A German national newspaper, Die Welt, is to appear Monday with an empty front page as a gesture for media freedom, dpa reported. The Axel Springer publishing house said Sunday it had donated all the space under the masthead to the Reporters Without Borders organization, which would leave most of it blank with just a small text about the journalists' defence group. Monday has been declared World Press Freedom Day by the United Nations. "Press freedom is vital for the survival of democracy," said Jan- Eric Peters, editor of the conservative newspaper. A tabloid version of the paper, Welt Kompakt, will also have its front page empty. -- SPA
