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☆ London's police force steps up crackdown on rogue officers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Last month, an independent review found the Metropolitan Police to be institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic, and unable to police itself. The review called for urgent reform of Britain's biggest force known as the Met. The Met's new chief Mark Rowley, who took over last September, has vowed to rid the force of unsuitable individuals among its more than 43,000 officers and staff. Further reviews are ongoing to assess the vetting of serving officers and all staff are being checked against the Police National Computer (PNC), which records convictions. Reporting by Farouq Suleiman and Sachin Ravikumar Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Police identify two among eight dead trying to enter U.S. from Canada
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 1 (Reuters) - Police in Canada on Saturday identified two victims among eight bodies recovered from two families who died this week trying to enter the United States from Canada by boat across the St. Lawrence River. Deputy Chief Lee-Ann O'Brien said Friday the victims appeared to be from two families, one Indian and one Romanian, who were trying to the reach the United States illegally. Akwesasne police said the agreement closing all unofficial border entries, including Roxham Road in Quebec, should not have factored here because the families were seeking to go to the United States, not Canada. Last year an Indian family of four froze to death in Canada's province of Manitoba as they were trying to cross into the United States. More people have been using Akwesasne territory to furtively try to enter the United States, with 80 interceptions recorded this year, and the majority have been Indians or Romanians, said Dulude.

Police recovered six bodies on Thursday and believe the tragedy may have occurred on Wednesday night. The Akwesasne reserve straddles both sides of the St. Lawrence River, with land in Ontario and Quebec on the Canadian side, and New York. To fight smuggling of people and goods, local police monitor the river full-time with funds from Quebec. On Wednesday night, when the families likely sought to cross the river, the weather was poor. Reporting by Christinne Muschi in Akwesasne and Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"Police believe one infant from the Romanian family has not been located and we'll continue searching. All are believed to have been attempting illegal entry into the U.S. from Canada," O'Brien added. Both the deceased and the missing children "were associated with the Romanian family" and had Canadian passports, which were found, O'Brien said. On Wednesday night, when the families likely sought to cross the river, the weather was poor. Reporting by Christinne Muschi in Akwesasne and Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Britain raises domestic threat level for Northern Ireland to 'severe'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 28: British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris arrives for a cabinet meeting at Downing Street on March 28, 2023 in London. Britain's MI5 intelligence agency has increased the threat level from domestic terrorism to Northern Ireland to "severe" - meaning an attack is highly likely, Britain said on Tuesday. "The public should remain vigilant, but not be alarmed, and continue to report any concerns they have to the Police Service of Northern Ireland," he said. The change comes roughly a year after Britain lowered the threat level for the province to "substantial" for the first time in more than a decade. It also comes ahead of next month's 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement peace deal that largely ended the "Troubles," three decades of violence that had convulsed Northern Ireland since the late 1960s.

OTTAWA, March 9 (Reuters) - Canadian Police said on Thursday they are investigating allegations that two Montreal-area centers are being used as Chinese state-backed "police stations" to intimidate or harass Canadians of Chinese origin. The investigation adds to mounting allegations of Chinese interference in Canada's internal affairs, including accusations by Ottawa that Beijing tried to influence the last two Canadian elections. In November, the RCMP also launched an investigation into similar reports of Chinese "police service stations" in the Toronto area. The RCMP's deputy commissioner for federal policing, Michael Duheme, told a parliamentary committee last week that the agency has "taken overt actions" that led to the ceasing of operations at four alleged Chinese police stations. The Quebec RCMP alleged that Canadians of Chinese origin have been "victims of the possible activities" conducted by two centers, in Montreal and nearby Brossard, it has identified as possible police stations run by Beijing.

☆ Walmart says it's closing a store in Albuquerque because it's underperforming. Some shoppers say it was rampant with crime, and police visited hundreds of times last year.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The store has 287 workers who are eligible to transfer to another store, per a Walmart spokeswoman. It's "very sad," he told Insider, because there aren't many retailers with stores in that part of Albuquerque. The San Mateo Boulevard store is set to close on March 10 after opening in July 1985, according to Walmart spokeswoman Lauren Willis. Albuquerque city officials are now looking into buying and repurposing the closing Walmart store. The Walmart is one of at least eight stores closing soon across five states and the District of Columbia.

☆ Toronto man charged with 96 offences related to child sexual assault
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Toronto Police Service/Handout via REUTERSOTTAWA, March 1 (Reuters) - A 31-year-old Toronto man is facing 96 charges related to sexual assault of children in person as well as on social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, police in Canada said on Wednesday. The charges against Daniel Langdon include 39 counts of sexual assault, 39 counts of sexual interference, as well as allegations of making and possessing child pornography, Toronto Police said in a statement. Police allege that Langdon, who they believe was operating alone, used several email addresses and social media platforms, as well as altered photos that made him look younger. Authorities started working on a child luring and sexual assault investigation last year which led to Langdon's arrest in February. Police searched his home and recovered child sexual abuse material as well as evidence indicating that he sexually assaulted a seven-year-old child at a Toronto park.

☆ Northern Irish police arrest sixth man over shooting of detective
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A police officer stands guard at the Youth Sport Omagh sports complex on Killyclogher Road, where off-duty PSNI Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell was shot, in Omagh, Northern Ireland February 23, 2023. REUTERS/Lorraine O'SullivanFeb 25 (Reuters) - Northern Ireland police arrested a sixth man on Saturday in connection with the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell. A 71-year-old man was detained in Omagh under the Terrorism Act and was taken to Musgrave Serious Crime Suite to be questioned by detectives, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said in a statement. loadingFive men aged 22, 38, 43, 45 and 47 arrested earlier in connection with the attack remain in police custody. Reporting by Sneha Bhowmik in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

London CNN —South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a national state of disaster in response to the country’s drawn-out energy crisis, calling it “an existential threat” to Africa’s most developed economy. Blackouts in South Africa — or load-shedding as they’re known locally — have been lasting for as long as 12 hours a day. Dwayne Senior/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesRamaphosa said Thursday that the national state of disaster would begin with immediate effect. Eskom has very little backup power, which makes it difficult to take units offline to perform crucial maintenance work. Years of mismanagement and systematic corruption are believed to be the key reasons why Eskom has been unable to keep the lights on.

☆ Children accused of witchcraft find solace in east Congo shelter
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Crispin Kyala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Crispin KyalangalilwaBUKAVU, Democratic Republic of Congo, Feb 8 (Reuters) - After Ornella lost several family members within three years, relatives and neighbours in her east Congo village of Kabare began suspecting the 14-year-old girl of witchcraft. Hundreds of thousands of children across the continent are accused of witchcraft each year, according to a 2022 report by the African Child Policy Forum, an independent research group. "Here are at Eka Bana ... they show me that every child has rights," she told Reuters. Children who end up in Eka Bana are usually first taken in by the police, who either find them on the street or receive them from family members. Eka Bana Director Natalia Isella said it was often Evangelical pastors who convinced followers that a "witch" in the family was causing their problems.

☆ London police officer jailed for at least 30 years for serial rape
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Sam Tobin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Carrick’s offences, which included 24 counts of rape, were all committed while serving in the Metropolitan Police – piling further pressure on Britain’s biggest police force, which is already reeling from a series of scandals in recent years. The London force, which dismissed Carrick last month, has previously apologised for failing to spot his pattern of abuse earlier. Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray said in a statement on Sunday evening that she was “truly sorry for the harm and devastation” caused to Carrick’s victims. Carrick pleaded guilty to a total of 49 offences, including rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, false imprisonment and coercive and controlling behaviour. The judge told Carrick: "You have lost your liberty, your job and your status.

[1/3] Andrei Medvedev, a former commander of Russia's Wagner mercenary group poses for a picture during an interview in Oslo, Norway February 1, 2023. REUTERS/Janis LaizansOSLO, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Norwegian police said on Friday they intend to continue to interrogate former Wagner mercenary group commander Andrei Medvedev, who fled from Russia to Norway last month after fighting in the war in Ukraine. "Medvedev gives the impression that he wants to continue to say more" about his time with Wagner, police said. Wagner forces have been locked in a bloody battle of attrition against Ukrainian forces in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. Wagner has said Medvedev had worked in a "Norwegian unit" of Wagner and had "mistreated prisoners".

[1/3] Andrei Medvedev, a former commander of Russia's Wagner mercenary group poses for a picture during an interview in Oslo, Norway February 1, 2023. Andrei Medvedev, who fled by crossing the Russian-Norwegian border on Jan. 13, says he witnessed the killing and mistreatment of Russian prisoners taken to Ukraine to fight for Wagner. Medvedev said he wanted to speak out about his experiences in the war so "the perpetrators are punished" for their crimes in Ukraine. A special report published by Reuters last week found a graveyard in southern Russia buried with men who were convicts who had been recruited by Wagner to fight in Ukraine. Kripos, Norway's national criminal police service, which has responsibility for investigating war crimes, has begun questioning Medvedev about his experiences in Ukraine.

☆ Eight killed in mass shooting at birthday party in South Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Gunmen killed eight people and wounded three others at a birthday party in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, police said, adding that manhunt was underway to find the killers. The latest incident follows a spate of mass shootings last year that shocked the nation. In July, gunmen killed 19 people in random shootings within hours of each other. South Africa has one of the world's highest murder rates, with around 20,000 people killed every year out of a population of 60 million. According to campaign group Gun Free South Africa, there are about 3 million guns registered in the country, though there are many more unregistered.

☆ Ex-Wagner commander witnessed comrades shot for fleeing, says his Norwegian lawyer
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Ilze Filks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OSLO, Jan 26 (Reuters) - A former commander of Russia's Wagner mercenary group who fled to Norway has spoken about how he witnessed some of his comrades being shot as they were trying to flee from the frontline in Ukraine, his Norwegian lawyer told Reuters. His lawyer Brynjulf Risnes told Reuters that Medvedev had seen some "incredibly horrible" situations while he was fighting with Wagner last autumn. He had witnessed "the shooting of his comrades while he was watching because they tried to flee," Risnes said in an interview, citing Medvedev. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been killed, millions uprooted and cities reduced to rubble since Russian forces invaded Ukraine 11 months ago. Other groups like the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the Clooney Foundation were also interested in talking to Medvedev, his lawyer said.

☆ South Africa energy blackouts: Ramaphosa skips Davos to tackle crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

London CNN —South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa was forced this week to cancel a trip to Davos by an escalating energy crisis that is inflicting rolling blackouts on the continent’s most developed economy. At peak times, demand in South Africa averages between 28,000 MW and 34,000 MW. Electricity theft, including by impoverished townships in South Africa, and non-payment by municipal customers have made matters worse. Despite an abundance of sunshine and wind, South Africa still derives about 80% of its electricity from coal. South Africa’s National Energy Crisis Committee, a body run out of Ramaphosa’s office, has proposed several measures to ease the crisis in the short term, including importing energy from neighboring countries and buying excess energy from private producers.

☆ South Africa's president says energy workers face so much danger that some wear bulletproof vests to work, days after a prominent CEO's poisoning was revealed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

South Africa's energy sector has been rocked by the poisoning of the CEO of its biggest provider. Eskom's CEO Andre De Ruyter had been leading a crackdown on corruption in South African energy. South Africa's president said this week that some managers in the sector wear bulletproof vests to work. His wife also has two protectors and his children go to school with protectors as well," Ramaphosa said in the address without identifying who the manager is, per South Africa's Times newspaper. Such thefts, De Ruyter said, have a major impact on the energy available in South Africa, which has faced rolling blackouts in recent years.

☆ The CEO of an African energy giant was poisoned with cyanide slipped into his coffee, just days after he resigned
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The CEO of South Africa's biggest energy company, Eskom, was poisoned in December, the firm said. Numerous reports say CEO Andre De Ruyter had cyanide slipped into his coffee at the company's HQ. After drinking the coffee, De Ruyter became "weak, dizzy, and confused," EE Business Intelligence reported, citing an unnamed source. "This attempt on his life will be thoroughly investigated and those responsible must be charged," Pravin Gordhan, the government minister overseeing South Africa's energy sector told the Financial Times. Since taking over as CEO of Eskom, De Ruyter has attempted to crack down on corruption within South Africa's energy sector, EE Business Intelligence reported.

☆ South Africa’s Eskom says police investigating alleged poisoning of CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Cape Town Reuters —South African power utility Eskom on Sunday said police were investigating whether an attempt was made to poison its outgoing chief executive officer, Andre de Ruyter. Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan also told Reuters on Sunday the alleged incident “will be thoroughly investigated” and anyone responsible charged. After officially taking charge in January 2020, De Ruyter led a company-wide clampdown on corruption and organized criminal behavior, including sabotage of infrastructure, at Eskom plants. “Eskom cannot comment further on the poisoning incident involving the group chief executive, which occurred during December 2022, as the matter is subject to police investigation,” the utility’s head of security said in a statement. The alleged cyanide poisoning was first reported by specialist energy publication EE Business Intelligence on Saturday.

☆ South African utility says police are investigating the alleged poisoning of its CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Andre de Ruyter, chief executive officer of Eskom Holdings, at a conference in October 2022. South African power utility Eskom on Sunday said police were investigating whether an attempt was made to poison its outgoing Chief Executive Officer Andre de Ruyter. Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan also told Reuters on Sunday the alleged incident "will be thoroughly investigated" and anyone responsible charged. The alleged cyanide poisoning was first reported by specialist energy publication EE Business Intelligence on Saturday. The South African police services did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

☆ South Africa's Eskom says police investigating alleged poisoning of CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Wendell Roelf | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan also told Reuters on Sunday the alleged incident "will be thoroughly investigated" and anyone responsible charged. Faced with political pressure, De Ruyter resigned on Dec. 14 after failing to solve a crisis in Eskom that has led to record power cuts in Africa's most industrialised economy. After officially taking office in January 2020, De Ruyter led a company-wide clampdown on corruption and organised criminal behaviour, including sabotage of infrastructure, at Eskom plants. The alleged cyanide poisoning was first reported by specialist energy publication EE Business Intelligence on Saturday. Reporting by Wendell Roelf in Cape Town and Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo; editing by Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Prominent Kenyan LGBTQ activist 'brutally killed,' local rights group says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI, Jan 6 — Kenyan police have discovered the body of a prominent LGBTQ rights campaigner stuffed inside a metal box in the west of the country, local media reported on Friday. Activist Edwin Chiloba’s remains were found on Tuesday near Eldoret town in Uasin Gishu county, where he ran his fashion business, independent rights group the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) said. “He was brutally killed & dumped in the area by unknown assailants,” KHRC said on Twitter. The country’s film board has banned two films for their portrayals of gay lives in recent years. Edwin Chiloba was a fighter, fighting relentlessly to change the hearts and minds of society when it came to LGBTQ+ lives,” GALCK, a Kenyan gay rights group, said on Twitter.

☆ Hong Kong aims for mid-January reopening of border with mainland China
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Hong Kong will reopen its borders with mainland China by mid-January, city Chief Executive John Lee said on Saturday, as Beijing accelerates the unwinding of stringent COVID-19 rules that have battered economic growth. Hong Kong authorities will work with the governments of neighbouring Shenzhen city and Guangdong province to manage the flow of people crossing the border, Lee said. The reopening was postponed several times due to outbreaks in Hong Kong or the mainland. Hong Kong and China have lagged most of the world in easing stringent COVID rules. International passengers arriving in Hong Kong since mid-month are no longer subject to COVID-related movement controls or barred from certain venues.

☆ 8 teenage girls charged with murder in deadly stabbing attack on 59-year-old man in Canada
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Eight teenage girls have been charged with murder in Canada in the stabbing death of a 59-year-old man in what police are describing as a "swarming" attack. In the investigation, authorities learned the victim was allegedly assaulted and stabbed by a group of teenage girls and eight teens were arrested nearby. He revealed that the group of girls were in the area Saturday by 10:30 p.m. and were allegedly involved in an altercation earlier before the attack on the 59-year-old man. Browne said the eight girls met each other through social media and come from varying parts of the city. Three of the girls had prior contact with Toronto Police Services before the Sunday incident, while the other five did not, Browne said.

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