The president of Zambia has died in a London hospital, according to reports.

RUPIAH BANDA, a pro-business centrist, was sworn in as Zambia’s president yesterday after a narrow election win, but the main opposition party said it would challenge the result in court.

US president George Bush led tributes to Zambia’s President Levy Mwanawasa, who broke the African tradition of silence and solidarity among leaders to denounce neighbouring Zimbabwe’s economic ruin.

PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa, a trenchant critic of Robert Mugabe who won praise for his handling of Zambia’s inflation-prone economy, died yesterday in hospital in France aged 59.

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was greeted with hugs at an African summit today, a sign that African leaders won’t shun him despite Western demands they take a tough stance over his re-election in a tainted vote.