ZIMBABWE’S opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) may boycott a meeting to discuss a constitutional bill that would allow President Robert Mugabe to form a unity government, an opposition official said.

Zimbabwe’s neighbours will hold a summit to try to resolve the southern African nation’s power-sharing impasse.

South African leaders tonight urged negotiators to build on the basis for a power-sharing agreement to resolve the political crisis in Zimbabwe.

Senior negotiators from Zimbabwe’s main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and the ruling ZANU-PF party began talks yesterday and a report indicated they were close to reaching a deal on forming a unity government.

South African President Thabo Mbeki announced plans to work closely with the UN and the African Union as he attempts to mediate a settlement in Zimbabwe.

White farmers protesting over their land being seized were attacked by Robert Mugabe’s supporters the same day he was sworn in as Zimbabwe’s president, it emerged today.

The presidential run-off pitting President Robert Mugabe against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will not be held in the next few weeks as required by law, the head of the electoral commission said in an interview published today.

Southern African leaders met urgently today to address the deepening crisis over Zimbabwe’s contentious presidential election, but had little chance to put pressure on President Robert Mugabe, who skipped the emergency summit.

Gordon Brown upped the pressure on Robert Mugabe over Zimbabwe’s presidential election today, demanding the results be published immediately.

FOLLOWING the disputed elections in Kenya, in which approximately 1,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands were displaced from their homes and livelihoods, there is still no functioning Kenyan government.

Political rallies were banned in Zimbabwe from today as the country’s crisis deepened.

THE Zimbabwe opposition’s bid to build up pressure on Robert Mugabe, after disputed polls bore fruit yesterday as plans were unveiled for a weekend summit to discuss the escalating crisis.

Zimbabwe’s presidential spokesman called on African leaders not to punish him for the country’s troubles, repeating Robert Mugabe’s charges that the West was to blame.

Southern African leaders will begin emergency talks in Tanzania today on the political turmoil in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe’s political turmoil is to top the agenda at an emergency meeting of southern Africa leaders in Tanzania.

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe said today he took “great exception” to the support given by Western nations to what he called violent opposition politics in his southern African nation.

More than 10 million people in six southern African countries are in urgent need of food and other help after another year of erratic rainfall, UN agencies and the Southern African Development Community said.

More than 10 million people in six southern African countries are in urgent need of food and other help after another year of erratic rainfall, UN agencies and the Southern African Development Community said today.

FIVE years of violence, intimidation, voting irregularities and restrictive legislation have slanted Zimbabwe’s electoral playing field in favour of President Robert Mugabe, Human Rights Watch said in a report issued yesterday.

Zimbabwe’s main opposition Movement for Democratic Change said today that it will boycott all future elections until Zimbabwe’s government reforms unfair electoral laws, ends political violence and repeals repressive media and security laws.

Reducing trade barriers and fighting the spread of HIV top the list of issues leaders from a southern African trade bloc plan to discuss at their annual summit.

The Southern African Development Community has accused the Zimbabwean Government of failing to create free and fair conditions for last weekend's presidential election.

Southern Africa tried today to resolve a deadlock between Zimbabwe and the European Union over the deployment of election observers.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe says he will ensure March's presidential elections are free and fair.

Southern African leaders are gathering in the Malawian business centre to seek ways of ending wars in Congo and Angola and turmoil in Zimbabwe, where ruling party militants have seized hundreds of white-owned farms.