[JURIST] Iran announced Monday, without further explanation, that it has ordered the closure a daily newspaper, Asia, and banned the publication of a forthcoming, bi-weekly women's periodical, Nour-e Banovan. The Culture Ministry said the Supervisory Board on the Press has agreed to the bans, and the cases will now be sent to court. The announcement signaled the first media crackdown since Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad [BBC profile; JURIST news archive; official website, in Farsi] took office in August. The Iranian government has shut down over 100 publications since 2000, but many have re-opened under other names and still exist. Reuters has more.