BlackRock is acquiring HPS Investment Partners, a leading private credit firm, in a deal expected to close in mid-2025. The transaction creates an integrated private credit franchise with approximately $220 billion in assets, according to BlackRock. The acquisition comes during a boom in the private credit space, with comparable companies such as Blue Owl Capital … Read more
The US has warned that China’s export ban on key minerals such as germanium and gallium is a “necessary step” to mitigate the impact and deter further coercive actions from Beijing. In response to the new controls, the US State Department stated that it will take necessary steps to diversify away from China and strengthen … Read more
A mysterious illness has claimed 143 lives in a south-west province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to local authorities. The victims exhibited flu-like symptoms, including high fever and severe headaches. The situation is dire as the number of infected individuals continues to rise, prompting concerns over the country’s ability to respond effectively. In … Read more
A Russian national who did not have valid travel documents to enter France was removed from a Delta Airlines international flight at Paris airport. The woman, a 57-year-old legal resident of the United States, was scheduled to fly to New York on Saturday but was removed by French authorities after screaming and claiming asylum in … Read more
A new rumor suggests that Apple may unveil its first foldable iPhone in 2026, with industry expert Ross Young predicting it will be more similar to the Galaxy Z Fold rather than the Galaxy Z Flip. This comes at a time when the foldable market is expected to grow by only 5% this year and … Read more
A British chef is appealing to thieves who stole 2,500 pies meant for a seasonal market, asking them to donate them to charity instead of selling them on the black market. Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/12/03/thieves-steal-michelin-chef-pies-tommy-banks
A team of researchers from Northwestern University has received a $56 million grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop and test vision-restoring whole-eye transplants. The funding will support a six-year effort to create new technologies, including visible-light optical coherence tomography (vis-OCT), to analyze eyeballs before transplant surgery. Led by Northwestern … Read more
Victor Willis, a singer and co-writer on the Village People hit “Y.M.C.A.”, has revealed that the song has benefited greatly from being a favorite on President-elect Trump’s playlist. In a recent Facebook post, Willis shared why he allowed Trump to continue using the song over the years. Willis mentioned that several artists have tried to … Read more
A mysterious disease has killed at least 67 people in southwestern Congo over two weeks. The deaths were reported between November 10 and 25 in the Panzi health zone of Kwango province. Symptoms included fever, headache, cough, and anemia. The provincial health minister, Apollinaire Yumba, told reporters that a team of epidemiological experts is expected … Read more
A recent study published at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America has shed light on the link between visceral fat and Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Researchers led by Mahsa Dolatshahi, MD, found that higher levels of visceral fat were correlated with increased amyloid plaque in the brains of cognitively normal individuals. The … Read more