Zimbabwe leaders resume power-sharing talks. On Monday, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai resumed their power-sharing talks, mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki, reports The Associated Press. The talks, which follow June’s disputed run-off election, have been at a standstill. The main point they can’t seem to agree on is how much power Mugabe should give up. Tsvangirai (who believes he fairly won the first round of elections in March, and says he dropped out of June’s race because of government-sponsored violence against his supporters) wants Mugabe to be only a ceremonial president while he holds most of the power. If that doesn’t happen, he wants “elections under international supervision and see who will carry the day,” he said at a Movement for Democratic Change party rally Sunday.  Mugabe, the country’s longtime leader, is opposed to relinquishing power and recently threatened to go ahead and appoint a Cabinet without help from Tsvangirai. But the opposition leader made it clear he’s not budging. “We should not be pushed into a deal. We would rather have no deal than get a bad deal,” he said at the rally. He has also been vocal about the South African president’s effectiveness as a mediator, saying that President Mbeki is biased toward Mugabe and should be relieved of his duties, reports the news service. “The biggest problem we have is there are people who are putting pressure on the MDC, not (on) Mugabe,” Tsvangirai said at the rally.

Swaziland king catches heat for flossin’ at his party. Last weekend’s party in Swaziland , celebrating both King Mswati III’s 40^th birthday and the African nation’s 40^th independence day, left many up in arms. The lavish event, which could have cost anywhere between $2.5 million and $12.5 million, have many people wondering why so much money would be spent on a single shindig while most of the nation is struggling. Swaziland has the highest AIDS rate in the world and, ironically, only 25 percent of citizens reach the age of 40. Hit hard by the AIDS epidemic, life expectancy in the nation is less than 31 years, reports CNN. Despite those depressing stats, King Mswati III was driven around a stadium in a BMW in front of thousands of cheering people during the celebration. Before the event, people protested against its high cost. “I’m aware that many in the world might be wondering why we are so excited about the celebrations of our 40^th anniversary. The answer is simple. We are celebrating our nationhood,” King Mswati told the audience. That was the closest he came to acknowledging his citizen’s general discontent, adding that citizens should do more to fight AIDS and appealing to tourists. “We are telling a world full of prejudices that we are a happy nation in spite of the challenges that face us,” he said. Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe made an appearance as well and was greeted by cheers from the crowd. A controversial and unpopular figure in the international community, many in the region like Mugabe for his stance against the West. The king and his 13 wives have been criticized for their expensive lifestyle. Adding fuel to those concerns, eight of his wives hopped a plane and flew to Dubai ahead of the party to buy birthday outfits.

Thousands of Mexicans hit the streets to protest crime. Mexicans, sick and tired of the huge wave of murders and kidnappings in t heir country, took to the streets Saturday demanding the government do something about the violence, which they say is out of control. More than 50,000 people (according to government estimates) wearing white and carrying candles and pictures of kidnapped loved ones, marched through the streets of Mexico City . Thousands also took part in protests around the nation as well. During his time in office, President Felipe Calderon has put crime fighting first but, other than the arrest of several prominent drug dealers, not much has improved, reports CNN.  Big drug cartels have been fighting one another for trafficking routes. Just in the state of Chihuahua , there have been more than 800 murders this year – which is twice as much as last year during this time. Last week a dozen headless bodies were found near Cancun . One family of protesters had not heard from their 24-year-old daughter, Monica Alejandrina Ramirez, since she was kidnapped in 2004. “The most frustrating thing has been the indolence of many of the authorities, their insensitivity. I have often asked myself, why? Why me? Why my daughter?” said Ramirez’s father. In many towns, the police forces are struggling, some complaining that they have to share guns. And many officers have resigned after witnessing a fellow officer murdered in front of their homes.

As it batters Jamaica, Haiti’s death toll from the storm passes 50.
Tropical Storm Gustav batters the Caribbean. Tropical Storm Gustav slammed the island nation of Jamaica Thursday and ripped through its Caribbean cousin, Haiti, claiming more than 50 lives in its wake, reports CNN. The storm, whose intensity in Jamaica came just short of hurricane strength, was 15 miles away from Kingston (although residents report suffering little physical damage from the storm). Before it hit, Jamaican authorities evacuated residents in low-lying areas, said a spokesman for the military. But Gustav was a full-fledged hurricane when it hit Haiti Tuesday. Haitian officials announced Thursday that the country’s death toll rose from 14 people to 51.  Six children are among the dead, according to the government, and 6,500 residents are living in shelters. The storm lost its strength over Jamaica, but it could pick up strength and become a hurricane by today, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters say the storm could dump 2 to 4 inches over Cuba and 6 to 12 inches over Jamaica. The Hurricane Center’s projection models illustrate the storm could hit Louisiana by Sunday afternoon, almost three years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the region. The National Guard is sending 3,000 members there to get ready for the storm.

Co-ed schools banned in part of Nigeria. A Nigerian state has decided to get rid of co-ed schools, citing teen pregnancy and low-academic achievement as reasons, reports the BBC. The ban, which would affect all junior and senior schools, was passed last week by lawmakers in the country’s Bauchi State. Private schools are not affected. Teens have a hard time controlling sexual urges, said Aminu Tukur a Bauchi lawmaker in favor of the ban. Bauchi is governed by the Islamic Sharia law (under the frame of this system, courts recently ruled a Nigerian man with 86 wives had to choose only four and repent, or face death). Christians, a minority in the state, are against the ban, saying teens are able to meet up at other places too, not just schools. No word yet on when the co-ed schools will have to turn single sex. Students will head back to school next week

World Lens – Storm batters the Dominican Republic; Usain Bolt sprints to gold; Cubans celebrate Castro’s birthday. See the pics at World Lens.
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Hoops pic causes an international uproar. The Spanish basketball team has come under attack after taking a team photo with their players making a slit-eyed gesture, possibly mocking the host country, China. Is the photo offensive to you? Read more at BET.com Olympics ‘08.

Men’s soccer squad advances to quarter-finals. Nigeria’s 2-1 victory against the USA Wednesday pushes the African men’s soccer team into the Olympics quarter-finals. The Ivory Coast and Cameroon also qualified to continue the chase for gold medals at the Beijing Games. America’s loss to Nigeria drops the men out of contention for any prize. The team needed at least a draw, in order to advance, but will return home empty-handed.

Yankees shortstop too sore to play in Minnesota.

Derek Jeter isn’t expected to take the field for New York again until tomorrow after he sat out a game versus Minnesota with a sore foot. Jeter hit a foul tip off his foot Tuesday night and didn’t take his starting spot on Wednesday. But he’s expected to re-join the rotation against the Kansas City Royals. X-rays of Jeter’s foot returned negative. “He’ll never tell you that he can’t play, but by saying that it’s kind of sore and it’s throbbing all night, you kind of get the feeling that it’s pretty rough,” says manager Joe Girardi.

Black American AIDS activists want the U.S. to develop a plan. Angered that the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the African-American community has been neglected and is on the rise, while U.S government funding has been stagnant and its priorities have been global, Black leaders gathered in Mexico City called for the U.S. government to create and implement a new National AIDS strategy. During a news conference at the XVII International AIDS Conference Monday, the group also appealed for the U.S government to commit $1.3 billion annually to HIV prevention, an amount they said is needed to reverse the large and growing AIDS epidemic in the U.S, especially in the African American community where the largest growth is occurring. Those gathered for the news conference included Phill Wilson, CEO of the Black AIDS Institute; Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Calif.); Dr. Helene Gayle, president and CEO of CARE; Sheryl Lee Ralph, actress and activist; Jacob Gayle, deputy vice president of the Ford Foundation; and Pernessa C. Seele, founder and CEO of the Balm in Gilead, Inc. This call for a new strategy and increased funding has gained more urgency in recent days as the U.S. government has acknowledged what Black leaders have known all along: The United States has been systematically undercounting its epidemic and consistently failing to respond to the needs of those infected and those at risk. “The U.S. is failing its people, and that is a direct attack on Black America,” said Wilson of the Black AIDS Institute. “This failure to respond is particularly acute in the epidemic in Black America.” Gayle of CARE agreed, noting that the newly released data show that “we are behind the eight ball.” The institute has just released a report titled “Left Behind,” which illustrates just how profoundly AIDS in the United States has become a Black disease. The community leaders also fault both presidential candidates for not having a domestic HIV/AIDS plan.

International court seeks to arrest Sudan’s president
In a move that would be the first of its kind against an acting president, the International Criminal Court is seeking to arrest Sudan’s leader Omar al-Bashir for alleged war crimes in his country, reports the BBC. ICC prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, who is leading the effort, wants Bashir arrested for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Since rebels began fighting the government in 2003, about 300,000 people died and more than 2 million people have been displaced, according to United Nation’s. estimates. Some have accused the government of supporting the notorious Arab Janjaweed militia, which allegedly are responsible for many of the atrocities and genocide against Black Africans. The Sudanese government denies involvement. After at least six weeks, the ICC judges will decide whether or not Moreno-Ocampo has a legit case. The Sudanese government actually does not recognize the ICC and, in fact, calls Moreno-Ocampo a criminal. Thousands of Sudanese (many of whom were government workers or connected to the government in some way) chanted “Down, Down, USA!” as they gathered in the capital city in support of their president Sunday, reports Reuters. In a statement, the protesters said, “The ICC does just what the European Union, the United States of America and Israel tell it to do.” A protester told Reuters, “The Sudanese people are all rejecting this – this is America targeting Sudan. We will not send Bashir. We would die first.” There are fears that the move by the ICC would cause more problems in a nation that is already unstable. In fact, UNAMID, which has 9,000 peacekeepers currently in Darfur, has increased its security alert to “level four” – a move that relocates some foreign staff, reports the BBC.

Charity workers are killed in Somalia
In Somalia, three charity workers were shot and killed in just a few days, reports CNN. Mohamad Mohamud Qeyre, deputy director of Daryeel Bulasho Guud (a German funded charity connected to Bread for the World), was shot and killed outside of an aid distribution facility in Mogadishu. Reports say that it looked like he was targeted by gunmen who might have waited for him to leave the facility. The charity will stop operating in Somalia for now, said the head of the group. Ali Baashi, who was a part of a nongovernmental organization aiding Somalia, was also killed in what appeared to be a targeted attack. World Food Program truck diver, Ahmed Saalim, was killed last week when convoy escorts and militia members exchanged fire at a checkpoint. Saalim is the fourth World Food Program driver to be killed in the nation this year. With the multiple scourges of drought, violence and high food and fuel prices, many Somalis depend on aid.