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Avalor AI Secures €2M Seed Round for Military Autonomous Systems, Netherlands

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Dutch software company Avalor AI has successfully raised a seed round of €2 million, led by Keen Venture Partners, to accelerate autonomous capabilities of unmanned military systems.

Envisioning ‘multi-domain distributed mission autonomy,’ Avalor AI’s Nexus™ platform enables unmanned systems across various domains (air, land, sea) to autonomously plan, coordinate, and execute complex missions cooperatively through a single human-machine interface. The company’s hardware-agnostic artificial intelligence software allows for the integration and operations of unmanned systems from different OEMs and countries.

The investment reflects the growing importance of venture capital’s role in funding defence technology innovation, particularly in response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. With the support of Keen Venture Partners, Avalor AI will use the funding to accelerate the development and deployment of their innovative solutions, and expand further into the European market by targeting strategic partnerships and deployments within key NATO allies.

Founded in 2021, Avalor AI has quickly positioned itself as a leader in the field of autonomous systems. It has already embarked on various projects with the Dutch Ministry of Defence and notable partners like the Estonian ground robot manufacturer Milrem Robotics and the Dutch drone manufacturer Deltaquad, showcasing the practical applications and benefits of their technology in real-world scenarios. The company’s recent missions in Ukraine further highlighted the critical need for advanced autonomy in military operations, where their technology aims to significantly improve mission efficiency and safety for human operators.

AI Revolutionizes News Publishing: Metro World News Sees Massive Growth, Brazil

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is here, transforming how content is created, managed, and consumed. What appeared seemingly overnight has quickly become the fastest-growing technology in history. Today, only a year and a half after its launch, ChatGPT has accumulated over 180 million users, solidifying its status as a cornerstone of modern communication and innovation.

For years, news organizations have striven to catch up with a digital-first world. Now, that world is transitioning to an AI-first mentality. This transition presents an unprecedented opportunity for publishers to lead as early adopters and pioneers in a landscape that is poised to revolutionize traditional business models.

Digital innovation waits for no one, and the publishers who recognize the urgency of adapting now will position themselves as industry leaders, ready to seize the opportunities AI presents. Publishers who have embraced AI and integrated it into their content creation and distribution strategies are already witnessing remarkable impacts.

Amid AI’s remarkable power, one fundamental principle remains: it is not here to supersede human creativity but to amplify it. The true potential of AI lies not in replacing humans but in augmenting their capabilities, enabling content creators to work more freely and intelligently.

By leveraging AI-driven capabilities within a content management system (CMS) or integrating AI into the tech stack, publishers can reap the benefits of AI in a controlled and ethical way. With the right tools and strategies in place, AI becomes a valuable ally in streamlining workflows, enhancing content quality, and ultimately driving greater audience engagement.

Here are some of the AI capabilities publishers are already using in their tech stack to drive transformative change within their organization:

Fine-tuning capabilities are emerging as a pivotal tool for publishers integrating AI into their workflows. This involves refining pre-trained language models (LLMs) on specific datasets to enhance performance on targeted tasks.

Custom prompts and settings ensure precise control over the AI’s behavior to align outputs with publisher preferences. For example, adjusting the temperature parameter can tailor content prompts to match the preferred style or tone. Based on past instances, fine-tuning enables models to recommend tags for news articles that align with publisher preferences, enhancing performance and ensuring outputs are aligned with objectives.

In addition to fine-tuning integration, another cutting-edge capability that is transforming content management is story recommendations. This feature harnesses a database that essentially functions as an internal search engine.

By leveraging this functionality, publishers can uncover relationships within their content database, facilitating recommendations for related stories, photos, and videos. As authors compose a story, the system can suggest relevant links to other articles based on similarity, enriching the narrative and guiding readers to further explore related topics. Similarly, the feature can recommend suitable photos and videos to complement the story, drawing from an extensive media library. This capability streamlines content creation and ensures each piece of content is enriched with relevant multimedia elements, maximizing its impact and appeal to audiences.

For publishers integrating Generative AI into their content management processes, the impact has been profound and immediate. Metro World News, a South American media organization and Arc XP customer, streamlined its content translation by integrating Generative AI into Arc XP’s Content CMS.

This transformed the workflow, allowing journalists to produce accurate translations with a click. Even with human review, translation times dropped from 20 to 40 minutes to just five minutes. Additionally, Metro uses AI to tailor content to match its audiences, ensuring that translations and other generated content align perfectly with regional preferences and nuances.

Since implementation, Metro World News has experienced an 85 percent reduction in the time required to translate content from Spanish to Portuguese and distribute it across its platforms. This dramatic improvement in workflow efficiency has led to a remarkable 35 percent increase in content production for Metro World News’s Brazilian sites within the first month alone.

However, the impact has extended far beyond the newsroom. Metro World News also witnessed significant growth in its audience analytics as a direct result of leveraging AI – in particular, a remarkable 31 percent surge in new users, accompanied by a substantial 38 percent increase in page views. Additionally, the average session duration saw an uptick of 10 percent.

It’s clear generative AI isn’t just any other technology to add into your tech stack. It’s a new era of business – an industrial revolution – that rivals other revolutionary innovations such as the internet and the calculator. For publishers, the time to act is now. Delaying adoption means risking falling behind in an increasingly AI-driven landscape. The future of content management is here, and proactive engagement with AI is essential for staying ahead.

Insects Found in Tea Products Prompt Recall by TK Maxx & HomeSense, Australia

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TK Maxx and HomeSense have been forced to issue a recall after insects were found in some of their tea products.

The retailers have issued a recall on selected batches of Kintra Foods Organic Premium Leaf Teas with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) urging anyone who has purchased the products to not consume them and return them immediately.

The recall comes after some of the brand’s teas were found to contain insects making them unsafe to consume.

The Kintra Foods Organic Premium Leaf Teas affected by the recall are:

Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling these products.

These notices explain to customers why the products are being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the products, the FSA explained.

If you have purchased any of these Kintra Foods Organic Premium Leaf Teas, the FSA has said to not consume them and return them to any TK Maxx or HomeSense store for a full refund.

For more information contact TK Maxx/HomeSense Customer Services on 01923 473561 or customerservice@tjxeurope.com.

Berkeley Raises Earnings Outlook by 5% for 2025 Amid Housing Market Standstill, UK

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British high-end homebuilder Berkeley increased its annual profit outlook for the fiscal year 2025 by 5% and noted that the housing market lacks urgency until interest rates begin to decline. Pre-tax profit for the year ending April 30 was reported at 557.3 million pounds ($708.4 million), showing an 8% decrease from the previous year but surpassing analysts’ expectations. Berkeley, known for its focus on London properties, remains optimistic about future growth despite current market conditions.

European VC Wind Launches €130M Fund for Sustainable Deeptech Startups, Belgium

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Wind, an emerging European VC built and backed by successful entrepreneurs, announced the launch of a new Article 9 fund. The €130 million fund has exceeded expectations, reaching €90 million at its first closing. The fund will finance pioneering sustainable Deeptech startups at the Seed/Series A stage. The fund plans to invest in 30 startups, with ticket sizes varying from €500 to €5 million

Wind’s new fund will be used to fuel the development of highly innovative solutions across Europe’s vital services and infrastructure industries. The investment focus includes advancing key areas essential to human well-being and environmental health, such as food and air quality, mobility and energy, construction, and security.

We are at the start of a new innovation cycle driven by decarbonation, AI, and robotics, said Thierry Vandewalle, Co-Founding Partner of Wind. Our mission is to support startups using these technologies to create practical solutions for our essential service industries, ensuring they thrive in a climate-challenged world. It’s all about finding alternative ways to meet humanity’s needs without compromising the planet.

Wind, recently rebranded from Wind Capital, was founded by repeat entrepreneurs and engineers Thierry Vandewalle and Xavier Gury in 2015. The duo had previously launched and exited multiple companies, including WCube, a data agency sold to Publicis in 2007. Leveraging their earnings, they founded Wind Capital I, a €23 million evergreen fund, a fund characterised by the active support and engagement provided to its portfolio founders.

After investing personally in over 80 startups across various sectors like fintech, SaaS, mobility and lifestyle, and completing 29 successful exits, Wind’s Founding Partners are now focusing on climate resilience, opening the new article 9 fund to other successful entrepreneurs interested in investing their earnings and mentoring startups.

Innovation and technology are in our DNA. Over the years, we have strengthened our impact investment thesis with transformative startups like Getaround (car sharing) Yuka (consumer guidance), Spark (decarbonised hydrogen) and Néolithe (waste transformation). This new climate resilience fund continues our commitment to fostering positive change, commented Xavier Gury, Co-Founding Partner of Wind. The very enthusiastic response from our network of entrepreneur LPs confirms the business sense of the approach.

Wind’s LPs form part of a vibrant network of entrepreneurs and scientific experts capable of providing technical opinions, business advice, and valuable connections to portfolio founders. Having founded several companies, we recognise the importance of being surrounded by experienced founders who understand the challenges of building a successful business. Our community-based model aims to provide the technical and business expertise necessary for ensuring their growth, explained Xavier Gury.

Three cutting edge startups have already been backed with the new fund; Eclipse (energy storage solutions), Sopht (green IT) and Entroview (battery diagnostics for gigafactories). Wind’s investors include institutional players such as Bpifrance, BNP Paribas, Sopra Steria, and over 120 successful entrepreneurs to date.

The final closing is expected to take place in 2025, so there is still room for new strategic investors who wish to bring their value-add to what promises to be an exceptional journey, added Thierry Wandevalle.

Rowan County Renames Justice Center After Former Sheriff Kevin Auten, US

During an emotional ceremony on Monday, the Rowan County Board of Commissioners proclaimed the renaming of the county justice center in honor former Sheriff Kevin Auten.

The ceremony, which was held at the beginning of the commissioners’ meeting, consisted of a gathering before the meeting proclamation honoring Auten and the commissioners speaking about what his work meant to the county in front of Auten’s family.

Kevin Auten has unselfishly devoted his time through not only law enforcement, but through civic involvement and giving himself to ensure that community needs are not only curbed, but addressed and resolved, said Vice Chairman Jim Green, reading the commissioners’ proclamation.

Auten began his career in law enforcement in Rowan County as a deputy in the sheriff’s office in 1987. He was appointed sheriff in 2010 after former Sheriff George Wilhelm and was elected to the position three more times before his retirement in 2022.

When I was getting ready to run, my dad, who I was close to, he said ‘come over to the house and let me talk to you before I decide if I’m going to support you.’ And when I walk across the street, he’s sitting on the front porch, and in my family you don’t go to the front porch, that’s just for show, you go to the side or the back porch, so I knew dad was serious. He said, ‘I got one question. What’s your plan?’ I told him I had a plan and what it was. He said, ‘let’s go to work.’ And he never stopped working, said Auten.

Auten said that his father, Gene Auten, had one condition on his support. The sheriff could not run any negative campaign messaging. Gene Auten died in June of 2011, six months after Auten took office as the elected Rowan County Sheriff for the first time.

When it came time to run for re-election my mother said, ‘Remember your dad’s rule, no negative campaigns.’ And I stood by that and I will always stand by that, said Auten.

Auten thanked his family for their support during his time in law enforcement, as well as thanking people throughout his life that supported him and taught him life lessons. Those Auten thanked included his middle school baseball coach Clement Fleming, close friend and Edgecombe County Sheriff Cleveland Atkinson, his Sunday school teacher and former District Attorney Bill Kennerly and former sheriff’s office Major Tim Bost.

My name’s on that building, but there’s hundreds of people that go in and out of there and continue to do a great job, and that’s what it’s really about. I just got all the recognition just like dad won the election but I got the job, said Auten.

Genspark AI Search Engine Delivers Customized Results in Palo Alto, US

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Genspark, a Palo Alto-based AI search startup, has successfully raised $60 million in a seed funding round to challenge industry giants like Google. The company boasts a unique approach to search engines, utilizing a multitude of AI model providers to index and summarize information. Genspark sets itself apart by employing various specialized AI agents to create customized pages for each user query, streamlining the search process by offering relevant results on a single page. This innovative approach marks a significant step forward in the search engine landscape, signaling Genspark’s ambition to revolutionize the way users access information online.

Vietnam Leads Global Efforts in HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment

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Việt Nam has been recognized as one of the few countries with the best HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment in the world, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the entire political system and various community groups. These groups are playing a crucial role in educating people on reducing the risk of HIV transmission, connecting individuals to treatment, and offering practical assistance. The close cooperation among community members has enhanced the overall system’s capacity, leading to significant progress in HIV epidemic control. Community groups like the Việt Nam Network of People with HIV are providing vital support and advocacy for those living with the virus, ultimately contributing to the country’s successful HIV/AIDS prevention efforts. With the rising HIV infection rates among vulnerable groups, the active involvement of community networks has become even more essential in bridging the gap to ensure access to services and information, creating a diverse and sustainable ecosystem for HIV/AIDS prevention. The experience gained during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of community networks in ensuring uninterrupted access to healthcare services, emphasizing the importance of their involvement in public health initiatives.

US Banking Giant Fires Employees Over Mouse Jiggler Scandal

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A US banking giant fired more than a dozen employees for simulating keyboard activity, highlighting a battle within productivity-obsessed corporate America to tame a culture of faking work with gizmos such as mouse jigglers.

The sackings by Wells Fargo come as employers use sophisticated tools on company-issued devices to monitor productivity in the age of hybrid work that took off after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some workers seek to outsmart them with tools such as mouse movers — which simulate cursor movement, preventing their devices from going into sleep mode and making them appear active when they may actually be getting a power nap or doing laundry.

The cat-and-mouse game has spurred a wider debate in corporate America about whether screentime and the click-clacking of keyboards are effective yardsticks to measure productivity amid a boom in remote work.

The Well Fargo workers were dismissed last month following a probe of allegations involving simulation of keyboard activity creating impression of active work, suggesting a shift in the way productivity is monitored in the modern workplace.

Wells Fargo’s decision underscores the challenges faced by employees and employers alike in navigating the evolving landscape of remote work, surveillance tools, and the balance between trusting employees and monitoring their activities.

As the debate on productivity and surveillance continues, it remains to be seen how companies will adapt their practices to ensure a fair and efficient work environment for all parties involved.

Red Alert Extended as Northeast India Floods Wreak Havoc

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The unrelenting rains in Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh have prompted the IMD to extend the ‘red alert’ for an additional day in the three states until Wednesday, even as floods and landslides continued to wreak havoc across the northeast, cutting off several areas.

In Assam, the number of people affected by floods crossed 1.61 lakh on Tuesday. The death toll went up to 26 in the last 24 hours, with a fresh casualty being reported from Hailakandi district.

The Kopili river in Nagaon district and Kushiyara in Karimganj district are flowing above the danger mark, while the Brahmaputra and several of its tributaries are also showing a rising trend.

SDRF personnel were pressed into rescue and relief operations as floodwaters inundated Karimganj town and district. In Meghalaya, Mawsynram, renowned as one of the wettest locations globally, recorded an extremely heavy rainfall of 78 cm in the last 24 hours (till 8.30 am on Tuesday). Cherrapunji also saw a heavy rainfall of 47 cm.

CM Conrad K Sangma assessed the flood situation on Tuesday. The continued downpour has washed away portions of roads and triggered landslides and mudslides, snapping connectivity in various parts of Arunachal, Meghalaya, and Mizoram. The NH-415 leading to Itanagar and NH-6 in Meghalaya connecting Mizoram and Assam have been cut off.

With IMD forecasting heavy rain in Itanagar over the next few days, the district administration urged people living in vulnerable areas to shift to safer locations.