Venezuela’s state oil giant PDVSA claims a US cyberattack caused no operational issues. But reports from Reuters and Bloomberg, citing internal sources, describe significant system outages and halted exports. The incident comes amid heightened tensions over a seized oil tanker.
The U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA is requiring federal agencies to patch a critical Fortinet vulnerability by December 23. The flaw, already exploited in attacks, allows attackers to bypass login authentication on multiple products.
Infrastructure company Tate has launched a major new manufacturing plant in Arkansas. The expansion focuses on fabricating steel frames for data centers and represents a significant investment in the region’s industrial base.
Microsoft is closing out 2025 with a software update that improves the Xbox Wireless Headset for Windows 11 users and adds a dedicated Store tab to the Xbox mobile app. These moves highlight the company’s continued shift from a pure console focus to a broader software and services strategy.
Venture capital in 2025 was a tale of two extremes. AI companies hoovered up a record share of mega-rounds, while traditional mid-stage deals got squeezed out. The entire funding landscape is being reshaped.
A new cybersecurity startup, Dux, has launched with a $9 million seed round. Its platform uses “AI-workers” to continuously analyze which vulnerabilities are actually exploitable and find the fastest path to fix them.
The US has suspended a planned technology partnership with the UK announced just this September. The deal, which covered AI and quantum computing, is stalled over disputes on trade barriers, including UK food safety regulations.
The promised £31bn US investment in UK tech is paused over trade disputes. Meanwhile, Chrome extensions are caught selling your private AI chats to third parties. Plus, Oracle defends its OpenAI deal and a pop star’s iPhone rage.
Oracle is down 44% from its high, and AI cloud provider CoreWeave is down a staggering 60%. Yet, the S&P 500 barely flinched. This isn’t a broad bubble pop—it’s a targeted reckoning for over-leveraged players.
Amazon is cutting 84 corporate jobs in Washington state, but insists these are individual business decisions, not part of its broader 14,000-person layoff plan. The separations, affecting roles from engineers to directors, are scheduled between February 2 and 23, 2026.
