Airstrip One

Zimbabwe watch

The ruling party revolts over the press freedom bill. How does this affect the simplistic "Mugabe is another Hitler" line? Meanwhile the US mumbles in a menacing tone.

Zambian traders are targetted by ruling party bovver boys, obviously worried about grain shortages.

For what it's worth the domestic human rights group ZimRights have said that there are "signs of the government respecting commitments" on human rights.

War drums are still beating, the German President has said that the position in Zimbabwe is a threat to the entire African continent:

When people in Europe look at Africa and the developments here, they see South Africa but they also see the other countries. They see the developments taking place in a country like Zimbabwe and they hope that the rights of the individual and the rule of law are going to prevail.

Right now that is not the case. They are very much threatened, and that in itself poses a threat to the African continent as a whole.

South Africa's Mbeki is also talking tough.