India is set to reinstate mandatory lockdowns for cities as medical facilities across the country are strained due to a recent surge in new coronavirus infections, the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: Roughly four months ago, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a national lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus, hoping to avoid the large-scale crisis it's now experiencing.
A Turkish court has ruled that Istanbul's Hagia Sophia must be converted back into a mosque.
The big picture: The giant domed structure was constructed beginning in 532, and it served as the home of Eastern Orthodox Christianity for nine centuries before becoming a mosque following the Ottoman conquest in 1453. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan led a campaign to reverse its conversion into a museum in 1934 despite international opposition, including from the U.S.
ByteDance is considering new corporate structures for its TikTok business, as it comes under political pressure in the U.S. and other countries for ties to China's government, per the Wall Street Journal.
Why it matters: The Beijing-based firm is the world's most valuable privately held tech company, estimated to be worth upwards of $110 billion by direct investors and $150 billion in recent secondary market trades.
France announced Thursday plans to restore the Notre Dame Cathedral exactly as it was before the 2019 fire that consumed the building's roof and spire, The Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: Debate has surrounding the cathedral's rebuilding as scholars and political conservatives argued against any design that would modernize Notre Dame, per the Post. Nearly $1 billion was donated for the restoration effort in the weeks and months following the fire.
