ROME, Oct. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The jihadist threat may be silent, but that does not mean it is dead. This is what emerges from the Special Report issued by the Med-Or Foundation, titled ‘The Silent Enemy: Presence and Evolution of the Jihadist Threat in the Broader Mediterranean’, presented at Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome. The report, overseen by the Director of Institutional Relations at the Foundation, Andrea Manciulli, analyses the current state of threats linked to terrorism and jihadist radicalism in the geopolitical and geographical space of the enlarged Mediterranean.
The jihadist threat “is not an imminent threat but an immanent one, meaning that it can resurface at any moment,” said Marco Minniti, Chairman of the Med-Or Foundation. “Today, international terrorism has two major incubators. One is in Asia, particularly in Afghanistan, where we have a significant and important presence of both Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State in conflict with each other. […] The other incubator is Africa, where we have all the national variants of Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State”.
According to Alfredo Mantovano, Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the key to averting Islamist threats is not repeating past mistakes: “A dramatic mistake was thinking that the military dismantling of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq between 2016 and 2017 had ended the Islamist threat”. “On the contrary,” Mantovano observed, “the fragmentation of the Islamic State has resulted in a massive exodus of jihadist militants streaming from the Middle East to Africa, without the West fully grasping the magnitude of the situation, without the adoption of effective and coordinated measures and with a progressive withdrawal of military contingents from sensitive areas”.
Keeping attention high is also the call issued by Lorenzo Guerini, President of the Parliamentary Committee for the Intelligence and Security Services and for State Secret Control (COPASIR), according to whom we must “understand that the fact that the threat is silent does not mean that it is absent”. Guerini drew attention to the danger posed by so-called ‘void areas’ where terrorism could find fertile ground. These “are places where terrorism can thrive, and we must pay attention, reflect, and above all, work together. When it comes to Africa, this means European cooperation. Europe must put the situation in Africa at the top of its agenda in many areas of work, from supporting local governments and local realities to create better security conditions and counter terrorism, to a real, concrete, ambitious plan for Africa and its development”.
Submarine experts and observers are casting doubt on reports by British media, citing leaked intelligence, that a Chinese nuclear submarine had an accident in late August, resulting in the deaths of 55 sailors.
The tabloid Daily Mail reported last Tuesday that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy submarine ‘093-417’ “apparently got caught in a trap intended to ensnare British sub-surface vessels in the Yellow Sea.”
The incident is understood to have happened on Aug. 21. ‘093-417’ indicates a Chinese Navy Type 093, or Shang-class, nuclear-powered attack submarine with hull number 417.
The Shang-class submarine is typically 107-meters long, 11-meters wide, and 7.5-meters high. It has a submerged displacement of more than 6,000 tons, and can accommodate a crew of 100. China currently has six of them in its submarine force.
“According to a secret UK report the seamen died following a catastrophic failure of the submarine’s oxygen systems which poisoned the crew,” the Mail said.
The Times picked the story up a day later, saying that the Chinese vessel “was said to have run out of oxygen near Shandong province, north of Shanghai.”
“Our understanding is death caused by hypoxia (lack of oxygen) due to a system fault on the submarine,” both papers quoted the leaked report as saying.
“The submarine hit a chain and anchor obstacle used by the Chinese navy to trap US and allied submarines. This resulted in systems failures that took six hours to repair and surface the vessel. The on-board oxygen system poisoned the crew after a catastrophic failure.”
It is unclear whether both the Daily Mail and the Times saw the same report, believed to be “held in high classification” but leaked to the media. The British Defence Ministry declined to comment on the reports.
The 55 crew members who are feared dead included 22 officers, seven officer cadets, nine petty officers and 17 sailors. The captain – Col. Xue Yong-Peng – is believed to be among the dead.
A new type 094A Jin-class nuclear submarine Long March 10 (not the type mentioned in the article) participates in a naval parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of China’s PLA Navy near Qingdao in eastern China’s Shandong province. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
The media reports left submarine experts and military observers perplexed.
“I’ve never heard of submarine nets being used on the high seas, and I don’t understand why snagging one would cause a failure of atmosphere control equipment,” said Thomas Shugart, a retired submariner and adjunct senior fellow at the think tank Center for a New American Security in Washington D.C.
“However, China has had atmosphere control problems on its submarines before, so maybe there is something there but the details are off,” he added.
“Six hours is not enough to result in hypoxia without something else consuming the oxygen first, like a fire or explosion,” Shugart told Radio Free Asia.
Torpedo explosion
Two days after the Daily Mail’s report, a Chinese-language media outlet based in Taiwan – UP Media – quoted anonymous sources in Beijing as saying that the real cause of the accident was “serious problems” of the Yu-3C torpedoes on the submarine.
The submarine was on a mission from Aug. 19 to 27 to conduct “underwater weapons tests” near Dalian Port in the Liaodong Peninsula, Liaoning province, UP Media said.
“However, not long after the mission began, a torpedo exploded in the launch tube,” it said, causing the crash that killed “all the people on board.”
The media outlet said an investigation was launched after the Central Military Commission determined that “the accident was directly caused by serious problems in the fire control design of the Yu-3C improved torpedo.”
Investigators are looking into allegations of “procurement fraud and corruption” involving not only officials in the submarine force but also at much higher levels, it said.
Defense Minister Li Shangfu, who has been missing from public view since late August, and Vice Admiral Wang Dazhong, commander of the PLAN North Sea Fleet, are believed to be involved, according to Shen Ming-Shih, Acting Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) in Taiwan.
Shen said he understood from his sources that “Wang was sacked over the August submarine incident as it happened in the area within his command.”
“Li meanwhile is being investigated for responsibilities in the armament procurement, including for the submarine force, and personal graft,” he said.
‘Wait and see’
Some other experts remain more cautious.
“I’m taking a wait-and-see approach as several of the articles have now provided data that should be able to be verified,” Chris Carlson, a retired submariner and U.S. naval intelligence analyst, told RFA.
“Is Col. Xue Yong-Peng the commanding officer of Type 093A hull 417? Is that the right hull number for a Type 093A? Is he dead? Did the Northern Theater Commander, Vice Admiral Wang Dazhong get relieved for cause?”
“If these claims are found to be truthful, that would be sufficient evidence to say an accident on a PLAN Type 093A submarine occurred,” Carlson said.
Chinese navy sailors stand in formation on board the naval training ship, Qi Jiguang, as it docks at Manila’s port, Philippines June 14, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Basilio Sepe
Rumors of the alleged accident first emerged on Aug. 21 on an anti-Chinese Communist Party activist social media account called Lude Media. Its original post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, said “a Type 093 nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Communist Party of China had an accident while performing a mission in the Taiwan Strait.”
Lude Media is a YouTube channel broadcast from the United States run by activist Wang Dinggang, who has in the past been accused of spreading unsubstantiated right-wing messages.
“The problem is the vast majority of the reporting [on the alleged incident] is from Taiwanese sources that have some credibility issues,” said Chris Carlson.
“It would be really helpful to get an official announcement,” he said.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said on Aug. 22 that military intelligence and surveillance “did not detect any evidence of a Chinese submarine crash” in or near the Taiwan Strait.
The Chinese Defense Ministry on Aug. 31 also rejected the reports, which it called “completely false.” The ministry has so far not reacted to the claims in the British media nor acted to prove them wrong.
“China can easily show this submarine to the world and stop the speculations,” said Shen Ming-Shih from INDSR in Taipei.
“Why don’t they do that?”
In April 2003, a Chinese Ming-class diesel submarine experienced a mechanical failure during a training exercise in the Yellow Sea, resulting in the deaths of all 70 crew members aboard.
Chinese state media did not cover the incident, believed to be the country’s worst known peacetime military disaster, until the following month.
Papua New Guinea, the most populous Pacific island country, is hoping to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank – China’s answer to U.S.-dominated institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund – in the near future, according to its Minister for Treasury Ian Ling-Stuckey.
In an apparently related development, Prime Minister James Marape is planning to attend the first Papua New Guinea-Asia Investment Conference in Hong Kong on Oct. 16, according to a statement from his office. It hasn’t announced if Marape will also visit Beijing.
“The focus of my work is to secure additional cheaper funding to PNG,” Ling-Stuckey said in a statement on the weekend that announced he is preparing for a trip to China to finalize membership of the infrastructure bank. “Chinese interest rates are currently below those in [the] U.S. and Australia and even from many of our multilateral partners.”
China established the AIIB in 2015 to meet what it said was Asia’s vast need for infrastructure financing.
More than 100 countries have joined, including wealthy nations such as Australia and Germany along with developing states in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific. Papua New Guinea was approved as a prospective member in May 2018.
The bank, however, has been criticized for allegedly serving the Chinese government’s interests to the detriment of other member nations. In June, its director general of communications, Canadian national Bob Pickard, said he had resigned from the lender because of its “toxic” culture.
“The Bank is dominated by Communist Party members and also has one of the most toxic cultures imaginable. I don’t believe that my country’s interests are served by its AIIB membership,” Pickard said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Beijing-headquartered lender in July said an internal review had found no evidence that supported Pickard’s allegations.
Ling-Stuckey said he met with China’s ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Zeng Fanhua, and other embassy officials last week to finalize details of a visit to China.
“I look forward to meetings with China’s Export Credit Bank along with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank,” he said.
“China is our second largest trading partner,” Ling-Stuckey said. “Personally, three of my grandparents come from China, and it will be good to visit again after a gap of nearly two decades. We are putting in the work to make this visit as productive as possible.”
Beijing’s influence with economically-lagging Pacific island nations has increased over the past two decades through a combination of trade, infrastructure and aid as it seeks to isolate Taiwan diplomatically, gain allies in international institutions and advance its economic and security interests.
U.S. interest in the Pacific was galvanized in early 2022 after Beijing and the Solomon Islands signed a security pact that the U.S. and allies such as Australia fear could lead to a Chinese military presence in a region they consider crucial to their defense and security.
President Joe Biden met Pacific island leaders including Marape last month in Washington, the second U.S.-Pacific islands summit in a year, highlighting the intensifying superpower rivalry in the region.
Marape, in an Oct. 5 statement, said the Papua New Guinea-Asia Investment Conference in Hong Kong later this month aims to promote investment and trade for Papua New Guinea’s economy and create more jobs.
Papua New Guinea, home to more than nine million people, is endowed with mineral and natural resources but grapples with challenges such as corruption, lack of roads and basic healthcare in many regions as well as frequent tribal violence.
“We will be looking at bringing in investors and businesses that will help realize the government’s strategy to go into downstream processing, grow the economy, and create jobs for our people,” Marape said.
BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization.
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Oct. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — VNG Digital Business has recently introduced two offerings at the Tech4Life Exhibition & Summit: the Cloud Camera AI solution for Smart City operations and the VNG Cloud Computing platform designed to empower businesses in their digital transformation journey.
Representing the latest addition to VNG’s quartet of core business segments, VNG Digital Business is dedicated to driving B2B technology solutions that facilitate seamless and secure digital transformation for organizations.
Cloud Camera AI, an advanced AI system developed by Veka.ai (formerly vCloudcam), is designed to address the specific requirements of diverse enterprise sectors, including Banking, Retail, Security, Traffic Management, Building/Apartment Complexes, Factories, and Industrial Zones. This robust system boasts a comprehensive feature set centered around analytics, alerting, security enhancement, and risk prevention. It excels in optimizing operational efficiency and management for various entities, such as retail chains, residential and urban areas, ultimately enhancing the customer experience. In essence, Cloud Camera AI serves as a catalyst, expediting the digital transformation journey for businesses and municipalities throughout Vietnam.
According to Market Research Future, the global Camera AI market has surged to a substantial USD 20.1 billion in 2022 and is projected to further expand to USD 23.1 billion by 2023. Annual growth rates are expected to reach an impressive 15.2% during the period of 2023 to 2032. This remarkable ascent results from the escalating demand for surveillance and management solutions in commercial settings, aimed at bolstering operational efficiency and enhancing the overall customer experience.
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Vu Van Tiep – Head of Veka.ai, VNG Digital Business at Tech4Life Summit
Vu Van Tiep, Head of Veka.ai, VNG Digital Business, shared his view on the market prospect: “In Vietnam, the scope for AI Camera development remains significantly expansive. In addition to capitalizing on the domestic market and an in-depth understanding of customer needs, Veka.ai leverages the robust foundation of VNG’s Cloud and Data Center infrastructure. This combination empowers us to develop AI-powered features and products catering to the diverse demands of numerous sectors, thereby serving tens of millions of individuals.”
During the Tech4Life 2023 Exhibition & Summit, Veka.ai representatives further offered insights into their solutions. These include the management of remote security barriers, automated vehicle and personnel checks through precise detection, and early warning capabilities for fire and explosion risks, aided by a heatmap for enhanced operational quality and utmost safety for both property and human life.
Additionally, Veka.ai’s Camera AI, powered by AI, plays a critical role in monitoring urban traffic and maintaining order. It accomplishes through various detection modes, early warnings of suspicious activities, and the extraction of critical data from journey records, particularly those involving violating vehicles or individuals under special supervision, thereby aiding authorities in their supervision efforts.
Over 75% organizations using cloud services prioritise cloud-first strategy
A cloud-first strategy is an approach to cloud computing that involves embracing cloud technologies for all new applications, platforms, and infrastructure. Vu Minh Nhut, Senior Service Consultant at VNG Cloud, emphasized: “Given that spending on hardware is expected to decline by at least 5% in 2023, and more than 75% of organizations are adopting a cloud-first strategy according to Gartner, businesses have increasingly recognized the profound impact of cloud adoption on their strategic approach. Rather than viewing cloud service as a cost-saving tool, organizations are shifting towards a value-oriented mindset. They now recognize that cloud computing can lead to competitive advantages, improve customer satisfaction, and generate new revenue streams.”
In April 2023, Gartner also forecasted a 9.1% increase in IT services spending compared to 2022, primarily driven by the infrastructure-as-a-service market, expected to grow by over 30% in the same year.
VNG Cloud, leveraging its Uptime Tier III VNG Data Center, continues to promote Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), diverse Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions tailored to various industries, enhancing business effectiveness.
At Tech4Life, alongside Veka.ai and VNG Cloud, VNG Digital Business showcased an array of technology solutions to support digital transformation in businesses, including PRISM for Building Automation, TrueID for AI-based User Verification, A4B for Business Operation, Verichains for Professional Cybersecurity, and VNG Data Center, a Uptime Tier III data center.
VNG Digital Business places a strong emphasis on adhering to international security standards such as ISO/IEC 27017 and PCI-DSS, as well as data security regulations. Their mission is to provide leading solutions that facilitate the digital transformation of businesses in the digital economy.
Tech4Life Exhibition & Summit, themed “Technology enhances life,” is part of the celebration series for National Digital Transformation Day 2023, organized by VINASA and the HCMC Department of Information and Communications. The event features participation from tech businesses and startups showcasing the latest products and solutions, including AI, IoT, Blockchain, Web 3.0, AR/VR, and more.
About VNG Digital Business
Digital Business lies at the heart of VNG’s operation, acknowledging its immense investment potential. The business focuses on delivering an array of products and services that capitalize on cutting-edge technologies, including AI, cloud computing, security, and blockchain. An instrumental asset for VNG is their Tier III certified Data Centre, guaranteeing reliability and security in operations.
At the core of VNG’s mission is fostering innovation and delivering outstanding value to their business clientele. With their profound expertise and advanced technological capabilities, VNG aspires to play a pivotal role in propelling the nation’s digital transformation.
LOS ANGELES and RÖDENTAL, Germany, Oct. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MGA Entertainment, Inc. (MGA), one of the world’s largest and fastest growing privately held toy and entertainment companies, announced today that it intends to merge with Zapf Creation AG, Europe’s leading manufacturer of nurturing dolls. Specifically, MGA’s wholly-owned German subsidiary, which is the current direct major shareholder of Zapf Creation AG, has approached Zapf with an invitation to enter into negotiations of a merger agreement. MGA and Zapf Creation AG have had a collaborative business relationship for the sales and distribution of both companies’ brands for nearly 20 years. The merger is expected to close in Spring 2024.
No further details are available at this time; however, the leadership of the companies will work closely to plan the merger and will make appropriate announcements as information becomes available.
About MGA, Entertainment, Inc. MGA Entertainmentis one of the largest and fastest growing privately held toy and entertainment companies in the world. Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices globally, the company creates innovative, proprietary, and licensed consumer products and entertainment properties, including toys, games, dolls, apparel, consumer electronics, home décor, stationery, sporting goods, movies, and television series. The MGA family includes award-winning brands such as L.O.L. Surprise!, Little Tikes®, Rainbow High, Bratz®, MGA’s Miniverse, Fluffie Stuffiez, Na! Na! Na! Surprise, Micro Games of America, BABY born®, and Zapf Creation®. For more information, please visit us at www.mgae.com or check us out at LinkedIn,Threads, Instagram and Facebook.
About Zapf Creation AG Zapf Creation AG is Europe’s leading manufacturer of nurturing dolls and a global brand supplier of children’s toys. The company develops and sells premium play concepts, as well as play and functional dolls with extensive accessories that are famous all over the world. This also includes an increasing number of products from other toy categories. All Zapf Creation brands share the same high standards of quality, design, safety, and play value. For more information, please visit www.zapf-creation.com.
Media Contact: Alan Hilowitz
Vice President, Global Corporate Communications
MGA Entertainment, Inc.
+1.818.221-4431 news@mgae.com
SAN ANTONIO, Oct. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Following a research of the passwordless authentication landscape, Frost & Sullivan has awarded VinCSS the 2023 Asia-Pacific New Product Innovation Award. Based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, VinCSS stands out as a pioneer in leveraging FIDO2 standards for passwordless authentication, focuses on providing cybersecurity solutions for IT, IoT, and Automotive.
VinCSS
Frost & Sullivan has awarded VinCSS the 2023 Asia-Pacific New Product Innovation Award
Leading the APAC Region
Since 2018, VinCSS, a subsidiary of Vingroup, has evolved from a startup to a leader in innovative product development and diversification within cybersecurity industry. Specializing in IT security, identity and access management, IoT security, automotive cybersecurity, VinCSS is consistently breaking new ground. This was recently underscored by their receipt of the 2023 Asia-Pacific New Product Innovation Award from Frost & Sullivan, highlighting their innovation, especially in passwordless authentication.
VinCSS offers comprehensive passwordless authentication solutions through its FIDO2 Ecosystem, strengthening cybersecurity and bringing a significant upgrade in authentication. The company helps businesses follow authentication rules while making their operations more efficient.
VinCSS’s IoT FDO (FIDO device onboarding) solution seamlessly integrates its products across physical, cyber-physical domains. Using an automated and asymmetric protocol, it securely sets up devices, addressing IoT security needs. Tailored for automated factories, smart cities… it offers scalable authentication solutions for complex digital infrastructures. With full control over its product lineup, VinCSS offers competitive pricing. This strategy solidifies its leading role in passwordless authentication market.
VinCSS
VinCSS has been identified as best in class in the APAC passwordless authentication
Anh Tien Vu, global cybersecurity industry principal at Frost & Sullivan, observed, “VinCSS sets itself apart from many competitors with a unique and innovative approach that enables customers to deploy its products across different environments, including IT, IoT, and OT, while competitors only focus on addressing identity security challenges for the workforce.”
“VinCSS’s customer-centricity is evident in its commitment to innovation and evolution, aligning its products with current and future requirements. As a result, the company is increasingly recognized in the industry with an increasing number of domestic, international customers and partners,” added Vu.
In a short span since 2022, when VinCSS clinched the Enabling Technology Leadership Award for SEA Passwordless Authentication from Frost & Sullivan, they’ve catapulted to 2023, now hailed as APAC’s leader for New Product Innovation. Simon Trac Do, CEO and Founder of VinCSS, reflected, “Be it 5 years or a decade since our inception, our startup spirit burns brighter than ever. We’re continuously evolving, and this accolade is a testament to our dedication. We remain, as always, the industry’s trusted partner.”
VinCSS’s solutions have made significant inroads in both domestic and global markets, consistently receiving accolades. Beyond being a respected name in cybersecurity, VinCSS is emerging as a prime investment opportunity. As it approaches its financial break-even point and launches its Series B funding round, the company presents significant growth prospects.
