BBC Monitoring A hacker (or a group of hackers) who signs himself "sniper" and operates a blog by the name of "Virtual Jihad" (http://www.vjihad.parsiblog.ir/) has pledged to rid the Iranian blogosphere of "offending" blogs. The first post on Virtual Jihad is a list of "strikes", which consists of dates (starting …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency Islamabad, Aug 18 (APP): Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) plans to launch an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service in October, Director-General of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Dr Abdul Jabbar said Saturday [18 August]. "PTCL has won …

BBC Monitoring Text of report in English by Karolin Akum published on London-based newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat website on 16 August; subheadings added editorially Beirut, Al-Sharq al-Awsat: Earlier this month, the Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), chaired by Saudi businessman HRH Prince Al-Walid Bin Talal, issued a statement announcing the company's merger …

BBC Monitoring Text of press release by Paris-based organization Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF) on 19 August Reporters Without Borders called today for the immediate release of Yasin Yetisgen, the owner and editor of the Kurdish newspaper Coban Atesi, who was detained by a police court on 14 August in Gaziantep …

BBC Monitoring Text of report in English by Syrian News Agency SANA website ["Sit-in in front of UN headquarters in Damascus" - SANA headline] Damascus, 19 Aug ( SANA ) - A sit in was staged yesterday evening before headquarters of the UN mission in Damascus in protest against the …

BBC Monitoring Text of report in English by Syrian News Agency SANA website ["Sit-in in front of UN headquarters in Damascus" - SANA headline] Damascus, 19 Aug ( SANA ) - A sit in was staged yesterday evening before headquarters of the UN mission in Damascus in protest against the …

BBC Monitoring Text of commentary by Sadeq Zibakalam headlined "Who closed down Sharq newspaper" published by Iranian newspaper E'temad website on 15 August On the face of it, it seems like a meaningless question, as it is clear who closed down Sharq daily - the Press Supervision Committee - but …

BBC Monitoring Excerpt from report by Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency Lahore, 19 Aug: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani has said that Multi-Media Monitoring and Evaluation Cell set up by Nazria-i-Pakistan Foundation will not only play a key role to counter anti-Pakistan propaganda, but …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by provincial state-owned Afghan Herat TV on 16 August Providing information, broadcasting the public's views and thoughts and revealing the facts about current issues should serve national development, enlighten and improve people's awareness. This legal principle approved by the Constitution and the media law guarantees …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by London-based newspaper Al-Quds al-Arabi website on 18 August [Editorial: "A Saudi-Syrian Media War"] Saudi-Syrian relations entered an unprecedented stage of tension when the Saudi Government replied through an authoritative official source to the reproachful criticisms levelled against it by Syrian Vice President Faruq al-Shar'a, …