Business
Congo Questions Apple Over Knowledge Of Conflict Minerals In Its Supply Chain
The location is Cape Town, South Africa. The Congolese government is interrogating Apple on the tech company’s awareness of “blood minerals” originating from a conflict zone in the African nation. These minerals have the potential to be illicitly incorporated into Apple’s supply chains. The government has set a deadline of three weeks for Apple to provide satisfactory responses.
A consortium of global legal practitioners representing the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has recently dispatched correspondences to Apple’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Cook, and its French subsidiary. The purpose of these letters is to express apprehensions regarding the infringement of human rights associated with the extraction of minerals from the volatile eastern region of the DRC, which could potentially find their way into Apple’s merchandise.
mining – VOR News Image
Congo Questions Apple Over Knowledge Of Conflict Minerals In Its Supply Chain
The list of questions demanded that Apple demonstrate its monitoring practices in a territory where over 100 armed rebel factions are active, some of whom have been accused of committing large-scale massacres of people.
In their correspondence to Cook, the attorneys assert that Apple has consistently marketed and sold technological products that are manufactured using minerals obtained from a location where the local population is enduring severe human rights abuses, a fact that has become evident over time.
The lawyers stated that the supply networks used by Apple to sell iPhones, Mac computers, and accessories to clients worldwide are too opaque and contaminated with the blood of the Congolese people.
Eastern Congo is renowned for its abundant mineral resources, making it one of the most geologically prosperous areas globally. However, it is also plagued by a colossal humanitarian catastrophe. Armed factions have been engaged in prolonged conflicts to dominate the mines and exploit the lucrative minerals within. Consequently, millions of individuals have been uprooted and adversely impacted by the escalating violence. The situation has significantly worsened in recent months.
With a market capitalization of over $2.6 trillion, Apple has refuted allegations of sourcing minerals from mines and locations associated with human rights abuses. The company asserts that it runs its business ethically and responsibly and procures minerals from Congo and surrounding nations.
According to the company, the minerals it purchases do not provide financial support to conflict or armed groups. The attorneys for the Congo government stated that the assertions do not seem to be grounded in tangible, corroborated proof.
The Congolese government has expressed concerns regarding the potential smuggling of tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold, collectively referred to as the 3TG essential minerals, sourced by Apple from vendors. It is suspected that these minerals may be illicitly transported from Congo to Rwanda and thereafter integrated into the global supply chain. 3TG minerals play a crucial role in the composition of electronic devices.
Apple referred to a specific part in their business filing on conflict minerals when asked for a remark.
Congo Questions Apple Over Knowledge Of Conflict Minerals In Its Supply Chain
The report said that after doing a lot of research, looking at data from third-party audit programs, upstream traceability programs, and our suppliers, we have found no proof that any of the 3TG smelters or refiners in our supply chain as of December 31, 2023, helped armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or any neighboring country by giving them money or other things of value.
“Illegal mining in Congo has caused fatalities for three decades,” stated Patrick Muyaya, spokesperson for the Congolese government. “We seek clarification regarding the supply sources of major technology companies, specifically Apple, to ascertain whether they are obtaining minerals that are produced under entirely illegal conditions.”
According to him, Rwanda is portrayed as the primary source of several minerals, although having little reserves of its own.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has alleged that Rwanda is providing financial support and strategic guidance to the infamous armed rebel faction known as M23 in the eastern region of Congo, with the aim of facilitating the illicit extraction of minerals. The United Nations has also asserted that M23 receives support from Rwanda.
Rwanda refutes these claims. Nonetheless, there is a growing escalation of hostilities between the countries. Human Rights Watch has accused M23 and other factions of frequently perpetrating attacks, which involve the murder and sexual assault of people.
The attorneys representing the government of Congo cited a 2022 study from the nonprofit organization Global Witness, which alleged that Apple had implemented insufficient controls to prevent the use of illicitly obtained minerals.
Congo Questions Apple Over Knowledge Of Conflict Minerals In Its Supply Chain
The lawyers stated that the Congo government is currently pursuing “effective redress” against individuals or entities who exploit blood minerals worldwide.
The request was made to Apple to provide a response to inquiries regarding its supply chain controls within a period of three weeks. Additionally, it was mentioned that a report on the illicit trade of minerals from Congo by Rwanda and private entities has been compiled and will be released to the public this month.
The letter stated that they will also consult the Congo government for guidance on the legal actions they are contemplating against Apple.
SOURCE – (AP)
Business
Canadian Port Workers Back Trudeau Government Into a Corner
Business groups are urging Justin Trudeau’s government to stop labor unrest at Canada’s main ports, as it did with railways in August, to avoid supply chain disruptions.
Hundreds of dock foremen in British Columbia ports have been on strike for a week. On Sunday, employers at Montreal’s port locked out 1,200 unionized workers after they rejected a contract offer that promised a 20% salary raise over six years.
Businesses report that the work disruptions are harming ports that handle approximately C$1.2 billion ($860 million) of products daily. They want Labor Minister Steven MacKinnon to refer the case to the Canada Industrial Relations Board, which can send the parties to arbitration to settle the disagreement.
He used that technique over two months ago to halt labor stoppages at Canada’s two main railways. However, the government’s use has sparked resentment among some unions.
The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference has filed a court challenge, claiming that the government’s actions in the railway conflict set a dangerous precedent by breaching workers’ constitutional rights.
Soon after, the pro-union New Democratic Party ripped up a legislative arrangement in which it committed to vote with Trudeau’s Liberals to advance critical legislation.
It’s unclear whether the government currently has enough support to enact a back-to-work law, which would be required to end the port issue.
According to Michel Murray, a Montreal Longshoremen’s Union representative, the port employers “act as bullies,” and refusing to talk indicates that “they clearly want the federal government to intervene.”
“Nearly C$6 billion worth of goods are expected to arrive at the port over the next two weeks,” Michel Leblanc, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, said in a statement. “The urgency is real.”
Goldy Hyder, CEO of the Business Council of Canada, stated that the conflicts “continue to weaken Canada’s economy and tarnish its reputation as a reliable trading partner.”
“Canada’s ports will continue to lose market share if the country’s reputation for labor instability is not corrected soon,” Hyder wrote in a letter to MacKinnon and Transport Minister Anita Anand on November 9.
According to a group of port employers, the Montreal offer would have increased the average dockworker’s pay by more than C$200,000 annually.
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Business
Amazon Says a Hacker Breached MOVEIT, Stealing Employee Data. Employee data.
(VOR News) – Amazon has verified that employee data was stolen to the extent that it was compromised as a result of a “security event” that took place at a third-party vendor. The event brought about the compromise of data.
According to a statement that was provided to TechCrunch on Monday, the information that pertains to Amazon employees was revealed as a result of a data breach. This information related to Amazon employees was disclosed.
Amazon spokesman Adam Montgomery issued the statement.
When it comes to Amazon’s or Amazon Web Services (AWS) systems, there have been no security breaches that have taken place, and we have not encountered any security problems. An incident that occurred at one of our property management providers and included security was brought to our attention over the course of the investigation.
This problem had an effect on a number of the company’s customers, including Amazon, and we were informed about it. Other customers were also affected. Montgomery asserts that the only information that was disclosed was that of the work contact information of Amazon workers. As far as Montgomery is concerned, there was no further breach of security.
Among the things that were listed in this category were things like work email addresses, desk phone numbers, and the locations of buildings.
The number of employees who were affected by the security vulnerability has not been acknowledged by Amazon, nor has the total number of employees who were affected been released.
Additionally, it was stated that the third-party vendor, which was not named, does not have access to sensitive data such as Social Security numbers or financial information. This information was described as being kept confidential. The information in question was not made public. The vendor has reportedly fixed the security flaw that was responsible for the data breach that took place, according to reports that were received.
Hackers said they posted Amazon data on Breach Forums. It has been determined that the information in question is accurate as a consequence of this declaration. Additionally, the individual alleges that they have more than 2.8 million lines of data, which they allege was stolen during the mass-exploitation of MOVEit Transfer that took place the previous year.
Using the alias “Nam3L3ss,” the threat actor claims that they have disclosed information that was purportedly taken from twenty-five big corporations, as indicated in a study that was carried out by the cybersecurity company Hudson Rock. The analysis was done by Hudson Rock.
The assumption that the threat actor makes is that “the data that you have seen up to this point is less than .001% of the total data that I possess.”
This is the Amazon assertion that they make.
The public will have access to one thousand releases that have never been seen before in the history of record releases. The journal TechCrunch has attempted to get in touch with the other firms that were identified by the threat actor; however, the magazine has not yet received any additional responses to the inquiries that it has made.
It was the MOVEit breach, which took place in 2023, that was the most catastrophic breach that ever took place. The file-transfer software that was developed by Progress Software was vulnerable to a zero-day vulnerability, which allowed attackers to take advantage of the weakness and cause this breach.
More than one thousand businesses were impacted by these incursions, and it is believed that the notorious Clop ransomware and extortion ring was responsible for them. Through the utilization of ransomware, hacks were successfully carried out.
Not only did the data breach affect the Oregon Department of Transportation, which had 3.5 million pieces of information stolen, but it also affected the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, which had four million pieces of information stolen, and Maximus, which is a giant in the United States government services contracting market, which had 11 million pieces of information stolen.
SOURCE: TC
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Business
Bitcoin Goes Over $80,000 As Buyers Guess Whether Trump Will Run For President.
(VOR News) – The following day, Bitcoin achieved a new record high as a consequence of traders’ wagers on the potential benefits of Donald Trump’s return to the White House for the cryptocurrency.
This was an additional factor contributing to Bitcoin’s recent record-breaking performance.
This resulted in Bitcoin’s first-ever record-breaking high.
The digital currency’s inaugural transaction, valued at eighty thousand dollars, was executed one hundred twenty minutes after twelve o’clock in the afternoon (1200 GMT). This occurred shortly after the timepiece reached twelve.
The conviction that President Trump may reduce laws on digital currencies has increased as a result of his victory in the presidential election that occurred in the United States on Tuesday. This conviction has been bolstered by his election victory. Since the election was won by the Republican nominee, Trump, this mentality has been gradually cultivated.
On Wednesday, the price of bitcoin achieved a new all-time high of $75,000, surpassing the previous all-time high of $73,797.98, which was achieved in March. This item has attained the highest price to date.
It was widely believed that Trump was the politician who embraced Bitcoin during his campaign against Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party candidate. Harris was a candidate for the Democratic Party in the Senate campaign.
Donald Trump employed the term “hoax” to describe cryptocurrencies during his inaugural tenure as president of the United States. However, in the time that has passed since then, he has experienced a substantial change in his viewpoints, which has even resulted in the creation of his own committee platform.
In addition to his pledge to establish the United States of America as the “bitcoin and cryptocurrency capital of the world,” he has also committed to appointing Elon Musk, a tech entrepreneur and right-wing conspiracy theorist, to the role of overseeing a comprehensive investigation into the government’s wasteful practices.
Both of these commitments are components of his strategy to enhance the prosperity of the United States of America. It is crucial to acknowledge that he has made a commitment to both of these.
The administration of President Trump was responsible for the reduction of corporation taxes, which resulted in an increase in market liquidity and facilitated the investment in high-growth assets, such as cryptocurrencies. Through the administration of President Trump’s predecessor, this was accomplished.
The previous administration benefited from a decrease in the tax rate for Bitcoin companies.
In September, President Trump announced that he, his sons, and other organizations would be creating a digital currency platform known as World Liberty Financial. The development of this platform would also incorporate the participation of other businesses. The network would facilitate the conversion of digital currency into corporeal currency.
Nevertheless, it experienced an unsuccessful sales launch earlier this month, with only a small percentage of the tokens that were placed on the market being purchased by consumers. This incident transpired earlier this month. From this, it is possible to infer that the launch was unsuccessful.
Cryptocurrencies have been the subject of numerous news articles since their inception. The FTX exchange platform is the most notable of the numerous industry stalwarts that have fallen, and these stories have covered a wide variety of subjects, including the immense volatility of their pricing. Numerous topics have been addressed in these narratives.
According to reports that circulated in the days preceding the election, he made history by becoming the first former president to utilize bitcoin to conduct a transaction. Donald Trump achieved historical significance by conducting a transaction using bitcoin. This could be considered a significant accomplishment.
He accomplished this by purchasing hamburgers from a restaurant in New York City, which characterized the transaction as “historic.” He succeeded in achieving these objectives. Because of this opportunity, he capitalized on it.
Bitcoin, a digital currency, is transacted on the market every day of the week, including Sundays.
SOURCE: TET
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