Burning millions on the blockchain: how hackers used bitcoin to send a message

Burning millions on the blockchain: how hackers used bitcoin to send a message

On 18 June, something remarkable happened on the bitcoin blockchain. A series of 2 087 transactions totalling nearly 18.5 bitcoin, worth close to US$2-million (R35.5-million), was sent to a single address: 1FuckiRGCTerroristsNoBiTEXXXaAovLX. The message embedded in that address left little to interpretation. It was a public and permanent insult aimed at Nobitex, Iran’s largest cryptocurrency…

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Africa: Beyond Disposable Staff, Distracting Reforms and Restoring UN Effectiveness

Africa: Beyond Disposable Staff, Distracting Reforms and Restoring UN Effectiveness

Geneva — In an era defined by the gig economy and pervasive job insecurity, advocating for permanent contracts within the United Nations might seem anachronistic, even counterintuitive. Yet, clinging to a culture of short-term, precarious contracts is not just detrimental to staff well-being; it’s a strategic and financial misstep that undermines the UN’s core mission….

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Africa: Beyond Disposable Staff, Distracting Reforms and Restoring UN Effectiveness

Africa: Fixing the House the World Built – a Realistic Plan for UN Reform

New York — I’ve spent much of my life in the machinery of international development, navigating acronyms, crises, and committee rooms with stale coffee. Through it all–amid war zones, climate summits, and remote island consultations–one institution has remained constant: the United Nations. Revered, ridiculed, relied upon. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: the UN, in its…

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Bolt rolls out enhanced safety features amid rising concerns

Bolt rolls out enhanced safety features amid rising concerns

With new features like in-app emergency tools and rider ID verification, the e-hailing company is committed to making its platform safer for all. With increasing incidents of hijackings, attacks on e-hailing drivers and growing tensions in the transport industry, Bolt is introducing multi-layered safety features, including AI-powered dashboard cameras (dash cams), in-app emergency tools and…

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Africa: Beyond Disposable Staff, Distracting Reforms and Restoring UN Effectiveness

Africa: New UN Report Charts Path Out of Debt Crisis Threatening Global Development

A decade after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), development is facing serious headwinds – including what UN officials describe as a “silent crisis” of surging debt service payments in low-income countries. On Friday, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed launched a new report, Confronting the Debt Crisis: 11 Actions to Unlock Sustainable Financing. She…

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Cash addiction is costing South Africa billions

Cash addiction is costing South Africa billions

South Africans’ heavy reliance on cash, instead of using advanced digital payment rails, costs the economy more than R30-billion/year. This is according to Tim Masela, head of the National Payments System at the Reserve Bank, whose commentary in the Payments Association of South Africa’s (Pasa’s) annual report notes that positive strides taken to digitise the…

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