Al-Jazeera boss Wadah Khanfar steps down to be replaced by Qatari royal
September 20, 2011 No Comment
TV channel head quits after revolutionising Middle East broadcasting for past eight years, especially during Arab Spring Qatar’s government has replaced Wadah Khanfar, the director-general of the al-Jazeera satellite TV network, with a member of its own royal family – a sudden and dramatic move at a time of unprecedented turmoil across the Middle East. Khanfar, credited with revolutionising the Arab media landscape, announced that he was resigning after eight years that consolidated both the channel’s reputation and his position as one of the most powerful figures in the region. The new director-general is said to be Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani, an executive at Qatargas and a member of the country’s ruling dynasty. The Palestinian-born journalist said in a resignation letter posted – characteristically – on Twitter that his goal at the outset was “to establish al-Jazeera as a global media leader” and that “this target has been met”. Al-Jazeera, based in the Qatari capital Doha and owned by the state’s emir, broke the mould of Arabic media organisations that were bankrolled by and subservient to governments or cowed by censors when it was set up in 1996. Often technically brilliant and highly partisan, it has outperformed itself in this year of the Arab uprisings with the slogan – cleverly echoing the battle cry of revolutionary struggles – that “the coverage continues”. Khanfar wrote: “In 2011 the eyes of the world watched the aspirations of millions unfold as our newsrooms broadcast, tweeted and published the events unfolding in the Liberation Squares from Sidi Bouzid to Jisr Al-Shughur. The coverage of these revolutions is ongoing, and we continue to report the fight of the youth to achieve dignity and freedom from tyranny and dictatorship.” Confident, charming and articulate in English as well as his native Arabic, Khanfar has been criticised by some Arab commentators who say his sympathy for the Muslim Brotherhood shows in often favourable coverage of Islamist movements. In Libya, for example, al-Jazeera has been giving air time to a prominent Islamist who had been in exile in Qatar. The PLO was upset by the leak to al-Jazeera of documents exposing details of secret negotiations with Israel . It is often attacked for failing to be impartial. Recently, al-Jazeera has been accused of pulling its punches over the uprising in the Gulf state of Bahrain. It barely reports on events in Qatar itself. But as Blake Hounshell of Foreign Policy magazine tweeted : “Whatever you think of Al Jazeera’s coverage, there’s no question @khanfarw [Khanfar] put the network on the global map. Big time.” Khanfar’s letter was clearly written with a view to fixing his legacy: “Authoritarian regimes were terrified at the birth of this new institution and they quickly went on the offensive,” he wrote. “From trying to discredit our reportage and staff through disinformation to lodging official protests with the Qatari government. When this did not stop our reporting, they started harassing our correspondents, detaining our staff and closing our offices. The only way they could stop us was by jamming our satellite signal. “Yet we remained steadfast in our editorial policy – in fact, each attempt to silence us further emboldened us and increased our resolve.” Al-Jazeera TV news Television industry Qatar Middle East Ian Black guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Al-Jazeera boss Wadah Khanfar steps down to be replaced by Qatari royal
September 20, 2011 No CommentTV channel head quits after revolutionising Middle East broadcasting for past eight years, especially during Arab Spring Qatar’s government has replaced Wadah Khanfar, the director-general of the al-Jazeera satellite TV network, with a member of its own royal family – a sudden and dramatic move at a time of unprecedented turmoil across the Middle East. Khanfar, credited with revolutionising the Arab media landscape, announced that he was resigning after eight years that consolidated both the channel’s reputation and his position as one of the most powerful figures in the region. The new director-general is said to be Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani, an executive at Qatargas and a member of the country’s ruling dynasty. The Palestinian-born journalist said in a resignation letter posted – characteristically – on Twitter that his goal at the outset was “to establish al-Jazeera as a global media leader” and that “this target has been met”. Al-Jazeera, based in the Qatari capital Doha and owned by the state’s emir, broke the mould of Arabic media organisations that were bankrolled by and subservient to governments or cowed by censors when it was set up in 1996. Often technically brilliant and highly partisan, it has outperformed itself in this year of the Arab uprisings with the slogan – cleverly echoing the battle cry of revolutionary struggles – that “the coverage continues”. Khanfar wrote: “In 2011 the eyes of the world watched the aspirations of millions unfold as our newsrooms broadcast, tweeted and published the events unfolding in the Liberation Squares from Sidi Bouzid to Jisr Al-Shughur. The coverage of these revolutions is ongoing, and we continue to report the fight of the youth to achieve dignity and freedom from tyranny and dictatorship.” Confident, charming and articulate in English as well as his native Arabic, Khanfar has been criticised by some Arab commentators who say his sympathy for the Muslim Brotherhood shows in often favourable coverage of Islamist movements. In Libya, for example, al-Jazeera has been giving air time to a prominent Islamist who had been in exile in Qatar. The PLO was upset by the leak to al-Jazeera of documents exposing details of secret negotiations with Israel . It is often attacked for failing to be impartial. Recently, al-Jazeera has been accused of pulling its punches over the uprising in the Gulf state of Bahrain. It barely reports on events in Qatar itself. But as Blake Hounshell of Foreign Policy magazine tweeted : “Whatever you think of Al Jazeera’s coverage, there’s no question @khanfarw [Khanfar] put the network on the global map. Big time.” Khanfar’s letter was clearly written with a view to fixing his legacy: “Authoritarian regimes were terrified at the birth of this new institution and they quickly went on the offensive,” he wrote. “From trying to discredit our reportage and staff through disinformation to lodging official protests with the Qatari government. When this did not stop our reporting, they started harassing our correspondents, detaining our staff and closing our offices. The only way they could stop us was by jamming our satellite signal. “Yet we remained steadfast in our editorial policy – in fact, each attempt to silence us further emboldened us and increased our resolve.” Al-Jazeera TV news Television industry Qatar Middle East Ian Black guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Burhanuddin Rabbani killing plunges Afghanistan peace effort into crisis
September 20, 2011 No Comment
Bomb rips through Kabul home of former president appointed by Karzai to begin negotiations with Taliban Hopes of ending the war in Afghanistan through a negotiated settlement appeared in tatters on Tuesday after insurgents assassinated Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, a former president of Afghanistan appointed by Hamid Karzai to begin peace talks with the Taliban. At around 6pm local time a bomb ripped through Rabbani’s house in the heart of Kabul’s diplomatic district, just a stone’s throw from the US embassy which was attacked by militants last week. Sources close to Rabbani said the former president died in the explosion and Masoom Stanekzai, another key official in charge of Karzai’s reconciliation strategy, was seriously injured. Such an apparently deliberate attack on a still-embryonic peace process that has created tensions within Afghanistan and between its neighbours is likely to tip the country further into political crisis. Unconfirmed reports indicated that the two men were holding a meeting with a pair of insurgents to discuss peace plans. That raises the possibility that one of the insurgents could have been the bomber. Mohammad Aslam, a baker whose shop is just down the road from the house, said he thought the blast came from within the house as the sound of the explosion was “extremely weak”. Rabbani, who was chairman of the High Peace Council which was set up by Karzai last year to develop a framework for peace, regularly held meetings with insurgents on either side of the Afghan-Pakistani border. A Tajik and former warlord from northern Afghanistan who fought against the Taliban, he was a controversial choice. Although many analysts argued that the Taliban would never take a man with his history seriously, his appointment was also designed to appease northern, non-Pashtun Afghans who were deeply suspicious of any peace deals. Rabbani’s death is likely to embolden those opposition figures who are most strongly opposed to a peace talks with insurgents. Afghanistan Hamid Karzai Taliban Jon Boone guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Burhanuddin Rabbani killing plunges Afghanistan peace effort into crisis
September 20, 2011 No CommentBomb rips through Kabul home of former president appointed by Karzai to begin negotiations with Taliban Hopes of ending the war in Afghanistan through a negotiated settlement appeared in tatters on Tuesday after insurgents assassinated Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani, a former president of Afghanistan appointed by Hamid Karzai to begin peace talks with the Taliban. At around 6pm local time a bomb ripped through Rabbani’s house in the heart of Kabul’s diplomatic district, just a stone’s throw from the US embassy which was attacked by militants last week. Sources close to Rabbani said the former president died in the explosion and Masoom Stanekzai, another key official in charge of Karzai’s reconciliation strategy, was seriously injured. Such an apparently deliberate attack on a still-embryonic peace process that has created tensions within Afghanistan and between its neighbours is likely to tip the country further into political crisis. Unconfirmed reports indicated that the two men were holding a meeting with a pair of insurgents to discuss peace plans. That raises the possibility that one of the insurgents could have been the bomber. Mohammad Aslam, a baker whose shop is just down the road from the house, said he thought the blast came from within the house as the sound of the explosion was “extremely weak”. Rabbani, who was chairman of the High Peace Council which was set up by Karzai last year to develop a framework for peace, regularly held meetings with insurgents on either side of the Afghan-Pakistani border. A Tajik and former warlord from northern Afghanistan who fought against the Taliban, he was a controversial choice. Although many analysts argued that the Taliban would never take a man with his history seriously, his appointment was also designed to appease northern, non-Pashtun Afghans who were deeply suspicious of any peace deals. Rabbani’s death is likely to embolden those opposition figures who are most strongly opposed to a peace talks with insurgents. Afghanistan Hamid Karzai Taliban Jon Boone guardian.co.uk
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John Harris discusses how to counter a rightwing ‘scorched earth’ economic policy with conference delegates, including Vince Cable and Will Hutton Evan Harris John Domokos John Harris Christian Bennett
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Cyberattack at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries worries Tokyo as it keeps information on submarines, missiles and fighter jets China has angrily denied suggestions that it was behind a hacking attack targeting Japan’s biggest weapons contractor. Dozens of the firm’s computers were infected in what reports suggested was a co-ordinated attack on Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which may have resulted in the leak of sensitive defence information. The company, whose military inventory includes submarines, US-designed F-15 fighter jets and surface-to-air Patriot missiles, said that only network information and IP addresses might have fallen into the hackers’ hands. A spokesman for the firm confirmed that 83 computers and servers at 11 locations, including Mitsubishi Heavy’s headquarters in Tokyo and shipyards in Nagasaki and Kobe, had been accessed. Speculation that hackers in China were responsible grew after media reports said Chinese characters had been detected in the attack. But Hong Lei, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, told reporters: “The Chinese government has consistently opposed hacking activities. The law strictly prohibits this. “China is one of the main victims of hacking … criticising China as being the source of the hacking attacks is not only baseless, it is also not beneficial for promoting international co-operation for internet security.” Mitsubishi Heavy was criticised for failing to report the attack, and could face serious financial repercussions if a police investigation reveals that military secrets were divulged. Under its agreement with the Tokyo government, the company is required to immediately inform authorities of any suspected breach of sensitive or classified information. Defence officials were reportedly furious after learning of the attacks through recent media reports, about a month after they took place. “It is up to the defence ministry to decide whether or not the information is important,” Professor Yoshiyasu Takefuji, a cybersecurity expert at Keio University in Tokyo, told Reuters. Takefuji said the breach, the first of its kind involving a Japanese defence firm, had exposed the country’s poor state of readiness for cyber-warfare. “This happened a month ago, and it’s just in the last few days they realised how bad it was,” he said. “They’ve been dozing for the past month.” Any leak of classified information could result in large fines for Mitsubishi Heavy, which earns a tenth of its revenue from government contracts, often in partnership with US firms such as Lockheed Martin. The defence minister, Yasuo Ichikawa, said that he was not aware that any important information had been leaked. Last year, the ministry awarded Mitsubishi 215 contracts worth a combined 260bn yen (£2.1bn), equivalent to almost a quarter of its annual expenditure. “We are not aware of any important data being leaked,” he said. “The ministry has business ties with the company, so we will instruct it to review its information control systems.” On Monday night, Japanese media reported that the scandal may escalate after IHI, which builds engine parts for fighter planes, had fallen victim to similar attacks. The Kyodo news agency reported that the websites of several government agencies had been attacked over the weekend. The national police agency said recent online message boards in China had encouraged hackers to disrupt Japanese websites ahead of the 80th anniversary on Sunday of the Mukden incident , an explosion staged by the imperial Japanese army that led to its invasion of China. Japan Cybercrime Arms trade Hacking China Computing Justin McCurry guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Cyberattack at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries worries Tokyo as it keeps information on submarines, missiles and fighter jets China has angrily denied suggestions that it was behind a hacking attack targeting Japan’s biggest weapons contractor. Dozens of the firm’s computers were infected in what reports suggested was a co-ordinated attack on Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which may have resulted in the leak of sensitive defence information. The company, whose military inventory includes submarines, US-designed F-15 fighter jets and surface-to-air Patriot missiles, said that only network information and IP addresses might have fallen into the hackers’ hands. A spokesman for the firm confirmed that 83 computers and servers at 11 locations, including Mitsubishi Heavy’s headquarters in Tokyo and shipyards in Nagasaki and Kobe, had been accessed. Speculation that hackers in China were responsible grew after media reports said Chinese characters had been detected in the attack. But Hong Lei, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, told reporters: “The Chinese government has consistently opposed hacking activities. The law strictly prohibits this. “China is one of the main victims of hacking … criticising China as being the source of the hacking attacks is not only baseless, it is also not beneficial for promoting international co-operation for internet security.” Mitsubishi Heavy was criticised for failing to report the attack, and could face serious financial repercussions if a police investigation reveals that military secrets were divulged. Under its agreement with the Tokyo government, the company is required to immediately inform authorities of any suspected breach of sensitive or classified information. Defence officials were reportedly furious after learning of the attacks through recent media reports, about a month after they took place. “It is up to the defence ministry to decide whether or not the information is important,” Professor Yoshiyasu Takefuji, a cybersecurity expert at Keio University in Tokyo, told Reuters. Takefuji said the breach, the first of its kind involving a Japanese defence firm, had exposed the country’s poor state of readiness for cyber-warfare. “This happened a month ago, and it’s just in the last few days they realised how bad it was,” he said. “They’ve been dozing for the past month.” Any leak of classified information could result in large fines for Mitsubishi Heavy, which earns a tenth of its revenue from government contracts, often in partnership with US firms such as Lockheed Martin. The defence minister, Yasuo Ichikawa, said that he was not aware that any important information had been leaked. Last year, the ministry awarded Mitsubishi 215 contracts worth a combined 260bn yen (£2.1bn), equivalent to almost a quarter of its annual expenditure. “We are not aware of any important data being leaked,” he said. “The ministry has business ties with the company, so we will instruct it to review its information control systems.” On Monday night, Japanese media reported that the scandal may escalate after IHI, which builds engine parts for fighter planes, had fallen victim to similar attacks. The Kyodo news agency reported that the websites of several government agencies had been attacked over the weekend. The national police agency said recent online message boards in China had encouraged hackers to disrupt Japanese websites ahead of the 80th anniversary on Sunday of the Mukden incident , an explosion staged by the imperial Japanese army that led to its invasion of China. Japan Cybercrime Arms trade Hacking China Computing Justin McCurry guardian.co.uk
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Three French men are being held over death of Lee Elton Fischer, who thought to have hit his head on the ground A British trade delegate has died after a brawl broke out in the French Riviera resort of Cannes. The 37-year-old, named by local police as Lee Elton Fischer from London, is understood to have hit his head on the pavement. Three French men between the ages of 25 and 30 were being questioned on Tuesday by detectives on suspicion of manslaughter. A local police spokesman said Fischer had been out with two friends and appeared to have been hit several times in the face in the attack on Sunday night. He is thought to have fallen awkwardly, causing a fatal injury. “It appears he was involved in an argument with three other men who work in the local area,” the spokesman said. “He died instantly and so he was not taken to hospital. “We are as yet unsure what sparked the dispute.” A postmortem examination is due to be conducted to establish the precise cause of death. A prosecutor from nearby Grasse has opened an investigation. The three men are being held in custody. Fischer is understood to have gone to Cannes to take part in an exhibition being organised by the Tax Free World Association. A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We can confirm the death of a British national in Cannes on September 18. “Next of kin are aware and we are providing consular assistance.” France Europe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Three French men are being held over death of Lee Elton Fischer, who thought to have hit his head on the ground A British trade delegate has died after a brawl broke out in the French Riviera resort of Cannes. The 37-year-old, named by local police as Lee Elton Fischer from London, is understood to have hit his head on the pavement. Three French men between the ages of 25 and 30 were being questioned on Tuesday by detectives on suspicion of manslaughter. A local police spokesman said Fischer had been out with two friends and appeared to have been hit several times in the face in the attack on Sunday night. He is thought to have fallen awkwardly, causing a fatal injury. “It appears he was involved in an argument with three other men who work in the local area,” the spokesman said. “He died instantly and so he was not taken to hospital. “We are as yet unsure what sparked the dispute.” A postmortem examination is due to be conducted to establish the precise cause of death. A prosecutor from nearby Grasse has opened an investigation. The three men are being held in custody. Fischer is understood to have gone to Cannes to take part in an exhibition being organised by the Tax Free World Association. A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We can confirm the death of a British national in Cannes on September 18. “Next of kin are aware and we are providing consular assistance.” France Europe guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Michele Bachmann is again backing off her vaccine scare story , admitting she really didn’t know what she was talking about when she linked the HPV vaccine to a risk of retardation. She was simply passing on the scientifically unfounded concerns of a stranger who approached her. “All I was doing…
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