Police defy court order allowing newspaper to reopen - Zimbabwe

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Police defied a judge's order Thursday to allow the country's only independent daily newspaper to resume publishing, a lawyer for the paper's owners said.

Earlier Thursday, High Court Judge Younis Omerjee had also ordered police to return confiscated equipment and allow evicted staff back into their offices.

Police shut down the Daily News last Friday for failing to register under the strict media laws imposed by President Robert Mugabe's government. Police evicted the staff, removed the newspapers computers and occupied its offices and printing plant since Friday.

Gugulethu Moyo, legal adviser for the Associated Newspaper group, the Daily News owners, said police prevented staff from returning to work in the paper's downtown Harare offices after Mr. Omerjee's ruling.

http://theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030919.wzimb0918/BNStory/International/

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1. Britain slams Daily's ban

London - The British government on Saturday condemned Zimbabwe's decision to ban the country's only independent daily newspaper, saying it was an attempt to silence critics of Robert Mugabe's regime.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the ban "is further illustration of the government of Zimbabwe's flagrant disregard for the rule of law and basic rights, particularly freedom of expression".

Zimbabwe's government-appointed media commission on Saturday formally banned the Daily News, denying it registration to publish under strict new media laws. The newspaper, which has a a daily readership of more than 940 000, said it would take legal action to challenge the media rules imposed by Mugabe's government.

http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Zimbabwe/0,,2-11-259_1419167,00.html