LOS ANGELES: Push back started quick on a requirement that L.A.P.D. drug and gang unit officers disclose their assets, with the police union promising to sue. The measure affects about 600 narcotics and anti-gang officers who handle confiscated drugs and cash. Los Angeles police have been under federal control since the 2000 Rampart scandal which…
DetailsSOUTH AFRICA: Media outlets worldwide carry news of African National Congress president Jacob Zuma’s potential indictment on corruption charges by the National Prosecuting Authority. The Mail and Guardian:Zuma cries foul over NPA charges
DetailsNEW YORK: What does the General Assembly do when a UN panel discovers US$600 million in shady contracting? Kill the messenger, apparently. We are not shocked to learn that Singapore — not a nation known for being receptive to criticism — has led a push to disband the 18-member investigative panel after a Singapore official…
DetailsBANGKOK: The IHT has the story on Thailand’s pending election, scheduled this Sunday. While it is certainly encouraging to see an election taking place, hold no illusions: deposed Prime Minister Thaksin’s party is still effectively banned in many parts of the country. Thailand has been controlled by a military junta since a September 2006 coup…
DetailsWASHINGTON: On September 17, 2007, in western Baghdad, private contractors hired to protect a convoy of U.S. State Department officials opened fire on nearby cars. When the smoke cleared, the Iraqi government reported that 17 civilians were dead and demanded that their American employer, Blackwater USA, leave Iraq. Subsequent investigations by Congress describe a pattern…
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