Top Haiti Internet Provider Partially Restores Network After Fire

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Digicel, one of Haiti’s primary internet service providers, has partially restored its network following a fire near the capital that caused widespread outages. According to Jean-Philippe Brun, the local director for Digicel, teams worked continuously to repair the damage, and one of three affected fiber-optic links was already re-established within hours. He confirmed that all connections were expected to be fully restored by the end of the day.

The outage affected the country’s internet services, with Digicel and state-owned NATCOM being the main operators. Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, has been severely impacted by ongoing armed gang violence, which has also led to the collapse of various state services and institutions. The country has been struggling with basic infrastructure issues, as demonstrated in September when protests at the national hydroelectric plant led to temporary shutdowns, forcing locals to rely on solar batteries and generators for power.

 

Netherlands to Expand Export Controls on Semiconductor Equipment

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The Dutch government has announced an expansion of its export controls on advanced semiconductor equipment, effective from April 1. The new measures, which build on restrictions first introduced in 2023 under U.S. pressure, will require companies to seek export licenses for a narrow set of technologies. These include equipment used for measuring and inspecting semiconductor wafers, which play a critical role in the chipmaking process.

Despite the expansion of export controls, Dutch chip equipment company ASML has stated that the new regulations are not expected to affect its business. ASML maintained that the updated rules, which were outlined in the Netherlands’ state legal newspaper, align with previous guidance it issued in December. This guidance followed new restrictions announced by the U.S. government targeting semiconductor exports to China.

The Dutch trade ministry highlighted that such rule adjustments may occur periodically due to ongoing technical developments in the semiconductor industry.

 

BitMEX Fined $100 Million for Anti-Money Laundering Violations

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BitMEX, a prominent cryptocurrency exchange, has been fined $100 million by a U.S. District Judge for failing to comply with U.S. anti-money laundering (AML) laws. The fine follows a guilty plea in July 2023 after BitMEX was accused of deliberately ignoring anti-money laundering and “know your customer” (KYC) regulations between 2015 and 2020 to increase revenue. The company was sentenced to two years of probation, and its founders—Benjamin Delo, Arthur Hayes, and Samuel Reed—had previously pled guilty and received probation sentences.

In addition to the $100 million fine, BitMEX had already paid approximately $110 million in related criminal and civil settlements. Prosecutors had initially sought a $417 million fine, arguing that BitMEX failed to show genuine acceptance of responsibility, with the exchange ultimately pleading guilty after its founders’ pleas.

BitMEX contended that no further fine was warranted, pointing to its prior settlements and emphasizing that it has since taken corrective action to become a more compliant business. The company acknowledged it was slow to adapt to regulatory changes during a time of industry uncertainty but has since worked to rectify past issues.