MALAYSIA JAILS BLOGGER, BLOGGERS FIGHT BACK

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A prominent Malaysian blogger was charged Tuesday with sedition for allegedly implying the deputy prime minister was involved in the sensational killing of a young Mongolian woman. Kamaruddin says he and other bloggers have ‘declared war on the government.’

Defiant Kamaruddin says he has evidence for his claims the deputy PM was linked to murder.

Raja Petra Raja Kamaruddin, who has not denied that he linked Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak to the slaying, pleaded innocent to the charge, telling reporters that he should have the right to hold the powerful accountable for wrongdoing.

He was taken to prison after he refused to post bail. The court set the trial for October 6. If convicted, he faces up to three years in jail.

“I am not posting bail. See you guys in October,” Raja Petra told supporters before police took him away. “I will be out for Christmas. Don’t worry.”

CHINESE JOURNALIST SACKED FOR COLUMNS ON TIBET

BEIJING (Reuters) - A renowned Chinese columnist has lost his job at a magazine over commentaries on unrest in Tibet which did not conform with the official line, a watchdog group and a source with knowledge of the dismissal said on Tuesday.
Zhang Ping, who writes under the pen name Chang Ping, was sacked as deputy chief editor of the Southern Metropolis Weekly magazine, the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said.

The group said in an e-mail Zhang’s departure was “because of his editorials about Tibet”, including the controversial piece “How to find the truth about Lhasa?”
“We deplore this unfair removal of a well-known member of the liberal press,” the statement said.

Zhang declined to comment when reached by telephone. The source, requesting anonymity, confirmed the sacking but declined to provide further details.

EJC MEDIA: South African broadcaster suspends head of news

South Africa’s state broadcaster said it had suspended the head of its news and current affairs division, a move that followed accusations of slanted political coverage. In a statement, the South African Broadcasting Corporation said Snuki Zikalala was suspended pending an investigation into allegations of ‘serious misconduct,’ declining to provide details or discuss the matter further. ‘The outcome of the investigation is likely to result in a formal disciplinary enquiry,’ it said.

Supporters of increasingly powerful ruling party leader Jacob Zuma had accused the broadcaster of favoring President Thabo Mbeki in a contest to lead the African National Congress last year. Mr Zuma won overwhelmingly. Mr Zuma’s supporters also said the SABC undermined Zuma with its coverage of his corruption case. The ANC leader goes on trial in August for money-laundering, racketeering, fraud and corruption. Many pro-Mbeki officials have been purged from party and parliamentary positions as well as state-run institutions since Mr Zuma’s victory, and Mr Mbeki is increasingly seen as a lame duck with less than a year to serve in his final term. (Reuters via Business Spectator)

COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW ON OUR ELECTIONS

The People vs. Jeremiah Wright
What’s wrong with the Wright trial
By Megan Garber

Why No HageeGate? Russert Explains
By Liz Cox Barrett

Larry Derfner: Rattling the Cage: Daniel Pearl’s Last Words, Uncensored

“We Americans cannot continue to bear the consequences of our government’s actions, such as the unconditional support given to the State of Israel. Twenty-four uses of the veto power to justify massacres of children. And the support for the dictatorial regimes in the Arab and left-wing world. And also the continued American military presence in Afghanistan.”

PENTAGON DOCUMENTS ON MEDIA MANIPULATION ON LINE

JOHN STAUBER: For links to the Pentagon Media documents, and internal links, click here:

Pentagon’s Propaganda Documents Go Online, But Will the TV Networks Ever Report This Scandal?

KEEP THE INTERNET FREE

Internet Home of Independent TV B&C

“Hannah Montana” executive producer Steve Peterman urged lawmakers on Capitol Hill to protect the Internet from coming under the control of the major media conglomerates, Broadcasting & Cable reports. At a hearing for the “Internet Freedom” bill, Peterman, a Writers Guild member, stressed that the Internet is the new TV, a place where independent production can thrive, the newspaper notes. Seven conglomerates now own access to nearly all broadcast information and content after the “unraveling” of the financial interest and syndication rules, Peterman argued..

German politician may auction his beard

BERLIN (Reuters) - The head of Germany’s Social Democrats, who has ambitions to be his country’s next leader, is thinking about donating his beard to charity, but is not quite sure.

Kurt Beck, who as party leader has a strong claim to lead the SPD into next year’s national election, said in a panel discussion in Mainz that he might shave off his beard to raise 1 million euros ($1.5 million) for charity, the newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported.

LETTERS ON WALL ST SUBCRIME

Harvey Wasserman writes from Columbus: “danny…good piece, as usual….give em HELL, bro.”

Lisa Melby Loves It;

I just read your article “Investigating Wall Street Crime” and I’ve been yelling from the top of my lungs to clients, friends, associates and colleagues and NO ONE get’s it!!! I keep referring to the leaders of these mega financial institutions as “Corporate Pirates” some of the best examples Mozilo, O’Neil, Prince to name a few. YES brokers were awful and I’m being gracious but what about the lenders that were offering the 580 credit score, stated income, 100% financing? If the CEO/lender did not know that risk would most certainly default maybe the aforementioned should not have been sitting in that position collecting the outrageous recompense. How can you blame borrowers and brokers right along with retail bank employees for putting borrowers in these products because these borrowers fit the guidelines being set and approved by the investment banks/lenders? THEN if the CEO’s of the investment banks did not know the risk that they were packaging how on earth can this be the sole fault of the borrower, broker and don’t forget the retail banker.

I have been a broker for almost 10 years now and I am proud of my work and all the people I’ve helped in home ownership I am however not proud of the industry as a whole right now. How is it that the American public slumbers when they are being pilfered? Where is the outrage at these corporate pirates and corporate America holding the general public hostage in their greed and quest for power? In some ways I feel like the sleeping public deserves some of what they get by not speaking out, by not boycotting these companies and by not holding them accountable for their actions. Mozilo reminds me of Ken Lay/Enron, no not his corpse like appearance but in his appalling response to questions concerning the avalanche of failed mortgage loans written and sold by Countrywide. I am referring to his comments that the Federal Government made him lend to non qualified borrowers to meet quotas set by the government and his memory loss or flat out refusal to take responsibility for perpetrating his greed at the expense of our National economy.

I would love to see each CEO’s compensation, the write downs for that period of time and the job losses incurred during each tenure, maybe that would wake up the public

THANK YOU and I LOVE your work!!!

HATES IT!

Jeffrey Shonka writes in response to my piece on the Subcrime scandal:

This problem was caused by greed and stupidity, neither of which are illegal. As such, I don’t see much in terms of criminal prosecution. Or, do you just like putting businesspeople behind bars? Perhaps you are a failed businessman looking for revenge? Perhaps you just couldn’t cut it in the real world?

Perhaps!

PAUL MCCARTNEY DENOUNCES CLUSTER BOMBS, CALLS FOR A BAN

I am still wondering if I do cut it or not, but, while I meditate on that burning issue of great import, I will be cutting out.

Thanks for being here.

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