An Outsider Finds His Future by Facing His Past
Date: 25 December 2001
By Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
Lasse Hallstrom, the director of John Irving's "Cider House Rules," wrestles with E. Annie Proulx's much knottier Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and comes up with a film that's pictorially sweeping but dramatically unsatisfying. Kevin Spacey is earnest but unconvincing as Quoyle, the novel's sad-sack protagonist who moves to Newfoundland with his aunt (Judi Dench) and takes a job writing the shipping news for a local newspaper. The movie can't find a screen equivalent for the book's quirky hard-bitten language, which creates a world unto itself. – Stephen Holden
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Afghan Journalism's Postwar Mission
Date: 26 December 2001
By Anthony Borden and Edward Girardet
Anthony Borden
Op-Ed article by Anthony Borden and Edward Girardet says urgent mission for journalism in Afghanistan is to provide ordinary Afghans with reliable information to comprehend peace process and make decisions for themselves, in order to foster stability and democracy (M)
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North Korea Denounces Japan Over Sinking of Boat in Battle
Date: 26 December 2001
By James Brooke
James Brooke
North Korea today denounced Japan's sinking of an unidentified boat in a high seas gunbattle last Saturday as "a crime."
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Next, Pavel From Irkutsk Gives Putin A Mouthful
Date: 25 December 2001
By Michael Wines
Michael Wines
Pres Vladimir v Putin spends two and a half hours on national television, taking questions from ordinary Russians; Putin repeatedly tells questioners that Russia will not transform itself overnight, even as he leavens most of his answers with data showing that economy and living conditions are getting better (M)
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Tracking Bioterror's Tangled Course
Date: 26 December 2001
By Eric Lipton and Kirk Johnson
Eric Lipton
Article, Tracking Bioterror's Tangled Course, traces anthrax outbreak in US from Sept 21, when New York Post assistant Johanna C Huden first noticed strange blister on finger, to Nov 20, when 94-year-old Ottille Lundgren died in Connecticut of more inhalation form; scientists see in hindsight that Huden, who fully recovered, was first or index patient, but story of investigation pieced together from interviews is tale of missed cues, misread evidence and erroneous assumptions that led scientists and officials to misjudge threat to postal workers and, through mail system, American public; physicians at first strugged individually to diagnose disease they had never seen; health care system learned only through bitter experience of 5 deaths and 18 other confirmed cases; chronology; photos; microbiologists work to pinpoint nature and source of mailed anthrax, while criminal investigators search for suspect; cases in Florida, New Jersey, District of Columbia, New York and Connecticut discussed (L)
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Blacks Who Voted Against Bush Offer Support to Him in Wartime
Date: 25 December 2001
By Kevin Sack
Kevin Sack
Striking component of Pres Bush's immense public approval since Sept 11 terrorist attacks and start of war in Afghanistan is high level of support from black Americans, most of whom did not vote for him and many of whom saw presidential election process in Florida as disenfranchisement of state's African-Americans; pollsters and black political leaders say Bush's ratings reflect patriotism and unity felt by all Americans, and may demonstrate black support for nation more than for Bush himself; but they also note that distance Bush has traveled with black Americans says much about influence of a foreign conflict on public opinion; latest New York Times/CBS News poll finds that nearly three out of every four blacks and nine of every 10 whites approve of Bush's performance; several blacks residents of Jacksonville, Fla, comment; photo (M)
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SHARES OF INTERNET SECURITY SOFTWARE MAKER PLUMMET
Date: 25 December 2001
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
WatchGuard Technologies shares fall 32 percent after Internet security company forecasts wider-than-expected loss (S)0
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TORONTO-DOMINION UNIT WILL BUY STOCK-OPTIONS FIRMS
Date: 25 December 2001
By Bloomberg News
Bloomberg News
toronto-dominion unit will buy stock
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