BBC pays 200,000 pounds to 'cover up report on anti-Israel bias'

The BBC has been accused of "shameful hypocrisy" over its decision to spend 200,000 pounds blocking a freedom of information request about its reporting in the Middle East. The corporation, which has itself made extensive use of FOI requests in its journalism, is refusing to release papers about an internal inquiry into whether its reporting has been biased towards Palestine.

BBC chiefs have been accused of wasting thousands of pounds of licence fee payers money trying to cover-up the findings of the so called Balen Report into its journalism in the region, despite the fact that the corporation is funded by the British public. The corporation is fighting a landmark High Court action, which starts next week, in a bid to prevent the public finding out what is in the review, which is believed to be critical of the BBC's coverage in the region.

BBC bosses have faced repeated claims that is coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict has been skewed by a pro-Palestianian bias. The corporation famously came under fire after middle-east correspondent Barbara Plett revealed that she had cried at the death of Yasser Arafat in 2004.

The BBC's decision to carry on pursuing the case, despite the fact than the Information Tribunal said it should make the report public, has sparked fury as it flies in the face of claims by BBC chiefs that it is trying to make the corporation more open and transparent. Politicians have branded the BBC's decision to carry on spending money, hiring the one of the country's top public law barrister in the process, as "absolutely indefensible".

Source

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Brookes News Update

US economy: will a housing bust cause a recession?: Last month the Fed reported that factory production and the output of mines and utilities leapt by 1.0 per cent. This is a big figure - and an important one. If the higher stages of production are still expanding then the country is not yet on the verge of a recession
Tony Abbot and the Liberal Party screw up again on labour market reform: The Liberal Party, including Tony Abbot, was provided with the necessary information to defeat the critics of reform. For some reason the Liberals refused to use it. The result is that opponents of reform have been given more opportunities to try and discredit it
Another Murdoch journalist slimes the Iraq War while giving leftwing thugs a pass: Matt Price - a columnist with The Australian - smeared Libby, Cheney and Prime Minister Howard. But when it came to Vietnam's murderous regime and sadistic terrorists the heroic Mr Price had nothing to say
Castro loves hippie software: Software guru Richard Stallman founded Free SoftWare Foundation. Was a recent guest of honor of Castro's Stalinist regime. True to form, Stallman embraced the regime that jails the most journalist per capita on planet earth. So while people were being tortured in Castro's gulag Stallman was praising the torturers while ignoring the plight of their victims
The US and Australia: are their foreign debts a problem?: Our economic commentariat refuses to even consider the role monetary policy plays in distorting the pattern of production, destabilising exchange rates and creating balance of payments crises. It's as if they would rather the economy sank than admit they were wrong

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ELSEWHERE



As Al Capone said: "Vote early and vote often": "Muslim women wearing the niqab or burka - veils that hide the face entirely - will be allowed to vote in the Quebec elections, without showing their face. That's the directive from the Director general of elections, despite the fact it goes against the electoral law. Typically a voter is to present photo-I.D. But women wearing a full-face veil will have to either swear that they are who they say they are - or have an adult with them verifying their identity."

Anti-semitism rules come in at British universities: "Measures to tackle antisemitism in British universities will be unveiled this week amid concern about rising discrimination. The government will warn vice-chancellors they must not ignore antiJewish activity on campuses and must prevent prejudiced lecturers, guest speakers and extremist political organisations stirring up hatred against Israel. A recent Commons report highlighted attacks on undergraduates, a lack of respect by lecturers and tutors for the needs of observant Jewish students and a growing tolerance of extreme language against Israel during student debates on the Middle East. There is particular concern about so-called "Islamic" antisemitism, with radical Muslim clerics, or their followers, being allowed to preach antiJewish hatred in universities".

The dreaded Wal-Mart has now opened a store just outside Washington, D.C.: "Wal-Mart Stores Inc. opened its first store inside the Capital Beltway yesterday. The Landover Hills store, the closest to the District, is the chain's latest store in an urban setting. Nationwide, Wal-Mart is focusing on urban locations such as the District, Chicago and Atlanta for new customers as it saturates rural and suburban areas... The store will have an expansive selection of Hispanic groceries -- such as Goya beans and rice -- and a broader collection of Latin, gospel and R&B music. The store also carries Wal-Mart's urban clothing line, Exsto, in addition to its Metro 7 and George private clothing lines.... The store will have 330 employees, and it received more than 11,000 applications, Mr. Restivo said. He said he didn't have information on how many employees are from Prince George's County. Wal-Mart said last month that the Landover Hills store will be one of 10 urban areas it planned to help revitalize with jobs and small-business assistance."

For more postings from me, see TONGUE-TIED, EDUCATION WATCH, GREENIE WATCH, POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH, GUN WATCH, SOCIALIZED MEDICINE, FOOD & HEALTH SKEPTIC, AUSTRALIAN POLITICS, IMMIGRATION WATCH and EYE ON BRITAIN. (Mirror sites here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here).

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"Why should the German be interested in the liberation of the Jew, if the Jew is not interested in the liberation of the German?... We recognize in Judaism, therefore, a general anti-social element of the present time... In the final analysis, the emancipation of the Jews is the emancipation of mankind from Judaism.... Indeed, in North America, the practical domination of Judaism over the Christian world has achieved as its unambiguous and normal expression that the preaching of the Gospel itself and the Christian ministry have become articles of trade... Money is the jealous god of Israel, in face of which no other god may exist". Who said that? Hitler? No. It was Karl Marx. See also here and here.

The Big Lie of the late 20th century was that Nazism was Rightist. It was in fact typical of the Leftism of its day. It was only to the Right of Stalin's Communism. The very word "Nazi" is a German abbreviation for "National Socialist" (Nationalsozialistisch) and the full name of Hitler's political party (translated) was "The National Socialist German Workers' Party".

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