World Briefing | Asia: Nepal: State Of Emergency Eased
Date: 05 April 2002
By Barry Bearak (NYT)
Barry NYT
Nepal King Gyanendra eases state of emeergency that restricted political parties and news media since Nov; will let journalists use nongovernment news sources in reports about Maoist rebels (S)
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Herbert Kesner, 89, Times Broadcast Editor
Date: 06 April 2002
Herbert Kesner, former head of The New York Times news broadcast desk, which prepared hourly newscasts on WQXR, dies at age 89 (S)
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World Briefing | Asia: Russia: Journalist's Body Found
Date: 06 April 2002
By Sophia Kishkovsky (NYT)
Sophia NYT
Body of Russian journalist Sergei Kalinovsky, who has been missing since Dec, is found on banks of lake near his home, Smolensk; his apartment was set ablaze year ago (S)
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Bankruptcy Seems at Hand For German Media Giant
Date: 05 April 2002
By Edmund L. Andrews
Edmund Andrews
Kirch Group is preparing to declare that its core business is bankrupt, as aging founder Leo Kirch assumes role of passive bystander while bankers and minority shareholders argue over who should contribute to rescue; Rupert Murdoch and executives at his News Corp in Los Angeles meet with Kirch's bank creditors and other investors about possible takeover of Premiere, money-losing pay television network that is biggest reason for Kirch Group's collapse; Murdoch indirectly controls 22 percent of Premiere through BSkyB and News Corp is biggest shareholder of BSkyB (M)
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Trial in Murder of Reporter Begins With Legal Maneuvers
Date: 06 April 2002
By Seth Mydans
Seth Mydans
Trial of four men charged in kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl opens under tight security in Karachi, Pakistan, prison; adjourns after hour of legal maneuvering; lawyer for Ahmed Omar Sheikh, chief defendant, demands more documents; Salman Saqib charges he was beaten; other defendants are Fahad Naseem and Sheikh Muhammad Adeel; judge reportedly orders arrest of seven other defendants, who have eluded police for weeks (M)
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BOLDFACE NAMES
Date: 05 April 2002
By Joyce Wadler
Joyce Wadler
Lincoln Center's All Star Project will honor its spokesman Dominic Chianese, member of cast of television's Sopranos; photo; preview of Inner Circle dinner for City Hall reporters; singer Lauryn Hill performs at 25th anniversary party celebrating McDonald's All American Basketball game (M)
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Former Falun Gong Followers Enlisted in China's War on Sect
Date: 05 April 2002
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
Elisabeth Rosenthal
Chinese authorities put on display three severely scarred former practitioners of banned Falun Gong spiritual movement who express their regret for setting themselves on fire last year in Tiananmen Square; this is government's latest salvo in mounting propaganda war, intended to counter increasingly sophisticated public relations campaign that Falun Gong has mounted in China and abroad; foreign journalists are for first time allowed to speak with six people involved in grisly 2001 protest, including three who set themselves on fire; most say they have renounced Falun Gong and insist they are free to answer as they wish; one, Wang Jindong, who is serving 15-year prison term for taking part in 2001 protest, says he set himself on fire to achieve higher state of fulfillment; says he feels he was deceived by teachings of Falun Gong; another, Liu Yunfang, serving life sentence for organizing event, says he still believes Falun Gong is good; photo (M)
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Forced Off the Air in Ramallah
Date: 06 April 2002
By Daoud Kuttab
Daoud Kuttab
Op-Ed article by Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab, media director at Al Quds University, relates efforts to maintain broadcasting despite shutdown and destruction of equipment by Israeli soldiers (M)
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Musharraf Plans a Referendum to Let Him Stay in Power
Date: 06 April 2002
By Seth Mydans
Seth Mydans
Pres Pervez Musharraf sets May referendum to let him stay in power after Pakistan elects new civilian Parliament in Oct; says he seeks to create 'real democracy,' television speech; religious groups, political parties and most newspaper columnists oppose plan; photo (M)0
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SOFTWARE MAKER ACQUIRES OPERATIONS IN NORTHEAST
Date: 06 April 2002
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
Internet software maker and consultant Divine Inc to buy Viant Corp for about $93.5 million in stock (S)
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