Hidden Cyprus: your guide to the lesser-touristed side of the Mediterranean island

Signs near the famous Toyota Garage in Varosha with the Toyota lettering on top push the Turkish point that Britain and Greece dispossessed Turks of the land a hundred years ago. The two sides are still at loggerheads, but the strange beauty of this 28 Days Later landscape of luxury and waste is incomparable. I can't resist jumping in the sea beneath UN checkpoint 152 on top of an abandoned apartment block. I look back at the beach and the feeling of dread and desolation is something I will never forget. Yet on the beach itself there's a weird normality — a snack bar has opened and a couple of old guys smoke cigarettes and drink beer, then a Finnish couple appear and follow me into the sea.

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Scottish Sun

6 hours ago

• Scottish Sun

Urgent warning over new mobile attack that allows hackers to see INSIDE your banking app and hijack your accounts

A new malware allows criminals to hack into your device HACK ATTACK Urgent warning over new mobile attack that allows hackers to see INSIDE your banking app and hijack your accounts Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN URGENT warning has been issued over a new mobile attack that allows hackers to hijack your bank accounts. A dangerous new version of malware, or malicious software, allows criminals to see inside your banking apps and steal your money. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 A new version malware allows criminals to hack into your banking apps Credit: Getty The new Android "Godfather" malware creates an isolated virtual environment on mobile devices, according to BleepingComputer. Hackers can then steal your account data and transactions from legitimate banking apps. Malicious apps are executed inside the controlled virtual environment enabling real-time spying, credential theft and transaction manipulation. This can all happen when you're none the wiser as it maintains perfect visual deception. The tactic is similar to the FjordPhantom malware seen in 2023 but experts warn that the Godfather is much broader in scope. It targets over 500 banking, cryptocurrency and e-commerce apps worldwide. Zimperium, a world leader in mobile security, say that the level of deception is very high. The user is able to see the real app but the Android protections don't pick up the malicious operation underway. Once active on the device, the malware checks for installed target apps and places them inside its virtual environment. The malware tricks Android into thinking that a legitimate app is being run while actually intercepting and controlling it. A victim will launch their banking app and see the real app interface but all of their sensitive data can easily be hijacked. The Godfather malware can then record account credentials, passwords, PINS and capture responses from your bank. This is because the malware tricks the victim by displaying a fake lock screen to trick them into entering their passwords and PIN numbers. Once criminals have harvested that data, they can then trigger payments inside the real banking app. Huge Global Data Breach: 16 Billion Accounts at Risk The victim might see a fake "update" screen or a black screen to evade suspicion. The Godfather malware was first discovered in March 2021 and has seen a significant evolution. In December 2022, analysts found that it could target over 400 apps over 16 countries. Although the campaign analysts spotted only targets a dozen Turkish banking apps, Godfather operators could opt to target over 500 apps worldwide. To protect yourself it's advised that you only download apps from Google Play or from app publishers you trust. Android users should also ensure that Play Protect is active and pay attention to the requested permissions.

Telegraph

a day ago

• Telegraph

Toyota disciplines employee accused of calling BBC editor ‘vile Zionist Jew'

The Japanese car giant Toyota has disciplined an employee who allegedly abused a Jewish BBC journalist on social media. Piotr Klarowski is accused of describing Raffi Berg, the BBC's online Middle East editor, as a 'vile Zionist Jew' and a 'little rat'. Responding to a BBC story about Palestinians in Gaza protesting against Hamas, he is alleged to have written on March 27: 'The little rat and Israel fanboy Raffi Berg, the Middle East editor at BBC, was definitely happy to publish this one.' On April 10, in response to a BBC article on the violent treatment of some Palestinians in Israeli prisons, Mr Klarowski's X account said: 'Is Raffi Berg, the vile Zionist Jew, supporter of Israel's genocide and war crimes and the Middle East editor at BBC on his annual leave?' And on May 31, the same X account posted a tweet asking if Berg, 'the filthy Zionist Jew', was 'finally sacked'. An investigation was launched by Toyota's future technology subsidiary, Woven, which employed Mr Klarowski as a senior product experience designer for three years. It is now understood that following the investigation, Mr Klarowski was subjected to disciplinary measures. Toyota sources told The Telegraph it took complaints of anti-Semitic and other discriminatory behaviour by its employees 'extremely seriously' and that action had been taken. A spokesman for the firm said: 'We are aware of media reports regarding alleged social media posts made by one of our employees. Woven by Toyota is committed to maintaining a respectful workplace, and we firmly condemn all forms of discriminatory speech or behaviour. 'An internal investigation was conducted in accordance with our company policies and Code of Conduct, and appropriate action was taken based on the findings. We are unable to comment on specifics of the investigation or the employee for privacy reasons.' Mr Klarowski's biographical field on his X social media page reads: 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. Israel, a settler-colonial, genocidal, Jewish, apartheid state, has to be destroyed. BDS isn't enough.' A post from his X account from April 8 said: 'Who runs the world? Jews (Jews).' That was followed by a post from the same account on May 26, which called Israeli Zionist Jews the 'sickest, most disgusting supremacist, genocidal and subhuman creatures on Earth'. The post continued: 'Absolute filth. Calling them rats or pigs would only be offensive to these animals and wouldn't come close to capturing how f----d up and irredeemable this society is.' The posts have since been deleted from Mr Klarowski's account. Mr Klarowski studied for a bachelor's degree in visual communication and graphic design at Edinburgh College of Art, according to his LinkedIn account. The account has now been removed. Mr Klarowski was approached for comment.

Daily Mirror

a day ago

• Daily Mirror

Inside North Koreans' brutal lives in Russia with 22hour days and 'brainwashing'

Two North Korean men who escaped from Russia have revealed the brutal conditions faced by thousands of Kim Jong-un's men sent to work in Vladimir Putin's industries North Koreans sent to slave away in Vladimir Putin's country endure 22-hour days of backbreaking work completed with "brainwashing sessions" as a reward. Two North Koreans who fled Russia have revealed the secretive lives of the men Kim Jong-un dispatched to his fellow dictator Putin to toil in the timber and construction industries. These workers have been subjected to impossible quotas and brutal "loyalty payments", which would strip them of their earnings and send their money back to dictator Kim. These harrowing revelations come after Russian security chief Sergei Shoigu announced that Kim Jong-un was sending thousands of workers to help rebuild the Kursk region. ‌ ‌ One North Korean employed in construction in Irkutsk Oblast, in Siberia, described how despite working potentially dangerous manual jobs with no safety equipment, these men faced being sent back to North Korea at their own expense. He said one of his compatriots who lost a toe on the job begged not to be sent home. Mr Park, who is using an alias, said: "Apart from wearing worn-out hard hats provided by the Russian side, there was no safety education or equipment. There were no nets or harnesses for working at heights, and falls from tall buildings were frequent. "One colleague fell from the third floor and broke his arm. He had to be hospitalised for two months, after which he was forcibly repatriated to North Korea – and he had to cover all the costs himself. That's why many workers chose to keep working, even at great risk." He added: "Another colleague injured his leg with a grinder – his big toe was severed, and his ankle was badly wounded. Still, he begged the supervisor to let him continue working with his leg wrapped in bandages." The defector added that the workloads and harsh quotas led to them being hit with inhumane working hours. Although the official work day was 7am until 5pm, with an hour for lunch, there was no clocking off until the work was done. ‌ This meant falling behind on their unrealistic quotas could turn their 10 hour work day into a 22 hour one. Mr Park said falling short was its own punishment, adding: "You could only go home after meeting your quota. To meet the quotas, we were sometimes forced to work from 7am to 5am the next day – 22 hours straight. Even skilled workers would only finish by around 7pm. That was the punishment: brutal overwork." Workers who reached their quota on time were rewarded with brainwashing sessions. Another North Korean sent to Irkutsk Oblast, this time working in the timber industry, said they were subject to "ideological education" after work. Mr Moon, who is also using an alias, said: "The working conditions were just as harsh as in North Korea. There was constant pressure to meet quotas, and senior managers frequently yelled at us and issued orders in a threatening manner. On days we met our quota, we had ideological education and could rest afterwards. If not, we had to do overtime work. ‌ "On good days, I could sleep for about seven hours, but sometimes, I had to go back to work after sleeping only one or two hours. The physical toll is self-explanatory. Especially when I first arrived from North Korea, I was malnourished and felt like my body was breaking apart every day, always covered in bruises." Both of these men said they left North Korea to escape poverty but earning money was also impossible in Russia. Mr Moon said: "Each worker was required to send about $1,000 per month to North Korea as a 'loyalty remittance'. But in reality, most of us earned only $600 to 800 – and that was only if we met our quotas every day. ‌ "So we ended up earning nothing and just paying the remittance until we returned home. Some workers even collected discarded clothing left by Russians to bring back." For Mr Park, who travelled to Russia later, the cost was heavier still, saying: "From the moment we were dispatched, we were in debt. All travel-related expenses – flights, trains, visa fees – had to be paid by us. On top of that, we were required to pay the party $1,500 per month." But horrific as their experiences were, they agree it was better than being in North Korea. Mr Park said: "No matter how difficult life was as a North Korean worker in Russia, it couldn't compare to life in North Korea. In the North, you can work yourself to death and still only afford a bottle of alcohol or a loaf of bread. "In Russia, at least you could turn on a light at night or access water at any time. Life felt much freer there." South Korean intelligence officials estimate as many as 15,000 North Koreans are working in Russia.