**The European Union has renewed its sanctions against Zimbabwe for another 12 months.**It said the extension was due to a lack of progress in the implementation of the country’s power-sharing deal.
The one-year-old unity government has failed to agree on political reforms or nominations to some key positions.
More than 200 people and 40 firms with links to President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF party are subject to sanctions because of accusations of rights abuse.
Last month, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai had urged the easing of targeted sanctions, telling the BBC there ought to be a reward for Zimbabwe’s progress so far.
But since then there has been deadlock in talks between his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party and Zanu-PF aimed at resolving key areas of the power-sharing deal.
In particular, the MDC wants the attorney general and central bank governor to be replaced and has asked regional mediator South Africa to intervene.
The unity government has halted the collapse of Zimbabwe’s economy by allowing the use of foreign currency.
But some MDC activists say they are still being intimidated by Mr Mugabe’s hard-line supporters.