News Corp. Rejects Move By Vivendi
Date: 17 May 2002
By Suzanne Kapner
Suzanne Kapner
News Corp rejects decision by Vivendi Universal to abandon planned acquisition of Stream, Italian pay television company jointly owned by News Corp and Telecom Italia; Vivendi's chief executive Jean-Marie Messier is under pressure to reduce company's debt of 31.3 billion euros ($28.6 billion); Vivendi spokesman refuses to discuss reports in French press that Edgar Bronfman Jr, Vivendi board member, approached French financier Vincent Bollore about jointly making hostile bid for Vivendi (M)
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Chancellor's Hair Color Is Now Ward of the Court
Date: 18 May 2002
By Edmund L. Andrews
Edmund Andrews
German court upholds injunction that effectively prohibits news organizations from even hinting that Chancellor Gerhard Schroder colors his hair; Schroder's efforts to suppress such reports is mercilessly lampooned in ads run by cosmetics company for new hair strengthener (S)
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Berlin Journal; Never Say Dye: The Chancellor Could Sue You
Date: 17 May 2002
By Edmund L. Andrews
Edmund Andrews
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder's lawyers seek permanent injunction that would effectively prohibit any news organization from even suggesting that his hair has been dyed, tinted or touched up in any way; Schroder's hair stylist Udo Walz confirms that Shroder does not color his hair; hair story originated as light news feature, but Schroder's response was to go to court to seek injunction; his hair fixation has generated at least as much bad publicity as it has suppressed, making him look vain and prickly, if not self-obsessed; he faces tough challenger for re-election, Edmund Stoiber; photos (M)
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Police Are Led to Body Said to Be Pearl's
Date: 17 May 2002
By Felicity Barringer
Felicity Barringer
Pakistani police official says three new suspects in murder of Daniel Pearl, Wall Street Journal reporter, have led police to grave at western edge of Karachi where they say he is buried; if remains are identified as those of Pearl, and if they are admitted as evidence, they could help shore up case against four men now on trial in Hyderabad; witnesses say they saw one defendant, Ahmed Omar Sheikh, meet with Pearl before his kidnapping; others say they heard Sheikh admit to abduction; defense attorney for four suggests that videotape showing execution of Pearl, which FBI agents presented in court, was faked (M)
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Party Organ In Cuba Prints Speech By Carter
Date: 17 May 2002
By David Gonzalez
David Gonzalez
Newspaper of Cuba's Communist Party, in highly unusual gesture of openness, publishes uncensored text of former Pres Jimmy Carter's speech in which he bluntly criticized Cuba's government for denying basic freedoms and endorsed referendum to improve rights; referendum campaign itself has been subjected to news blackout in state-run media, even after supporters garnered more than 10,000 signatures on petitions; newspaper Granma devotes five pages to Carter's speech and to his detailed responses to audience members who denounced referendum campaign, known as Project Varela, as foreign creation; Granma does not act on Carter's suggestion that it also print demands of project: for electoral law reform, amnesty for political prisoners, freedom of expression and right to own small businesses (M)
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Carter Urges Bush to Reject Plan to Aid Cuba Dissidents
Date: 18 May 2002
By David Gonzalez
David Gonzalez
Former Pres Jimmy Carter urges Pres Bush not to provide assistance for dissidents, human rights advocates and independent journalists in Cuba; says dissidents he met with are deeply concerned that such direct help from US would allow Pres Fidel Castro to discredit their efforts; adviser to Carter says many dissidents also favor lifting trade embargo, which Bush wants to tighten (M)
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Pakistani Police Unearth a Body Thought to Be Slain Reporter's
Date: 17 May 2002
By Howard W. French
Howard French
Pakistani authorities said today that they had unearthed the remains of a man believed to be Daniel Pearl.
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HBO-Showtime Team Using Experienced Reporter to Cover Tyson Bout
Date: 17 May 2002
By Richard Sandomir
Richard Sandomir
Richard Sandomir TV Sports column discusses announcement by HBO and Showtime that Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis fight media coverage will feature veteran reporter Jim Gray (M)
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His Mood Seems Mellow; His Cartoons Are Not
Date: 18 May 2002
By Ginger Thompson
Ginger Thompson
Profile of Rafael Barajas, dean of Mexico's large and vigorous corps of political cartoonists; his cartoons, which appear in leftist La Jornada, frequently take aim at Pres Vicente Vox, whom he says is totally incable of living up to changes that he promised; photo (M)
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