This Week in Explainers: Inside Elon Musk’s big scheme to father more children

Every week, Donald Trump finds himself in a fresh duel. This time, he is going after Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher learning in the US.

The US administration has frozen $2.2 billion in grants to the elite varsity. It has threatened to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status and strip the college of its ability to host international students. But what’s the beef? The institute has refused to toe the line – eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programmes, ban masks at campus protests, implement merit-based hiring and admission reforms and reduce the power of faculty and administrators. We have been following the story closely.

Trump remains defiant on tariffs. He has increased levies on Chinese goods imported to the US to 245 per cent. But what prompted this move? Possibly Beijing’s decision to restrict the exports of rare earths and pause the import of US-made Boeing jets.

The US president met Italy’s Giorgia Meloni on Thursday (April 17), who was visiting Washington. The two talked about tariffs and the chances of a trade deal between the US and Europe.

Moving on to the UK… In a landmark verdict, the country’s Supreme Court said that the legal definition of women refers to biological sex. This means that transwomen are not legally women under the Equality Act. What impact does this have?

Talking about women, a star-studded all-female crew went to the “edge of space” on a Blue Origin flight. It lasted for all of 10 minutes. This mission put the spotlight on space tourism, its exorbitant cost and its impact on Earth.

We talk about all this and more in our weekly roundup of explainers.

1. It’s Donald Trump vs Harvard. The US administration has frozen $2.2 billion in grants to the elite university. It has not stopped at that. As the varsity stands up to the president, the government has now threatened to revoke the institute’s tax-exempt status and stop it from enrolling foreign students. But does he have the power to do so? And what does he expect from Harvard? Our explainers answer the questions.

2. Harvard is not Trump’s only target. He is going after several American universities, including the Ivy League schools – Columbia, Cornell, and Princeton. The crackdown against foreign students also continues, with hundreds of visas revoked. Amid this uncertainty, is it worth going to the US to pursue your studies and big dreams? This is something you could spend time mulling over.

3. The trade war between China and the US escalates. While both sides have hinted that they are open to talks, neither has made a move. On Wednesday (April 16), Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods imported to the US to 245 per cent. Was Beijing’s retaliation the reason for the latest hike? The Asian giant has halted the exports of rare earths and paused the imports of US-made Boeing aircraft and Hollywood films.

4. What’s the definition of a woman? That’s a big question the UK Supreme Court ruled on. The judges at the top court unanimously decided that a woman is defined by biological sex under the equalities law. Transgender women then do not fall under this category. In this story, we look at the historic ruling and its implications for trans people and single-sex spaces.

5. There seems to be no end to the Israel-Gaza war. Amid the chaos unleashed by Trump’s foreign policies, talks of a ceasefire have taken a backseat. However, anti-Israel sentiment is growing, especially in Southeast Asia’s Muslim nations. Bangladesh and Pakistan witnessed protests turn violent, as mobs vandalised businesses like KFC and Pizza Hut. The Maldives banned entry to those with Israeli passports. Here’s all that has been going on.

6. Pop star Katy Perry sang Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World”. But what was most interesting was where she sang this classic. It was on a journey to the “edge of space” aboard Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin rocket. Perry was accompanied by five other women, including Bezos’s fiancée Lauren Sanchez and TV presenter Gayle King. The flight, which lasted for 10 minutes, has put the spotlight on space tourism. How much would such a trip cost? And why is the mission receiving so much flak?

7. The Brits love a good Indian curry. The UK’s oldest Indian restaurant, Veerswamy, has been serving patrons for close to a century. The Michelin-star diner has served famous people like Mahatma Gandhi and King Charles. However, there is a likelihood of it shutting down. Here’s why.

8. Our last story is about Elon Musk. He has fathered at least 14 children with at least four women. He does not want to stop at that. The world’s richest man has grand plans to build a “legion” of babies, for which he goes to great lengths, according to an explosive report by The Wall Street Journal. This includes signing non-disclosure agreements and soliciting women on X. Here are more shocking details.

That’s all from us this week. Happy Easter.

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