Liberty Media Fuels Speculation By Adding to News Corp. Stake
Date: 23 January 2004
By Geraldine Fabrikant
Geraldine Fabrikant
One day after Liberty Media Corp, controlled by John C Malone, said it was increasing its voting stake in News Corp, investors are still wondering what Malone is up to; company has been quietly increasing its stakes in number of properties where it already has investment; Malone is positioning himself to play greater role at News Corp by increasing his voting interest to about 9 percent; Australia law says Liberty, as foreign investor in Australian company cannot buy controlling stake without government permission; Liberty spokesman Michael Erickson says Malone is not actively seeking board seat at News Corp (M)
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In Sign Zimbabwe Crackdown Is Easing, Newspaper Reopens
Date: 23 January 2004
By Sharon Lafraniere
Sharon Lafraniere
The Daily News, Zimbabwe's only independent daily newspaper, hits streets for first time in nearly four months after high court judge orders police to stop interfering with its publication; is fierce critic of Pres Robert Mugabe; South African Pres Thabo Mbeki says Mugabe's governing party has agreed to formal negotiations with political opposition, in possible sign that Mugabe may want to ease country's protracted crisis; but spokesmen for Mugabe's party and opposition movement, which seeks his ouster, deny there has been any progress; analysts say Mugabe's erratic behavior makes it hard to predict whether conciliatory gestures presage real change; Daily News has been shut down and then allowed to publish before; photo (M)
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Selecting Stewart Jury: How Much Publicity Is Too Much?
Date: 23 January 2004
By Constance L. Hays
Constance Hays
Jury selection in Martha Stewart trial continues to play out behind closed doors, and prosecutors move to keep it that way; US attorney's office files brief in favor of continuing to bar reporters and others from observing questioning of prospective jurors in trial of Stewart and her former stockbroker Peter Bacanovic; document urges appeals court to uphold Jan 15 order from Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum that closed proceedings; various news organizations, including New York Times, have sought to have order overturned and will argue before appeals court on Jan 26; photo (M)
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A Smiling Dean Turns to Television to Undo the Damage From Television
Date: 23 January 2004
By Alessandra Stanley
Alessandra Stanley
Howard Dean appears with wife Judith on Primetime Thursday, in attempt to defuse criticism that arose from his ferocious, almost maniacal concession speech in Iowa; clips of speech have been played over and over on television news and provoked mocking on Internet and late-night talk shows (M)
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Senate Inquiry Into Memos That Went Astray Nears End
Date: 23 January 2004
By Neil A. Lewis
Neil Lewis
Senate sergeant-at-arms William Pickle says he is nearing end to investigation into how several confidential memorandums written by Democratic staff aides about dealing with judicial nominations ended up in hands of Republican staff members; Pickle began his probe after Democrats complained that their confidential memorandums were being stolen and distributed to conservative news outlets; Pickle says he will issue report to Judiciary Committee (M)
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World Briefing | Europe: Italy: Media Concentration Criticized
Date: 24 January 2004
By Jason Horowitz (NYT)
Jason NYT
European Federation of Journalists criticizes Italian government for allowing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to have widespread ownership and control over media thereby creating conflict of interest for journalists (S)
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World Briefing | Africa: Ivory Coast: Policeman Guilty Of Murder
Date: 23 January 2004
By Somini Sengupta (NYT)
Somini NYT
Abidjan (Ivory Coast) police officer Theodore Dago Sery is convicted of murdering Jean Helene, French journalist for Radio France International, in October 2003; is sentenced to 17 years in prison (S)
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On TV With His Wife, a Softer, Gentler Dean
Date: 23 January 2004
By Jodi Wilgoren
Jodi Wilgoren
Howard Dean and his wife appeared in their first nationally televised interview Thursday in an effort to save Dr. Deans embattled presidential campaign.
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U.S. Offers Evidence Linking Hollywood Figure to Threat
Date: 23 January 2004
By Bernard Weinraub
Bernard Weinraub
Federal prosecutors seeking maximum 33-month prison sentence against celebrity private investigator Anthony Pellicano for illegal possession of weapons introduce evidence from related inquiry into death threat against journalist to bolster their argument; Pellicano has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing hand grenades and plastic explosives; search of his office by federal agents turned up not only illegal weapons but evidence of unrelated instances of illicit wiretapping (M)
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Hollywood Investigator Gets 30-Month Term in Weapons Case
Date: 24 January 2004
By Bernard Weinraub
Bernard Weinraub
Federal Disrict Judge Dickran M Tevrizian Jr sentences Anthony Pellicano, private Hollywood investigator and central figure in federal wiretapping investigation, to 30 months in prison on unrelated weapons charge; grand jury is investigating Pellicano's alleged wiretapping of prominent people in Hollywood; he was allegedly involved in threat against Los Angeles Times reporter Anita Busch in June 2002; she was working on article about actor Steven Seagal and his relationship with mob figure (M)
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