Trio not guilty of helping of helping 7/7 london bombers

Useful links to a couple of other articles. Not guilty of helping 7/7 bombers, but two of them convicted of conspiracy to attend a place used for terrorist training.

A Perfect Storm of Cybercrime

Quote from CEO of McAfee, via the Murdoch Times. The article admits that the purpose of the conference is to get us all to buy antivirus software. Bit short on analysis, but thats journalism, folks!

Torture? It probably killed more Americans than 9/11

Sort of book review of "How to Break a Terrorist". Applying police interview techniques rather than sadistic spook methods. Its an interesting article, suggesting that torture is counter-productive in many different ways.

Climate change protestors target Tesco with paint campaign

"We're the spikier version of climate rush"...one of those quotes that has to be here to stay! Apparently Tesco's was offering air miles for energy efficient light bulbs...who runs their marketing department? Jeremy Clarkson?

Brothels cut prices to beat the recession

Included because article has some estimates of revenue in it. Murdoch Press will sensationalise it tomorrow, I expect!

11 fully funded PhD scholarships in security and crime science

This just turned up on my gmail page. I hope I have readers out there who might want to find out more! Deadline 31st May

Car theft victims find bandits online

This is Russia...lose your car, go to the police, get laughed at, go to a website supposed to be run by thieves, get scammed. There was a similar website for stolen property in the UK, but I dont know what happened to it. The media never followed up the story...

'Ello, 'ello, 'ello. PC Porkiepie is on the case again

Rod Liddle, normally a Jeremy Clarkson soundalike has a bash at the Met. What interests me is this adoption of the left liberal clothing by commentators who are normally "vox populi". The comments are reasonably fair, and suddenly Blair Peach is a martyr too, even though back then the Rod Liddles were totally with the police. Why have they changed sides? How does it further the attack on Gordon Brown?

Hamas comes out of hiding

This from the New York Times.

Two held over 1 million euros drug seizure

Good old fashioned news from the Irish Times. No speculation, just the facts.

Obama Team Mulls aims of Somali Extremists

To attack al Shabab's camps in Southern Somalia or not to attack?

Child trafficking into Britain accelerating

Figures obtained by Guardian under Freedom of Information Act. Argument appears to be that more children are being taken into care and more are going missing from care. Not sure that the argument hangs together, but 957 "picked up by local authorities", 400 from Afghanistan and 200 from Africa, in the last 8 months of 2008. Journalism in this piece a bit sloppy.

Were police spies behind mass arrest of activists?

This is one of those events that make me uncomfortable. Have to see what pans out, but the great fear always was that these "terrorism" powers would be used against dissidents and on behalf of industrialists/private enterprise. Looks awfully like that in this case, but let's see who gets brought to court and for what. At least they aren't going to disappear....yet.

You are being lied to about pirates

Johann Hari continues a series of think pieces challenging orthodoxy.

Scotland Yard's top troubleshooter faces his biggest challenge

Some interesting thoughts about the tensions between the cultures of the Met, the former Special Branch and the intelligence services. Seems to suggest that "Counter Terrorist Command" has retained much of the old SB separatism, too. Doesnt get to grips with the intelligence services desire to be the lead agency. Times and Telegraph will give the intelligence services side shortly, I suspect!

Police feared "Al Qaeda terror attack" was planned for Easter

Chief Constable of Greater Manchester lets some information out, and denies most of the press speculation, but does say most of those arrested are Pakistani nationals in UK on student visas.

Serial Killers Working as Lorry Drivers Have Murdered 500 Women Across the USA

FBI has launched a Highway Serial killings database and found a pattern.

G20 Death. How Can We Trust the Police Now?

I was just thinking, better to run a critical piece on the police from the Telegraph rather than the Guardian...but it's not true any more. There's a Conservative dissatisfaction with the police that needs analysis. There's a hint towards the bottom. The experience of the Countryside Alliance demo in London left the shires in no doubt that the police are violent towards demonstrators. But there also seems to be a feeling that ACPO have got above themselves.

Liverpool Terror Alerts: Police foil Major Bomb Plot

From the Liverpool Echo. lots of pictures ans links to more. Probably the most exciting thing ever to happen at and in a University Library. Lots of anonymous officers around the country talking about plan for a big explosion. Poor old Bob Quick. It would have been his hour of glory!

Swiss hold "$150 million Nigeria bribes"

Nigeria's justice minister on bribery by Haliburton, the results of a US case, and the lack of prosecutions of the bribe-takers in Nigeria.

Police Chief quits over blunder

There have been coordinated raids on properties across the North of England and a number of arrests. Bob Quick, senior police officer in charge of counter-terrorism was photographed getting out of a car with a document visible giving details of the raids. He has now resigned, but the story goes off at a number of tangents. The most important one will be whether the raids had to be rushed and mistakes made as a result. Equally important is the question of whether a major al Qaeda inspired operation has been thwarted. Then there is the problem of the rights of photographers and media publishing of material, which will bring up the hoary old D-notice system. Finally, the Boris Johnson question will also arise. Who do senior Met officers give their resignation to? The Home Secretary or the Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority? There is also the question of why relations are so bad between senior police officers and the Tories, but that wont get a lot of discussion...

Somali pirates seize more vessels

5 vessels seized in quick succession

Gangsters guilty of wake murder

Gangsters here meaning "members of gang". Unpleasant story of murders, torture and drug dealing.

Relief matched by dismay as Zuma cleared

All to do with "the timing of the charges". Yet again, no court case...and thus no confidence in the judicial process or the will to bring corruption to court. Mind you, not many trials for corruption in the UK either...are there...

Net tightens on Insider Trading

We'll see. Its only the FSA that claims to be making enquiries...But to be fair...they just won their first case [yup, first ever]