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Here’s what you need to know
US regulators will expand authorization for Pfizer’s Covid-19 shot. Children as young as 12 are expected to soon be eligible for the vaccine, which brought in $3.5 billion in revenue for the drugmaker in the first quarter of 2021.
Janet Yellen retreated on her rate-hike comments. The US treasury secretary said she was not predicting or recommending the inflation dampening move, after her comments earlier in the day roiled Wall Street.
The EU denied that it was suspending its investment deal with China. The rebuttal came after the European trade chief was quoted as saying that the current political environment wasn’t conducive to the agreement’s ratification.
Benjamin Netanhayu failed to form a new government. The Israeli prime minister missed a deadline to do so, meaning president Reuben Rivlin must now decide which leaders to task with forming a new coalition, or seek a breakthrough some other way.
Madrid’s local conservative opposition won in a snap election. The People’s party doubled its share of the vote and dealt a stinging defeat to the governing Socialists, but it may be forced to rely on members of the far-right Vox party to form a majority in the regional assembly.
Boeing has a new hurdle to clear. US aviation officials asked the plane maker to submit new documentation showing the 737 Max jet would not face the same electrical grounding issues that were flagged in the company’s jetliner last month.
Nissan is offloading Daimler. Still trying to find solid footing after the 2018 arrest of its former chief Carlos Ghosn, the automaker is selling its 1.5% stake worth about $1.4 billion.
What to watch for
Facebook’s oversight board will reveal today whether former US president Donald Trump will be allowed to return to the platform, after he was banned for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington DC. The 19-member body, made up of experts in topics like journalism, misinformation, and free speech, will also make recommendations about whether Facebook should update its policies about how world leaders communicate on its platform.
The social media giant has long resisted calls to delete misinformation from the accounts of prominent politicians, arguing that the public has a right to see world leaders’ lies and judge for themselves. If the oversight board upholds Trump’s ban and calls for more stringent moderation of government officials, today’s decision could have serious repercussions for other prominent political fabulists like Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro and India’s Narendra Modi.
Charting India’s desperation
About 15% of Indians who have tested positive for Covid-19 require oxygen therapy, Randeep Guleria, director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), told National Herald. But national shortages have led many to look for life-saving supplies online, writes Ananya Bhattacharya.
Between April 5 and April 20, searches for the word “oxygen” on Google, Flipkart, Amazon, and YouTube had increased 60 times, according to market intelligence firm Kalagato. Searches for “oxygen concentrators” and “oxygen cylinders” also clocked a massive surge during the period.
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Surprising discoveries
Can we interest you in some lab-grown caviar? A British company says even ostentatious luxuries deserve to be humane.
A farmer expanded Belgium’s borders. He moved a significant stone to better maneuver his tractor, but the mayor of the nearby French town was willing to forgive and forget.
Lego made a white noise album. Drift off to sleep to the sounds of someone hunting for that one specific piece in a giant tub of bricks.
A Japanese town spent ¥25 million ($228,000) in economic relief funds on a giant squid statue. Officials hope the cephalopod will encourage tourists to return.
An Australian politician must pay $1.2 million for ripping off a Twisted Sister song. The court just wasn’t going to take it anymore.
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