Brit Hume said it was clear that Trump got 'jollied along' by the Russian president.
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Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Burkina Faso military ruler abolishes electoral commission
Burkina Faso's military rulers have disbanded the country's electoral commission calling it a waste of money. The interior ministry will handle elections in the future, state-run RTB TV reported. Since seizing power in September 2022, the coup leaders have initiated sweeping reforms, including the postponement of elections which would lead to a return to civilian rule. A nationwide vote was due last year, but the junta extended the period of transition to democracy until July 2029, allowing leader Capt Ibrahim Traoré to remain in power and free to contest the next presidential election. The AFP news agency quotes Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo as saying that the electoral commission was "subsidised" with around $870,000 (£650,000) a year. Abolishing the commission would "reinforce our sovereign control on the electoral process and at the same time limit foreign influences", he added. How an al-Qaeda offshoot became one of Africa's deadliest militant groups Why Burkina Faso's junta leader has captured hearts around the world How 'blood gold' is fuelling conflict in West Africa After coming to power three years ago amid criticism that the civilian authorities were failing to deal with a growing Islamist insurgency, the military leaders have rejected the assistance of former colonial power France in favour of Russia. Rights groups have since accused the army of targeting civilians in its attempt to quash the militants, as well as suppressing political activity and the freedom of expression. There are also question marks over the effectiveness of the military operation. In the first half of 2025, jihadist group JNIM said it had carried out over 280 attacks in Burkina Faso – double the number for the same period in 2024, according to data verified by the BBC. Additional reporting by BBC Monitoring and David Bamford. You may also be interested in: Burkina Faso outcry over 'conscription used to punish junta critics' Capt Ibrahim Traoré: From shy schoolboy to military leader Why France faces so much anger in West Africa Why young Africans are celebrating military takeovers Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts Focus on Africa This Is Africa
Gizmodo
8 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
Trump Moves to Kill California's Dreams of High-Speed Rail
President Donald Trump's feud with California Governor Gavin Newsom is hitting the Golden State's long-awaited high-speed train project with yet another setback. The U.S. The Transportation Department announced Wednesday that it is rescinding $4 billion in funding for a bullet train project that aims to connect Los Angeles with San Francisco. 'Governor Newsom and the complicit Democrats have enabled this waste for years,' said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy — a former cast member of MTV's The Real World: Boston and ex–Fox Business co-host — in a press release. 'Federal dollars are not a blank check; they come with a promise to deliver results.' The California High-Speed Rail project, approved by voters in 2008, was pitched as an 800-mile rail system linking Northern and Southern California, with trains traveling at speeds up to 220 miles per hour. A planned second phase would extend the line further, reaching Sacramento in the north and San Diego in the south. The project was initially projected to cost $33 billion and be completed by 2020. But after years of delays and escalating construction costs, the estimated price tag has now surged past $100 billion. Governor Newsom and other California officials are not happy with the news and have signaled that they could take legal action. 'Trump wants to hand China the future and abandon the Central Valley. We won't let him. With projects like the Texas high-speed rail failing to take off, we are miles ahead of others,' Newsom said in a statement. 'We're now in the track-laying phase and building America's only high-speed rail. California is putting all options on the table to fight this illegal action.' California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri, who is spearheading the project, also called the move 'illegal,' stating that the grants are legally binding and the Authority has met all its obligations. For his part, Trump posted on social media that he has 'freed' the citizens of America from 'California's disastrously overpriced, 'HIGH SPEED TRAIN TO NOWHERE.' 'The Railroad we were promised still does not exist, and never will,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'This project was Severely Overpriced, Overregulated, and NEVER DELIVERED.' This marks the latest clash between the Trump administration and Governor Gavin Newsom, who have sparred over everything from the state's transgender rights laws to the deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles. Newsom also fired back at Duffy after the Transportation Secretary posted a video on X criticizing the high-speed rail project. 'Won't be taking advice from the guy who can't keep planes in the sky,' Newsom wrote in response.
Time Magazine
9 minutes ago
- Time Magazine
Ukraine Gets New Government, Races to Boost Arms Production
Ukraine's parliament appointed a new Prime Minister and Defense Minister in the country's biggest government shake up since the war began. The new government also approved a plan to expand local arms manufacturing. 'We must reach the level of 50% Ukraine-made weapons within the first 6 months of the new Government's work,' President Volodymyr Zelensky said. 'The Ministry of Defence will have greater influence over weapons production, and there must be more Ukraine-made weapons, more of them in the hands of our warriors on the frontline.' Read More: The Hidden War Over Ukraine's Lost Children Zelensky noted that current domestic production of weapons used by Ukraine is at 40%, significantly higher than at any other point since Ukraine's independence 30 years ago. The call to increase Ukrainian arms production comes as Russia ramps up its war on Ukraine, including the largest aerial attack since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Russian forces continue to make gradual ground advancements but at a steep toll. The reshuffle comes days after President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced a new plan that will see the alliance buy U.S.-made weapons, including Patriot missiles, to help Ukraine defend itself. Read More: The Man Who Wants to Save NATO Trump also threatened 'very severe tariffs' against Russia and countries that buy its oil and gas if a cease-fire deal is not reached within 50 days, in addition to voicing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin.'I speak to him a lot about getting this thing done, and I always hang up and say 'well that was a nice phone call' and then missiles are launched into Kyiv,' he said. 'After that happens three or four times you say 'the talk doesn't mean anything'.' Trump has increasingly criticized Putin in recent weeks. The reshuffle of Ukraine's government has been widely seen as a bid to boost relations with Trump. Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who was key in striking a mineral deal with the U.S. in May, was appointed as the new Prime Minister on Thursday. Outgoing Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal will serve as Defense Minister and Olha Stefanishyna as Ukraine's new ambassador to the U.S. The outgoing ambassador, Oksana Markarova, had angered Republicans after organizing Zelensky's visit with Democratic politicians to a Pennsylvania arms factory during the U.S. presidential election.
