As the Presidency stated on 28 June 2008, the EU deeply regrets that the Zimbabwean people were unable to vote freely in the run-off presidential elections, which the UN Secretary-General had asked to be deferred. It reiterates the unacceptability of the campaign of violence which the UN Security Council condemned on 23 June and which turned the election into a denial of democracy.

Western politicians are making furious attempts to keep up the appearance that with declarations and sanctions they are able to exert at least a little influence on Robert Mugabe. But deep in their hearts they all know they're powerless against Zimbabwe's dictator. When the votes have been counted, Mr Mugabe will declare himself president again and the world will look on in impotence.

"I'll be leaving within a day or two," said Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai from the Dutch embassy in Harare. On Sunday, the Movement for Democratic Change leader fled to the Dutch embassy after receiving serious threats from ZANU-PF supporters loyal to President Robert Mugabe.

Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, has said that the elections in Zimbabwe should be postponed due to the fact that Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Zimbabwe's main opposition party, has said that he will pull out of the race to become the president of Zimbabwe.

South African President Thabo Mbeki is meeting in Bulawayo with Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe before runoff presidential elections next week. VOA's Delia Robertson reports from our southern Africa bureau in Johannesburg, the meeting backdrop is a deepening political, social and economic crisis in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe's central bank, currently grappling with record-breaking inflation, has introduced a new high-denomination bank note of a quarter of a billion dollars,state television have said.

‘Beijing’ the Chinese Olympic Committee tells us, ‘is about to show the world a grand picture of "peace, friendship, and progress of mankind" and to strike up the passionate movement of "faster, higher, and stronger" for mankind’. Indeed, the upcoming Olympic Games are meant to celebrate the emergence of the new China, and the energy and dynamism of its 1.3 billion people.

For the first time in Zimbabwe's history, an election recount is taking place. The recounting of votes for 23 seats in the country's legislature began on Saturday, with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change and most legal analysts calling it illegal.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso is calling for a swift transition to democracy in Zimbabwe. Barosso says Zimbabweans have voted for change from President Robert Mugabe's rule.

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is ready to contest a second round of the presidential election, a spokesman for his ruling Zanu-PF party says.

Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai declined to declare himself the winner of a presidential election on Tuesday, saying he would wait until an announcement from the electoral commission.