Independent for 81 Years, the BBC Is Facing a Challenge
Date: 31 July 2003
By Alan Cowell
Alan Cowell
British Broadcasting Corp is embroiled in one of most bitter rows of its 81-year history, pitting its sense of independence and impartiality against government that has accused it of misreporting why Britain joined United States in war against Iraq; dispute was made even more sensational by death of David Kelly, government specialist in nuclear and biological weapons, identified by BBC as its main source for report on May 29 suggesting that Prime Min Tony Blair's office exaggerated threat from Iraq's weapons program to justify joining war; unusual debate is encouraging critics and rivals to challenge BBC's view of itself and its curious status as public broadcaster financed by compulsory license fee among television viewers, yet protected by Royal Charter from government control; photo (M)
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PRESIDENT DENIES HE OVERSOLD CASE FOR WAR WITH IRAQ
Date: 31 July 2003
By Richard W. Stevenson
Richard Stevenson
Pres Bush, in first full-scale news conference in nearly five months, says he did not exaggerate urgency of going to war with Iraq, and says American forces are 'on the hunt' for Saddam Hussein; says he takes 'personal responsibility' for assertion in his State of Union address about Iraq's nuclear weapons program that turned out to be based on questionable intelligence; calls his national security adviser Condoleezza Rice an 'honest, fabulous person' when asked if she should be held responsible for inclusion of disputed assertion; says he remains confident that banned weapons will be found; says he understands need to produce evidence to 'placate the critics and cynics'; says he does not know how close American forces are to capturing Hussein (M)
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In Bush's Words: 'Taking the Fight to the Enemy' in Iraq
Date: 31 July 2003
Excerpts from Pres Bush's news conference; photo (L)
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Times Editor to Select Reader Representative
Date: 31 July 2003
By Jacques Steinberg
Jacques Steinberg
Bill Keller, new executive editor of The New York Times, announces that he will name a 'public editor' to serve as representative for newspaper's readers; creation of position was recommended by internal committees created after damage to newspaper's credibility caused by discovery of extensive fabrications by reporter Jayson Blair (M)
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Blair, on Brink of a Tenure Record, Says He Won't Quit
Date: 31 July 2003
By Warren Hoge
Warren Hoge
Prime Min Tony Blair opens news conference with charts-and-graphs presentation of his government's achievements, and boasts that on Aug 2, he will become Britain's longest continuously-serving Labor prime minister; journalists then pepper him with questions about whether he is quitting; political fallout over Britain's participation in war in Iraq has presented his government with greatest crisis in its six years in office; Blair's confrontation with BBC over its coverage of war appears to be making his political future even more uncertain, although there is scant evidence he will have to or choose to leave office prematurely; although he has enjoyed high popularity ratings longer than any prime minister in British history, recent poll shows two-thirds of British public no longer trust him; photo (M)
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Yanks-Red Sox Rivalry Is White Hot
Date: 01 August 2003
By Tyler Kepner
Tyler Kepner
New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox trades this season have intensified already-heated and storied rivalry between two American League East teams, which seem to one-up each other in press, on field and in big-name deals; photo (M)
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HALLIBURTON SAYS QUARTER WAS PROFITABLE
Date: 01 August 2003
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Halliburton Co reports second-quarter profit of $26 million after a year-earlier loss as revenue from government contracts more than doubles because of work in Iraq; net income is 6 cents a share, in contrast to net loss of $498 million, or $1.15 a share, in period year earlier (S)
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PROCTER & GAMBLE'S EARNINGS INCREASE 4.9%
Date: 01 August 2003
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Procter & Gamble says that fourth-quarter profit rose 4.9 percent, to $955 million; sales rise 7.4 percent, to $10.9 million (S)
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REVLON LOSES MONEY FOR THE 19TH CONSECUTIVE QUARTER
Date: 01 August 2003
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Revlon Inc, cosmetics maker, says second-quarter loss narrowed to $37.8 million; it is 19th straight quarterly loss for Revlon (S)
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CIGNA SAID TO HIRE GOLDMAN TO SELL PENSION UNIT
Date: 31 July 2003
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Cigna Corp reportedly hires Goldman Sachs Group Inc to arrange sale of its pension business (S)
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