Full Coverage: Freedom of expression

28.03.2006 23-year-old American peace activist Rachel Corrie was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer aiming for a Palestinian home on March 16, 2003. Her powerful emails and journal entries have been transformed into a one-woman play, but political pressure might keep it from ever reaching a U.S. stage.

27.03.2006 The International Advocacy Mission for Press Freedom in Nepal that is currently here to assess the situation of press freedom has met Maoist leaders in a village in Palpa district and discussed the problems faced by journalists from the rebels.

22.03.2006 An international mission plans to visit Nepal to draw attention to the serious threat to press freedom and also the free expression violations that are continuing to occur in the country. The mission's aim is to support the country's media community and raise concerns with authorities over attacks on journalists.

21.03.2006 The Lok Sabha committee probing a sting operation by the Indian electronic media against politicians has sought a blanket ban on sting operations by television channels. The report has blamed the media more than the guilty politicians and still the media has not taken up the issue forcefully.

20.03.2006 A "new paradox of journalism" has emerged in which the number of news outlets continues to grow, yet the number of stories covered and the depth of many reports is decreasing, according to the State of the News Media 2006. The research was done by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, a research institute affiliated with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts.

10.03.2006 Calls have been made for the release of Burma’s best-known journalist, U Win Tin, as he prepared to spend his 76th birthday on 12 March in his special cell in Rangoon’s notorious Insein prison.

08.03.2006 Sayeed Ahmad is concerned that the people of Bangladesh have lost faith in their government’s ability to protect human rights. He calls for the UN Commission on Human Rights to intervene.

08.03.2006 Afghanistan’s new law on mass media was launched last week in Kabul by the Minister of Information Culture and Tourism, Said Makhtoum Raheen. The law reforms the country's existing press law and also guarantees freedom of expression in the country.

08.03.2006 A decision by the Nepali government to allow the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) to launch its own FM radio network throughout the Himalayan kingdom has caused concern among local journalists and press freedom activists. They say it’s another nail in the coffin of free media in the country.

03.03.2006 World editors to discuss the controversial cartoons of Prophet Mohammed at a global meeting of editors. Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, which was at the heart of the Mohammed cartoon clash, has agreed to discuss the controversy in a special session at the World Editors Forum conference to be held in Moscow in June.

02.03.2006 Kenya's Internal Security Minister John Michuki has admitted that the Government organised the simultaneous raids at the Standard Media Group's editorial offices and printing plant, and warned, "When you rattle a snake you must be ready to be bitten."
* Reporters Without Borders disgusted by show of force

02.03.2006 Dozens of armed men raided a leading Kenyan media house on Thursday morning and shut down its operations, three days after police arrested several reporters from the same organisation.

01.03.2006 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will be hosting its annual World Press Freedom Day conference in Sri Lanka on 1-3 May 2006, which will focus on the link between freedom of the media and poverty eradication.