AFP USA

US President Donald Trump on Sunday called Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin “crazy” for his attacks on Ukrainian cities and warned that any attempt at a total takeover of Ukraine would “lead to the downfall of Russia.”The comments were a rare rebuke to Putin, and came after a record number of Russian drones killed at least 13 people across Ukraine, despite a prisoner exchange and a US push for a truce.”I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.”I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!” he added.Trump also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a more frequent target of his ire, accusing him of “doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does.””Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop,” he said of Zelensky.Earlier on Sunday, Trump told reporters that he was “not happy” with Putin over the latest Russian offensive.”I’ve known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all,” said Trump on the tarmac at Morristown airport before boarding Air Force One bound for Washington.Trump’s remarks come as European allies and even some in his own Republican Party call for increased pressure on Russia to agree to a ceasefire.The US president has avoided issuing ultimatums to Russia, instead threatening to walk away from negotiations if both sides cannot agree to a ceasefire.But in response to a question on the tarmac in Morristown, Trump said Sunday he was “absolutely” considering increasing US sanctions on Russia in response to the latest violence.”He’s killing a lot of people. I don’t know what’s wrong with him. What the hell happened to him, right? He’s killing a lot of people. I’m not happy about that,” said the US leader.That statement was at odds with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s testimony at Congress earlier this week, when he said Trump believed that “right now, if you start threatening sanctions, the Russians will stop talking.”Trump and Putin held a two-hour phone call on Monday after which the US leader said Moscow and Kyiv would “immediately start negotiations towards a ceasefire.”Putin has made no commitment to pause his three-year invasion of Ukraine, announcing only a vague proposal to work on a “memorandum” outlining Moscow’s demands for peace.

The head of a controversial US-backed group preparing to move aid into the Gaza Strip announced his abrupt resignation Sunday, adding fresh uncertainty over the effort’s future.In a statement by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), executive director Jake Wood explained that he felt compelled to leave after determining the organization could not fulfil its mission in a way that adhered to “humanitarian principles.”The foundation, which has been based in Geneva since February, has vowed to distribute some 300 million meals in its first 90 days of operation.But the United Nations and traditional aid agencies have already said they will not cooperate with the group, amid accusations it is working with Israel.The GHF has emerged as international pressure mounts on Israel over the conditions in Gaza, where it has pursued a military onslaught in response to the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.A more than two-month total blockade on the territory only began to ease in recent days, as agencies warned of growing starvation risks.”Two months ago, I was approached about leading GHF’s efforts because of my experience in humanitarian operations” Wood said.”Like many others around the world, I was horrified and heartbroken at the hunger crisis in Gaza and, as a humanitarian leader, I was compelled to do whatever I could to help alleviate the suffering.”Wood stressed that he was “proud of the work I oversaw, including developing a pragmatic plan that could feed hungry people, address security concerns about diversion, and complement the work of longstanding NGOs in Gaza.”But, he said, it had become “clear that it is not possible to implement this plan while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I will not abandon.” Gaza’s health ministry said Sunday that at least 3,785 people had been killed in the territory since a ceasefire collapsed on March 18, taking the war’s overall toll to 53,939, mostly civilians.Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.Militants also took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.Wood called on Israel “to significantly expand the provision of aid into Gaza through all mechanisms” while also urging “all stakeholders to continue to explore innovative new methods for the delivery of aid, without delay, diversion, or discrimination.”

US President Donald Trump on Sunday described the latest negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program as “very, very good.”Speaking on the tarmac at Morristown airport before boarding Air Force One, Trump hailed “real progress, serious progress” following a fifth round of nuclear talks, which wrapped up in Rome on Friday.The Oman-mediated talks, which began in April, are the highest-level contact between the countries since the United States quit a landmark 2015 nuclear accord during Trump’s first term as US president.Since returning to office, Trump has revived his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran, backing talks but warning of military action if diplomacy fails.Iran wants a new deal that would ease the sanctions that have battered its economy.Following the latest round, Iranian Foreign Minister and lead negotiator Abbas Araghchi downplayed the progress, stressing that “the negotiations are too complicated to be resolved in two or three meetings.”And Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on X that the fifth round concluded “with some but not conclusive progress,” adding that he hoped “the remaining issues” would be clarified in the coming days.Trump said continuing discussions had been “very, very good.””I think we could have some good news on the Iran front,” he said, adding that an announcement could come “over the next two days.”The talks came ahead of a June meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), during which Iran’s nuclear activities will be reviewed.They also come before the October expiry of the 2015 accord, which aimed to allay US and European Union suspicions that Iran was seeking nuclear weapons capability, an ambition that Tehran has consistently denied.In return for curbs on its nuclear program, Iran had received relief from international sanctions. But the accord was torpedoed in 2018 when Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States and reimposed sanctions.A year later, Iran responded by ramping up its nuclear activities.It is now enriching uranium to 60 percent — far above the deal’s 3.67 percent cap but below the 90-percent level needed for a nuclear warhead.

Americans on Sunday marked five years since George Floyd was killed by a US police officer, as President Donald Trump backtracks on reforms designed to tackle racism.Floyd’s deadly arrest on May 25, 2020 helped launch the Black Lives Matter movement into a powerful force that sought to resolve America’s deeply rooted racial issues, from police violence to systemic inequality. But since Trump’s return to power in January –- he was serving his first term when Floyd died -– his administration has axed civil rights investigations and cracked down on diversity hiring initiatives.BLM, meanwhile, finds itself lacking the support it enjoyed when protesters sprawled across US cities and abroad during the Covid pandemic — with many now agreeing the movement achieved little of substance.Some Democratic politicians, as well as UN rights chief Volker Turk, commemorated the anniversary on Sunday.”As anti-racism, inclusion efforts & law enforcement reforms face serious setbacks, we must continue advocating for racial justice & equality globally — with greater determination & strength,” Turk wrote on X.A memorial event was held this weekend at what has been named George Floyd Square, the area of Minneapolis where the 46-year-old took his final breath as police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck during an arrest.Dozens of people on Sunday visited the small junction set in a residential part of the northern US city, which is covered with protest art, including a purple mural that reads “You Changed the World, George.”That optimistic message painted in 2020 is now, however, at odds with a president whose more extreme allies have suggested he pardon Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering Floyd and sentenced to more than 22 years in prison.Some experts believe Trump’s re-election was partly a backlash to BLM activism, which included protests that turned to riots in some cities and calls to defund the police.Floyd’s family members told AFP on Friday that they wanted people to continue pushing for reform despite the hostile political climate.”We don’t need an executive order to tell us that Black lives matter,” said his aunt Angela Harrelson, who wore a dark T-shirt depicting Floyd’s face.”We cannot let a setback be a holdback for the great comeback. Donald Trump just didn’t get the memo,” she added to nods from other relatives standing beside her.Paris Stevens, a Floyd cousin, agreed: “No one can silence us anymore.”- ‘Easy to forget’ -Protests marking Floyd’s death have also been planned in a handful of other US cities, including Chicago and Dallas, but no major rallies were expected. In Minneapolis, some people cried and others laid flowers or stuffed animals by the roadside spot where Floyd’s fatal arrest was filmed and shared around the world.”George Floyd may be resting in peace and power, but he’s alive through everyone that shows up here,” WD Foster-Graham, an author who grew up in the same neighborhood, told AFP Sunday.”It can be very easy to forget, but as one person to another, make sure we never forget and let those powers that be know we haven’t forgotten, and we’re not going away,” the 73-year-old added. Jamie Dencklau, 30, said it was important to show that Floyd’s death was not just a “moment in time.”But the nonprofit worker from Minneapolis said she was upset about Trump, who has a track record of racially charged rhetoric and heavy support from far-right figures.”It’s disheartening to see that our country has elected this individual as our president, and it really makes me question how important equity and inclusivity are to our community,” she said.Memorial events have been held annually since Floyd’s death and the theme for this one -– “The People Have Spoken” -– was suggested by Nelson Mandela’s grandson Nkosi when he visited the square, according to Floyd’s aunt Harrelson.She said the defiant title was meant to reflect five years of protesting, adding that “even though it’s tiresome, we go on.”

Theaters across North America are enjoying an exceptional Memorial Day holiday weekend, with two new much-anticipated blockbusters bringing in an estimated box office totaling well over $250 million, analysts said Sunday.Disney’s family-friendly “Lilo & Stitch” earned an estimated $183 million, a record for the four-day Memorial Day weekend, according to Variety. The film has already taken in an additional $158 million internationally, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations reported. “This is a sensational opening,” placing the film among the top three Disney live-action remakes, said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. Maia Kealoha (as Lilo), Hannah Waddingham, Courtney B. Vance and Zach Galifianakis star, while Chris Sanders again provides the voice of the chaos-creating blue alien Stitch. Paramount’s new spy thriller “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” — the latest, and ostensibly last, in the hugely successful Tom Cruise series — opened to an estimated $77 million in ticket sales in the United States and Canada.Gross called that an “excellent” opening, probably the best ever in the series. Ticket sales, however, need to make up for a huge production budget estimated at $400 million.In third, dropping two spots from its opening last weekend, was Warner Bros. and New Line’s horror film “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” at $24.5 million. Kaitlyn Santa Juana stars as a young woman who has to deal with the grisly aftereffects of her grandmother having long ago cheated Death.Fourth place went to Disney and Marvel’s superhero film “Thunderbolts,” at $11.6 million. Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan lead a motley bunch of misfits and antiheroes. The film has taken in more than $350 million worldwide.And in fifth was Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller “Sinners,” raking in $11.2 million. The film has now earned $259 million domestically to become one of the highest-grossing R-rated films ever, according to Variety.Rounding out the top films were:”The Last Rodeo” ($6.3 million)”Friendship” ($5.7 million)”A Minecraft Movie” ($2.9 million)”The Accountant 2″ ($2.5 million)

Down the road from where George Floyd was killed five years ago, a woman listened quietly as the man opposite shared his lingering anger over the death filmed and shared around the world.”When that video was blasted all over the place I was in disbelief… Haven’t we as a country learned?” said the gray-haired Black man, who sat on a foldable red-checkered chair with his outstretched feet crossed. Across from him, 76-year-old Rita Davern occasionally nodded, her hands clasped in her lap during most of the half-hour conversation that the pair allowed AFP to witness.They were taking part in re-evaluation counseling — an informal practice of peer-to-peer discussions aimed at healing trauma — which was deployed at a memorial event in Minneapolis marking the five-year anniversary of Floyd’s murder. Researchers have found his killing by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, took an emotional toll on Black Americans in particular, with a study finding that nearly one million more would have screened positive for depression in the week after his death.”If you’re experiencing fear or grief or anything, if you have somebody you can talk to about it, there’s some kind of healing that happens,” Davern, a white filmmaker, said later.”I think it matters that a white person listens because that’s what usually doesn’t happen,” she added. The man, 54, who asked to be named only as Mr Davis, agreed: “Change happens with discussions among common people, not among the people in positions of power and influence.”- ‘Re-traumatized’ -For some, the emotions on this anniversary have been stirred up by the recent calls from some of President Donald Trump’s right-wing allies for him to pardon Floyd’s killer.Janet Kitui, 57, said she felt “re-traumatized” by that news. “That struck a raw nerve for me,” she told AFP. “That would really erase a human life that was George Floyd, and subsequently any of us who are Black in these United States.”Kitui, a procurement officer living in Minneapolis, said attending the weekend memorial event offered her a sense of comfort. “To be here is to be with fellow people who are honoring George Floyd, and that is healing in itself,” she said.The memorial event focused partly on self-care, with stands offering free massages and art therapy sessions for children. Meanwhile, the informal counseling allowed for people to reflect on the legacy of Floyd’s death. At one point, Davis asked Davern how race issues are perceived in her neighborhood.”I see white people, my people, more scared of going out, you know, more scared of talking to their neighbors,” Davern said. Davis interrupted: “What are they afraid of?””We’re afraid of what we don’t know, we’re afraid of coming here today. It’s just the division of our society,” Davern replied. 

Americans on Sunday mark five years since George Floyd was killed by a US police officer, as President Donald Trump backtracks on reforms designed to tackle racism.Floyd’s deadly arrest on May 25, 2020 helped launch the Black Lives Matter movement into a powerful force that sought to resolve America’s deeply rooted racial issues, from police violence to systemic inequality. But since Trump’s return to power in January –- he was serving his first term when Floyd died -– his administration has axed civil rights investigations and cracked down on diversity hiring initiatives.BLM, meanwhile, finds itself lacking the support it enjoyed when protesters sprawled across US cities during the Covid pandemic — with many now agreeing the movement achieved little of substance.An anniversary event is taking place in what has been named George Floyd Square, the area of Minneapolis where the 46-year-old took his final breath as police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck during an arrest.A small junction in a residential part of the northern US city, the square is covered with protest art including a purple mural that reads “You Changed the World, George.”That optimistic message painted in 2020 is now, however, at odds with a president whose more extreme allies have suggested he pardon Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering Floyd and sentenced to more than 22 years in prison.Some experts believe Trump’s re-election was partly a backlash to BLM activism, which included protests that turned to riots in some cities and calls to defund the police. Floyd’s family members told AFP in Minneapolis on Friday that they wanted people to continue pushing for reform despite the hostile political climate.”We don’t need an executive order to tell us that Black lives matter,” said his aunt Angela Harrelson, who wore a dark T-shirt depicting Floyd’s face.”We cannot let a setback be a holdback for the great comeback. Donald Trump just didn’t get the memo,” she added to nods from other relatives standing beside her.Paris Stevens, a Floyd cousin, agreed: “No one can silence us anymore.”- ‘Keep the memory going’ -The Floyd relatives, with around 50 other people, held a moment of silence on Friday afternoon before placing yellow roses on the roadside spot where Floyd’s fatal arrest was filmed and shared around the world.It was a moment of reflection –- others include a candlelight vigil on Sunday night –- during a weekend otherwise devoted to music, arts and dancing.Memorial events have been held annually since Floyd’s death and the theme for this one -– “The People Have Spoken” -– was suggested by Nelson Mandela’s grandson Nkosi when he visited the square, according to Harrelson.She said the defiant title was meant to reflect five years of protesting, adding that “even though it’s tiresome, we go on.”Visitors are expected to pay their respects through the weekend.Jill Foster, a physician from Minneapolis, told AFP at the square on Friday that she felt honoring Floyd’s legacy was partly a form of political resistance.”Under the Trump administration, everything is trying to be rewritten and a new reality created,” the 66-year-old said. “We have to keep the memory going and keep the information flowing.”Meanwhile, for Courteney Ross, Floyd’s girlfriend when he died, the anniversary weekend brings up powerful feelings of personal loss.”I miss him so much, I miss him by my side,” Ross, 49, told AFP, dressed in black and holding a bunch of yellow roses. “It’s beautiful to see all the people come out and celebrate him,” she added.”You see a unification that you don’t get a lot in this country lately, and people are celebrating a man who, you know, gave his life for us.”

Social media platform X was hit by a two-hour outage Saturday, prompting owner Elon Musk to say he needs to spend more time focusing on his companies.His statement echoed comments earlier this month suggesting he would reduce his role in US President Donald Trump’s administration.The world’s richest person has an extraordinarily full plate as owner/CEO of X, xAI (developer of the AI-powered chatbot Grok), electric-car maker Tesla and rocket builder SpaceX — not to mention his recent polarizing efforts to help Trump slash the size of the US federal government.As backlash to those cuts grew and Tesla share prices slipped, Musk began drawing away from the government role, confirming last week that he was down to one or two days a week at the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency.”Still, the man who contributed more than $235 million to Trump’s election campaign remains a close advisor to the US president, attending an Oval Office meeting with the South African president on Wednesday.After the X outage on Saturday, Musk suggested that he may have been away from his companies for too long.”As evidenced by the X uptime issues this week, major operational improvements need to be made,” he said.”The failover redundancy should have worked, but did not.”X had largely returned to normal service by 11:00 am US Eastern time (1500 GMT) Saturday. The SITE Intelligence Group reported that hacker-activist group DieNet had claimed responsibility for the outage.DieNet, it said, had called the attack a “test” of its so-called Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) capabilities — flooding the system with online traffic to make it inaccessible to legitimate users. AFP was unable to independently verify DieNet’s claim of responsibility, and X did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the outage.- ‘Super focused’ -“Back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms,” Musk posted on X. “I must be super focused on X/xAI and Tesla (plus Starship launch next week), as we have critical technologies rolling out.” SpaceX announced Friday that it plans to attempt a new launch of its mega-rocket Starship next week. Still under development, Starship exploded in flight during two previous launches.Starship is key to Musk’s long-term plans to colonize Mars, and SpaceX has been betting on the launch of numerous Starship prototypes — despite the explosive failures — to quickly identify and address problems.The South African-born billionaire has for weeks been signaling that he would reduce his political role to refocus on his businesses.Early this month, Musk acknowledged that his ambitious effort to slash US federal spending did not fully reach its goals, despite tens of thousands of job cuts and drastic budget reductions.This week, he said he would pull back from spending his fortune on politics, although he did not rule out backing future causes “if I see a reason.”Of his recent political donations, he said: “I did what needed to be done.” 

The Trump administration’s attempt to block Harvard University, with its global reputation for academic excellence, from enrolling international students adds to a growing list of measures that risk severely undercutting American “soft power.”A federal judge has placed a temporary hold on the Harvard ban.But the president’s move was just part of a wider ideological battle he has waged against dozens of long-established programs designed to promote diversity and cooperation at home and abroad — and to expand US influence in the process.Trump has ordered deep cuts in foreign aid, canceled or seriously scaled back university research programs — raising fears of a brain drain as top academics seek work abroad — and launched attacks on media, including by silencing the historic Voice of America.Then in early May, Trump threatened a 100 percent tariff on movies shown in the US but produced abroad.That would have, for instance, a devastating impact on films like Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” the biggest-budget American movie being shown at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. It was filmed largely in Britain and South Africa.Trump has also attacked some of the country’s most august cultural institutions, from the Smithsonian museums in Washington — which the Republican president accuses of “ideological indoctrination” — to the capital’s prestigious Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where he has appointed himself chairman.  The concept of “soft power” was first enunciated in the 1980s by the late political scientist Joseph Nye, who defined it as a country’s ability to achieve desired outcomes by attraction, not by coercion, payment or force. That, in the eyes of Trump’s critics, is exactly the opposite of what the US president has achieved. His constantly evolving trade wars and attacks on international alliances have damaged US prestige, even impacting the number of foreign tourists coming to the country.Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, sharply denounced Trump’s move against Harvard.”International students contribute to our economy, support US jobs and are among our most powerful tools of diplomacy and soft power,” she said in a statement.”This reckless action does lasting damage to our global influence,” she added.Harvard’s many prominent graduates include Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Taiwan President Lai Ching-te. While the judge’s suspension of the Harvard ban gave it some respite, Trump’s moves against the school have sent shivers through American academia, and beyond. – Huge foreign enrollment -Every year, American universities draw hundreds of thousands of foreign students, notably from Asia. International students account for one-fourth of Harvard’s enrollment, a major source of revenue.In the 2023-24 academic year, more than 1.1 million foreign students were enrolled at US campuses, a record number according to the Institute of International Education. They generally pay much more in tuition than US residents.The largest numbers, in descending order, come from India, China and South Korea, with the top fields of study being math, computer science and engineering.With the US and China locked in a fierce rivalry for global influence, Beijing was quick to react to the latest move against Harvard. “China has consistently opposed the politicization of educational collaboration,” the foreign ministry said in a statement Friday, adding that the US move would “only tarnish its own image and reputation in the world.”The Trump administration, for its part, insists American universities like Harvard have become breeding grounds for leftist extremism, and it asserts that they waste enormous amounts of money in uselessly promoting diversity and inclusion.”You’ve got a wonderful kid, he’s done very, very well, and then you send him to Harvard, and the kid comes home and you don’t even recognize them; and they’re definitely primed to be a fabulous left-wing activist, but they’re maybe not going to be able to get a job,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Thursday when asked about the issue.During a congressional hearing, Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the cuts in US foreign aid.The intent is “not to dismantle American foreign policy and it is not to withdraw us from the world,” he said, but rather to maximize aid in keeping with an “America First” approach.Nye, the soft-power theoretician and onetime assistant US secretary of defense, died early this month.But in an email exchange with AFP in February, he offered a blunt assessment of Trump’s approach. The president, he said, “only thinks in terms of coercion and payment.” That, he added, ignores a proven source of US influence. “Our success over the past eight decades,” Nye said, “has also been based on attractiveness.” 

Social media platform X was hit by a two-hour outage Saturday, prompting owner Elon Musk to say he needs to spend more time focusing on his companies.The billionaire has an extraordinarily full plate as owner/CEO of X, xAI (developer of the AI-powered chatbot Grok), electric-car maker Tesla and rocket builder SpaceX — not to mention his recent polarizing efforts to help Donald Trump slash thousands of US government jobs.As a backlash to those job cuts grew and Tesla share prices slipped, Musk began drawing away from the government role and returning to his original work. On Saturday, following the X outage, he suggested that he might have been away too long.”As evidenced by the X uptime issues this week, major operational improvements need to be made,” he said.”Back to spending 24/7 at work and sleeping in conference/server/factory rooms,” the South African-born businessman posted on X.”I must be super focused on X/xAI and Tesla (plus Starship launch next week), as we have critical technologies rolling out.” Of the X outage, he said: “The failover redundancy should have worked, but did not.”X had largely returned to normal service by 11:00 am Saturday (1500 GMT). Contacted by AFP for comment, the company did not immediately reply.SpaceX announced Friday that it plans to attempt a new launch of its mega-rocket Starship next week. Still under development, Starship exploded in flight during two previous launches.Musk acknowledged early this month that his ambitious effort to slash US federal spending, led by his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), did not fully reach its goals despite tens of thousands of job cuts and drastic budget reductions.