Hutton makes world headlines

The Hutton report has made headlines around the world

Lord Hutton's findings into the death of British weapons expert Dr David Kelly are being reported in media outlets across the world.

Satellite TV news channels were quick off the mark, with domestic TV bulletins, radios, and newspaper web sites following behind.

Virtually all highlight Lord Hutton's key findings: that Dr Kelly had indeed committed suicide, that the UK Government had not exaggerated the intelligence on Iraq's weapons, and the judge's strong criticism of the BBC.

Several pan-Arabic stations carried a live relay from London of Lord Hutton delivering his report. Some Arabic commentators have already been notably sceptical about its findings.

Iran's state news agency suggested the report was a "whitewash".

Below is a selection of the foreign coverage on Hutton:

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Tony Blair can now be satisfied: the report by the judge, Lord Hutton... absolves the British prime minister of any responsibility for the death of the scientist Dr Kelly and also absolves him of any responsibility over the suspicion of having done anything improper to justify the war on Iraq.

Spain's TVE Internacional

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There was no underhand strategy on the part of the British Government to reveal the name of David Kelly to the press. And the expert did commit suicide. These were the main findings of Judge Hutton, who presented his report in London a short while ago.

France's La Chaine Info TV

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Acquitted! Tony Blair can breathe a sigh of relief... Tony Blair has come through his week of truth apparently without any major bruises... A sigh of relief for Blair! A negative result would probably have cost him his premiership.

Germany's Bild newspaper web site

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Kelly case, judge clears Blair

Italy's Corriere Della Sera web site

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For Blair personally the completion of the investigation by Lord Hutton coincided with the end of the most difficult 48-hour-long marathon, considered to be the most difficult marathon in his political life.

Russia's RTR TV

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In response to the report, Kelly's relatives urged the government to take action to ensure the ordeal of the arms inspector is never repeated... More forthright, journalists attending Hutton's statement suggested that his report was a 'whitewash' and could not have been more in favour of the government.

Iranian news agency IRNA

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Perhaps the big surprise that many journalists here did not expect was the bitter criticism of the BBC. Lord Hutton devoted a major part of the report to the BBC failures... Lord Hutton justified the leak of the name of Dr Kelly by the British Defence Department and other British Government institutions to the press.

Al-Jazeera satellite TV correspondent

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It was clearly void of content. Lord Hutton, in one way or another, exonerated the prime minister and the government, expressed reservations about some of the actions of the Defence Ministry, and denounced the behaviour of the BBC... Today, we feel that Kelly was left in the open alone. His family will have the right - if it takes any other measures - to search for another independent investigation if it is not satisfied with this investigation.

Al-Arabiya TV correspondent

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BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.