Foreign News
Italy mafia trial: 200 sentenced to 2,200 years for mob links
More than 200 defendants in one of Italy’s biggest mafia trials for generations have been sentenced to a total of more than 2,200 years in jail.
The three-year trial saw individuals allegedly linked to the ‘Ndrangheta sentenced for crimes ranging from extortion to drug trafficking. Those sentenced included a former Italian senator, though the verdicts can still be appealed.
The ‘Ndrangheta is one of Europe’s most influential criminal organisations.
The case illustrated the mob’s broad influence over the politics and society of southern Italy. Experts said the convictions of white collar workers, including local officials, businessmen and politicians, showed the far-reaching impact of organised crime on Italian institutions.
Among the most notable people to be sentenced was Giancarlo Pittelli, a lawyer and former senator for ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi’s party Forza Italia. Pittelli received an 11-year sentence for collusion with a mafia-type organisation.
Others convicted included civil servants, professionals across various industries and high-ranking officials, who were critical to the ‘Ndrangheta’s success in infiltrating the legitimate economy and state institutions.
More than 100 defendants were acquitted.
The judges presiding over the case were put under police protection over fears for their safety.
Originating in the impoverished region of Calabria, the ‘Ndrangheta is considered one of the world’s most dangerous criminal organisations. It is estimated to control as much as 80% of Europe’s cocaine market.
The gang boasts an estimated annual turnover of around $60bn (£49bn).
The trial was held in a call centre on the outskirts of the town of Lamezia Terme, converted into a high-security courtroom equipped with cages to hold the defendants and large enough to hold some 600 lawyers and 900 witnesses. Charges included murder, extortion, drug-trafficking, loan sharking, abuse of office and money laundering.
Over three years, proceedings demonstrated how the Calabrian syndicate extended its reach across continents, eventually operating as far afield as South America and Australia. Its members infiltrated the local economy, public institutions, and even the health system, rigging public tenders and bribing local officials.
The trial, the largest of its kind since the 1980s, saw judges examine thousands of hours of testimony. Former mobsters turned collaborators with the justice system testified about the activities of the Mancuso family and their associates, who wield extensive control over the province of Vibo Valentia.
The Mancuso family, from the town of Limbadi, are one of the most powerful of the 150 clans which make up the ‘Ndrangheta.
Anna Sergi, a professor of criminology at the University of Exeter, said: “This trial confirms convictions of classic mafiosi, sentenced for offences traditionally more associate with criminal activities, such as extortion or drug trafficking.”
She added: “However, it is important to note how the different types of people involved, including white collar workers, provide a more comprehensive view of the entire province and the connections between various mafia clans.”
Most of the defendants were arrested in December 2019, following an extensive investigation spanning at least 11 Italian regions, which began in 2016. Approximately 2,500 officers took part in raids targeting suspects in Vibo Valentia, an area primarily controlled by the ‘Ndragheta’s Mancuso clan.
More than 50 former mafia members agreed to cooperate with the trial, among them Luigi Mancuso’s nephew, Emanuele.
Their testimony shed light on the inner workings of one of Italy’s most powerful mobs. The trial revealed that ‘Ndrangheta members allegedly concealed weapons in cemetery chapels, used ambulances for drug transportation and diverted public water supplies to grow marijuana.
Those who opposed the organised crime group faced grim consequences, including finding dead puppies and goat heads left in front of their houses, torched cars and vandalised shop windows.
“This first round of sentences demonstrates how challenging it is to combat the ‘Ndrangheta due to its political, economic, and financial connections,” Antonio Nicaso, a writer and organised crime expert, said.
(BBC)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has received a warm welcome to the White House from United States President Donald Trump in a visit that has emphasised the deepening ties between Riyadh and Washington.
The White House rolled the literal red carpet out for Prince Mohammed, known as MBS, on Tuesday. Trump greeted him with a ceremony that featured marching bands, flag-carrying horsemen and a military flyover.
The opulent display of hospitality signalled Trump’s embrace of what he sees as a new Middle East driven by financial investments and US partnerships with allies in the region, chiefly Saudi Arabia.
After Prince Mohammed’s arrival through the South Portico, he and Trump took questions from journalists in the Oval Office. The two leaders spoke of business opportunities, peace, artificial intelligence and the tech business.
The apparent challenges in the region, including the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, appeared to take a back seat during their Oval Office appearance. Here are the key takeaways from the meeting:
In recent months, Trump has repeatedly said he would like Saudi Arabia to join the so-called Abraham Accords, which established formal relations between Israel and several Arab countries.
On Tuesday, Prince Mohammed and Trump signalled possible progress on the issue without providing details or a timeline for a potential deal. The crown prince, however, did reiterate that Riyadh wants to advance the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of a potential agreement.
“We believe having a good relation with all Middle Eastern countries is a good thing, and we want to be part of the Abraham Accords,” Prince Mohammed told reporters.
“But we want also to be sure that we secure a clear path [to a] two-state solution. And today we have a healthy discussion with Mr President that we’ve got to work on that, to be sure that we can prepare the right situation as soon as possible to have that.”
Saudi officials have previously stressed that Riyadh is committed to the Arab Peace Initiative, which conditions the recognition of Israel on the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Trump said he had “good talks” with Prince Mohammed about the issue.
“We talked about one state, two states. We talked about a lot of things. In a short period of time, we’ll be discussing it further too,” the US president said.
When asked whether the US and Saudi Arabia have reached a defence deal, Trump said: “We pretty much have. We have reached an agreement on that.”
The details of the negotiation are not clear, but Riyadh has been seeking a mutual defence pact with Washington akin to NATO’s Article Five, which would see the US come to the kingdom’s aid if it fell under attack.
Trump had confirmed on Monday that he will authorise the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.
During the meeting with MBS, he said the jets would not be downgraded to ensure Israel’s military superiority in the region, a departure from a US policy known as “qualitative military edge”.
“They’d like you to get planes of reduced calibre. I don’t think that makes you too happy,” he told the Saudi crown prince.
“They’ve been a great ally. Israel has been a great ally, and we’re looking at that exactly right now. But as far as I’m concerned, I think they are both at a level where they should get top of the line.”
Trump once again expressed pride in the US strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities in June.
“We did that on behalf of everybody, and the outcome was extraordinary because we have the best pilots, the best equipment, the best planes, the best everything,” he said.
The US president later shifted to a softer tone on Iran, saying Tehran is seeking a diplomatic resolution with Washington, which has sought the dismantlement of its nuclear programme.
“I am totally open to it, and we’re talking to them,” Trump said.
“And we start a process. But it would be a nice thing to have a deal with Iran. And we could have done it before the war, but that didn’t work out. And something will happen there, I think.”
Saudi Arabia’s official news agency, SPA, had reported that MBS had received a handwritten letter addressed to him from Iranian President Masood Pezeshkian before his trip to Washington. No details were available about its content.
On Tuesday, Prince Mohammed said Saudi Arabia would back a US-Iran deal.
“We will do our best to help to reach a deal between the United States of America and Iran,” he told reporters. “And we believe it’s good for Iran’s future to have a good deal that would satisfy the region and the world and the United States of America.”
At the outset of the two leaders’ public remarks, Trump expressed gratitude for anticipated Saudi investments in the US, which he said will be in the hundreds of billions of dollars.
“I want to thank you because you’ve agreed to invest $600bn into the United States. And because he’s my friend, he might make it $1 trillion, but I’m going to have to work on him,” Trump said.
He added that the Saudi funds will create jobs and resources for US companies and Wall Street investment firms.
For his part, MBS said the Saudi investments in the US will likely rise to $1 trillion.
“The agreement that we are signing today in many areas – in technology and AI, in rare materials, magnet, etc – that will create a lot of investment opportunities,” he said.
The crown prince echoed Trump’s assessment that the US is now the “hottest country” in the world, adding that the kingdom wants to be part of the “foundation of emerging technologies” in the US.
Trump and MBS were all smiles as they exchanged flattering comments from the moment the crown prince arrived at the White House.
At one point, Trump reached for Prince Mohammed’s hand and held it as he criticised his predecessor, former US President Joe Biden, for giving MBS only a fist bump when he visited Riyadh during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
“I grabbed that hand. I don’t give a hell where that hand’s been,” Trump said.
The US president described the Saudi crown prince as “fantastic” and “brilliant”.
“We have an extremely respected man in the Oval Office today, and a friend of mine for a long time – very good friend of mine,” Trump said.
“I’m very proud of the job he’s done. What he’s done is incredible in terms of human rights and everything else.”
The US president went on to rebuke an ABC News reporter for asking a challenging question of Prince Mohammed, accusing her of disrespecting his guest.
When the same journalist later asked Trump why he would not voluntarily release government files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Trump said ABC News’s broadcasting licence should be revoked.
“You start off with a man who is highly respected, asking him a horrible, insubordinate and just a terrible question,” Trump said, referring to the earlier question to MBS.
“And you could even ask that same exact question nicely. You’re all psyched. Somebody psyched you over at ABC. You’re going to psych it. You’re a terrible person and a terrible reporter.”
About the same time as Trump welcomed MBS, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to compel the release of the Epstein files.
[Aljazeera]
Hacked CCTV videos from a maternity hospital in India have been sold on Telegram, police say, raising serious questions about privacy and security in a country where such cameras have become commonplace.
Earlier this year, police in Gujarat state were alerted by the media to videos on YouTube – some showed pregnant women undergoing medical exams and receiving injections in their buttocks – in a maternity hospital in a city.
The videos had a link directing viewers to Telegram channels to buy longer videos.
The director of the hospital told the BBC that the cameras had been installed for the safety of doctors. The BBC is not naming the city or hospital to protect the identity of the women in the videos. None of them have filed a police complaint.
Police say their investigation uncovered a massive cybercrime racket where sensitive footage from at least 50,000 CCTVs from across the country was stolen by hackers and sold on the internet.
CCTVs have become ubiquitous in India, especially in urban areas. They are installed in malls, offices, hospitals, schools, private apartment complexes and even inside people’s homes.
Experts warn that while CCTV boosts security, poorly installed or managed systems can threaten privacy. In India, cameras are often handled by staff without cybersecurity training, and some domestically manufactured models are reportedly easily exploitable.
In 2018, a tech worker in Bengaluru city said that his webcam was hacked, and that the hacker demanded payment in exchange for not sharing his private videos. In 2023, a YouTuber reportedly found out that his home CCTV had been hacked after private videos went viral.
Last year, the federal government asked states to not procure CCTVs from suppliers with a history of security and data breaches and also introduced new rules to improve cyber security of CCTV cameras. But hacking incidents like these are still reported.
In Gujarat, police say they ended up discovering a “network of individuals spread across the country”.
“They were hacking into the video surveillance systems – or CCTV systems – of hospitals, schools, colleges, corporate offices and even the bedrooms of private individuals in multiple states,” Lavina Sinha, who heads the Ahmedabad cyber crime department investigating the case, told reporters.
Hardik Makadiya, Gujarat’s top cybercrime official, says videos were sold for 800–2,000 rupees ($9-22; £7-17, with Telegram channels offering live CCTV feeds via subscription.
Police have registered a case under various sections of the law, including violating a female patient’s privacy, publishing obscene material, voyeurism and cyber terrorism – which is a non-bailable offence. They say that they reached out to Telegram and YouTube, and the videos have been taken down.
Since February, police have arrested eight people in the case – four from Maharashtra and others from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi, and Uttarakhand. They remain in judicial custody as the case proceeds in court.
Yash Koshti, lawyer for three of the accused, denied the allegations, saying they were not hackers or cyber criminals and that someone else carried out the breach.
Cybercrime investigator Ritesh Bhatia warns that weakly protected CCTV and home networks are easy targets and must be properly secured.
“Wireless CCTV systems help you access the footage remotely, like on your smartphone or laptop. But once a system is connected to the web, it’s easy for hackers to decode its IP address and default password. And once they get into the system, they can see or record live footage, download it or even shut down the system,” Bhatia says.
He says that one way to secure surveillance systems is to change IP addresses and the default password.
Bhatia advises using a robust password that mixes letters, numbers, and symbols and cannot be found in a dictionary, and recommends periodic audits by a cybersecurity professional.
He adds that CCTV manufacturers also bear responsibility, and their packaging should clearly warn users to replace default passwords with strong ones – similar to cigarette packet health warnings.
Mr Makadiya told the BBC that many of the hacked CCTVs used default passwords – like Admin123 – or weak ones.
“The hackers used brute force (the use of certain programmes to generate thousands of letter-number password combinations) to break into these systems and access videos,” he said.
Audrey Dmello of Majlis, a legal centre for women’s and children’s rights, highlights the ubiquity of CCTVs in India, often installed without consent. She urges organisations, especially in sensitive spaces, to ensure their systems are properly secured.
“Organisations and institutions that set up surveillance systems, especially in sensitive spaces, must see to it that their systems are adequately secured. It’s an absolute must,” she says.
The director of one of the affected hospitals told the BBC the CCTVs in exam and injection rooms were meant to protect doctors from false allegations. He added that the cameras have since been removed from sensitive areas.
Police in Gujarat told the BBC that neither the hospital nor any patient had come forward to file a formal complaint. The complaint was finally lodged by a police officer.
“Female patients fear that their identity will be revealed. Therefore, they are not willing to lodge a complaint,” said an officer.
Ms Dmello says that the shame women face around such incidents only adds to its horrific nature.
“When there is a sexual angle involved, the victim is re-victimised because of the patriarchal nature of Indian society. If we want women to assert their rights and we want criminals to be brought to justice, we, as a society, should first stop shaming and blaming women for the crime,” she says.
[BBC]
Partial results from Chile’s presidential election indicate that leftist former Labour Minister Jeannette Jara and far-right politician Jose Antonio Kast are headed for a run-off vote in December.
With 52.39 percent of ballots tallied on Sunday evening, Jara – a 51-year-old communist candidate representing an eight-party coalition – led with 26.58 percent, followed by Kast on 24.32 percent, according to the electoral authority.
The next-closest contender, ultra-right legislator Johannes Kaiser, conceded defeat.
Campaigning was overshadowed by growing public anxiety over surging murders, kidnappings and extortion in what has long been one of Latin America’s safest countries.
Rising crime has been widely attributed to foreign criminal groups, coinciding with a doubling of Chile’s migrant population since 2017. Migrants now make up 8.8 percent of the country’s residents.
Jara has promised to expand the police force, lift banking secrecy rules to combat organised crime, and address cost-of-living pressures.
Kast, frequently compared to United States President Donald Trump, has pledged to erect walls, fences and trenches along Chile’s border with Bolivia to block migrants arriving from poorer northern neighbours such as Venezuela.
Despite leading in the first round, Jara faces a difficult path to a December 14 run-off victory, as the combined vote share of right-wing candidates is far higher than that of the left.
Polls have consistently projected that Kast would defeat her in a head-to-head matchup. Jara’s tally fell short of pre-election forecasts, while Kast outperformed them. Pollsters had expected her to secure between 27 and 29 percent, compared with 20 to 22 percent for Kast.
[Aljazeera]
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