April 9, 2018: Important Tech, Business and Global News in a Nutshell

Important Tech, Business and Global News in a Nutshell for today, April 9, 2018.

Welcome to today’s collection of news snippets about major events, and technology and business news from around the world. In short, all the Important Tech, Business and Global News in a Nutshell for today, April 9, 2018.

Top Stories

GOP Wants to Save Senate Majority, Fears Losing House

The Republican Party is diverting funds and resources to maintain their slim majority in the Senate in the midterm elections. Fear is already rife about losing House majority, and the Senate is now the focal point of their energies. Trump has already warned the GOP that “We cannot be complacent,” even as Nevada, Tennessee, Arizona and Mississippi offer Democrats the chance of major gains.

Florida Governor Rick Scott to Run for Senate

Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott on Monday told Politico that he is running for the U.S. Senate. At this point it is uncertain whether President Trump will campaign for him, but the Democrats are already up in arms against his decision to run, with Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee executive director Mindy Myers calling him “self-serving and dishonest” and that he is “looking out for himself at Floridians’ expense.”

Facebook Will Tell You If Your Data Was Stolen by Cambridge Analytica

Users in the U.S., U.K., Indonesia and the Philippines will be informed via a notification at the top of their feed if their user data was stolen by Cambridge Analytica in the scandal that recently rocked the social media and Internet worlds. Alongside the notification, there will be a new button to change your privacy settings. About 70 million users in the U.S. are believed to be affected by the data leak, with the remaining 17 million primarily from the other three countries.

North Korea Open to Nuke Talks with U.S., Kim Jong-Un Reaches Out

U.S. officials have received a direct confirmation from Pyongyang that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un is ready to discuss his country’s nuclear weapons program with the United States. A similar invitation last month was accepted by Trump, to the surprise of his own administration; however, this is the first time a direct message has been sent from North Korea’s leader.

Woman in Russia Embalmed Alive by Hospital, Suffered Cruel and Painful Death

A woman who was mistakenly given a formalin drip containing formaldehyde instead of saline suffered a painful death as the fluid normally used to embalm the dead caused multiple organ failure. A criminal investigation has been launched into the death of the woman, 27-year-old Ekaterine Fedyaeva.

Business News

Softening Rhetoric around Trade Disagreements Help Stocks Make Gains

After a sharp across-the-board sell off that affected several stock indices on Friday, Monday saw some gains being made even as the rhetoric against China appears to have softened. Following a tweet from President Trump about his relationship with the Chinese Premier, market sentiment seems to have softened. His tweet said: “President Xi and I will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade. China will take down its Trade Barriers because it is the right thing to do. Taxes will become Reciprocal & a deal will be made on Intellectual Property. Great future for both countries!”

Novartis Agrees to Buy AveXis for $8.7 Billion

Pharma major Novartis has agreed to acquire gene therapy company AveXis for a reported $8.7 billion. The company has at least one drug that could become a blockbuster, a drug under development to treat spinal muscular atrophy.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Busiest Airport. Again.

104 million passengers have made Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport the busiest airport in the world for 2018. This is the second consecutive year the airport has won the accolade. Beijing Capital International is once again in second place with 94.4 million passengers.

Uber Acquires Bike-sharing Startup JUMP

In a deal that will set Uber back by about $200 million, the car-sharing major has acquired a bike-sharing service called JUMP. JUMP CEO Ryan Rzepecki said that the decision to sell was based on Uber’s ability to scale up much faster than JUMP could on its own. He also said that the new leadership at Uber – namely, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi – had an impact on his decision.

Tech News

Facebook Releases List of Security “Fixes”

Social media giant Facebook has released a list of nine different areas where it is tightening up security on its platforms. The announcement also contained details of the number of users affected (by country) by the data leak at Cambridge Analytica. And, no, Mark Zuckerberg has no plans of resigning.

Apple iPhone 8 (PRODUCT)RED Photos Revealed, Release Date April 10

The (PRODUCT)RED versions of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have been revealed by Apple, and an online release date of April 10 at 5.30AM PDT has been confirmed. In-store sales will start April 13. No iPhone X version of (PRODUCT)RED expected, but a gold iPhone X may be in the works, per rumors.

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