The Lebanon crisis entered a dangerous new phase on Friday night as Israeli troops and tanks massed on the border in preparation for a sweeping ground operation against Hezbollah fighters. Israeli commanders plan to clear a 1,5km-wide zone on the Lebanese side of the border, where there are a series of well-fortified Hezbollah positions, a senior Israeli official said.
Israel called up thousands of reservist soldiers on Friday but a military source ruled out a mass invasion of southern Lebanon, saying the army would step up pinpoint cross-border attacks against Hezbollah guerrillas. Fearing a large-scale Israeli ground attack, thousands of Lebanese civilians fled north after the Jewish state warned them to leave border villages.
KwaZulu-Natal education minister Ina Cronje on Friday threatened legal action against the Inkatha Freedom Party’s Youth Brigade after it claimed a ”link” between Cronje’s husband and the company distributing stationery for the education department. At a press conference on Thursday the brigade called on KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sbu Ndebele to sack Cronje.
Italy’s Matteo Tosatto handed the Quick Step team and his country their first victory in this year’s Tour de France when he won the 18th stage on Friday. Tosatto, who was part of a long-range breakaway, outsprinted compatriot Cristian Moreni of the Cofidis team at the end of a 197km ride from Morzine to Macon. German Gerolsteiner rider Ronny Scholz took third place.
Thousands of Lebanese civilians fled north on Friday after Israel warned them to leave border villages and called up 3Â 000 army reserves in a possible prelude to a ground offensive. Amid world concern, United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans to leave for the Middle East on Sunday in what diplomats called a bid to reduce the fighting.
Women have moved on since the days when passion and love were forms of martrydom, writes Kathryn Hughes.
Kwanele Sosibo asks poet Saul Williams about grippo — his form of post-apocalyptic electro/punk-rap.
KwaZulu-Natal education minister Ina Cronje on Friday threatened legal action against the Inkatha Freedom Party Youth Brigade after it claimed a ”link” between Cronje’s husband and the company distributing stationery for the education department. The brigade on Thursday called on KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sbu Ndebele to sack Cronje.
A container ship stolen from the Walvis Bay harbour in Namibia is not a South African vessel, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) revealed on Friday. ”The ship is not registered on any of our [South African] rolls at all,” said Samsa’s Captain Saleem Modak.
South Africa’s HIV/Aids epidemic appears to be stabilising with new data showing only a marginal increase in new infections over the last year, the Department of Health said on Friday. A national survey of pregnant women visiting ante-natal clinics showed an infection rate of 30,2% compared with 29,5% in a similar study done in 2004.