Image Source: Pixabay

Thursday evening’s digest came with big moves and major updates from around the world.

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire, India and the UK are teaming up on a massive missile deal, Google is rethinking its AI health tool after employee pushback, and Novo Nordisk is making a $5.2 billion acquisition to expand beyond obesity treatments.

A glance at the major developments on Thursday.

Israel-Hamas sign ceasefire deal

Big news out of Gaza as Israel and Hamas have finally agreed to a ceasefire.

This is the first step in Trump’s 20-point plan to end the two-year conflict.

The deal came after some intense talks in Egypt and basically means the fighting stops, Israel pulls back a bit, and all remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas will be freed.

About 20 hostages, who are believed to be alive, should be released within three days once Israel’s cabinet gives the thumbs up.

In return, Israel is letting nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners go, including some who have been in jail for life and those arrested since the war started.

The agreement also opens the door for humanitarian aid like food, medical supplies, and other essentials- to get into Gaza.

Israel will still control more than half of the territory after its troops pull back, though.

People are cautiously hopeful. After a brutal war that killed over 67,000 Palestinians and left the region in chaos, this could finally be the start of some real peace.

India-UK sign $468 million missile deal

India and the UK signed a £350 million ($468 million) missile deal. Under the agreement, the Indian Army will get UK-made Lightweight Multirole Missiles, also called Martlets.

The announcement came during UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Mumbai, where he met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

These missiles, made by Thales in Belfast, Northern Ireland, are versatile and lightweight as they can take out both air and surface targets.

The deal is also expected to secure over 700 jobs at the Belfast plant.

Beyond just the missiles, this agreement is part of a bigger push for defense cooperation between India and the UK.

It sets the stage for working together on more complex weapons systems and even includes a separate plan to develop electric-powered engines for Indian naval ships.

Google takes a step back on AI health tool

Google GOOGL is backtracking a bit after employees pushed back on a new AI-powered health benefits tool.

Originally, staff were told they had to opt into a third-party platform called Nayya, which would access their personal health data to help manage benefits.

That didn’t sit well, as people were worried about privacy and felt pressured to share sensitive medical info.

After the internal uproar, Google clarified that using the AI tool is completely voluntary.

You can opt out without losing any health benefits. Nayya, which provides personalized recommendations for health plans, follows strict HIPAA privacy rules and won’t share your data if you choose not to participate.

Google framed the tool as a way to make navigating complex health plans easier and help employees get the most out of their benefits. But the way the policy was initially rolled out ended up shaking trust.

Novo Nordisk to acquire Akero Therapeutics

Novo Nordisk NVO is making a big move outside its usual obesity drug lineup.

The company announced it’s acquiring US biotech firm Akero Therapeutics for up to $5.2 billion.

The deal includes an upfront payment of $54 per share, around $4.7 billion in total, with an extra $6 per share if Akero’s lead drug, efruxifermin, gets US approval by 2031.

Efruxifermin is an experimental treatment for MASH, a serious form of fatty liver disease that can cause liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

This is the first major acquisition under Novo Nordisk’s new CEO, Mike Doustdar, and it’s part of his plan to grow the company and branch out into other metabolic diseases beyond just obesity and diabetes.

The drug looks promising and could become a top-tier therapy, complementing Novo Nordisk’s existing treatments like Wegovy.

If everything goes smoothly with regulatory approvals, the deal is expected to close by early 2026.

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