Recently by Alexandra Zeumer

The Teesside Evening Gazette has signed a five-figure sponsorship deal for its multimedia sports coverage, Journalism.co.uk reported Tuesday.

The first companies to sign up for the package, which will provide advertising opportunities throughout the title's print, video and blog content, are all local companies and organisations, such as Middlesbrough College.

The Teesside Evening Gazette has signed a five-figure sponsorship deal for its multimedia sports coverage, Journalism.co.uk reported Tuesday.

The first companies to sign up for the package, which will provide advertising opportunities throughout the title's print, video and blog content, are all local companies and organisations, such as Middlesbrough College.

The Independent and French News channel France 24 have closed a deal for English-language content, in which the UK newspaper will use video provided by France 24, Media Guardian reported Tuesday.

"The deal with France 24 is one of a number that we hope to be setting up as we build up our video content in the new year," said Jimmy Leach, the Independent's editorial director for digital.

La Nua (New Day), Northern Ireland's only Irish-language daily newspaper, will close down at the end of the year when its contract for funding with Foras na Gaeilge expires, the Belfast Telegraph reported Tuesday.

The West-Belfast based newspaper will close shop after more than 20 years of production because official funding was withdrawn, according to its managing director. The closure will result in eight job losses.

The Journal Register Co. closed three community papers in Philadelphia on Thursday, the Philadelphia Daily News Reported. The company had attempted to sell the Olney Times, News Gleaner and Northeast Breeze, all weekly papers, but was unsuccessful, Stuart London, the News Gleaner's sports editor, told the Daily News.

Publisher J. Wesley Rowe Jr. told employees that the difficult economy and inability to sell the titles were reasons for closure, London said.

The Washington Post's newstand price went up to 75 cents on Monday, up from its 50 cent price that had been in effect since New Year's Eve 2007. Prior to that, the Post's price was at 35 cents. In just a year, the paper's price has more than doubled, FollowtheMedia reported Tuesday.

Metropolitan newspapers have been increasing newsstand prices, which has grown circulation revenue, even if the number of people buying copies decreases.

Users of mobile devices, like the iPhone and Blackberry, will now be able to access production figures via their mobiles though MWM CopyTrack software, Editor & Publisher reported Thursday.

MWM CopyTrack software is from the Pittsburg-based MWM System Inc., a subsidiary of Sweden's MWM Group. With CT Mobile, users can access press, product, total ordered copies, total copies, waste percent, good copies, and estimated off time.

Although free daily numbers in Africa are low compared with other continents, three of the four African countries with free dailies are recent launches, Newspaper Innovation reported Friday.

Free papers have recently launched in South Africa, Morocco and Egypt, while in Botswana, the government publishes the Daily News, the free newspaper market leader in that country.

The India Today Group has closed its Bengali edition of the magazine India Today, but may reopen it when the market becomes healthier, afaqs! reported Friday. The last issue of the magazine was published Dec. 1.

"The Bengali edition has been ceased for the time being till the market conditions improve. It was not a viable option for us to continue the edition any more. But we will consider relaunching it when the time is right," said Ashish Bagga, chief executive officer of India Today Group.

Scotland-based newspaper group Johnston Press is planning to centralise production work for its Northern Ireland titles the Derry Journal and the News Letter. Production would then be done at its Northern Ireland headquarters in Craigavon, BBC News reported Thursday.

The centralisation will lead to eight job cuts in Derry (also called Londonderry).

The Huffington Post has partnered with online news outlet Global Post for more international news, Journalism.co.uk reported Wednesday.

GlobalPost.com won't officially launch until January 12 next year, but its reports have already been published on the U.S.-based Huffington Post's beta world section. The two have a syndication deal.

Toledo, Ohio-based daily newspaper The Blade will axe 25 workers as a result of slumping ad revenue and the poor economic climate, The Blade reported Thursday.

The majority of the layoffs at the Block Communications Inc.-owned newspaper will be within the newsroom, five of whom work part time. The newspaper is also expected to make a large payout to employees through its pension plan due to losses in the stock market, said Luann Sharp, assistant managing editor.

In partnership with NewspaperDirect, iRex Technologies will offer more than 800 newspapers from 81 countries on its Digital Reader 1000 series, an electronic book reader like the Amazon Kindle, Newspaper Innovation reported Wednesday.

Netherlands-based iRex will also offer a free subscription for one month to access the 800 newspapers as a holiday promotion.