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A gang of international criminals, spearheaded by an ersatz lord named Hugh Rodley, came within a whisker of stealing £229 million from a City bank. After months of preparation, a team of Belgian hackers working for Mr. Rodley stole into the offices of Sumitomo in October 2004. They made 21 transfers of up to £40 million each from the accounts of high-profile customers including Casio, Toshiba and Nomura Asset Management. Rodley then attempted to transfer the stolen money into accounts of his own in Cyprus and the Seychelles. But the hackers had made a tiny error involving the touch of… Keep Reading

The Prime Minister of Lithuania, Gediminas Kirkilas, has been issued a fine for smoking his pipe in a public place. After enjoying a few lungfuls of heady Latakia in a bar in the Baltic Sea port town of Klaipeda, he apologised to the owner, saying, “I’m to blame for this. I simply forgot that we can no longer smoke inside bars. I will cover this fine for the bar.” The fine is believed to be somewhere in the region of 1,000 litas (£222 Sterling). Smoking in public places, including cafes, restaurants and bars, has been banned in Lithuania since January 1,… Keep Reading