President Mugabe's fate hangs in balance amid Zimbabwe coup confusion

The unfolding drama in Zimbabwe was thrown into confusion when a smiling Mugabe was pictured shaking hands with country's military chief, the man behind the coup

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's fate hung in the balance on Friday as he apparently resisted efforts to make him step down following a seizure of power by the army, until this week a key pillar of his 37-year-rule.

The United States, a longtime critic of Mugabe over allegations of human rights abuses and election rigging, is seeking "a new era" for Zimbabwe, the State Department's top official for Africa said, an implicit call for the nonagenarian leader to quit.

The unfolding drama in the capital, Harare, was thrown into confusion when a smiling Mugabe was pictured shaking hands with Zimbabwe's