Saturday, October 18, 2025

BIG Wrap

Musk’s $44B bid accepted by Twitter board

The board of Twitter has agreed to an $44-billion takeover offer from Elon Musk. Musk, who made the surprise bid less than two weeks ago, said Twitter had "tremendous potential" that he would unlock, the BBC reports. He also called for a series of changes from relaxing its content restrictions to eradicating fake accounts. The firm initially rebuffed Musk's bid, but it will now ask shareholders to vote to approve the deal. Musk is the world's richest man,...

World’s oldest person dies at age 119

A Japanese woman officially certified as the world's oldest person has died at age 119. Kane Tanaka was born in 1903, the same year as George Orwell, at a time when Japan was emerging as a global power, the BBC reports. She got married a century ago, and had four children. She spent her later years in a Japanese care home, where she enjoyed board games and chocolate. With her death, the world's oldest person is now...

Twitter board discusses bid with Musk, reports say

Twitter's board reportedly met Elon Musk over the weekend to explore his $43-billion takeover offer for the social media platform, the BBC reports. After the Tesla boss first revealed his bid, Twitter's management announced a so-called "poison pill" strategy to fend off a potential hostile buyout. Musk plans to finance his bid with the backing of U.S. lender Morgan Stanley and other financial institutions. A spokesperson for Twitter declined to comment on the reports. Details of how Musk...

Canada plans $1-billion radar system to protect North American cities

The Canadian government will spend $1 billion for a new radar system to protect major population centres in North America, reports the National Post. Defence industry officials were briefed about the project April 7 in Ottawa by Royal Canadian Air Force officers. The radar system would be built in southern Canada, according to the briefing. But the system would keep watch on Arctic airspace to detect threats against major U.S. or Canadian cities. The Arctic Over-the-Horizon Radar would...

Victorious Macron sends message of unity

French presidents are heads of state, not of government. It is not unusual for them to send a message of unity after an election, writes the BBC's Henri Astier. But given the extraordinary level of polarization in France, Macron felt he needed to be particularly forceful in his pledge to be "the president of everyone." He is fully aware that many voters backed him, as he put it himself, "not to support my ideas, but to block...

Mysterious liver disease strikes children in U.S. and Europe

The World Health Organization says at least one death has been reported in connection with a mysterious liver disease outbreak affecting children in Europe and the United States. The UN health agency said late Saturday that it has so far received reports of at least 169 cases of "acute hepatitis of unknown origin" from a dozen countries. The cases were reported in children aged one month to 16 years old, and 17 of those who fell ill...

Crew of first private flight to ISS prepare for return

The crew of the first fully private mission to the International Space Station was set on Sunday to leave the orbiting laboratory and head back to Earth. The three businessmen and a former NASA astronaut had spent more than two weeks on the station on a history-making mission organized by startup company Axiom Space, Phys.org reports. A SpaceX capsule was scheduled to undock from the ISS at 8:55 p.m. Eastern for the return trip, before landing...

Pfizer third dose effectiveness wanes after three months, says study

A study released April 22 in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine shows that a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine provides strong protection, roughly 80% to 90%, in the first few months against hospital admissions and emergency department visits caused by the Delta and Omicron variants. However, against Omicron, this protection wanes over time — even after a third dose, Medical Xpress reports. "Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 booster doses significantly improve protection against omicron, although that protection seems...

Florida governor signs law revoking Disney powers

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a controversial bill dissolving Walt Disney World's self-governing status in the state.  The move is seen as retribution for Disney's opposition to the state's so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill, the BBC reports. The company's status in the state in effect allowed Disney to operate as its own municipal government. It included the ability to levy tax, build roads, control utilities, and operate its own fire department. The Florida bill will eliminate Disney's...

Musk-funded CO2-reduction contest awards $1 million to 15 groups

From algae farming to producing a sort of artificial limestone, initiatives intended to reduce greenhouse gas in the atmosphere are getting a funding boost from famed entrepreneur Elon Musk, reports Phys.org. The Tesla and SpaceX rocket company developer is bankrolling a $100-million XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition for the most promising ways to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide by grabbing the gas out of the air. The 15 early-phase "milestone round" winners were announced Friday. Each will get $1 million, a...