A leader of a gang of pirates in the waters of Somalia claims that conditions of poverty will always motivate the pirates. From CNN: Somalis are so desperate to survive that attacks on merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean will not stop, a pirate leader promises. “The pirates are living between life and [...]

White extremists groups are upset over the election of Barack Obama as US President. From the LA Times: Barely three weeks since America elected its first black president, noose hangings, racist graffiti and death threats have struck dozens of towns across the country. More than 200 such incidents — including cross burnings, assassination betting pools and effigies of [...]

The New York Times writes about the killing of an Israeli Mobster last week. From the NY Times: The Alperon hit had dominated the news for days. A narrow strip of a country, Israel has a limited pool of celebrities. So when Mr. Alperon, referred to by many as Israel’s Tony Soprano, was killed at 54, the [...]

Loan sharks in Italy are booming with business as people take out loans at high rates to deal with the economic downturn. From the Chicago Tribune: The worldwide economic downturn has opened the door for loan sharks to burrow ever deeper into Italy’s vulnerable economy by preying on businesses that need quick cash and credit, according to [...]

As pirates continue to hold hostages off the coast of Somalia, the process to pay out ransoms remains a tricky business for those paying. From the Guardian: The lesson from recent years in the Gulf of Aden is that piracy pays, and it is a lesson that has not been lost on the pirates. Piracy is big business [...]

US Government authorities are gaining steam in their ongoing battle against cybergangs. From USA Today: In what is shaping up as a breakthrough year, federal authorities have quietly cracked down on some of the biggest Internet crime rings. Secret Service and FBI operations since January have broken up a huge forum for stolen credit cards and shut down the world’s [...]

According to Israeli Officials, Hamas is solidifying its hold on the smuggling tunnels in the Gaza strip. From the Jerusalem Post: Sixteen months after assuming full control over the Gaza Strip, Hamas appears to be stronger than ever - largely thanks to the growing number of tunnels that are used to smuggle goods and weapons under the [...]

Organized Crime in Canada is branching out into various activities to increase its revenue. From the Vancouver Sun: Organized criminals in Canada still rely on the drug trade for profits, but are branching out into all kinds of new illegal businesses, RCMP Commissioner William Elliott said Wednesday. Elliott told the Vancouver Board of Trade that some members of [...]

According to a business group in Italy, the Mafia is the biggest business in Italy. From ABC News: Organized crime is the biggest business in Italy, according to the latest study by the country’s shopkeepers association, Confesercenti. That Italy’s mafias do a booming business, particularly the drug-related variety, is common knowledge. But the effect on the country’s legitimate [...]

Cybergangs who commit attacks on the Internet are creating more powerful methods of attacks, according to security researchers. From the IHT: Attackers bent on shutting down large Web sites — even the operators that run the backbone of the Internet — are arming themselves with what are effectively vast digital fire hoses capable of overwhelming the world’s [...]