Latest news with #R177
IOL News
21-07-2025
- IOL News
Don't let hackers crash your vacation: cyber safety tips for travellers
Before you connect to the airport Wi-Fi, make sure that you have protected yourself from online hackers looking to swipe your information. A recent study by cybersecurity experts NordVPN and Saily has uncovered just how vulnerable travellers are. From stolen passport scans to hacked frequent flyer accounts, criminals are cashing in on a booming black market of personal travel data, and the cost of your identity on the dark web might be far lower than you'd expect. As international travel surges, so too does cybercrime aimed at unsuspecting travellers. Stolen travel documents are being bought and sold online for as little as $10 (R177), while verified EU passports can command prices of over $5,000 (R88 513). Fake visa stickers, forged bank statements, and loyalty accounts loaded with travel miles are also being traded for hundreds of dollars. Even confirmed reservations are being resold for upwards of $250 (R4 426). 'The staggering prices we're seeing on the dark web show just how valuable and vulnerable travellers' personal information has become,' says Marijus Briedis, chief technology officer at NordVPN. How cybercriminals steal travel data The methods used to steal travel information are wide-ranging and alarmingly simple. Cybercriminals often deploy malware that scans your devices and cloud storage for sensitive files. Phishing sites, which closely mimic real airline, hotel, or visa application websites, trick users into uploading personal documents and ID scans. Travellers are also at risk due to data breaches at airlines, travel agencies, and online booking platforms, which can leak entire passenger profiles. Even publicly accessible cloud folders with weak permissions can be easily discovered and exploited. In more advanced cases, criminals are turning to AI-generated scams to mimic legitimate requests. These include fake Wi-Fi login pages at airports, phoney lounge access portals, or even requests for selfies alongside ID documents, made to look like they come from official sources. 'With AI tools now easily accessible to criminals, these phishing attempts have become simple to create, remarkably convincing, and difficult to detect,' warns Vykintas Maknickas, CEO of Saily. Why travel documents are so valuable According to these experts, travel documents are a goldmine for hackers. Many digital services and identity checks only require a passport scan and a selfie, which criminals can fake using deepfake technology. With the right data, including full name, date of birth, passport number, email address, phone number, and emergency contacts, hackers can: Commit identity theft Open fraudulent bank accounts or credit lines Apply for loans Launch highly targeted phishing or social engineering attacks 'Travel documents offer direct access to your identity with minimal barriers, making stolen travel data incredibly dangerous,' Briedis explains.
IOL News
19-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal over Epstein allegations
A message calling on President Donald Trump to release all files related to Jeffrey Epstein is projected onto the US Chamber of Commerce building across from the White House. Image: ALEX WROBLEWSKI / AFP US President Donald Trump sued media magnate Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal for at least $10 billion (R177 billion) on Friday over publication of a bombshell article on his friendship with the infamous alleged sex trafficker of underage girls, Jeffrey Epstein. The defamation lawsuit, filed in federal court in Miami, saw the 79-year-old Republican hitting back at a scandal threatening to cause serious political damage. "We have just filed a POWERHOUSE Lawsuit against everyone involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE NEWS 'article' in the useless 'rag' that is, The Wall Street Journal," Trump posted on Truth Social late Friday. The Journal reported Thursday that in 2003, the then-real estate magnate wrote a suggestive birthday letter to Epstein, illustrated with a naked woman and alluding to a shared "secret." The lawsuit, which also names two reporters, the Dow Jones corporation, and Murdoch's parent company News Corp. as defendants, claims that no such letter exists and that the paper intended to malign Trump with a story that has now been viewed by hundreds of millions of people. "And given the timing of the Defendants' article, which shows their malicious intent behind it, the overwhelming financial and reputational harm suffered by President Trump will continue to multiply," it said. Dow Jones, the Journal's longtime publisher, responded to Trump's libel suit Friday saying it is standing by the story. "We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit," a Dow Jones spokesperson said in a statement. Alleged cover-up In another bid to dampen outrage among his own supporters about an alleged government cover-up of Epstein's activities and 2019 death, Trump ordered US Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the unsealing of grand jury testimony from the prosecution against the disgraced financier. In a filing in New York, Bondi cited "extensive public interest" for the unusual request to release what is typically secret testimony. Epstein, a longtime friend of Trump and multiple high-profile men, was found hanging dead in a New York prison cell while awaiting trial on charges that he sexually exploited dozens of underage girls at his homes in New York and Florida. The case sparked conspiracy theories, especially among Trump's far-right voters, about an alleged international cabal of wealthy pedophiles. Epstein's death -- declared a suicide -- before he could face trial supercharged the narrative. When Trump returned to power for a second term this January, his supporters clamored for revelations about Epstein's supposed list of clients. But Bondi issued an official memo this month declaring there was no such list. The discontent in Trump's "Make America Great Again" base poses a rare challenge to the Republican's control of the political narrative in the United States. It remained unclear whether a court would authorize the unsealing of the grand jury testimony. But even if such material were made public, there is no assurance it would shed much, if any, light on the main questions raised in the conspiracy theories -- particularly the existence and possible contents of an Epstein client list. Asked Friday by reporters if he would pursue the broader release of information related to the case, Trump did not answer. Naked woman and signature Trump was close with Epstein for years, and the two were photographed and videoed together at parties, although there has never been evidence of wrongdoing. The Wall Street Journal article published late Thursday was damaging because it indicated a shared interest in sex. The Journal reported that Trump had wished Epstein a happy 50th birthday in 2003 with a "bawdy" letter, part of an album of messages from rich and well-known figures. According to the Journal, the Trump letter contained the outline of a naked woman, apparently drawn with a marker, and had the future president's signature "Donald" mimicking pubic hair. It ends, according to the newspaper, with "Happy Birthday -- and may every day be another wonderful secret." Trump reacted in a series of furious social media posts, saying "it's not my language. It's not my words." "I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women," he said. US media has published multiple drawings done by Trump in the past, with several dating to the early 2000s when he used his celebrity status to donate sketches for charity. AFP Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
TimesLIVE
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Original Birkin bag sells at auction for record €8.6m
Regular Birkin bags sell for more than $10,000 (R177,000). The first, which has Birkin's JB initials on the flap and, unlike its descendants, has a strap that cannot be removed, was bought by a private Japanese buyer over the phone, Sotheby's said. The price was the highest on record for a fashion item, it said. 'It was a travel bag. Clearly it was worn for nine years by Jane Birkin on a daily basis and the form is very beautiful,' Aurelie Vassy, head of the handbags and fashion department at Sotheby's Europe and Middle East, told Reuters. Birkin auctioned the bag in 1994 to support Sidaction, a French charity that fights HIV/Aids. In 2000, when it went on sale again, a private French collector bought it. When British-born Birkin died in 2023, the French capital's mayor, Anne Hidalgo, said the 'most Parisian of the English has left us'. Birkin had lived in her adopted France since the late 1960s and was remembered as much for her warmth and campaigning as for her acting and singing, most famously on the hit single Je t' non plus . Reuters
The Citizen
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Tshwane school utility debt crisis deepens
The utility debt crisis crippling Gauteng schools, including more than 100 schools in Tshwane, has taken a disturbing turn with more than R58-million in unpaid municipal bills resulting in widespread electricity and water disconnections. As the DA intensifies pressure on the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE), DA MPL Sergio Isa Dos Santos has condemned the department's handling of the crisis as 'neglectful, evasive, and damaging to learners' constitutional right to basic education'. In a recent statement, Dos Santos, who has been vocal in highlighting the severity of the situation in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, confirmed that over 100 schools across Tshwane's southern, western, and northern districts are without essential services, due to unpaid utility bills. 'These are not isolated incidents,' said Dos Santos. 'Schools in Hammanskraal, Winterveldt, Mabopane, Ga-Rankuwa, Temba, Bronkhorstspruit, Erasmus, Ekangala, Cullinan, Lotus Gardens, Olievenhoutbosch, and Laudium are suffering under the weight of a department that refuses to take accountability. The largest outstanding amount at a single school is R177 637, with the median debt hovering around R45 000. That is more than a budget line item, it is a direct threat to the safety, dignity, and future of our learners.' Dos Santos emphasised that both primary and secondary schools have been impacted, many of which serve underprivileged communities already burdened by inadequate infrastructure. 'The GDE's insistence that no-fee schools carry the burden of utility payments is not only short-sighted, it is unjust,' he added. The disconnections have made classrooms dark and unusable, cut off access to water and sanitation, and left educators struggling to teach without the most basic resources. 'We are hearing from teachers and principals daily who are desperate. Learners are sitting in cold classrooms without lights, computer labs are idle, and sanitation conditions are deteriorating rapidly. This is no longer a financial issue. It is a humanitarian one.' In response to written DA questions in the Legislature, Education MEC Matome Chiloane confirmed that 536 schools in Gauteng had their services disconnected since January 2024, an increase from the 525 previously reported. Yet, according to Dos Santos, the MEC failed to provide meaningful responses to follow-up questions regarding disconnection durations, services affected, or what support — if any — was provided to schools. 'This evasive approach is unacceptable,' said Dos Santos. 'We cannot allow vague annexures and non-answers to obscure the reality: the department is failing, and learners are paying the price.' The DA has called for the immediate reversal of the policy that forces no-fee schools to pay their own utility bills, and said the party will demand the establishment of a task team within the MEC's office to address billing issues, coordinate with municipalities, and prevent further disconnections. 'If the DA were in government in Gauteng,' Dos Santos stated, 'we would ensure that no school goes without water, power, or sanitation. A functional intergovernmental task team would resolve disputes before they become crises, and contingency support like generators, water tankers, and mobile toilets would be dispatched immediately. For long-term resilience, we would invest in solar energy and boreholes.' He concluded with a call to action: 'We will not stop fighting until every learner has access to a safe, dignified, and uninterrupted learning environment. The GDE cannot continue to hide behind bureaucracy while our children sit in darkness.' The GDE was asked for comment, but none had been received by time of publication. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
TimesLIVE
07-07-2025
- Health
- TimesLIVE
From Karachi to Gaza: Pakistani start-up ships prosthetics to child war survivors
CEO Anas Niaz said the social enterprise start-up had fit more than 1,000 custom-designed arms in Pakistan since 2021 — funded through a mix of patient payments, corporate sponsorship and donations — but this was its first time providing prosthetics to those affected in conflict. Sidra and three-year-old Habebat Allah, who lost both her arms and a leg in Gaza, went through days of remote consultations and virtual fittings. Then Niaz flew from Karachi to Amman to meet the girls and make his company's first overseas delivery. Sidra's device was funded by Mafaz Clinic in Amman, while donations from Pakistanis paid for Habebat's. Mafaz CEO Entesar Asaker said the clinic partnered with Bioniks for its low costs, remote solutions and ability to troubleshoot virtually. Niaz said each prosthetic arm costs about $2,500 (R44,416), significantly less than the $10,000 (R177,677) to $20,000 (R355,396) for alternatives made in the US. While Bioniks' arms are less sophisticated than US versions, they provide a high level of functionality for children and their remote process makes them more accessible than options from other countries such as Turkey and South Korea. 'We plan on also providing limbs for people in other conflict zones, such as Ukraine, and become a global company,' Niaz said. Globally, most advanced prosthetics are designed for adults and rarely reach children in war zones, who need lighter limbs and replacements every 12-18 months as they grow. Niaz said they were exploring funding options for Sidra and Habebat's future replacements, adding the cost wouldn't be too high. 'Only a few components would need to be changed,' he said, 'the rest can be reused to help another child.' Bioniks occasionally incorporates popular fictional characters into its children's prosthetics such as Marvel's Iron Man or Disney's Elsa, a feature Niaz said helps with emotional acceptance and daily use. Gaza now has about 4,500 new amputees, on top of 2,000 existing cases from before the war, many of them children, making it one of the highest child-amputation crises per capita in recent history, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in March. An April study by the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics found at least 7,000 children have been injured since Israel's war in Gaza began in October 2023. Local health authorities say more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, nearly one-third of them children. The World Health Organisation has said Gaza's health system is 'on its knees' with Israel's border closures drying up critical supplies, meaning the wounded cannot access specialised care, especially amid waves of wounded patients. 'Where it's nearly impossible for healthcare professionals and patients to meet, remote treatment bridges a critical gap, making assessments, fittings, and follow-up possible without travel or specialised centres,' said Asadullah Khan, clinic manager at ProActive Prosthetic in Leeds, UK, which provides artificial limbs and support for trauma patients. Bioniks hopes to pioneer such solutions on a large scale but funding remains a roadblock and the company is still trying to form viable partnerships. Sidra is still adjusting to her new hand, on which she now wears a small bracelet. For much of the past year, when she wanted to make a heart, a simple gesture using both hands, she would ask someone else to complete it. This time, she formed the shape herself, snapped a photo and sent it to her father, who is still in Gaza. 'What I'm looking forward to most is using both my arms to hug my father when I see him,' she said.
