Most countries in Asia see decline in press freedom
Voice of America
FILE - In a sign of protest against the police using force against the media, press photographers wear protective gear during a police media conference in Hong Kong, Sept. 9, 2019. Once a model for press freedom in the Asia region, Hong Kong's ranking has plummeted. FILE - Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai pauses during an interview in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020.
Global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, says press freedom in Asia continues to see a decline, with 26 out of 31 countries falling on its annual index.
FILE - The U.S. Department of Justice seal in Washington, Nov. 28, 2018. The Justice Department said on Sept. 21, 2023, that a contractor for the U.S. government who is originally from Ethiopia was arrested on espionage charges. FILE - A person types on a laptop keyboard in North Andover, Mass., June 19, 2017.
In this picture released by the Israeli army on May 16, 2024, Israeli troops work to connect a U.S.-built floating pier to the shore. The new entry point will allow more humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip. FILE - In this photo provided by the U.S. Central Command and taken on April 26, 2024, construction work continues on the floating pier in the Mediterranean Sea.
Burnt-out cars are seen in the parking lot of the old hospital on the outskirts of Noumea, French territory of New Caledonia, May 16, 2024. French gendarmes patrol the streets in Noumea, New Caledonia, May, 16, 2024. FILE - French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with a traditional dancer during a customary ceremony in his honour in Touho, north of New Caledonia, July 25, 2023. France's President Emmanuel Macron (C) chairs a security and defence council at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, May 16, 2024, after three nights of clashes in France's riot-struck Pacific territory of New Caledonia protest.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to the public as he returns after filing his nomination papers to contest as a candidate for the parliamentary elections in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh state, India, May 14, 2024. Pavni Mishra, right, and Satvik Sharma, left, are students at Delhi University. (Anjana Pasricha/VOA) Amaldev K., a student at Delhi University, (Anjana Pasricha/VOA)