Police defy court order at newspaper

HARARE, Zimbabwe, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Zimbabwe police Friday defied a court order and prevented staff from entering the country's only independent daily newspaper to resume operations.

The Daily News has been shut down for a week for failing to register under strict media laws. The paper had been highly critical of President Robert Mugabe and officials say the media laws are designed to stifle the press.

Newspaper executive Samuel Nkomo said the paper's lawyers would file contempt of court orders. Nkomo told the BBC the newspapers confiscated equipment -- including 120 computers -- had yet to be returned and no edition would be published Friday, nor would online service resume.