Zimbabwe seeks new ban on paper

Daily News has been a long-term critic of the government

Zimbabwe's High Court is due to hear the first of two government requests to stop the only privately-owned newspaper from publishing later on Friday.

The Daily News hit the streets on Thursday for the second time since being banned last September and was again published on Friday.

The paper went on sale after a court ordered the police to leave its office.

The Daily News, Zimbabwe's best-selling paper, has been a persistent critic of President Robert Mugabe's government.

The media commission, responsible for licensing newspapers under a tough new media law, filed an urgent application to stop the Daily News from publishing late on Thursday, the paper's legal advisor Gugulethu Moyo told BBC News Online.

'Disturbing'

This is due to be heard at 1430 GMT on Friday, she said, while Information Minister Jonathan Moyo had filed a separate application seeking to have the paper declared illegal for using unaccredited journalists.

A date has not yet been set for this hearing.

DAILY NEWS TIMELINE 1999: Launched 2000-2001: Editors, journalists arrested several times Jan 2001: Printing press bombed 2002: New media law passed July 2003: Appeals against media law Sep 2003: Closed 24 Oct 2003: Court rules newspaper should be licensed 25 October: Back on the streets, closed again 19 Dec 2003: Court ruling upheld, police occupy building 21 Jan 2004: Court orders police out 22 Jan: Daily News back on sale

"It's disturbing psychologically but we're trying to focus on getting the paper out," she said.

The paper was again snapped up by curious readers on Friday morning, AFP news agency reports.

Ms Moyo said the government had never explained to the courts why it was in the public interest to close the paper.

The government has accused the Daily News and other privately-owned papers of being biased in favour of the opposition.

The police had been occupying the Daily News offices and printing press since September 2003, when it was closed for operating without a licence.

Under tough new media laws passed after Mr Mugabe's controversial re-election in 2002, newspapers need government permission to operate and all journalists must be accredited.

Since opening in 1999, the Daily News has seen its editors arrested on several occasions and its printing press was bombed in January 2001.

The government controls Zimbabwe's two other daily newspapers and all television and radio stations.