Scottish Vote Brings Out the Nation's Musical Side

Associated Press
European Medicines Agency pulls authorization for AstraZeneca's COVID shot, at company's request
The pharma giant AstraZeneca has requested that the European authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine be pulled, according to the EU medicines regulator. In an update on the European Medicines Agency's website Wednesday, the regulator said that the approval for AstraZeneca's Vaxzevria had been withdrawn “at the request of the marketing authorization holder.” AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine was first given the nod by the EMA in January 2021.
AFP
Europe stocks advance, London hits new record
European stocks advanced Wednesday, with London striking another record, driven by hopes of interest rate cuts in the eurozone, Britain and the United States as inflation eases.- Optimism - "European stocks are rising on optimism that borrowing costs will soon be lowered," City Index analyst Fiona Cincotta told AFP, noting that Frankfurt's DAX was also near its record.
Reuters
SK Hynix to sell 50% stake in China foundry unit to Chinese enterprise -Korea Economic Daily
South Korea's SK Hynix has agreed to sell its nearly 50% stake in its foundry unit based in China to a Chinese state-owned enterprise, according to regulatory filings and media reports. SK Hynix System IC said in a regulatory filing that it plans to sell a 21.3% stake in its foundry unit in Wuxi to China's state-owned Wuxi Industry Development Group Company for 205.4 billion won ($150.81 million). In a separate filing, SK Hynix System IC said it will also sell its intangible assets, including process technology to its Wuxi unit for 123.8 billion won.
Time
Transphobia Makes Chest Binding More Dangerous
Chest binding is accessible. That's exactly why it's so dangerous, write Maia Kobabe and Dr. Sarah Peitzmeier.
CNN
State by state, RFK Jr. pushes for nationwide ballot access
Before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the stage at a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa, last month, a team of his campaign staffers and volunteers organized hundreds of attendees through an assembly line of government forms, ID checks and color-coded wristbands. The bureaucratic workforce contrasted starkly against the classic rock music blaring over the speakers, the crowded bar at the back of the venue and the jovial spirit circulating among Midwesterners excitedly awaiting Kennedy’s remarks.
Associated Press
Kenya declares public holiday to mourn flood victims
Kenya’s President William Ruto has declared Friday a public holiday to mourn the 238 people who have died due to ongoing flooding. The president on Wednesday said the day will be observed by national tree planting activities to help mitigate the effects of climate change. Kenya, along with other parts of East Africa, have been overwhelmed by floods.
AFP
BMW says EU probe into China EV subsidies against free trade
The chief executive of German luxury carmaker BMW on Wednesday warned the European Union's investigation into Chinese electric car subsidies runs counter to free trade.Oliver Zipse -- CEO of BMW, which has major investments in China, the world's biggest car market -- said that the Munich-based group "always strives for free trade".
NBC News
Biden campaign goes after Trump on health care in $14 million ad boost
The ad campaign in battleground states will focus in part on Donald Trump's previous efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
CNN
Russia pounds Ukraine with biggest airstrikes in weeks
Russia carried out a “massive” missile attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure overnight into Wednesday, according to local authorities, in the biggest aerial onslaught by Russian forces for weeks.
CNN
Breaking taboos: How Ife Agoro’s DANG is changing the game for women in Nigeria
In the world of social media, where everyone strives to be heard, few voices rise above the noise to truly make an impact.
Reuters
Apple's iPhone shipments in China rebound with 12% surge in March after price cuts
Apple's iPhone shipments in China increased by 12% in March after the company and its retailers reduced prices, according to data from a research firm affiliated the Chinese government. Shipments of foreign-branded phones in China increased by 12% in March to 3.75 million units from 3.35 million a year earlier，data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) published on Wednesday showed. Although the data did not explicitly mention Apple, the company is the dominant foreign phone maker in China's smartphone-dominated market.
CNN
New York attorney general sues anti-abortion group and pregnancy centers for promoting so-called ‘abortion pill reversal’
New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing an anti-abortion group and nearly a dozen pregnancy centers in the state for false and misleading statements promoting an unproven procedure they claim can reverse the effects of the abortion pill.
AFP
Dozens of cholera cases reported in flood-hit Kenya
The United Nations voiced concern on Wednesday after dozens of cases of cholera were reported in flood-stricken Kenya."I believe that between government and national and international partners, we'll be able to contain it," the UN's resident coordinator in Kenya, Stephen Jackson, said in an interview with Citizen TV. "We've contained cholera before, but it's a significant concern," he added.
Reuters
Gaza war cools Israel's once red-hot business ties with UAE
The war in Gaza has cooled Israeli business activity with the United Arab Emirates, with the once-celebrated relationship now conducted away from public scrutiny amid anger in the Arab world over the conflict. The UAE became the most prominent Arab state in 30 years to establish formal ties with Israel under a U.S.-brokered agreement in 2020, dubbed the Abraham Accords. It has maintained the relationship throughout Israel's more than six-month war in Gaza.
Reuters
Australia boosts funds to Taiwan-ally Tuvalu amid Pacific contest for influence with China
Australia will quadruple its financial assistance to Tuvalu, a Pacific Island nation at risk from rising seas, to cement a landmark climate migration and security deal as China also courts small island states. On a visit to Tuvalu, foreign minister Penny Wong said on Wednesday evening Australia has committed A$110 million ($72.27 million) in its national budget to Tuvalu. The sum includes A$50 million ($32.85 million) to build the first undersea cable connecting the island's residents to global telecommunications services, and A$19 million for a land reclamation project to fortify Tuvalu's coastline from rising seas.
AFP
April temperatures in Indonesia hottest for more than four decades
Indonesia experienced its hottest April in more than four decades, two senior weather agency officials said Wednesday, as the region endures a suffocating heatwave and global temperatures break records.But Guswanto, deputy BMKG chief who goes by one name, told local media last month Indonesia was not experiencing the same heatwave and that temperatures were at normal levels.
CNN
‘Ozempic babies’: What the science says on whether GLP-1s lead to surprise pregnancies, and their safety if they do
Numerous women have shared stories of “Ozempic babies” on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns, as these medicines haven’t been studied in people who are pregnant.
Reuters
South Africa's Ramaphosa calls opposition flag-burning ad 'treasonous'
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described as "treasonous" a campaign ad by an opposition party that depicts a burning national flag, as antagonism between political parties rose three weeks before an election. The campaign ad released on Monday by the Democratic Alliance uses the burning flag as a metaphor for what it says is the grave risk of the ruling African National Congress retaining power in a coalition with left-wing parties. "I think it is treasonous," Ramaphosa told reporters during a visit to Limpopo province.
CNN
Here’s what North American airline passengers really think about the state of air travel
Here’s why North American travelers are kind of dissatisfied, according to consumer research company J.D. Power’s 2024 North American Airline Satisfaction Study.
Reuters
South Korea welcomes US decision to extend use of Chinese graphite in EVs
South Korea on Wednesday welcomed a U.S. decision to extend automakers' eligibility for electric vehicle tax credits for cars containing Chinese graphite through 2026. The U.S. is trying to wean the electric vehicle battery chain away from China through its Inflation Reduction Act which is being closely monitored by automakers as they make investment decisions. South Korea's industry ministry said it will continue to seek to secure key battery materials so domestic battery manufacturers and carmakers can maintain their competitiveness in the U.S. market by meeting the requirements of the Inflation Reduction Act.

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