Roundup

• Chemical Engineer Rob Louw and AMO physicists William van Wijngaarden and William Happer have published a technical paper titled “Sunlight, the Bond Albedo, CO2, and Earth’s Temperature.” • The research utilizes a data-driven approach to examine the relationship between sunlight, bond albedo, carbon dioxide levels, and global temperatures. • This work is significant as it challenges or supplements existing climate theories by applying specific mathematical frameworks to atmospheric data.

• Thailand’s SET Index closed at 1,601.05 points on August 24, 2026, marking a decrease of 12.73 points or 0.79%. • The total trading value for the session reached THB 60.9 billion. • This decline reflects broader volatility and significant developments within both the Thai and foreign stock markets.

• AI-native lending platform Resolv raised $12.5 million (approximately Rs 120 crore) in a Series A funding round during the week of August 23. • The investment was led by Norwest, Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India, and 3one4 Capital. • Resolv provides technology that enables banks and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) to automate critical lending workflows, including risk assessment, underwriting, sales, and collections.

• Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met in Wellington on August 21, 2026, to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations. • The two leaders signed a Joint Declaration on the Strategic Partnership, a move designed to formally strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation between the two nations. • In economic news, South Korea reported a significant surge in trade, with total exports reaching $55.2 billion during the first 20 days of August 2026.

• Red Balloon Aerospace is working to develop near-space infrastructure within India to expand the country's aerospace capabilities. • Atomberg has filed draft IPO papers for a fresh issue valued at Rs 450 crore, signaling a major scaling phase for the company. • These developments highlight significant growth and investment trends across India's deep-tech and consumer electronics startup sectors.

• Muon Space has secured $250 million in Series C funding, marking the largest verified deal in the last 12 hours. • The investment targets satellite manufacturing, communications capacity, dual-use space systems, and the development of on-orbit compute. • The company is redesigning nuclear steam systems to enable factory manufacturing and easier transport, aiming to reduce the high costs and long timelines typical of nuclear projects.

• The August 20, 2026, cybersecurity briefing highlights a global shift toward institutional capacity building rather than just technical patches. • Key developments include Vietnam establishing "Cyber Clinics" to create a talent pipeline and the UK and Kenya treating cyber resilience as a strategic diplomatic partnership. • In contrast, Ghana's GMET and France's public sector are struggling with critical security gaps caused by fragmented technology and underfunding.