News

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressede concern over the July 26 arrest of a Palestinian cameraman in Gaza by Hamas security services. Hamas security agents arrested Sawah Abu Seif, a cameraman with German broadcaster ARD TV in his home in Tel al-Hawa in southwest Gaza following an explosion that Hamas blamed on Fatah, which killed six people in Gaza, according to local...

There was a dramatic end to the Globecast Satellite trial on July 24 when Harare Magistrate Archie Wochiunga refused to place the South African company on further remand after the state applied for a postponement of the matter, according to the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA). Prosecutor Florence Ziyambi had applied to have the matter postponed arguing that her witness had failed to turn...

Moroccan reporter Mostapha Hurmatallah of the weekly Al Watan Al An has been freed on completing his prison sentence. He had been in Casablanca's Oukacha prison since February 19, when Morocco's highest court of appeal ordered him to go back to jail to serve the rest of a seven-month term. Hurmatullah was released on July 25. "We welcome Hurmatallah's release with joy, but we reiterate our firm...

The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) has asked its members to reduce use of newsprint by at least 20 per cent in their publications in order to meet the challenges of "extraordinary and uncalled for" rise in indigenous newsprint prices, the Press Trust of India (PTI) has reported. In an advisory to INS members, its President Bahubali Shah said the only way to curb the tendency towards cartelisation...

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Thursday said that an industry-led body should be responsible for the operational issues of television rating agencies. The regulator has issued draft recommendations on policy guidelines and operational issues for television rating points (TRPs), the Times of India has reported. TRAI has recommended that the industry initiative - Broadcast Audience...

A federal judge in Santa Ana declined Thursday to order a reporter to reveal the names of federal officials who leaked information to him for a 2006 story about a grand jury investigation into a scheme to send sensitive military technology to China, the Los Angeles Times has reported. The details: Washington Times reporter Bill Gertz was subpoenaed to testify in federal court by US District Judge...

A UN tribunal has convicted a journalist of contempt of court for publishing details about a protected witness who testified at the trial of Kosovo's former prime minister. The tribunal is trying those responsible for atrocities committed during the Balkan conflicts in the 1990s, says a Press Trust of India (PTI) report. Journalist Baton Haxhiu was also fined 7,000 Euros by Hague-based...

Iranian authorities have banned the evening edition of a large circulation newspaper for publishing news they said was harmful to the economy, according to news reports. "By a decision of the press supervisory board, Hamshahri evening edition has been banned. The reason for banning this publication was the propagation of untruthful news with the aim of creating disruption in the country's economic...

Unidentified individuals set fire to the home of critical journalist Jeso Carneiro on Sunday night in the northern city of Santarém. No one was injured but the house suffered considerable damage. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Brazilian authorities to investigate the attack and provide the necessary protection to allow Carneiro to continue working without...

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the recent arrest and criminal defamation charges filed by the Malaysian government against prominent blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, editor and founder of the Malaysia Today news website. Raja Petra was arrested and charged on July 17 at police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and later released on bail, according to local news reports. The three...