The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	UK, Spain lead biggest swoop on global fraudsters Nearly 110 people arrested in four countries, including US, for tricking thousands of elderly London, February 28 In the world's biggest global swoop on financial fraudsters, 110 people have been arrested in the UK, Spain, Serbia and the US, who tricked thousands of elderly people out of their life savings to lead playboy lifestyles. Police raided 35 properties in the four countries in connection with "boiler room" gangs who dupe victims into buying worthless or non-existent shares. Police targeted the masterminds and facilitators of the "boiler room" fraud - so-called because of the cramped conditions they work from. City of London Police Commander Steve Head, said: "What we've seen today is the culmination of a two year investigation that has been worldwide in its nature. "We expect this network alone to have upwards of 1,000 victims. We've seen millions of pounds taken from people. "You see real victims in real communities whose lives have been devastated. Savings that they thought they could rely on in their old age have gone in a heartbeat," Head said. Officers' likened their lifestyles to the excesses portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in Wolf of Wall Street, spending the stolen money on sports cars, designer watches, drugs and prostitutes. One of the suspects was believed to be paying 40,000 pounds per month just to rent an apartment. An Aston Martin and Ferrari were among the cars seized by police, along with various watches and 500,000 pounds in cash. They believe the operation codenamed 'Operation Rico' is the biggest ever operation against the crime. The raids earlier this week were made public today after a Spanish judge lifted a reporting ban. So far 850 UK victims have been identified, mainly pensioners, who have lost a total of around 15 million pounds - ranging from around 2,000 up to 500,000 pounds per person - but police believe that this is "the tip of the iceberg" and that there are thousands of people who have been duped. Police said those who were targeted were usually vulnerable or had a history of share investment, particularly in privatised utilities in the 1980s and 90s. Most of the victims were aged 40 and over, with many in their 70s and 80s. Police say some killed themselves because of the financial problems they got into. Fraudsters cold-call their victims, applying "high- pressure sales techniques" and "confidence tricks" to persuade them to part with their money. They are offered returns of 10 to 20 per cent per year, directed to authentic-looking websites and glossy brochures and asked to invest in bonds in well-known firms or in other companies that are officially registered. UK's Financial Conduct Authority has estimated that as much as 200 million pounds is lost to boiler room frauds in the country every year. — PTI Operation Rico busts bioler room gangs Police believe the operation codenamed 'Operation Rico' is the biggest ever operation against the crime. The raids earlier this week were made public today after a Spanish judge lifted a reporting ban Police raid 35 properties in the four countries in connection with "boiler room" gangs who dupe victims into buying worthless or non-existent shares So far 850 UK victims have been identified, mainly pensioners, who have lost a total of around 15 million pounds; police believe it is “the tip of the iceberg”
	Ukraine reclaims Crimea airports after Russian ‘invasion’ Simferopol, February 28 Ukrainian authorities said today they had regained control of two Crimean airports seized during an "armed invasion" by Russian forces that prompted the country's new pro-EU leaders to appeal for protection from the West. The spiralling tensions in a nation torn between the West and Russia are set to take another dramatic turn when ousted president Viktor Yanukovych briefs reporters in Russia today after winning protection from Moscow. The head of Ukraine's security and defence council said Russian soldiers and local pro-Kremlin militia were responsible for the dawn raids on Crimea's main airport and another base on the southwest of the peninsula where pro-Moscow sentiment runs high. A spokesman for Russia's Crimea-based Black Sea Fleet denied any involvement in the airport occupations. But Ukraine's parliament immediately appealed to the US and Britain to uphold a 1994 pact with Russia that guaranteed the country's sovereignty in return for it giving up its Soviet nuclear arms. — AFP Yanukovich blames protesters for bloodshed Moscow: Viktor Yanukovich, appearing in public on Friday for the first time since he was ousted as Ukraine's president, in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don in Russia, said responsibility for bloodshed lied with protesters as he never instructed Ukrainian police to shoot at them. 3 EU states freeze assets of 20 Ukranians Zurich: Switzerland, Austria and Liechtenstein on Friday moved to freeze assets and bank accounts of up to 20 Ukrainians, including ousted President Viktor Yanukovich and his son, after Ukraine's new rulers said billions had gone missing. UNSC to meet on Ukraine United Nations: The UN Security Council will hold private consultations to discuss the crisis in Ukraine. The announcement came hours after Ukraine said Russian troops have taken up positions around a coast guard base and two airports in its Crimean peninsula, and sought help from the council to help protect it from its powerful neighbour.
	China seeks greater military cooperation with Pakistan Islamabad, February 28 China today sought enhanced "pragmatic military cooperation" with Pakistan to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability in the face of the "ever-changing" global security situation. Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan, on an official visit to Pakistan, said the "all-weather" friendship between the two countries is a strategic choice of the two sides. "China and Pakistan should continue to enhance pragmatic military cooperation to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability," he was quoted as saying by China's state-run Xinhua news agency. During his meeting with Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Chang said bilateral military ties "should become closer in the face of ever-changing international and regional security situations". Chang also called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who said Pakistan deeply values China's support for its national security and territorial integrity. China has emerged the largest international investor in Pakistan, where it is pumping in billions of dollars in sectors like energy and telecommunications. The two countries are also working on the ambitious Kashgar-Gwadar trade corridor that will pass through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which borders the restive Xinjiang province. The project includes construction of a 200-km tunnel that will facilitate trade. Sharif said the corridor would benefit both countries and transform the regional economy as it would dovetail with the strategy of connecting South and Central Asia. — PTI Red Dragon’s increasing influence Chinese Defense Minister says bilateral military ties should become closer in the face of ever-changing international and regional security situations China has emerged the largest international investor in Pakistan, where it is pumping in billions of dollars in sectors like energy and telecommunications The two countries are also working on the ambitious a trade corridor that will pass through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, bordering the restive Xinjiang province
	5 Indians tortured, buried alive in Saudi Arabia: report Riyadh, February 28 In a shocking case, three men in Saudi Arabia have confessed in court that they tortured and buried alive five Asian workers, believed to be Indians, on a farm four years ago. The three men confessed in Qatif General Court on Wednesday to torturing five Asian workers for hours and then burying them alive, Arab News reported. The bodies of the Asians were found on the farm in Safwa, Qatif, an urban area located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, earlier this month. They were killed in 2010. The Eastern Province police have arrested 25 people in connection with the killings, a source was quoted as saying by the daily. The suspects include expatriates and citizens. One man, describing events four years ago, was quoted as saying that he was driving around with a friend consuming drugs and alcohol when he received a call from another friend at around 10 pm who asked to see him immediately at the farm. "We had alcohol with us when we arrived at the farm. We saw five workers with their hands tied in the seating area. When the friend with me asked why they were tied, our host said that one of them had sexually harassed his sponsor's daughter and other women," the man revealed. "I saw that the five Indian workers were tied and unconscious, just before we went to another room to drink alcohol and smoke hashish,” he said. The man confessed that the three of them continued to beat the workers while drinking and smoking. "We kept drinking, smoking and beating them. Our host suggested we bury them alive in a hole behind the entrance gate of the farm. We tied them again with ropes and adhesive tape so they could not move," he said. The man said their host brought his pickup truck they then dumped them into a 2.5-metre-deep hole. — PTI Gory act n Three men confessed in Qatif General Court to torturing five Asian workers for hours and then burying them alive, Arab News reported n The decomposing bodies of the Asians were found on the farm in Safwa, Qatif, an urban area located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, earlier this month. They were killed in 2010 n The Eastern Province police have arrested 25 people in connection with the killings Gory act Three men confessed in Qatif General Court to torturing five Asian workers for hours and then burying them alive, Arab News reported The decomposing bodies of the Asians were found on the farm in Safwa, Qatif, an urban area located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, earlier this month. They were killed in 2010 The Eastern Province police have arrested 25 people in connection with the killings
	59% Americans ‘very disappointed’ with Obama Washington, February 28 Almost six in 10 Americans express disappointment with Barack Obama's Presidency, according to a new poll, which also shows Republicans with the edge heading into mid-term elections in November. The survey, by CBS News and the New York Times, had also found that 82 per cent of Democratic voters want Hillary Clinton to make another White House run in 2016. Obama's popularity continues to thin, according to the survey, which puts his approval rating at 41 per cent with 57 per cent of those asked saying they actively disapprove of his performance. The polling, carried out between February 19 and 23, showed that the Democratic President's exposure to Washington's bitter political battles is shaping long term views of his White House years. Fifty-nine per cent said that they were somewhat or very disappointed with Obama's presidency. But the US leader is retaining support in his political base, with 24 per cent of Democrats very satisfied with his performance and 51 per cent stating they were somewhat satisfied. The President's political image has been tarnished by the disastrous rollout of his signature health care law. The sluggish economic recovery, which has left unemployment high may also be bringing down his ratings, as well as simple public fatigue with his presidency, now in the second year of his second term. —AFP Obama confesses to doing drugs in school washington: US President Brack Obama has confessed that he did drugs in school and didn’t think about the harm it could do to him. The US President, who launched the 'My Brother's Keeper' initiative, spoke to teenagers involved in the 'Becoming a Man' programme to help at-risk boys in his hometown, Chicago, the Huffington Post reported.
	China sending ‘spies' to US universities Washington, February 28 A prominent Beijing scholar who recently fled to the United States has warned that China was sending "spies" to US universities and urged caution on academic cooperation. Xia Yeliang is one of the original signatories of Charter 08, a bold petition for reform whose Nobel Prize-winning lead author Liu Xiaobo is in prison. Xia, an economist, was fired in October from Peking University, often considered China's most prestigious university. In his first public event since moving to the United States last month, Xia said he was mindful of the 1950s McCarthyist era, when smears of alleged communist sympathies sullied the reputations of Americans in government, entertainment and academia. — PTI

Thai protesters to lift road blockades

Bangkok, February 28
Anti-government protesters will clear their camps from main roads they have blockaded in the Thai capital since mid-January but step up efforts to oust the government.

The protesters have been trying since November to push out Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and eradicate the political influence of her brother, ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, seen as the real power in Thailand. But their numbers have dwindled and attacks on the various camps with grenades and guns have become an almost daily occurrence. Three people were killed when a grenade was thrown into a busy shopping area near one camp on Sunday. "We will stop closing Bangkok and give every intersection back to Bangkokians," protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban told supporters on Friday. — PTI

US diplomat to visit India next week

Washington, February 28
A top Obama administration diplomat is travelling to India next week to hold talks with Indian officials in New Delhi, and the private and corporate sector in Bangalore.

"The breadth and quality of our strategic partnership with India attests to the underlying strength and salience of our relations," said Indian-origin US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Nisha Biswal in advance of her visit to Bangalore and New Delhi from March 4 to 6.

During her visit Biswal will seek to further broaden and deepen the US-India relationship. On March 4, Biswal will meet with government and business leaders in Bangalore to discuss India-US joint efforts to foster innovation, increase high-tech and engineering engagement, and strengthen bilateral economic ties. — PTI

BRIEFLY

Hindu groups object to swastikas on UK building
London: Swastikas carved into the walls of a county hall building in a small town in the east of England have triggered a row, with a Hindu group claiming that Nazis "abused" the symbol of peace for selfish purposes. Hindu groups have argued that it is time to reclaim the swastika from its Nazi association and called an emergency meeting to discuss ways of getting them removed. PTI

Boko Haram kills 37 in northeast Nigeria
Kano: Suspected Boko Haram gunmen killed at least 37 people in three separate attacks in northeast Nigeria, including at a theological college. The coordinated attacks in Adamawa state late on Wednesday came just a day after Islamist militant fighters were blamed for killing 43 students. AFP

Two Indians charged with wire fraud in US
BOSTON: Two Indians, Sandip Shah and Shailesh Shah of California, have been charged in a US federal court here with wire fraud for their roles in a stock kickback scheme. They would face up to 20 years each in prison if convicted. The defendants also face a $250,000 fine on each count. PTI

Russian Opposition leader under house arrest
Moscow: A Moscow court has put Russian Opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest, forbidding him from using the internet or receiving any visitors. Navalny is a leading Opposition figure and anti-corruption crusader. AP

111-year-old Italian man crowned world’s oldest man
London: A 111-year-old Italian has been crowned the world's oldest living man by the Guinness Book of World Records. Arturo Licata, from Enna, Sicily, has been awarded the title after officials checked his birth papers and marriage records, The Mirror reported. PTI

Dubai's Burj al Arab to host $2,722 helipad dinner
Dubai: A luxury hotel in Dubai will host a once-in-a-lifetime dinner at its famous helipad, 212 metres above ground, starting at $2,722 per person to raise money for the UN food programme. PTI

UNESCO lauds Indian poet's idea of earth anthem
Kathmandu: UNESCO has praised an Indian diplomat, Abhay Kumar, for his proposal for an official earth anthem, but does not seem ready to take up the proposal, citing lack of resources. PTI

California man sues McDonald's for $1.5 mn
Washington: A California man is suing McDonald's for $1.5 million, claiming that he only got a napkin with his meal. Webster Lucas said he was stiffed on napkins at the Mickey D's in Pacoima, CA on January 29th after ordering a Quarter Pounder Deluxe. ANI

Over 1,000 held for child trafficking in China
Beijing: In a major crackdown on child traffickers, Chinese police smashed four online baby-trafficking groups and saved 382 babies earlier this month. A total of 1,094 suspects were held across the country in a joint maneuver on February 19, the ministry said. PTI