Zimbabwe's state media on Sunday showered President Robert Mugabe with praise on his 86th birthday -- while the country's foreign minister condemned Europe's move to extend sanctions.

State-owned companies, church groups and private firms placed full page birthday messages and ran special supplements in state media, hailing the veteran leader.

"A torch bearer of African self determination, an embodiment of black empowerment, who encapsulates the true African values, an icon of the emancipation of the black majority from the yoke of colonial oppression," parliament said in a statement on Sunday Mail.

Mugabe, who has led Zimbabwe since 1980 but faces increasing pressure from political rival Morgan Tsvangirai, was to spend the day quietly with his family. Public celebrations will be held next Saturday in Bulawayo, where thousands of people are expected to attend.

New York, December 17, 2009—2009 has been the bloodiest year for media professionals killed in the line of duty worldwide since 1992, and has seen the highest death toll for journalists in Sub-Saharan Africa in this decade, according to an annual analysis of media fatalities worldwide released today by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

We were delighted to see that TB vaccine work received attention in your paper, including mentioning some of the work which we are involved in. We would, however, ask that you allow us to point out some small inaccuracies in the article.

Al Jazeera journalists were assaulted and briefly detained in Zimbabwe while covering a cabinet meeting after Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's boycott, Reporters Without Borders said on Thursday.