The Lens: Tesla billionaire Elon Musk revives bid to buy Twitter
- Musk originally proposed buying the social media platform for US$44 billion in April, but soured on the move, prompting a lawsuit
- Each week, we choose a picture from the news and provide questions to help you dive deeper into the topic
South African billionaire Elon Musk originally proposed buying the social media platform Twitter in April, but seemingly backed out on the deal, prompting a lawsuit. Photo: AFPHave some thoughts on this issue? Send us your response (no more than 300 words) by filling out this form or emailing [email protected] by October 12 at 11.59pm. We’ll publish the best response next week.
Observe and read
- Do you recognise which social media platform the birds in the picture refer to?
- Based on the news snippet, what is “X”?
News snippet
Reuters and Yanni Chow
Billionaire Elon Musk has proposed proceeding with his original US$44 billion bid to buy Twitter, calling for an end to a lawsuit brought by the social media company that could have forced him to pay up, whether he wanted to or not.
The purchase would put the world’s richest person in charge of one of the most influential media platforms. It would also end months of litigation that damaged Twitter’s brand and fed Musk’s reputation for erratic behaviour.
Musk, the chief executive of electric car maker Tesla, originally committed to buying the company in April, but soon soured on the move. Last week he tweeted that buying Twitter would speed up his goal of creating an “everything app” called X, saying “Twitter probably accelerates X by 3 to 5 years”.
This echoed suggestions he made to Twitter staff in June about creating a “super app” similar to China’s WeChat. A super app acts as a one-stop shop for all your mobile needs, eliminating the need to have multiple apps. Musk has also said he wants to create a money transfer feature.
A settlement between Musk and Twitter would revive fears about his plans for the platform. Supporters of Donald Trump hope that Musk will reactivate the account of the former US president, who was banned after the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by his supporters.
Musk has frequently used Twitter to stir controversy, including last Monday when he floated a peace plan for Ukraine-Russia war that drew swift condemnation from Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
Research and discuss
- Why does Elon Musk want to purchase Twitter? Explain your answer.
- What do you think the future of social media should look like?
Thoughts from last week
Joshua Chan, Carmel Secondary School
While other countries have been inching their way towards gender equality, progress in Iran seems to have stalled.
The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini comes with an epiphany. Large-scale protests have erupted worldwide over her death in police custody. In Iran, security forces have been using tear gas, and even live ammunition, to disperse demonstrators. Worse still, more than 40 people have died in the protests.
You may wonder why people are taking to the streets, knowing they might be sacrificing their lives. The answer is crystal clear: they think the hijab rule is unfair and they are fighting for women’s rights.
Things like wearing the clothes you like, cutting your hair how you want and even showing your hair in public are normal for you and me. But it’s not the same in Iran.
Women in Iran are forced to wear headscarves as part of the country’s modesty laws. For me, this is nonsense. Women deserve the right to do what they want.
The president of Iran has promised there would be an investigation into Amini’s death, but this is nothing but hollow talk. While the outdated hijab policy should be abolished, it won’t solve the overall problem of gender inequality in Iran.
In the long run, education plays a vital role in tackling the belief that men are superior to women. Only by instilling the correct mindset can society achieve gender equality. I think it is high time the government rose to the occasion and gave women the rights they deserve.