GENEVA: The UN’s acting human rights chief decried on Monday the “intimidation” of people in Russia voicing opposition to the Ukraine war, warning it was undermining fundamental freedoms.
Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council, deputy UN rights chief Nada Al Nashif decried the “intimidation, restrictive measures and sanctions against people voicing opposition to the war in Ukraine.”
These actions, she warned, “undermine the exercise of constitutionally guaranteed fundamental freedoms, including the rights to free assembly, expression and association.”
Al Nashif, who is currently serving as acting High Commissioner for Human Rights until new chief Volker Turk replaces Michelle Bachelet, also decried “pressure against journalists, blocking of Internet resources and other forms of censorship.”
These actions, she said, was “incompatible with media pluralism and violate the right to access information.”
“We urge the Russian Federation to reconsider measures taken to expand the ‘foreign agent’ label to include individuals considered to be ‘under foreign influence’,” she said.
She also called on the Kremlin to refrain from criminalizing “undeclared contacts with representatives of states, foreign or international organizations deemed to be directed against the ‘security’ of the Russian Federation.”
Al Nashif’s comments came at the start of the rights council’s 51st session, which will last through October 7.
Earlier this year, the council ordered a high-level probe of violations by Russian troops in Ukraine since its full-scale invasion on February 24.
But there has been growing pressure for the body to also turn its gaze on rights abuses inside Russia.
Rights groups have urged European Union countries to lead on a resolution to appoint an independent expert known as a Special Rapporteur to examine the situation.
But a decision has yet to be taken, with Western countries wary on the impact if they present a resolution but fail to garner enough votes to pass it in the 47-member council.
UN decries Russia’s ‘intimidation’ of opponents to Ukraine war
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UN decries Russia’s ‘intimidation’ of opponents to Ukraine war
- Earlier this year, the council ordered a high-level probe of violations by Russian troops in Ukraine since its full-scale invasion on February 24
SpaceX acquires xAI in record-setting deal as Musk looks to unify AI and space ambitions
- The deal is the biggest M&A transaction of all time
- Deal values xAI at $250 billion, SpaceX at $1 trillion
Elon Musk said on Monday that SpaceX has acquired his artificial-intelligence startup xAI in a record-setting deal that unifies Musk’s AI and space ambitions by combining the rocket-and-satellite company with the maker of the Grok chatbot. The deal, first reported by Reuters last week, represents one of the most ambitious tie-ups in the technology sector yet, combining a space-and-defense contractor with a fast-growing AI developer whose costs are largely driven by chips, data centers and energy. It could also bolster SpaceX’s data-center ambitions as Musk competes with rivals like Alphabet’s Google, Meta, Amazon-backed Anthropic and OpenAI in the AI sector.
The transaction values SpaceX at $1 trillion, and xAI at $250 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter.
“This marks not just the next chapter, but the next book in SpaceX and xAI’s mission: scaling to make a sentient sun to understand the Universe and extend the light of consciousness to the stars!” Musk said. The purchase of xAI sets a new record for the world’s largest M&A deal, a distinction held for more than 25 years when Vodafone bought Germany’s Mannesmann in a hostile takeover valued at $203 billion in 2000, according to data compiled by LSEG. The combined company of SpaceX and xAI is expected to price shares at about $527 each, another person familiar with the matter said. SpaceX was already the world’s most valuable privately held company, last valued at $800 billion in a recent insider share sale. XAI was last valued at $230 billion in November, according to the Wall Street Journal. The merger comes as the space company plans a blockbuster public offering this year that could value it at over $1.5 trillion, two people familiar with the matter said.
SpaceX, xAI and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The deal further consolidates Musk’s far-flung business empire and fortunes into a tighter, mutually reinforcing ecosystem – what some investors and analysts informally call the “Muskonomy” – which already includes Tesla, brain-chip maker Neuralink and tunnel firm the Boring Company. The world’s richest man has a history of merging his ventures together. Musk folded social media platform X into xAI through a share swap last year, giving the AI startup access to the platform’s data and distribution. In 2016, he used Tesla’s stock to buy his solar-energy company SolarCity.
The agreement could draw scrutiny from regulators and investors over governance, valuation and conflicts of interest given Musk’s overlapping leadership roles across multiple firms, as well as the potential movement of engineers, proprietary technology and contracts between entities.
SpaceX also holds billions of dollars in federal contracts with NASA, the Department of Defense and intelligence agencies, which all have some authority to review M&A transactions for national security and other risks.
