Head of US military school resigns amid 'systemic racism' probe

Yahoo = AFP, October 26, 2020

Virginia Military Institute cadets march during a parade celebrating the
inauguration of President Donald Trump on January 20, 2017 in Washington, DC

The superintendent of a top US military academy resigned from his post Monday, after the Virginia governor ordered an investigation into accusations of systemic racism at the school. 

In a letter released by Virginia Military Institute (VMI), retired general JH Binford Peay III said Democratic Governor Ralph Northam had "lost confidence in my leadership" and "desired my resignation." 

Peay, 80, had been the head of one of the oldest military universities in the country for 17 years. 

Since the death of African American George Floyd during an arrest by police in May, the US military -- one of the country's institutions where minorities are most represented -- has opened up a major internal debate on race. 

Black students and graduates of VMI shared on social media incidents where school officials were allegedly indifferent to racist insults from fellow cadets, undeserved punishment, even racist musings of teachers. 

Last month, the magazine The Root published interviews with several black VMI students. One recounted how one teacher fondly mentioned her father, a member of the Ku Klux Klan. 

Another described how first-year cadets are ordered to salute a statue of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, a general that fought for the pro-slavery Confederacy during the US Civil War, every time they pass by. 

Northam last week ordered a probe into "the clear and appalling culture of ongoing structural racism at the Virginia Military Institute," which receives public funding. 

Black cadets at VMI told The Root they had protested "the glorification of the Confederacy" but said the school's leadership would not acknowledge the racist nature of the institution's culture, instead calling it "tradition."

US bishop steps down in Church abuse scandal

Yahoo – AFP, Peter Hutchison with Catherine Marciano in Vatican City, December 4, 2019

Bishop Edward Scharfenberger speaks to members of the media following the
resignation of Bishop Richard Malone, during a press conference at the Catholic
Diocese of Buffalo on December 4, 2019 in Buffalo, New Yorkn, healing and renewal
that is so needed." (AFP Photo/Aaron LYNETT)

New York (AFP) - A US bishop accused of trying to cover up sexual abuse by priests quit on Wednesday, as the Catholic church continues to be rocked by a worldwide clergy abuse scandal.

The Vatican said in a statement that it had accepted the resignation of Bishop Richard Malone, 73, from the Buffalo diocese in New York state.

Malone has been accused in US media of hiding the names of accused priests and of allowing some to remain in the ministry.

He admitted last year that he had "fallen short" in his handling of allegations of misconduct, particularly by priests accused of abusing adults.

Buffalo has been in turmoil since February 2018 when a retired priest admitted to sexually abusing children, sparking further allegations across the diocese.

The Church has already paid $17.5 million to victims, according to the Buffalo News, which says that more than 220 lawsuits have been filed by people claiming to have been abused by priests.

Most of the allegations date from before 2002 and some date back more than 70 years.

Malone, in his post since 2012, announced he was retiring two years early, explaining that Catholics in Buffalo would be "better served by a new bishop who perhaps is better able to bring about the reconciliation, healing and renewal that is so needed."

"I have acknowledged on many occasions the mistakes I have made in not addressing more swiftly personnel issues that, in my view, required time to sort out complex details pertaining to behavior between adults," he said in a statement Wednesday.

He is alleged to have kept hidden files about abusive priests to minimize damage to the church. Malone was also reportedly recorded expressing reluctance to sack one priest accused of abuse.

In a brief communique, the Vatican said Pope Francis had accepted the resignation of Malone and offered no further detail.

Crisis

Activists welcomed his resignation but criticized the Vatican for not directly firing him.

"He actively did try to cover up and minimize cases of abuse in Buffalo and that's something that can't be allowed or tolerated," Zach Hiner, executive director of SNAP, a non-profit helping survivors of abuse by clergy, told AFP.

That Pope Francis accepted his resignation but didn't publicly force him to stand down sends "a weaker message," Hiner added.

The Catholic Church has been rocked by thousands of reports of sexual abuse by priests and accusations of cover-ups by senior clergy, starting in the Boston archdiocese in the United States in 2002.

An August 2018 grand jury report examining child sex abuse within six dioceses in the state of Pennsylvania found more than 1,000 child victims, underscoring the scale of the problem.

One estimate suggests that there were 100,000 US victims.

Since the crisis became public in the 2000s, the US church has spent more than $3 billion in settlements, according to abuse tracking site Bishop Accountability.

Malone's stepping down follows other resignations, including of auxiliary bishops in New York and Los Angeles.

The bishop of Albany, Edward Scharfenberger, will take over in Buffalo until a new bishop is named.

Sex assault claims rock Ardern's New Zealand government

Yahoo – AFP, September 11, 2019

The New Zealand Labour Party's handling of an alleged sexual assault has left
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern facing the most serious scandal since she took
office (AFP Photo/YOAN VALAT)

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern apologised Wednesday for her party's handling of an alleged sexual assault, as a top ally was forced to resign.

In the most serious scandal Ardern has faced since she took office in late 2017, the centre-left leader admitted "mistakes were made" after a Labour Party volunteer accused a senior party staffer of assault last year.

"Raising an allegation of sexual assault is an incredibly difficult thing to do -- for additional distress to be caused through the way these allegations are handled is incredibly distressing," Ardern said in a statement.

The 19-year-old woman alleges the staffer sexually assaulted her at his home in February last year and she reported it to Labour Party president Nigel Haworth in October that year.

An internal party investigation recommended no action against the man and Haworth argued as recently as Tuesday that the complainant did not inform him about the seriousness of the allegations.

The woman, who has not been publicly named, disputed this, providing media with emails and documents she said supported her version of events.

Other volunteers also backed the woman and said their complaints to the party were not taken seriously.

Ardern said she discussed the woman's documents with Haworth on Wednesday morning, as she tried to address the scandal.

"Whilst he stands by the statements he made on this matter, I believe mistakes were made," she said.

Ardern added: "On behalf of the Labour Party, I apologise to the complainants for the way this matter has been dealt with."

In a separate statement, Labour said that Haworth -- who has been credited as an unsung hero of Ardern's electoral victory -- had resigned.

Ardern said she never knew about the nature of the allegations.

"I was informed in the very beginning that the allegations made were not sexual in nature," she said. "That is obviously directly counter to what is now being reported."

A barrister, Maria Dew, has been appointed to review the Labour Party's handling of the case and is due to report directly to Ardern next month.

Ardern said she was willing to meet with the complainants and would ensure they were receiving appropriate support.

"I want a justice system in New Zealand where people feel comfortable coming forward and are listened to," she said.

"But I also need to ensure the Labour Party lives up to that expectation too."

New Zealand's next general election is scheduled for late 2020.

Trump fires hawkish national security chief Bolton

Yahoo – AFP, Sebastian Smith, September 10, 2019

John Bolton denied being fired by Donald Trump, and insisted instead that
he'd resigned (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)

Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the firing of hawkish national security advisor John Bolton, a move widely seen as boosting the president's push to negotiate with US foes in Afghanistan, North Korea and other trouble spots.

Trump, who said he'd disagreed "strongly" with Bolton on policy, announced via Twitter "I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning."

A replacement -- the White House's fourth national security chief in less than three years -- would be named next week, Trump said.

Bolton, who had been due to give a press conference at the White House less than two hours later, denied being fired and insisted instead that he'd resigned.

The news, coming days after Trump caused uproar by revealing he was canceling secret talks with Afghanistan's Taliban, stunned Washington.

Bolton is a veteran and controversial figure closely linked to the invasion of Iraq and other aggressive foreign policy decisions. He had been seen as one of the main driving forces in the White House's muscular approach to Iran, Venezuela and elsewhere.

Famous for his large moustache and ever-present yellow legal pad, the hardline former US ambassador to the United Nations had pushed back against Trump's dramatic, though so far stumbling attempts to negotiate with the Taliban and North Korea's Chairman Kim Jong Un.

According to US media reports, the president's extraordinary, failed bid to fly Taliban leaders into the presidential retreat at Camp David last weekend sparked a major row.

National Security Advisor John Bolton was a frequent, controversial presence

alongside US President Donald Trump (AFP Photo/MARK WILSON)

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cautioned that Bolton's exit should not be interpreted as heralding strategy changes.

"I don't think any leader around the world should make any assumption that because someone of us departs that President Trump's foreign policy will change in a material way," Pompeo told reporters.

And Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin underlined that Trump and top aides remain "completely aligned" on Washington's crippling sanctions against Iran, known as the maximum pressure campaign.

But when asked if Trump was still open to a high-stakes meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations General Assembly this month, Pompeo said "sure."

Fired or resigned?

As so often in the Trump presidency, the handling of the abrupt reshuffle appeared chaotic.

Bolton joins a stack of senior officials to have come and gone during the Republican businessman's tumultuous first term in office.

Trump, who has a habit of announcing major domestic and international news on his personal Twitter account, revealed the sacking at around midday. He said that he'd informed Bolton of his decision Monday night.

The White House press office, however, seemed unaware. It sent out a message announcing that Bolton would shortly be giving a press conference on terrorism issues alongside Pompeo.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he often disagreed 

with John Bolton (AFP Photo/MANDEL NGAN)

Bolton disputed Trump's version of events, saying that the president had not fired him in person, as he claimed, late Monday.

"I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, 'Let's talk about it tomorrow,'" Bolton tweeted.

A Fox News television reporter said Bolton texted him to say: "Let's be clear, I resigned."

Mnuchin, one of the Trump administration's most senior figures, called a reporter's question about whether the national security team was in chaos "ridiculous."

But asked if he was surprised by news of Bolton's ouster, Pompeo laughed. "I'm never surprised," he said.

Anti-war camp boost?

Trump came into office promising to extricate the United States from military entanglements. Bolton was often seen as offering a hawkish counterbalance, which Trump would then take into consideration.

"He has strong views on things but that's okay. I actually temper John, which is pretty amazing," Trump said in May.

Rob Malley, president of the International Crisis Group consultancy, said Bolton's departure could realign White House policy on Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea and Venezuela.

Trump "has had two voices whispering in his ears: the one counseling diplomacy and warning against conflict, the other recommending belligerence," he said.

"With Bolton gone, the second voice undeniably has lost its loudest proponent."

Prominent Republican Senator Rand Paul agreed, tweeting: "The President has great instincts on foreign policy and ending our endless wars. He should be served by those who share those view."

Pompeo said he did not want to discuss palace intrigue in the Trump administration.

However, he admitted what many had been saying for months: "There were many times Ambassador Bolton and I disagreed, that's to be sure."

Speaking at the White House after John Bolton's surprise exit, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo couldn't hide a smile of satisfaction as he becomes the undisputed king of President Trump's foreign policy https://t.co/BQJgGTR5ls pic.twitter.com/tNfZ3jbGAi

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 14 september 2019

Pope accepts resignation of Brazilian bishop

Yahoo – AFP, May 17, 2019

Pope Francis last week passed a landmark new measure to oblige those who know
about sex abuse in the Catholic Church to report it to their superiors (AFP Photo/
Vincenzo PINTO)

Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Brazilian bishop Vilson Dias de Oliveira, the Vatican said Friday in a statement.

The bishop is under investigation for alleged extortion of priests in his diocese, and the covering-up of sexual abuse cases, according to Brazilian media reports.

Dias de Oliveira allegedly protected a priest accused of clerical abuse.

The bishop confessed to police in April that he had swiped $4,000 (3,580 euros) from parish funds for personal use, telling them he did so because he was having financial difficulties, the reports said.

The Vatican always announces when Francis has accepted the resignation of a bishop, but never explains why.

"Dear brothers and sisters, in recent months we have had to bear all sorts of crosses through attacks against our Limeira church, against me and other presbyters," Dias de Oliveira said in a statement.

"I acknowledge my limitations, but I also carry in my heart all the love I have received from the good people of God.

"I ask to resign for the love of Christ and for the good of the diocese," he said in the letter published by the diocese of Limeira, a city in the Sao Paulo state in southern Brazil.

The Catholic Church has been rocked by a global clerical paedophilia scandal, with victims coming forward in countries ranging from Australia to Chile, Germany and the United States.

Pope Francis passed a landmark new measure this month to oblige those who know about sex abuse in the Church to report it to their superiors, in a move which could bring countless new cases to light.

Humiliating exit for Austrian far-right's 'Mr Clean'

Yahoo – AFP, Jastinder KHERA, May 18, 2019

After years of efforts to clean up the image of Austria's far-right, Heinz-Christian
Strache (L) quit Saturday over what he termed a "stupid, irresponsible mistake"
(AFP Photo/ALEX HALADA)

Vienna (AFP) - Heinz-Christian Strache, the man who successfully steered Austria's far-right back into government after years in opposition, has himself been brought down by an explosive corruption scandal.

The 49-year-old was forced to quit Saturday after German media published hidden-camera footage -- of unknown provenance -- showing him meeting the purported niece of a Russian oligarch over a boozy dinner in a luxury villa on the resort island of Ibiza.

After years of efforts to clean up the image of his Freedom Party (FPOe), founded after World War II by former Nazis, Strache has now been disgraced by what he termed a "stupid, irresponsible mistake".

In the recordings, Strache is seen promising public contracts in return for campaign help and suggesting he could help bring about staff changes in Austria's largest-circulation tabloid, the Krone Zeitung, as well as the part-privatisation of public broadcaster ORF.

For many observers, the scene seemed to confirm the stereotypes of the party that Strache had worked so hard to bury: too ready to engage in dubious practices, too close to Russia, and contemptuous of the free media.

'Mature' figure

It almost certainly marks the humiliating end of a political career which had come a long way in the three decades since Strache was detained by German police at a torch-lit protest by a group aping the Hitler Youth.

When the former dental technician, brought up single-handedly by his mother in a lower-middle-class area of Vienna, took over the FPOe in 2005 aged 35, the movement was a mess.

Joerg Haider, its controversial but magnetic leader from 1986-2000, had broken off to form his own party, the movement torn apart by its last spell in government in the early 2000s.

But "HC", his striking blue eyes matching the party colours, restored its fortunes and in elections in 2017, the FPOe won 26 percent -- double the score of the Alternative for Germany a month earlier.

This gave Strache, cutting a mature figure in new glasses, a ticket to enter talks to form a coalition with Sebastian Kurz's conservative People's Party (OeVP).

When the FPOe last entered government in 2000 under Haider, there was uproar in Europe.

This time, the reaction was more muted, with Europe more inured to populists and the FPOe seen as having moderated.

Stream of controversy

Indeed, early in Strache's leadership, FPOe posters screamed "Daham statt Islam" ("Home not Islam") but over the years they became less shrill and more subtle.

In the 2017 campaign, the main messages were "fairness" -- an elastic term encompassing everything from lower taxes to scrapping benefits for immigrants -- and opposition to "Islamisation".

Strache also moved to clean up the party's image by suspending members for anti-Semitic behaviour.

However, since the party's entry into government, it has been dogged by a steady succession of controversies.

Strache himself was forced to apologise last year to one of ORF's most prominent newscasters, Armin Wolf, after sharing a Facebook post accusing the journalist of spreading "lies" and "fake news".

Other revelations pointed to extremist sympathies in the party's base, including links to the Identitarian Movement Austria.

The appointment of the FPOe's Herbert Kickl as interior minister also sparked fears among Austria's Western partners over whether information could be leaked to Moscow.

Observers say the manner in which Strache has been brought down will raise questions over the FPOe's future and to what extent his efforts to detoxify the party have been permanently damaged.

#UPDATE Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz dramatically pulled the plug on his coalition government and announced fresh elections after an explosive camera sting claimed the scalp of his far-right deputy https://t.co/uppuyddsoT

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 18 mei 2019

‘Leading’ trauma surgeon sacked for sexual misconduct

DutchNews, May 17, 2019

Photo: Depositphotos.com

 A Twente hospital has sacked a trauma surgeon for sexual misconduct in the second major #metoo scandal in the Netherlands this week. 

The 64-year old surgeon was dismissed from his post at the Medisch Spectrum Twente earlier this month following 18 accusations of sexual misconduct and verbal aggression from staff including nurses, interns and secretaries. 

None of the accusers have filed police complaints as yet. 

In a letter from the hospital to the medical inspectorate quoted by the Volkskrant, hospital offcials say the incidents which cover the period between 2014 and now ‘may well have had a negative influence on the quality of care at the hospital’. 

The surgeon, who was given a prestigious royal distinction for his work, has admitted having being verbally aggressive but denies abuse of power and being a sex pest. 

‘Some of the accusations are true. I can be rough verbally. That can have an effect and I am not always aware of it,’ he told the paper. ‘But if people start to accuse you of sexual misconduct then, as a man, you are playing a match with a 5-0 disadvantage.’ 

He also denies endangering the quality of care. ‘The whole country knows my name. I am one of the leading trauma surgeons. If it is said the quality of care has been compromised it will have to be proven.’ 

Inspectors 

Staff have also said their accusations were not properly handled by their superiors. Healthcare inspection body IGJ, which will investigate the matter said that ‘to deliver good and safe care the culture has to be right,’ a spokesperson said. 

The sacking of the Twente surgeon comes in the wake of news this week that a law professor at the University of Amsterdam was sacked at the end of 2018 because of sexual misconduct. The professor, who can only be referred to by his initials R.B. following a court decision, was known as a ‘flamboyant, charismatic man with a lust for life,’ the paper said.

Brother of Algeria's Bouteflika, 2 ex-spy bosses arrested: security source

Yahoo – AFP, May 4, 2019

Said Bouteflika (centre), brother of Algeria's ex-president Abdelaziz Bouteflika,
pictured in 2012 (AFP Photo/FAROUK BATICHE)

Algiers (AFP) - Said Bouteflika, the powerful brother of deposed Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, was arrested Saturday along with two former intelligence chiefs, a security source told AFP.

General Mohamed Mediene, known as Toufik, who headed the secret service for 25 years and former intelligence coordinator Athmane Tartag were the two spy chiefs arrested, the source said, asking not to be named.

The security source did not provide a reason for the arrests.

There was no immediate comment from Algeria's police or army, despite efforts by AFP to reach them.

Said Bouteflika was seen as the guiding hand behind the rule of his ailing brother Abdelaziz, who resigned on April 2 following pressure from the military in the face of huge street protests.

The president's brother was frequently cited in the past as a likely successor as head of state.

He had exerted increasing influence behind the scenes, as the former president was rarely seen in public after a stroke in 2013.

Mediene headed the all-powerful DRS intelligence agency, until Bouteflika fired him and then dismantled the institution in 2016.

Algeria's army chief Ahmed Gaid Salah has in recent weeks accused Mediene of being involved in a plot against Algeria.

In mid-April he gave what he called "a final warning" to the former DRS chief whom he accused of conspiring to "hinder solutions to ending the crisis" in the protest-hit country.

Salah had helped Abdelaziz Bouteflika to neuter the DRS, which was long considered a "state within a state".

Tartag -- described by Algerian media as close to the former president's brother -- was fired just after Bouteflika's resignation.

Salah has spoken of a meeting attended by "known individuals, the identity of whom will be revealed at the right time, that sought to lead a virulent media campaign across various media and on social networks against the army."

According to Algerian media, this meeting was attended by Mediene, Tartag and Said Bouteflika.

Mediene said "I have never met, whether it be a single time, this person from the security forces who was cited as taking part in this pseudo-meeting, since I left my position" heading the DRS.

Algeria's former defence minister Khaled Nezzar meanwhile has recently claimed that Said Bouteflika wanted to declare a state of emergency and had considered firing Salah, ahead of the president's resignation.

Demonstrations are ongoing in the North African country, with people pouring onto the streets for the 11th consecutive week on Friday, to demand the resignation of regime insiders and the establishment of transitional institutions.

UK's May sacks defence minister Williamson over Huawei leak

Yahoo – AFP, May 1, 2019

Gavin Williamson has been sacked as defence secretary (AFP Photo/Adrian DENNIS)

London (AFP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday sacked Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson following a probe into the leak of news that Britain had conditionally allowed China's Huawei to develop its 5G network.

"The Prime Minister has this evening asked Gavin Williamson to leave the government, having lost confidence in his ability to serve in the role of Defence Secretary and as a member of her Cabinet," said a spokeswoman from her Downing Street office.

May said in a letter to Williamson that the investigation "provides compelling evidence suggesting your responsibility for the unauthorised disclosure" from the April 23 meeting of the National Security Council (NSC), although he "strenuously denied" responsibility.

"No other credible version of events to explain this leak has been identified," wrote May.

"This is an extremely serious matter and a deeply disappointing one," she added, with Williamson now facing the possibility of a criminal probe.

"This must now be referred to the Metropolitan Police for a thorough criminal investigation into breaches of the Official Secrets Act," said Liberal Democrat Leader Vince Cable.

Williamson responded in a letter to May, saying he was "sorry you felt recent leaks" originated from the defence ministry.

"I strenuously deny that I was in any way involved in this leak and I am confident that a thorough and formal inquiry would have vindicated my position".

He revealed that May had given him the chance to resign, but turned it down as it would have been an acceptance of guilt.

Downing Street later announced that Penny Mordaunt, the Minister for Women and Equalities, would replace Williamson and become Britain's first female defence minister, while continuing in her current role.

Britain's already splintered government was rocked by the scandal last month over who leaked news that May was to let Huawei develop Britain's 5G network.

The bitterly disputed decision was reportedly made at the April 23 meeting of the NSC.

NSC discussions are only attended by senior ministers and security officials who first sign the Official Secrets Act that commits them to keep conversations private or risk prosecution.

But The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that May approved granting Huawei permission to build up "non-core" elements of Britain's next-generation telecommunications network.

Political operator

The United States is adamantly opposed to Huawei's involvement because of the firm's obligation under Chinese law to help its home government gather intelligence or provide other security services when required.

May told Williamson it was "vital" that members of the NSC... were able to have "frank and detailed discussions in full confidence" that they would not be made public.

She added that she was "concerned by the manner in which you have engaged with this investigation", saying his conduct "has not been of the same standard" as other members of the NSC.

British media reported that Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill -- the country's most senior civil servant -- gave those present an ultimatum to deny responsibility for the leak.

Williamson was one of the first to do so, calling it "completely unacceptable".

His allies told Sky News reporter Kate McCann that they suspect Sedwill of engineering the sacking over historical disagreements between the pair.

The 42-year-old was a trusted ally of the prime minister.

He was May's parliamentary campaign manager when she successfully ran to become Conservative Party leader, and was rewarded with the job of chief whip -- tasked with enforcing discipline for the Conservative Party in parliament.

He was only elected to parliament in 2010, and was best known for keeping a pet tarantula, Cronus, in a glass-sided tank on his desk.

May raised eyebrows when she appointed Williamson to the key defence job in November 2017 after previous incumbent Michael Fallon resigned over allegations of sexual harassment.

The move raised questions about whether Williamson's whips' office had a role in preparing the dossier on ministers behind the scandal, and there were reports that Williamson advised May that Fallon may be facing further allegations.

"Make no mistake, Gavin Williamson wants to be prime minister. And he knows all the dirt on his colleagues," wrote Tim Shipman, political editor of The Sunday Times newspaper.

Related Article:

British PM approves Huawei role in 5G network: report

Algerian prosecutors ban corruption suspects from leaving country

France24 –AFP, 01 April 2019

Huge protests have been held across Algeria demanding ailing President Abdelaziz
Bouteflika leave power AFP

Algiers (AFP) - Algerian state prosecutors on Monday said they had banned corruption suspects from leaving the country after launching probes into graft and illegal money transfers abroad targeting unnamed individuals.

The moves come amid nationwide protests against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and follow the arrest of one of the incumbent's key backers, business tycoon Ali Haddad.

Haddad, who Forbes magazine describes as one of Algeria's wealthiest entrepreneurs, was detained overnight Saturday to Sunday at a border post with neighbouring Tunisia, a security source said, without giving a reason for the arrest.

On Sunday, the Algerian authorities also banned all private aircraft from taking off and landing until the end of the month.

The North African state has been rocked by weeks of mammoth protests sparked by Bouteflika's decision in February to seek a fifth term in office.

The veteran leader, who has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013, said last month he would pull out of the race but postponed elections which were due in April.

The concession has done little to halt public ire and hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of the capital Algiers on Friday demanding the president and his entourage go.

Faced with the persistent anger, a succession of veteran Bouteflika loyalists have sought to distance themselves from the president in recent days.

On Tuesday, armed forces chief of staff Ahmed Gaid Salah called for him to step down or be declared medically unfit.

#UPDATE Algeria's ailing leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika submitted his resignation with immediate effect, ceding power in the face of massive street protest after two decades at the helm https://t.co/BdRyTIy9Yu

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 2 april 2019

Hollywood stars among dozens charged over college entrance scam

Yahoo – AFP, Thomas URBAIN, March 12, 2019

"Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman (L) and fellow Hollywood actress
Lori Loughlin are among 50 people indicted in a nationwide university admissions
scam, court records showed (AFP Photo/LISA O'CONNOR, Tommaso Boddi)

New York (AFP) - "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman and fellow Hollywood actress Lori Loughlin were among 50 people indicted Tuesday in a multi-million dollar scam to help children of the American elite cheat their way into top universities.

The accused, who also include chief executives, financiers, a winemaker and fashion designer, allegedly cheated in admissions tests or arranged for bribes to get their children into prestigious schools including Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and the University of Southern California, federal prosecutors said.

They paid a bogus charity run by Californian William Singer millions both to arrange for people to fix SAT and ACT entrance exams for their children, and also to bribe university sports coaches to recruit their children, even when the children were not qualified to play at that level of sports.

Huffman, 56, and Loughlin, the 54-year-old star of "Full House," were among 33 parents accused of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud in joining the scheme.

Loughlin's fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli was also on the list, while Huffman's husband William Macy, the star of Showtime's "Shameless," was not, despite the indictment making clear he was partly involved in talks with Singer's operations.

A Justice Department official in Los Angeles said 13 of those indicted were taken into custody Tuesday morning; according to reports Huffman was among them.

Loughlin was reportedly in Canada.

The scheme aimed to take advantage of the two years of stress parents across the United States often endure as they put high school-age children through the standardized SAT and ACT tests needed to gain entry into heavily competitive colleges and universities.

Many parents pay handsomely for test preparation and have their children take the tests two or three times to better their scores.

In this case, however, the scheme either had someone take the test for the students, or someone fixed their tests to ensure high scores that would get them into highly desireable universities.

"Wealthy parents paid Singer about 25 million dollars in total," said Andrew Lelling, the US attorney in Boston, Massachusetts where the case was filed.

"These parents are a catalogue of wealth and privilege. They include, for example, CEOs of private and public companies, successful securities and real estate investors, two well-known actresses, a famous fashion designer and the co-chairman of a global law firm," he said.

Four people accused of running the scam over seven years, and 13 officials associated with university sports and the testing system were also charged.

Wealthy parents paid to have the college entrance exam scores of their children 

fixed to gain admission to elite universities like Georgetown U. in Washington

(AFP Photo/Daniel SLIM)

Fixing test scores

Over the one-year investigation, investigators supported by informants recorded conversations between parents and Singer's people discussing just how high to elevate the scores and how to prevent the students from discovering the reason behind their test results.

The scheme had two levels: fixing the test scores, and gaining bogus admission into universities by paying coaches to "recruit" them onto their teams.

In Huffman's case, she "donated" $15,000 to Singer's fake charity Key Worldwide Foundation in 2017 for someone to set up a special testing site and date for her oldest daughter and then to fix the answers on the daughter's test.

She then had discussions about doing the same for her younger daughter, but never followed through.

Fake athletes

In the second "side door" scheme, Singer's operation would create bogus athletic profiles for the students and manage payoffs to coaches in minor sports like soccer, tennis and sailing at universities so that the student could be accepted on that basis.

"What is going to happen when they see his application, he'll be flagged as an athlete," one of Singer's people told William McGlashan, an executive at the huge investment group TPG Capital, who wanted to get his son in a certain school.

"But once he gets here, he just goes, he doesn't go to athletic orientation, He goes to the regular orientation like all my other kids just did ... and everything's fine."

McGlashan, who paid $50,000 for testing help for one son, was told he would have to pay $250,000 to use the athletics "side door" to enter University of Southern California.

Lelling said Singer's clients paid up to $6.5 million for both services.

Loughlin and Giannuli paid $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California.

Coaches, including the women's soccer coach at Yale University and the sailing coach at Stanford University, took between $200,000 and $400,000 to accept the students onto their teams.

"Some simply never showed up" to play, Lelling said of the students. "Some pretended an injury and some played and then quit," he said.

None of the students were charged and most remain at the universities, he said.

"The parents and other defendants are clearly the prime movers in this fraud."

Lelling added that none of the universities were charged in the scheme, and were not seen as co-conspirators.