US lawmaker and Chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (SCCCP) has called for an investigation into Chinese wi-fi routers available in the US. The lawmaker has urged the Department of Commerce to probe TP-Link Technologies Co., Ltd., expressing concerns about the potential security threats posed by the Chinese technology firm’s products. With TP-Link dominating a significant share of the US Wi-Fi router market, the letter highlights the need to assess whether these devices constitute a national security risk and address any identified threats through information and communication technology services measures. Given the widespread use of TP-Link routers in the US and China’s history of sponsoring cyberattacks, the investigation aims to evaluate the threat from PRC-affiliated routers and safeguard national security.
Government of Canada Invests in Skilled Trades Training for Future Economic Growth in Hamilton
HAMILTON, ON, Aug. 16, 2024 /CNW/ – Skilled tradespeople play a vital role in Canada’s economy, and the Government of Canada is taking steps to support and encourage individuals to pursue careers in the field. With a focus on attracting more young people, women, and equity-deserving groups to skilled trades, significant investments are being made to enhance training opportunities.
Today, Government officials announced over $150,000 in funding for UA 67, Millwright Local 1916, and IBEW Local 105 through the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy’s Union Training and Innovation Program. These investments aim to improve training equipment, attract new apprentices, and address the growing demand for skilled trades workers in Hamilton.
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault emphasized the importance of investing in the future of skilled trades, while President of the Treasury Board, Anita Anand, highlighted the positive impact these investments will have on the local workforce. Member of Parliament for Hamilton Mountain, Lisa Hepfner, expressed support for the funding, highlighting the opportunities it creates for women and newcomers in the industry.
The funding allocated to UA 67, Millwright Local 1916, and IBEW Local 105 will be used to acquire essential equipment and materials, support training programs, and enhance the quality of training offered to apprentices. These investments aim to address the current and future needs of the industry while providing individuals with the skills necessary to excel in the skilled trades sector.
The Government of Canada’s commitment to supporting apprenticeships and skilled trades training is evident through ongoing funding initiatives. With a focus on creating a skilled and diverse workforce, these investments will help meet the demand for skilled trades workers and ensure a prosperous future for the industry and the country as a whole.
Trump and Harris to Face Off in First Presidential Debate on Sept. 10 at National Constitution Center, US
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia will host the first presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on Sept. 10 on ABC News.
The first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will be held Tuesday, Sept. 10 at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, ABC News announced Friday.
The debate will start at 9 p.m. ET and will be moderated by World News Tonight anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis. It will be broadcast live on ABC, ABC News Live, Disney and Hulu.
The confirmed debate settles weeks of jockeying between the Harris and Trump campaigns over when the candidates would face off and which network should sponsor the event. Trump had said he wouldn’t agree to debate Harris on ABC News and suggested several other dates in September for a debate that would be broadcast on Fox News. The Sept. 10 date on ABC initially had been scheduled before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed earlier this month he wouldn’t debate Harris unless it took place on Sept. 4. The Harris campaign said it would only consider additional debates with Trump if he committed to Sept. 10. Her campaign said Thursday that Harris has agreed to a second debate with Trump some time in October, although details for that event have not been determined.
ABC News Reveals Details of Trump-Harris Debate in Philadelphia on Sept. 10, US
ABC News, which is hosting the presidential candidate debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, has revealed new details of the event.
A spokesperson for ABC News told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that the Trump-Harris debate will take place in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center on Sept. 10 at 9:00 p.m. EDT.
David Muir, the anchor of World News Tonight, and Linsey Davis, an ABC News anchor and correspondent, will serve as moderators.
The debate will be available to watch on ABC, ABC News Live, Disney+, and Hulu, the spokesperson said.
The new details were released a day after the Harris-Walz campaign announced that the vice president is prepared to hold no more than two debates against Trump, who has pushed for more debates against his rival.
Harris-Walz campaign spokesman Michael Tyler said in an Aug. 15 statement that the debate about debates is over and that Harris will debate Trump at the Sept. 10 event on ABC and is prepared to square off against the former president for a second round sometime in October, after the Oct. 1 vice-presidential debate.
The statement was made after vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) agreed to an Oct. 1 debate in New York City on CBS against Democrat rival Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Like Trump, Vance also pushed for more debates against his rival.
Tyler’s statement suggests that Walz is willing partake in the one debate.
Trump has pushed for more than just two debates against Harris, who has faced criticism for her lack of media availability since she became the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.
Harris had previously turned down Trump’s offer for a Sept. 4 debate on Fox, choosing instead to stick to the Sept. 10 debate on ABC, which President Joe Biden had already agreed to.
When Trump debated Biden on June 27, CNN hosted it in an empty Atlanta studio. Trump and Vance have both advocated for future debates to be include a live audience.
The Sept. 4 Fox News event, now apparently a town hall, is set to air live from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
NBC will host an event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Sept. 25.
Healthcare Tech Startup QGenda Acquired by Hearst, Fintech Worth AI Raises $2.5M, Beauty AI MyAvana Secures $5.9M Funding, US
School is back in session and summer vacation season is behind us. Here in the middle of August, these are the startups that made headlines recently:
QGenda, the Atlanta-based healthcare workforce management solutions platform, was acquired by Hearst. Financial details of the deal were not released, by the Wall Street Journal has some more reporting on the transaction here.
Worth AI, an Orlando-based Fintech and risk management platform, raised a $2.5 million seed round, according to Crunchbase.
Beauty-focused AI startup MyAvana out of Atlanta raised a $5.9 million funding round, according to POCIT. That brings the startup’s valuation to $50 million.
Morocco-Tunisia Diplomatic Thaw Sparks Hope for Reconciliation
The recent meeting between Morocco’s Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch and Tunisia’s Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar during the 80th anniversary ceremonies of the Allied landings in Provence, France has raised hopes of a possible thawing of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The high-level encounter took place on the sidelines of the ceremonies, which were attended by French President Emmanuel Macron.
This meeting marked the first official interaction between Moroccan and Tunisian officials since the TICAD crisis in the summer of 2022.
Bilateral relations hit a low point in August 2022 when Tunisian President Kais Saied received Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali during the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 8) held in Tunis.
According to the Tunisian Foreign Ministry, Ammar met with Akhannouch, who was representing King Mohammed VI at the Provence ceremonies. The ministry posted a picture of the meeting on their official Facebook page.
The Tunisian newspaper Tuniscope described the meeting as important and a chance to affirm the shared desire to develop economic and political relations between the two brotherly countries and end the current situation.
The newspaper reported that Ammar and Akhannouch exchanged smiles and views on ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Tunisia and Morocco.
This meeting comes on the heels of statements made by Tunisia’s foreign minister in October 2023 denying any estrangement or enmity with Morocco.
There is no rupture with brotherly Morocco… and there is no hostility… With time, the ambassadors will return to their embassies, Ammar told the Tunisian newspaper Al Chourouk.
Many observers interpreted his remarks as a sign of a possible breakthrough in resolving the nearly two-year-old diplomatic crisis.
Prior to the current tensions, Morocco had been a strong supporter of Tunisia, including sending urgent medical aid in July 2021 on orders of King Mohammed VI to help the country cope with a severe wave of COVID-19.
The Moroccan monarch also made a historic visit to Tunisia in 2014 in the aftermath of its revolution, becoming the first Arab leader to do so and boosting the country’s image during a difficult transition.
However, under President Kais Saied, Tunisia has recently aligned itself more closely with Algeria, which backs the Polisario separatists against Morocco in the Western Sahara conflict.
Algeria has been pushing a New Maghreb project that excludes Morocco, although this initiative has been met with reservations from Tunisia and rejection by Libya.
Any lasting normalization of Morocco-Tunisia ties will likely require Tunisia to return to its former stance of neutrality on the Sahara issue that served it well for decades after independence.
The Akhannouch-Ammar meeting may be a tentative first step in that direction, but it remains to be seen if it will lead to a full restoration of the once strong and mutually beneficial relations between the two brotherly Maghreb nations.
Read also: Towards a Realistic Vision for Great Maghrib Renaissance: Challenges and Pathways
Brazilian Senate Unanimously Approves Decree to Boost Morocco-Brazil Cooperation
The Brazilian Senate unanimously approved a legislative decree yesterday regarding an investment deal with Morocco to enhance cooperation and investment opportunities between the two nations. The decree, signed in Brasília in June 2019 during Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita’s visit, aims to strengthen bilateral ties and create a framework for investment. The agreement covers various crucial areas such as technical and environmental guidelines for investors, mechanisms for dialogue, and resolution of disputes. The endorsement by the Senate signifies a significant step towards advancing the development of both Brazil and Morocco through increased investments and improved relations.
Senator Margareth Buzetti from the Social Democratic Party of Mato Grosso highlighted the importance of the decree in fostering bilateral relations and promoting investments between Brazil and Morocco. The agreement addresses key issues including expropriation, compensation, and corporate social responsibility, while also focusing on governance and private-sector interactions. Minister Bourita’s visit also led to the signing of seven additional agreements in different sectors like defense, judicial cooperation, and transport. The Moroccan Ambassador to Brazil, Nabil Adghoghi, emphasized the strategic potential of the Morocco-Brazil partnership in various areas including food security, the green economy, and transport connectivity initiatives. The recent developments between the two nations reflect a commitment to strengthening ties and exploring new opportunities for mutual growth and advancement.
US-Australia Hypersonic Missile Partnership Boosts Indo-Pacific Defense
Joint production of hypersonic missiles by Australia and the United States could reduce strain on the US defence industrial base and boost deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region, US Republican lawmaker Michael McCaul said in Sydney on Aug 16.
In an interview, the chair of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee said the Australian manufacture of the cutting-edge weapons provided an example of how streamlined licensing of sensitive US defence technology, and licence exemptions on 70 per cent of defence exports to Australia from Sept 1, would help the US compete with China in developing advanced weapons.
Hypersonic missiles, which travel in the upper atmosphere more than five times faster than sound, were tested by China in 2021, prompting a technology race with the United States.
Their recent use by Russia in the Ukraine war, sparked concern among members of Nato.
A Chinese hypersonic weapon could hit Australia in a matter of minutes, and Australia cannot stop that right now. So we need to catch up to that, Mr McCaul said.
I was at a hypersonic company just yesterday, and we want to move towards co-production.
It is already starting and that is the exciting thing and it will help relieve the stress that we see on the defence industrial base, he added.
Australia is testing a Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) with the United States, which it will consider as its first such weapon for fighter jets, the defence and foreign ministers of the two countries said after talks last week.
Mr McCaul said his visit focused on the Aukus partnership with the United States and Britain to transfer nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, as well as develop other advanced defence technologies.
The Aukus alliance was an example of a US ally spending more on its own defence, he said, when asked if a re-elected Donald Trump would continue to back a growing US defence posture in Australia, and the sale of US nuclear submarines next decade.
Aukus talks had started under the Republican Trump presidency, he added.
I think there will be strong support for it, he said.
Rotations of US nuclear submarines through Australia under Aukus are a deterrent factor in the region, where the Philippines is under pressure from China in the South China Sea, he said, after visiting the Philippines.
Chairman Xi, I think, fears this alliance more than anything else because he knows what it means – it means that nuclear submarines will be rotating, but also these innovative technologies that we have, he added, in a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In Beijing this week, the Chinese foreign ministry said Aukus harms efforts to keep the region peaceful and secure and exacerbates the arms race.
Dricus du Plessis Claims UFC Middleweight Title: Exclusive News Update, South Africa
Headline: South African Dricus du Plessis Claims UFC Middleweight Title
In a stunning victory at UFC 297, South African fighter Dricus du Plessis has captured the UFC Middleweight championship. The rising star clinched the title after a fierce battle in the octagon, marking a historic moment for South African sports.
This is a dream come true for me, du Plessis said in a post-fight interview. I have worked so hard for this moment, and I am grateful for all the support from my fans and my team.
Du Plessis’ remarkable journey to the championship has captivated audiences worldwide, showcasing the talent and determination of South African fighters on the global stage. His victory is a testament to his skill, resilience, and unwavering dedication to his craft.
As du Plessis basks in the glory of his well-deserved win, fans and supporters eagerly await his next move in the competitive world of mixed martial arts. With the UFC Middleweight title now in his possession, du Plessis is poised to make a lasting impact on the sport and inspire aspiring fighters across the globe.
Mondiale VGL Initiates Sale Process, Targets $602M Valuation, New Zealand
New Zealand-based freight forwarder Mondiale VGL has initiated a sale process, aiming for a valuation surpassing NZ$1 billion ($602 million), informed sources disclosed. The company, formed in 2021 through the amalgamation of Mondiale Freight Services Ltd and VISA Global Logistics Pty Ltd, has engaged financial advisors to pursue potential buyers, predominantly focusing on private equity firms. Despite a previously proposed IPO not coming to fruition, Mondiale VGL is now actively seeking a sale, as confirmed by insiders who opted to remain anonymous. The company, with operations spanning New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Europe, and the U.S., boasts a significant workforce of over 1500 employees and recently solidified its presence in Southeast Asia through the acquisition of Interunion. No official response was immediately available from Mondiale VGL regarding this sale endeavor.
