Credit: James Lynch Jr. | The News Herald

Lauren Hasson slips a glance towards the Freedom dugout as she rounds second base to see her teammates celebrating her two-run home run Friday versus Hibriten.

By: KEVIN CARVER | Morganton News Herald Published: May 12, 2012 Updated: May 12, 2012 - 3:53 PM

Lauren Hasson made the Freedom softball teams first-round playoff vision a reality, and Lindsey Auton completed the job as the Lady Patriots erased an early deficit to beat Hibriten at home, 8-4, on Friday.

Both Hasson and Auton posted key home runs in a victory that was Freedoms first in postseason play since the 2008 group did so in the 4A playoffs.

Freedom (13-9), who spotted Hibriten (9-16) two runs each in the top of the first and third innings, turned things around in the bottom of the third.

Kayla Poteat earned a one-out walk before Hasson took a turn at bat. On a 1-1 count, Hasson (2 for 3, three RBIs) torched a two-run homer that tailed just inside the left-field foul pole. After a walk to Paula Davis, Auton punished a shot into the centerfield gap for a double to cross Davis, cutting the deficit to 4-3.

Filling in for Cassie Saunders (illness) at second base was Poteat, who in turn became the silent hero. She lined a single to center in the fourth and Hasson followed by turning on the first pitch she saw for a double to left. The hit tied the game 4-4, and all the momentum appeared to go to Freedom.

In the next frame, Auton made sure it stayed that way. Megan Kirksey and Cassidy Smith connected on back-to-back base hits to lead off the bottom of the fifth, forcing Hibriten starting pitcher Bailey Land out of the circle.

The Panther pitching change backfired, as Auton (3 for 4, four RBIs) clobbered a 1-1 offering for a massive three-run home run to dead centerfield, giving Freedom the lead for good. Auton finished up just a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.

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Freedom powers back to overcome Hibriten, 8-4

One World Trade Center, the so-called Freedom Tower currently under construction in Lower Manhattan, technically became New York City's tallest building on Monday, as workers erected steel columns on the 100th floor, 1,271 feet above the street, to make it stand 21 feet higher than the Empire State Building's observation deck. The Freedom Tower, which [...]

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One World Trade Center, the ‘Freedom Tower,’ becomes New York’s tallest building

click here to continue to article cliquez ici pour lire l'article weiter zum Artikel clicca qui per visualizzare l'articolo weiter zum Artikel ir a la noticia klik hier om door te gaan naar het artikel Yazya devam etmek iin tklayn Tovbb a cikkre

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Freedom ties record for most Freddy nominations

Oscar-winner Michael Caine Saturday received the freedom of the London borough of Southwark, where the veteran British actor grew up.

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Michael Caine given freedom of London borough

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

On Monday, Evan Wolfson, Founder and President of Freedom to Marry, will share the stage with President Barack Obama at the graduation ceremony for Barnard College, a women's college in New York City. Following his historic comments supporting same-sex couples freedom to marry, President Obama will deliver a commencement address to the Class of 2012, and then receive the college's highest honor, the Barnard Medal of Distinction, alongside Wolfson who has been credited with helping President Obama through his widely publicized evolution, ultimately resulting in his full support of same-sex couples freedom to marry.

Wolfson has been leading the charge on efforts to win the freedom to marry since writing his law school dissertation, which laid out a clear path to victory, nearly thirty years ago. He is available to discuss his personal experience of standing with the President after this historic week as well as the next steps in the fight to win the freedom to marry nationwide.

About Evan Wolfson

Wolfson, dubbed the Godfather of Gay Marriage by Newsweek, is the Founder and President of Freedom to Marry, the campaign to win marriage nationwide, and author of Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay Peoples Right to Marry. After getting a BA in History from Yale, Wolfson served in the Peace Corps in West Africa and then earned his JD from Harvard Law School. In 2004, TIME magazine named Wolfson one of the "100 most influential people in the world."

Prior to founding Freedom to Marry in 2003, Wolfson launched the ongoing global marriage movement as co-counsel in the landmark Hawaii marriage case, Baehr v. Miike. He also contributed to the legal teams in the Vermont case that led to the creation of "civil unions" and Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, which led to marriage in Massachusetts. In 1976, he was a Senate intern for Vice President Joe Biden, who this past Sunday came out in support of the freedom to marry. Wolfson argued before the Supreme Court in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale and has taught as an adjunct professor at Columbia Law School. Wolfson married his longtime partner, Dr. Cheng He, this past October after winning the freedom to marry in New York.

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Freedom to Marry President Evan Wolfson to Receive Award with President Obama Following Historic Week

May 10, 2012: The interim government has adopted an unofficial motto; "freedom does not mean anarchy." This addresses three major problems; corruption, tribalism and quickly resorting to armed force when there is a dispute. Major violence is down, but the corruption (often outright theft of government money and property) is still abundant. Libyans are unhappy with all this, and are having a hard time fixing the problems. Then there are the armed militias, which are often the source of corruption, as well as armed anger at the corruption.

Concentrating on the armed anarchy does little for the corruption and tribalism, but you have to start somewhere. The interim government is starting with law and order. This is the first thing to disappear after a decades-old dictatorship is overthrown. Dictators get tossed out because their subjects are fed up with all the secret police and terror. But freedom brings with it a period of anarchy, with many people uncertain about how to restore order. No one wants the secret police and terror tactics (to maintain order) to return, but also don't want to live a lot of lawless armed thugs running around.The government is trying to raise a force of 30,000 police, mainly to deal with armed disputes expected during the upcoming elections.

The interim government is also passing laws to clear up the legal chaos created by Kaddafi, and the revolution last year that replaced him. For example, rebels have been exonerated for breaking any then-existing laws while participating in the revolution. The government backed off on an effort to outlaw political parties based on religion or ethnicity. There was too much popular opposition, so these laws were withdrawn a week after they were enacted.

So far this month, Lebanese police say they have intercepted two attempts to smuggle weapons from Libya to Syrian rebels. It's unclear if this is the work of gunrunners or the Libyan rebels trying to help their Syrian counterparts.

May 8, 2012: Over 200 former (and still armed) rebels tried to block access to the prime minister's office, in an attempt to extract more money and other compensation for their services. The prime minister ordered police to break up the action. This resulted in 14 arrests and several wounded.

Police also dispersed a two-week siege of the national oil company headquarters. The protestors wanted an end to corruption (especially stealing oil revenue) and more jobs for the many unemployed (Kaddafi preferred to hire foreigners to run the oil operations.)

April 27, 2012: A bomb went off in a courthouse in Benghazi, but caused no casualties. The bomb was apparently set off by Kaddafi loyalists.

April 25, 2012: The NTC (National Transitional Council) has fired the interim government cabinet, accusing the cabinet ministers of incompetence. The NTC is having problems finding replacements.

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Freedom Does Not Mean Anarchy

Credit: Tommy Fleming | The News Herald

Freedom senior Stevie Harrell recently signed a letter of intent to play tennis at Greensboro College. Flanking Harrell on the front row are her father Steve Harrill (left) and mother Joy Harrell. Standing (from left) are her sister Ashley Harrell, Freedom principal Dr. Ken Prichard, athletic director Joey Davis and sister her other Brittany Harrell.

Freedoms Stevie Harrell recalls picking up a tennis racket and hitting balls at an early age. But it was her sophomore year just two weeks prior to the start of the tennis season in August 2010 when she realized her sport was found.

I started playing on the Freedom courts at practice. I then realized This is my sport, said Harrell, whose two older sisters played softball at FHS before signing to play on the college level.

Harrell worked her way quickly from the No. 7 position into the fourth spot her sophomore year. As a junior, she played at the No. 2 singles position behind senior Bao Xiong before taking over at No. 1 her senior campaign.

On Monday, Harrills tennis journey continued as the senior signed to play at Greensboro College, an NCAA Division III program.

Im thrilled to be playing tennis at the college level. The school is small and I really liked the campus, said Harrell, who plans to work as a recreational therapist with special needs children. I visited once when the tennis team was playing a match and felt like I would be at home there.

My parents, as well as my two older sisters, encouraged and supported me in my decision-making process as I was made two offers from Division II schools. There was no pressure in that I must follow in both sisters footsteps. Im glad Im playing tennis so that I will not be compared to their softball progress at the college level.

Freedom tennis coach Wayne Giese said Harrells progress on the tennis courts has been solid during her three years.

Stevie has taken private and group lessons to improve her serving, consistency and volleying. She has played especially well in doubles at the net, Giese added. Stevie joined the USTA and played in some tournaments. She has a very competitive edge. I wish Stevie well in her future endeavors and play at Greensboro College.

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Freedom's Harrell inks with Greensboro College for tennis

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David Moshman: Should Creationist Teachers Have Academic Freedom?

A new international retail partnership has introduced stand-up kayaking and patented stand-up fishing kayaks to Canada. Freedom Hawk Kayaks and SAIL Outdoors Inc., have joined forces to introduce the award-winning Pathfinder and other Freedom Hawk angling kayaks to SAIL retail locations in Eastern Canada.Newburyport, MA (PRWEB) May 09, 2012 Retail Move Brings Patented Stand-Up Fishing Kayaks to ...

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Freedom Hawk Kayaks Enters Canadian Kayak Fishing Market with SAIL Outdoors Inc. Partnership

Freedom Alliance is set to host another “Salute to Our Heroes” retreat May 23-26Smith Mountain Lake, VA (PRWEB) May 10, 2012 Freedom Alliance is set to host another “Salute to Our Heroes” retreat May 23-26. This is the second consecutive year that the retreat will be held at Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. Approximately 15-20 of our nation’s injured service members will enjoy a few days of ...

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Freedom Alliance to Host Exciting Smith Mountain Lake Outdoor Activities for Injured Service Members

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --WXYZ is proud to partner with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the Ford Motor Company to present "Ford Freedom Award: Talent, Tenacity, Teamwork," honoring the New York Renaissance Basketball Team and NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the Ford Freedom Award Scholar. The half hour special will air Saturday, May 12th at 7:00 p.m. and will be rebroadcast on Saturday, May 26th at 7:00 p.m.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100922/DE69906LOGO )

Hosted by WXYZ Editorial and Public Affairs Director Chuck Stokes, the program will feature an in-depth interview with actor, coach, author and newly selected U.S. Cultural Ambassador Abdul-Jabbar, who will be named the Ford Freedom Award Scholar. His basketball career spanned six championships, and he received a record six regular season MVP awards. The show will also look at the Ford Freedom Award recipient, the New York Renaissance, who were the first all-black, fully-professional African American owned team that dominated basketball in the 1920s and 30s.

The encore of "Ford Freedom Awards: Talent, Tenacity, Teamwork" will include highlights from this year's Ford Freedom Award celebration on Thursday, May 17, featuring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's lecture to more than 1,500 Detroit area middle school students.

The Ford Freedom Award is awarded posthumously to distinguished individuals who dedicated their lives to improving the African American community and the world in general. Previous honorees include Judge Constance Baker Motley, Ossie Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Langston Hughes, Jackie Robinson and John H. Johnson.

The Ford Freedom Award Scholar distinction is given to individuals who have excelled on a national or international level in the same field as the Ford Freedom Award honoree and who have furthered the achievements for a new generation. Past Scholars include Judge Damon J. Keith, Morgan Freeman, Reggie Jackson and Raymond Usher IV.

Ford Freedom Award proceeds support educational programs, exhibits, and community outreach initiatives of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the world's largest institution dedicated to the African American experience.

WXYZ-TV is part of Scripps Media, Inc., which operates 10 TV stations. The corporate parent, the E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) is a diverse, 131-year old media enterprise with interests in television stations, newspapers, local news and information Web sites, and comics/features syndication. For a full listing of Scripps media companies and their associated Web sites, visit http://www.scripps.com/.

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WXYZ Honors Ford Freedom Award Winners

DETROIT, May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Freedom Center, the newly opened military lounge at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, will benefit from funds raised by an Gala Event on Armed Forces Day, May 19.

Since their official opening on Veterans Day 2011, Freedom Center has hosted more than 8,000 traveling members of our military, their families and veterans. The lounge, located at Gate A43 in the center of the McNamara Terminal, offers a relaxing atmosphere to armed forces members, travel assistance and complimentary juice, water, soft drinks, coffee, tea, snacks and traveling amenities.

"At Meritor, it is our honor to offer support for our military men and women serving today, and everyday, as they sacrifice for our freedom and safety here at home. We view our nation's warfighters as heroes. They and their families earn our respect every day," said Tim Burns, vice president and general manager, Defense and Specialty, Industrial. Burns is Honorary Chair of the Gala Event. Meritor maintains a 100-year legacy of serving commercial truck, aftermarket and industrial markets including the supply of drivetrain components for U.S. military fleets around the world.

The event will include an elegant strolling dinner catered by Andiamo's, complimentary bar, entertainment by Johnny Trudell musicians and valet parking. The Gala will be held at the Defense Corridor Center (DC3S), 7205 Sterling Ponds Court, Sterling Heights, Mich. on Saturday, May 19 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $100 per person and can be ordered via the Freedom Center website: http://www.MIFreedomCenter.org or by calling 313-610-5600.

Underwriting support for the Gala is being provided by: The Michigan Chapter, National Defense Industrial Association (Freedom Sponsor); Meritor, Inc. and Robert and Virginia Vallee (Honor Sponsors); The Arsenal of Democracy Chapter, Association of the US Army; Rave Computers; Oshkosh Defense, Inc. and General Kinetics (Service Sponsors).

For more information, contact:John McCandless 313-610-5600

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Armed Forces Day Gala to Raise Funds for Freedom Center

This week we joined our colleagues worldwide in commemorating World Press Freedom Day. A day that was set aside by the United Nations General Assembly to celebrate the fundamental principles of Press freedom, evaluate Press freedom around the world, defend media freedom and pay tribute to media practitioners who face danger in the line of duty.

World Press Freedom Day was established by the UN General Assembly in December 1993 in the wake of a seminar on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press that was held in Windhoek, Namibia in 1991.

For us, in the public media, the commemorations came at a time six of our colleagues from Zimpapers and Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings, who had been placed on European Union sanctions for writing contrary to Anglo-Saxon interests, were removed from the sanctions list.

We will not applaud the EU for that gesture as the sanctions, which were an unwarranted attack on media freedom, should never have been imposed in the first place.

We call on the EU to urge their cousins across the Atlantic to follow suit and stop victimising journalists who do not toe the Western line.

This year's theme of "New Voices: Media Freedom Helping To Transform Societies", is providential for us in Zimbabwe as we strive to get our voices heard amidst the Western bedlam.

Be that as it may, we joined our colleagues worldwide in celebrating this day that is geared at promoting professionalism, work ethics, freedom of the Press and socially responsible journalism.

As the perceived fourth estate of the realm of governance, the best way we can work towards building mutual understanding is by strengthening a culture of freedom with responsibility.

This usually manifests in a media that is vibrant, independent, pluralistic, inclusive and fair, editorially free and beyond censorship and influence from inimical interests - political, commercial, or otherwise - only a free media will innately contribute to the dialogue and understanding across divides.

A responsible media defends the national interest and is an indispensable partner in nation building.

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Zimbabwe: Freedom Comes With Responsibility

EDITORIAL

The constitution supposedly guarantees that every Thai "shall enjoy the liberty to express his or her opinion, make speeches, write, print, publicise and make expression by other means". It also says that writers and broadcasters employed by the mass media "shall enjoy their liberties to present news and express their opinions".

Unfortunately, neither of these articles of the supreme law is actually true. Thailand is still a country where even professional journalists are killed for trying to present news and opinions. And the rest of the world has very little respect for the country when it comes to press freedom.

Last Thursday was World Press Freedom Day. There was no acknowledgement of this by agencies and ministries charged with defending constitutional rights. The media itself saw no reason to celebrate. But the head of the United Nations and journalism groups in other countries did take note of the day. And most reports on World Press Freedom Day noted the low international regard for Thailand on the issue.

Reporters are increasingly at risk, for a number of reasons. Thailand is one of the few countries with the ignominious reputation of witnessing journalists being killed regularly without any ongoing war or violent conflict. There are only five such countries around the world _ the others being Brazil, India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

On Jan 12, a gunman in Phuket shot and killed the freelance reporter Wisut Tangwittayaporn, a familiar figure known as "Ae Inside" because he was a tenacious newsman. To their credit, Phuket police not only pursued the case, but actually indicted three suspects including the alleged killer and his motorcycle driver, both of whom are still at large.

The third suspect has been charged as the mastermind. He is Assadakorn "Pod" Seedokbuab, 48, who is not simply another influential Phuket figure, but one of the most influential. Mr Assadakorn, who is on bail for 3.4 million baht despite the serious charges, is vice-president of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce. He is the owner of a Phuket TV station, KPP Cable.

Police have not said why they think Mr Assadakorn arranged to kill Wisut. It is no secret in Phuket, however, that Wisut was about to release more stories about the very troubled housing market in Phuket. The real estate industry in the province has seen violence before, including other murders. We may never know exactly what Wisut was onto, but no one doubts it was his reporting that caused his violent death.

Two entirely separate surveys this year have rated Thailand's press freedom. Reporters Without Borders says the country ranks 137th in the world, with 61.5 out of a possible 100 freedom points. The US-based Freedom House gives Thailand 62 out of 100, good enough to tie the country with Libya, Liberia and Zambia in 132nd place in the world. Both drolly comment that Thailand's press freedom actually improved because of the end of the 2010 emergency decree invoked during the Bangkok violence.

This is a terrible performance by a country striving for real democracy. Successive governments have not only failed to protect press freedom, but have actually encouraged censorship with actions such as appointing the ICT ministry as official internet censor. A democratic government does not make such choices. Our authorities must support the constitution on freedom of information, or be branded as opponents of a free press.

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Freedom's just another word

Freedom Hill Amphitheatre is set to reopen this summer.

The venue has been dormant since 2009 and will reopen in part because of the resolution of litigation between the county and operators, Hillside Productions, according to an announcement today from County Executive Mark Hackels Office.

Hillside officials are working on a formal opening date for the Sterling Heights facility.

We see the reopening to be a win for everyone. The public will have greater access to national entertainment opportunities and local businesses will benefit from more customers coming to the area, Hackel said in the release.

The surrounding park facilities have been closed since 2010 because of budget cuts and staff reductions, the release said.

We are eager to begin discussions on how to reopen surrounding park facilities and once again host festivals and events, Hackel said in the release.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com.

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Freedom Hill Amphitheatre scheduled to reopen

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA--(Marketwire - May 4, 2012) - Manitoba and BC First Nations enjoy strong public support as they gather in Winnipeg today to send a strong message to government and corporations alike: that their right to make their own decisions about oil pipelines and other projects must be respected.

A group of 12 First Nations are travelling across Canada on a "Freedom Train" from BC to Toronto to take their message of opposition to the controversial Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline through Northern BC directly to Enbridge's annual shareholders meeting in Toronto on May 9. Over six thousand Canadians have signed a petition in the last week supporting the Freedom Train's goal - to stop the expansion of oilsands pipelines and supertankers in Pacific coastal waters.

"For too many years Ottawa has tried to railroad First Nations and impose its will on us," said Chief Martin Louie of Nadleh Whut'en First Nation, a member of the Yinka Dene Alliance that has organized the Freedom Train. "Now we're using the railroad to fight back, travelling all the way back east to make sure the government and Enbridge hears us."

Manitobans experienced firsthand the safety record of Enbridge in 2010 when one of its pipelines near Virden leaked 1500 litres of oil directly into the Assiniboine watershed. Manitoba First Nations have given their support to the Freedom Train, and are particularly concerned about protecting water and advancing self-governance rights.

"Here in Manitoba, our First Nations people are being harmed by atrocious water quality. The BC First Nations have made a decision that they are going to refuse the tarsands pipelines threat to their clean water resources, and we stand with them," said Chickadee Richard of Anishinabe Nation.

The Freedom Train has stopped in Winnipeg for three days of events to build solidarity and support between Manitobans and BC First Nations as they fight to protect the Pacific coast and its rivers from the threat of oil spills. The Freedom Train has made stops in Edmonton, where there was a large outpouring of public support for the First Nations' bid to protect their rights, and Saskatoon, where a large rally came to the train station to celebrate the Freedom Train as it passed through.

"We knew we had great support from everyday Canadians to protect the water that we all rely on - but we never dreamt we would see such a wide range of people coming out to support us, and signing onto our cause," said Hereditary Chief Tso Dih of Nak'azdli. "We are fighting to protect the public too, not just our communities. Enbridge's pipelines and oil supertankers aren't in Canada's interest, and we'll do Canadians a favour by putting a stop to them."

"We're standing up together for our right to make decisions for ourselves and to refuse permission to projects that will harm First Nations people, like the Enbridge pipelines and tankers."

The Freedom Train arrives in Toronto on May 8.

For photos, videos, maps of event locations and a full itinerary for the tour, visit http://www.freedomtrain2012.com/schedule-events.

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Anti-Pipeline "Freedom Train" Rolls Into Winnipeg on Wave of Public Support

Sterling Heights — Freedom Hill Amphitheatre, the beleaguered 7,000-seat outdoor concert venue, is scheduled to reopen this summer, Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel announced Friday.

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Freedom Hill concert site to reopen, Macomb exec says

It was a gritty defensive effort, one that the seventh-ranked Battlefield Bobcats love. With every Freedom-South Riding attack, Battlefields talented defenders snatched the ball away, cleared or saved it.

Led by strong performances by senior Sammie Trone, juniors Stephanie Bruns and Alexa Wagoner, freshman Lauren Ciccone and goalkeeper Taylor Kerxton, Battlefield avenged an earlier loss to No. 6 Freedom-South Riding, winning, 1-0, in a key Virginia AAA Cedar Run game in Haymarket on Friday evening.

We stayed more compact this time, said Wagoner, an Iona recruit. Last time, we were letting them split and stuff. And everybody worked back, not just the defense, all eleven of us.

Junior forward Sarai Arbus scored the games lone goal in the 11th minute when she took advantage of a defensive lapse and fired a shot from the top of the penalty box.

From there, the Battlefield defense clamped down. Kerxton, a Wake Forest recruit, made smart plays and quick saves on balls. Wagoner and Bruns had several key takeaways to end threats by Freedom-South Riding (11-1-2, 5-0-1). They even withstood a near-six minute stretch in which they were a player down to close the victory.

We lost a few good players [from last season], Wagoner said. And we got some good new ones, three came in from different schools, and we got some good freshmen. So I think were on the same page. Hopefully we can get as far.

After tearing through its regular season schedule last spring, Battlefield (10-1-2, 6-1-2) surprised some by reaching the AAA semifinals, playing its closest games in the playoffs. This season in a revamped Cedar District that added tough teams such as Broad Run (winners of the past four AA titles), Freedom-South Riding (from the AA Dulles District) and new school Patriot the Bobcats have already faced several tests throughout the season. Its preparation that may help them make an even deeper run in the playoffs.

Our district is a lot better this year, obviously, Wagoner said. So I think were getting that competition in this year early. So it may be better.

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Girls’ soccer: Battlefield beats Freedom-South Riding, 1-0

Press freedom, essential in any functioning democratic society, is clearly under threat in Malaysia.

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Press Freedom Deteriorating

World Press Freedom Day marks the anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration, a statement of free press principles drawn up by African newspaper journalists in 1991.

In 1993 the United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day in order to raise awareness of the importance of press freedom and to remind governments of their duty to uphold the right to freedom of expression. The date was chosen to mark the anniversary of the 1991 Windhoek Declaration.

Like the rest of the world, sub-Saharan Africa has experienced a notable expansion of media pluralism in recent years. The number of online newspapers that have burst on to the scene are just one example and in general African media consumers now have a much wider choice to turn to in their search for information. Tools enabling the instant dissemination of information, such as the microblogging service Twitter have become commonplace. But there are also many African countries in which independent media outlets and journalists still face harassment and violence in a bid to silence them.

Muzzling the press is still frequent in Africa

"Eritrea is absolutely the worst place for journalists, according to Ambroise Pierre, head of the Africa desk at Reporters Without Borders. In the organization's latest Press Freedom Ranking, issued annually on World Press Freedom Day, Eritrea occupies bottom place in the list of 179 countries surveyed. This does not surprise Pierre, since the Eritrean government abolished freedom of the press 10 years ago. Today, journalists work for the state media and have to print what the Ministry of Information tells them. Anyone who tries to defy the state lands in jail, he said.

Award for Ethiopian journalist

It's a similar story in neighboring Ethiopia. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), about 150 Ethiopian journalists live in exile, more than from any other country in the world. One who chose to stay is Eskinder Nega. He's currently in jail, charged with inciting terrorism, and could face the death penalty. Nega was arrested after he wrote articles questioning the arrest of journalists and actor Debebe Eshetu. Previously Nega and his wife, Serkalem Fasil, were jailed for their coverage of a disputed election.

Nega has just been awarded a press freedom prize by PEN America, a branch of PEN International which promotes intellectual cooperation between writers and freedom of expression. His wife accepted the prize on his behalf in a ceremony in New York on Tuesday.

On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, Somali radio journalist Farhan James Abdulle was shot dead as he was returning home in the village of Garsor. The 27 year-old is the fifth journalist to be killed in Somalia this year.

Media under threat in Nigeria

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Press freedom in Africa