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First Non-Communist Reporter in Beijing, David Chipp, 81, Dies
David Chipp, a former editor of Reuters and the first non-communist reporter to be based in Beijing after the revolution, has died at home. He was 81.
Chipp scooped the world with his interview with the imprisoned last emperor of China, Pu Yi, and mixed with the Communist leadership of Mao Zedong, but was equally at home at the Henley Regatta.
Writing in retirement, Chipp said of his interview with the aging Pu: "If not the best or most important story I wrote from China, it was probably the strangest and most original."
Chipp, born on June 2, 1927 at Kew in London, spent his early years in Australia where he was a contemporary of Rupert Murdoch at Geelong Grammar School.
He returned to Britain on a merchant ship at the age of 17 and joined the Middlesex regiment in 1944, determined not to miss World War Two. Demobilized in 1947, he went to Cambridge University and graduated with a degree in history.
Chipp joined Reuters in 1950 as a sports reporter and two years later was sent to Southeast Asia. He opened the agency's postwar bureau in Rangoon and covered fighting in Burma and Indo-China before moving in 1956 to China.
His tale of those years was recounted in his book The Day I Stepped on Mao's Toes, The Times Online says that his memoir of his time as the first correspondent resident inside China after the communists took over is titled after an incident when he stepped on the Chairman’s foot. The title illustrates just how close accredited reporters were allowed to get to the Communist leaders in those days.
He reported from China for two and a half years and says: “There were no mobiles or satellites, just telegrams and cables, and I often had to send a messenger miles in a jeep.” He returned to Britain four years later and in 1968 was appointed editor of Reuters—a post he held until 1969.
Then he was asked to become editor-in-chief of the domestic British news agency the Press Association (PA), a job he held until his retirement in 1986. He is credited with reviving the style and fortunes of PA during his tenure, and was renowned for his fire and enthusiasm.
He was quoted as saying at his first PA editorial conference: "Journalism should be fun and if we don't find it so, we might as well be bank clerks." David Chipp, a former editor of Reuters and the first non-communist reporter to be based in Beijing after the revolution, has died at ... more -
Reuters backs down on false INBS report
World-renowned business newswire service Reuters has been forced into an embarrassing climbdown after publishing a report which claimed that the Irish Nationwide Building Society was in "talks with their lenders to avoid insolvency".
Their report was withdrawn after Reuters conceded that "material elements" contained in the story were incorrect.
The stunning admission came after a series of urgent communications on Friday night between Reuters and representatives of the Irish Nationwide in Dublin.
Irish Nationwide chief executive Michael Fingleton said last night: "This was the most irresponsible piece of financial journalism that I have experienced in my 35 years at the Irish Nationwide."
Reuters' original story was posted on the wires on Friday evening at 6.14pm (Irish time).
Then, at 8.31pm, the story re-appeared on the wires -- this time, however, with a strong denial from the Irish Nationwide.
According to the internal Reuters log, this story was finally removed from the system at 10.45pm and replaced by a retraction, stating there would be no substitute story.
"The error occurred because the Reuters reporter misinterpreted the source," a US-based spokesman for Reuters yesterday told the Sunday Independent. "The story was filed before Irish Nationwide had a chance to comment.
"Accuracy, reliability and integrity are at the heart of the Reuters operation -- and we deeply regret that our standard operating procedure in this case was not followed."
Reuters are now understood to be carrying out an internal investigation as to what happened.
But the promise of an investigation will do little to satisfy Irish Nationwide chief executive Michael Fingleton and his fellow directors.
The Irish Nationwide chief stated his intention to pursue Reuters vigorously over the matter.
He said: "Reuters have admitted that they got it wrong. They knew they got it wrong and that is why they took it down. They didn't check it in the way that you would expect.
"The society will, of course, be vigorously pursuing the matter -- including legal action.
"We believe that we have the evidence to support our case and that what Reuters did was indefensible.
"It took Reuters two hours to put up the Irish Nationwide's denial, and it was another hour-and-a-half before they withdrew the original story because, they said, 'material elements were incorrect'. They also withdrew the denial story because, they said, it contained 'incorrect information'."
Significantly, the untrue Reuters report was gleaned from just one anonymous source, with no response sought from the Irish Nationwide Building Society itself. World-renowned business newswire service Reuters has been forced into an embarrassing climbdown after publishing a report which claime... more -
U.S. military frees Reuters cameraman in Iraq
The U.S. military freed a Reuters television cameraman on Thursday after holding him for three weeks in Iraq without charges.
Ali al-Mashhadani, who also works freelance for the BBC and Washington-based National Public Radio, was detained in Baghdad on July 30 while he was in the Green Zone government compound for routine checks for a U.S. military press card.
U.S. forces have detained Mashhadani twice before, at one point holding him for five months, but no charge has ever been filed against the cameraman, who is based in Ramadi, the capital of western Anbar province.
The U.S. military said at the time of his latest arrest that he was held "because he has been assessed to be a threat to the security of Iraq and coalition forces," but did not elaborate.
Reuters Editor-in-Chief David Schlesinger said he was pleased Mashhadani was released but concerned that it was the third time he was "detained without explanation." The U.S. military freed a Reuters television cameraman on Thursday after holding him for three weeks in Iraq without charges. ... more -
RatMobile: The World's First Cyborg?
It looks like Optimus Prime's pet- a simple, two-wheeled robot with a row of bright blue sensors beaming from the front as it freeches its way across the floor, bumping into chairs and walls. And even though this tinybot can't transform into a bite-sized ass-kicking machine, it may change the way we look at life itself. The core of this robot isn't an Intel chip or a radio antenna-- it's a laboratory rat's brain.
Redding University's Professor of cybernetics Kevin Warrick developed this roomba-rat, and he says it's a great leap forward in bridging the gap between man and machine.
"We actually have a biological brain controlling a robot- no computer, no human, just the biological brain itself," he said.
As you can see from the Reuters video, there's definitely more to this little robot than meets the eye. What do you think? Should we be meddling in the fusion of the biological and the mechanical? What device would you like connected to your body? It looks like Optimus Prime's pet- a simple, two-wheeled robot with a row of bright blue sensors beaming from the front as it fre... more -
Tense Georgia awaits russian truce signature, will they sign? Will they leave?
Russian soldiers dug foxholes 30 miles outside of Georgia's capital Saturday while Georgian police milled about, a quietly tense scene reflecting the uncertainty in the troubled region as both sides waited for Russia's president to sign a proposed truce.
The cease-fire agreement, signed by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili the day before, would be a definitive step toward ending the fighting that broke out last week if Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also signs it. The Kremlin says he will do so, but without saying when. Russian soldiers dug foxholes 30 miles outside of Georgia's capital Saturday while Georgian police milled about, a quietly tense ... more -
Efforts to save endangered eagles (Video)
Conservationists at the Buenos Aires Zoo in Argentina work to return an endangered Crowned Solitary Eagle to her habitat.
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Reuters attacks Israel's failure to take action over cameraman's death
Reuters has said it is "deeply disturbed" that the Israeli military has decided the tank crew that killed one of the news agency's cameramen and eight young bystanders in the Gaza Strip four months ago will not face legal action.
Israel's senior military advocate-general told the London-based news agency in a letter sent on Tuesday that the official report into the incident concluded that troops could not see whether Reuters' Fadal Shana, 24, was operating a camera or a weapon.
However, the official said reports found that the Israeli Defence Force tank crew were nonetheless justified in firing an airburst shell packed with flechettes - metal darts - that killed the Reuters cameraman and eight other Palestinians during fighting in the Gaza Strip on April 16.
The international news agency, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters, issued a statement today saying it was "disappointed with and dissatisfied" by the Israeli military's decision that the tank crew would not face legal action.
"Reuters is deeply disturbed by a conclusion that would severely curtail the freedom of the media to cover the conflict by effectively giving soldiers a free hand to kill without being sure that they were not firing on journalists," the news agency said. Reuters has said it is "deeply disturbed" that the Israeli military has decided the tank crew that killed one of the news ag... more -
Nepal Looks For Girl to Serve As New "living goddess"
Religious authorities in Nepal have begun the search for a girl who could be as young as three or four to serve as the new Kumari, or the virgin "living goddess", in a centuries-old tradition.
See Also:
Nepal's Goddesses: Religious Abuse?
From: The Christian Science Monitor January 02, 2007 edition
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0102/p07s02-wosc.html Religious authorities in Nepal have begun the search for a girl who could be as young as three or four to serve as the new Kumari, or ... more -
Bomb at Indian embassy kills 41 in Afghanistan
A suicide car bomber rammed two diplomatic vehicles entering the Indian Embassy in Kabul on Monday, killing 41 people and wounding 141, Afghan authorities said.
The Taliban have vowed to step up their campaign of suicide bombings this year, graphically demonstrating that despite the increase in foreign troops in Afghanistan and more trained Afghan forces on patrol, the militants are far from defeated.
"I saw wounded and dead people everywhere on the road," said Danish Karokhil, the head of the independent Pajhwok news agency, whose offices are close by.
"The target was the diplomatic vehicles. They were trying to get inside the embassy when the suicide car bomber attacked them," he said.
Health Ministry spokesman Abdullah Fahim said 28 people were killed and 141 wounded, but a senior police official later revised this to 41 dead..
(End of excerpt)
Full story at link by Samar Zwak// Reuters
Photo by Omar Sobhani// Reuters A suicide car bomber rammed two diplomatic vehicles entering the Indian Embassy in Kabul on Monday, killing 41 people and wounding 141... more -
Dentist jailed for organ trafficking
A New Jersey dentist and leader of an organ-trafficking ring is sentenced to 18 to 54 years in prison.
Michael Mastromarino and his team stole body parts from corpses, including that of British journalist Alistair Cooke, and sold them to doctors. A New Jersey dentist and leader of an organ-trafficking ring is sentenced to 18 to 54 years in prison. ... more -
Going Postal Modern?
A company called Earth Class Mail seeks to transform your physical mailbox into a digital inbox that can be accessed on the Internet.
For a monthly fee, Earth Class Mail provides customers with a new mailing address. Letters and packages sent to that address will be bar-coded, sized and scanned with the images uploaded onto the customer's online mailbox.
After logging-on, it's up to you what to do with that mail: open and scan, shred, recycle, archive or forward it to another location. A company called Earth Class Mail seeks to transform your physical mailbox into a digital inbox that can be accessed on the Internet. ... more -
Philippine ferry sinks; 700-plus passengers missing | Reuters
A Philippine passenger ferry capsized during a typhoon with more than 700 people on board, triggering a frantic search on Sunday for survivors.
Most of the 626 passengers and 121 crew are missing and the vessel's owner, Sulpicio Lines, said it had lost contact with the ferry, which was en route to Cebu from Manila, at around 12.30 p.m. (0430 GMT) on Saturday.
(End of excerpt)
Full story at link by Manny Mogato// Reuters
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Image by Wikipedia user LordAntagonist
Licensed under GNU Free Documentation License
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:GNU_Free_Docu... A Philippine passenger ferry capsized during a typhoon with more than 700 people on board, triggering a frantic search on Sunday for s... more -
Iraq forces grab hidden weapons
Iraq forces continued with their crackdown on Shi'ite militia on Saturday.
Supporters of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr accused Iraqi security forces on Friday of heavy-handed action in a crackdown in the southern city of Amara, calling it a "clear provocation".
The crackdown by the Iraqi army and police, backed by U.S. forces, is the latest phase in Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's drive to impose law and order throughout Iraq. Meanwhile at least three people are killed and 10 are injured in a car bomb in Baghdad. Iraq forces continued with their crackdown on Shi'ite militia on Saturday. ... more -
Pollution cloud over the Olympics
With less than 50 days to go to the Olympics China has admitted pollution fears remain high and endurance events may have to be re-scheduled.
Beijing hosts the Olympics from Aug. 8-24 and the Paralympics from Sept. 6-17.
But it is one of the most polluted cities in the world and, with 3.5 million vehicles on the road, it's among the most congested. With less than 50 days to go to the Olympics China has admitted pollution fears remain high and endurance events may have to be re-sch... more -
Al Gore endorsing Barack Obama: video
[[ I always dig Al Gore's language. His sentences are complex and clausal and yet always grammatically correct, even when it comes to past subjectives, which are rare and commonly neglected. ]] [[ I always dig Al Gore's language. His sentences are complex and clausal and yet always grammatically correct, even when it come... more
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Gaza journalists protest the killing of Reuters cameraman
Journalists protest in Gaza and call upon Israel to explain the killing of Reuters cameraman, Fadel Shana, two months ago.
Foreign and local journalists staged a protest in Gaza City exactly two months after the 24-year-old Palestinian cameraman was killed by an Israeli tank shell.
An Israeli government spokesman says the cameraman wasn't identified as journalist, despite clear markings.
An independent investigation commissioned by the London-based news agency found that no fighting or militant activity was taking place in the area at the time, leaving unanswered the key question of why the tank opened fire. Journalists protest in Gaza and call upon Israel to explain the killing of Reuters cameraman, Fadel Shana, two months ago. ... more -
S. Korea girds for protests; cabinet offers to quit
South Korea's entire cabinet offered to resign on Tuesday in the face of massive street protests, as its increasingly unpopular president warned that Asia's fourth-largest economy could be heading into crisis.
The protests against the government, in office barely three months, were sparked by public outcry over a deal to widen its market to U.S. beef imports and have cast a darkening cloud over President Lee Myung-bak's plans for sweeping reform.
"The prime minister offered the cabinet's resignation at the regular meeting this morning (with Lee)," a spokeswoman at the prime minister's office said, in what local media said was in response to the mounting anti-government protests.
(End excerpt)
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FULL STORY AT LINK
By Jon Herskovitz and Yoo Choonsik// Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSSEO2920...
Photo by Jo Yong-Hak// Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures/articleslideshow?a... South Korea's entire cabinet offered to resign on Tuesday in the face of massive street protests, as its increasingly unpopular p... more -
Man stabs shoppers in Tokyo street, killing seven
A man who said he was tired of life went on a stabbing rampage on Sunday in a crowded Tokyo shopping street, killing seven people and wounding a dozen others.
The man drove a rental truck into a crowd of pedestrians at lunchtime and then walked down the street knifing passers-by in Akihabara district, known for its discount electronics and maid cafes.
"I came to Akihabara to kill people," Kyodo news agency quoted the attacker as telling police. "I am tired of the world. Anyone was OK. I came alone."
A Tokyo police spokesman said at least seven people had been killed and 12 wounded.
"The man jumped on top of a man he had hit with his vehicle and stabbed him with a knife many times," Kyodo quoted a 19-year-old witness as saying. "Walking toward Akihabara Station, he slashed nearby people at random."
The dead were six men aged 19 to 74 and a 21-year-old woman, the news agency said.
The police said a man had been arrested, and television stations showed a slight, blood-splattered 25-year-old being herded into a police car.
Witnesses said the rampage was stopped when a policeman armed with a gun confronted the man, who NHK television said was shouting as he cut down his victims...
(End of excerpt)
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Full story at link.
By David Dolan// Reuters
Photo by Issei Kato// Reuters A man who said he was tired of life went on a stabbing rampage on Sunday in a crowded Tokyo shopping street, killing seven people and ... more -
Sony Brings 'Live' Events to Movie Theaters
LOS ANGELES — Sony Pictures studio unveiled plans Wednesday for a new digital cinema unit to bring filmed presentations of Broadway shows, rock concerts and sports events to specially equipped movie theaters nationwide.
The new venture, dubbed the Hot Ticket, will launch in August with a presentation of the final staging of the music and dance extravaganza Delirium from Cirque du Soleil, which closed its worldwide tour in London in April.
In September, the final performance in the 12-year Broadway run of the hit musical Rent will be presented.
"Our mandate will be to identify the one-of-a-kind, and sold-out events that people around the country most want to see ... and present them to audiences everywhere," Sony distribution president Rory Bruer said in a statement.
Hot Ticket presentations will be shown in high-definition format for limited engagements only, starting out on roughly 400 to 500 screens in theaters across the country, with audiences paying roughly $20 a seat, Bruer said.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: United States | London | Canada | Boston Red Sox | New England | Broadway | Tour de France | Reuters | Sony | Walt Disney Co | Viacom | Hannah Montana | Cirque | Soleil | Rent | Placido Domingo | Rory Bruer | National Association of Theatre Owners | John Fithian | Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds Concert | Delirium | Hot Ticket | Showcase Cinemas
The new Sony business is capitalizing on a sweeping upgrade of movie houses being undertaken by major theater chains and studios to bring state-of-the-art digital projection technology to thousands more screens in the United States and Canada.
Besides lowering distribution costs for studios, digital technology is seen as paving the way for the introduction of more "alternative content" to theaters, helping exhibitors bolster sagging admissions, especially on weekdays.
Sony is hardly alone in bringing such non-movie entertainment to a theater near you, but it is believed to be the first major studio to create a separate unit devoted to such content.
"We're excited to be on the ground of floor of what is going to be a new business for movie theaters," Bruer told Reuters.
About 5,000 of nearly 39,000 U.S. cinema screens are already digitally equipped, and that number is expected to climb steadily, said John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners.
He called Sony's move a "confirmation that everyone in the movie industry envisions the cinema as a growing entertainment destination for a variety of products."
"It's significant that Sony recognizes the potential for alternative content in cinemas by creating a separate unit," he said.
The Sony initiative builds on a trend that has been evolving in the movie industry for some time.
Concert films have long been popular offerings at the multiplex, and the Walt Disney Co. scored a box-office bonanza with its recent 3-D release Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert.
Landmark Theatres screened opera star Placido Domingo's 40th anniversary concert in 22 playhouses last month, and several theater chains have teamed up to show auto racing, soccer matches and even Tour de France competition.
National Amusements, the controlling shareholder in Viacom, has been screening high-def broadcasts of select Boston Red Sox baseball games in its Showcase Cinemas in New England since 2003. LOS ANGELES — Sony Pictures studio unveiled plans Wednesday for a new digital cinema unit to bring filmed presentations of Broadway sh... more -
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