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Good morning. Elon Musk buys Twitter, Beijing vibrates with fears of a lockdown, the U.S. reasserts itself in Ukraine.
Elon Musk buys Twitter
Elon Musk, the renegade billionaire, struck a deal to purchase the social media firm for roughly $44 billion after submitting an unsolicited bid earlier this month. The firm agreed to $54.20 a share, a 38 p.c premium over the inventory worth when it was revealed that Musk had change into the corporate’s largest shareholder.
It could be the biggest deal to take an organization personal — one thing Musk has mentioned he’ll do with Twitter — in not less than twenty years. Follow reside updates right here.
What occurs subsequent is anybody’s guess: Musk is an erratic poster who usually makes use of his account to take potshots at perceived enemies. One large query: Would Musk reinstate Donald Trump’s account?
Musk has not commented publicly on the Trump ban, however he has incessantly expressed his concern that the platform limits free speech and over-moderates feedback. In an announcement, Musk mentioned “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square.”
Reaction: Twitter’s workers say they’ve been largely in the dead of night concerning the takeover. Twitter’s share worth rose all through the day on Monday as a deal appeared more and more doubtless: After the acquisition was introduced, it closed up 5.7 p.c at $51.70 per share.
Will Beijing lock down subsequent?
Chinese authorities ordered mass testing amid fears of a coronavirus outbreak. The metropolis authorities introduced that 70 circumstances had been discovered since Friday, almost two-thirds of these within the district of Chaoyang, which ordered all 3.5 million residents to take three P.C.R. exams over the following 5 days.
Fears of a lockdown prompted a rush of panic shopping for, and supermarkets stayed open late to satisfy demand. In different Chinese megacities, mass testing in response to preliminary coronavirus circumstances has generally preceded extra stringent lockdowns.
The hardships endured by Shanghai residents loom giant over the capital metropolis, and China’s economic system is already hurting as extended lockdowns interrupt international provide chains. In response to those fears, international shares fell on Monday.
Background: The central authorities has leaned closely on lockdowns regardless of their excessive social and financial prices, in pursuit of the Communist Party chief Xi Jinping’s “zero Covid” technique.
Analysis: With pandemic lockdowns, China’s authorities has begun meddling with free enterprise in a approach it hasn’t in years, our columnist writes.
The U.S. seems to be to weaken Russia
President Biden nominated Bridget Brink, the present U.S. ambassador to Slovakia, as ambassador to Ukraine on Monday. The U.S. additionally introduced it might reopen its embassy in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, after Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, and Lloyd Austin, the protection secretary, made a dangerous, secret go to by prepare to town.
“We want to see Russia weakened to the degree it cannot do the kind of things that it has done in invading Ukraine,” Austin mentioned.
The assertion by the highest U.S. protection officers that America needs to degrade the Russian struggle machine mirrored an more and more emboldened method from the Biden administration.
In Ukraine, the struggle continues to rage, and tens of hundreds are with out energy within the nation’s east. Russia renewed its assaults on Ukraine’s infrastructure, putting not less than 5 railroad stations within the west with missiles. The nation’s railroad director mentioned there have been casualties, with out elaborating.
Loss: A mom discovered a “new level of happiness” when her daughter was born three months in the past. A missile strike in Odesa killed them each.
Profile: President Volodymyr Zelensky has managed to unite Ukraine’s fractious politics towards Russia.
State of the struggle:
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Explosions hit Transnistria, a Russian-allied area of Moldova, amid fears of a brand new entrance within the struggle.
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Russian officers are investigating the reason for fires that tore by oil depots in a strategic metropolis close to the Ukrainian border.
THE LATEST NEWS
The French Election
Tattoos have lengthy been taboo in Japan. Since 2014, although, the variety of Japanese adults with tattoos has almost doubled, as social media and celeb tradition immediate extra younger individuals to hunt out elaborate ink. One catch: They’re selecting discreet locations, to allow them to cover their physique artwork at work.
ARTS AND IDEAS
An African artwork assortment beneath risk
The Johannesburg Art Gallery, which homes one of many largest artwork collections in Africa, has fallen into disrepair. The pandemic solely worsened the neglect.
Now, the Picasso, Rembrandt and Monets are all packed away in a basement, hidden from the damp. After a very moist summer season, the gallery’s leaking roof turned a hazard to the artwork. Its bustling however uncared for neighborhood creates different vulnerabilities: Thieves way back stole its copper finishings.
“In the same way it’s a failure of the City of Jo’burg to look after the gallery, it’s also a failure of the city of Jo’burg to look after the area around the gallery,” Brian McKechnie, an architect who makes a speciality of heritage buildings, mentioned.
Its destiny is unsure: In a current assertion, town mentioned that it was clear “stopping the leaks alone would not be sufficient to address the future prospects of the institution.” The assortment might transfer, however officers will not be certain what to do concerning the historic constructing.
In the rooms which are nonetheless open, curators have assembled exhibitions of Wycliffe Mundopa, who paints giant canvasses celebrating the ladies of Zimbabwe, and the African masters — vibrant reminders of what the Johannesburg Art Gallery might nonetheless be. —Lynsey Chutel
PLAY, WATCH, EAT
What to Cook
Feta and olive add brine to this satisfying Greek salad with hen and cucumbers.
What to Watch
The documentary “Navalny” is a glowing profile of the imprisoned Russian opposition chief.
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