Ribbit Capital leads $26.7M round for Brazilian fintech Cora
Cora, a São Paulo-based technology-enabled lender to small-and-medium-sized businesses, has raised $26.7 million in a Series A round led by Silicon Valley VC firm Ribbit Capital. Kaszek Ventures, QED Investors and Greenoaks Capital also participated.....»»
Nepal battles raging wildfires across the country
Firefighters and local residents battled a massive wildfire on the outskirts of Nepal's capital Thursday as the Himalayan republic endures a severe fire season authorities have blamed on a heat wave......»»
Kenya"s devastating floods expose decades of poor urban planning and bad land management
Floods in Kenya killed at least 169 people between March and April 2024. The most catastrophic of these deaths occurred after a flash flood swept through a rural village killing 42 people. Death and destruction have also occurred in the capital, Nair.....»»
People put greater trust in news that leads them to be more politically extreme, says study
People not only think political news is likelier to be true if it reinforces their ideological biases, but will tend to trust news more if it leads them to adopt more extreme (and even incorrect) beliefs, finds a new study by a UCL researcher......»»
The giant sheep helping Tajikistan weather climate change
In the hills outside the Tajik capital Dushanbe, shepherd Bakhtior Sharipov was watching over his flock of giant Hissar sheep......»»
Impact investing in Paris suburban "banlieue" neighborhoods: Untapped social and economic potential
From July to August, Paris will host the 2024 Olympic games. However, once the athletes and spectators have packed up and left, the Games will leave behind a lasting social impact on the run-down neighborhoods on the outskirts of the French capital......»»
VinFast founder commits $1 billion as EV maker bleeds cash
Vietnamese billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong pledged to invest at least another $1 billion of his personal wealth into VinFast Auto Ltd., providing the capital needed for expansion of the struggling electric vehicle maker......»»
BforeAI raises $15 million to stop attacks before they occur
BforeAI has secured $15 million in Series A funding led by SYN Ventures, with renewed participation from early investors Karma Ventures, Karista, Addendum Capital, and a new investment from the Partnership Fund for New York City. BforeAI autonomously.....»»
Startup financing gender gaps greater in societies where women are more empowered: Study
Commercial bankers provide capital to fund the operations and growth of businesses. However, as these lenders evaluate entrepreneurs who apply for loans, gender bias leads to women being denied more often than their male counterparts......»»
Vroom CEO: ‘Gut-wrenching" decision to end online used-car business
When a search to secure more capital was unsuccessful, Vroom's senior leadership called it: The company would stop buying and selling used vehicles online as soon as possible......»»
Prophet Security emerges from stealth and raises $11 million
Prophet Security emerged from stealth with $11 million in seed financing led by Bain Capital Ventures (BCV) with participation from several security leaders and angel investors. At the core of the company’s unveiling is Prophet AI for Security Oper.....»»
Malians struggle to cope after deadly heat wave
In Mali's capital Bamako, Aboubacar Pamateck runs a scarf under a trickle of water and wraps it around his head to cope with the West African nation's soaring heat......»»
Netflix doc accused of using AI to manipulate true crime story
Producer remained vague about whether AI was used to edit photos. Enlarge / A cropped image showing Raw TV's poster for the Netflix documentary What Jennifer Did, which features a long front tooth that leads critics to believe it.....»»
Password crackdown leads to more income for Netflix
Netflix to stop reporting subscriber numbers, prioritizing viewer engagement instead. Enlarge (credit: Bloomberg) Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing helped the streaming service blow past Wall Street’s earnings.....»»
Amazonia"s fire crises: Emergency fire bans insufficient, strategic action needed before next burning season
In response to the escalating fire crises in the Amazon, a timely study has revealed alarming shortcomings in the emergency fire bans implemented by the Brazilian Government. Initially seen as a promising solution in 2019, these bans have consistentl.....»»
Training of brain processes makes reading more efficient
A team of researchers from the University of Cologne and the University of Würzburg have found in training studies that the distinction between known and unknown words can be trained and leads to more efficient reading. Recognizing words is necessar.....»»
Fewer showers, less laundry, as water cuts hit Bogota
Residents of Bogota are facing fewer showers, minimal laundry loads and dirty cars as the Colombian capital imposes water rations due to a severe drought aggravated by the El Niño climate phenomenon......»»
Trapped in the middle: Billiards with memory framework leads to mathematical questions
Adding one simple rule to an idealized game of billiards leads to a wealth of intriguing mathematical questions, as well as applications in the physics of living organisms. This week, researchers from the University of Amsterdam, including two master.....»»
Danish Torrent Tracker Crackdown Leads to Another ‘Mild’ Sentence
As part of a widespread torrent tracker crackdown in Denmark, the National Unit for Special Crime investigated and prosecuted more than two dozen suspects. The most recent defendant, a 48-year-old man from East Jutland, pleaded guilty to his involvem.....»»
What to Know About Elon Musk’s Battle With a Brazilian Judge Over Speech on Social Media
A Supreme Court judge in Brazil is taking on disinformation—and going toe-to-toe with X owner Elon Musk, who claims to champion free speech. When billionaire Elon Musk acquired Twitter—now X—in 2022, some feared that t.....»»
"Dark Matter" trailer teases a black box that leads to infinite versions of one man"s life
The trailer for "Dark Matter, a new Apple TV+ sci-fi series based on Blake Crouch's novel and starring Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly, has dropped. What if you could access every different infinite version of the life you could have led?Th.....»»