BBC Monitoring Analysis by Steve Metcalf of BBC Monitoring on 20 November Since it opened in 2001 Dubai Media City has become a major hub for regional and international media. According to a recent report in the Saudi newspaper Al-Madina, 22 per cent of the 370 Arabic satellite TV channels …

BBC Monitoring Egyptian state TV's Wijhat Naza (Point of View) weekly programme, broadcast on 18 November on Channel 1, interviewed the newly-elected chairman of the Union of Journalists, Makram Muhammad Ahmad. Asked first to comment on the recent union elections, Ahmad said that it was held "in a perfect way" …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by independent, non-governmental Palestinian Ma'an News Agency website Bethlehem, 19 Nov: The management of Ma'an Network has signed a new contract with MEPI [the US State Department's Middle East Partnership Initiative] to fund a modern central television studio. State-of-the-art TV cameras, production, lighting and sound …

BBC Monitoring text of press release by International Federation of Journalists on 18 November The International Federation of Journalists today condemned the actions of the Dubai government which has shut down Pakistani media forced to operate from the United Arab Emirates after they were closed by the Pakistan government as …

BBC Monitoring Text of press release by Paris-based organization Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) on 18 November Reporters Without Borders voiced deep concern today about the disappearance of Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi of satellite TV station Al-Baghdadiyah, who was kidnapped in central Baghdad on 16 November. The news agency reports of …

BBC Monitoring Text of report in English by Sudanese news agency Suna website [Unattributed report: "Minister of Information and Communication Concludes Visit to China"] Sudan: Minister of Information and Communication Concludes Visit to China Khartoum, 16 Nov. (SUNA) -The Minister of Information and Communication, Al-Zahawi Ibrahim Malik, has concluded a …

BBC Monitoring Within its 0500 gmt newscast on 17 November, Beirut LBC Europe Satellite Television in Arabic reports that the "situation has returned to normal in front of the LBC building" following the demonstrations protesting the cancellation of an interview which was scheduled with Samir Ja'ja, chairman of the Executive …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by Egyptian news agency MENA website [Passage omitted: already covered] Mr Makram Muhammad Ahmad has been jubilant over his winning the Union of Journalists chairman post. In statements to reporters after his victory, he said he would be a "chairman for all journalists in all …

BBC Monitoring Text of report in English by privately-owned Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star website on 16 November Beirut, 16 November: The Lebanese Broadcasting Station (LBC) television decided to call off an interview with Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Ja'ja after he filed a lawsuit against the station and its …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by London-based newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat website on 5 November [Article by Hamad al-Majid: "Saudis and Hatred: Provocation or Victims?"] The decision by some respected British newspapers to accuse a number of British Islamic centres and institutions of publishing literature that encourages hatred of non-Muslims during …