Musings From Abroad

Anonymous lay claims to hacking Russia’s Central Bank, vows to release 35,000 secret agreements in 48 hours

Published

3 years ago

March 25, 2022

Hacking collective group, Anonymous, claims it has hacked into the Russian Central Bank, and has access to around 35,000 files of secret agreements it would release in the next 48 hours.

The hacking group which made the announcement on its Twitter account on Thursday, said the attack on the Russian apex bank is in continuation of its self-appointed cyberwar against offensive countries and high profile organisations in different parts of the world.

Though the Twitter account purportedly belonging to the group has not yet given proof that it had successfully undertaken the hack, or that it had access to the promised documents, the alleged invasion follows reports that the bank’s governor, Elvira Nabiullina, had attempted to resign following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Her offer to resign was, however, rejected, with President Vladimir Putin nominating her for a third term in the role, and Nabiullina has been trying to keep the economy afloat despite a raft of sanctions imposed by other countries, with many companies pulling out of Russia.

Since the Ukrainian invasion, Anonymous, and other closely aligned hacker groups, have been targeting Russian assets and companies.

On Thursday they, again, repeated their call for international companies continuing to operate in Russia to pull out immediately.

“Although some companies have responded to our request to stop their activities in Russia, there are still companies that refuse to leave Russia.

“Our last call is clear: Stop operating in Russia immediately if you have little mercy left for the massacred children in Ukraine,” their tweet said.

“Immediately stop your activity in Russia if you feel sorry for the innocent people who are being massacred violently in Ukraine.

“Your time is running out. We do not forgive. We do not forget,” another tweet reads.

Earlier in the week, GhostSec, a subsidiary of the Anonymous collective, claimed to have hacked printers in Russia to print out over 10,000 anti-Putin and anti-war messages.

“This isn’t your war. This is your government’s war,” the message said.

“Your brothers and sisters are being lied to, some units think they’re practicing military drills, however, when they arrive to what they think is a drill they’re greeted by bloodthirsty Ukrainians who want redemption and revenge from the damage that Putin’s puppets cause upon the land.”

Anonymous had previously claimed to hacking Russian television for the same purposes.

“The hacking collective Anonymous hacked into the Russian streaming services Wink and Ivi (like Netflix) and live TV channels Russia 24, Channel One, Moscow 24 to broadcast war footage from Ukraine,” the group said at the time.

Related Topics:Anonymous Featured Hacking Invasion Russia Ukraine

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Musings From Abroad

Swiss company Mercuria partners Zambia’s IDC in new metals trading firm

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by Swiss commodities trader, Mercuria, on Thursday, it has established a metals trading arm with Zambia, the second-largest producer of copper in Africa.

The trading unit is jointly owned by Mercuria and an arm of Zambia’s Industrial Development Company (IDC), and its purpose is to allow Zambia to engage directly in the minerals trading market.

The joint venture “envisages the establishment of a vehicle to market and trade Zambian copper by mutual leverage,” according to a statement from Cornwell Muleya, the CEO of IDC.

The southern African nation wants to increase copper output to roughly 3 million metric tonnes within the next ten years, and in 2023, it produced roughly 698,000 tonnes of copper, down from 763,000 metric tonnes the year before.

In June, the Zambian government announced that it would establish a minerals trading unit.

Investors including First Quantum Minerals and Barrick Gold are ramping up production, with output set to receive a further boost once Vedanta Resources’ Konkola Copper Mines restart activity.

“Our joint venture with IDC marks a significant milestone for Zambia as it positions itself more strategically in the global minerals market,” Kostas Bintas, Mercuria’s global head of metals and minerals, said in the statement.

Musings From Abroad

Blinken to reveal UN Sudan funding additions

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Additional financing for humanitarian aid to Sudan and initiatives to strengthen civil society in the nation, where a conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, will be announced by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the United Nations on Thursday.

Blinken will make many announcements when he leads a UN Security Council meeting on Sudan on Thursday, which will centre on humanitarian aid and civilian protection, Deputy U.S. Representative to the UN Ned Price told reporters on Wednesday.

According to Price, the announcements would include more money for humanitarian help, initiatives to strengthen civil society, and the return of democracy.

“Sudan, unfortunately, has risked becoming a forgotten conflict,” Price said.

“So part of the reason the secretary … opted to convene a signature event on this very topic is to make sure it remains in the spotlight,” Price said.

For almost 18 months, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and Sudan’s army have been engaged in combat, resulting in a severe humanitarian crisis that has forced over 12 million people from their homes and made it difficult for U.N. organisations to provide aid.

A power struggle between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces preceded a planned shift to civilian administration, which sparked the conflict in April 2023.

Although the army declined to join this year’s U.S.-mediated peace negotiations in Geneva, the warring parties did pledge to increase assistance access, which prevented any movement towards a ceasefire.

Price stated that before President Joe Biden’s term ends next month, the United States would keep collaborating with allies to enhance humanitarian access in Sudan and eventually end hostilities.

“We are going to leave nothing on the field in our efforts to work with allies, with partners, with the Sudanese stakeholders themselves, on the issues that matter most – humanitarian access, the provision of humanitarian assistance, ultimately, the process by which we can work to get to a cessation of hostilities, which is most urgently needed,” he said.