Terming it as a "dark year" for press with 51 journalists having lost their lives in the line of duty so far, the World Association of Newspapers has claimed that Asia was the worst region in the world for practising journalism. Over 500 journalists have also been arrested during 2005.

Asia remained the worst region in the world for practising journalism, considering the number of news persons prosecuted, lack of independent media outlets, and government repression of press freedom, the association said.

"The suffocation of independent media continues unabated in many countries around the world. The governments of Nepal, China, Cuba, Belarus and Zimbabwe persist in their relentless onslaught against the media," the association said.

Iraq remains a deadly place for journalism. Eight journalists have been murdered in the past six months, bringing the total number for 2005 to 19.

"Silence from North Korea, Eritrea, Libya and Turkmenistan sends an explicit message concerning the state of the media behind their fortified walls," the report on freedom of press said.

The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18,000 newspapers. Its membership includes 72 national newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 11 news agencies and nine regional and world-wide press groups.