Le Figaro

Mondo Times editors    Boulder Colorado USA

Posted at 9:06am on Friday, January 29th, 2010

Le Figaro Issues Apology to Ukrainian Businessman

Washington (January 28, 2010) -- The French daily newspaper Le Figaro today issued a retraction of previously published false allegations regarding Rinat Akhmetov, the Ukrainian businessman and political leader, and apologized to Mr. Akhmetov for the untrue information.

The retraction related to an article that was first published in the newspaper's print and electronic editions on January 18, 2010. In a formal statement that appeared in today's edition, Le Figaro acknowledged that "it has no evidence to support" the claims made about Mr. Akhmetov in the article.

Le Figaro further stated that the newspaper "regrets that these claims were made" and formally apologized to Mr. Akhmetov for any harm that he had suffered.

Speaking from Washington, D.C., Mr. Akhmetov's U.S. lawyer, Mark J. MacDougall, stated, "The editors and publisher of Le Figaro have acted responsibly in issuing a swift apology and correcting the false statements published about Mr. Akhmetov."

MacDougall added, "Mr. Akhmetov values his reputation throughout Europe, and today's action by Le Figaro recognizes that Mr. Akhmetov's good name was put at risk when false accusations were published."

Mr. Akhmetov is the principal shareholder of System Capital Management, one of the largest industrial companies in Ukraine.

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 12:49pm on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

The French government is moving ahead with a plan to give away newspapers to young readers in an effort to turn them into regular customers. Eric Pfanner of the New York Times reported the story on October 27, 2009:

"The government Tuesday detailed plans of a project called “My Free Newspaper,” under which 18- to 24-year-olds will be offered a free, yearlong subscription to a newspaper of their choice.

About 60 publications are participating in the new project. In addition to papers like Le Monde and Le Figaro, they include a variety of local publications, as well as the Paris-based International Herald Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times. Even L’Équipe, a popular sports daily, is taking part.

Costs of the project are being shared by the newspapers and the state, with the government allocating €15 million, or $22.5 million, over three years."

The full story:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/business/media/28papers.html?_r=1