United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will press Israel and Lebanon on Sunday to strike a deal on an international force to end a 19-day-old war, after Hezbollah threatened to strike deeper into Israel. Rice said she hoped for agreement on terms for a ceasefire to be outlined in a United Nations resolution that could be tabled as early as Tuesday.
![]()
African National Congress deputy president Jacob Zuma made a surprise guest appearance at the 85th anniversary fund-raising dinner of the South African Communist Party (SACP) in Durban on Saturday night. Zuma said: ”South Africa is an amazing country where communists and capitalists can sit [at] the same table.”
Hezbollah pledged on Saturday to deny the United States and Israel any political gains from the war in Lebanon as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice flew to Jerusalem to discuss ways to end the 18-day-old conflict. Israel rejected as unnecessary a United Nations plea for a truce to aid civilians trapped by fighting.
Mahela Jayawardene smashed the fourth-highest Test score of 374 and shared a world record stand of 624 with Kumar Sangakkara as Sri Lanka battered South Africa in the first Test on Saturday. The batting feast at the Sinhalese Sports Club saw Sri Lanka pile up a mammoth 756-5 declared in reply to South Africa’s modest 169 to gain a match-winning lead of 587 runs.
New Zealand withstood a ferocious second-half assault from Australia to retain the Bledisloe Cup on Saturday with a 13-9 Tri-Nations victory. The All Blacks led 10-6 at half-time and held on for a gripping victory with Dan Carter’s 58th-minute drop goal their only score of a fiercely contested second half that saw the Wallabies dominate for long periods.
Somalia’s prime minister on Saturday accused Egypt, Libya and Iran of providing weapons for Islamic militants who have seized control of much of the country’s south, citing unnamed sources within his government. ”Egypt, Libya and Iran are engaged in fuelling the conflict in Somalia by supporting the terrorists,” Prime Minister Mohammed Ali Gedi said.
United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice headed to Jerusalem on Saturday to discuss ways to end the 18-day-old war in Lebanon as Israel rejected a United Nations plea for a truce to aid civilians trapped by fighting. ”There is no need for a 72-hour temporary ceasefire because Israel has opened a humanitarian corridor to and from Lebanon,” said Israeli government spokesperson Avi Pazner.
Former Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has signed a four-year deal to take charge of 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa, officials said on Saturday. The deal was concluded in Rio de Janeiro on Friday after talks between Parreira and a delegation from the South African Football Association.
Eleven British school pupils, who were part of a group on a rugby and netball tour in South Africa, were attacked and robbed of R10Â 000 and 10 cellphones in Honeydew earlier this week, West Rand police said on Saturday. ”The pupils were having a farewell party … on Tuesday at about 11pm when eight men attacked them,” said Captain Siphiwe Ndlovu.
United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice headed for Israel on Saturday to discuss terms for a United Nations Security Council resolution to end its 18-day-old war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. Rice, who visited Jerusalem and Beirut earlier in the week, was expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in the evening and hold more talks in Israel on Sunday.