Supply chain software company Blue Yonder is investigating claims of data theft after the ‘Termite’ ransomware group threatened to release stolen data. The Arizona-based company, which serves major clients like DHL, Starbucks, and Walgreens, was hit by a ransomware attack on 21 November. While Blue Yonder initially confirmed a cyberattack, it did not disclose the perpetrators.
The Termite group, which recently claimed responsibility for the breach on its dark web leak site, claims to have stolen 680 gigabytes of data, including documents, reports, and email lists. The group, believed to be a rebranded version of the Babuk ransomware gang, has threatened to release the data soon. Blue Yonder is working with cybersecurity experts to investigate the breach and has notified impacted customers, though it has not confirmed specific details about the stolen data.
The attack has caused operational disruptions for some clients, including UK supermarkets Morrisons and Sainsbury’s, and US company Starbucks, which was forced to manually calculate employee pay. The full extent of the attack on Blue Yonder’s 3,000+ customers remains unclear.
Congressman Jay Obernolte has called on federal energy regulators to prioritise co-located data centres directly connected to power plants. The move, he argues, is essential for advancing US AI capabilities while addressing energy demands and grid resilience.
The proposal comes amid debates over co-location’s potential impact on grid reliability. A recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decision rejected an Amazon-Talen Energy project in Pennsylvania, citing grid concerns. Obernolte urged FERC to expedite decisions on such projects to support US AI innovation.
Energy firms Talen and Constellation have challenged FERC’s recent rulings, highlighting the growing importance of energy policies in AI expansion.
Donald Trump’s family and allies are heading to Abu Dhabi for the Gulf’s largest bitcoin gathering amid record-breaking highs for the digital currency. The Bitcoin MENA conference is set to draw over 6,000 attendees, including key figures in Trump’s cryptocurrency initiative. Eric Trump will deliver the keynote address, followed by exclusive sessions for top investors.
World Liberty Financial, co-founded by Trump and led by billionaire Steve Witkoff, plays a central role in the event. Trump himself is the chief crypto advocate, while his sons act as brand ambassadors. The platform has already attracted major investors like blockchain entrepreneur Justin Sun, despite Sun’s legal troubles under the Biden administration.
Bitcoin’s rise to $100,000 has fuelled excitement, with Trump pledging to make the US the global crypto hub. Former PayPal executive David Sacks has been appointed White House czar for AI and cryptocurrencies, reflecting a broader push towards digital innovation. Keynote speeches and whale-only sessions highlight the growing influence of crypto in Trump’s circle and the broader industry.
The conference also features controversial figures, such as Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who recently served a US prison sentence. With prominent backers and growing market momentum, the event signals a pivotal moment for cryptocurrency and its role in shaping Trump’s political and economic agenda.
UCLA is breaking new ground with an AI-developed comparative literature course set to launch in winter 2025. The class, covering literature from the Middle Ages to the 17th century, will feature a textbook, assignments, and teaching assistant (TA) resources generated by Kudu, an AI-powered platform founded by UCLA physics professor Alexander Kusenko. This initiative marks the first use of AI-generated materials in UCLA’s humanities division.
Professor Zrinka Stahuljak, who designed the course, collaborated with Kudu by providing lecture notes, PowerPoint slides, and videos from previous classes. The AI system produced the materials within three to four months, requiring just 20 hours of professor involvement. Kudu’s platform allows students to interact with course content through questions answered strictly within the provided material, ensuring focused and accurate responses.
By streamlining material creation, the approach frees up professors and TAs to engage more closely with students while maintaining consistency in course delivery. UCLA hopes this innovative method will enhance the learning experience and redefine education in the humanities.
The Czech Republic has introduced a landmark law exempting bitcoin holdings of over three years from capital gains tax. Approved unanimously by parliament on 6 December, the new rule will take effect on 1 January 2025, offering significant incentives for long-term cryptocurrency investors.
Under the law, individuals can benefit from tax exemptions if their annual income from crypto transactions remains under CZK 100,000 ($4,000) or if digital assets have been held for over three years. Prime Minister Petr Fiala highlighted the law as a step towards modernising financial regulations and fostering a favourable environment for cryptocurrency adoption.
The tax exemption also includes provisions for assets acquired before 2025, encouraging retroactive benefits under specified conditions. The reforms align with the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, placing the Czech Republic among global leaders like Switzerland and the UAE in promoting crypto-friendly policies.
American TikTok creators are urging their followers to connect on platforms like Instagram and YouTube after a federal appeals court upheld a law that could ban TikTok in the US unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sells its American operations by January 19. The looming deadline has sparked anxiety among creators and businesses reliant on TikTok’s vast reach, which includes 170 million US users.
The platform’s popularity, especially among younger audiences, has turned it into a hub for creators, advertisers, and small businesses, with features like TikTok Shop driving significant economic activity. Some creators, like social media influencer Chris Mowrey, expressed fears about losing their livelihoods, emphasising the potential economic blow to small enterprises and content creators.
While some users are bracing for a shutdown, others remain sceptical about the ban’s likelihood, holding off on major changes until more clarity emerges. In the meantime, creators like Chris Burkett and SnipingForDom are diversifying their presence across platforms to safeguard their communities and content. For many, the uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future is a stark reminder of the fragile nature of digital ecosystems.
Jack Ma, co-founder of Alibaba, made a rare public appearance on Sunday, expressing optimism about the future of Ant Group, the fintech affiliate he also helped establish. Speaking at Ant’s 20th-anniversary celebration, Ma highlighted the transformative potential of AI, stating that the changes driven by AI in the next two decades will surpass current expectations. His remarks, reported by Chinese media outlet 36kr, marked a notable return to the spotlight following his retreat from public life amid regulatory challenges.
Reflecting on Ant Group’s turbulent journey, Ma acknowledged the value of criticism and encouragement in fostering the company’s growth. Ant, the operator of China’s leading mobile payment app Alipay, faced a regulatory crackdown after Ma’s public critique of Chinese regulators in 2020. This led to the cancellation of Ant’s $300 billion IPO, followed by a stringent overhaul of its operations to align with financial regulations. The reforms included Ma relinquishing control of the company in 2023.
Despite these challenges, Ant is charting a path forward, underscored by a leadership transition announced Sunday. President Cyril Han will succeed Eric Jing as CEO starting March 1, 2024. Ma’s renewed confidence in Ant’s potential, especially in the AI era, signals a fresh chapter for the fintech giant as it emerges from years of regulatory scrutiny.
OpenAI is exploring the removal of a clause that restricts Microsoft’s access to its most advanced AI technology Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) once it is achieved. AGI, defined as a system that surpasses human capability in economically valuable tasks, has been excluded from Microsoft’s agreements under existing terms. The Financial Times reports that OpenAI aims to unlock further investments by lifting this restriction.
The clause, designed to safeguard AGI from misuse, currently gives OpenAI’s non-profit board control over such breakthroughs. Discussions within the board are ongoing, and no decision has been finalised. If the change proceeds, Microsoft could retain full access to future OpenAI advancements, even post-AGI, aligning with their significant backing of OpenAI.
This potential shift follows OpenAI’s restructuring efforts, including becoming a for-profit benefit corporation. In October, the company closed a $6.6B funding round, valuing it at $157B, as it continues redefining the AI market.
Google has filed a lawsuit against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) over its decision to place the company’s payment division under federal supervision. The legal dispute arises from the CFPB’s claims that Google’s handling of its payment products, including a discontinued peer-to-peer payment service, posed risks to consumers.
The lawsuit, lodged in the Washington, DC district court, argues that the CFPB’s actions constitute government overreach. Google asserts the decision was based on limited and unverified user complaints, stating that a discontinued product cannot pose consumer risks. The CFPB, however, maintains that its supervisory authority is essential to enforcing compliance with financial laws, even for defunct services.
Google spokesperson José Castañeda described the agency’s oversight as unnecessary, reiterating that the company’s payment products have always prioritised user safety. Google also claims the CFPB set an unreasonably low standard for determining consumer risks, leading to undue regulatory burdens.
The CFPB’s authority to oversee nonbank financial institutions, announced in 2022, allows it to conduct examinations and intervene against potential risks to consumers. Google contends that applying such measures to its payments division is unjustified and aims to challenge the agency’s approach in court.
A Rotterdam court is set to hold a pretrial hearing on Monday concerning a former Russian employee of ASML accused of stealing intellectual property from the Dutch semiconductor equipment maker. The suspect, a 43-year-old Russian national, allegedly profited by selling company manuals, including those of ASML’s Mapper subsidiary, to Russian buyers, according to Dutch media reports.
ASML, which acquired Mapper in 2019, confirmed its awareness of the case and said it had filed a formal complaint, declining further comment during ongoing legal proceedings. The suspect is reportedly in custody, though details of the arrest remain unclear.
Mapper, a Dutch firm focused on developing E-beam lithography technology, was integrated into ASML following its 2019 bankruptcy. While Mapper’s product did not succeed, its engineers joined ASML’s chip-measuring business, helping to bolster the company’s capabilities. This acquisition eased concerns about sensitive technology falling into foreign hands, a priority for both the Dutch government and the US military.
