A skilled San Francisco-based computer hacker who once sought to unite the cyber underworld under his benign rule pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges here Monday, admitting he stole nearly 2 million credit card numbers from banks, businesses and other hackers, which were used to rack up $86 million in fraudulent charges.

Physicist Leonardo DiCarlo of Yale University, New Haven, and his colleagues have made the first solid-state quantum processor, using similar techniques to the silicon chip industry. The processor has used programs called quantum algorithms to solve two different problems. The work is published in Nature1.

Earlier this week, NASA released an amazing photograph of an eruption of Sarychev Peak Volcano, taken by astronauts aboard the orbiting International Space Station (ISS). Seeing that great photo prompted me to dig into the archives and see what other imagery I could find from recent NASA archives. Collected here are a handful of photographs of Sarychev Peak Volcano, and more, taken by astronauts aboard the ISS over the past few months.

Moo Brew's Imperial Stout 2008 Vintage Release is Tasmania's most expensive beer.

Only 1515 bottles have been produced, with each 330mL bottle selling for $25.

Moo Brew Imperial Stout is built around showcasing the rich dark chocolate obtained through the use of specialty malts. Roast and astringent characteristics are present but relatively restrained and balanced. The palette is carried by a complex matrix of high residual sugar and bitterness elevated to maintain balance, with an active alcohol vector to enhance the delivery of the flavours.

A spokesman for Senator Conroy confirmed that under the filtering plan, it will be extended to downloadable games, flash-based web games and sites which sell physical copies of games that do not meet the MA15+ standard.

This means that even Australians who are aged above 15 and want to obtain the adult-level games online will be unable to do so. . It will undoubtedly raise the ire of gamers, the average age of which is 30 in Australia, according to research commissioned by the Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia.

South Africa is currently hosting the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, an international soccer tournament held every four years. The Confederations Cup is regarded as a dress rehearsal for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, also hosted by South Africa - the first World Cup to be held in Africa. Expectations are high as preparations, stadium construction and planning for both tournaments have recently picked up pace. With soccer fever sweeping through the country, you'll find here some recent scenes of South Africans enjoying football as both participants and fans.

A second mural in central Bristol by the graffiti artist Banksy has been defaced.

The Mild Mild West, which depicts comic policemen and a bear, has been splattered with blue paint.

On Monday, a picture painted on the side of a wall in the city's Park Street was vandalised with blue paint splashes.