A Vietnamese diplomat was caught by a news crew smuggling rhino horns in South Africa. From Bloomberg News: ietnam recalled a diplomat from its embassy in South Africa after a television program allegedly showed her trafficking rhino horn, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The employee was filmed by the South African Broadcasting Corporation talking to an [...]

The US Treaury Deparment has placed 26 people and 17 companies from Myanmar on its frozen asset lists. From the AFP (via Google News): The US authorities said Thursday it had frozen the assets of 26 individuals and 17 firms tied to drug trafficking in Myanmar and prohibited US citizens from dealing with them. Targeted were those linked [...]

The Former President of Taiwan was detained by police for corruption. From the IHT: Chen Shui-bian, the former president of Taiwan, was detained by the police in Taipei on Tuesday after prosecutors sought his formal arrest on corruption and money laundering charges, according to Taipei television. Chen, who served as president from 2000 until earlier this year and headed [...]

A huge market in illegally trafficked animals exists in Thailand. From the AFP (via Google News): Thousands of tourists and locals throng the congested aisles of Bangkok’s popular Chatuchak market every weekend, hunting for everything from a new pair of shiny leather shoes to a puppy. But among the racks of caged creatures is an illegal trade in [...]

Warner Brothers will begin selling its movie as downloads in China in an attempt to stem piracy. From the LA Times: The studio struck a deal with Union Voole Technology in China to offer new movies, as well as those that have never been seen in Chinese theaters, at rental prices ranging from 60 cents to $1. [...]

From the AFP (via Google News); As deforestation and a loss of natural prey threatens Siamese crocodiles with extinction, the farms that once helped endanger the species are now helping save it, conservationists say. There are fewer than 50 Siamese crocodiles left in the wild in Thailand and about 200 in the entire Mekong river region, but [...]

United Nations Officials believe that the Taliban is hiding opium and preventing it from entering the world drug market to keep prices high. From Time Magazine: According to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, between 6,000 and 8,000 tons of opium have vanished during the past three years somewhere between the poppy fields of Afghanistan — [...]

Human Trafficking from China is the worst offender in Canada. From Canada.com: China, Romania, the Philippines and Moldova are the top four worst offenders in international human trafficking to Canada, according to the first national statistics on the extent of the crime in Canada. And the figure of 31 foreign nationals - four of them minor children - [...]

Computer users in China are upset at Microsoft for recent measures taken to curb piracy in the country. From the New York Times: The furor stemmed from an update to Windows XP Professional that Microsoft began offering users in China last week. The new version of WGA’s Notifications, the software that provides the messages and other on-screen [...]

The illegal trade in endangered species is increasing in Indonesia. From the AFP (via Google News): The illegal trade in endangered primates is increasing in Indonesia’s East Java province as traders market the animals in public, a conservation expert said Wednesday. Primates such as slow lorises and Javanese langurs can be bought on the street in Malang, according [...]