Advertisement

Murder charges thrown out in South Africa honeymoon killing

 
Los Angeles Massive fire burns construction site This photo provided by Nancy Yuille shows a massive fire engulfing an apartment building construction site Monday near downtown Los Angeles. Crews battled two large fires early Monday, including a massive one downtown that closed portions of two major freeways and blanketed the area in ash and heavy smoke.
Los Angeles Massive fire burns construction site This photo provided by Nancy Yuille shows a massive fire engulfing an apartment building construction site Monday near downtown Los Angeles. Crews battled two large fires early Monday, including a massive one downtown that closed portions of two major freeways and blanketed the area in ash and heavy smoke.
Published Dec. 9, 2014

Honeymoon killing charges are tossed

A judge in Cape Town, South Africa, threw out murder charges Monday against a British businessman accused of conspiring to kill his wife on their honeymoon. Deputy Judge Jeanette Traverso said the evidence fell short of what was required to prove that Shrien Dewani was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The prosecution alleged that Dewani hired a hit man to stage a fake hijacking and kill his new wife, Anni, in the Western Cape province township of Gugulethu in 2010. The couple were in a taxi when it was hijacked, and Anni Dewani was shot dead, her body left in the car. Shrien Dewani said he was thrown out of the car before she was shot. Three men have been convicted and imprisoned for their part in Anni Dewani's death: a taxi driver named Zola Tongo, who claimed Shrien Dewani paid him $1,500 to organize the killing, and two men who hijacked the taxi. Traverso said there were many contradictions in the testimony of the three jailed men, making it impossible to know what happened. Anni Dewani's family told reporters that they felt devastated and let down by Traverso's decision.

Two Pulitzer PRIZE categories expand

The Pulitzer Prizes have expanded eligibility for two categories. The board overseeing the journalism awards announced Monday that the Investigative Reporting and Feature Writing categories will now include many online and print magazines. The board also amended its rules regarding partnerships. Eligible news organizations will be allowed to nominate journalists employed by partnering organizations even if those partners are ineligible to compete for Pulitzer Prizes. Danielle Allen, chair of the board, said great journalism is reaching audiences "in new formats and new channels."

By the Numbers

72-75% Percent of adult American Internet users who think they are "better informed" on issues ranging from pop culture to national news because of the Web, a new Pew Research Center study finds.

26% Percent of respondents who said they felt overloaded by the amount of information available online.

Times wires