Author: GT

Greenland’s minister for business and mineral resources Naaja Nathanielsen speaks during an interview with AFP in her office in Nuuk, Greenland, on March 6, 2025.Odd Andersen | Afp | Getty ImagesGreenland has little interest in harnessing its massive resource potential to become a top mining country.The world’s largest island has been thrust into the geopolitical spotlight in recent months, with U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly saying that Washington should control the autonomous Danish territory — even refusing to rule out the use of military or economic force.Trump’s pursuit of Greenland comes as mining executives describe the race for the Arctic…

It’s already been a tumultuous year for the U.S. semiconductor industry. The semiconductor industry plays a sizable role in the “AI race” that the U.S. seems determined to win, which is why this context is worth paying attention to: from Intel’s appointment of Lip-Bu Tan to CEO — who wasted no time getting to work trying to revitalize the legacy company — to Joe Biden proposing sweeping new AI chip export rules on his way out of office that never came to fruition. Here’s a look at what’s happened in the first half of 2025. June Intel appoints new leadership…

Aflac says that it has identified suspicious activity on its network in the U.S. that may impact Social Security numbers and other personal information, calling the incident part of a cybercrime campaign against the insurance industry.The company said Friday that the intrusion was stopped within hours. “We continue to serve our customers as we respond to this incident and can underwrite policies, review claims, and otherwise service our customers as usual,” Aflac said in a statement.The company said that it’s in the early stages of a review of the incident, and so far is unable to determine the total number…

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg presents Orion AR Glasses as he makes a keynote speech during the Meta Connect annual event at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Sept. 25, 2024.Manuel Orbegozo | ReutersMeta and EssilorLuxottica on Friday unveiled a new line of Oakley smart glasses that include the social media company’s artificial intelligence assistant. The Oakley Meta HSTN, as the glasses are known, is the latest product borne from a multiyear partnership between the two companies. The HSTN smart glasses – which are pronounced how-stun – are pitched toward athletes and have a starting price of $399. The glasses represent…

If you’re serious about traction, scale, and funding, you have 4 days left to secure your pass to TechCrunch All Stage — and save up to $210 while you’re at it. Prices rise after June 22 at 11:59 p.m. PT. This is not just another startup event. It’s your tactical launchpad and the fuel to scale to the next level. On July 15 in Boston, join 1,000 founders and investors at all stages for one day packed with real scaling strategies, live investor feedback, and conversations that move the needle. Don’t miss the ultimate summit for startup growth. Register now…

U.S., Israel and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. Dado Ruvic | ReutersOil prices fell more than 3% on Friday as President Donald Trump holds off for now on helping Israel to destroy OPEC member Iran’s nuclear program.Global benchmark Brent fell $2.78, or 3.53%, to $76.07 per barrel. U.S. crude oil gained 84 cents, or 1.12%, to $74.30 per barrel.Trump said Thursday that he would make his decision on striking Iran within the next two weeks, but wanted to provide space for potential negotiations to take place over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.”Based on the…

At the pre-seed stage, there’s not much for a VC to analyze — no revenue curve, no retention metrics, no CAC. That doesn’t mean they’re guessing. It means they’re watching everything else. At TechCrunch All Stage 2025 on July 15 in Boston, Charles Hudson, managing partner and founder of Precursor Ventures, will walk founders through the subtle, high-stakes signals that matter when data is scarce and the pitch is everything. In his session “All the Ways You Don’t Realize VCs Are Evaluating Your Company at Pre-Seed,” Hudson will pull back the curtain on how investors assess early-stage opportunities and why…

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — As the war between Israel and Iran hits the one-week mark, Iranians have spent nearly half of the conflict in a near-communication blackout, unable to connect not only with the outside world but also with their neighbors and loved ones across the country. Civilians are left unaware of when and where Israel will strike next, despite Israeli forces issuing warnings through their Persian-language online channels. When the missiles land, disconnected phone and web services mean not knowing for hours or days if their family or friends are among the victims. That’s left many scrambling…

Growth-stage fundraising is picking up speed again, but it’s not the same game it used to be. At TechCrunch All Stage 2025 on July 15 in Boston, we’re bringing in someone who knows how the rules have changed and how to win in today’s market: Cathy Gao, partner at Sapphire Ventures. Gao has backed breakout startups like Culture Amp, Gem, Sword Health, and EliseAI. She’s sat on both sides of the table as an investor and operator. At Gusto, she helped scale post–Series B. Now, she’s helping founders cut through the noise and land deals in an increasingly competitive environment.…

Bulldozer scoop soil containing various rare earth to be loaded on to a ship at a port in Lianyungang, east China’s Jiangsu province on September 5, 2010, for export to Japan.Str | Afp | Getty ImagesJapan has been quietly blazing a trail for supply chain resilience.Long before China in early April imposed an export ban on several rare earth elements and magnets widely used in the automotive, robotics and defense sectors, Japan became something of a canary in the coal mine for Beijing’s mineral dominance.The East Asian country was thrust into panic mode in 2010 when China implemented an export…