Space & Wealth: Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded during a hotfire test at Kennedy Space Center, with no injuries reported and Bezos saying the company will rebuild and investigate the root cause. Inflation & Household Budgets: A key US inflation gauge jumped to 3.8% in April, the highest in three years, raising pressure on consumers and complicating hopes for rate cuts. Personal Finance Basics: Experts weigh “paying off debt vs investing,” stressing the real comparison is your loan interest rate versus expected returns, especially for high-rate credit cards. AI Money Race: Anthropic surged to a $965B valuation after a massive $65B funding round, overtaking OpenAI as the most valuable AI startup. UK Cost of Living: A disability expert warns people with disabilities could face an extra £15,000 in annual costs as energy bills and other essentials rise. Australia Tax Debate: Flight Centre founder Graham Turner says proposed capital gains tax changes could discourage aspiring wealth-builders and spur more tax minimisation. South Africa Rates Reality Check: The SARB’s latest 25 bps rate hike is framed as harsh for a country with very high unemployment and widespread borrowing just to get by. Housing & Affordability: A London housing debate highlights how social housing needs private-sector delivery to expand supply. Credit Card Debt: A guide urges a clear payoff plan for high-interest balances, starting with knowing exactly what you owe.