Newspaper headlines from around the world - Thursday, 5 June 2025
Here are the stories that made headlines on the front pages of newspapers worldwide on Thursday, 5 June 2025. The New York Times front page reported that the G.O.P's bill would swell the U.S. debt by $2.4 trillion. The Wall Street Journal front page reported that spycraft and homegrown weapons powered Kyiv's surprise attack. The Hindustan Times' front page reported that the government has finally announced the long-postponed census. Daily Mail's front page reported that battle lines have been drawn over immigration. The Guardian front page reported that chaos fears arise over the return of winter fuel payments.
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The South African
33 minutes ago
- The South African
SA breaks record for table grape exports, UK tops destination list
A record 77.8 million cartons of table grapes were exported from South Africa for the 2024/25 season, marking a 5% increase over the previous year. According to the South African Table Grape Industry (SATI), demand remains robust across major international markets. The European Union accounted for the majority of exports at 58%, while the United Kingdom was the leading individual destination, taking 18% of the total volume. Notably, exports to North America – which includes the United States and Canada – rose by 25% year-on-year, reaching 7.4 million cartons. This surge contributed to a global export value of approximately USD $730 million for South African table grapes in 2024. 'The industry is encouraged by growing exports to the USA,' SATI chief exec Mecia Petersen told Fruitnet . 'We are closely monitoring developments regarding potential new tariffs that may impact the sector.' South Africa has exported fresh grapes to the US for over two decades. Those shipments have increased at an average rate of 19% per year over the last five years. In the 2024/25 season, trade with the US represented about 3% of total table grape exports. That's equivalent to 2.2 million 4.5kg cartons, or just under 10 000 tonnes. Petersen emphasised the sector's optimism about further growth in this market, and the importance of maintaining that market share. However, South African grapes currently face higher import tariffs in the US compared to other Southern Hemisphere suppliers, such as Peru and Chile, which export during the same off-season window. According to SATI, for South Africa to remain competitive, a careful mix of market consolidation and diversification will be required. 'Market access processes can take many years, and favourable market conditions are influenced by the tariffs South Africa may face in destinations compared to other exporting countries,' Petersen added. 'Finding alternative markets to absorb volumes currently shipped to the USA is not a desirable solution.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Trump says Musk has ‘lost his mind' as feud fallout mounts
Trump struck a milder tone late Friday when asked how seriously he is considering cutting Musk's contracts. US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk (R) speak in the Oval Office before departing the White House. Picture: AFP / Roberto Schmidt US President Donald Trump said Friday that Elon Musk had 'lost his mind' but insisted he wanted to move on from the fiery split with his billionaire former ally. The blistering public break-up between the world's richest person and the world's most powerful is fraught with political and economic risks all round. Trump had scrapped the idea of a call with Musk and was even thinking of ditching the red Tesla he bought at the height of their bromance, White House officials told AFP. 'Honestly I've been so busy working on China, working on Russia, working on Iran… I'm not thinking about Elon Musk, I just wish him well,' Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to his New Jersey golf club late Friday. ALSO READ: Accusations and threats fly as Trump and Musk alliance melts down in blazing public row Earlier, Trump told US broadcasters that he now wanted to focus instead on passing his 'big, beautiful' mega-bill before Congress – Musk's harsh criticism of which had sparked their break-up. But the 78-year-old Republican could not stop himself from taking aim at his South African-born friend-turned-enemy. 'You mean the man who has lost his mind?' Trump said in a call with ABC when asked about Musk, adding that he was 'not particularly' interested in talking to the tycoon. Trump later told Fox News that Musk had 'lost it.' Just a week ago Trump gave Musk a glowing send-off as he left his cost-cutting role at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after four months working there. 'Very disappointed' While there had been reports of tensions, the sheer speed at which their relationship imploded stunned Washington. After Musk called Trump's spending bill an 'abomination' on Tuesday, Trump hit back in an Oval Office diatribe on Thursday in which he said he was 'very disappointed' by the entrepreneur. Trump's spending bill faces a difficult path through Congress as it will raise the US deficit, while critics say it will cut health care for millions of the poorest Americans. The row then went nuclear, with Musk slinging insults at Trump and accusing him without evidence of being in government files on disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump hit back with the power of the US government behind him, saying he could cancel the Space X boss's multi-billion-dollar rocket and satellite contracts. READ MORE: Elon Musk unceremoniously steps down from Trump administration Trump struck a milder tone late Friday when asked how seriously he is considering cutting Musk's contracts. 'It's a lot of money, it's a lot of subsidy, so we'll take a look – only if it's fair. Only if it's to be fair for him and the country,' he said. Musk apparently also tried to de-escalate social media hostilities. The right-wing tech baron rowed back on a threat to scrap his company's Dragon spacecraft – vital for ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station. And on Friday the usually garrulous poster kept a low social media profile on his X social network. But the White House denied reports that they would talk. 'The president does not intend to speak to Musk today,' a senior White House official told AFP. A second official said Musk had requested a call. Tesla giveaway? Tesla stocks tanked more than 14 percent on Thursday amid the row, losing some $100 billion of the company's market value, but recovering partly Friday. Trump is now considering either selling or giving away the cherry red Tesla S that he announced he had bought from Musk's firm in March. The electric vehicle was still parked on the White House grounds on Friday. 'He's thinking about it, yes,' a senior White House official told AFP when asked if Trump would sell or give it away. Trump and Musk had posed inside the car at a bizarre event in March, when the president turned the White House into a pop-up Tesla showroom after viral protests against Musk's DOGE role. But while Trump appeared to hold many of the cards, Musk also has some to play. His wealth allowed him to be the biggest donor to Trump's 2024 campaign, to the tune of nearly $300 million. Any further support for the 2026 midterm election now appears in doubt – while Musk could also use his money to undermine Trump's support on the right. NOW READ: Malatsi's move 'a shameless sellout to American oligarchs Musk and Trump'
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
Burkina Faso's revolutionary shift under Traoré's leadership
Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the President of Burkina Faso's transition. One thing is clear: Burkina Faso is once again positioning itself at the vanguard of Africa's liberation project. IN Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, a structure has risen that embodies more than just memory: It symbolises vision, renewal, and resistance. It is the Thomas Sankara Mausoleum. The Thomas Sankara Mausoleum, designed by the internationally acclaimed Pritzker Prize-winning Kéré Architecture, is not merely a tribute to a distinctly revolutionary icon. It is a declaration: that the spirit of Sankara is alive, and under the leadership of Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the President of Burkina Faso's transition. One thing is clear: Burkina Faso is once again positioning itself at the vanguard of Africa's liberation project. The mausoleum — sleek, dignified, and rooted in African architectural identity — honours the legacy of Thomas Sankara, the pan-Africanist leader assassinated in 1987 (after just four transformative years in power), as well as twelve of Sankara's fellow comrades. The auspicious inauguration of the event was attended by an array of international dignitaries, including South African anti-apartheid activist and former chairperson of the African Union (AU) Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. South Africa's former President Thabo Mbeki, although invited, was unable to attend as he was hosting the 15th Thabo Mbeki Africa Day Lecture in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The erection of this memorial site is a profound and befitting tribute to Sankara, the Burkinabe revolutionary whose influence and reverence were felt both continentally and internationally. This tribute also speaks volumes about today's Burkina Faso. Under the leadership of the significantly popular President, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso has taken dramatic strides towards its advancement. From education and healthcare to infrastructure and security, the country is reclaiming agency over its development. By commissioning and championing this project, President Traoré is not only preserving history, but he is actively invoking it. He is steadfastly reviving the political and philosophical principles that made Sankara both admired and feared: integrity, self-reliance, unapologetic anti-imperialism, and a deep commitment to the African people. The Sankara mausoleum is more than a mere monument; it is a reclaiming of the Burkinabe narrative to a place long shrouded in pain. For decades, the site represented fear and pain, and today, it has been reimagined as a site of power, true leadership, and the positive reconstruction of Burkina Faso's society. This transformation is more than symbolic, it reflects the broader African awakening — a refusal to let our heroes be erased or our futures dictated. This is not just symbolic politics. It is part of a larger revolution Traoré is undertaking, one that seeks to realign Burkina Faso's path away from dependency and toward sovereignty, regional solidarity, and genuine national development. In fact, Traore markedly withdrew Burkina Faso from Ecowas, forming instead the Alliance of Sahel States with Mali and Niger, two nations also run by post-coup administrations. He has also reversed his predecessor's salary increase for government officials, and remained on his military captain earnings, similarly to South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela, and Gabon's military leader, Gen Brice Oligui Nguema. Furthermore, Traore has ended military cooperation agreements with former coloniser France, redirecting security efforts to local and national forces, and emphasising the importance of reclaiming ownership — not only of land and minerals but of policy, narrative, and identity. In many ways, the mausoleum is a fitting metaphor. It roots Burkina Faso in its radical past, while offering a platform for reimagining its future. And that future, under Traoré's guidance, is being shaped in bold and unapologetically African terms. This is the revolution within the revolution, a cultural and psychological shift that echoes Sankara's own emphasis on dignity. It is one thing to control a nation's territory; it is another to inspire its people, to nurture its identity, and to outrightly put the needs of the people at the top of the national mandate. Through Traoré's renewed focus on local agriculture, education, public service delivery, and so much more, Traoré is successfully reconstructing the foundations of Burkinabè society, from the ground up. This is why the Sankara Mausoleum is so immensely invaluable. It is a reminder that leadership is not about personality cults or grandstanding; it is about purpose. Traoré, like Sankara, is leading with vision and intention, rather than from palaces and pompous acts of grandiosity. Critics, particularly in European and Western circles, have cast doubt on the trajectory of Traoré's leadership, particularly the long-term sustainability of Burkina Faso's break from its former strategic partners. However, we must remain wary of the age-old habit of non-Africans speaking on African matters. In fact, any critique of Traore must also be balanced against the undeniable decades of ineffective governance, chronic instability, and external interferences that have brought Burkina Faso to the brink of collapse. Traoré's leadership has proven itself to be rooted in the pan-Africanist belief that Africa can govern itself, defend itself, and define itself, without relying on those who have historically (and continue to) benefit from its vulnerabilities. This leadership model is not limited to Burkina Faso. From Northern Africa's Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) to the Southern African Development Communities (SADC), and beyond, the world is watching Traore intently. Traoré's assertiveness has resonated with citizens across Africa — and beyond — who are sick and tired of corruption, dependency, and underdevelopment despite abundant resources. His actions have rekindled the passionate values of Pan-Africanism, not as a theoretical ideal, but as a practical, implementable, transformational political path. Traoré, propelled by the will of the people rather than elite interests, represents a break from the old order that served foreign agendas more than African futures. The reforms taking root today reflect a broader continental awakening: one where sovereignty, dignity, and justice are no longer negotiable. Traoré is showing us what is possible when leadership listens, acts, and stands firm. The Thomas Sankara Mausoleum is more than a memorial; it is a cornerstone of a new national narrative. It signals to Burkinabè youth, and to African youth everywhere, that we are not condemned to repeat the cycles of the past. We can choose leaders who reflect our values, who honour our history, and who are willing to challenge the structures that have kept us marginalised and grossly underprivileged for far too long. Ibrahim Traoré is far from finished. But what he has begun, from policy reform to cultural renewal, is already shifting the political horizon. The revolution he leads is not just about Burkina Faso's future, it's a profound declaration of what Africa is yet to achieve. As the prolific former leader of Ethiopia, Emperor Haile Selassie once famously stated: 'Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted… that has made it possible for evil to triumph.' If the Sankara Mausoleum is the foundation, then perhaps what follows will be the architecture of a new, sovereign, self-defined Africa. And that, at last, is what true leadership looks like. While many invoke Sankara's legacy, it is Traoré who most visibly fulfils Sankara's revolutionary challenge: 'We must dare to invent the future.' * Tswelopele Makoe is a gender and social justice activist, editor at Global South Media Network ( a researcher and Columnist. She is also an Andrew W Mellon scholar at the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice, UWC. ** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, IOL, or Independent Media.
