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Tag: Elon Musk

  • Blue Origin Rocket Explodes On Launchpad In A Setback For Bid To Catch Musk’s SpaceX

    Blue Origin Rocket Explodes On Launchpad In A Setback For Bid To Catch Musk’s SpaceX

    Summary

    • Blue Origin confirms ‘anomaly’ during hot-fire test
    • Bezos-owned company says all personnel accounted for, investigation underway
    • NASA to assess impacts on Artemis and Moon Base programs
    • Bezos and Musk comment on setback, highlight challenges in heavy-lift rocket development

    May 28 (Reuters) – An uncrewed Blue Origin ​New Glenn rocket exploded on a Florida launchpad during a test on Thursday, in a major setback for Jeff Bezos’ space ‌venture as it seeks to narrow the gap with Elon Musk’s IPO-bound SpaceX.

    Video posted by NASASpaceflight, which livestreams launches from Florida, showed the towering New Glenn rocket igniting on the pad at about 2100 ET (0100 GMT on Friday) before erupting into a massive fireball that billowed skyward, sending a towering plume of flames and smoke into the air.

    Blue Origin ​was preparing the rocket for its fourth launch, which was due to deliver 48 Amazon Leo satellites into low-Earth orbit, part of efforts ​to build a broadband constellation to rival Musk’s Starlink network. Amazon Leo satellites were not integrated on the rocket ⁠at the time of the incident, a source familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named due to its sensitivity.

    The explosion marks the ​latest setback for the long-delayed New Glenn, which is supposed to play a central role in delivering lunar landers and cargo under NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration ​missions.

    It comes just two days after NASA awarded Blue Origin a $188 million contract to land rovers on the moon’s surface, and less than a week after SpaceX – years ahead in development – carried out a largely successful test of its next-generation Starship rocket.

    Blue Origin confirmed it had experienced an “anomaly” during a hot-fire test, where a rocket engine is fired up ​while anchored to the ground.

    “Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it,” Bezos said in a ​post on X, adding that it was too early to know the root cause.

    NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency would work with Blue Origin to support an investigation ‌of the ⁠incident.

    “Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult,” Isaacman said on X.

    Isaacman also added that NASA would provide information on any impacts to its Artemis and Moon Base programs.

    ‘ROCKETS ARE HARD’

    Musk’s SpaceX and Bezos’ Blue Origin, in the latest competition between the billionaire-run companies, have been racing to help return people to the moon ahead of a planned crewed mission by China in 2030 by designing the lunar landers NASA will use.

    SpaceX, which unveiled its ​plans for an IPO earlier this month and ​is set to become the ⁠first trillion-dollar U.S. market debut, has also faced setbacks with its rockets

    In June last year, its massive Starship spacecraft exploded in a similarly dramatic fireball during testing in Texas while preparing for a test flight.

    SpaceX was partly successful in its 12th ​test flight of a Starship prototype last week after it deployed a clutch of mock satellites and executed ​a controlled splashdown of ⁠the spacecraft in the Indian Ocean. But the Musk-owned company failed to achieve a controlled landing of the Super Heavy booster, which tumbled into the Gulf of Mexico.

    Musk responded on X to a video of the Blue Origin explosion, saying, “Most unfortunate. Rockets are hard.”

    Blue Origin has spent billions of dollars and roughly a decade ⁠developing New ​Glenn, a rocket 29-stories high with a reusable first stage meant to compete with SpaceX’s ​Falcon fleet and its more powerful Starship.

    The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said it was aware of the incident, but added that it was outside its scope and did not impact air traffic ​in the region.

  • Musk Launches Grokipedia To Rival ‘Left-biased’ Wikipedia

    Musk Launches Grokipedia To Rival ‘Left-biased’ Wikipedia

    After months of delays to “purge out the propaganda”, Elon Musk on Monday announced the launch of Grokipedia to rival online encyclopedia Wikipedia, which he has accused of ideological bias.

    The content of Grokipedia is generated by artificial intelligence (AI) and the generative AI assistant Grok.

    Elon Musk’s company xAI launched Grokipedia on Monday to compete with online encyclopedia Wikipedia, which he has accused of ideological bias.

    The site dubbed version 0.1 had more than 885,000 articles by Monday evening, compared to Wikipedia’s more than seven million in English.

    The launch came with the promise of a newer version 1.0, which Musk said would be “10X better” than the current live site, which he claimed is already “better than Wikipedia.”

    “The goal of Grok and Grokipedia.com is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. We will never be perfect, but we shall nonetheless strive towards that goal,” he said on X following the launch.

    Grokipedia’s release had been marked down for the end of September, but was delayed by the US entrepreneur to “purge out the propaganda,” Musk said in a separate X post.

    Musk has been a regular critic of Wikipedia. In 2024, he accused the site of being “controlled by far-left activists” and called for donations to the platform to cease.

    In August, he said “Wikipedia cannot be used as a definitive source for Community Notes, as the editorial control there is extremely left-biased.”

    The content of Grokipedia is generated by artificial intelligence (AI) and the generative AI assistant Grok.

    A Grokipedia article dedicated to Musk states that the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has “influenced broader debates on technological progress, demographic decline, and institutional biases, often via X,”  amid what the page says are “criticisms from legacy media outlets that exhibit systemic left-leaning tilts in coverage.”

    Created in 2001, Wikipedia is a collaborative encyclopedia managed by volunteers, largely funded by donations, and whose pages can be written or edited by internet users.

    It claims a “neutral point of view” in its content.

    (FRANCE 24 with AFP)

  • Musk Ordered Shutdown of Starlink Satellite Service as Ukraine Retook Territory From Russia

    Musk Ordered Shutdown of Starlink Satellite Service as Ukraine Retook Territory From Russia

    KYIV (Reuters) – During a pivotal push by Ukraine to retake territory from Russia in late September 2022, Elon Musk gave an order that disrupted the counteroffensive and dented Kyiv’s trust in Starlink, the satellite internet service the billionaire provided early in the war to help Ukraine’s military maintain battlefield connectivity.

    According to three people familiar with the command, Musk told a senior engineer at the California offices of SpaceX, the Musk venture that controls Starlink, to cut coverage in areas including Kherson, a strategic region north of the Black Sea that Ukraine was trying to reclaim.

    “We have to do this,” Michael Nicolls, the Starlink engineer, told colleagues upon receiving the order, one of these people said. Staffers complied, the three people told Reuters, deactivating at least a hundred Starlink terminals, their hexagon-shaped cells going dark on an internal map of the company’s coverage. The move also affected other areas seized by Russia, including some of Donetsk province further east.

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    Upon Musk’s order, Ukrainian troops suddenly faced a communications blackout, according to a Ukrainian military official, an advisor to the armed forces, and two others who experienced Starlink failure near the front lines. Soldiers panicked, drones surveilling Russian forces went dark, and long-range artillery units, reliant on Starlink to aim their fire, struggled to hit targets.

    As a result, the Ukrainian military official and the military advisor said, troops failed to surround a Russian position in the town of Beryslav, east of Kherson, the administrative center of the region of the same name. “The encirclement stalled entirely,” said the military official in an interview. “It failed.”

    Ultimately, Ukraine’s counteroffensive succeeded in reclaiming Beryslav, the city of Kherson and some additional territory Russia had occupied. But Musk’s order, which hasn’t previously been reported, is the first known instance of the billionaire actively shutting off Starlink coverage over a battlefield during the conflict. The decision shocked some Starlink employees and effectively reshaped the front line of the fighting, enabling Musk to take “the outcome of a war into his own hands,” another one of the three people said.

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    The account of the command counters Musk’s narrative of how he has handled Starlink service in Ukraine amid the war. As recently as March, in a post on X, his social media site, Musk wrote: “We would never do such a thing.”

    Musk and Nicolls didn’t respond to requests from Reuters for comment.

    A SpaceX spokesperson said by email that the news agency’s reporting is “inaccurate” and referred reporters to an X post earlier this year in which the company said: “Starlink is fully committed to providing service to Ukraine.” The spokesperson didn’t specify any inaccuracies in this report or answer a lengthy list of questions regarding the incident, Starlink’s role in the Ukraine war, or other details regarding its business.

    The office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and the country’s Ministry of Defence didn’t respond to requests for comment. Starlink still provides service to Ukraine, and the Ukrainian military relies on it for some connectivity. Zelenskiy as recently as this year has publicly expressed gratitude to Musk for Starlink.

    Starlink became a crucial communications tool for Ukraine after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Here, Ukrainian soldiers earlier this year set up a Starlink terminal near front lines. REUTERS
    Starlink became a crucial communications tool for Ukraine after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Here, Ukrainian soldiers earlier this year set up a Starlink terminal near front lines. REUTERS

    It isn’t clear what prompted Musk’s command, when exactly he gave it, or precisely how long the outage lasted. The three people familiar with the order said they believed it stemmed from concerns Musk expressed later that Ukrainian advances could provoke nuclear retaliation from Russia. One of the people said the shutoff transpired on September 30, 2022. The two others said it was around then, but didn’t recall the exact date. Some senior U.S. officials shared Musk’s concerns that Russia would make good on threats to escalate, one former White House staffer told Reuters.

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    Musk’s order was an early glimpse of the power the magnate now wields in geopolitics and global security because of Starlink, a fast-growing satellite internet service that barely existed early this decade and now provides connectivity even in remote areas of the world. Even before his brief role as financial backer and advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, the success of Starlink – and the unrivaled connectivity it offers across the planet – had given Musk increasing influence with political leaders, governments and militaries worldwide.

    Musk’s sway in military affairs in Washington and beyond – through Starlink’s dominance in satellite communications and SpaceX’s clout in space launches – has reached a dimension previously limited to sovereign governments, alarming some regulators and lawmakers. “Elon Musk’s current global dominance exemplifies the dangers of concentrated power in unregulated domains,” Martha Lane Fox, a member of Britain’s upper house of parliament, said during a debate earlier this year. The parliamentarian is a businesswoman and former board member at Twitter, the social media site that Musk acquired in 2022 and rebranded as X.

    “Its control,” Lane Fox said of Starlink, “rests solely with Musk, allowing his whims to dictate access to vital infrastructure.”

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    Musk’s political influence, and his massive business with the U.S. federal government, are now being put to the test. Since leaving his role advising Trump, Musk has publicly feuded with the president, announced plans to create a new political party, and criticized a signature spending bill that he said will expand the budget deficit and destroy jobs. Trump, for his part, has threatened to end government contracts and subsidies for Musk’s companies, including lucrative new defense projects.

    Whatever the reason for Musk’s decision, the shutoff over Kherson and other regions surprised some involved with the Ukraine war – from troops on the ground to U.S. military and foreign policy officials, who after Russia’s full-scale invasion that February had worked to secure Starlink service for Ukrainian forces. Panicked calls by Ukrainian officials during the outage to seek information from Pentagon counterparts, five people familiar with the incident said, were met with few explanations for what could have caused it.

    The U.S. Department of Defense declined to comment. Reuters couldn’t determine whether White House or Pentagon officials after the shutdown had any exchanges with Musk over the outage.

    The Kherson episode is distinct from an earlier report of an incident that purportedly occurred that same September, involving Crimea just to the south, and raised concerns about Musk’s ability to influence the conflict in Ukraine.

    In his 2023 biography of Musk, author Walter Isaacson reported that the tycoon had ordered Starlink to disable coverage in Crimea, which Russia had annexed from Ukraine after a 2014 invasion that the international community condemned as illegal. Musk, Isaacson wrote, believed a planned Ukrainian attack on Russian vessels in the Crimean port of Sevastopol could prompt nuclear retaliation.

    Musk's order to shutoff Starlink over areas of Ukraine's counteroffensive, people familiar with the episode said, likely reflected his concern that Moscow could retaliate with nuclear weapons. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
    Musk’s order to shutoff Starlink over areas of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, people familiar with the episode said, likely reflected his concern that Moscow could retaliate with nuclear weapons. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
    After the book was published, Musk denied a shutdown, saying that there had never been coverage in Crimea to begin with. He said he had, rather, rejected a Ukrainian request to provide service ahead of Kyiv’s planned attack. Isaacson later conceded his account was flawed. A spokesperson at Isaacson’s publisher declined to comment or make him available for an interview.
    SpaceX also said in 2023 that it had taken unspecified steps to prevent Ukraine from using Starlink for certain activities, including drone attacks. “Our intent was never to have them use it for offensive purposes,” Gwynne Shotwell, the company’s president, said at a conference in Washington in February of that year. “There are things that we can do, and have done” to prevent it, she added, without providing further detail.

    Reuters couldn’t determine if the shutdown affecting Kherson was among the steps she was referring to. Shotwell didn’t respond to requests for comment for this article.

    Following the start of the Kherson shutdown, word of an outage emerged in some media reports. At the time, it wasn’t clear to those who lost connectivity whether a technical problem, sabotage or some other factor was responsible. Early in the war, Russia had orchestrated a large cyberattack that disrupted service of another satellite operator, Western officials have said, creating suspicions around any outage and leaving a void quickly filled by Starlink. Russia has denied it conducts offensive cyberattacks.

    As of April 2025, according to Ukrainian government social media posts, Kyiv has received more than 50,000 Starlink terminals. Easily transported and deployed, the pizza-box-sized devices communicate with thousands of SpaceX satellites now circling the globe. An initial batch of terminals was provided to Ukraine by SpaceX itself. Further terminals have arrived from donors including Poland, the United States and Germany.

    A social media post by Ukraine’s Defence Ministry during its counteroffensive in September 2022 praised Starlink and thanked Musk for its role in helping the military maintain connectivity. Video via X.

    This account of the outage, and the growing dependence on Musk by governments and militaries worldwide, is based on interviews with more than three dozen people with knowledge of SpaceX’s operations and the company’s technology. These people included current and former employees, U.S. and European military officials, and senior politicians and diplomats.

    The reporting puts a spotlight on Musk’s control of services now critical to countries including the U.S., which has about $22 billion in contracts with SpaceX. Underscoring the point himself during his recent dispute with Trump, Musk threatened to decommission a SpaceX spacecraft the U.S. now relies upon to transport astronauts and critical cargo.

    His threat, later retracted, unnerved attorneys at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, who felt forced to explore whether Musk’s warning could be considered a notice of contract termination, according to two people familiar with the matter. NASA didn’t respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

    “There needs to be some contractual assurances” that Musk won’t cut off services to the U.S. government, said Lori Garver, a former deputy administrator of the agency. “We will need to consider how comfortable the U.S. will be at putting SpaceX in the critical path on national security.”

    As countries increasingly rely on tech companies for everything from cyber defense to data storage, the question of dependence on one or a few dominant service providers will apply to other nations, too. “Governments have to think through what that means,” said Marcus Willett, former deputy head of Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters intelligence agency and now a senior adviser to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank.

    “WE NEED ASSURANCES”

    SpaceX is the first company to establish an extensive network of communication satellites in low-Earth orbit, a region of space that is closer to the planet than areas where such satellites historically reside. The proximity of satellites that now make up the company’s constellation allows Starlink to offer space-based wireless connectivity that is faster than any previously available.

    Starlink on Thursday suffered a rare global outage of several hours, the company said, because of an internal software problem. A Ukrainian military commander in a social media post said “Starlink is down across the entire front,” updating the post two and a half hours later to say connectivity had returned.

    With more than 7,900 satellites now in orbit, SpaceX has become the world’s largest satellite operator. Its devices, which relay signals among each other to create a network that communicates with the ground, account for about two-thirds of all active satellites in space, according to Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian.

    Starlink began rolling out service in 2020 and now has more than six million customers in over 140 countries, territories and markets, according to a June Starlink social media post. Novaspace, a consulting firm near Paris, estimates that Starlink in 2025 will generate about $9.8 billion in revenue for SpaceX, or about 60% of the company’s income. SpaceX is privately held and doesn’t disclose financial information, but Musk recently said he expects the rocket company to post revenues of about $15.5 billion this year.

    Starlink is now believed to generate more than half the revenues for SpaceX, Musk’s satellite and rocket company. This June SpaceX launch in Florida sent 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. Video via SpaceX website

    The sheer number of Starlink satellites, and their proximity to Earth, provides fast and reliable internet connectivity even in remote locations. Here, a SpaceX rocket in February carries Starlink satellites into space from Cape Canaveral. REUTERS/Sam Wolfe
    The sheer number of Starlink satellites, and their proximity to Earth, provides fast and reliable internet connectivity even in remote locations. Here, a SpaceX rocket in February carries Starlink satellites into space from Cape Canaveral. REUTERS/Sam Wolfe

    Rivals are scrambling to get in on the market.

    OneWeb, a European service owned by Eutelsat, a French company, is the furthest along, boasting about 650 satellites in low-Earth orbit. Amazon this year launched its first satellites for Project Kuiper, a $10 billion effort to compete. China is developing multiple networks, including a state-backed venture known as SpaceSail.

    Still, Starlink has made much of its first-mover advantage. Its terminals, priced as low as a few hundred dollars for standard models, are known for being affordable and easy to use. “There is no existing system right now to replace Starlink,” said Grace Khanuja, an analyst at Novaspace, the consultancy near Paris.

    Compared to the geostationary satellites historically used for communications, the sheer number of SpaceX satellites helps make Starlink less vulnerable to jamming and attacks. Its far reach makes it valuable in remote and hostile terrain – from battlefields to airspace to high seas. In Ukraine, it has facilitated activities including communications, intelligence and drone piloting.

    The Ukrainian military has used Starlink terminals on drones, a signature tool of the ongoing war. A video posted on social media by Ukraine’s security agency in March features a sea drone equipped with what appears to be one of the terminals. Video via Telegram

    Some Western militaries not engaged in conflict are also using the service. Britain’s armed forces, for instance, three years ago began using Starlink for “welfare purposes,” including personal communications for troops, the Ministry of Defence said in response to a freedom of information request. The ministry said it has fewer than 1,000 Starlink terminals and doesn’t employ them for sensitive military communications. Spain’s navy is also using Starlink, but only for recreation and leisure of troops, a spokesperson said.

    “That will change,” said Chris Moore, a retired air vice-marshal in the British military, speaking about high-speed space-based connectivity. Moore also worked as a OneWeb executive and is now a defense industry consultant. Satellites in low-Earth orbit, he said, offer too many advantages for militaries to ignore, especially for modern developments such as drone warfare, a signature element of the Ukraine conflict.

    Some leaders are leery.

    In Taiwan, ever wary of conflict with China, officials have expressed concern about Musk’s extensive business interests on the mainland, including a major factory for Tesla, the electric vehicle company he controls. Eager for communications backups in the event of war, Taiwan is developing its own low-Earth orbit satellite network. Taiwanese officials have said the government could partner with Amazon’s Kuiper, too.

    Spokespersons for the Taiwanese government said it welcomes international satellite providers but that Starlink hasn’t applied for a license in Taiwan. They didn’t respond to questions about Taipei’s relationship with Musk.

    In Italy, the government is evaluating whether to employ Starlink for secure communications among the government, defense and other officials. But some officials, including President Sergio Mattarella, remain unconvinced by SpaceX’s assurances that its service would be secure and free from meddling by Musk. “More than Musk’s word, we need assurances that we can’t be shut down, and especially that he can’t access the data,” said a person familiar with the views of the president, who is an influential figure with the armed forces.

    Poland, a major donor to Ukraine, has provided about half the Starlink terminals now being used in the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, left, welcomed Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski to a 2023 meeting in Kyiv. Photo via Ukrainian Presidential Press Service
    Poland, a major donor to Ukraine, has provided about half the Starlink terminals now being used in the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, left, welcomed Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski to a 2023 meeting in Kyiv. Photo via Ukrainian Presidential Press Service

    Poland, a major donor to Ukraine, told Reuters it employs Starlink as well as other military and commercial satellite systems. A mix of providers, Polish officials have said, offers the most security, even if at high cost.

    “In peacetime, you want the best product at the best price,” Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in response to a question from Reuters at a press conference in April. “In wartime, you want redundancy. You want security. You want duplicated systems, so that if one fails, you can still use the other.”

    “THERE WAS NOT A CONNECTION”

    Even before the conflict began, documents reviewed by Reuters show, SpaceX had already been in discussions with the U.S. government about providing Starlink in Ukraine. Rollout began after Russian troops crossed the border on February 24, 2022.

    Two days later, Mykhailo Fedorov, a deputy prime minister in Ukraine, requested Musk’s help. “We ask you to provide Ukraine with Starlink stations,” he wrote on Twitter.

    Musk responded in 10 hours. “Starlink service is now active in Ukraine,” he tweeted. “More terminals en route.”

    Mykhailo Fedorov, a deputy prime minister of Ukraine, asked Musk to provide Starlink service soon after Russia’s full-scale invasion. He and other government officials have since spoken of its importance to Ukraine’s defense. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
    Mykhailo Fedorov, a deputy prime minister of Ukraine, asked Musk to provide Starlink service soon after Russia’s full-scale invasion. He and other government officials have since spoken of its importance to Ukraine’s defense. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

    Poland was also instrumental in the early days of the war, shipping thousands of terminals to Ukraine shortly after the invasion. Warsaw this year said it has purchased about 25,000 Starlink terminals for the effort – roughly half the total now in Ukraine – and that it is paying the subscription costs to keep them connected. So far, it has spent about $89 million on Starlink for Ukraine.

    The equipment has made a critical difference for Ukraine.

    Day-to-day bureaucracy has also benefited. Early in the conflict, Ukraine stored state data in the cloud and relied on Starlink to access it, helping keep some government operations running. “We wouldn’t be anywhere without Starlink,” said Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain until 2023. “The whole state was preserved.”

    On the battlefield, Ukraine quickly deployed Starlink to enable front-line troops to communicate with commanders. The service also allowed drone operators to transmit surveillance video streams and locate and attack Russian targets. Reuters couldn’t establish just when such attacks may have become a concern for Musk or SpaceX.

    Maryna Tsirkun, a drone specialist who works closely with Ukraine's military, said Starlink signals failed as Ukrainian troops in the fall of 2022 pushed into terrain seized by Russia. Photo via Aerorozvidka.
    Maryna Tsirkun, a drone specialist who works closely with Ukraine’s military, said Starlink signals failed as Ukrainian troops in the fall of 2022 pushed into terrain seized by Russia. Photo via Aerorozvidka.

    By September 2022, a major Ukrainian counteroffensive was underway. Kyiv’s forces were pushing back into territories, including Kherson, that Russia had captured. The drive threatened Russian supply lines, prompting Moscow to threaten the West, including oblique references to Starlink.

    That month, in a statement to the United Nations, Russia noted the use of “elements of civilian, including commercial, infrastructure in outer space for military purposes.” It warned that “quasi-civilian infrastructure may become a legitimate target for retaliation.”

    It isn’t clear whether Russia has tried to attack any Starlink facilities. Musk has said, however, that Moscow has repeatedly sought to block its connectivity. “SpaceX is spending significant resources combating Russian jamming efforts,” Musk wrote on X last year. “This is a tough problem.”

    The Kremlin declined to comment on whether it has sought to interfere with Starlink. The Ministry of Defence didn’t respond to a request for comment. Starlink isn’t licensed for either civilian or military use in Russia.

    As Ukraine’s counterattack intensified, Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 21, 2022, ordered a partial mobilization of reservists, Russia’s first since World War II. He also threatened to use nuclear weapons if Russia’s own “territorial integrity” were at risk.

    Around this time, Musk engaged in weeks of backchannel conversations with senior officials in the administration of President Joe Biden, according to three former U.S. government officials and one of the people familiar with Musk’s order to stop service. During those conversations, the former White House staffer told Reuters, U.S. intelligence and security officials expressed concern that Putin could follow through on his threats. Musk, this person added, worried too, and asked U.S. officials if they knew where and how Ukraine used Starlink on the battlefield.

    Soon after, he ordered the shutdown.

    Reuters couldn’t ascertain the full geographic extent of the outage, but the three people familiar with the stoppage said that it covered regions that had recently been taken by Russia. Starlink coverage prior to the order, they said, had been active up to what had been Ukraine’s border with Russia before the full-scale invasion.

    Taras Tymochko, a Ukrainian military signals specialist stationed in the Kherson region at the time, said an outage disrupted communications for troops, including colleagues on the front, for several hours. “If you were using Starlink to provide surveillance of the front line, you pretty much would be blind,” said Tymochko, who is now a consultant to Come Back Alive, a non-governmental organization that procures military equipment for Ukraine’s armed forces.

    Starlink has helped ensure connectivity for Ukrainian troops on the front line. These soldiers in the Kherson region fired artillery toward Russian positions in the fall of 2022. REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi
    Starlink has helped ensure connectivity for Ukrainian troops on the front line. These soldiers in the Kherson region fired artillery toward Russian positions in the fall of 2022. REUTERS/Viacheslav Ratynskyi

    Maryna Tsirkun, a drone expert at Aerorozvidka, an aerial reconnaissance organization that works closely with the Ukrainian military, was also in southern Ukraine at the time. Starlink signals failed as Ukrainian troops began to push toward terrain seized by Russia, she told Reuters. “When we started to proceed there was not a connection,” she said. The outage she and colleagues experienced lasted several days.

    On October 3, Musk angered Zelenskiy and other Ukrainian officials by tweeting a suggestion that locals in regions annexed by Russia vote on whether they should remain a part of Ukraine. A day later, Musk tweeted his concern about the conflict spiraling. “I still very much support Ukraine,” he tweeted, “but am convinced that massive escalation of the war will cause great harm to Ukraine and possibly the world.”

    Three days later, following one media report about a Starlink outage, Musk tweeted that “what’s happening on the battlefield, that’s classified.” He added that SpaceX by the end of 2022 was on track to spend $100 million on Ukraine. Although the Polish and U.S. governments by then had begun donations of their own, the billionaire complained about the cost of the equipment and services SpaceX was providing.

    SpaceX “cannot fund the existing system indefinitely,” Musk wrote in a mid-October post. The next day, in another tweet, he reversed course. “To hell with it,” he wrote, “we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free.”

    After the outage, Kyiv worked to charm Musk.

    In November 2022, Fedorov, the government minister, publicly expressed trust in the service. Months later – just after Shotwell, the SpaceX president, said the company had taken steps to prevent Ukraine from using Starlink for drone attacks – Fedorov in an interview with a Ukrainian news site recognized Starlink’s ability to “geofence” coverage, selectively limiting signals in some areas.

    By February 2023, however, Starlink was fully functional in Ukraine, he said. “All the Starlink terminals in Ukraine work properly,” Fedorov told Ukrainska Pravda, the news site. Fedorov, who recently assumed the title of first deputy prime minister, didn’t respond to a request for comment about Ukraine’s use of Starlink in the war.

    In mid-2023, the U.S. Department of Defense signed an agreement with SpaceX to pay for Starlink coverage in Ukraine. Terms of the contract weren’t disclosed, but Quilty Space, a Florida-based research firm, said the Pentagon has an ongoing $537 million agreement with SpaceX to provide satellite communications to Ukraine. It’s not clear whether SpaceX is still footing the bill for any equipment or connectivity.

    As the war has evolved, so has Ukraine’s use of Musk’s technology.

    Ukrainian drone specialists and Prystaiko, the former ambassador to Britain, said some attack devices, including maritime and bomber drones, now have Starlink antennas fitted to them. The antennas, in the case of sea drones, help operators guide the devices and view video feeds to classify targets, said Sidharth Kaushal, a senior research fellow at Royal United Services Institute, a London-based defense think tank.

    It’s uncertain whether such use contravenes SpaceX’s desire that Starlink not be employed for offense.

    Ukraine continues to explore alternatives that could complement or back up Starlink if the service became unavailable, a senior government official told Reuters. Ukraine’s government has expressed interest in European satellite projects, European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told Reuters. That includes GOVSATCOM, an EU project to pool satellite resources from member states and industry to provide services to governments, he said.

    Privately, though, some Ukrainian officials say the existing alternatives to Starlink have limitations. “It takes time, it takes money,” the senior government official told Reuters. With Starlink, he added, “we have a working system.”

    Musk himself has boasted of Starlink’s importance to Kyiv. “My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army,” he wrote on X in March. “Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off.”

    Reporting by Joey Roulette in Washington, Cassell Bryan-Low in London and Tom Balmforth in Kyiv. Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal in Washington, Giselda Vagnoni and Angelo Amante in Rome, Barbara Erling in Warsaw, and Aislinn Laing in Madrid. Photo editing by Simon Newman. Art direction and illustration by Catherine Tai. Editing by Joe Brock and Paulo Prada.

  • Elon Musk Says He Regrets Some Posts He Made About Donald Trump

    Elon Musk Says He Regrets Some Posts He Made About Donald Trump

    Billionaire Elon Musk has said he regrets some of the posts he made about US President Donald Trump during their war of words on social media.

    “I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far,” he said on his platform X.

    The two were embroiled in a public fallout, after the Tesla owner called Trump’s tax bill a “disgusting abomination”.

    His post comes after Trump declared that their relationship was over, and that he had no interest in mending ties with Musk.

    The budget, which includes huge tax breaks and more defence spending, was passed by the House of Representatives last month and is now being considered by senators.

    Musk urged Americans to call their representatives in Washington to “kill the bill” as he believed it would “cause a recession in the second half of the year”.

    The tech billionaire claimed, without evidence, that Trump appears in unreleased government files linked to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The White House rubbished those claims.

    In response Trump said Musk had “lost his mind” and threatened to cancel his government contracts which have an estimated value of $38bn (£28bn).

    “I think it’s a very bad thing, because he’s very disrespectful. You could not disrespect the office of the president,” Trump said in an interview with NBC on Sunday.

    Musk deleted most of his posts over the weekend, including one that called for Trump’s impeachment and another claiming he won the election for him.

    Musk was the largest donor for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and had been considered the president’s right-hand man.

    Their blowout came shortly after Musk left the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), after just 129 days in the job.

    (BBC)

  • Trump Threatens Musk With ‘Serious Consequences’ Over Spending Bill Feud

    Trump Threatens Musk With ‘Serious Consequences’ Over Spending Bill Feud

    US President Donald Trump threatened former close advisor Elon Musk with “serious consequences” if he sought to punish Republicans voting for a contentious spending bill.

    The president made the threat in an interview on US television Saturday days after the world’s most powerful leader and the world’s richest man became embroiled in a public bust-up.

    US President Donald Trump threatened his former advisor Elon Musk with “serious consequences” Saturday if the tech billionaire seeks to punish Republicans who vote for a controversial spending bill.

    The comments by Trump to NBC News come after the relationship between the world’s most powerful person and the world’s richest imploded in bitter and spectacular fashion this week

    The blistering break-up — largely carried out on social media before a riveted public on Thursday — was ignited by Musk’s harsh criticism of Trump’s so-called “big, beautiful” spending bill, which is currently before Congress.

    Some lawmakers who were against the bill had called on Musk — one of the Republican Party’s biggest financial backers in last year’s presidential election — to fund primary challenges against Republicans who voted for the legislation.

    “He’ll have to pay very serious consequences if he does that,” Trump, who also branded Musk “disrespectful,” told NBC News on Saturday, without specifying what those consequences would be.

    He also said he had “no” desire to repair his relationship with the South African-born Tesla and SpaceX chief, and that he has “no intention of speaking to him.”

    Just last week, Trump gave Musk a glowing send-off as he left his cost-cutting role at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

    But their relationship cracked within days as Musk described as an “abomination” the spending bill that, if passed by Congress, could define Trump’s second term in office.

    Trump hit back in an Oval Office diatribe and from, there the row detonated, leaving Washington stunned.

    With real political and economic risks to their falling out, both had appeared to inch back from the brink on Friday, with Trump telling reporters “I just wish him well,” and Musk responding on X: “Likewise.”

    ‘Old news’

    Trump spoke to NBC Saturday after Musk deleted one of the explosive allegations he had made during their fallout, linking the president with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

    Musk had alleged that the Republican leader is featured in unreleased government files on former associates of Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while he faced sex trafficking charges.

    The Trump administration has acknowledged it is reviewing tens of thousands of documents, videos and investigative material that his “MAGA” movement says will unmask public figures complicit in Epstein’s crimes.

    Trump was named in a trove of deposition and statements linked to Epstein that were unsealed by a New York judge in early 2024. The president has not been accused of any wrongdoing in the case.

    “Time to drop the really big bomb: (Trump) is in the Epstein files,” Musk posted on his social media platform, X.

    “That is the real reason they have not been made public.”

    Musk did not reveal which files he was talking about and offered no evidence for his claim.

    He initially doubled down on the claim, writing in a follow-up message: “Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.”

    However, he appeared to have deleted both tweets by Saturday morning.

    Trump dismissed the claim as “old news” in his comments to NBC on Saturday, adding: “Even Epstein’s lawyer said I had nothing to do with it.”

    Supporters on the conspiratorial end of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” base allege that Epstein’s associates had their roles in his crimes covered up by government officials and others.

    They point the finger at Democrats and Hollywood celebrities, although not at Trump himself. No official source has ever confirmed that the president appears in any of the as yet unreleased material.

    Trump knew and socialized with Epstein but has denied spending time on Little Saint James, the private redoubt in the US Virgin Islands where prosecutors alleged Epstein trafficked underage girls for sex.

    “Terrific guy,” Trump, who was Epstein’s neighbor in both Florida and New York, said in an early 2000s profile of the financier.

    “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”

    (AFP)

  • Trump and Musk Enter Bitter Feud – and Washington Buckles Up

    Trump and Musk Enter Bitter Feud – and Washington Buckles Up

    What happens when the richest person and the most powerful politician have a knock-down, drag-out fight?

    The world may be about to find out.

    A disagreement between Elon Musk and Donald Trump started at a simmer last week, began bubbling on Wednesday and is now in full-on boil. And like everything these two men do, it is all spilling out into public view. These two men have two of the world’s biggest megaphones, and they clearly enjoy using them.

    In remarks at the Oval Office on Thursday afternoon, Trump sounded a bit like a spurned lover. He expressed surprise at Musk’s criticism of his “big, beautiful” tax and spending legislation. He pushed back against the notion that he would have lost last year’s presidential election without Musk’s hundreds of millions of dollars in support. And he said Musk was only changing his tune now because his car company, Tesla, will be hurt by the Republican push to end electric vehicle tax credits.

    Musk took to his social media site, X, with a very Generation X response for his 220 million followers: “Whatever”. He said he didn’t care about the car subsidies, he wanted to shrink the national debt, which he says is an existential threat to the nation. He called Trump “ungrateful” for his help last year and insisted that Democrats would have prevailed without him.

    Musk and Trump had formed a powerful but unlikely alliance , culminating in the tech billionaire having a key position of budget-slashing authority in the Trump administration. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or Doge, became one of the biggest stories of Trump’s first 100 days, as it shuttered entire agencies and dismissed thousands of government workers.

    It wasn’t long, however, before speculation began over when – and how – the two outsized personalities would ultimately fall out.

    For a while, it seemed like those predictions were off the mark. Trump stood by Musk even as the latter’s popularity dropped, as he feuded with administration officials and as he became a liability in several key elections earlier this year. Every time it appeared there would be a break, Musk would pop up in the Oval Office, or the Cabinet room or on the president’s Air Force One flight to Mar-a-Lago.

    When Musk’s 130 days as a “special government employee” ended last week, the two had a chummy Oval Office send-off, with hints that Musk might someday return.

    It’s safe to say that any invitation has been rescinded.

    “Elon and I had a great relationship,” Trump said on Thursday – a comment notable for its use of the past tense.

    There had been some thought that Trump’s surprise announcement on Wednesday night of a new travel ban, additional sanctions on Harvard and a conspiracy-laced administration investigation of former President Joe Biden were all efforts to change the subject from Musk’s criticism. The White House and its allies in Congress seemed careful not to further antagonise him after his earlier comments.

    Then Trump spoke out and … so much for that.

    Now the question is where the dispute goes next. Congressional Republicans could find it harder to keep their members behind Trump’s bill with Musk providing rhetorical – and, perhaps financial – air for those who break ranks.

    Trump, who takes pride in being a devastating counterpuncher, will have plenty of opportunity to lay into Musk. What will happen to Musk’s Doge allies still in the Trump administration or government contracts to Musk-related companies or Biden-era investigations into Musk’s business dealings?

    “The easiest way to save money in our budget, billions and billions of dollars, is to terminate Elon’s governmental subsidies and contracts,” Trump posted menacingly on his own social media website.

    If Trump turns the machinery of government against Musk, the tech billionaire will feel pain. Tesla’s stock price was down 12% on Thursday.

    But Musk also has near limitless resources to respond, including by funding insurgent challengers to Republicans in next year’s elections and primaries. He may not win a fight against the whole of Trump’s government, but he could exact a high political price.

    Meanwhile, Democrats are on the sidelines, wondering how to respond. Few seem willing to welcome Musk, a former donor to their party, back into the fold. But there’s also the old adage that the enemy of an enemy is a friend.

    “It’s a zero-sum game,” Liam Kerr, a Democratic strategist, told Politico. “Anything that he does that moves more toward Democrats hurts Republicans.”

    At the very least, Democrats seem happy to stand back and let the two men exchange blows. And until they abandon this fight, the din is likely to drown out everything else in American politics.

    But don’t expect this spat to end anytime soon.

    “Trump has 3.5 years left as president,” Musk wrote on X, “but I will be around for 40-plus years.”

    (BBC)

  • Elon Musk is Leaving The Trump Administration After Criticizing President’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

    Elon Musk is Leaving The Trump Administration After Criticizing President’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk is leaving his government role as a top adviser to President Donald Trump after spearheading efforts to reduce and overhaul the federal bureaucracy.

    The billionaire entrepreneur posted Wednesday about his decision on X, his social media website.

    “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” he wrote. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

    A White House official, who requested anonymity to talk about the change, confirmed that Musk was leaving.

    Musk’s departure comes one day after he criticized the centerpiece of Trump’s legislative agenda, saying he was “disappointed” by what the president calls his “big beautiful bill.”

    The legislation includes a mix of tax cuts and enhanced immigration enforcement. While speaking to CBS, Musk described it as a “massive spending bill” that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of his Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE.

    President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speak to reporters after departing a House Republican conference meeting, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
    President Donald Trump and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speak to reporters after departing a House Republican conference meeting, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

    “I think a bill can be big or it could be beautiful,” Musk said. “But I don’t know if it could be both.”

    His CBS interview came out Tuesday night. Trump, speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, defended his agenda by talking about the delicate politics involved with negotiating the legislation.

    “I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” he said.

    Trump also suggested that more changes could be made.

    “We’re going to see what happens,” he said. “It’s got a way to go.”

    Republicans recently pushed the measure through the House and are debating it in the Senate.

    Musk’s concerns are shared by some Republican lawmakers. “I sympathize with Elon being discouraged,” said Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson.

    Speaking at a Milwaukee Press Club event on Wednesday, Johnson added that he was “pretty confident” there was enough opposition “to slow this process down until the president, our leadership, gets serious” about reducing spending. He said there was no amount of pressure Trump could put on him to change his position.

    Speaker Mike Johnson has asked senators to make as few changes to the legislation as possible, saying that House Republicans reached a “very delicate balance” that could be upended with major changes. The narrowly divided House will have to vote again on final passage once the Senate alters the bill.

    On Wednesday, Johnson thanked Musk for his work and promised to pursue more spending cuts in the future, saying “the House is eager and ready to act on DOGE’s findings.”

    The White House is sending some proposed rescissions, a mechanism used to cancel previously authorized spending, to Capitol Hill to solidify some of DOGE’s cuts. A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget said the package will include $1.1 billion from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS, and $8.3 billion in foreign assistance.

    Musk’s criticism come as he steps back from his government work, rededicating himself to companies like the electric automaker Tesla and rocket manufacturer SpaceX. He’s also said he’ll reduce his political spending, because “I think I’ve done enough.”

    At times, he’s seemed chastened by his experience working in government. Although he hoped that DOGE would generate $1 trillion in spending cuts, he’s fallen far short of that target.

    “The federal bureaucracy situation is much worse than I realized,” he told The Washington Post. “I thought there were problems, but it sure is an uphill battle trying to improve things in D.C., to say the least.”

    Musk had previously been energized by the opportunity to reshape Washington. He wore campaign hats in the White House, held his own campaign rallies, and talked about excessive spending as an existential crisis. He often tended to be effusive in his praise of Trump.

    “The more I’ve gotten to know President Trump, the more I like the guy,” Musk said in February. “Frankly, I love him.”

    Trump repaid the favor, describing Musk as “a truly great American.” When Tesla faced declining sales, he turned the White House driveway into a makeshift showroom to illustrate his support.

    It’s unclear what, if any, impact that Musk’s comments about the bill would have on the legislative debate. During the transition period, he helped whip up opposition to a spending measure as the country stood on the brink of a federal government shutdown.

    His latest criticism could embolden Republicans who want bigger spending cuts. Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee reposted a Fox News story about Musk’s interview while also adding his own take on the measure, saying there was “still time to fix it.”

    “The Senate version will be more aggressive,” Lee said. “It can, it must, and it will be. Or it won’t pass.”

    Only two Republicans — Reps. Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — voted against the bill when the House took up the measure last week.

    Davidson took note of Musk’s comments on social media.

    “Hopefully, the Senate will succeed with the Big Beautiful Bill where the House missed the moment,” he wrote. “Don’t hope someone else will cut deficits someday, know it has been done this Congress.”

    The Congressional Budget Office, in a preliminary estimate, said the tax provisions would increase federal deficits by $3.8 trillion over the decade, while the changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other services would reduce spending by slightly more than $1 trillion over the same period.

    House Republican leaders say increased economic growth would allow the bill to be deficit-neutral or deficit-reducing, but outside watchdogs are skeptical. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the bill would add $3 trillion to the debt, including interest, over the next decade.

  • Is There a Genocide of White South Africans as Trump Claims?

    Is There a Genocide of White South Africans as Trump Claims?

    US President Donald Trump has given members of South Africa’s Afrikaner community refugee status, alleging that a genocide was taking place in the country.

    Nearly 60 of them have arrived in the US after being granted asylum.

    The South African government allowed the US embassy to consider their applications inside the country, and let the group board a chartered flight from the main international airport in Johannesburg – not scenes normally associated with refugees fleeing persecution.

    Trump later confronted South Africa’s president about the allegations in a packed White House meeting attended by his South African-born adviser Elon Musk and scores of journalists. It was a high-profile encounter that has also rarely been seen during humanitarian crises.

    Who are the Afrikaners?

    South African History Online sums up their identity by pointing out that “the modern Afrikaner is descended mainly from Western Europeans who settled on the southern tip of Africa during the middle of the 17th Century”.

    A mixture of Dutch (34.8%), German (33.7%) and French (13.2%) settlers, they formed a “unique cultural group” which identified itself “completely with African soil”, South African History Online noted.

    Their language, Afrikaans, is quite similar to Dutch.

    But as they planted their roots in Africa, Afrikaners, as well as other white communities, forced black people to leave their land.

    Afrikaners are also known as Boers, which actually means farmer, and the group is still closely associated with farming.

    In 1948, South Africa’s Afrikaner-led government introduced apartheid, or apartness, taking racial segregation to a more extreme level.

    This included laws which banned marriages across racial lines, reserved many skilled and semi-skilled jobs for white people, and forced black people to live in what were called townships and homelands.

    They were also denied a decent education, with Afrikaner leader Hendrik Verwoerd infamously remarking in the 1950s that “blacks should never be shown the greener pastures of education. They should know their station in life is to be hewers of wood and drawers of water”.

    Afrikaner dominance of South Africa ended in 1994, when black people were allowed to vote for the first time in a nationwide election, bringing Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress (ANC) to power.

    Afrikaners currently number more than 2.5 million out of a population of more than 60 million – about 4%.

    Is a genocide being committed?

    Afrikaners make up about 4% of South Africa's population
    Afrikaners make up about 4% of South Africa’s population

    None of South Africa’s political parties – including those that represent Afrikaners and the white community in general – have claimed that there is a genocide in South Africa.

    But such claims have been circulating among right-wing groups for many years, and during his first term, Trump referred to the “large scale killing of farmers” in South Africa.

    Some white farmers have been killed but a lot of misleading information has been circulated online.

    In February, a South African judge dismissed the idea of a genocide as “clearly imagined” and “not real”, when ruling in an inheritance case involving a wealthy benefactor’s donation to white supremacist group Boerelegioen.

    South Africa does not release crime figures based on race but the latest figures revealed that 6,953 people were murdered in the country between October and December 2024.

    Of these, 12 were killed in farm attacks. Of the 12, one was a farmer, while five were farm dwellers and four were employees, who are likely to have been black.

    What have Trump and Musk said?

    Defending his decision to give Afrikaners refugee status, Trump said that a “genocide” was taking place in South Africa, white farmers were being “brutally killed” and their “land is being confiscated”.

    South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has said it was “completely false” to claim that “people of a certain race or culture are being targeted for persecution”.

    Referring to the first group who have moved to the US, Ramaphosa previously said: “They are leaving because they don’t want to embrace the changes that are taking place in our country and our constitution.”

    At a meeting at the White House in May, Trump ambushed his counterpart by playing videos which he claimed showed proof of a genocide. The videos included an opposition politician singing a song that some say evokes violence against white South Africans.

    Ramaphosa, who had brought white South African golfers to the meeting to meet Trump, condemned what was shown in the video and also explained to Trump that South Africa allows free expression.

    Trump also displayed photos of white people he said had been murdered, prompting Ramaphosa to remind him that such crimes affect people of any race.

    The White House meeting was also attended by Trump’s close adviser Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa.

    Leaving the White House, Ramaphosa said he thought the meeting had gone well, and that Trump still has some doubts as to whether a genocide is taking place.

    Trump also said he was not sure how he could attend the G20 summit of world leaders, due to be held in South Africa later this year, in such an environment.

    The government denies that land is being confiscated from farmers, saying that a bill Ramaphosa signed into law in January was aimed at addressing the land dispossession that black people faced during white-minority rule.

    But the law has been condemned by the Democratic Alliance (DA), Ramaphosa’s main coalition partner in government. The DA say it will challenge the law in South Africa’s highest court, as it threatens property rights.

    Musk has referred to the country’s “racist ownership laws”, alleging that his satellite internet service provider Starlink was “not allowed to operate in South Africa simply because I’m not black”.

    To operate in South Africa, Starlink needs to obtain network and service licences, which both require 30% ownership by historically disadvantaged groups.

    This mainly refers to South Africa’s majority black population, which was shut out of the economy during the racist system of apartheid.

    The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) – a regulatory body in the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors – told the BBC that Starlink had never submitted an application for a licence.

    Musk has also accused the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the fourth-largest party in South Africa, of “actively promoting” a genocide through a song it sings at its rallies.

    Why does a political party sing about shooting Boers?
    Julius Malema is a controversial politician who advocates the nationalisation of land in South Africa
    Julius Malema is a controversial politician who advocates the nationalisation of land in South Africa

    EFF leader Julius Malema’s trademark song is “Shoot the Boer, Shoot the farmer”, which he sings at political rallies.

    Afrikaner lobby groups have tried to get the song banned, saying it was highly inflammatory and amounted to hate speech.

    However, South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that Malema is within his rights to sing the lyrics – first popularised during the anti-apartheid struggle – at political rallies.

    The court ruled that a “reasonably well-informed person” would understand that when “protest songs are sung, even by politicians, the words are not meant to be understood literally, nor is the gesture of shooting to be understood as a call to arms or violence”.

    Instead, the song was a “provocative way” of advancing the EFF’s political agenda – which was to end “land and economic injustice”.

    Lobby group AfriForum filed an appeal against the ruling, but South Africa’s highest court refused to hear the case, saying it had little chance of succeeding.

    In 2023, South Africa’s former President Thabo Mbeki urged Malema to stop singing the song, saying it was no longer politically relevant as the anti-apartheid struggle was over.

    The ANC says it no longer sings it, but it cannot “prescribe to other political parties what they must sing”.

    Do white people face discrimination in South Africa?

    Even though white-minority rule ended in 1994, its effects are still being felt.

    Average living standards are far higher for the white community than black people.

    White people occupy 62.1% of top management posts, despite only accounting for 7.7% of the country’s economically active population, according to a recent report by South Africa’s Commission for Employment Equity.

    The government has tried to change this through what it calls “economic empowerment” and “employment equity” laws.

    An amended version of the second act includes strict targets for companies aimed at increasing the number of non-white employees.

    While these laws have been welcomed by many South Africans, some members of racial minorities feel they make it harder for them to get jobs and government contracts. There has also been criticism that they can lead to corruption, for example when business opportunities are given to friends and relatives of officials.

    Among the critics have been the Democratic Alliance, which despite being part of the governing coalition, recently challenged the amended Employment Equity Act in court, saying it would “make far more people marginalised in our economy than they already are”.

    Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie recently came under fire when a job in his department was advertised as being only open to the Coloured, Asian and white populations.

    He defended this move, saying he was applying the Employment Equity Act and ensuring “all races are represented”, because most of the people in his department were black.

    Do most Afrikaners want to move to the US?

    Some Afrikaners see US President Donald Trump as an ally
    Some Afrikaners see US President Donald Trump as an ally

    It doesn’t look like it.

    In March, a business group said that close to 70,000 Afrikaners had expressed interest in moving to the US following Trump’s offer – from an estimated population of 2.5 million.

    The US embassy in South Africa then released a statement clarifying the criteria for resettlement, saying it covered people from any racial minority, not just Afrikaners, who could cite an incident of past persecution or fear of persecution in the future.

    One Afrikaner who moved to the US told BBC News that he is grateful to Trump for granting him asylum.

    “I felt finally somebody in this world is seeing what’s going on,” said Charl Kleinhaus.

    South Africa’s most recent census, done in 2022, shows that Coloureds, (an officially used term meaning people of mixed racial origin) are the largest minority, making up 8% of the population. They are followed by white people, including Afrikaners, at 7%, and Asians at 3%.

    After Trump’s offer, Afrikaner lobby group Solidarity posted an article on its website headlined: “Ten historical reasons to stay in South Africa”.

    In parliament, the leader of the right-wing Freedom Front Plus party said they were committed to South Africa.

    “We are bound to Africa and will build a future for ourselves and our children here,” Corné Mulder said.

    (BBC)

  • Musk To Reduce Doge Role After Tesla Profits Plunge

    Musk To Reduce Doge Role After Tesla Profits Plunge

    Tesla boss Elon Musk says he will cut back his role in Donald Trump’s administration after the company’s profits and revenues plunged during the first three months of the year.

    Sales slumped and the electric carmaker faced a backlash as Musk became a political fixture in the White House.

    On Tuesday, the firm reported a 20% drop in automotive revenue in the first quarter of 2025, compared with the same period last year, while profits fell more than 70%.

    The company warned investors that the pain could continue, declining to offer a growth forecast while saying “changing political sentiment” could meaningfully hurt demand.

    The recent dip in the company’s fortunes came amid an outcry over Musk’s role in Trump’s new administration, which he acknowledged had taken his focus off the company.

    The tech boss contributed more than a quarter of a billion dollars to Trump’s re-election. He also leads Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) initiative to cut federal spending and slash the government workforce.

    Musk said his “time allocation to Doge” would “drop significantly” starting next month. He would, he said, spend only one to two days per week on government matters “as long as the president would like me to do so and as long as it’s useful”.

    Tesla brought in $19.3bn (£14.5bn) in total revenue in the quarter, down 9% year on year, according to the new numbers. That was less than the $21.1bn expected by analysts, and came as the company cut prices in a bid to woo buyers.

    Trump’s tariffs on China also weighed heavily on Tesla, the company indicated. Although the vehicles Tesla sells in its home market are assembled in the US, it depends on many parts made in China. “Rapidly evolving trade policy” could hurt its supply chain and raise costs, according to the company.

    “This dynamic, along with changing political sentiment, could have a meaningful impact on demand for our products in the near-term,” Tesla’s quarterly update said.

  • Tesla’s Market Plunge A Historic Decline

    Tesla’s Market Plunge A Historic Decline

    Tesla’s recent market collapse has left analysts at JPMorgan struggling to find a comparable moment in automotive history.

    In just a few months, the company lost nearly 48% of its market value, a staggering drop driven by declining sales and concerns over leadership.

    Particularly CEO Elon Musk’s increasing political involvement.

    Elon Musk’s woes increase

    According to JPMorgan analysts, even past disruptions in the auto industry-such as Japanese and Korean brands facing diplomatic tensions with China in 2012 and 2017—do not compare to Tesla’s decline.

    Unlike those cases, which were limited to a single market, Tesla’s struggles in 2025 span multiple countries.

    Leadership, politics, and a shifting market

    Tesla’s stock, which stood at a peak value of $1.54 trillion at the end of last year, has now plummeted to around $777 billion.

    The drop has been fueled by multiple factors, including weakening global demand, brand reputation issues, and Musk’s increasing involvement in politics.

    For a brief moment, Musk’s alignment with Donald Trump seemed like a strategic win.

    Tesla was the only EV company to see its stock rise after Trump’s election victory, with investors hoping Musk’s influence on the new administration would benefit the company.

    Tesla losing money

    However, that optimism is now being challenged.

    JPMorgan analysts warn that Musk’s work with the Department of Government Efficiency may be hurting Tesla’s sales.

    In recent weeks, Tesla showrooms across the U.S. have been targeted by protests and vandalism, further damaging the brand’s public perception.

    Trump has stepped in to defend the company, even suggesting that those responsible for the attacks could be labeled as domestic terrorists.

    Beyond political entanglements, some analysts worry that Musk’s attention is once again drifting away from Tesla’s core business.

    They point to his takeover of X (formerly Twitter) as a moment when Tesla’s pricing and sales expectations started to decline.

    Trump tries to salvage Tesla situation

    Despite the downturn, Tesla remains the world’s most valuable car company, still far ahead of Toyota, which holds a market cap of $292 billion.

    Morgan Stanley analysts acknowledge the current struggles but see potential in Tesla’s upcoming projects, including the launch of its robotaxi in Austin and further development of Optimus, the humanoid robot. However, they caution that given Musk’s history of missing deadlines, expectations for these innovations should be realistic.

    A spokesperson for Tesla has yet to comment on the situation, leaving investors and analysts to wonder if the company can recover from one of the most dramatic downturns in automotive history.

  • Elon Musk’s X Hit By Waves of Outages In What He Claims is ‘A Massive Cyberattack’

    Elon Musk’s X Hit By Waves of Outages In What He Claims is ‘A Massive Cyberattack’

    Elon Musk’s X has been hit by three waves of outages since this morning, which the billionaire claims was due to a cyberattack.

    According to outage tracking site DownDetector, the problems began around 6 am ET when up to 20,538 users reported problems. The issues temporarily died down before nearly 40,000 users reported outages at 10 am. Since 12:30 pm ET, there have been about 26,000 reports at the time of writing.

    Many users on DownDetector complained the app wouldn’t load, and the outage appears to be global, according to DownDetector’s international sites.

    DownDetector data is self-reported, meaning it doesn’t fully represent the outage’s scale. CNN has reached out to X, though the company doesn’t usually respond to press inquiries.

    Musk posted on X that he believes “a large, coordinated group and/or a country is involved,” though the source of motivation behind the attack wasn’t confirmed. Musk also replied “Yes” to a post on X suggesting people are trying to silence the billionaire and his platform, although no further details about the service disruption, including whether it was caused by a targeted attack, have been revealed.

    Eric Noonan, CEO of cybersecurity provider CyberSheath, told CNN it’s likely too early to tell if an attack caused the issues. 

    “One of the things that should always be taken with a grain of salt is any statements made in the short period of time, immediately after, or even in this case during an attack,” Noonan said.

    Musk has a history of attributing technical snafus to cyberattacks. When his conversation with Donald Trump on X started 42 minutes late in August 2024, he said there was a “probability” of an attack.

    “Given the prominence of this conversation, there was of course a 100% probability of DDOS attacks,” Musk posted on the social media platform at the time. DDOS stands for“distributed denial-of-service,” which involves overwhelming servers with fake traffic to cause service disruptions. But Florida Governor Ron Desantis’ presidential campaign announcement on X in 2023 was also marred by technical difficulties.

    Ransomware attacks have been more common than DDOS attacks in recent years because they’re usually financially motivated, according to Noonan. DDOS, however, is typically used to cause a disruption, which also makes confirming the source of these types of attacks more difficult. 

    Musk implemented widespread cuts and major changes to X after acquiring the popular social media platform, then called Twitter, in 2022. He immediately laid off top executives and, within days of acquiring X, cut 3,500 people, or around half the platform’s workforce. He laid off 80% of the staff in total and required the remaining employees to return-to-office full time.

    The platform has experienced a series of glitches and disruptions since the acquisition.

    It’s been a tough day for the businesses owned by Musk, who is also the head of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). On Monday, Tesla shares fell as much as 12% in midday trading,  erasing its gains since Trump’s November 2024 election.

    (CNN)

  • US Threatens To Shut Off Starlink If Ukraine Won’t Sign Minerals Deal, Sources Tell Reuters

    US Threatens To Shut Off Starlink If Ukraine Won’t Sign Minerals Deal, Sources Tell Reuters

    U.S. negotiators pressing Kyiv for access to Ukraine’s critical minerals have raised the possibility of cutting the country’s access to Elon Musk’s vital Starlink satellite internet system, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

    Ukraine’s continued access to SpaceX-owned Starlink was brought up in discussions between U.S. and Ukrainian officials after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy turned down an initial proposal from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the sources said.

    Starlink provides crucial internet connectivity to war-torn Ukraine and its military.

    The issue was raised again on Thursday during meetings between Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special Ukraine envoy, and Zelenskiy, said one of the sources, who was briefed on the talks.

    During the meeting, Ukraine was told it faced imminent shutoff of the service if it did not reach a deal on critical minerals, said the source, who requested anonymity to discuss closed negotiations.

    “Ukraine runs on Starlink. They consider it their North Star,” said the source. “Losing Starlink … would be a massive blow.”

    Zelenskiy has rejected demands from President Donald Trump’s administration for $500 billion in mineral wealth from Ukraine to repay Washington for wartime aid, saying the U.S. has offered no specific security guarantees.

    On Friday, the Ukrainian president said the U.S. and Ukrainian teams were working on an agreement and Trump said he expects a deal will be signed soon.

    Musk rushed thousands of Starlink terminals to Ukraine to replace communications services destroyed by Russia after its February 2022 invasion. Hailed as a hero in Ukraine, Musk later curtailed access at least once before in the fall of 2022 as he became more critical of Kyiv’s handling of the war.

    U.S. lawmakers are divided over Trump’s efforts to find a quick end to the Ukraine war and some have raised questions about Musk’s rapid-fire efforts to cull thousands of federal workers and shut down Federal agencies.

    Melinda Haring, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council, said Starlink was essential for Ukraine’s operation of drones, a key pillar of its military strategy.

    “Losing Starlink would be a game changer,” Haring said, noting that Ukraine was now at 1:1 parity with Russia in terms of drone usage and artillery shells. Ukraine has a wide range of different drone capabilities, ranging from sea drones and surveillance drones to long-range unmanned aerial vehicles.

    The Ukrainian embassy in Washington, the White House and the U.S. Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    SpaceX, which operates Starlink, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Last fall, Ukraine floated the idea of opening its critical minerals to investment by allies. This was part of a “victory plan” that sought to put it in the strongest position for talks and force Moscow to the table.

    Trump has embraced the idea, saying he wants Ukraine to supply the U.S. with rare earths and other minerals in return for financially supporting its war effort.

    Zelenskiy rejected a detailed U.S. proposal last week that would have seen Washington and U.S. firms receiving 50% of Ukraine’s critical minerals, which include graphite, uranium, titanium and lithium, a key component in electric car batteries.

    Since then a rift has emerged between the leaders, with Trump denouncing Zelenskiy as “a dictator without elections” on Wednesday after Zelenskiy said Trump was trapped in a Russian disinformation bubble, a response to the U.S. president suggesting Ukraine started the war.

    (Reuters)

  • Elon Musk Launches Hostile Takeover Of OpenAI With Sh12.5 Trillion Bid

    Elon Musk Launches Hostile Takeover Of OpenAI With Sh12.5 Trillion Bid

    A consortium led by Elon Musk said on Monday it has offered $97.4 billion (Sh1.3 trillion) to buy the nonprofit that controls OpenAI, another salvo in the billionaire’s fight to block the artificial intelligence startup from transitioning to a for-profit firm.

    Musk’s bid is likely to ratchet up longstanding tensions with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman over the future of the ChatGPT maker at the heart of a boom in generative AI technology. Altman on Monday promptly posted on X: “no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion (Sh1.3 trillion) if you want.”

    Musk cofounded OpenAI with Altman in 2015 as a nonprofit, but left before the company took off. He founded the competing AI startup xAI in 2023.

    Musk, the CEO of Tesla and owner of tech and social media company X, is a close ally of President Donald Trump. He spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars to help elect Trump, and leads the Department of Government Efficiency, a new arm of the White House tasked with radically shrinking the federal bureaucracy. Musk recently criticized a $500 billion (Sh 64.3 trillion) OpenAI-led project announced by Trump at the White House.

    OpenAI is now trying to transition into a for-profit from a nonprofit entity, which it says is required to secure the capital needed for developing the best AI models.

    Musk sued Altman and others in August last year, claiming they violated contract provisions by putting profit ahead of the public good in the push to advance AI. In November, he asked a US district judge for a preliminary injunction blocking OpenAI from converting to a for-profit structure.

    Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and Altman says the founders originally approached him to fund a nonprofit focused on developing AI to benefit humanity, but that it was now focused on making money.

    “It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was,” Musk said in a statement on Monday. “We will make sure that happens.”

    Altman told staff in a message that the company’s board of directors intends to make clear it has no interest in Musk’s “supposed bid“, according to a report by The Information on Monday.

    Musk and OpenAI backer Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

    The consortium led by Musk includes his AI startup xAI, Baron Capital Group, Emanuel Capital and others.

    xAI could merge with OpenAI following a deal, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported Musk’s offer earlier on Monday. xAI recently raised $6 billion from investors at a valuation of $40 billion, sources have told Reuters.

    ‘Throwing  a wrench’

    “This (bid) is definitely throwing a wrench in things,” said Jonathan Macey, a Yale Law School professor specializing in corporate governance.

    “The nonprofit is supposed to take money to do whatever good deeds, and if OpenAI prefers to sell it to somebody else for less money, it’s a concern for protecting the interests of the beneficiaries of the not-for-profit.”

    OpenAI was valued at $157 billion (Sh20.2 trillion) in its last funding round, cementing its status as one of the most valuable private companies in the world. SoftBank Group is in talks to lead a funding round of up to $40 billion in OpenAI at a valuation of $300 billion (Sh38.6 trillion), including the new funds, Reuters reported in January.

    Aside from any antitrust implications, a deal this size would need Musk and his consortium to raise enormous funds.

    Musk’s stock in Tesla is valued at roughly $165 billion (Sh21.2 trillion), according to LSEG data, but his leverage with banks is likely to be thin after his $44 billion buyout of X, which was then called Twitter, in 2022.

    To finance such a bid, Musk could sell part of his stake in Tesla or take a loan against his stake, or use his stake in rocket company SpaceX that is worth tens of billions of dollars as collateral, according to an uninvolved investment banker, who requested anonymity.

    “Musk’s offer to buy OpenAI’s nonprofit should significantly complicate OpenAI’s current fundraising and the process of converting into a for-profit corporation,” said Gil Luria, analyst at D.A. Davidson.

    “The offer seems to be backed by more credible investors … OpenAI may not be able to ignore it. It will be the fiduciary responsibility of OpenAI’s board to decide whether this is a better offer, which could call into question the offer from SoftBank.”

    (Reuters)

  • Elon Musk Unfollows Kanye West On X

    Elon Musk Unfollows Kanye West On X

    Kanye West, the Grammy-winning rapper and entrepreneur, is making headlines once again with his latest social media activity. He unfollowed Taylor Swift on X, followed tech mogul Elon Musk, and publicly called on President Donald Trump to pardon his friend, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.

    Kanye’s Plea to Trump: “Free Puff”

    In a series of posts on X, West passionately urged Trump to intervene.

    FREE PUFF — ye (@kanyewest) February 7, 2025

    “FREE PUFF,” West wrote. He also tagged Trump in another post, saying, “@realDonaldTrump PLEASE FREE MY BROTHER PUFF,” which he later deleted. Additionally, he criticized Hollywood’s silence on the issue, stating, “WE ALL WATCHED THEM TAKE CHRIS BROWN AND AIN’T NOBODY DO NOTHING.”

    West’s support for Combs reflects his continued alignment with Trump, whom he famously endorsed during the 2016 presidential election.

    Sean ‘Diddy’ combs faces serious legal battle

    Combs, also known as Puff Daddy, was arrested in New York on September 16 and is facing multiple serious charges, including racketeering, sex trafficking, fraud, and coercion. Prosecutors have labeled him a flight risk, resulting in three denied bail requests. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

    Beyond the criminal charges, Combs is also battling civil lawsuits. A recent one alleges that he “dehumanized the plaintiff and reduced him to a mere object for his amusement and to satisfy his sexual fetishes.” It adds he “exploited the plaintiff, imprisoning and controlling him through surveillance and secret filming.”

    Combs denies all allegations

    Combs’ legal team has strongly denied the accusations. His attorney told Rolling Stone: “No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex-trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to separate fact from fiction, and Mr. Combs is confident that he will prevail in court.”

    West’s vocal defense of Combs adds another layer of controversy to an already high-profile case. His decision to unfollow Taylor Swift and align with figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump has reignited discussions about celebrity influence and loyalty.

    Awaiting trial

    With Combs’ trial set for May 5, his legal team is preparing a defense against both criminal charges and multiple civil lawsuits. Meanwhile, Kanye West’s public support for the embattled music mogul has ensured that the case remains at the center of media attention.

  • ‪‘Go To Hell’ Julius Malema Fires Back At Elon Musk After Calling Him A ‘International Criminal’‬

    ‪‘Go To Hell’ Julius Malema Fires Back At Elon Musk After Calling Him A ‘International Criminal’‬

    Elon Musk, in a tweet made on Sunday, said Malema committed a serious crime and should be punished accordingly.

    The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a South African Marxist–Leninist and pan-Africanist political party, has fiercely rejected comments made by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who called for the party’s leader, Julius Malema, to be declared an international criminal.

    The American businessman and Tesla CEO, on Sunday, called for immediate sanctions against the South African politician and lawmaker Julius Malema over a controversial speech he made in 2018 targeting white people.

    According to the White House, Musk is officially serving under President Donald Trump as a special government employee.

    In November 2024, as President-elect at the time, Trump tapped Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head the ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE).

    In a viral video from 2018, Malema declared that his party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), sought to remove Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Athol Trollip solely because of his race.

    The politician said: “We have taken a decision that we are going to remove the mayor of PE [Port Elizabeth],” he made the statement while addressing a crowd at the Standard Bank Arena in Johannesburg during the launch of the party’s election registration campaign.

    “Why? Why not [mayor of DA-led Johannesburg Herman] Mashaba, why not Solly [Msimanga – mayor of DA-led Tshwane]? Because the mayor of DA in PE is a white man. So, these people, when you want to hit them hard – go after a white man. They feel a terrible pain, because you have touched a white man.”

    He clarified that this did not mean the EFF would refrain from targeting Mashaba and Msimanga, adding that they would eventually be “touched”.

    “But we are starting with this whiteness. We are cutting the throat of whiteness. Trollip will not be a mayor after the 6th of April, if they give us that date,” he said.

    Reacting to these remarks about seven years later, Elon Musk, in a tweet made on Sunday, said Malema committed a serious crime and should be punished accordingly.

    “Immediate sanctions for Malema and declaration of him as an international criminal!” the Tesla CEO wrote.

    However, in a statement, the EFF dismissed Musk’s remarks as part of a broader imperialist agenda and accused him of meddling in South Africa’s domestic affairs.

    The EFF claims that his influence over the United States government has emboldened him to attack political leaders who oppose Western imperialism.

    The party maintains that Malema, known for his radical stance on land expropriation without compensation and African economic emancipation, has been unfairly labelled by Musk and other right-wing forces.

    EFF accused Musk of acting as a global “billionaire maniac” who seeks to manipulate governments for his own business interests. The party further stated that Musk’s alleged interference is an attempt to undermine South Africa’s sovereignty and weaken its relations with the United States.

    A screenshot of the fierce exchange between Musk and Malema on X.

    As a countermeasure, the EFF has vowed that Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, will not operate in South Africa unless it complies with local regulations, including a 30% local ownership requirement. The party also called for Musk’s enterprises to be rejected by progressive nations such as Russia, China, and India.

    The statement partly reads, “The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is not fazed by the declaration made by owner of X (formerly known as Twitter), Space X, Starlink, Tesla and recently the so-called director for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the United States of America, who has made a declaration that the President of the EFF Julius Malema must be declared an international criminal.

    “As part of the general hysteria that has overtaken governance in the United States of America (USA), Musk has assumed the role of a global billionaire maniac, whose grotesque wealth has overwhelmed him and made him think of himself as a supreme ruler of not only the Oval Office, but of all nations of the world.

    “The Commander in Chief and President of the EFF has been at the forefront of struggles for the African continent and the diaspora since his activism as a young person in the former liberation movement of South Africa. Central to his perspective not only on Economic Freedom and the emancipation of African people, has been a staunch opposition to Western imperialism and all of its manifestations.

    “It is therefore not surprising that Julius Malema would be declared an enemy by the global capitalist establishment, an agenda advanced by the likes of deranged individuals such as Elon Musk. However, the misconception and mischaracterization of the President of the EFF as genocidal is a sideshow that seeks to undermine the ideas which he represents.

    “The EFF and all people who have been at the yolk of oppression perpetuated by the USA and its allies are bound to naturally be the quintessential enemies of billionaires who capture states and manipulate narratives, and misuse their control of governments to cast aspersions against their natural enemies.

    “The EFF takes this opportunity to tell Elon Musk and all of his allies, in the USA, in Israel and the right wing groups in South Africa which have mobilized Musk, to collectively go to hell.

    “The principle remains that equality in South Africa is rooted in the return of the land to African people, and this will be achieved through expropriation without compensation. Additionally, the EFF makes a firm commitment that Elon Musk’s Starlink will never operate in South Africa, without complying to local legislation which demands that there must be 30% local ownership.

    “The offense that Musk has made against the leader of the EFF constitutes a meddling in our domestic affairs which we do not take lightly, and he must be viewed as an imperialist who seeks to undermine the economic and political sovereignty of South Africa through sanctions, and is part of mischievous attempts to severe relations between South Africa and the United States of America.

    “The EFF declare Elon Musk as an enemy of South Africa, and a capturer of governance in the USA who will lead to that nations downfall. All progressive nations, including Russia, China, India, and all African states ought to isolate and reject all enterprises pursued by Elon Musk in their nations.

    “Elon Musk has captured the Presidency of the USA and has weaponized his office as an instrument to pursue his business interests globally. His nefarious influence must be opposed and undermined by all nations which respect their sovereignty and seek to maintain independence.”

    “The EFF will not be cowed into submission, retreat nor capitulation from its principled and unwavering commitment to confront imperialism and its surrogates like Elon Musk anywhere and everywhere it rises its ugly head,” the statement added.

  • Elon Musk Says He Is Not Interested in Buying TikTok

    Elon Musk Says He Is Not Interested in Buying TikTok

    Billionaire Elon Musk said that he was not interested in purchasing TikTok, the popular short-video app that the United States has been trying to ban over national security concerns with its Chinese owner ByteDance.

    Musk’s comments, opens new tab, made in late January, were released online Saturday by The WELT Group, a part of the German media company Axel Springer SE, which hosted a summit, where the Tesla, opens new tab chief joined the conference via video.

    “I have not put in a bid for TikTok,” Musk said a week after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was open to Musk buying the ByteDance-owned app if he wanted to do so.

    “I don’t have any plans for what I would do if I had TikTok,” Musk said, adding that he does not use the short video app personally, and was not familiar with the app’s format.

    “I’m not chomping at the bit to acquire TikTok, I do not acquire companies in general, it’s quite rare,” Musk said, adding that his billion-dollar acquisition of social media platform Twitter, now called X, was unusual.

    “I usually build companies from scratch,” Musk said.

    The Republican president signed an executive order seeking to delay the enforcement of a ban on the popular short-video app that was slated to be shuttered on January 19.

    ByteDance was given the January deadline to sell the U.S. assets of TikTok or face a U.S. ban, following lawmakers’ concerns that the app poses national security risks because China could compel the company to share the data of its U.S. users. TikTok has denied that it has or ever would share U.S. user data.

    Apple and Google have not reinstated TikTok to their app stores since a U.S. law took effect. TikTok said on Friday that it was allowing U.S. Android users to download and connect to the app through package kits on its website, in an effort to circumvent restrictions on the popular platform in the country.

    Trump has said that he was in talks with multiple people over TikTok’s purchase and would likely have a decision on the app’s future this month. It has about 170 million American users.

    This week, the president signed an executive order to create a sovereign wealth fund within the year, saying it could potentially buy TikTok.

    ByteDance has previously denied any plans to sell TikTok.

    Trump saving TikTok represents a reversal in stance from his first term in office when he unsuccessfully sought to ban the app over concerns the company was sharing Americans’ personal information with the Chinese government.

    More recently, Trump has said he has “a warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” crediting the app with helping him win over young voters in the 2024 presidential election.

    ByteDance and TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.

    (Reuters)

  • Trump Sanctions South Africa

    Trump Sanctions South Africa

    US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order freezing financial aid to South Africa, after threatening to do so earlier this week.

    Trump said he was bringing in the order because of South Africa’s new land law, which he says is violating people’s rights, and also because of its international court case accusing Israel of genocide.

    It escalates a dispute between the two countries nearly a week after Trump threatened to cut funding without citing evidence, that “South Africa is confiscating land” and “certain classes of people” were being treated “very badly”.

    Trump’s close adviser Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa, also joined in the criticism asking on X why Ramaphosa had “openly racist ownership laws”.

    President Cyril Ramaphosa has not yet commented but previously defended South Africa’s land policy after Trump’s threat on Sunday.

    He said the government had not confiscated any land and the policy was aimed at ensuring equitable public access to land.

    President Ramaphosa’s law was signed last month, and allows land seizures without compensation in certain circumstances.

    Land ownership has long been a contentious issue in South Africa with most private farmland owned by white people, 30 years after the end of the racist system of apartheid.

    There have been continuous calls for the government to address land reform and deal with the past injustices of racial segregation.

    South Africa’s new law allows for expropriation without compensation only in circumstances where it is “just and equitable and in the public interest” to do so.

    This includes if the property is not being used and there is no intention to either develop or make money from it, or when it poses a risk to people.

    The order said the US “cannot support the government of South Africa’s commission of rights violations in its country”, and as long as it “continues these unjust and immoral practices” then the US will not provide aid or assistance.

    The White House said Washington will also formulate a plan to resettle South African farmers and their families as refugees.

    It said US officials will take steps to prioritise humanitarian relief, including admission and resettlement through the United States Refugee Admissions Program for Afrikaners in South Africa, who are mostly white descendants of early Dutch and French settlers.

    The executive order also references South Africa’s role in bringing accusations of genocide against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

    The order said: “In addition, South Africa has taken aggressive positions towards the United States and its allies, including accusing Israel, not Hamas, of genocide in the ICJ, and reinvigorating its relations with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements.”

    On Sunday, Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social: “I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!”

    He later said, in a briefing with journalists, that South Africa’s “leadership is doing some terrible things, horrible things”.

    “So that’s under investigation right now. We’ll make a determination, and until such time as we find out what South Africa is doing – they’re taking away land and confiscating land, and actually they’re doing things that are perhaps far worse than that.”

    But, on Monday, Ramaphosa moved to defuse the row with Trump’s new US administration over the new land law by speaking to Musk on the phone.

    Ramaphosa’s office said, in that call to Musk the president “reiterated South Africa’s constitutionally embedded values of the respect for the rule of law, justice, fairness and equality”.

  • FACTBOX – USAID Cuts: Why Trump’s Funding Freeze Threatens Millions Worldwide

    FACTBOX – USAID Cuts: Why Trump’s Funding Freeze Threatens Millions Worldwide

    • Funding freeze raises concerns about future of global programs, including PEPFAR that allegedly saved over 25M lives

    The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is under political scrutiny as the Trump administration considers merging it with the State Department in an effort to streamline federal bureaucracy.

    As the world’s largest donor of humanitarian aid, the United States allocated $13.9 billion in 2024, accounting for 42% of all UN-tracked assistance. However, on Jan. 20, the White House announced a freeze on USAID’s budget, citing concerns over misaligned priorities.

    President Donald Trump suspended development assistance for 90 days to evaluate its alignment with his “America First” policy, a move that has sparked concern among global aid organizations.

    A White House statement asserted that USAID’s initiatives “do not align with American interests” and, in some cases, “destabilize world peace.”

    On Feb. 4, USAID announced that all direct-hire personnel, except those in mission-critical roles, would be placed on leave by Feb. 7. Additionally, overseas staff are set to be repatriated within 30 days.

    “It’s been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out,” Trump told reporters.

    Meanwhile, on Feb. 3, Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, confirmed his involvement in the decision, stating: “I reviewed it thoroughly with (the president), and he concurred that we should shut it down.”

    What is USAID?

    Founded in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy under the Foreign Assistance Act, USAID is the US government’s primary agency for international humanitarian and development efforts.

    Its alleged aim is to reduce poverty, combat disease, provide humanitarian aid, and foster economic growth in developing nations, while advancing US foreign policy objectives.

    Operating in over 130 countries, USAID runs more than 60 regional missions and employs over 10,000 staff, with two-thirds based overseas.

    Most of its programs are executed through grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts with nonprofit organizations, universities, international groups, and foreign governments.

    How much is USAID’s budget and where does it go?

    In Fiscal Year 2023 (FY2023), the latest data existing, USAID-managed combined fund had a budget of over $40 billion, making up more than one-third of the total US foreign aid budget, according to a Congressional Research Service Report updated this January.

    USAID’s funding was primarily allocated across three key sectors: $16.8 billion to governance, $10.5 billion to humanitarian assistance, and $7.0 billion to health.

    Other key areas included administrative costs ($3.5 billion), agriculture ($1.3 billion), education ($1.1 billion), infrastructure ($0.7 billion), and economic growth ($0.7 billion).

    In FY2023, governance received the largest share, driven by substantial financial support for Ukraine, while humanitarian assistance surpassed the amount of health funding in FY2022.

    Health, historically the largest sector, continued to receive significant funding, largely supported by initiatives like PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) and COVID-19 relief efforts.

    Who gets the most support from USAID?

    According to the Congressional report, approximately 70 out of the 77 countries that the World Bank classifies as low and lower-middle-income nations received USAID assistance in 2023.

    On a regional basis, around 40% of USAID-managed funds for 2023 were allocated to Europe and Eurasia ($17.2 billion), followed by Sub-Saharan Africa ($12.1 billion), Middle East and North Africa ($3.9 billion), South and Central Asia ($1.9 billion), and other regions ($8.4 billion), according to an analysis of data from USASpending.gov.

    In FY2023, USAID-managed funds supported approximately 130 countries, with the top 10 recipients being Ukraine, Ethiopia, Jordan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Syria, in descending order of funding.

    Focusing solely on USAID funds for these countries, the disparity is stark, as Ukraine alone received $16 billion, the top beneficiary in FY2023, followed by Ethiopia with $1.6 billion and Jordan with $1.2 billion. Afghanistan received $1.08 billion, while Somalia was allocated $1 billion.

    The Democratic Republic of Congo received $0.9 billion, followed by Yemen, Nigeria, and Syria, each receiving $0.8 billion. South Sudan received the lowest among the top recipients, with $0.7 billion.

    What is the global impact of USAID freeze?

    The freeze on USAID funding is significantly impacting critical humanitarian and health programs across the globe.

    Ukraine’s military funding remains unaffected, but the funding freeze will impact infrastructure rebuilding, power generation, railway modernization (e.g., Mostyska–Lviv), border improvements with the EU, and agricultural support.

    NGOs countering Russian disinformation and monitoring human rights will also be affected, according to a report by the Center for Eastern Studies.

    Another major program disrupted by Trump’s orders is the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), including countries such as South Africa, where the government has warned that nearly 20% of its $2.3 billion annual HIV/AIDS program could be at risk.

    PEPFAR is the US government’s largest global health initiative aimed at combating HIV/AIDS. With over $110 billion invested, it is the biggest single-disease effort by any country. As of 2023, it has saved over 25 million lives, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, according to USAID.

    The funding freeze also poses a serious threat to HIV services in Ethiopia, potentially affecting 503,000 patients across 1,400 facilities, with risks of treatment disruptions, according to UNAIDS. The possible termination of 5,000 health workers and 10,000 data clerks, along with supply chain delays, could undermine critical diagnostics and HIV progress.

    A PEPFAR-funded program in Kenya has been suspended as well. Launched in 2022, the $32.5 million initiative aimed to provide HIV treatment, prevention, and support in Nairobi, Kajiado County, and beyond. The suspension has closed 150 clinics, affecting 72,000 HIV patients.

    The USAID funding freeze under the Trump administration is exacerbating Uganda’s Ebola outbreak, delaying critical aid and disrupting response efforts. The suspension has led to understaffed contact tracing and inadequate screening of departing international travelers, as reported by CBS News.

    The freeze on US foreign aid has also led to the suspension of many humanitarian programs in Latin America and Central America.

    In Colombia, at least three humanitarian organizations have suspended support operations for more than 41,000 people displaced by recent guerrilla violence, according to a report by The Guardian. A program aimed at integrating hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants into Colombian society by providing job opportunities has also been paralyzed.

    In Brazil, two organizations assisting Venezuelan refugees have shut down their operations, and a program targeting the commercial sexual exploitation of children has been ordered to stop.

    In South Asia, the Trump administration’s aid freeze will cut off health services for 1.7 million people in Pakistan, including 1.2 million Afghan refugees, due to the closure of 60 facilities, according to the UN.

    In Bangladesh, around 600,000 people, including Rohingya refugees, risk losing maternal and reproductive health services, while UN officials have warned that Afghanistan could see “1,200 additional maternal deaths and 109,000 unintended pregnancies” from 2025 to 2028.

    What are Trump’s concerns about USAID?

    President Trump and his administration have voiced strong opinions against USAID, criticizing its foreign aid efforts for being “not aligned with American interests” and often “destabilizing world peace.”

    A White House statement criticized several USAID-funded projects, deeming them controversial or wasteful.

    These included $1.5 million for advancing “diversity, equity, and inclusion” in Serbia’s workplaces, $70,000 for a “DEI musical” in Ireland, and $2.5 million for electric vehicles in Vietnam.

    Additionally, $47,000 was allocated to a “transgender opera” in Colombia, and $2 million was spent on sex changes and “LGBT activism” in Guatemala.

    The statement also criticized $6 million for a tourism fund in Egypt, and claimed that USAID funds were used to support “al Qaeda-affiliated fighters in Syria.”

    Further, the statement criticized a spending on “personalized” contraceptives and millions used for “irrigation canals, farming equipment, and fertilizer” in Afghanistan, which the statement suggested “supported the Taliban’s poppy cultivation and heroin production.”

    The White House argued these examples were indicative of waste, fraud, and misuse of funds.

    Echoing these criticisms, Elon Musk described USAID as “beyond repair,” adding: “We don’t have ‘an apple with a worm in it,’ we have a ball of worms.”

     ⁠USAID’s funding of LGBTQ+ worldwide

    USAID has allocated substantial funds to various LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, sparking criticism from the Trump administration.

    For example, Asociacion Lambda, based in Guatemala, has been allocated $1.9 million according to USASpending.gov.

    The organization’s official website describes its work as “Since its inception, it has fought for the equality, dignity and participation of LGBTIQ+ people,”

    In South Africa, OUT LGBT Well-Being is allocated $3.1 million. According to the organization’s official website, it works on promoting the well-being of the LGBTQ+o be able to secure “the empowerment, human rights and access to equitable services,”

    Another group that received criticism is Grupa Izadji, a Serbian NGO, another organization which the Biden administration allocated $1.5 million to.

    The organization states on their website thata “Our vision is a society in which LGBTI individuals have the opportunity to fully realize their potential,”

    However, Trump’s foreign aid freeze has halted funding for the group, cutting off expected support through the end of FY 2025.

    In India, USAID partnered with Johns Hopkins University to establish the country’s first transgender clinic, Mitr, providing health care services to the transgender community.

    (Anadolu Agency)

  • Elon Musk Warns US Could ‘Lose Next War Very Badly’ Without Military Overhaul

    Elon Musk Warns US Could ‘Lose Next War Very Badly’ Without Military Overhaul

    Elon Musk, tech billionaire appointed by US President Donald Trump to oversee government efficiency, warned that Washington risks losing the next war unless its weapons programs are completely overhauled, calling for “immediate and dramatic changes” in military strategy.

    “American weapons programs need to be completely redone,” Musk said Thursday on X. “The current strategy is to build a small number of weapons at a high price to fight yesterday’s war. Unless there are immediate and dramatic changes made, America will lose the next war very badly.”

    Musk’s comments followed the release of his August 2024 interview at the West Point US Military Academy on Thursday, where he discussed the future of warfare, emphasizing the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and drones.

    AI, drones reshaping modern warfare

    In the interview, Musk stressed that countries often prepare for past conflicts instead of anticipating future threats. He cited World War I tactics resembling those from the Napoleonic era as an example. “It’s hard to change,” he said, urging a shift in mindset to adapt to evolving warfare dynamics.

    He identified AI and drones as the most significant forces in modern conflict. “The current war in Ukraine is very much a drone war already,” Musk noted, stressing that future battles will likely rely on unmanned systems, making front-line deployments too dangerous for humans.

    Musk also criticized the US for its slow drone production rate, despite technological advancements. “I think that’s going to be the biggest challenge, … it can scale but it is not currently scaling,” he said, predicting that human-piloted fighter jets are nearing obsolescence.

    AI risks, ‘Terminator’ scenario

    While advocating for AI in military operations, Musk expressed concerns about its risks, referencing the “Terminator” scenario. “I do worry about the existential risk of AI,” he said, cautioning against unchecked development of autonomous weapons.

    Musk, the owner of X, Tesla, and SpaceX, also underscored the importance of secure space-based communications, such as his own satellite internet constellation Starlink, for modern warfare, and emphasized that new technologies must be rigorously tested before widespread deployment.

    Musk highlighted curiosity as the most vital trait for future military leaders, encouraging continuous learning and critical thinking to navigate the complexities of modern warfare.

  • Musk Says USAID To Shut Down As Employees Told To Stay Home

    Musk Says USAID To Shut Down As Employees Told To Stay Home

    Elon Musk said the Trump administration would close the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as employees were told to stay home on Monday amid uncertainty about its future.

    The billionaire Trump adviser’s comments came amid turmoil after two top security officials were placed on leave. The agency’s website has not worked since Saturday.

    But President Trump was less definative about shuttering the agency, telling reporters on Sunday night that USAID was run by “a bunch of radical lunatics”.

    “We’re getting them out,” he said, “and then we’ll make a decision.”

    Over the last week, Musk railed against USAID as he sought to assert control over the agency.

    On X, the social media platform that he owns, he called it “evil” and a “criminal organisation”. In a live stream on X early Monday, he told followers, “You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair. … We’re shutting it down.”

    Staffers who work at the agency’s Washington DC headquarters were told to stay home on Monday. Hundreds of employees were also locked out of their email, according to CBS, the BBC’s American news partner.

    An effort could be underway to bring the agency, which was established by an act of the US Congress, more directly under the control of Trump’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.

    Republican congressman Brian Mast, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told “Face the Nation” that USAID is “likely going to be rolled more closely under Secretary Rubio.”

    Whether the agency is shut down or restructured, the changes sought by Musk and Trump would have far-reaching implications. USAID distributes billions in aid to non-governmental organisations, aid groups and nonprofits around the world.

    With its website down, several key information reserves, including an international famine tracker and decades of aid records, appeared to be unavailable.

    Top officials have been placed on leave or resigned in the last two days following clashes with Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), a team set up within the administration that Trump has given broad leeway to slash government spending.

    It is not, however, an official government agency.

    Members of Doge clashed with the security officials after requesting access to a highly secure area used for reviewing classified information, the Washington Post and CNN reported this weekend.

    USAID director for security John Vorhees and deputy Director for Security Brian McGill, were both placed on administrative leave as a result, CBS reports.

    A top political appointee, chief of staff Matt Hopson, also resigned, the Washington Post reported.