World
South African President, Jacob Zuma Disgraced Off Podium After Workers Booed Him
South African President Jacob Zuma made a hasty exit from a May Day rally on Monday after the crowd of workers that he was due to address became rowdy, with some booing and chanting slogans against him.
The labour federation Cosatu abruptly cancelled Zuma’s speech and other addresses at the rally it had organised, as TV footage showed scuffles breaking out in the crowd, apparently between supporters who voiced their backing of Zuma and opponents of the president.
Zuma and his entourage could be seen on live TV leaving the podium and being whisked away from the rally, in the central city of Bloemfontein, in a motorcade.
Cosatu, a key political ally of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), last month called on Zuma to step down after his sacking of the finance minister triggered a sovereign credit rating downgrade to “junk”.
Marches calling on Zuma to quit have drawn tens of thousands of protestors but the ANC has rejected such calls ahead of two conferences this year, one where it will chart its policy direction, the other where it will pick Zuma’s successor to lead the party in 2019 general elections.
The May Day public holiday is an important date in South Africa’s political calendar, when party leaders try to woo a working class that has been hard hit by lay-offs in key sectors such as mining.
Zuma has become a focus of mounting public discontent over government missteps, rising unemployment and a stagnant economy.
Cosatu has signalled its preference for Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, a former trade unionist turned business tycoon who was the ANC’s key negotiator in the talks that lead to the end of white-minority rule in 1994.
At a separate Cosatu May Day rally, in rural Hectorspruit in the eastern province of Mpumalanga, Ramaphosa’s speech was greeted with loud cheers from the crowd, the South African Government News Agency reported.
Weeks ago, Ramaphosa openly disagreed with Zuma’s decision to sack former finance minister Pravin Gordhan, who was widely respected by markets and regarded as a staunch opponent of the corruption that critics say has undermined the ANC’s moral authority.
Zuma is widely believed to want his ex-wife, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, a former cabinet member who just finished a term at the helm of the African Union, to succeed him.
(Editing
World
Trump appoints Elon Musk to lead department of government efficiency
US President-Elect Donald Trump has appointed Elon Musk, chief executive officer (CEO) of Tesla and SpaceX, to lead a soon-to-be-established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Musk, owner of X, the microblogging platform previously known as Twitter, was an avid supporter of Trump during the electioneering leading up to the November 5 presidential election.
The former president defeated Vice-President Kamala Harris after securing more than 270 of the electoral college votes required to win the poll.
A statement on Tuesday said Musk would run DOGE alongside Vivek Ramaswamy, a politician and entrepreneur.
It said the duo “will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement’.
“I look forward to Elon and Vivek making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency and, at the same time, making life better for all Americans,” the statement quoted the president-elect as saying.
“Importantly, we will drive out the massive waste and fraud which exists throughout our annual $6.5 Trillion Dollars of Government Spending.”
Trump will take office for a second and final term on January 25, 2025.
World
French newspapers sue X for using content without paying
Major French news organisations say they are suing X, a micro-blogging platform, for allegedly using their content without paying.
According to Reuters, the newspapers, which are Le Monde, Le Figaro and Le Parisien, announced in a statement on Tuesday.
The media platforms said they were due payment under their ancillary rights, which allow payment to news outlets by digital platforms, for the distribution of their content.
They said X, formerly known as Twitter, and owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has never agreed to open negotiations with French news publishers, unlike Alphabet Inc, Google and Meta Platforms Inc.
The publication also said the media organisations claimed that X has not complied with an order issued by the Paris Court of Justice in May to release information required to calculate the amount owed.
“The revenue from these rights, with the investment that it would enable its beneficiaries to make, is a boost to the plurality, independence and quality of the media, which are essential for freedom of expression and the right to information in our democratic society,” the newspapers said.
A spokesperson for the Paris tribunal also confirmed the case to Reuters and said a hearing has been scheduled for May 15, 2025.
World
Trump sentencing in hush-money case delayed again until November 19
A New York judge, Juan Merchan, has postponed the decision on Donald Trump’s sentencing in his high-profile hush-money case, delaying it until November 19.
This delay could extend the impact of the conviction into his upcoming administration.
This update, confirmed by a court statement on Tuesday, adds another layer of delay to Trump’s legal battle over alleged hush-money payments.
“The joint application for a stay of the current deadlines… until November 19, is granted,” the court said in an email seen by AFP.
The decision comes amid multiple delays in a case that could see Trump sentenced on 34 felony counts.
According to The Guardian, the delay reflects the Trump defence team’s numerous motions over the past year, each requesting more time or challenging aspects of the proceedings.
Protracted Legal Battle
The case originates from Trump’s April 2024 court appearance—the first time a former president has faced criminal charges.
As reported by PUNCH Online, Trump, 77, was accused of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign.
This hush-money case is just one of four criminal cases Trump is grappling with as he campaigns for the White House.
In May, a New York jury found him guilty on all counts in an unprecedented verdict that jolted U.S. political circles.
The case was adjourned to September and then delayed again.
This was the first conviction of a former president for business fraud, setting off waves across media outlets from PUNCH to CBS.
Trump’s team had anticipated that a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity might offer him a shield, leading Judge Juan Merchan to delay sentencing until September and, subsequently, November.
According to a statement released at the time by Biden’s campaign, the conviction underscored that “no one is above the law.”
Biden’s communications director, Michael Tyler, said, “Donald Trump has always mistakenly believed he would never face consequences for breaking the law for his own personal gain.”
Trump’s Legal Strategy
Trump’s defence argues that the payments to Daniels were legal expenses and that the claims of falsified business records violate neither state nor federal laws.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office disputes this, arguing that the payments were structured to bypass New York’s election laws, amounting to an illegal campaign contribution.
These funds, prosecutors allege, were intended to influence the election in Trump’s favour — a point highlighted by The New York Times.
The Supreme Court’s July 1 ruling, granting sitting presidents immunity for actions taken in office, added complexity to Trump’s case, as his defence team invoked this ruling to argue for dismissal.
As Merchan reviews these arguments, he has warned of the “fraught complexities” involved and emphasised a desire to prevent the legal proceedings from impacting the election.
Despite his legal battles, Trump won the November 5 election against Kamala Harris, buoyed by steady support among his base.
Yet, his win has stirred fresh complications for his other cases.
Special prosecutor Jack Smith is reportedly scaling down federal probes into Trump’s role in election interference and the classified documents case, which could be deferred.
Meanwhile, the Fulton County election interference case in Georgia has been put on hold following a new appeal, with prospects for prosecution uncertain due to recent revelations regarding District Attorney Fani Willis’s office.
As January 25, 2025, approaches—the date Trump is set to assume office as the 47th president—the implications of these pending cases remain unresolved.
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