BBC Monitoring International Reports articles from January 2011

BBC Monitoring International Reports archives from January 2011

Northwest Pakistan tunnel reopens after twin blasts - report.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Syed Yasir Shah headlined "Kohat tunnel opened for light traffic after blasts" published by Pakistani newspaper The News website on 30 January Kohat, 30 January: Kohat Tunnel was opened for light traffic on Saturday [29...

Ethiopian premier, visiting UK minister discuss regional, global concerns.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by state-owned Ethiopian news agency ENA website Addis Ababa, 30 January: Prime Minister Meles Zenawi held talks with UK Secretary of State for International Development (DFID) Andrew Mitchell here on Sunday [30...

Rights activists urge Bangladesh, India to stop border killing.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Bangladeshi privately-owned English-language newspaper New Age website on 30 Jan [Report by staff correspondent] Local government representatives and NGO people of Bangladesh and India on Saturday urged the governments of...

Afghan paper says parliament's lower house divided on speaker.
January 31, 2011... Text of editorial entitled "Electing speaker is the first test for the new parliament" by independent secular Afghan daily Hasht-e Sobh on 30 January The efforts made by MPs to elect a speaker of the lower house did not produce any result...

Jordanian columnists say Egypt protests "mark new era" in region.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by privately-owned Jordan Times website on 31 January ["Columnists Split Over Causes of Egypt Unrest" - Jordan Times Headline] Amman - Columnists on Sunday were divided over whether Egypt's ongoing anti-government...

US defence exports to India may "destabilize" Pakistan - report.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Zahoor Khan Marwat headlined "Arms for India to build tension in S Asia" published by Pakistani newspaper The News website on 30 January The US has announced that it is ending export restrictions for India's defence and...

Bangladesh opposition leader urges followers to prepare for agitation.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Bangladeshi privately-owned English-language newspaper The Daily Star website on 30 Jan [Report by staff correspondent] BNP [Bangladesh Nationalist Party] Chairperson Khaleda Zia last night [29 January] called upon her party...

Pakistan: One killed during clash between militants, forces in Khyber Agency.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by staff correspondent headlined "One killed in Bara firing" published by Pakistani newspaper The News website on 30 January Bara, 30 January: A person was killed and four others sustained injuries when the security forces...

Military drill held in south-western Armenia.
January 31, 2011... Excerpt from report by state-owned Armenian Public TV on 16 October [Presenter] The military personnel of a regiment and a motorized infantry battalion of the armed forces held a joint military drill at a military unit operating under the...

Iran's Ahmadinezhad to attend governor-generals' meeting on 31 Jan.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by state-run Iranian TV channel one on 31 January President [Mahmud Ahmadinezhad] will attend a meeting of governor-generals today [31 January]. Source: Vision of the Islamic Republic of Iran Network 1, Tehran, in Persian...

Iranian president urges greater cooperation with Afghanistan.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by state-run Iranian TV news channel on 31 January President Dr Ahmadinezhad has met the minister of finance and top aide to the Afghan president in economic affairs [Dr Omar Zakhelwal]. During the meeting, he stressed the...

Burmese Parliament Meets for First Session
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by Japan's largest news agency Kyodo Naypyitaw, 31 January: Military-ruled Myanmar convened its first sessions of parliament in 22 years on Monday. Hundreds of parliamentarians elected 7 November gathered in the...

Pakistan forces kill six militants near Afghan border - official.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by official news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) Peshawar, 30 January: Security forces killed six militants when they repulsed their attack on check-post near Afghan border on Sunday [30 January], a security forces...

Pakistan daily urges Afghanistan to close Indian consulates.
January 31, 2011... Text of editorial headlined "Hamed Karzai's hand for friendship to Pakistan" published by Pakistani newspaper Nawa-i-Waqt on 28 January In his speech to the inaugural session of parliament, Afghan President Hamed Karzai has said that...

Ethiopia grants Indian firm 22,000 hectares of land for agriculture.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by Ethiopian newspaper The Reporter on 29 January Chadha Agro Plc, one of India's giant operators in agro business, is set to get hold of land twice the size of Addis Ababa to invest in what has already become a...

Kazakh Constitutional Council rejects presidential referendum law.
January 31, 2011... Excerpt from report by privately-owned Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency Astana, 31 January: The Constitutional Council of Kazakhstan has announced that the law adopted by the Kazakh parliament "On making changes and addenda to the...

Daily says "Indian mind" behind Russia accusing Pakistan for terror attack.
January 31, 2011... Text of daily headlined "Russia's suicide attack allegation against Pakistan" published by Pakistani newspaper Ausaf on 28 January Russia has accused Pakistan of Moscow suicide attack, without offering proof in support of its allegation. It...

Bangladeshi peacekeeper dies in Sudan traffic accident.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Bangladeshi privately-owned satellite channel Bangla Vision TV at 0600 gmt on 31 Jan A Bangladeshi peacekeeper has been killed and three others injured in a road accident in Sudan yesterday. An ISPR [Inter Service Public...

Probe fails to link four Kenyan MPs to drug trafficking.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Dominic Wabala entitled ''Probe fails to link Kenyan MPs to drugs'' published by Kenyan privately-owned newspaper Daily Nation website on 31 January Police have failed to link five people named in parliament over drug...

Radio-tagging of Indian students by US "inhuman" - foreign minister.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Indian news agency PTI Bangalore, 30 January: Taking strong exception to radio-tagging by the US authorities of scores of Indian students duped by a "sham" university in California, India on Sunday [30 January] described it...

New deputy minister for transport security appointed after Moscow airport blast.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by state-controlled Russian Channel One TV on 31 January An urgent report has just come in. The [Russian] interior minister will have yet another deputy who will be in charge for security on transport. An order to this effect...

Exiled Ethiopian pro-democracy activists said discussing Egypt-style uprising.
January 31, 2011... Excerpt from report in English by Ethiopian opposition website Ethiopian Review on 30 January The Central Committee of the ruling party in Ethiopia, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (weyane) along with its puppet, Ethiopian People's...

Armenian minister outlines defence policy priorities for 2011.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by private Armenian news agency Mediamax Yerevan, 31 January: Armenian Defence Minister Seyran Ohanyan outlined the ministry's priorities for 2011 and the course of defence reforms to military attaches accredited in...

Pakistan Islamist parties hold rally to protect blasphemy law.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Pakistan's private television channel Geo News website on 30 January Lahore, 31 January: About 40,000 people rallied in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore on Sunday [30 January] in the latest protest against proposed reforms...

Pakistan not to release arrested US consular official despite "pressures".
January 31, 2011... Excerpt from report by Pakistan's private television channel Geo News website on 30 January Islamabad: Presidential Spokesman Farhatullah Babar Sunday [30 January] said that [name omitted], allegedly involved in the three murders on Lahore...

Iraq sends four aircraft to Egypt to evacuate citizens; roundup.
January 31, 2011... Al-Iraqiyah Television in Arabic, in its evening newscasts on 30 January, reports on Foreign Ministry representative Labid Abbawi stressing that the events in Egypt will not delay the Arab Summit; the sending of four aircraft, including Prime...

Iraqi Kurdistan president discusses Change calls for protests; roundup.
January 31, 2011... Al-Sharqiyah Television, in its evening newscasts on 30 January, reports on the Iraqi parliament's decision to summon the commander of the Baghdad Operations Command on account of the recent security deterioration, the assassination of a PUK...

(Corrected) Iraqi Kurdistan president discusses Change calls for protests; roundup.
January 31, 2011... (Changing "Jalal Talabani" to "Barzani" in first paragraph) Al-Sharqiyah Television, in its evening newscasts on 30 January, reports on the Iraqi parliament's decision to summon the commander of the Baghdad Operations Command on account of...

Egypt, Tunisia situation not comparable to Pakistan - PM.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Pakistan's private television channel Geo News website on 30 January Multan: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gillani said on Sunday [30 January] that the government was confidently moving forward with reconciliation process...

Nepal army chief asks leaders to maintain apolitical nature of military.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by private Nepalese eKantipur.com website on 31 January Kathmandu, 31 January: Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Chhatra Man Singh Gurung on Sunday [30 January] asked leaders to consider the sensitivity of the professionalism and...

Japan calls for restraint in Egypt's response to protests.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by Japan's largest news agency Kyodo Tokyo, Jan. 31 Kyodo - The Japanese government decided Monday morning to use chartered aircraft to rescue Japanese in Egypt from the growing unrest there, with the first plane...

Philippine congressman admits Hong Kong drug charge.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Radio TV Hong Kong Radio 3 on 31 January A Philippine congressman, Ronald Singson, has been convicted in the District Court of drug trafficking after admitting bringing more than six grams of cocaine into Hong Kong last...

Iran to stop using Russian-made planes by 19 Feb - official.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by state-run Iranian TV news channel on 31 January The remaining part of Tupolev planes will be removed from Iranian airlines before 30 Bahman [19 February], the head of the Civil Aviation Organization [Nakhjevani] has said. ...

Armed men attack radio station in Afghan north.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by private Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency Unidentified armed men have attacked a local radio [station] and destroyed its equipment. The unidentified armed men destroyed equipment of the radio station named...

Sudanese police arrest 70 protesters in Khartoum riots 30 January.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by state-owned Sudanese news agency Suna website Khartoum, 30 January 2011: Several internet websites have reported that the police arrested a group of students and citizens. In light of this, the police press office makes the...

Japan ruling party powerbroker Ozawa indicted over fund misreporting.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by Japan's largest news agency Kyodo Tokyo, Jan. 31 Kyodo - Japanese political bigwig Ichiro Ozawa, who once headed the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, was indicted Monday over accounting irregularities involving...

Hundreds protest in Lebanon against high prices and regressive taxation.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by privately-owned Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star website on 31 January ["Hundreds Protest Against High Prices And Regressive Taxation" - The Daily Star headline] Beirut: Around 1,000 people took to the streets...

Israel must keep out of internal Egyptian affairs, deputy says.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Israeli public radio station Voice of Israel Network B on 31 January MK Sha'ul Mofaz, chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, says Israel must not get involved in Egypt's internal affairs, adding it...

Japan says Russian minister's island visit "quite regrettable".
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by Japan's largest news agency Kyodo Vladivostok, Russia, Jan. 31 Kyodo - A Russian government delegation led by Regional Development Minister Victor Basargin on Monday visited Kunashiri Island, one of four...

India probes agents' involvement in duping students with US university.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Indian news agency PTI New Delhi, 30 January: The Indian government is probing if agents were involved in duping the Indian students who are stranded in the US after the university in which they had enrolled was charged with...

Ukrainian opposition leader says devising plan to legally remove president.
January 31, 2011... The opposition Fatherland party has been devising a plan to replace the current authorities in a constitutional way, the party leader and former prime minister Yuliya Tymoshenko has said. Speaking in an interview with the private news-based 5...

Hong Kong suspends all Egypt tours, call for evacuation flight.
January 31, 2011... Excerpt from report by Radio TV Hong Kong Radio 3 on 31 January [Newsreader] The Travel Industry Council says all tours to Egypt have been suspended until next Tuesday, 8 February, following the black travel warning [the highest level] issued...

Jordan national carrier airlifts nationals from Egypt.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by official Jordanian news agency Petra-JNA website ["Rj Ferries More Jordanians Home From Egypt" - Petra News Agency Headline] Amman, 30 January - Royal Jordanian RJ on Sunday [30 January] sent two larger...

Japan, China officials discuss North Korea, East China Sea gas project.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by Japan's largest news agency Kyodo Beijing, Jan. 31 Kyodo - Japan's point man on Asian affairs met Chinese officials Sunday in Beijing and exchanged views on issues including tensions on the Korean Peninsula and...

"Serious" police operation reported in Afghan north against insurgents.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Afghan independent Tolo TV [Presenter] Interior Ministry officials say they have begun serious efforts to detain perpetrators of an incident in which the government's armed opponents stoned to death a woman and her husband...

Pakistan: Local radio and OU hold seminar on "eradication of intolerance in society".
January 31, 2011... Text of report by official news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) Islamabad, 29 Jan (APP): Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) and FM 96 Radio are jointly holding a one day Seminar on "Role of Educational Broadcasters in the...

Al-Arabiya TV's Egypt coverage 30 January; army returns to streets.
January 31, 2011... Al-Arabiya Television continued to devote most of its reporting to developments in Egypt, highlighting Mubarak tasking Shafiq with beginning dialogue with the opposition, the return of the army to the streets, the local residents protecting...

Al-Jazeera TV covers Egypt protests 30 January.
January 31, 2011... Between 0700 gmt and 1900 gmt on 30 January, Al-Jazeera Satellite Television continued to dedicate all of its coverage to the situation in Egypt, focusing equally on security and political developments. The channel highlighted people's...

Moscow Police Detain 11 Opposition Activists Ahead of Strategy 31 Rally
January 31, 2011... Excerpt from report by Gazprom-owned, editorially independent Russian radio station Ekho Moskvy on 31 January [Presenter] Several activists of the Other Russia [opposition party] were detained in Moscow last night when searches were conducted...

Al-Jazeera TV's Egypt coverage 30-31 January focuses on continuing protests.
January 31, 2011... Al-Jazeera Satellite Television on 30-31 January has continued intensive coverage of events in Egypt, almost entirely focusing on the continuation of protests, people's determination to topple the entire regime not only the president, and their...

Hong Kong activist sees Egypt effects "snowballing".
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Radio TV Hong Kong Radio 3 on 31 January Local activists have staged a show of support for the Egyptian demonstrators. About a dozen members of the League of Social Democrats protested outside the Egyptian consulate to back...

Afghan High Peace Council condemns suicide attack in Kabul.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Afghan independent Tolo TV on 30 January [Presenter] The High Peace Council condemns killing of civilians by warring factions in the country. This council says that despite their efforts to ensure peace in the country, the...

Al-Arabiya TV's Egypt coverage 30 January highlights preachers' appeal.
January 31, 2011... Al-Arabiya Television continued to devote its all its reporting to developments in Egypt, highlighting President Husni Mubarak's visit to the armed forces' operations room; the absence of police forces from the streets and the resulting security...

Malaysian opposition protests Egypt's Mubarak, plans rally at US embassy.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by Malaysian independent website Malaysiakini, owned by Mkinin Dotcom, on 31 January [Report by Hazlan Zakaria: "Opposition parties, NGOs protest Mubarak regime"] About 70 protestors from NGOs and opposition...

BrahMos cruise missile for Indian Air Force to be ready by 2012 - official.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Indian news agency PTI Chennai, 30 January: BrahMos, the supersonic cruise missile for the Indian Air Force [IAF], would be ready by next year, a top official said on Sunday [30 January]. "BrahMos will be ready for the...

Jordanian king, World leaders discuss developments in Egypt.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by official Jordanian news agency Petra-JNA website His Majesty King Abdallah II on Sunday [30 January] received telephone calls from world leaders on he latest developments in the Middle East, especially in Egypt....

Ethiopian opposition urges government to avert north Africa-style crisis.
January 31, 2011... Excerpt from report by Ethiopian newspaper The Reporter on 30 January The [opposition] Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP) has called on the people to legally and peacefully push the government into finding a solution to the high cost of living...

Lebanese agency says Israel conducting extensive border patrols.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by privately-owned Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star website on 31 January ["Israel Conducts Extensive Patrols Along Border" - The Daily Star Headline] Beirut: The Israeli Army circulated extensive patrols along...

Japan calls for dialogue, reforms in Egypt.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by Japan's largest news agency Kyodo Tokyo, Jan. 31 Kyodo - The Japanese government decided Monday morning to use chartered aircraft to rescue Japanese in Egypt from the growing unrest there, with the first plane...

"Still premature" for Jordan to take a stand on leaked papers - minister.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by privately-owned Jordan Times website on 27 January [Jordan Times: 'Too Early for Stand on Palestine Papers' - Jordan Times Headline] Amman - It is still premature for Jordan to take a stand regarding the...

Jordanian kings visits remote areas to check on people's needs.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by privately-owned Jordan Times website on 31 January His Majesty King Abdallah again showed how the government should stay in touch and lend an ear to the needs of the people. The Monarch paid surprise visits to...

Jordan MPs discuss "no-confidence vote against government".
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by privately-owned Jordan Times website on 31 January AMMAN -Deputy Fawaz Zu'bi (Irbid, Fourth District) on Sunday [30 January] submitted a motion to question the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) after he found its...

South Korea rejects North's bid to bring military talks forward.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by South Korean news agency Yonhap ["S. Korea Rejects N. Korea's Offer For Early Military Talks"] SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Yonhap) - South Korea rejected Monday [ 31 January] a North Korean proposal to hold working-level...

Jordanian paper terms IMF report on Jordan as "outright hypocrisy".
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by privately-owned Jordan Times website on 31 January The most recent report issued by the International Monetary Fund mission studying the performance of Jordan's national economy in 2010 and forecast for the...

Palestinian activists use Facebook to call for Abbas, PLO "fall".
January 31, 2011... Text of report by pro-Hamas Palestinian Information Centre website on 30 January [Unattributed report: "Palestinian Call via Facebook for Revolution Against Abbas and his Authority"] Gaza - Palestinian activists in the social networking...

Four suspected Al-Qa'idah members taken to Jordanian court.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by privately-owned Jordan Times website on 31 January AMMAN -A security officer testifying in the case of a man accused of links to Al-Qa'idah on Sunday [30 January] told the State Security Court (SSC) that the...

Al-Jazeera TV "undeterred" by Egyptian signal blockage.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by Qatari government-funded aljazeera.net website on 30 January ["Al Jazeera Undeterred by Egypt Curb" - Al Jazeera net headline] Al Jazeera has expressed its "utter disappointment" with the blockage of its signal...

Hundreds of Jordanians flee Egypt.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by privately-owned Jordan Times website on 31 January Hundreds of Jordanians were arriving back home from Egypt yesterday on board Royal Jordanian (RJ) flights, a foreign ministry official and the national carrier...

Two men killed in ISAF forces' bombardment in Afghan west.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by private Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency Herat, 31 January: Two people have been killed in ISAF forces' bombardment. The two people were killed as a result of the ISAF forces' bombardment in Farah Province...

Palestinian president meets security commanders.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Palestinian presidency-controlled news agency Wafa website ["Abbas Meets Commanders of Security and Military Apparatuses" - WAFA News Agency headline] Ramallah, 30 Jan (WAFA) - President Mahmud Abbas met, on 30 January,...

Belarusian police detain six opposition protesters.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by Belarusian privately-owned news agency Belapan Minsk, 30 January: Some 20 people gathered in front of the KGB headquarters in Minsk on Sunday evening to express solidarity with those held in the KGB detention...

Five hacked to death in Papua New Guinea ethnic violence.
January 31, 2011... Excerpt from report by Papua New Guinea Post-Courier website on 31 January [By Peter Korugl] Port Moresby's biggest fresh produce market at Gordons was turned into a battlefield on the weekend and five people were hacked to death and vendors...

Estonian finance ministry says 2010 revenue exceeds projections.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Estonian business newspaper Aripaev website [Report by Toomas Hobemagi: "2010 State Revenue Target Met"] According to the finance ministry, the state collected 87.8 billion kroons or 5.61 billion euros in 2010 into the...

Iran foreign minister's Ethiopia visit cancelled due to "tight schedule".
January 31, 2011... An Iranian official has said that the country's foreign minister's visit to Ethiopia had been cancelled due to a "tight" work schedule, IRNA news agency reported on 31 January. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the...

China sends two planes to bring back citizens in Egypt.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency) ["China Sends Planes To Bring Back Stranded Chinese in Egypt"] BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) - China has sent two planes to Egypt to bring back Chinese...

Estonian ministry starts talks with gas company to buy distribution network.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by leading Estonian newspaper Postimees website [Report by Andrus Karnau: "Government Enters Into Negotiations With Eesti Gaas"] The Ministry of Economic Affairs has opened negotiations with Eesti Gaas [Estonian natural gas...

Ukrainian journalist beaten up by police.
January 31, 2011... The 25-year-old journalist of the news-based private 5 Kanal TV channel's office in Poltava, Yuriy Stetsenko, has said that he was taken to hospital after police beat up. He said that he had been abducted by officers of the criminal...

Egyptian lawyer urges political recognition of religious trends.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Jordanian newspaper Al-Dustur on 26 January [Unattributed report: "Al-Zayyat: Political Recognition of Religious Trends Will Help Defuse Tension"] Expert in Islamic groups' affairs and lawyer Muntasir al-Zayyat stressed...

Toll in northwest Pakistan blast rises to five - agency.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by official news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) Peshawar, 31 January: DSP [Deputy Superintendent of Police] Abdur Rashid Khan, along with driver, two guards and a passerby, were killed and 14 others injured in a...

Media watchdogs condemn Egypt for blocking media.
January 31, 2011... Text of report in English by Qatari government-funded aljazeera.net website on 31 January; subheading as published ["Egypt Condemned for Blocking Media" Al-Jazeera net Headline] International press institutes have come out strongly against...

President condemns twin blasts in northwest Pakistan.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by official news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) Islamabad, 31 January: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday [31 January] strongly condemned the two terrorist attacks in Peshawar, targeting the police. The...

"Gloomy" prospects for Chinese media freedom - watchdog.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post website on 31 January [Report by Choi Chi-Yuk: "Dark Times for Press Freedom: Watchdog"; headline as provided by source] An international journalists' rights organization has...

Australian man gets three years for anti-Semitic YouTube upload.
January 31, 2011... Text of report by Radio Australia, international service of the government-funded ABC, on 31 January A 39-year-old Western Australian man has been sentenced to three years' jail for posting an anti-Semitic video on the internet. Brendon Lee...

Pakistani troops kill 10 militants in Orakzai tribal area - sources.
January 31, 2011... Text of report headlined "Ten militants killed in Orakzai shelling" published by Pakistani newspaper Dawn website on 31 January Kalaya/Kohat [Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, formerly North-West Frontier Province (NWFP)], 30 January: Ten...