The trial of Saddam Hussein over the massacre of Shi’ites in the 1980s degenerated into a chaotic shouting match on Monday after the ejection of one of the deposed Iraqi dictator’s female lawyers. Lebanese lawyer Bushra Khalil had returned to court after a long absence following her expulsion in early April by Judge Rauf Abdel Rahman.
Warner Music International (WMI) and Johnnic Communications (Johncom) on Monday announced a joint venture to create Warner Music Gallo Africa, a new music-based content company in South Africa. The deal will bring leading global music company WMI together with Johncom, South Africa’s innovative and ambitious media and entertainment company.
Japanese electronics giant Sony and telecoms operator KDDI will jointly develop cellphones with music player features as competition heats up in the sector. Sony and KDDI, Japan’s number-two telecoms operator, hope for a summer launch for the Walkman phones, which will include flash memory capable of storing about 500 songs.
Ethiopians are awaiting a verdict in the marathon genocide trial of former dictator Mengistu Haile Miriam, who is accused of a plethora of brutal atrocities during his 17-year regime. Ethiopia’s Federal High Court is expected to deliver its ruling on Tuesday after a more than a decade of what has been one of Africa’s longest criminal proceedings.
A Zimbabwe government minister said on Sunday that proposals by President Robert Mugabe’s government to take control of foreign-owned mines will take longer to implement as negotiations are still ongoing with the industry. The Chamber of Mines has presented a less radical proposal to the government on empowerment.
The Da Vinci Code scored -million worldwide and topped the North American box office in its weekend debut as the controversial film overcame bad reviews and calls for boycotts, early figures showed on Sunday. It was the fourth biggest worldwide opening, according to Daily Variety, the top Hollywood trade paper.
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The United States World Cup football squad concluded a 12-day training camp in North Carolina on Sunday and prepared for three friendlies in the next week to serve as a tuneup for matches in Germany. The Americans will face Italy, Ghana and the Czech Republic next month in opening-round play at the global football showdown.
Tim Herron sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to defeat Sweden’s Richard Johnson and give the American his fourth career PGA title on Sunday at the Colonial Tournament. Herron, who had not won a US event since the 1999 Bay Hill Invitational, nearly squandered a lead with three back-nine bogeys in the final round, the last at the 16th hole.
The prices of imported vehicles in South Africa are on average 18% higher than in European countries, according to a newly released Competition Commission report. The document, which has been submitted to the mid-term review of the motor industry development programme (MIDP), has not been publicly released before.
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Ghana aim to give their long-suffering fans something to smile about when they make their World Cup debut after a 44-year wait to play in the finals. One of Africa’s most powerful footballing nations, the ”Black Stars” have won the Nations Cup four times while their clubs and teams have dominated continental and junior international competitions.