USA – Police hailed the largest gang takedown in New York history on Wednesday after a major operation snared 120 people from two rival street gangs. Authorities swooped in the early hours on dozens of members of the Bronx gangs, who are accused of as many as 39 homicides, use of firearms, robbery, bank fraud, racketeering and drug dealing. Capping a years-long pursuit by authorities to smash the two gangs, hundreds of police officers and federal agents went after the ‘Big Money Bosses,’ or BMB gang, which officials say has infiltrated various parts of New York, and its rival ‘2Fly’, which operates nationwide in the United States. The office of the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara, said the operation was ‘believed to be the largest gang takedown in New York City history.’ In total, 120 members and associates of the gangs were charged with racketeering, narcotics, and firearms offenses.(dailymail.co.uk)…[+]

U.S –  The U.S. has adopted a unique Israeli battlefield tactic in its fight against ISIS: exploding a missile above a building to warn civilians inside that it’s about to be bombed.

Israeli forces have widely used the so-called knock-on-the-roof operations in Gaza attacks in recent years to try to get civilians out before they are hit. The first public revelation of the U.S. using a “knock operation” came Tuesday at a press briefing by Air Force Maj. Gen. Peter E. Gersten, deputy commander for operations and intelligence for the anti-ISIS Operation Inherent Resolve. Gersten described a strike against an ISIS financial storage center on April 5 in southern Mosul, Iraq. The U.S. had been closely watching the house of an ISIS finance operative, or “finance emir” in the words of Gersten. “He was the major distributor of funds to Daesh fighters,” Gersten said, using another name for ISIS.(CNN.COM/photo: static-secure.guim.co.uk)…[+]

USA – The first aircraft to be built by Airbus in the United States was delivered to New York-based JetBlue on Monday in a football-themed ceremony at the Airbus manufacturing plant in Mobile, Ala. Airbus workers wore matching football jerseys, and cheerleaders and a marching band from the nearby University of South Alabama performed. Plant employees and top officials from Airbus were on hand to celebrate with JetBlue representatives, who announced that the newest addition to its predominantly Airbus fleet would be dubbed “BluesMobile.” The name is in keeping with the carrier’s tradition of giving its aircraft names that include the word “blue,” and pays tribute to the jetliner’s Mobile, Ala., birthplace and the more than 350 Airbus workers who built the plane.(usatoday)…[+]

ENGLAND – One of the most desirable cars in the world was slapped with a parking fine just moments after it was wheeled out of a dealership. Traffic wardens issued the £120 ticket on the £10million Le Mans car after it momentarily parked up in a quiet mews in Kensington, west London. The ultra-rare 1970 Ferrari 512M – which is one of just 25 ever produced – is now thought to have become the most expensive vehicle ever ticketed. Classic car dealer Fiskens recently took the car into stock and decided to take some photos of it opposite its headquarters when the fine was issued. The dealership is based on a quiet mews, where staff had no doubt been hoping to avoid the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s notoriously ticket-friendly wardens for a few minutes.(dailymail.co.uk)…[+]

TAIWAN   –  A Taiwanese event organizer has been sentenced to four years and 10 months in prison for his role in throwing a party at a water park which resulted in 15 deaths last year, a court says.

The party, organized by Lu Chung-chi’s company Color Play Asia at the Formosa Fun Coast water park outside Taipei on June 27 last year, ended in tragedy when colored powder sprayed over revelers ignited under the heat of a spotlight, causing a series of deadly explosions. Fifteen people died, 331 were seriously injured and 135 suffered less severe injuries, according to a statement from the Shilin District Court. Most of the victims were in their teens and early 20s…[+]

U.S   –  “I hate that beaner,” one text reads, “but I think the nig is worse.” “Indian ppl are disgusting,” proclaims another. “Burn down Walgreens and kill the bums,” a third message states. These and numerous other racist and homophobic text messages were allegedly sent by a San Francisco police officer at the center of an ongoing scandal that is the most recent disturbing revelation for the beleaguered SFPD. CNN has exclusively obtained a list of dozens of offensive texts sent to and from Officer Jason Lai. The content has not been previously disclosed. The list is not a full history of his texts. Lai resigned from the department earlier this month, according to a police spokesman.(CNN.COM/photo:hoodwork-production.s3.amazonaws.com)…[+]

Australia’s detention of asylum seekers on Manus Island has been ruled illegal by Papua New Guinea’s Supreme Court. Around 900 men are in the detention center on the Papua New Guinean island, according to Australian immigration authorities.

That detention breaches the right to personal liberty in the constitution of Papua New Guinea (PNG), according to the country’s Supreme Court, which ordered the PNG and Australian governments to immediately take steps to end the detention of asylum seekers on the island.”(CNN.COM/photo: cdn5.img.sputniknews.com)…[+]

U.S   –   Former Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Harris Wofford announced yesterday that he is marrying a man 50 years his junior, almost 20 years after his wife died. Wofford, a Democrat who was also a top adviser to John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., announced his marriage to Matthew Charlton in a New York Times op-ed published yesterday. “Too often, our society seeks to label people by pinning them on the wall — straight, gay or in between,” Wofford wrote. “I don’t categorize myself based on the gender of those I love. I had a half-century of marriage with a wonderful woman, and now am lucky for a second time to have found happiness.

.”(CNN.COM/photo: cnnwire.images.worldnow.com)…[+]

NIGERIA   –  As night falls, the curfew comes into effect. Nobody is allowed on the streets. Anxiety hangs in the air.  Those unable to make it home before sunset are shepherded to roundabouts to wait until day breaks.

This is Maiduguri a city on the edge.  The capital of Borno state, it is at the heart of the Nigerian Army’s battle to retake Boko Haram territory. A place where no one is above suspicion. Where young girls, packaged as suicide bombers, are sent by militants to realize the group’s brutal jihad.  Teenagers outside of the city’s comparative safety  like the Chibok girls are targeted and snatched away by Boko Haram. Forced into marriage, they enduring years of rape by their self-proclaimed husbands. Then they volunteer to die. The risk of being strapped with a bomb more appealing than remaining in the group’s Sambisa Forest stronghold, their personal hell on earth.

(CNN.COM/photo: 16749-presscdn-0-94.pagely.netdna-cdn.com)…[+]

U.S   –  President Barack Obama announced yesterday an additional 250 special operations forces will be sent to Syria in the coming weeks in a speech in Hannover, Germany, in an effort to stem the influence and spread of ISIS.

“Just as I approved additional support for Iraqi forces against ISIL, I’ve decided to increase U.S. support for local forces fighting ISIL in Syria, a small number of special operations forces are already on the ground in Syria and their expertise has been critical as local forces have driven ISIL out of key areas,” Obama said, using another acronym for the jihadist group. “So given their success I’ve approved the deployment of up to 250 additional U.S. personnel in Syria including special forces to keep up this momentum,” he said.(CNN.COM/photo: www.nationofchange.org)…[+]