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On September 12, 2024, several major global events are making headlines:

Published

11 months ago

12 September 2024

On September 12, 2024, several major global events are making headlines:

1. Middle East Tensions – Israeli Assault in the West Bank

As of September 12, 2024, Israel’s ongoing military operations in the West Bank have resulted in the deaths of at least 50 Palestinians over a two-week period. The incursion, which began in late August, has led to widespread destruction of homes and displacement of families, particularly in the city of Tulkarm. Israeli forces have demolished houses and businesses, forcing residents to seek refuge in mosques and other shelters. Eyewitnesses report Israeli bulldozers destroying homes, leaving rubble that has also damaged neighboring buildings(Democracy Now!).

One particularly significant development is the killing of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old Turkish-American activist. President Joe Biden called her death “totally unacceptable” but has faced criticism for not calling for an independent investigation. Turkey has launched its own inquiry into the incident, demanding accountability. This incident has heightened tensions between the U.S., Turkey, and Israel(euronews)(Democracy Now!).

The violence in the West Bank has sparked protests in several parts of the world, with demonstrators calling for an end to Israeli military actions and greater protection for Palestinian civilians. This latest escalation has added to the long-standing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, making the possibility of peace seem increasingly distant.

2. Russia-Ukraine War – Ongoing Conflict and U.S. Involvement

In Ukraine, the conflict with Russia has entered a new phase as Russian forces launched a counteroffensive to regain territory in the Kursk region. Ukrainian forces had previously seized parts of the region, and now Russia is attempting to retake control. On September 12, 2024, Russian commanders reported reclaiming 10 settlements in the area(Democracy Now!).

Amid these developments, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Ukraine, reaffirming American support for Ukraine but stopping short of approving Kyiv’s request to use long-range U.S.-made missiles. Ukraine’s leadership continues to push for more decisive international military support, including lifting restrictions on the use of Western-supplied weapons on Russian soil. The use of these weapons, particularly the U.S.-made ATACMS missiles, has been a point of contention as it would potentially escalate the conflict(Democracy Now!).

While the U.S. has committed to ongoing aid for Ukraine, the situation remains delicate, with Moscow warning of severe consequences if Ukrainian forces are allowed to strike deep into Russian territory using U.S. weapons. The war, now in its second year, shows no signs of abating, with both sides locked in a protracted and brutal battle.

3. India’s Ethnic Violence in Manipur

In northeastern India, the state of Manipur continues to experience severe ethnic violence between the Meitei majority and the Kuki minority communities. The conflict, which has simmered for over a year, has recently escalated, leading to the deaths of at least 11 people, including civilians targeted by drone attacks. The violence has displaced tens of thousands of residents, leaving entire communities in turmoil(Democracy Now!).

On September 12, 2024, protests erupted as student demonstrators called for an end to the violence. The Indian government has responded by imposing a curfew and shutting down internet access across the region to prevent the spread of further unrest. This situation has become a major challenge for both local and national authorities, who are struggling to restore peace and order.

The conflict in Manipur is rooted in long-standing ethnic tensions over land, political representation, and cultural identity. The violence has disproportionately affected civilians, particularly women and children, and has drawn international attention due to the government’s inability to deescalate the situation(Democracy Now!).

4. Afghanistan’s Humanitarian Crisis – Children at Risk

The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues to deepen, with the United Nations reporting that 3.2 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition. Nearly half of Afghanistan’s children are stunted, meaning they are not growing to their full potential due to chronic hunger and malnutrition. Hospitals across the country are overwhelmed with cases of preventable diseases, and recent reports indicate that 700 children have died in eastern Afghanistan in the last six months alone(Democracy Now!).

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the subsequent takeover by the Taliban in 2021 have left the country in a state of economic and social collapse. International sanctions, drought, and conflict have compounded the crisis, leaving millions of Afghan families struggling to survive. Aid agencies have called for increased international support to prevent further deaths, but challenges remain, including political instability and difficulty in distributing aid to remote regions(Democracy Now!).

In a related development, Australia’s defense forces are facing a reckoning over war crimes committed during their military operations in Afghanistan. A report revealed that Australian Special Forces unlawfully killed at least 39 Afghan prisoners and civilians. Several senior commanders are set to lose their service medals, and prosecutions are being considered(Democracy Now!).

5. Venezuelan Political Crisis – Spain’s Recognition of Opposition Leader

In Venezuela, political tensions are reaching a boiling point after Spain recognized opposition leader Edmundo González as the president-elect of Venezuela. The move has angered President Nicolás Maduro’s government, which has threatened to cut diplomatic ties with Spain. González, who ran against Maduro in Venezuela’s last election, has been living in exile in Spain and was recently granted asylum(Democracy Now!).

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, however, has not officially recognized González as Venezuela’s president. This diplomatic standoff comes amid growing international concern over Venezuela’s human rights record and the government’s crackdown on political dissent. Many Venezuelans, particularly those who fled the country during the post-election crackdown, are seeking asylum in neighboring countries, often taking dangerous routes like the Darién Gap to escape persecution(Democracy Now!).

Human Rights Watch has called for greater international support for Venezuelan refugees, who face dire conditions in their host countries. The situation in Venezuela remains fluid, with Maduro’s government under increasing pressure both domestically and internationally.

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Morocco Sets Sights on 70% 5G Coverage by 2030 With New License Launch

Published

3 weeks ago

26 July 2025

EL MOSTAFA OUCHEN

Morocco Sets Sights on 70% 5G Coverage by 2030 With New License Launch

RABAT — July 26, 2025
In a landmark step toward digital transformation, Morocco’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ANRT) has officially launched the bidding process for 5G licenses, inviting national and international telecom operators to help deliver 25% population coverage by 2026 and 70% by 2030.

5G Strategy to Power FIFA World Cup and Beyond

The initiative aligns with Morocco’s preparations to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup and its broader Maroc Digital 2030 agenda. “This is about more than faster networks—it’s about our national future,” said Driss El Yazami, policy advisor at the Ministry of Digital Transition.

Highlights of the 5G Deployment Plan

Initial rollouts in Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakech, and Tangier
Smart infrastructure integration in stadiums and airports
Spectrum allocation in 3.5GHz and mmWave bands
Coverage expansion to underserved rural regions

From Urban Startups to Rural Farmers: 5G’s National Reach

5G is expected to revolutionize Moroccan society. Students will gain access to virtual classrooms, remote clinics will offer telemedicine, and farmers can deploy smart sensors. “Connectivity is empowerment,” said Amina El Mahdi, a tech entrepreneur in Fez.

Economic Impact and Cybersecurity Measures

The Ministry of Finance predicts 5G will boost GDP by 1.5% by 2030. All operators must meet strict cybersecurity, data localization, and interoperability standards monitored by ANRT and the National Cybersecurity Directorate.

2030 World Cup: Smart Stadiums and Global Broadcasts

With over 1.5 million visitors expected, 5G will support crowd management, mobile ticketing, HD broadcasts, and fan engagement zones across Moroccan host cities.

5G infrastructure being deployed in Morocco’s major cities ahead of FIFA 2030.

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Critical Cyber Breach in Tunisia: Government Systems and Banks Hacked, Confidential Data for Sale

Published

4 weeks ago

22 July 2025

EL MOSTAFA OUCHEN

Critical Cyber Breach in Tunisia: Government Systems and Banks Hacked, Confidential Data for Sale

A coordinated cyberattack led by Moroccan hacker Jokeir 07x and groups Dark Hell 07x and Dr. Shell 08x compromises key Tunisian institutions, exposing government systems, banking infrastructure, and personal data to global exploitation.

Tunis, July 2025 — In an alarming escalation of cyber threats across North Africa, Tunisia has become the latest victim of a highly organized and devastating cyberattack. Orchestrated by Moroccan threat actor Jokeir 07x, in partnership with the groups Dark Hell 07x and Dr. Shell 08x, the operation has compromised critical national infrastructure—from government domains to private financial institutions.

“This is not just a defacement campaign—it’s full infrastructure penetration,” declared Jokeir 07x on Telegram.

The targets include the Ministry of Finance, Bank of Tunisia, BTK, and the Tunisian Academy of Banking and Finance, among others. The attackers claim full access to internal systems, including emails, financial records, developer platforms, and sensitive citizen data.

🏛️ Government Domain Breached: Ministry of Finance

The domain finances.gov.tn was infiltrated through 16 high-risk subdomains such as auth., gitlab.intra., mail., and login-tej. According to hacker statements, these allowed access to:

Internal recruitment systems
Budgetary information
Developer repositories
Administrative emails

This level of penetration indicates control over Tunisia’s digital authentication infrastructure and DevOps environment, raising severe concerns for national cybersecurity.

🏦 Banking Sector Compromised and Data Sold

Several banks were also impacted:

Bank of Tunisia (bt.com.tn):
- Full customer database allegedly available for $4,000
- Individual bank accounts offered at $100
- 5-account bundles sold for $450
BTK Bank (btknet.com) and Academy of Banking and Finance (abf.tn) also suffered complete breaches, including control over the sites and underlying systems.

The incident signals not just a data breach but the active commercialization of sensitive financial information on the dark web.

🔍 Technical Breakdown: How It Happened

Cybersecurity analysts have pointed to multiple failure points within Tunisia’s digital infrastructure:

Web Application Vulnerabilities:
- SQL Injection
- File Upload flaws
- XSS
- Remote File Inclusion (RFI)
SSO and Mail System Exploitation:
- Session hijacking likely
- Weak session/cookie management
GitLab Exposure:
- Unauthorized access to internal GitLab revealed API tokens, credentials, and system architecture
Lack of Security Infrastructure:
- No evidence of WAF, IDS, or SIEM defense
- No active monitoring or response systems
Inadequate Data Protection:
- Absence of encryption, data masking, or tokenization
- Entire banking datasets available in plain text

⚠️ The Fallout: Trust, Security, and Reputation

This attack lays bare the vulnerabilities in Tunisia’s cyber defenses, damaging public trust in both government institutions and the banking sector. The country’s financial and administrative data has now surfaced on international black markets, with potential long-term repercussions for national security and economic stability.

💡 Urgent Recommendations for Recovery and Reform

Cybersecurity professionals are urging Tunisia to immediately:

Establish internal SOC (Security Operations Centers)
Mandate routine penetration testing
Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA)
Implement end-to-end data encryption
Audit and secure GitLab instances
Conduct staff training on social engineering threats
Deploy real-time code and data monitoring

“Being hacked is not the shame—failing to learn from it is,” noted a Tunisian cybersecurity analyst. “The future belongs to those who invest in digital resilience, not legacy infrastructure.”

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Cloud Wars 2025: Full Breakdown of Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud Services You Need to Know

Published

4 weeks ago

21 July 2025

EL MOSTAFA OUCHEN

As cloud computing reshapes digital infrastructure, this side-by-side comparison of services across Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) empowers IT professionals and organizations to make informed decisions.

Cloud Wars: Breaking Down the Giants

In today’s digital-first world, cloud computing isn’t just a trend—it’s the backbone of enterprise IT. Whether you’re a startup deploying an app or a global corporation migrating legacy systems, choosing the right cloud provider can make or break your operations. A newly circulated Cloud Services Comparison Cheatsheet provides an invaluable visual breakdown of offerings from Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), the three dominant players in the cloud arena.

Technical Deep Dive: Key Service Categories Compared

This infographic categorizes over 25 essential cloud services and maps each across Azure, AWS, and GCP equivalents. Here’s what stands out:

1. Compute Services

Azure: Virtual Machines
AWS: EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud)
Google Cloud: Compute Engine

These services provide scalable virtual server environments, with options for predefined or custom machine types. Azure and AWS offer more mature ecosystems with hybrid cloud integrations, while GCP emphasizes fast boot times and sustained-use discounts.

2. Object Storage

Azure Blob Storage
Amazon S3
Google Cloud Storage

All three services allow you to store large amounts of unstructured data. AWS S3 is known for its advanced features (like S3 Glacier), while Azure Blob integrates well with Microsoft services, and GCP offers multi-regional redundancy by default.

3. Serverless Computing

Azure Functions
AWS Lambda
Google Cloud Functions

Serverless solutions allow developers to execute code without managing servers. AWS Lambda leads in ecosystem maturity, while Azure and Google offer solid integrations with their respective developer tools.

4. Content Delivery Networks (CDNs)

Azure CDN, AWS CloudFront, and Google Cloud CDN
All three platforms offer global distribution of content to reduce latency. AWS CloudFront is widely adopted in large-scale enterprise environments, while Google leverages its backbone network to deliver high-speed content.

Security & Identity Management

Cloud security remains a priority as data breaches and compliance requirements escalate.

Identity and Access Management (IAM) is offered across platforms with Azure Active Directory, AWS IAM, and Google Cloud IAM.
Key Management Services (KMS) ensure secure handling of encryption keys across all three.
Compliance tools like Azure Trust Center, AWS Cloud HSM, and Google Cloud Security help enterprises adhere to global regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO/IEC.

Specialized Services: AI, Containers, and Analytics

Analytics: Azure Stream Analytics, Amazon Kinesis, and Google Dataflow enable real-time data processing.
Containers: Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Amazon EKS, and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) support modern container orchestration.
Automation: Each provider supports automation—Azure with Azure Automation, AWS with OpsWorks, and GCP with Deployment Manager.

Notable Differences

Some categories reveal gaps:

Google Cloud lacks direct equivalents for services like DNS management (Route 53, Azure DNS) or cloud notifications (AWS SNS, Azure Notification Hub).
Azure leads in hybrid cloud features due to its integration with Windows Server and on-prem tools.
AWS offers the broadest service portfolio, making it ideal for complex multi-cloud or global enterprise setups.