Today's Headlines

American pop icon Katy Perry, along with five other women, completed an approximately 11-minute space flight aboard a Blue Origin rocket on April 14th. This marked the first all-female space mission in over 60 years of space history. The rocket launched from western Texas, crossed the internationally recognized space boundary, the Kármán line (about 100 kilometers above Earth), and returned safely after a brief experience of weightlessness. During the flight, Perry held a daisy symbolizing her daughter, and upon returning to Earth, she knelt and kissed the ground, saying she felt deeply connected to love. Blue Origin did not disclose the average ticket price, but passengers are required to pay a refundable deposit of $150,000 to initiate the booking process, with the highest bid for a seat reaching $28 million.

France announced on Monday that Algeria has threatened to expel 12 of its diplomatic staff, stating it will take immediate reprisals if the expulsion occurs. Over the weekend, Algeria protested France's detention of an Algerian consular agent suspected of involvement in the kidnapping of an Algerian national. French media reported that three individuals, including the diplomat, are under investigation for the abduction of Algerian government opponent Amir Boukhors. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated that Algerian authorities are demanding the departure of 12 French agents from Algerian territory within 48 hours, and if the expulsion decision stands, France will have no choice but to respond immediately. There has been no immediate confirmation from Algeria regarding the imminent expulsion. Relations between France and its former colony have long been complicated, worsening last year when French President Emmanuel Macron supported Morocco's position on the disputed Western Sahara region.

Meta's founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, testified in federal court regarding the company's acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleges that these acquisitions gave Meta an illegal monopoly, seeking to break up the company. Zuckerberg countered that Meta competes with a range of social media platforms, including YouTube and TikTok. The FTC presented internal emails from Zuckerberg expressing concerns about Instagram. If the FTC prevails, Instagram and WhatsApp would be spun off, causing significant disruptions. The trial, expected to last two months, will also feature testimony from former Meta executive Sheryl Sandberg.

On April 14, 2025, a deadly roof collapse occurred at the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. New York City Mayor Eric Adams visited the site and laid a wreath. The Minister of Interior and Police reported that the death toll had risen to 231. Families of the victims have begun filing lawsuits against the nightclub's owner, Antonio Espaillat, who stated that he has been fully and transparently collaborating with authorities. Local media and ticketing sites suggest the club could hold between 700 and 1,000 people, but the exact number present at the time of the collapse is unconfirmed. Authorities have initiated investigations, with an official conclusion expected in about three months.

Nvidia announced on Monday its plan to produce NVIDIA AI supercomputers entirely in the U.S. for the first time. The company aims to produce up to $500 billion of AI infrastructure in the U.S. through manufacturing partnerships over the next four years. CEO Jensen Huang stated that adding American manufacturing will help meet the growing demand for AI chips and supercomputers, strengthen the supply chain, and enhance resilience. This follows President Donald Trump's imposition of high tariffs on products from Taiwan and China, which were later exempted for chips and various tech devices. Nvidia has commissioned over 1 million square feet of manufacturing space in Phoenix and is partnering with Amkor and Siliconware Precision Industries in Arizona. The company is also building supercomputer manufacturing plants in Texas, with mass production expected within 12 to 15 months.

The Singaporean government announced on April 15 that President Halimah Yacob, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, dissolved the Parliament, officially launching the 2025 parliamentary election. Election Commissioner Han Keng Juan subsequently announced that the voting day is set for May 3. This marks the first dissolution of Parliament by President Halimah since her inauguration in 2023, and the first national election led by Prime Minister Wong since assuming office in 2024. Singapore's Parliament is unicameral, with members elected by popular vote for a five-year term, and the party holding the majority of seats can form the government. The Parliament that was just dissolved was established in 2020, with its term nearing expiration.

On December 13, 2024, Dan Caldwell, a key adviser to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, was escorted from the Pentagon after being implicated in a leak investigation by the Department of Defense. Caldwell was placed on administrative leave for an unauthorized disclosure, with the investigation ongoing. A March 21 memo by Hegseth's chief of staff, Joe Kasper, had called for an inquiry into recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information. Caldwell played a crucial role in Hegseth's team and was named as a key contact for the National Security Council. Known for his isolationist views and skepticism of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, Caldwell's suspension is separate from a series of high-level firings since Hegseth took over the Pentagon in January.

The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis has authorized a decree declaring Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí as 'venerable,' an early step towards formal canonization. Gaudí, known as 'God's architect,' designed the unfinished Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona. Archbishop of Barcelona, Cardinal Juan Jose Omella, described the news as a 'joy,' emphasizing it recognizes not just his architectural work but his faith. The usual process for sainthood next involves beatification, which would require proof of a posthumous miracle attributed to Gaudí. Born in 1852 and died in 1926, Gaudí's works continue to attract visitors to Barcelona.

Recent developments have emerged in India's largest financial fraud case. Indian jeweler Mehul Choksi was arrested in Belgium on December 12, with India seeking his extradition. In February 2018, Punjab National Bank, India's second-largest state-owned bank, revealed a fraud at its Mumbai branch, estimating losses exceeding 130 billion Indian rupees. The Central Bureau of Investigation identified jewelry tycoon Nirav Modi and his uncle Choksi as the main suspects, who had fraudulently obtained over 130 billion rupees in loans since 2011. After the scam was uncovered, both fled abroad. In March 2019, Modi was arrested in London, while Choksi escaped to Antigua and Barbuda, later exposing his whereabouts when he traveled to Belgium for medical treatment.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Monday the appointment of former Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas as a special envoy to the United States. Jonas, currently the independent non-executive chairman of MTN Group, will continue in his role at the company while serving as envoy. Jonas is tasked with advancing South Africa's diplomatic, trade, and bilateral priorities, leading negotiations, and fostering strategic partnerships with U.S. government officials and private-sector leaders. Relations between South Africa and the U.S. have deteriorated since President Donald Trump's return to the White House in January, with the U.S. cutting financial aid to South Africa and expelling its ambassador last month. Jonas served as South Africa's deputy finance minister from 2014 to 2017 and was a vocal critic of corruption, prominently featured in a judicial inquiry into graft during former President Jacob Zuma's tenure.

According to a source familiar with the plans who confirmed to CNBC, OpenAI is considering building a social media network to compete with Elon Musk's X and Meta's Instagram. The project is still in its early stages, driven by the popularity of OpenAI's newest image-generation feature, which has led to server overloads. In March, OpenAI debuted its latest image-generation tool, inspiring the potential social media project. Anime-style renderings of users' uploaded photos have gone viral on X and other social apps, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman changed his X profile photo to an image generated by the new feature. Altman posted last month that while it's fun seeing people love images in ChatGPT, the company's GPUs are under heavy load, prompting a temporary limit on the feature's usage. OpenAI faces stiff competition in the rapidly growing generative AI market, including from Musk's xAI. Altman and Musk are embroiled in a legal battle centered around OpenAI's efforts to become a for-profit entity. Last month, a federal district court blocked Musk's attempt to halt OpenAI's transition. In February, a Musk-led group offered to buy control of OpenAI for $97.4 billion, a bid that was quickly rejected. Last month, OpenAI completed the largest private tech funding round on record, raising $40 billion at a $300 billion valuation.

According to Axios, the second round of US-Iran nuclear talks may be held in Rome on April 19. The change of venue was proposed by the American side. Last Saturday, indirect talks took place in Muscat, Oman, between Iranian representative Araghchi and US representative Witkoff. Witkoff described the talks as positive and constructive. Araghchi also called the atmosphere constructive and calm, thanked the Omani foreign minister for his efforts in facilitating exchanges between the Iranian and US delegations, and announced that the second round of talks would occur on Saturday, April 19.

In March 2023, Apple's main India suppliers, Foxconn and Tata Electronics, exported nearly $2 billion worth of iPhones to the United States, setting an all-time high, to bypass impending tariffs by President Donald Trump. Apple ramped up production in India and chartered cargo flights to transport 600 tons of iPhones to the U.S., ensuring inventory in one of its largest markets. In April, the U.S. imposed 26% duties on imports from India, much lower than the over 100% China faced. Foxconn's March exports reached $1.31 billion, while Tata's stood at $612 million. Trump later granted tariff exclusions on some electronics, but these are expected to be short-lived. Apple lobbied for faster customs clearance in Chennai, using at least six cargo jets to 'beat the tariffs'.