HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- A Zimbabwe High Court judge is trying to take the country's first lady to court, accusing her of using political muscle to wrest from him a farm he was given during the land seizures.

Judge says Grace Mugabe, pictured with her husband, effectively took his farm by force.

The matter has not been given a date, however, amid reports that other judges have been refusing to hear it.

High Court Judge Ben Hlatshwayo is suing a company owned by Grace Mugabe, wife of President Robert Mugabe, for grabbing Gwina Farm in Banket, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of Harare. The farm is near Mugabe's rural home.

The judge said he acquired the farm in December 2002 as part of President Mugabe's controversial land grabs, in which Mugabe took land from white commercial farmers and distributed it to black Zimbabweans.

In an affidavit, filed at the High Court in Harare, the judge said the "unlawful conduct" by Grace Mugabe's company, Gushungo Holdings, amounted to spoilation -- or taking of the farm by force.

He said emissaries of the first lady have been visiting the farm frequently and issuing instructions to workers, according to court documents.

"There is clearly no lawful basis for such interference, which conduct, by its very nature, amounts to spoliation," Hlatshwayo wrote in the papers.

Lands and Resettlement Minister Didymus Mutasa said the judge had been given alternative land as compensation for the farm that Grace Mugabe wants to have. Mutasa opposes the judge's affidavit.

Hlatshwayo said he had been operating his farm in "quiet, undisturbed, peaceful possession, occupation and production" since it was allocated to him.

Since the land grabs, Zimbabwe has been facing acute shortages of food that critics say is a result of Mugabe giving the land to inexperienced peasant farmers. But Mugabe blames the West for the shortages, saying Western countries are sabotaging him after he took the land for his people.

Mugabe says the land reform was meant to reverse colonial imbalances remaining after British rule.

The legal wrangle comes after Grace Mugabe was accused of assaulting a journalist in Hong Kong who wanted to take photos of her while she was on a shopping spree.

Lawmakers were supposed to debate a bill next week for a constitutional amendment that would create the new posts called for under the deal, including the post of prime minister for opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

The delay could prolong the country's political and economic crisis.

The delay comes a day after the MDC accused Mugabe's ZANU-PF of backtracking on the implementation of a power-sharing deal the party signed with Tsvangirai in September.

Tsvangirai agreed last week to join the unity government if "outstanding issues" were addressed.

While government officials could not be reached for comment, Zimbabwean Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa was quoted by the state media as saying the delay in debate on the constitutional-amendment bill would push back next week's deadline.

A coalition government is seen by many as a panacea to halt the meltdown of Zimbabwe's economy. The country is also facing its worst humanitarian crisis, with acute shortages of all essentials such as fuel, food, electricity and public-health delivery system.

A ravaging cholera outbreak has affected 65,000 people and claimed close to 3,500 lives since its outbreak in August.

What is the judge accusing Mugabe of?
what were teh accusations
who was sued in Zimbabwe
What formation is being delayed?

Answer: using political muscle to wrest from him a farm he was given during the land seizures.

Answer: using political muscle to wrest from him a farm he was given during the land seizures.

Answer: Grace Mugabe,

Answer: a constitutional amendment that would create the new posts called for under the deal,

Summary:
Zimbabwe High Court judge sues country's first lady over seized farm .
Judge accuses Grace Mugabe of using political muscle to wrest from him farm .
Judge said he acquired farm in 2002 as part of controversial land grabs .
Formation of Zimbabwe unity government delayed as debate postponed .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- A desperate Zimbabwean farmer fighting to hold onto his land -- a year after the country's political rivals pledged to govern jointly -- fears he will eventually lose to politics and violence. Ben Freeth's farm was gutted by fire, as was his father-in-law's. The power-sharing agreement included an undertaking by both parties to ensure property rights are upheld but farm attacks and invasions continue unabated in Zimbabwe. Charles Lock is one of an estimated 400 farmers who have remained in the country despite President Robert Mugabe's policy of redistributing white-owned farms to landless blacks. "Why do they want to remove me when I've complied with everything they want? What more do they want other than for me to pack my bags and leave and if that's the case, then admit that that is the policy. Pass a law: no whites are allowed to farm. Then it makes it clear," Lock said. Since 2000, Mugabe's controversial land reform program has driven more than 4,000 commercial farmers off their land, destroying Zimbabwe's once prosperous agricultural sector. "When the land reform program began, we decided we were not going to have a confrontational attitude; that we would actually go along with this program because it was the only way that this whole thing would be sorted out. So I voluntarily gave away my own farm and moved onto my father-in-law's farm," Lock said. That was in 2002. A year later the government came knocking on his door again, he said, demanding more land. Lock told CNN he eventually gave up 70 percent of his father-in-law's farm, which he then owned. Now an army general is demanding Lock's remaining 30 percent. When Zimbabwe's new unity government was formed -- with Mugabe's ZANU-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change -- in February this year, the general allegedly posted soldiers on Lock's farm. The farmer said he stopped farming and trade at gun point. When CNN visited Lock's farm this month, workers were standing idle. Maize and tobacco, which Lock said is worth more than U.S. $1 million, lay in storage. "They've switched off our irrigation system, taken out keys and stop our trucks if we want to deliver maize," he told CNN. So Lock had to sneak into his own property like a thief by cutting open the gate leading to his store room. He took a few valuables from his workshop suspecting that his whole place will soon be looted. With the formation of a unity government farmers were hoping for some protection but Lock said: "Nothing is happening here. There is no land audit happening, no one comes out here to check, to see. We are just left vulnerable." On another farm, Ben Freeth's fight for his land has just escalated to another level. Freeth has been repeatedly beaten, arrested and harassed. Now his farmhouse and that of his father-in-law have been gutted by a mysterious fire. See the destruction the fire caused Freeth could not say for sure that this is arson but told CNN that the group of ZANU-PF youths who have occupied his farm have repeatedly threatened to burn his house. "One time they came round with burning sacks at night and they started making a huge noise and ringing a great big bell and shouting and screaming. They were going underneath the thatch saying we are going to burn your house down if you don't get out," he said. Freeth and his father-in-law Mike Campbell are among a group of Zimbabwean farmers who won the right to remain on their land at a southern African tribunal. But Mugabe has declared the ruling null and void and pulled out of the tribunal. Farmers cannot contest land issues in Zimbabwe and approaching international courts has thus far not worked either. When CNN interviewed Mugabe's minister of state, Didymas Mutasa, about the disregard for human and property rights on the farms, he blamed

How many commercial farmers were driven off their land since 2000?

White farmers from where battle land redistribution?

how many farmers have been affected since 2000?

Since 2000, how many commercial farmers have been driven off their land?

Who is battling continuing policy of land redistribution?

Answer: redistributing white-owned farms to landless blacks.

Answer: more than

Answer: Zimbabwe

Answer: 4,000

Answer: to hold onto his land

Answer: 4,000

Answer: President Robert Mugabe's policy of redistributing white-owned farms to landless blacks.

Answer: 400 farmers

Answer: workers were standing idle.

Summary:
Zimbabwe white farmers battle continuing policy of land redistribution .
One farmer shows CNN his fire-destroyed farmhouse .
Controversial policy gives white-owned farms to landless blacks .
Since 2000, more than 4,000 commercial farmers driven off their land .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- A power-sharing deal has been reached between Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, South African President Thabo Mbeki said. Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, left, and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Mbeki, who mediated the talks in Harare for the Southern African Development Community, said the deal would be signed Monday but did not give details of the agreement. Zimbabwe has had no Cabinet since the March presidential election that started the impasse. Opposition lawmakers booed and heckled Mugabe when he spoke at the opening of the country's parliament August 26. MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai won the most votes in that election, but not enough to avoid a runoff, according to the government's official count. He withdrew from the June 27 runoff days before the vote, saying Mugabe's supporters had waged a campaign of violence and intimidation against opposition supporters. The main sticking point in the talks had been how much power Mugabe would retain. Tsvangirai had said he would sign a deal only if Mugabe gave up some power and his presidency became a ceremonial position. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the agreement, according to a statement released by his spokesperson, and "hopes that this agreement will pave the way for a durable peace and recovery in the country and contribute to rapid improvement in the welfare and human rights of the people of Zimbabwe." The country is also reeling from hyper-inflation. In August, the country's Central Statistical Office said inflation was at 11.2 million percent, the highest in the world. Analysts have said the Zimbabwean government's official inflation rate figures are conservative. One of Zimbabwe's leading banks, Kingdom Bank, said the country's inflation rate was more than 20 million percent. The economic crisis has destroyed Zimbabwe's currency and made it difficult for Zimbabweans to buy basic commodities, electricity, fuel and medicines.

Who is the South African president?
When will the deal be signed?
What did Zimbabwe leaders agree upon?
What are they planning to share?

Answer: Thabo Mbeki

Answer: Monday

Answer: A power-sharing deal

Answer: power-sharing

Summary:
Zimbabwe leaders agree terms for sharing power, South African president says .
Thabo Mbeki, who led mediation talks, said deal will be signed Monday .
Zimbabwe has been in political deadlock since controversial election in June .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- About 220 Zimbabweans congregated outside the U.S. Embassy in Harare on Thursday, seeking refuge from election-related violence, embassy spokesman Mark Weinberg said. People seeking refuge sit on a curb and sidewalk outside the U.S. Embassy in Harare on Thursday. By evening, embassy officials were moving "most of the women and children into safe houses," and were trying to get water and blankets for the growing crowd, Weinberg said. Some of the refuge-seekers, identifying themselves as supporters of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change, said militia members supporting President Robert Mugabe's party destroyed their homes or were hunting them because of their affiliation, according to a journalist at the scene. CNN is not identifying the reporter for security reasons. The journalist said the refuge-seekers, some holding their possessions, sat outside the building Thursday afternoon, waiting to be addressed by a U.S. Embassy official. A few of the people had bandaged wounds, according to the reporter. "The people I can see right now look very miserable, dejected, confused," the reporter said.  Watch the refuge-seekers wait outside the embassy » The MDC has said its members were targeted by supporters of Mugabe during the weeks surrounding March's presidential election and last week's runoff. MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the June 27 runoff, citing violence, intimidation and allegations of vote-rigging. That left Mugabe as the only runoff candidate, allowing him to claim re-election. Tsvangirai himself fled to South Africa for a short time in March during the campaign season, saying he feared for his safety. He also sought refuge in the Dutch Embassy in Harare on June 22, shortly after announcing he was withdrawing from the runoff. He returned to his Harare home this week, a Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Several Western nations denounced the violence and declared Mugabe's runoff victory illegitimate. Reports of violence have continued after the runoff. On Monday, the MDC claimed that a politician from the party was abducted at gunpoint outside a courthouse in the city of Mutare. The assailants, who the MDC said wore military outfits, took Naison Nemadziva, a lawmaker who recently won a seat in parliament against a member of Mugabe's party, the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front. The MDC claimed in a press release that the kidnapping was by supporters of ZANU-PF and that police had not been able to find the lawmaker. This week, a resolution from the African Union in Egypt called for negotiations between Tsvangirai and Mugabe, and some European Union officials have called for a coalition government in Zimbabwe with Tsvangirai as its leader. But Tsvangirai this week said the "conditions prevailing in Zimbabwe ... are not conducive" to negotiations with Mugabe. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Wednesday said Mugabe "has blood on his hands" after the violence leading to the runoff and should step down. Mugabe has been Zimbabwe's only leader since its independence from Britain in 1980, when it was called Rhodesia.

Who were the crowds driven from their homes by?

Who is exploring housing options for refuge-seekers?

Answer: 220 Zimbabweans

Answer: militia members supporting President Robert Mugabe's party

Answer: supporters of the opposition party Movement for Democratic Change,

Answer: embassy officials

Summary:
Embassy spokesman: Officials exploring housing options for refuge-seekers .
U.S. Embassy in Harare: 220 Zimbabweans seeking refuge from violence .
People in crowd say they've been driven from homes by supporters of ruling party .
Country in political crisis since disputed vote in March, presidential runoff last month .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Congestion in Zimbabwe's prisons is set to ease a bit after President Robert Mugabe acceded to pleas by prison authorities to pardon more than 1,500 prisoners. Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has agreed to pardon 1,500 prisoners because of congestion. Mugabe granted the amnesty last month, but the Zimbabwe Prison Service is still identifying 1,544 prisoners to release. Zimbabwe's prisons are congested because the crime rate has escalated due to the country's economic collapse, prison officials have said. A senior justice ministry official told journalists Wednesday that Mugabe's clemency would benefit all convicted female prisoners and juveniles, but excludes criminals facing serious charges including rape or any sexual offenses, carjacking, conspiracy, armed robbery, murder and stock theft. "As a short-term relief option to try and contain some of these challenges seriously and negatively impacting on the effective and efficient administration of prisons, a proposal to have a general amnesty was granted to inmates," said David Mangota, the Justice Ministry permanent secretary, of Mugabe's decision. The country's 42 prisons have a capacity for 13,000 inmates but are currently holding 17,000. As a result, the Prison Service has not been able to supply adequate rations to inmates. In April, a documentary showed half-naked, skeletal prisoners wasting away from hunger and diseases in some facilities. Prison officials said they are also strapped for cash, causing "challenges" in fulfilling basic needs for inmates, which include food, clothing and bedding, toiletries and transport, among others. One of the country's largest detention facilities, Khami Prison, has had its water cut off because the Prison Service hasn't paid its water bills, lawyers complained Wednesday. Sources said those bills now total more that U.S. $230,000. "Offenders incarcerated should be treated humanely and with dignity in matters of health care, personal hygiene, sanitary, ablution requirements and general living conditions," said Josphat Tshuma, president of the Law Society of Zimbabwe. Khami Prison is located about 500 kilometers (310 miles) southwest of the Zimbabwean capital of Harare and holds more than 2,000 inmates. The water disconnection raises the possibility that diseases such as cholera could break out, the Law Society said. Last year, a number of prisoners died due to various diseases related to lack of water, hunger and inhuman and unhygienic conditions, the group charged.

How many Zimbabwean prisons are mentioned?

How many prisoners are expected to be pardoned?

Which nations president agreed to pardon?

For what reason do prisoners become emaciated?

How many people has the President agreed to pardon

What are not available to all prisoners?

What is the capacity of Zimbabwe's 42 prisons?

Answer: 1,500

Answer: more than 1,500

Answer: 42

Answer: Zimbabwe's

Answer: the Prison Service has not been able to supply adequate rations to inmates.

Answer: 1,500

Answer: adequate rations

Answer: 13,000 inmates

Summary:
Zimbabwe President agrees to pardon over 1,500 prisoners to ease congestion .
Zimbabwe's 42 prisons have capacity for 13,000 inmates but currently hold 17,000 .
Adequate rations not available to all prisoners and some have become emaciated .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Robert Mugabe's political rivals Saturday accused the Zimbabwean president of  "ambush" in allocating key ministries to his own party in defiance of a power-sharing agreement aimed at ending political turmoil in the country. The opposition MDC accuses Mugabe of "ambush." Zimbabwe's state-run Herald newspaper reported that ministries inlcuding defense, justice, and media, were being placed in the hands of Mugabe's ZANU-PF. Party spokesman Bright Matonga said the move had cross-party support but the Movement for Democratic Change's Nelson Chamisa decried the move is an "ambush" that puts the power-sharing deal in jeopardy. Under the deal reached last month, Mugabe stays in office but shares power with MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who became vice president. Arthur Mutambara, who leads a splinter MDC faction, became deputy vice president. "The MDC dismisses ZANU-PF's unilaterally gazetted wish list of ministries, which is a betrayal of the wishes, expectations and aspirations of the majority of Zimbabweans," the MDC said in a statement. "It is a giant act of madness which puts the whole deal into jeopardy." The plan outlined in The Herald would give 14 government ministries to ZANU-PF and 13 to the MDC. Three ministries would go to Mutambara's faction. Among the ministries reportedly allocated to ZANU-PF are defense, home affairs, foreign affairs, justice and legal affairs, and media and information. Ministries given to Tsvangirai's MDC would include constitutional and parliamentary affairs, economic planning, health, labor, and sport, arts and culture, the paper said. Mutambara would oversee education, industry and commerce, and regional integration and international cooperation. The ministry of finance, the paper said, remains in dispute. The MDC accused the ZANU-PF of trying to undermine the work of former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who helped broker a deal to end months of violence following a disputed election. The paper said Mbeki was due to to go Zimbabwe to resolve the question of the finance ministry. Mbeki mediated the power-sharing talks that aimed to resolve the disputed March election. Tsvangirai won the most votes in March but not enough to avoid a runoff, according to the government's official count. Tsvangirai withdrew from the June 27 runoff days before the vote, saying Mugabe's supporters had waged a campaign of violence and intimidation against opposition supporters.

Who decries Mugabe move to allocate key ministries?

Answer: Nelson Chamisa

Answer: key ministries

Answer: Robert Mugabe's

Summary:
MDC decries Mugabe move to allocate key ministries to his ZANU-PF party .
Defense, justice, and media given to party, report says .
MDC says move violates power-sharing agreement .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Roy Bennett, the former Zimbabwean opposition activist who was arrested Friday shortly before he was due to become a Cabinet minister, has been charged with conspiracy to commit banditry, sabotage and terrorism, his lawyer told CNN.

Roy Bennett, left, pictured with MDC leader Morgan Tzvangirai, is also the party's treasurer.

The Movement for Democratic Change nominated Bennett to be deputy minister of agriculture in a national unity government with President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, which has ruled the country since independence in 1980.

Bennett was arrested on Friday while on his way to South Africa, where he has been living for three years. Bennett, who is also the party's treasurer, was pulled from an aircraft at the airport in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, the MDC said.

Police accuse him of funding the acquisition of weapons to commit the crimes he is charged with. Bennett will appear in the Mutare magistrate's court on Monday, his lawyer Trust Maanda told CNN.

Bennett, a white coffee grower, is an old foe of Mugabe's government. His farms were seized during the country's controversial land reform program. He has previously being jailed for assaulting Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa in parliament.

Hundreds of party members and supporters Friday surrounded the Mutare police station where Bennett was being held, the party said.

The incident happened the same day that other MDC ministers in the new unity government took their oaths of office. The swearing-in eventually took place but was delayed, the MDC said, because Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party wanted to appoint more ministers than they were allowed in the new government.

Under the power-sharing deal signed in September, the ruling ZANU-PF party gets 17 cabinet posts and the MDC gets 13.

Mugabe brought a "bloated" list of 22 Cabinet ministers to the swearing-in ceremony, but the MDC leadership insisted Mugabe stick to the 17 agreed Cabinet posts.

The stalemate lasted for more than an hour, until Mugabe's party agreed that only 17 of their proposed ministers take office.

CNN's Nkepile Mabuse contributed to this report.

Whose supporters rallied at police station?

What accusations does the new Zimbabwean minister face?

Answer: former Zimbabwean opposition activist

Answer: Roy Bennett,

Answer: an aircraft at the airport in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare,

Answer: Movement

Answer: Roy Bennett,

Answer: Bennett,

Answer: conspiracy to commit banditry, sabotage and terrorism,

Summary:
New Zimbabwean minister gaces accusations of banditry, sabotage and terrorism .
Roy Bennett pulled from aircraft as he was about to fly to South Africa .
MDC supporters rallied at police station where Bennett was held .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Some of Zimbabwe's children are "wasting away" as political turmoil and economic crisis have caused a severe food shortage, according to a report from Save the Children. Children sleep in rough conditions on the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa. The number of acute child malnutrition cases has risen by almost two-thirds in the past year, the report from the UK-based agency said in its appeal to world donors for help. "There is no excuse for failing to provide this food," program director Lynn Walker said. "The innocent people of Zimbabwe should not be made to suffer for a political situation that is out of their control." Five million Zimbabweans -- out of a population of about 12 million -- are in need of food aid now, the report said. The group is appealing for 18,000 tons of food for next month. "We have already been forced to reduce the rations of emergency food we are delivering because there isn't enough to go around," the report said. "If, as we fear, the food aid pipeline into Zimbabwe begins to fail in the new year the millions of people who rely on emergency food aid will suffer." Zimbabwe is facing its worst economic and humanitarian crisis since its independence from Great Britain 28 years ago. There is an acute shortage of all essentials such as cash, fuel, medical drugs, electricity and food. President Robert Mugabe blames the crisis on the sanctions imposed on him and his cronies by the West for allegedly disregarding human rights. But Mugabe's critics attribute the crisis to his economic policies. As the economy has faltered for almost a decade now, a cholera epidemic is raging, fueled by the collapse of health, sanitation and water services in Zimbabwe. The epidemic has claimed more than 1,100 lives and infected more than 20,000 people since its outbreak in August. Health experts have warned that the water-borne disease could infect more than 60,000 unless its spread is halted. The political crisis rose to a boil in this year when the opposition party claimed that it won the presidential election, but Mugabe's government refused to recognize the result. Instead, the race was thrown to a runoff, which was boycotted by the opposition. Mugabe signed an agreement with the opposition in September to form a unity government, but a bitter dispute over the division of cabinet seats has prevented its formation. Inflation is so severe that the government was forced to print $10 billion currency notes last week, with each expected to buy just 20 loaves of bread.

What is happening to the children in Zimbabwe?

How many people need food aid right now in Zimbabwea?

What causes two- thirds of people in Zimbabwa to waste away?

Who was wasting away because of food shortage?

Which country is facing its worst economic crisis since 1980?

What humanitarian group warned about malnutrition?

What shortage is causing children to waste away?

What fraction of the Zimbabwe population requires food aid?

What did an aid group say some Zimbabwean children were doing?

When did the country get it's independence?

Answer: malnutrition

Answer: risen by almost two-thirds in the past year,

Answer: political turmoil and economic

Answer: Five million Zimbabweans

Answer: Zimbabwe's children

Answer: severe food shortage,

Answer: Zimbabwe's children

Answer: Zimbabwe

Answer: Save the Children.

Answer: food

Answer: Five million

Answer: Save the Children.

Answer: "wasting away"

Answer: 28 years ago.

Answer: independence from Great Britain

Summary:
Some Zimbabwean children "wasting away" amid food shortage, aid group says .
Severe malnutrition cases rise two-thirds in year, Save the Children warns .
Almost half of 12 million Zimbabweans need food aid now, report says .
Country facing worst economic, humanitarian crisis since independence in 1980 .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- With polls closed for a Zimbabwe runoff that opposition politicians and international observers call a sham, alleged torture victims who support former candidate Morgan Tsvangirai said Friday that they back his decision to pull out of the race. Many of the injured being treated at a private hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe, asked not to be identified. "It's a good move by my president, Morgan Tsvangirai," said a 26-year-old Movement for Democratic Change activist who said he was forced to stand on hot coals and had boiling water poured on him about a week ago. "There's no use going for an election." The man, who displayed a large, pale, blistered patch on his back, asked not to be identified -- as did others being treated at a private hospital in Harare -- for fear of further attacks by gangs supportive of President Robert Mugabe. All of the victims said they were taken to "torture bases" by the gangs, made up of young men and soldiers. In the March 29 election, MDC officials said their polling showed Tsvangirai clearly defeating Mugabe, who at 84 is the only president Zimbabwe has had since it gained independence from Britain in 1980. But after delaying the release of results for more than a week, the country's electoral commission -- which is made up of Mugabe appointees -- said that although Tsvangirai got more votes, he didn't top the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff. MDC supporters had already reported violence against them by police, military members and other supporters of Mugabe's Zanu-PF party. But in the weeks leading up to the runoff, the reports increased in frequency and intensity. More than 70 people were killed in attacks since the election, according to the MDC. Mugabe's supporters have claimed that those attacks were against his party members, a claim international observers, including the United Nations, have disputed.  Watch victims say they were taken to torture camps » Tsvangirai and other party leaders were repeatedly arrested by police or detained on their way to political rallies. And reports of beatings and other intimidation tactics were common in areas where the MDC had made strong showings in the election. "Mostly for the rural people -- the police would come in for the Zanu-PF, so the area was very tense," said a municipal worker at the hospital, who said he was kicked and had burning plastic poured on his skin about three or four days ago. "Everyone was beaten. Whether Zanu-PF or MDC. There was chaos in the country." George Charamba, a spokesman for Mugabe, insisted that the vote was "free and fair." Charamba denied that any pressure was being used. Asked about images from Zimbabwe showing what is reported to be violence against members of the opposition, he responded, "I thought we are long past the age where we could consider pictures as not lying. It's very, very easy for anyone to stage-manage a demonstration, and a violent one at that." Last weekend, Tsvangirai withdrew from the runoff, saying there was no way the result would be legitimate. He has spent much of the time since living in the Dutch Embassy in Harare in fear for his safety. Early Friday, the municipal worker said he was considering whether to heed Tsvangirai's call for his supporters to not vote in the election, but the question may be moot. The gangs took his identification card and threw it into a fire, he said. Another man and a woman treated for broken hands at the hospital said they were tortured and had boiling water poured on their genitals for being MDC supporters. The man said he was forced to drink sewage. Meanwhile, Mugabe laughed and mugged for reporters from Zimbabwe's state-run media as he cast his ballot at a high school. "Very optimistic, upbeat ... and hungry," he said when asked how he was feeling.

What are a man and woman being treated for?

Where are the man and woman being treated?

Answer: Morgan Tsvangirai

Answer: Dutch Embassy in Harare

Answer: "torture bases"

Answer: President

Answer: large, pale, blistered patch on his back,

Answer: torture

Answer: "torture bases"

Answer: decision to pull out of the race.

Answer: pull out of the race.

Answer: a private hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe,

Summary:
Morgan Tsvangirai's supporters back his withdrawal from runoff .
Some say they were taken to "torture bases" by supporters of Mugabe .
A man and a woman being treated for broken hands said they were tortured .
Mugabe laughed and mugged for reporters as he cast his ballot at a high school .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe described the U.S. government and Western nations as "quite stupid and foolish" Tuesday for trying to be involved in the African country's affairs.

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has ignored international calls for him to step down.

Mugabe made the comments at the funeral for a former senior soldier, just days after a top U.S. diplomat said the United States no longer supports a power-sharing deal between Mugabe and his political rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, that might pave the way for economic, health and other reforms.

Jendayi Frazer, U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs, said Sunday that the U.S. felt a viable unity government was not possible with Mugabe in power.

At the funeral, Mugabe reacted: "The inclusive government ... does not include Mr. Bush and his administration. It does not even know him. It has no relationship with him.  Watch U.S. say Mugabe needs to go »

"So let him keep his comments to himself. They are undeserved, irrelevant and quite stupid and foolish. Who are they to decide who should be included or should not in an inclusive government?"

Mugabe and Tsvangirai, who leads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, signed the unity deal September 15, but Mugabe's ZANU-PF party and the MDC have failed to implement it because they cannot agree on who should control key ministries.

Under the power-sharing proposal brokered by former South African leader Thabo Mbeki, Mugabe would remain president while Tsvangirai would become prime minister.  Watch what options the international community has in Zimbabwe »

U.S. President George W. Bush and other leaders have urged Mugabe to step down amid a cholera epidemic that the United Nations says has killed more than 1,000 people since August.

Mugabe blames Western sanctions for Zimbabwe's worst economic and humanitarian crisis since independence from Great Britain 28 years ago. The nation is facing acute shortages of fuel, electricity and medical drugs. The inflation rate -- the highest in the world -- is 231 million percent.

Mugabe, referring to Bush's call for him to leave office, said: "We realize that these are [the] last kicks of a dying horse. We obviously [are] not going to pay attention to a sunset administration. Zimbabwe's fate lies in the fate of Zimbabweans. They are the ones who make and unmake the leaders of the country. Their decision alone is what we go by."

Bush leaves office January 20.

Tsvangirai announced Friday that his party will withdraw from efforts to form a unity government unless 42 kidnapped party members are released or brought to court to face formal charges by New Year's Day.

who has resisted international calls?
What happened to the power share deal?
What did Robert Mugabe say?
what does mugabe describe the US as?
What does Zimbabwe face?

Answer: Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe

Answer: failed

Answer: "quite stupid and foolish"

Answer: "quite stupid and foolish"

Answer: worst economic and humanitarian crisis since independence from Great Britain 28 years ago.

Summary:
President Robert Mugabe describes U.S. and West as "stupid and foolish"
Power-share deal is stalled because of dispute over control of ministries .
Zimbabwe faces cholera epidemic, economic crisis .
Mugabe has resisted international calls for him to step down .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe described the U.S. government and Western nations as "quite stupid and foolish" Tuesday for trying to be involved in the African country's affairs. Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has ignored international calls for him to step down. Mugabe made the comments at the funeral for a former senior soldier, just days after a top U.S. diplomat said the United States no longer supports a power-sharing deal between Mugabe and his political rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, that might pave the way for economic, health and other reforms. Jendayi Frazer, U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs, said Sunday that the U.S. felt a viable unity government was not possible with Mugabe in power. At the funeral, Mugabe reacted: "The inclusive government ... does not include Mr. Bush and his administration. It does not even know him. It has no relationship with him.  Watch U.S. say Mugabe needs to go » "So let him keep his comments to himself. They are undeserved, irrelevant and quite stupid and foolish. Who are they to decide who should be included or should not in an inclusive government?" Mugabe and Tsvangirai, who leads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, signed the unity deal September 15, but Mugabe's ZANU-PF party and the MDC have failed to implement it because they cannot agree on who should control key ministries. Under the power-sharing proposal brokered by former South African leader Thabo Mbeki, Mugabe would remain president while Tsvangirai would become prime minister.  Watch what options the international community has in Zimbabwe » U.S. President George W. Bush and other leaders have urged Mugabe to step down amid a cholera epidemic that the United Nations says has killed more than 1,000 people since August. Mugabe blames Western sanctions for Zimbabwe's worst economic and humanitarian crisis since independence from Great Britain 28 years ago. The nation is facing acute shortages of fuel, electricity and medical drugs. The inflation rate -- the highest in the world -- is 231 million percent. Mugabe, referring to Bush's call for him to leave office, said: "We realize that these are [the] last kicks of a dying horse. We obviously [are] not going to pay attention to a sunset administration. Zimbabwe's fate lies in the fate of Zimbabweans. They are the ones who make and unmake the leaders of the country. Their decision alone is what we go by." Bush leaves office January 20. Tsvangirai announced Friday that his party will withdraw from efforts to form a unity government unless 42 kidnapped party members are released or brought to court to face formal charges by New Year's Day.

In what way did Mugabe talk about the US?

Who described U.S. and West as stupid and foolish?

What sorts of issues are they dealing with?

Who has resisted international calls for him to step down?

Answer: "quite stupid and foolish"

Answer: Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe

Answer: The nation is facing acute shortages of fuel, electricity and medical drugs.

Answer: The nation is facing acute shortages of fuel, electricity and medical drugs. The inflation rate

Answer: Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe

Answer: ignored international calls for him to step down.

Answer: government

Summary:
President Robert Mugabe describes U.S. and West as "stupid and foolish"
Power-share deal is stalled because of dispute over control of ministries .
Zimbabwe faces cholera epidemic, economic crisis .
Mugabe has resisted international calls for him to step down .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe published a draft constitutional amendment in the government gazette Saturday, paving the way for the power-sharing agreement reached after violence disrupted this year's presidential election. President Robert Mugabe, left, and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai signed the deal in July. Constitutional Amendment 19 details the posts and institutions that were created by the power-sharing deal, including the position of prime minister intended for Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change. The publication of the draft is the first step in creating a law in Zimbabwe. For the law to pass, it must be appear before parliament in 30 days, according to the country's constitution. If it is approved, it will be sent to Mugabe for his signature. The deal arose after Tsvangirai withdrew from a June 27 runoff days before the vote, saying Mugabe's supporters had waged a campaign of violence and intimidation against opposition supporters. The two leaders signed the initial agreement, brokered by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, in July but have failed to agree on how to form a cabinet. The MDC, the main opposition party, noted that Mugabe's latest move does not legalize the amendment. "Gazetting the bill -- which was done by [Mugabe's party] Zanu-PF -- does not automatically translate into passing it into law," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said. "That can only take place if outstanding issues have been addressed. Otherwise we will not support the bill." The two parties agreed last month to the draft amendment during talks in South Africa, but Chamisa warned then that problems remained. "We have differed with Zanu-PF for a long time while the citizens suffer, but fortunately we have agreed on something. I need to hasten to mention that we still have some outstanding issues, such as the cabinet, appointment of diplomats," he said in late November. Zanu-PF lost its majority in the parliament in the March elections. As no party has the two-thirds majority to pass the law, its passage relies on MDC support. If parliament does not approve the amendment, Mugabe may call for new elections, Zimbabwe Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa told state-run daily newspaper The Herald. "I envisage that it will require two weeks for it to be debated and passed through both Houses. If no support is forthcoming, it means that Amendment Number 19 Bill will be dead matter," Chinamasa is quoted as saying The Herald. "In the event that the collaboration that we envisage is not forthcoming, then that will necessitate fresh harmonized elections at some point in time," he said, according to The Herald. Tsvangirai won the most votes in the March election, but not enough to avoid a runoff, according to the government's official count. South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, chairman of the Southern African Development Community, welcomed the draft. "The gazetting of Amendment 19 of the Zimbabwean Constitution is indeed a major step towards the formation of an inclusive government in Zimbabwe," he said in a written statement. "We urge the Zimbabwean political parties to establish an inclusive government." Meanwhile, the country is battling a cholera outbreak that has killed nearly 800 people since August, according to the World Health Organization. More than 16,000 people have been infected, WHO said. This week, Mugabe declared that "there is no cholera in the country." His spokesman later said Mugabe was sarcastically ridiculing what he believes are Western designs to invade the country. Another Zimbabwean official, Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, said Friday that the disease was a "calculated, racist attack on Zimbabwe by the unrepentant former colonial power, which has enlisted support from its American and Western allies so that they can invade the country." Britain ruled the country as a colony until 1965. Ndlovu's claims triggered quick and pointed reaction from Britain and the United States. In Washington, State Department spokesman Rob McInturff called Ndlovu's accusations "patently ridiculous."

What does the amendment pave the way for?

Who has to approve the amendment before Mugabe can sign it?

Answer: the power-sharing agreement reached after violence disrupted this year's presidential election.

Answer: Constitutional Amendment

Answer: parliament

Answer: President Robert Mugabe,

Answer: parliament

Answer: Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe published a draft constitutional amendment

Answer: President Robert Mugabe, left, and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai

Answer: Robert Mugabe

Summary:
Amendment paves way for power-sharing deal after violence disturbed election .
President Robert Mugabe, MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai signed deal in July .
Amendment describes prime minister post intended for opposition leader Tsvangirai .
Parliament must approve amendment before Mugabe can sign it into effect .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has warned that veterans he commanded in his country's liberation war will take up arms again to prevent the opposition party from taking power. Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe says war veterans do not want the opposition in power. Mugabe -- Zimbabwe's only leader since that struggle ended in 1980 -- faces a June 27 runoff with Morgan Tsvangirai of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Mugabe told supporters that Tsvangirai would turn the country back over to white control if he won the runoff. The veterans he led in a successful effort against a government dominated by the white minority were not prepared to recognize a Tsvangirai victory, Mugabe said. "They said they got this country through the barrel of gun, so they cannot let it go by a ballot," Mugabe said Thursday at a campaign rally in Murehwa. Tsvangirai was arrested twice Thursday. He was released Friday, but police impounded his two campaign buses. In the general election on March 29, the opposition won a plurality in parliament. Weeks after the election, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced that Tsvangirai won a plurality against Mugabe but that he failed to get the needed majority, making a runoff necessary. Human Rights Watch issued a report this week declaring the presidential election to be dead on arrival because of violence and intimidation by Mugabe's followers -- including war veterans - against opposition supporters. Mugabe, at a rally in Chikomba District -- about 120 miles (200 km) south of Harare -- seemed to support that conclusion.  Learn more about Zimbabwe » "These areas, where the party lost on March 29, need to be cleansed and I am confident this would be done on June 27 when we go to the polls." Mugabe said the MDC was a party "for whites and not blacks." He also said the party was created and funded by the British. "You saw the whites after the March elections running around thinking that they would repossess the farms," Mugabe said. "They thought they had won." He said the opposition would not be allowed to "give it back to whites." "Guard your country jealously," Mugabe told supporters. Meanwhile, Zimbabwean authorities put more pressure on opposition figures Thursday, seizing a top leader and accusing him of treason. Police and the MDC confirmed Tendai Biti's arrest and the charges he will face. Biti, secretary general of the MDC, was arrested when he arrived in Harare, Zimbabwe, from South Africa. Zimbabwe's national police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena told CNN that Biti would be charged with treason and the communication of false information. The treason charge relates to a document published by the MDC before the March 29 vote which, the state alleges, contains subversive statements authored by Biti.

What change will war veterans fight to prevent?

Morgan Tsvangirai  was detained how many times?

What's the name of the opposition party?

Answer: war veterans do not want the opposition in power.

Answer: Morgan Tsvangirai

Answer: opposition party from taking power.

Answer: arrested twice

Answer: lost on March

Answer: Movement for Democratic Change

Answer: Movement for Democratic Change

Summary:
President Robert Mugabe says war veterans will fight to prevent change .
Opposition party's No. 2 facing treason charge after return to country .
MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai was detained twice Thursday .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe's central bank introduced a $10 billion note worth less than 20 U.S. dollars, as the once-prosperous southern African nation battles against spiraling hyperinflation.

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe at Zanu-PF National Political Commissar Elliot Manyika's burial last week

The new note, expected to buy just 20 loaves of bread, comes just a week after Zimbabwe issued a $500 million note to ease a cash shortage.

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono said the $10 billion note was being introduced for the "convenience of the public ahead of the festive season."

On Thursday, the U.S. dollar traded for about 600 million Zimbabwe dollars, and the hyperinflation was expected to continue.

People slept overnight at the bank doors, hoping to get money for the next day.

President Robert Mugabe apologized to his ZANU-PF party supporters Thursday for the problems Zimbabweans were facing but insisted his nation has turned a corner in its fight against its worst humanitarian crisis, the state-owned Herald newspaper reported.

Shortages of most essentials such as electricity, fuel, medicine and food have become a common feature in Zimbabwe, forcing people to flee the country.

Zimbabwe has slashed zeros from the amount of its worthless currency during the past two years -- the latest being 10 zeros in August.

Once one of Africa's most promising economies, Zimbabwe is reeling under its worst humanitarian and economic crisis. A cholera outbreak has killed more than 1,000 Zimbabweans since August, forcing hundreds to cross the border into South Africa and Botswana to seek treatment.

Five million people are in need of food aid in a nation that once exported food to its neighbors, the United Nations says.

But Mugabe -- blamed for the crisis by his critics -- said the worst was over.

He said he was optimistic about resuscitating the power-sharing deal he signed with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in September, the Herald reported.

"We will be inviting the two leaders -- Mr. Morgan Tsvangirai and Professor Arthur Mutambara -- to come and discuss the way forward," Mugabe said.

The deal has yet to take effect, as Tsvangirai blamed Mugabe for grabbing all key ministries such as home affairs, local government, finance, home affairs, information and defense.

Mugabe said Western nations and neighboring Botswana were against the formation of an inclusive government in Zimbabwe.

"I was reading recent utterances by Condoleezza Rice that African leaders are not prepared to topple President Mugabe and bring about regime change," he said. "She condemned this inability on the part of African leaders. How could African leaders ever topple Robert Mugabe, organize an army to come? It is not easy. I do not know of any African country that is brave enough to do that.

"Botswana is making some stupid noises. They are just hollow noises to assure the MDC that the Botswana government supports it and also in response to Britain and America that Botswana is a good mouthpiece of the white men." The MDC is Tsvangirai's opposition party -- Movement for Democratic Change.

On cholera, Mugabe said the country was failing to import adequate water treating chemicals because of the sanctions imposed by the west.

What new note was issued?
How many people need aid?
What was it issued ahead of?
What is there a new note for?
where are the The new $10 billion?
what needs Five million people?

Answer: $10 billion

Answer: Five million

Answer: the festive season."

Answer: $10 billion

Answer: Zimbabwe's central bank

Answer: of food aid in a nation that once exported food to its neighbors, the United Nations says.

Summary:
The new $10 billion notes comes a week after a $500 million note was issued .
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor: New note issued ahead of "festive season"
The country slashed 10 zeros from the amount of its worthless currency in August .
Five million people are in need of food aid, the United Nations says .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe's inflation rate has soared in the past three months and is now at 11.2 million percent, the highest in the world, according to the country's Central Statistical Office. Zimbabwe's inflation rate has soared to a world high. Official figures dated Monday show inflation has surged from the rate of 2.2 million percent recorded in May, despite the government's price controls. The country's finance minister confirmed the new figure in an interview but said the rising inflation rate was not confined to Zimbabwe alone. "While our case has been aggravated by the illegal sanctions imposed by the Western powers, rising food prices are a world phenomenon because of the use of bio-fuel," said Samuel Mumbengegwi. "But we will continue to fight inflation by making sure that prices charged are realistic." In February, the price of a loaf of bread in the country was less than 200,000 Zimbabwe dollars. On Monday, that same loaf of bread cost 1.6 trillion Zimbabwe dollars. Analysts have said the Zimbabwean government's official inflation rate figures are conservative. Last week, one of Zimbabwe's leading banks, Kingdom Bank, said the country's inflation rate was now more than 20 million percent. The locally-owned bank predicted tougher times ahead for Zimbabwe in the absence of donor support and foreign investment in an economy that has been in freefall for almost a decade. Once considered the breadbasket of Africa, Zimbabwe has been in the throes of an economic meltdown ever since the country embarked on a chaotic land reform program that has decimated commercial agriculture. Analysts say the crisis has worsened following President Robert Mugabe's disputed reelection in the June 27 presidential run-off. His challenger Morgan Tsvangirai boycotted the race over widespread allegations of violence and voter intimidation. The economic crisis has destroyed Zimbabwe's currency and made it difficult for Zimbabweans to buy basic commodities, electricity, fuel, and medicines. Many Zimbabweans have left the country amid rising unemployment and deepening poverty. Last week a summit in South Africa of regional African leaders failed to persuade Zimbabwe's political parties to agree to form a government of national unity, which observers view as the best way to end Zimbabwe's record recession.

What is the cost of a loaf of bread in Zimbabwe?

What is happening to Zimbabwe's inflation rate?

To what rate did Zimbabwe inflation grow?

To what percent does the inflation rate soar?

Answer: Zimbabwe dollars.

Answer: Zimbabwe dollars.

Answer: chaotic land reform program

Answer: 1.6 trillion

Answer: soared in the past three months

Answer: 11.2 million percent,

Answer: rising food prices are a world phenomenon because of the use of bio-fuel,"

Answer: 11.2 million percent,

Answer: 200,000 Zimbabwe dollars.

Answer: 11.2 million

Summary:
Zimbabwe's inflation rate soars to 11.2 million percent .
A loaf of bread costs 1.6 trillion Zimbabwe dollars .
Official rate is world's highest but some analysts fear it may be more .
Zimbabwe officials blame international sanctions and rising global food prices .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe's opposition leader called the cholera outbreak in his country a "man-made crisis," as new figures released Thursday showed the death toll had soared to more than 2,700.

Morgan Tsvangirai tours a cholera ward at Budiriro Polyclinic in Harare Thursday.

Some 2,755 have died and 48,623 people are suspected to have been infected with cholera since last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

Opposition party leader Morgan Tsvangirai, speaking to reporters, pointed a finger at the Mugabe government. "Cholera in Zimbabwe is a man-made crisis. The problem we have here is coupled with (the) fact of negligence on the part of government to provide the necessary facilities. It shows the collapse of the health delivery system," said Tsvangirai.

The Movement for Democratic Change leader's comments came after he toured some of the worst affected areas in the country's capital, Harare.

Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic, which started in August, has been aggravated by erratic water supplies, shortages of water purification chemicals, broken water and sewer pipes and uncollected garbage.

Cholera is an intestinal disease cause by bacteria in contaminated water.

The epidemic was followed a month later by a strike by doctors and nurses demanding a review of their salaries. They are demanding that archaic hospital equipment be replaced and that medicines be available in hospitals. The health emergency comes at a time when Zimbabwe is mired in the worst economic crisis it has faced since it gained independence from Great Britain in 1980.

Last week, the United Nations' Children's Fund (UNICEF) gave $5 million to Zimbabwe's ailing health sector to help end the industrial action by health personnel.

As Tsvangirai was visiting the cholera affected areas, some residents could be seen getting water from the wells and rivers. Most suburbs in Harare have had no water for close to two weeks, forcing residents to depend on shallow pits and rivers for drinking water.

The Zimbabwe National Water Authority was quoted by the state-owned media Saturday attributing the dryness to a water pump which had broken-down. The areas particularly affected include the townships of Glen Norah, Glen View and Budiriro.

"I am here with my kids for the last two days," said Ennie Musararei, a mother of three at Budiriro clinic. "It (cholera) just started after we drank water from a well. We thought it was safe to drink since it was covered by a metal sheet."

President Robert Mugabe's government have now declared cholera a national emergency, so that international organizations such as UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders and Red Cross can gain access. But death toll has continued to increase daily.

"This week alone has witnessed a sudden increase of patients," said a nurse at Budiriro clinic. "I think it is mainly because of the rains and dryness of the suburbs over the past week or so."

Earlier this month, Zimbabwe's health minister, David Parirenyatwa, said the death toll was likely to increase as the country is in its rainy season.

The meteorological office in Zimbabwe has predicted floods in some parts of the country.

where World Health Organization: 2,755 cholera deaths?

How many deaths from cholera were reported in Zimbabwe last year?

what Mugabe's government have now declared cholera?

Answer: cholera a national emergency,

Answer: cholera a national emergency,

Answer: Zimbabwe

Answer: Zimbabwe

Answer: more than 2,700.

Answer: a national emergency,

Summary:
World Health Organization: 2,755 cholera deaths in Zimbabwe since last year .
Tsvangirai: Govt. negligence resulted in failure to provide necessary facilities .
Epidemic aggravated by erratic water supplies, broken water and sewer pipes .
Mugabe's government have now declared cholera a national emergency .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe's opposition party said four of its activists and the wife of Harare's mayor -- an opposition member -- have been killed by supporters of President Robert Mugabe, just days ahead of next week's presidential runoff. President Robert Mugabe says war veterans will take up arms again if Tsvangirai wins. Thursday's report came as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accused Mugabe of sponsoring efforts to starve, beat and kill supporters of his opponent Morgan Tzvangirai so he can win the election. Rice was speaking on the same day that Tendai Biti, the opposition Movement for Democratic Change's secretary-general, was charged with treason after being held in jail without charges for a week. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. His arrest and treason charges have been criticized by African and international leaders who characterize it as a ploy by Mugabe supporters to intimidate the opposition party before his June 27 runoff against Tsvangirai. A spokesman for the MDC blamed Mugabe's Zanu-PF party for the five most recent deaths, saying they brought to 70 the number of MDC party members killed since a bitterly contested election three months ago. The body of the mayor's wife, 27-year-old Abigail Chiroto, was found in a mortuary close to the couple's house north of Harare. She had been beaten so severely with rocks and iron bars that her face was almost unrecognizable, MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said.  Watch CNN's Nkepile Mabuse report on the violience » Chiroto was kidnapped, along with her 4-year-old son, on Tuesday. Some of her kidnappers wore military uniforms, Chamisa said. Chiroto's son was released unharmed. Her husband, Emmanuel Chiroto, is an MDC member who was recently elected mayor of Harare. He was not home at the time of the kidnapping. Also Thursday, the MDC said that four other activists were found dead in Chitungwiza. The victims' bodies showed evidence that "they were heavily tortured until they died," an MDC statement said. "It's unbelievable the way people are being killed or murdered," Chiroto said. "It's almost mass butchering." Police confirmed the deaths of the activists but did not link the victims to any political party. Mugabe's party denied any part in the deaths, saying MDC officials made such accusations frequently. "They are claiming anyone who dies. They phone CNN," said Bright Matonga, a Zanu-PF spokesman. "Whenever someone dies in the hospital, they rush to claim them." Matonga said Harare was run by a commission. "There is no MDC mayor in Zimbabwe," he said. "There is no newly elected mayor in Harare."  Learn more about Zimbabwe » In New York, Rice convened a meeting about the situation in Zimbabwe at the United Nations on Thursday. "Mugabe is increasing violence against [the] opposition. ... President Mugabe has squandered the promise of the very nation that was hailed as the jewel of Africa," Rice said at a roundtable discussion attended by representatives from many international governments. "Clearly we have reached a point where broader, stronger, international effort is needed," she added. On Friday, a magistrate judge will determine whether prosecutors have enough evidence to proceed with a trial against Biti. The judge also will determine whether Biti will be granted bail or will continue to be jailed until the trial. Biti was charged Thursday with treason, communicating false information prejudicial to the state, bringing the office of the president into disrepute and causing disaffection among armed forces, according to a journalist who was in the Harare courtroom. He denies all the charges.  Watch Biti arrive for his court hearing » Biti, wearing a red jacket and looking exhausted, held his head in his hands as the proceedings took place in the packed courtroom. "I think that one must express very serious objection to the manner in which this whole case is being handled," said Tsvangirai, who was in court. "The accusations are frivolous." Three of the charges stem from a

what government strongly denies?
What does the government strongly deny?

Answer: all the charges.

Answer: any part in the deaths,

Summary:
Harare mayor's wife found bludgeoned to death, opposition says .
Mayoress one of five people found murdered Thursday, according to MDC .
Government strongly denies any involvement in latest deaths .
U.S. says President Mugabe sponsors efforts to kill opposition supporters .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe's troubled central bank introduced $100 billion banknotes Saturday in a desperate bid to ease the recurrent cash shortages plaguing the inflation-ravaged economy. A shopper displays a $500 million Zimbabwean bank note. The bills officially come into circulation Monday, although they were on the foreign currency dealers market Saturday. As high as they are, though, the bills still aren't enough to buy a loaf of bread. They can buy only four oranges. The new note is equal to just one U.S. dollar. Once-prosperous Zimbabwe has seen an unprecedented economic meltdown since it gained independence in 1980, with the official inflation rate now at 2.2 million percent. Gideon Gono, governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, said the new notes are for "the convenience of the banking public and corporate sector" in light of price hikes. "The RBZ has noted with concern the unjustifiable and incessant general increases in prices of goods and services. It is therefore appealing to the business community to follow ethical business practices as well as take an interest in the plight of the general public," Gono said in a statement dated Friday. Zimbabwe started issuing large bank notes in December, starting with denominations of $250,000. In January, the government issued bills in denominations of $1 million, $5 million, and $10 million -- and in May, it issued bills from $25 million and $50 million up to $25 billion and $50 billion. The new bills are actually bearer checks and have an expiration date of December 31. Zimbabwe has not had formal currency since the introduction of bearer checks as a temporary measure in 2003. "The RBZ is fighting a losing battle," economist John Robertson said in Harare. "As long as the inflation remains high, cash shortages will persist. There is need to address the inflation by increasing production so that too goods do not [cost] a lot of money."

When do new bills officially come into circulation?

What is not enough to by a loaf of bread?

when new bills officially come into circulation?

When is the new bills officially come into circulation?

Is a one U.S. dollar the value for each new note?

Answer: Monday,

Answer: $100 billion banknotes

Answer: four oranges.

Answer: the bills

Answer: the new notes are for "the convenience of the banking public and corporate sector" in light of price hikes.

Answer: four oranges.

Answer: one U.S. dollar.

Answer: the bills still aren't enough to buy a loaf of bread.

Answer: The new note

Answer: Monday,

Answer: Monday,

Answer: The new note is equal to just one U.S. dollar.

Summary:
New bills officially come into circulation Monday .
Bills aren't enough to buy a loaf of bread. They can only buy four oranges .
Gideon Gono: Notes for "convenience of the banking public and corporate sector"
The new note is equal to just one U.S. dollar .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwean lawmakers on Monday narrowly voted for Lovemore Moyo as speaker of the parliament -- making him the first opposition lawmaker to hold the position in the country's history. Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC faction has a slim majority following parliamentary elections. "This is historic as it ceases to be a rubber-stamping house," Moyo said after winning the position. "It will ensure that progressive laws are passed. I promise to be professional." Moyo -- the national chairman of the main Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party -- received 110 votes while his only opponent, Paul Themba-Nyathi, received 98 votes. The speaker of the parliament is the fourth most powerful post in Zimbabwe. Themba-Nyathi represented the splinter MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara, but he had support of President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party. The vote took place hours after Mugabe swore in lawmakers, five months after they were elected. Two members of the main MDC -- led by presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai -- were arrested as they arrived at the opening session, but they were released after a short time, according to a government spokesman. An MDC official said the arrests were part of the "sinister agenda of this regime" to "tilt the balance of numbers in their favour during the voting for the speaker of parliament." One of those detained -- Shuwa Mudiwa -- appeared back in parliament, but the other member -- Elia Jembere -- was not seen, according to sources. Government spokesman Bright Matonga said Jembere had been accused of rape, but that he has been released from custody. A third member -- Elton Mangoma -- escaped an arrest attempt when other party members came to his rescue, MDC officials said. Attendance at the session of parliament is important since the membership is closely divided between the MDC and the Mugabe's ZANU-PF. The ruling ZANU-PF party lost its majority in the 210-seat parliament in elections in March, but vote recounts and political violence have delayed the body from convening until now. Final results gave 100 seats to an MDC faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai, the party's presidential candidate. President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF got 99 seats. An offshoot of the main MDC party, led by Arthur Mutambara, won 10 seats. An independent candidate won one seat. Tsvangirai, who was locked in a bitter presidential contest with Mugabe, had objected to Mugabe's decision to convene parliament, saying it could "decapitate" power-sharing talks that have been on hold for the past two weeks. Still, Tsvangirai said he would attend the swearing-in ceremony. MDC party spokesman Nelson Chamisa said all MDC members elected to parliament were expected to attend "except those few MPs who are still in hiding." CNN's Nkepile Mabuse in Johannesburg, South Africa contributed to this report.

Who were arrested?
Who lost the party majority?
Who was Moyo's opponent?
Who won the election>
Who represented the splinter?
What party lost the majority?
Who  received 110 votes?

Answer: Two members of the main

Answer: ruling ZANU-PF

Answer: Paul Themba-Nyathi,

Answer: Lovemore Moyo

Answer: Themba-Nyathi

Answer: ZANU-PF

Answer: Moyo

Summary:
Moyo received 110 votes, opponent Paul Themba-Nyathi received 98 votes .
Themba-Nyathi represented the splinter MDC faction led by Arthur Mutambara .
MDC's Shuwa Mudiwa and Elia Jembere arrested outside parliament building .
Ruling ZANU-PF party lost majority in 210-seat parliament in March elections .


HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai returned to Zimbabwe Saturday for the first time since leaving the country shortly after the controversial March 29 election. Morgan Tsvangirai has been away from Zimbabwe trying to seek support from international leaders. Tsvangirai -- who contends he won the presidential race against longtime Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe -- returned despite what his party said was a plot by the country's military to assassinate him and other party leaders. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, after a long delay, ruled that neither candidate won a necessary majority of the vote and set a date of June 27 for Tsvangirai to again face Mugabe in a runoff vote. Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) have called for international observers to be allowed to monitor the runoff election, but Mugabe's government has refused the demand. Tsvangirai is expected to tour hospitals in Harare to visit victims of post-election violence. An MDC spokesman said two party members were found dead Wednesday night after being abducted from their homes in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare. Tsvangirai's spokesman George Sibotshiwe said Saturday that the opposition leader and the entire MDC leadership are "at risk from this brutal regime." When contacted by CNN, a Cabinet member denied that the government had any possible role in the alleged plot, and said the report was an effort by the MDC to gain international sympathy. Chen Chimutengwende, Zimbabwe's minister of public and interactive affairs, accused Tsvangirai of "trying to paint a false picture of what Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe authorities are like." "There is no plot against him and there has never been any plot against him and he knows that," Chimutengwende said. He called the reports from Tsvangirai's party "an effort to get sympathy from the international community." There have been numerous reports from the MDC and church groups since the March balloting about kidnappings, torture, and other violence, including the deaths of opposition party members. They say the violence targets opponents of Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party. Mugabe has ruled the southern African country since it became independent 28 years ago.

When will the "runoff election against President Robert Mugabe" occur?

who is the current president of Zimbabwe?

Answer: June 27

Answer: Morgan Tsvangirai

Answer: Robert Mugabe

Summary:
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai returns to Zimbabwe .
Tsvangirai says he feels safe despite fears of a possible assassination bid .
Tsvangirai faces a runoff election against President Robert Mugabe June 27 .


HARYANA, India (CNN) -- In a nation of more than a billion people and millions of unresolved court cases, how do you take care of the backlog? Long distances over questionable roads stop many Indians from making it into courtrooms. Solution: You take the courts to the people. A bell rings. A bailiff yells out the name of the accused. It's another day in the mobile courtroom of Judge Sandeep Singh. His courtroom is a desk plopped down in the middle of a dusty schoolyard in the northern Indian village of Haryana. "It works like any other regular court," Singh said. "The only difference is that instead of people going to the court, the court comes to the village." The mobile court is bused into rural areas to hear both criminal and civil complaints as part of an effort to dig the nation's court system out from under an enormous backlog of cases. With an estimated 300 million unresolved cases languishing in Indian courts, one consultant believes, it could take more than 300 years to clear the docket at the current pace. There's one main reason for the backlog: inconvenience. People often have to travel long distances over questionable roads, using slow modes of transportation. "The witnesses -- definitely, they don't show up -- and even the parties -- they don't show up -- and they send their advocate," Singh said. "But here, people are closer by, so definitely it makes a difference." With distance no longer a problem, more villagers and their attorneys are coming to hearings. Compared to the traditional legal system, the mobile court claims to be both fast and efficient. Singh said he has been able to clear 1,100 cases in just six months time compared to 500 under the traditional court system. E-mail to a friend

Which country has 300m unresolved cases?

What do Indian judges bus to rural villages?

Whereto do the judges bus mobile courts?

Where did Indian judges bus mobile courts?

What number of unresolved court cases does India have approximately?

What makes mobile courts make more convenient?

Which judges bus mobile courts to rural villages?

What do judges say makes justice more convenient?

What is the estimated number of unresolved court cases in India?

Answer: India

Answer: mobile courtroom of

Answer: rural areas

Answer: rural areas

Answer: rural areas

Answer: estimated 300 million

Answer: comes to the village."

Answer: Sandeep Singh.

Answer: unresolved cases

Answer: mobile courtroom

Answer: 300 million

Answer: mobile court

Summary:
Indian judges bus mobile courts to rural villages to ease backlog .
Judges say the mobile courts make justice more convenient .
India has an estimated 300 million unresolved court cases .


HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, New York (CNN) -- In 2002, Pam Koner was flipping through the The New York Times when a photograph stopped her in her tracks: an 8-year-old girl laying across her torn, barren mattress in Pembroke, Illinois, forking pasta and a boiled chicken bone into her mouth. The girl's image signified the deep-rooted poverty in her rural community. Pam Koner is combating hunger by connecting sponsor and recipient families. The picture moved Koner to tears and inspired her to take action. "When I read about a community so profoundly poor that women and children were not eating the last week of the month, I walked into my living room where my daughters were and said, 'We're going to do something as a family,' " recalls Koner, a 57-year-old single mother of two living in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. In the seven years since, Koner's determination to help families in Pembroke led to the creation of Family-to-Family, a nonprofit that connects more than 600 sponsor and recipient families in 13 communities nationwide. Do you know someone who should be a CNN Hero? Nominations are open at CNN.com/Heroes. The project began with Koner contacting an outreach worker in Pembroke, who told her the town needed food more than anything else. Koner enlisted help from her neighbors and parents of children in her childcare business; the group began sending monthly boxes of food and basic household items to the neediest families in the Illinois town. "People were excited to be a part of something," says Koner of her donor community. "Something so little as shopping, packing and sending a box." Through monthly food donations, Koner's organization has provided nearly 800,000 meals to struggling families across the country. For privacy purposes, she says, the group makes sure donor and recipient communities are at a distance, such as an Atlanta, Georgia, chapter helping a community in Kentucky or a Florida family helping a Navajo family in New Mexico. In addition to providing basic essentials, families exchange letters, swap photographs and share stories about cultural traditions and family events. "There's a shared learning experience," says Koner. "When a sponsoring family reads about a Navajo family lifestyle -- barren landscape, a trailer home with no electricity and no running water -- children get a profound, firsthand look at differences. Knowing that each other exists changes the way we look at the world."  Watch Koner describe how the communities connect with each other » The economic downturn has prompted Koner's group to broaden its outreach and sponsorship methods. Bedford-Stuyvesant, a community in Brooklyn, New York, of predominantly working-class African-Americans, is the group's only urban sponsored community. It is also one of the organization's cyber-adoption sites, where sponsor families participate through Paypal, an online money exchange tool. A food pantry buys and boxes up the food to give directly to the families. Koner also learned of families in her own Hastings-on-Hudson community in need of help. "I was quite surprised," Koner says. "Hastings is probably middle-class to upper-middle-class. It's not a showy community, but this was a community of families who were not in need of help before." Her community has eagerly embraced its neighbors in need, she says, but unlike traditional sponsored families at a distance, Hastings-sponsored families presented privacy concerns. "That there could be a child who was going to school with my child who I was helping ... we felt that was too personal and private. To respect the individual family in need [was] important for us since we live so close together," says Koner. To help maintain their anonymity, donations for the 11 sponsored families in Hastings are labeled by letters of the alphabet, so sponsor families have no identifiable information about who they're helping.  Watch how kids in Koner's town are helping to feed far-away families » Despite economic challenges

How many meals does this nonprofit provide?

Answer: combating hunger by connecting sponsor and recipient families.

Answer: CNN.com/Heroes.

Answer: 800,000

Answer: CNN.com/Heroes.

Summary:
Pam Koner's nonprofit connects sponsor and recipient families .
Family-to-Family has provided nearly 800,000 meals to those in need .
Families also connect on a social level, exchanging letters, photos, stories .
Do you know a hero? Nominations are open at CNN.com/Heroes .


HAVANA, Cuba (CNN)  -- New Orleans, Louisiana, Mayor Ray Nagin arrived in Cuba late Friday on a mission to learn about how to deal with storms, a spokeswoman said. Mayor Ray Nagin watches President Obama speak in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Thursday. "We understand we may have a lot to learn from the Cubans in terms of disaster preparedness and how they have dealt with hurricanes," spokeswoman Ceeon Quiett said. Cuba is internationally applauded for exceptional disaster management, according to a news release from Nagin's office. In the Cuban capital, Havana, Nagin plans to meet with several officials, including some from the Latin American Medical Centers for Disaster. He will also learn about preparations the Cuba Defense Committee makes in advance of disasters. Nagin's trip comes a day after President Obama held a town hall meeting in New Orleans, still reeling from the aftermath of deadly Hurricane Katrina in 2005. "It has now been just over four years since that terrible storm struck your shores," the president said. "And [in] the days after it did, this nation and all the world bore witness to the fact that the damage from Katrina was not caused just by a disaster of nature but also by a breakdown of government, that government wasn't adequately prepared, and we didn't appropriately respond." Since Katrina, New Orleans has adjusted its disaster response with new evacuation plans. As Hurricane Gustav threatened the city last year, officials evacuated more than 18,000 residents, the release said. Three powerful hurricanes hit Cuba last year, damaging half a million homes and causing $10 billion in losses, according to the Cuban government. But only seven people died, thanks to a smooth evacuation plan. Some aspects of the communist nation's response, including mandatory evacuations, may not be possible in a democracy. Still, some Americans believe that they can learn from their Caribbean neighbor. The mayor of Galveston, Texas, another city hit hard by Gulf of Mexico hurricanes, visited Cuba this year. Nagin is the first New Orleans mayor to make an official visit to Cuba in 50 years. The State Department sanctioned Nagin's trip, Quiett said. He plans to return to New Orleans on Thursday. CNN's David Ariosto contributed to this report.

Who is Ray Nagin meeting with.
What has the city done recently?
How many hurricanes hit Cuba last year?
who sanctioned visit?
What number hit Cuba last year?
Who meet Ray Nagin?
How many people died due to hurricanes?

Answer: several officials,

Answer: adjusted its disaster response with new evacuation plans.

Answer: Three powerful

Answer: The State Department

Answer: Three powerful hurricanes

Answer: several officials,

Answer: seven

Summary:
Ray Nagin to meet with Cuban officials, learn about disaster plans .
State Department sanctioned visit, mayor's representative says .
New Orleans adjusted disaster plans after Hurricane Katrina .
Three hurricanes hit Cuba last year, but only seven people died .


HAVANA, Cuba (CNN)  -- President Obama misinterpreted Cuban President Raúl Castro's offer to start talks with the United States, Castro's brother Fidel said Wednesday, appearing to dismiss the U.S. leader's call for Cuba to release political prisoners. Fidel Castro appears with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, left, and brother Raúl Castro in a photo released in June. In an essay published in state-run newspapers Wednesday, the ailing revolutionary leader said the people Washington calls political prisoners are "in the service of a foreign power that threatens and blockades our homeland." Fidel Castro's comments come after signs of a thaw in the decades-old impasse between the United States and the communist-ruled island to its south. Obama lifted all restrictions on visits and money transfers between American citizens and relatives in Cuba this month, while Raúl Castro said Cuba is prepared to talk with the United States about "everything -- human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners." Speaking at a conference of inter-American and Caribbean leaders Sunday, Obama said the Cuban leader's declaration was "a sign of progress." He added that the Cuban government could send a much clearer, more positive signal by releasing political prisoners or reducing fees charged on remittances Americans send to relatives in the country. But Fidel Castro wrote Wednesday, "There is no doubt that the president misinterpreted Raúl's statements." "When the president of Cuba said he was ready to discuss any topic with the U.S. president, he meant he was not afraid of addressing any issue," Castro wrote. "That shows his courage and confidence on the principles of the revolution." He said Cuba would be willing to release prisoners held since a 2003 crackdown on dissidents if the United States would release five Cubans convicted of spying in 2001. And he criticized Obama for not doing more to lift the U.S. embargo on Cuba, imposed in 1962. "Should we wait for so many years before his blockade is lifted?" Castro asked. "He did not invent it, but he embraced it just as much as the previous 10 U.S. presidents did." Castro ceded power to his brother in 2006 before undergoing surgery for a still-undisclosed intestinal condition. But he remains head of the Communist Party, and his essay raises the question of who would be calling the shots in any talks with Washington. "Who's in charge?" one Havana man asked Wednesday. "Raul -- ah, Fidel -- ah, Raúl." But a woman who spoke to CNN said, "The president is Raúl. He's the one you have to listen to now."

What did Obama say to Cuba?
who criticizes Obama ?
who is raul castro?
who is fidel castro?
who responded to raul castro?
when did castro write the  essay?
who is  prepared to talk with U.S.?
Who was the essay written about?
Who is prepared to talk with the U.S.?

Answer: release political prisoners.

Answer: Fidel Castro

Answer: Cuban President

Answer: head of the Communist Party,

Answer: President Obama

Answer: Wednesday,

Answer: Cuban President Raúl Castro's

Answer: prisoners

Answer: Cuban President Raúl Castro's

Summary:
Fidel Castro essay seems to dismiss U.S. leader's call for Cuba to free dissidents .
Raúl Castro has said Cuba is prepared to talk with U.S. about "everything"
President Obama responds by saying Cuba should send signal and free prisoners .
Fidel Castro also criticizes Obama for not doing more to lift U.S. embargo on Cuba .


HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- "Che" the movie met Che the myth in Cuba this weekend, and the lengthy biopic of the Argentinean revolutionary won acclaim from among those who know his story best.

Actor Benicio Del Toro stars in "Che," which details Che Guevara's role in the 1950s Cuban revolution.

The movie was screened Saturday in the Yara movie theater in central Havana as part of the 30th International Festival of the New Latin American Cinema.

"Che" also played Sunday at Havana's Karl Marx Theater.

"Che" stars Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro in the title role, for which he won a best actor award at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

But it's one thing to make a movie about Ernesto "Che" Guevara and the Cuban revolution and show it in France, quite another to screen it in Cuba.

Speaking to CNN outside the Karl Marx Theater, the bilingual Puerto Rican actor admitted some anxiety.

"This is Cuban history, so there's an audience in there that probably, that could be the biggest critics and the most knowledgeable critics of the historical accuracy of the film," Del Toro said.  Watch Del Toro talk about the movie in Cuba »

It appears he needn't have worried.

Audiences gave the movie hearty ovations. And Granma, the official mouthpiece of the Cuban government, gave Del Toro a glowing review.

"Del Toro personifies Che in a spectacular manner, not only his physical appearance but also his masterly interpretation," the state newspaper said.

After the showing, Del Toro characterized the public reaction as "sensational, a shot of adrenaline," Granma said. "The dream was to make this movie and to bring it here, where it all began."

The movie has two parts: "El argentino," which portrays Guevara's role in the 1950s Cuban revolution, and "Guerrilla," which shows Guevara's efforts in Africa and Bolivia, where he was killed in 1967. It was directed by Steven Soderbergh, who also directed Del Toro in the 2000 film "Traffic," for which Del Toro won an Oscar.

At 4 hours and 17 minutes, "Che" can test viewers' stamina. But that wasn't a problem in Havana.

It's a story Cubans know by heart. But this time, it's told by outsiders.

Catalina, a history professor who would give only her first name, was a tough critic.

"The movie is well-done. It has good intentions," she said. "But in my opinion, in the first part, the scenes in the jungle seemed a bit like a caricature."

Though some debated the details of this story they know so well, most -- like a young Guevara lookalike who identified himself only as Daniel -- were pleased.

"It has captured history to perfection," he said. "It has been well thought out and well-created."

Others, like student Susel Paraza, were torn about seeing their history told by others.

"What hurt me a little," she said, "is that it wasn't us, the Cubans, who thought to make a movie like this but instead a foreign director with foreign actors who have recreated this story very well."

Other foreign actors have played Guevara, most notably Egyptian-born Omar Sharif in a 1969 U.S. production titled "Che!"

Soderbergh's "Che" has been shown at six film festivals worldwide and will have a limited opening in the United States on December 12. It is scheduled for widespread U.S. distribution starting January 24.

Although many may not know Guevara's history, his image is recognized worldwide from a photograph taken by Alberto Korda at a Havana memorial service in March 1960.

Titled "Guerrillero Heroico" (Heroic Guerrilla), the image of a somber, long-haired and bearded Guevara wearing a beret with a lone star became what the Maryland Institute College of Art called "the most famous photograph in the world and a symbol of the 20th century

Who gave him a glowing review?
who stars in Che
What role did Toro play?
who gave it a glowing review
What did the government give Toro?
What day does it open?
Who is in the title role?

Answer: Granma,

Answer: Benicio Del Toro

Answer: Che Guevara's

Answer: Granma, the official mouthpiece of the Cuban government,

Answer: a glowing review.

Answer: December 12.

Answer: Benicio Del Toro

Summary:
"Che" stars Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro in the title role .
The official mouthpiece of the Cuban government gives Del Toro a glowing review .
The movie played Sunday at Havana's Karl Marx Theater .
"Che" will have a limited opening in the United States on Friday .


HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- "Che" the movie met Che the myth in Cuba this weekend, and the lengthy biopic of the Argentinean revolutionary won acclaim from among those who know his story best. Actor Benicio Del Toro stars in "Che," which details Che Guevara's role in the 1950s Cuban revolution. The movie was screened Saturday in the Yara movie theater in central Havana as part of the 30th International Festival of the New Latin American Cinema. "Che" also played Sunday at Havana's Karl Marx Theater. "Che" stars Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro in the title role, for which he won a best actor award at this year's Cannes Film Festival. But it's one thing to make a movie about Ernesto "Che" Guevara and the Cuban revolution and show it in France, quite another to screen it in Cuba. Speaking to CNN outside the Karl Marx Theater, the bilingual Puerto Rican actor admitted some anxiety. "This is Cuban history, so there's an audience in there that probably, that could be the biggest critics and the most knowledgeable critics of the historical accuracy of the film," Del Toro said.  Watch Del Toro talk about the movie in Cuba » It appears he needn't have worried. Audiences gave the movie hearty ovations. And Granma, the official mouthpiece of the Cuban government, gave Del Toro a glowing review. "Del Toro personifies Che in a spectacular manner, not only his physical appearance but also his masterly interpretation," the state newspaper said. After the showing, Del Toro characterized the public reaction as "sensational, a shot of adrenaline," Granma said. "The dream was to make this movie and to bring it here, where it all began." The movie has two parts: "El argentino," which portrays Guevara's role in the 1950s Cuban revolution, and "Guerrilla," which shows Guevara's efforts in Africa and Bolivia, where he was killed in 1967. It was directed by Steven Soderbergh, who also directed Del Toro in the 2000 film "Traffic," for which Del Toro won an Oscar. At 4 hours and 17 minutes, "Che" can test viewers' stamina. But that wasn't a problem in Havana. It's a story Cubans know by heart. But this time, it's told by outsiders. Catalina, a history professor who would give only her first name, was a tough critic. "The movie is well-done. It has good intentions," she said. "But in my opinion, in the first part, the scenes in the jungle seemed a bit like a caricature." Though some debated the details of this story they know so well, most -- like a young Guevara lookalike who identified himself only as Daniel -- were pleased. "It has captured history to perfection," he said. "It has been well thought out and well-created." Others, like student Susel Paraza, were torn about seeing their history told by others. "What hurt me a little," she said, "is that it wasn't us, the Cubans, who thought to make a movie like this but instead a foreign director with foreign actors who have recreated this story very well." Other foreign actors have played Guevara, most notably Egyptian-born Omar Sharif in a 1969 U.S. production titled "Che!" Soderbergh's "Che" has been shown at six film festivals worldwide and will have a limited opening in the United States on December 12. It is scheduled for widespread U.S. distribution starting January 24. Although many may not know Guevara's history, his image is recognized worldwide from a photograph taken by Alberto Korda at a Havana memorial service in March 1960. Titled "Guerrillero Heroico" (Heroic Guerrilla), the image of a somber, long-haired and bearded Guevara wearing a beret with a lone star became what the Maryland Institute College of Art called "the most famous photograph in the world and a symbol of the 20th century

What film does Benicio Del Toro star in?

What kind of an opening will "che" have in the US?

What foreign government praised this movie?

What film will have limited release in the United States on Friday?

Answer: "Che,"

Answer: Havana's Karl Marx Theater.

Answer: limited

Answer: Cuban

Answer: Actor Benicio Del Toro

Answer: Granma,

Answer: Benicio Del Toro

Answer: Benicio Del Toro

Answer: Granma,

Answer: "Che"

Answer: Benicio Del Toro

Summary:
"Che" stars Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro in the title role .
The official mouthpiece of the Cuban government gives Del Toro a glowing review .
The movie played Sunday at Havana's Karl Marx Theater .
"Che" will have a limited opening in the United States on Friday .


HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- A new video and a photo of ailing Communist leader Fidel Castro surfaced on Sunday, revealing a healthier-looking man than in previous photos. A man in Havana, Cuba, reads a newspaper on Sunday featuring a picture of a healthy-looking Fidel Castro. State-run Cubavision aired video of Castro during its Sunday news broadcast, saying the footage was taken Saturday when the former president met with Venezuelan law students. It was the first video of Castro broadcast in at least a year. The photo -- the second in 10 days -- published in Cuba's state-run youth newspaper, Juventud Rebelde, shows Castro, 83, meeting with Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa on Friday. The photo shows a well-groomed Castro wearing a white short-sleeve shirt and standing face-to-face with Correa. The meeting involved discussions of economic matters and medical checkups, according to the state-run newspaper. Another photo of the former Cuban president was released on August 13 by Pastors For Peace, a U.S.-based advocacy group that recently traveled to the island nation and is pushing for an end to the near half-century-old U.S. trade embargo. Castro, who came to power in 1959, underwent abdominal surgery in 2006. The Cuban leader ceded the presidency to his younger brother, Raul, last year, but has retained leadership of the Communist Party, the only legal political party in Cuba. CNN's David Ariosto contributed to this report.

The video is the first broadcast in how long?

Castro and Correa met over economic matters and what else?

Who is Castro meeting in the photograph?

Answer: at least a year.

Answer: Fidel Castro

Answer: economic matters and medical checkups,

Answer: discussions of economic matters and medical checkups,

Answer: Rafael Correa

Answer: medical checkups, according to the state-run newspaper.

Answer: President Rafael Correa

Answer: Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa

Answer: of ailing Communist leader Fidel Castro

Summary:
NEW: The video of Castro is the first broadcast in at least a year .
New photo shows fit-looking Castro meeting with Ecuadorian president .
Report: Castro and Correa met over economic matters and medical checkups .
He ceded Cuba's presidency to his brother in 2008 but is still Communist Party chief .