BBC Monitoring Text of report under "What else is news?" column headlined "Strong criticism of Panahian against IRIB programmes" published by Iranian newspaper Iran website on 2 January The first piece of news we have is that Hojjat ol-Eslam Alireza Panahian [well-known religious orator] has voiced strong criticisms of the …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by Saudi newspaper Al-Watan website on 30 November [Report by Adwan al-Ahmari: "Al-Shihri: Terrorist Electronic Bulletins Indirect Method of Recruitment. Islamic Army's Instructions To Distribute Sada al-Rafidayn Proof of its Plan To Send Saudi Combatants Back to Kingdom"] Perhaps there was a close connection between …

BBC Monitoring Text of Paris-based media freedom organization Reporters Sans Frontieres press release on 3 January Reporters Without Borders hails the decision taken by the administrative court of Egypt's state council on 29 December not to block access to 51 websites which judge Abdel Fattah Murad, the head of the …

BBC Monitoring Excerpt from report by privately-owned Afghan Ariana TV on 1 January [Presenter] The year 2007 was the bloodiest, most challenging year for Afghan journalists. Dozens were threatened, beaten and even killed. Issuing a report in Kabul, the South Asia Free Media Association [SAFMA] said that government officials had …

BBC Monitoring Dubai is to fund a multimillion-dollar news centre for Syrian TV headquarters in Damascus in time for the Arab summit to be held there in March 2008, the Beirut-based website Manassat (www.menassat.com) has reported. Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI) is contributing 8m dollars towards the building and equipping of …

BBC Monitoring Text of report in English by Saudi newspaper Arab News website on 1 January [Report by Ebtihal Mubarak in Jedda: "Blogger Does Not Face Security Charges: Ministry"] The Interior Ministry confirmed yesterday that Saudi blogger Fouad Al-Farhan was being held for "interrogation". Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, the spokesperson …

BBC Monitoring Text of report in English by Qatari newspaper Gulf Times website on 1 January The Al-Jazeera Documentary Channel will celebrate its first anniversary today, with the broadcast of the 24-hour channel's first in-house produced documentary. Launched on 1 January 2007, with the concept of humanity, environment and the …

BBC Monitoring Excerpt from report by Iranian state-run provincial TV from West Azarbayjan on 1 January West Azarbayjan is the third province to have launched Iranian Koranic News Agency [IKNA] and posts 50 news items on its website every day, the director of the provincial branch of the IKNA Koranic …

BBC Monitoring Text of report in English by Sudanese newspaper Sudan Vision website on 26 December Sudanese Journalists General Union has announced its absolute condemnation of the detention of a host of Journalists by Sudan People's Liberation Army [SPLA] in the area of Mulbuk of Upper Nile [State] while they …

BBC Monitoring Text of report in Pashto, "Abdol Karim Khorram meets acting Iranian ambassador", published by state-owned Afghan newspaper Hewad on 29 December Minister of Information and Culture Mohammad Karim Khorram met Mr Mohyeddin Najafi, the acting ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the other day. The acting Iranian …