BBC Monitoring Backgrounder by Muhammad Shukri of BBC Monitoring on 13 September Overview Rumours that Egyptian President Husni Mubarak is in poor health have spread in Egypt recently. Mubarak, now aged 79, has ruled Egypt since 1981, following the assassination of his predecessor Anwar al-Sadat. The Egyptian authorities have denied …

BBC Monitoring Analysis by Steve Metcalf of BBC Monitoring on 13 September Although the main story of the week in Pakistan has been the blocked attempt by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to return from exile, two other equally important issues have been getting closer to a resolution. One is …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by Lebanese newspaper Al-Safir website on 3 September [Report by Ziyad Haydar from Damascus: "Denying disputes inside editorial board, Waddah Khanfar tells Al-Safir: Al-Jazeera English is the voice of the south"] The Director of Al-Jazeera satellite TV network, Waddah Khanfar, has denied the existence of …

BBC Monitoring Text of report in English by Qatari newspaper Gulf Times website on 12 September Astro Indonesia, a pay television in Indonesia, has announced a partnership with Al Jazeera English following the completion of a carriage deal, according [to] reports. Al Jazeera English, the 24-hour English language news and …

BBC Monitoring The testimonies given by the US commander in Iraq, Gen David Petraeus, and the US ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, to the House of Representatives Committee on Monday 10 September were relayed live by the following TV stations: the privately-owned Iraqi Al-Sharqiyah TV; the government-owned Iraqi station Al-Iraqiyah …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by Palestinian Filastin al-An website on 28 August [Unattributed Report: "Fatah coupists urge against cartoon film and prepare for sabotage acts"] Gaza-Filastin al-An Fatah coupists called for a provocative campaign against Al-Aqsa Satellite Television belonging to the Islamic Resistance Movement - Hamas because of the …

BBC Monitoring Iraqi president's party said to redeploy officials The Iraqi president's party will redeploy officials "at different levels for different reasons", the website of independent Hawlati newspaper reported on 11 September. The report quoted a senior anonymous Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) official as saying "the PUK will make …

BBC Monitoring Text of report in English by Egyptian news agency MENA Cairo, 11 September: Al-Dustur Chief Editor Ibrahim Isa was referred to trial 1 October over rumours he published in his newspaper purporting the president was sick. Isa has spread the rumours intentionally to harm public interest, the prosecution …

BBC Monitoring Text of report by Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency Islamabad, 9 September: Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) has issued code of ethics for the mass media institutions and practitioners in its member states to safeguard the Muslim ummah's [community's] values and interests and to fulfil the …

BBC Monitoring Text of report in English by Iranian Mehr news agency in English Tehran, 10 Sept: The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is an example of Iran's power and glory, Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel said here on Monday. The IRGC reminds one of faith in God and upholding morality and …