GIC to invest $283m for 7.5% stake in India’s Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail …

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited (ABFRL) Tuesday said that its board has approved raising of up to $283 million (Rs.2,195 crore) from an affiliate of GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund. ABFRL will raise the aforementioned amount by way issue of preferential issuance of equity and warrants, it said in a press statement. GIC will invest… Continue reading GIC to invest $283m for 7.5% stake in India’s Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail …

Switzerland’s ZoodPay enters Pakistan with acquisition of digital lender Tez

Karachi-based Tez Financial Services (Tez) has been fully acquired by ZoodPay, a Switzerland-based buy now pay later (BNPL) platform that has operations mainly in the Middle East and Central Asia. Tez’s valuation during the acquisition is confidential. Tez — backed by Planet N, Flourish Ventures (Omidyar Network), and Accion among others — was the first… Continue reading Switzerland’s ZoodPay enters Pakistan with acquisition of digital lender Tez

Chinese regulators vow to keep property sector credit growth stable

China‘s financial regulators pledged to keep credit growth stable in the property sector and help homebuyers affected by COVID-19 outbreaks to defer their mortgage payments, the central bank said in a statement on Tuesday. Yuan loan growth tumbled in April as the pandemic jolted the economy and weakened credit demand, official data showed earlier this month. Household loans, including mortgages, contracted by 217 billion yuan ($32.6 billion), pointing… Continue reading Chinese regulators vow to keep property sector credit growth stable

Samsung to invest $356b over five years to push up growth in strategic sectors

Samsung Group will invest 450 trillion won ($356 billion) in the next five years to accelerate growth in semiconductors, biopharmaceutical and other next-generation technologies, Samsung Electronics said. South Korea’s top conglomerate said on Tuesday the investments through 2026 are expected to help Samsung drive long-term growth in strategic areas such as the chip sector, while pledging aggressive investments in the biopharmaceutical sector to make it as successful as its chip… Continue reading Samsung to invest $356b over five years to push up growth in strategic sectors

Weibo bans Trip.com co-founder who questioned China’s zero-COVID strategy

A leading entrepreneur in China who had questioned the wisdom of the country’s zero–COVID strategy was banned from posting on Weibo, with the social media platform accusing Trip.com co–founder James Liang of violating laws. Weibo, a platform similar to Twitter, did not specify which laws Liang had broken, and it was unclear when the ban took effect or what had triggered it. But on Tuesday, online users… Continue reading Weibo bans Trip.com co-founder who questioned China’s zero-COVID strategy

Four-month-old Doppel is helping some of the biggest NFT projects spot scams

As NFTs have gained popularity, so, too, has NFT fraud. Copycats can quite easily upload images to an NFT marketplace, mint them and sell them to customers for profit without verifying that those images are their own intellectual property. The problem has become even more widespread as NFTs have popped up on chains like Solana,… Continue reading Four-month-old Doppel is helping some of the biggest NFT projects spot scams

How Ukraine’s wide use of cryptocurrency is playing out during the war

The terrible, unprovoked war in Ukraine has destabilized that country’s economy and banking system, leading both Ukrainian politicians and citizens to more seriously consider cryptocurrency. I’m pretty skeptical of crypto, but I want to come by that skepticism honestly, and I want to understand more about what was happening there, so I’ve invited Michael Chobanian… Continue reading How Ukraine’s wide use of cryptocurrency is playing out during the war

Harley-Davidson’s Serial 1 announces a limited-edition electric mountain bike

Serial 1, the e-bike company spun out of Harley-Davidson nearly two years ago, unveiled another premium model designed to make you open your wallet in helpless surrender. The Bash/Mtn is the company’s first electric mountain bike, and from the look of it, it can absolutely destroy an off-road trail. A rigid, single-speed eMTB (electric mountain… Continue reading Harley-Davidson’s Serial 1 announces a limited-edition electric mountain bike

SteelSeries Nova Pro Wireless review: it nearly does it all

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless is designed to be the one headset to rule them all. It’s trying to simultaneously replace the one you jack into your console, the workhorse headset for your PC, and the fancy Bluetooth cans you carry on your commute. That’s how SteelSeries justifies its $349.99 price tag, which makes… Continue reading SteelSeries Nova Pro Wireless review: it nearly does it all

Mr. Boop, the psychosexual webcomic that is a scathing critique of copyright

You can’t summarize the webcomic Mr. Boop better than its first panel, which emerged out of what felt like the raging id of the internet on February 28, 2020. “My wife Betty Boop is really hot,” says Alec, the strip’s spectacled, grinning protagonist, a cartoon avatar for actual writer and artist Alec Robbins. His wife,… Continue reading Mr. Boop, the psychosexual webcomic that is a scathing critique of copyright