ZIMBABWE

The most beautiful women on the planet will be vying for the Miss World 2011 crown at the Earls Court exhibition center in London on Sunday. And the competition is so intense that 36 contestants qualified in the beach beauty segment, instead of the usual 20.

The United States agreed to a compromise allowing Zimbabwe to export diamonds that human rights groups say are tainted by abuses, to prevent the paralysis of the global system for stopping trade in blood diamonds, the State Department said on Wednesday.

Competition has been so high at Miss World 2011 that 36 contestants initially qualified in the 'beach beauty' competition at London's Earl's Court.

Competition has been so high at Miss World 2011 that 36 contestants initially qualified in the 'beach beauty' competition at London's Earl's Court.

The Top 10 Beauty with a Purpose finalists are: Ecuador, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Philippines, Scotland, South Africa, Spain and Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwean police sealed the offices of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's party on Tuesday, firing tear gas into the building and at bystanders in central Harare and raising tensions ahead of elections that could come next year.

Impala Platinum's Zimbabwe unit said on Monday metal production fell 13 percent during the July-September quarter after a maintenance shutdown at its furnace, but the company was on track to submit a revised local ownership plan in November.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi will not escape justice and should be tried in Libya for murder, corruption and many things before an international court questions him, the country's interim justice minister said on Monday.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe denied speculation his health is failing and hinted at taking action against Swiss firms in retaliation for his wife and aides being denied visas to visit Geneva, the official Herald newspaper reported on Monday.

Impala Platinum's Zimbabwe unit said on Monday metal production fell 13 percent during the July-September quarter after a maintenance shutdown at its furnace, but the company was on track to submit a revised local ownership plan in November.

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has been forced to cancel a trip to Geneva for a United Nations meeting this week after his wife and some of his aides were denied visas, state media said on Wednesday.

English author and bookmakers' favorite Julian Barnes finally won the Man Booker Prize for fiction on Tuesday, despite once dismissing the coveted award as posh bingo.

English author and four-time nominee Julian Barnes, who once dismissed the Man Booker Prize for fiction as posh bingo, is favored to win it on Tuesday with his novel The Sense of an Ending.

Zimbabwe's local ownership rules for foreign mining companies are too stringent, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said on Monday.

Three women in possession of 33 condoms containing semen were arrested and charged with 17 counts of aggravated sexual assault by the Zimbabwe police Friday. The arrest is believed to be a break in a series of sexual assaults over male hitchhikers over the past two years by women.

Impala Platinum said on Thursday it has agreed to turn over a 10 percent stake in its Zimbabwe units to locals after facing pressure from the government to give up equity or lose out in the state with the world's second largest platinum reserves.

Resources firms such as Exxaro led South African stocks lower on Thursday as miners took a knock after weak data from China and disappointing earnings from the United States.

A British government minister sharply criticised Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday and said it would be premature for Commonwealth leaders to hold out an olive branch to Zimbabwe when they meet later this month.

The head of the worldwide Anglican Church met Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Monday to hand him a dossier of abuses against the church and its priests in Zimbabwe and demand an end to a campaign of persecution.

Space-obsessed teenagers have got an opportunity to come up with ideas for science contest to be carried out in space. If successful, the two selected experiments will be performed aboard the International Space Station and live streamed on YouTube to the world in 2012.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams will meet President Robert Mugabe on Monday to press the Zimbabwean leader to end violent suppression of the church and its priests.