The News Review:

- Prosecutors call Taylor witness list excessive
- UN says financial crisis boosts organized crime
- Showcase: The Walls Speak
- Students raise funds to help build school in Africa
- New Sierra Leone association in Northern California

Prosecutors call Taylor witness list excessive
The Associated Press
Taylor is due to begin his defense case next week answering 11 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sierra Leone. Taylor will take the stand in his own defense on July 14 a day after his lawyers present their opening statement. Prosecution trial lawyer Brenda Hollis said at a hearing Monday that Taylor’s lawyers have lined up an “excessive” list of 256 potential witnesses. However the defense lawyers are not expected to call all the witnesses on their list to testify. Taylor’s lead attorney Courtenay Griffiths pointed out that prosecutors listed some 200 witnesses and called 91.

UN says financial crisis boosts organized crime
The Associated Press
Namely the export of toxic waste as well as the illicit export of so-called E-waste or electronic waste” such as circuit boards old computers and monitors Costa said adding that Europe creates about 8. 7 million tons each a large part of which is dumped in West Africa to avoid stricter environmental regulations elsewhere. A report by Costa’s agency painted a devastating picture of organized crime in West Africa where profits from cocaine and stolen oil rival total billions of dollars and rival the gross national products of countries like Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast. The anti-crime initiative counts on the support from various U. agencies including the Department of Peacekeeping and Interpol and will operate in the Ivory Coast Sierra Leone Guinea Bissau and Liberia. Andrew Hughes the U.

Showcase: The Walls Speak
New York Times
combat unit entered a deserted village near Shegbwema in eastern Sierra Leone — territory then held by the Revolutionary United Front a rebel group infamous for its use of child soldiers and widespread amputations. The abandoned buildings were covered with cryptic and deranged drawings. Here and there were sentences names questions and statements — all of which made no sense to me at that time. Empty of life the village was an eerie and suffocating place and the drawings hinted at a deeper psychosis. Three years later in neighboring Liberia I found myself staring at similar drawings and scrawled taglines in the dilapidated frontline town of Tubmanberg where I lived with the rebels from the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy a ragtag army of dissidents and young men attempting to overthrow President Charles Taylor.

Students raise funds to help build school in Africa
Metrowny.com
The S-GI contribution qualified for matching funds hitting the $8500 mark to build a school in Sierra Leone according to Drew Beiter coordinator of BRICKS with Brooke Hammer. Students and staff participated in fundraisers and donated to raise the funds. Sierra Leoneans have a literacy rate of only 35. Life expectancy is 41.
Related from Yptulsa: Lego Blitz Build to benefit Tulsa Habitat for Humanity Youth …

New Sierra Leone association in Northern California
Patriotic Vanguard
As the political bickering between the two oldest political parties in Sierra Leone grows wider and deeper as a result of bad politics there is a new message oozing from Northern California. n the 4th July a new assosiation called Friends and Citizens of Sierra Leone organized an outing at Elk Grove Park in Stockton. Hundreds of Sierra Leoneans graced the occasion(see photo). The Chairman of the Association Joseph Solomon Musa admonished all Sierra Leoneans to be united and resilient regardless of political affiliations. Amidst pomp and pageantry there was a united cry for political tolerance preached by various speakers.