Supreme Court rules that some articles of newspaper law are unconstitutional

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has welcomed a South Korean Supreme Court decision which ruled as unconstitutional some articles of the law on the press and on media arbitration.

CAPSULE REPORT: RSF urges journalists covering African Union summit to remember repressive conditions faced by their Gambian colleagues

(RSF/IFEX) - The following is an RSF open letter to journalists covering the African Union summit:

Opposition militants raid broadcaster TVTL

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders has urged the authorities and foreign forces in East Timor to secure the offices of the main media outlet after nearly 40 opposition militants raided Timor-Leste television and radio station TVTL, on 29 June 2006. They ransacked the premises, manhandled employees and demanded that broadcasts be suspended.

Maoist leader expresses commitment to press freedom

(FNJ/IFEX) - The following is an FNJ press release:

Detained film collaborator being brutally interrogated, witnesses fear for his life

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is calling on members of the G8 countries to intervene on behalf of seven journalists and human rights activists who have been held in Turkmenistan for the past two weeks.

Three journalists detained overnight; several others threatened; newspaper threatened with arson

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is an IFJ media release:

FXI condemns issuing of subpoenas to ex-"Sowetan" journalists to testify in fraud trial

(FXI/IFEX) - The following is an FXI press statement:

Government allegedly blocking Gmail and G-Talk Internet services

(SEAPA/IFEX) - Burma appears to have blocked access to Gmail and G-Talk, two of the most popular Internet applications in one of the world's most restricted societies.

Editor receives death threats, faces legal action

(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 of 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 Mondolkiri province.

Ruling party activists storm press club, beat journalists

(PPF/IFEX) - Activists of Pakistan's ruling Muslim League (PML-Q) party stormed the Peshawar Press Club on 29 June 2006 to foil a news conference being held there by dissident leaders of the party. The intruders, who were armed with Kalashnikovs, pistols and sticks, beat journalists and the dissident party members.

Brazzaville court suspends newspaper for six months

(JED/IFEX) - In a 28 June 2006 verdict pronounced by a Brazzaville court, the Brazzaville-based weekly "Thalassa" was banned from publication for six months. In addition, the court ordered the incineration of all the copies of the paper's edition that featured an article judged to be slanderous towards Denis Sassou Nguesso, the country's president.

Hearings resume in Gongadze murder trial, prosecutor says body can be handed over to Gongadze's mother

(RSF/IFEX) - The cross-examination of Mykola Protassov, one of the three policemen accused of the 2000 murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze, resumed in court on 26 June 2006. The hearing had been due to take place on 20 June but was postponed because Protassov's lawyer was ill.

Two journalists, awaiting trial for "sedition", released on bail

(RSF/IFEX) - On 29 June 2006, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the release on bail of Rotimi Durojaiye, aeronautics correspondent of the privately-owned "Daily Independent", and of Mike Gbenga Aruleba, presenter of a political programme on privately-owned Africa Independent Television (AIT).

RSF asks new president to pardon two imprisoned cyber-dissidents

(RSF/IFEX) - On 29 June 2006, Reporters Without Borders wrote to Nguyen Minh Triet, who has just taken over from Tran Duc Luong as Vietnam's president, asking him to pardon Pham Hong Son and Nguyen Vu Binh, two cyber-dissidents who are serving prison sentences of five and seven years, respectively.

As media giant purchases local company, EFJ seeks assurances of editorial independence

(IFJ/IFEX) - The following is a media release of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), an IFJ regional group:

Authorities remove article on depiction of prophet from French weekly "Courrier International"

(RSF/IFEX) - On 29 June 2006, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) protested to the Lebanese government after the authorities removed an article about the Prophet Mohammed from 280 copies of the French weekly newspaper "Courrier International" upon its arrival in Lebanon on 26 June.

Adil Soz protests new amendments to media laws proposed by Information Ministry

(Adil Soz/IFEX) - The following is a 24 June 2006 statement by the president of Adil Soz:

IAPA urges president to pursue probe into journalist's murder

(IAPA/IFEX) - The following is a 28 June 2006 IAPA press release:

Journalist suspects state governor of ordering petrol bomb attack against his home

(RSF/IFEX) - Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the 21 June 2006 petrol bomb attack on the home of journalist Manuel Acuña López, a reporter for the local daily "Por Esto", in Mérida, Yucatán state.

Journalist questioned by national security body about online article, accused of "insulting" president

(Adil Soz/IFEX) - The National Security Committee (NSC) has launched an investigation into journalist Kazis Toguzbayev, who has been accused of insulting the honour and dignity of the president of Kazakhstan, following a 3 May 2006 article on the website http://www.kub.kz, entitled "Mafia regime shadows the murderers of Altynbek Sarsenbayev". In his article, the journalist criticized the authorities for their reluctance to investigate the killing of opposition politician Altynbek Sarsenbayev. Toguzbayev said the NSC actions were illegal.