[Naharnet] Four members of the LulzSec international hacking group were sentenced to prison terms in Britannia on Thursday for criminal masterminding cyber attacks on major global institutions, including Sony Pictures and the CIA.
Ryan Cleary, 21, Jake Davis, 20, Mustafa Al-Bassam, 18, and Ryan Ackroyd, 26, saw themselves as "latter-day pirates" when they carried out the attacks on organizations which also included Rupert Murdoch's top-selling British newspaper The Sun.
Cleary was tossed in the clink Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages! for 32 months, Ackroyd for 30 months and Davis for two years, while Al-Bassam was given a 20-month suspended sentence.
All four had admitted offences under the 1990 Computer Misuse Act.
The group were "hacktivists" with the LulzSec collective behind attacks that stole sensitive personal data such as emails, online passwords and credit card details.
LulzSec, an offshoot of the larger group Anonymous, existed from February to July 2011 and built up a huge international following, reaching 355,000 Twitter followers within two months.
They used social media and leaked details of attacks to journalists to further their quest of publicity, mainly through their chief publicist Davis.
The international group's most high profile attack involved the extensive breach of Sony Pictures' computer systems, which led to the personal data of thousands of Sony customers being posted online.
Sony lost details relating to 26.4 million customers in the attack which cost it £13 million (20 million dollars, 15 million euros), the court heard.
In June 2011 LulzSec took down the CIA.gov website in an attack criminal masterminded by Al-Bassam, and the following month visitors to The Sun's website were redirected to a spoof story about Murdoch committing suicide.
Britannia's National Health Service and Serious Organised Crime Agency were also victims of the group, who lived as far apart as London and the Shetland Islands, Britannia's most northerly outpost, and never met in person.
Stolen information was posted unencrypted on their website and file-sharing sites like Pirate Bay in 2011, the court had previously heard.
They also carried out distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, using linked networks of up to one million computers to overpower and crash websites.
The group's activity collectively cost their targets millions of dollars and potentially left millions of people at risk from criminals.
Andrew Hadik, lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the group's actions had been "cowardly and vindictive".
"Coordinating and carrying out these attacks from the safety of their own bedrooms may have made the group feel detached from the consequences of their actions," he said.
"They were in fact committing serious criminal offences for which they have been successfully prosecuted."
Sentencing the men at Southwark Crown Court in London, judge Deborah Taylor said some of their taunting of their victims made "chilling reading".
"You cared nothing for the privacy of others but did everything you could through your computer activities to hide your own identities while seeking publicity," she said.
[Naharnet] A new case of the deadly coronavirus has been detected in Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... where 15 people have already died after contracting it, the health ministry announced on Saturday on its Internet website.
"One new case of novel coronavirus recorded in the Eastern Region" where most of the kingdom's cases have been registered, said the ministry, which this week created a special web page dedicated to the outbreak.
"One case of coronavirus has been recorded in the Eastern Region, and he is now under the medical healthcare receiving the proper treatment," the web page in English reported.
The latest case takes to 31 the number of officially recorded cases of the virus in the oil-rich Gulf kingdom since September. Fifteen of those have died.
On Wednesday, the Geneva-based World Health Organisation reported that two Saudi health workers have contracted the deadly coronavirus from patients -- the first evidence of transmission in a hospital setting.
"This is the first time health care workers have been diagnosed with nCoV (novel coronavirus) infection after exposure to patients," the WHO said in a statement.
Since last September, the WHO says it has been informed of a global total of 40 laboratory confirmed cases of the virus, including 20 deaths.
While the virus has been deadliest in Saudi Arabia, cases have also been reported in Jordan, Qatar, Germany, Britannia and La Belle France, where two patients are now in hospital in the northern city of Lille.
The virus is a cousin of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which triggered a scare 10 years ago when it erupted in east Asia, leaping to humans from animal hosts and eventually killing some 800 people.
#2
this outbreak is different from the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak in several ways
- transmission vector includes bats (a number of species of these are native to saudiarabia)and bat poop rather than birds
- kills middle age people at high rates (the 2002-3003 SARS mostly killed people over 50)
-virus seems more robust isn't killed by sunlight
Posted by: lord garth ||
05/19/2013 9:25 Comments ||
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#3
I understand that it is so virulent and hits so hard so quick, that the chances of pandemic is much lower - ironically, it's too deadly
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/19/2013 12:07 Comments ||
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#4
This ain't good - if this thing gets loose during a hajj....I don't care what we think of Islamic militants, but given the Islamic distaste for modern science we could end up seeing the worst pandemic in roughly a hundred years.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
05/19/2013 12:15 Comments ||
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#5
Scary part is that it was transmitted to the nurses. If it requires full isolation, then treatment availability drops massively because there are limited numbers of such facilities and equipment.
The Afghan parliament yesterday cut off debate on a bill to protect women from violence after complaints from some traditionalist MPs that it was against Muslim teaching.
The Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) law, which was passed by a presidential decree in 2009, is seen as a landmark piece of legislation demonstrating progress since the fall of the Taliban. But ratification was postponed after several MPs said the bill was against sharia law.
Abdul Sattar Khawasi, a conservative MP from Parwan province, said, "This law is just a government project, it is against sharia... we need to discuss more about this and remove articles that are against Islam."
During a boisterous debate, some lawmakers shouted that child marriage, made illegal by the bill, should not be a crime. However, there were also strong supporters of the law during yesterday's curtailed session in parliament.
Takhar province MP Mariam Kofi said, "This bill was signed into effect after enormous efforts by women, this law is to defend the rights of poor women in towns and villages. We are hopeful of getting it passed finally. If it is not passed, it would be a disaster to all Afghan women.... For us it is signed by president and it is a law already."
President Hamid Karzai's spokesman, Aimal Faizi, told reporters that Karzai would not interfere in parliamentary affairs but suggested that the palace was trying to boost support for the bill.
He said, "It is up to them to pass it or not to pass it, but the president has recently met with representatives of women and civil society. They have discussed these concerns that the women have in regard to this bill and what kind of support we can get from within the parliament."
The Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) bill is already officially law, but many women's rights supporters fear that conservative MPs could insist on adding amendments, or even try to throw it out completely.
#1
The article is confusing. It says the EVAW is already the law and also says the EVAW is not the law.
Here are some things left out. Soon after Karzai became Prez, a series of laws were passed that gave women significantly more rights than under the Taliban. However, since that time, these rights have been eroding. In 2012, Karzai issued something like an exec order which eliminated a lot of the remainder of the woman's rights.
Posted by: lord garth ||
05/19/2013 0:28 Comments ||
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[Naharnet] Armed men raided several houses in a town in the northeastern Central African Republic, leaving six people dead, a military official told Agence La Belle France Presse Saturday.
"The assailants arrived in several cars and fired shots as they entered the town, so residents fled," said the official of the attack in Bouca, 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of the capital Bangui, on Friday.
"Then they headed to the houses and began looting. Six bodies were found after the attack."
There were also several maimed.
The attack in Bouca, which had been taken over by Seleka rebels in February. was not immediately confirmed by other official sources.
The rebels seized power in a coup in March ousting president Francois Bozize.
The security situation in the already unstable nation remains volatile, with pillaging and sporadic attacks still not brought under control.
H/T Instapundit
All of we Brits of a certain age remember the film. Richard Todd coolly leading his elite squadron of Lancaster bombers into attack the Mohne, Eder, and Sorpe dams. British stiff-upper lip and brilliant "bouncing bomb" technology combining against the backdrop of a stirring but peculiarly 1950s soundtrack to deal the Nazis a crippling blow. Seventy years ago today the Dambusters of 617 Squadron undertook the actual "dams raid" and in spite of many politically correct attempts to 'revise' history, the attack remains one of the most stunning precision air strikes in military history.
The facts alone speak for themselves. Twenty-four-year-old Wing Commander Guy Gibson VC, DSO (Bar), DFC (Bar), RAF, a veteran of over 170 missions, led the nineteen Lancaster Mark IIIs in his bomber G for George. His 'Lancs' were armed with Professor Barnes Wallace's amazing Upkeep 'mine'which was designed to bounce across the lakes behind the German dams before rolling down the dam face and exploding. Upkeep had been inspired by pebbles skipping across a pond.
Early in the morning of 17 May the Mohne and Eder dams were breached and water catastrophically-flooded the Ruhr and Eder valleys. Some 1600 people were killed and many factories were destroyed or damaged together with two hydro-electric plants. Of the 133 airmen who took part in the raid 53 were killed.
This was World War Two -- total war.
Strangely the raid has touched me personally. A couple of years ago I had the honor to visit 617 "Dambusters" Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. Not only do I have a picture of me posing (no other word for it) in a 617 Squadron Tornado fighter-bomber but I recall the fascinating squadron museum.
Ironically, seventy years ago had I been sitting at this seat at around 0030 hours the 9 aircraft of Formation One would have roared over my house no more than 25 meters (80 feet) above my head. The Dambusters flew over Alphen en route to the dams and the whole village was awakened by the low-flying cacophony of 36 Rolls-Royce Merlin engines.
Furthermore, Formation Three was comprised of two Lancasters which formed a mobile reserve one of which (S for Sugar) was shot up by German flak over Molenschot some five kilometers from here and then crashed onto the German airbase at Gilze-Rijen just up the road. Earlier this year my wife and I visited the graves of Pilot Officer Lewis and his crew which are interred in the Bergen-op-Zoom British-Canadian Commonwealth War Grave.
Although not connected with the dams raid three weeks ago my wife and I had the very real pleasure of lunch with Group Captain Steve Reeves and his wife Michelle at RAF Leeming. This was following our discovery of another crash site close to our house where a Royal Canadian Air Force Halifax II (JD363) of 429 Squadron RCAF had crashed. Piloted by Flight Sergeant Graham Howard the Halifax had crashed in October 1943 with the loss of all seven members of its Canadian and British crew. The site at Bolk, Belgium has been both marked and preserved by local people and my wife and I had the honor to present my wife's photograph of the monument to Group Captain Reeves at RAF Leeming. What moved me to take this photograph back to Leeming was the fact that last year I had the honor to address senior RAF personnel at the base (and fly an RAF aircraft -- yes, really!). Movingly, I ate my meals in the same mess (dining room) as the men of JD363 shortly before they left on their final mission.
So what was the impact of the dams raid? There have been many attempts to downplay it. Certainly, the Germans moved quickly to repair the damage and by the following September the lakes were once again filling, although the dams never achieved full capacity until the following year. However, slave labor had to be diverted from the building of the Atlantic Wall and this meant that by June 1944 and D-Day the defenses were weaker than they would have been.
Moreover, the British had proven they could undertake precision strike missions and armed with new bombs designed by Barnes Wallace '617' went onto destroy critical bridges and tunnels before sinking the German battleship Tirpitz.
Time of course moves on and this week I had the honor of leading a NATO-backed meeting at Wilton Park with my friends from the German armed forces, including the Luftwaffe. That of course is the most important historical twist and I am sure the men of 617 Squadron would have heartily approved.
#1
A drama-documentary of the building and bouncing bomb test is available on Hulu. Long, slow and typical British 'stiff upper lip' acting with poor dialogue and editing, but a thrilling story all the same.
The St. George's flag will not be flying over Radstock any time soon after town councillors decided it was not appropriate because of its ties to military campaigns against Islam hundreds of years ago.
The town council decided to not to buy a St GeorgeÂ’s flag after a discussion about repairs to the civic flagpole to ensure a Union Jack could be flown on Armistice Day.
Labour Councillor Eleanor Jackson, a university lecturer and teacher, said its use during the Crusades could mean England's national flag could be seen by some as offensive. She added, "My big problem is that it is offensive to some Muslims but even more so that it has been hijacked by the far right. My thoughts are we ought to drop it for 20 years."
She suggested the Union flag was a more inclusive and acceptable way to display national pride.
John Clements, vice-president of national patriotic group the Royal Society of St George, called the decision "nonsense" and said "censoring" of the national flag played into the hands of the far right.
Nasima Begum, a spokeswoman for the Muslim Council of Britain, said it encouraged the flying of the St George's flag. She said, "St. George needs to take his rightful place as a national symbol of inclusivity rather than a symbol of hatred. St George actually lived before the birth of Islam and should not be associated with any hatred of Muslims."
#2
If it's offensive to hypersensitive Muslims because of what happened hundreds of years ago, I'd suggest you get a great big frigging offensive flag and fly it daily. Call it cultural therapy
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/19/2013 12:19 Comments ||
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#3
It's worse than that..
~she didn't even bother to ask anyone if she found her own countries flag ( the one she's an employee of!) if it was insulting.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
05/19/2013 15:48 Comments ||
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#6
I'm sure some Germans are unhappy with it too due to the extensive bombing of their country from '43-'45. Of course, like the Mussies, the events before that, be that the bombing of England '40-'42 or the conquest of Byzantine Palestine, would seem to evade them.
He grew up dirt poor in Israel, according to his reality show, so has a different perspective on the subject.
Legendary rock legend Gene Simmons triggered outrage in Australia earlier this month when he made anti-Muslim comments on a radio program in Melbourne.
He said on 3AW radio, "This is a vile culture and if you think for a second that it's willing to just live in the sands of God's armpit, you've got another thing coming."
"They want to come and live right where you live and they think that you're evil. Extremism believes that it's okay to strap bombs onto your children and send them to paradise and whatever else and to behead people," the Kiss bassist continued.
Simmons, who was in Australia on tour, continued his anti-Muslim rant for over a minute saying that dogs were treated better than Muslim women, and implying that the West was threatened.
He said, "Your dog, however, can walk side by side, your dog is allowed to have its own dog house... You can send your dog to school to learn tricks, sit, beg, do all that stuff - none of the women have that advantage."
Simmons added that the UN approach was not effective, suggesting that the West should "speak softly and carry a big stick."
Simmons has since defended his comments, saying "I was asked about extremists, and that's what I was talking about -- only extremists."
His apology has not satisfied Australia's Muslim community, however. After Simmons' appearance, the station received calls from several angry listeners. One of those callers was Australian Muslim of the year, Susan Carland.
Carland explained that Muslims in Australia rejected extremism and did not fit Simmons unfortunate stereotype, claiming that she has two degrees and "certainly do not walk behind my husband."
Another noteworthy caller was Chairman of the Islamic Council of Victoria Yasser Soliman, who worried about Simmons' influence. Soliman said, "He's very famous obviously and popular and, as a result, influential. Mixing the entertainment world with the political and religious world is a minefield.
"I think it would be good for overseas speakers and commentators to be given some sort of advice in regards to our vilification laws here. They leave and go back to where they arrived from, but they leave behind a big mess that we have to live with."
Soliman said that Simmons comments were not only offensive, but also inaccurate. He said, "A number of his claims regarding women and what they are allowed to do and not do are wrong -- Islam teaches the opposite."
IMO, the explanation is Before his musical career began, Simmons worked a variety of jobs in the New York City area.
...While he played in these bands, [but before his musical career took off] he kept up odd jobs on the side to make more money, including trading used comic books.
#3
Muslim leaders last visited Auschwitz in 2011 as part of an inter-faith delegation including a hundred Jewish and Christian leaders from the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
I wish I could say that seemed to make a difference.
Posted by: Bobby ||
05/19/2013 7:34 Comments ||
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#4
SteveS, they don't need inspiration. What they're looking for is practical expertise.
[Naharnet] Pakistain is set to become the fifth Asian country to use China's domestic satellite navigation system which was launched as a rival to the U.S. global positioning system, a report said Saturday.
Place yer bets, ladies and gents! Place yer bets on when it'll fall out of the sky!
The Beidou, or Compass, system started providing services to civilians in the region in December and is expected to provide global coverage by 2020. It also has military applications.
Golly, what a surprise that is!
Thailand, China, Laos and Brunei already use the Chinese system, which currently consists of 16 operational satellites, with 30 more due to join the system, according to English-language China Daily.
Huang Lei, international business director of BDStar Navigation, which promotes Beidou, told the newspaper the company would build a network of stations in Pakistain to enhance the location accuracy of Beidou.
He said building the network would cost tens of millions of dollars.
Money to be provided by whom? 'Cause Pakistan is basically broke.
American website Defensenews.com reported early May that Pak military experts were in favor of using the Chinese system, even though the availability of the signal could not be guaranteed in case of conflict.
But according to one of them, Pakistain cannot place its trust in the United States.
"Pakistain's armed forces cannot rely on U.S. GPS because of its questionable availability during a conflict that has overtones of nuclear escalation," former Pakistain Air Force pilot Kaiser Tufail told the site.
And don't y'all forget it.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang travels next week to Pakistain, a long time ally, after a visit to India.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
05/19/2013 01:40 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11125 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
#1
Me thinks they are getting ready to do major jamming of GPS.
[Naharnet] A Paleostinian youth was killed when a tunnel linking Egypt to the Gazoo Strip collapsed on Saturday, Paleostinian medical sources said.
"Mussa Ghonaim, 26 years old, was killed in the tunnel collapse south of the town of Rafah," the sources said.
In February, the Islamist movement Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason,, which governs Gazoo, closed hundreds of tunnels used for smuggling in Rafah, which straddles the border between Egypt and the coastal enclave.
The tunnels have been a lifeline for the flow of food, clothes, building materials and fuel into the impoverished territory, which Israel has blockaded since 2006.
Except that, see above, it is Hamas and, as mentioned yesterday, the Egyptians who are now blockading those impoverished sons of Arabs.
#1
random cells were supposed to be made with either bio, chem, rad or pollution sensors by some international agreements a decade ago. Good to see them start showing up.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The Afghan parliament yesterday cut off debate on a bill to protect women from violence after complaints from some traditionalist MPs that it was against Muslim teaching.
The St. George's flag will not be flying over Radstock any time soon after town councillors decided it was not appropriate because of its ties to military campaigns against Islam hundreds of years ago.
Legendary rock legend Gene Simmons triggered outrage in Australia earlier this month when he made anti-Muslim comments on a radio program in Melbourne. 
