FirstUp: Xi Jinping to begin Southeast Asia tour, Blue Origin’s all-female space flight... The news today

It is set to be a busy Monday with several events lined up for the day.

Firstly, Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to begin his Southeast Asia tour from today. Blue origin’s all-female crew spaceflight mission will be launched.

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet with Argentina President Javier Milei in Buenos Aires. The antitrust trial against Meta is set to begin in a DC federal court today. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump will welcome Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele at the White House today.

Here is all that is set to take place today.

China’s Xi to visit Southeast Asia

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to begin a three-nation tour of Southeast Asia from today marking his first overseas trip this year. It aims to consolidate ties with some of China’s closest neighbours as trade tension escalates with the United States.

According to state-run Xinhua news agency, his first stop will be Vietnam on April 14. From there he will head to Malaysia and Cambodia from April 15 to 18. China and Vietnam are anticipated to sign approximately 40 agreements on Monday, including some concerning railway connections, reported news agency Reuters quoting two anonymous Vietnamese officials.

Blue Origin’s all-female space flight

Jeff Bezos’ private spaceflight company, Blue Origin, will launch its first all-female crew today. This event represents a pivotal point in the trajectory of commercial spaceflight and the broader context of gender representation within global space exploration endeavours.

The all-women crew includes pop singer Katy Perry, philanthropist and Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sanchez, CBS journalist Gayle King, Nasa scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen and film producer Kerianne Flynn. The NS-31 mission will lift off from Blue Origin’s West Texas launch site, with a launch window beginning at 8:30 am CDT (7 pm IST).

US Treasury secretary to meet Argentina President

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet Argentina President Javier Milei and other government and business leaders in Buenos Aires to show support for the country’s economic reforms. This will mark Bessent’s first foreign trip since taking office in January.

Bessent visit comes at a time when the IMF is expected to approve a new $20 billion loan for Argentina. Milei’s government is pushing for the IMF to disburse about 40 per cent of the funds up-front. Argentina’s ability to recover from its most significant economic crisis in decades hinges on the IMF deal. The nation, South America’s second-largest economy, is contending with the lingering effects of triple-digit inflation, a sustained recession and critically low net foreign currency reserves.

Antitrust trial against Meta to begin

The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) antitrust trial against Meta Platforms Inc. is set to begin today in Washington, DC. This challenges Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, alleging that these purchases were strategic moves to suppress competition and maintain a monopoly in the personal social networking market.

In preparation for the trial, Meta has bolstered its legal team by appointing Ethan Davis, a former senior US Justice Department official, to lead its global litigation strategy. This move underscores the company’s commitment to defending its business practices and acquisitions.

Trump to host Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele

President Donald Trump is set to meet El Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele at the White House today. The two leaders will hold bilateral talks amid the United States’ ongoing practice of deporting migrants, alleged to be gang members, to a large-scale El Salvadoran detention facility.

Leavitt conveyed that the leaders will discuss the use of a supermax prison for deported migrants and that El Salvador’s cooperation with the United States has become a benchmark for other countries to follow in their engagement with the administration.

With inputs from agencies