Our Monday morning stroll around the world

🇫🇷 The Mona Lisa could soon receive her own room at the Louvre. The 30-inch by 20-inch painting, which currently sits in a large room with other works, is consistently rated as the Louvre’s most disappointing attraction, with visitors comparing its size to a postage stamp and complaining that crowds make it difficult to get a close-up view. Last week, the Louvre’s director proposed a new ~$535 million renovation that would place the Mona Lisa in a separate underground exhibit all by herself.

🇬🇭 Ghana is progressing towards its first nuclear power plant. Companies from the US, Russia, China, France, and South Korea have submitted competing bids to construct what will be the second nuclear power facility in Africa (after one in South Africa). The winner of the bidding process will be announced at the end of the year, with construction expected to finish in 2031.

🇨🇳 Chinese President Xi Jinping met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Both Xi and Blinken expressed a desire to stabilize their countries’ tense relationship in the Friday meeting, but also acknowledged that the two sides are currently far apart. In a CNN interview following his trip, Blinken said American officials have seen evidence that Beijing has attempted to “influence and arguably interfere” in this year’s US elections, and said he reiterated President Biden’s message to Xi not to interfere in November’s vote.