Pro-Russian hackers attack Italian websites after president compares invasion of Ukraine to Nazis

Pro-Russian hackers attack Italian websites after president compares invasion of Ukraine to Nazis
A pro-Russian hacker group attacked Italian government websites on Tuesday in what it said was a reaction to a speech by Italian President Sergio Mattarella that compared Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the Nazis ' “wars of conquest.” (Shutterstock/File)
Short Url
Updated 18 February 2025
Follow

Pro-Russian hackers attack Italian websites after president compares invasion of Ukraine to Nazis

Pro-Russian hackers attack Italian websites after president compares invasion of Ukraine to Nazis
  • The NoName57 hacker group hit the websites of the defense, interior and transport ministries
  • The group on Monday said it attacked Italian banks, ports, airports and local transport agencies

MILAN: A pro-Russian hacker group attacked Italian government websites on Tuesday in what it said was a reaction to a speech by Italian President Sergio Mattarella that compared Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the Nazis ‘ “wars of conquest.”
The NoName57 hacker group, which announced the attacks on social media, hit the websites of the defense, interior and transport ministries, as well as law enforcement agencies. Access to the sites was spotty.
The group on Monday said it attacked Italian banks, ports, airports and local transport agencies, but those attacks did not cause major disruptions.
Mattarella, asked about the attacks during a visit to Montenegro, said that he hoped Russia “will return to play a significant and important role in the international community, respecting the principals of international law and the dignity and sovereignty of every country.”
In a speech in Marseille, France, on Feb. 5 Mattarella said that patterns that led to World War II were repeating, including “wars of conquest.”
“This was the project of the Third Reich in Europe. Today’s Russian aggression against Europe is of this nature,’’ he said.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed dismay about Mattarella’s remarks.


Trump urges Musk to be more aggressive in bid to shrink U.S. government

Updated 8 sec ago
Follow

Trump urges Musk to be more aggressive in bid to shrink U.S. government

Trump urges Musk to be more aggressive in bid to shrink U.S. government
"Elon is doing a great job, but I would like to see him get more aggressive," Trump posted

WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday urged billionaire Elon Musk to be more aggressive in his efforts to shrink the federal government despite uproar over layoffs and deep spending cuts.
"Elon is doing a great job, but I would like to see him get more aggressive," Trump posted all in uppercase letters on his Truth Social platform. "Remember, we have a country to save, but ultimately, to make greater than ever before. MAGA!"
Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE - an entity created by Trump - has swept across federal government agencies, firing tens of thousands of federal government workers from scientists to park rangers, mostly those on probation.

Mali army opens an investigation into deaths of civilians blamed on soldiers

Mali army opens an investigation into deaths of civilians blamed on soldiers
Updated 21 min 25 sec ago
Follow

Mali army opens an investigation into deaths of civilians blamed on soldiers

Mali army opens an investigation into deaths of civilians blamed on soldiers
  • Analysts say it’s unlikely the investigation would fault the troops or the Russian mercenaries.
  • “The objective of the investigations is going to be more about countering the allegations against (the army) and Wagner,” said Lyammouri

BAMAKO: Mali’s army said it’s investigating soldiers who were accused by separatist Tuareg rebels of killing at least 24 civilians earlier this week, in a rare probe of human rights abuses since the military took power in 2020.
The Front for the Liberation of Azawad, the Tuareg independence movement in the north of the country, accused soldiers and Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group of intercepting two civilian transport vehicles bound for Algeria from Gao on Monday, and “coldly executing” at least 24 people among the passengers.
The general staff of the Malian armed forces, without referring to the killings, on Wednesday denounced “intoxicating campaigns” against the army. On Friday, the authorities announced the opening of an investigation into the civilian deaths.
Analysts say it’s unlikely the investigation would fault the troops or the Russian mercenaries.
“The objective of the investigations is going to be more about countering the allegations against (the army) and Wagner, rather than trying to find any wrongdoing by the latter. The conclusion of the investigation is likely to say that those allegations are false,” said Rida Lyammouri, senior fellow at Policy Center for the New South, a Moroccan think tank.
Mali has been in a crisis for more than a decade. In 2020, a military group, riding on popular discontent over attacks by armed militant groups, seized power in a coup that toppled the democratically elected president.


Russian forces repel three Ukrainian counter attacks in Russia’s Kursk border region

Russian forces repel three Ukrainian counter attacks in Russia’s Kursk border region
Updated 41 min 9 sec ago
Follow

Russian forces repel three Ukrainian counter attacks in Russia’s Kursk border region

Russian forces repel three Ukrainian counter attacks in Russia’s Kursk border region
  • Russia has been fighting to eject Ukrainian forces from Kursk since August

MOSCOW: Russian troops repelled three counter attacks by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s western Kursk region bordering Ukraine, the Russian defense ministry said on Saturday.
Reuters could not independently verify the report.
Russia has been fighting to eject Ukrainian forces from Kursk since August, when Kyiv’s troops staged a lightning incursion over the border and seized a chunk of Russian territory.


Peace in Ukraine cannot be ‘imposed’: Spanish PM

Peace in Ukraine cannot be ‘imposed’: Spanish PM
Updated 48 min 15 sec ago
Follow

Peace in Ukraine cannot be ‘imposed’: Spanish PM

Peace in Ukraine cannot be ‘imposed’: Spanish PM
  • He added any “just and lasting peace” required Ukrainian and European participation

MADRID: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Saturday that peace in Ukraine cannot be “imposed,” as he prepares to visit the country.
“Peace in Ukraine and security in Europe cannot be imposed,” said Sanchez, who will embark on a visit to Kyiv on Monday as Ukraine prepares to mark three years since the start of the Russian invasion. He added any “just and lasting peace” required Ukrainian and European participation.


Stormzy denies change in Palestine stance over McDonald’s partnership

Stormzy denies change in Palestine stance over McDonald’s partnership
Updated 22 February 2025
Follow

Stormzy denies change in Palestine stance over McDonald’s partnership

Stormzy denies change in Palestine stance over McDonald’s partnership
  • UK rapper: ‘The brands I work with can’t tell me what to do and don’t tell me what to do’
  • Restaurant chain has faced global backlash since Israeli franchise owner gave free meals to troops serving in Gaza

LONDON: UK rapper Stormzy has refuted claims that he compromised his beliefs for financial gain after pro-Palestine activists criticized his partnership with McDonald’s.

The 31-year-old partnered with the multinational last week to launch the “Stormzy meal,” which features a selection of his favorite items, The Guardian reported.

McDonald’s has faced a global backlash since Israel’s war in Gaza after the restaurant’s Israeli franchise owner Alonyal gave free meals to troops serving in the Palestinian enclave.

The multinational responded at the time by saying it was “not funding or supporting any governments involved in this conflict.”

The rapper’s campaign with McDonald’s features billboards and adverts promoting the meal.

In a post on Instagram highlighting the partnership, Stormzy was criticized in thousands of comments from pro-Palestine activists.

He had previously made public comments in support of Palestine. After the start of the Gaza war in 2023, he said on Instagram: “Free Palestine … if there is ever a clear injustice in the world, no matter how big or small, 100 times out of 100 I will be on the side of the oppressed.”

In January 2024, he performed at a benefit concert in support of Palestine and Sudan. But the rapper’s post from late 2023 is now hidden on Instagram.

Stormzy has denied removing the post because of the McDonald’s partnership. In a statement, he said: “I didn’t archive the post where I came out in support of Palestine for any reason outside of me archiving loads of posts last year.

“In that post, I spoke about #FreePalestine, oppression and injustice and my stance on this has not changed.”

He added: “The brands I work with can’t tell me what to do and don’t tell me what to do otherwise I wouldn’t work with them.

“I do my own research on all brands I work with, gather my own information, form my own opinion and come to my own conclusion before doing business.”