Gunmen have abducted three aid workers from Italy, Switzerland and the Philippines on southern Jolo island, the Philippine National Red Cross says.
The Red Cross chairman, Senator Richard Gordon, said the three were in a car on their way to Jolo airport.
They had been visiting a local jail when they were intercepted by armed men on motorbikes, he said.
The island is a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf group, which is notorious for kidnappings and terror attacks.
A regional military spokeswoman has identified the three aid workers from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) as Swiss Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Jean Lacaba.
"They had been carrying out a water and sanitation project to improve the condition of detainees," ICRC spokesman Reynaldo Guioguio told AFP news agency.
Senator Gordon said the aid workers' driver and two other Filipinos were released and reported the incident.
Reuters new agency said that marine officials on Jolo confirmed the incident.
Neutral
"I am appealing to the Abu Sayyaf to free those people, because they are neutral in any conflict," Mr Gordon said.
"They do not realise this but these people help them if they get wounded and get them out of the conflict areas," he said.
Abu Sayyaf has twice attacked luxury beach resorts and taken away tourists, including Westerners.
They have held them for months at a time and secured large ransoms for their release.
In 2001, three kidnap victims, including an American, were beheaded by their captors.
The Abu Sayyaf has also been blamed for the bombing of a ferry near Manila Bay in 2004 that killed 100 people.
Sometimes linked to al-Qaeda militants, the Abu Sayyaf group has focused on kidnaps for ransom.
The police and military say that more than 380 Abu Sayyaf fighters - down from 1,000 in 2002 - are hiding mainly in the hinterlands of predominantly Muslim Jolo and Basilan islands.
The poor and underdeveloped area is home to decades-old Muslim separatist rebellions.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Medical leave for Apple boss
Apple chief executive Steve Jobs is to take medical leave until the end of June, saying his health issues were more complex than he first thought.
Mr Jobs revealed last week he was being treated for a "hormone imbalance" but was staying on as the firm's head.
Chief operating officer Tim Cook will again stand in while Mr Jobs is away.
Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004, Mr Jobs had appeared increasingly gaunt at recent public appearances, sparking rumours about his health.
Speculation about his health had intensified since December, after Apple said Mr Jobs would not be making his annual keynote address at the Macworld conference in San Francisco.
Directors' support
In an e-mail to employees on Wednesday, Mr Jobs said: "Unfortunately the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well."
"In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health... I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June."
"Steve Jobs is the Ronald McDonald of Apple, he is the face," said Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group in Silicon Valley.
"They either need to redefine the company so his role is divided among different people or they need to find somebody that can clone Steve Jobs."
But other analysts disagreed.
"Everyone is going to speculate he is on his deathbed, like it usually goes. The company will do just fine with Steve taking a leave of absence," said Van Baker at information technology research firm Gartner.
"Apple is not going to collapse without him there."
Mr Jobs co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak in 1976 at the beginning of the personal computer revolution. He left the firm in 1985 but returned in 1997 and became full-time chief executive once again in 2000.
Since then, Apple has churned out a string of sleek gadgets, from the iMac and the iPod to a new line of aluminum-covered Macbooks and the iPhone.
Many investors fear that without him, Apple would not be able to sustain its growth.
Mr Jobs said he was passing day-to-day management to Tim Cook, who filled in for Mr Jobs in 2004 when the Apple chief took leave to battle his cancer.
Mr Jobs revealed last week he was being treated for a "hormone imbalance" but was staying on as the firm's head.
Chief operating officer Tim Cook will again stand in while Mr Jobs is away.
Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004, Mr Jobs had appeared increasingly gaunt at recent public appearances, sparking rumours about his health.
Speculation about his health had intensified since December, after Apple said Mr Jobs would not be making his annual keynote address at the Macworld conference in San Francisco.
Directors' support
In an e-mail to employees on Wednesday, Mr Jobs said: "Unfortunately the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well."
"In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health... I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June."
"Steve Jobs is the Ronald McDonald of Apple, he is the face," said Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group in Silicon Valley.
"They either need to redefine the company so his role is divided among different people or they need to find somebody that can clone Steve Jobs."
But other analysts disagreed.
"Everyone is going to speculate he is on his deathbed, like it usually goes. The company will do just fine with Steve taking a leave of absence," said Van Baker at information technology research firm Gartner.
"Apple is not going to collapse without him there."
Mr Jobs co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak in 1976 at the beginning of the personal computer revolution. He left the firm in 1985 but returned in 1997 and became full-time chief executive once again in 2000.
Since then, Apple has churned out a string of sleek gadgets, from the iMac and the iPod to a new line of aluminum-covered Macbooks and the iPhone.
Many investors fear that without him, Apple would not be able to sustain its growth.
Mr Jobs said he was passing day-to-day management to Tim Cook, who filled in for Mr Jobs in 2004 when the Apple chief took leave to battle his cancer.
Turabi arrested for provocating comments..
Sudanese Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi has been arrested after calling on President Omar al-Bashir to hand himself in to face war crimes charges.
The veteran opposition leader is the most high-profile Sudanese figure to say the president should go to The Hague to face charges over Darfur.
Mr Turabi's son said he was worried for the health of his 76-year-old father. Hassan al-Turabi
Hassan al-Turabi fell out with President Bashir in the 1990s
Sudanese Islamist leader
The veteran opposition leader is the most high-profile Sudanese figure to say the president should go to The Hague to face charges over Darfur.
Mr Turabi's son said he was worried for the health of his 76-year-old father.
International Criminal Court (ICC) judges are deciding whether to issue an arrest warrant for Mr Bashir.
The BBC's Amber Henshaw in Khartoum says tension is mounting ahead of the ICC decision.
The head of national intelligence recently said foreigners in Sudan could be attacked if an arrest warrant is issued for the president.
Mr Turabi was taken from his Khartoum home just after 2300 local time (2000 GMT) on Wednesday, family members said.
His son, Siddig al-Turabi, told the BBC that he is concerned that intense interrogation could be bad for his father's health.
"Imagine, someone above 70 years detained at this time and questioned for so many hours by maybe more than one committee, which is normal practice. It will tax him heavily," he said.
He said that his father had been hospitalised five times during the three years he spent in prison at the start of the decade.
Security officers
Mr Turabi's secretary, Awad Babakr, said about 20 security officers arrived at the house in two cars and took him away.
"They didn't give any details, only ordered him to go with them."
A senior official of Mr Turabi's Islamist Popular Congress Party was also reported to have been arrested late on Wednesday.
President Omar al-Bashir
President Omar al-Bashir could face war crimes charges
Mr Turabi said on Monday that President Bashir should hand himself over to the ICC to save the country from possible UN sanctions.
"Politically we think he is culpable... He should assume responsibility for whatever is happening in Darfur, displacement, burning all the villages, rapes, I mean systematic rapes, continuously, I mean on a wide scale and the killing."
He added: "Six million of the Sudanese are now paralysed, no agriculture, no animal farming or rearing. He is responsible and we condemn him."
The ICC's chief prosecutor wants Sudan's president to be charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, accusing him of supporting the Arab Janjaweed militias accused of ethnic cleansing against Darfur's black African population.
Sudan says any charges would be part of a political plot against its leader.
It says issuing an arrest warrant would further destabilise Darfur, where some 300,000 people have died and more than two million forced from their homes during the six-year conflict.
Mr Turabi used to be a close ally of President Bashir but the pair fell out in the 1990s.
He was arrested last year after Darfur rebels launched a surprise raid near the capital Khartoum.
The veteran opposition leader is the most high-profile Sudanese figure to say the president should go to The Hague to face charges over Darfur.
Mr Turabi's son said he was worried for the health of his 76-year-old father. Hassan al-Turabi
Hassan al-Turabi fell out with President Bashir in the 1990s
Sudanese Islamist leader
The veteran opposition leader is the most high-profile Sudanese figure to say the president should go to The Hague to face charges over Darfur.
Mr Turabi's son said he was worried for the health of his 76-year-old father.
International Criminal Court (ICC) judges are deciding whether to issue an arrest warrant for Mr Bashir.
The BBC's Amber Henshaw in Khartoum says tension is mounting ahead of the ICC decision.
The head of national intelligence recently said foreigners in Sudan could be attacked if an arrest warrant is issued for the president.
Mr Turabi was taken from his Khartoum home just after 2300 local time (2000 GMT) on Wednesday, family members said.
His son, Siddig al-Turabi, told the BBC that he is concerned that intense interrogation could be bad for his father's health.
"Imagine, someone above 70 years detained at this time and questioned for so many hours by maybe more than one committee, which is normal practice. It will tax him heavily," he said.
He said that his father had been hospitalised five times during the three years he spent in prison at the start of the decade.
Security officers
Mr Turabi's secretary, Awad Babakr, said about 20 security officers arrived at the house in two cars and took him away.
"They didn't give any details, only ordered him to go with them."
A senior official of Mr Turabi's Islamist Popular Congress Party was also reported to have been arrested late on Wednesday.
President Omar al-Bashir
President Omar al-Bashir could face war crimes charges
Mr Turabi said on Monday that President Bashir should hand himself over to the ICC to save the country from possible UN sanctions.
"Politically we think he is culpable... He should assume responsibility for whatever is happening in Darfur, displacement, burning all the villages, rapes, I mean systematic rapes, continuously, I mean on a wide scale and the killing."
He added: "Six million of the Sudanese are now paralysed, no agriculture, no animal farming or rearing. He is responsible and we condemn him."
The ICC's chief prosecutor wants Sudan's president to be charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, accusing him of supporting the Arab Janjaweed militias accused of ethnic cleansing against Darfur's black African population.
Sudan says any charges would be part of a political plot against its leader.
It says issuing an arrest warrant would further destabilise Darfur, where some 300,000 people have died and more than two million forced from their homes during the six-year conflict.
Mr Turabi used to be a close ally of President Bashir but the pair fell out in the 1990s.
He was arrested last year after Darfur rebels launched a surprise raid near the capital Khartoum.
HEATHROW AIRPORT APPROVAL DUE
The government is due to announce approval of a controversial plan to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
Ministers are set to confirm it to MPs at 1230 GMT, despite opposition from residents, environmentalists and MPs.
Leading business and union figures back the project, saying it will create jobs and boost the UK's competitiveness.
The Tories said a third runway would be an "environmental disaster" and pledged to stop it happening if elected.
The government has long argued, in principle, that it is in favour of the scheme, subject to noise and air pollution limits, and undertakings about access and traffic congestion.
Rail link
There has been deep unease within Labour ranks about the decision, with several cabinet members reported to be unconvinced about the project and more than 50 MPs openly opposed.
Alongside the commitment to a new runway, Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon is expected to announce increased investment in public transport, including the possibility of new high-speed rail links from the airport.
In an effort to appease its critics the government is expected to announce new safeguards for limiting emissions with airlines using the new runway required to use the newest, least polluting aircraft.
Asked about the decision at a press conference in Berlin, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said announcements had to be made first in the House of Commons.
But he added: "It is always our desire to make sure we protect the economic future of the country while, at the same time, meeting the very tough environmental conditions we have set ourselves for both noise pollution and climate change and I think you will see that reflected in the statement."
Virgin Atlantic's Paul Charles told BBC Radio 5 Live that if there was no third runway "Britain's economy will suffer. Investors will walk out, they won't invest here, jobs won't be created and people will go to Europe instead".
And Lady Valentine, who runs business group London First told the BBC that when Britain emerged from recession, it would need a modernised Heathrow more than ever.
But backbench Labour MP John McDonnell, whose constituency includes the airport, said the fight against the expansion was only just beginning and opponents would "use every mechanism possible" including legal challenges, to stop the runway going ahead.
Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers told BBC Radio 4's Today that approval of the scheme would show Gordon Brown was "deaf to the concerns of his own party and millions of people living under the flight path".
Planning process
She said any government environmental promises would be shown "to not be worth the paper they are written on" and warned anyone getting involved in the process that her party would cancel the project if they win the next general election.
The Liberal Democrats also oppose the third runway and have urged ministers to invest in high-speed rail links instead.
Their spokeswoman, Susan Kramer, told the BBC the arguments in favour of expansion were "glib" and south west London would become a "pretty miserable" place to live.
"There's this conventional wisdom amongst business that you must grow the airport ... it just isn't held up by the reality. Actually Heathrow has been serving fewer destinations over the last ten years. More companies than ever have chosen to headquarter in London, they need sufficient flights, they need an efficient airport, they don't need one in some sort of growth competition."
Asked about the decision on Wednesday, the prime minister declined to guarantee MPs a vote on the issue.
Should the government give the go-ahead, he said there would be a debate in Parliament and that the scheme would have to be granted planning permission.
This is likely to be a lengthy process, with work on a new runway unlikely to start until 2015.
Protests have been growing in anticipation of a decision, which was due to be made in December but was delayed amid reports of divisions within government over the issue.
About 700 homes will have to be demolished to make way for the runway, which will increase the number of flights using Heathrow from about 480,000 a year now to 702,000 by 2030.
'At risk'
Campaigners have bought some land earmarked for the construction of the runway in an effort to frustrate the expansion plans.
Environmental campaigners say proceeding with the new runway will leave the government's legal commitment to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 in tatters.
"Expanding Heathrow would shatter the government's international reputation on climate change," said Andy Atkins, executive director of Friends of the Earth.
"We need bold and urgent action to create a low-carbon economy, not more backing for the climate-wrecking activities of the aviation industry."
But the government believes the new runway will not violate its EU commitments on air and noise pollution, pointing out that new aircraft being built will reduce emissions significantly.
Supporters of the runway say Heathrow is already operating at full capacity and the UK economy will lose business to the rest of Europe if it does not go ahead.
They point out that rival airports such as Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam already have at least four runways and that Heathrow is at risk of falling further behind.
Former Labour MP Lord Soley is the campaign director of Future Heathrow, which represents groups in favour of expanding the airport.
He told BBC News that Heathrow brought jobs and "prosperity" to surrounding areas adding: "It is at risk and if it continues to decline, then the consequences for west London and the Thames Valley will be very, very serious indeed."
British Airways, the largest airline at Heathrow, has said expanding the airport is the only "credible option".
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson also defended the government's commitment to environmental concerns adding: "It's a classic dilemma - we want to forge ahead in implementing our climate change ambitions when others are not but we don't want to lose our economic competitiveness in the process. We want to do both these things."
'Half a runway'
Meanwhile sources close to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband described the plans as "only half a runway".
BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said it was understood that the growth in flights would be decided not by the airlines or owner BAA but in effect by the Climate Change Committee, under Lord Turner.
Strict emissions targets would be set and if breached, no new slots would be given to the airlines, he said, meaning a new runway would be unlikely to operate at full capacity.
Ministers are set to confirm it to MPs at 1230 GMT, despite opposition from residents, environmentalists and MPs.
Leading business and union figures back the project, saying it will create jobs and boost the UK's competitiveness.
The Tories said a third runway would be an "environmental disaster" and pledged to stop it happening if elected.
The government has long argued, in principle, that it is in favour of the scheme, subject to noise and air pollution limits, and undertakings about access and traffic congestion.
Rail link
There has been deep unease within Labour ranks about the decision, with several cabinet members reported to be unconvinced about the project and more than 50 MPs openly opposed.
Alongside the commitment to a new runway, Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon is expected to announce increased investment in public transport, including the possibility of new high-speed rail links from the airport.
In an effort to appease its critics the government is expected to announce new safeguards for limiting emissions with airlines using the new runway required to use the newest, least polluting aircraft.
Asked about the decision at a press conference in Berlin, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said announcements had to be made first in the House of Commons.
But he added: "It is always our desire to make sure we protect the economic future of the country while, at the same time, meeting the very tough environmental conditions we have set ourselves for both noise pollution and climate change and I think you will see that reflected in the statement."
Virgin Atlantic's Paul Charles told BBC Radio 5 Live that if there was no third runway "Britain's economy will suffer. Investors will walk out, they won't invest here, jobs won't be created and people will go to Europe instead".
And Lady Valentine, who runs business group London First told the BBC that when Britain emerged from recession, it would need a modernised Heathrow more than ever.
But backbench Labour MP John McDonnell, whose constituency includes the airport, said the fight against the expansion was only just beginning and opponents would "use every mechanism possible" including legal challenges, to stop the runway going ahead.
Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers told BBC Radio 4's Today that approval of the scheme would show Gordon Brown was "deaf to the concerns of his own party and millions of people living under the flight path".
Planning process
She said any government environmental promises would be shown "to not be worth the paper they are written on" and warned anyone getting involved in the process that her party would cancel the project if they win the next general election.
The Liberal Democrats also oppose the third runway and have urged ministers to invest in high-speed rail links instead.
Their spokeswoman, Susan Kramer, told the BBC the arguments in favour of expansion were "glib" and south west London would become a "pretty miserable" place to live.
"There's this conventional wisdom amongst business that you must grow the airport ... it just isn't held up by the reality. Actually Heathrow has been serving fewer destinations over the last ten years. More companies than ever have chosen to headquarter in London, they need sufficient flights, they need an efficient airport, they don't need one in some sort of growth competition."
Asked about the decision on Wednesday, the prime minister declined to guarantee MPs a vote on the issue.
Should the government give the go-ahead, he said there would be a debate in Parliament and that the scheme would have to be granted planning permission.
This is likely to be a lengthy process, with work on a new runway unlikely to start until 2015.
Protests have been growing in anticipation of a decision, which was due to be made in December but was delayed amid reports of divisions within government over the issue.
About 700 homes will have to be demolished to make way for the runway, which will increase the number of flights using Heathrow from about 480,000 a year now to 702,000 by 2030.
'At risk'
Campaigners have bought some land earmarked for the construction of the runway in an effort to frustrate the expansion plans.
Environmental campaigners say proceeding with the new runway will leave the government's legal commitment to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 in tatters.
"Expanding Heathrow would shatter the government's international reputation on climate change," said Andy Atkins, executive director of Friends of the Earth.
"We need bold and urgent action to create a low-carbon economy, not more backing for the climate-wrecking activities of the aviation industry."
But the government believes the new runway will not violate its EU commitments on air and noise pollution, pointing out that new aircraft being built will reduce emissions significantly.
Supporters of the runway say Heathrow is already operating at full capacity and the UK economy will lose business to the rest of Europe if it does not go ahead.
They point out that rival airports such as Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam already have at least four runways and that Heathrow is at risk of falling further behind.
Former Labour MP Lord Soley is the campaign director of Future Heathrow, which represents groups in favour of expanding the airport.
He told BBC News that Heathrow brought jobs and "prosperity" to surrounding areas adding: "It is at risk and if it continues to decline, then the consequences for west London and the Thames Valley will be very, very serious indeed."
British Airways, the largest airline at Heathrow, has said expanding the airport is the only "credible option".
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson also defended the government's commitment to environmental concerns adding: "It's a classic dilemma - we want to forge ahead in implementing our climate change ambitions when others are not but we don't want to lose our economic competitiveness in the process. We want to do both these things."
'Half a runway'
Meanwhile sources close to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband described the plans as "only half a runway".
BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said it was understood that the growth in flights would be decided not by the airlines or owner BAA but in effect by the Climate Change Committee, under Lord Turner.
Strict emissions targets would be set and if breached, no new slots would be given to the airlines, he said, meaning a new runway would be unlikely to operate at full capacity.
Israeli tanks proceed further into gaza city
Israeli tanks have pushed deep into Gaza City, prompting fierce exchanges of gunfire with fighters of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The UN's relief agency, Unrwa, says part of its HQ in the city is on fire after being shelled by the Israelis. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon expressed outrage at the attack, and said Israel had told him it was a grave mistake.
Efforts to reach a truce continue, with Israel's head negotiator due in Cairo to discuss an Egyptian ceasefire plan.
Hamas said the talks had made progress, but did not elaborate.
Speaking to reporters on the Israel-Gaza border, Unrwa spokesman Christopher Gunness said three of the agency's employees were hurt in the attack.
The BBC's Rushdi Abu Alouf describes the scene outside his home
About 700 people were still in the compound, he said, and he was particularly concerned about the proximity of the fire to five fully loaded fuel tanks.
Asked whether he was sure the attack had been carried out by Israel, he said he was not aware of Hamas having access to white phosphorus.
Mr Gunness added that Unrwa would not be able to distribute food or medical supplies on Thursday as its trucks have been unable to leave the compound.
Escalation
Israeli military officials say they attacked 70 military targets overnight, including a mosque they say was being used to store weapons.
The BBC's Hamada Abu Qammar in Gaza says the coastal enclave has come under extremely heavy artillery fire from the east, and the skies are full of thick smoke.
He said Israeli tanks seemed to be pushing closer to the heart of Gaza City, close to the UN headquarters, and that there were reports of 21 people killed in fighting since the early hours.
Rushdi Abu Alouf, the BBC's Gaza producer, says the building where he lives in Tel al-Hawa, south-west of Gaza City, has been surrounded by Israeli tanks.
"People have been screaming from their balconies, calling for help," he says.
He says that from his window he can see fighters from Hamas and other Palestinian factions firing at Israeli tanks from rooftops and balconies, and that the Israeli tanks have been firing back.
Tank shells have hit the lower floors two or three times.
Reports say at least 15 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel since the early morning.
More than 1,000 Gazans and 13 Israelis have reportedly died so far in the conflict.
In other developments:
- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is meeting regional leaders as part of intensive diplomatic efforts to end the fighting
- A tower block in Gaza City that houses the offices of the Reuters news agency and several other organisations is hit by an explosion, injuring a journalist for the Abu Dhabi television channel
- A boat carrying medical supplies to Gaza is surrounded by Israeli warships in international waters off Lebanon's southern coast and forced to return to Cyprus, according to charity Free Gaza
- Palestinian deaths in the Gaza Strip reach 1,028 according to Gaza medical sources. Nearly a third of the dead are said to be children.
Israel's chief negotiator Amos Gilad has arrived in Cairo to discuss an Egyptian ceasefire plan that could end the 20-day-old conflict.
Egypt has been leading efforts to broker a ceasefire that could include a peacekeeping force being deployed along its border with Gaza to prevent the smuggling of weapons.
Hamas official Salah al-Bardawil said his movement had presented a "detailed vision" of how to bring about a ceasefire to Egyptian negotiators.
 |   Eyewitness: Tanks surround us Eyewitness: Gaza's medical crisis Aid diary: Water shortage Bowen diary: Syrian warning |
Hamas, which controls Gaza, has said any ceasefire agreement would have to include a halt to Israeli attacks, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and the opening of border crossings to end the blockade of Gaza.
Israel has said it will not agree to a deal that does not guarantee an end to Hamas's smuggling of weapons across the Egyptian border and the cessation of rocket attacks into southern Israel, our analyst adds.
However, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said there was "momentum" to the talks.
"Ultimately we want to see a long-term sustainable quiet in the south, a quiet that's going to be based on the total absence of all hostile fire from Gaza into Israel, and an internationally supported mechanism that will prevent Hamas from rearming," Mark Regev said.
Egypt and other key Arab players can do some coaxing and arm-twisting with Hamas, says BBC Arab affairs analyst Magdi Abdelhadi, but there is little pressure they can bring to bear upon Israel: only the US has that sort of influence.
Fuelling extremism
Israel launched its offensive on the coastal enclave on 27 December and has refused to allow international journalists to enter Gaza, making it impossible to independently confirm casualty figures.
The offensive has provoked widespread international condemnation at the cost in civilian casualties and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the coastal enclave.
Mugabe to negotiate with rebels..
Zimbabwe's opposition leader said he is due to hold talks with President Robert Mugabe "within this coming week" to try to resolve the political crisis.
Morgan Tsvangirai said he was returning to Zimbabwe for the first time in two months, and said he was still committed to an "inclusive" government. He described Mr Mugabe as "part of the problem but also part of the solution".
Morgan Tsvangirai had threatened to pull out of the power-sharing deal
Mr Tsvangirai told a news conference in Johannesburg the meeting with Mr Mugabe would also include South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, but said he could give no details about the time and place.
"I still believe that a political agreement offers the best means of preventing Zimbabwe from becoming a failed state," he said.
"I am committed to forming a new inclusive government in Zimbabwe and all I lack is a willing partner".
He had said he would pull out of the power-sharing deal unless the abduction of opposition and human rights activists stopped by 1 January.
Cholera epidemic
Mr Tsvangirai, who has been out of Zimbabwe since November, is expected to return home in the coming days.
He said he had no choice but to deal with Mr Mugabe.
"It doesn't mean that I trust him wholly," he said. "I regard Mugabe as part of the problem, but also part of the solution."
 Robert Mugabe has resisted growing calls for his resignation |
Under the agreement, Mr Tsvangirai would be prime minister while Mr Mugabe would remain as president.
But the deal faltered after the MDC accused Zanu-PF of keeping the most powerful ministries - including the one that controls the police - to itself.
As the political wrangling continued, Zimbabwe has been hit by a cholera epidemic that has claimed more than 2,000 lives, made worse by the collapse of the water, health and sanitation systems.
Mr Tsvangirai, and western nations, accuse Mr Mugabe of not being sincere about power-sharing.
Mr Mugabe insists he welcomes the power-sharing deal, and has resisted growing international pressure to resign.
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