Harare- Talks on the fiercely disputed sharing of cabinet posts between Zimbabwean President Mugabe's Zanu-PF party and Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) resumed Thursday amid conflicting signs of progress.

Mugabe was the last to arrive at the talks venue, keeping Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, leader of a small offshoot of the MDC who is also involved, waiting for about two hours. He told reporters that he was no longer sure the negotiations would end Thursday.

Harare - The world marked the United Nations' first Global Hand-Washing Day Wednesday but in Zimbabwe, where a severe economic crisis has made clean water a precious commodity, handwashing can be downright risky.

The UN introduced the day to highlight the importance of handwashing to prevent disease in a world in which about half the population does not have access to safe water.

In parts of the Zimbabwean capital Harare residents go for more than three weeks without tap water, because the government of President Robert Mugabe is short on cash to pay for water purification chemicals.

Harare - Riot police broke up a student demonstration in Harare, injuring at least four people and arresting three Tuesday, in the first such incident of police violence since the signing of a power-sharing agreement by Zimbabwe's political protagonists a month ago.

The attack on the peaceful demonstration took place just as former South African president Thabo Mbeki began mediating to try and rescue the agreement from collapse after President Robert Mugabe at the

Harare - A month after he clinched a power-sharing deal between Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his arch-rival Morgan Tsvangirai, former South African president Thabo Mbeki was back in Zimbabwe Tuesday to broker talks aimed at salvaging the accord.

Mbeki is to meet with Mugabe and Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) about the deadlock between their parties on the formation of a unity government, as agreed in the September 15 deal.

Mbeki, who is accompanied by two negotiators, will also meet with MDC splinter faction leader Arthur Mutambara, who is the third party to the deal.

Harare - Attempts to settle Zimbabwe's political crisis appeared to be shattered Saturday after President Robert Mugabe allocated all the incoming power-sharing government's critical portfolios to his Zanu-PF party.

The move was denounced immediately by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party with whom Mugabe has been deadlocked over cabinet posts for nearly a month, as "unilateral."

Harare, Oct. 11 : Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has violated his ZANU-PF party''''s power-sharing deal with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai by allocating the three important portfolios of defence, home affairs and finance to members of his party.

According to The Telegraph, Mugabe and Tsvangirai have been deadlocked over how to share key ministries and have agreed to call in Thabo Mbeki, the former South African president, to mediate the crisis. Mbeki''''s spokesman said he would travel to Harare on Monday.