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The Alabama Supreme Court ruling on embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) should be considered children takes the centerstage among all global events which has happened over this week.
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Profit loss
Capital One Financial Corporation (NYSE:COF) will acquire Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) in a $35.3 billion all-stock transaction. Discover shareholders will receive 1.0192 Capital One shares per Discover share, a 26.6% premium based on Discover's February 16, 2024 closing price. Post-transaction, Capital One shareholders will own 60% of the combined company, while Discover shareholders will hold 40%. The merger aims to enhance growth, innovation, and value for consumers, businesses, and shareholders.
Monday, 19 February, 2024
Using the ESO’s Very Large Telescope, astronomers identified the brightest and most luminous quasar ever observed, J0529-4351, powered by a supermassive black hole growing by one Sun's mass per day. This fastest-growing black hole, with a mass of 17 billion Suns, makes the quasar over 500 trillion times more luminous than the Sun. Surprisingly, this quasar, visible in sky surveys since 1980, was only recently recognized for its significance.
Tuesday, 20 February, 2024
The Alabama Supreme Court ruled on February 16 that embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) should be considered children. This decision prompted several IVF clinics to pause services and raised concerns about its impact on healthcare. The case arose after a patient's mishandling of frozen embryos at a fertility clinic led to their destruction. Couples sued under the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act, but the trial court initially dismissed the case, stating embryos aren't children under the Act and was overturned by the Supreme Court in favour of the plaintiffs.
Wednesday, 21 February, 2024
Ten months into Sudan's devastating war, the UN's World Food Programme reports that most Sudanese are going hungry. Only five percent can afford a daily meal, according to WFP's Eddie Rowe. The conflict between the army and Rapid Support Forces has displaced 10.7 million people and left 18 million facing acute food insecurity. Aid delivery is severely hampered, and nearly five million people are on the brink of catastrophe, with famine looming.
Thursday, 22 February, 2024
Germany's lower house of parliament voted to legalize limited recreational cannabis use, allowing adults to possess small amounts and cultivate up to three plants. The law, effective April 1, aims to curb the black market and reduce drug-related crime. Cannabis remains banned for minors and restricted for young adults. Despite passing with 407 votes in favor, the law faces opposition from the CDU and German Medical Associations, citing concerns about increased consumption and health risks.
Friday, 23 February, 2024
The West African regional bloc ECOWAS is lifting most sanctions on Niger, including a no-fly zone and border closures, imposed after last year's coup. ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray announced the decision on humanitarian grounds to alleviate suffering. The move follows a summit in Abuja aimed at addressing regional threats and urging Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, all suspended after recent coups, to rejoin the bloc.
Saturday, 24 February, 2024
A 25-year-old U.S. airman, Aaron Bushnell from San Antonio, Texas, died after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington in protest against Israel’s war in Gaza, the Pentagon confirmed. Bushnell livestreamed the act on Twitch, denouncing complicity in genocide, before igniting himself while shouting “Free Palestine.” The footage was later removed. The Air Force stated that Bushnell succumbed to his injuries and promised further information after notifying his next of kin.
Sunday, 25 February, 2024