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Moscow - Russia has refused a visa to a British journalist well-known for his coverage of Chechnya and the turbulent Caucasus, citing the needs of "state security". Thomas de Waal, who has previously worked in Moscow for the English-language Moscow Times, the BBC and the Times, said on Monday he had been due to attend the presentation of a Russian version of his book on the conflict in Nagorno...

When a press freedom violation takes place in Pakistan, the government reacts by stating, “The press is free in the country.” This country, with a population of 150 million Muslims is, most of the time, ruled by a powerful US-backed military establishment. A similar statement was issued again last month when the dead body of a missing tribal journalist was found in a tribal region after his...

NIAMEY (Reuters) - Niger's media watchdog has banned a national weekly newspaper for "inciting revolt" and defaming the government, the paper said on Saturday, reviving concerns about press freedom in the West African country. L'Opinion is the first publication to be banned by Niger's CSC independent communications regulator, but the ruling comes after Niger in April said it would stop foreign...

Egypt’s Journalists Union is criticizing a press freedom bill, claiming it defends corruption and constitutes a step backwards in the state of freedom of press. As of Monday, union members will begin an open protest against the bill, which they say limits press freedom. The government is discussing the bill on Sunday. Egypt’s government has amended a contentious law that allows the Egyptian...

MEXICO CITY - In the old days, working the news media during a Mexican presidential campaign was a pretty simple affair: The ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, routinely pressured and/or bribed newspapers and radio and television stations to run stories favorable to the government. For the most part, the media complied. So airtight was the alliance between the major media and the...

PRAGUE, July 1, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov has been called outlandish, eccentric, insane, ruthless, and described as a tyrannical dictator. But the international media's comic portrayals of Niyazov distract attention from many of the very serious problems the country is facing, observers say. Turkmen citizens have no chance to enjoy ballet, opera, a philharmonic...

(SEAPA/IFEX) - The editor-in-chief of a local bi-weekly newspaper, "Sralanh Khmer" ("Love Khmer"), has received death threats from and is the target of a legal action by a nephew of Prime Minister Hun Sen, reports coming out Phnom Penh say. The editor reportedly is being harassed for a published article which suggests that Sen's nephew, Hun Tho, was involved in a land-grabbing case in Northeast...

(IFJ/IFEX) - The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has denounced further violence against journalists in Pakistan after a recent attack on the Peshawar Press Club by activists of the Pakistan Muslim League, injuring newsmen and staff members of the club. "The recent increasing levels of attacks against journalists in Pakistan is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Press freedom...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned over recent events in Sri Lanka that indicate the press freedom situation is deteriorating. “The recent closure of some satellite services by the government and a decision to bring back a state media regulatory body, as well as the continued accusations by members of government and the media against Tamil journalists and their...

In an historic move, the Government of Sri Lanka and two of the country’s leading political parties have offered broad support to reforming the country’s media in moves aimed to have all media institutions embrace public service values. Public service values in media are an essential part of the peace-building and reconciliation process and for reconstruction and rehabilitation after the...