A Zimbabwe school is telling parents that if they can't scrape up enough money, they
should pay tuition with livestock or fuel coupons. Thanks to insane inflation, parents are short on cash. School fees are about 100,000 Zimbabwe dollars, but banks only let people withdraw 1,000 Zimbabwe dollars a day.
The Zimbabwe government's youth militia use the most horrific tactic — rape — as a tool to terrorize those suspected of sympathizing with the opposition. President Robert Mugabe's ruling party has been carrying out a campaign of political terror since
opposition supporters contested his election.
Today's New York Times
paints a graphic picture of how many of Zimbabwe's women have been abused, humiliated, and raped, often in front of their families.
Zimbabwe Faces 50 Million Percent Inflation, Uses Gasoline Coupons For Currency Reeling from the highest inflation rate in the world, barred by the government from using US dollars for purchases, Zimbabweans turned to a new money source Wednesday: gasoline coupons. The move reflected the complete chaos of Zimbabwe's financial system, where prices are openly quoted in the American currency, in Zimbabwe's own new currency that came out Friday, and in its old denominations, which have 10 more zeros than the new bills.
The world is happier — thanks to economic growth, democracy, and social tolerance, according to the World Values Study. The findings contradicted the assumption that regardless of changing variables, happiness remains constant.
The
researchers credit relative quality of life improvements for the global rise in happiness; for example, low-income societies like China experienced economic growth while developed societies saw a rise in equality and tolerance.
Zimbabwe President's Spokesman to West: "Go Hang"
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe will not step down and Western critics who called the country's recent election a sham can "go hang," the longtime ruler's spokesman said Tuesday. Mugabe was attending an African Union summit where leaders have been unwilling to publicly criticize Mugabe, and instead are gently pushing behind the scenes that he accept some sort of power-sharing agreement with Zimbabwe's opposition.
