To Strike Ukraine in Revenge, Russia Ready to Resort to Big Prometheus Plan

Russia Considers Big Prometheus Plan in Response to Ukraine's Terror Attacks

05.06.2025 18:59

Incidents

Russia has several options for responding to Ukraine's terrorist attacks in the Kursk and Bryansk regions. In particular, Moscow may resort to comprehensive measures, such as, for example, the 'Big Prometheus' plan, military blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk wrote for Rybar Telegram channel.

Missile strike

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin heard a report from Investigative Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin on the progress of the investigation. According to the head of state, Kyiv deliberately struck civilians, which, under all international norms, qualifies as a terrorist act. Putin specifically noted that the crime was organized on the eve of another round of negotiations initiated by Moscow.

In this context, Moscow's response to those attacks is a matter of national image, let alone military and political implications.

"There are plenty of options, and it's not just about the strikes on border-region energy infrastructure or the much-discussed Oreshnik missile retaliation. At the very least, long-standing comprehensive measures like the 'Big Prometheus' plan should be considered," blogger Mikhail Zvinchuk wrote for Rybar.

The 'Big Prometheus' plan

Little is publicly known about the plan. According to the military blogger, proposals for this operation were formulated back in August 2024. The goal of the plan is to completely isolate and shut down Kyiv as a center of military and financial command. He clarified that this could be done with existing capabilities, without nuclear escalation.

Another possible response to the terrorist attacks could be a strike using the Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile. The Military Chronicle Telegram channel noted that if such a missile is used, Ukrainian production facilities involved in assembling cruise missiles from foreign parts could be targeted. These include facilities producing the Liutyi drone and its variants — specifically the Artem plant and Antonov State Enterprise in Kyiv. Other potential targets include the Radius plant (Kyiv) and Mikropribor (Dnipropetrovsk).

A spectacular hit is not the main objective of the next strike – Russia should inflict preferably irreversible damage on facilities critical to the production of high-precision weaponry, analysts note.

See more at https://english.pravda.ru/news/hotspots/162770-big-prometheus-plan/

Ukraine’s Claims on Airfield Attacks Are False, Planes Will Be Restored

Damaged Russian Bombers to Be Repaired After Ukrainian Drone Strikes

 05.06.2025 14:38

The aircraft damaged in the June 1 attacks will be restored, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.

Tu-160M

The aircraft were not completely destroyed – they were damaged, the official noted. Ryabkov also dismissed claims from Ukrainian officials about the effectiveness of the attack, calling them entirely baseless. According to him, "there is nothing remotely close to what Kyiv claims.”

Russia Questions Strategic Bomber Protection

Following the blatant drone attacks on Russian airfields, questions have arisen about why Russia's strategic bombers were left exposed in the open. Military expert and former US Army officer Stanislav Krapivnik pointed out that under the New START treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) between Russia and the US, Moscow was required to keep strategic bombers — designed to carry nuclear weapons — visible to allow constant satellite surveillance by the US. Kyiv appears to have exploited this requirement. Krapivnik, however, questioned why Russia continues to observe a treaty that it has formally suspended.

In contrast, military expert Oleg Shalandin noted that there are generally no shelters for nuclear triad aircraft at airfields. According to him, this is due to the fact that strategic and transport aviation aircraft are in constant operation and rarely remain stationed in one place. Therefore, building large hangars and repeatedly moving the aircraft in and out would be impractical.

This view was challenged by authors of Military Informant Telegram channel who pointed to China as an example. China began constructing shelters for its aircraft, including heavy bombers, back during the 1960s. Many Chinese airbases are located in mountainous regions, but even flatland bases are equipped with hangars to protect aircraft from possible attacks.

West Applauds Ukraine for Airfield Strike

On June 4, UK Defence Secretary John Healey praised Ukraine's drone strikes on Russian airfields. "Hats off to Kyiv for Operation Spider's Web,” he said.

Putin Warns of Inevitable Response in Call with Trump

On the evening of June 4, Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump held a phone call. The Russian leader promised that Moscow would respond to Ukraine's attacks on its airfields.

Russian war correspondent Alexander Kots noted that after the Kremlin issued a warning about an inevitable retaliation, the American president quickly changed the subject, without attempting to dissuade Putin.

See more at https://english.pravda.ru/news/world/162767-russian-bombers-restored/

Russia Strikes Ukrainian Attack UAV Workshops, Launch Sites Over Past Day

The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,400 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past day

© Russian Defense Ministry/TASS

MOSCOW, June 5. /TASS/. Russian forces struck Ukrainian attack UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) assembly workshops, storage and launch sites over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Thursday.

"Operational/tactical aircraft, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the Russian groups of forces struck workshops for the assembly of attack unmanned aerial vehicles, their storage and launch sites, ammunition depots, and also temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 142 locations," the ministry said in a statement.

Kiev loses over 1,400 troops in all frontline areas in past day - latest figures

The Ukrainian army lost more than 1,400 troops in battles with Russian forces in all the frontline areas over the past day, according to the latest data on the special military operation in Ukraine released by Russia’s Defense Ministry.

The latest figures show that the Ukrainian army lost over 180 troops and an armored combat vehicle in the responsibility area of Russia’s Battlegroup North, roughly 195 troops, three tanks and two armored combat vehicles in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup West, about 240 troops and an armored combat vehicle in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup South, around 500 troops and seven armored combat vehicles in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup Center, more than 195 troops and three armored combat vehicles in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup East and roughly 90 troops and two self-propelled artillery systems in the responsibility area of the Battlegroup Dnepr.

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts over 180 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted more than 180 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy armored combat vehicle in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup North units inflicted losses on amassed manpower and equipment of a mechanized brigade, two air assault brigades, a jaeger brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian army and an assault center of special operations forces in areas near the settlements of Korchakovka, Varachino, Khrapovshchina, Pisarevka, Vorozhba, Yunakovka, Sadki and Veliky Prikol in the Sumy Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 180 personnel, an armored combat vehicle, six motor vehicles, four field artillery guns and an electronic warfare station in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts 195 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted roughly 195 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy tanks and two armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units gained better lines and positions and inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized brigades, an assault brigade and an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian army in areas near the settlements of Kupyansk, Glushchenkovo, Borovaya, Peschanoye, Olgovka and Andreyevka in the Kharkov Region, Kirovsk and Yampol in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 195 personnel, three tanks, a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier, a British-made Snatch armored combat vehicle, 10 motor vehicles and two Western-made artillery weapons in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed eight ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts 240 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 240 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed an enemy armored combat vehicle in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup South units improved their forward positions and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, an assault brigade, an airmobile brigade and a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian army in areas near the settlements of Nikiforovka, Ivanopolye, Fyodorovka, Konstantinovka, Nelepovka and Pleshcheyevka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 240 personnel, an Italian-made Puma armored personnel carrier, eight motor vehicles and six artillery guns, including three NATO weapons in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed an electronic warfare station, a US-made AN/TPQ-50 counterbattery radar station and an ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts 500 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted roughly 500 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed seven enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Center units improved their tactical position and inflicted losses on formations of four mechanized brigades, two air assault brigades of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade, two territorial defense brigades and a National Guard brigade in areas near the settlements of Petrovskoye, Udachnoye, Kotlino, Novonikolayevka, Novosergeyevka, Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 500 personnel, seven armored combat vehicles, including a US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, eight pickup trucks and six field artillery guns, among them a British-made 155mm FH70 towed howitzer in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts over 195 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted more than 195 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy armored combat vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup East units kept advancing deep into the enemy’s defenses and inflicted losses on manpower and equipment of two mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian army and a marine infantry brigade in areas near the settlements of Zaporozhye, Karla Marksa, Komar and Fyodorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost more than 195 personnel, three armored combat vehicles, three motor vehicles, four field artillery guns and two electronic warfare stations in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicts 90 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Dnepr inflicted roughly 90 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy self-propelled artillery systems in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup Dnepr units inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized brigades, a mountain assault brigade, a coastal defense brigade of the Ukrainian army and three territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Kamenskoye, Pavlovka, Malaya Tokmachka, Novodanilovka and Stepovoye in the Zaporozhye Region, Krupitsa and Antonovka in the Kherson Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 90 personnel, nine motor vehicles, two self-propelled artillery systems, two Grad multiple rocket launchers and six electronic warfare stations in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed three ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army, it said.

Russian air defenses down 154 Ukrainian UAVs, HIMARS rocket over past day

Russian air defense forces shot down 154 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and an American-made HIMARS rocket over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Air defense capabilities shot down a rocket of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system and 154 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles, including 60 UAVs outside the special military operation zone," the ministry said.

Overall, the Russian Armed Forces have destroyed 663 Ukrainian warplanes, 283 helicopters, 61,470 unmanned aerial vehicles, 610 surface-to-air missile systems, 23,766 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 1,568 multiple rocket launchers, 25,743 field artillery guns and mortars and 36,485 special military motor vehicles since the start of the special military operation, the ministry reported.

SpaceX May Decommission ISS-bound Dragon Spacecraft After Trump’s Statements — Musk

"In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately," Musk wrote

NEW YORK, June 6. /TASS/. US billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk announced following US President Donald Trump's threat to terminate state contracts with companies that belong to his aerospace company, SpaceX, that he will begin decommissioning Dragon spacecraft, widely used by the United States to deliver people and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS).

"In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately," Musk wrote on his X social network account.

US President Trump stated earlier on his Truth Social website: "The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts.".

Israel Delivers 17 Strikes on Beirut’s Southern Suburbs — TV

According to the report, the city’s southern outskirts were attacked by fighter jets and drones

© AP Photo/Hassan Ammar

DOHA, June 6. /TASS/. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has delivered at least 17 strikes on southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital Beirut, Al Jazeera reported.

According to the report, the city’s southern outskirts were attacked by fighter jets and drones.

Lebanon’s LBCI broadcaster said Israeli delivered six direct strikes and ten warning strikes, and the one remaining projectile failed to detonate.

Earlier in the day, the IDF said its strikes targeted sites of Hezbollah Aerial Unit (127) in Dahieh, the southern suburb of Beirut. Prior to that, the Israeli army issued a warning for this neighborhood, telling residents to leave their homes immediately.

Since late April and up until now, Israel has not targeted the Lebanese capital, limiting its military operations to the country’s southern regions.

Ukrainian Attack Kills Civilian, Leaves Another Six Injured in Russia’s Kursk Region

Acting Governor Alexander Khinshtein said the attack left three underage children without their mother, and the authorities will provide the family with all necessary assistance

© Official Telegram channel of Acting Governor Alexander Khinshtein

KURSK, June 5. /TASS/. The Ukrainian army has carried out a strike on the town of Rylsk in Russia’s borderline Kursk Region, killing a woman and leaving another five women and a man injured, Acting Governor Alexander Khinshtein said.

"Ukrainian criminals have carried out a strike on Rylsk. <...> According to preliminary reports, unfortunately, the attack killed a 32-year-old woman. <...> Another six people - five women and a man - suffered injuries. An 83-year-old woman is in serious condition," he wrote on Telegram.

The attack left three underage children without their mother, and the authorities will provide the family with all necessary assistance, Khinshtein added.

According to the acting governor, the strike targeted an apartment building and nearby private houses. Several other residential buildings were damaged by the shock wave. Response teams are working at the site of the attack.

Elon Musk Has GOP Leaders Scrambling to Save the Megabill

Speaker Mike Johnson is mounting a multi-front rebuttal to the billionaire’s criticism — and trying to keep the backlash contained.

By Meredith Lee Hill

06/05/2025 04:33 PM EDT

Mike Johnson has spent his 19 months as speaker forging a close relationship with President Donald Trump — in part to avoid the social-media bombshells that derailed so many Republican priorities during Trump’s first term.

Now he has to deal with another, perhaps even more unpredictable online bomb-thrower.

Elon Musk’s decision to launch a sudden scorched-earth campaign against the GOP’s domestic-policy megabill has forced Johnson into a sudden scramble to save the centerpiece of the Republican legislative agenda.

Starting in the moments Tuesday after Musk first called the bill a “disgusting abomination” through the tech mogul’s open breach Thursday with Trump, the speaker has mounted a multi-front rebuttal to the criticism — aiming to keep the backlash from spinning out of control.

That has included questioning Musk’s personal motives for opposing the bill, challenging Musk’s claims (backed up by independent scorekeepers) about the bill’s fiscal impact, promising other legislative actions that will address Musk’s concerns and otherwise questioning the Tesla and SpaceX chief’s understanding of the legislative process.

“Look, I’m a fiscal hawk myself,” an exasperated Johnson told reporters Wednesday evening. “If I could cut $8 trillion in federal spending today, I would do it, but I do not have the votes for that. So, this is a deliberative body. It requires consensus. It took us over a year to reach the consensus, to get 217 votes necessary to make the cuts that we have.”

He described a “multiple step process” for securing conservative wins that includes the spending “rescissions” Republicans are now pursuing, as well the upcoming fiscal 2026 appropriations process and the prospect of “another reconciliation package” in addition to the megabill.

“There may be a third one,” Johnson floated, adding that “we have to do it in the proper sequence.”

It remains unclear just how effective Musk’s attacks will be with Republican lawmakers — especially after he openly attacked Trump, suggesting without evidence the president was implicated in wrongdoing with the late sex predator Jeffrey Epstein.

Most in the GOP enthusiastically embraced the charismatic automaker and rocketeer as he fully aligned himself last year with Trump and the GOP, and they cheered on his chaotic bureaucracy-slashing efforts in the White House.

But they also see Trump, not Musk, as their political lodestar and so far there is no sign the president is wavering on the legislation, even after Musk told his 220 million followers on X Wednesday to call their representatives and “KILL the BILL.”

Top House leaders have publicly and privately emphasized Trump’s ongoing support for the bill. Johnson said at a Wednesday news conference that Trump is “not delighted that Elon did a 180” on the legislation.

Asked about the possibility of Musk targeting House incumbents who vote for the legislation, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise pivoted to Trump’s role as “our best, most effective deliverer of support.”

GOP leaders and White House officials have also called in backup from online conservative influencers to publicly back the bill on X and other platforms amid Musk’s all-out assault, according to two people granted anonymity to describe the private conversations.

Johnson, for instance, shared a list of “50 MAJOR wins from Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill that the media is ignoring” from Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk on his official speaker X account alongside endorsements from top Trump aide Stephen Miller and several of his own members.

The speaker has also been willing to suggest that Musk’s criticisms aren’t entirely based in conservative principle — he noted to reporters on multiple occasions that Tesla, Musk’s electric vehicle firm, would be negatively affected by the termination of clean-energy tax credits in the megabill.

Karine Jean-Pierre is leaving the Democratic Party. Her former White House colleagues have some thoughts.

“I know that has an effect on his business and I lament that,” he said Tuesday, later adding in a Bloomberg TV interview Wednesday that the tax credits were “important to the leader of Tesla.”

Musk on Thursday took direct aim at Johnson, suggesting the speaker had betrayed his past views on deficit spending by pushing the megabill forward — to which Johnson responded: “The Mike Johnson of 2023 is the SAME Mike Johnson who has always been a lifelong fiscal hawk - who now serves as Speaker and is implementing a multi-stage plan to get our country back to fiscal responsibility and extraordinary economic growth.”

The main risk for Johnson right now is that Musk’s attacks could buoy fiscal hard-liners at a critical moment for the legislation, with the Senate poised to make significant changes that could reduce the size of the spending cuts in the House passed bill. The bill will then have to come back to the House for final passage, and Musk is only emboldening potential holdouts.

One such House hard-liner, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, said Musk’s broadsides “wouldn’t have hurt our case about two to three weeks ago.”

Perhaps even more worrying for Republicans: Musk’s critique of the bill’s fiscal impact — adding $2.4 trillion in deficits according to a new Congressional Budget Office analysis — is opening up a new line of attack on their incumbents as they work to sell the bill to the public ahead of the 2026 midterms. They’re already under heavy fire from Democrats, who are training attack ads on the GOP’s planned Medicaid cuts.

“I don’t think he’s killing the bill,” said one House GOP lawmaker. “I’m more worried he’s killing our sales pitch.”

Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, who leads the House GOP campaign arm, dismissed Musk’s threats in a brief interview Wednesday evening: “He’s been a friend and he’s just wrong about this bill,” he said. “I think long term, this is nothing.”

But privately, wary GOP incumbents are noting that Musk isn’t just another scorned administration official or outspoken MAGA Republican: He poured more than $250 million into the 2024 elections to help Trump and congressional Republicans take power. His veiled threats to target Republicans in the midterms are deeply worrying to members who can’t afford to fend off Musk’s intervention in their races — or might have been hoping he’d write them a check.

For some House Republicans, however, the public break with Musk comes as a welcome development. Many have been irritated that Musk would not take responsibility for some of the chaos his slash-and-burn operation had unleashed in their districts — with some left stunned after Musk told them in a closed-door meeting back in March that his DOGE operation “can’t bat a thousand all the time.”

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) called Musk “a brilliant businessman” but lamented that the billionaire isn’t likely to change his mind about the bill — which Gimenez described as a first step in slashing government spending.

“This is a process, and he’s an impatient person,” Gimenez said. “You have to be more patient than that.”

Mia McCarthy contributed to this report.

‘Such Ingratitude’: Musk, Trump Blow Up Over GOP Megabill

Musk has been on a three-day rampage against Republicans’ reconciliation package.

By Aaron Pellish and Irie Sentner

06/05/2025 01:05 PM EDT

President Donald Trump publicly chastised Elon Musk — his onetime adviser and a major political benefactor — on Thursday, amid the Tesla CEO’s continued attempts to take down the cornerstone of Republicans’ legislative agenda.

Responding to a question about Musk’s posts during a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House, Trump said he was “surprised” and “disappointed” by Musk’s attacks.

“Elon and I had a great relationship,” Trump told reporters. “I don’t know if we will anymore.” He later said he was “very disappointed in Elon” and that “I’ve helped Elon a lot.”

The comments are Trump’s first public response to Musk’s attempts to take down his marquee legislation — and the biggest crack yet in a growing feud between the president and the world’s wealthiest man. After shattering fundraising records to sweep Trump into the White House, Musk was tapped to lead the Department of Government Efficiency and given broad authority — with little oversight — to slash his way through the federal bureaucracy.

On Friday, the day Musk’s “special government employee” status was set to expire, Musk and Trump appeared in the Oval Office together, thanking each other for their work over the course of a friendly, nearly hourlong news conference.

Less than a week later, that relationship appears to have soured.

“He hasn’t said [anything] bad about me personally, but I’m sure that will be next,” the president said on Thursday.

Sure enough, minutes later, Musk said on X: “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate.”

“Such ingratitude,” Musk added. He donated nearly $300 million in the 2024 election.

Musk has been on a three-day rampage against Republicans’ reconciliation package in Congress. Earlier on Thursday, he needled Trump directly for the first time — resurfacing old social media posts in which Trump said he was “embarrassed” by Republican efforts to extend the debt limit.

Musk shared the posts on X, which he owns, adding his own facetious approval.

“I cannot believe the Republicans are extending the debt ceiling—I am a Republican & I am embarrassed!,” Trump wrote in the January 2013 post.

“Wise words,” Musk replied in a post on Thursday.

Musk also replied to a Trump post from 2012 in which he said members of Congress should not be eligible for reelection if the U.S. doesn’t have a balanced budget.

“I couldn’t agree more!,” Musk wrote.

Trump in the Oval Office claimed Musk had known “the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody” and “he had no problem with it.” That changed, Trump said, once Musk left the government last week. He lumped Musk into a cadre of other former White House aides who have gone on to sharply criticize him, calling it an example of “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

Trump said Musk had been “disturbed” by a part of the over-1,000-page legislation that would cut subsidies for electric vehicles, which would undermine Musk’s company, Tesla. He also suggested Musk had been disappointed when Trump last week pulled the nomination for Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Musk had recommended Isaacman for the role, but Trump said he had decided to select someone else because Isaacman “happened to be a Democrat, like totally Democrat.”

Karine Jean-Pierre is leaving the Democratic Party. Her former White House colleagues have some thoughts.

“Suddenly he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out we’re going to cut the EV mandate that’s billions and billions of dollars,” Trump said.

Musk quickly brushed aside Trump’s comments at the White House and urged Republicans to scale down the bill’s scope. He also denied Trump’s claim that he knew the “inner workings” of the bill, writing in yet another post that the bill “was never shown to me even once.”

“Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill,” Musk wrote.

Musk’s attacks began on Tuesday when he called the bill a “disgusting abomination” in a post on X. Since then, he’s posted dozens of times chastising the bill for increasing spending and for raising the debt ceiling. In multiple posts, he’s suggested the bill would push the U.S. into “debt slavery.”

But the post on Thursday using Trump’s own words to accentuate his argument escalates the growing tension between the president and the world’s richest man, who was a staunch Trump ally up until this week. Musk shattered records helping Trump and congressional Republicans get elected in 2024, and had spent big in an ultimately unsuccessful effort in a Wisconsin Supreme Court race earlier this year.

But last month, Musk said he would step back from political spending. This week, he suggested he may no longer contribute to politicians who support the bill.

Musk’s attacks come as Senate Republicans work to corral enough support in their ranks to approve the bill.

On Wednesday, Trump called for the debt ceiling to be “entirely scrapped” to prevent an economic “catastrophe,” and praised Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) for floating a similar proposal.

Trump Floats Revoking Musk’s Federal Contracts

The president’s relationship with Musk has deteriorated rapidly since Musk left the White House last week.

By Gregory Svirnovskiy

06/05/2025 03:47 PM EDT

President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened Elon Musk’s federal contracts, a remarkable escalation in a public feud between the president and the world’s richest man, his former ally.

“The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Thursday afternoon. “I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”

The president’s relationship with Musk has deteriorated rapidly since Musk left the White House last week. The acrimony went public when Musk publicly slammed Trump’s sweeping domestic policy package on Tuesday.

He’s continued to lash out at the White House in the days since — with Musk baiting Trump by name earlier Thursday, and Trump responding by chastising the Tesla CEO from the Oval Office later in the day.

Still, Trump’s criticism from the White House — where the two men less than a week ago shared a laudatory sendoff for Musk — was not as pointed as the president’s barbs on social media.

“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate.,” Musk wrote on X Thursday, the social media site he owns. “Such ingratitude.”

Musk’s companies have significant ties to the federal government, even before the Trump administration. SpaceX is one of NASA’s largest contractors. And his car company Tesla benefitted from a clean energy subsidy that is on the chopping block in Republicans’ reconciliation package.

“Elon was ‘wearing thin,’ I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!” Trump posted.

“Such an obvious lie. So sad,” Musk fired back.

Trump has previously boosted Tesla because of his close relationship with Musk. In March, with the company’s stock at a low after public anger over job cuts fueled by Musk’s DOGE initiative, the president toured different Tesla models at a makeshift car show on the White House lawn. Trump later purchased his own Tesla, “a show of confidence and support” for Musk.

Trump has routinely wielded the power of the executive branch against institutions that he deems are misbehaving. He’s frozen billions in federal grants to some of the country’s top universities, Harvard chief among them, as punishment for alleged antisemitism and civil rights violations. And he’s secured multimillion dollar deals with law firms weary of his threats to tank their business.

Sudan Media Forum Condemns Proposed Press Act Amendments, Calls for Independent Media

04/06/2025 16:00 

PORT SUDAN

The Sudan Media Forum today voiced deep concern over the outcomes of a recent workshop held in Port Sudan on May 26-27, 2025, which discussed proposed amendments to the Press and Publications Act of 2009. While acknowledging efforts to develop the media environment, the Forum believes that many of the recommendations pose a significant threat to press and media freedom in Sudan, undermining the fundamental role of the fourth estate as a societal watchdog.

Despite references to “international standards” and “freedom of expression,” these recommendations inherently carry the seeds of restricting, rather than expanding, these freedoms. In fact, many directly contradict international conventions Sudan has signed and ratified regarding the guarantee and protection of free expression. The press and media in Sudan don’t need a new law that adds restrictions. Instead, they need an independent body formed by civil society from the journalistic, legal, and academic communities, operating within a democratic legal framework aimed at strengthening and protecting freedom of expression for all media institutions.

Fundamental Concerns Regarding the Proposed Recommendations

•              Overuse of Ambiguous Terms: The excessive use of terms like “national security requirements,” “protection of societal values,” “religious and moral foundations,” and “proper practice of information use” as controls for journalistic work, without precise and clear definitions, opens the door wide to arbitrary interpretations. This can be used as a pretext to suppress critical and independent voices and impose suffocating self-censorship on journalists, hindering their ability to uncover facts and hold officials accountable.

•              Creation of Controlling Bodies: Recommendations to establish a “professional council to regulate journalistic activity” and expand the “National Press Council’s” powers to include electronic media, alongside creating an “administrative coordination system for managing and registering electronic publication platforms and practitioners,” raise deep concern. This is particularly alarming given the inclusion of “technical bodies of the regular forces” within a “coordination mechanism for governing electronic publication.” Involving security and military agencies in regulating media directly contradicts the most basic principles of press independence and its protection from direct government interference, turning these bodies into tools of control rather than professional regulation.

•              Vague Quality Control: Discussions of “monitoring electronic publication platforms and media to ensure content quality” and linking newspaper licensing to “quality standards” without clear definitions or independent application mechanisms, could become tools for controlling content and limiting media pluralism. This approach threatens to transform the media into a tool for promoting a single narrative instead of being a diverse platform reflecting societal views.

The Sudan Media Forum believes that if these approaches are adopted in the new law, they will only lead to a restricted and controlled media. Such a media would be unable to fulfil its vital role in uncovering facts, holding officials accountable, enlightening public opinion, and contributing to building a democratic, free, and prosperous Sudan.

Call for an Independent Media Body and Self-Regulation

The Sudan Media Forum emphasizes that the only way to guarantee media freedom and independence in Sudan, and to achieve a true balance between freedom and responsibility, lies in establishing an independent body to regulate media affairs. This body must:

1.            Enjoy full independence guaranteed by law: This includes financial, administrative, and decision-making independence, free from any domination or interference from the executive authority, security agencies, or any partisan or political entity.

2.            Be formed from professional competencies known for integrity and expertise: This should be achieved through a transparent and participatory selection mechanism that includes genuine representatives of the journalistic body, academics, legal professionals, and civil society organizations.

3.            Have its primary mandate to protect and promote freedom of expression, press, and media pluralism: It should also support the development of professional and ethical standards in consultation with journalists themselves, and facilitate the public’s right to access information.

4.            Not exercise a supervisory role over content or prior licensing of journalists: Instead, it should work to provide an enabling environment for free and responsible journalistic work.

The independence of the fourth estate isn’t a luxury; it’s an imperative necessity for any democratic system striving for transparency, accountability, and development.

Clear Demands to Ensure Press Freedom

From this standpoint, the Forum demands:

•             The Ministry of Information must cease interfering in matters of press freedom and expression. Decisions related to media must be issued by independent and professional bodies.

•             The journalistic and media community must establish frameworks for regulating their activity: This should be in accordance with known international standards for press regulation, and by adhering to codes of journalistic ethics created and written by journalists themselves, away from any external interference. This ensures that professional standards originate from within the profession, strengthening self-responsibility and professionalism.

The Sudan Media Forum calls upon all active forces in Sudanese society and decision-makers to recognize the danger of the current proposals. We urge them to work seriously towards formulating a legal and regulatory framework that protects press freedom and ensures its independence, foremost among which is the establishment of a truly independent body that serves as a safety valve for the right to knowledge and free expression.

This report is published via the platforms of Sudan Media Forum member organisations, to highlight the challenges faced by journalists and media in Sudan.

Sudan Marks 6th Anniversary of Khartoum Sit-in Massacre: Open Wounds and Demands Do Not Die

04/06/2025 14:49 

KHARTOUM

Martyrs of the June 3 2019 Khartoum Sit-in Massacre (Image Supplied)

On the sixth anniversary of the massacre of the dispersal of the sit-in of the General Command in Khartoum, which took place on June 3, 2019, calls for accountability and justice are renewed, amid assurances from the forces of the revolution and civil society that this crime does not fall under the statute of limitations, and will not be forgotten no matter how long it takes.

On that fateful day, a peaceful sit-in was dispersed by excessive force by the military council and its militias, and pure blood was shed for young men and women who carried nothing but their dreams of a free and democratic homeland. This crime still represents a deep wound in the memory of the Sudanese, and a pivotal event in the course of the glorious December revolution.

The Sit-In Republic: The Dream State that frightened the Deep State

Observers believe that the sit-in in front of the General Command was not just a demonstration but formed the nucleus of a miniature “humanitarian republic”, in which the Sudanese people from different regions and backgrounds converged, in a microcosm of the civil state sought by the revolution. Some analysts, including leader Yasser Arman, liken it to the Paris Commune in terms of its symbolic depth and ability to create a new reality that transcends the old regime.

Renewed data: No compromise on the blood of martyrs

On this anniversary, several revolutionary and civil forces issued statements affirming the firm position on the massacre of the General Command:

“Angry without Borders”: We continue to resist

The movement stressed that the massacre of the leadership did not bring down the revolution, but rather exposed its enemies, and stressed that the blood of the martyrs is not sold or compromised, renewing its commitment to resist what it described as the “Janjaweed militia” until the liberation of the homeland from domination and destruction.

Sudan Constituent Alliance: Killers are known

The coalition blamed the old regime, led by the Islamists, stressing that the massacre of the leadership was the same one who ignited the dawn of the current war in April 2023. The coalition criticized the failure of military leaders to appear before the investigation committee, at a time when leaders from the Rapid Support had previously appeared.

Bahri Neighbourhood Committees: Don’t forget. We don’t forgive

The resistance committees described the massacre as a full-fledged crime committed in cold blood, stressing that the option of retreat is out of the question, that the revolution is still ongoing, and that justice is inevitably coming.

Sudan Doctors Syndicate: The army is for the barracks, not for the authority

In its statement, the preliminary committee of the Sudan Medical Syndicate said that the massacre of the leadership represents a black point in the history of the country, calling for the establishment of a national army with a national doctrine that does not interfere in politics, protects the people and does not turn against them, and puts the interest of the homeland above any loyalties.

Civil Democratic Alliance (Samoud): It will not fall under the statute of limitations

The coalition condemned the cancellation of the inquiry committee clause on the recent constitutional amendments, and considered the ongoing war an extension of attempts to eliminate the December revolution, renewing the pledge to adhere to civilian rule and restore the democratic path.

The perpetrators are known by name

Political activist Jaafar Khader from Gedaref confirmed that military leaders, including Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti), Yasser al-Atta, Shams al-Din Kabashi, and Abderrahim Dagalo, were involved in the crime of dispersing the sit-in, according to testimonies and video documents circulating. Khader rejected attempts to justify the presence of unknown elements wearing the RSF, praising the role of honorable members of the armed forces, led by the martyr Mohammed Siddiq.

Khader stressed that the involvement of certain leaders does not mean hostility to the military institution, especially in its current battle against what he described as the “Emirati Janjaweed aggression” on Sudan.

Deferred justice: a demand that does not fall

Sudanese and international human rights organizations renewed their demand for a transparent and independent investigation into the crime, and denounced what they described as official evasion of the realization of the right, noting that transitional justice cannot be built on oblivion or obliteration of facts.

No peace without justice

In light of the raging war in Sudan, restoring the path of justice and retribution for the martyrs is becoming increasingly important as an essential entry point for any lasting peace. The sixth anniversary of the massacre of the General Command remains an occasion to renew the covenant with the blood of the martyrs, and to confirm that the revolution continues, and that the truth, no matter how long it takes, must triumph.

Former Prime Minister Hamdok Says the Military’s Recent Gains Won’t End Sudan’s Civil War

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok speaks during a session of the summit to support Sudan, at the Grand Palais Ephemere in Paris on May 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool, File)

By SAM METZ

9:06 PM EDT, June 4, 2025

MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) — Sudan’s former prime minister on Wednesday dismissed the military’s moves to form a new government as “fake,” saying its recent victories in recapturing the capital Khartoum and other territory will not end the country’s two-year civil war.

In a rare interview with The Associated Press, Abdalla Hamdok said no military victory, in Khartoum or elsewhere, could end the war that has killed tens of thousands and driven millions from their homes.

“Whether Khartoum is captured or not captured, it’s irrelevant,” Hamdok said on the sidelines of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s governance conference in Morocco. “There is no military solution to this. No side will be able to have outright victory.”

Hamdok became Sudan’s first civilian prime minister after decades of military rule in 2019, trying to lead a democratic transition. He resigned in January 2022 after a turbulent stretch in which he was ousted in a coup and briefly reinstated amid international pressure.

The following year, warring generals plunged the country into civil war. Sudan today bears the grim distinction of being home to some of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has left at least 24,000 dead, though many believe the true toll is far worse.

Both sides stand accused of war crimes.

The RSF, with roots in Darfur’s notorious Janjaweed militia, has been accused of carrying out genocide. The army is accused of unleashing chemical weapons and targeting civilians where they live.

The war has driven about 13 million people from their homes, including 4 million who have crossed into neighboring countries. Famine is setting in and cholera is sweeping through.

The military recaptured the Khartoum area from the RSF in March, as well as some surrounding territory. Army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan has framed the advances as a major turning point in the conflict.

Last month, he appointed a new prime minister, Kamil al-Taib Idris, for the first time since the war began, tasked with forming a new government. But the fighting has continued. The RSF has regrouped in its stronghold in Darfur and made advances elsewhere, including in Kordofan.

Hamdok, a 69-year-old former economist who now leads a civilian coalition from exile, called the idea that the conflict was drawing down “total nonsense.” The idea that reconstruction can begin in Khartoum while fighting rages elsewhere is “absolutely ridiculous,” he said.

“Any attempt at creating a government in Sudan today is fake. It is irrelevant,” he said, arguing that lasting peace can’t be secured without addressing the root causes of the war.

Hamdok said a ceasefire and a credible process to restore democratic, civilian rule would need to confront Sudan’s deep inequalities, including uneven development, issues among different identity groups and questions about the role of religion in government.

“Trusting the soldiers to bring democracy is a false pretense,” he added.

Though rooted in longstanding divisions, the war has been supercharged by foreign powers accused of arming both sides.

Pro-democracy groups, including Hamdok’s Somoud coalition, have condemned atrocities committed by both the army and the RSF. Hamdok, however, has avoided accusing the United Arab Emirates of supplying weapons to the RSF, even amid international scrutiny and an investigation from a U.N. panel of experts.

On Wednesday, he rebuffed AP questions about weapons coming from the UAE. He said those who singled out the Gulf state while ignoring others accused of backing the army, including Iran, were “pushing a narrative.”

“What we would like to see is anybody who is supplying arms to any side to stop,” he said.

5 Inmates Killed in Ivory Coast Prison When Search Turns Violent

By TOUSSAINT NGOTTA

6:19 AM EDT, June 4, 2025

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Five inmates at an Ivory Coast prison were killed when a routine search turned into a violent clash, authorities said on Wednesday.

Prisoners in Bouake, the country’s second largest city, reacted with “hostility” to a routine search for prohibited items on Tuesday, public prosecutor Abel Nangbelé Yeo said in a statement. Five prisoners were killed and 29 people, including six prison officers and 23 prisoners, were injured, the statement added.

When security officers arrived in the building, they were attacked by prisoners armed with clubs, machetes, and other blunt objects, the statement said.

The officers fired warning shots “to cover their retreat,” the statement added, without providing details on how prisoners were killed.

As a result of the search, officers seized blocks of cannabis, Tramadol tablets, mobile phones and three grenades.

Ivory Coast has been criticized by rights groups and the U.N. for its prison conditions.

Last year, the U.N. Committee against Torture expressed concern over a “very high rate” of prison overcrowding in Ivory Coast, and criticized the condition, including poor sanitation, a lack of ventilation and inadequate quality food and water. It also expressed alarm at “the extent of prison violence.”

Earlier this year, a prisoner died during an escape attempt from the Bouake prison.

The public prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday that it had opened an investigation into Tuesday’s events.

Tanzanian Lawmaker’s Church Shut Down After He Accuses Government of Human Rights Abuses

Tanzania's main opposition leader Tundu Lissu, holds up a proposed constitutional document at Kisutu magistrate's court in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Monday, May 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Derick Katunzi)

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI

9:34 PM EDT, June 3, 2025

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Tanzanian authorities deregistered a church owned by a ruling party lawmaker after he accused the government of human rights violations ahead of October elections.

Parliament member Josephat Gwajima’s Glory of Christ church in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, was cordoned off by police Tuesday after hundreds of congregants turned up to protest the closure announcement.

Tanzania’s registrar of societies wrote a letter deregistering Gwajima’s church, saying his sermons contravened acceptable conduct of religious organizations.

Gwajima last Sunday called out the government for what he called detentions and enforced disappearances, warning his congregants to be wary.

His message came days after a Kenyan activist and his Ugandan counterpart accused the Tanzanian police of torturing them after arresting them ahead of opposition leader Tundu Lissu’s treason case court proceedings.

Tanzanians are set to elect a president and members of Parliament in October. The ruling party, the CCM, has been in power since Tanzania’s independence in 1961.

The main opposition party, Chadema, has been calling for electoral reforms ahead of the elections.

Gwajima was elected in 2020 after he was endorsed by then-President John Magufuli. His popularity has risen over the years and he is seen as an outspoken critic of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is serving out Magufuli’s term after he died in office.

Hassan is running in the October election and has been accused of silencing her critics after opposition leaders were arrested in recent months.

She struck a reconciliatory tone during her first days in office and lifted a six-year ban on political rallies that was imposed by Magufuli.

Hassan’s tone has changed in recent months as she warned foreign activists coming to Tanzania for the opposition leader’s court case, saying she will not allow them to destroy the country.

Some activists were deported to Kenya on arrival in Tanzania and the Tanzanian government did not explain the reasons for deportation.

Rights groups including Amnesty International have urged Tanzania to investigate allegations the activists’ human rights were abused.

UN Says Dozens of Bodies Discovered in a Section of Libyan Capital Run by Armed Militia

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) Volker Turk speaks during a press conference on his last day of an official visit to Serbia in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, file)

9:19 AM EDT, June 4, 2025

GENEVA (AP) — The United Nations human rights office expressed concerns on Wednesday about the discovery of dozens of bodies, some charred and buried and others in hospital refrigerators, in an area of Libya’s capital controlled by an armed militia whose leader was killed last month.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said he was shocked by revelations that gross rights violations were uncovered at detention facilities in Tripoli run by the Stabilization Support Authority, or SSA, an armed group whose commander Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, was killed in militia fighting in mid-May.

The rights office said it later received information on the excavation of 10 charred bodies at the SSA headquarters in the Abu Salim neighborhood and another 67 bodies discovered in refrigerators in the Abu Salim and Al Khadra hospitals. It also cited reports of a burial site at the Tripoli Zoo that was run by the SSA.

The office said the identities of the bodies were not immediately clear.

“Our worst held fears are being confirmed: dozens of bodies have been discovered at these sites, along with the discovery of suspected instruments of torture and abuse, and potential evidence of extrajudicial killings,” Türk said in a statement.

Türk called on authorities to seal the area to preserve evidence and said there needed to be accountability for the killings. He said the U.N. should be granted access to the sites to document rights violations.

Ivory Coast Opposition Leader Thiam is Excluded From the List of Presidential Candidates

Then-CEO Tidjane Thiam attends the annual general meeting 2019 of the Credit Suisse (CS) bank in Zurich, Switzerland, Friday, April 26, 2019. (Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP, File)

By TOUSSAINT NGOTTA

5:04 PM EDT, June 4, 2025

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Ivory Coast ‘s main opposition leader Tidjane Thiam, a former CEO of Credit Suisse, has been excluded from the final list of presidential candidates along with three other prominent opposition candidates, the electoral commission said Wednesday.

Ivory Coast is set to hold a highly contested vote in October.

Earlier this year, a court ruled that Thiam was not eligible to run because of his dual Ivorian-French nationality, a decision that Thiam vowed to fight. Born in Ivory Coast, Thiam received French nationality in 1987 but gave it up in March.

Ibrahime Coulibaly-Kuibiert, president of the electoral commission, told reporters on Monday: “If the courts have ordered removal, we will comply.”

Thiam, president of the Democratic Party of Ivory Coast, won the party’s primary in an uncontested vote. He was widely seen as the main challenger to President Alassane Ouattara, who won in 2020 after a disputed election left dozens dead and opposition candidates boycotted the election.

Other prominent opposition candidates excluded from the vote include former president Laurent Gbagbo, his close ally Charles Ble Goude, who was charged with crimes against humanity related to the civil war, and the former prime minister and rebel leader Guillaume Soro, who was sentenced in absentia to life in prison for organizing a coup.

The Democratic Party of Ivory Coast said the exclusion was “unfair” and called for national demonstrations ”to defend democracy.”

Hemedti Announces His Refusal to Participate in Any New Round of Negotiations

03/06/2025 18:13

RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Jamidati – RSF Telegram Account

Radio Dabanga

Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Hemedti announced their categorical refusal to participate in any new round of Jeddah negotiations, vowing to escalate the fighting.

The Jeddah pulpit kicked off on May 6, 2023, less than a month after fighting broke out between the army and the RSF in mid-April 2023.

The negotiations were coordinated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America. The Jeddah Platform held three rounds, the last of which was in December 2023.

Sudan's military has repeatedly said it rejects any negotiation with the RSF before implementing Shrok, including withdrawing from all areas and grouping troops in specific areas.

Hemedti said in a video address broadcast on the RSF platforms yesterday that their forces had eliminated 70 percent of the army's hard force, vowing to wipe out what was left.

West Kordofan has witnessed an escalation in the pace of military operations, as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have taken control of al-Khoi, Dabaibat, al-Hammadi and other areas in recent days.

Hemedti threatened to attack El Obeid and the north, calling on citizens to stay in their homes and close and protect their shops, noting that the goal of the army mobilization in El Obeid is to prevent an attack on the north.

Over the past months, the army has managed to tighten control over the states of Gezira, Sennar, White Nile, Khartoum and the River Nile. It also controlled large areas of North Kordofan, lifting the siege of El Obeid and controlling um Rawaba and al-Rahad.

Chemical weapons

Hemedti accused the army of using chemical weapons in various cities, saying they had credible evidence.

The U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on Sudan that take effect in June over accusations of the military using chemical weapons.

Charges

Hemedti renewed accusations that Egypt provided military support to the army through warplanes. The Rapid Support Forces issued a statement announcing that they had seized Egyptian weapons in the possession of the army. This is after it took control of areas in West Kordofan. Hemedti said the drone attacks on Port Sudan had wiped out warplanes.

Hemedti directed his forces to treat prisoners benevolently, saying his forces would conduct an investigation into the ramming of a captured soldier by a military vehicle, calling for no assault on the captives.

A video circulated on social media of a military vehicle said to have run over a person in West Kordofan, sparking widespread condemnation.

Widespread Protests and Closure of Travel Routes in Wadi Halfa in Northern Sudan

03/06/2025 23:30

 Trucks blocked in Wadi Halfa to protest electricity cuts-3 June 2025:Social Media

Wadi Halfa

Radio Dabanga

Hundreds of citizens of the northern state city of Wadi Halfa closed all ports and prevented trucks from passing in protest against the programming of power cuts.

Eyewitnesses revealed to Radio Dabanga that hundreds of trucks piled up at various outlets, while protesters confirmed that they allowed buses and citizens' vehicles to pass.

Citizens marched this afternoon in a procession that roamed the city in refusal to program power cuts.

Residents said the planned cuts that began yesterday had interrupted the water supply and caused bakeries to stop.

Citizens of the city see the electricity coming from the High Dam as their entitlement after the city was flooded in 1964 for the construction of the dam.

The protesters demanded the disengagement of Wadi Halfa from the northern state. They accused the state authorities of infringing on the rights and gains of the city's people.

They stressed the cancellation of ️Wadi Halfa electricity programming coming from the High Dam as an inherent right. They stressed the ️completion of the registration of agricultural land belonging to cooperative societies, و️the allocation of revenues from the resources of the region encroached upon by the state and central governments, for the reconstruction and development of services for the benefit of the people of the region marginalized throughout time.

The protesters announced the continuation of escalation with all available options and whatever the cost until all demands are met.

Ethiopia Reaffirms Unwavering Support for Sudan's Efforts to Ensure Durable Peace

2 June 2025

Ethiopian News Agency (Addis Ababa)

Addis Ababa, — Ethiopia has reaffirmed its unwavering support for Sudan's efforts to achieve peace and stability, during a visit by the country's high-level delegation to port Sudan.

The Ethiopian delegation, led by Director General of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) of Ethiopia, Redwan Hussein left for Port Sudan.

During the meeting, Director General Redwan and the Prime Minister's Advisor on East African Affairs with the rank of minister, Getachew Reda, delivered a message from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to the Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The Ethiopian delegation underscored Ethiopia's continued commitment to supporting Sudan's pursuit of peace and national stability.

Following the meeting, Director General Redwan emphasized that Ethiopia stands in solidarity with the Sudanese people and remains a dedicated partner in their journey toward lasting peace.

"(We) received by and held discussion with Brother Mufadel at Port Sudan. And we conveyed PM Abiy's message to General Alburhan.....We also expressed Ethiopia's unwavering resolve to help Sudan regain peace and stability," Redwan wrote on X.

Read the original article on ENA.

An Attack on An Aid Convoy in Sudan’s Darfur Region Kills 5, UN Says

This is a locator map for Sudan with its capital, Khartoum. (AP Photo)

By SAMY MAGDY

2:44 PM EDT, June 3, 2025

CAIRO (AP) — An attack on an aid convoy in Sudan’s Darfur region left five people dead and several wounded, the United Nations said Tuesday, and the warring parties in the northeast African nation traded blame for the attack.

The attack on the 15-truck convoy carrying desperately needed food and nutrition supplies came Monday night near the Rapid Support Forces-controlled town of Koma in North Darfur province. It was trying to reach besieged el-Fasher city, according to a joint statement from the World Food Program and UNICEF. Both agencies called for an investigation into the attack.

“This was the first U.N. humanitarian convoy that was going to make it to el-Fasher in over one year,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York.

Sudan was plunged into a war more than two years ago, when tensions between Sudan’s army and its rival paramilitary RSF exploded with street battles in the capital of Khartoum that quickly spread across the country.

Monday night’s attack burned many trucks and damaged the aid they were carrying, the statement said. It didn’t say who was responsible for the attack.

The WFP and UNICEF said they were negotiating to complete the trip to el-Fasher, which is besieged by RSF, after traveling more than 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) from the eastern city of Port Sudan on the Red Sea, which serves as an interim seat for the country’s military-allied government.

“It is devastating that the supplies have not reached the vulnerable children and families they were intended to,” the statement said.

The U.N.'s Dujarric said all those killed and injured were Sudanese contractors working for WFP and UNICEF.

“They were 80 kilometers from el-Fasher, after having traveled 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) for days in incredibly difficult terrain, incredibly dangerous terrain,” he said. “They were parked on the side of the road waiting for clearances and they were attacked.”

“It was an air attack, most likely drones. But we don’t know who the perpetrators were,” Dujarric said.

The RSF said in a statement the convoy was hit by a military aircraft in a “preplanned attack.” Footage shared by the RSF showed burned vehicles carrying what appeared to be flour bags.

The military-led government, however, rejected the accusation and said in a statement that aid trucks were “treacherously attacked by assault drones operated by the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia.”

The Resistance Committees in el-Fasher tracked the fighting in and around the city and blamed the paramilitaries for the attack, saying the RSF statement aimed to “mislead public opinion and evade accountability.”

The U.N. demanded a halt to attacks on humanitarian personnel, facilities and vehicles.

“These are violations under international humanitarian law, and we call for an urgent investigation and for the perpetrators to be brought to account,” Dujarric said.

El-Fasher, more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) southwest of Khartoum, is one of the last strongholds of the Sudanese military in Darfur. The region has been under RSF siege since May 2024.

Monday’s attack was the latest on aid operations in the past two years. Last week, WFP’s premises in el-Fasher were bombed, damaging a workshop, office building and clinic, according to the statement.

The war has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. It has driven about 13 million people from their homes, including over 4 million who crossed into neighboring countries. Parts of Sudan have been pushed into famine.

The fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially in Darfur, according to the U.N. and international rights groups.

—-

Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer contributed to this report from the United Nations.

ICC Appeals Judges Greenlight First in Absentia Hearing Over Ugandan Rebel Leader Kony

In this Nov. 12, 2006 file photo, the leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, Joseph Kony answers journalists’ questions following a meeting with UN humanitarian chief Jan Egeland at Ri-Kwangba in southern Sudan. (AP Photo/Stuart Price, File, Pool)

By MOLLY QUELL

7:21 AM EDT, June 3, 2025

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court gave a final greenlight Tuesday for the tribunal’s first in absentia hearing by allowing the next step in proceedings against notorious fugitive Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony.

The Hague-based court has scheduled a so-called confirmation of charges hearing at which prosecutors will present evidence in September to back up charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Kony, despite his whereabouts being unknown.

Kony, the leader of the brutal Lord’s Resistance Army, faces dozens of counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, sexual enslavement and rape.

The ICC’s rules do not allow trials entirely in absentia but can in some circumstances move forward with a confirmation of charges even if the suspect is not in custody.

Kony’s court appointed lawyers had argued his fair trial rights would be violated if the proceedings continued without their client.

Judge Erdenebalsuren Damdin said the court has “adequately robust safeguards” for suspects to allow the confirmation of charges hearing to be held in absentia.

The case had been seen as a trial balloon for the court moving forward with other cases where the suspect is not in custody, such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Russian President Vladimir Putin.

However, the Kony decision was limited to situations where the wanted person has fled ICC custody or cannot be found, says Luigi Prosperi, an international criminal law expert at the University of Utrecht. Kony “is a very peculiar situation,” he told The Associated Press.

Kony was thrust into the global spotlight in 2012 when a video about his alleged crimes went viral. Despite the attention and international efforts to capture him, he is still at large.

The LRA began its attacks in Uganda in the 1980s, when Kony sought to overthrow the government. After being pushed out of Uganda, the militia terrorized villages in Congo, Central African Republic and South Sudan. It was notorious for using child soldiers, mutilating civilians and enslaving women.

In 2021, the court convicted Dominic Ongwen, a one-time child soldier who morphed into a brutal LRA commander of dozens of war crimes and crimes against humanity, ranging from multiple murders to forced marriages.

2 People Die Before a Suspected Explosive Attack in Uganda’s Capital, Authorities Say

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA

6:18 AM EDT, June 3, 2025

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Uganda military authorities said two people died before executing a suspected explosive attack near a Catholic shrine in the capital, Kampala.

The military said in a statement Tuesday they “intercepted and neutralized two armed terrorists” in Munyonyo, a Kampala suburb.

The deceased were a man and a woman on a passenger motorcycle. The female passenger appeared to explode as a group of security forces tracking the duo drew near the suspects, police spokesman Kituuma Rusoke said.

Rusoke did not provide more details and said an investigation is underway.

Uganda is marking a holiday Tuesday to remember a group of Christian martyrs who were killed between 1885 and 1887 on the orders of a local king. The event attracts pilgrims to a different site near Kampala where dignitaries, including Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, have gathered for mass.

Explosive attacks are rare in Uganda, but authorities sometimes warn of plans by extremist militants opposed to Museveni’s government.

Extremists Kill Dozens of Soldiers at a Mali Military Base, Sources Say

Leader of Mali’s ruling junta Lt. Col. Assimi Goita, center, attends an independence day military parade in Bamako, Mali on Sept. 22, 2022. (AP Photo, File)

By BABA AHMED

12:26 PM EDT, June 3, 2025

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Extremists have killed dozens of soldiers in an attack on a military base in Mali, civil society and military sources said Tuesday, in the latest militant violence in West Africa’s restive Sahel region.

The attack on Sunday on the base in Boulkessi, near the border with Burkina Faso, killed at least 60 soldiers and wounded 40 more, a civil society activist in the area told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.

The al-Qaida-linked JNIM group claimed responsibility.

A military source told the AP there were around 280 soldiers in the base, and “all of those who didn’t die were taken prisoner by the terrorists.” The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.

Mali’s army acknowledged the attack in a statement Monday, adding that soldiers had fought “to their last breath.” It did not provide an exact death toll.

Mali, along with neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, has battled an insurgency by armed groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, they have expelled French forces and turned to Russia’s mercenary units for security assistance.

In a separate attack on Monday, JNIM claimed responsibility for coordinated attacks on a military airport, a military base and army checkpoints in the northern town of Timbuktu.

Mali’s army said Monday on social media it repelled the attack and that 13 extremists had been killed. It did not say whether any soldiers were killed.

A hospital employee in the town said one soldier died of his wounds and 10 other people were wounded. The employee spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.

Timbuktu residents said they heard heavy gunfire and saw armed men enter the town on motorcycles. They spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals.

Rida Lyammouri, a Sahel expert at the Morocco-based Policy Center for the New South, said the high level of coordination in the two attacks shows that JNIM had been planning them for a while.

Attacks by extremists have been on the rise in Mali and neighboring Burkina Faso in recent weeks. JNIM has established a strong presence in both.

Musk Calls Trump's Tax Bill a 'Disgusting Abomination'

Bernd Debusmann Jr

BBC News, White House

Elon Musk's criticisms are reflective over wider tensions within the Republican Party over Trump's 'big, beautiful' bill.

Elon Musk has hit out at President Donald Trump's signature tax and spending bill, saying he "can't stand" the legislation and describing it as a "disgusting abomination".

The bill - which includes multi-trillion dollar tax breaks and more defence spending while also allowing the US government to borrow more money - was passed by the House of Representatives in May.

"Shame on those who voted for it," Musk said in a post on X on Tuesday.

The tech billionaire left the administration abruptly last week after 129 days working to cut costs with his team, known as Doge.

The comments mark his first public disagreement with Trump since leaving government, after having previously called the plan "disappointing".

The South African-born tech billionaire's time in the Trump administration came to an end on 31 May, although Trump said that "he will, always, be with us, helping all the way".

In its current form, the bill - which Trump refers to as the "big beautiful bill" - has been estimated to increase the budget deficit - the difference between what the government spends and the revenue it receives - by approximately $600bn (£444bn) in the next fiscal year.

It's Musk's last day - what has he achieved at the White House?

In a series of posts on X on Tuesday, Musk said that the "outrageous, pork-filled" spending bill will "massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America [sic] citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt."

In American politics "pork" refers to spending measures that lawmakers tack onto legislation to narrowly benefit their constituencies.

Asked about Musk's comments soon after the first post, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that "the President already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill".

"This is one, big, beautiful bill," she added. "And he's sticking to it."

The legislation also pledges to extend soon-to-expire tax cuts passed during the first Trump administration in 2017, as well as an influx of funds for defence spending and to fund the administration's mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

Additionally, it proposes lifting the limit on the amount of money the government can borrow, known as the debt ceiling, to $4tn.

The comments from Musk reflect wider tensions among Republicans over the plan, which faced stiff opposition from different wings of the party as it worked its way through the House. The Senate has now taken it up, and divisions are already emerging in the Republican-controlled chamber.

Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, over the last few days has said he will not support the bill if it includes the provision to raise the debt ceiling.

"The GOP [the Republican Party] will own the debt once they vote for this," he told CBS News, the BBC's US partner, over the weekend.

Trump responded to Sen Paul with a series of angry social media posts, accusing him of having "very little understanding of the bill" and saying that the "people of Kentucky can't stand him".

"His ideas are actually crazy," Trump wrote.

Republican lawmakers pushed back on Musk's comments, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune telling reporters the party plans to "proceed full speed ahead" despite "a difference of opinion".

"We have an agenda that everybody campaigned on, most notably the president," he said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson - a Republican who has been credited with ushering the legislation through the House - told reporters on Capitol Hill that "my friend Elon is terribly wrong".

"It's a very important first start. Elon is missing it," Johnson said.

Johnson said he held a 20-minute long phone call with Musk regarding the bill on Monday, adding that the bill's phasing out of tax credits could "have an effect" on Tesla, Musk's electric vehicle firm.

"I lament that," Johnson said, expressing surprise that Musk criticised the bill despite their call. "I just deeply regret he's made this mistake.”

Some Democrats, on the other hand, welcomed Musk’s comments despite their previous criticism of him and the work of Doge.

"Even Elon Musk, who's been part of the whole process, and is one of Trump's buddies, said the bill is bad," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said. "We can imagine how bad this bill is."

Trump and Republicans in Congress have set a deadline of 4 July to get the bill passed and signed into law.

Musk's posts on the platform suggest a rift with Trump, who he supported in last year's November election with donations of more than $250m.

To make peace with spending hawks, Trump is also asking Congress to pass a plan that would reduce current spending by $9bn and which is reportedly based on Doge's work.