Replay domenica 15 agosto 2004

When Yes Doesn't Mean Yes

Date: 16 August 2004

By Robin D. Stone

Robin

Op-Ed article by Robin D Stone says few people think Mary Kay Letourneau, teacher who had sex with her 12-year-old male student, committed crime as serious as that of man having sex with young girl; says behind this distorted view is myth that boys cannot be raped by women; says biologically, body responds to stimulation even when mind says no; says boy may consent to sex with woman rather than confess to being powerless to stop an attack; says studies show that sexually abused boys grapple with feelings of isolation, inadequacy and vulnerability; says news media rarely point out prevalence of such feelings among men survivors (M)

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IRAQI CONFERENCE ON ELECTION PLAN SINKS INTO CHAOS

Date: 16 August 2004

By John F. Burns

John Burns

Delegates who gathered in Baghdad under siege-like conditions to elect commission to organize elections instead stage angry protests against American-led military operation in Shiite holy city of Najaf; demand that conference be suspended, with one delegate storming stage before being forced back; shortly afterward, two mortar shells fire at area where meeting is held, landing instead in bus and truck terminal nearby, killing 2 and wounding at least 17; rebel attacks have spread to virtually every Sunni and Shiite town across country, threatening to overwhelm plans for three rounds of national elections next year, ending with fully elected government in Jan 2006; fighting in Najaf is part of wider insurrection across southern Iraq by militiamen loyal to Moktada al-Sadr, who has cast himself as tribune of Shiite underclass and as leader of national resistance movement; in latest sign that new push against Sadr might be imminent, government of Prime Min Ayad Allawi orders expulsion from Najaf of all reporters, Iraqis as well as Westerners; photos (M)

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Wal-Mart Tries to Shine Its Image By Supporting Public Broadcasting

Date: 16 August 2004

By Constance L. Hays

Constance Hays

Wal-Mart seeks to improve its image by becoming sponsor of National Public Radio, underwriting Tavis Smiley, popular talk show on KCET, public television station in Los Angeles, and offering scholarships to minority students at journalism programs around country; image has suffered from criticism of company's labor practices, expansion plans and selective approach to publications and music it sells in its stores; spokeswoman says company is especially sensitive to need for balanced news coverage; says there is no hidden agenda in its journalistic sponsorships; photos (M)

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People Power; The Curious Fate of Populism: How Politics Turned Into Pose

Date: 15 August 2004

By Geoffrey Nunberg

Geoffrey Nunberg

Stanford University linguist Geoffrey Nunberg article discusses definition of 'populism' and how media has used term during 2004 presidential campaign; photos (M)

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NEWS SUMMARY

Date: 15 August 2004

INTERNATIONAL 3-18 Talks in Najaf Break Down Truce talks between Iraq's interim government and Moktada al-Sadr's rebels collapsed in Najaf, prompting American commanders to prepare new battle plans for breaking Mr. Sadr's grip on the holy city and the Imam Ali mosque, Shi'ite Islam's most sacred shrine. 1 Factional Afghan Fighting Twenty-one people, including two senior defense ministry commanders, were killed in heavy factional fighting overnight in the western Afghan province of Herat, in another upset as the country prepares for elections. 8

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NEWS SUMMARY

Date: 16 August 2004

INTERNATIONAL A3-8 Democracy Conference Turns Into Najaf Protest A conference of more than 1,100 Iraqis chosen to take the country a crucial step further toward constitutional democracy convened in Baghdad under siege-like conditions, only to be thrown into disorder by delegates leaping out of their seats to stage angry protests against the American military offensive in the Shiite holy city of Najaf. Two mortars fired at the area where the meeting was being held landed in a terminal nearby, killing two people. A1 Two American soldiers were killed in Najaf as renewed fighting flared between American troops and fighters loyal to Moktada al-Sadr, the rebel Shiite cleric, barely a day after truce talks collapsed. A8

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Will Russia, the Oil Superpower, Flex Its Muscles?

Date: 15 August 2004

By Erin E. Arvedlund

Erin Arvedlund

Russia's future as oil superpower discussed in light of Kremlin's protracted battle with its largest oil producer and exporter, Yukos, which has raised doubts among some traders about reliability of Russian supplies and helped drive up prices; industry insiders dismiss concerns, noting Russian oil output has risen strongly over past year and government is not likely to let exports drop significantly because of its fight with Yukos founder Mikhail B Khodorkovsky; output graphs; photo (M)

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MediaTalk; It's the Summer Olympics on NBC, But It's the End of Summer on CBS

Date: 16 August 2004

By Bill Carter

Bill Carter

CBS declares end to summer television season, apparently to keep NBC's summer ratings from getting boost from its coverage of Olympics Games; NBC Universal replies by saying that if summer is over, Olympic viewers should be included in ratings for regular television season; CBS has done better than NBC this summer, at least up until beginning of Olympics; photo (S)

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Could It Be? 'The Apprentice,' Iraqi-Style?

Date: 16 August 2004

By Nicola Clark

Nicola Clark

Mohammed Gohar, founder and chief executive of Video Cairo Sat, says Nahrain, Baghdad-based television channel he hopes to launch in late August, will have no political, ethnic or religious agenda, as is the case with other private television broadcasters springing up in Iraq, and is intended solely to entertain; says programming will include originally produced soap opera and even reality show; photo (M)

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1954:Loudest Town Crier : IN OUR PAGES:100, 75 AND 50 YEARS AGO

Date: 16 August 2004

International Herald Tribune

International Tribune

HASTINGS, England: An ancient ceremony was revived in this English town yesterday [Aug. 14] and you could hear the revival for miles. Twenty-two of the biggest-lunged men in Britain sucked in their breaths and let go with all they had in the annual National Town Criers' championship. For the sixth year in a row and for the seventh time in his life Ben Johnson, a Cornishman, outyelled them all. Mr. Johnson and his competitors all opened their performances with the traditional town criers' attention-getter: "Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!" Then he let go a spiel which involved some loud bits of news and a few announcements. The bellowing was much better than Bill Cruttenden, of Hastings, could put out and the local crier took second place. Each crier wore his costume of office. It usually started off with a three-cornered hat, wig, lace collar, velvet coat, waistcoat, knickers, tight socks and silver-buckled shoes. Everyone had a big bell and clanged away to draw attention. They performed in front of William the Conqueror's castle, which was built soon after the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

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