BBC Monitoring Text of report by Iranian news website Norooz on 20 January Dastranj website, at www.dastranj.ir, has joined the country's electronic media. ["Dastranj" means "product of toil" or "wage".] The site's director told Norooz: The site has been launched on the basis of a reformist policy and with the …

BBC Monitoring At 2058 gmt on 18 January, Ma'an reported that Jibril al-Rujub, a leading figure in Fatah in the West Bank, had made a statement to the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV in which he said that "there is a possibility to circumvent the domestic crisis in order to confront the …

BBC Monitoring Doha Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel Television in Arabic at 0617 gmt on 19 January carries the following announcer-read report: "As an interesting phenomenon, the number of private radio stations in Jordan has increased and mounted to 27. Observers see that private radio stations have gained the trust of the …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by Palestinian newspaper Al-Risalah on 17 January [Unattributed report: "Shin Bet Establishes Psychological Warfare Unit Against Hamas Using Fatah Media Outlets"] Gaza, 17 January (Translated [into Arabic] by the Palestinian Media Network) - Israeli television revealed that the Internal Security Service (Shin Bet) has decided …

BBC Monitoring Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has filed a lawsuit against Hawlati newspaper for publishing an article by an American writer, the website of independent twice-weekly Hawlati reported on 18 January. The Political Bureau spokesman of Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Mala Bakhtiyar, said: "The whole report is fabricated …

BBC Monitoring Excerpt from report by Palestinian newspaper Al-Hayat al-Jadidah on 17 January [Report by Bashar Daraghimah, Rumil al-Suwayti: "Amr Addresses Thousands Celebrating Anniversary in Nablus; Fatah Will End Embargo on Gaza, Palestine"] Nablus - Thousands of Nablus Governorate inhabitants commemorated the 44th Fatah anniversary in a popular rally yesterday. …

BBC Monitoring Text of report in English by Dubai newspaper Khaleej Times website on 16 January Abu Dhabi: The first step has been taken by an Abu Dhabi company to launch the UAE's first communications satellite. A letter of intent (LOI) has been signed by Al Yah Satellite Communications Company …

BBC Monitoring By Saeed Barzin of BBC Monitoring on 17 January Managers of major Iranian newspapers have complained that the government is late in the payment of subsidies to the press, and it is causing difficulties for the publications. They say the payment of subsidies does not follow set regulations …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by Hamas-backed newspaper Filistin website on 15 January [Report by Hadil Atallah: "Abu-Hashish: Abu-Khawsah's admission gives Filastin and the families of Al-Ishi and Abdu to institute legal proceedings against him"] Dr Hasan Abu-Hashish, director of the government media office and Information Ministry under secretary in …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by London-based newspaper Al-Hayat website on 15 January [Report by Muhammad Salah: "Race for Protest Against Bush's Visit"] Egyptian media outlets did not show much interest in following up President George Bush's tour of the region, or even information on the issues that he will …