Facebook users have reported receiving direct messages which includes a link to a suspicious website.
In what could be the first major Facebook security story of the year, users have reported receiving a message that encourages them to visit the ‘binsservicestore.info' website after a friend's recommendation.
According to DomainQuery, the website was created on 15th September 2009, last updated on 29th December 2009 and is due to expire on the 15th September this year. The sponsoring registrar is GoDaddy.com Inc and the administrator and registrant data provide contact details in India.
Rik Ferguson, senior security advisor at Trend Micro, said that binsservicesstore.info lands on a 'work from home scam page' that uses geo-ip to look like a local (to you) online newspaper.
Andy Thomas, commercial director of Garlik, warned at the end of December about a scam on Facebook where a user is offered a free £25 iTunes voucher. The scam, which came via an invitation and involves sending the group administrator a message with the user's name and email address, had around 464,000 respond.
Thomas said: “Some simple maths and logic says this is going to cost someone over £12 million. That is Hooveresque in promotional scale and we all remember what happened to them, the truth is this is a well timed scam that plays on people's trust of the iTunes brand and love of a bargain (it's called social engineering).
“The only gift members will get is a nasty surprise in an email (probably the one containing your iTunes ‘gift') or a permanent place on a phishing attack list sold, much like direct marketeers buy email or physical addresses. If you or a friend joined this list make sure they know what to expect over the next few days, weeks, months.”
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Kaspersky Lab issues 2010 cyberthreat forecast
Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions, outlines the threats we can expect to see in 2010 as a result of cybercriminal activity.
In 2008, the company’s analysts forecast a rise in the number of global epidemics. Unfortunately, that forecast proved to be accurate: 2009 was dominated by sophisticated malicious programs with rootkit functionality, the Kido worm (also known as Conficker), web attacks and botnets, SMS fraud and attacks on social networks. So what can we expect from 2010?
According to the company’s experts, in the coming year we will see a shift in the types of attacks on users: from attacks via websites and applications towards attacks originating from file sharing networks. Already in 2009 a series of mass malware epidemics have been “supported” by malicious files that are spread via torrent portals. This method has been used to spread notorious threats such as TDSS and Virut as well as the first backdoor for Mac OS X. In 2010, we expect to see a significant increase in these types of incidents on P2P networks. Cybercriminals will continue to compete for traffic. The modern cybercriminal world is making more and more of an effort to legalize itself and there are lots of ways to earn money online using the huge amount of traffic that can be generated by botnets. Today, it is mostly black-market services that compete to make use of botnet traffic. In the future, however, we foresee the emergence of more "grey" schemes in the botnet services market. So-called "partner programs" enable botnet owners to make a profit from activities such as sending spam, performing DoS attacks or distributing malware without committing an explicit crime.
The decline in gaming Trojans witnessed in 2009 is likely to be repeated for fake antivirus programs in 2010. The latter first made an appearance in 2007 and 2009 saw a peak in their activity and involvement in a number of major epidemics. The Kido worm, for example, installed a rogue antivirus program on infected computers. The fake antivirus market has now been saturated and the profits for cybercriminals have fallen. Moreover, this kind of activity is closely monitored by both IT security companies and law enforcement agencies. This makes it increasingly difficult to create and distribute fake antivirus programs.“Malware will become much more sophisticated in 2010 and many antivirus programs will be slow to treat infected computers due to advanced file infection methods and rootkit technologies,” says Alex Gostev, Director of Kaspersky Lab’s Global Research & Analysis Team. “IT security companies will respond by developing even more complex protection tools. However, the malicious programs capable of bypassing these measures will remain more or less immune to antivirus programs for some time.”
When it comes to attacks on web services, Google Wave looks like it will be making all the headlines in 2010. Attacks on this new Google service will no doubt follow the usual pattern: first, the sending of spam, followed by phishing attacks, then the exploiting of vulnerabilities and the spreading of malware. The planned launch of the network-based Chrome OS is a noteworthy event, but the experts at Kaspersky Lab do not anticipate much interest in this platform from cybercriminals.
However, 2010 promises to be a difficult time for iPhone and Android. The first malicious programs for these mobile platforms appeared in 2009, which is a sure sign that they have aroused the interest of cybercriminals. The only iPhone users at risk are those with compromised devices, but the same is not true for Android users who are all vulnerable to attack. The increasing popularity of mobile phones running the Android OS in China combined with a lack of effective checks to ensure third-party software applications are secure will lead to a number of high profile malware outbreaks.
The detection of new vulnerabilities will remain the major cause of epidemics. These vulnerabilities will be detected in both software developed by third parties (such as Adobe, Apple, etc.) and in Windows 7, the new operating system that has just entered the market. If no serious vulnerabilities are detected, 2010 may well prove to be one of the quietest years for some time.
About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab delivers the world’s most immediate protection against IT security threats, including viruses, spyware, crimeware, hackers, phishing, and spam. Kaspersky Lab products provide superior detection rates and the industry’s fastest outbreak response time for home users, SMBs, large enterprises and the mobile computing environment. Kaspersky technology is also used worldwide inside the products and services of the industry’s leading IT security solution providers. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com. For the latest on antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-spam and other IT security issues and trends, visit
In 2008, the company’s analysts forecast a rise in the number of global epidemics. Unfortunately, that forecast proved to be accurate: 2009 was dominated by sophisticated malicious programs with rootkit functionality, the Kido worm (also known as Conficker), web attacks and botnets, SMS fraud and attacks on social networks. So what can we expect from 2010?
According to the company’s experts, in the coming year we will see a shift in the types of attacks on users: from attacks via websites and applications towards attacks originating from file sharing networks. Already in 2009 a series of mass malware epidemics have been “supported” by malicious files that are spread via torrent portals. This method has been used to spread notorious threats such as TDSS and Virut as well as the first backdoor for Mac OS X. In 2010, we expect to see a significant increase in these types of incidents on P2P networks. Cybercriminals will continue to compete for traffic. The modern cybercriminal world is making more and more of an effort to legalize itself and there are lots of ways to earn money online using the huge amount of traffic that can be generated by botnets. Today, it is mostly black-market services that compete to make use of botnet traffic. In the future, however, we foresee the emergence of more "grey" schemes in the botnet services market. So-called "partner programs" enable botnet owners to make a profit from activities such as sending spam, performing DoS attacks or distributing malware without committing an explicit crime.
The decline in gaming Trojans witnessed in 2009 is likely to be repeated for fake antivirus programs in 2010. The latter first made an appearance in 2007 and 2009 saw a peak in their activity and involvement in a number of major epidemics. The Kido worm, for example, installed a rogue antivirus program on infected computers. The fake antivirus market has now been saturated and the profits for cybercriminals have fallen. Moreover, this kind of activity is closely monitored by both IT security companies and law enforcement agencies. This makes it increasingly difficult to create and distribute fake antivirus programs.“Malware will become much more sophisticated in 2010 and many antivirus programs will be slow to treat infected computers due to advanced file infection methods and rootkit technologies,” says Alex Gostev, Director of Kaspersky Lab’s Global Research & Analysis Team. “IT security companies will respond by developing even more complex protection tools. However, the malicious programs capable of bypassing these measures will remain more or less immune to antivirus programs for some time.”
When it comes to attacks on web services, Google Wave looks like it will be making all the headlines in 2010. Attacks on this new Google service will no doubt follow the usual pattern: first, the sending of spam, followed by phishing attacks, then the exploiting of vulnerabilities and the spreading of malware. The planned launch of the network-based Chrome OS is a noteworthy event, but the experts at Kaspersky Lab do not anticipate much interest in this platform from cybercriminals.
However, 2010 promises to be a difficult time for iPhone and Android. The first malicious programs for these mobile platforms appeared in 2009, which is a sure sign that they have aroused the interest of cybercriminals. The only iPhone users at risk are those with compromised devices, but the same is not true for Android users who are all vulnerable to attack. The increasing popularity of mobile phones running the Android OS in China combined with a lack of effective checks to ensure third-party software applications are secure will lead to a number of high profile malware outbreaks.
The detection of new vulnerabilities will remain the major cause of epidemics. These vulnerabilities will be detected in both software developed by third parties (such as Adobe, Apple, etc.) and in Windows 7, the new operating system that has just entered the market. If no serious vulnerabilities are detected, 2010 may well prove to be one of the quietest years for some time.
About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab delivers the world’s most immediate protection against IT security threats, including viruses, spyware, crimeware, hackers, phishing, and spam. Kaspersky Lab products provide superior detection rates and the industry’s fastest outbreak response time for home users, SMBs, large enterprises and the mobile computing environment. Kaspersky technology is also used worldwide inside the products and services of the industry’s leading IT security solution providers. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com. For the latest on antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-spam and other IT security issues and trends, visit
Sunday, January 17, 2010
FBI Ends Copperfield Investigation, Copperfield Accuser Investigated According to Angelo Calfo of Yarmuth, Wilsdon, Calfo PLLC
The following is a statement by David Copperfield's attorney, Angelo Calfo of Yarmuth, Wilsdon, Calfo PLLC in response to the FBI's announcement and Smoking Gun and Seattle Times stories (see links):
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2010/0113101copperfield1.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010775607_webcopperfield12m.html?prmid=related_stories_section
"David Copperfield, his family and friends are relieved that federal prosecutors finally closed their investigation without bringing a single charge, after Bellevue police recommended that the so-called victim be
charged as a criminal for making a false rape claim last month against a Seattle-area man," Calfo said.
"Her lies to Bellevue police support what David has said all along: her two-year old claims against him are patently false, absurd and contradicted by each and every witness and by documentary evidence.
"This woman's attempts to use law enforcement as a tool for extortion and financial gain should now be obvious to everyone," Calfo said.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2010/0113101copperfield1.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010775607_webcopperfield12m.html?prmid=related_stories_section
"David Copperfield, his family and friends are relieved that federal prosecutors finally closed their investigation without bringing a single charge, after Bellevue police recommended that the so-called victim be
charged as a criminal for making a false rape claim last month against a Seattle-area man," Calfo said.
"Her lies to Bellevue police support what David has said all along: her two-year old claims against him are patently false, absurd and contradicted by each and every witness and by documentary evidence.
"This woman's attempts to use law enforcement as a tool for extortion and financial gain should now be obvious to everyone," Calfo said.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
New Report Finds Four Forces Will Shape the Future of Mobile Banking
- Governments, industry can make choices to increase financial inclusion in the next decade
The growing use of branchless banking, including mobile phone banking, is inevitable in most countries. But it's far less certain whether large numbers of the unbanked poor will use these alternative channels for financial services beyond payments, such as savings and credit. So says "Scenarios for Branchless Banking in 2020," a new report from CGAP, a microfinance group based at the World Bank, and the U.K.'s Department for International Development (DFID).UK Minister for Trade and Development Gareth Thomas today said:
"The fact that many of the 2.7 billion people who currently don't use a bank will have access to branchless banking methods such as mobile phones and the internet by 2020 is a huge step towards financial inclusion for people in developing countries.
"The poor are kept in poverty when they are financially excluded. This means they lack safe places to save money, the opportunity to invest in their future and cannot reduce the risk of their savings being lost in natural disasters.
"As this report shows, governments and the private sector both have a huge role to play in ensuring investment is made to deliver technology-based financial services to billions of poor people."
The report sets out four scenarios on the future of branchless banking. In all four scenarios, the adoption and use of branchless banking services is forecast to be higher in 2020 than it is today. But in two of the scenarios, bursts of rapid acceleration are followed by periods of falloff or flatter growth.
"Mobile banking pioneers give us hope that millions of poor people, especially those living in rural areas, finally might be served by the banking system. That said, new business models and partnerships that provide
the right incentives to banks and banking agents are vital if we are to move beyond simple payments and transfers to being able to offer other basic banking services, especially savings, that poor people need and want," said Elizabeth Littlefield, CEO of CGAP.
The report is the product of a six month scenario-building project that engaged nearly 200 leaders from the fields of technology and finance from more than 30 countries.
Snapshot of Branchless Banking Today
- Financial inclusion is growing in most countries. This is often as a result of the expansion of conventional banking channels, such as branches and automated teller machines (ATMs);
- Bricks-and-mortar growth is inherently limited by its cost.
Branchless banking presents a cheaper option but has only modest reach To date in most countries;
- Where branchless banking is occurring, several of the following factors are usually at work: (i) industry belief in future profitability; (ii) enabling regulatory change; (iii) a dramatic fall in connectivity costs; (iv) the creation of cash-handling agents using existing networks; and,
- Current hype about the potential of branchless banking is running ahead of reality. Massive sustained success in reaching the poor requires more accurate insights on poor people's financial needs and adoption behaviour. This is only now starting to become available.
Four Forces Shaping Branchless Banking for 2020
- Demographic changes -- including a greater number of younger consumers coming into the market and greater mobility at least within countries -- will be favourable for the adoption of branchless banking;
- Activist governments will play a greater role as regulators of the financial sector, providers of social safety nets, and providers or encouragers of the rollout of low-cost bank accounts and financial infrastructure. This expanded role may be helpful for financial inclusion;
- While security concerns about cash crime will continue to drive the adoption of electronic transaction channels, the rise of electronic crime will affect consumer confidence and test the risk management of
financial providers; and,
- Internet browsing via mobile phones will reduce costs of financial transactions and enable new players to offer financial services.
CGAP and GSMA researchers have found that across Africa, Latin America and Asia, the number of people who do not have a bank account but do have a mobile phone is set to grow from 1 billion today to 1.7 billion by 2012. These "unbanked mobiled" individuals represent a compelling market opportunity for service providers.
Notes to Editors
The report will be released today at DFID in London. There will a live webcast on the CGAP Technology Blog from Washington D.C. on Dec. 1. Learn more at http://technology.cgap.org.
The CGAP Technology Program is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
CGAP is an independent policy and research centre dedicated to advancing financial access for the world's poor. It is supported by over 30 development agencies and private foundations who share a common mission to alleviate poverty. Housed at the World Bank, CGAP provides market intelligence, promotes standards, develops innovative solutions and offers advisory services to governments, microfinance providers, donors, and investors. More at http://www.cgap.org.
The Department for International Development is the UK Government's department that manages Britain's aid to poor countries and works to get rid of extreme poverty. You can find out more at www.dfid.gov.uk/ .
DFID recently launched a Facilitating Access to Financial Services through Technology (FAST) project to support the introduction of "branchless banking" to mass-markets in developing countries, such as Kenya, Tanzania, Pakistan, Nigeria, India, Bangladesh and Ghana. Pilot projects will be evaluated by teams of finance and technology experts and where appropriate help and promote increases in scale or spread to different countries.
The growing use of branchless banking, including mobile phone banking, is inevitable in most countries. But it's far less certain whether large numbers of the unbanked poor will use these alternative channels for financial services beyond payments, such as savings and credit. So says "Scenarios for Branchless Banking in 2020," a new report from CGAP, a microfinance group based at the World Bank, and the U.K.'s Department for International Development (DFID).UK Minister for Trade and Development Gareth Thomas today said:
"The fact that many of the 2.7 billion people who currently don't use a bank will have access to branchless banking methods such as mobile phones and the internet by 2020 is a huge step towards financial inclusion for people in developing countries.
"The poor are kept in poverty when they are financially excluded. This means they lack safe places to save money, the opportunity to invest in their future and cannot reduce the risk of their savings being lost in natural disasters.
"As this report shows, governments and the private sector both have a huge role to play in ensuring investment is made to deliver technology-based financial services to billions of poor people."
The report sets out four scenarios on the future of branchless banking. In all four scenarios, the adoption and use of branchless banking services is forecast to be higher in 2020 than it is today. But in two of the scenarios, bursts of rapid acceleration are followed by periods of falloff or flatter growth.
"Mobile banking pioneers give us hope that millions of poor people, especially those living in rural areas, finally might be served by the banking system. That said, new business models and partnerships that provide
the right incentives to banks and banking agents are vital if we are to move beyond simple payments and transfers to being able to offer other basic banking services, especially savings, that poor people need and want," said Elizabeth Littlefield, CEO of CGAP.
The report is the product of a six month scenario-building project that engaged nearly 200 leaders from the fields of technology and finance from more than 30 countries.
Snapshot of Branchless Banking Today
- Financial inclusion is growing in most countries. This is often as a result of the expansion of conventional banking channels, such as branches and automated teller machines (ATMs);
- Bricks-and-mortar growth is inherently limited by its cost.
Branchless banking presents a cheaper option but has only modest reach To date in most countries;
- Where branchless banking is occurring, several of the following factors are usually at work: (i) industry belief in future profitability; (ii) enabling regulatory change; (iii) a dramatic fall in connectivity costs; (iv) the creation of cash-handling agents using existing networks; and,
- Current hype about the potential of branchless banking is running ahead of reality. Massive sustained success in reaching the poor requires more accurate insights on poor people's financial needs and adoption behaviour. This is only now starting to become available.
Four Forces Shaping Branchless Banking for 2020
- Demographic changes -- including a greater number of younger consumers coming into the market and greater mobility at least within countries -- will be favourable for the adoption of branchless banking;
- Activist governments will play a greater role as regulators of the financial sector, providers of social safety nets, and providers or encouragers of the rollout of low-cost bank accounts and financial infrastructure. This expanded role may be helpful for financial inclusion;
- While security concerns about cash crime will continue to drive the adoption of electronic transaction channels, the rise of electronic crime will affect consumer confidence and test the risk management of
financial providers; and,
- Internet browsing via mobile phones will reduce costs of financial transactions and enable new players to offer financial services.
CGAP and GSMA researchers have found that across Africa, Latin America and Asia, the number of people who do not have a bank account but do have a mobile phone is set to grow from 1 billion today to 1.7 billion by 2012. These "unbanked mobiled" individuals represent a compelling market opportunity for service providers.
Notes to Editors
The report will be released today at DFID in London. There will a live webcast on the CGAP Technology Blog from Washington D.C. on Dec. 1. Learn more at http://technology.cgap.org.
The CGAP Technology Program is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
CGAP is an independent policy and research centre dedicated to advancing financial access for the world's poor. It is supported by over 30 development agencies and private foundations who share a common mission to alleviate poverty. Housed at the World Bank, CGAP provides market intelligence, promotes standards, develops innovative solutions and offers advisory services to governments, microfinance providers, donors, and investors. More at http://www.cgap.org.
The Department for International Development is the UK Government's department that manages Britain's aid to poor countries and works to get rid of extreme poverty. You can find out more at www.dfid.gov.uk/ .
DFID recently launched a Facilitating Access to Financial Services through Technology (FAST) project to support the introduction of "branchless banking" to mass-markets in developing countries, such as Kenya, Tanzania, Pakistan, Nigeria, India, Bangladesh and Ghana. Pilot projects will be evaluated by teams of finance and technology experts and where appropriate help and promote increases in scale or spread to different countries.
Trolley Manufacturer Among First Companies Raided for Software Piracy in Police Initiative for Creative Economy
Police officers this week intensified their efforts to reduce software piracy with a series of raids of companies accused of using unlicensed software. Police officers commented that this effort aligns with the “Creative Economy” strategy currently being promoted by the Thai government.
In the first raid of this new enforcement effort, a Chonburi-based manufacturer of airport trolleys, shopping carts, pallets and other metal products was found using unlicensed design software in the operation of their business. The software is valued at 1.2 million baht. The company’s registered assets are more than 50 million baht.
Also in Chonburi, an engineering firm that is part of a global corporation, was allegedly found with unlicensed design software valued at 290,000 baht. This company’s assets are registered at more than 200 million baht.
Members of the Economic and Cyber Crime Division (ECD) are geared up for additional raids of companies for which there is evidence of software piracy. Raids are scheduled almost daily, and should extend through the end of the year.
“Over the last month we have reviewed 1,000 investigations in which various business organizations are accused of software piracy, and now we are conducting raids against many of these companies,” said Police Colonel Sarayuth Pooltanya. “Monday was the beginning of what we see as an intense period of enforcing intellectual property rights.”
Commenting on the cases, Thai police officials say they will continue to track down violators of the Thai Copyright Act B.E. 2537 with diligence—no matter the size of the alleged infraction.
“Any business organization that uses unlicensed software is at risk of being raided for violation of the Thai Copyright Act B.E. 2537,” said Pooltanya. “The only way we can reduce Thailand’s software piracy rate is by diligently following up on complaints and taking enforcement actions against those companies who are violating the Thai Copyright Act B.E. 2537. We are confident that by aiming to reduce software piracy we can make a positive contribution to the progression of Thailand’s Creative Economy strategy.”
The ECD has made a significant impact in reducing Thailand’s software piracy rate of 76 percent. In each of the last two years, Thailand’s software piracy rate has fallen by two percent annually, a significant drop when compared to the reductions achieved in other countries during the same span of time.
Those who report the use of unlicensed software by calling 02-714-1010 or by reporting it on line are eligible to receive an award of up to 250,000 Thai Baht. The identity of the caller is protected. More information is available online at www.stop.in.th.
In the first raid of this new enforcement effort, a Chonburi-based manufacturer of airport trolleys, shopping carts, pallets and other metal products was found using unlicensed design software in the operation of their business. The software is valued at 1.2 million baht. The company’s registered assets are more than 50 million baht.
Also in Chonburi, an engineering firm that is part of a global corporation, was allegedly found with unlicensed design software valued at 290,000 baht. This company’s assets are registered at more than 200 million baht.
Members of the Economic and Cyber Crime Division (ECD) are geared up for additional raids of companies for which there is evidence of software piracy. Raids are scheduled almost daily, and should extend through the end of the year.
“Over the last month we have reviewed 1,000 investigations in which various business organizations are accused of software piracy, and now we are conducting raids against many of these companies,” said Police Colonel Sarayuth Pooltanya. “Monday was the beginning of what we see as an intense period of enforcing intellectual property rights.”
Commenting on the cases, Thai police officials say they will continue to track down violators of the Thai Copyright Act B.E. 2537 with diligence—no matter the size of the alleged infraction.
“Any business organization that uses unlicensed software is at risk of being raided for violation of the Thai Copyright Act B.E. 2537,” said Pooltanya. “The only way we can reduce Thailand’s software piracy rate is by diligently following up on complaints and taking enforcement actions against those companies who are violating the Thai Copyright Act B.E. 2537. We are confident that by aiming to reduce software piracy we can make a positive contribution to the progression of Thailand’s Creative Economy strategy.”
The ECD has made a significant impact in reducing Thailand’s software piracy rate of 76 percent. In each of the last two years, Thailand’s software piracy rate has fallen by two percent annually, a significant drop when compared to the reductions achieved in other countries during the same span of time.
Those who report the use of unlicensed software by calling 02-714-1010 or by reporting it on line are eligible to receive an award of up to 250,000 Thai Baht. The identity of the caller is protected. More information is available online at www.stop.in.th.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
MADOFF'S JEWELLERY, FINERY TO BE AUCTIONED
the trappings of Bernard Madoff's once luxurious lifestyle - jewels, furs and expensive trinkets - will be auctioned on Saturday in New York to benefit victims of Wall Street swindler.
The catalogue contains almost 200 lots reflecting the gaudy life enjoyed by Madoff and his wife Ruth as a result of his decades-long, multibillion dollar Ponzi scheme.
That includes no less than 17 Rolex watches, diamonds, fur coats, Hermes and Louis Vuitton handbags, crocodile-skin belts, golf clubs and numerous items of jewellery.
On a more personal note, there will be a blue satin Mets baseball team jacket emblazoned with "Madoff" on the back. Estimated price: $500-$720 (Bt16,650-Bt24,000).
The Madoff name appears on many other goods, ranging from beach boards to personal stationary.
Gaston and Sheehan auctioneers are handling the sale at a Sheraton hotel in New York, but the goods were seized by the US Marshals Service to raise compensation for hundreds of investors cheated by Madoff.
Pre-auction estimates by Gaston and Sheehan predict sales of about $500,000.
Properties, including a Manhattan penthouse and Palm Beach retreat, have also been seized. A Long Island beach getaway sold for $8 million.
Madoff, now serving a 150-year prison sentence for fraud, claimed just before his arrest last December to have been managing $65 million. However, much of that appears to have comprised fraudulent funds.
The court-appointed liquidator says that investors lost $21.2 billion cash.
The catalogue contains almost 200 lots reflecting the gaudy life enjoyed by Madoff and his wife Ruth as a result of his decades-long, multibillion dollar Ponzi scheme.
That includes no less than 17 Rolex watches, diamonds, fur coats, Hermes and Louis Vuitton handbags, crocodile-skin belts, golf clubs and numerous items of jewellery.
On a more personal note, there will be a blue satin Mets baseball team jacket emblazoned with "Madoff" on the back. Estimated price: $500-$720 (Bt16,650-Bt24,000).
The Madoff name appears on many other goods, ranging from beach boards to personal stationary.
Gaston and Sheehan auctioneers are handling the sale at a Sheraton hotel in New York, but the goods were seized by the US Marshals Service to raise compensation for hundreds of investors cheated by Madoff.
Pre-auction estimates by Gaston and Sheehan predict sales of about $500,000.
Properties, including a Manhattan penthouse and Palm Beach retreat, have also been seized. A Long Island beach getaway sold for $8 million.
Madoff, now serving a 150-year prison sentence for fraud, claimed just before his arrest last December to have been managing $65 million. However, much of that appears to have comprised fraudulent funds.
The court-appointed liquidator says that investors lost $21.2 billion cash.
Varsity lecture held on "ya ba" charge
A computer-engineering lecturer at a university was arrested in a sting operation and found with 40 ya ba tablets in Chiang Mai's Hang Dong district, police said yesterday. Provincial Police Region 5's Drug Suppression Unit arrested Sutthichat Pattarakul, 31, on the charge of possessing ya ba for use and sale to youngsters. The sting operation was launched after acquiring convincing information of his alleged drug dealing, police said. An undercover officer set up an appointment to buy ya ba from Suchrat yesterday at 1am. When he showed up to deliver the drugs, police arrested him.
Suchart reportedly told police that he took ya ba to relax and to stay awake late every night to repair computers as a side job, said Pol Lt-Colonel Manit Janthanupongsa of Hang Dong precinct. Suchart told police that he sold ya ba to his younger acquaintances only occasionally.
Suchart reportedly told police that he took ya ba to relax and to stay awake late every night to repair computers as a side job, said Pol Lt-Colonel Manit Janthanupongsa of Hang Dong precinct. Suchart told police that he sold ya ba to his younger acquaintances only occasionally.
Magnificent seven
In the most important, most revered event since the invention of the brontosaurus trap,Microsoft shipped the most incredibly fabulous operating system ever made; the release of Windows 7 also spurred a new generation of personal computers of all sizes at prices well below last month's offers.The top reason Windows 7 does not suck: There is no registered website called Windows7Sucks.com
Kindle e-book reader maker Amazon.com and new Nook e-book reader vendor Barnes and Noble got it on; B&N got great reviews for the "Kindle killer"Nook, with dual screens and touch controls so you can "turn" pages, plays MP3s and allows many non-B&N book formats, although not the Kindle one;Amazon then killed the US version of its Kindle in favour of the international one, reduced its price to $260(8,700 baht), same as the Nook; it's not yet clear what you can get in Thailand with a Nook, but you sure can't (yet) get much, relatively speaking, with a Kindle;but here's the biggest difference so far,which Amazon.com has ignored: the Nook lets you lend e-books to any other Nook owner, just as if they were paper books; the borrowed books expire on the borrower's Nook in two weeks.
Phone maker Nokia of Finland announced it is suing iPhone maker Apple of America for being a copycat; lawyers said they figure Nokia can get at least one, probably two per cent (retail) for every iPhone sold by Steve "President for Life" Jobs and crew via the lawsuit,which sure beats working for it -$6 (200 baht) to $12(400 baht) on 30 million phones sold so far, works out to $400 million or 25 percent of the whole Apple empire profits during the last quarter;there were 10 patent thefts, the Finnish executives said, on everything from moving data to security and encryption.
Nokia of Finland announced that it is one month behind on shipping its new flagship N900 phone, the first to run on Linux software; delay of the $750(25,000 baht) phone had absolutely no part in making Nokia so short that it had to sue Apple, slap yourself for such a thought.
Tim Berners-Lee, who created the World Wide Web, said he had one regret:the double slash that follows the "http:"in standard web addresses; he estimated that 14.2 gazillion users have wasted 48.72 bazillion hours typing those two keystrokes, and he's sorry; of course there's no reason to ever type that, since your browser does it for you when you type "www.bangkokpost.com" but Tim needs to admit he made one error in his lifetime.
The International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations, which doesn't sell any phones or services, announced that there should be a mobile phone charger that will work with any phone; now who would ever have thought of that, without a UN body to wind up a major study on the subject?;the GSM Association estimates that 51,000 tonnes of chargers are made each year in order to keep companies able to have their own unique ones.
The Well, Doh Award of the Week was presented at arm's length to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; the group's deputy secretary-general Petko Draganov said that developing countries will miss some of the stuff available on the Internet if they don't install more broadband infrastructure; a report that used your tax baht to compile said that quite a few people use mobile phones but companies are more likely to invest in countries with excellent broadband connections; no one ever had thought of this before, right?
Sun Microsystems , as a result of the Oracle takeover, said it will allow 3,000 current workers never to bother coming to work again; Sun referred to the losses as "jobs," not people; now the fourth largest server maker in the world, Sun said it lost $2.2 billion in its last fiscal year; European regulators are holding up approval of the Oracle purchase in the hope of getting some money in exchange for not involving Oracle in court cases.
The multi-gazillionaire and very annoying investor Carl Icahn resigned from the board at Yahoo ; he spun it as a vote of confidence, saying current directors are taking the formerly threatened company seriously; Yahoo reported increased profits but smaller revenues in the third quarter.
The US House of Representatives voted to censure Vietnam for jailing bloggers; the non-binding resolution sponsored by southern California congresswoman Loretta Sanchez said the Internet is "a crucial tool for the citizens of Vietnam to be able to exercise their freedom of expression and association;"Hanoi has recently jailed at least nine activists for up to six years apiece for holding pro-democracy banners. Iran jailed blogger Hossein "Hoder" Derakshan for 10 months - in solitary confinement.
Kindle e-book reader maker Amazon.com and new Nook e-book reader vendor Barnes and Noble got it on; B&N got great reviews for the "Kindle killer"Nook, with dual screens and touch controls so you can "turn" pages, plays MP3s and allows many non-B&N book formats, although not the Kindle one;Amazon then killed the US version of its Kindle in favour of the international one, reduced its price to $260(8,700 baht), same as the Nook; it's not yet clear what you can get in Thailand with a Nook, but you sure can't (yet) get much, relatively speaking, with a Kindle;but here's the biggest difference so far,which Amazon.com has ignored: the Nook lets you lend e-books to any other Nook owner, just as if they were paper books; the borrowed books expire on the borrower's Nook in two weeks.
Phone maker Nokia of Finland announced it is suing iPhone maker Apple of America for being a copycat; lawyers said they figure Nokia can get at least one, probably two per cent (retail) for every iPhone sold by Steve "President for Life" Jobs and crew via the lawsuit,which sure beats working for it -$6 (200 baht) to $12(400 baht) on 30 million phones sold so far, works out to $400 million or 25 percent of the whole Apple empire profits during the last quarter;there were 10 patent thefts, the Finnish executives said, on everything from moving data to security and encryption.
Nokia of Finland announced that it is one month behind on shipping its new flagship N900 phone, the first to run on Linux software; delay of the $750(25,000 baht) phone had absolutely no part in making Nokia so short that it had to sue Apple, slap yourself for such a thought.
Tim Berners-Lee, who created the World Wide Web, said he had one regret:the double slash that follows the "http:"in standard web addresses; he estimated that 14.2 gazillion users have wasted 48.72 bazillion hours typing those two keystrokes, and he's sorry; of course there's no reason to ever type that, since your browser does it for you when you type "www.bangkokpost.com" but Tim needs to admit he made one error in his lifetime.
The International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations, which doesn't sell any phones or services, announced that there should be a mobile phone charger that will work with any phone; now who would ever have thought of that, without a UN body to wind up a major study on the subject?;the GSM Association estimates that 51,000 tonnes of chargers are made each year in order to keep companies able to have their own unique ones.
The Well, Doh Award of the Week was presented at arm's length to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; the group's deputy secretary-general Petko Draganov said that developing countries will miss some of the stuff available on the Internet if they don't install more broadband infrastructure; a report that used your tax baht to compile said that quite a few people use mobile phones but companies are more likely to invest in countries with excellent broadband connections; no one ever had thought of this before, right?
Sun Microsystems , as a result of the Oracle takeover, said it will allow 3,000 current workers never to bother coming to work again; Sun referred to the losses as "jobs," not people; now the fourth largest server maker in the world, Sun said it lost $2.2 billion in its last fiscal year; European regulators are holding up approval of the Oracle purchase in the hope of getting some money in exchange for not involving Oracle in court cases.
The multi-gazillionaire and very annoying investor Carl Icahn resigned from the board at Yahoo ; he spun it as a vote of confidence, saying current directors are taking the formerly threatened company seriously; Yahoo reported increased profits but smaller revenues in the third quarter.
The US House of Representatives voted to censure Vietnam for jailing bloggers; the non-binding resolution sponsored by southern California congresswoman Loretta Sanchez said the Internet is "a crucial tool for the citizens of Vietnam to be able to exercise their freedom of expression and association;"Hanoi has recently jailed at least nine activists for up to six years apiece for holding pro-democracy banners. Iran jailed blogger Hossein "Hoder" Derakshan for 10 months - in solitary confinement.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
AFTER THE BOMBING, DRUG ADDICTION STRIKES GAZA
Abu Ahmed lived through last winter's Gaza war in a daze.Though the district where he lives was invaded by Israeli ground forces and came under heavy fire, including the use of white phosphorus shells, he felt little fear.For by then, the 45-year-old unemployed father of 10 was popping tablets of the painkiller Tramadol to feed an ever more dangerous habit."Of course you care about the children but [with the drugs] you forget about yourself," he explains."You feel less frightened."
Manufacturers warn the maximum daily dose of the synthetic opioid should be no more 300mg per day; Abu Ahmed was taking as much as 800mg - in the grip of an addiction that has rapidly spread throughout Gaza over the last two years. As the population struggles to cope with Israel closing their home to the outside world, the sometimes violent power struggles between Fatah and Hamas, and then the aftermath of Operation Cast Lead,the Tramadol pills - smuggled in through tunnels from Egypt - have provided a wel-come escape from reality. Mental health professionals say there has been a rise in the drug's usage in Gaza since the war.
The Hamas authorities have tried to crack down on it, but the drug's severe withdrawal symptoms means it is a seriously hard habit to break. Hasan Shaban Zeyada, a senior psychologist at the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) is convinced that many of the psychological problems underlying the addiction are "the consequence of living in this situation - the siege,internal division and the war".
Abu Ahmed used to have a good job as a driver. But like an estimated 100,000 other Gazans he lost it when Israel imposed its blockade after Hamas seized control of the strip from Fatah in June 2007."Before the war the situation was so hard. There was no work, plus I had to take care of 11 people,including my wife. All people could do was sit around in the street and drink tea or coffee."
Depressed and suffering from headaches,he was offered a Tramadol pill by one of his friends. Several of them were using the drug for its supposed power to improve sexual performance, but for Abu Ahmed it was just a way of relieving the strain of life."When I took it, I felt very relaxed," he says.
But Abu Ahmed soon became hooked.Supplies of Tramadol had surged after Hamas militants blew a breach in the southern wall between Gaza and Egypt in January 2008."You could get it at pharmacies and there were people selling it on the street," he says.He quickly graduated from taking one pill a day to three or four and then, though he could ill afford it, as many as eight.
A combination of a doubling in price to about 185 baht for a strip of 10 tablets and a Hamas edict (belated and far from effective)that pharmacies should not sell the drug without a prescription persuaded Abu Ahmed that he had to stop."I tried to get away from it but I couldn't. I had a headache, pain in every part of my body. I had to go the bathroom every 10 minutes. I was sweating. Then you take one pill and you feel better of course."
It was about six weeks after that that Abu Ahmed, who has a history of drug abuse with hashish, turned, on the advice of a friend, to the GCMHP, the pioneering Palestinian organisation started in 1990 and still directed by the territory's leading psychiatrist and civil society spokesman Dr Eyad Sarraj. With the help of counselling from the group's trained therapists, as well as controlled and decreasing doses of alternative drugs like Avitan, he has stopped taking Tramadol. At the height of his addiction, Abu Ahmed was going without eating for up to three days and his weight dropped to 58kg. Now it is back up to 85kg.
"They [the GCMHP] made me feel I was in safe hands," explains a grateful Abu Ahmed,adding that the agency arranged for food aid for his family while he was recovering."They showed respect. And they came to my house to tell my family how they should cope with me when I became nervous and angry."
Yet for all its high professional standards,the organisation cannot help more than a minority of addicts. Although some unofficial estimates put the number of drug addicts as high as many thousands, the GCMHP's Mr Zeyada, who trained at Tel Aviv University,will not, as a scientist, hazard a figure. But he says there is a shortage of mental health provision in Gaza and that "GCMHP cannot take responsibility for the whole community".
Although there has been improvement in mental health awareness in the territory,many residents in socially conservative Gaza baulk at the idea of seeking treatment for psychological problems."The level of stigma is so high," he explains. Instead, many patients go to their GPs reporting physical problems like headaches, back or abdominal pain, and the doctors,"because of a lack of knowledge about psychological disorders", simply prescribe analgesic drugs - of which Tramadol is a prime example - and "after a while the patients become addicts or abusers".
Operation Cast Lead has been over for nine months, but the return to a state of siege, with unemployment at a record 45%,has left a sense of "helplessness and powerlessness" among residents, compounded by the fact that there is no guarantee the war will not be repeated.
For women, the sense that they exist only to serve their children and husbands makes them especially vulnerable to depression and the use of medication like Valium and Xanax. For men, the feelings of powerlessness and loss of masculinity are all too often caused by an inability to protect their children in war or provide for them in relative peace."For a father who cannot fulfil the basic needs of his children it is not easy, especially in a society like Palestinian society," says Mr Zeyada.
Many young people, he adds, are also vulnerable."They don't have hope, they cannot do anything for the future. They are disappointed, depressed, helpless and powerless. They can't find a job, they can't plan for the future, or [afford to] get married."
Manufacturers warn the maximum daily dose of the synthetic opioid should be no more 300mg per day; Abu Ahmed was taking as much as 800mg - in the grip of an addiction that has rapidly spread throughout Gaza over the last two years. As the population struggles to cope with Israel closing their home to the outside world, the sometimes violent power struggles between Fatah and Hamas, and then the aftermath of Operation Cast Lead,the Tramadol pills - smuggled in through tunnels from Egypt - have provided a wel-come escape from reality. Mental health professionals say there has been a rise in the drug's usage in Gaza since the war.
The Hamas authorities have tried to crack down on it, but the drug's severe withdrawal symptoms means it is a seriously hard habit to break. Hasan Shaban Zeyada, a senior psychologist at the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP) is convinced that many of the psychological problems underlying the addiction are "the consequence of living in this situation - the siege,internal division and the war".
Abu Ahmed used to have a good job as a driver. But like an estimated 100,000 other Gazans he lost it when Israel imposed its blockade after Hamas seized control of the strip from Fatah in June 2007."Before the war the situation was so hard. There was no work, plus I had to take care of 11 people,including my wife. All people could do was sit around in the street and drink tea or coffee."
Depressed and suffering from headaches,he was offered a Tramadol pill by one of his friends. Several of them were using the drug for its supposed power to improve sexual performance, but for Abu Ahmed it was just a way of relieving the strain of life."When I took it, I felt very relaxed," he says.
But Abu Ahmed soon became hooked.Supplies of Tramadol had surged after Hamas militants blew a breach in the southern wall between Gaza and Egypt in January 2008."You could get it at pharmacies and there were people selling it on the street," he says.He quickly graduated from taking one pill a day to three or four and then, though he could ill afford it, as many as eight.
A combination of a doubling in price to about 185 baht for a strip of 10 tablets and a Hamas edict (belated and far from effective)that pharmacies should not sell the drug without a prescription persuaded Abu Ahmed that he had to stop."I tried to get away from it but I couldn't. I had a headache, pain in every part of my body. I had to go the bathroom every 10 minutes. I was sweating. Then you take one pill and you feel better of course."
It was about six weeks after that that Abu Ahmed, who has a history of drug abuse with hashish, turned, on the advice of a friend, to the GCMHP, the pioneering Palestinian organisation started in 1990 and still directed by the territory's leading psychiatrist and civil society spokesman Dr Eyad Sarraj. With the help of counselling from the group's trained therapists, as well as controlled and decreasing doses of alternative drugs like Avitan, he has stopped taking Tramadol. At the height of his addiction, Abu Ahmed was going without eating for up to three days and his weight dropped to 58kg. Now it is back up to 85kg.
"They [the GCMHP] made me feel I was in safe hands," explains a grateful Abu Ahmed,adding that the agency arranged for food aid for his family while he was recovering."They showed respect. And they came to my house to tell my family how they should cope with me when I became nervous and angry."
Yet for all its high professional standards,the organisation cannot help more than a minority of addicts. Although some unofficial estimates put the number of drug addicts as high as many thousands, the GCMHP's Mr Zeyada, who trained at Tel Aviv University,will not, as a scientist, hazard a figure. But he says there is a shortage of mental health provision in Gaza and that "GCMHP cannot take responsibility for the whole community".
Although there has been improvement in mental health awareness in the territory,many residents in socially conservative Gaza baulk at the idea of seeking treatment for psychological problems."The level of stigma is so high," he explains. Instead, many patients go to their GPs reporting physical problems like headaches, back or abdominal pain, and the doctors,"because of a lack of knowledge about psychological disorders", simply prescribe analgesic drugs - of which Tramadol is a prime example - and "after a while the patients become addicts or abusers".
Operation Cast Lead has been over for nine months, but the return to a state of siege, with unemployment at a record 45%,has left a sense of "helplessness and powerlessness" among residents, compounded by the fact that there is no guarantee the war will not be repeated.
For women, the sense that they exist only to serve their children and husbands makes them especially vulnerable to depression and the use of medication like Valium and Xanax. For men, the feelings of powerlessness and loss of masculinity are all too often caused by an inability to protect their children in war or provide for them in relative peace."For a father who cannot fulfil the basic needs of his children it is not easy, especially in a society like Palestinian society," says Mr Zeyada.
Many young people, he adds, are also vulnerable."They don't have hope, they cannot do anything for the future. They are disappointed, depressed, helpless and powerless. They can't find a job, they can't plan for the future, or [afford to] get married."
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Clampdown on illegal software use
At least 1,000 companies are being monitored for potential software copyright infringement by the Thai police in a nationwide drive to reduce license violations by corporate end-users.
Officers from the Economic and Cyber Crime Division said the 1,000 investigations are being conducted based on information suggesting companies have violated the Thai Copyright Act. This information has come from a collection of tips, some anonymous, typically from sources within the targeted companies.
Leads are also being shared by the Business Software Alliance, which runs a toll-free hotline number and a website for informants to report the use of pirated and unlicensed software in businesses.Other software developers also provide police officials with leads and tips about potential offenders.
Police then review and verify any evidence received. If they believe they have a case, police officials then obtain search warrants and conduct raids of company premises.
"Business organisations will have to ensure that they are compliant with the Thai Copyright Act," said Police Colonel Sarayuth Pooltanya, deputy commander of the Economic and Cyber Crime Divi-sion (ECD).
"On October 26 we will begin raiding companies based on our information about software piracy taking place."
August marked one of the ECD's most successful months, with 15 raids netting 54.5 million baht worth of bootleg software. Raided companies came from a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, real estate, automotive,shipping, design and engineering.
Officers from the Economic and Cyber Crime Division said the 1,000 investigations are being conducted based on information suggesting companies have violated the Thai Copyright Act. This information has come from a collection of tips, some anonymous, typically from sources within the targeted companies.
Leads are also being shared by the Business Software Alliance, which runs a toll-free hotline number and a website for informants to report the use of pirated and unlicensed software in businesses.Other software developers also provide police officials with leads and tips about potential offenders.
Police then review and verify any evidence received. If they believe they have a case, police officials then obtain search warrants and conduct raids of company premises.
"Business organisations will have to ensure that they are compliant with the Thai Copyright Act," said Police Colonel Sarayuth Pooltanya, deputy commander of the Economic and Cyber Crime Divi-sion (ECD).
"On October 26 we will begin raiding companies based on our information about software piracy taking place."
August marked one of the ECD's most successful months, with 15 raids netting 54.5 million baht worth of bootleg software. Raided companies came from a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, real estate, automotive,shipping, design and engineering.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
MAN TO DIE FOR UIGHUR BRAWL
One man was sentenced to death and a seocnd handed a life-prison term over a factory brawl in southern China that sparked deadly unrest in the northwest Xinjiang region, authorities said yesterday.
Nine others were given jail terms of five to eight years for their role in the fight in Guangdong province in June that left two Uighur men dead, a statement on the website of the provincial high court read.
The brawl erupted between members of the mainly Muslim Uighur minority and Han Chinese workers at a Hong Kong-owned toy factory over Internet rumours about an alleged rape. A subsequent protest by the Uighur community in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi ahainst the factory brawl descended into violence on July 5, with at least 197 people killed, most of them Han Chinese, according to the government.
A Han Chinese man, Xiao Jianhua, was sentenced to death after the court accused him of being the instigator of the factory fight, linciting his co-workers to join in and stopping medical workers from treating the injured.
The statement said Xiao and his accomplices used tools such as iron bars to beat the Uighur men, killing the two workers, seriously injuring three others and slightly hurting six.
Nine others were given jail terms of five to eight years for their role in the fight in Guangdong province in June that left two Uighur men dead, a statement on the website of the provincial high court read.
The brawl erupted between members of the mainly Muslim Uighur minority and Han Chinese workers at a Hong Kong-owned toy factory over Internet rumours about an alleged rape. A subsequent protest by the Uighur community in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi ahainst the factory brawl descended into violence on July 5, with at least 197 people killed, most of them Han Chinese, according to the government.
A Han Chinese man, Xiao Jianhua, was sentenced to death after the court accused him of being the instigator of the factory fight, linciting his co-workers to join in and stopping medical workers from treating the injured.
The statement said Xiao and his accomplices used tools such as iron bars to beat the Uighur men, killing the two workers, seriously injuring three others and slightly hurting six.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thai brothel tale haunts minister
France's culture minister, already under fire for defending Roman Polanski who faces sex charges, has been attacked for his memoir which describes sex with Thai brothel "boys".
Frederic Mitterrand, the 62-year-old nephew of late president Francois Mitterrand,wrote a book described by its publisher as a "novel of autobiographical inspiration" in which the first-person narrator recounts sexual adventures with Thai boys.
"At a time Mitterrand:when France Memoir attacked is engaged with Thailand to fight against the curse of sex tourism, here we have a government minister who himself explains that he is a consumer," opposition Socialist Party spokesman Benoit Hamon said.
The far-right National Front Party called for Mr Mitterrand's resignation, saying his 2005 book La Mauvaise Vie The Bad Life )had left "an indelible stain on the government".
The passages in The Bad Life that have sparked controversy deal with the hero's visits to brothels and boy bars in Southeast Asia.
Frederic Mitterrand, the 62-year-old nephew of late president Francois Mitterrand,wrote a book described by its publisher as a "novel of autobiographical inspiration" in which the first-person narrator recounts sexual adventures with Thai boys.
"At a time Mitterrand:when France Memoir attacked is engaged with Thailand to fight against the curse of sex tourism, here we have a government minister who himself explains that he is a consumer," opposition Socialist Party spokesman Benoit Hamon said.
The far-right National Front Party called for Mr Mitterrand's resignation, saying his 2005 book La Mauvaise Vie The Bad Life )had left "an indelible stain on the government".
The passages in The Bad Life that have sparked controversy deal with the hero's visits to brothels and boy bars in Southeast Asia.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Death to the death penalty
Late last month, on a quiet Monday afternoon,warders locked down Bang Khwang prison and prepared for two executions. A pair of convicted drug dealers, Bundit Charoenwanich,45, and Jirawat Phumpruek,52, were given one hour to contact their families, eat a last meal and make their peace in this world. Then they were taken to the execution room and injected with a series of drugs, the last of which ended their lives.
It was the first time in six years that authorities had ordered an actual execution. They should be the last such prisoners to die by execution. It is time that Parliament and the government end all use of the death penalty.
There are several problems with judicial executions,and no acceptable advantage. Carrying out a death sentence always risks the chance of killing the wrong person. Police, prosecutors and courts are dedicated and efficient, but not infallible. There have been plenty of wrongful convictions over the decades of Thai justice.If even one death sentence is wrongfully carried out,the death would be on the conscience of the nation. A wrongful conviction already takes months or years from an innocent person's life. Nothing could be worse than taking his or her life.
The main reason to abolish the death penalty for terrible crimes is that it brings no true result. Justice and punishment, in the form of imprisonment, parole or work programmes, are meant to prevent further crime. To an extent, they work. While many criminals continue their ways after release, others "go straight"so that they can live freely, without worry about being imprisoned. Crimes are prevented daily by the presence of police and the courts, as would-be robbers, speeders,thieves and others stick to the law in order to avoid punishment.
Study after study over the past 50 years has proved that the death sentence is no deterrent to the terrible crimes it punishes, such as drug trafficking, premeditated murder, violent and sexual abuse of children. While proponents of the death penalty argue facetiously that execution will assure that such criminals do not carry out their acts again, there are many ways to assure that.Indeed, no rational person would accept the end of the death penalty without parallel assurances that such violent acts against society can be punished by true life imprisonment, without early release.
Abolishing the death penalty in Thailand will be an unpopular act by the government, without doubt. Even in advanced Western countries, the majority of citizens always have opposed the abolition of the ultimate penalty. Yet such abolition around the world, from Canada to Cambodia, and from Austria to Australia,has never caused an upsurge of any kind in capital crimes. If anything, the threat of lengthy, even lifetime incarceration seems to be a greater deterrent than the former death penalty. Indeed, in recent cases in the United States, federal prisoners in so-called Supermax prisons have sued the government against their lifetime sentences under harsh, maximum security rules.
The only remaining argument in favour - that it provides an emotional release of sorts for victims and a horrified public - is unacceptable. Justice is not a form of vengeance, like some feel-good ending to a movie. Law and punishment are serious matters.
Last year, a majority of the United Nations General Assembly voted for the first time to oppose the death penalty. For now, the government should order a true moratorium banning more executions, pending a rewrite of the criminal code to ban the death penalty altogether.
It was the first time in six years that authorities had ordered an actual execution. They should be the last such prisoners to die by execution. It is time that Parliament and the government end all use of the death penalty.
There are several problems with judicial executions,and no acceptable advantage. Carrying out a death sentence always risks the chance of killing the wrong person. Police, prosecutors and courts are dedicated and efficient, but not infallible. There have been plenty of wrongful convictions over the decades of Thai justice.If even one death sentence is wrongfully carried out,the death would be on the conscience of the nation. A wrongful conviction already takes months or years from an innocent person's life. Nothing could be worse than taking his or her life.
The main reason to abolish the death penalty for terrible crimes is that it brings no true result. Justice and punishment, in the form of imprisonment, parole or work programmes, are meant to prevent further crime. To an extent, they work. While many criminals continue their ways after release, others "go straight"so that they can live freely, without worry about being imprisoned. Crimes are prevented daily by the presence of police and the courts, as would-be robbers, speeders,thieves and others stick to the law in order to avoid punishment.
Study after study over the past 50 years has proved that the death sentence is no deterrent to the terrible crimes it punishes, such as drug trafficking, premeditated murder, violent and sexual abuse of children. While proponents of the death penalty argue facetiously that execution will assure that such criminals do not carry out their acts again, there are many ways to assure that.Indeed, no rational person would accept the end of the death penalty without parallel assurances that such violent acts against society can be punished by true life imprisonment, without early release.
Abolishing the death penalty in Thailand will be an unpopular act by the government, without doubt. Even in advanced Western countries, the majority of citizens always have opposed the abolition of the ultimate penalty. Yet such abolition around the world, from Canada to Cambodia, and from Austria to Australia,has never caused an upsurge of any kind in capital crimes. If anything, the threat of lengthy, even lifetime incarceration seems to be a greater deterrent than the former death penalty. Indeed, in recent cases in the United States, federal prisoners in so-called Supermax prisons have sued the government against their lifetime sentences under harsh, maximum security rules.
The only remaining argument in favour - that it provides an emotional release of sorts for victims and a horrified public - is unacceptable. Justice is not a form of vengeance, like some feel-good ending to a movie. Law and punishment are serious matters.
Last year, a majority of the United Nations General Assembly voted for the first time to oppose the death penalty. For now, the government should order a true moratorium banning more executions, pending a rewrite of the criminal code to ban the death penalty altogether.
Teacher-pupil lesbian affair ends with jail
A teacher at a private school who said she was "pressured" into a lesbian affair by a 15-year-old pupil,was jailed for 15 months yesterday.
Music teacher Helen Goddard,26, of Greenwich, southeast London, pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual activity with the girl between February and July,earlier this year.
Southwark Crown Court heard how Goddard, who was nicknamed "the Jazz Lady", befriended the youngster as they met for coffee after lessons.
Their relationship eventually became sexual, a development the youngster's parents condemned as a "complete betrayal" of trust.
The five-month affair included an overnight stay at her home and a romantic weekend in Paris, the court heard. Their forbidden trysts remained a secret until someone sent the school an anonymous tip-off about their relationship.
Music teacher Helen Goddard,26, of Greenwich, southeast London, pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual activity with the girl between February and July,earlier this year.
Southwark Crown Court heard how Goddard, who was nicknamed "the Jazz Lady", befriended the youngster as they met for coffee after lessons.
Their relationship eventually became sexual, a development the youngster's parents condemned as a "complete betrayal" of trust.
The five-month affair included an overnight stay at her home and a romantic weekend in Paris, the court heard. Their forbidden trysts remained a secret until someone sent the school an anonymous tip-off about their relationship.
Man grows ganja on middle of highway
A man has been arrested for allegedly growing marijuana on the dividing strip of a major highway in Greece.
The 35-year-old was apprehended when he arrived by car to tend his "farm"in the middle of the six-lane highway connecting Athens to the northern port city of Thessaloniki.
Police said he had been harvesting 42 marijuana plants, some of which had reached a height of 1.8m, around 70km south of Thessaloniki.
Officials also discovered a small quantity of marijuana in his home.
The plants were uprooted and confiscated by police.
The man is due to face charges before a public prosecutor.
The 35-year-old was apprehended when he arrived by car to tend his "farm"in the middle of the six-lane highway connecting Athens to the northern port city of Thessaloniki.
Police said he had been harvesting 42 marijuana plants, some of which had reached a height of 1.8m, around 70km south of Thessaloniki.
Officials also discovered a small quantity of marijuana in his home.
The plants were uprooted and confiscated by police.
The man is due to face charges before a public prosecutor.
Carer jailed for sex attack
A carer at a former children's home was jailed for two years yesterday for sexually attacking teenage girls, the Press Association reported.
Gordon Wateridge, nicknamed "the Perv" by his victims, carried out the attacks in the 1970s at the Haut de la Garenne children's home in Jersey.
The 78-year-old, described as a "persistent sexual bully" during his trial last month, was found guilty of eight charges of indecent assault and one charge of assault at Jersey's Royal Court.
Youngsters sent to the home were vulnerable and suffered from a variety of problems. But Wateridge, then in his 40s, failed in his obligation to look after them, the court heard.
He would grope girls' breasts, kiss them on the neck and, in one instance,forced his hand inside a victim's underwear.
Wateridge, who was born in Croydon,south London, was the first person to be charged in connection with a historic child abuse investigation on the island.
One victim repeatedly broke down in tears in court as she recalled how Wateridge would regularly lean out and grab her and other girls as they walked past the home's snooker table.
The woman, who was taken into the home after her father unexpectedly died,said Wateridge would push her on to the snooker table and grope her breasts and inner thighs.
"It wasn't right ... I was a girl of 13 or 14, he was a big man, I would be shouting at him to stop," she said.
Passing sentence yesterday, Judge Christopher Pitchers said:"What he did was rightly described in the trial as sexual bullying." It was true, he added, that the acts carried out by Wateridge were at the "lower end" of the sentencing guidelines.
He said:"They were vulnerable because they were children and because they were placed in the home without the support of a loving family. They were entitled to expect care, love and kindness but in fact they received sexual bullying and unkindness."
Gordon Wateridge, nicknamed "the Perv" by his victims, carried out the attacks in the 1970s at the Haut de la Garenne children's home in Jersey.
The 78-year-old, described as a "persistent sexual bully" during his trial last month, was found guilty of eight charges of indecent assault and one charge of assault at Jersey's Royal Court.
Youngsters sent to the home were vulnerable and suffered from a variety of problems. But Wateridge, then in his 40s, failed in his obligation to look after them, the court heard.
He would grope girls' breasts, kiss them on the neck and, in one instance,forced his hand inside a victim's underwear.
Wateridge, who was born in Croydon,south London, was the first person to be charged in connection with a historic child abuse investigation on the island.
One victim repeatedly broke down in tears in court as she recalled how Wateridge would regularly lean out and grab her and other girls as they walked past the home's snooker table.
The woman, who was taken into the home after her father unexpectedly died,said Wateridge would push her on to the snooker table and grope her breasts and inner thighs.
"It wasn't right ... I was a girl of 13 or 14, he was a big man, I would be shouting at him to stop," she said.
Passing sentence yesterday, Judge Christopher Pitchers said:"What he did was rightly described in the trial as sexual bullying." It was true, he added, that the acts carried out by Wateridge were at the "lower end" of the sentencing guidelines.
He said:"They were vulnerable because they were children and because they were placed in the home without the support of a loving family. They were entitled to expect care, love and kindness but in fact they received sexual bullying and unkindness."
Illegal stimulant upgraded to type-1 drug
The Food and Drug Administration has reclassified the illicit stimulant dimethylamphetamine a type-1 drug in an effort to arrest its growing popularity.
The stimulant is related to methamphetamine but has a reduced effect.
The addictive drug was previously classified a type-2 drug, which carried a jail sentence of up to 20 years under the Narcotics Act for anyone caught smuggling it. The smuggling of type-1 drugs carries the death penalty.
The FDA has upgraded the classification of dimethylamphetamine to match methamphetamine, mainly due to the increase in smuggling of the drug.
The suggestion to elevate its classification to type-1 was made by the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, FDA secretary-general Pipat Yingseree said.
"We have to keep seeking ways to stamp out new trends in the smuggling of drugs," he said.
"Drug dealers were switching from trading in methamphetamine to dimethylamphetamine mainly because of the lenient penalties."
Mr Pipat said the drug's mild effect,compared with methamphetamine, also enabled dealers to sell more.
Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai has approved a ministerial regulation classifying dimethylamphetamine as a type-1 drug.
Its enforcement is expected to take effect within 180 days after its publication in the Royal Gazette, he said.
Kobkul Chantavaro, an adviser to the ONCB, said traces of dimethylamphetamine have occasionally been found in ice, or crystal methamphetamine.
The stimulant is related to methamphetamine but has a reduced effect.
The addictive drug was previously classified a type-2 drug, which carried a jail sentence of up to 20 years under the Narcotics Act for anyone caught smuggling it. The smuggling of type-1 drugs carries the death penalty.
The FDA has upgraded the classification of dimethylamphetamine to match methamphetamine, mainly due to the increase in smuggling of the drug.
The suggestion to elevate its classification to type-1 was made by the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, FDA secretary-general Pipat Yingseree said.
"We have to keep seeking ways to stamp out new trends in the smuggling of drugs," he said.
"Drug dealers were switching from trading in methamphetamine to dimethylamphetamine mainly because of the lenient penalties."
Mr Pipat said the drug's mild effect,compared with methamphetamine, also enabled dealers to sell more.
Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai has approved a ministerial regulation classifying dimethylamphetamine as a type-1 drug.
Its enforcement is expected to take effect within 180 days after its publication in the Royal Gazette, he said.
Kobkul Chantavaro, an adviser to the ONCB, said traces of dimethylamphetamine have occasionally been found in ice, or crystal methamphetamine.
Foreigners accused of B50m jewellery theft
Three foreigners have been arrested and accused of stealing diamond jewellery worth 50 million baht from an exhibition in Bangkok at the weekend.
The three suspects allegedly stole the jewellery from a booth at the 44th Bangkok Gem and Jewelry Fair held at the Muang Thong Thani convention and exhibition centre on Saturday.
They are Daransa Waren Singh Ca-manro,22, of Peru, and Matinev Alexis,29, and Borotiros Casanida Jinee, 54,both of Mexico.
Officers from Provincial Police Region 1 took the three into custody in Pattaya yesterday as they were about to return a car to a rental firm.
A police source said the three colluded with two others to carry out the theft from Aphiwat Tiyasuksawat,25.
The theft allegedly took place as Mr Aphiwat was away and only his mother,Sopha, was staffing the booth.
The stolen items included 60 diamond rings,10 pairs of diamond earrings, eight bracelets and five diamond pendants.
The suspects, who were found carrying fake passports, entered Thailand from Malaysia through Sadao district in Songkhla province.
The other two suspects were seen boarding a bus for Sadao in a bid to flee into Malaysia with the jewellery, police said.
The three suspects allegedly stole the jewellery from a booth at the 44th Bangkok Gem and Jewelry Fair held at the Muang Thong Thani convention and exhibition centre on Saturday.
They are Daransa Waren Singh Ca-manro,22, of Peru, and Matinev Alexis,29, and Borotiros Casanida Jinee, 54,both of Mexico.
Officers from Provincial Police Region 1 took the three into custody in Pattaya yesterday as they were about to return a car to a rental firm.
A police source said the three colluded with two others to carry out the theft from Aphiwat Tiyasuksawat,25.
The theft allegedly took place as Mr Aphiwat was away and only his mother,Sopha, was staffing the booth.
The stolen items included 60 diamond rings,10 pairs of diamond earrings, eight bracelets and five diamond pendants.
The suspects, who were found carrying fake passports, entered Thailand from Malaysia through Sadao district in Songkhla province.
The other two suspects were seen boarding a bus for Sadao in a bid to flee into Malaysia with the jewellery, police said.
CSD opens inquiry into missing pair
Relatives of a businessman and a newspaper reporter in Nakhon Ratchasima have asked the Crime Suppression Division to investigate their suspected abduction.
The disappearance of the pair is believed to be linked to a senior police officer.
Ananwat Atthanapol,45, who is involved in a direct sales business, and reporter Naret Yuwarat are believed to have been abducted by their rivals in a court case.
Mr Ananwat's nephew, Pasakorn Punnampet, said the people he suspected of abducting the pair might be connected with a senior police officer in the province who is involved in the case.
The pair have been missing since Sept 9 after appearing at Nakhon Ratchasima Municipal Court where Mr Ananwat was facing an embezzlement charge,Mr Pasakorn said.
Mr Pasakorn said he lodged a complaint with the CSD because he was unhappy with the progress of a previous complaint filed with police in the province. He said he suspected there might be irregularities in the case and wanted the CSD's help.
The person who accused Mr Ananwat of embezzlement is reportedly a friend of a police officer with a rank of colonel in Police Region 3, covering the lower Northeast, according to the complaint.
"My uncle [Mr Ananwat] had told me before his disappearance a senior police officer handling the robbery case threatened to kill him if he didn't submit to the charge," Mr Pasakorn said.
Mr Ananwat made an appointment on Sept 9 with his lawyer at a shopping mall. While he went to withdraw money from an ATM, someone phoned him,and he left the mall.
His lawyer said passers-by told him he was forced into a car by a group of men who looked like "plain-clothes police".
The disappearance of the pair is believed to be linked to a senior police officer.
Ananwat Atthanapol,45, who is involved in a direct sales business, and reporter Naret Yuwarat are believed to have been abducted by their rivals in a court case.
Mr Ananwat's nephew, Pasakorn Punnampet, said the people he suspected of abducting the pair might be connected with a senior police officer in the province who is involved in the case.
The pair have been missing since Sept 9 after appearing at Nakhon Ratchasima Municipal Court where Mr Ananwat was facing an embezzlement charge,Mr Pasakorn said.
Mr Pasakorn said he lodged a complaint with the CSD because he was unhappy with the progress of a previous complaint filed with police in the province. He said he suspected there might be irregularities in the case and wanted the CSD's help.
The person who accused Mr Ananwat of embezzlement is reportedly a friend of a police officer with a rank of colonel in Police Region 3, covering the lower Northeast, according to the complaint.
"My uncle [Mr Ananwat] had told me before his disappearance a senior police officer handling the robbery case threatened to kill him if he didn't submit to the charge," Mr Pasakorn said.
Mr Ananwat made an appointment on Sept 9 with his lawyer at a shopping mall. While he went to withdraw money from an ATM, someone phoned him,and he left the mall.
His lawyer said passers-by told him he was forced into a car by a group of men who looked like "plain-clothes police".
Meeting turns to mayhem as tempers flare
A meeting on the reassignment of senior police officers has erupted into a heated argument, forcing its closure after just 90 minutes.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who chaired the Police Commission's qualifications screening board yesterday in his position as acting prime minister, refused to allow the meeting to continue because of the arguments.
Deputy police chief Priewpan Damapong said after the meeting the screening board members had been unable to reach an agreement on the reshuffle list.
Other members of the board included Pol Gens Wongkot Suthep: No Maneerin, Wirot agreement Phaholwech,Chumpol Manmai, Jongrak Juthanond,Watcharapol Prasarnratchakit and Pateep Tanprasert.
The meeting yesterday considered the reshuffle list of police generals below the rank of national police chief proposed by acting police chief Thanee Somboonsap.
Pol Gen Watcharapol, who is also the police spokesman, said several Police Commission members suggested during the meeting that the reshuffle be considered after the government had appointed the new national police chief.
He said the board members all had different suggestions and Mr Suthep adjourned the meeting after failing to arrive at a consensus.
The Police Commission has yet to appoint a new police chief to succeed Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwon,who resigned after the the National Anti-Corruption Commission charged him with criminal and disciplinary offences over the Oct 7 protest crackdown.
Pol Gen Thanee, who is to retire at the end of this month, has been serving as acting police chief.
Pol Gen Watcharapol said board member Pol Gen Pichit Khuantechakup, a police affairs expert, was the first to suggest that the reshuffle of
the police generals be done after the appointment of the national police chief.
Pol Gen Pichit's suggestion won support from several other Pichit: Supports board mempolice reshuffle bers including AttorneyGeneral Chaikasem Nitisiri, Pol Capt Purachai Piumsombun, Pol Lt Gen Amnuay Ditthakawee and Pol Gen Bunpen Bampen.
Consequently, Mr Suthep decided to adjourn the meeting, Pol Gen Watcharapol said.
Mr Suthep said all of the senior police officers had agreed the reshuffle should be concluded by the end of this month.
But it did not matter if that could not be achieved, he said.
Police sources yesterday speculated Mr Suthep had decided to adjourn the heated meeting because he and his allies were unhappy with the reshuffle list.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who chaired the Police Commission's qualifications screening board yesterday in his position as acting prime minister, refused to allow the meeting to continue because of the arguments.
Deputy police chief Priewpan Damapong said after the meeting the screening board members had been unable to reach an agreement on the reshuffle list.
Other members of the board included Pol Gens Wongkot Suthep: No Maneerin, Wirot agreement Phaholwech,Chumpol Manmai, Jongrak Juthanond,Watcharapol Prasarnratchakit and Pateep Tanprasert.
The meeting yesterday considered the reshuffle list of police generals below the rank of national police chief proposed by acting police chief Thanee Somboonsap.
Pol Gen Watcharapol, who is also the police spokesman, said several Police Commission members suggested during the meeting that the reshuffle be considered after the government had appointed the new national police chief.
He said the board members all had different suggestions and Mr Suthep adjourned the meeting after failing to arrive at a consensus.
The Police Commission has yet to appoint a new police chief to succeed Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwon,who resigned after the the National Anti-Corruption Commission charged him with criminal and disciplinary offences over the Oct 7 protest crackdown.
Pol Gen Thanee, who is to retire at the end of this month, has been serving as acting police chief.
Pol Gen Watcharapol said board member Pol Gen Pichit Khuantechakup, a police affairs expert, was the first to suggest that the reshuffle of
the police generals be done after the appointment of the national police chief.
Pol Gen Pichit's suggestion won support from several other Pichit: Supports board mempolice reshuffle bers including AttorneyGeneral Chaikasem Nitisiri, Pol Capt Purachai Piumsombun, Pol Lt Gen Amnuay Ditthakawee and Pol Gen Bunpen Bampen.
Consequently, Mr Suthep decided to adjourn the meeting, Pol Gen Watcharapol said.
Mr Suthep said all of the senior police officers had agreed the reshuffle should be concluded by the end of this month.
But it did not matter if that could not be achieved, he said.
Police sources yesterday speculated Mr Suthep had decided to adjourn the heated meeting because he and his allies were unhappy with the reshuffle list.
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