Harare - An outbreak of cholera, the deadly diarrhoeal disease that doctors say has claimed dozens of lives in crisis-hit Zimbabwe in recent weeks, has spread to the city's crowded townships, state media reported Thursday.

One person died in the city's Budiriro township and 20 more from across the city were being treated for the disease in hospital, the state-controlled Herald newspaper reported. Some of the cases are from areas very close to the city centre.

The death brings to 121 the number to have died of the disease this year, according to the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR).

Manila - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday urged African leaders to take "very decisive" steps to end a standoff between Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

The 15-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) has called for an urgent summit to end the deadlock between Mugabe and Tsvangirai over a unity government aimed at ending Zimbabwe's political crisis.

Stockholm - An Anglican bishop from Zimbabwe was Tuesday named winner of a Swedish human rights prize for "having given voice to the fight against oppression."

Bishop Sebastian Bakare was also cited for his work to promote "freedom of speech and of opinion in a difficult political situation."

He was due to accept the 2008 Per Anger prize at a ceremony in Stockholm on November 10, Johan Perwe of the government agency Living History Forum told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Bakare, installed as bishop of Harare earlier this year, was also due to be keynote speaker at a human rights conference in Lulea, northern Sweden.

Harare, Johannesburg - Zimbabwean riot police broke up two demonstrations by hundreds of women and students Monday outside a hotel in Harare where talks were under way to salvage a crucial power-sharing deal.

The police used force to disperse at least 300 women activists, who were calling for President Robert Mugabe and prime minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai to quickly form a unity government to allow for the rebuilding of the tattered economy.

At least 11 women were treated for injuries after being beaten by the police and 47 were arrested, according to the Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe.

Harare/Johannesburg - Dozens of women activists were arrested in the Zimbabwean capital Harare Monday for protesting over the suffering caused by a severe economic crisis.

Riot police broke up a demonstration by at least 300 women from the Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe outside a hotel, where southern African leaders were meeting to discuss Zimbabwe's political impasse with the country's rival leaders.

Harare - New talks aimed at salvaging Zimbabwe's power-sharing deal were due to get underway in Harare Monday, amid fears the Movement for Democratic Change of prime minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai could pull out of the agreement.

South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, his predecessor Thabo Mbeki, who is mediating in Zimbabwe, and Swaziland's King Mswati III arrived in the Zimbabwean capital Monday for talks with Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe.