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London Police Launch Knife Blitz

Sky.com

A team of police officers dedicated to targeting gangs is taking to London's streets to tackle knife crime following a spate of stabbings.

Police announced the creation of the 75-man taskforce on the same day that another teenager died after being attacked by a masked gang.

Shakilus Townsend, 16, pleaded for his mother as he lay wounded in the street in Thornton Heath, south London.

Officers said they were hunting three black teenagers who ambushed Shakilus, known as Shaki to his friends, stabbing him in the chest and beating him around the head.

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Ray Lewis Resigns as Deputy Major

BBC News

Mr Lewis quit amid claims of financial irregularities and inappropriate behaviour, which he denies.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said the affair had left Conservative leader David Cameron and London Mayor Boris Johnson "embroiled in a mess".

A fellow deputy mayor said Labour's reaction was "ungracious" as Mr Lewis had worked hard to help young people.

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Kenyan children abducted, tortured

Kenya - Dozens of scared children filed silently into the bare room, their eyes on the cracks in the floor. One by one, in low voices, they told of being tortured by the Kenyan army because they were suspected of aiding rebels. They told of being beaten and made to shake hands with corpses. They told of being forced to crawl through barbed wire tunnels and of genitals squeezed by pliers.

Then the children took off their shirts. White scars crisscrossed the dark skin on their backs like grains of rice. Some were still bleeding.

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Men with HIV 'having unsafe sex'

BBC News

A third of gay men who know they are HIV positive are still having unprotected sex, a study suggests.

The Medical Research Council, which questioned 3,500 gay men, also found 40% of the 300 who tested positive for HIV did not know they were infected.

Dr Lisa Williamson said more sexual risks were taken by men who had been infected with HIV for a long time.

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Rice urges UN, African leaders to press Mugabe on elections

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called Wednesday for the UN Security Council and African leaders to press Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe into holding free and fair elections.

Rice said she wanted the "leaders of Africa" to deliver a "strong message" to Mugabe when asked what she hoped South African President Thabo Mbeki would tell the president during a visit Wednesday to Harare.

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Missing: Randy and Denim Sylvester

Randy Sylvester Jr., 7, and his three year old sister Denim have been missing since Father’s Day. The last time the children were seen, they were playing on a tennis court at their apartment complex at about 3:45 p.m. Their mother, Jerilynn St. Cyr, became worried sometime later when the kids didn’t come back inside. She notified the children’s father, who lives in the same complex, but he didn’t have the kids either. At about 9:15 p.m., the parents reported their kids missing.

Randy and Denim were seen by neighbours earlier in the afternoon, hanging out at the complex with their dad, Randy Sylvester Sr. Apparently it’s not uncommon for the children to go back and forth between their parents’ apartments, which may account for some of the delay in reporting the missing kids to police. But by Monday morning, searchers were out in force.

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Mugabe Vows to Go to War Before Ceding Post

The Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe, sounding ever more pugnacious, said Saturday that he was prepared to go to war if he lost a runoff election to the opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on June 27.

Speaking at the burial of a former army general, Mr. Mugabe, who at 84 has held power for 28 years, was quoted by Reuters as saying, “These pathetic puppets taking over our country? Let’s see. That’s not going to happen.”

Mr. Mugabe finished second to Mr. Tsvangirai in balloting on March 29, but the margin was not enough to avoid a runoff. Mr. Mugabe portrays his challenger as a bootlicker to the British, Zimbabwe’s colonial masters.

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Pair Guilty Of Shooting Innocent Teenager

Source: Sky News

Two gunmen have been found guilty of murdering innocent teenager Michael Dosunmu after mistaking him for his brother.

Mohammed Sannoh and Abdi Omar Noor shot the 15-year-old in his bed in February last year.

Michael was asleep in his bedroom - that he shared with his brother Hakeem - at his home in Peckham, south London, when the pair burst in with a sub-machine gun.

He was hit with four bullets, one of which fatally pierced his heart.

Hakeem, 26, had been out at a club where he was trying to sell drugs when his church-going brother was killed.

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Obama calls absent black fathers to task

CNN.com

Barack Obama celebrated Father's Day by calling on black fathers, who he said are "missing from too many lives and too many homes," to become active in raising their children.

"They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it," the Democratic presidential candidate said Sunday at a largely black church in his hometown.

Reminding the congregation of his firsthand experience growing up without a father, Obama said he was lucky to have loving grandparents who helped his mother. He got support, second chances and scholarships that helped him get an education. Obama's father left when he was 2.

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Attack of the Racist Media.

Michelle Obama referred to Obama's baby mama

Fox news has once again out done itself by characterizing Michelle Obama as "Obama's Baby Mama.

After countless complaints Fox responds," there's been an uproar over use of such an offensive term.

"A producer on the program exercised poor judgment in using this chyron during the segment," said Fox's Senior Vice President of Programming Bill Shine, in a statement to Politico.

This is more than simply poor judgement, this is Fox News trying there best to taint the image of Michelle Obama in the eye's of many short sighted Americans that will not see past the blatant attempt to Characterize Mrs Obama with a stereotypical view. It's also bad reporting, as the term "baby mama" is a derogatory term given to women who have children that are not with the father. This is a term that no woman should be labelled with as it is a term of no respect.

Would Fox refer to Senator Mccain's wife Cindy in this way?

Lloyd Bedeau

Blackissue Staff Writer

US foreclosure filings surge 48 percent in May.

Is the British housing market next?

The number of U.S. homeowners swept up in the housing crisis rose further last month, with foreclosure filings up nearly 50 percent compared with a year earlier, a foreclosure listing company said Friday.

Nationwide, 261,255 homes received at least one foreclosure-related filing in May, up 48 percent from 176,137 in the same month last year and up 7 percent from April, RealtyTrac Inc. said.

One in every 483 U.S. households received a foreclosure filing in May, the highest number since RealtyTrac started the report in 2005 and the second-straight monthly record.

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Obama wins Democratic

nomination

First black presidential nominee

Barack Obama clinched victory Tuesday night in the Democratic presidential race, defeating Hillary Clinton after a marathon primary campaign and becoming the first black nominee for the White House in American history.

Mr. Obama, a 46-year-old rookie senator from Illinois, effectively wrapped up the nomination following a surge of endorsements from Democratic superdelegates and after receiving a clutch of ‘pledged delegates' awarded after two final primaries in South Dakota and Montana.

"Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States," Mr. Obama told supporters in St. Paul, Minn.

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Girl, 15, found stabbed to death

BBC News

A 15-year-old girl has been found stabbed to death on a housing estate in south-east London.

The girl, who suffered multiple wounds, was found in a lift at Matheson Lang House on Baylis Road, in Lambeth, at about 1545 BST.

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said their crew arrived at the scene in under four minutes but failed to resuscitate the teenager.

A man, aged in his 30s, has been arrested over the teenager's stabbing.

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Obama quits church, citing controversies

BBC News

presidential hopeful Barack Obama has announced his resignation from the controversial Chicago church he attended for 20 years.

Sermons by preachers at the Trinity United Church of Christ have dogged his election campaign, especially those by the Rev Jeremiah Wright.

The church's motto is "unashamedly black and unapologetically Christian".

Mr Obama told reporters he was resigning for the sake of both his campaign and the church itself.

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Focus on food prices

BBC News

Envoys from 26 Latin American and Caribbean countries met on Friday to discuss the rising cost of food and draw up a united policy for the region.

The talks in Caracas, Venezuela, marked the beginning of a week of meetings on the issue, leading up to a three-day UN food crisis summit in Rome on Tuesday.

According to the World Bank, global food prices have risen by 83% over the past three years.

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Tom Joyners Fantastic Voyage 2008

by Lloyd Bedeau

Sunday saw the end of another Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage. If you were not there, well lets just say you missed a dream Vacation. If your not familiar with the Fantastic Voyage it's a cruise put on by the Tom Joyner Foundation to help raise money for students to continue their education at Black colleges. All too often a student will get into college, then encounter financial difficulties that will force them to drop out. The Foundation provides money directly to the Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for the purpose of helping these students complete their education.

The Fantastic Voyage 2008 raised over $1,000,000 for the HBCUs.

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ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

West scoops two BET awards

Kanye West and hip-hop group UGK have won two awards each at this year's Black Entertainment TV (BET) awards.

West took home the prize for best male hip-hop artist and best collaboration for Good Life, which featured T-Pain.

UGK was named best group and also won video of the year for International Player's Anthem (I Choose You) featuring Outkast.

Alicia Keys and Chris Brown took top honours in the R&B artist categories at the ceremony in Los Angeles.

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D'Angelo Gets Busy On J Records Debut

Billboard.com

R&B star D'Angelo is making progress on his first studio album since 2000, which will likely be released early next year via J Records. The label purchased D'Angelo's contract in 2005 from Virgin, which issued his first two studio albums.

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Campbell pleads guilty to assault

BBC News

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has pleaded guilty to assaulting two police officers at Heathrow Airport.

Ms Campbell, 38, was removed from a BA flight bound for Los Angeles at Heathrow's Terminal 5 on 3 April.

Wearing a dark suit and sunglasses, she faced a media scrum as she arrived in a Mercedes for her appearance at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court.

The charge of assaulting a constable carries a maximum six-month prison sentence and a fine of up to £5,000

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Kanye Booed

E! Online

The Bonnaroo boobirds were out in full force for Kanye West this weekend.

The Grammy winner walked onto the festival stage nearly two hours past his scheduled 2:45 a.m. performance time Sunday morning and was greated by bleary-eyed fans' chorus of boos and chants of "Kanye sucks."

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R. Kelly acquitted of all child porn counts

A Chicago jury has acquitted R. Kelly on all counts at his child pornography trial.

The verdict came six years after the R&B superstar was first charged with videotaping himself having sex with a young girl. Prosecutors had said she was as young as 13 at the time.

The Grammy award-winning singer dabbed his face with a handkerchief and hugged each of his four attorneys after the verdict was read. The singer had faced 15 years in prison if convicted.

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Fairytale marriage could be at an end for Turks and Caicos premier

caribbeannetnews.com

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands: Just two years into the fairytale marriage of Dr Michael Misick, Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), and American actress and businesswoman Lisa-Raye McCoy-Misick in April 2006, sources connected to the islands now say that the marriage of the First Couple of the TCI could be coming to an end.

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Oprah named most powerful celebrity again

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is the world's most powerful celebrity for the second straight year and for the fifth time ever, according to the 2008 Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List released on Wednesday.

The annual list also included two couples among its top 10. Actress Angelina Jolie came in at No. 3 and her partner Brad Pitt nabbed No. 10, while music mogul newlyweds, Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z were fourth and seventh.

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Wendy Williams' Husband Accused Of Planning Murder

ballerstatus.com

A lawsuit was filed on Wednesday (June 11) against radio personality Wendy Williams, claiming that her husband plotted to murder his wife's rival.

The suit alleges that Kevin Hunter, Williams' husband tried to enlist the help of a male WBLS employee, the station where Wendy show airs, to help him find a hitman to take out Hot 97 radio personality Miss Jones (real name: Tarsha Jones), according to New York's Daily News.

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Rock pioneer Bo Diddley dies at age 79

Bo Diddley, a founding father of rock 'n' roll whose distinctive "shave and a haircut, two bits" rhythm and innovative guitar effects inspired legions of other musicians, died Monday after months of ill health. He was 79.

Diddley died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla., spokeswoman Susan Clary said. He had suffered a heart attack in August, three months after suffering a stroke while touring in Iowa. Doctors said the stroke affected his ability to speak, and he had returned to Florida to continue rehabilitation.

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Judge in R. Kelly trial orders reporter to court

The judge in R. Kelly's child pornography trial warned a newspaper reporter who failed to appear in court Tuesday that he must show up Wednesday or face contempt charges.

Judge Vincent Gaughan rejected arguments from Chicago Sun-Times lawyers that music critic Jim DeRogatis' rights as a reporter would be violated if he were ordered to testify. The judge said DeRogatis wasn't asked to appear "as a reporter" but "as a material witness to a crime."

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Snipes imprisoned for three years

BBC News

Hollywood actor Wesley Snipes has received a three-year prison sentence for tax offences.

A federal judge handed down the maximum term requested by prosecutors - a year for each of Snipes's convictions of wilfully failing to file a tax return.

Snipes's lawyers had called for leniency, arguing that the offences were misdemeanours and that the star was of good character.

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Newlywed Gary Coleman brings marital woes to `Divorce Court'

The honeymoon is over for Gary Coleman and his new bride.

The 40-year-old actor and his 22-year-old wife, Shannon Price, are set to appear on TV's "Divorce Court" on May 1 and 2. The couple wed in August after meeting on the set of the 2006 comedy "Church Ball."

Among the problems the pair discusses with Judge Lynn Toler are Coleman's anger and intimacy issues. Coleman and Price agree they have "ugly" monthly fights.

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Prosecutor seeks 3 years in prison for Wesley Snipes

Prosecutors said Tuesday they are seeking the harshest sentence possible -- a three-year prison term and five-million dollar fine -- for Hollywood actor Wesley Snipes, following his misdeameanor conviction for failing to pay taxes.

"For nearly a decade, Snipes has engaged in a campaign of criminal tax conduct, combining brazen defiance with insidious concealment," the US Department of Justice said in a statement.

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Leona Lewis tops U.S. album charts, makes history

Singer Leona Lewis has become the first British artist to debut at number one in the U.S. album charts.

The 23-year-old made history Wednesday after her first album Spirit hit the top spot in the U.S. Her chart-topping success comes just weeks after becoming the first British female solo artist in 21 years to top the U.S. singles chart.

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Brandy signs new deal with Epic

R&B singer Brandy has signed with Epic Records, which will release her label debut later this year, a company official said, declining further comment.

Brandy, born Brandy Norwood, was previously signed to Atlantic. Her final release for the label, 2004's "Afrodisiac," has sold 416,000 copies to date in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

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Whitney's Sex Life Put To Music

New York Post

April 10, 2008 -- As the 44-year-old diva with the legendary voice struggles to make her comeback, both of her exes have written scandalous things about her.

Her ex-husband Bobby Brown has come out with a tell-all autobiography, "Being Bobby Brown: The Whole Truth and Nothin' But," in which he details his and Houston's drug use and addresses the rumors of her bi-sexuality.

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Bob Marley's Mother Dies in Miami at 81

Cedella Booker, the mother of Jamaican music legend Bob Marley, has died, a family spokesman said Wednesday. She was 81. Booker died in her sleep Tuesday night at her home in Miami, apparently from natural causes, spokesman Jerome Hamilton said.

Booker, a Jamaica native, was 18 when she married Norval Marley, a British man 32 years her senior. Their son brought Jamaican reggae music to international prominence, becoming its international image. Bob Marley died in Miami of a brain tumor in 1981 at age 36.

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Black men have highest rate of prostate Cancer

Inner-city black men are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer as whites and are four times more likely to be in advanced stages of the disease at diagnosis, according to a new study led by University of Florida researchers.

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