With so many big news stories breaking last week perhaps we should spend a few minutes looking again at the most important from the last seven days
Swiss investigations into the state-owned 1MDB Fund in Malaysia has found numerous irregularities with some unexplained transfers to the private Swiss bank accounts of former Malaysian public officials as well as to some in the United Arab Emirates. Michael Lauber, Swiss Attorney General, is quoted as saying there were “Serious indications that funds have been misappropriated from Malaysian state companies.” In total the fund is said to be missing some $4bn and investigations continue.
Following the executive action taken by President Obama to place new tighter restrictions on the purchase of firearms in the US, a country that already has 88.8 guns for every 100 citizens, 270 million total, some three weeks ago the social media giants Facebook and Instagram have taken action to prevent private gun sales on their platforms. Whilst official gun dealing businesses can continue to use their services the numerous private gun sales that are facilitated on the sites are now banned.
In the US research into the treatment of Cancer at the Massachusetts General Hospital conducted by Dr. Torunn Yock has revealed that the once controversial therapy using Proton Beam technology that is used to treat some children shows a rate of effectiveness in line with that displayed by use of traditional Photon (X-ray) treatments only with the benefit of not having quite as much of a toxic effect on the heart and lungs of the patients. This research shows Proton beam therapy is now a real alternative.
In sport Angelique Kerber won the Australian Open beating Serena Williams 6-4 3-6 6-4 in Melbourne and becoming the first German to win a major singles title on the Tennis calendar since Steffi Graf last century. Her victory moves her up to No.2 in the world rankings, but can she take the top spot from Serena? You’ll have to read our daily news pages to find out, but in the meantime lets revisit some of the big news stories that we covered from around the world over the course of the last seven days.
1. Cam Newton & co. are the favourites to win the NFL final against the Denver Broncos after the Conference Finals.
2. Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer set up a semi-final against each other at the 2016 Australian Open.
3. The world’s current No. 1 tennis player thrashed the former No. 1 in their semi-final at the Australian Open.
4. Bet365 Casino has launched the biggest Slots Giveaway promotion for February with a £1,000,000 prize pool.
Meanwhile Greek football teams AEL Larissa and Acharnaikos staged a protest after the whistle had been blown in their match last week, with all the players, coaching staff and substitutes retaining their positions, not playing the ball and sitting down. An announcement made to the crowd said the 2 minutes silence would be “in memory of the hundreds of children who continue to lose their lives everyday in the Aegian” referring to the many deaths amongst immigrants attempting to reach the EU.
With so many big news stories breaking last week perhaps we should spend a few minutes looking again at the most important from the last seven days
Swiss investigations into the state-owned 1MDB Fund in Malaysia has found numerous irregularities with some unexplained transfers to the private Swiss bank accounts of former Malaysian public officials as well as to some in the United Arab Emirates. Michael Lauber, Swiss Attorney General, is quoted as saying there were “Serious indications that funds have been misappropriated from Malaysian state companies.” In total the fund is said to be missing some $4bn and investigations continue.
Following the executive action taken by President Obama to place new tighter restrictions on the purchase of firearms in the US, a country that already has 88.8 guns for every 100 citizens, 270 million total, some three weeks ago the social media giants Facebook and Instagram have taken action to prevent private gun sales on their platforms. Whilst official gun dealing businesses can continue to use their services the numerous private gun sales that are facilitated on the sites are now banned.
In the US research into the treatment of Cancer at the Massachusetts General Hospital conducted by Dr. Torunn Yock has revealed that the once controversial therapy using Proton Beam technology that is used to treat some children shows a rate of effectiveness in line with that displayed by use of traditional Photon (X-ray) treatments only with the benefit of not having quite as much of a toxic effect on the heart and lungs of the patients. This research shows Proton beam therapy is now a real alternative.
In sport Angelique Kerber won the Australian Open beating Serena Williams 6-4 3-6 6-4 in Melbourne and becoming the first German to win a major singles title on the Tennis calendar since Steffi Graf last century. Her victory moves her up to No.2 in the world rankings, but can she take the top spot from Serena? You’ll have to read our daily news pages to find out, but in the meantime lets revisit some of the big news stories that we covered from around the world over the course of the last seven days.
1. Cam Newton & co. are the favourites to win the NFL final against the Denver Broncos after the Conference Finals.
2. Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer set up a semi-final against each other at the 2016 Australian Open.
3. The world’s current No. 1 tennis player thrashed the former No. 1 in their semi-final at the Australian Open.
4. Bet365 Casino has launched the biggest Slots Giveaway promotion for February with a £1,000,000 prize pool.
Meanwhile Greek football teams AEL Larissa and Acharnaikos staged a protest after the whistle had been blown in their match last week, with all the players, coaching staff and substitutes retaining their positions, not playing the ball and sitting down. An announcement made to the crowd said the 2 minutes silence would be “in memory of the hundreds of children who continue to lose their lives everyday in the Aegian” referring to the many deaths amongst immigrants attempting to reach the EU.
Police revealed that Peter Foster scammed investors out of more than $10 million, in an international ponzi scheme.
The man allegedly ran a betting scheme called the Sports Trading Club, conning hundreds of Australian families. According to online gambling news, Foster told investors that he could make them a fortune through the sports betting site, an operation he ran from a hideout located in the Byron Bay area.
Using the alias Mark Hughes, the conman tricked his victims into giving him millions of dollars. Newspapers said he had raked in more than $10 million in the last few months alone, and he spent part of his illegal income on a yacht.
Police found several computers in Foster’s home office, as well as multiple mobile phones registered to different names. The equipment was all part of the plot.
The Age: Peter Foster implicated in international betting scam
Hundreds of investors could lose millions in an international betting scheme run by Peter Foster, following the notorious conman’s dramatic arrest at a luxury property near Byron Bay. The man was hiding from Australian authorities and it is believed he operated the Sports Trading Club from his hiding place.
Police raided his house on Tuesday afternoon and found six mobile phones, as well as several computers in his home office. Foster tried to flee but crashed into a neighbour’s fence and got tackled by a police officer. He allegedly tried to grab the officer’s gun and was charged with assaulting him.
The betting syndicate has offices in London, Sydney and Hong Kong, but Foster’s hideout is said to have played a key role in the operation. Sports Trading Club takes investments between $50,000 and $250,000 and places bets on sports scores, in major events around the world.
In June, the company’s UK communication manager, Patrick McMahon, told reporters that investors had received a 1900% return since January 2013. “We don’t gamble, we trade,” he said. “We make money out of other peoples’ mistakes. When one side gambles and the other trades, it is like owning the casino.”
In July, the trading company said it had gained $150 million by backing Germany to win the FIFA World Cup. It also scored a “multi-million-dollar win” by betting against Serena Williams and Novac Djokovic at the Australian Open.
Brisbane Times: Conman Peter Foster tracked for a month before arrest
Serial conman Peter Foster spent more than a year on the run before police finally arrested him in his hideout near Byron Bay. The conman had been wanted since September last year, when he failed to show up for his court date at Brisbane Federal Court. The judge found him guilty of contempt of court.
NSW Superintendent Stuart Wilkins told reporters: “We had information from the last month or so he was in and around the Byron Bay area but not a specific location so this is a good result all round. As the result of excellent community consultation and a group of people working together this person has been arrested and will be now going before courts.”
Foster, 52, is known for a series of weight loss product scams, including a nasal spray called Sensaslim. His most recent appearance in court was for breaching a previous order to stop selling these products. Over the past year, the man had been telling the media that he was in Fiji, even sending photos of himself relaxing in a chair and reading a newspaper printed in Fiji.
The police said they were not sure how long he had been hiding at the Ewingsdale property where he was caught and arrested this week. He was chased by local detectives and a TV camera crew before being tackled.
He was charged with assaulting police officers and resisting arrest, but Detective Senior Constable Gary Sheehan told reporters: “He did show a great deal of concern about his mother…but other than that he was quite cooperative. He was very cooperative, quite remorseful and, in fact, he actually apologized to me in the courtroom.”
Daily Telegraph: Con man Peter Foster pleads guilty to assault after grabbing detective’s gun
While authorities have their doubts about Peter Foster’s claim of looking after his ailing mother, the conman pleaded guilty of assaulting detectives during his arrest at Byron Bay. He was transported to the Arthur Gorrie prison in Brisbane.
Foster blamed his actions on the news crew’s “Rambo style” pursuit, and his solicitor said he had been “confused” after attempting to run away from the cameras and escape through a back gate.
“He had an adrenaline rush. He wanted to get away from the film crew,” solicitor Terry Fisher explained.
According to Fisher, Foster had been looking after his mother and living the life of a “monk” for the past 11 months. “He has effectively been living like a monk. He should have just blended in with the locals (in northern NSW). The fact that he’s separated from his mother is causing him a great deal of pain. That is ffecting him quite deeply,” he added.
On the other hand, Tweed-Byron Local Area Commander Superintendent Stuart Wilkins claimed that Foster had been living with a male friend. Authorities did not want to comment on the allegations that Foster was running an online betting operation.
Police revealed that Peter Foster scammed investors out of more than $10 million, in an international ponzi scheme.
The man allegedly ran a betting scheme called the Sports Trading Club, conning hundreds of Australian families. According to online gambling news, Foster told investors that he could make them a fortune through the sports betting site, an operation he ran from a hideout located in the Byron Bay area.
Using the alias Mark Hughes, the conman tricked his victims into giving him millions of dollars. Newspapers said he had raked in more than $10 million in the last few months alone, and he spent part of his illegal income on a yacht.
Police found several computers in Foster’s home office, as well as multiple mobile phones registered to different names. The equipment was all part of the plot.
The Age: Peter Foster implicated in international betting scam
Hundreds of investors could lose millions in an international betting scheme run by Peter Foster, following the notorious conman’s dramatic arrest at a luxury property near Byron Bay. The man was hiding from Australian authorities and it is believed he operated the Sports Trading Club from his hiding place.
Police raided his house on Tuesday afternoon and found six mobile phones, as well as several computers in his home office. Foster tried to flee but crashed into a neighbour’s fence and got tackled by a police officer. He allegedly tried to grab the officer’s gun and was charged with assaulting him.
The betting syndicate has offices in London, Sydney and Hong Kong, but Foster’s hideout is said to have played a key role in the operation. Sports Trading Club takes investments between $50,000 and $250,000 and places bets on sports scores, in major events around the world.
In June, the company’s UK communication manager, Patrick McMahon, told reporters that investors had received a 1900% return since January 2013. “We don’t gamble, we trade,” he said. “We make money out of other peoples’ mistakes. When one side gambles and the other trades, it is like owning the casino.”
In July, the trading company said it had gained $150 million by backing Germany to win the FIFA World Cup. It also scored a “multi-million-dollar win” by betting against Serena Williams and Novac Djokovic at the Australian Open.
Brisbane Times: Conman Peter Foster tracked for a month before arrest
Serial conman Peter Foster spent more than a year on the run before police finally arrested him in his hideout near Byron Bay. The conman had been wanted since September last year, when he failed to show up for his court date at Brisbane Federal Court. The judge found him guilty of contempt of court.
NSW Superintendent Stuart Wilkins told reporters: “We had information from the last month or so he was in and around the Byron Bay area but not a specific location so this is a good result all round. As the result of excellent community consultation and a group of people working together this person has been arrested and will be now going before courts.”
Foster, 52, is known for a series of weight loss product scams, including a nasal spray called Sensaslim. His most recent appearance in court was for breaching a previous order to stop selling these products. Over the past year, the man had been telling the media that he was in Fiji, even sending photos of himself relaxing in a chair and reading a newspaper printed in Fiji.
The police said they were not sure how long he had been hiding at the Ewingsdale property where he was caught and arrested this week. He was chased by local detectives and a TV camera crew before being tackled.
He was charged with assaulting police officers and resisting arrest, but Detective Senior Constable Gary Sheehan told reporters: “He did show a great deal of concern about his mother…but other than that he was quite cooperative. He was very cooperative, quite remorseful and, in fact, he actually apologized to me in the courtroom.”
Daily Telegraph: Con man Peter Foster pleads guilty to assault after grabbing detective’s gun
While authorities have their doubts about Peter Foster’s claim of looking after his ailing mother, the conman pleaded guilty of assaulting detectives during his arrest at Byron Bay. He was transported to the Arthur Gorrie prison in Brisbane.
Foster blamed his actions on the news crew’s “Rambo style” pursuit, and his solicitor said he had been “confused” after attempting to run away from the cameras and escape through a back gate.
“He had an adrenaline rush. He wanted to get away from the film crew,” solicitor Terry Fisher explained.
According to Fisher, Foster had been looking after his mother and living the life of a “monk” for the past 11 months. “He has effectively been living like a monk. He should have just blended in with the locals (in northern NSW). The fact that he’s separated from his mother is causing him a great deal of pain. That is ffecting him quite deeply,” he added.
On the other hand, Tweed-Byron Local Area Commander Superintendent Stuart Wilkins claimed that Foster had been living with a male friend. Authorities did not want to comment on the allegations that Foster was running an online betting operation.
Martina Hingis will play a senior doubles event at Wimbledon with longtime doubles partner Anna Kournikova. Hingis and Kournikova won two Australian Open titles together in 1999 and 2002. The 29-year-old Hingis retired from the WTA Tour in 2007, the 28-year-old Kournikova hasn’t played since 2003.
Martina Hingis will play a senior doubles event at Wimbledon with longtime doubles partner Anna Kournikova. Hingis and Kournikova won two Australian Open titles together in 1999 and 2002. The 29-year-old Hingis retired from the WTA Tour in 2007, the 28-year-old Kournikova hasn’t played since 2003.