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 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 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 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 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 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 …

Visit him online at www.kimbadawi.com Arab Media & Society best photograph of 2007.  Photographers, if you are interested in submitting a photo, please email managing editor Will Ward at ams.auc@gmail.com. We need shots of media being produced and consumed throughout the Middle East.  Click for information on photo submissions and …

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 …

Jennifer Peterson tracks how traditional Sufi poetry is mixed and remixed into contemporary dance music heard widely on the streets of Cairo. Features video and audio examples.

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 …