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London Nurseries Hit by Hackers, Data on 8,000 Children Stolen

The Britain's national flag flies next to the Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, in London, Britain, March 23, 2022. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/ File Photo
The Britain's national flag flies next to the Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, in London, Britain, March 23, 2022. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/ File Photo
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London Nurseries Hit by Hackers, Data on 8,000 Children Stolen

The Britain's national flag flies next to the Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, in London, Britain, March 23, 2022. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/ File Photo
The Britain's national flag flies next to the Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, in London, Britain, March 23, 2022. REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/ File Photo

Cybercriminals have stolen data on over 8,000 children attending nurseries in London operated by childcare provider Kido International, the hackers said on their dark web portal.

The gang, which calls itself Radiant, evidenced its claim by publishing the names, photos, home addresses, and family contact information of 10 children it said attended one of Kido's 18 nurseries in Greater London.

The hack, which raises serious concerns about child safeguarding and data privacy, was the latest in a string of serious ransomware incidents in Britain that have rocked businesses in Britain this year, Reuters reported.

"Next steps for us will be to release 30 more 'profiles' of each child and 100 employees," the post on Radiant's leak website said.

Kido International did not respond to an emailed request from Reuters for comment.

Speaking over an encrypted messaging service, the nursery hackers said they had been inside Kido's networks for weeks.

Asked where they were based, the hackers said they were in Russia, though they did not provide evidence to support that statement.

Ransomware is malicious software used by cybercriminals to encrypt a company’s data and demand payment for its release. The hackers declined to say how much money they were asking Kido International to pay.

"Cybercriminals will target anyone if they think there is money to be made, and going after those who look after children is a particularly egregious act," Jonathon Ellison of the National Cyber Security Centre, part of Britain's GCHQ spy agency, said in a statement.

A government source said on Thursday that the British government was considering providing financial support for carmaker Jaguar Land Rover's suppliers after a shutdown caused by a cyberattack was extended until October.

A day earlier, police said they had arrested a man as part of an investigation into a ransomware attack against Collins Aerospace, owned by RTX. The attack crippled automated check-in systems at London Heathrow, Britain's busiest airport, and caused travel chaos at other airports across Europe.

In April, a group of hackers dubbed Scattered Spider was widely reported to be behind an attack that crippled British retailer Marks & Spencer, preventing one of Britain's best-known retailers from taking online orders for weeks.

The company forecast in May that the hack would cost it about 300 million pounds ($405 million) in lost operating profit in its 2025/26 financial year.

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Varieties

Saudi Arabia Ranks 5th Globally, 1st in Arab World for AI Sector Growth on Global AI Index

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
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Saudi Arabia Ranks 5th Globally, 1st in Arab World for AI Sector Growth on Global AI Index

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranked fifth globally and first in the Arab world in artificial intelligence sector growth, according to the Global AI Index, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

This marks a national achievement that builds on the Kingdom’s steady progress in artificial intelligence and reflects the effectiveness of its development plans and its ability to achieve high international competitiveness under Saudi Vision 2030.

During the period measured by the Global AI Index, Saudi Arabia launched a wide range of national initiatives led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA). These initiatives strengthened Saudi Arabia’s position on the index.

They included several projects, notably the Rowad Package initiative, which supports entrepreneurs and startups by enabling them to verify customer data through electronic linkage with the National Information Center’s databases.

SDAIA also launched the AI Ethics Incentive Badges initiative to raise awareness of ethical practices and promote responsible use of technologies. The initiative provides a clear framework to help organizations and developers adhere to global best standards. More than 50 accreditation certificates have been granted to national AI companies for developing AI-based products serving priority sectors.

The generative Gaia AI accelerator, supported by SDAIA and the National Technology Development Program (NTDP) in collaboration with New Native, has helped numerous startups enter the market more quickly and efficiently.

These efforts also extended to the SDAIA Academy, which has focused on building national capabilities and empowering young talent through advanced training programs in data and AI, offered in partnership with international organizations.

As part of its efforts, the SDAIA Academy trained more than one million Saudi men and women in data and AI skills through the SAMAI initiative, conducted in collaboration with several government entities. The initiative is considered one of the world’s largest training programs targeting the general population.

These achievements highlight SDAIA’s success in the field of data and AI, both nationally and internationally. They reinforce its role as the Kingdom’s central authority for regulation, development, and application, and advance the nation toward leadership in data- and AI-driven economies.

Varieties

Saudi Arabia: Newest State-of-the-Art Film Production Hub Launched in Qiddiya City

Located at the heart of Qiddiya City, PlayMaker Studios sits just 40 minutes from Riyadh
Located at the heart of Qiddiya City, PlayMaker Studios sits just 40 minutes from Riyadh
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Saudi Arabia: Newest State-of-the-Art Film Production Hub Launched in Qiddiya City

Located at the heart of Qiddiya City, PlayMaker Studios sits just 40 minutes from Riyadh
Located at the heart of Qiddiya City, PlayMaker Studios sits just 40 minutes from Riyadh

Qiddiya Investment Company has announced the official opening of PlayMaker Studios at Qiddiya City, marking the launch of Saudi Arabia’s newest state-of-the-art film production hub. The opening represents a major milestone in the Kingdom’s rapidly advancing film and creative industries.

The launch of PlayMaker Studios marks a strategic addition to Saudi Arabia’s production infrastructure. The studios feature two high-spec, purpose-built soundstages, flexible workshops, and fully integrated production facilities designed to meet the needs of large-scale international and regional productions. The complex also includes modern production offices and on-site support amenities, offering a seamless, end-to-end production environment.

With strong demand already recorded for studio space, construction has begun on two additional world-class soundstages, scheduled for completion in 2026, which will significantly expand PlayMaker Studios’ capacity and enable it to host multiple major productions simultaneously.

Qiddiya Investment Company has also established a dedicated on-the-ground team to provide hands-on support for producers across permitting, logistics, and operational services. In addition, PlayMaker Studios offers streamlined access to Saudi Arabia’s industry-leading 40% production cash rebate, one of the most competitive incentives globally.

As part of its long-term development strategy, PlayMaker Studios will introduce dedicated post-production, visual effects, volumetric, and music studios, further strengthening the Kingdom’s creative and production ecosystem. The complex is set to become both a creative powerhouse and a core pillar of Qiddiya City’s entertainment offering.

Qiddiya Investment Company Managing Director Abdullah Aldawood said: “PlayMaker Studios is a cornerstone of Qiddiya City’s ambition and builds on Saudi Arabia’s growing success in the creative industries. It marks an important step in strengthening this momentum and realizing our vision to create a world class destination where innovation, culture and entertainment come together, and where the global film industry can find a new home in the Kingdom.”

Located at the heart of Qiddiya City - the world’s first destination where culture, sport, and creativity converge - PlayMaker Studios sits just 40 minutes from Riyadh, offering producers integrated logistics solutions, premium accommodation options for production teams, and direct access to a dynamic entertainment environment designed to inspire world-class content creation.

Varieties

Brigitte Macron Visits an Old Friend in China: Giant Panda Called Yuan Meng

FILE - French First lady Brigitte Macron attends a naming ceremony of the panda born at the Beauval Zoo, in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France, on Dec. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool, File)
FILE - French First lady Brigitte Macron attends a naming ceremony of the panda born at the Beauval Zoo, in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France, on Dec. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool, File)
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Brigitte Macron Visits an Old Friend in China: Giant Panda Called Yuan Meng

FILE - French First lady Brigitte Macron attends a naming ceremony of the panda born at the Beauval Zoo, in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France, on Dec. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool, File)
FILE - French First lady Brigitte Macron attends a naming ceremony of the panda born at the Beauval Zoo, in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France, on Dec. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Pool, File)

French first lady Brigitte Macron caught up with an old friend — a giant panda born in France — at the tail end Friday of a visit to China with President Emmanuel Macron.

At a panda reserve in southwest China that Yuan Meng now calls home, the first lady marveled at how big he has grown. She helped choose his name — which means “accomplishment of a dream” — when he was born in a French zoo in 2017.

“When they're born, they're like this,” she said, holding up two fingers a short distance apart. Meanwhile, the chunky male roamed in his enclosure, feasting on bamboo and ignoring bystanders who cried out his name, hoping to elicit a reaction.

“They have a very independent character,” she said. “They do only what they want.”

For decades, China has deployed what's often called “panda diplomacy” to smooth and promote relations with other countries, gifting the animals to friendly nations and lending pandas to zoos overseas on commercial terms.

Emmanuel Macron’s state visit this week to China, his fourth as president, included meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and other officials, discussing Russia’s war in Ukraine, trade ties and other issues.

The China Wildlife Conservation Association said during the visit that it signed a letter of intent to send two of the animals to the Beauval Zoo south of Paris in 2027 under what would be a new 10-year round of panda cooperation with France.

The French zoo sent two 17-year-old pandas — Huan Huan, a female, and her partner Yuan Zi — back to China last month after 13 years on loan in France.

Yuan Meng was their cub, conceived using artificial insemination.

Despite being made in France, he officially belonged to the Chinese government. Yuan Meng bid ‘’adieu’’ to France in 2023, sent off to a new life in the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in southwest China where Brigitte Macron, considered to be his “godmother,” dropped in to see him.

Huan Huan and Yuan Zi also produced female twins in France in 2021.

Huanlili and Yuandudu are also expected to leave the Beauval Zoo for China in the future. The China Wildlife Conservation Association has previously said that it expects them to remain at the French zoo until January 2027.