News

OSLO (Reuters) - The editor of a Norwegian newspaper which reprinted cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad said on Friday he regretted publication, after dozens of death threats and a growing international furore. Muslims consider any depiction of the founder of Islam as blasphemous, and the drawings, first published in Denmark in September, have whipped up fury around the Arab world. "It's escalating...

French journalists rallied yesterday to the cause of the newspaper France Soir, whose managing editor was sacked for reprinting Danish cartoons that have angered opinion in the Muslim world. The Left-of-centre Le Monde ran a page one cartoon showing the artist obscuring an image of the Prophet's head by repeatedly writing the phrase "I must not draw Mohammed" over it. The newspaper's editorial...

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's leading newspaper El Pais on Friday became part of a growing international row by publishing a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad on its front page. The cartoon, originally published by France's Le Monde, portrayed the head of the Prophet Mohammad made up of lines which say "I must not draw Mohammad" in French. Newspapers in France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and Hungary...

The Danish Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia was the target of a demonstration today by 200 – 300 people from the Front of the Defenders of Islam (FPI) who were protesting to show their contempt for drawings of the Prophet Muhammad featured last year in a Danish newspaper. The protesters smashed lamps with bamboo sticks and threw chairs around, and shouted "Allahu Akbar" meaning "God is Great". They...

For most of us in the news business, our thoughts, best wishes, prayers and hopes are pulling for the recovery of ABC News co-anchor Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt. The pair was seriously injured in Iraq Sunday when an armored vehicle in which they were riding ran over a homemade bomb. Woodruff reportedly suffered broken ribs, a broken shoulder and a skull fracture. So far, there has been no...

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Once upon a time, you checked your local newspaper's film critic for advice about what to see on any given weekend. Or maybe you read the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly or the New Yorker, or checked out TV critics with national clout such as Roger Ebert or Gene Shalit. Not anymore. With the advent of the Internet, geography is history. Today, more than 90%...

Nepal stands on the brink of "becoming an isolated pariah state" unless it urgently restores democratic rule, freedom of expression and respects the rights of journalists. ENGENDERED: Riot police officers detain a pro-democracy activist during a demonstration on the anniversary of King Gyanendra's absolute rule in Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2006. Nepal's king announced Wednesday he would...

The International Mission for Press Freedom and Free Expression in Nepal has condemned the persistent repression of the media and the increasing crackdown on freedom of expression since King Gyanendra seized absolute power on February 1, 2005. The members of the mission announced their collective intention for a follow-up mission to Nepal in March 2006. ARM STRUGGLE: Riot police officers detain a...

British newspapers have refused to publish the controversial Mohammed cartoons that this week prompted a violent backlash from Muslims across the world. Broadcasters took a different view and last night the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 all showed fleeting images of the cartoons. The row over cartoons of the Islam founder began last week after a senior Saudi Arabian cleric denounced Danish paper Jyllands...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have criticised four new public service broadcasting regulations as a tool that will impinge upon the public’s right to freedom of information in Indonesia. The new rules will come into effect on February 6, two months after the government agreed to a postponement due to media outcry. Based upon the Broadcasting Law of 2002, the regulations...