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US beefs up posture in Middle East, warns an Iran-backed attack on Israel could come this week
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TechCrunchFal.ai, which hosts media-generating AI models, raises $23M from a16z and others
Fal.ai, a dev-focused platform for AI-generated audio, video, and images, today revealed that it's raised $23 million in funding from investors including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Black Forest Labs co-founder Robin Rombach, and Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas. It's a two-round deal: $14 million of Fal's total came from a Series A tranche led by Kindred Ventures; the remaining $9 million is from a previously unannounced, a16z-led seed round. Burkay Gur and Gorkem Yurtseven co-launched Fal (short for "Features and labels") in 2021.
- BBC
Brazil fines Musk's X for site's return after ban
The social media platform formerly known as Twitter was banned in the country in August.
- TechCrunch
US government 'took control' of a botnet run by Chinese government hackers, says FBI director
Last week, the FBI took control of a botnet made up of hundreds of thousands of internet-connected devices, such as cameras, video recorders, storage devices, and routers, which was run by a Chinese government hacking group, FBI director Christopher Wray and U.S. government agencies revealed Wednesday. The hacking group, dubbed Flax Typhoon, was “targeting critical infrastructure across the U.S. and overseas, everyone from corporations and media organizations to universities and government agencies,” Wray said at the Aspen Cyber Summit cybersecurity conference on Wednesday.
- Bloomberg
Elon Musk’s X Bypasses Brazil Ban Through a Software Update
(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk’s X skirted a ban of the social media network in Brazil though an automatic update of its software, an association of Brazilian internet providers said Wednesday.Most Read from BloombergAOC Proposes $30 Billion Social Housing AuthorityCalifornia’s Anti-Speeding Bill Can Be a Traffic Safety BreakthroughNew York City’s Transit System Plans $65.4 Billion of Upgrades for Grand Central, SubwaysTo Build a Happier City, Design for DensityPipe Fire Near Houston Forces Residents
- HuffPost
Lady Gaga's Dad Endorses Trump On Fox, And You Won't Believe How He Describes Him
Her father's praise for Trump might make it tough for the singer to keep her poker face.
- The Independent
Trump asked New Yorkers ‘what have you got to lose’ by voting for him. The answers came thick and fast
‘With crime at record levels, with terrorists and criminals pouring in, and with inflation eating your hearts out, vote for Donald Trump,’ Republican nominee pleads
- HuffPost
Critics Shatter Donald Trump’s Latest Rant, Which Is About … *Checks Notes*… Windows
They pointed out the cracks in the former president's claim.
- Yahoo Lifestyle
Is this the end of The Block? Viewers all make the same complaint about reno TV show
Viewers of The Block are making the same complaint - and threatening to no longer tune into the renovation series.
- Parade
John Lennon's Son Sean Offers Up Bold Declaration About Taylor Swift
Sean Ono Lennon, 48, took to social media to give his hot take on the 'Fortnight' singer.
- Yahoo Finance AU
Interest rates are about to be cut: 'RBA to eat humble pie'
There's been a major development that shows why the RBA is about to swallow some humble pie and move to reduce interest rates.
- Yahoo Sport Australia
NRL world sends outpouring of support after Mark Carroll reveals awful new symptom of CTE
NRL fans have noticed a change in Mark Carroll's voice. Read more here.
- NewsWire
Cocaine Cassie reveals huge next move
Cassie Sainsbury, who served three years in a Columbian jail after being caught with 5.8kg of cocaine, has revealed a massive “secret” to her 31.5k+ Instagram followers.
- Yahoo Sport Australia
Jamie Kah suspension divides horse racing as jockey found to have cost punters $214,000
Some think Jamie Kah's ban is too lenient. Read more here.
- The Independent
Trump claims audience ‘went crazy’ for him at his debate with Harris – but there was no audience
The former president often claims his crowd sizes are huge – even wildly asserting he drew in a bigger crowd than Martin Luther King Jr during the March on Washington – but this time, he appeared to go even further by claiming there was one at all
- Simply Recipes
I Asked 3 Butchers How To Choose the Best Steak—They All Said the Same Thing
Be good to yourself, and find a local butcher to talk to.
- HuffPost
Ex-GOP Official Hits Donald Trump With A Cold, Harsh Truth On CNN
Geoff Duncan talked about the "epitome of stupidity" when it came to Trump-devoted Republicans.
- NewsWire
Murdered toddler made to ‘eat her own faeces’
A court judgment has revealed the vile act a man made a toddler perform before he tortured and murdered her. WARNING: GRAPHIC
- HuffPost
MAGA Boat Parade Dude Snaps At CNN Reporter: 'Nobody Gave Me S**t!'
The journalist prodded the Trump supporter a bit and got a sassy earful.
- Parade
Heidi Klum and Sofía Vergara Prove They Don't Age While Donning Plunging Dresses at 'AGT' Event
'Another day, another slay,' one comment read.
- The Daily Beast
Stephen Colbert Brutally Mocks Melania Trump’s Naked ‘Courage’
“Trump’s struggling campaign needs all the help it can get to stay on message these days,” Stephen Colbert said during his Late Show monologue Wednesday night. “And thankfully,” he added, Melania Trump is here to do her part. Ahead of her big memoir release next month, the former first lady put out a video on Wednesday in which she addressed her history of posing nude on magazine covers for the first time. “Why do I stand proudly behind my nude modeling work?” she asked, before presenting a “mor