Ray Finkelstein QC's media inquiry may not pursue bias in the media, but The Power Index hears that broadcasting regulator ACMA has already got Alan Jones and 2GB in its sights.

ACMA has confirmed with The Power Index it is investigating three separate complaints of bias or factual inaccuracy against Jones, and another two complaints relating to fellow 2GB presenter Chris Smith.

Since the complaints were made up to six months ago, it's likely that some or all are close to resolution.

from Crikey ....

Thomson allegations pick long-standing wounds at HSU

Crikey senior journalist Andrew Crook writes:

To put it bluntly, every single chapter in the history of the extension of U.S. power has opened with the same sentence: "Innocent Americans were treacherously attacked..."

- Remember theMainein Havana harbor in 1898(274 dead)?

- TheLusitaniatorpedoed by a German U-boat in 1915(1,198 drowned, including 128 Americans)?

- Pancho Villa's raid on Columbus, New Mexico, in 1916 (18 U.S citizens killed)?

- Pearl Harbor (2,402 dead)?

Same sneak attack, same righteous national outrage. Same pretext for clandestine agendas.

... And this is the central point. It isn't enough just to be "the Leader". There has to be a point to leadership. 'The Leader' has to have a plan, to inspire her or his followers with that plan and to reach out to a broader section of the community as a leader of conviction.

Sure, things can go wrong. They did for me [Alexander Downer] when I was opposition leader in 1994-95. A bad joke and a couple of gaffes and down went my approval ratings. In January 1995 my approval rating in Newspoll was 24 per cent. I thought that was pretty terminal.

I had a plan, I had my convictions but I worried. At this rate my plan would turn to dust because I'd lose the upcoming general election.

ITALY has turned to the China Investment Corp, one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, to ease its debt crisis, according to a report in the Financial Times.

Things look pretty bad for Labor at the moment.

Indeed most commentators say defeat is inevitable and it's just a matter of time, with pokies early next year as the possible alliance-breaker.

For true believers like me it's heartbreaking. Much has changed in party politics but it still matters which party is in power. As Paul Keating said it defines the nation.

One thing is for certain, every Labor MP will be on edge and full of advice for party and faction leaders. Those of a conservative disposition will be calling for calm and the risk-takers will be contemplating if not advocating change.

David Cameron has raised the Alexander Litvinenko case at the start of his bridge-building visit to Russia.

Relations between the UK and Russia have been strained since the Russian dissident was murdered in London in 2006, and Russia then refused to extradite the prime suspect.

The PM said in Moscow that the UK would continue to push for Mr Litvinenko's killer to be brought to justice.

The one-day trip is the first by a UK leader for talks in Russia since 2005.

Fears about Europe’s deteriorating finances intensified on Sunday as new doubts about the health of French banks, as well as Germany’s willingness to help Greece avert default, left investors bracing for another global stock market downturn this week.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/12/business/global/german-dissent-magnifies-uncertainty.html?hp

bluebottles (picture by Gus Leonisky)

Leaked diplomatic cables show the Federal Government watered down reef protection laws in 2009 to avoid a dispute with the US government.

In 2006 the Government extended the Great Barrier Reef's compulsory pilotage system to the Torres Strait to force large carriers and tankers to use a marine pilot to navigate through the Strait.

The system was designed to prevent accidents and spills.

But cables published by WikiLeaks show the United States and Singapore opposed the system.

THE Gillard government is understood to be considering a media inquiry with narrow terms of reference focused on the print media, despite a strong push from the Greens for a much broader probe.

The Greens leader, Bob Brown, will move to set up an inquiry on Wednesday, with draft terms of reference seen by the Herald proposing it consider whether technological change is hurting quality journalism and whether the government can do anything to encourage investment in quality journalism.

Tony Karon in Time.com shows what happens when you brutally occupy another people for decades; the world gets sick of it:

Airspace was still closed to civil flights. British intelligence chiefs had flown by military aircraft to Washington to confer with their American counterparts. After their discussions had been concluded, they repaired to the British embassy and there talked late into the night. One of those present was Eliza Manningham-Buller, then deputy head of the British Security Service and responsible for its intelligence operations and subsequently its chief.

On 13 September, one of the world's biggest arms fairs opens in London, backed by the British government. On 8 September, the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry will hold a preview entitled "Middle East: A vast market for UK defence and security companies". The host was the Royal Bank of Scotland, a major investor in cluster bombs.