In this week's
Listening Post, Richard Gizbert looks at the case of the Egyptian blogger jailed for four years, torture scenes in hit series
24 and China's internet addicts.
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| Kareem Amer |
Kareem Amer began a four year sentence in an Egyptian jail this week for criticising Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, and extremist interpretations of Islam.
The case has touched a nerve in the blogosphere sparking protests as far away as Washington, London and Rome.
The internet is one of the few outlets Egyptians have to freely express their opinions. Recent postings have exposed how the Egyptian police torture suspects. Human rights activists are concerned Amer's harsh sentence is a warning to bloggers to practise self-censorship.
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| Iraqi TV channel, Al Zawraa |
In
Newsbytes, we look at the other big media stories this week. Iraqi TV channel,
Al Zawraa, has been kicked off its satellite. Last year Iraq's mostly Shia government shut down the pro-Sunni channel after accusations it was inciting violence and murder.
Al Zawraa continued broadcasting into Iraq via an Egyptian satellite. But now complaints from the US and Iraqi government have been acted on.
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| Chinese internet bar [EPA] |
In China, there are apparently 2.5 million internet addicts and some of them are in rehab. The country's first internet addiction clinic has opened in Beijing. Patients get electric shock treatments, therapy and medication to help them deal with depression, insomnia and panic attacks.
Sony has released a trailer for a film called
The Messengers, but you can only hear it if you are under 18. The trailer emits a high frequency sound at 17 kHz that only children, teenagers and dogs can hear.
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| Jack Bauer in 24 |
Torture scenes in hit
television series 24 have caused a heated debate in the US. Supporters of the Bush administration are arguing that hero Jack Bauer's violent tactics are an effective way of fighting the so-called war on terror. Richard Gizbert looks at both sides of the controversy and asks is it harmless fiction or thinly disguised propaganda?
Finally our online video of the week –
a twist on internet hit by OK Go This one is called
OK Lego.