Al Qaeda Website Calls For David Letterman Assassination – A website forum frequently utilized to spread Al-Qaeda dispatches has posted an assassination threat against David Letterman. According to the SITE Intelligence Group, a private company that tracks extremist websites, a commenter called on Muslims to kill the CBS late-night host after taking offense at a joke made on the program. [insidetv]
Juan Smith Is Out Of The World Cup – Springboks flanker Juan Smith will miss the Rugby World Cup tournament as he says he has not recovered from an Achilles tendon injury. One of the stars of the 2007 tournament, the rangy Smith will be badly missed by the defending champions. [smh]
US Tobacco Manufacturers Lodge Suit Against Graphic Packaging – The crackdown on cigarettes has businesses that profit off smokers in rebellion mode. Several major U.S. cigarette manufacturers filed suit Tuesday in federal court in Washington, D.C., seeking an injunction against graphic cigarette warning labels that the government is mandating next year. [portfolio]
$78 Million Returned During Japan Quake Cleanup – The earthquake and tsunami that walloped Japan left much of its coastline ravaged, but left one thing intact: the Japanese reputation for honesty. In the five months since the disaster struck, people have turned in thousands of wallets found in the debris, containing $48 million in cash. [abcnews]
French Company Launches Lingerie Line For Little Girls – Here’s a new development in the neverending saga that is France’s apparent disregard for age-appropriateness: a new line of “loungerie” (that’s lingerie plus loungewear) for girls aged three months and up has just been brought to our attention. It’s called Jours Après Lunes, and it bills itself as “the first designer brand dedicated to ‘loungerie’ for children and teenagers, comprised of loungewear and lingerie to be worn over and under, inside and outside.” [fashionista]
London Rioters Using Facebook Got Four Years – Criticism is growing of the sentences imposed on some convicted rioters after two men were jailed for four years for posting messages on Facebook inciting people to create disorder in their home towns. David Cameron defended the tough sentencing approach for sending out a clear message, but a senior Liberal Democrat accused the courts of seeking retribution. [guardian]
Pick n Pay ready to take on Wal-Mart – Despite being in favour of Wal-Mart entering the South African retail market, Pick n Pay chairman Gareth Ackerman indicated that his company was ready to take the giant US retailer head on and beat them. [businesslive]
ANCYL Storm Free State University – Chaos broke out at the University of the Free State’s Bloemfontein campus on Wednesday, after about 800 people – believed to be mostly ANCYL members – stormed the main building. The group, who had been bussed in to the campus, protested against the fact that no political activities by outside groups will be allowed on the campus during the university’s SRC elections. [news24]
Gerard Depardieu Pees On Airplane Carpet – French film star Gerard Depardieu was kicked off a flight out of Paris after he was caught short while he waited for take-off and urinated into a bottle. The cinema legend had been due to fly to Dublin on a CityJet flight on Tuesday evening and was told three times by cabin crew he could not use the bathroom. [belfasttelegraph]
SABMiller Goes Hostile With Foster’s Tilt – SABMiller has ratcheted up the pressure on takeover target Foster’s by launching a A$9.5bn (R62bn) hostile takeover offer just days before Australia’s biggest brewer is expected to unveil disappointing annual results. [telegraph]
The Springboks Should Have As Much Sex As Possible – If the Springbok players are to bring back the Rugby World Cup for a third time, they must be allowed to have as much sex as they want, said renowned sports scientist Tim Noakes. Noakes’ comments follow the New Zealand Rugby Union’s defence of an advertising campaign which urges All Blacks supporters to abstain from sex during this year’s Rugby World Cup. [timeslive]
Supermodel Natalia’s New Lover Is Son Of LVMH Boss – Playing happy families, bat and ball in hand, children alongside playfully running through the waves, Antoine Arnault cut the dashing – and rather doting – father figure while on holiday with top model Natalia Vodianova and her brood while in Ibiza last week. [telegraph]
Prince Charles Visits Riot Areas – The Prince of Wales has joined the debate about last week’s riots – and said joining the gangs was “a cry for help” for some. Prince Charles made the comments as he and the Duchess of Cornwall visited areas of London to see for themselves the impact of the disorder. He spoke about how to avoid a repeat of the mass criminality and expressed sympathy for the victims. [skynews]
Facebook Reckons Google+ Has No Users – A little less than two months after Google launched its fledgling social network, Google+, Silicon Valley’s latest rivalry is heating up. At an event last week, Facebook’s Sean Ryan argued that Google’s gaming foray was like McDonald’s (MCD) recent efforts to offer premium coffee, competing in the same space as Starbucks (SBUX). (That business went on to become huge for McDonald’s…). [fortune]
Thursday Is “Vote For Table Mountain” Day – Table Mountain is at the bottom of the final 28, in the running to be one of the new seven wonders of nature. Table Mountain needs YOU to vote at least every Thursday. We need 30 million votes to make the final 7. You can vote on the website or by SMSing the word ‘table’ to 34874 (SMS cost R2). You can vote once on the website and as many times as you want on SMS. come on, gang, let’s do this thing! [votefortablemountain.com]
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