Reuters correspondent Shapi Shacinda, Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondent and Zambia Independent Media Association (ZIMA) Chairperson Dickson Jere, BBC correspondent Penny Dale, "Post" newspaper assistant news editor Amos Malupenga and Radio Phoenix reporter Wendy Mpolokoso were prevented from entering the Lusaka Chikwa Magistrate's court to cover former president Frederick Chiluba's court appearance on charges of "theft by a public servant".

On 24 February 2003, Information and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister Webster Chipili threatened Radio Icengelo, a Catholic-owned station in Kitwe, with closure, saying it risks losing its broadcast licence if it continues to be used as a mouthpiece for opposition political parties.

The former president of Zambia Frederick Chiluba was escorted to a police station and questioned by anti-corruption officers last week over claims that he looted millions of pounds - possibly hundreds of millions - from state coffers.

In a landmark decision, Zambia's Supreme Court has ruled that parliament acted legally and properly last year in removing the immunity of former president Frederick Chiluba. This means that Mr Chiluba no longer enjoys protection from the law as guaranteed in the constitution and paves the way for an imminent arrest on charges of corruption.

Chali Nondo, a journalist from "The Monitor" newspaper, was released on police bond on 10 February 2003, (local time), after spending about three hours in police custody. On 5 February, Nondo was detained on a charge of "publishing false news with intent to cause fear and alarm to the public".

THE French government has released a 1.5million euros grant to the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) for the preservation of the Zambezi River resource and promotion of tourism in the area.

President Levy Mwanawasa has called on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) not to force Zambia to complete the privatisation of key public firms, the state-run Times of Zambia reported on Tuesday.

Controversy has erupted over President Levy Mwanawasa's decision to appoint key opposition members of parliament (MPs) to his cabinet, a move that critics say is a breach of Zambian law and designed to weaken his opponents.

In the last five years, governance concerns have begun to move up the agenda in development. The multilaterals were among the last to change. What do we mean by governance? In simple terms, governance means openness, participation, accountability, help for the poor and achieving the common good. In Zambia, governance concerns have at various times in the past led to the withholding of bilateral support and most recently has led to debate over Zambia's agreement with the IMF.

On 5 February 2003, police arrested Chali Nondo, chief reporter of "The Monitor" newspaper, and charged him with "publishing false news with intent to cause fear and alarm to the public". The journalist is being held at Woodlands police station in Lusaka and has been denied bond. The Inter-African Network for Human Rights and Development (AFRONET) has strongly condemned the police action. Their statement on the arrest is available through the web link provided.

Pressure is mounting on Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa to step down and call fresh elections following damaging testimony before the Supreme Court suggesting electoral fraud helped him into office last year.

Zambia will offer thousands of hectares of free farmland in a bid to end persistent food shortages and encourage agricultural exports, finance ministry officials said this week.

Zambia is slated to receive more than K 420.4 million for AIDS programmes from the Global Fund on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.

The Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) has secured relief commodities from its cooperating partners amounting to $190,000, (about K5 billion) for distribution.

Police picked up three journalists from the privately owned Monitor newspaper for questioning, in connection with a story the newspaper published in its October 18-21, 2002 edition. The story links Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa's brother, Harry Mwanawasa, to corruption.

UNDP has helped transform strained relations between the Zambian Government and civil society into productive dialogue on the national poverty reduction strategy and other development issues.

President Levy Mwanawasa says his New Deal Government is unable to complete phase two of a magistrates court complex because of financial constraints and appealed to cooperating partners to assist. Mr Mwanawasa said it was Government’s wish that the project was fully completed as designed, but lacked the capacity to embark on the construction of phase II which required US$2 million dollars.

A tripartite agreement has been signed with the governments of Rwanda and Zambia to begin the voluntary return by air of more than 5,000 Rwandan refugees in Zambia, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported last Friday.

Zambia faces a "daunting outlook" for 2003 with expectations of another poor harvest, says a report from the office of the UN Resident Coordinator. The food crisis was brought about by a consecutive drop in food production in 2002 (down 40 percent on the previous five year average), due to drought. By the middle of 2002 inflation was at 23.7 percent and the national currency, the kwacha, had depreciated by 14 percent.

Former Zambian Finance Minister Katele Kalumba, who has been on the run from his country's authorities since last October, has been arrested by police in connection with investigations of the plunder of national resources. Kalumba was arrested Tuesday in the northern border town of Chiengi, near the Democratic Republic of Congo.