Belarus
The International Federation of Journalists has condemned the latest
attempt to force the closure of the remaining independent daily in
Belarus, the Narodnaya Volya. The state-owned printing house,
Chyrvonaya Zorka, and the state-run distribution systems informed the
Narodnaya Volya that they would be cancelling their contracts,
effectively forcing the closure of the paper. www.ifex.org
China
China’s Ministry of Information has announced a series of measures
aimed at controlling bloggers, informal organisations and internetonly
news sites. The rules aim to promote the dissemination of “healthy and
civilised news”. Websites and portals must now “give priority” to news
and opinion material that has already appeared in the state-run print
media. It is not certain whether the laws curtail the use of the
internet to break and develop news stories not reported by the official
media. www.rferl.org
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United States
Senator John Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services
Committee, has asked the Pentagon to address concerns about the safety
of journalists in Iraq. Warner raised the issue at a hearing in
Washington with defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld (also pictured) and
senior commanders.
Warner’s request came after he received copies of letters to
Rumsfeld written by the Committee to Protect Journalists, as well as a
separate letter from Reuters news agency and a telephone request from
Paul Steiger, CPJ chairman and managing editor of The Wall Street
Journal. These outlined several security issues facing journalists in
Iraq. The CPJ said that since the 2003 invasion, US forces had
routinely detained Iraqi journalists for weeks or months without charge
or due process. www.cpj.org
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Somalia
The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) has condemned the
arrest of journalist Awale Jama’ Salad last week in the Bari region in
Puntland. The editor of the STN radio station in Bossasso was arrested
after Ahmed Taran, the attorney of Bari region, made allegations
against him. The editor was accused of writing an abusive article about
the jail conditions he encountered after being detained without charge
in July. His detention was allegedly due to the radio station’s
reporting on the mayoral campaign in Bossasso. www.apfw.org
Niger
A magazine journalist has been jailed for reporting on alleged
corruption in the distribution of food aid during the famine in Niger.
Abdoulaye Harouna, publication director of the monthly Echos
Express, was convicted of defaming the local governor, Yahaya Yendaka.
He was sentenced to four months in jail and fined 520,000 CFA francs
(£540). Harouna’s article accused the governor of corruption in the
distribution of aid in the Agadez region. Harouna faces prosecution on
another count of defaming Yendaka, after an article that alleged
intimidation by local authorities against journalists. www.ifex.org
South Africa
The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) has applauded The
Star newspaper for taking action against a reporter who gave evidence
for the state in a case he was covering. Alameen Templeton was taken
off the murder case of Nelson Chisale, who died after being thrown into
a lion enclosure by Mark Scott-Crossley and two farm workers.
Templeton’s editor, Moegsien Williams, said his impartiality had been
compromised by the testimony. The reporter has since resigned. The
newspaper’s lawyers will request the court to expunge Templeton’s
evidence, Williams said. www.mg.co.za
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