BBC Monitoring Text of report in English by Saudi newspaper Saudi Gazette website on 6 January [Report by Suzan Zawawi, Riyadh: "Bloggers Protest with Silence Today"] Bloggers in the Kingdom and around the world will be spending most of Sunday [6 January] in silence to protest against the arrested Saudi …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by Jordanian newspaper Al-Arab al-Yawm on 5 January Syrian Authorities have continued the arrest campaign launched against civil society activists. They have arrested Fayiz Sarah, Al-Arab al-Yawm correspondent, member of the Damascus Declaration's National Council, and member of the Committees for the Revival of Civil …

BBC Monitoring An Afghan newspaper calls for improving relations between the media and government bodies. It says the shortage of professional journalists is creating problems for the media and urges the media outlets to take into account the national interests while reporting. It also says the year 2007 was the …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by state-owned National Afghanistan Radio on 6 January [Presenter] The information and culture minister has called on the officials of private television channels to avoid airing corrupt programmes and serials which run counter to the Islamic culture. Abdol Karim Khorram, the information and culture minister, …

BBC Monitoring Within its 1500 gmt newscast on 5 January, Baghdad Al-Iraqiyah Television in Arabic carries the following reports: - "The General Secretariat of the Cabinet has congratulated Iraqis on the advent of the 87th anniversary of the inception of the valiant Iraqi Army. In a statement, a copy of …

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 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 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 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 …