Zimbabwe's new prime minister today blamed the arrest of one of his top aides on factions who want to destroy the country's coalition government.

Hopes of a smooth transition for Zimbabwe's power-sharing government were dashed today when a leading member of the party opposing president Robert Mugabe was arrested.

Police raided Zimbabwe’s opposition party’s headquarters and took away about 60 people following its decision to withdraw from a run-off election against Robert Mugabe.

Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe accused the Zimbabwe opposition of lying over political violence to justify claims that next week’s presidential run-off vote will not be free and fair, the official media reported today.

The African Union called on Zimbabwe to respect its citizens’ human rights today as it emerged that two opposition activists seeking medical treatment abroad after being beaten by police were among three detained trying to leave the country.

LAST week friends of Olunkunle Eluhanla, a 16-year old boy deported by the Government, picketed outside the Dáil.

The Cork man who was killed in a car crash near Clonakilty this morning has been named by the gardai as Roy Bennett.