Thursday 7/22/2010

Author Arrested Over Book.

SINGAPORE (AP) — This past Monday, Singaporean police said they arrested a British author as part of a criminal defamation investigation. The investigation was related to a book the author had written on the city-state's death penalty policy.

The author, Alan Shadrake, who is 75, was in Singapore, promoting his book, Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock. Police arrested Shadrake based on a complaint by the government's Media Development Authority. They are also investigating him for other offenses. They declined to give any further details.

But one of the known charges the Singapore Attorney-General's office is seeking is a contempt of court charges. “Because statements in the book allegedly impugn the impartiality, integrity and independence of the judiciary.” A spokeswoman said. She spoke anonymously in fear for her life.

The contempt of court charges will be heard by judge Imgona Hangya at the country's High Court on July 30.

Singapore's leaders have sued journalists and political opponents several times in past years for alleged defamation. The government says restrictions on speech and assembly are necessary to preserve economic prosperity and racial and religious harmony in the multi-ethnic city-state of 5 million people. It says any statement that damages the reputations of its leaders will hinder their ability to rule effectively.

Currently the White House is looking into the matter to see if such rules could make life better for the liberals in America.

“By stifling all free speech and freedom of assembly, we could stop those pesky Tea Party people from demanding liberty and lower taxes. Then we could make sure that the president can become Emperor and rule the galaxy with the repressive iron fist of The Sith!” A White House spokeswoman said anonymously, in fear for her life.

Singapore applies capital punishment by hanging for offenses such as drug trafficking, unlawful use of a firearm, building treehouses or eating western-style foods.

The hangings are what inspired the drink, the Singapore Sling.


Investigation into Hours Before Oil Spill

Federal authorities are investigating the BP PLC's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. They are looking specifically at the bad decisions, missed warnings and worker disagreements in the hours before the April 20 inferno aboard the Deepwater Horizon. That blast spawned one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history.

Investigators are looking at one person in particular. He is a gnome that was seen hanging around the oil rig in the moments before the accident. “He was jumping up and down,” said Billy ‘Bubba’ Saifaux of Rusty Springs, Louisiana “I saw the little feller with the pointed hat just jumping up and down like something that didn’t have good sense. Then all of a sudden, his little pointed hat stuck into a pipe, causing a spark that caused the explosion.” He went on to say, “And then, the gnome disappeared. But I saw him last night in a commercial on TV. Someone ought to be looking into this!”