North Korean Hackers Steal $3 Billion In Crypto To Fund Nuclear Programme

North Korean hackers have stolen an estimated $3 billion worth of cryptocurrency since 2017, using the funds to support the regime's nuclear and missile programmes, a Microsoft report showed on Thursday.

Of that amount, between $600 million and $1 billion was stolen just last year, based on Microsoft's ‘Digital Defence Report for 2024'.

The report highlights that these stolen funds have financed over half of Pyongyang's nuclear development efforts, reports Yonhap news agency.

Since last year, Microsoft has identified several new North Korean hacking groups -- Moonstone Sleet, Jade Sleet, Sapphire Sleet and Citrine Sleet, which have been targeting cryptocurrency organisations.

In particular, Moonstone Sleet has developed a custom ransomware variant and deployed it against unidentified entities in the aerospace and defence sectors for both intelligence gathering and financial gain.

Microsoft analysts said the emergence of new hacking groups suggests that the North Korean regime is expanding its involvement in ransomware activities, increasing the use of cybercriminal tools to bolster the regime's financial resources and advance its strategic interests.

"Nation-states are becoming more aggressive in the cyber domain, with ever-growing levels of technical sophistication that reflect increased investment in resources and training," said Tom Burt, Microsoft's vice president of customer security and trust.

Microsoft also warned of rising cyber threats by state-backed actors, especially those related to Russia, China and Iran, ahead of the U.S. presidential election and amid persistent geopolitical conflicts in Europe and the Middle East.

Meanwhile, South Korea, the US and Japan recently agreed to bolster joint efforts to combat North Korea's illegal cyber activities, which are increasingly targeting the virtual currency industry.

The three sides stressed the importance of strengthening partnerships with the private sector, particularly with cryptocurrency service providers, to raise awareness of Pyongyang's cyber threats.

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Donald Trump's Cryptocurrency Platform Falters On First Day Of Sales

Former US president Donald Trump's cryptocurrency platform had a faltering sales launch Tuesday, with only a fraction of its digital tokens that went on the market finding a buyer.

The Republican candidate announced in mid-September that he, along with his sons and entrepreneurs, would launch the platform named World Liberty Financial.

Some 20 billion digital tokens, priced at 1.5 cents each, were offered by the company -- a total value of $300 million -- but just three percent had been purchased by Tuesday evening.

The tokens can be used as cryptocurrencies and give buyers a vote on the platform's governance.

Many observers blamed the low sales on technical problems, as the company's website suffered outages earlier in the day.

World Liberty Financial will enable users to lend or borrow cryptocurrencies to or from one another, a service already offered by many platforms, one of the best-known of which is Aave.

During his presidency Trump referred to cryptocurrencies as a scam, but has since radically changed his position, presenting himself as a "pro-bitcoin president" if elected in November.

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Canada Marine Protection Plan Aims To Serve As Global Model

Viewed from above, Canada's newest Marine Protected Area (MPA) is deceptively simple: stretches of blue Pacific Ocean waters and a few patches of green forest.

But beneath the surface of the area known as the Great Bear Sea, off Vancouver Island, lies an area so rich in biodiversity it has been dubbed the "Galapagos of the North." It may also serve as a model for how to protect marine life elsewhere.

In July, the federal government took an unprecedented step, designating an area roughly as large as Greece an MPA. Previously, protected areas were significantly smaller in size.

The step followed years of consultation and aimed to pioneer a new model of holistic protection, which would see marine populations shielded from a variety of harmful activities across an enormous stretch of ocean, hopefully allowing them to replenish and thrive.

Crucially, the talks also involved a new approach to collaboration.

In addition to the government, fishing industry representatives and the indigenous communities who rely on the area's resources for their livelihoods worked together to develop a protection scheme that balances various interests.

"I am optimistic that we are going to be able to be a model for any future initiatives" on marine protection, said Danielle Shaw, chief of the Wuikinuxv nation, one of the indigenous communities in the area.

The UN COP Biodiversity Conference known as COP-16 opens in Cali, Colombia next week.

At the last conference, COP-15 held in Montreal in 2022, nations agreed to protect 30 percent of the seas by 2030, but there was no clear definition of what amounts to a protected area -- an uncertainty the Canadian model aims to help address.

'Species at risk'

Around the Great Bear Sea, overfishing, pollution and warming waters caused by climate change have altered the area substantially.

Shaw told AFP that "recently there's been some years where we've had to close (fishing) all together for our own people," in order to protect vulnerable fish populations.

That is devastating for the remote community as it means "people haven't been able to stock up their shelves and their freezers for the winter," she said.

The area newly designated for official protection includes 64 species of fish, 70 seabird species, as well as whales, bears, wolves and ancient cedar forest. The seafloor also counts more than 47 underwater mountains, or seamounts.

"It's home to really unique ecosystems and species, but also there are species that are at risk," said Kate MacMillan, conservation director for the ocean program at the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - British Columbia.

Federal MPA guidelines aim to put a variety of new restrictions on the activities allowed across a vast marine area, including prohibitions on oil and gas exploration, mineral exploitation, waste disposal and the use of dredging gear, among others.

MacMillan described the MPA model as "an important tool," but warned it is not "a silver bullet."

"They don't stop everything. They won't solve every threat," she said.

Those threats are set to persist, especially with the region of British Columbia surrounding the MPA seeing an increase of maritime traffic, including shipments of liquefied natural gas.

Enforcement remains a challenge and the Canadian model aims to involve First Nations in monitoring potential violations, even if they won't have enforcement power.

'We have no choice'

Bo Owadi, a member of the Wuikinuxv nation, said she spends most of her days on the water and is among those who will be working with police and researchers to document misconduct to assess the health of marine life.

She said her generation has "an ingrained sense of responsibility to take care of the land," and that joining forces with the government and others was inevitable.

"We have to come together," she told AFP. "We have no choice."

Chief Shaw agreed that collaborating on protection efforts, including by weighing the economic considerations of the fishing industry, could help foster more durable support.

"The hope is, in the long term, a stronger ecosystem means more food sources for humans and also the stronger economy," she said.

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Royal Enfield Interceptor Bear 650 Design Leaked; India Launch In November 2024

It is no secret that the one of the next launches from Royal Enfield will be the Interceptor Bear 650, a scrambler based on the Interceptor 650 roadster. And barely weeks before its official reveal at EICMA 2024, the motorcycle has been fully revealed with all the details, in what seems to be a company presentation. The motorcycle does look good and stays true to the scrambler design. Now, it will have the same 648 cc parallel-twin engine which is oil/air-cooled and is likely to have the same power and torque output which is 47 bhp and 52.3 Nm.

Also Read: Royal Enfield Classic 650 Spotted; India Launch Soon

The engine will be paired to a 6-speed gearbox and instead of the twin exhausts on the Interceptor 650, the Bear 650 will have a two-in-one exhaust. Expect RE to tweak the ratios of the gearbox to offer more torque at the bottom end and mid-range.

In terms of distinguishing features, the images reveal that the Bear 650 will have a different seat and grab-rail along with a number badge on the side, which is a trademark scrambler design element and has Interceptor Bear 650 written on it. From the photos, the handlebar seems to be the same as that of the Interceptor and what we suspect, increased suspension travel with USD fork up front, which will distinguish it as a scrambler, from the roadster that the Interceptor 650 is. What we also see is the motorcycle gets dual-sport tyres with spoked rims - an 18-inch unit up front and a 17-inch unit at the rear.

The image also shows that the motorcycle gets a circular instrument console, which may or may not be a TFT, depending on the variant and we expect it to get switchable ABS, similar to what the Himalayan 450 offers. Royal Enfield is likely to position it above the Interceptor and Continental GT 650, which means an asking price of about Rs. 3.4 to 3.5 lakh (ex-showroom). The motorcycle will make its official debut at EICMA 2024 and will

Source: Grippedia YouTube

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"Deeply Sorry": Italy Bank Apologises For Security Breach Involving Meloni

Italy's biggest bank Intesa Sanpaolo apologised on Sunday for an embarrassing security breach that reportedly targeted Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and other high-profile figures.

Newspaper Domani on Thursday reported that an Intesa employee had been fired after it was discovered he had spied on the bank accounts of thousands of customers, including Meloni.

"As made public, a disloyal employee of our bank, through conduct that gravely violated laws, regulations, and internal procedures, unjustifiably accessed data and information concerning some clients," Intesa said in a statement.

"We notified the Data Protection Authority, dismissed the disloyal employee, and filed a complaint as an injured party. We are deeply sorry for what has occurred and we apologize. This must never happen again," it added.

Meloni acknowledged the reported incident in a Saturday interview with news programme TG5, saying she expected the judiciary to investigate what happened and any possible conspiracy behind it.

"I think that there are public and private sector employees who illegally take information and sell it on ... who are they selling it to? This is the answer we are waiting for, presumably there are interests behind this," she said.

On Saturday, sources at Intesa said the bank would appoint a retired top official from the Carabinieri police force, Antonio De Vita, to oversee the company's cybersecurity and security services.

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Babar Azam Dropped From Pakistan's 2nd Test Squad Against England: Report

After Pakistan's humiliating defeat to England in the first Test at Multan, former skipper Babar Azam has been dropped from the report, a report has confirmed. Babar has been in woeful form over the last few months, across formats. He only scored 30 and 5 across the two innings against England in the first Test, despite the pitch being an absolute belter for batters. Hours after Pakistan's defeat in the Multan Test, the Pakistan Cricket Board constituted a new selection committee, which has reportedly decided to exclude Babar from the second Test squad. 

According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, the selection committee, consisting of Aleem Dar, Aaqib Javed, and Azhar Ali have decided to leave out Babar, Pakistan's former captain, from the squad, owing to his barren run with the bat. 

The selection committee reportedly met PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, as well as the five mentors appointed by the PCB on three-year deals, on Saturday, and finalised the squad. 

The development comes despite the fact that Pakistan captain Shan Massood had labelled Babar the team's best batter. 

"We want to build a squad mentality. We don't play a lot of Test cricket. Especially as a batter, it is not easy. You have to give a lot of opportunities, and there is no doubt that Babar Azam is Pakistan's best batter. You always have to keep in mind that your best batter is just one game away. We will reflect and see the conditions that will be on offer. We will try to put the best team on the side," Masood had said in the post-match press conference after the first Test.

The selectors traveled to Multan on Saturday to meet with the captain Masood and coach Jason Gillespie. They also held a meeting with the PCB curator Tony Hemming after Multan wicket came in the line of fire over its extremely batting-friendly conditions.

The report claimed that some of the mentors in the PCB-appointed committee were in favour of keeping Babar in the squad, but the majority verdict was against his continuity.

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Thousands Trapped In Gaza's Jabalia Camp As Israel Continues Deadly Attacks

Thousands of people are trapped in Gaza's Jabalia camp as Israeli forces attack the area, Médecins Sans Frontières(Doctors Without Borders) said on Friday, a week after Israel launched an offensive there which it says is aimed at stopping Hamas regrouping.

At least 20 Palestinians were killed and dozens more were wounded late on Friday by Israeli strikes in Jabalia, which also damaged four nearby homes, medics told Reuters. The death toll is likely to rise, they added.

Israeli military strikes killed at least 61 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Friday, the medics added. Nearly half of the fatalities, including the 20 killed at the home, occurred in Jabalia, the northern district which is the largest of Gaza's historic refugee camps.

The Israeli military says it has killed dozens of militants in Jabalia, though it remains unclear how many of the dead were civilians rather than fighters.

"Nobody is allowed to get in or out; anyone who tries is getting shot," MSF project coordinator Sarah Vuylsteke said on X.

Five MSF staff were trapped in Jabalia, she said.

"I don't know what to do; at any moment we could die. People are starving. I am afraid to stay, and I am also afraid to leave," she quoted Haydar, an MSF driver, as saying.

At least 15 of the fatalities in Jabalia since dawn were due to Israeli strikes targeting various areas, including a school sheltering displaced individuals, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa said, citing medical sources.

Gaza's Civil Defence said dozens were wounded by Israeli quadcopter drone fire at the same school.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has previously said Gaza's militants use such shelters for cover. Hamas has denied this.

The Israeli military has sent troops into the nearby towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya as well as Jabalia. Hamas has said it will keep fighting Israeli forces.

Palestinian health officials have reported at least 130 deaths in the operation so far, while the military has told residents to evacuate areas where the UN estimates over 400,000 people are trapped.

United Nations officials expressed concern that the ongoing Israeli offensive and evacuation orders in northern Gaza could disrupt the second phase of its polio vaccination campaign set to begin next week.

Healthcare officials have reported that dozens of facilities in Gaza are under evacuation orders from the Israeli military, complicating humanitarian efforts amid the conflict.

Aid groups carried out an initial round of vaccinations last month after a baby was partially paralyzed by the type 2 poliovirus in August, the first such case in the territory in 25 years.

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