Zimbabwe Cholera Outbreak Now Infects 60K

(NEWSER) - Robert Mugabe has backtracked on his denial of the Zimbabwean cholera crisis, AFP reports. “He is acknowledging there is a problem,” said a UNICEF official who met with him today. “He recognizes there is a problem with the water and the sewer systems.” The admission comes as opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai returned to the country, Voice of America reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Pressure from nonprofits and watchdogs is mounting on the UN to intercede in Zimbabwe’s humanitarian crisis, GlobalPost reports. Physicians for Human Rights asserts that Robert Mugabe intentionally dismantled the country’s health and sanitation infrastructure, and is directly responsible for the cholera outbreak that has claimed 1,800 lives. The group urges a UN tribunal or the International Criminal Court to charge the president with crimes against humanity. More»

Choice of Zimbabwean strongman doesn't go over well

(NEWSER) - The UN has anointed Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe one of its worldwide "leaders of tourism," reports the Guardian , and here's just one hint why it's a little weird: Mugabe himself can't travel the world freely, thanks to US and EU sanctions put in place over his land seizures and human rights record. More»

No clear favorite among 18 candidates

(NEWSER) - Facing recovery from a pair of natural disasters and an outbreak of cholera, work is cut out for Haiti’s next president. Who that will be, however, is anyone’s guess: of 18 candidates, no one campaigner has pulled ahead, the Wall Street Journal reports. With some 80% of pledged relief funds still tied up and 1.5 million still living in tent cities, anger is running high ahead of Sunday's vote. More»

Protesters believe Nepalese soldiers started illness outbreak

(NEWSER) - Protesters who blame United Nations peacekeepers from Nepal for a deadly outbreak of cholera have attacked a base in northern Haiti. Shots were fired as protests spread through the city of Cap-Haitien and at least two people are believed to have been killed, AP reports. Six Nepalese peacekeepers were injured after being attacked by a stone-throwing mob. UN troops and Haitian police fired tear gas to disperse protesters. More»