The United States attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, has launched a wide-ranging investigation into allegations that record labels are fixing the prices of music downloads. The department of justice inquiry centres on the activities of the four largest record labels: EMI, Sony BMG, Universal and Warner Music.
The World Meteorological Organisation said on Friday it saw unprecedented signs pointing to a looming La Niña, a phenomenon that originates off the western coast of South America but can disrupt weather patterns in many parts of the globe.
The hidden hand of the government was apparent in the work of vitamin salesman Dr Matthias Rath, the Treatment Action Campaign’s (TAC) Zackie Achmat claimed on Friday. There is no question in our mind ,” Achmat said on the steps of the Cape High Court.
South Africa’s Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin said on Friday that he had never referred to saboteurs at Koeberg. Speaking at a press conference at Koeberg, outside Cape Town, he said this had been media spin. ”I did not use the term ‘sabotage’,” Erwin said.
Italy reacted coolly on Friday to threats from Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi of further attacks on Italians if Tripoli’s historic compensation claim for decades of colonisation by Rome remains unheeded. Gaddafi said rioters who sacked the Italian consulate in Benghazi two weeks ago had wanted to kill the consul because Libyans ”hate” Italians.
Public Protector Lawrence Mushwana announced on Friday that his office has reopened its investigation into Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya’s role in the Oilgate affair. This comes after his office found in July last year that there was no evidence that Skweyiya performed ”any official act or omission” that could have favoured oil company Imvume in any way.
<img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/262374/vote-box_blue.gif" align=left>The local government poll has come and gone — and all we’re left with are the election posters, hanging like rotten fruit from telephone poles. The Democratic Alliance, however, started removing their estimated 500Â 000 election posters on Thursday.
The Cape High Court on Friday ruled for the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in its application for an interdict against vitamin entrepreneur Matthias Rath. The HIV/Aids lobby group was seeking to stop Rath and his Dr Rath Foundation from claiming the TAC was acting as a front for the multinational pharmaceutical industry by promoting anti-retroviral drugs for people living with HIV/Aids.
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The Democratic Alliance has emerged the victor in the election in the Cape Town metropole taking 41,85% of the vote and with it 90 of the 210 seats on the city council. The DA won 61 of the 105 wards and 29 proportional representation seats.
After the most homophobic presidential elections in American history, we are about to get the gayest Oscars ever, writes John Patterson.