Opinion - News Analysis

Corrections and clarifications

The last sentence in the ninth paragraph of an article “Two centres of power in South Africa?” (Op-Ed, February 4, 2008) was: “When Mr. Mandela used to say that without the ANC, he was giving expression to a deeply held article of faith — and discipline — internalised by ANC members at all levels.” M.S. Prabhakara clarifies that it should have been “When Mr. Mandela used to say that without the ANC he was less then nothing, he was giving expression to a deeply held article of faith — and discipline — internalised by ANC members at all levels.” (The words in italics were edited out.)

In two reports “India, Pakistan may liberalise visa policy” (February 2, 2008) and “India, Pakistan to discuss Siachen” (February 3, 2008), the name of the Pakistan High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik was misspelt as Shahib Malik in the text and the captions of the accompanying photographs.

The sixth paragraph in an AFP/AP report “Sarkozy weds Carla Bruni” (“Newscape” page, February 3, 2008) was: “[Local district mayor Francois Lebel said] It is the first time in the history of the French republic that a President has married while in office.” A reader points out that BBC quotes historians as saying that this is an error. Pierre-Paul-Henri-Gaston Doumergue who was elected the twelfth President of France on June 13, 1924, was single when elected, and became the first President of France to marry in office. He got married at the Elysee Palace in 1931. (Also, the first paragraph in an article titled “Great Little Gaston” (Time magazine, Monday, July 30, 1934) says: “Only one statesman is able to take the microphone in France and talk successfully to the entire nation as ‘My dear fellow citizens and friends.’ The people call him affectionately Gastounet (‘Little Gaston’). They sympathised when he was a lonely bachelor and President of France. They appreciated his delicacy in waiting until his next to last week in office before marrying a lady of wealth with a chateau in southern France. When President Gaston Doumergue retired his popularity remained such as utterly to eclipse his two successors. There was no one else whom sad-eyed, colourless President Albert Lebrun could call to the Premiership in the bloody days of last winter when le peuple seemed rising against a Government hopelessly corrupt. Last week beloved Gaston Doumergue went to the microphone and gave an accounting of his stewardship as Premier in the last six fateful months ....”)

The heading of an AFP report “Taylor, Powell lift West Indies” (“Sport”, February 2, 2008), on the fourth one-day international between the West Indies and South Africa at Kingsmead, should have been “Taylor, [Fidel] Edwards lift West Indies”.

The first paragraph of the report also erroneously reported that “an unbeaten last wicket stand of 57 between Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell lifted the West Indies to a competitive total of 263 for nine.” Powell was run out for 0. It was Taylor on 43 and Fidel Edwards on 12 who remained unbeaten at the end of the innings.

In a report “Gopal surprises Beliavsky” (“Sport”, January 31, 2008), the text said that “Gopal has five points”, while the results column gave it as “The results (involving Indians): Eighth round: G.N. Gopal (6) bt Alexander Beliavsky (Slo, 5).” The results column is right. (The report was on teenaged Grandmaster G.N. Gopal outplaying former World junior champion and two-time winner of the Soviet championship Alexander Beliavsky in the eighth round of the Gibtelecom Masters chess tournament at Gibraltar.)

It is the policy of The Hindu to correct significant errors as soon as possible. Please specify the edition (place of publication), date and page.

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