BBC Monitoring International Reports articles from January 2009, page 189

BBC Monitoring International Reports archives from January 2009

Hamas leader Al-Masri warns Israel of "serious consequences".
January 1, 2009... Doha Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel Television in Arabic at 1335 gmt on 1 January conducts a live telephone interview with Mushir al-Masri, a spokesman for the Hamas Movement, from Gaza to comment on the killing of Hamas leader Nizar Rayyan....

Czech defence minister to draft compromise plan for foreign military missions.
January 1, 2009... Text of report in English by Czech national public-service news agency CTK Prague, 31 December: Czech Defence Minister Vlasta Parkanova will work out a compromise plan for Czech participation in foreign military missions in 2009,...

President urges Czechs to participate in European Parliament election.
January 1, 2009... Text of report in English by Czech national public-service news agency CTK Prague, 1 January: President Vaclav Klaus called on Czechs to participate in the June elections to the European Parliament, in his New Year's Day speech today....

Russian Defence Ministry's mortgage chief jailed for bribery.
January 1, 2009... Excerpt from report by corporate-owned Russian military news agency Interfax-AVN website Moscow, 29 December: The Defence Ministry official in charge of the mortgage system has been sentenced to four year in a maximum-security penal...

Taiwan says "1992 consensus" basis of cross-strait exchanges.
January 1, 2009... Text of report in English by Taiwanese Central News Agency website [By Y.F. Low] Taipei, Jan. 1 (CNA) - The Presidential Office stressed Thursday that the "1992 consensus" that allows Taipei and Beijing to agree to disagree on the...

Taiwan prepares guidelines for contact between China, Taiwan officials abroad.
January 1, 2009... Text of report in English by Taiwanese Central News Agency website [By Flor Wang] Taipei, Jan. 1 (CNA) - Taiwan officials stationed in foreign countries might soon be allowed to make public contact with Chinese diplomatic officials...

Taiwan seizes 200kg of ketamine precursor at airport.
January 1, 2009... Text of report in English by Taiwanese Central News Agency website [By Han Nai-kuo] Taoyuan County, Jan. 1 (CNA) - The Taoyuan office of the Investigation Bureau under the Ministry of Justice announced Thursday that its agents had...

Taiwan public TV supporters protest against political interference.
January 1, 2009... Text of report in English by Taiwanese Central News Agency website [By the government] Taipei, Jan. 1 (CNA) - Supporters of the Public Television Service (PTS) organized a demonstration and surrounded the Legislative Yuan Thursday to...

Chinese agency interviews US envoy on future of bilateral ties.
January 1, 2009... Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) [By Xinhua writer Xiong Zhengyan: "Ambassador Eyes Brighter Future as China, US Mark 30th Anniversary of Relations"] BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -...

Chinese president, premier greet Cuban leaders on anniversary of revolution.
January 1, 2009... Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) [Xinhua: "Chinese President, Premier Congratulate Cuban Leaders on 50th Anniversary of Revolution"] BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) - Chinese President...

Home owners confront with police in South China over transformer substation.
January 1, 2009... Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) [Xinhua: "Home Owners Confront With Police in S.China Over Transformer Substation Construction"] GUANGZHOU, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) - More than 500 home...

China to seize opportunity to promote cross-strait peaceful development.
January 1, 2009... Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) [Xinhua: "Chinese Mainland To Seize Opportunity To Promote Cross-Straits Peaceful Development: Official"] BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) - A Chinese...

Ukrainian nationalists march in capital to honour controversial leader.
January 1, 2009... Nearly 2,000 people have marched in central Kiev, from the Taras Shevchenko monument to Independence Square, to pay tribute to the leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and one of the co-founders of the anti-Soviet Ukrainian...

Slovak president says world financial crisis requires greater state role.
January 1, 2009... Text of report in English by Czech national public-service news agency CTK Bratislava, 1 January: Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic called for the state's higher commitment in the world financial crisis and for more solidarity in the...

Al-Jazeera TV polls Egyptians, Lebanese on Gaza offensive.
January 1, 2009... Text of report by Qatari government-funded, pan-Arab news channel Al-Jazeera satellite TV on 1 January Al-Jazeera has asked Egyptians about the results of the meeting of the Arab League Ministerial Council, which was held in Cairo...

Iraqi daily interviews MPs on need to bring back Iraqi scientists.
January 1, 2009... Text of report by Iraqi Media Network weekly newspaper Al-Sabah on 28 December [Report by Jalal al-Ka'bi in Baghdad: "Parliamentarians Say Iraqi Cadres Have Rare, Important Expertise and Losing Them Is a Real Tragedy."] The...

Russia's Gazprom gas giant announces agreement on Turkmen gas price.
January 1, 2009... Excerpt from report by Russian state news agency ITAR-TASS Moscow, 1 January: The Gazprom gas company has reached an agreement on the main terms for gas deliveries from Turkmenistan in 2009. "An additional agreement to the long-term...

Some 350 Egyptians arrested over solidarity with Gaza Islamist website.
January 1, 2009... Cairo Ikhwanonline WWW-Text in Arabic, daily newspaper, official site of the Muslim Brotherhood [MB] Group in Egypt, on 01 January 2009, carries 10 reports detailing the reaction by the Egyptian opposition parties and professional...

Pakistan arrests six over Buner blast; crucial evidence found.
January 1, 2009... Text of report by moderate, independent Pakistani newspaper Daily Times website on 1 January ISLAMABAD: Federal investigation agencies discovered important evidence about last week's suicide blast in Bunir and arrested six people on...

Over 250 Pakistanis deported by Turkey flee custody from immigration cell.
January 1, 2009... Text of report by moderate, independent Pakistani newspaper Daily Times website on 1 January RAWALPINDI/ISLAMABAD: Around 300 Pakistanis deported escaped the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration Cell from the...

Belarusian central bank devalues currency by about 20 per cent.
January 1, 2009... Text of report by Belarusian state-owned Nationwide TV, on 1 January The exchange rate for main currencies is changing tomorrow - this decision was taken by the Belarusian National Bank. The official rate of the US dollar will be...

Saudi king to launch "aid campaign" for Gaza.
January 1, 2009... Text of report in English by Saudi state-owned official news agency SPA website Riyadh, January 01, SPA - Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz called today for an urgent national aid campaign for the people in...

Russia "extremely concerned" with rising death toll in Middle East.
January 1, 2009... Text of "Answer by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman A.A. Nesterenko to a question from the media in connection with escalation in the Gaza Strip", posted on Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website on 1 January Question: In spite of...

Egyptian TV panellists discuss Gaza, criticize Hamas, Israel.
January 1, 2009... Egyptian state TV's weekly "State of discussion" programme, broadcast on 31 December 08 on Channel 1,discussed the situation in Gaza and the dimensions of the Israeli attack on the strip. The guest of the show were Lt-Gen Mahmud Khalaf,...

Ukrainian Gas Chief Says Russian Offer Would Raise Transit Cost by 500m Dollars
January 1, 2009... The head of state oil and gas company Naftohaz Ukrayiny, Oleh Dubyna, has said that he rejected Russia's proposal to increase the price of gas from 179.5 to 250 dollars per 1,000 cu.m. while leaving the transit fee unchanged since this would...

Palestinian Hamas calls for West Bank protests on 2 Jan.
January 1, 2009... Hamas-affiliated website, Palestinian Information Centre, carries an advertisement, which includes a photo of Hamas leader Nizar Rayyan, who was killed in Gaza in an Israeli air strike on 1 January. The advertisement reads: "The Hamas...

US forces hand over Saddam's palace to Iraqi government; update 1 Jan.
January 1, 2009... Within its 1900 gmt newscast on 1 January, Dubai-based Al-Sharqiyah Television in Arabic highlighted the handover of the Iraqi Republican Palace to the Iraqi Government, and security developments. -"During the ceremony held on the...

Afghan paper accuses government of violating media freedom.
January 1, 2009... Excerpt from article by Payez entitled "Violence against journalists shows fear of public opinion" by Afghan independent secular daily newspaper Hasht-e Sobh on 29 January Based on the latest report by Nai organization, which supports...

Afghan paper expresses concern Obama may escalate war in Afghanistan.
January 1, 2009... Excerpt from article by Abdol Qadir Koshani entitled "Afghanistan turning into a military barrack" by independent Afghan newspaper Cheragh on 30 December Local people in America say: Various men will come to the White House but America's...