On the morning of June 28, Wall Street Journal reporters issued the following statement:

Sahar al-Haideri, killed by insurgents on June 7, used the pen to counter violence and intolerance in Mosul, her home town.

Evaluating the current state of Uzbek-Indonesian affairs, which aspects would You highlight as the most fruitful since 1994, when the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia started operating in Tashkent? How are these dimensions being developed between Indonesia and Uzbekistan?

An Afghan radio journalist has been shot dead in Afghanistan in the second fatal attack on a newswoman in less than a week. Zakia Zaki, who ran the private broadcaster Peace Radio, was killed by multiple gunmen in her home north of Kabul, in the central province of Parwan, late on June 5. The gunmen reportedly shot her in front of her 8-year-old son, before fleeing the scene.

The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) said today that nearly 60 journalists have been murdered in recent months, and prosecutions of journalists are on the rise.

The International Federation of Journalists' World Congress opened today in Moscow. The congress, held once every three years, is taking place in Russia for the first time, and comes amid growing concern about the state of media freedom in the country.

The U.S.-based Freedom House organization says media freedom has stagnated in the Middle East and North Africa after several years of modest progress. In its annual report Wednesday, the advocacy group says the region continued in 2006 to show the lowest ratings for media freedom in the world.

A court in Tashkent sentenced independent journalist Umida Niyazova to seven years in prison today, RFE/RL's Uzbek Service reported. Prosecutors had asked the court for an eight-year term.

Foreign and Palestinian journalists demonstrated on both sides of the Israel-Gaza border Wednesday calling for the release of BBC Gaza Correspondent Alan Johnston, kidnapped more than six weeks ago. VOA's Jim Teeple has details from our Jerusalem bureau.

RFE/RL President Jeffrey Gedmin has condemned news that the Iranian government plans to keep RFE/RL journalist Parnaz Azima from leaving Iran for up to three years.

Hongkai Tan, opinions page editor at China Daily, the only national English language newspaper in China, will teach a three-week "Issues in International Studies" course starting Tuesday, April 10 as part of an exchange agreement between the Beijing-based newspaper and the University of Iowa.

Reporters Without Borders today appealed to the government of Turkey to act against those who ordered the 19 January killing of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink as five people, some of them extreme rightists, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the murder.