Zimbabwe: Cholera Cases Rise Above 70,000

The number of Zimbabweans infected with cholera has risen above 70,000, a new update released by the World Health Organisation has stated.A staggering 1,950 new cases were reported on Monday, with 67 cholera-related deaths, whereas only 362 were reported the previous day along, with nine deaths.The humanitarian aid agency, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), reports that 50 to 60 percent of boreholes in rural areas are not functional, forcing residents to use water from streams and lakes.

South Africa: Manuel Highlights Gloomy Outlook for Global Economy

Drawing a rather gloomy picture of what the world’s economies can look forward to, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel on Wednesday said recession on Anglo-Saxon markets has truly taken grip.”The global economy is experiencing a sharp downturn, spreading from developed to developing countries. Its origins lie in macroeconomic imbalances of an unprecedented scale.”In a very short period…what started off as a financial crisis may well become a second great depression [mirrored on the Wall Street crash of 1929],” the finance minister told Parliament, delivering his 2009 Budget Speech.

Sudan: UN Chief Warns Govt Over Indictment

United Nations chief Ban Ki-Moon has warned the Sudanese government against harming UN peacekeepers if the International Criminal Court (ICC) decides to indict President Omar al-Bashir on charges of genocide and war crimes arising out of the war in Darfur.Amid speculation that the ICC’s decision is imminent, Ban told a news conference in New York on Tuesday that it was “very important” for Bashir and his government “to react very responsibly and ensure the safety and security of the United Nations peacekeepers, and protect the human rights of all the population…”According to a transcript of the news conference released by the UN, Ban said he had discussed the implications of the ICC’s action with Bashir at the recent African Union summit in Addis Ababa. Ban stressed that he had no control over the ICC, but added that Bashir “should fully cooperate with whatever decisions that the ICC makes. This is a very important fundamental principle…”