Six In The Morning

How a big US bank laundered billions from Mexico’s murderous drug gangs

As the violence spread, billions of dollars of cartel cash began to seep into the global financial system. But a special investigation by the Observer reveals how the increasingly frantic warnings of one London whistleblower were ignored

Ed Vulliamy

The Observer, Sunday 3 April 2011

On 10 April 2006, a DC-9 jet landed in the port city of Ciudad del Carmen, on the Gulf of Mexico, as the sun was setting. Mexican soldiers, waiting to intercept it, found 128 cases packed with 5.7 tons of cocaine, valued at $100m. But something else – more important and far-reaching – was discovered in the paper trail behind the purchase of the plane by the Sinaloa narco-trafficking cartel.

During a 22-month investigation by agents from the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service and others, it emerged that the cocaine smugglers had bought the plane with money they had laundered through one of the biggest banks in the United States: Wachovia, now part of the giant Wells Fargo.

Rebels die as victims of their own disarray

Fifteen killed when coalition planes interpreted gunshot celebrations as anti-aircraft fire

By Kim Sengupta in Ajdabiya Sunday, 3 April 2011

The rebel fighters were celebrating “victory” in their usual wasteful way, loosing off round after round into the air, using up ammunition in short supply. But this time it was a suicidal mistake: seconds later their vehicles, and an ambulance parked near by, were destroyed in an attack arriving with shattering explosions.

Air strikes had been carried out by a pilot from the international coalition who then thought an anti-aircraft barrage was being directed at him. Fifteen people, including three members of medical staff, were killed instantly when the warplane, believed to be an A-10 Tankbuster, responded with its devastating firepower.

Gurkhas fight to the death

 

April 3, 2011 NEW YORK

Four Nepalese guards fought desperately against an armed mob that stormed a UN compound in Afghanistan but were overwhelmed and died with three workers they were protecting.

United Nations leaders and governments paid tribute to the seven staff killed in what UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called an ”outrageous and cowardly attack” in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Friday.

The UN Security Council called on the Afghan government to increase protection for UN workers and bring those responsible to justice.

Zuma, Mugabe at war

Zimbabwe president blasts SA counterpart after harsh criticism

Apr 3, 2011 12:34 AM | By SIBUSISO NGALWA, ZOLI MANGENA and SUNDAY TIMES CORRESPONDENT  

An angry Mugabe on Friday accused Zuma and other Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders of trying to interfere in Zimbabwe’s internal affairs.

But he stopped short of calling for Zuma’s sacking as the SADC-appointed facilitator of the talks between Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe’s opposition parties.

On Friday Mugabe told a Zanu-PF central committee meeting in Harare: “The facilitator is the facilitator and must facilitate dialogue.

Contaminated water leaks from power plant into sea

 

2011/04/03

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Saturday water contaminated with radiation exceeding 1,000 millisieverts per hour was detected in a shaft near an outlet of No. 2 reactor of its crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

TEPCO said the shaft, which stores supply cables, had a crack 20 centimeters long in the concrete.

The utility also confirmed contaminated water from the shaft had leaked into the sea. Workers have begun pouring concrete into the shaft to seal the crack, TEPCO said.

Dhoni’s Devils are World Champions



Vikas Singh, TNN | Apr 3, 2011, 02.26am IST

The wait has ended, and a new legend has been born. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his intrepid warriors now stand atop a pedestal hitherto occupied only by Kapil’s Devils, and India has become only the third country after Australia and the West Indies to win the World Cup more than once.

India regain World Cup title after 28 years

The glorious images of this magical evening at Mumbai are destined to be replayed millions of times on TV and the Net, and no matter what happens in Dhoni’s remarkable career from here, his place in the Indian cricketing pantheon is assured.

Meanwhile, all of India exulted lustily on Saturday night, and the celebrations are going to continue for a long, long time. This, after all, is a party that was 28 years in the making.