Your Friday Briefing: Russia’s Flagship Sinks

Good morning. We’re protecting the sinking of a Russian warship, Elon Musk’s bid to purchase Twitter and the U.Okay.’s plan to ship asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Russia’s flagship sinks

The flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet sunk on Thursday after it suffered catastrophic harm.

Ukraine mentioned it was the results of a missile strike by its coastal protection pressure; Russia claimed that the harm to the ship, the Moskva, was attributable to a fireplace. Later, Russia claimed it had sunk whereas being towed throughout a storm. Listed below are reside updates.

The harm to the Moskva was a potent symbolic victory for the Ukrainian navy and a humiliation for Moscow. It might even be an illustration of latest weapons: Ukraine mentioned it struck the vessel with Ukrainian-made Neptune missiles, which have by no means earlier than been utilized in fight.

Background: Ships from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet have been offshore because the begin of the struggle, periodically launching rocket and missile assaults towards targets inside Ukraine. The fleet has additionally minimize off Ukraine’s entry to the Black Sea, eradicating a key financial lifeline.

Diplomacy: E.U. leaders are contemplating an embargo on Russian oil merchandise, which might enhance vitality costs and disrupt politics across the area.

Musk makes a hostile bid for Twitter

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, supplied to purchase Twitter in a money bid that values the social community at $43 billion.

Musk has used Twitter to insult critics, troll short-sellers and unfold inaccurate details about the pandemic. He has additionally repeatedly criticized Twitter’s moderation insurance policies, and floated the notion of radically shifting energy towards Twitter customers and enabling unfettered free speech.

Observe reside updates right here.

What’s subsequent: Twitter’s board mentioned it will evaluate Musk’s proposal to purchase the corporate and take it personal. If it turns down the provide, it should clarify why, and doubtlessly line up a white knight suitor to provide you with a competing bid.

The U.Okay. plans to ship asylum seekers to Rwanda

The British authorities introduced a plan to ship some asylum seekers hundreds of miles away to Rwanda for processing and resettlement, drawing quick condemnation from rights teams and opposition leaders.

Rwanda — which has confronted fierce criticism for its human rights report from many international locations, together with Britain — mentioned it will obtain about $157 million as a part of the deal. It should provide the asylum seekers “authorized pathways to residence” in Rwanda if their claims are profitable.

Background: The British authorities has struggled to cease a small however regular movement of individuals making harmful crossings throughout the English Channel from France.

What’s subsequent: Prime Minister Boris Johnson mentioned laws to allow the deal was nonetheless going by means of Parliament. He conceded that the plan was more likely to face authorized challenges and “is not going to take impact in a single day.”

The backlash: Yvette Cooper of the opposition Labour Celebration described the plan as “unworkable, unethical and extortionate.” It was, she wrote on Twitter, a “determined and actually shameful announcement,” and “an try and distract from Boris Johnson’s lawbreaking,” following the choice by the police on Tuesday to high-quality the prime minister for breaking lockdown guidelines.

THE LATEST NEWS

World Information

• Greater than 120 individuals have died within the central a part of the Philippines after a tropical storm precipitated landslides and flooding.

• Not less than 306 individuals died in Durban, South Africa, after a number of days of punishing rain.

• A U.S. federal jury convicted a British militant accused of being a member of Islamic State within the abduction, abuse and deaths of 4 Individuals.

• A long time after independence from colonial rule, many African international locations are more and more troubled by France’s persevering with financial and political affect.

Coronavirus

Listed below are the newest updates and maps of the pandemic.

• Almost 400 million individuals are estimated to be underneath some type of lockdown in China. Its financial system is paying the worth: Specialists suppose its goal of 5.5 p.c financial development for 2022 is now unrealistic.

• Frightened by Shanghai’s meals disaster, Beijing residents at the moment are stockpiling provides.

• Hong Kong plans to ease its social-distancing measures subsequent week because the wave abates, The Related Press stories.

What Else Is Taking place

A protracted-running Japanese actuality TV present lately got here to Netflix, the place it’s astonishing Western audiences. The premise? Toddlers working errands with out grownup supervision.

ARTS AND IDEAS

Tonga’s international shockwave

In mid-January, a large underwater volcano erupted off the coast of Tonga, the Pacific island nation. It spawned a tsunami that devastated lots of its islands and struck far-off shores throughout the ocean.

The massive explosion additionally generated one thing that scientists hadn’t seen in additional than half a century: a planetary-scale strain wave, or shockwave, within the environment.

A brand new simulation offers an in depth have a look at a strain wave, which took about 36 hours to circumnavigate the globe. It unfold out in concentric rings that traveled on the pace of sound, interrupting air strain and water vapor within the environment. It’s form of like an earth-wide sonic growth.

“It’s tremendous spectacular,” a physicist on the College of Western Ontario mentioned. “Everyone who research atmospheric waves are all fairly, I might say, awe-struck.”

PLAY, WATCH, EAT

What to Cook dinner

That’s it for in the present day’s briefing. See you subsequent time. — Amelia

P.S. “After I can’t sleep, I’ve been doing Wordle,” Vice President Kamala Harris told Democratic donors final night time, in accordance with a CNN reporter.

The newest episode of “The Day by day” is on Elon Musk’s tangle with Twitter.

You may attain Amelia and the workforce at briefing@nytimes.com.