Child Abuse on the Rise in Jamaica Child abuse reports skyrocketed last year in Jamaica, according to a report from the country’s Office of Children’s Registry. The report, which was released Saturday, revealed that the office got 3,784 reports of child abuse in 2008, reports CNN. The office only received 425 reports in 2007, signaling a large jump in the small Caribbean island of about 2.8 million people. An official from the OCR office said the rise could have something to do with Jamaicans becoming “increasingly mindful of their legal responsibility to report such incidents,” and are hoping to stop the upsurge of violence against children in the nation. Between January and November of last year, 73children were murdered in the country. The severe consequences of not reporting abuse could also have something to do with the higher number of reported cases, he said. “If someone has information of suspected child abuse and fails to make a report to the Registry, that person can be charged a maximum fee of $500,000 or-and six months imprisonment,” the official said. 
Fifteen Nigerian Athletes Killed in Crash A vehicle crash in Nigeria is responsible for the death of 15 football players, reports the BBC. The accident happened in Plateau state as the group was on its way to play a game in Abuja. The country’s roads are some of the most dangerous in the world and thousands of people die each year in accidents on the road, reports the BBC. Mohamed Sanusi, the Nigeria Football Federation head, said 11 players died on the accident scene and four others died in the hospital. Two players survived their injuries, but are “on the danger list,” he said. “It is really another very sad day for Nigerian football,” said Sanusi. A crash in the area not too long ago killed female athletes.

Outgoing Detroit mayor tells citizens he takes responsibility for felonies.
Outgoing mayor of Detroit Kwame Kilpatrick says his fall from political grace won’t be the end of his contributions to community leadership. Hours after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice and announcing his plans to resign, the beleaguered leader gave farewell speech to supporters and live TV cameras, saying, “I take full responsibility for my actions.” Kilpatrick agreed to serve four months in jail and pay $1 million in restitution in exchange for dismissal of perjury charges, additional felonies and the possibility of 10 or more years in prison. In addition, the mayor must surrender his law license and agrees not to run for office during his five years of probation. Kilpatrick’s perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office charges stemmed from his discipline of cops whose investigation into police overtime threatened to expose the mayor’s personal life. Dozens of text messages sent between Kilpatrick and his ex-chief of staff Christine Beatty show an extra-marital affair between them in 2003. The former officers were blocked from probing alleged overtime abuse by Kilpatrick’s security squad whose members reportedly served duty during the mayor’s sexual encounters. Kilpatrick and Beatty, who’s now divorced, denied their affair while under oath at a 2007 civil trial where the investigating cops sued the mayor and the city. The cops won their lawsuit and the mayor later settled on the city’s behalf for $8.4 million – apparently after learning about the text messages. Beatty has since divorced her husband and also faces multiple felonies. “I wish that we could turn back the hands of time and tell that young man to make better choices, but I can’t,” Kilpatrick said Thursday night. Immediately following his guilty plea, the mayor pleaded no contest in a separate assault case involving a July confrontation with Wayne County sheriff’s deputies. While not specifying how he’d comeback from the legal and political devastation he’s facing, Kilpatrick expressed pride and appreciation for his administration and family, saying he’ll “rise” again.