World Cup highlights Asia's illegal betting boom

HONG KONG -- As teams battle for football glory at the World Cup in Brazil, the biggest winners from the tournament may be illegal bookmakers in Asia.

Since kickoff, Chinese officer worker Chen has already wagered 2,000-3,000 yuan ($320-$480) through black market online bookies and plans to gamble more on big upcoming games.

Chen, who started betting on sports that also include NBA games four years ago, said that during the previous World Cup in South Africa he bet 115,000 yuan ($18,500) in a single day on three different games — a huge sum for the average Chinese — and lost about half of it.

"My friend helped me with betting on games through the Internet," said Chen. "I'll call my friend and transfer money to him and he would help me to deal with the rest."

Chen, who lives in the southern city of Shenzhen, next to Hong Kong, would only give his surname because he didn't want to get in trouble with authorities for betting illegally.

Demand for bets from Asian sports enthusiasts illustrates how the World Cup is also a huge bonanza for betting companies while focusing attention on the surge in illegal wagering in East Asia, where there are few legal options to accommodate the lucrative market.

"It is the biggest single gambling event of the decade and each World Cup gets bigger," said Warwick Bartlett, CEO of Global Betting & Gaming Consultants, based on the Isle of Man. However, "the propensity to gamble in Asia is stronger than anywhere else on the planet, yet there are few legalized gambling opportunities."

Government monopoly operators offer legal sports betting in a handful of Asian jurisdictions, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. The Philippines' Cagayan province is home to 68 online gambling companies. It's banned outright in many other countries, including India, Indonesia and Thailand. But thousands more illegal online bookmaking outfits, which don't pay tax, are thriving because they offer better prices, odds, wider variety of bet types and credit. Asia accounts for just over half of the illegal bets placed worldwide, according to a recent report by a sports monitoring group.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club, the world's second biggest betting operator, reported that betting turnover during the 2010 World Cup fell 1.6 percent compared with the 2006 event, which it blamed on growing use of illegal bookies.

Police forces in Asia are cracking down, swooping on a number of gambling rings in recent weeks. In May, Singapore police arrested 18 people suspected to be involved in an illegal football betting ring. They seized 1.4 million Singapore dollars ($1.1 million) in cash and uncovered records that showed the suspects received S$8 million ($6.3 million) in illegal bets in the prior two weeks.

Hong Kong police raided several gambling operations at the start of the tournament, including a cross-border operation with counterparts in mainland China to break up what they said was the city's biggest ever gambling syndicate, arresting 29 people and seizing slips for about $100 million in bets on football and horse racing. Even Hong Kong's prisons are tightening up prevention measures during the tournament by stepping up surprise inspections and cutting out any information on odds from newspapers and magazines given to prisoners.

In Thailand, where a business group estimates Thais will spend 43 billion baht ($1.3 billion) on illegal gambling during the World Cup, police have set up a gambling "suppression center" and arrested dozens of gamblers and bookmakers, according to a local news report.

The busts represent a fraction of the total. Wagers made outside licensed, regulated channels account for 80 percent of the 200 billion to 500 billion euros ($271 billion to $678 billion) bet globally on sports per year, according to a report released in May by the Qatar-based International Center for Sport Security.

It estimated that black market wagering is used to launder more than $140 billion in dirty money every year.

"Organized crime has moved into football because they have seen that this is a much easier way to make money than the traditional ways of racketeering, prostitution, drugs," said Patrick Jay, director of trading at the Hong Kong Jockey Club. "They do this either by means of bookmaking ... or they do it through the means of actually arranging results of football matches, what's known as fixing football matches."

Football match fixing has emerged as a major concern after the European Union's police agency said last year that a review found nearly 700 suspicious matches around the world as well as evidence that a Singapore-based crime syndicate was involved in some of the rigging. Three books have also been recently released on the subject, including one by Wilson Raj Perumal, a Singaporean with ties to Asian and Eastern European gambling syndicates who was jailed in Finland for match-fixing.

However, Jay said chances are slim of World Cup game being fixed because fixers target games with low media and fan interest involving poorly paid players. He added that if fixers do try to target a game during the tournament, it would be one in which the result is not very important to either side.

"There's no doubt the match fixers will look at those games. However, FIFA, EUFA and Interpol are all over this now. FIFA and Interpol are in the dressing rooms, they're in the stadiums, their security people are in the hotels, they're liaising with bookmakers, sports governing bodies, sponsors, security people," he said.

---

Associated Press researcher Fu Ting in Shanghai contributed to this report.

Scientist gets World Food Prize for wheat advances

DES MOINES, Iowa -- A crop scientist credited with developing hundreds of varieties of disease-resistant wheat adaptable to many climates and difficult growing conditions was named Wednesday as the 2014 recipient of the World Food Prize.

Sanjaya Rajaram, 71, wins the $250,000 prize founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlaug that honors vital contributions to improving the quality, quantity or availability of food throughout the world.

Rajaram, who was born in India and is a citizen of Mexico, began research and field work with Borlaug in 1969. He successfully crossed varieties of winter and spring wheat with his own plant breeding techniques, which led to the development of plants that have higher yields and dependability under a wide range of environments — important in keeping pace with the growing world population.

He is credited with developing 480 wheat varieties that have been released in 51 countries on six continents.

"It's a great honor," Rajaram said. "I'm a very humble person but very honored the World Food Prize committee has recognized me for the work I have done."

The next big challenge, Rajaram believes, is developing plants with more drought tolerance, staving off the effects of salt water intrusion as oceans rise, and other issues related to climate change.

"Future crop production is bound to decline unless we fully factor in the issues related to climate change, soil fertility and water deficits, and utilize advanced genetics in the next 20 to 30 years," he said in a telephone interview.

Rajaram was born in a small village in the Uttar Pradesh state in northeast India, where people lived on very little. He expanded upon his mentor Borlaug's work with his own achievements, said World Food Prize Foundation President Kenneth Quinn.

"His breakthrough breeding technologies have had a far-reaching and significant impact in providing more food around the globe and alleviating world hunger," Quinn said in a statement.

Quinn said it's fitting that the prize be awarded to Rajaram as the Des Moines-based organization celebrates the centennial of Borlaug's 1914 birth in Cresco, Iowa. Borlaug, who won the 1970 Nobel for boosting agricultural production in what has become known as the Green Revolution, launched the World Food Prize in 1986. He died in 2009.

Borlaug once referred to Rajaram as "the greatest present-day wheat scientist in the world," Quinn said.

Rajaram succeeded Borlaug in leading wheat research at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, which was founded in 1966 through an agreement between the Rockefeller Foundation and the Mexican Secretariat of Agriculture.

Prior to Rajaram's research, winter wheat and spring wheat were distinct gene pools. Rajaram's new varieties can be grown in marginal areas, such as small mountain plots in Pakistan, remote areas in China, and in the acidic soils of Brazil, the foundation said.

Rajaram said he plans to give some of the money from the prize to private organizations in India who work with the poor and use the remaining money for plant breeding research.

The announcement was made at a ceremony in Washington featuring Secretary of State John Kerry.

He said by inventing heartier crops and new species, Rajaram led an effort to save 1 billion lives. With projections that the global population will grow by 2 billion more people in the next three decades, "it's not hard to figure out this is the time for a second Green Revolution," Kerry said.

"Innovation and invention are the way forward and the way that we can face the challenges of food security and climate," Kerry said. "When it comes to climate change, when it comes to food security, we are literally facing a moment of adversity perhaps even dire necessity."

Rajaram will receive the award at an Oct. 16 ceremony in Des Moines.

Texas Crop Report

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- The following reports were compiled by AgriLife Extension Service for the week of June 18:

Central: Generally, rangeland and pastures, soil moisture and crops were all rated as good. Runoff from rains filled ponds and gave forage grasses a boost. Otherwise, it was hot and windy. Field crops improved dramatically. Some low areas and creeks flooded. The peach harvest was in full swing with good yields reported but smaller-than-average peaches. Deer fawns were numerous, but there was no evidence of the turkey hatch starting. Overall, livestock were in good condition.

Coastal Bend: Despite recent rains, soils were drying out rapidly throughout most of the district. However, crops showed more promise than in several years for many counties. Cotton looked good but will need another rain soon to hold bolls. Corn and most of the grain sorghum were nearly mature, and above-normal yields were expected. Grass was still available for grazing, but its growth slowed as conditions became drier. With rising temperatures, pastures will dry up quickly, due to poor soil moisture. Grain sorghum producers sprayed for sugarcane aphid as the crop began to turn color.

East: The region received from 1.5 to 5.5 inches of rain. Mosquito activity was high after the rains. Area lakes and ponds were full. Wheat harvesting was on hold until fields dried out. Corn looked good. Watermelon quality and yields were also good. The harvesting of blueberries, blackberries and peaches was ongoing. Seasonal fruits and vegetables continued to be harvested and sold at local farmers markets. Forage production was reported as better than usual due to the rain. Producers were spraying to control weeds in pastures. Houston County cotton growers were having a hard time planting due to rain. Livestock were in good condition. Horn fly activity greatly increased. Armyworm infestations were reported. Feral hogs were active.

Far West: The region was hot and windy, with some isolated rains, from 0.25 to 0.75 inch. Cotton growers continued planting, with some replanting necessary due to washouts from earlier rains. Some earlier planted cotton was at the six-leaf stage. Fall onions were being harvested, and pecans were developing. Alfalfa growers finished their third cuttings.

North: The region received from 1 inch to 3 inches of rain, and topsoil moisture throughout the region was rated as adequate. Highs were in the upper 90s. Ponds were full to overflowing. The rain slowed harvesting of wheat in Collin County. The first cuttings of hay were completed with some good quality yields. Corn, sorghum, soybeans, sunflowers and cotton were in good condition. Corn in Bowie County was tasseling and beginning to silk. Pastures were looking good. Hopkins and Kaufman counties reported large grasshopper populations. Van Zandt County producers were having problems with summer pasture weeds such as bitterweed, silverleaf nightshade, Carolina horsenettle and goat weed. There were reports of spider mites on tomatoes in Van Zandt County.

Panhandle: Weather conditions were near to slightly below average for most of the week. Thunderstorms brought from 0.2 inch up to 5 inches of rain with 7 inches in some isolated areas. Soil moisture improved, but was short to adequate with most counties reporting adequate. The winter wheat crop was maturing. Much of the small grain acreage was expected to be harvested as hay or silage. Generally, corn was in good shape with the exception of some isolated fields that had hail damage. Cotton planting was nearly completed, though some fields had to be replanted due to weather damage to first plantings. Dry, windy and hot conditions dried soils, and blowing sand damaged some cotton. Pastures greened up considerably. Rangeland and pasture were in very poor to fair condition, with most counties reporting fair to poor.

Rolling Plains: The region received more much-needed rain. One- to 3-inch accumulations were reported. Water levels in some stock tanks rose. The rain slowed the wheat harvest. Grain producers who were trying to get the last of their wheat harvested were getting bogged down in the Blacklands. The rains were very good for corn, grain sorghum and soybeans, as well as for pastures. Pecan and fruit orchards not damaged by the late freeze were in great shape. Livestock also were in good condition. Grasshopper reports picked up along with an increase of cotton fleahoppers and horn flies. The first armyworms were reported by producers. Head moth spraying of sunflowers continued. The first cuttings of hay were nearly finished, with good quality and yields.

South: Highs ranged from the 90s to well over triple digits — especially in the western part of the region. The high temperatures stressed rangeland, pastures and livestock but benefited some crops. In the northern part of the district, the hot, humid weather and high winds took a toll on soil moisture. Some areas also had light showers. The harvesting of wheat and oats was completed. The potato, hay and watermelon harvests continued. Rangeland and pastures were in fair condition in Frio County, but poor in McMullen County. Supplemental feeding of livestock was at a steady pace in areas running short on forage. Producers were culling cattle and weaning calves early, and cattle body condition scores remained fair. Extremely hot weather in the eastern part of the district dried out soils, rangeland and pastures. However, most pastures remained green. In Jim Wells County, hot dry weather helped crops mature. Fields that received ample moisture in the past still were improving, but those that missed recent rains were beginning to show signs of stress and maturing early. Soil moisture was 50 to 60 percent adequate in Brooks County, 75 to 100 percent adequate in Jim Wells County, and 40 to 60 percent short in Kleberg and Kenedy counties. In the western part of the district, soil moisture ranged from 80 to 100 percent surplus. Bermuda grass hay producers were busy baling hay. Grain sorghum was fully emerged. Farmers were irrigating cotton, corn and sorghum, which were in critical developmental stages. The cabbage and onion harvests were both nearly finished. Supplemental feeding of livestock was light with moderate stocking rates and slow restocking in some areas. In the southern part of the region, cotton was flowering and setting bolls, and sorghum was turning color and maturing. Corn was also doing well. In Starr County, the harvesting of late-season melons continued. Soil moisture throughout the area ranged from 70 to 100 percent down to 50 percent adequate.

South Plains: The region received more rain, with most counties reporting widespread showers. Hail was reported in some areas. Hale County reported 25 percent crop losses from last week's hail storm. Hockley County reported as much as 20 percent of the cotton crop as damaged or gone. Corn fared better during the storms. Damage reports were still trickling in. Rainfall totals this week ranged from 0.75 inch to 4 inches. Swisher County noted that though the soil moisture profile was improved, there were some drawbacks of the 7 inches of rain received there in the last three weeks, including root rot in early seedling development of cotton. Cotton, corn and sorghum planted after Memorial Day were in better shape than earlier planted crops. Field activities included emergency tillage to prevent blowing sand and replanting acres destroyed by previous storms. Having missed the planting window for cotton, some producers were switching to alternative crops. Livestock were mostly in good condition with no supplemental feeding reported.

Southeast: Soil moisture was reported as being mostly in the adequate range, but there were wide variations, with some counties reporting from 50 percent short to as much as 100 percent adequate. Rangeland and pasture ratings varied widely too, from fair to excellent, with good ratings being the most common. In Brazos County, the harvest of small grains was completed. Grasshopper numbers there were increasing in pastures and hayfields. In Walker County, most ponds were full, and grasses and gardens were growing well. Some low areas and creeks flooded. In Waller County, the frequent rains made hay harvesting a challenge. Brazoria County pastures and hay fields looked good from the past rains. A few areas were showing signs of armyworms. In Chambers County, rice farmers were rushing to complete planting by June 15 to meet crop insurance deadlines. In Fort Bend County, temperatures ranged from the low 70s to the high 90s, with little to no rain forecast. Galveston County received some heavy thunderstorms, and Orange County received scattered showers.

Southwest: From 1 inch to 5 inches of rain was received, and pastures and row crops were flourishing from the moisture. In some instances, high winds accompanied the rainstorms, snapping trees and damaging buildings and other structures. Local gardeners were having problems with fungus and stunted plant growth. The peach harvest was in full swing with good yields, though fruit size tended to be smaller than average. Producers were taking their first cutting of coastal Bermuda grass hay. Livestock and wildlife may continue to need supplemental feeding as new forage growth from recent rains may be short lived due to wind and high temperatures.

West Central: Days were hot with warm nights. Some areas received rain, hail and damaging winds. The wheat harvest was mostly complete with yield reports of 10 to 20 bushels per acre. Most wheat was grazed out. Grain sorghum was in great condition. Cotton and corn were off to a good start, thanks to good moisture and warm, sunny days. Cotton planting was slowed by recent rains but will continue as soon as conditions allow. Rangeland and pastures rebounded and were in good condition. Livestock were in good condition. Producers slacked off supplemental feeding as pastures greened up. Stock ponds caught some much-needed runoff. Pecan and fruit orchards were in great shape.

United Tech reaches helicopter deal with Canada

HARTFORD, Conn. -- United Technologies says its Sikorsky Aircraft division has signed a deal with Canada for the delivery of 28 maritime helicopters, ending a long and costly dispute.

The delivery of the helicopters was originally scheduled to begin in 2012. But Sikorsky and Canadian officials clashed over production, support and other issues.

Hartford-based United Technologies Corp. says Sikorsky will book sales of about $850 million and a charge of $440 million in the second quarter related to the deal. The charge will be offset by one-time gains over the course of the year so its full-year earnings outlook remains unchanged.

Canada says the deal will allow it begin retiring its fleet of Sea King helicopters in 2015.

Review: Value in Amazon Prime goes beyond shipping

AMHERST, Ohio -- Spending $99 a year for an Amazon Prime membership to get free shipping hardly seems like a deal. After all, I can usually get free shipping by spending at least $35 on a single order.

But Prime's benefits became apparent gradually over the nine months I've used it.

During a trip last month, for instance, I got started on the first season of "The Good Wife" and read Michael Lewis' "The Blind Side." Last weekend, I added Journey's "Greatest Hits" album to my music library and began watching the spy drama "The Americans." I finished a book on photography on my way to work Monday.

All that came for free with Prime.

Some features work only with a Kindle e-reader or tablet. If Amazon.com Inc. introduces a new smartphone Wednesday, as widely expected, those features will likely work there, too. Amazon might even introduce additional ones just for its phone.

But there's plenty to enjoy, even without an Amazon device:

— UNLIMITED VIDEO:

Since 2006, Amazon has been offering video for download, much like Apple's iTunes. Although TV episodes cost just $2 or $3 each, I hate paying for something that's been shown on television for free.

Amazon changed the dynamics in 2011 when it started offering movies and TV shows to Prime members for free. Unlike Netflix, Amazon offers only part of its collection that way. Video is available on a variety of devices, but not Google's Chromecast or smartphones and tablets running Google's Android system, with the exception of Kindles.

As with Netflix, free video has typically been limited to streaming, meaning you need a persistent Internet connection. But last fall, Amazon began enabling downloads on Kindle tablets. That came in handy during my train trip through Ohio and other states last month, when I kept encountering stretches without cellular service and couldn't watch Netflix.

— EXCLUSIVE VIDEO:

Lately, Amazon has been making exclusive deals to block shows from Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services. Prime is the only way to get free streaming of past seasons of "24" and classic HBO series such as "The Sopranos" and "The Wire." This summer, Amazon is making episodes of two CBS series, "Under the Dome" and "Extant," available through Prime just four days after the broadcast.

Without Prime, you can still buy some shows digitally or on DVD. CBS is also making its shows available for free, though they will carry ads, while Prime will not.

Amazon also has been getting into original programming, though none of its shows has gotten the critical reception that Netflix has had with "House of Cards" and "Orange is the New Black." After getting customer feedback on 14 shows, Amazon ordered full seasons for two comedies and three kids' series. So far, people who don't have Prime aren't able to buy episodes.

— E-BOOKS:

You can borrow one book a month as long as you have a Kindle e-reader or tablet, but you're not offered everything that Amazon makes available for purchase. The selection includes the "Harry Potter" and "Hunger Games" series and several books by best-selling author Michael Lewis. But once I finished those, I struggled to find books of interest.

Each month, Prime members can also choose one of four books to own outright, regardless of whether they own a Kindle device. These books are all published by Amazon. So far, none has interested me enough to get — even for free.

— MUSIC:

This is Amazon's newest benefit, debuting just last week. More than a million songs are available for streaming on Kindle tablets, Web browsers and Amazon's Music app for Apple and Android devices. In some cases, you can download songs for offline playback.

As with books and video, free music is limited to a portion of what Amazon makes available for sale. Universal Music Group's catalog is missing, but you do get Grammies winner Daft Punk and plenty of '80s tracks from Journey and Madonna.

— FOR KIDS:

Amazon's FreeTime Unlimited service offers plenty of kid-friendly apps, books and video for a set monthly price. Prime members still have to pay, but they get a few dollars off the monthly fee.

— SHIPPING:

And of course, there's the free shipping. I started out by saying that I could get free shipping by spending at least $35 on an order. However, that's for standard shipping, which takes up to eight business days. With Prime, I got a $14 corkscrew in just two days.

That said, shipping isn't expensive, and you need up to 20 small orders a year to make it worth the $99 membership fee. Plus, scores of items are excluded from free shipping, including some running shorts I was looking to buy.

The benefits of Prime clearly go beyond free shipping. None of the other perks is enough by itself, but as a package, they make Prime a great value.

Albania seeks to bring law to Europe's pot capital

LAZARAT, Albania -- Plumes of pungent pot smoke rose above the small but prosperous Albanian village of Lazarat on Wednesday as police sought to drive out the gangs that have turned it into Europe's largest illegal marijuana producer.

Until 10 years ago, Lazarat was a regular farming community. Now it rakes in billions of euros every year from the plants that are openly cultivated in fields and house gardens.

Set in a green plain overlooked by high hills, this sprawling village of 5,000 is believed to produce about 900 metric tons of cannabis a year, worth some 4.5 billion euros ($6.1 billion) — just under half of the small Balkan country's GDP.

The lucrative business has left its mark. Flashy cars and expensive homes dot the village, where many residents were left unemployed after the political purges that followed changes of government in Albania in the late 1990s. Ironically, many had previously worked for the customs service, policing nearby border crossings with Greece.

The marijuana-farming has grown constantly since then, encouraged by strong demand in neighboring Greece and Italy. Albania itself has become a major transit point for other drugs coming in to Europe from Asia and Latin America.

Authorities use to leave the drug gangs pretty much to their own devices, as police visits tended to be met with gunfire. But the new Socialist government came to power last year aiming to stamp out the marijuana economy as it keeps trying to seek membership in the European Union. The country's application for candidate member status in the 28-nation bloc has been turned down three times, with organized crime and corruption always cited as a stumbling block.

In the government's most ambitious effort so far, hundreds of police were deployed this week to Lazarat as part of a nationwide anti-drug operation— only to be met by dozens of heavily armed men firing rocket-propelled grenades, mortar shells and heavy machine gunfire.

With local television broadcasting the events live, police and the Interior Ministry urged residents to stay indoors and warned others to stay away from the area, some 230 kilometers (140 miles) south of the capital, Tirana.

Police chief Artan Didi told reporters police were targeting a "very well-structured and organized criminal group that is keeping the village in its claws."

By late Wednesday, some 800 police had brought nearly half the village under control, gingerly advancing into gang-defended areas. So far they have seized and burned 11.3 tons of marijuana packed in sacks and 70,000 plants and destroyed two marijuana laboratories. Police also seized considerable amounts of ammunition from the more than 30 houses searched.

Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri vowed to persist until "every square centimeter in Lazarat is under state control."

Smoke from burning marijuana rose above the village — allegedly from fires set by locals to burn their plants as the police closed in.

Despite the heavy gunfire, casualties were light, with one policeman and three villagers suffering light gunshot wounds.

The alleged gang leader surrendered to police after protracted negotiations, authorities said in a statement Wednesday. A further eight people were arrested on suspicion of attacking and robbing a television news crew.

Police said continuous gunfire was still coming from one house, where they believed more than ten gang members were holed up.

Albania, a small mountainous country on the Adriatic coast opposite Italy, has just over 3 million people. It was for decades Europe's most isolated country until a student uprising toppled the communist regime in 1990 and Albanians emigrated en masse to Greece, Italy and other western countries.

Another uprising in 1997 led to the extensive looting of military installations, flooding Albania with weapons.

The former ruling Democratic party issued a statement saying that, while they support the anti-drug operations, the government's response was too heavy-handed in the village.

The ruling Socialists say Lazarat — a Democratic party stronghold — previously had benefited from links with the country's political elite.

"Time is over for the links of the world of crime in Lazarat with parliament, with politics, with those they exploited," Tahiri said. "What you are seeing today is the best example of our determination to install the rule of law in every corner of Albania."

Llazar Semini reported from Tirana.

The First Lady Welcomes 50 New Americans at the National Archives

Watch on YouTube

This morning, First Lady Michelle Obama welcomed 50 new Americans in a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

"This is an exciting day," the First Lady said in her remarks, "and it's just wonderful that I can be among the first to congratulate you on becoming American citizens."

Only a few feet from where she spoke was the Declaration of Independence -- and as she noted, none of the 56 Founders who signed the Declaration were born American, "they became American."

read more