Al-Jazeera launches international channel and pan-Arab newspaper

The Arabic news channel al-Jazeera is planning to launch al-Jazeera International on November 15. In English, the company wants to compete against CNN and BBC and thus promote the flow of news from East to West, writes the Tages-Anzeiger. In addition to Europe, the makers from Qatar are hoping above all for lively interest in Asian countries. The broadcaster is also planning a third pan-Arab newspaper for the coming year, which will enjoy greater freedom than the two Saudi papers al-Hayat and al-Sharq al-Awsat. The al-Jazeera channel has been broadcasting via satellite since November 1, 1996 and has since initiated countless political discussions and has often been caught in the crossfire of criticism. Many millions of viewers now watch the program every day.