Zimbabweans will start exchanging ‘quadrillions’ of local dollars for a few US dollars next week, as president Robert Mugabe’s government discards its virtually worthless national currency, the central bank said.

Inflation-hit Zimbabwe released a new Z$50bn note today, enough to buy three newspapers in the nation’s ruined economy.

ZIMBABWE’S highest court yesterday barred from voting in the general election later this month 3.4 million citizens living abroad.