them, no one would know which
was associated with which restaurant.”
At Adour, the room is gorgeous, the service
friendly, the dishes harmonious and beautifully executed. Ducasse has worked with
his executive chef, Tony Esnault, and wine
director Thomas Combescot to coordinate
food and drink. Some of the combinations
are unusual. For dessert, pear clafoutis with
caramel croustillant and honey ice cream is
matched with a pear cider.
The tasting menu, a good value at $110,
features dishes such as olive oil-poached
Chatham cod with bell pepper-white onion
pipérade and duck breast fillet with polenta,
shallots, radish, lemon and niçoise olives.
Thereʼs a cheaper menu at the bar, where a
computerized display guides you through
the wine list.
With 15 Michelin stars, Ducasse is second
only to fellow Frenchman Joël Robuchon,
with 18, according to Jean-Luc Naret, who
oversees the restaurant and hotel guides of
Clermont-Ferrand, France-based Michelin
& Cie. The Ducasse empire spans more
than 20 establishments, including Le Louis
22
XV at the Hôtel de
Paris in Monte Carlo
and Alain Ducasse
at Plaza Athénée
in Paris, both with
three stars. He publishes cookbooks,
and he runs a cookPascal Feraud, head chef, left, poses with Alain Ducasse, chef and restauing school. The
ranter, in the Jules Verne restaurant on the 2nd floor of the Eiffel Tower in
cooking he leaves to
Paris, France. There can be few restaurants in the world that are as exciting to
visit as Le Jules Verne. You go to the South Pillar of the Eiffel Tower, your name
his chefs, a practice
is checked and within a minute you’re in a private elevator heading skywards.
that Robuchon and
Englandʼs Gordon
Ramsay also follow. “I have a lot of friends
vated it before reopening in December. “Itʼs
who are in their kitchens every day, and their
like a childhood dream come true,” he said in
food isnʼt as good as in my restaurants,” a January interview. “Itʼs a great pleasure to
Ducasse says.
come here any time of day or at night.”
While this delegation works well for the
A starter of lobster, celeriac and black trufmost part, something seemed to be miss- fles with apple salad was fresh and appetizing at the Dorchester. Jocelyn Herland, the ing, as you might hope at 84 euros ($129).
former sous-chef at the Plaza Athénée who Seared scallops came with a light cauliflower
was brought in as executive chef just before
cream and nut-brown butter. A main of panthe opening in November, offered a chestnut
cooked venison medallions with winter vegvelouté with foie gras that was gorgeous and
etables and fruits had the full, gamy flavor
rich; a scallop dish was forgettable. When that comes with great ingredients perfectly
dinner is 75 pounds ($151) for three courses
cooked. Thereʼs an excellent three- course set
and £95 for four, customers donʼt tend to be
lunch for €75 and a four-course dinner for
forgiving.
€155. The cheapest wine I spotted was €45.
Ducasse doesnʼt pretend the three new res"When one of the most-cele- taurants--as well as Beige, which opened atop
brated names in food opens the Chanel tower in Tokyo in 2004--are in
a restaurant in a luxurious the same league with his renowned three-star
setting, it’s reasonable to establishments. “Adour, the Dorchester, Jules
Verne and Beige are all luxury prêt- à-porter,
expect memorable dining"
whereas Plaza Athénée in Paris and Louis XV
in Monaco are haute couture,ʼʼ he says.
That said, peppered Angus beef fillet
Those whose tastes run to osetra caviar
was perfect, with beautifully soft meat and
from Iran with langoustines for €175 and
crunchy peppers. Landes chicken came with
€360 tasting menus will want to stick with
an excellent Albufera sauce containing foie Plaza Athénée.
gras. Lunch is a good value at £35 for three
courses. The 600-bin wine list is expensive,
with cheaper options that run about £50.
Adour Alain Ducasse, St. Regis Hotel:
Jules Verne has to be one of the most excitwww.adour-stregis.com
ing restaurants to visit. You go to the south pilAlain Ducasse at the Dorchester:
lar of the Eiffel Tower, your name is checked
www.alainducasse-dorchester.com
and, within a minute, youʼre in a private elLe Jules Verne, Eiffel Tower:
www.lejulesverne-paris.com
evator heading skyward. Ducasse, who took
With reporting by Alan Katz in Paris.
over Jules Verne last year, completely reno-
Café
Majestic
Porto
T
here was a time, when Starbucks
was a lowly sailor in a famous
novel. Portoʼs fabled Café Majestic belongs to such a time. Poets and
politicians, patriarchs and delicate ladies
gathered under Majesticʼs gypsum ceiling
and quietly lit chandeliers, to hear ivory
press out sonatas, and poets tease with
eloquent satire.
Pendant lamps, marble-topped square
tables, imposing crystal mirrors and a long
rectangular floor laid with Indian green-laced
marble; this is the ambience of Café Majestic.
Waiters uniformed in white with uncommonly fine golden epaulettes discreetly serve, in a
reserved manner so seldom found in Western
Europe. This is a writers paradise; a tide of
customers flow gently through the day, some
regulars, some awestruck visitors.
Some friends question my devotion to Majestic - each visit to Porto compels my attendance in the court of this grand old lady – the
food they say is pleasant but not exceptional,
and surely children arenʼt welcome at so dignified a dining hall. Majestic is so large that
the awkward moments of tired little travellers are absorbed in the excited hum of fleeting waiters. And the food is not exceptional,
it is pleasant; except for the Majestic burger,
which quenches most salivary senses, it is almost unparalleled.
I confess, a burger in so grand a hall is an
odd choice, though it perhaps captures the
true egalitarian spirit of Café Majestic. Sea
bass was roundly praised at our table, and I
commend the simple pleasure of ice cream
for dessert. Espresso ends the event.
Café Majestic is a writersʼ café. The test?
Can you imagine Hemmingway here? I
thought I saw him in the corner, beside the
piano, beneath the gilt edged mirror.
Our rating out of five:
Food
Service
Atmosphere
Overall
"Café Majestic is a
writers’ café. The test?
Can you imagine
Hemmingway here?"
Getting There
Rua Santa Catarina, 112-4000-442
PORTO
Telf. 22 200 3887 / Fax 22 208 7672
E-mail: [email protected]
www.cafemajestic.com
23
Berlin Is Still A Market
With Property Pace.
Loftland, A Luxury Investment Property Gets
To The Decimal Point
Investor Insight:
The Italian Property Market
The Tuscan dream is never far from peoplesʼ minds when thinking about property investment in Italy, but with no restrictions
on non-residents purchasing Italian property, has Tuscany been
swamped with interest, are there any renovation projects left and
are holidaymakers still being drawn to the hillside to bring in the
rental returns?
T
uscany, with its hill-towns, reputable vineyards and towns brimming with outstanding examples
of art and history, is where holidaylettings.co.uk has the most holiday homes
available to let within Italy. The largest
concentrations are in Florence, Siena,
Lunigiana and their surrounding areas.
With over 1,300 holiday homes to rent
and 3,050 to purchase in Italy as a whole,
Tuscany attracts a holidaymaker enquiry
rate 1.5% above the average enquiry rate
for Italy and
proves that
Tuscan holiday homes
are still enjoying their
w i d e s p re a d
popularity.
White truffles from Tuscany. A
white truffle weighing 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) fetched a
record $330,000 last season, at
a charity auction across the three
cities of London, Florence and
Macau.
24
Cortona is
an Etruscan
town loftily
positioned
with vistas
across Lake
Trasimeno and
Va l d i c h i a n a
and nestled
just inside the
Tuscan-Umbrian border;
conjuring images of sunflower fields and
olive groves. RightmoveOverseas list properties for sale there starting from €165,000;
demonstrating how Tuscany and Umbria are
the pricier end of Italyʼs property market.
A week in La Mimosa, a one bedroom
apartment just outside of central Cortona,
would cost you from £224-£414 per week
through holidaylettings.co.uk.
Other popular Italian destinations include
Lombardy, whose main tourist attraction is
Lake Como and, as such, the area benefits
from an enquiry rate 3.4% above the site
average. Sharing a border with Switzerland
there is much potential here for lengthier
holiday seasons; mountains have that year
round attraction and appeal to skiers, boarders, water sport fanatics, walkers and cyclists alike.
Invest in a ski apartment in Gromo, Bergamo from just €90,000 or spend a week
at a traditional stone house in the medieval
village of Chiavenna that sleeps six guests
from just £393 per week.
Venice and the South Tyrol draw in the
crowds in North East Italy and Lake Garda
is one of the main drawing points. A two
bedroom apartment in Riva del Garda will
set you back €164,959; while a week at
Residence San Michele starts from £240
per week for six guests.
Autonomous Sicily, despite explosive
Etna, remains popular with holidaymakers
Top Left: Vineyards lead up to the town of
Maremma, Italy, in southern Tuscany. Hundred-dollar “Super Tuscan” wines may be the stars of the
region’s viniculture, yet some of the most interesting, well-priced Italian wines are now coming from
Maremma.
Above:Vineyards are seen in Maremma, Italy, in
southern Tuscany.
for its Mediterranean setting and delicious
food. There are 109 self catering holiday
options to choose from; Casale Mare Monte
in Palermo is decorated with typical Sicilian
murals and can accommodate eight guests
from £152-£434 for a weekʼs holiday. To
buy your own Sicilian pad you will need to
budget at least €199,000.
Sardinia, however, is the hottest Italian
holiday spot. Properties in Sardinia attract on average 12.4 enquiries per month
– outshining the site average of 3.4. LʼEa di
Lavra is a fine example of a one bedroom
apartment with enchanting views across
to Tavolara and itʼs available to rent from
£90-£552 per week. Clearly, with sufficient
demand for the holiday home letting market
in Sardinia the 233 Sardinian properties
for sale on RightmoveOverseas.co.uk are
a must see. Prices start from as little as
€28,000 for a detached two bedroom old
mill and stable in need of renovation in
Bonarcado.
If a renovation project is not on your
list of priorities, prices for a fully finished
property here start from €43,000 for a two
bedroom house in Sardegno. A 10 minute
walk to the beach and just one hourʼs drive
from Alghero Airport offers homeowners
and holidaymakers an insight into the laid
back lifestyle and temperate climate Sardinia has to offer.
“Germany is
one of the
wealthiest
European
economies on a
per capita
basis, but this is
not reflected in
a developed property market.
The rate of home ownership is
only around 15%,” said Fergal
Creed, Director, Berlin Capital
Investments.
“However, this is changing. Strategic
investments made over many years in reestablishing Berlin as a major city are now
paying dividends. The economy is stabilising, consumer confidence is rising, and this
together with a number of other factors,
is having a positive effect on the German
property market. We believe this is an excellent time to invest in the Berlin property
market, and there is strong demand for both
sales and rented accommodation, particularly at the luxury end of the market, and we
are confident that there will be strong demand for these flats in one of the wealthiest
districts of one of Europeʼs largest cities,”
he added.
Creed was speaking following the recent
launch buy Berlin Capital Investments, the
German property market experts, of a number of exclusive luxury converted loft units
in Zehlendorf, Berlin. The development,
called Loftland, is situated in Goerzallee,
one of Berlinʼs most affluent locations in the
Cityʼs green Southwest area of Zehlendorf.
The attractive, refurbished building, built
in 1938 is now listed and features spacious
high quality loft and penthouse apartments
in many different sizes, close to one of Berlinʼs largest and finest recreational areas.
This is a staged off-plan redevelopment
of a historic listed building. A variety of
apartments are available to investors. Most
other apartments in the building have already been sold to German homeowners.
All the apartments have been finished to the
highest standards and include high ceilings,
solid hardwood flooring, high quality tiles
and Grohe mountings. All have flagstoned
terraces or balconies.
The Loftland building was originally
built in 1938 as a radio factory and was
used as the headquarters of the US military
after WWII. The expressway guarantees a
fast connection to the inner city in around
15 minutes and S-Bahn and U-Bahn train
lines provide direct connections to the city.
There are also a number of bus services
in the vicinity. Local leisure facilities are
excellent, including numerous attractive
parks, golf, tennis and sailing facilities as
well as museums and excellent shopping.
Berlinʼs largest university is in the area as
well as a leading medical school.
The apartments range in price from
195,000 euros (71 square metres) for a onebedroom apartment to 450,000 euros (162
square metres). Anticipated rents are over
10 Euros per square metre. 50% mortgages are available and no capital gains
tax is payable in Germany on property held
for more than ten years. As part of an exclusive investment package available from
Berlin Capital Investments customersʼ legal fees, worth approximately 2,000 euros,
are paid. In addition, for units reserved by
the end of October free property management and maintenance costs are available
for the first five years of ownership, worth
approximately 4-5,000 euros.
Italy Ordered to Open Helicopter
Contract Bidding
by Stephanie Bodoni
I
talyʼs policy of awarding helicopter
contracts directly to a Finmeccanica
SpA unit without competitive bidding
was struck down by the European Unionʼs
top court in a case that may change the EUʼs
approach to public supply systems.
The European Commission, the EU regulator in Brussels, sued Italy over its longstanding practice of granting contracts directly to Finmeccanicaʼs Agusta Spa unit,
the only provider of helicopters for its civildefense system. The court challenge is the
first against a governmentʼs entire supply system for one industry, according to
Xavier Lewis, a commission lawyer.
Italy breached EU rules "by adopting a
procedure, which has been in existence for
a long time and is still followed, of directly
awarding to Agusta SpA contracts" for helicopters for mainly civilian use without a
competitive tender, the European Court of
Justice in Luxembourg said today. Italy had
argued that national-security concerns justified bypassing competitive bids.
The courtʼs decision could lead to an
adjustment in the way European countriesʼ
public supply systems are assessed by the
EU regulator, which traditionally challenges
governments over individual contracts.
The ruling "clearly sets out that public26
procurement rules apply across the board
in the European Union," Oliver Drewes,
a commission spokesman, told reporters
in Brussels today. "We will now see how
Italy is going to implement this court judgment and that itʼs done in an appropriate
manner."
Defense Ministry
Spokespeople at Italyʼs Defense Ministry didnʼt return calls seeking comment.
Finmeccanica Chief Executive Officer Pier
Francesco Guarguaglini told reporters in
New York today that the ruling wonʼt have
an impact on past contracts and on the company. "In the future the Italian government
will have to make a clearer bidding process
and weʼll still be able to win."
"EU law exempts products
that are "specifically military in purpose" from the
usual public-procurement
rules."
The Agusta helicopters are mainly for
civil use, including for the police, forest
agencies and the fire brigade, and possibly
for military use, as confirmed by Italy, an
11-judge panel at the court said today. EU
rules "cannot properly be invoked by the
Italian Republic to justify recourse to the
negotiated procedure for the purchase of
those helicopters" instead of a competitive
tender.
The Agusta contracts are in "flagrant violation" of EU rules because the helicopters
are being used only for civil purposes and
"at most would be used in support" of military actions, Donatella Recchia, another
commission lawyer, told a 13-judge panel
at a hearing last April.
EU law exempts products that are "specifically military in purpose" from the usual
public-procurement rules. The EUʼs top
court in October 2005 rejected a separate
challenge by the commission against Italy
over helicopter purchases by the state forest
agency, ruling that it was inadmissible.
The commission on Dec. 5 proposed new
rules to open more defense contracts to
competitive bidding, saying EU-wide public procurement tenders should be skipped
only in "exceptional cases." The rules
seek to make equipment purchases more
efficient without threatening the sovereignty of national authorities.
The case is C-337/05 Commission v Italy.
Class and
Comfort
on French
Riviera
Commission to Recover €83m of CAP
Expenditure from Member States
A total of €83 million of EU farm money unduly spent by Member States is claimed back as a result
of a decision adopted by the European Commission. The money returns to the Community budget because of inadequate control procedures or non-compliance with EU rules on agricultural expenditure.
Danuta Hübner
Commission to Recover E83m of CAP
Expenditure from Member States
A total of €83 million of EU farm money
unduly spent by Member States is claimed
back as a result of a decision adopted by the
European Commission. The money returns
to the Community budget because of inadequate control procedures or non-compliance with EU rules on agricultural expenditure. Member States are responsible for
paying out and checking expenditure under
the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP),
and the Commission is required to ensure
that Member States have made correct use
of the funds.
Peter Mandelson
the region, which is among the lowest for
any such region globally. The Forum was
opened by EU Trade Commissioner Peter
Mandelson.
Peter Mandelson said: “Although they
increasingly trade with the EU, it is just
as important to help the countries of the
Agadir Agreement to develop their trade
with each other. The countries of the Agadir
Agreement have taken a big step in creating
a free trade agreement. Despite their closeness to Europe and their promising growth,
the countries of the Southern Mediterranean have attracted only 1% of EU foreign
investment since 2000. We need to change
that.”
Among the Member States, the highest shares of total employment in micro businesses were found in Greece (56%),
Italy (47%), Portugal (43%) and Cyprus (40%), while the
lowest shares were found in Slovakia (13%), Germany
(19%), Denmark, Luxembourg and Romania (all 20%).
Investment Summit Boosts Regional Integration and EU Investment in Southern Mediterranean
Leaders from the signatories of the Agadir
Agreement (Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and
Jordan) recently met senior EU policy-makers and business representatives for talks
designed to sharply increase EU investment
in the Southern Mediterranean. The forum
focuses on improving legal frameworks for
investment, encouraging joint partnerships
between EU and Southern Mediterranean
businesses and boosting EU investment in
28
Micro Enterprises Accounted for 30%
of Employed in Non-Financial Economy
In 2005, there were almost 20 million
enterprises active within the non-financial
business economy (NFBE) in the EU27.
Nearly all of these enterprises (99.8%) were
either micro, small or medium-sized enterprises, with up to 249 persons employed.
This share varied only marginally between
Member States.
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprisesʼ relative importance in terms of contribution to jobs and wealth was lower than
Manuel Barroso
their share in the total number of enterprises, since they accounted for 67% of
total employment and 58% of value added
in the non-financial business economy in
the EU27 in 2005.
Among the Member States, the highest
shares of total employment in micro businesses were found in Greece (56%), Italy
(47%), Portugal (43%) and Cyprus (40%),
while the lowest shares were found in Slovakia (13%), Germany (19%), Denmark,
Luxembourg and Romania (all 20%).
Commission’s Northern Ireland Task
Force See New Leads to Boost Economy
The European Commission has adopted a
report from its Northern Ireland Task Force
that identifies key EU policy initiatives and
programmes which can be mobilised in
support of the regionʼs economy. The Task
Force, set up by Commission President José
Manuel Barroso and led by Commissioner
Danuta Hübner, takes stock of Northern
Irelandʼs economic development amid
peace and stability, and points out leads for
new ways in which the region can boost its
modernisation. It aims to help the regionʼs
authorities to reap maximum benefit from
the EU support they can receive from now
until 2013.
Hübner, Commissioner for Regional Policy, said; “With peace and stability comes
confidence, leading to new investment and
new jobs. I am delighted that Northern Irelandʼs leaders were quick to draw the conclusion that there is an important European
dimension to building prosperity."
T
he French Riviera has lost none
of its allure for travellers and
holidaymakers over the years
when it was mainly known as the playground of the rich and famous.
And while the glamour of Cannes and St
Tropez still immediately come to mind when
we think of the Riviera, the region is much
more than starlets and massive yachts.
There are still quintessentially ʻundiscoveredʼ French villages and towns that deserve
to be explored and enjoyed for the perfect
short break.
Just 15 minutes drive from Nice airport,
driving south down the A8 motorway to
Cannes is the coastal town of Cagnes-surMer and there you will find itʼs oldest and
most architecturally beautiful district, Hautde-Cagnes.
The medieval hilltop village is literally
steeped in history with its narrow, flowered
shaded streets that lead you to usual views
of the Mediterranean.
No doubt attracted by the celebrity of the
Impressionist Master, a lot of painters also
came to settle in this picturesque village.
Nicknamed ʻthe Montmartre of the French
Rivieraʼ, Haut-de-Cagnes attracted celebrities of the arts and show world until the
1960s.
One of its best known places to stay is
Villa Estelle, a 14th century mansion that
was gracefully transformed into an elegant
guesthouse by leading French interior de-
signer Estelle Réale.
Villa Estelle has large guestrooms and
personalised suites, each tastefully furnished and decorated with both antique and
contemporary pieces with the designerʼs
flair for detail and comfort.
The Salmon and Ochre guest rooms are
all inspired by their individual colours while
the three bedroom suites, the Rose, Blue Ju-
nior and Celadon, further benefit from more
skilled styling and stunning sea views.
All rooms have ensuite bathrooms, satellite TV (sixteen channels), mini bar and
air conditioning that would expect from
modern high grade accommodation but the
comfort and the intimacy of each room and
the entire guesthouse is entirely created by
a deft personal touch.
In the common areas of the house, a subtle mix of valuable objects, contemporary
art and older paintings, rich velvet draperies
and fine linen curtains co-exist in harmony
to present a guesthouse with a difference to
the seasoned traveller.
Estelleʼs daughter-in-law Céline Garcin
manages the guesthouse today and ensures
that the formerʼs legendary reputation for
hospitality is maintained.
“Our visitors to Villa Estelle appreciate the comfort and individual style of the
house while giving them a perfect base to
see the rest of the Côte d ʼAzur.
“Itʼs a special, restful place to visit and
one that we know consistently charms our
guests.”
The district and town of Cagnes-sur-Mer
- a designated historical town - has a lot
to offer over and above the range of restaurants, bars, shops and market days you
would expect to find at such an attractive
location. With its 3.5kms of beach, the town
offers the usual array of sunshine water
sports for visitors but the avid fisherman
can also cast a line or two.
Culture, both music and visual arts are
more than well catered for with a visit to the
Renoir Museum to view 11 original paintings by the great artists an absolute must.
And for those who like a bet, the local casino and Hippodrome race course can provide some of the excitement and glamour of
the Cannes set.
With the choice of two airlines running
flights departing from Belfast to Nice,
Easyjet and Aer Lingus, a weekend break to
Cagnes-sur-Mer is not only affordable but
recommended, both for its own charms and
as a base for visiting Cannes, St Tropez, Antibes, St Jean Cap Ferrat, even Monte Carlo
and Italy is only 45 minutes away.
"Villa Estelle has large guestrooms and personalised suites,
each tastefully furnished and decorated with both antique
and contemporary pieces with the designer’s flair for detail
and comfort."
29
Lifestyle
Brands Culti
With his innovative global
lifestyle and wellness project
Alessandro Agrati embarked
on the Culti adventure in 1990,
aspiring to Culti, as in culture of
ambiance. Agrati sought, with
a simple, direct word, to capture
a precise philosphy. This
unpolluted ideal has sparked a
line of products for the home
and individual featuring
superior standards of quality
and customer enjoyment.
The Collection
The Culti collection, currently boasting
a catalog of over six thousand products,
includes textiles and clothes, décor items
and accessories for home/garden and office, fragrances and room scenters, gourmet
items too – including fine chocolates, coffees and teas.
An interior decorator, Agrati, who prefers
the term “home designer” to describe himself, takes a total approach to product development and design. Always thinking of the
person and the place the relative object is
for Alessandro Agrati, and the design of a
kitchen, bedroom or home spa allows him
to fulfill the dreams of those who choose
Culti.
Pressed by a deep passion for beauty and
for the art de vivre, Alessandro Agratiʼs
latest addition to the brand is the world of
hospitality, embodied by the Day-Spaʼs of
Habits Culti in Milan, Culti Spacafè Napoli
in Naples – and by the Relais Culti La Sommità in Ostuni.
To dedicate a few hours of relaxation
in a spa, or to take a holiday where every
moment of the day is focused on personal
pleasure, extends the general concept of
destined for, he ensures that each item under
the Culti brand will serve in sparking a multisensory experience in those to ultimately
use and enjoy it. It is this passion for beautiful things and attention to individual needs
which forms the two underlying premises of
the Culti project.
Following Intuition
Following this intuition, Culti has also
created a series of wellness centers, coffeehouses, concept-stores, relais resorts and
restaurants which ideally comprise a complete guidebook in the realm of fine living
and interior design. Offering guests both
"The respect for individuality, particularly while planning a space, is an essential
task for Alessandro Agrati,
and the design of a kitchen,
bedroom or home spa allows
him to fulfill the dreams of
those who choose Culti."
customized service and a full immersion in
the Culti style, all the spaces stand out for
utmost attention to quality and detail.
30
With a multifaceted short-term expansion
plan in action, this dynamic company uses
various production centers exclusively in
the Milan hinterland. It also draws from a
capillary network of suppliers chosen with
all the care necessary to guarantee top-notch
workmanship and style coherence.
The creation of Culti does not represent
Agratiʼs debut into the home market. The
Agrati family has long been working in
the area of fashion and interior decoration,
designing and manufacturing a large range
of products for third parties. Alessandro
founded Culti to create something brand
new and completely his own.
Physical, Emotional, Esoteric
A vehicle allowing him to express an
constant, perhaps inexhaustible inspiration,
the search for well-being is the ʻleit-motivʼ of this philosophy, a well-being that
is intended on a physical, and emotional
and esoteric level, one that can be obtained
through the contact with a soft fabric, or
tasting an exotic chocolate cru, appreciating a relaxing massage or enjoying the
pleasant atmospheres of a place molded on
oneʼs personal taste.
The respect for individuality, particularly
while planning a space, is an essential task
luxury.
The Project of The Senses
The journey that leads to explore the
world of Culti is a true experience for the
senses. It could in fact start with the cloud
of scent that envelops those who enter Culti
Fashion Flower in Turin, where plants and
flowers of every species evoke remote
countries; in the showrooms of Milan or St.
Moritz, where the air is filled with delicate
fragrances of citrus and tuberose; in the
Habits Culti Spa in Milan, where skilled
hands give moments of extreme relaxation,
or in the rarefied atmosphere of the Relais
La Sommità in Ostuni, and more: Culti
Spacafè in Naples, Crème Cafetheria in
Montorfano and Cafèpermare in Sanremo,
"To dedicate a few hours of
relaxation in a spa, or to
take a holiday where every
moment of the day is
focused on personal
pleasure, extends the
general concept of luxury."
where every detail indicates a precise
philosophy of life - that of Alessandro
Agrati.
The project of the senses, as Alessandro Agrati loves to call it, is by definition,
boundless, it expands and explores every
area, expressing the creativity of its creator
but also giving prominence to the personality of those who will enjoy its results. One
of the principles on which the philosophy
of Culti is based, is to focus on the daily
"...the atmosphere of a
placed moulded to one's
personal taste... the brand
is the world of hospitality."
rituals and habits of the clientele and in the
meantime to adopt such a distinctive design
as the one conceived by Alessandro. The
achievement of well-being, physical and
emotional, has always been a priority in
Alessandro Agratiʼs decisions. The hedonistic and aesthetic aspect of his products is
never an end in itself, but always a means to
make the consumer feel better and at ease.
31
Belfast – no longer the
sleeping giant in Europe
THE NETWORK
OF MAJOR
EUROPEAN
CITIES
Belfast City Council has a long history of working
with European partners to develop projects and
exchanges in best practice. To date we have worked with over two
hundred and fifty European cities and completed thirty
different projects totalling over £5 million. Belfast
continues to work at a high level in the European arena
bringing benefits to both Belfast and the rest of Europe.
"Today, Belfast is one of Europe’s most progressive
business locations. The key growth sectors are the financial
and business services market, creative industries, advanced
manufacturing, information and communications sector and
tourism."
Belfast has experienced phenomenal
growth over the past decade. It has had
generous funding from the European
Union which has helped the expansion of the city. Maritime regeneration
began in the late 1980s with a major
infrastructure programme throughout
the 1990s.
Development of the 185 acre site known
as the Titanic Quarter is now underway.
The Quarter’s Development Framework
envisages a ‘city quarter’ grid structure
of streets of similar scale to the city
centre, together with a mix of land uses
including: over 5000 apartments and
townhouses, a high quality business
quarter and the creation of a ‘Gateway’
hotel at the entrance to Titanic Quarter
at Abercorn Basin.
In the last decade there has been
over £5billion worth of investment in
the city including 35,000 new jobs
which has resulted in one of the lowest
32
unemployment rates in the United
Kingdom.
New developments are
springing up all over the city including
the 600 million euro Victoria Square
complex, a new retail outlet, one of the
biggest in Europe, the Gasworks site
on the Lagan River and the redevelopment of Cathedral Quarter. The North
West and North East retail quarters
complement this and provide an
integrated approach to regeneration.
The Council is leading on a major
arterial
routes
redevelopment
programme across the city.
In describing Belfast, The Lonely Planet
Guide said ’ Push the Shamrock aside and
meet the new Belfast – hip, historical, happening’. In 2006 visitor numbers to Belfast
rose to reach a record 6.8 million. Belfast
is a unique cultural destination within
Europe and this uniqueness has helped to
contribute £324 million to the economy
last year.
Belfast is no longer the sleeping giant
in Europe. As a city it is thriving, and in
doing so has an enthusiasm that has
captivated the minds of Europe.
Today, Belfast is one
of Europe’s most
progressive business locations. The
key growth sectors
are the financial
and
business
services market,
creative
industries,
advanced
manufacturing ,
information and
communications sector and
tourism.
33
The Valmont Club Latest Edition to Chelsea Nightlife
The Valmont Club, a 300 capacity nightclub with striking interior
design, an impressive cocktail list and a desirable location opened
on the Fulham Road, Chelsea.
Limited-Edition Porsche Cayman
Offers Batmobile Looks
L
ocated on the site formerly known
as Café des Artistes, the popular
1960ʼs and 1970ʼs live music venue
fraternised by The Rolling Stones and
Roger Waters, where performers included
David Bowie and Queen, The Valmont
Club intends to re-introduce the bohemian spirit and artistic appeal of its previous incarnation.
The Concept
The team behind The Valmont Club,
recognising the need for a refreshing alternative to the often one-dimensional Chelsea
nightlife, have married a strong operational
team with original design and creative musical programming.
Eschewing the hackneyed VIP Room
mentality, The Valmont Club aims to generate an inclusive atmosphere where revellers
can enjoy expertly created cocktails and
listen to some of Londonʼs best DJʼs and
live performers in a comfortably stylish and
colourful environment.
The Design
The Valmont Club boasts a complete
Opening soon
34
makeover courtesy of Makilee Design, the
creative agency behind a number of leading
bars & restaurants across the UK including
The Breakfast Club, Soho and Lost Society,
Clapham.
Juxtaposing subdued colours and soft, comfortable furnishings with bright neon statement signage, The Valmont Club is split into
4 main areas. Design details of note include a
60ft sheer black glass-topped bar, banquette
seating areas separated by gold beaded curtains and a series of private velvet-curtained
booths with individual music volume control.
The entire venue has been adorned with
traditional sculptures, paintings and antique
furniture items. Neon, black glass and velvet
drapes are recurring themes, and there are
several art deco statues and figurines from a
private collector in New York. There is original antique lighting imported from Holland,
and gold etched tables imported from Paris.
The Signature
General Manager of The Valmont Club
Thierry Brocher has previously consulted
for a number of the most celebrated London
cocktail bars including Momo and Che. Brocher has designed a 60 strong cocktail menu
that includes seven signature Champagne
cocktails and a number of contemporary vari-
ations on the classics, using seasonal fruits
and fresh ingredients throughout the year.
With the exception of the Mojito, each
cocktail can be served in a vintage Chambord
bottle and customers can choose their glassware from a range including shooters, tall,
Martini and Dom Perignon Sniffers (for 2
people). Brocher places a strong emphasis on
training his barstaff to provide consistently
produced cocktails, and implements an inhouse training programme for all his team.
The History
The Café des Artistes was one of the most
celebrated haunts of Londonʼs creative scene
during the 1960ʼs and 1970ʼs. Initially a
jazz venue (featuring artists including Chet
Baker), Café des Artistes soon began showcasing more alternative music including
Queen, Status Quo and Davie Jones & The
King Bees – one of David Bowies first bands.
Regular guests included Roger Waters (Pink
Floyd) and members of the Rolling Stones.
The Valmont Club
266-266a Fulham Road
London SW10 9EL
Tel + 44 (0)20 7352 6200
www.thevalmontclub.com
Just opened in Heathrow Terminal 5, the 5 Tuns boutique pub
Imagine a Porsche recast as the Batmobile
and youʼve got the look of the new Cayman S
Porsche Design Edition 1. With swoopy lines
enhanced by black-on-black paint, all-black
interior and oversized silver wheels, itʼs the
kind of ride the Caped Crusader would love.
This is a limited edition of the mid-engine,
two-seater coupe, and my tester is No. 238
out of 777 to be made.
Yes, like you, I get the names of the Cayman and the Cayenne SUV mixed up (thanks,
Porsche marketing!). While Porsche has only
four models -- the other two are the Boxster
and 911, and itʼs developing a sports sedan
called the Panamera -- its ability to produce
so many highly desirable variants is uncanny.
The catalogue is chockablock with add-ons,
options and wheel choices that you might not
need yet are so cool that any fool can see you
simply must have them.
The Design Edition is a hyper-extension of
this concept. It offers no boost in engine performance, yet the extra details and ``limited
editionʼʼ status potentially add up to a gottahave-it machine.
The Porsche Design Studio has been
around since the early 1970s, the brainchild
of Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, designer of
the iconic 911. A smart marketer himself, that
Ferdinand: These days, you can find anything from golf clubs to a luxury speed boat
with the Porsche Design imprint on it.
One of the studioʼs first designs was a
black wristwatch called the Chronograph
1, which serves as the inspiration for the
Cayman Design Edition (though naysayers
might argue itʼs really the desire for a fatter
bottom line).
Pocket Knife
Undeniably, buyers will be part of a small
club, as only 250 of those 777 will reach the
U.S. The limited edition starts at $69,900,
and included in the $10,800 premium over
the Cayman S is a grab bag of Design Studio
stuff, including a briefcase, a chronograph
"Porsche has the ability to
produce so many highly desirable variants is uncanny.
The catalogue is chockablock with add-ons, options
and wheel choices that you
might not need yet are so
cool that any fool can see
you simply must have them."
watch, sunglasses and pocket knife. Who
says you canʼt take your car into the office
with you?
Sorry, the accessories are just frippery, and
we know it. Still, the body of the Cayman,
with sensual rounded rear flanks, a beautiful sloping roof and a front end thatʼs pure
Porsche, looks amazing when dressed in
tuxedo black.
Even the door handles and side air intakes
are inky dark. There are also matte-black
stripes, embossed with the Design Studio
logo, running up the hood, back and sides.
Some consumers will find them tacky, yet
theyʼre only obvious in certain light.
The 19-inch Turbo wheels are simply gorgeous on the car, though you can get them
(and, yes, black paint) as an option on regular
Caymans. The Design Edition also comes
standard with active suspension, which lets
drivers alter the firmness of the chassis.
Perhaps the best thing about the Design
Review by Jason H. Harper
Edition is that it got me into the cockpit of
the Cayman again. For some reason itʼs an
oft-overlooked model, and I donʼt see a lot of
them on the street.
Fast, Agile
Itʼs fast, blasting from 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds
and hitting a top speed of 171 miles per hour.
And the small size and mid- mounted engine,
plus a weight under 3,000 pounds, make it
extremely agile. Very Batmobile-like.
I first tested it on the incomparably winding lanes of Tuscany and later on a notorious road on the border of Tennessee and
North Carolina thatʼs dubbed the ``Tail of the
Dragon.ʼʼ With some 300 turns packed into
11 miles, itʼs a dream road ruled by motorcyclists. Yet my Cayman S parried with some of
the faster sports bikes, and by the end I had
guys coming up and shaking my hand.
The Cayman really is a beautiful machine
in the Design guise. Still, if you treat it for
what itʼs really designed for -- slicing up
windy roads in a blinding blur -- people
outside the car arenʼt likely to be able to see
what options you sprang for anyway.
THE CAYMAN S PORSCHE DESIGN
EDITION 1 AT A GLANCE:
• Engine: 3.4-liter, six-cylinder with
295 horsepower and 251 pound-feet
of torque.
• Transmission: Six-speed manual
(standard) or five-speed Tiptronic S.
• Speed: 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds.
• Gas mileage per gallon: 18 city, 26
highway.
• Price as tested: $77,320
• Best features: Beautiful body looks
great in all-black.
• Worst features: No engine upgrade.
• Target buyer: The Porsche-ophile
who wants to make sure he’s got
something different.
35
Gentlemen, Rogues
and Spies. The Dark
Art of Black Tie
In Victorian times when dining out or attending the theatre in
the presence of a lady, a gentleman would always wear formal
attire consisting of black evening tail coat, black top hat and
white gloves. Only when at his “club” might he relax sufficiently
to allow himself to wear a smoking jacket.
I
n 1886 at the Autumn Ball of the
Tuxedo Park Club in New York, Mr.
Griswold Lorillard stunned society
by wearing a short jacket with satin lapels. This jacket style was adopted by
other members of Tuxedo Park and
hence the Tuxedo was born.
When Black Tie appears on an invitation
it is an indication that the guest is expected
to wear formal evening dress.
The kit consists of dinner jacket with
matching black trousers. The jacket will
have satin lapels to make it distinctive from
a lounge jacket which is for daytime. The
trousers should have black satin braid down
the outer seam of the leg. A dress shirt
should present an immaculate white background for wearing a black bow tie worn
with a matching cummerbund. An alternative to the cummerbund is a waistcoat.
With a double breasted jacket neither is
necessary. Ideally, plain black patent or fine
leather shoes should be worn.
36
White Tie and tails are generally worn
to the most formal of occasions. The white
tie outfit consists of black evening tailcoat,
black dress trousers with a double braid
down the outer seam and a stiff fronted shirt
fastened with mother of pearl or gold studs
and cufflinks. The bow tie and waistcoat
are both white Marcella cotton to match the
shirt front and shoes are black patent or fine
leather. Those who want to look the full
part would don a black top hat and a pair of
white gloves.
Morning wear, otherwise known as top
hat and tails is commonly worn by male
members of a wedding party. It is also worn
at other formal, social events such as Royal
Ascot, Royal Garden Parties, Trouping of
the Colour, Investitures and Court events.
It may also be worn at society funerals and
memorial services.
Traditionally morning attire consists of
black or grey tailcoat worn with striped
(for the black) or matching plain (for the
grey) trousers. A backless waistcoat should
be worn over plain white shirt. In most
cases either a tie or cravatte is acceptable,
although a cravatte is best worn with a wing
collar on the shirt. A black or grey top hat
can accessorise the suit, together with light
grey gloves.
Certain rules of social etiquette should
be observed without exception. Always, always dress according to the recommended
dress code.
Costume Drama: What Carla did next ...
How A Gentleman Dines
Certain rules of social etiquette should always be observed without exception. Depending on the function there is usually a
dress code, however most will involve dining and the etiquette for that is universal.
"Dress suitably for each occasion. Meet expectations;
surpass them quietly... Carla
cut her cloth to suit the
moment..."
The Invitation:
• Always respond to an invitation within
one week.
• Dress according to the recommended
dress code.
• Be punctual. If running late, phone and
make your hosts aware of the delay.
• Never bring an uninvited guest.
• It is always polite to bring a small gift.
The Dinner Table:
• It is polite to let lady guests be seated
first.
• Never start eating before all the guests at
your table have been served.
• If food is served not to your liking, it is
polite to at least taste a small amount.
• Deserts may be eaten with a fork and
spoon or just a fork alone for cake or pastry.
• Never offer your criticism. If you cannot
compliment remain silent.
• Donʼt talk with your mouth full or lean
across the table.
• Always thank the hosts for their hospitality and send a thank you note.
Black Tie:
This consists of a dinner jacket with satin
lapels. Matching trousers should have black
satin braid the length of the outer seam.
The shirt should be a white dress shirt with
double breasted jacket neither is necessary.
Plain black leather or patent shoes should be
worn with black socks. For summer events
or cruise dining a white tuxedo jacket may
be worn instead of the black dinner jacket.
White Tie:
This consists of a black evening tailcoat
and black dress trousers with a double braid
down the outside seam. A stiff fronted shirt,
fastened with studs and cufflinks should be
worn with a white bow tie and waistcoat in
pique (Marcella) fabric.
the option of a turn down or wing collar. A
black bow tie can be worn with matching
cummerbund. An alternative to the cummerbund is to wear a waistcoat. With a
Black leather or patent shoes and black
socks are the necessary footwear. A top hat
and white gloves are optional.
Morning Suit:
When to wear: at Royal Ascot, Royal Garden parties, Trooping the Colour, Investitures, Court Events, Weddings, Funerals
and Memorial Services.
You should wear a black tailcoat with striped
black trousers or a plain grey tailcoat with
plain grey trousers. A backless waistcoat
should be worn over a plain white shirt. The
outfit is finished off with a black or grey top
hat and lightweight grey gloves.
Lounge Suit:
When to wear: less formal occasions.
• This consists of a black, grey or navy
jacket and matching trousers with a
white shirt and a tie.
• If no dress code is specified it is best to
check with the organiser.
37
Brand Innovation:
The 'ME' Concept, by Melia
Vibrant Location
Overlooking the Plaza Santa Ana with
its abundance of bars and restaurants, the
former Tryp Reina Victoria is situated in
one of Madridʼs most vibrant locations,
near the cityʼs creative and media business
communities.
ME Madrid Reina Victoria is centrally
located with easy access to all major attractions including the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofia Museums, Retiro
Park, Parliament, Puerta del Sol, Plaza
Mayor, the Royal Palace and the business
and shopping districts, with plenty of eating and drinking options. Barajas Airport is
only 14 km from the hotel and Atocha Train
Station is about 2 km away.
ME Madrid Reina Victoria
brings renewed vitality to the
historic Gran Hotel Reina Victoria, in the heart of Spainʼs
capital. The former site of the
Hotel Tryp Reina Victoria, ME
Madrid Reina Victoria is situated in the western corner of the
centrally located Plaza de Santa
Ana.
38
T
he extensive remodelling efforts
carried out prior to the opening
respected the facade of the building, representative of Madridʼs urban
architecture and considered a historic
landmark. ME Madrid Reina Victoria is
a luxury hotel offering the finest services
and facilities for both business and leisure travellers.
Built on the site of the palace of the
Counts of Teba, where Prosper Merimée
began writing “Carmen” and Napoleon
IIIʼs wife Eugenia de Montijo was raised,
the construction of the Hotel Reina Victoria began in 1919. Created by modernist
architect Jesús Carrasco y Encina, the hotel
is a historic landmark of this movement in
Madrid. Since its inauguration in 1923, the
Hotel Reina Victoria, so called in honour
of the beautiful wife of King Alfonso XIII,
was synonymous with luxury and elegance
in the Spanish capital. Aristocrats, diplomats, and artists made it their meeting
point. With the arrival of the Republic in
1931, the Hotel lost its royal title (which it
did not regain until it was re-baptized Hotel
Tryp Reina Victoria**** in 1989).
This however did not stop the glitterati
from coming. Over the last six decades
it has been the centre of the bullfighting
world. Manolete, the greatest bullfighter
of all time, would reside in room 406 on
his visits to Madrid. He was not alone in
choosing the hotel to celebrate the rites of
dressing for the bull: Luis Miguel Dominguín, Florentino y Flores, Joselito, Ruiz
Miguel, Palomo Linares, Rafael de Paula,
Bombita, Pedrés, Mazantini, Arruza, Antoñete, El Viti, Ruiz Miguel and Victor
Méndez among others also converted the
Hotel into their personal shrine before going to the Plaza de las Ventas.
And where the bullfighters went, their
admirers followed. Hemingway spent
many nights here, even mentioning it in
one of his books, and Ava Gardner was also
fascinated by its atmosphere.
From the seventies until 1989, the building was home to the Banco Simeón and
the Almacenes Arias department store. It
was only with the arrival of the Hotel Tryp
Reina Victoria**** that the building reverted to its original purpose.
During this period Loquillo y los
Trogloditas, Seguridad Social and Luz
Casal among other Spanish rock musicians
stayed at the hotel when they were in Madrid on tour or promoting their records.
Singer/songwriter Pablo Milanés stayed
in room 506 whenever he was in Madrid
and was visited by the historic figures of
Spanish rock, such as Joaquín Sabina
among others.
designed and manufactured furniture,
eclectic fixtures and innovative artwork.
A similar choice presents itself in the
restaurant, where diners may sit amongst
alluring, bronze mirror-clad columns or
enjoy the intimacy of a personal booth surrounded by a curtain of striking champagne
and black Missoni cord. Contemporary
wall hangings finished with a dramatic
black-gloss pattern frame both sides of
the open kitchen, drawing the attention of
curious diners, while those seeking a more
clandestine experience might prefer the private dining rooms, which are enclosed with
luxurious leather-padded walls.
Fifteen globe chandeliers, golden black
marble and dining chairs wrapped in lavish
cream leather repeat throughout the space,
solidifying the effect of cohesion, fluid-
The group Jarabe de Palo began visiting
the hotel before reaching their first number
one and continued coming every time they
were in town. The hotelʼs Bar Taurino,
filled with memorabilia of its historic relationship to bullfighting, was featured in Pedro Almodovarʼs 2002 movie “Hable con
ella” (“Talk to her”), winner of the Oscar
for best original screenplay.
Design and Designer
Internationally-renowned designer Keith
Hobbs and his team at United Designers
Ltd. were brought in to redesign and transform the historic Gran Hotel Reina Victoria
into a plush, urban resort. The project obtains a cohesive atmosphere throughout
the landmark buildingʼs 192 rooms, restaurant, bar, lounge and meeting rooms.
Selected because of his timeless, classic
and contemporary style as well as his impressive roster of commercial projects, including the Metropolitan Hotel and Nobu
"Built on the site of the palace of the Counts of Teba,
where Prosper Merimée began writing “Carmen” and
Napoleon III’s wife Eugenia
de Montijo was raised."
in London, the Clarence Hotel in Dublin
and Parrot Cay Resort in Turks & Caicos,
Hobbs was sought after to create a seductive, luxurious venue for world-class travellers at ME Madrid Reina Victoria.
Unitedʼs design objective was to preserve the beauty and grace of the historic
architecture and fuse it with the spirit and
edge of ME by Meliá through exclusively
ity and glamour. With a dramatic glossy
black lacquer ceiling linking the spaces,
the overall jewel-like effect of the dining
and lounge areas is eye-catching, yet establishes a natural, muted elegance.
A ride up to the roof in the dedicated
private elevator reveals the most exquisite
outdoor urban retreat in all of Madrid: ʻThe
Penthouseʼ. Flaunting the most spectacular
views of the city, The Penthouse is a prime
spot for languorous afternoons of relaxing
and sunbathing.
Decadent cushion-filled beds, delicately
enclosed by floaty fabrics, are hidden
amongst lounge areas upholstered in fabrics that reflect the colours of the sky, and
set against Unitedʼs custom-made iroko
timber furniture.
The bar itself is set into a split stone
wall, imitating the effect of the restaurant
and bar below. A vibrant colour scheme
of vivid purple glass, set against metallic
leather seats, block poufs, custom-designed
pendant lights protruding into the space on
dramatically elongated polished chrome
arms, marble tables and a cream stone floor
create a flirty, luxurious atmosphere.
39
Alternative Equity
Investments – Bordeaux,
Fine Wines, and Africa
AUSTRIA
African artists
perform during a
dress rehearsal
of the show
“Afrika-Afrika”
produced by
Austrian multimedia artist
Andre Heller in
Vienna. (RN)
By Nicholas Watts
I
nvestment uncertainty is raging
this year. Amidst the many different opinions with regard to all asset
classes, I thought that I would provide
some food for thought on the issue of
alternative investments.
I have selected two that vary greatly:
fine wines - more particularly fine wines
from the Bordeaux region; and farming in
Malawi.
People have been drinking wine for many
centuries in most parts of the world. But for
sheer consistency of quality, the chateaux
of Bordeaux must have few equals. So, if
you are going to invest in wines in order
to make money, it makes sense to buy into
top quality.
The problem for investors has always
been that their first port of call is the wine
merchant, who exists to buy and sell wine
only and reacts to these stimuli alone. Fig.
1 shows the difference in cost between a
standard wine merchantʼs wine plan cost
and the new geared wine investment from
Curzon Capital.
Of course the knack, as with any commodity, is to buy something that has scarcity value not only at the point of purchase
but also when you come to sell. With the
Bordeaux wines a finite amount, an amount
that cannot be increased, is made each year.
Some is drunk and the rest is put down as
an investment. The key point here is the
price step dynamic.
This concerns the point at which a wine
first becomes drinkable and it may be six
years or even more after the initial harvest.
At this point demand increases and so the
price rises. But with a limited supply and
some always being comsumed, the remainder becomes more valuable over time.
As with anything in short supply, it is the
rich who generally want and can afford it.
There are also new markets, such as Russia, driving the demand for quality wine.
The fund trades via a specialist market 40
Liv-Ex - that provides both liquidity, price
transparency, and best bid price. Returns
have been above 20% p.a. and look set, via
this fund, to continue.
Then thereʼs Africa. Whilst the wealthy
Westerner, on average, throws away 25%
of their food, there are still parts of Africa
the people
unable to feed
"Ofwhere
course
theareknack,
as
themselves. No surprise here maybe
with any commodity, is to buy
and traditional solutions have usually insomething
that charity.
has scarcity
volved
simply giving
But what
value
notprovide
only at
point
of
if
we could
jobsthe
instead
of givpurchase
when
you
ing
charity? but
One also
UK fund
manager
has
cometo
upsell."
with a unique proposition.
come
Having received advice on where to start,
he settled on Malawi, which is one of the
twelfth poorest countries in the world. Here
the average annual income is £57 – no, this
is not a printing error. I do mean just £57
per annum. 85% of the people live in rural
areas where AIDS is rampant, poverty endemic and there is no private economy. He
visited a village called Dwambazi, which
sits besides one of the largest freshwater
lakes in the world.
There was one man already there - a man
called Pastor Wilson - who was trying to
get some of the starving children, the elderly and the AIDS sufferers, all of whom
were quite unable to feed themselves, onto
a regular feeding programme. He had a
list of some 260 people. When the fund
manager asked the people why they were
not farming their reply was that, as it was
August and the rains would not come until
November, there was no point. Without
money for the equipment, pumps and diesel
to make an irrigation system work they had
to rely on the weather alone.
Struck by the plight of these people and
after a great deal of thought about how to
help them, what he came up with is as follows. He offered to take a 10- year lease
on 120 hectares of land, build a farm with
irrigation systems, working capital, roads,
storage accommodation and accommoda-
tion for the local farmers. The farm was
built and Pastor Wilsonʼs list started to reduce with a feeding programme that gives
the needy just one good meal per day. But
would this really succeed in creating a local
economy? The answer has been a resounding ʻYesʼ.
This same investment manager has, as a
result, invented a fund via which he hopes
to raise a further £100 million across the
UK. By so doing, the money raised will
employ 1.4 million Malawians or 9% of the
population. The fund will be available for
ISAs, pensions or offshore bonds and of
course those running a charitable trust of
any sort can also invest. The fund comes
with a capital guarantee at maturity. Forecast returns are 20% per annum. So, if you
really want to make a difference put £1,000
into this fund and you will not only have
an excellent investment but you will, at the
same time, give 14 Malawians a permanent
job that is not dependent on further aid.
Two contrasting alternatives then to get
your 2008 investing off to an interesting
start.
If you need any further information
or assistance with this or any other type
of investment you can always contact
me on 07715174057 or e-mail nicholas
[email protected]. Nicholas is
an Independent Financial Planner with
Positive Solutions (Financial Services)
Ltd who are regulated by the Financial
Services Authority.
Mohammed Al-Aleem, Kuwait’s
acting oil minister, gestures to
journalists at the opening of the
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meeting in Vienna, Austria. Saudi Arabia, the world’s
biggest oil
exporter, is producing above
its OPEC quota
because the
market needs
more crude, Oil
Minister Ali alNaimi said. (BN)
A waiter serves
beer at the opening
of Vienna’s Schweizerhaus, a traditional beer garden
at Vienna’s amusement park “Wurstl
Prater”. (RN)
A woman
joins thousands of
people
lighting
candles to
represent
each Austrian killed
under Nazi
tyranny,
including
65,000
Jews, during a silent candle-lit vigil on
Vienna’s Heldenplatz (Heroes’
Square). Austrian leaders urged
their people on Wednesday not
to dismiss the Nazi past as no
longer relevant 70 years after
Hitler took over the country with
popular support. (RN)
UEFA President Michel
Platini listens
during a
news conference on
occasion of a
UEFA EURO
2008 team
workshop in
Vienna. (RN)
match in
Vienna.
(RN)
An urn in the design of a soccer ball stands in a glass cabinet
among
other urns
at the
“Bestattungsmuseum
der Bestattung Wien”
(burial
museum)
in Vienna.
(RN)
Maria Happel (R) and Roland
Koch perform as Michel and
Veronique Houille during a dress
rehearsal of Yasmina Reza’s play
“Der Gott des Gemetzels” (the
god of massacre) on stage of
Vienna’s Burtheater. The play is
directed by Dieter Giesing. (RN)
Rescue workers help injured
people on the site of a crash
near Seewalchen in Upper Austria province March 25, 2008.
At least one person was killed
and several seriously injured in
a pile-up of around 100 vehicles
on Austria’s main east-west highway on Tuesday, local authorities
said. (RN)
Vienna Insurance Group CEO
Guenter Geyer addresses the
media during a news conference
inVienna. The company said it
increased its embedded value to
4.55 billion euros ($7.16 billion) at
the end of 2007, up 8.6 percent
from a year earlier. (RN)
Austria Vienna’s Hannes Aigner
(L) and Rapid Vienna’s Hannes
Eder exchange their jerseys after their Austrian league soccer
BELGIUM
summit on Thursday, ahead of a
formal discussion on Friday, European leaders said. (RN)
Belgium’s outgoing Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt (L) presides
over his last Cabinet meeting,
before stepping down, with his
successor Yves Leterme (R) in
Brussels. (RN)
Tibetans
shout slogans during
a protest
in support
of Tibet, in
Brussels. (RN)
Germany’s Chancellor Angela
Merkel holds a news conference at the European Council
headquarters on the
second day of an EU
summit in Brussels. The
euro currency’s record
strength and financial
market turmoil were the
big talking points on
the sidelines of an EU
Members of the
Belgian Parliament
hold banners reading “More women
in the government”
while Belgium’s
Prime Minister Yves
Leterme launches
the work programme of his newly
appointed government at the
Parliament in Brussels. (RN)
Sheikha
Lubna alQasimi,
foreign trade
minister for
the United
Arab Emirates, speaks
during a
panel discussion on
sovereign wealth funds, during
the Brussels Forum, in Brussels,
Belgium, on Saturday. The German Marshall Fund of the United
States is a grantmaking and
public policy institute dedicated
to strenthening transatlantic cooperation. (BN)
Belgian
riot police
arrest an
activist who
attempted
to enter the
NATO headquarters in Brussels. Around 100
anti-war protesters were arrested
trying to force their way into
NATO’s headquarters in Belgium
on Saturday, police said. (RN)
European Central Bank (ECB)
President JeanClaude Trichet
arrives to testify
before the European Parliament’s
Committee on
Economic and Monetary Affairs
in Brussels. (RN)
Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary speaks at a news
conference in Brussels. Ryanair
expects to remain unhedged for
the rest of 2008 once its current
insurance against high fuel prices
expires at the end of this month,
O’Leary said. (RN)
France’s Sylvain
Chavanel of Cofidis
celebrates at the finish line as he wins
the 63rd Dwars door
Vlaanderen (Across
the Flanders) cycling
race in Waregem. (RN)
Francis Brichet, the father of
Elisabeth, one of the victims
of French self-confessed serial
killer Michel Fourniret, arrives at
Charleville-Mezieres courthouse.
The trial of Fourniret, charged
of murdering at least seven girls
in Belgium and France between
1987 and 2001, and his wife Monique Olivier who faces charges
of helping him murder at least
three of
his victims, begins on
Thursday. (RN)
41
BULGARIA
Princess Kalina
(L), daughter of
Bulgaria’s former
Tsar Simeon SaxeCoburg, and her
husband Spanish
explorer Kitin Munoz pose with
their son Simeon-Hassan Munoz
during an official photo session
for his first birthday at SaxeCoburg’s residency of Tsarska
Bistritsa, near the town of
Samokov, some 60km (37miles)
south of capital Sofia. (RN)
A model presents a
creation as part of
Bulgarian designer
Evgenia Zhivkova’s
Spring/Summer 2008
collection for Jeny
Style fashion house
during a show in
Sofia. (RN)
A Bulgarian boy rides his horse
during a festival marking the traditional holiday of Todorov Den,
also known as Horse Easter, in
the village of Gorna Banja, near
Sofia. Orthodox Bulgarians organise horse races on
Todorov Den as it
is believed to keep
their farm animals in
good health. (RN)
Bulgaria’s
Prime Minister
Sergei Stanishev
arrives for a
European summit in Brussels.
European Union
leaders meet on
Thursday for a
two-day summit to set a tight timetable for adopting ambitious energy policy reforms and measures
to fight climate change, despite
some sharp differences over how
to achieve those goals. (RN)
A police
officer
shows a
fake 200
euros
($309)
banknote
in Sofia. Over 350,000 euros
($541, 426) in fake banknotes
were seized late on Thursday
during a special police operation.
(RN)Nenov
Workers unload the coffin of a
Bulgarian sailor of a Bulgarian
cargo
ship,
which
sank in
rough
weather in
the Sea of Azov, at the Black sea
port of Varna, some 450km (280
miles) northeast of the capital
Sofia March 24, 2008. The bodies of seven Bulgarian sailors
of the cargo ship, which sank
were recovered and sent back to
Bulgaria on Monday. The boat’s
crew consisted of 10 Bulgarians
and one Ukrainian. (RN)
Sofia.
Tottenham
Hotspur’s
Dimitar Berbatov
poses for the
media after
winning the
Bulgarian Soccer
Player of the
Year 2007 award
during an official
ceremony in
(RN)
Bulgaria’s
President
Georgi
Parvanov
lights the
eternal
flame,
commemorating the
six million
Jews
killed by
the Nazis in the Holocaust, during a memorial ceremony at Yad
Vashem Memorial in Jerusalem.
(RN)
Bulgarian
nationalist Attack
party
leader and
Member of
Parliament
Volen
Siderov (C)
speaks to
the media
after his
party’s members were prevented
from protesting against visiting
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip
Erdogan in Sofia. (RN)
Erdogan (L) and his Bulgarian
counterpart Sergei Stanishev (R)
lay a wreath at the monument of
CYPRUS
summit to set a tight timetable for
adopting ambitious energy policy
reforms and measures to fight
climate change, despite some
sharp differences over how to
achieve those goals. (RN)
a growing shortage exacerbated
by a fourth year of drought. (RN)
New villas stand in Pyla, near
Larnaca, Cyprus. Cyprus’s property market is booming and mortgage lending is rising at a very
strong pace. (BN)
Cyprus’ President Dimitris
Christofias addresses a news
conference during a EU summit in
Brussels. European Union leaders
meet on Thursday for a two-day
Greek Cypriot Leader Dimitris
Christofias (R) shakes hands with
Turkish Cypriot Leader Mehmet
Ali Talat (L) after the end of their
first meeting in Nicosia. (RN)
A goat walks along the sunbaked bed of Cyprus’s largest
reservoir at Kouris, March 20,
2008. Cyprus on Monday ordered
emergency water rationing and
imports from Greece to cope with
42
FIBA Europe Secretary General
Nar Zanolin said recently that
Cyprus and especially AEL basketball team “has shown not only
that it can play basketball, such
as qualifying for the final four, but
it has also great organisational
capabilities.” Speaking at a press
conference ahead of the Eurocup
United Nations minesweepers
check for unexploded ordnance
on Nicosia’s Ledra Street. U.N.
explosives experts swept a central Nicosia checkpoint for mines
and booby traps on Wednesday,
part of a plan to open a pedestrian crossing point in the divided
city for the first time in decades.
(RN)
All-Star Game 2008, to be held
in the coastal town of Limassol,
at the Spyros Kyprianou Arena,
Zanolin said “this is the fourth
year in a row that we have the
All-Star in this wonderful city, in
this wonderful country, and each
year it is getting better.” (CAN)
CZECH REPUBLIC
Alzbeta
Chmelarova,
90, from the village of Vnorovy
in southeastern Moravia in
Czech Republic,
decorates Easter
eggs with traditional design.
Vnorovy’s Easter
eggs are famed
for their geometrical designs which are applied to
cleaned egg shells with the use
of wax. (RN)
Lukas Bauer of the Czech
Republic kisses the men’s overall trophy at the Cross-Country
skiing World Cup finals in Santa
Caterina. (RN)
motorway between Prague and
Brno near the town of Humpolec.
Around 100 cars collided in a
huge pileup in a heavy snowstorm in the Czech Republic on
Thursday, completely blocking its
main highway, officials said. (RN)
demonstration against U.S. plans
to install missile shields in the
Czech Republic, in Prague. They
carry figures representing Czech
Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek,
Czech Deputy Minister for
Security Policy and Minister
of Foreign Affairs Alexander
Vondra, Czech Defense Minister
Vlasta Parkanova, U.S. President
George W. Bush and U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice (L-R). (RN)
People stand amidst damaged
vehicles after a pileup on the main
Czech Republic’s Tomas Verner
performs during the men’s free
skating programme at the World
figure Skating Championships in
Gothenburg. (RN)
Former Czech President and
dissident Vaclav Havel attends a
pro-Tibet demonstration as several hundred activists gathered in
front of the Chinese embassy in
Prague.
Canada’s Jennifer Jones (lower)
watches the line on the rock
as the Czech Republic’s skip
Katerina Urbanova looks over
her shoulder during the World
Women’s Curling Championships
in Vernon, British Columbia. (RN)
Czech Republic’s Prime Minister
Mirek Topolanek reviews the
guard of honor during a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential
Palace in Hanoi. (RN)
(RN)
DENMARK
U.S.
President
George
W. Bush,
left, and
Anders Fogh
Rasmussen,
Denmark’s prime minister, place
their arms around each other following a joint news conference at
Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas,
U.S.. Bush said he will urge
allies attending a North Atlantic
Treaty Organization summit in
Bucharest, Romania, next month
to send more troops to fight the
insurgency in Afghanistan. (BN)
Per Stig Moeller, the Danish
foreign minister, left, gestures
to Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the
German foreign
minister, before
the start of the
NATO foreign
ministers meeting in Brussels,
Belgium. A U.S.
44
� Do you have strong
business experience?
� Have you got skills that would
benefit a young entrepreneur?
Protesters carry a placard that
reads: “No to bases” during a
A newborn baby orang
utan rests in the arms of
its mother Mona at the
zoo in Aalborg. (RN)
��
radar base planned for the Czech
Republic may be built even if an
accompanying missile base in
Poland is not, Hospodarske Noviny
said, citing Czech Deputy Prime
Minister Alexander Vondra. (BN)
Shi’ite Muslims burn Danish,
U.S. and Israeli flags during a
religious procession in Karach.
Protesters in Pakistan are
demanding for ties with Denmark
to be severed over the republication of one of several cartoons of
the Prophet Mohammad that led
to violence in Muslim countries
two years ago. (RN)
Lindsey Tarpley (C) of the U.S.
is challenged by Denmark’s
Cathrine
Sorensen (L)
and Christina
Orntoft during their World
Algarve Cup
women’s soccer
championship
final at Vila Real
Santo Antonio
stadium. (RN)
European
Socialist
Party
leader Poul
Rasmussen
of Denmark (L) welcomes Britain’s
Prime Minister Gordon Brown at a
meeting of the European Socialist
Party in Brussels.. European Union
leaders meet on Thursday for a
two-day summit to set a tight timetable for adopting ambitious energy
policy reforms and measures to
fight climate change, despite some
Denmark’s Prime Minister
Anders Fogh Rasmussen arrives
at the European Council headquarters on the second day of
an EU summit in Brussels. The
euro currency’s record strength
and financial market turmoil were
the big talking points on
the sidelines
of an EU
summit on
Thursday
ahead of
a formal
discussion
on Friday,
European leaders said.
(RN)
Denmark’s skip
Angelina Jensen
shouts to team
mates during the World
Women’s Curling
Championships
in Vernon, British
Columbia. (RN)
Danish cartoonist Kurt
Westergaard poses in Aarhus. His
satirical drawing of the Prophet
Mohammad has changed his life,
but Westergaard has no regrets,
despite the exposure of a plot to
kill him. (RN)
Turkish Foreign
Minister Ali
Babacan (R) and
his Danish counterpart Per Stig
Moller (L) meet in
Ankara. (RN)
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a new business start-up?
If yes, then business mentoring
could be for you.
The Prince’s Trust is looking for volunteer mentors to
provide support and guidance to each of the 220 new
businesses we will help to set up in Northern Ireland this
year.
If you’d like to find out more about mentoring in
Northern Ireland, or about The Prince’s Trust, please
contact Billy Eagleson on 02890 758115 or
email [email protected]
© The Prince’s Trust 2007 – all rights reserved. The Prince’s Trust is a registered charity, number 1079675, incorporated by Royal Charter.
ESTONIA
FRANCE
Erdogan (L) and his Estonian
counterpart Andrus Ansip pose
for the media during a welcoming
ceremony in Ankara. Ansip is in
Ankara for talks with top Turkish
officials. (RN)
showing Russian President
Vladimir Putin and presidential
candidate Dmitry Medvedev in
Moscow, Russia. Russia may
be heading toward dictatorship
as Germany did in the 1920s,
Estonian President Toomas Ilves
said, less than a week before
Russians elect a successor to
President Vladimir Putin. (BN)
Danil Haustov of Estonia swims
in the men’s 50m freestyle heats
at the European Swimming
Championships in Eindhoven. (RN)
Estonia’s Kristina Kiudmaa and
Aleksei Trohlev perform during the ice dancing compulsory
dance programme at the World
Figure Skating Championships in
Gothenburg. (RN)
Macedonian Prime Minister
Nikola Gruevski (L) and his
Estonian counterpart Andrus
Ansip inspect a guard of honour
during a welcoming ceremony
in Skopje. Ansip is in Skopje for
talks with top Macedonian officials. (RN)
Pedestrians walk in the centre of
Moscow near an election poster
photo released to the media on
Wednesday. In Chablis, it’s raining and the skies are depressingly
gray, yet the 90 wine producers
pouring their 2006 whites in a
cold stone building in the town
centre are all smiles -- their wines
are crisp and minerally, with plenty of up-front fruit appeal. In other
words, 2006 is another vintage
in Burgundy snatched from the
jaws of total disaster at the last
moment. (BN)
France’s rogue trader Jerome
Kerviel waves at reporters as he
walks free from the Sante prison
in Paris March 18, 2008 after five
weeks in custody. Kerviel left jail
after winning a legal battle against
detention. Kerviel is accused of
causing record losses at French
bank Societe Generale. (RN)
FINLAND
Ville Vahtola
of Finland
dives during
the men’s 1m
springboard
preliminary at
the European
Swimming
Championships
in Eindhoven.
(RN)
McLaren
Formula
One driver Heikki
Kovalainen of Finland smiles as
he sits outside his pit at Sepang
circuit. (RN)
Viveka Eriksson, premier of
Aland, speaks during an interview at the Self-Government
Building, in
Marieham,
Aland
Islands,
Finland. The
Aalanders,
46
members of Finland’s Swedishspeaking minority, have persisted
in selling snus (snuff) on their
ferries, which shuttle millions of
passengers around the Baltic.
The powdered tobacco is illegal
everywhere in the EU except
Sweden, which loves snus so
much that it only joined the EU
after getting assurances that snus
sales would stay legal. (BN)
Finland’s
Prime
Minister
Matti
Vanhanen
(R) welcomes
British
Foreign
Secretary
David Miliband upon his arrival in
Helsinki. Miliband is on a two-day
official visit to Finland. (RN)
Finland’s Kiira Korpi performs
during the women’s free skating programme at the World
Gothenburg. (RN)
flying hill in Harrachov. Five-time
Four-hills champion Ahonen
announced in Helsinki that he is
retiring from ski jumping to spend
more time with his family. (RN)
Ferrari Formula One driver Kimi
Raikkonen (C) of Finland shows
his trophy as BMW Sauber’s
Robert Kubica (L) of Poland and
McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen of
Finland applaud after Raikkonen
won the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix
at Sepang circuit. Kubica finished
second and Kovalainen, third. (RN)
Janne Ahonen of Finland greets
spectators after he won the Ski
Jumping World Cup event on a
Princess Stephanie of Monaco,
president of Fight Aids Monaco,
smiles before a news conference to announce a show which
will pay tribute to French singer
Serge Gainsbourg in Monte Carlo.
The benefit of the show will go to
Stephanie’s association. (RN)
Fire officials extinguish a fire in
a two-storey building used as
social housing in Espoo, a suburb
of Helsinki. At least five people
were killed and five others were
injured when a fire tore the building, authorities said. (RN)
Vintner Christian Moreau,
left, poses with his son Fabien
in the vineyards of Chablis,
France, in this undated handout
One in a state funeral at the
Invalides in Paris. Ponticelli, an
Italian immigrant who joined the
Foreign Legion as a 16 yearold at the outbreak of the war
with Germany in 1914, died last
month. (RN)
French actress Sophie Duez
displays
her voter
registration
card before
voting in
the second
round of
municipal
elections
in Nice,
southeastern France.
Duez is number four on the
socialist party list headed by
Patrick Allemand. France goes
to the polls for the final round
of municipal elections which
could leave the left in charge of
most major French cities and put
pressure on President Nicolas
Sarkozy to change his style of
government. (RN)
France’s President Nicolas
Sarkozy delivers a speech during
the “International Francophone
Day” in Paris.(RN)
Air France-KLM chief executive
JeanCyril
Spinetta
attends
a news
conference in
downtown
Rome.
Spinetta
warned
Alitalia’s
unions
on Tuesday that the FrancoDutch carrier was not “obliged”
to buy the Italian carrier despite
the weekend deal struck between
them, a union official said. (RN)
Alain Bernard of France reacts
after his men’s 50m freestyle
semi-final during the European
Swimming Championships in
Eindhoven. Bernard clocked
21.50 seconds to beat the mark
of 21.56 set by Eamon Sullivan
of Australia in Sydney on Feb 17
this year. (RN)
Members of the Foreign Legion
pay respect to the flag-draped
coffin of Lazare Ponticelli, aged
110, France’s last surviving WWI
veteran at a ceremony to pay
tribute to the dead of World War
Acrobats from Group F of
France perform in the play titled
“Un poco mas de luz” which
means “a little more light” at the
closing of the XI Iberoamerican
Theater Festival in Bogota. Over
100 theatre companies are presenting their shows. (RN)
France’s first lady Carla Bruni
listens as her husband French
President Nicolas Sarkozy
addresses members of both
Houses of Parliament in the
Royal Gallery of the Palace of
Westminster in London. (RN)
A court artist drawing shows
self-confessed French serial killer
Michel Fourniret holding a piece
of paper reading “If no closed
doors, mouth closed” during
his trial at Charleville-Mezieres
courthouse. Fourniret, dubbed
the “Ogre of the Ardennes”, faces
trial on Thursday for raping and
murdering seven young women
with the help of his wife in one of
the worst serial murder cases in
recent French history. (RN)
47
GERMANY
German Chancellor Angela
Merkel raises a glass in Chagall
hall before addressing the plenum in Israel’s parliament in
Jerusalem. Merkel began on
Sunday a highly symbolic visit
to Israel, where she will become
the first German chancellor to
address its parliament more than
60 years after the Nazi Holocaust
that killed 6 million Jews. (RN)
(RN)
Germany’s Gold medallists,
Aliona Savchenko and Robin
Szolkowy, perform during the
pairs free skating programme
at the World Figure Skating
Championships in Gothenburg. (RN)
Williams Formula One driver
Nico Rosberg of Germany gestures after getting into an F1
simulator in Singapore. (RN)
A handout picture shows polar
bear cub Flocke (Snowflake)
enjoying water sprays at the zoo
in Nuremberg. Flocke was separated from her mother Vera after
officials at the Nuremberg zoo
became concerned she might
harm the cub. (RN)
A worker grinds metal as
he helps to renew the furnace, Schwelgern 1 at the
ThyssenKrupp AG steel plant,
in Duisburg, Germany, on
Wednesday. The company is
Germany’s largest steelmaker.
(BN)
of Kassel. A planned high-speed
rail link between the Bavarian
capital Munich and its airport
will probably not be built because
of a cost overrun, a source in
Germany’s ruling coalition said.
A young woman wearing a traditional Frankonian wedding hat
smiles during a traditional Georgi
horse riding procession on Easter
Monday in the northern Bavarian
village of Effeltrich. Since early
16th century farmers have taken
part in the pilgrimage to bless
their horses. The roots of this
tradition go back to the legend
of Saint George, the horsemen’s
patron saint. (RN)
Exclusive, sensitively priced fine wines;
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Actors Markus Pol, Pia Douwes,
playing the role of Austria’s
Empress Elisabeth and Uwe
Kroeger (LtoR) pose for the
media during a photocall to
promote their musical “Elisabeth”
in Berlin. (RN)
European retail sales
unexpectedly declined in
Febuary after food and
energy costs rose, curbing
household spending.
Retail sales month-over-month
change in volume
1.0%
2
0.5
0
Michael Ballack (L) of Germany
fights for the ball with Alexander
Frei (R) and Valon Behrami
(rear) of Switzerland during their
friendly soccer match in Basel.
3
(RN)
Workers polish a prototype of
the new maglev Transrapid highspeed train at the ThyssenKrupp
plant in the central German city
48
A protester carries a flag as he
takes part in the “Ostermarsch”
(Easter march) demonstration to
protest against wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan, in Berlin. The sign
on the flag reads “peace”. (RN)
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GREECE
Striking electricity utility workers
march during a demonstration in
central Athens. Private and public
sector unions launched a 24-hour
nationwide strike on Wednesday
against the government’s planned
pension reforms, grounding
flights, confining ships to port
and closing schools, ministries
and banks. (RN)
Jaap de
Hoop
Scheffer, the
NATO secretary general,
gestures during a press
briefing in
Brussels,
Belgium.
Greece threatened to block NATO membership
for the Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia, poking a hole in
the alliance’s plans to expand
into southeastern Europe. (BN)
A model
presents
a creation by
designer
Loukia
during
the fashion week
in Athens.
(RN)
Romanos Iason
Alyfantis of
Greece swims
during the men’s
100m breaststroke heats at
the European
Swimming
A Greek protester draped in a
Greek flag stands in front of riot
police during a demonstration in
central Athens. Bank employees,
lawyers and firefighters were on
strike on Friday to protest against
the government’s pension reform
bill. (RN)
Greek actress Maria Nafpliotou,
playing the role of High Priestess,
at the site of ancient Olympia in
Greece. (RN)
Greece’s
Foreign
Minister
Dora
Bakoyannis
addresses
a news
conference after
a meeting with
her Macedonian counterpart
in Brussels. The Greek and
Macedonian foreign ministers
underlined their commitment on
Friday to resolve a dispute over
Macedonia’s name, a statement
issued after talks between the
two said. (RN)
A demonstrator
from the press
freedom group
“Reporters without Borders” is
arrested during
the speech by
Chinese Olympic
Committee
President Liu Qi at the Olympic
flame-lighting ceremony for the
Beijing 2008 Games at the site of
ancient Olympia in Greece. (RN)
The Olympic flame is carried to
the torch lighting ceremony by
Children wave flags of Serbia,
Spain, Greece and Russia during a protest in the northern part
of Mitrovica. Spain, Greece and
Russia are among the countries which are not recognizing
Kosovo’s independence. (RN)
HUNGARY
Nikolett Szepesi of Hungary
displays her bronze medal in
the women’s 200m backstroke
finals at the European Swimming
A protester throws
a garbage bin at
riot police during
an anti-government
demonstration in
Budapest. (RN)
Dancers perform during celebrations marking the 160th anniversary of
Hungary’s
1848
revolution in
Budapest.
(RN)
50
A factory
worker unloads
sugar from a
sack onto a
conveyor belt
in the Matra
Cukor sugar
factory in
Szerencs, 220
km (137 miles)
east of Budapest. Hungary’s
sugar sector may soon become
history after the European Union’s
market reforms shut down another refinery this week and the last
remaining unit is engulfed in a
price war with suppliers. (RN)
Members of the Hungarian farright anti-Roma group Magyar
Garda wait in a courtroom at the
Budapest Court. The Budapest
Chief Prosecutor’s Office wants
the group to be dissolved as it
believes their operation violates
the rights of the Roma community. (RN)
Serbian
ambassador to
Bulgaria
Danilo
Vucetic
speaks
during a news conference in
Sofia. Serbia is withdrawing its
ambassadors from Hungary,
Croatia and Bulgaria in response
to their recognition of Kosovo as
an independent state, the Serbian
Foreign Ministry said. (RN)
Men dressed in traditional costumes throw water on a woman
as part of traditional Easter celebrations during a presentation
to the media in Mezokovesd, 130
km (81 miles) east of Budapest.
Locals from northeast Hungary
celebrate Easter with a “watering
of the girls”, a fertility ritual rooted
in Hungary’s tribal pre-Christian
past. (RN)
People fight with pillows during
the second International Pillow
Fighting Day in the centre of
Budapest. (RN)
Dancers from Madach Theatre
perform a scene from award-winning musical “Cats” in Budapest’s
Heroes Square. Budapest’s
Madach Theatre has been playing
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous
musical for 25 years continuously
with great success and the open
air dance performance commemorates their 25th anniversary. (RN)
LATVIA
IRELAND
Graeme McDowell
of Northern Ireland is
drenched in champagne after winning
the EPGA Ballantine’s
Championship golf
tournament at the Pinx
Golf Club in Seogwipo
on Jeju Island. (RN)
U.S. President George W. Bush
(R) receives a bowl of shamrocks from Irish Prime Minister
Bertie Ahern (L) during a St.
Patrick’s Day reception in the
East Room of the White House in
Washington. (RN)
Northern Ireland’s Peter
Thompson (L) celebrates his
goal against Georgia with Warren
Feeney during their international
friendly soccer match at Windsor
Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland. (RN)
Allan Murray, visiting from
Dublin, Ireland, watches marchers
participate in the Saint Patrick’s
day parade on Fifth Avenue, in
New York. (RN)
Irish actress Sarah Bolger
attends the premiere of the film
“The Spiderwick Chronicles”
at the Entertainment Quarter in
Sydney. (RN)
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth
meets with Irish President Mary
McAleese (C) and her husband
Martin McAleese (L) during their
visit to Queen’s University in
Belfast. (RN)
Alessia Filippi
of Italy reacts
with her gold
medal in the
women’s 400m
individual
medley final at
the European
Swimming
52
Men leave Doma Church for a
procession to commemorate
the Latvian Waffen SS unit, also
known as the Legionnaires, in
Riga. The Legionnaires are being
commemorated for fighting
against the Soviet occupation of
Latvia but the Nazi connection
has caused great controversy
abroad, particularly in Russia. (RN)
Latvia’s Prime Minister Ivars
Godmanis arrives at the
European Council headquarters
on the second day of an EU
summit in Brussels. The euro
currency’s record strength and
financial market turmoil were the
big talking points on the sidelines
of an EU summit ahead of a formal discussion, European leaders
said. (RN)
Town square at dusk in Riga,
Latvia. Riga's opera festival pictures itself as the Bayreuth of
the East. The dream would seem
absurd if the Latvian company
were not doing so well. Emerging
markets from the Baltic states
to Latin America, awash in overseas capital, are paying a price
for their popularity. Residents of
Latvia's capital, Riga, have seen
house prices jump 67 percent in
a year. (BN)
(RN)
Singer Rihanna performs
onstage in Riga. (RN)
LITHUANIA
ITALY
Lazio’s coach Delio
Rossi celebrates after
his player Goran Pandev
scored during their Serie
A soccer match against
AS Roma at the Olympic
stadium in Rome. (RN)
Mikhail Koklyaev of Russia (L)
and Travis Ortmayer of the U.S.
compete during the Strongman
Champions League Riga Grand
Prix competition in Riga. (RN)
Ireland’s coach Eddie O’Sullivan
walks off the pitch before their
Six Nations
rugby union
match against
England at
Twickenham
in London.
A pint of stout is served at a pub
in Dublin, Ireland. Prime Minister
Bertie Ahern, beer lover, said he
wants a curb on alcohol availability to stem a surge in drinkfuelled violence. (BN)
Union representatives speak to
Alitalia workers
demonstrating
in front of the
airline’s headquarters on the
outskirts of Rome. Italy’s government said on Tuesday it struck a
deal with unions and key players
to avoid job and revenue losses
at Milan’s Malpensa airport in an
effort to clear the way for Alitalia’s
sale to Air France-KLM. Italian
police clashed with aircraft maintenance workers protesting outside Alitalia’s Rome headquarters
over possible job losses from the
sale. (RN)
Latvia’s Minister of Foreign
Affairs Maris Riekstins (R) shakes
hands with U.S. Secretary of
Homeland Security Michael
Chertoff in Riga. Chertoff and
Riekstins signed an agreement
that will lead to Latvians getting
visa-free travel to the United
States. Earlier in the day, the U.S.
signed a similar agreement with
Estonia, but the European Union
is against such agreements,
believing that they undermine the
E.U.’s powers. (RN)
Championships in Eindhoven.
(RN)
A pro-Tibet
demonstrator
cries as he
takes part in
a rally outside China’s
embassy in
Rome.(RN)
Italy’s
President
Giorgio
Napolitano
(L) and
Chile’s
President
Michelle Bachelet shake hands in
front of La Moneda Presidential
Palace in Santiago. Napolitano
is in Chile for a two-day official
visit. (RN)
Versace’s Chief Executive
Giancarlo di Risio poses near
the new AW 109 Power Agusta
Westland, the first helicopter to
be fitted with Versace-styled interiors, which has been delivered
to Romania’s former tennis player
turned businessman Ion Tiriac at
the Agusta Westland headquarters in Vergiate, around 60km (37
miles) north-west of Milan. (RN)
A worker puts
labels on bottles to be filled
with limoncello
at the Pallini
liqueur and
spirits factory in Rome,
Italy. Italy’s
economy will
expand at the
slowest pace in five years as
“external shocks’’ such as record
oil prices and the euro’s strength
against the dollar hurt consumers
and businesses, the Isae research
institute said. (BN)
A
water
buffalo,
used
for the
production
of buffalo mozzarella cheese, stands
in a farmyard near the Campania
Laszlo Cseh of Hungary (C),
Dinko Jukic of Austria (L)
and Vytautas Janusaitis of
Lithuania pose with their medals at the podium of the men’s
200m individual medley final
region village of Castel Volturno.
The European Commission has
asked Italy for assurances the
country’s top mozzarella is safe to
eat following reports some of the
cheese was made with milk contaminated with the carcinogenic
chemical compound dioxin. (RN)
Italian PDL (Party for Liberty)
leader Silvio Berlusconi speaks
during an electoral rally in
Viterbo, 80 km (50 miles) north of
Rome. (RN)
Italy’s Mauro
Camoranesi (L)
jumps for the ball
with Spain’s Joan
Capdevila during
their friendly soccer match at the
Martinez valero
stadium in Elche.
(RN)
Lithuania’s Katherine Copely
and Deividas Stagniunas perform
during the ice dancing original
dance programme at the World
Gothenburg. (RN)
Ioannis Bourousis (L) of
Olympiacos tries to stop Jonas
Maciulis of Zalgiris going for
a basket during their men’s
Euroleague basketball game in
Kaunas. (RN)
school children earlier this month
in Aleksandrija, Lithuania. The
school children were killed by
an off-duty policeman speeding
in his BMW. Lithuania has the
highest rate of road deaths in the
European Union, and Lithuanians
are four times more likely to die
in car accidents than Britons or
Germans. (BN)
Mourners pay their respects at
a make-shift memorial at the site
of a crash that killed three young
Czech Republic’s Prime Minister
Mirek Topolanek (L) and his
Lithuanian counterpart Gediminas
Kirkilas review the guard of
honour during the welcoming
ceremony at the government
headquarters in Prague. (RN)
Visitors wear gas masks during
a visit to the Soviet Adventure
Park "1984" show in Nemencine
about 25 km (15,5 miles) from
capital Vilnius. (RN)
53
LUXEMBOURG
media as he arrives for the Ecofin
finance ministers meeting in
Brussels, Belgium. Luxembourg
Finance Minister Juncker said
Europe is “much better placed’’
than the U.S. to deal with the
stock-market turbulence. (BN)
Lakshmi Mittal, president
and chief executive officer of
ArcelorMittal, speaks at the
company’s news conference in
Luxembourg. He was recently
named as one of the world’s richest men in the Forbes magazine’s
annual list of billionaires worldwide. ArcelorMittal, the world’s
largest steelmaker, said fourthquarter profit rose 2.7 percent on
higher prices and expanded Latin
American production. (BN)
Guy Wagner, Banque de
Luxembourg chief economist and
managing director of its asset
management subsidiary, attends
an interview at the Reuters Funds
Summit in Luxembourg. (RN)
A handout photo, provided to
the media, shows a painting by
Maurice de Vlaminck, entitled
‘’Barge on the Seine, 1906’’.
Vlaminck pretended to be illiterate and boasted that he had
never set foot in the Louvre. He
called Picasso a charlatan and
gladly accepted an invitation
from the Nazi authorities to visit
Germany in 1941. (BN)
Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas (R) shakes hands with
Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister
Jean Asselborn during their
meeting in the West Bank city of
Ramallah, in this picture released
by the Palestinian Press Office
(PPO). (RN)
Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister
Jean Asselborn lays a wreath in
the Hall of Remembrance at Yad
Vashem Holocaust Memorial in
Jerusalem. (RN)
Jean-Claude Juncker,
Luxembourg’s prime minister and
finance minister, speaks to the
MALTA
Award winner Alejandro
Amenabar and stars Oscar-winning British actress Rachel Weisz.
(RN)
Dancers perform “A Time
to Dance” choreographed by
Theresa Lungaro-Mifsud during
the Dance Workshop’s “Verve
‘08” production in Rabat, outside
Valletta. (RN)
A film crew
member
marshalls the
extras during
the filming of
the Egyptian
epic “Agora”
in Valletta.
The film is
directed by
Academy
54
Ryan Gambin (top) of Malta lines
up for the men’s 50m butterfly
heats at the European Swimming
Pedestrians pass a traditional
horse and cart in the capital of
Malta, Valletta. With 392,000
inhabitants, Malta will be the EU's
smallest member, taking over the
bottom berth from Luxembourg,
An African immigrant takes part
in a Palm Sunday procession
outside the open centre for refugees organised by Peace Lab, a
non-governmental organisation
working with refugees, in Hal Far
near Valletta. (RN)
ger, a position to be moderated
with the Lisbon Treaty. (BN)
An Armed Forces of Malta soldier
walks near a courtyard before a
news conference by the President
of the European Commission,
Jos Manuel Barroso, and Malta's
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi,
at the Prime Minister's Office at
Auberge de Castille in Valletta.
Barroso was in Malta to take part
in official celebrations marking
Malta's entry into the eurozone.
(RN)
with 437,000. Under the EU's
rules, Malta's vote -- or veto -- on
certain issues, including taxation,
immigration and foreign policy, will
count the same as, say, that of
Poland, another new EU entrant
with a population 100 times big-
PORTUGAL
NETHERLANDS
Chantal Groot of
the Netherlands
displays her gold
medal in the
women’s 50m
butterfly finals
at the European
Swimming
Championships in
Eindhoven. (RN)
Crown Prince Willem-Alexander
of Netherlands gestures during
a news conference on World
Water Day at the United Nations
European headquarters in
Geneva. Prince Willem-Alexander
is the
Chairman
of the UN
SecretaryGeneral’s
Advisory
Board on
Water and
Sanitation.
(RN)
Afghans burn a Netherlands flag
during a protest in Kabul. Some
5,000 Afghans chanted “death
to Denmark and “death to the
Netherlands” in the capital Kabul
on Friday, protesting the reprinting of a cartoon of the Prophet
Mohammad in Danish newspapers and a Dutch film on the
Koran. (RN)
A demonstrator
reacts during a protest against
Dutch
politican
and filmmaker Geert
Wilders on
Dam square in Amsterdam. About
one thousand people protested in
central Amsterdam on Saturday
against right-wing lawmaker
Geert Wilders and the imminent
release of his film expected to be
critical of the Koran. (RN)
Netherlands’
team players celebrate
after scoring
during their
friendly soccer match
against
Austria in
Vienna. (RN)
Future parents learn to relax on
a bucket to simulate a birth-chair
in a pregnancy class to prepare
for a traditional Dutch birth in
Amsterdam. The Dutch philosophy is that childbirth is a natural
physical process that should not
be medicalised unless there are
complications, and should primarily be handled by midwives at
home rather than by doctors in a
hospital. (RN)
Alonso Matos during their
Portuguese Premier League soccer match at Alvalade stadium in
Lisbon. (RN)
Netherlands’ second-placed
Steven De Jongh of Quick Step
(L) and France’s winner Sylvain
Chavanel of Cofidis celebrate
on the podium of the 63rd
Dwars door Vlaanderen (Across
the Flanders) cycling race in
Waregem. (RN)
An 8-metre (26-foot) robot
made from electronics trash
by Greenpeace activists is pictured outside
the Okura Hotel
in Amsterdam,
where a meeting of Philips
Electronics shareholders is taking
place. The activists protested
against the company’s stance on
waste. (RN)
POLAND
Holocaust survivor Edward
Mosberg of the U.S. talks with
participants of a march marking
the 65th anniversary of the liquidation of the Krakow ghetto, in
Krakow. He was one of 700 Jews
from Poland, Israel and other
countries who marched from the
site of the former ghetto to what
had been a Nazi German labour
camp in the suburb of Plaszow,
many of whose inmates were
employed by Oskar Schindler.
French Minister of Defence
Herve Morin (L) and his Polish
counterpart Bogdan Klich listen
to their national anthems during a welcoming
ceremony in front
of the Defence
Ministry building in
Warsaw. (RN)
56
U.S. President George W. Bush,
right, speaks to reporters following a meeting with Donald Tusk,
Poland’s prime minister, in the
Oval Office at the White House
in Washington, D.C., U.S., on
Monday. Bush said conditions
for basing a U.S. missile defense
system in Poland would respect
Polish independence. (BN)
second of the Malaysian F1
Grand Prix at Sepang circuit.
(RN)
Hungary’s President Laszlo
Solyom (R) welcomes his Polish
counterpart Lech Kaczynski in
Budapest. (RN)
(RN)
Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska
returns a shot to Russia’s
Svetlana Kuznetsova during their
match at
the Pacific
Life Open
tennis
tournament
in Indian
Wells,
California.
Poland’s President Lech
Kaczynski with his wife Maria
Kaczynska hold traditional Polish
“palms” after a Palm Sunday
mass in Lyse, northeastern
Poland, about 150 km (93 miles)
from Warsaw. (RN)
BMW Formula
One driver Robert
Kubica of Poland
shows his trophy
after he finished
Polish Prime Minister Donald
Tusk (C), Foreign Minister
Radoslaw Sikorski (L) and Chief
of Prime Ministers Political
Cabinet Slawomir Nowak (R) walk
out of the Presidential Palace
in Warsaw following talks with
Polish President.
Men use public bathrooms decorated with female mannequins at
a shopping centre in Sao Joao
da Madeira, northern Portugal.
You might be surprised to come
across a scantily clad model in a
public bathroom, but shoppers at
Portugal’s Eight Avenue mall in
Sao Joao da Madeira are beginning to like it. Spread across the
mens’ and ladies’ bathrooms,
mannequins scantily dressed
stand in suggestive poses as visitors meet them, first with shock,
then with a smile. (RN)
Candles and flowers are seen
on the street during a pro-Tibet
protest in front of the Chinese
embassy in Lisbon. China vowed
on Wednesday to take the
Olympic torch to Tibet despite
deadly riots there and sais it was
in a “life or death struggle” over
the Himalayan region with “the
Dalai Lama clique”. (RN)
Alastair Forsyth of Scotland
holds the trophy after winning
the Madeira Islands Open golf
tournament at the Santo da Serra
Golf Club in Portugal. (RN)
Setubal’s goalkeeper Eduardo
(C) celebrates their victory against
Sporting’s Liedson Muniz (L)
fights for the ball with Nacional’s
Sporting with his team mates
at the end of their Portuguese
League Cup final soccer match in
Faro, southern Portugal. (RN)
Portugal has been at the forefron
of an accord between the EU and
African leaders pledging closer
cooperation in addressing poverty, countering terrorism and promoting good governance. In 2007
the government made substantial
progress in restructuring ministries and departments, although
resistance from public-sector
trade unions and from within the
civil service has meant that public
spending is above target, largely
because of higher than expected
personnel costs. (BN)
ROMANIA
(L-R)
Romania’s
President
Traian
Basescu,
France’s
President
Nicolas Sarkozy, Luxembourg
Prime Minister Jean-Claude
Juncker and European
Commission President Jose
Manuel Barroso attend a family
photo session at a EU summit in
Brussels. European Union leaders
meet on Thursday for a two-day
summit to set a tight timetable for
adopting ambitious energy policy
reforms and measures to fight
climate change, despite some
Day, in the Transylvanian town of
Odorheiu Secuiesc, 330km (205
miles) north of Bucharest. (RN)
The Renault
logo is
displayed
in front of
Renault’s
Romanian
car maker
Dacia’s plant
in Mioveni,
130 km (81 miles) northwest of
Bucharest. Thousands of workers at Dacia went on strike to
demand average pay rises of 65
percent this year, halting production at the plant. The plant
produces the Renault’s low-cost
Logan model. (RN)
A model sits on
a Suzuki Intruder
motorcycle during the 6th
edition of the
Romanian National
Motorcycle fair in
Bucharest.
(RN)
Hungarian girls participate
in celebrations marking the
Hungarian
National
Day, also
known as
Magyars
A Romanian special forces soldier takes part in a security drill
at the Henri Coanda International
Airport in Bucharest. The drill is
part of security preparations for
the NATO Summit from April 2-4,
2008. (RN)
Fox, a German shepherd dog
specialized in explosives detection, is presented to the media in
the Constitution Square in front of
Romania’s Parliament Palace in
Bucharest. The Parliament Palace
hosted the NATO Summit 2008
on April 2-4. (RN)
in Craiova, 230km (143 miles)
west of Bucharest. Ford Motor
Co officially took over Romanian
carmaker Automobile Craiova on
Friday, committing to start producing Ford cars from mid 2009
and produce an unspecified small
car from 2010. (RN)
Jan Rohlik (L)
of the Czech
Republic
jumps for the
ball in front
of Romania’s
Mihai Macovei
(R) during
their European
Nations Cup
rugby match in Bucharest.
Workers arrange a banner on
the Romanian parliament building as part of preparations for the
upcoming NATO Summit on April
2 to 4, 2008 in Bucharest. (RN)
(RN)
John Fleming (L), chief executive
officer of Ford Europe, receives
the key to the Automobile
Craiova plant from Romanian
Prime
Minister
Calin
Popescu
Tariceanu
Workers at the Dacia car maker
plant, owned by France’s Renault,
shout during a protest in Mioveni,
130 km (81 miles) northwest of
Bucharest. Thousands of workers
at the Dacia factory protested as
part of their strike that began to
press demands for a 50 percent
pay rise. (RN)
SLOVAKIA
Slovakia’s Igor
Macypura performs during the
men’s free skating programme
at the World
figure Skating
Championships
in Gothenburg.
Slovakia, on Dec. 11, 2007.
Output from Slovakia’s three
major car plants, Volkswagen,
PSA Peugeot Citroen and South
Korea’s Kia Motors, was one of
the major factors fuelling a rise in
industrial output in the last year,
with production up 59.8 percent
on a 12-month comparison. (BN)
Eindhoven. Grigoriadis won the
event while Lang was placed second and Krizko third. (RN)
Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova
returns a shot against Russia’s
Maria Sharapova during their
match at the Pacific Life Open
tennis tournament in Indian Wells,
California. (RN)
Workers
build cars on
the assembly
line at the
Kia Motors
Slovakia
plant in Zilina,
Slovak boys dressed in traditional costumes ride on a wagon
pulled by an old tractor to celebrate a traditional Easter Day in
the village of Selec, 140 km (87
miles) north of Bratislava. (RN)
Aristeidis Grigoriadis of Greece
(C), Flori Lang of Switzerland (L)
and Lubos Krizko of Slovakia
pose with their medals at the
podium of the men’s 50m backstroke final at the European
Ivan Sramko, governor of the
National Bank of Slovakia, poses
during the Central and Eastern
European Forum (CEE) in Vienna,
Austria. Slovak central bank
Governor Sramko said the eastern European nation will be ready
to adopt the euro at the end of
the year as economic growth
is cool
enough
to keep
inflation
within the
limits for
adoption.
(BN)
(RN)
A man reads
a newspaper
in a cafe in
Bratislava. All
the main Slovak
dailies issued white front page on
Thursday in protest over a new
media law which is expected to
pass in the parliament next week
and has been a roadblock to the
EU Lisbon treaty ratification in
Slovakia. The publishers of these
papers see this law as curtailing
press freedom
in Slovakia. The
main headline of
the paper reads:
“Seven sins of
the media law”.
(RN)
SLOVENIA
David
Miliband,
the U.K.
foreign secretary (centre) speaks
with Dimitrij
Rupel, the
Slovenian
foreign minister (right)
and Per Stig
Moeller, the
Danish foreign minister, before the
start of the NATO foreign ministers
meeting in Brussels, Belgium,
on Thursday. A U.S. radar base
planned for the Czech Republic
may be built even if an accompanying missile base in Poland is
not, Hospodarske Noviny said, citing Czech Deputy Prime Minister
Alexander Vondra. (BN)
Slovenia’s Prime Minister Janez
Jansa gives a news conference
at an EU summit in Brussels.
European Union leaders meet on
Thursday for a two-day summit to
set a tight timetable for adopting
ambitious energy policy reforms
and measures to fight climate
change, despite some sharp dif-
58
ferences
over how
to achieve
those
goals. (RN)
Javier Solana during his visit in
Ljubljana. (RN)
Slovenia’s Matevz Petek
competes during the men’s
Snowboard Big Air FIS World
Cup Grand Finals 2008 in Chiesa
Valmalenco. (RN)
Slovenian President Danilo
Tuerk (R) speaks with High
Representative for the Common
Foreign and Security Policy
Sara Isakovic of Slovenia reacts
after her women’s 200m freestyle final during the European
Eindhoven. (RN)
Tamas
Priskin (L)
of Hungary
fights for
the ball with
Marko Suler
of Slovenia
during their
friendly soccer match in
Zalaegerszeg,
230km
(143miles)
west of
Budapest. (RN)
Finnish Foreign Minister Ilkka
Kanerva speaks during a news
conference after talks with his
Slovenian counterpart Dimitrij
Rupel in Ljubljana. (RN)
www.solmelia.com
UNITED KINGDOM
SPAIN
Jose Luis
Rodriguez
Zapatero, Spain’s
prime minister, celebrates with supporters after winning the general
election in Madrid,
Spain. Jose
Luis Rodriguez
Zapatero was
reelected Spanish
prime minister
after promising tax
cuts and increased
benefits to voters facing rising
unemployment and slower economic growth. (BN)
A boat is
moored
in the bay
at Saint
Vicent in
the north of
Ibiza, Spain. Ibiza, one-time club
capital of the world, is in rehab,
reinventing itself as a health and
eco destination. (BN)
Josep Maria Paret
Planas, lawyer,
poses in Barcelona,
Spain. Planas represented one of
Heinrich Kieber’s
victims. (BN)
Effigies burn
as the city
of Valencia
celebrates
the finale of
its “Fallas”
festival, which
welcomes
spring and
honours Saint
Joseph’s Day.
Fallas are giant elaborate sculptures and effigies made of wood
and plastic which are burned at
the end of the week-long spectacle of processions, fireworks,
music and dancing. (RN)
Getafe’s
Esteban
Granero celebrates winning against
Racing
Santander at the end their King’s
Cup semi-final second leg soccer
match at El Sardinero stadium, in
Santander. (RN)
A fireman walks in the site where
a bomb
exploded in
Calahorra.
A car bomb
exploded
close to a
police sta-
tery markets on Wednesday, say-
tion in the northern Spanish town
of Calahorra on Friday after a
warning from the Basque separatist group ETA, but only one person
was hurt, the town’s mayor said.
(RN)
Spanish
actor
and
director
Antonio
Banderas
(R), his
mother
Ana Banderas (L) and U.S actress
Melanie Griffith watch a procession during Holy Week in the
Andalusian capital of Malaga,
southern Spain. Hundreds of
Easter processions take place
around the clock in Spain during
Holy Week, drawing thousands of
visitors. (RN)
Spain’s Princess Letizia holds
her daughter Sofia after arriving
for Easter Sunday mass at Palma
de Mallorca’s Cathedral on the
Spanish island of Mallorca. (RN)
Spain’s Rafael Nadal drops to
his knees as he celebrates his
victory over James Blake of the
U.S. during
their match
at the Pacific
Life Open
tennis tournament in
Indian Wells,
California.
(RN)
Sweden skip
Stina Viktorsson
shouts to team
mates during
their World
Women’s
Curling
Championships
game against
Scotland in
Vernon, British Columbia.
AB, the Swedish exchange was
so small he worked behind a
curtain stretched across a larger
room. As of March 2008, he has
become President of what is now
called the Nasdaq OMX Group,
the electronic exchange that
handles the most shares in the
U.S. (BN)
relay at the European Swimming
Championships in Eindhoven.
Sweden’s
Viktoria
Helgesson performs during
the women’s
free skating
programme
at the World
Figure Skating
Championships
in Gothenburg.
(RN)
(RN)
Magnus Böcker, chief executive officer of OMX AB, poses at
the OMX offices in Stockholm,
Sweden.
When
Magnus
Böcker
went to
work as an
accountant
at OMX
60
A Swedish soldier, part of the
KFOR monitoring force, stands
guard outside the orthodox monastery in Gracanica, Kosovo.
Tensions in the area have risen
since the Feb. 3 re-election of
pro-Western President Boris
Tadic and the EU’s announcement of a mission to help smooth
the path toward independence by
the province of Kosovo. (BN)
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth smiles
as she leaves a reception at
Queen’s University in Belfast. (RN)
Simon Sjoedin, Jonas
Andersson, Lars Froelander
and Stefan Nystrand of Sweden
pose with their bronze medals of the men’s 100m medley
(RN)
Brazil’s
Robinho
gets a
helping
hand
from
Sweden’s
Sebastian
Larsson during their international
friendly soccer match at the
Emirates Stadium in London.
(RN)
While Swedish hospitals rank
among the best in the world, the
slow pace of care has led many
wealthy residents to opt out of
the government-funded medical
system. This continues to create tensions in a society where
cradle-to-grave welfare programs
have traditionally provided equal
access to care for everyone. (BN)
A science technician presses
her nose against a leather-bound
“Mummy” skeleton during a
photocall for the Edinburgh
International Science Festival in
Edinburgh, Scotland. (RN)
Spanish matador Manuel Jesus
‘El Cid’ performs a pass on a
bull during a bullfight in The
Maestranza bullring in Seville. (RN)
SWEDEN
Former drummer
for the Swedish pop
band ABBA, Ola
Brunkert, is seen
in his undated file
photo. Brunkert has
been found dead
after an apparent
accident in his house
in Mallorca, Spanish
police said. (RN)
England’s Steve Borthwick (L)
catches the ball during their
Six Nations rugby union match
against Ireland at Twickenham in
London. (RN)
ing they were not aware of problems at any UK bank and would
investigate share price moves
sparked by unfounded rumours.
HBOS, owner of the Halifax
brand, dismissed the speculation, saying it had an “exceptionally strong balance sheet” and
continued to access wholesale
funding. (RN)
Hennes & Mauritz CEO Rolf
Eriksen presents the company’s
earnings
for the first
quarter of
the year at
a news conference in
Stockholm.
(RN)
Former British Prime Minister
Tony Blair speaks during a conference on climate change in
New Delhi. (RN)
A sign for
the Halifax
bank is seen
on the wall
of a branch
in London.
Britain’s
financial
authorities
made a rare
public move
to calm jit-
Russian singer Valeriya (L) and
former Bee Gees singer Robin
Gibb attend a news conference in
Moscow. Valeriya, one of Eastern
Europe’s best selling pop artists, recorded with English singer
Robin Gibb the Bee Gees classic
‘Stayin’ Alive’ for her new album
that is due to be released in the
UK next month. (RN)
Director Fred Zinnemann and
actor Paul Scofield (R) are seen
during production of the film “A
Man For All Seasons (1966)” in
this undated handout photo from
1966. Scofield, hailed as one
of the great British actors of his
generation and awarded an Oscar
for his haunting performance in
“A Man For All Seasons”, has
died aged 86 of leukaemia, his
agent said. (RN)
British actress Thandie Newton
arrives to attend a screening of
the film “Run Fat Boy Run” in
New York. (RN)
A member of the Britannia
Coco-nut dancers smiles before
performing on the roadside near
Bacup, northern England. The
group, which can trace its origins
to the mid-1800s, dance along
the town’s roads every Easter
Saturday following a tradition to
mark out the boundaries of the
Captain Ryan Jones of Wales
celebrates with the trophy after
beating France in their Six
Nations rugby union match at
the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff,
Wales. (RN)
town.
An artist’s impression of the
Jupiter-like extrasolar planet
known as HD 189733b, orbiting
close to its star about 63 light
years from Earth. Astronomers
used the Hubble Space
Telescope to detect methane in
this planet’s atmosphere -- the
first organic molecule found on
a planet outside our solar system. Hubble also confirmed the
presence of water vapor in the
planet’s atmosphere, in research
published in the journal Nature.
(RN)
Daley, 13, of Great Britain
poses with his gold medal after
the men’s 10m platform final
(RN)
61
Upcoming Events 2008
Tuesday, May 13 (08:00
to 10:00) - Beamish Hall
Country House Hotel , North
East
Employing People from Overseas
Countries - Durham
The British Chamber of
Commerce is working in partnership with UKvisas to raise
awareness of the new policies
and processes in UK Visas,
Work Permits and the Border &
Immigration Agency
Friday, June 20 (08:00 to
10:00) - Ramada Hotel, Shaw’s
Bridge, Northern Ireland
National Business Travel
Network - Northern Ireland
The British Chambers of
Commerce is working in partnership with National Business
Travel Network (NBTN) and ACT
Travelwise to increase awareness of travel planning and the
positive impact it can have ...
Tuesday, July 01 (09:00 to
11:30) - Birmingham Chamber
of Commerce, West Midlands
50 PLUS- Planning for later life
and work options
Commerce and the Birmingham
Chamber of Commerce is
working in partnership with
The Department of Work and
Pensions (DWP) to develop an
engagement and awareness raising programme...
Thursday, September
04 (09:00 to 11:30)
- Birmingham Chamber of
Commerce, West Midlands
50 PLUS- Planning for later life
and work options
Commerce and the Birmingham
Chamber of Commerce is
working in partnership with
The Department of Work and
Pensions (DWP) to develop an
engagement and awareness raising programme...
UK CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE IN SPAIN
UK Chamber of Commerce in
Spain
May 8th 7:30 PM
European Business Drinks In
Barcelona
The British Chamber of
Commerce invites you to its
European Business Drinks
held in collaboration with the
European Council of Chambers in
Spain, in Barcelona.
TRADE SHOWS IN ITALY
OMAT
Office Management Application &
Technology - Voice, Computer &
Communication
Milan
Hotel Executive Milano
01.05 - 02.05 2008
VERONA MINERAL SHOW
Exhibition for Precious Hard
Decorative Stone, Fossils and
Similar, Stone Giftware
Verona
Verona Exhibition Centre
02.05 - 04.05 2008
CIBUS
International Food Exhibition
Parma
Fiere di Parma Fairgrounds
05.05 - 08.05 2008
DOLCE ITALIA
Confectionery Exhibition
Parma
05.05 - 08.05 2008
NAONISCON
Game card, Role-playing Game,
Game Tournament, Comics Trade
Show
Pordenone
Pordenone Fiere
06.05 - 06.05 2008
VOICECOM
Office Management Application &
Technology - Voice, Computer &
Communication
Milan
Hotel Executive Milano
07.05 - 08.05 2008
FIERA INTERNAZIONALE
DEL LIBRO TORINO
Turin International Book Fair
Torino
Lingotto Fiere
08.05 - 12.05 2008
COSMOFARMA
EXHIBITION
Health, Wellness, Beauty
Products and Services sold in
Pharmacies
Rome
Nuova Fiera di Roma
09.05 - 11.05 2008
CIVITAS
Exhibition of Solidarity and Social
and Civil Economy
Padua
PadovaFiere
09.05 - 11.05 2008
MIDO
Eyewear Exhibition (Optics Ophthalmology, Optometry)
Milan
Fiera Milano Nuovo Polo
09.05 - 12.05 2008
For a full listing, by country: www.eventseye.com/fairs
CISAP
International Conference on
Safety and Environment in
Process Industry
Rome
StarHotels Metropole
11.05 - 14.05 2008
LAMIERA
Machines, Plants, Tools for
Machining Sheets, Tubes,
Sections Wires and Steel
Structural Work, the Dies,
Welding, Heat Treatments,
Surface Treatments and
Finishing
Bologna
Bologna Exhibition Centre
14.05 - 17.05 2008
FITNESS FESTIVAL
Fitness Festival
Florence
Fortezza da Basso
14.05 - 18.05 2008
R2B - RESEARCH TO
BUSINESS
Research Renovates Enterprise.
Biotechnology, Nanotechnology,
Energy, New Materials...
Bologna
Bologna Exhibition Centre
15.05 - 16.05 2008
MEDIEL
International Exhibition
of Electrical Engineering,
Electronics, Lighting & Security
Napoli
Mostra d’Oltremare
16.05 - 18.05 2008
LA FIERA CAMPIONARIA
International Trade Far of Padua
Padua
PadovaFiere
17.05 - 25.05 2008
FEST
International Science Media Fair
Trieste
Fiera Trieste
17.05 - 20.05 2008
BAGARRE
Great Market of Markets of Old
or Antiques Goods
Parma
17.05 - 18.05 2008
VICENZA ORO
International Show dedicated to
Gold and Silverware, Jewellery
and Gemology
Vicenza
Fiera di Vicenza
17.05 - 21.05 2008
PHARMACON MERAN
Pharmaceutical Trade Fair
Merano
18.05 - 23.05 2008
EXPOFERROVIARIA
International Railway Industry Ex
Torino
Lingotto Fiere
20.05 - 22.05 2008
ITALY
Aprile Fotografia
Various locations, Padova
(I)31.05 www.cnf.padovanet.it
Roberto Crippa
Dipaoloarte, Bologna (I)
10.05 www.dipaoloarte.it
Benny Dröscher
Contemporary Art
Blindarte Contemporanea,
Napoli (I)
10.05
www.blindarte.it
Maja Bajevic
Photo
Palazzetto Tito, Venezia (I)
27.04
www.bevilacqualamasa.it
Ezio Gribaudo
Museo d’arte contemporanea,
Lisssone (I)
27.04
www.progettolissone.it
La cura del Bello. Per
Corrado Ricci.
Fine Arts
Museo d’Arte della città di
Ravenna, Ravenna (I)
22.06
www.museocitta.ra.it
ROSSA Immagine e comunicazione del lavoro
Video/Installation
PalaFuksas, Torino (I)
04.05
www.arthemisia.it
Roma e i Barbari
Themed exhibition
Palazzo Grassi, Venezia (I)
20.07
ww.palazzograssi.it
La biblioteca di Federico
di Montefeltro
Themed exhibition
Palazzo Ducale, Urbino (I)
27.07
www.bibliotecafederico.it
Pintoricchio
Fine arts
Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria,
Perugia (I)
29.06
www.mostrapintoricchio.it
Paris 1900
Themed exhibition
Palazzo della Marra, Barletta (I)
20.07
www.pinacotecadenittis.it
SPAIN
Erró: Azulejo a oleo
Galeria António Prates, Lisboa
(P)
05.05
[email protected]
Madrid en danza
FestivalMadrid
29.4
www.madrid.org/madridendanza
Darryl Pottorf
IVAM, Valencia
18.5
www.ivam.es
Jacques Honvault
Colorida Art Gallery, Lisboa
16.5
www.colorida.pt
El pan de los ángeles
CaixaForum, Madrid ( E )
25.05
http://obrasocial.lacaixa.es
El continente africano...
Espacio Cultural CajaCanarias,
Santa Cruz de Tenerife (E)
06.05
www.cajacanarias.org
Magdalena Abakanowicz
Exposition
Palacio de Cristal del Retiro,
Madrid (E)
16.06
www.museoreinasofia.es
Cosas del Surrealismo
Exposition
Museo Guggenheim, Bilbao (E)
07.09
www.guggenheim-bilbao.es
Ivan Grubanov/Ángel de
la Rubia
MUSAC, León (E)
04.05
www.musac.es
Post-it City. Ciudades ocasionales
Exposition
CCCB, Barcelona (E)
25.05
www.cccb.org
The Real Thing. Arte
Contemporáneo de China
Contemporary art
IVAM, Valencia (E)
27.04
www.ivam.es
Cosas del Surrealismo
Modern art
Museo Guggenheim, Bilbao
7.9
www.guggenheim-bilbao.es
Eduardo Arroyo
Contemporary art
IVAM, Valencia (E)
13.04
www.ivam.es
H BOX
Video art
MUSAC, León (E)
04.05
www.musac.org.es
Cerith Wyn Evans
Video/ Installation
MUSAC, León
04.05
www.musac.org.es
FRANCE
Louise Bourgeois
Centre Pompidou, Paris
02.06
www.centrepompidou.fr
Bernard Piffaretti
Musée Matisse, Le CateauCambrésis (F)
15.06
www.cg59.fr
Vlaminck. Un instinct
fauve
Musée du Luxembourg, Paris (F)
20.07
www.museeduluxembourg.fr
Voyage à Giverny
Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris
(F)
11.05
www.marmottan.com
Rencontres du 9ème artFestival
Various locations, Aix-enProvence (F)
26.04
www.bd-aix.com
Van Dyck graveur
Fine Arts
Musée du Louvre, Paris (F)
05.05
www.louvre.fr
Nicolas Poussin. La fuite
en Egypte
Fine arts
Musée des Beaux Arts, Lyon (F)
19.05
www.mba-lyon.fr
Some of these events and dates are subject to change.
To include your event, please send details to: [email protected]
Upcoming Events 2008
BRITISH CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE
bli
Du
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Ro
me
Cop
Pari
enh
age
n
Br
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ls
Lond
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A
Be rmidst
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Because when you
mean business... we do too.
European Business Express is the European editor for those
wanting up-to-the-minute, clear and objective information
on the European market.
Providing specialist information, European Business Express
sets its readers apart from their competition.
•
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Unique insight on the 27 European countries at a glance
Business news and analysis
Business lifestyle features and cultural tips
Bi-monthly print edition with daily updates and country briefings online
Because if it's news, it's in European Business Express.

EBEX APRIL 08 AW ALTS.indd - European Business Express

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