From the Moscow Times. Pay rise may help a little, but massive cultural reform required. Still, Mededev trying to get that Rule of Law train back on the rails. Best of Luck!

Guardian hosting three freelance film-makers pieces on Colombian drugs trade. Links to first in this piece. 9 minute video.

Hmmm….Terminology a bit confused in this piece, which must have been written by a junior reporter…always suspect anything from someone selling themselves as the answer to the problem being publicised…Nevertheless, if its true, this is a major operation by organised crime.

I thought this was worth sharing primarily because its a rare example of an English newspaper printing a headline in French. Apparently some film popularised pinot noir in the US, so coops relabelled merlot and shiraz as pinot noir and sold it to E & J Gallo, who, the article alleges, have not yet complained…Nevertheless, … CE N’EST PAS DU PINOT NOIR

Guardian piece on fake landlords asking prospective tenants to show a momney transfer receipt to prove they have funds. Police allegedly unhelpful…Is that an oxymoron…or the opposite?

Details of plot and targets not specified, but chemicals and weapons ordered. Probably be a better account in the Australian press

You can download a .pdf from the above site. I’m struggling for organised crime stories in February. Please let me know if you come across any!

The move is aimed at Switzerland…an unanticipated consequence!

Piece from el Pais on AQMI. Apparently Mauretanian imams have been talking to jihadists in prison in an attempt to deradicalise them

The Basque police, the Ertzainza, working with the National Police, in the biggest operation against ETA in seven years. There is a link in the article to the previous arrest of what reads like an alleged complete 5-man cell. Time to brush up that Spanish, hombres!