Author name: Tristan de Souza

In the Americas, on 6 January US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a travel ban on eight unnamed Cuban officials involved in a crackdown on anti-government protests in July 2021. In a statement, Blinken said that those who ‘jail peaceful protesters and sentence them to unjust prison terms must be held accountable’. Responding to […]

In the Americas, a suspected Chinese advanced persistent threat (APT) group has over the past three months breached four US defence and technology firms, it was revealed on 2 December. Globally at least 13 organisations across industries including defence, health care, energy, and transportation have been breached. The report indicates an escalation in alleged cyber-espionage

In the Americas, US President Joe Biden announced a one-year extension to a ban on US investments in some Chinese companies owned or controlled by China’s military. The move, which extends a policy first imposed by the Trump administration, affects 59 Chinese firms including telecoms giant Huawei, chipmaker SMIC, and oil group CNOOC. Multinational wholesale

In this week’s monitoring brief, US-China relations revolved around technology and security. During the reporting period, FBI Director Chris Wray revealed that the majority of cyberattacks against American companies originated from China, warning that these attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated. There has been a rising trend with attack or espionage operations vectoring into an organisation’s

In the Americas, Michigan-based automaker Ford announced it will halt production at its plant in Hermosillo, Sonora state, from 1 to 5 November amid unspecified material shortages. While the union’s statement does not name the materials in short supply, they are highly likely to be semiconductors amid an ongoing global chip shortage which has significantly

In the Americas, the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) on 19 October, lawmakers urged President Joe Biden to ease asylum requirements and take other actions to assist those fleeing Hong Kong and other parts of China where alleged human rights abuses have occurred. Legislators on the committee vowed to maintain pressure on Beijing over

In the Americas, on 13 October President Joe Biden announced a plan to clear extensive supply-chain bottlenecks over the next 90 days. As part of the plan, the Port of Los Angeles, in California, will increase its operations to 24 hours per day, seven days a week. In addition, Biden said the government had reached

In the Americas, the central bank in Venezuela carried out a currency recalibration in a bid to simplify transactions and counter hyperinflation. However, the move is unlikely to affect the growing usage of the US Dollar and address the extremely high inflation rate. Diplomatic ties between Canada, the US and China will remain tense despite

In the Americas, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party will remain in government after winning most seats during the 20 September general election. Meanwhile, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Czech Republic-based cryptocurrency exchange SUEX OTC for allegedly facilitating illicit ransomware payments. This marked the first time