Latest news with #Mali
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
Mumbaikars lose Rs 1,127 crore to cybercrime in 15 months
Mumbai: Mumbaikars lost Rs 1,127 crore to various cybercrimes in the 15 months from Jan 2024 to March 2025, data with the city police shows. Around 85% of the total financial losses — nearly Rs 964 crore — were a result of cyber-cheating, which includes share trading frauds, digital arrests, cryptocurrency scams, provident fund scams and such. Incidents of sextortion resulted in losses up to Rs 47 crore while credit card fraud resulted in losses of Rs 34 crore in the same period. Experts demanded more accountability from banks and penalties for non-compliance of guidelines. They demanded govt-run insurance schemes for cybercrime related financial losses and mental health interventions for victims. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Cybercrime lawyer Prashant Mali said actual losses could be higher than what the police data reflects. "Fearing social ostracisation, not every victim would approach the police to report a cybercrime. Even in instances where victims come forward, the complaint may not be converted into an FIR," Mali said. In March, an elderly woman from south Mumbai lost Rs 20 crore in a digital arrest scam where she was accused of money laundering and kept hostage at home for two months. Earlier this month, a pilot working with a leading airline was duped of Rs 3 crore in a meticulously planned investment scam which involved a malicious trading app. In the first three months of this year alone, digital arrest scams led to Rs 73 crore in losses, while investment scams resulted in Rs 118 crore in losses. Mali said victims of cyber financial crimes are left running from pillar to post in an attempt to get their money back. "I'm handling cases where individuals have lost their life's savings and are under severe mental trauma. There is a need for cyber crime trauma centres where such victims can seek help. The union govt should have Digital India Insurance schemes offering cover for cybercrime related financial losses," he said. Financial cybercrimes are a blow to the country's economy as sums defrauded from individuals here are often converted to cryptocurrency and sent to masterminds overseas. Cybercrime investigator Ritesh Bhatia argued that while the thrust of all govt-led cybersecurity campaigns is on creating awareness among individuals, what is missing is a robust accountability framework. "How are mule accounts operational and why are bank accounts with suspicious transactions not getting flagged?" Bhatia said. He listed numerous instances where banks have frozen the accounts of perpetrators but the money has not been released to the victim despite a court order in the latter's favour. Experts said the RBI must go beyond issuing directions and severe penalties should be imposed for non-compliance of guidelines. Purushottam Karad, DCP (cyber), said that individuals should be careful with offers that are too good to be true. "Promises of high returns on investment are most likely to be fake. In case one is scammed, immediately dial the helpline '1930' and lodge a police complaint," he said.
Android Authority
a day ago
- Android Authority
Google Pixels just got a welcome boost for PC emulation
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority TL;DR GameSir has confirmed that its GameHub PC emulator will also perform better on Google Pixel phones. This comes shortly after it announced performance improvements for devices with Mali graphics. The company hasn't detailed which improvements will come to Pixel phones, but this is still good news for mobile gamers. Controller brand GameSir recently announced that its GameHub app for PC emulation offers much better support for devices with Mali GPUs. The company specifically pointed to devices with recent high-end Dimensity chips. We also wondered whether this would affect Pixel phones, and we now have an answer. GameSir confirmed to Android Authority that Google Pixel phones will benefit from Mali GPU performance improvements: Our collaboration is carried out through MediaTek, but all devices with Mali GPUs — including the Pixel series — will benefit. This is a strategic move on an ecosystem level. There's no word on specific improvements coming to Pixel devices, but this is good news for Pixel owners who want to emulate PC games. I'm also guessing these enhancements could benefit Samsung phones with older Exynos chips, as these also have Mali GPUs. The GameHub team previously announced that its Mali GPU improvements enable 'performance comparable to Qualcomm Adreno, and even surpassing it in some scenarios.' The company even said it was teaming up with MediaTek to eventually release custom drivers to 'address long-standing Mali GPU issues at the chip level, further enhancing the gaming performance of Dimensity devices.' There is one potential downside to this announcement, though. The Google Pixel 10 series is rumored to have an Imagination GPU in lieu of Mali graphics. If confirmed, this means the Pixel 10 phones won't benefit from these newly announced optimizations. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice. Follow
Arab News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Senegal bans motorbikes near Mali border over militant fears
DAKAR: Senegal officials have imposed a nighttime ban on motorcycles in an eastern region after militants used motorbikes in recent attacks in towns just over the border in Mali. A decree published this week said the prohibition was for 'security reasons,' after attackers targeted army positions in several Malian towns on July 1, killing at least one civilian. One of the Malian towns, Diboli, is less than 500 meters from Kidira in Senegal. The midnight-to-dawn motorbike ban applies to the Bakel region in Senegal, which stretches around 230 kilometers (140 miles) along the border with Mali. The July 1 attacks in Mali were claimed by the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, known by its Arabic initials JNIM, an Islamist outfit affiliated with Al-Qaeda that is active in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. JNIM has risen to become the most influential militant threat in the Sahel, according to the United Nations. Analysts say it has ambitions to expand from Mali into both Senegal and Mauritania. Contacted by AFP on Saturday, the local administration of the Bakel region declined to comment on the motorbike ban. Mali, ruled by a junta following two successive coups in 2020 and 2021, has been gripped by insecurity and violence from Al-Qaeda- and Daesh-linked groups for over a decade.
The Guardian
6 days ago
- The Guardian
A sacred moment at a dried-up oasis: M'Hammed Kilito's best photograph
I travelled to Merzouga in east Morocco three years ago, hoping to photograph some wall drawings and writings I had seen there earlier – markings that showed the distance from the village to Timbuktu, in Mali, by camel. But when I arrived, the markings had vanished. Faced with this absence, I found myself seeking a new story, something unplanned. Mustapha was my guide that day. At first, he took me along the typical tourist trails, which didn't speak to my photographic interests. Then he suggested we explore the sand dunes. Initially, I wasn't particularly interested in these either, but then we came across this old well. I set up my camera, a 1972 Hasselblad 500, and my tripod. As I started to photograph the well, Mustapha stepped forward, instinctively leaning in to look inside. I hadn't imagined him in the picture but he didn't pay attention to me. That spontaneous gesture – part ritual, part desperation – transformed the scene completely. It felt sacred, as though he were praying for the return of something essential: water. This unplanned moment encapsulates the core of my wider project, Before It's Gone: the fragility of ecosystems, the human struggle for survival, the quiet persistence of memory in the face of environmental loss. I began the project in 2018, driven by my growing awareness of how dramatically oasis environments were changing in Morocco. I started noticing patterns: rising temperatures, shrinking water sources, abandoned palm groves and increasing rural exodus. What was once a source of life and resilience for entire communities was slowly being erased. I felt an urgent need to document this transformation – not just ecologically but socially and culturally. Over the years, the project has taken me to dozens of oases and expanded to include Tunisia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Mauritania. It has unfolded through travel, extended conversations and long-term engagement with the people who live in these spaces. What drives me is the conviction that these are not just local stories – they are global warnings. The climate crisis is often framed in abstract or future terms. Through this work, I want to make it visible, human and grounded in the present. Including the human figure was essential. Oases are not just geographic features: they are homes, livelihoods and cultural reservoirs shaped over centuries. In this photograph, Mustapha embodies that deep connection. His gesture of looking into the well is both literal and symbolic – it speaks to dependence, resilience and vulnerability, but also to hope and remembrance. This reflects my work, which explores the complex relationship between people and their environments. Whether I'm documenting oases' decline, Moroccan youth, or the sociology of work and migration, I'm interested in how individuals navigate change. Water scarcity is no longer just an environmental issue. It's a humanitarian crisis, especially in regions such as the Sahara, where life has always depended on fragile water sources. I hope images like this can serve as visual testimonies – simple, powerful reminders of what is at stake. Photography has taught me to slow down and pay attention to people, landscapes and silence. This shot is a portrait of loss but also of quiet resistance. Communities are being forced to leave the only homes they've ever known, not because of war but because the water is disappearing. I hope the image evokes empathy and awareness. I want viewers to connect emotionally – to see the climate emergency not as a distant headline, but to recognise the urgent need to protect natural resources and the cultures and communities that depend on them. This was a fleeting moment, entirely unplanned, yet it now speaks to so much. Seeing it enlarged today as a poster in underground stations across London, advertising the Wellcome Trust exhibition Thirst, is humbling. It shows the importance of staying open, of letting the story find you. Born: Lviv, Ukraine, 1981Trained: Master in Political Science, University of OttawaInfluences: Alec Soth, Hakim Belabbes, Carlos ReygadasHigh point: 'Becoming a National Geographic explorer, having my photo on the cover of Nat Geo magazine, and winning the World Press Photo prize.'Low point: 'At a time when I was experiencing financial hardship, a gallery in Marrakech with which I'd planned an exhibition let me down.'Top tip: 'Believe in yourself, do your research, understand your niche, carve out your own path.' The free exhibition Thirst: In Search of Freshwater is at the Wellcome Collection, London, until 1 February. See more images from Before It's Gone at
Reuters
7 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Exclusive: China's Zijin leads race to buy Barrick's Ivory Coast Tongon gold mine, sources say
DAKAR, July 23 (Reuters) - China's Zijin Mining ( opens new tab is the front-runner to acquire Barrick Mining's Tongon gold mine in northern Ivory Coast for up to $500 million, two sources close to the matter told Reuters. Barrick, the world's third largest gold producer, is pivoting toward high-margin, long-life assets, with a growing focus on copper and strategic operations in Africa and the Middle East. It suspended activity at its flagship Loulo-Gounkoto complex in neighbouring Mali after the country's military government blocked exports, detained staff, and seized three tons of gold in a dispute over its new mining code. The two sources said Barrick ( opens new tab had appointed Canada-based TD Securities and Australia-based Treadstone Resource Partners to advise on the sale of the Tongon mine, which, according to Barrick, produced 148,000 ounces of gold in 2024 worth $504 million at current prices. Barrick expects the mine to enter care and maintenance by 2027 due to declining resources. The Canadian miner told Reuters it does not comment on market speculation. TD Securities and Treadstone did not respond to requests for comment. Zijin, one of China's largest gold and copper producers, has been expanding rapidly, with recent acquisitions in South America, Central Asia and Africa. Its interest in Tongon comes after Chinese state-owned enterprises have invested more than $50 billion in African mining projects since 2010, with a strong focus on bauxite, copper, cobalt, and gold. One of the sources, a mining industry executive, said Zijin is leading the bidding for Tongon due to its deep financial resources, adding that the asset is valued at around $300 million and that Zijin is expected to offer significantly more to secure it, potentially up to $500 million. A second mining executive confirmed Zijin's lead but said a local Ivorian company, which he declined to name, was also in contention. The executive added that Zijin did not appear to favour forming a partnership to acquire the Tongon mine, despite that being the Ivorian government's preferred option. Zijin did not respond to a request for comment. Officials at the Ivory Coast Ministry of Mines said they did not have up-to-date information on the proposed sale, declining to comment further on the government's requirements for the deal. A final decision on the winning bidder is expected later this month, pending regulatory approval, the first executive said. The deal could also fall through or be delayed. Barrick has been reshaping its portfolio, completing a $1 billion sale of its 50% stake in the Donlin Gold Project in Alaska and agreeing to divest its historic Hemlo mine in Canada, marking its exit from domestic gold production. In Mali, a military helicopter airlifted gold from the Loulo-Gounkoto site earlier this month, just days after a court-appointed administrator announced plans to sell bullion from the facility to fund operations. Zijin took a 9.9% stake in Canada-based Montage Gold ( opens new tab, which is developing the Koney Gold project in Ivory Coast last July before paying $1 billion for Newmont's (NEM.N), opens new tab Akyem gold mine in October. Barrick holds an 89.7% stake in Tongon, with the Ivorian state owning 10% and local investors holding the remaining 0.3%.
