Today marks a turning point in the freedom struggle.

A group of people from a newspaper that has been three times bombed by State terrorists, that has been harrassed illegally and under colour of false law, that has seen journos imprisoned, assaulted, lied about and defamed stood upto the anuZ regime and challenged its Mafia hoodlum mentality and exposed it and its Mafia hoodlum judges before the bar of local and international opinion.

The regime's Grand Inquisitor slapped the paper down and the world erupted in protest.

Obasanjo kicked dust together with Howard.

Pressmen across the globe shouted out in solidarity with their brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe.

So did ordinary people everywhere.

I was never more proud to be a Zimbabwean than today.

The paper will return to the streets.

The regime has backed off for the moment, a snarling dog with its tail between its legs.

In years to come the battle waged by the Daily News will be remembered as the day the idea of freedom won a spiritual victory in Zimbabwe.

Sithi:

BAYEEEEETHE!

Could this be noted as the last desperate kicks of a desperate regime that is hanging onto power desperately.

These are the worrying times for them

Eventuallly the balance of power will shift towards the people.

This is part of the process of marching towards total freedom.

May the Daily News continue to tell it like it is!

One can only hope that the ongoing attempt to destroy one sober, reputable and principled journal voice in a country lurching to hell will serve to galvanize the international community in bringing fresher and sharper pressures to bear against Mugabe.

One can only hope that if the Daily News dies journalists who have an eye for big stories and real news will lift the torch of freedom again.