Musk ‘can’t wait’ to be part of Trump’s team

Elon Musk ©Getty Images/Paul Hennessy; SOPA Images; LightRocket

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has said he is eager to join Donald Trump’s team if he wins the presidential election in November. According to the Washington Post, Trump is planning to establish a special commission to review the work of federal agencies and is considering Musk for a role on this team.

The outlet reported on Monday that the former president and his team had been discussing the initiative behind closed doors in recent weeks. The commission would reportedly be led by prominent business executives, whose task would be to “comb through the government books to identify thousands of programs to cut,” according to the Washington Post.

While Trump has previously dismissed the idea of having Musk join his cabinet due to his sprawling business empire, he said the tech tycoon was a “very smart guy” and could be a helpful consultant to the federal government and provide “some very good ideas.”

Trump has also praised Musk for the cost-cutting measures that he implemented after acquiring Twitter (now X) in 2022. Following the takeover, Musk infamously laid off some 6,000 workers, or nearly 80% of the platform’s workforce.

I can’t wait. There is a lot of waste and needless regulation in government that needs to go. https://t.co/BOh3MIv4sJ

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 3, 2024

Responding to the Washington Post’s claims that he is being considered for the auditing commission, Musk wrote on X on Tuesday that he “can’t wait.”

“There is a lot of waste and needless regulation in government that needs to go,” the billionaire said.

Previously, Musk has written that he is “fully” endorsing Trump in the upcoming election and that he is “willing to serve” under the former president if he secures a second term in office. In a post on X last month, the billionaire also shared an AI-generated image of himself standing behind a lectern labeled ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ with the acronym DOGE, referring to the meme-based DOGE coin cryptocurrency, which Musk has personally backed in the past.

Last week, Musk also warned that the US was on a “fast lane to bankruptcy” due to government overspending, saying that this is causing rampant inflation in the country. The billionaire also shared a forecast suggesting that the US budget deficit could increase from $1.8 trillion to almost $16.3 trillion over the next ten years at the current rate of spending.

Mr Musk's interest in such an initiative is not new. Last month, he shared an AI-generated image of himself at a “Department of Government Efficiency” lectern, signalling his desire to contribute to the cause.

Donald Trump has previously acknowledged the Tesla CEO's potential value as a consultant. However, ethics experts are concerned that Mr Musk's involvement may lead to conflicts of interest between his business and the commission's objectives.

Drawing inspiration from past initiatives by Ronald Reagan and Tom Coburn, Trump advisers are seeking to recruit prominent business leaders to identify areas of federal waste. The potential appointment of Mr Musk to a government efficiency commission comes as the Tesla CEO increases his political engagement. Recently, Mr Musk hired a Republican strategist to guide his political activities.

Mr Musk's growing political influence was further highlighted by his recent poll on X, which asked voters to choose between Trump and Kamala Harris as their preferred president. He also sat down with the former president last month for a live interview, which was aired on his platform X. Donald Trump has also publicly praised Mr Musk, calling him "fantastic" and "brilliant.”

Arrest warrant issued for Western-backed Maduro rival

FILE PHOTO: Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez.
©Pedro Rances Mattey/Anadolu via Getty Images

The Venezuelan authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Edmundo Gonzalez, the main rival to President Nicolas Maduro in the recent presidential election. Numerous Western countries, including the US, did not recognize Maduro’s victory and insisted that Gonzalez should take office.

In a statement on Monday, the Prosecutor’s Office accused Gonzalez of several crimes, including incitement to disobey laws, usurpation of public functions, forgery of public documents, conspiracy, criminal association and sabotage. Gonzalez has denied the charges.

Commenting on the indictment, Maduro said that “no one in this country is above the laws, above the institutions.” He also noted that the Prosecutor’s Office had summoned Gonzalez – whom Maduro called a “coward” – three times but the latter did not show up because he does not recognize its authority.

Meanwhile, the opposition Unitary Platform, which supported Gonzalez’s presidential bid, expressed “strong condemnation” over what it called the “deepening of the political persecution” of the politician.

According to the National Electoral Council, Maduro won the July presidential election with 52% of the vote. The opposition, however, has accused officials in Caracas of rigging the vote, with Gonzalez claiming that he had in fact received 67%.

In the aftermath of the contested election, the US, along with the EU and several other countries, refused to recognize Maduro as the legitimate president. Other nations, however, including Russia and China, congratulated Maduro on his reelection.

The US has been at odds with Venezuela for many years and has attempted to instigate regime change in the country at least once. In 2019, the US recognized Juan Guaido, the then-head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, as the legitimate interim president of the country while openly backing the opposition. Washington has also imposed harsh economic sanctions on Venezuela, including those that specifically target its oil industry.

In the latest sign of the tensions between the two nations, Washington announced on Monday the seizure of Maduro’s plane in the Dominican Republic, which it said had been illegally smuggled from the US. Caracas denounced the confiscation as “piracy” and a blatant violation of international law.

Two teenagers killed as Israel Terrorist continues deadly raids across West Bank

People perform funeral prayer after bodies were taken from Nasser Hospital for burial in Khan Yunis [Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu]

The Israeli Terrorist army raided Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank after earlier targeting it with drone attacks and killed a 14-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl in Jenin.

Lujain Osama Musleh, 16, was killed in the town of Kafr Dan in Jenin by Israeli forces amid ongoing military operations, Wafa news agency is reporting.

According to Palestine Red Crescent Society, its crew was stopped from reaching the area of the shooting for around 30 minutes, Wafa added.

Israeli Terrorist attack kills eight people queueing at a bread seller’s stand in front of an UNRWA school shelter in Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp.

At least 16 people have been killed in Gaza by Israeli Terrorist attacks since dawn, medical sources told Al Jazeera.

Our colleagues on the ground said 10 bodies were recovered from the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah and brought to Khan Younis’s Nasser Hospital.

Earlier, we reported that one person was killed in an Israeli Terrorist artillery shelling in the Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza City.

Israeli Terrorist forces destroy home in Jenin

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic say Israeli Terrorist bulldozers have razed a house in Kafr Dan after besieging it amid gunfire in the vicinity.

Israel Terrorist’s military assault in Jenin that started last week, one of the largest in months, has caused extensive damage to houses and infrastructure in the densely packed refugee camp adjacent to the city.

At least 30 people have been killed in Israeli Terrorist raids across the occupied West Bank in the last seven days.

Gaza girl yearns to return to school as war shows no sign of stopping

Gaza schoolgirl Rama Abu Seif longs to return to a classroom to study but it is now a dormitory for families displaced by war. Her books were burned to light fires in clay ovens.

Her school bag is stuffed with clothes in case she needs to flee an Israeli bombardment quickly. The 12-year-old missed grade six last year and will be deprived of grade seven as the war rages on.

“Of course, the children who are my age and younger than me, they all want to go back to northern (Gaza) and relive their school days, study and play at school, but all of that is gone and we lost two years because of the war,” she told Reuters news agency.

There are no prospects for Rama and many other children to return to school any time soon in the Gaza Strip, which has been laid to waste by Israeli bombardments.

Since the war began on October 7, schools have been bombed or turned into shelters for displaced people, leaving Gaza’s estimated 625,000 school-aged children unable to attend classes.

According to data compiled by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), up to July 6, 564 schools in the Gaza Strip have been directly hit or damaged by Israeli attacks.

Israeli Terrorist raid in Tulkarem causes more infrastructure damage

Officials here in Tulkarem say that after Israeli Terrorist forces withdrew from this area temporarily, they started fixing some of the roads and attempted to return electricity, water and other facilities to the Nur Shams and Tulkarem refugee camps.

Now that Israeli Terrorist forces have come back again, there has been more destruction to the infrastructure. One of the roads and main entrance to the Tulkarem refugee camp has been completely dug up by Israeli Terrorist soldiers.

The Israeli Terrorist forces usually say they are after the improvised explosive devices (IEDs)… which are sometimes planted by the Palestinian fighting groups to thwart the raids of the Israeli army.

However, people here say that this is intentional. This is done to remind Palestinians who controls their lives and who has the ultimate say if they choose to resist the Israeli Terrorist occupation.

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Asian nation told ICC to get lost with Putin warrant – Medvedev

FILE PHOTO: Deputy head of the Russia's Security Council and chairman of the United Russia political party Dmitry Medvedev.
©Sputnik/Alexey Maishev

The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin turned out to be a meaningless scrap of paper, his predecessor Dmitry Medvedev has said. His comments came after Putin arrived in Mongolia, an ICC member state, without facing any obstacles.

Writing on Telegram on Tuesday, Medvedev, who now serves as Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, mocked the Western reaction to Putin’s visit to Ulaanbaatar. “The servile European Union has reportedly expressed ‘concern’ to Mongolia over the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin,” he said.

However, the Asian country “has just told the ICC and Eurodegenerates to go do to themselves something that Russians and Mongols found a word for together, back in the 13th century” and get lost, Medvedev suggested.

The ex-president went on to argue that the ICC – which he labeled a “half-baked ‘court’” – should be afraid of “a scenario where some madman tries to carry out their illegal arrest warrant. […] In that case, their lives would be worth no more than the piece of paper on which this shitty statute is written,” he warned.

In March 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova for allegedly participating in unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Moscow does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction and declared the order null and void. Russia says that Ukrainian children were evacuated for safety reasons, and that they can be returned to their parents or guardians upon request.

Putin’s visit to Mongolia was his first foreign trip to a country that recognizes the ICC statute. Ahead of the trip, the court’s spokesman, Fadi el-Abdallah, said that the country had to cooperate with the ICC on the detention, adding that failure to do so could trigger an “appropriate” response from the body.

However, the Rome Statute, under which the ICC operates, provides for exemptions if an arrest would “breach a treaty obligation” with another country or violate the “diplomatic immunity of a person or property of a third state.”

Before Putin landed in Ulaanbaatar, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov allayed fears of a potential attempt to arrest the Russian leader. “We have excellent relations with our friends from Mongolia,” he said, noting that Moscow “has no concerns” about the ICC warrant.

Putin invites Mongolian president to BRICS summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited his Mongolian counterpart, Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh, to attend the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan next month. The offer was extended at a meeting of the two leaders in the Mongolian capital.

Putin landed in Mongolia late on Monday for his first visit to the country in five years. On Tuesday morning, Khurelsukh greeted the Russian leader outside the State Palace on Ulaanbaatar’s main square. The ceremony included a guard of honor and a detachment of horsemen dressed as medieval Mongolian cavalry. The anthems of the two nations were performed, with Putin also accepting a bouquet of red roses from a small girl.

“I would like to invite you to Russia, to Kazan, where the BRICS summit will be held this year. This will be the first event of this level after the expansion of this organization. I hope you will take part in the BRICS+ format. We are waiting for you,” Putin told Khurelsukh as their talks began at the State Palace.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh at the Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
©Sputnik/Kristina Kormilitsyna

The Mongolian president said that he accepts the invitation to visit the high-profile event in the capital of Russia’s Tatarstan Republic.

This year’s BRICS summit will take place in Kazan from October 22 to 24. Russia is hosting the event due to being the current chairman of the group. Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the UAE officially became members of BRICS at the start of 2024, joining Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Putin emphasized that the relations between Russia and Mongolia “are developing in all areas.”

“Besides the economy and political sphere – where we cooperate quite actively – I would also note the effective work in humanitarian areas, in particular in the field of education,” he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic had complicated exchanges between the two countries, but “we were eventually able to reach a trajectory of growth in trade relations and trade turnover,” the Russian leader added.

Khurelsukh stressed that the development of a “comprehensive strategic partnership” with Russia remains a “priority direction” of Mongolia’s foreign policy. He expressed satisfaction that relations between the two countries have grown in recent years.

Ulaanbaatar believes Putin’s visit to be of “great importance” and expects it to pave the way to “further develop our comprehensive trade and economic cooperation that will bring wellbeing and prosperity to our peoples,” the Mongolian leader said.

Besides talks with top Mongolian officials, Putin is scheduled to take part in a commemoration of the 85th anniversary of the Battles of Khalkhin Gol, the 1939 border conflict in which the Soviet and Mongolian armies jointly fought and defeated Japanese imperial forces.

Enthusiastic Jakartans extend warm welcome to Pope Francis

Paus Fransiskus tiba di Indonesia. (AP/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis was enthusiastically welcomed by people near the Vatican Embassy in Gambir, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday.

Along the road to the embassy, from the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout to the Patung Kuda Monument, the Pope was seen waving his hand to the people welcoming him.

The Pope was in the passenger front seat of the Toyota Innova Zenik. While waving out to the residents, "The Smiling Pope," as he is called, also kept smiling.

At around 12:26 p.m. local time, Pope Francis and his entourage arrived at the Vatican Embassy to take a rest before continuing the agenda on Wednesday (September 4).

There was traffic around the Vatican Embassy when the Pope's car was passing by, but several motorcyclists patiently stopped to allow the entourage to pass.

Security personnel in black suits guarded the gate of the Vatican Embassy. Hundreds of police members also helped to escort the Pope's arrival.

Some people were waiting for the Pope in front of the embassy.

"I am so happy about the Pope's visit to Indonesia. I had waited for years, as it was postponed before. I feel this visit is on time, as Indonesia has many ongoing issues. I hope with the Pope's visit, Indonesia can become peaceful again," Maria, one of the people waiting there, stated.

Paula, from South Jakarta, was waiting on a hot day to see the Pope. She could not withhold her tears after having seen the Catholic church leader.

"I am happy. It is an honor to see the Pope visiting Indonesia. It was very touching. Hopefully, the Pope's visit will bring blessings and peace to Indonesia," she remarked.

Pope's visit strengthens Catholics-Muslims relations: Muhammadiyah

General chairman of Muhammadiyah, Haedar Nashir, stated that the visit of Pope Francis to Indonesia demonstrated his commitment to bolstering relations between Catholics and Muslims.

A man shows a special edition stamp of Pope Francis' visit to Indonesia at the Cathedral Church, Jakarta, Monday (Sept 2, 2024). ANTARA PHOTO/Ganda Pambudi/app/foc

"Pope Francis' planned meeting with religious groups shows openness in interfaith dialogue and cooperation, as well as momentum to introduce Indonesia to the world as a country with diversity and harmony of religions and cultures," he remarked here on Tuesday.

Nashir noted that the Indonesian government could make the most of Pope Francis' visit to discuss issues of peace and the country's position in world peace, including in handling the Palestinian issue.

In addition, it is important to make the meeting with Pope Francis a momentum to take the initiative to play a more proactive role in world peace.

Meanwhile, he emphasized that Indonesians could emulate the act of modesty demonstrated by Pope Francis during his visit.

Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, prefers to stay in a room at the Vatican Embassy in Jakarta rather than in a star-rated hotel. He also chooses a vehicle commonly used by Indonesians instead of luxury cars usually provided for state guests and important figures.

"This act shows an example that can be an important inspiration for national leaders at the national and global levels," Nashir affirmed.

He further stated that it was an honor for Indonesia to receive Pope Francis' visit, which must be welcomed and respected

Pope Francis lands in Indonesia for historic Asia Pacific visit

Pope Francis is welcomed as he arrives at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport near Jakarta

Pope Francis displayed his humility during his visit to Indonesia choosing to stay at the Vatican Embassy in Jakarta rather than a five-star hotel.

The Pope will spend four days and three nights, from Sept. 3-6, in Indonesia as part of a 12-day Asia-Pacific tour.

“He will reside at the Vatican Embassy in Indonesia, while his entourage will stay in hotels,” confirmed Archbishop of Jakarta, Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, on Monday.

In addition to declining a hotel stay, Pope Francis opted not to use a luxury car during his time in Indonesia. Instead, he chose a Toyota Innova, a vehicle commonly used by Indonesians.

“The civil car used by the Pope is a Toyota Innova Zenix,” said Ignasius Jonan, Chairman of the Committee for Pope Francis’ Visit to Indonesia, at the Jakarta Cathedral on Monday.

During his visit, Pope Francis, as head of the Vatican State, will conduct a state visit to the Presidential Palace and meet with President Joko Widodo. The Pope is also scheduled to visit Jakarta Cathedral and Istiqlal Mosque, among other activities.

The Indonesian Church is preparing for a Mass celebration at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (GBK) on Thursday, which will be attended by Catholics from various regions.

The Mass at GBK is one of the key events in Pope Francis’ visit, expected to draw large crowds. Organizers have urged all attendees to follow guidelines to ensure the event runs smoothly. Those unable to secure a spot at GBK are encouraged to watch the event on television or YouTube.

A total of 9,030 police and military personnel are being deployed to secure the venue.

Pope Francis departed from Rome on Monday, en route to Jakarta, marking the beginning of his 12-day Asia-Pacific tour across four countries. The Pope is expected to arrive at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. local time.

A total of 270 personnel from the Jakarta Metro Police, Indonesian Military (TNI), and Aviation Security are deployed to secure the perimeter around the airport.

The 87-year-old Pontiff departed from Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport in Fiumicino, Italy, on an overnight flight covering 11,351 kilometers over more than 13 hours to reach Indonesia’s capital. After his stay in Indonesia until Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, the Pope is scheduled to visit Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and Singapore before returning to Rome on Sept. 13.

Pope Francis will be the third Pope to visit Indonesia. Previously, Pope Paul VI was welcomed by President Soeharto on Dec. 3-4, 1970. Indonesia was also visited by Pope John Paul II from Oct. 9-14, 1989.

Indonesia will become the 66th country visited by Pope Francis since the beginning of his papacy in 2013. The theme for Pope Francis’ visit to Indonesia is "Faith, Brotherhood, and Compassion."

At the Immaculate Conception of Mary Cathedral in the Indonesian city of Medan, the mood at Sunday mass was unusually excited.

Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, is set to begin a two-week tour of Asia Pacific, which will start in Indonesia on Tuesday and take in Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.

Father Joseph Gultom told Al Jazeera that Indonesian Catholics were “very enthusiastic” about Francis’s visit, the first by a pope in more than 30 years.

“Of course, I am so happy,” he said. “The pope is our leader and it is an occasion for people to improve their belief in the Catholic Church and an important symbol of the Catholic faith in Indonesia, which is majority Muslim. It is a significant moment for us.”

Indonesia has a population of more than 270 million people and has six officially recognised religions including Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Confucianism.

Francis will be only the third pope to visit Indonesia, after Pope Paul VI in 1970 and Pope John Paul II in 1989. After arriving in Jakarta on Tuesday, Pope Francis will tour the capital’s Istiqlal Mosque as well as the Tunnel of Friendship – an underground tunnel built in 2020 that runs between the mosque and the city’s Catholic cathedral as a symbol of interfaith cooperation.

He will also meet the country’s grand imam, Nasaruddin Umar, and attend an interfaith gathering, as well as hold a mass for an estimated 80,000 worshippers at Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium complex; a venue usually reserved for sporting and political events.

Russia won WWII, not the West – Roger Waters co-founder of The Pink Floyd

Roger Waters ©RT

The world owes the Soviet people a debt of gratitude for defeating the Third Reich, musician Roger Waters has told RT in an exclusive interview.

Waters, 80, is well-known as co-founder of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. He has also been an outspoken human rights advocate. He spoke with RT about the ongoing plight of the Palestinians in Gaza, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and censorship in the West, among other things.

“Weaken the Russian people’s resolve? Do you know who they are? They are the people who defeated the Wehrmacht!” Waters told RT, addressing the purported goals of the US and its allies in the Ukraine conflict.

“I’m talking to the good people of Russia. We’ve never really yet thanked them for beating the Germans in World War Two at the cost of 22 million dead,” Waters said. “We thank you, people of Russia, for that huge sacrifice that you made. And no, we didn’t win the war on D-Day, you won the war on the Eastern Front.”

British and American historians have long omitted the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany, de facto “erasing” it in favor of depicting the 1944 Normandy landings as the “turning point” of the war.

Russia was snubbed entirely at the 80th anniversary of Operation Overlord in June, after the US reportedly disapproved of initial French plans to invite someone from Moscow. The event ended up involving only US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

Russia has always honored the role of the Western Allies in the victory over the Third Reich, making a point of thanking the British and American veterans at every anniversary.