Zimbabwe Paper Stops Publishing

Zimbabwe's only independent daily newspaper, the Daily News, stopped publication yesterday after the country's supreme court stated that it was a crime to publish a newspaper or work as a journalist without a government-issued licence.

Further repression against the independent press is expected following the ruling by Zimbabwe's highest court which upheld President Robert Mugabe's severe press law.

Legal experts said editors could be sentenced to two years in jail for working without a licence.

The decision of the Daily News to stop publishing was "the first sign of the chilling effect" of the supreme court's decision, said Iden Wetherell, chairman of the Zimbabwe National Editors' Forum.

"This is a dark day for Zimbabwe's media, especially for the outspoken, independent press," said Mr Wetherell, the editor of the weekly Zimbabwe Independent.

The Daily News is Zimbabwe's most popular newspaper with a readership of 1 million. It is the country's only daily newspaper that gives voice to the opposition and to civic society.

Mr Mugabe's government has sought to crack down on press criticism since his disputed re-election in 2002.