Crime commissioner PCC Paris Brown apologises amid calls to resign over 'offensive' Twitter posts

17-year-old denies that her references to ‘pikeys’ and ‘gays’ were racist or homophobic

Kunal Dutta
Sunday, 7 April 2013

The teenager appointed with great fanfare as Britain’s first Youth Police and Crime Commissioner has apologised for a series of seemingly violent and racist tweets saying: “I was naive, I was idiotic and I do regret it.”

Barely a week after she was hired to the advisory role in Kent, Paris Brown, 17, was forced to explain comments she made on Twitter that referred to “pikeys” and “gays”. The tweets, which also included references to taking drugs and violence, were posted by the teenager from the ages of 14 to 16 and published in the Mail on Sunday. One, referring to the television show Made in Chelsea, said: “Everyone on Made in Chelsea looks like a f****** gay.”

The disclosure thrust Miss Brown into the glare of television cameras, where she said: “Young people have a different language to older people. The term gay was not meant in a homophobic manner. To young people it means silly, idiot or stupid. I don’t want to be judged on tweets that were written a long time ago. They are stupid tweets but they should not affect my future career. I want to be the voice of young people.”

In other tweets, reportedly written earlier this year, Ms Brown wrote: “F****** hell why are people from Direct Pizza so difficult to talk to!! IT IS CALLED ENGLISH. LEARN IT.”

Ms Brown denied she was racist or homophobic, insisting she was “an ordinary teenager” who was still learning the implications of growing up in a social-media age.

But the development raises questions over the decision by Kent Police and local Crime Commissioner Ann Barnes to appoint a youth commissioner – an initiative launched with the hope of promoting closer links between police and young people.

Nicholas Rogers, a Conservative councillor, said Ms Barnes’ plan had “gone badly wrong, throwing her judgement into question and damaging a young persons’s future”.

Ms Brown, from Sheerness, Kent, was elected from more than 160 applicants, in what Ms Barnes billed as a pioneering strategy to foster closer links to young people.

Today, as her apprentice was subject to the media treatment usually reserved for elected politicians, Ms Barnes said: “If everyone’s future was determined by what they wrote on social networking sites between the ages of 14 and 16, we’d live in a very odd world.” Denying allegations that the post she created was “a gimmick”, Ms Barnes said: “Young people are too often demonised by certain elements in the press and often criticised mercilessly. This new post is a practical step aimed at engaging with them.”

She told The Independent that there was a “duty of care” issue but that Ms Brown had insisted on doing media interviews herself. She also confirmed that the teenager’s application had been subject to “national vetting procedures” which had not included past social media entries.

Ms Barnes, 67, was elected Crime Commissioner for Kent last year, one of 41 such commissioners. She said she would rely on the teenager to help guide her office to help tackle youth offending. Ms Brown is not technically due to start her 12-month contract until July or August, and will be paid £15,000, of which a third will come from Ms Barnes’ salary and two-thirds from the office’s £1.5m budget.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/crime-commissioner-pcc-paris-brown-apologises-amid-calls-to-resign-over-offensive-twitter-posts-8563246.html#

Hundreds 'celebrated' death of Margaret Thatcher

By Agencies. Edited by Hayley Dixon

9:19AM BST 09 Apr 2013

A crowd of 300 people assembled in Glasgow's George Square where in 1989 protests to the introduction of the former prime minister's poll tax took place.

Some wore party hats and launched streamers into the air while a bottle of champagne was opened with a toast to the demise of Baroness Thatcher.

Members of various organisations including the Anti-Bedroom Tax Federation, the Communist Party, the Socialist Party, the Socialist Working Party, the International Socialist Group, were joined by members of the public to mark the occasion.

Meanwhile, more than 100 people gathered in Brixton, south London - the scene of fierce riots in 1981 just two years into her first time in office.

Local councillor Alex Bigham condemned the celebrations as "disgraceful", adding: "Even if you detested her policies, many of which I did, it is tasteless posturing."

In Glasgow anti-capitalist campaigners shouted from loudspeakers, "Maggie, Maggie, Maggie" as the crowd replied "dead, dead, dead".

Crowds gathered from 5pm yesterday despite a statement from Glasgow City Council discouraging anyone from attending the event which was organised over social media.

Within minutes of the announcement of the death of the former prime minister a call was made for a demo in Glasgow's city centre.

Bryan Simpson, 24, who is a member of executive council for Unite the Union created the Facebook event page, Thatcher's Deed - Party in George Square - Tonight!

More than 1,000 people said they would attend via the social networking site, with a number of people referring to the stroke that killed her as "a stroke of good luck".

There were four other similar event pages created via Facebook calling people to attend the "death party".

There has been preparation for the day Margaret Thatcher died for many years. Martin Chomsky, the lead singer of Chomsky Allstars, penned the song So Long Margaret Thatcher a number of years ago.

He performed the song in George Square last night. He said: "There are mixed emotions. I was never brought up to celebrate anyone's death but the pain she brought to Latin America, Europe and around the world should be remembered.

"I would rather that Thatcherism was dead because she is mostly to blame for what is going on today. She is responsible, but not solely, for the massive gap between the rich and the poor."

In Brixton, some were carrying banners, with one saying: "Rejoice, Thatcher is dead."

They also opened champagne and cheered, shouting: "Maggie, Maggie, Maggie, dead, dead, dead." One shouted: "Free milk for all."

During the "party" a green smoke bomb was held in the air by one member of the crowd and a firework was set off but the event was peaceful and no arrests were made, according to police.

There were performances by musicians including a rendition of the tune dubbed the Bedroom Tax Song called You Cannae Have A Spare Room In A Pokey Cooncil Flat by Alan Smart which has received more than 130,000 views on YouTube.

Angela McCormick, a socialist from Glasgow, said: "I'm here for a generation that didn't have a future when they left school and didn't have jobs. I'm here for the members of my family who have been devastated by the economic policies or the economic crimes of Margaret Thatcher in the 80s in Glasgow.

"She started with saying 'it's all about individuals there's no such thing as society' and now Cameron is saying there's no such thing as welfare. This isn't nostalgia, this is a fight for our lives and many of us feel fortunate to have survived Thatcherism and we're telling David Cameron right now, we'll survive him just like we put an end to Thatcher."

When asked if she thought it was appropriate to celebrate Baroness Thatcher's death, Ms McCormick said: "It's not right and appropriate to wage war on the poor, to channel thousands and millions of pounds into making the rich richer and expect ordinary people to lie down and roll over and put up with it. She was inappropriate, her killing and murder has put blood on her hands and that's why it's appropriate to be here today."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/margaret-thatcher/9980814/Hundreds-celebrated-death-of-Margaret-Thatcher.html#mm_hash

Special Report

Abacha dies at 54


Nigeria's military strongman, General Sani Abacha, has died at the age of 54 after reportedly suffering a heart attack.


Nigerian radio announces death of Abacha
A special announcement on Nigerian radio said that "the head of state, General Sani Abacha, passed away in the early hours of Monday morning".

The general's body has been taken to his home state of Kano for burial according to Muslim rites, Nigerian TV reported, quoting an official statement.


The BBC's former West Africa correspondent Liz Blunt: "We should watch the army"
A uniformed officer stood before the State House in Abuja to announce the general's death to the public. Martial music filled the state-controlled radio airwaves, officially marking his passing.

[size=14pt]Some of Abacha's myriad critics and opponents celebrated on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria's biggest city.[/size]


Government leaders are reported to have convened an emergency meeting.

General Abacha made few public appearances since greeting Pope John Paul on his visit to Nigeria in March, and recently failed to attend a special function in Lagos.

But a report by Nigerian radio on Sunday said visiting Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, had met General Abacha for two hours of talks.

Accompanied by General Abacha, Mr Arafat also inspected a guard of honour and heard a 21-gun salute before being seen off by the president at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

It is not immediately clear who will succeed General Abacha.

Nigeria under Abacha

The general seized power in 1993 after cancelling presidential elections.

He steadily consolidated his grip on power, with purges of the army and restrictions on political activity.

After the execution in 1995 of nine opposition activists, including Ken Saro-Wiwa, and with the presumed winner of the 1993 elections, Chief Moshood Abiola, still in jail, Nigeria was suspended from the Commonwealth and became diplomatically isolated.

Yet it spearheaded the African military intervention that restored Sierra Leone to civilian rule in March 1998.

Government members portrayed General Abacha as the only man who could unite such a diverse nation.

But his opponents in Nigeria saw him as part of a military elite desperate to hang on to power.

While repeatedly promising to oversee the country's return to democratic civilian rule, in April he became the only nominated candidate for the presidency and was expected to keep hold of power.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/109265.stm

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Someone asked why do Nigerians celebrate when leaders die? It happens not only in Naija!

https://www.nairaland.com/1136892/why-nigerians-celebrate-whenever-leader#13451333

Welcome death of a Great African Dictator

Abacha was different. Immediately it became apparent that he was a sadist, a psychopath and a control freak

Donu Kogbara
Wednesday, 10 June 1998
MOST NIGERIANS are overjoyed. All over the world, we are celebrating the sudden death on Monday of our president, General Sani Abacha.

He died young, in his prime. He was 54 and looked 45. Many of us gloomily assumed that he'd be around, making our lives a complete misery, for another decade at least. Many of those who actively opposed Abacha were regarded as heroes. But it was widely believed that they didn't stand a chance of getting rid of him.

And then a heart attack struck the Great African Dictator, out of the blue. Sure, there had been rumours about his health for ages. But nobody seriously believed that he'd croak this side of the millennium. And we simply cannot believe our luck.

Depressions have lifted. Champagne corks have been opened. Parties have been thrown. More are planned. If I was Mrs Abacha, I'd conceal the exact whereabouts of the grave - because there is a possibility that pilgrims will dance or spit on it.

Yes, it is unseemly and ghoulish - shameful and evil, even - to rejoice when any man dies. But, hell, we're only human. And, as Abacha himself proved, there is a dark side to human nature.

General Sani Abacha was, by far, the worst president Nigeria ever had, and that's saying something in a country which has been dominated by a series of military bootboys since it broke away from British colonial rule in 1960.

When Abacha grabbed the reins of power in 1993, some Nigerians were delighted because he had toppled a despised regime and was making altruistic noises. He said that he wouldn't stick around for long. He would just keep the throne warm until the country had prepared itself for the transition to democracy.

Supporters of MKO Abiola - a sociable, kind, clever millionaire whose presidential election victory had been annulled by Abacha's predecessors - felt that they had cause for optimism.

I was, in 1993 - and still am, in 1998 - a supporter of Abiola. And I'd have liked to believe that Abacha was capable of giving Abiola his due. But since Abiola was a taciturn, tight-lipped soldier with chilling, unsmiling eyes and access to lots and lots of tanks and truckloads of guns, I couldn't understand why so many people took his democratic promises seriously.

Abacha didn't strike me as the pluralistic type who would care about popularity and willingly step down for anybody. I expected him to cling to power for as long as he could.

He turned out to be much, much worse. I hate to sound as if fascism is remotely acceptable. But you have to put things into perspective, and, if the truth be told, until Abacha came along, Nigerian dictators had never been quite so thorough.

Sure, they were allergic to elections and the rule of law. Sure, they harassed their enemies. Sure, they weren't intellectuals with a firm grasp of economic theory. Sure, they looted the Treasury and enriched their relatives and strumpets. Sure, they were so amazingly vulgar that it was hard to believe that many of them had been trained at Sandhurst.

But, during the pre-Abacha era, most Nigerians never felt truly oppressed. Nigeria never felt like Chile under General Pinochet or Uganda under General Idi Amin. Government critics didn't mysteriously disappear in the middle of the night. Journalists generally got away with whinging. And it was fine to make rude remarks about the authorities over a few beers in your favourite bar.

Until Abacha, Nigerian dictators were more laid-back than their counterparts in other countries, and some attracted genuine affection and respect.

Murtala Muhammed is remembered as a reformer. Gowon and Babangida were frequently described as nice guys, because they rarely resorted to cruelty, and tried hard to be genial and were almost democratic in their desire to be liked.

Abacha was different.

Almost immediately, it became apparent that he was a sadist, psychopath and control freak. He took pleasure in humiliating, hurting and killing people. He had no conscience and never expressed remorse or guilt. He never listened to advice or reason. He had no real friends and hardly ever left his presidential fortress.

When he sentenced Ken Saro-Wiwa - the Ogoni writer and activist - to death after a kangaroo court hearing, the world was shocked. Africans often (unreasonably, in my opinion) resent "imperialistic" and "sanctimonious" interventions from Europeans.

But this wasn't just a case of a whole bunch of patronising white folk telling Abacha what to do. Other African leaders condemned him. Nelson Mandela - a black icon - begged him to reconsider the terrible fate he planned for Ken.

Abacha was unmoved. While Mandela and other leaders were debating the issue at the Commonwealth Conference in New Zealand, Abacha hanged Ken, who had not been allowed to appeal against his sentence.

Abacha also ignored the Pope's request for the release of political prisoners. No wonder some people see his demise as his punishment from the Almighty.

Abacha did something no other Nigerian dictator has ever wanted to do. He frightened the hell out of Nigerians, who are notoriously noisy, irreverent, arrogant and uncrushable. He made us wear badges with his nasty little face on it.

When I went home at Christmas, everybody was talking about him in hushed tones. Critics looked over their shoulders nervously. Many gushed about the Great Leader's magnificence, refusing to meet your eye as they lied through their teeth.

It was like living in Big Brotherland. Now that he's dead, we are like delirious victims of post-dictator syndrome. Street vendors are giving away food for nothing. We have been holding our breaths for too long. Now we can exhale, with enormous relief, and echo the words of Martin Luther King: "Free at last, free at last, thank God we are free at last."

At long last, we've got our country back. Of course, utter chaos may ensue. And maybe Abacha's successor will not be a barrel of laughs.

But I stubbornly maintain, nobody could be as bad as Abacha. And I look forward to a brighter future for Nigeria.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/welcome-death-of-a-great-african-dictator-1163931.html#

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Dancing on Maggie's grave: How the Left 'celebrated' Baroness Thatcher's death with smashed shops and anarchy in the streets

Two women arrested for burglary after being found inside a shop
Barnardos shop front smashed in Brixton, south London
One policeman seriously injured after being pelted with bottles in Bristol
Death could propel Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead into the top 40
Glasgow, Liverpool and Derry were also the scene of celebrations
Petrol bombs were thrown at police in Derry amid celebrations
More parties are being planned for funeral date of Wednesday 17 April

By Jill Reilly

PUBLISHED: 07:58 GMT, 9 April 2013 | UPDATED: 15:47 GMT, 9 April 2013

Hundreds took to the streets as macabre ‘Thatcher death parties’ were held late across the country last night, organised by critics of the 'Iron Lady.'

In Bristol, seven police officers were injured - one seriously - as violence erupted at a street party of 200 people and officers were pelted with bottles, cans and rubbish.

Riot police were deployed in Brixton, south London, as the crowds, which had been drinking since 5pm, started to become more aggressive, while in Liverpool flares and fireworks were set off outside Lime Street Station.
Scroll down for video
Macabre:

The late former Prime Minister divided opinion and while many have mourned, some have seen her death as a cause for celebration.

In Bristol police were called to Chelsea Road in the Easton area of the city during the early hours of today after violence erupted at a street party.

Trouble flared after midnight when a rowdy 200-strong crowd refused police requests to disperse.

Dozens of officers donned riot gear and used shields and batons as they were pelted with bottles, cans and rubbish.


Wheelie bins were set on fire by the mob and a police car was damaged by the flying missiles.

Some of the injured police needed hospital treatment and one male officer was still detained today with a neck injury.

One man was arrested for violent disorder and it took police more than two hours to restore calm.

It was not until 3am that most of the police units sent to the scene were stood down.

The party had started outside the Chelsea Inn in Easton, which is one of Bristol's poorest and multi-cultural neighbourhoods.

The air was thick with cannabis smoke as revellers toasted the death of the Iron Lady, chanting;

'Maggie Thatcher, Maggie Thatcher, she's not living anymore. She's not living anymore.'

Some people drank champagne while others walked around in Thatcher masks and one man dressed up as the former PM.

Sound systems were set up in the street to fuel the party atmosphere and the trouble broke out when police tried to stop the music.

Unemployed Julian Styles, 58, who was made redundant from his factory job in 1984, said: 'I've been waiting for that witch to die for 30 years.

'Tonight is party time. I'm drinking one drink for every year I've been out of work.'


In Brixton, south London, two women were arrested on suspicion of looting a store and riot police were deployed as the crowds which had been drinking since 5pm started to become more aggressive, refusing to let buses through the streets.

More than 300 people, including the young and old partied until late at night on the streets of London, clutching cans of cider and cartons of milk as they danced along to reggae and 1980s music.

Many children also attended the impromptu event with their parents some wearing fancy dress, fairy wings and clutching balloons.

The carnival-like celebrations also drew crowds who had no knowledge or interest in at Thatcher, but who wanted to join in with the revelry.

Brixton was the scene of intense rioting during her time as Prime Minster - the unrest was blamed on deep social divisions, racial tensions and unemployment.

At 11pm last night, party-goers climbed the Ritzy Cinema to replace the billboard of films to say ‘Margaret Thatchers dead’ .

They received cheers and applause from fellow revellers as they did so.

Later they added the words ‘LOL’, meaning ‘laugh out loud’, followed by ‘Oh Aye’.

The two hooded men who covered their faces as they replaced the words on the Picture House cinema also attached a sign reading ‘the bitch is dead’.

The Ritzy Cinema said it had nothing to do with masked people and later tweeted its thanks to those who helped clean up broken letters and damage.

Pictures of anti-Thatcher graffiti scrawled on walls in Brixton also appeared on Twitter, with one reading: 'You snatched my milk! & our hope.'

Banners were held stating ‘Rejoice Thatcher is dead’ by drunken crowds, many of whom were too young to remember her as prime minister.

Sickening messages also began flooding the internet minutes after the official announcement.

Revellers danced the conga, drank champagne and chanted: ‘Maggie, Maggie, Maggie – Dead, Dead, Dead.

Barnados charity shop was a casualty of the celebrations and this morning the store front had been left with a gaping hole in the glass.

Alex Bigham, a councillor in Lambeth representing Stockwell condemned the celebrations and said 'Even if you detested her policies, many of which I did, it is tasteless posturing.'

The Metropolitan Police said: 'Police dealt with a group of approximately 100 people in Brixton who caused low level disorder including throwing missiles at officers.'

They confirmed that two women were arrested on suspicion of burglary after being found inside a shop in Brixton. The shop front had been smashed.

Meanwhile, in Glasgow, more than 300 people gathered in the city centre for street party, organised on Twitter.

Members of organisations including the Anti-Bedroom Tax Federation, the Communist party, the Socialist party, the Socialist Workers party and the International Socialist Group, were joined by members of the public in the city’s George Square.

A chorus of ‘so long, the witch is dead’, along with chants of ‘Maggie Maggie Maggie, dead dead dead,’ could be heard among the popping of champagne bottles.

In Leeds, people cheered and even handed out ‘Maggie death cake’ at another of several street parties across the UK last night.



In west Belfast, a crowd assembled on the streets outside the Sinn Féin office in the Lower Falls road where music was played as people danced and passing motorists sounded their horns.

People were seen huddling in a crowd as they drank and sang to celebrate the 86-year-old's death.

Petrol bombs were thrown at police near Free Derry corner amid celebrations and missiles were also used against the officers.

[b]Baroness Thatcher's death could propel The Wizard Of Oz track Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead into the top 40 of the singles chart.

The late former Prime Minister divided opinion and while many have mourned, some have seen her death as a cause for celebration prompting a download surge for the track.

In the space of less than 12 hours Judy Garland's version had made it to number 54 according to the latest sales figures collated for the Official Charts Company. It is expected to climb higher as a result of a Facebook campaign being set up to encourage sales.

There has been some speculation that it may be too short to qualify at just 51 seconds, but chart bosses say it is eligible. In 2007 the track The Ladies Bras by Wisbey made the chart despite lasting just 36 seconds.

The death has also led to a burst of sales for Elvis Costello's track about Baroness Thatcher - Tramp The Dirt Down - although to a more modest degree.

The song, from his 1989 album Spike, was at number 79 in the iTunes chart this afternoon.

[/b]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2306165/Margaret-Thatcher-death-parties-The-Lefts-sick-celebration-Brixtons-streets.html#ixzz2Pz8KP4NB

Pictures

[size=14pt]Madonna Calls Malawi President Joyce Banda A Liar After Blackmail Claims[/size]
By Jill Heller | April 11 2013 2:42 PM

The rift between Madonna and Malawi President Joyce Banda deepened on Thursday, when the pop star issued a statement responding to Banda’s criticisms of her behavior on a recent trip to Malawi, calling Banda a liar and claiming that the condemnation was retribution for firing Banda's sister from her charity.

According to the BBC , the spat between Madonna and Banda began when the “Material Girl” allegedly complained about treatment she received on a goodwill trip to the southeast African nation. In spite of the 54-year-old singer’s charitable contributions to the country, the Malawian government issued a statement earlier this week, alleging that Madonna’s demands for special treatment had been out of line, and that she had entered the country expecting that “poor people dance for her.”

Madonna, who has two adopted children from the country, has sponsored a number of charity projects in the nation including Raising Malawi and the documentary, “I Am Because We Are,” both of which President Banda's sister, Anjimile Mtila-Oponyo, worked on before being fired on suspicion of theft. Oponyo later sued Raising Malawi for wrongful termination, and currently holds a senior post in the Ministry of Education.


"Granted, Madonna is a famed international musician. But that does not impose an injunction of obligation on any government under whose territory Madonna finds herself, including Malawi, to give her state treatment,” President Banda wrote in the statement on Wednesday. “Such treatment, even if she deserved it, is discretionary not obligatory.”

Banda also described the singer as "a musician who desperately thinks she must generate recognition by bullying state officials instead of playing decent music on the stage,” and added that "among the many things that Madonna needs to learn as a matter of urgency is the decency of telling the truth.”

Not one to take such criticisms lying down, Madonna responded to the attack, calling Banda’s allegations “lies” and saying that she would not be deterred by his comments or the negative press. “I’m saddened that Malawi’s President Joyce Banda has chosen to release lies about what we’ve accomplished, my intentions, how I personally conducted myself while visiting Malawi and other untruths,” Madonna said in a statement shared on Raising Malawi’s blog. “I have no intentions of being distracted by these ridiculous allegations.”

She went on to cite the strides her charities have made in the region, saying that over 4,800 children were attending primary school in facilities that she and her charities had helped to build. She closed the open letter by saying that she had made a commitment to Malawian children, and that she would continue to honor it.

“I did not ever ask or demand special treatment at the airport or elsewhere during my visit. I will not be distracted or discouraged by other people’s political agendas,” Madonna said. “I made a promise to the children of Malawi and I am keeping that promise.”

Madonna’s philanthropic advisor, Trevor Neilson, called the remarks retribution for Oponyo's firing. “Madonna is the largest individual philanthropist in Malawi,” Neilson told the BBC. “We will continue to fund programs that support children in Malawi.”

Madonna previously generated controversy when she was accused of "fast-tracking" her adoption of son David Banda, and later when Banda's biological father said that he thought the child might be better off in Malawi.

http://www.ibtimes.com/madonna-calls-malawi-president-joyce-banda-liar-after-blackmail-claims-1187443

Madonna’s PR guy Trevor Neilson (who doesn’t seem to be too great at his job judging by the way in which a routine baby-hugging photo-op has descended into a hilarious international shitshow) hit back, giving quotes to The Globe and Mail reporter Geoffrey York. I like to think that by this time Neilson had googled “David James” and was aware that Joyce Banda just compared his client to a veteran English goalkeeper.

[Neilson] said Ms. Banda is “using her office to pursue her sister’s financial interests.” He also rejected the government’s claim that Madonna’s charity had merely built 10 classrooms, rather than 10 schools.

The communities that received the school buildings “are simply overjoyed to have them,” Mr. Neilson said in an e-mail to The Globe and Mail. “In many of these communities, students were previously learning under trees. … The schools were built in the model of schools all across the country and around the world.”

He said Ms. Banda appointed her sister to a senior position in the Education Ministry, where she is using her office “to pursue her grudge” against Madonna’s charity. “I have been contacted by other foreign donors to Malawi who are interested in why the government is behaving this way.”

It’s (another) very serious allegation against Joyce Banda (and her sister), and it’s hard to believe there’s much substance to it.

It’s worth reading what Wayne Barrett, one of the finest New York City journalists, reported about that audit of Banda’s sister. In a piece published in The Daily Beast in April 2011 on Raising Malawi and Madonna’s devotion to Kaballa, Barrett deals specifically with the charges against Oponyo:

More recently, (Mark) Fabiani (who did damage control for Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal) and Neilson have successfully diverted attention from Madonna and the (Kaballa) center by announcing that Neilson’s group has completed a report pinning much of the blame on Raising Malawi academy director Anjimile Oponyo, the sister of Malawi’s first female vice president. The report accused her of “outlandish expenditures,” including a high salary, a car, housing, and a golf-club membership. Putting aside the fact that these items were included in her contract by Madonna aides, the actual expenditures seem trivial in the face of the $3.8 million lost on the school project. The golf membership cost a mere $461.27 a year and was offered as an aid to networking with government officials and potential donors. The car that was bought for her was a reconditioned 1996 Toyota. Her salary, $96,000, was actually a pay cut from previous positions she had held at the World Bank and the United Nations. Oponyo, who was interviewed by Madonna herself, agreed to move to the impoverished country with four of her six children. (If she had been posted in Malawi by the U.S. State Department, she would have received cost-of-living and hardship allowances, and educational and living-quarters benefits that would have added $150,000 to her salary.)

Also, two long pieces in The New Yorker and New York Magazine on Raising Malawi’s failures basically conclude that Nielsen may have planted a smear story about Oponyo in The New York Times that popularized all the accusations of “outlandish expenditures” against Oponyo.

Interestingly, while Malawi’s opposition parties have aggressively tried to smear Banda — everything from saying she goes on too many expensive trips abroad to coming up with misogynist nicknames for her — even they haven’t sought to exploit the “scandal” Madonna and her people have cooked up over Anjimile Oponyo.

Banda’s predecessor Bingu wa Mutharika made himself the country’s biggest landowner, built a vast mansion with suitcases of cash stashed under the bed, went on two-week-long holidays to Macau and appointed his brother as foreign minister. Joyce Banda isn’t perfect (we wish she’d directed some of that ire at IMF boss Christine Lagarde, who also visited Malawi this year, did get the red-carpet treatment and is doing a lot more damage to the country right now) but she’s not in this for the money. Little wonder that Madonna’s attempt to save face after her scolding by rehashing the stereotype of the corrupt African leader rings hollow, and a bit desperate.

Btw, Joyce Banda isn’t necessarily averse to hanging out with pop stars. Here she is chilling with Nigerian R&B duo P-Square last month. That’s one photo-op Madonna can forget about.

http://africasacountry.com/2013/04/11/madonna-vs-joyce-banda-celebrity-deathmatch-philanthropy-edition/

Kenyan politicians get more VIP protection
Africa
Tuesday 16 April 2013 - 7:39 PM


KENYA - Times are changing in Kenya. The country has a new constitution and after successful elections a new president, vice president and many more elected government officials, including senators and governors across the country.

All of them have been assigned protection. Even the average member of parliament will have five police officers guarding them.

The number of officers assigned to VIP protection is to be more than doubled. The plan has upset many ordinary Kenyans.

It means around five thousand officers will be on VIP duty and that is five percent of the entire police force.

The expanded VIP protection plan has raised eyebrows.

Many Kenyans fear there are already too few officers on the beat. Mob justice is common, even in the capital.

Kenya is supposed to be on high alert, thanks to threats from Somali militants, Al-Shabaab.

Police say recruits due out of the academies later this year will plug the gap. They will also monitor how the politicians use their guards.

There have been reports some (politicians) have been deploying them (VIP protection) to fetch their shopping.

http://www.enca.com/africa/police-guard-politicians

Dubai Police Add $450,000 Lamborghini Aventador To Fleet Of Vehicles

By Carey Vanderborg | April 11 2013 9:53 AM

Lamborghini Aventador Photo: Dubai Police Department Dubai Police Department adds £360,000 Lamborghini Aventador to fleet

If you’re going to keep a city safe, why not do it in style? That is seemingly the mentality of the Dubai Police Department as the Arabian crime stoppers have just added a £360,000 ($554,000) Lamborghini Aventador to their fleet of vehicles.

The Aventador, a two-door, two-seater sports car with speeds capable of up to 217 mph, can be seen in the above picture as it has been painted in the green-and-white colors of the Dubai police force. Fair warning to all who choose to go up against this beast of a vehicle: The Aventador can go from 0 to 62 mph in 2.9 seconds.

While it unclear how many of the supercars have been added to the Dubai Police Department, local media reports said the Italian-made Lamborghini Aventador is the crown jewel of a wider upgrade in Dubai police wheels.

The force is also reportedly adding some American muscle to its fleet with considerably less expensive Chevy Camaros.

http://www.ibtimes.com/dubai-police-add-450000-lamborghini-aventador-fleet-vehicles-photo-1186165#

Koreans Slap Bill Gates for 'Rude' Handshake
By Joohee Cho | ABC News Blogs – 13 hours ago


SEOUL, South Korea - The buzz in town today is this photograph of Microsoft founder Bill Gates' shaking hands with South Korea President Park Geun-hye.

Gates, 57, might have not realized it Monday, but a one-hand shake in Korean culture - and also in Asia - is notably casual, done only when the other party is a good friend, of the same or younger age. Using one hand with the other tucked in the pants pocket is considered rude here, done when one is expressing superiority to the other.

"Perhaps it was his all-American style but an open jacket with hand in pocket? That was way too casual. It was very regretful," said Chung Jin-suk, secretary general at the Korean National Assembly.

President Park's office has said nothing publicly about the incident and a spokesperson for Gates declined to comment.

But Internet chat rooms and social network sites are filled with views debating cultural differences and analyses of Gates' laid-back style.

"I don't know if that was ignorance or just plain disrespect," Cho Park, a Korean student studying in New York, said. "It was pretty rude of him. The thing is I'm not sure if it is rude in Western culture."

The controversy doesn't end there. Gates had met with two other previous South Korean presidents: Kim Dae-jung and Lee Myung-Bak. He apparently gave the proper handshake with both hands to the late Kim in 2002 but was spotted giving an improper shake to President Lee in 2008. That also became a subject of debate.

Some South Korean media have been speculating that perhaps it was intentional, showing his political preference; respect for the opposition leader Kim but disrespect for the ruling party leaders Lee and Park, 61.

"Cultural difference or bad manners?" the Joongang Ilbo newspaper wrote.

"A disrespectful handshake or a casual friendly handshake?" DongAh Ilbo newspaper said in its photo caption.

"It's a head of state we're talking about," said Rick Yoon, a brand retailer in Seoul. "And she's a lady. This is not just a Korean thing. It's an international protocol.

"Maybe it was intentional. Otherwise, he has a very strange habit."

Gates was in South Korea on a three-day visit to promote his start-up TerraPower, which is developing next-generation nuclear reactors.

ABC News' Joanne Kim contributed to this report.

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/koreans-slap-bill-gates-rude-handshake-113610749--abc-news-topstories.html

^

22 April 2013 Last updated at 17:49 GMT
President Yoweri Museveni's sack of money sparks Uganda row

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has publicly handed a sack containing about $100,000 (£66,000) in cash to a youth group, raising questions about how the money will be spent.

The donation was broadcast on national television, with many social media comments condemning it.

"There should have been a system to make sure the youth spend the money properly," said analyst Peter Magelah.

A minister said giving the money in public would ensure transparency.

Mr Museveni pledged to help the group during the 2011 election campaign.

There were loud cheers as President Museveni held the white sack containing 250 million shillings aloft, before he handed it to a representative of the Busoga Youth Forum.

At the same meeting, he handed over a minibus, a truck and 15 motorcycles, reports Uganda's NTV.

The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga in Kampala says Ugandans are used to seeing the president hand out money at public events.

But what has shocked many Ugandans is the amount and the image of their president holding a sack of money.

Many Ugandan Twitter users have been commenting using #sackofmoney.

Peter Magelah, a researcher at the think-tank Acode told the BBC: "This is just politicking by the president to gain popularity.

"Do we know how they money will be spent? There's no system of accountability to make sure we get it back if these youth mismanage it. It's a loss for the country."

But Minister for the Presidency Frank Tumwebaze defended the donation.

"Quite a few times people have requested the president for money and have stolen it. Giving it in broad day light means that the youth can see who has their money," he said.

"The president is not taking the money to Las Vegas, he's supporting income-generating schemes."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22245873

Busoga youth grumble over Museveni’s Shs 250m

News
Wednesday, 24 April 2013 00:22
Written by TREVOR S BALEKE & ANDREW MULINDA

Even after President Museveni gave a sack containing Shs 250m to youth groups in Busoga, there are voices in the sub-region accusing him of betrayal. The president donated the money, a Fuso truck (UAS 372P), a mini bus (UAS 038P) and 15 motorcycles at the weekend. Museveni, who was in Kaliro to launch the Busoga Youth Forum (BYF), also set conditions for the money, insisting that each of the sub-counties in Busoga would get Shs 5m and the youth had to be disciplined and avoid alcohol.

“Today, I came to ‘kutongoza’ (launch) the new leadership of the Busoga Youth Forum ... I will support you if you are disciplined,” the president said, shortly before handing the sack of money to the Kaliro youth chairman, Sanon Bwiire.

But since the President left, many youths have complained about the money and outstanding presidential pledges. In Jinja, youth threatened to dump their NRM cards, saying it was regrettable for the president to emphasise a hatchery delivered 10 years ago. Fatuma Nairuba, a youth from Bugembe town council, said the president had discriminated against them in favour of rural youths, who were expected to support him in 2016.

“For how long will the president continue mentioning the hatchery he gave to youth [in 2003], he can take it back if it is the only ground upon which to give us new projects,” she said.

Sam Ibanda, the Luuka district youth councillor, was also unimpressed.

“When he invited us to State House in Entebbe, we went with proposals as per the districts and each district was given ample time to discuss … he approved all our proposals and pledged to fulfill them the day when he launched the youth forum. But we are saddened to see him giving out money, cars and motorcycles to just selected groups,” said Ibanda.

He explained that Luuka youths had asked for a poultry project worth Shs 192m for the 42 youth groups from the 42 parishes in the district. There were also angry comments from youth leaders in Bugiri and Namutumba, saying Museveni had only aided a small, selected group. But junior Youth Minister Ronald Kibuule urged the various groups to remain patient.

“You should appreciate the little you have so far, as we pave way for getting more support from government lest the president brands you as undisciplined youth and so sidelines you always,” he said.


http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24917&Itemid=114

Twitter users slam SABC Mandela footage

April 29 2013 at 07:59pm

South African Twitter users have condemned the footage of former president Nelson Mandela shown on SABC on Monday evening.


The SABC broadcast exclusive footage of ailing former president Nelson Mandela on Monday evening, showing him sitting impassively with a blanket over his legs.

Although the state broadcaster said he was in good health and good spirits, many viewers questioned this on Twitter.

President Jacob Zuma told the state broadcaster that Mandela was “up and about” but the former president showed little emotion while being filmed with Zuma seated next to him.

The ANC’s top leaders visited Mandela at his Houghton home in Johannesburg earlier on Monday.

The SABC accompanied the ANC on its visit, tweeting on social networking site Twitter about its exclusive from early afternoon.

“We had some conversation with him, shook hands, he was smiling,” Zuma told the SABC.

“He's really up and about, (and) stabilised. We are very happy, we think he is fine.”

SABC news had footage of Mandela sitting in a chair flanked by Zuma, ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, party chairwoman Baleka Mbete and his medical team.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate looked blankly at the camera while everyone around him stood chatting and laughing.

This was the first footage of him in many months.

A frail Mandela was seen closing his eyes as someone's camera flash light clearly affected his eyes.

Mandela is known to have sensitive eyes after years of working in a limestone quarry when he was imprisoned on Robben Island.

Some viewers took to Twitter voicing their displeasure at the footage of Mandela.

Ranjeni Munusamy said: “Who's the idiot who took a picture of Madiba with flash during the visit by ANC officials? Don't they know it hurts his eyes?!”.

Another Twitter user commented: “After everything the man has done for us this is how we treat him. Like an animal at the zoo. Shame on us.”

Another person said: “After months of attacking media for “invading” Mandela's privacy, ANC today released an invasive video of a clearly ailing and grim Mandela.”

“SABC claims Mandela looks “relaxed” and “in good spirits” but the new video contradicts that claim,” wrote another user.

"They need to stop saying Mandela is doing well. Look at him," another tweet said.

Another user wrote: "Mandela is not in a good shape, the government have the nerve to lie straight to our faces."

Mandela was discharged from hospital earlier this month after spending nine days receiving treatment for recurring lung problems.

Early in March, he was admitted to a Pretoria hospital for a scheduled check-up. He was discharged the following day.

In December last year, Mandela underwent an operation to remove gallstones and treat the lung infection. He was discharged after an 18-day stay and placed under home-based high care at his Houghton home.

In January, the presidency said Mandela had made a full recovery from the surgery and continued to improve. In February last year he was admitted to hospital for a stomach ailment.

At the time, the presidency said Mandela underwent a diagnostic procedure to investigate the cause of a long-standing abdominal complaint.

In January 2011, Mandela was taken to Milpark Hospital for routine tests relating to respiratory problems.

Mandela's last major public appearance was in July 2010, at the final of the Fifa World Cup at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg.

Since then he has spent his time between Johannesburg and his ancestral village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape. - Sapa

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/twitter-users-slam-sabc-mandela-footage-1.1508158#.UX9-cWfNl8E

Footage shows conservative Muslim smiling as he reaches for Mrs Obama's hands; tells Twitter followers it was unintentional.


JAKARTA, Indonesia — A conservative Muslim government minister admits he shook hands with first lady Michelle Obama in welcoming her to Indonesia but says it wasn't his choice.

Footage on YouTube shows otherwise, sparking a debate that has lit up Facebook, Twitter and the rest of the blogosphere.


"I tried to prevent (being touched) with my hands but Mrs. Michelle held her hands too far toward me (so) we touched," Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring told tens of thousands of followers on Twitter.

While Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, the vast majority practice a moderate form of the faith. But Sembiring has flaunted his conservatism and says he avoids contact with women who are not related to him.

The minister was among the dignitaries in a receiving line that greeted President Barack Obama and his wife as they arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday — a homecoming of sorts for the president who spent part of his childhood here.
Indonesians gathered around television sets across the country to watch the American president touch down. Children at the school he attended practiced a song dedicated to him just in case he visited.

In footage of the official welcome, Sembiring appeared to share his countrymen's enthusiasm. He smiled broadly as he shook the president's hand and then reached with both hands to grasp Michelle Obama's. But later he said she forced their contact.

His denial was in a response to tweets from Indonesians who noted the handshake and questioned his long-standing claims that, as a good Muslim, he restricts his contact with women.


Many posts had a "gotchya" quality to them.

One female journalist — who said the minister had refused to shake her hand — gleefully noted that now he would no longer be able to wriggle out of it.

Sembiring has often tweeted controversial comments, including blaming natural disasters on a lack of morality and joking about AIDS.


http://www.jpost.com/International/Minister-admits-reluctant-Michelle-Obama-handshake

South Africans are backward – Zambian vice-president
2 May 2013 11:18

Zambian vice-president Guy Scott has said that South Africa is backward in terms of historical development, despite the country being Africa’s biggest economy.

The Guardian reported yesterday that the 68-year-old grandfather, who is also an MP for Lusaka, said South Africa was the cause of so much trouble on the African continent.

“The South Africans are very backward in terms of historical development,” he said. “I hate South Africans. That’s not a fair thing to say, because I like a lot of South Africans, but they really think they’re the bee’s knees and actually they’ve been the cause of so much trouble in this part of the world.

“I have a suspicion the blacks model themselves on the whites now that they’re in power. ‘Don’t you know who we are, man?’”

Scott also scoffed at the inclusion of South Africa in the Brics grouping of emerging economies.

“They think in Brics that the ‘s’ actually stands for South Africa whereas it stands for Africa. Nobody would want to go in for a partnership with Brazil, China, India and South Africa, for Christ’s sake.

“I dislike South Africa for the same reason that Latin Americans dislike the United States, I think. It’s just too big and too unsubtle.”

Warming to his theme, Scott let rip at South African President Jacob Zuma, comparing him with the last apartheid leader, FW de Klerk. “He’s very like De Klerk. ‘You just leave Zimbabwe to me.’ Excuse me, who the hell liberated you anyway, was it not us? I mean, I quite like him, he seems a rather genial character, but I pity him and his advisers.”

Scott became vice-president in 2011 but his presence baffles some African leaders at high-level meetings. “I think they regard me as a sort of mascot, a good luck charm for African politics.”

He also had something to say about Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe who has remained in power for 33 years: “I think if you asked him, he’d say it was enough. That’s what he said to us a few months ago. I said the way forward in African democracy is the way we do it in Zambia. He said: ‘I absolutely agree, I wish it would happen to me.’”

Scott went on to describe 89-year-old Mugabe’s persona. “He’s a funny chap. He seems to doze off and then he suddenly laughs at a joke while in the middle of dozing. And very articulate, without a note, without a scrap of anything.

“He’s an anglophone. He loves to give lectures on the English language, English weighing systems, English this or that. He was a teacher, and so he taught himself all that.”

Zambian president Michael Sata – whom Scott refers to as “the boss” – is known to be on friendly terms with Mugabe, who used to work as a teacher in Zambia. “I’m sure any good African nationalist admires Mugabe,” Scott added.

- News24

http://www.citypress.co.za/politics/south-africans-are-backward-zambian-vice-president/

2 May 2013 Last updated at 17:16 GMT

South Africa probes India over Gupta wedding

South Africa's government is investigating if the Indian embassy abused diplomatic privileges over a society wedding, an official has said.

The embassy is alleged to have helped a wealthy Indian family gain landing rights for a private jet at a military base near the capital, Pretoria.

The Gupta family flew guests, reportedly including Bollywood stars and Indian government officials, to South Africa for the wedding.

The family denies any wrongdoing.

The Gupta brothers - Atul, Ajay and Rajesh - are said have wielded enormous influence in South Africa since white minority rule ended in 1994.

Their business interests cover mining, aviation, technology and the media.


Two of President Jacob Zuma's children have served as directors of Gupta-owned firms, according to South Africa's companies database, the AFP news agency reports.

'Serious matter'

On Wednesday, the governing African National Congress (ANC) party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) demanded an investigation into how the guests of the family flew from India to the Waterkloof Air Force Base near Pretoria.

"The African National Congress, driven by the concern for the safety and sovereignty of South Africa, shall never allow a situation where our ports of entry and National Key Points are penetrated with impunity," ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said in a statement.

Police escorted the guests to the casino resort of Sun City for the wedding of 23-year-old Vega Gupta, the Gupta brothers' niece, to Indian-born Aaskash Jahajgarhia.

On Thursday, Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane said top-level investigations were under way to establish how the chartered flight landed at the military base.

The investigation would also unearth whether diplomatic privilege had been abused, he added.

"The investigations will point out to us if that is the case," Mr Chabane is quoted by Bloomberg news agency as saying.

"If so, the necessary steps will be taken. This is a serious matter."

Gupta family spokesman Haranath Ghosh said South African officials had authorised the landing of the plane following a request by the Indian embassy in Pretoria.

"Waterkloof Air Force base was used with full permission of the authorities to receive foreign dignitaries, including some ministers," Mr Ghosh said, Bloomberg reports.

South Africa's International Relations Department said the Chief of State Protocol, Bruce Koloane, had been placed on suspension while an investigation took place.

The Indian embassy has not yet commented on the affair.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22386704

SA fighting losing battle against corruption
May 3, 2013 | Sapa-AP | 4 comments

The author of a new report says South Africa is fighting a losing battle against corruption, with graft costing taxpayers nearly one billion rand ($111 million) last year.

Lawyer Peter Allwright of law firm Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs says although 88 percent of people tried for financial misconduct are found guilty only 19 percent are dismissed. He says most get off with a written warning and remain in government service and continue stealing.


Allwright says his report, based on figures from the Public Service Commission, covers only national and provincial governments, indicating the amount of money going missing from public coffers is more than that being reported.

He tells the AP that corruption "is rampant, it is out of control" and units fighting it "are essentially losing the battle."

http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2013/05/03/sa-fighting-losing-battle-against-corruption

Bridge collapse in Washington state sends cars and people into water

Part of bridge over the Skagit river gives way, with rescuers using boats to search for people in the water

Associated Press in Mount Vernon
guardian.co.uk, Friday 24 May 2013 06.50 BST


The major highway bridge linking the Washington state city of Seattle with Canada and the rest of the Pacific north-west region collapsed late on Thursday, dumping several vehicles and the people inside into a river.

The four-lane Interstate 5 bridge collapsed about halfway between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, Trooper Mark Francis of the Washington state patrol said.

Francis said he did not know what caused the collapse, which came at the start of one of the country's busiest holiday weekends of the year.

Kari Ranten, a spokeswoman for Skagit Valley hospital, said two people who were injured in the collapse were being taken to the facility. She said another person was being taken to a different area hospital.

A search of the river continued and a dive team was on the scene.
"We don't think anyone else went into the water," said Marcus Deyerin, a spokesman for the North-west Washington Incident Management Team. "At this point we're optimistic."

Helicopter footage aired by KOMO-TV in Seattle showed one rescue boat leaving the scene with one person strapped into a stretcher. A damaged red car and a damaged pickup truck were visible in the water.

A Skagit Valley Herald reporter at the scene said a sheriff's office rescue boat had arrived and rescue crews were looking for people in the water.

A man told the local Skagit Valley Herald newspaper he felt a vibration and looked in his rear view mirror to see that the part of bridge he had just crossed was no longer behind him. "I thought something was wrong with my car at first," he said

The bridge is not considered structurally deficient but is listed as being "functionally obsolete" meaning that its design is outdated, according to a database compiled by the Federal Highway Administration.

The bridge was built in 1955 and has a sufficiency rating of 57.4 out of 100, according to federal records. That is well below the statewide average rating of 80, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal data.

Washington state was given a C in the American Society of Civil Engineers' 2013 infrastructure report card and a C- when it came to the state's bridges.

The group said more than a quarter of Washington state's 7,840 bridges were considered structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/24/bridge-collapse-washington-state-cars/print

Ghana airport security boss arrested in US drug bust‎
By AFP | June 5, 2013

ACCRA, Jun 5 – The head of security at Ghana’s main international airport has been arrested in the US on charges of heroin trafficking, in the latest sign of a growing narcotics trade in west Africa, statements obtained by AFP on Wednesday said.

Solomon Adelaquaye, the head of a private firm contracted to run security at the Accra airport, was charged alongside his Colombian and two Nigerian co-conspirators, Ghana’s Narcotics Control Board and the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) said.

In February 2012, Adelaquaye used his influence at the airport to guide a laptop packed with heroin through security in exchange for $10,000, (7,600 euros), according to the DEA.

Then, last month, the group made new plans to move 3,000 kilograms of cocaine through Accra in 25-kilogram instalments.

All of their negotiations, held mainly in Accra, were caught on tape by uncover DEA agents, statements said.

Adelaquaye, 48, and the two Nigerians – Frank Muodum, and Celestine Ofor Orjinweke – were arrested in New York on May 9, according to the DEA.

It was not clear why they travelled to the US ahead of their arrest and the US embassy in Accra did not immediately respond to enquiries.

Samuel Antonio Pinedo-Rueda, 72, was arrested in Colombia on May 16 and is awaiting extradition, the DEA said.

“Drug trafficking in west Africa has become a plague,” Derek Maltz, DEA special agent said in the June 3 statement.

http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2013/06/ghana-airport-security-boss-arrested-in-us-drug-bust%E2%80%8E/

U.S. Marines Sold Nearly $2 Million in Stolen Guns, Combat Equipment, To Gangs And Foreign Countries

By Laura Matthews | May 15 2012 5:00 PM

U.S. Marines at Camp Lejeune, N.C., stole and sold approximately $2 million in guns and combat equipment to streets gangs and to China and Russia, military officials confirmed. The stolen guns and combat gear included assault rifles, night-vision goggles and flashlights.

More than 60 people have been implicated in the incident, the Daily News in Jacksonville, N.C., reported. 47 service members and 21 civilians have been charged so far. Several of them have already pleaded guilty, Ed Buice, public affairs officer for Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) in Quantico, Va., told the paper.

Buice said the case is still active.

I can't go into much detail, he said.

The accused allegedly stole, over-ordered or or obtained the equipment by other means. An official familiar with the operation told the paper that those who were a part of the criminal network did so out of greed and because it was easy to steal the material.

We're talking about sophisticated, hi-tech flashlights that cost the government up to $800 per unit, that official said, as reported by Stars and Stripes. The temptation and ease with which to steal and sell them, for some, is irresistible.

Authorities managed to uncover the conspiracy within the Armed Forces through an investigation that began more than a year ago. At that time, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) agents were carrying out undercover operations in an effort to reduce the theft, sale and transfer of stolen U.S. Government property.

The investigation has since grown to include manpower from several federal and local law enforcement agencies.

Military officials told the paper that Marine and naval authorities helped the NCIS recover $1.8 million in stolen property.

They found that some of the equipment was being sold through websites such as eBay and Craigslist. Items such as weapons and ammunition were being sold through yard sales and secret face-to-face meetings, the Daily News reported.

That paper said that two Marines have been convicted in the case. They are Sgt. Daniel Adam Reich and Capt. Donald E. Pump Jr. Reich was convicted Monday of selling and attempting to sell military property and conspiracy. He was sentenced to 40 months in prison and given a dishonorable discharge.

Pump was convicted of similar offenses, sentenced to 18 months in prison and dismissed from the Corps.

http://www.ibtimes.com/us-marines-sold-nearly-2-million-stolen-guns-combat-equipment-gangs-and-foreign-countries-698575#

Marines, sailor arrested in San Diego sweep netting stolen cars, military gear, illegal drugs

By Associated Press, Friday, June 7, 12:38 AM

SAN DIEGO — Authorities in San Diego say seven active-duty Marines, seven former Marines and a Navy sailor are among 50 people arrested in a law enforcement sweep that busted up crime rings allegedly dealing in illegal drugs, stolen military gear and cars.

San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis announced the 64-count indictment Thursday following an eight-month investigation.

Dumanis says undercover detectives infiltrated the rings across the county and invited suspects to a storefront. The suspects were videotaped selling weapons, stolen cars, cocaine, methamphetamine, and military contraband, including bullet-proof vests, Kevlar helmets, night-vision goggles, gas masks, and more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition and high-capacity magazines.

The case yielded nine firearms and 92 stolen vehicles worth nearly $700,000.

Charges include vehicle theft, gun possession to insurance fraud, among others.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/marines-sailor-arrested-in-san-diego-sweep-netting-stolen-cars-military-gear-illegal-drugs/2013/06/06/270a3714-cf02-11e2-8573-3baeea6a2647_story.html

lol

^^^
This is not new. Report from 1997:

Military weapons stolen; 6 Marines arrested

In this story:

Officials: 'Lethal' explosives involved
Captain arrested in Massachusetts
Joint undercover sting operation
Pentagon orders security review

October 16, 1997
Web posted at: 7:17 p.m. EDT (2317 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Six Marines and seven civilians were arrested Thursday in connection with what Pentagon and law enforcement authorities called a scheme to sell stolen military weapons.

The arrested Marines include a captain and five enlisted personnel. The case involves the theft of explosives and weapons from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, officials said.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, this is a 10," said one official, referring to the weapons that were seized.

However, Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon said he understood that "there are primarily small weapons at stake" in the case.

"I am not aware that there has been a huge problem" with military arms thefts, Bacon said.

Weapons seized

[b]The stockpile of stolen weapons includes mortars, grenades, .50-caliber machine guns, land mines and C-4 plastic explosives, federal officials told CNN.

A Treasury Department spokesman described the plastic explosives involved as "very lethal weapons" and said they were the weapons of choice of terrorists.

[/b]The investigation, dubbed "Operation Longfuse," centered on "the theft and subsequent distribution of U.S. government property, particularly military ordnance, throughout the southeastern United States," said William Perry, special agent in charge of the FBI's office in Charlotte.

Two of the seven civilians arrested in the case were identified by the FBI as weapons dealers, including a manager at the Coach and Sons Military Surplus store in Raeford, North Carolina, and the manager of Classic Arms in Mount Pleasant, North Carolina.

The Coach manager, Alton Laverne Sharpe Jr., 34, was accused of illegally selling the C-4 explosives and "knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that such material was stolen," the FBI said.

Weapons were reportedly sold out of the backs of cars at local gun shows in North Carolina.

Captain arrested in Massachusetts

The Marine captain was arrested at the Marine Reserve Center in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he worked. The man, identified by Marine officials as Capt. Thomas Crawford had recently been transferred from Camp Lejeune.


He was being returned to North Carolina.

Crawford's arrest came after federal agents seized what appeared to be crates of ammunition at his home in Millis, Massachusetts, a small town about 30 miles southwest of Boston.

In Millis, authorities cordoned off the area around Crawford's white frame home and seized at least 10 boxes and crates with military markings "similar to what munitions are usually stored in," said Naval investigator Jeff Morrow.

Camp Lejeune officials identified the other five as Staff Sgt. Timothy Witham of Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina; and Master Gunnery Sgt. Alfred Gerich, Gunnery Sgt. James Sanders, Sgt. Ronald Moerbe, and Sgt. Darius Hill, all of Camp Lejeune.

The specific charges they face were not immediately known. Officials said the charges involved the illegal manufacture and distribution of firearms and explosives.

Joint undercover sting operation

The arrests stemmed from a joint undercover sting operation involving the FBI, the Treasury Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

The investigation began after a non-commissioned officer noticed weapons were missing and reported the problem to his superiors. The arrests were made after suspects attempted to sell material to undercover agents.

The investigation also targeted the illegal manufacture and sale of automatic weapons and explosives.

Pentagon orders security review

In the wake of the arrests, Defense Secretary William Cohen ordered a 30-day review of security and accountability procedures for small arms and ammunition.

"It is imperative that we be confident that military arms and munitions are tightly controlled and safeguarded," Cohen said in a statement.

Earlier Thursday, Cohen told reporters, "Obviously, no security system is 100 percent foolproof."

http://edition.cnn.com/US/9710/16/stolen.weapons/

johnie: ^^^


Earlier Thursday, Cohen told reporters, "Obviously, no security system is 100 percent foolproof."

Even in the grand'ol US of A?

Philadelphia rescue crews pull 61-year-old woman 12 hours after deadly building collapse

Published June 06, 2013


Philadelphia rescue crews pulled a 61-year-old woman from the rubble early Thursday morning, 12 hours after a four-story building being demolished in the city’s downtown area collapsed, killing at least six, MyFoxPhilly.com reported.

Myra Plekam was reported to be awake and talking to rescuers before she was placed in an ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital where she is listed in critical condition.

Fire crews continued their search and recovery operation through the night. There was activity on the pile Thursday morning. So far, 14 people were removed from the tons of debris.

Mayor Michael Nutter held a press conference on Thursday and said about 25 percent of the site was still being searched. He said there is now a large crane at the scene.

The mayor reiterated that they don't know exactly how many people were in the store, so they cannot say for certain that there are no more people trapped.

At least 13 other people were hospitalized at nearby trauma centers with minor injuries and listed in stable condition.

"It's dangerous environment for our members, our firefighters, our paramedics -- we're going to take our time," Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers said.

One witness, Marc Newell, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he heard an "unbelievable rumble," "like a freight train."

"You could hear the moaning," he told the paper.

The collapse involved a Salvation Army corner thrift store and a four-story building next door with a sandwich shop on the first floor.

Officials said the demolition contractor was Griffin Campbell Construction in Philadelphia. Messages left for Campbell were not returned.

Records show that Campbell was charged in 2005 with dealing crack cocaine near a playground. The charges were dismissed after prosecutors misplaced evidence.

He pleaded guilty in an insurance fraud case in 2009, and was acquitted of aggravated assault and related offenses in 2007.

Campbell has also filed for bankruptcy protection twice since 2010. The first bankruptcy was dismissed because he didn't follow through on a repayment plan approved by the court. A second bankruptcy petition was filed in March.


There were no existing violations on the collapsed building, and Campbell had proper permits for the work being done, according to Carlton Williams, of the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections.

The city issued a demolition permit for the four-story structure on Feb. 1. Records show the property owner as STB Investments Corp., a company linked to prominent businessman and developer Richard Basciano, who has been best known as the owner of porn theaters in New York City and Philadelphia.

Messages left at the company's New York offices were not immediately returned.

The accident happened on the western edge of downtown, between the city's business district and its main train terminal, 30th Street Station. The block had long been a seedy link between gleaming skyscrapers and the busy area around the station.

The collapse involved an empty building that once housed a first-floor sandwich shop and apartments above. The thrift shop was on one side. The other side was an adult bookstore and theater that had been taken down within the last few months.

A demolition expert wondered what precautions were taken to protect the Salvation Army store, especially since it remained open. Stephen Estrin, a Florida contractor who has testified as an expert at several trials involving building collapses, also questioned whether the demolition was being done by hand or with machinery. A piece of equipment with a claw device was seen amid the debris Wednesday.

"This is an inner-city demolition of a masonry building, which would normally be done manually because of the inherent risk -- predictable if certain things are not done very slowly and very carefully -- of a collapse," Estrin said. "One of the problems with claw work is it sets up a vibration in the walls."

Records show the collapsed building was sold to STB in 1994 for $385,894. Plans tentatively called for the block to be redeveloped into retail stores and apartments.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/06/06/rescues-under-way-after-building-collapse-in-north-philadelphia/

'Beggar' who sat outside Natwest bank with a 'hungry and homeless' sign raked in £300 A DAY while living in a £300,000 flat


Simon Wright, 37, sat in ragged clothes with his dog in Putney High Street
Packed up sleeping bag at end of day and headed to plush Fulham home
Handed an Asbo banning him from begging in London or entering SW15
Duped commuter: 'I gave him about £20. I wonder if I can get that back?'

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 14:48 GMT, 5 June 2013 | UPDATED: 06:32 GMT, 6 June 2013

Sitting on the pavement next to his dog and sleeping bag, Simon Wright looked to all the world like a homeless beggar.

But what the passers-by who gave him cash didn’t know was that he was earning over £50,000 a year and living in a £300,000 council flat in west London.


At the end of every day he would pick up his handwritten sign and head back to his Fulham home.

Locals say he regularly went into bookmakers and amusement shops to change up his loose coins.

The homeless man... with a home: Simon Wright has been given an Asbo after it emerged he had been begging for years in Putney despite living in a plush £300,000 flat

On many occasions they added up to between £200 and £300. Magistrates have now imposed a two-year Asbo banning him from begging anywhere in London.

PC Oliver Strebel, who brought the case to court, said: ‘He had a reputation for getting a lot of gifts while begging.

'He used a sign saying he was homeless and people gave him money on that basis, which is clearly fraud. He would take the money from his cup and change it over at a local betting shop or amusement arcade.

‘He worked pretty much every day, and had done so for about three years. He certainly put in the hours.’

Wright proved Putney High Street in south-west London was such a lucrative venue that he attracted up to nine other beggars. Since his arrest, they have all but disappeared.

Wright would sit wearing ragged clothes outside NatWest bank in Putney High Street, near Putney station, with his dog and ask the public for money.

But after a hard day’s begging Wright would pack up his sleeping bag and, instead of heading to a shelter, he would make his way across Putney Bridge to his comfortable flat in Simms Court, Fulham High Street.

Commuters who fell for his bad luck story said they were shocked to learn Wright had duped them.

Chris Faversham, from Putney, said: 'I definitely gave him money over the years. Probably about £20. I wonder if I can get that back?'


In December 2012 suspicious residents were suggesting that something was not quite right about Wright’s predicament.

Some said he changed up his donations in Greggs in Putney High Street while others said he lived in a tent on Putney Embankment.

But Wright’s days of fleecing the public are over after magistrates slapped an Asbo on him banning him from visiting the SW15 area (Roehampton and Putney) and from begging anywhere in the capital.

Wimbledon Magistrates' Court, sitting on May 14, also ordered him to keep his dog muzzled and under control at all times in a public place after magistrates were told it had bitten at least one person.

The Asbo will remain in place until May 2015 but if Wright, who admitted fraud and begging, breaches any of its terms he could be sent to prison for up to five years and face an unlimited fine.

The council’s community safety spokesman Cllr Jonathan Cook said: 'Anyone who lives, works or shops in and around Putney High Street will be mightily relieved to see this unpleasant individual given his marching orders.

'He deliberately targeted people making cash withdrawals from this cashpoint and was extremely aggressive and abusive to anyone who refused to give him money.

'Many people felt frightened and intimidated by him and there is some evidence to suggest that he used his dog to threaten and pressure people into handing over their cash.

'His behaviour was an absolute disgrace. The fact that he was actually living in a comfortable flat in Fulham, something that many of his victims can only dream of, just adds insult to injury.



'Everyone who has been appalled by Mr Wright’s behaviour will I’m sure wish to congratulate the Thamesfield Safer Neighbourhoods Team, especially PC Oliver Strebel, who was the officer in the case and also the Crown Prosecution Service whose lawyers worked so closely with the police to bring about this very positive result for Putney.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2336145/Beggar-sat-outside-Natwest-bank-hungry-homeless-sign-earned-300-A-DAY-living-300-000-flat.html#ixzz2VW97joOt