Ex-spies use skills in travel 'agency' (iJet Travel Intelligence)

22 July 2002
The Record
Randy Diamond

It looks like the nerve center for some secret government spy program.

Behind the front door of a nondescript highway office complex in Annapolis, Md., intelligence analysts sit behind curving rows of computer screens in the hangar-like $2 million operations center. Large projection screens fill the front of the room, showing images of news programs from around the world.

Al Peabody used to work for the National Security Agency, Johan Selle for South African military intelligence. They now work for business travelers through iJet Travel Intelligence. The three-year- old privately held company was founded with the idea that real-time travel information can help international travelers avoid problems.

Continue Reading... Labels: Find Madeleine Fund, Madeleine McCann

iJET Launches WorldcuePRO

Travel Intelligence Service a Breakthrough for the Travel Industry
23 March 2001
Business Wire


On April 4, iJET Travel Intelligence will forever change the way people receive travel information with the launch the industry's first global intelligence service, WorldcuePRO; debut customers include the global reservation system Worldspan and Prudential Securities.

"WorldcuePRO gives the travel community a range and depth of professionally analyzed information never before available from a single, trusted source," said iJET Chairman and CEO John Power.

Continue Reading... Labels: Find Madeleine Fund, Madeleine McCann

iJET Travel Intelligence Opens Global Watch Center

Annapolis Facility Allows Firm to Monitor the Globe for Travel Problems
16 March 2001
Business Wire

Travelers face a world of potential trip disruptions, from disease outbreaks that close tourist areas and earthquakes that shut down airports to unreliable phone systems and dangerous train lines.

Until now, business and leisure travelers had no one-stop resource for identifying and managing such travel interruptions. iJET Travel Intelligence, based in Annapolis, MD, today opened the world's first Global Travel Intelligence Operations Center dedicated to monitoring the world and alerting travelers when travel disruptions arise.

"Natural disasters, health concerns and safety issues are part of the fabric of travel," said iJET Chairman and CEO John Power. "Our unique service helps travelers avoid or manage problems with timely, personalized travel reports and alerts. We now have the state-of-the-art facility needed to produce and distribute our intelligence and support travelers during their trips."

Continue Reading... Labels: Find Madeleine Fund, Madeleine McCann

iJET Will Provide Travel Intelligence Services to Prudential Securities

Securities Firm Will Use iJET's Services to Help Employees Prevent Travel Problems
13 March 2001
Business Wire

iJET Travel Intelligence has signed a contract with Prudential Securities to provide travel intelligence and customized travel services to employees of the securities firm beginning April 1.

iJET, based in Annapolis, MD, is the first intelligence agency of its kind dedicated to serving the needs of business and leisure travelers around the world. iJET provides travelers with comprehensive, timely, and personalized intelligence advisories both before and during a trip, helping travelers achieve a more productive and successful journey.

"Adding Prudential Securities as a client is a huge step for this young company," said CEO John Power. "We have spent nearly two years building the best private travel intelligence database in the world. Prudential Securities employees will soon have instant access to our database."

Under the agreement, iJET will provide Prudential Securities and its 14,000 employees access to iJET's new WorldcuePro service through the Internet.

WorldcuePro holds a continuously updated travel intelligence database covering more than 150 countries at inception. Prudential Securities employees will have access to intelligence in 10 categories key to international travel, including health, safety, security, communications, transportation and entry/exit requirements.

Continue Reading... Labels: Find Madeleine Fund, Madeleine McCann

IJet Chairman appointed

APPOINTMENTS
12 March 2001
The Washington Post

*excerpt*:

IJet Travel Intelligence of Annapolis named John W. Power chairman.

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Solicitor's new role for Law Society

2 March 1999
Manchester Evening News
Neil Barker

...ROCHDALE solicitor Edward Smethurst has been appointed by the Law Society to head a key representative group. From June 1 Mr Smethurst will become national chairman of the society's Commerce and Industry group, which represents more than 6,000 solicitors working in commerce and industry. At 30, he is believed to be the youngest-ever national chairman. He has been chairman of the Law Society north west Commerce and Industrial Group for four years and a Law Society main committee member for three years. Mr Smethurst, an in-house commericial litigation lawyer at a company in Warrington, says it is a "tremendous honour" to have been appointed by his peers to "this prestigious and important position."

Continue Reading... Labels: Brian Kennedy, Edward Smethurst, Madeleine McCann

Phone clue to Omagh bomb gang found.

28 February 1999 
The Sunday Times
Maeve Sheehan

Police investigating the Omagh bomb atrocity are closing in on the leaders of the Real IRA after the discovery of two mobile phones that they suspect were used by those planning the blast. Police in the republic now believe a series of calls made minutes before the explosion, which killed 29 people and injured almost 300, could be vital evidence. Disclosure of the possible breakthrough coincided with yesterday's arrest of Kevin Murray, 45, from Dundalk.

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A gong for the secret detective

31 December 1998
Manchester Evening News
Steve Panter


A TOP-SECRET detective who risked his life time after time in the line of duty has been honoured for his courage. The master of deep infiltration of major crime rings becomes an OBE today. Henri Exton headed Greater Manchester Police undercover unit before he retired five years ago. The former detective chief inspector has continued in his specialist field and is now with the Ministry of Defence. His work while he was in Manchester varied from penetrating notorious soccer gangs to uncovering evidence which proved a convicted killer innocent.

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Police question two over missing woman

3 July 1998
The Scotsman
John McCann

STRATHCLYDE Police are to question two convicted paedophiles over claims that one confessed to killing Alison McGarrigle, 40, who has been missing from her home in Rothesay for more than a year.

Officially police have dismissed as "speculation" claims that Charles O'Neill, 35, confessed to fellow-inmates at Glasgow's Barlinnie prison that he killed Ms McGarrigle and that she was "feeding the fish in Rothesay harbour".

But last night a police source confirmed that officers will interview O'Neill, 35, and his cousin William Lauchlan, 21, who await sentence after they were convicted of a series of sex attacks on six boys aged between nine and 17.

Their pleas of not guilty to attacks on nine other boys were accepted by the court.

While police continue to treat the woman's disappearance as a missing persons case, one line of inquiry is that Ms McGarrigle, who has three children, may have stayed with the men at a flat they rented in Largs.

Members of the missing woman's family have repeatedly appealed for information.

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'Bumf-free' post for a GP in Portugal

25 May 1996
Pulse
An English GP who works in Portugal believes the 'feelbad factor' in British general practice may attract applicants for a post in his Algarve practice. Dr Bernard Landau, who left Britain seven years ago to practise in the Albufeira holiday resort, is looking for a partner to join him and part-time GP Dr Steve Beck.

The newcomer will treat local people, expatriates and tourists from the private practice and will earn around #45,000, said Dr Landau. 'The partner, ideally strong on ENT or dermatology, will work one night in two, will enjoy 10 weeks' holiday and have none of the paperwork problems of GPs in Britain,' he said. 'GPs back home have to put up with so many stresses. Here we have no Government reports to fill in, no item-of-service bumf and virtually no night visits in winter.'

Continue Reading... Labels: Cathy Landau, Cathy Morris, Dr Bernard Landau