PRESS freedom around the world has deteriorated over the past year, with an alarming number of journalists killed or in prison. The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) said 41 journalists had lost their lives so far this year and 119 were in jail.

Despite this gloomy picture, Ghana is considered as one of the three countries on the African continent with the highest level of press freedom.

WAN criticised the situation of media rights in Africa and large parts of Asia, singling out China, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Nepal and Zimbabwe.

Its annual report - released as the association gathers in Moscow for a conference - also highlighted Russia, where four journalists have been killed this year.

The United States also got a mention.

Some US media came in for criticism for overly patriotic coverage following the September 11 attacks and the US-led war against terrorism.

Colombia remained the most dangerous country for media professionals, with 10 dead by November 1, while Mexico and the Philippines took third and fourth place after Russia, WAN said.

Independent media and inquisitive journalists were particularly under threat in several African nations, the report said.

"Eritrea and Zimbabwe have launched a real war against journalists and independent media, resorting to daily arrests, prosecution, harassment, and censorship," it said.

Press freedom was also a big concern in sub-Saharan African countries such as Togo, Rwanda and Ivory Coast, where the civil war had worsened working conditions, WAN said.

"These depressing statistics should not, however, hide certain positive breakthroughs, like in Benin and Ghana, probably the two countries on the African continent, together with South Africa, with the highest level of press freedom."

The Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, where authorities have waged a harsh crackdown on a Maoist insurgency, had the most jailed journalists with a count of 24.

There was "still no press freedom" in China, the report said.

Myanmar, Vietnam and Bangladesh remained either "dangerous or repressive" places to work in media.

The Paris-based WAN, which represents the newspaper industry worldwide, seeks to defend and promote press freedom.

Seventy-one national newspaper associations belong to the group, as well as 13 news agencies and nine regional and worldwide press groups.