A business executive in Orange County confessed this week to killing his partner and sending phony e-mails from his account, so that his family would think that he was in Africa. The plan of confessed murderer Edward Shin worked for a while, according to the Los Angeles Times. But this December Shin wrote that his partner Christopher Ryan Smith was going into the Congo and Rwanda, and that's when the story began to unravel. more ›

Some people are a bit suspicious of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's last two vacations. The first, a trip to Africa, was right after his inauguration. The second was to Iceland, ending earlier this month. No matter who you are, you deserve a vacation, right? "Since the mayor is mayor 24-7, he does not accrue vacation or sick time," said spokesman Matt Szabo in an e-mail to LAist. "He has the discretion to take time away from the city as necessary." more ›

If you follow (the person who ghost-tweets for?) the Mayor of L.A. on Twitter, you may have noticed, as LA Observed did, that he was happy to be at home after his vacation in Africa. "Good to be back in LA!" he remarked. more ›

"When you are doing what you are supposed to be doing, the universe opens up and says, 'yeah, I am going to help you out.'" Mary Fanaro, founder of the LA-based OmniPeace fashion brand, perfectly summed up her experiences since starting the company in 2005. The former event producer remembers waking up one morning after throwing a huge bash for the 10-year anniversary for the Hard Rock Hotel more ›

On paper, a documentary about Béla Fleck and his banjo (sans the Flecktones) doesn’t sound very enticing. But luckily for audiences, Sascha Paladino’s film Throw Down Your Heart, doesn’t focus much on the soft-spoken and unassuming musician as much as the trip he takes to the heart of Africa, returning the banjo to its African roots. He travels to Uganda, Tanzania, The Gambia and Mali to jam with local musicians and learn about African music, the history of the banjo and slavery’s role in bringing the instrument to America. more ›

"Empowering Africa's first ladies is an innovative approach to bettering the lives of millions of Africans," said Chairman Ted Alemayhu of the LA-based US Doctors for Africa about today's health summit at the Skirball Museum. "The summit will pair these leaders with U.S. experts, key political figures and important organizations to create ongoing partnerships." more ›

There's an abundance of interesting events about town tonight -- which is surprising because it is Monday, after all. Here are some of our favs: more ›

The LA Zoo is now home to two groups, or mobs, of Meerkats, who are native to southern Africa. Two reside in the cute-as-ever Winnick Family Children’s Zoo and four just arrived from the North Carolina Zoo making their home at the meerkat habitat. more ›

The Republic of Liberia, tucked warmly between Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast on the African-Atlantic seaboard, is supposed to be a success story. Loosely founded in 1822 by freed American slaves in search of hope, homogeny, and a life of freedom, Liberia immediately became a West African beacon of choice and political change. By 1847 they had established independence, relying heavily on U.S.-educated leaders and the deeply entrenched social norms of the great American South; they even spoke English. more ›