free

Bahrain, on its own, is ranked as the freest economy in the Mena region besides boasting a rich cultural heritage and history, tropical climate with some beautiful little islands and a multi-cultural, cosmopolitan lifestyle.

Meanwhile, Chile ranks as the freest economy in Latin America, according to the Heritage Foundation, and it is among the three freest countries in terms of civil rights and political liberties, according to Freedom House.

However, as deportations of journalists continue in Yemen, local journalists have been witness to the freest press environment in the country since the arrest and imprisonment of journalist Abdul-Elah Haidar Shaye.

2 percent of voters have backed constitutional changes in what was the freest vote in Egypt in more than half a century, but opponents say the result give an unfair advantage to Islamist-dominant entities such as the Muslim Brotherhood and the former ruling National Democratic Party.

He alone, with the Virgin Mary, kept Poland the freest country in the Soviet Bloc.

Hong Kong continues to top the world as the freest economy, but runner-up Singapore is catching up fast with a strong anti-corruption effort and financial freedom, according to a poll released Wednesday.

4 point higher than last year's assessment, making the Turkish economy the 67th freest in the world.

However, those gains were not enough for it to mount a strong challenge to Bahrain, named the freest Middle East economy, in 10th place globally, with a score of 77.

Reports this week say the UAE has been rated as the fiscally freest economy in the world (jointly with Kuwait).

But one would be hard pressed to find any Iraqis -- Sunni, Shia or Kurd -- who do not cherish their ability to criticize without fear inside the Arab world's freest democracy.

Although Lebanon is home to the freest and most diverse media in the Arab world, its newspapers, news websites and television channels regularly play into the country's deep-seated political and sectarian schisms.

HK ranked "World's Freest" for 16th time The Heritage Foundation ranked HK as the world's freest economy for the 16th consecutive year in its 2010 Index of Economic Freedom published last week.

continues to enjoy a strong position - ranked as the 8th freest economy in the world - but lost 2.

Bahrain has been ranked as the 13th freest economy in the world, and the most free in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.

The country with the world's best labour regulations and among the 20 freest economies worldwide, the only Gulf economy to register an upward trend, Fraser Institute's Economic Freedom of the World 2009 (September, 2009);