He led Zimbabwe to independence in 1980 and has effectively been 'president for life' ever since.  Under Robert Mugabe's rule Zimbabwe has become an economic basket case due to political corruption and misbegotten economic policies. But after an election loss, Mugabe appears ready to step down.http://www.newser.com/2008 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorThu, 28 Aug 2008 7:34:28 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/35857/mugabe-heckled-by-parliament.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMembers of the Movement for Democratic Change heckled President Robert Mugabe today as he addressed the parliament, the Times of London reports. Having defied him by electing an MDC speaker instead of one from his own Zanu-PF, the MDC representatives chanted “Zanu is rotten” throughout Mugabe’s address. “Our position is that this country doesn't have a state president,” said the new MDC speaker.http://www.newser.com/story/35857/mugabe-heckled-by-parliament.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 26 Aug 2008 10:49:07 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/35746/despite-arrests-zimbabwe-opposition-elects-speaker.html?refid=rss_all_defaultOpposition groups in Zimbabwe's parliament today defeated the candidate for speaker put forward by President Robert Mugabe, electing instead a member of the Movement for Democratic Change, the Times of London reports. Though security forces arrested several MDC members ahead of the vote, MDC lawmakers sang anti-Mugabe songs in a parliament speaker Lovemore Moyo said will "cease to be a rubber stamping house."http://www.newser.com/story/35746/despite-arrests-zimbabwe-opposition-elects-speaker.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 25 Aug 2008 11:22:00 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/35624/modern-bullies-arent-worlds-real-threat.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThe world's strong-arm autocrats are surging to the fore, ignoring human rights, denying election results, and barging into neighboring nations. But Hu Jintao, Robert Mugabe and Vladimir Putin are not Mao, Hitler, or Stalin, Francis Fukuyama writes in the Washington Post . That “sort of ideological tyrant no longer bestrides the world stage,” he writes.http://www.newser.com/story/35624/modern-bullies-arent-worlds-real-threat.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSat, 23 Aug 2008 13:28:24 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/34976/freed-tsvangirai-arrives-in-south-africa.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMorgan Tsvangirai has arrived in South Africa today on the eve of a weekend summit with regional leaders expected to focus on Zimbabwe's political crisis, reports the AP. The leader of the Movement for Democratic Change will meet with Thabo Mbeki, the South African president who is mediating power-sharing talks between Robert Mugabe and the opposition. Tsvangirai was given his passport back and allowed to leave the country a day after he was blocked at the airport in his first attempt.http://www.newser.com/story/34976/freed-tsvangirai-arrives-in-south-africa.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 15 Aug 2008 4:33:44 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/34912/tsvangirai-barred-from-mbeki-meet.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMorgan Tsvangirai, the leader of Zimbabwe's opposition, was detained at the airport in Harare today and prevented from flying to South Africa. Authorities confiscated his passport, as well as the travel documents of fellow members of the Movement for Democratic Change, before letting him leave. Tsvangirai was to attend a meeting with South African president Thabo Mbeki in an attempt to resolve the country's political crisis.http://www.newser.com/story/34912/tsvangirai-barred-from-mbeki-meet.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 14 Aug 2008 8:09:43 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/34793/zimbabwe-power-sharing-talks-stall-mbeki-leaves.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSouth African president Thabo Mbeki today left Zimbabwe without a power-sharing deal, as official media reported that Robert Mugabe had struck an agreement with a breakaway leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, sidelining its leader Morgan Tsvangirai. A spokesman for the MDC splinter group told Bloomberg there was no deal.http://www.newser.com/story/34793/zimbabwe-power-sharing-talks-stall-mbeki-leaves.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWed, 13 Aug 2008 6:29:51 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/33380/bush-expands-zimbabwe-sanctions.html?refid=rss_all_defaultPresident Bush is expanding US sanctions against Zimbabwe, the New York Times reports, two weeks after Russia and China vetoed his call for UN action. “No regime should ignore the will of its own people and calls from the international community without consequences,” Bush said today.http://www.newser.com/story/33380/bush-expands-zimbabwe-sanctions.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 25 Jul 2008 12:46:23 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/33258/paper-shortage-deepens-crisis-in-zimbabwe.html?refid=rss_all_defaultInternational sanctions and hyperinflation have left Zimbabwe nearly unable to print money, the Guardian reports. Stocks are nearly depleted since shipments ceased early this month from the German firm that supplied paper for banknotes; worse, the license will soon expire on the software used to design and print the bills. And with inflation around 40 million percent, demand for new, larger-denomination bills is insatiable.http://www.newser.com/story/33258/paper-shortage-deepens-crisis-in-zimbabwe.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 24 Jul 2008 7:54:54 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/32975/zimbabwe-rivals-agree-to-start-negotiations.html?refid=rss_all_defaultRobert Mugabe has signed a deal with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai establishing negotiations on the future of Zimbabwe, the BBC reports. The rivals met for the first time in 10 years to sign the agreement, which South Africa’s Thabo Mbeki witnessed. The deal does not create the power-sharing structure Mbeki proposed; it creates a framework for further negotiations.http://www.newser.com/story/32975/zimbabwe-rivals-agree-to-start-negotiations.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 21 Jul 2008 11:11:58 CDT