News review 2005 part 3 of 6

Including: Mugabe retains power in Zimbabwe; Pope John Paul II dies; Protests against Japanese history textbook; France rejects EU constitution; Khodorkovsky sentenced and more. MUGABE RETAINS POWER IN ZIMBABWE ELECTIONS CONDEMNED AS UNFAIR BY THE WEST Zimbabweans kept President Robert Mugabe in power after March 31 elections gave him an overall majority in the 150-seat parliamentary assembly. Despite turnout of less than 50 percent and accusations that the polls were flawed, Mugabe's Zanu-PF (Zimbabwe African National Unity-Patriotic Front) party took 78 seats, leaving the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai with 41 seats and one independent. 30 other seats are directly appointed by Mugabe. 81-year-old Mugabe has held power for 25 years since independence from Britain and has been isolated and criticised by the international community for misrule and wrecking the economy. POPE JOHN PAUL II DIES, CARDINAL RATZINGER ELECTED SUCCESSOR An estimated 300,000 people crammed into the Vatican city on April 8 to watch one of the most momentous funerals in recent history. Polish Pope John Paul II died on April 2nd after a 26-year papacy, after long bouts of illness and increasing frailty. He was buried a week later in a simple wooden coffin, after a huge outpouring of grief, during which millions files past his body as it lay in state. The conservative German 78-year-old Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI surprisingly quickly on April 19 and faced with the daunting task of leading 1.1 billion Roman Catholics through what some predict will be a difficult papacy. BRITAIN'S PRINCE CHARLES FINALLY MARRIES CAMILLA PARKER BOWLES AFTER 35-YEAR AFFAIR The day after attending the pope's funeral, Britain's heir to the throne, Prince Charles finally married his mistress of 35 years, Camilla Parker Bowles. Charles troubled first marriage to Diana, Princess of Wales, was unable to survive his continuing affair with Camilla and they div...