October 2005 Archives

By Richard Marosi and Joseph Menn -

SAN DIEGO — Four years after dodging a $65-million court judgment by fleeing the country, former online-porn mogul Stephen Michael Cohen was arrested by Mexican authorities in Tijuana and handed over Thursday to U.S. agents.

Cohen, a multiple felon and longtime con man, had been on the run since before 2001, when a judge ordered him to pay a San Francisco entrepreneur for hijacking the Internet address Sex.com. In 1995, Cohen forged a letter to Internet authorities to gain control of the address, which he transformed into a highly profitable site for pornography ads.

The independent Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has welcomed Switzerland's efforts to combat money laundering.

In its latest review the FATF acknowledged Switzerland's cooperation, but criticised legal loopholes and the slow implementation of international recommendations.

Blogger Bio: Noam Chomsky

Linguistics Professor at MIT, critic of US foreign policy, anti-capitalist, and long time advocate of liberation and justice, Noam Chosmky lives in Lexington Massachusetts. Author of dozens of books and hundreds of essays, the content of this blog is drawn largely from his ZNet Sustainer Forum where he answers queries from members of the ZNet Sustainer Program.

Highly recommend you read ZNet Blogs

By Anonymous -

An Interview with William Brittain-Catlin

William Brittain-Catlin is the author of Offshore : The Dark Side of the Global Economy, an examination of the pervasive phenomenon of financial offshoring. He is a producer for the BBC, a former investigator with Kroll, Inc., a major corporate risk consulting company, and a consultant for Control Risks, another business risk consulting firm. His comments here are his personal views, not those of Control Risks.

By Jonathan Curshen -

It is estimated that in recent years 600,000 or more U.K. citizens have been driven into exile because of high taxes. Once domiciled abroad, in Italy, Portugal, Singapore, or Bermuda, many Brits used to return home like migratory birds to spend six months annually "vacationing" in England. Stay one day more and under the law they would be liable to pay U.K. income taxes.

QUESTION: I am looking to invest as an individual and have see different HYIP and other private off-shore programs. As a US Citizen can I legally invest in these programs and just file gains when I withdraw gains from an IntGold or eGOLD account?

REPLY: The tax treatment of any investment (whether U.S. or foreign) is dependent on the nature of the investment and on the kind of entity used to own the investment -- if any.

In 1944, officials from the Allied nations gathered in the sleepy New Hampshire resort town of Bretton Woods to plan to rebuild the global economy after the end of World War II. Their meeting would give birth to the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and an agreement that each nation would maintain its exchange rate relative to gold. The system eventually fell apart in 1971, when the U.S. abandoned the gold standard.

The growth in offshore Internet gambling, surpasses any other industry sector, and is one of the hottest topics today. Experts say the business is in it's infancy and predict it to generate revenues exceeding $100B within 10 years. Bear Stearns Securities came out with a report suggesting that the industry would reach $125 Billion by 2015. No matter who you believe, the fact is that this sector of the new media economy is here to stay.

Offshore:The ranks of individuals at the English Bar with the experience to handle large, cross-border cases involving offshore jurisdictions is growing. And a handful of chambers are actively marketing their offshore expertise. Charlie Wright looks at the offshore firms’ favourite barristers.

Offshore jurisdictions are frequently characterised with clumsy stereotypes of secretive tax havens awash with shady goings-on.

(CNN) -- For those looking for an unforgettably opulent -- not to mention unforgettably expensive -- holiday experience, a night in the Bridge Suite at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas is the thing for you.

Located on the appropriately-named Paradise Island, and owned by South-African entrepreneur Sol Kerzner -- the man behind Sun City -- the $450 million, 600-acre resort is a wonderland of sumptuous, over-the-top hedonism, with the Bridge Suite the jewel in its crown.

Offshore: Bermuda is a popular jurisdiction for both owners and operators of aircraft in terms of aircraft registration and financing. Kerri Viera describes the benefits that may be obtained from registering an aircraft on the Bermuda register

Bermuda-registered aircraft are maintained and operated to the highest standards required and accepted internationally by reputable aviation regulatory authorities. As Bermuda is an Over-seas Territory of the United Kingdom, the Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation (BDCA) is subject to safety oversi ght surveillance by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. The high standard of the Bermuda register is evidenced by the fact the US Federal Aviation Authority classified Bermuda as a Category 1 jurisdiction under their international aviation safety assessment programme.

You don't have to go to the ends of the Earth to find somewhere without a Starbucks, a McDonald's or a megamall. Just head 600 miles east of South Carolina to Bermuda, where residents exist quite happily without fast-food chains, save one KFC.

Perhaps it has something to do with the pink beaches, pastel-colored houses or the incredibly clear blue water. But somehow, in this day of globalization and homogenization, this island has managed to retain a charm and authenticity all its own.

A major objective of this Blog is to suggest to readers proven means to live a life of liberty and to protect personal financial security, free from the fear of loss.

We believe true financial security must include:

1. the maximum possible tax avoidance allowed by law
2. the greatest possible financial privacy
3. the highest level of asset protection
4. access to the most profitable investments available

WinningStreak.com, Inc. is a Direct Marketing Company, providing service to Online Gaming Companies. Since 1996 the founders specialized in Player Acquisition for Gaming Companies. WinningStreak.com (WS) now plans to develop a Player Reward Club and sell Stored-Value Debit Cards, to provide Player Retention for the Online Gaming Industry.

Management is provided by Aaron Day, and Steve Erlich, experts in email marketing, database marketing, and web site development. The management team has ample Internet Business Development experience, plus boast a significant database of associates, Gaming Company executives, marketing consultants, and out-source programmers.

by Adam Young -

So the USA Patriot Act was reauthorized by the junior tyrants in Congress again. But fearing that it was unconstitutional, the House put in a ten-year sunset clause, which begs one to point out, if the Act’s powers were constitutional, there would be no need for a sunset clause. But since it is unconstitutional, why not abolish it? Because these great leaders of the people, the people’s representatives, are cowards.

So what powers did the regime, on its own authority, grant to itself? How does the “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism” Act endanger the liberty of Americans? Let’s take a look:

Get up to the minute news that directly affects you and your international assets. Gain access to the regulations and laws that govern many of the worlds top offshore financial centers. Make use of our comprehensive links section. Talk with some of the international asset protection industries top minds. All of this by simply becoming a member of our group, absolutely free, by clicking here.

The worlds most successful Internet Gambling Company is launching a Multi-Level Marketing Company called 888.biz, on November 1, 2005.

How does the program work?

The program allows you to build a business and make money by referring players to online Casino and poker games; you can then build a team of other reps that also refer players to 888.com

Hong Kong Chief Executive, Donald Tsang, this week feted mainland and international investors whose firms have been crowding into the city-state, boosting the total number of regional and head offices to nearly 6,000 by the end of 2004.

More than 200 guests representing some 160 overseas and Mainland companies that set up operations or increased their overall investment in Hong Kong from July last year and August this year attended the reception. Consulates General and heads of international chambers of commerce in Hong Kong also joined the event.

The Poker Industry Expo is the business conference and convention for the poker industry. Held annually, our next event will take place on the weekend of December 3-4, 2005 at the San Jose Palacio Hotel in Costa Rica.

My next tour of duty, aside from a jaunt back to my great digs on the sand of Miami Beach, is planned as a week in San Jose, Costa Rica, for the first of December, to attend back-to-back conferences, the first of which is associated to the Winning Streak Business Plan of developing a "Player Reward Club" connected to a new Debit Card designed specifically for Americans to Gamble On-line.

The ASROC conference is designed to discuss Alternative Payment Processing Systems for internet businesses. The importance of this event could not be more emphasized today than ever before. In the wake of a new demand for debit cards, ATM cards and other forms of online payment systems, the ASROC conference establishes a forum to meet current industry needs for finding and integrating reliable online e-commerce systems as alternatives to existing forms of payment processing.