News

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has strongly protested against new restrictions imposed by Hamas on journalists in the Gaza Strip and the arrest of two journalists working for Hamas-run television by security forces controlled by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. On 5 November 2007, the Palestinian preventive security service arrested journalist Alaa al-Titi and cameraman Ossayd...

(IPI/IFEX) - The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, expresses deep concern over a proposed amendment to Germany's telecommunications law that contains serious threats to press freedom. According to information before IPI, the German Bundestag on 9 November will discuss a bill, introduced by Justice...

Yahoo shares plunged again Wednesday, a day after Congress hammered top executives over the company’s cooperation with Chinese officials in the jailing of a pro-democracy journalist. Shares slumped 7.7% as Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., renewed a call for Yahoo to endorse his bill banning such cooperation. Smith said he remained “absolutely bewildered and angered” that the beleaguered Internet portal...

Reporters Without Borders has condemned the lack of progress in the Afghan official investigation of Zakia Zaki’s murder. The head of radio station Sada-e-Sulh (Peace Radio) was killed exactly five months ago. Police have arrested six suspects but released four. The security forces have not made any serious investigation that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the killers and the family...

(IPYS/IFEX) - On 25 October 2007, Ávila TV television station journalist Paulina Moreno was wounded by an explosive device while she was covering a forum about the constitutional reform proposed by President Hugo Chávez, held at the Caracas Pedagogical Institute. The constitutional proposal will be voted on in a national referendum in December. Ávila TV belongs to the Caracas municipal council and...

(Mizzima/IFEX) - Internet service has been restored in Burma but access is at a snail's pace. The service, which has been sporadic since the September protests, is again accessible, but Internet surfers in Burma said they are forced to wait hours before they are able to send an e-mail. In late September, Internet service was cut off completely. Since then, it has been on and off throughout October...

(FMM/IFEX) - The Free Media Movement is disturbed by two incidents in which media freedom was threatened on 8 November 2007. At the Tissamaharamaya base hospital, a group of villagers assaulted a two-member team from Sirasa TV covering the post-mortem of two villagers killed on the night of 7 November. The villagers assaulted journalist Wasantha Pradeep Masinghe and cameraperson Waruna. Their...

(CPJ/IFEX) - New York, November 8, 2007 - The Georgian government should immediately allow two private television stations to resume broadcasting, and it must lift a ban on news-gathering imposed on all other private broadcasters, the Committee to Protect Journalist said today. The government shut two popular Tbilisi-based television channels shortly before declaring a state of emergency Wednesday...

Journalists in Pakistan have called on the Government of Pervez Musharraf to implement its commitment to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) that it would support a free and independent media. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), an affiliate of the IFJ, has asked the IFJ to send a “crisis” mission to the country to remind government officials of their pledge to support...

MUMBAI, November 7: Viacom and Network18, through its subsidiary Global Broadcast News, have completed the formalities leading to the formation of their 50-50 joint venture in India, Viacom 18 Media. The companies announced their plans for the joint venture in May. Viacom18 will include television, film and digital media content across numerous brands as well as consumer products. Viacom18 will be...