A short while ago, Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper company agreed to pay damages to 36 high-profile victims of tabloid phone-hacking. On top of this, News Corp has acknowledged to victims that executives covered up the scale of the unlawful activity by destroying evidence and lying to investigators.
Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has today written a letter published in The Star newspaper asking that we no longer refer to Johan Kotzé, the Limpopo rape and murder accused, as “the monster from Modimolle”. He says Kotzé is still one of God’s children “with the capacity to become a saint.”
James Lech, the dog whispering shaman, and so-called “dog behavioural specialist,” appears to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. His pilot television series never made it to air, and a number of incidents of animal abuse have begun to emerge – all painting a dismal picture of the man.
While the rest of the country was enjoying their New Year celebrations, a group of cyber hackers was also enjoying theirs. The National Intelligence Agency has launched an investigation after a cybercrime syndicate managed to steal R42 million from SA Post Office financial institution, Postbank.
Morning spice reported that a dog attacked a two-year-old girl at Clifton’s first beach on Wednesday this morning. It turns out that the same dog whisperer, James Lech, responsible for a dog that mauled a girl in a similar attack last year, is responsible for this latest incident too.
There’s a storm rapidly brewing over a very contentious amendment to the South African Weather Service Bill. The Democratic Alliance has slammed the “undesirable” and “draconian” sections on the grounds that they are a threat to the safety of all South Africans and would create an unfair monopoly over weather forecasting.
On the back of the dreadful news that eight rhino carcasses were found in the Kruger National Park within the space of 24 hours the day before yesterday, a South African columnist and well respected journalist has asked whether we should be farming rhino.
Hout Bay residents are furious about a R54 million office development along Chapman’s Peak that will be used by Entilini, the company that operates the Chapman’s Peak toll road. It goes without saying that the development would be one of the most exclusive offices to work at in the country, but is it legal?
Rebekah Brooks, the former News International chief, and News of the World editor, is enjoying a sabbatical in Cape Town. Cutting a notably different appearance from the fiery redhead we’re used to, the media mogul has been escaping the phone hacking and corruption scandal that’s followed her around for months.
A public and media outcry followed the release of information that a KZN businessman, who has not been identified, made a winning bid of R969 150 for the right to hunt a male white rhino in Mkuze Game Reserve. Rhino hunting permits are actually issued far more often than you might think.
Tomorrow will mark what many Saudi women will consider a small milestone in personal shopping. From this week, only female staff will be allowed to sell lingerie, relieving the embarrassment of buying underwear in the highly conservative Muslim nation. This is by order of the king, incidentally. The new law provides a rare opportunity for the employment of women, which was previously outlawed.
As South African cricketing legend, Jacques Kallis makes his 150th Test match appearance during the third Test against Sri Lanka at Newlands this week, another international South African cricketer faces a court appearance in Australia for failing a roadside breath test on New Year’s Day.
One would assume that when one blacklists a phone, one could take it for granted that the phone is, in fact, blacklisted. Mobile phone networks also like to offer their assurance that when one blacklists a phone, that’s actually what happens. However, this isn’t the case for a BlackBerry user who’s found out this chap is now using it.
It hasn’t been Woolworths’ finest month in retail relations. At the beginning of the month, the retailer abruptly announced it would be relieving Jupiter Drawing Room of its advertising business. Then, allegations of product counterfeiting and imitating began to emerge yesterday. Now, another small business owner has come forward and identified Woolworths as selling a knock-off of his product.
Kim Jong-un, son and heir apparent to his father’s North Korean throne, may have to share rule of the isolated country with the North Korean military and his uncle, a source with close ties to Pyongyang and Beijing has said today.
This is big. And it’s a row that has been on-going for quite some time too. Just as Android devices started making sales headway against other major brands, they might be in for a little setback. It’s not hardware, but software, luckily.
After being arrested at a punk rock concert in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, enthusiasts were forced to have their heads shaved, “cleanse” themselves in a lake, change their clothes and pray – because being a punk rocker in parts of Indonesia soils the Islamic image they want to uphold.
National Geographic announced yesterday that we have lost a staggering 443 rhinos to poaching this year – a number that seems to climb exorbitantly on a daily basis. It’s with open arms that the country welcomes the sentencing of Hsu Hsien Lung to six years imprisonment for his part in rhino horn smuggling.
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association has compiled an infographic showing the penalties targeting gays and lesbians in Africa. Parts of the continent are known to discriminate against gays and lesbians, but did you know that more than half the countries on our continent carry at least a prison sentence for the “crime”?
The Nigerian legislature is pushing ahead with a new bill which aims to limit gay rights, including banning gay marriage. And it’s paying absolutely no attention to Western nations’ concerns about this.
The DA, and Helen Zille in particular, is furious about a letter they received from Independent Newspapers, inviting the them to advertise in a special feature on the ANC’s centenary celebrations. The proposition for advertising in the supplement appeared on a letter with the Independent Newspapers letterhead alongside an ANC logo, and may be perceived as endorsement, according to Zille.
Would you consider it a selling point for an alcoholic beverage to depict Adolf Hitler on its label? Didn’t think so. Which is why it’s so fascinating that a man, who goes by the name Rolande Marte, is attempting to sell bottles of wine and Schnapps with an image of the dictator gracing the bottle. Swastika, and so on.
The Democratic Alliance today launched an aggressive campaign to protest the current form of the draft Protection of Information Bill. The political party is calling on all South Africans to join forces and show their support against the legislation, while also planning more protests.
The committee which will shepherd the Protection of State Information Bill through to the next stage of its approval process in the National Council of Provinces next year has been announced. Parliament has elected 15 ad hoc committee members, 10 of whom are from the ANC, two from the DA and one each from Cope, the ID and the IFP.
Taiwan has the fourth largest shark-finning industry in the world, but it will soon become the first Asian country to ban the practice of removing shark fins in open water. But the majority of Taiwan’s glamorous hotels have refused to take shark-fin soup off the menu in order to do their bit for the cause.
In positive news for our democracy, the Supreme Court of Appeal has decided that Menzi Simelane’s role as National Director of Public Prosecutions is invalid. This is in response to an application by the DA, contesting President Jacob Zuma’s appointment of Simelane to the position in 2009.
Four young boys were forced to slap each other as part of their punishment after they were caught stealing chocolates at a Shoprite in Limpopo. Security footage of the incident shows how the boys took turns in slapping each other, while staff watched, laughed and passed “silly” comments.
It’s Just a Plant is an illustrated picture book about marijuana for the younger members of society. The plot is fairly simple: Jackie catches her folks smoking a joint one evening, and then her mother takes her on a trip the next day to learn more about marijuana.
Orion Cold Storage, the Cape-based company accused of rebranding meat as Halaal when it couldn’t have been, is in the Western Cape High Court today facing the music. Orion themselves have laid charges of sabotage, but the two workers charged say they have evidence proving their claims, like the video they shot, for instance.
The application to compel a Constitutional Court inquiry into the arms deal was withdrawn today. The application, made by Terry Crawford-Browne, was to force an independent investigation of the arms deal controversy. The call for an independent inquiry was made before the September announcement that Jacob Zuma would appoint a commission of inquiry into the deal.