Police raid Zimbabwe paper

The paper is opposed to a controversial media law

Police have raided the offices of Zimbabwe's only independent daily newspaper and confiscated computers and other equipment.

The popular Daily News was shut down on Friday shortly after losing a court case over strict government media laws.

The Supreme Court ruled that the paper had operated illegally by refusing to register with the government-appointed Media and Information Commission (MIC).

The paper's lawyer says the police have no warrant and are acting illegally.

On Monday, the Daily News filed an application to register with the MIC, but newspaper executives are gloomy about the prospects of reopening soon.

They are determined to shut us down Sam Nkomo

Newspapers have not been appearing on the streets and the website has the message: "We apologise for the inconvenience. The Daily News will be back online as soon as possible."

Daily News chief executive Sam Nkomo, told AP news agency that they wanted to confiscate all their property.

"They want to take everything that is relevant to publishing. They are determined to shut us down," he said.

The governemnt action is being seen by many Zimbabweans as a way of silencing the independent press and its criticism of President Robert Mugabe's authoritarian rule.

The newspaper refused to register with the MIC on a point of principle, after media laws were introduced following President Mugabe's re-election in 2002.

More than a dozen journalists have been charged under the media law.

Among them were several Daily News reporters and a correspondent for Britain's Guardian newspaper who was later deported.

Commonwealth row

The closure of the Daily News is also a blow to the opposition and has been condemned around the world.

The governments of the United Kingdom and United States have criticised the action and the Commonwealth warned it could prompt tougher action against President Robert Mugabe's government.

A row is brewing over Mugabe attending the Commonwealth summit

On Monday, Australia said that it welcomed assurances that President Mugabe would be barred from attending the Commonwealth summit in Nigeria in December.

A spokesman for Australian Prime Minister John Howard said the Commonwealth Secretary General, Don McKinnon had confirmed that Mr Mugabe will not be at the summit.

Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth last year, after Mr Mugabe was re-elected president amid allegations of widespread vote-rigging and continued human rights abuses.

South Africa has led calls by some African countries for the Commonwealth to lift its sanctions on Zimbabwe and on Tuesday warned Australia not to conduct "megaphone diplomacy" over Zimbabwe.