Is online piracy a good thing?

Lawmakers have come to a decision in Sweden’s landmark copyright case, finding the four men behind one of the world’s most popular file-sharing sites, The Pirate Bay guilty of collaborating to violate copyright law and jailing them for a year. But, the copyright war is far from over. The fierce battles between corporations and pirates over how to control information on the Internet will continue to be fought

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Hitmen’s bloody reign all about logic, trafficker says

There are no welcome signs on the approach to Camargo. CAMARGO, Mexico (CNN) — There are no welcome signs on the approach to Camargo. It’s a hardscrabble Mexican border town and home turf for “Los Zetas,” a gang of hitmen and corrupt former special forces cops on the bankroll of the Gulf Cartel.

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Woman on business trip disappeared from hotel

Pam Biggers, a 52-year-old woman from Huey, Alabama, disappeared while on a business trip to the Florida Panhandle. She drove from Alabama to the La Quinta Inn at Panama City Beach on January 27, 2008, a Sunday. She checked in and talked with her husband over the phone about 5:30 p.m

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Ship’s captain prepared for pirate attack, ex-crew member says

A former crew member on the American ship attacked by pirates off Africa said the ship’s captain is exactly the kind of person who would offer himself in exchange for the crew’s safety. “I was amazed when I heard that he offered himself up to the pirates, but he’s definitely the kind of person to make that sacrifice,” the former crew member of the Maersk Alabama, who asked not to be identified, said of Capt.

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Island DIY: Kauai residents don’t wait for state to repair road

Their livelihood was being threatened, and they were tired of waiting for government help, so business owners and residents on Hawaii’s Kauai island pulled together and completed a $4 million repair job to a state park — for free. Polihale State Park has been closed since severe flooding destroyed an access road to the park and damaged facilities in December. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources had estimated that the damage would cost $4 million to fix, money the agency doesn’t have, according to a news release from department Chairwoman Laura Thielen.

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Luxury hotel launch red carpets over recession

Hours after G-20 leaders agreed to a trillion-dollar bailout of the world economy in chilly London, one of the world’s most flamboyant hoteliers opened his latest luxury hotel in sunny South Africa. Sol Kernzer admits opening an uber-luxury hotel in the current economic climate is not ideal, but he still firmly believes his latest venture — One&Only — in Cape Town’s waterfront will be a success.

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RBS chairman: More job losses coming, Goodwin reconsiders pension

British banking giant RBS has revealed it expects to make more job cuts and that former chief executive Fred Goodwin is considering taking a voluntary cut in his pension. New chairman Philip Hampton Friday made a strong apology for the bank’s mistakes, which lead to a UK record loss of £24.1 billion ($34.6 billion) for 2008.

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