Zimbabwe?s opposition leader accused the president of preparing a ?war against the people? and said his party was reluctant to take part in a runoff election.
AP - President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin opened suspenseful farewell talks Saturday as the White House dropped hopes they would resolve differences on U.S. missile defense plans, one of the most contentious issues in a long list of security disputes.
The opposition candidate who contends he is the victor in Zimbabwe's presidential election says he is against a runoff with President Robert Mugabe, because he fears possible violence. "This country cannot afford a runoff. A runoff would traumatize and polarize the nation," said Morgan Tsvangirai.
The U.S. State Department's renewal of Blackwater's contract to provide security in Iraq "is bad news," an adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said.