BBC Monitoring International Reports articles from December 2006, page 2

BBC Monitoring International Reports archives from December 2006

Saddam's execution to worsen situation in Iraq - Russian Muslim cleric.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) "This year was difficult for all Muslims of the world. There were the cartoons scandal [about the Prophet Muhammad] and the Israeli war against Lebanon. Thousands of people died in Iraq and...

Cuba, Vietnam to boost trade, economic cooperation.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by Vietnamese news agency VNA website Hanoi: Vietnam and Cuba are making efforts to bring bilateral economic and trade cooperation on a par with their political...

Russia lashes out at foreign powers over Saddam execution.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS Moscow, 31 December: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation believes that those who sent their troops to Iraq bear...

Chinese helicopter search for missing US climber fails due to bad weather.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Chengdu, 31 December: China dispatched two military helicopters Sunday morning to search for missing...

Suspected "terrorist" captured in east Afghanistan.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency Kabul, 31 December: The coalition forces have reported the capture of a terrorist. The press office of the coalition...

Russia: Gazprom spokesman talks up gas price offer to Belarus.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Russian external TV service NTV Mir on 31 December [Presenter] Talks are continuing today at Gazprom's headquarters on gas supplies for 2007. They resumed with the arrival...

Expert baffled by nationalist overtones of Bosnian Serb PM's election campaign.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) The following is an excerpt from a programme broadcast by Bosnia-Hercegovina Federation TV on 28 December, hosted by Senad Pecanin, to discuss "the phenomenon of Milorad Dodik", prime minister...

Pakistan said orders arrest of those collecting sacrificial hides for Hezbollah.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Excerpt from report by Pakistani newspaper Daily Times website on 31 December Islamabad: The Interior Ministry has directed the provinces, Northern Areas, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and...

Brazil says Saddam's execution will not bring peace to Iraq.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of press statement No 700 issued by the Brazilian Foreign Ministry on 29 December 2006 in Brasilia entitled: "Saddam Husayn's death sentence", published by Brazilian Ministry of Foreign...

Train heading south from Indian capital search for explosives.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Indian news agency PTI Hoshangabad (Madhya Pradesh), 31 December: The Karnataka Express was stopped and vacated here after a call was received about explosives being...

Shi'i, Sunni leaders comment on Saddam's execution video.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Al-Jazeera television at 0903 gmt on 31 December airs a video footage with Arabic subtitles showing the execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Husayn. Following this, Al-Jazeera...

Summary of Uzbek Fargona TV "Jarayon" news 1530 gmt 30 Dec 06.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Presenter: Gulnora Mamadaliyeva 1. 0000 Headlines. 2. 0023 Children from some orphanages attended "The President's New Year Tree" at the regional theatre. Video shows a festive event,...

India to usher in 2007 with confidence, purpose - PM.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Indian news agency PTI New Delhi, 31 December: Greeting the countrymen on New Year's Eve, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday [31 December] said India is all set to enter...

Albanian commentary commends opposition efforts to solve local election crisis.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of commentary by Blendi Fevziu entitled "Solution of crisis" published by the Albanian newspaper Tema on 27 December The Albanian body politic took the first step yesterday towards...

Russia lashes out at foreign powers over Saddam execution - fuller version.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Excerpt from report by Russian news agency RIA Novosti Moscow, 31 December: The execution of Iraqi ex-president Saddam Husayn has led to the escalation of violence in Iraq, Russian Foreign...

Pakistan jerga fails to broker peace between religious groups in tribal area.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Pakistani newspaper Dawn website on 31 December Landi Kotal (Khyber Agency), 30 December: The jerga comprising elders from all seven tribal agencies has failed to broker a...

Egyptian lawyer says Bush offers Saddam's head to US congress.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Excerpt from report by Egyptian Channel 1 TV on 31 December [Newsreader] In order to shed light on the legal aspects of Saddam Husayn's execution, lawyer Muhammad Munib, member of Saddam...

Senior cleric says UN resolution on Iran "dangerous".
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Iranian TV on 31 December At 0515 gmt the Iranian TV network one began broadcasting sermons delivered by Ayatollah Hashemi-Rafsanjani on the occasion of the Id al-Adha at...

Pakistan state minister vows 2007 election to be fair, free.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency Islamabad, 31 December: Minister of State for Information Tariq Azim has ruled out rigging in next general elections. ...

Two militants surrender, arms cache found in Chechnya.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Groznyy, 31 December: Two militants gave themselves up to law-enforcement agencies over the last day in Chechnya, Interfax reported on 31 December citing a Chechen Interior Ministry source. ...

Nepal ruling party leader urges government talks with splinter Maoist faction.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Excerpt from report by Nepalese newspaper Annapurna Post on 31 December Janakpurdham [south-central Nepal], 30 December: General Secretary of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) Bimalendra...

Russian opposition party optimistic after resubmitting election papers.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Russian news agency RIA Novosti Moscow, 31 December: The Moscow Region electoral commission has for the second time accepted a package of documents submitted by the Union...

Russia's Gazprom vows to sign Belarus gas deal.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Excerpt from report by Russian news agency Interfax Moscow, 31 December: Gazprom plans to sign all necessary contracts with Belarus and go into the New Year with the fully-confirmed legal...

ETA bomb in Spanish capital's airport contained 500-800 kilos explosive.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Excerpt from report by Spanish national RNE Radio 1 on 31 December [Reporter at Madrid-Barajas airport] [Passage omitted] The van which exploded yesterday in the car park at terminal four...

Croatian commentary: Premature departure of OHR would destabilize Bosnia.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of commentary by Marko Barisic in "Above the belt" column entitled "Too early for departure" published by the Croatian newspaper Vjesnik on 29 December Discussions are still going on...

ETA bomb an "extremely serious setback" for government - Spanish daily.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Excerpt from unsigned editorial: "Defeat ETA, period", published by Spanish newspaper La Razon website on 31 December Regrettably, Zapatero was wrong. A few hours after the prime minister...

China: Man executed for murdering six children in Heilongjiang.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Harbin, 31 December: A 33-year-old man who murdered six children after sexually assaulting them in...

China's port construction grows at high speed; problems remain.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Beijing, 31 December: When Nantong Port became China's 12th port with an annual handling capacity of...

Nepal interim constitution to come into force by mid-January" - deputy PM.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Nepalese daily newspaper Rajdhani on 31 December Kathmandu: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population Amik Sherchan has said that interim constitution...

Saudi paper sees reasons for hurried decision to execute Saddam.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of article by Abd-al-Rahman al-Rashid headlined: "Why is Baghdad in a hurry to execute Saddam?", published by London-based newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat website on 30 December Perhaps...

Afghan policeman killed in roadside bomb blast.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Excerpt from report in English by Afghan independent Pajhwok news agency website Kabul, 31 December: At least one policeman has been killed in the explosion of a roadside bomb in Alisher...

Summary of Crimean Black Sea TV military programme "Reflection" 24 Dec 06.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Presenter Aleksey Kapshuk. 1. 0029 Introduction and headlines. 2. 0109 Russian navy commander Vladimir Masorin is promoted to admiral's rank. Video shows archive clips profiling...

China executes two for masterminding bombings at Internet cafes in Anhui.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Hefei, 31 December: Two criminals who masterminded the blowing up of two internet cafes in Hefei,...

Albanian police investigate disappearance of three Pakistani trade unionists.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Excerpt from report by Klodiana Kotorri entitled "Three Pakistani trade unionists disappear" published by the Albanian newspaper Korrieri on 26 December Three members of a Pakistani...

HK Telecom authority says IDD, roaming call services almost normal.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Hong Kong, 31 December: Services for IDD and roaming calls to and from Hong Kong have almost resumed...

Summary of Turkmen TV military programme 0545 gmt 31 Dec 06.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Summary of "Garassyz, baky bitarap Turkmenistana gulluk edyarin" ("I serve independent and neutral Turkmenistan") military programme. (All names throughout the programme are presenter-read) ...

Russian Orthodox Church disapproves of Saddam's execution.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS Moscow, 31 December: Saddam Husayn's execution will not contribute to peace in the Near and Middle East and, on the contrary, may give a new...

Chief minister hails India's "leap ahead" as Gujarat dam completed.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Indian news agency PTI Narmada (Gujarat), 31 December: With the press of a button, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Sunday [31 December] symbolically ended...

Muslims across China celebrate Eid al-Adha festival.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Beijing, 31 December: Muslims across China are celebrating the Eid-al-Adha festival, or the Festival...

"Thousands" march in mock Saddam funerals - Al-Sharqiyah.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Iraqi Al-Sharqiyah TV on 31 December A booby-trapped car exploded near a mosque in Al-A'zamiyah in northern Baghdad. An Iraqi Interior Ministry source said that the...

Jordanian party sets up place to receive condolences over Saddam's death.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) "The Jordanian Ba'th Party has set up a place of mourning in Amman to accept condolences over the death of former Iraqi President Saddam Husayn," Al-Jazeera television reported at 0806 gmt on...

Hanging of Saddam the latest mistake in Iraq - Spanish daily.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of unsigned editorial: "The execution of Saddam, the latest mistake in Iraq", published by Spanish newspaper La Razon website on 31 December Yesterday the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri...

Putin decrees 2007 year of Russian language.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS Moscow, 31 December: Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree "On holding the year of the Russian language" in Russia and abroad,...

Nicaraguan cabinet members profiled.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Matilde Cordoba: "Profiles of new cabinet", published by Nicaraguan newspaper El Nuevo Diario website on 27 December The cabinet that will accompany President-Elect Daniel...

Chinese, Russian presidents exchange New Year's greetings.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Beijing, 31 December: Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged...

Senior Chinese legislator meets US House of Representatives delegation.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Beijing, 31 December: Sheng Huaren, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's...

Tehrani worshipers happy with Saddam's capital punishment.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by Iranian news agency IRNA website Tehran, 31 December: A group of Tehrani citizens, attending Id al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) on Sunday [31 December],...

Maoists lock more government offices in east Nepal over charter delay.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Nepalese radio Kantipur FM on 31 December The staff at the Biratnagar Sub-Metropolis Office have put another lock on the gates of their office today [31 December] after the...

Czech customs seize 3.5 kilos of cocaine smuggled from Argentina.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by Czech news agency CTK Prague, 31 December: A 27-year-old Czech was arrested at Prague's Ruzyne airport on Saturday [30 December] after customs officers found...

Fatah leader rejects Al-Zawahiri's statement on Palestinians.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Excerpt from report interview with Fatah leader Hasan Al-Shaykh on audio tape by Al-Qa'idah's second-in-command Al-Zawahiri on Palestinian affairs by Hasan Jammul, carried by Qatari Al-Jazeera...

Israel reports 50 warnings of planned "terrorist" attacks.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Israel radio on 31 December The defence establishment has received about 50 warnings of planned terrorist attacks. Most of the warnings are of a general nature and...

East Afghan land dispute claims 30 lives so far.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by Afghan independent Pajhwok news agency website Kabul, 31 December: Several people have been killed in fighting over a land dispute between a local tribe and...

Palestinian parliament says Saddam's execution "heinous crime".
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Palestinian news agency Wafa website Gaza, 31 December: The Palestinian Legislative Council [PLC] Speakership denounced today the heinous crime against Iraqi President...

One dead as over 12 bombs explode in Thai capital - Xinhua.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Bangkok, 31 December: More than a dozen bombs exploded in downtown Bangkok late Sunday [31...

Chinese police offer 50,000 yuan reward for explosion suspect in Inner Mongolia.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Hohhot, 31 December: Police are offering a 50,000-yuan (6,400 US dollars) reward for information...

Egypt says bird flu curbed through vaccination.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by Egyptian news agency MENA Cairo, 31 December: Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Amin Abaza said his ministry in cooperation with the Health and...

China to raise taxes on use of vehicles, ships.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Beijing, 31 December: The Chinese government will raise taxes on the use of vehicles and ships from...

"At least two" dead in Thai bomb blasts; mall evacuation ordered - Xinhua.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Excerpt from report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Bangkok, 31 December: Several bombs exploded in downtown Bangkok late Sunday [31 December],...

Shanghai Port handles 537m tons of cargo in 2006.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Shanghai, 31 December: As of 31 December, Shanghai Port has handled 537m tons of cargo in 2006,...

Chinese vice-premier calls for careful site enquiries in new agriculture census.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Beijing, 31 December: Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu has called for careful site enquiries in the...

Two dead as seven bombs rock capital - Thai paper.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by Thai newspaper The Nation website on 31 December Seven explosives went off almost simultaneously in Bangkok, injuring at least 20 people as the revellers were...

Saudi press highlights 30, 31 Dec 06.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) The following are highlights of the Saudi press on the Internet on 30, 31 December: I. International Issues 1. Saddam's execution a. Arab News newspaper website in English...

Chinese shoemakers file lawsuits against EU anti-dumping tariffs.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Guangzhou, 31 December: Apache Footwear in southern China's Guangdong Province has lodged a lawsuit...

Iraqi Sunni spokesman says "occupation" executed Saddam.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Al-Jazeera Satellite Television at 1204 gmt on 31 December carries a live three-minute telephone interview with Dr Muhammad Bashar al-Faydi, spokesman for the Association of Muslim Scholars...

Iraqi TV shows provincial officials receiving Saddam's body.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Al-Iraqiyah Television at 1202 gmt on 31 December carries the following report on the arrival of Saddam Husayn's body in Salah al-Din Governorate and his burial there. The report begins by...

Indian leaders urge nation to remember poor at New Year.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Indian news agency PTI New Delhi, 31 December: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday [31 December]...

Locals stand by as two more teachers shot dead, burnt in Thai south - paper.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by Thai newspaper The Nation website on 31 December Local people stood by and did nothing as two teachers were shot and burned by suspected militants in Yala ...

Hu Jintao offers condolences to Indonesian president on shipwreck victims.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) Beijing, 31 December: Chinese President Hu Jintao on Sunday sent a message of condolences to...

Ratio of China's national defence spending to GDP should double - expert.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Hong Kong newspaper Wen Wei Po website on 30 December The White Paper on "China's National Defence 2006," which is released today [ 29 December], indicates clearly that...

Former military prosecutor appointed Russian first deputy justice minister.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Russian news agency RIA Novosti Moscow, 31 December: Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed Aleksandr Savenkov first deputy minister of justice of the Russian...

Former Syrian Vice-President Rif'at al-Asad visits Egypt.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Bahiyah Mardini from Damascus entitled: "Rif'at al-Asad visited Cairo"; carried by Elaph website on 31 December Syrian sources have confirmed that Rif'at al-Asad, former...

Pakistan president, PM call for peaceful Kashmir, fair Palestine solutions.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency Islamabad, 30 December: Various issues, including political situation and law and order in the country, situation in the...

Russia's Gazprom spokesman warns Belarus against pipeline threats.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Excerpt from report by Russian external TV service NTV Mir on 31 December [Presenter] Talks are continuing at Gazprom's headquarters on the supply of Russian gas to Belarus. [Passage...

Iraqi Kurdish Speaker interviewed on charter, topical issues.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text interview by Najat Ahmad with Kurdistan parliament Speaker Adnan Mufti entitled "The President of th region cannot refuse parliamentary decisions, he can only ask for amendments within a...

Hamas military wing says "tangible breakthrough" in prisoner swap deal.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Palestinian Ramattan News Agency website Abu-Ubaydah, spokesman of the Martyr Izz-al-din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, has said that there has been a...

Summary of Ukrainian TV "New army" military programme 31 Dec 06.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Presenter Kateryna Sydorchuk and Bohdan Senyk. 1. 0025 Presenters' introduction. 2. 0050 Parliament committee for national security and defence holds a special summing up meeting in the...

(Corr) Q&A: Belarus-Russia gas spat.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) (Changing the figure given for Belarus's valuation of Beltranshaz in the third paragraph of the answer to the sixth question from "10m-17bn dollars" to "10bn-17bn dollars". A corrected version...

Three said dead in Thai blasts - Japanese agency.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report in English by Japanese news agency Kyodo Bangkok, 31 December: At least six explosions took place in and around Bangkok on Sunday evening [31 December], causing at least 17...

Egyptian radio commentary on situation in Iraq after Saddam's execution.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Radio commentary written by Wafiq Wajih entitled: "Iraq at a crossroads." There have been diverging reactions to Saddam's execution. The latter came at an inappropriate time. Protests have...

Iranian Al-Alam TV "With the event" programme on Saddam's execution.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Iranian Arabic language television news channel Al-Alam's programme titled "With the event" was today hosted by Husayn Murtada. The guests included the head of the Arab Centre for Studies,...

Iranian student detainee moved to Evin open section, says lawyer.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) website The defence lawyer of Keyvan Ansari said that his client had been transferred to the Open Section of Evin Prison [in Tehran...

Detained "Iran News" journalists released on bail.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Excerpt from report by Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) website The managing-director and editor-in-chief of Iran News, who were detained late on Thursday [28 December], were released on...

Communist party leader slams India's guarded response to Saddam hanging.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Text of report by Indian news agency PTI Kolkata, 31 December: Expressing dissatifaction at the Indian government's response to the execution of former Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein, veteran...

Tajik media gets Hezb-e Tahrir e-mails telling Muslims not to celebrate New Year.
December 31, 2006... (From BBC Monitoring International Reports) Excerpt from report by Tajik Avesta website on 30 December Dushanbe, 30 December: Leaflets of the banned religious party, Hezb-e Tahrir, have been circulated by e-mail among media outlets in...