Hundreds of thousands of refugees are fleeing their homes in Lebanon as a result of Israeli military actions. Mounting deaths and injuries, more than half of them of children, are disproportionately affecting one side in this unequal war. The entire infrastructure of a country recently recovering from decades of conflict has been destroyed once again.
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Israeli warplanes and artillery hammered Lebanon again on Thursday as the Beirut government said up to 600 people may have been killed in Israel’s 16-day-old campaign against Hezbollah guerrillas. Israel’s inner Cabinet chose to pursue a strategy of air strikes and limited ground incursions, rather than a full-scale invasion of Lebanon.
Zimbabwe Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa announced new measures on Thursday to raise state revenues in the face of rampant inflation, including extra levies on fuel and the construction of toll gates on all major highways. Taxes on gasoline and diesel will increase and eight new toll gates will be added, he said.
South Africa’s official opposition Democratic Alliance has released a list of social-grant fraudsters in the public service — although Minister of Social Development Zola Skweyiya has asked that the information supplied to it remain confidential. The names of over 1 728 public servants were provided by the minister to the DA, which MP Mike Waters released on Thursday.
A Spoornet engineer was questioned in the Paarl Regional Court on Thursday about a Metrorail passenger coach that smashed into a goods train near Muldersvlei three years ago, killing 10 people. Hennie Klopper, a mechanical engineer, was giving evidence in the culpable-homicide trial of the train driver.
Two of three men accused of assaulting Ekurhuleni metro police chief Robert McBride were on Thursday found guilty and sentenced by the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court. The men were also accused of reckless and negligent driving and failing to comply with the lawful instruction of a metro police officer.
Mining company Kumba hopes to avert a massive strike planned for Sunday by several trade unions, the company said on Thursday. The unions, however, were adamant that the strike will have a severe impact, with more than 6 000 of Kumba’s 9 000 workers taking part.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier S’bu Ndebele has expressed his best wishes to King Goodwill Zwelithini, who celebrates his 58th birthday on Thursday. The premier said: ”Our government and the people of our province will continue to draw inspiration and courage from his wise leadership.”
The Registrar of Medical Schemes expressed concern on Thursday that many schemes have not been providing members with the minimum benefits they are entitled to. Another concern is the manner in which medical schemes impose waiting periods on members, Registrar Patrick Masobe said in a statement.