Torrents of anger continue to course through Fairfax newsrooms in Melbourne and Sydney after chief executive Greg Hywood told staff he would trigger forced redundancies if subeditors in the firing line refused to sack themselves.
May, 2011
Spy versus spy … when even the closest allies have secrets
The world of intelligence is, by definition, shrouded in secrecy, so that often what we know is limited or partial and the rest is, hopefully, what makes sense based on a longer-term picture of events.
News Corp drops a bundle (quietly)
If Fairfax or another company released such sparse details about a still-important business, News Corp’s hacks would have been all over it, insisting that more detail be made available.
Sacking subs sacrifices the Fairfax brand
Outsourcing the investment in highly skilled value-adders such as subeditors represents the final chunk of canned ham Fairfax has chucked at the spew that passes for news in most formats, writes former Fairfax subeditor Charles Maddison.
Gottliebsen: investing in China inflation
The latest fall in global share markets has its genesis in China where at last the central government appears to be taking the foot off the accelerator, writes Robert Gottliebsen, of Business Spectator.
On politics, older Australians most switched-on, most sceptical
Older Australians emerge as the most politically informed and most sceptical of media users, according to Essential Research’s polling of attitudes toward political coverage.
Macquarie arm in secret multimillion deal with SBS
A Macquarie Bank subsidiary entered into a secret side contract with the SBS, under which an “incentive payment” of $3.85 million was paid without being declared to the market or the ABC.
1000 women on menu and humiliated Berlusconi court in the act
Humiliation is a word that Silvio Berlusconi should use sparingly, writes Joe McKenna in Rome.
Ringside at a rally to celebrate bin Laden as a hero
More than a thousand observant Muslims gathered to vent their frustration at the US, condemning Barack Obama as a terrorist and declaring bin Laden a hero, writes Stuart Ranfurlie from Jakarta
Rundle: UK polls, clan do in Scotland and a beetroot lemonade first
Outside of a full-bore general election, it’s about as heavy an official political moment as you could get in the UK — and at least one result has the potential for enormous repercussions.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: International humanitarian law and Osama bin Laden
Crikey reads have their say.
Canada’s lesson for Britain: voting systems matter
Britain votes this week on its voting system, but the news today is from Canada, where Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, after two terms of minority government, has won a majority.
Morning Market Report: Markets down, US dollar rallies
The main theme for our market is a short term peak in the A$, or a rally in the US$, which has lead to lower commodity prices and a sell off of Australian equities by international funds.
Media briefs: Abbottabad news wars … CMail goes hard …
One cheeky Seven News mole couldn’t help taking a shot at Nine in covering the death of Osama bin Laden last night. Plus, Brisbane’s daily goes hard with the big morning news and other media news.
Political snippets: More evidence of an Artic without ice
The Arctic Ocean is on the way to becoming nearly ice-free in summer within this century, most likely within the next thirty to forty years.
Video of the Day: Tatts, crims and the hierarchy of Russian jails
Director Alix Lambert’s documentary feature The Mark of Cain explores the fading culture of Russian criminal tattoos, which traditionally identity a range of information about prisoners including what crimes they have committed and which prisons they’ve lived in. The film is now available under Creative Commons to watch in full on YouTube (running time: 1 […]
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours
Virgin allergic to fiery uniforms. When Sir Richard Branson jetted in on the newly named plane for Virgin’s brand relaunch, he wasn’t wearing the new “V Australia” uniform. And no wonder: apparently the cabin crew’s uniforms have had to be entirely remade as it was discovered they were flammable. As in would go up in […]
Crikey Says: Guess who’s coming to dinner?
Prime Minister Gillard had dinner with some business people last night. Gillard wanted to sit opposite “select business people” over the dining room table at Kirribilli House to canvass their views on her carbon price plan.
Where’s the green boom?
Most investment experts claim that the clean energy sector will boom, but so far most investors remain fearful of putting their money in an industry where government regularly adjusts legislation and the future is uncertain.
Osama bin Laden 
A wilderness of mirrors theories, speculation and analysis
The borderlines between analysis, speculation and conspiracy theories about the life and death of Osama bin Laden are hazy. It’s like navigating a wilderness of mirrors, writes Shakira Hussein.
The latest on stem cell research from the US
The US government’s financing of embryonic stem cell research has failed to attract much attention outside of immediate scientific circles. Opponents are still trying to derail it, writes Lesley Russel.
Say cheese! Or better yet, eat it
Mildlife are a Melbourne-based electronic band with a fondness for cheese. Band member Tom Shanahan compiles a list of the greatest moulds, including mind blowing fromager d’affinois and bocconcini that tastes like “miniature clouds of romance.”
