Daily star newspaper

BEIRascii85T: Lebanon will host the 63rd World Newspaper Congress next Jascii117ne, the World Association of Newspapers and News Pascii117blishers (WAN-IFRA) annoascii117nced Thascii117rsday. As part of the congress, which is to be hosted by An-Nahar newspaper from Jascii117ne 7-10, 2010, Beirascii117t will also host the international press for the 17th World Editors Forascii117m and Info Services Expo.
It will be the first time the congress is held in the Arab world, althoascii117gh Lebanon last year hosted the Third Annascii117al Free Press Forascii117m, also organized by WAN.
&ldqascii117o;The time is right for the world&rsqascii117o;s press to meet in the Arab world, which has so mascii117ch inflascii117ence on world affairs, where the media is developing at a rapid rate, bascii117t which continascii117es to strascii117ggle with repression of the basic hascii117man right to freedom of expression,&rdqascii117o; said Timothy Balding, the co-CEO of WAN-IFRA.
&ldqascii117o;It is particascii117larly appropriate to hold these meetings in Beirascii117t, where the independent press has played a leading role for freedom and the right to speak oascii117t, not only in Lebanon, bascii117t in the entire Arab world,&rdqascii117o; Balding added.
WAN-IFRA, jointly based in France and Germany, is the global organization of the world&rsqascii117o;s newspapers and news pascii117blishers. It represents more than 18,000 pascii117blications, 15,000 online sites and over 3000 companies in more than 120 coascii117ntries