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SINGAPORE - Workers' Party (WP) Sengkang candidate Raeesah Khan apologised on Sunday for two Facebook posts said to allege police discrimination against minorities.

At an unplanned press conference the party called on Sunday night, Ms Khan, 26, said she did not mean to cause social division, but had made the remarks as she wanted to raise awareness about minority concerns.

Flanked by WP leaders Pritam Singh, Sylvia Lim and her GRC teammates, Ms Khan, with her head bowed and reading from a piece of paper, said: "I apologise to any racial group or community who have been hurt by my comments.

"My remarks were insensitive, and I regret making them. I feel really passionate about minority issues regardless of race, and in my passion I made improper remarks, and I have to be accountable for them. I will fully cooperate in any police investigations."

The apology comes after the police issued a statement on Sunday about two police reports that were made against Ms Khan.

Police said in a statement on Sunday (July 5) that she had allegedly commented that Singapore law enforcement authorities discriminated against citizens, and that compared with other groups, rich Chinese and white people were treated differently under the law.

Another police report was made over a separate post. In the context of a news article on the City Harvest Church ruling, she was alleged to have commented that Singapore jailed minorities mercilessly, harassed mosque leaders but let "corrupt church leaders who stole $50 million" free.

Responding to questions from the media, Mr Singh said the party would stand behind its Sengkang team and he and Ms Lim were at the press conference to support them.

The rest of the candidates, equity analyst Louis Chua, economist Jamus Lim and lawyer He Ting Ru looked on solemnly but did not answer questions.

Asked if this matter would affect Ms Khan's candidacy, Mr Singh said it was too early to talk about it and that the police investigations would have to be allowed to take its course.

He added that he had not known about the Facebook posts beforehand, but noted that at 26-years-old, Ms Khan is WP's youngest candidate in this election and comes from a generation that has "completely grown up on social media".

"And for me, I would be actually a bit disappointed if our candidates try to sanitise their past. And I think they should be upfront and authentic to the public. This is who they are. And in the event there are certain posts or certain comments that they may have made which are untoward, then I would expect them to explain themselves."

He added that he has no regrets fielding her and that she will continue with her campaign.

"I know that she takes each case very seriously, regardless of race, regardless of religion. She's very vested in what issue the resident is facing," he said.

"I think those are very important criteria for me personally to consider someone for candidature, whether you are able to put yourself and walk a mile in the shoes of someone who needs help and assistance, so I've got no regrets for fielding a candidate who is like that, who is prepared to walk with residents and solve their problems and issues, and I think that's an important criteria, which resulted in Raeesah being selected as a candidate."

The Straits Times understands that both of the posts in question were made on her personal Facebook account.

One post was made on May 17 about an incident involving seven foreigners violating social distancing rules at Robertson Quay during the circuit breaker period.

"Imagine if this was a group of minorities," she had said, adding that she saw police patrolling near a hawker centre and supermarket near her house every day to ensure that people practise social distancing and mask-wearing.

"Do you see police officers here? Imagine if this was a neighbourhood hawker centre. There would be policemen swarming the area and enforcing the law within minutes," Ms Raeesah had said in her post.

"Why is the law different for these people? Is it because they're rich Chinese or white people? Do you think expats will be treated with the same disdain as migrant workers who broke the law?

"I'm not a fan of aggressive policing, but what I will not accept is law enforcement that discriminates against its citizens."

The seven foreigners, including four Britons, an Austrian and two Americans, were tracked down by the police and fined in court last month. Six of them had their work passes revoked by the Manpower Ministry and were banned from working in Singapore in future.

Ms Raeesah was comparing the case to a separate incident in April, in which a work pass holder was stripped of his pass and permanently banned from working in Singapore, after breaching circuit breaker measures. Another 39 foreign workers were also fined in April for gathering in groups.

The Straits Times understands the comments on the City Harvest Church ruling were also posted on Ms Raeesah's personal Facebook account in February 2018.

After the police reports were made, her social media accounts were made private.

The police said in its statement: "The police have consulted the Attorney-General's Chambers, which advised that an offence of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion or race under Section 298A of the Penal Code is disclosed. Police investigations are ongoing."

For promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion or race under the Penal Code, a person can be jailed up to three years, or fined, or face both punishments.

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Singapore GE2020: WP's Raeesah Khan apologises for posts which allegedly promoted enmity between different groups - The Straits Times

Adrian Goldberg reports the murky background as the Championship team goes into administration in the casino culture of the modern game

Even by the murky standards of English football, the dizzying descent into administration of Wigan Athletic, just seven years after a famous FA Cup Final victory against Manchester City, is a disturbing turn of events.

It is a story of massive overspending, a company based in a tax haven, disappearing owners and what the towns MP Lisa Nandy suggests may be a major global scandal. Not bad for a club sitting just above the relegation zone in the Championship, the division below the Premier League.

Wigan, already battling against relegation, now faces a fight for its very existence amid calls by politicians, supporters and administrators for an overhaul of the regulations that have allowed this sorry situation to develop.

Lifelong supporter Martin Tarbuck summed up the mood in the town when he told Byline Times that putting the club into administration has devastated a community, could cost hundreds of jobs, has undone years of progress and may well kill a football club.

The Football League has proved time and time again that it can not control this issue. Clubs are community assets and they need to be protected.

This is not hyperbole.Football clubs are resilient institutions but can sometimes disappear altogether, as Bury FC demonstrated last September. After being expelled from the Football League for failing to meet a series of financial deadlines, the club now exists in name only.

Fans fear that Wigan might be forced out of business too, particularly at a time when the Coronavirus is making life difficult for many entrepreneurs who might otherwise wish to get involved.

So where has it all gone wrong for a club which enjoyed eight seasons of Premier League football from 2005 to 2013?

Before the game went into lockdown in March, the Latics as the club is affectionately known were on a good run of form and hoping to hold on to their place in the second tier of the English game.

But just as matches resumed behind closed doors, Wigans Hong Kong-based owner Au Yeung, who has never been seen at the club, decided to withdraw his support.

A source close to Wigan Athletic told Byline Times: Whats amazing is the speed at which its all happened.A couple of weeks ago we had money in the bank. Now weve had the rug pulled out from underneath us.

Until recently, Wigans finances were underwritten by Stanley Choi, a professional poker player based in Hong Kong, whose business interests also included a casino and hotel. Choi made an initial outlay of 17.5 million to buy the club, then invested a further 24 million in 18 months.

The money often came at the last minute, but it always turned up, the insider said.

If theowners had enough money to run the club just a few weeks ago, it begs the question: why has Wigan been placed in administration now?

Choi never attended a game apparently regarding the club purely as an investment but, in June, Wigan was transferred to another business in which he had a controlling interest, the New Leader Fund (NLF) registered in the Cayman Islands.

Two weeks ago, there was a further twist when control of the NLF passed to Hong Kong businessman Au Yeung, who tried forcing the clubs UK-based directors to accept responsibility for a 24 million loan used to repay Choi. When the directors refused, Yeung attempted to liquidate the club, before placing it in administration.

What grates with supporters is that these successive changes in ownership were all sanctioned by the English Football League (EFL), which has an Owners and Directors Test that many in the game regard as worthless.

Wigan supporter Martin Tarbuck said: To meet their regulations, it seems you have to have a copy of a bank statement showing proof of funds, but theres no guarantee the money will remain there.

The EFL told Byline Times: In respect of the recent change of control at Wigan the Leagues requirements were met in regard to both the Owners and Directors Test and theprovision of evidence as to source and sufficiency of funding.

However, if theowners had enough money to run the club just a few weeks ago, it begs the question: why has Wigan been placed in administration now?

There has been no shortage of conspiracy theorists on social media, including suggestions that the Latics problems were engineered on behalf of Far Eastern betting syndicates which have gambled large sums of money on the club getting relegated.

Since going into administration incurs a 12-point penalty, that is now a much more likely outcome explaining why Wigans MP Lisa Nandy referred to a major global scandal.

A source close to Wigan Athletic told Byline Times it was more likely that Choi was seeking a way to dump the football club to protect the share price of his company in Hong Kong, but admitted: I cant really find a plausible explanation for what has happened.

Choi now appears to have gone to ground and journalists have been unable to contact either him or Au Yeung.

Whatever the reason for Wigans financial difficulties, many in football see it as the latest episode in a long-running story of regulatory failure, with owners often from overseas piling in to English football attracted by the unrivalled wealth of the Premier League.

Even the club which finishes at the foot of the table earns close to 100 million from television rights, with critics arguing that this has created a casino culture in the Championship and lower levels of the Football League, as owners strive to reach the promised land.

The recently published Annual Review of Football Finance by accountants Deloitte recorded that, last season, for the fourth time in seven years, Championship clubs collectively spent more on wages than they earned in revenue with Wigan amongst them.

Deloitte described the situation as unsustainable and has found plenty of powerful support in this belief.

Last month, Conservative backbench MP Damian Collins a former Chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee proposed a radical Government bail-out scheme for clubs stricken by financial problems in the wake of the Coronavirus. He criticised financial mismanagement which has not seen clubs put money by for a rainy day.

Many are loss-making organisations, reliant on loans and grants from their owner and that has to change, he added. We have to put it on a more sustainable footing.

Under Collins plan, clubs which receive Government aid would have to submit to a tough new watchdog called the Football Finance Authority which would prevent the kind of over-spending which has now left Wigan Athletic so vulnerable.

His initiative has been welcomed by administrators such as Gary Sweet, chief executive of Luton Town, who told Byline Times that football is on a precipice at the moment.

We have to take this opportunity to correct the madness of overspending in the Championship, and look again at our ownership model, he said. The Football League has proved time and time again that it can not control this issue. Clubs are community assets and they need to be protected.

More here:
'A Major Global Scandal': The Collapse of Wigan Athletic Byline Times - Byline Times

Disinformation and confusion generated at ever higher levels. And that is the description of the condition more than 20 years ago.

Please note that I have put the original German text to the end of this review. Just if you might be interested.

An even better understanding and overview of the overall situation can be seen in combination with his second work "Manufacturing Consent."Long after its first publication, the work has lost none of its topicality. Each society returns to already reached poi

Please note that I have put the original German text to the end of this review. Just if you might be interested.

An even better understanding and overview of the overall situation can be seen in combination with his second work "Manufacturing Consent."Long after its first publication, the work has lost none of its topicality. Each society returns to already reached points in eternal cycles, where writings like these serve as a memorial not to forget critical thinking. Chomsky provides a brief overview of Woodrow Wilson's Creel Commission, Public Relation, the Iraq War, Walter Lippman's spectator democracy and the general state of the media landscape.

Due to the lack of investigation and research on the subject, it is impossible to gauge the extent of propaganda in times of digitization. Neither universities nor NGOs are able to deal with the whole extent of the problem, because unfortunately they are often too deeply involved in the dissonant connections and contradictions. Respectively dependent on these or so blind that they do not see the overall picture as experts for just individual aspects.

It is almost impossible to explain to people after decades of consumption that they have been manipulated. They often have a significant influence on elections and economic and political power because of their prosperity. It would be a sacrilege, heresy and blasphemy only to suggest, that their thought patterns could have been wrong all her life. That their scriptures and commandments, in the form of newspapers, magazines and news programs, are lies and deceit. Even young people who have just been hooked on already associate the ideology that has been instilled with themselves and make them a part of their ego, their identity, their personality. Then they immediately grasp any gentle criticism of it as if it was insulting and attacking them as human beings. An ingeniously diabolical concept of programming people to pervert their trust and their good faith in such a way.

The reporting itself is full of empty phrases and emotions, focused only on the characters and the simplest level of action, never describing deeper or higher levels. Always staying at the level of the human aspect and one-dimensional viewing. A life of responsible and mature media consumption does not extend the spectrum of thoughts of consumers, but restricts it and steers it in the desired paths. Those newsflashes are self-potentiating feedback loops that only reinforce the fundamental mentality.

Once conditioned, it is reinforced with each consumption. To read the newspaper, to consume the daily newscast, to integrate one's social network in the study of these subjects. Out of this arises the opinion that has been inoculated, which is reinforced with every letter and every word. And never is it objective, scientifically clean reporting, but black rhetoric. No informational value, but the selection of the facts according to which of it serves the representation of the opinion that should be strengthened.

When they consume media, people are entirely passive. Democratically unemancipated, subliminal messages are incorporated which, at a deeper level, bring about transformations. Thus, the supposedly only daily and focused reporting about an event has the long-term benefit, that specific correlation are always seen in a just one particular context.People become unable to understand complex connections. They unlearn to selectively seek objective data, compare and form their own opinion. If they even know channels in which unfiltered messages are not branded. They only react more and no longer act independently. Like conditioned, vegetative reflexes of the reptilian brainstem which had never had higher brain functions.

Desinformation und Verwirrung, erzeugt auf immer hherem Niveau. Und das ist die Zustandsbeschreibung von vor ber 20 Jahren.

Ein noch besseres Verstndnis sowie berblick ber die Gesamtsituation erschliet sich in Kombination mit seinem zweiten Werk "Manufacturing Consent".Lange nach seiner Erstverffentlichung hat das Werk noch nichts von seiner Aktualitt eingebt. Jede Gesellschaft kommt in ewigen Kreislufen wieder an bereits erreichte Punkte, an denen Schriften wie diese als Mahnmal dienen, kritisches Denken nicht zu vergessen. Chomsky liefert einen kurzen berblick ber Woodrow Wilsonss Creel Commission, Public Relation, den Irakkrieg, Walter Lippmans specatator democracy und dem generellen Zustand der Medienlandschaft.

Es ist aufgrund der mangelnden Recherche und Forschung zu dem Thema unmglich, das Ausma der Propaganda in Zeiten von Digitalisierung nur im Ansatz zu ermessen. Weder Universitten noch NGOs knnen sich mit dem ganzen Ausma der Problematik befassen, weil sie selbst leider hufig zu tief in die dissonanten Zusammenhnge und Widersprche verstrickt sind. Beziehungsweise von diesen abhngig oder so betriebsblind, dass sie als Experten fr einzelne Aspekte das Gesamtbild nicht sehen.

Es ist beinahe unmglich, Menschen nach Jahrzehnten des Konsums erklren zu wollen, dass sie manipuliert wurden. Sie haben auf Wahlen groen Einfluss und wegen ihres Wohlstands auch konomische und politische Macht. Es wre ein Sakrileg, Hresie und Gotteslsterung nur anzudeuten, ihre Denkmuster wren ihr ganzes Leben lang falsch gewesen. Ihre heiligen Schriften und Gebote, in Form von Zeitungen, Magazinen und Nachrichtensendungen sind Lug und Trug. Wenn selbst junge, gerade erst frisch angefixte Menschen bereits die ihnen eingetrufelte Ideologie mit sich selbst assoziieren und zu einem Teil ihres Egos, ihrer Identitt, ihrer Persnlichkeit machen. Dann fassen sie jede sanfte Kritik daran unmittelbar als Beleidigung und Angriff auf sie als Mensch auf. Ein genial diabolisches Konzept, die Menschen so zu programmieren, ihr Vertrauen und ihr Gutglauben derartig zu pervertieren.

Die Berichterstattung selbst ist voll von leeren Phrasen und Emotionen, nur auf die Charaktere und simpelste Handlungsebene fokussiert, nie tiefere oder hhere Ebenen beschreibend. Immer auf der Stufe des menschlichen Aspektes und eindimensionaler Betrachtung bleibend. Ein Leben mndigen Medienkonsums erweitert das Spektrum der Konsumenten nicht, sondern schrnkt es ein und lenkt es in die gewnschten Bahnen.Es sind sich selbst potenzierende Rckkopplungsschleifen, die nur die Grundmentalitt verstrken.

Ist die Konditionierung erfolgt, wird sie mit jedem Konsum verstrkt. Die Zeitung zu lesen, die Nachrichtensendung tglich zu konsumieren, das eigene soziale Netz in die Beschftigung mit diesen Thematiken zu integrieren.Daraus erwchst die Meinung, die eingeimpft wurde, die mit jedem Buchstaben und jedem Wort verstrkt wird. Und nie ist es objektive, wissenschaftlich saubere Berichterstattung, sondern schwarze Rhetorik. Kein Informationswert, sondern Selektion der Fakten danach, welche am ehesten der Reprsentation der zu bestrkenden Meinung dienen.

Wenn sie Medien konsumieren, sind Menschen gnzlich passiv. Demokratisch unemanzipiert werden unterbewusste Botschaften mit eingebaut, die als tiefere Ebene Transformationen bewirken. So hat die vermeintlich nur tagesaktuelle und auf ein Ereignis fokussierte Berichterstattung den Langzeitnutzen, gewisse Zusammenhnge immer in einem bestimmten Kontext darzustellen.Die Menschen werden unfhig zum Verstehen komplexer Zusammenhnge. Sie verlernen selbst selektiv objektive Daten zu suchen, zu vergleichen und eine eigene Meinung zu bilden. Sofern sie berhaupt Kanle kennen, in denen ungefilterte Nachrichten nicht gebrandmarkt werden. Sie reagieren nur mehr und agieren nicht mehr selbststndig. Wie konditionierte, vegetative Reflexe des Reptilienstammhirns als htte es nie hhere Hirnfunktionen gegeben.

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Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda ...

Although the term media manipulation is not well-known, we oweSylvain Timsit for the valuable contribution. In 2002, the French writer created a list of 10 strategies of media manipulation used by political and economic powers to control the public. And although its been 15 years, his list is still a very powerful, validargument to consider.

The list is a ranking of methods of mass manipulation. The purpose of these strategies, according to the author, is to create docile, submissive, and obedient individuals. In addition, he says the media uses them to support capitalism, inequality, andneo-capitalism.

Timsits post went viral in a matter of minutes. And itwas actually wrongfully attributed to Noam Chomsky.That said, there are certainly glimpses of Chomskys beliefs in Timsits work, especially in regards to the critical analysis of mass medias role in our society.

In a totalitarian state, it doesnt matter what people think, since the government can control people by force using a bludgeon. But when you cant control people by force, you have to control what people think, and the standard way to do this is via propaganda.-Noam Chomsky-

According to Timsit, 10 ways that the media manipulates the masses are:

The strategy of distraction consists of deviating the publics attention from important issues. One way they do it is by flooding the news with stories on trivial issues. The objective is to distract the people and keep their minds occupied. The result is that peoplestop questioning why the media isnt talking about certain issues; the people forget the real issues.

This method is the equivalent of doing a poll in politics. That is, it consists of testing the population by spreading rumors or ideas in order to evaluate how the population would receive them. It iscreating a problem in order to later solve it. Then the public sees the manipulators as heroes.

Gradualism manipulates the people by getting them to accept socially unjust decisions. The key is to do it progressively, slowly, over the course of years.

For example, say the objective is to fire 80% of the staff of a large high-profile company. The media would begin to incorporate negative news about the company: sales drops, stock market crashes, rumors, etc. Slowly, it would create awareness and begin preparing people for the big news.If the layoffs had been made known at the beginning, there would have been a public uproar.

Another strategy Timsit includes in media manipulation is that of presenting unpopular decisions as necessary, for a better future, or for our own good. They make the public genuinely believe that their sacrifices will lead things being significantly better later on.

So the citizens get used to a lower quality of life. They start seeing it as normal. Ultimately, the people will resign themselves to the current state of things and will stop demanding what they were demanding.

The more the media wants to manipulate the public, the more they will talk to the public like theyre children.Sugarcoated arguments, characters, and intonations are used, as if the people were too weak or immature to handle the truth. The goal is also a submissive, docile reaction.The idea is to keep the people from thinking critically like adults.

Emotional appeals are much more powerful than sterile, purely objective ones. The media knows it, and so they appeal to the publics emotions.Again, they try to keep people from thinking critically; they try to control their thoughts. Remember how powerful fear can be.

According to Timsit, the media prefers an ignorant, uncultured public. Keeping them isolated from knowledge makes them easier to manipulate. It also keepsinsubordination and rebellion away. Information is power.

This point and the previous one are very similar, and this one is one of the most subtle strategies of media manipulation. Do the shows offered on TV match what the general public wants? Or are they imposed on us by the media? In other words, do we actually watch what we want to watch, or what they want us to watch?

For Timsit, the answer is clear. Consumerism and banality are hypnotonizing us. Therefore, we dont care about our surroundings, having been trained to be mediocre.

At the same time that the media is encouraging our ignorance, they are also making us believe that were the only ones responsible for our misfortunes. The media tells us that our scarce skills will make us miserable and unsuccessful. In essence they seek self-incrimination through self-exculpation and keep the public from mobilizing.

In order to exert control over someone, you need to know them.Unfortunately, our modern oligarchies have taken care of this perfectly. For Timsit, psychological, social, and technological advances now allow large companies to know everything about every single individual. The system knows us and that means it can manipulate us exactly where were weak.

Link:
Media Manipulation: 10 Strategies the Media Uses to ...

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey will introduce regulations to control social media platforms or shut them down, President Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday, pressing ahead with government plans after he said his family was insulted online.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks to members of his ruling AK Party (AKP) during a video conference call in Ankara, Turkey, July 1, 2020. Mustafa Oztartan/Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS

Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, Erdogans son-in-law, said on Twitter on Tuesday that his fourth child had been born. Following the tweet, some users insulted Albayraks wife Esra.

Users of 11 out of 19 accounts determined to have shared content that insulted Albayrak and his family were detained, Turkish police headquarters said in a statement on Wednesday.

Speaking to members of his AK Party, Erdogan repeated that his party would introduce new regulations to control the use of social media, adding that an increase of immoral acts on the platforms in recent years was due to a lack of regulations.

Do you understand now why we are against social media platforms such asYouTube, Twitter and Netflix? These platforms do not suit this nation. We want to shut down, control (them) by bringing (a bill) to parliament as soon as possible, he said.

Ankara strictly polices social media content, especially during periods such as military operations and the current coronavirus pandemic.

Turkey fiercely criticised Twitter last month for suspending more than 7,000 accounts that supported Erdogan, saying the company was smearing the government and trying to redesign Turkish politics.

Erdogan said on Wednesday that social media companies would be forced to appoint representatives in Turkey to respond to legal requests, which he said were currently ignored.

We are determined to do whatever is necessary ... and will implement access bans, and legal and fiscal penalties after completion of the regulation, Erdogan said.

However a top Erdogan aide, Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, said his remarks were being taken out of context, adding the companies were asked to open offices in Turkey.

It is a futile effort to try presenting our presidents approach as repressive and prohibitionist, Altun said.

In April, the ruling AK Party included similar measures on social media in a draft law mainly about economic measures against the coronavirus outbreak. The draft law required companies to appoint representatives or have their bandwidth slashed by up to 95%, which would effectively make them inaccessible.

The measures were later removed from the draft law but opposition members warned they would come back on the agenda.

Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun, Ali Kucukgocmen and Ece Toksabay, Editing by William Maclean and Jonathan Spicer

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Turkey determined to control social media platforms, Erdogan says - Reuters UK