A federal judge temporarily blocked Elon Musk and some of his team at the Department of Government Efficiency from access to sensitive Treasury payment systems. Last week Mr Musk claimed DOGE was cancelling “illegal” payments, sparking concerns that he had gained access to systems handling trillions of dollars of Social Security and Medicare funds. The ruling follows a lawsuit by 19 state attorneys-general challenging DOGE’s authority.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan rejected suggestions that Palestinians could be moved out of Gaza and the West Bank. The three countries appeared to be responding to remarks by Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, who said in a television interview that Saudi Arabia has “a lot of land” and so could house a Palestinian state. This week Donald Trump called for the eviction of Palestinians from Gaza and an American takeover of the enclave.
Mr Trump told the New York Post that he had spoken to Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine. Mr Trump did not say how many conversations had taken place, or when. A Kremlin spokesperson said they could neither confirm nor deny the reports. Meanwhile Ukraine’s armed forces said that Russia had launched around 150 drones at the country overnight; some 70 were intercepted.
Mr Trump signed an executive order to cut financial aid to South Africa, accusing its government of “racial discrimination” against Afrikaners, an ethnic group descended from European settlers. The order instructs the Department of Homeland Security to promote the resettlement of “Afrikaner refugees”. South Africa’s government said the directive lacks “factual accuracy” and “fails to recognise South Africa’s profound and painful history of colonialism and apartheid”.
China plans to reduce its subsidies for green-energy projects, Reuters reported, after a big increase in its capacity to produce solar and wind power. The country’s main agency for economic planning suggested it would introduce “market-oriented” policies to encourage development. The subsidy programme helped China dominate production of solar panels and other green-energy infrastructure.
Leaders of Patriots for Europe, a far-right alliance in the European Parliament, gathered in Madrid under the slogan “Make Europe Great Again”. Speakers railed against immigration and the EU establishment. Leaders of the bloc, formed after the 2024 elections, include France’s Marine Le Pen and Hungary’s Viktor Orban. Some important right-wing parties, including Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy, have refused to join.
Sam Nujoma, the first president of Namibia, died in the country’s capital, Windhoek, aged 95. He led the South West Africa People’s Organisation, a rebel movement that freed Namibia from rule by South Africa and became a political party. Mr Nujoma, the last of a generation of African leaders who achieved independence for their countries, was Namibia’s president for 15 years from 1990. SWAPO remains in power.
Word of the week: pig-butchering, a scam in which fraudsters build trust with victims over weeks or months before luring them into fake investments and stealing their money. Read the full story.
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