Politics and Current
Niger is the latest African country to cut ties with the US military and other Western forces

In a swift move that sent tremors through U.S. foreign relations in West Africa, Niger’s military junta ended an agreement that allowed U.S. military personnel to operate in its country.
The announcement, made by junta spokesman Col. Amadou Abdramane in a televised speech on March 16, got here days after an official visit to the capital of Niamey by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Molly Phee and Gen. Michael E. Langley, the head of U.S. military operations in Africa.
“American presence in the territory of the Republic of Niger is illegal” – Abdramane he statedadding that it “violates all constitutional and democratic principles that would require consultation with a sovereign nation – especially through its elected officials – regarding the deployment of a foreign military to its territory.”

Additionally, the junta has condemned “a condescending attitude accompanied by threats of retaliation from the head of the American delegation against the government and people of Niger.”
U.S. officials have previously expressed concerns about Niger’s political direction on domestic and foreign affairs.
At a March 18 news conference hosted by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the official referred to the U.S. delegation’s visit to Niamey before the junta’s announcement and asserted that the United States’ goal was to “explore how we are able to chart a typical path forward and our concerns about the lack of progress towards a democratic transition and operational considerations in order that we are able to maintain a long-term security partnership.”
The “democratic transition” likely refers to Niger’s domestic politics and the struggle to stabilize government affairs.
In a military coup in July 2023, Niger’s army removed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum from office and replaced him with Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, the previous commander of Nigeria’s presidential guard. The United States, a generous donor of humanitarian aid and a long-time contractor of counterterrorism operations in Niger, declared the coup illegal.
Additionally, America is monitoring Niger’s relations with other foreign powers and recent allies.
“U.S. officials have expressed concern about Niger’s potential relations with Russia and Iran,” he added. he stated Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh.
However, this evaluation was poorly received by Niger’s recent leaders, which became a part of the justification for the decision to break off military relations with the US stating that “Niger deplores the U.S. delegation’s intention to deny the sovereign Nigerian nation the right to choose partners and the types of partnerships that can truly help it in the fight against terrorism.”
The junta also condemned what the US delegation called a failure to respect diplomatic protocol. Abdramane he stated that the delegation violated diplomatic convention by not informing Niger of its composition, date of arrival or agenda.
An estimated 600 to 1,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Niger, a landlocked country on Nigeria’s northern border that also hosts two U.S. bases. Of these, U.S. Air Base 201 is a six-year-old, $110 million drone air base near Agadez tasked with monitoring jihadist activities.
Among the first U.S. officials to respond to Niger’s announcement was State Department spokesman Matthew Miller published in October: “We are aware of the CNSP’s announcement in Niger, which follows candid discussions at senior levels in Niamey this week about our concerns about the CNSP’s trajectory.” The CNSP is the Conseil National pour la sauvegarde de la patrie, the ruling military junta in Niger.
Days later, U.S. officials were reportedly in search of closed-door talks to see if they may maintain some security presence in Niger.
In terms of this trajectory, reports allude to Niger’s strengthening relations with Russia since the military coup in July 2023. Since then, senior Russian defense officials, including Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov, have visited the country to meet with the head of the junta. Similarly, junta officials visited Moscow in January to pave the way for military cooperation, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
U.S. officials were also concerned about the prospect of a secret deal with Iran that might likely give Tehran access to a few of Niger’s vast uranium reserves.
This is not the first time Niger has cut military ties with a Western nation in hopes of asserting autonomy over its internal security efforts. In December 2023, former colonial power France withdrew almost 1,500 soldiers at the request of the junta.
France, namely President Emmanuel Macron, who has long supported ousted Nigerian President Bazouma, loudly condemned the July 2023 coup. The condemnation prompted motion by Niger’s recent military rulers, who decided to make a drastic change in strategy and ordered French forces to leave Niger.
Hailed as a “new era” for Nigerians, the decision was celebrated as a break from dependence on certain Western powers. “Niger stands proud and the security of our homeland will no longer depend on foreign presence,” it alleged announced.
After years of military support, some experts fear the removal of Western-aligned troops could leave a vacuum in counterterrorism efforts in Niger and the Sahel.
As such, foreign troops from France, Italy, Germany, the United States, and the European Union were dispatched to lead counterterrorism efforts in the region and provide military training to various countries that were experiencing political and governmental upheaval.
But with recent partnerships and allies on the horizon, Niger is becoming considered one of several West African countries reassessing its ties with Western powers.
The deterioration of Burkina Faso’s relations with France has been increasing since 2022, culminating in the expulsion of the military counselor of the French embassy for “subversive activities.”
Mali also saw the gradual withdrawal of French troops following the military coup in Mali, in addition to the arrival of controversial Russian mercenaries, the Wagner Group.
Under the leadership of the Junta, Mali and Burkina Faso, in addition to Niger announced their departure from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) earlier this yr, distancing themselves from the alleged influence of external forces and “illegal, illegitimate and inhumane” sanctions that threaten to reverse their coups.
After leaving the 15-member coalition, southern countries announced the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which is able to provide a “path to sovereignty.” AES might be represented by leaders from each country: Ibrahim Traoré from Burkina Faso, Assimi Goïta from Mali and Abdourahamane Tiani from Niger.
Politics and Current
“Who are they?

During the CNN town hall with members of the Congress on Thursday, US representative Jahan Hayes, D-conn., Tried to persuade why Americans must be seriously concerned concerning the above-average role of Elon Musk, the richest person on this planet, plays within the federal government.
“You have the right to worry about Elon Musk, because he is an unrequited billionaire who has a huge impact,” said Hayes during a double -sided panel with a democratic representative of Derek Treem from California and republican representatives Mike Lawler from New York and Ryan Mackenzie from Pennsylvania.
Congressmenka Hayes, which was elected to the House of US representatives in 2018, called on the dearth of transparency of Trump’s administration in Musk’s work as the top of the dog. The department sanctioned by the White House, he managed the administration’s efforts to eliminate government waste and fraud, which caused the detention or annulled billions of dollars, and 1000’s of presidency employees dismissed or resolved. Many administration activities remain questioned within the Federal Court.
Hayes noticed that Trump’s administration stated in court that Musk was not chargeable for Doge, despite President Trump and other officials claiming that he was the top of the department, and conducts his decisions or recommendations. “They tried to hide the ball,” she said.
Congressmenka said that if Doge Muska really finds evidence of waste and government fraud, then he and his team should testify before Congress and present them. “Spread this, not through a series of tweets, and not through these unverified reports that it publishes,” said Hayes. She said that it was “very special” that “7,000 social insurance employees are exempt, 6,000 from the veterans’ administration is exempt (but) his company receives more contracts and earns more money from the federal government every day.”
Rep. Hayes identified that the satellite company Muska, Starlink, has now Server within the White House And he argued that the musk is “serious”. She continued: “Nobody even calls him for settlement … Everyone should worry about it. This is not normal. It is not regular that one person has this type of access to every agency, people data, security systems.”
Rep. Jahana Hayes raised concerns @Elon Musk Growing federal agreements and profits, questioning the dearth of responsibility and supervision – especially with Starlink, which is currently working within the White House.@Repjahanhayes @kaitlancolls pic.twitter.com/wnhuju9w5v
– Asmat Mallick (@asmatmallick) April 11, 2025
When rep. Lawler tried to defend Musk and Doge, arguing that their work is supported and supported by civilian officials, Hayes interrupted and asked sharply: “Who are they?” She repeated the query several times when Lawler spoke, apparently as a tactic to attract an argument, which Democrats repeatedly undergo the topic of transparency about what Musk, who is just not a government worker, performs with data that collects and protects privacy rights.
“I am not sure if the republican conference received a list of employees in Doge because we did not do it. So the information was not available to us,” Hayes said. “If there are employees, career, federal employees who work in the system to find this information, we would like to share it with us.”
Hayes, who was awarded the “Teacher of the Year” within the White House by President Barack Obama in 2016, before applying for Congress, also condemned the activities of the Trump administration to dismantle the US Education Department. Despite the repetitive claims of Trump officials and Republicans that the dismantling of the department would reflect “power” back to state and native rule, Congressmenka noted that “public education is already served by you.”
The “Department of Education protects civil rights of students,” she explained, mentioning the Doe services, including the enforcement of provisions on anti -discrimination to guard coloured students and disabled students, in addition to managing the federal student loan system and federal grant and subsidies.
“Children who will be most injured are children in poor and low income of the community,” she said. “So when people say … that something has been received, I do not know if they are asking for discrimination, the possibility of refusing to protect civil rights to poor students (or) without adequate financing and teachers to serve them.”
The Education Department protects civil rights of scholars, prepares teachers, serves student loans and our Pell subsidies – they don’t rule the curriculum or instructional materials within the state, which already belongs to the States. Acious so when people say it … pic.twitter.com/odh7wedvcp
– Jahana Hayes (@Repjahanhayes) April 11, 2025

(Tagstranslat) Trump administration
Politics and Current
The candidate of the mayor of New York Zellor Myrie releases a black program

New York Senator Zellor Myrie released his black program for New York He reports that before the Mayor’s campaign in New York.
His The agenda deals with 4 key points The increase in the black wealth of the community – international, public health, economic development and climate resistance and infrastructure repair – all based on his experience growing up in Brooklyn. “I grew up around Black New Yorkers who understood that if you were working hard, you had the opportunity to succeed in this city. Being on the road to success,” said Myrie during a press conference.
“But for too many black New Yorkers this is no longer a reality. The city is different, and the next mayor of this city must have a plan that will help black New Yorkers.”
Myrie’s term of office as a senator of state from 2019 has placed him to support civil rights of black New Yorkers.
Together with the latest administration of Trump in office, a 38-year-old politician believes that one should concentrate on protecting pioneering citizenship by black leadership, because he says: “We have a president who clearly attacks black people throughout the country. The president, who eliminates disputes regarding civil rights, accuses employees of accused of enforcing civil rights,” said the candidate for Rican.
“The victories that we have fought for decades to achieve are now erased under this president.”
It has a strategy coping with all points in the public program, with one of the premises is accessible to everyone. When parents have difficulty obtaining inexpensive childcare in the city, Myrie He proposed an out -of -school program that may be free and would come with children from the age of three to seniors of high schools. . progRAM will operate until 18:00 on weekdays and guarantees Stains in a free summer academic city and the enrichment youth program.
Others concentrate on his program include the establishment of the Fund for Buyers of First Generation Houses and counting on regulations regarding anti -discrimination in mortgage loans. While coping with public security, Myrie announced plans to expand the program of each CountS block, a pilot program launched in October 2024, which directs the prevention of violence using weapons. Taking public health, his agenda positions funds for dedicated delivery centers in black superiority districts and the extension of the Medicaid range for Doulas and midwives in the hope of reducing the high mortality of moms amongst black women.
His plan may even take care of mental health resources, implement free mental health services and a profession path for young black men and launches the center of trauma in the Rockaways districts in Queens.
Along with the democratic basis, which took place on June 24, 2025, Myrie collected nearly $ 4 million donations during her campaign, but is one of 4 black candidates applying for the mayor’s place. Candidates are the current mayor Eric Adams, Marshal of the City Council of Adrienne Adams and a former member of the Congregation Michael Blake.
(Tagstranslate) nyc Mayor
Politics and Current
Trump’s staff are trying to stop the “abuse” of Elon Musk’s relationship with the president, who cannot demand him because “there is no leverage over him, and Elon gives Zero FS”

He is a spoiled brat of the inner circle of the magician, opening the thumb with Donald Trump’s “Tatus”, seemingly remaining a privileged son.
A jealous older brother Steve Bannon, a former adviser to Trump, who once enjoyed the same close president, declared war with the younger, richer Nemesis a couple of months ago, swearing that he banished him on January 20.
But this date has passed, and Elon is still standing, often alongside the president.

However, this week, the General Director of Tesla could go too far. Musk undermined Trump’s announcement on Tuesday about an investment price $ 500 billion in the infrastructure of artificial intelligence, claiming that supporters of the “Stargate project” only a fraction of the proposed investments price $ 500 billion.
He even published a joke This suggested that the directors were burning Crack “to come up with the number of $ 500 billion for Stargate.”
Bannon saw, telling Musk journalists, “he should not reverse what the president was already talking about. This is unacceptable and unsatisfactory. You see how he is out of control.”
Trump, when asked about the number of Musk’s failures at a press conference on Friday, seemed to move his arms.
“I mean that Elon does not like one of these people,” Trump replied, referring to musk contempt for the general director of OPENAI Altman itself, one of the primary investors of the Stargate project.
That’s all? No pink slip? Even insult? What does the President’s Musk have?
“It is obvious that he abused the proximity of the president,” Trump’s ally he said Politico. “The problem is that the president has no levers over him, and Elon gives zero f – s.”
As Politico noted: “It is very unusual for the senior adviser-Muska-in public to criticize the president’s initiatives, and his broadly favorable speculation in GOP circles about whether he and Trump will finally seem.”
But there are no signs of the upcoming breakup. Trump is unable to hide his feelings and although there have been reports that he has enough musk, the general director of Starlink retains almost unusual access to the president.
Musk even has an office in West Wing, during which he pilots the “Department of Government”, an advisory commission created by Trump to eliminate waste in the federal government.
“We are now working with him to understand his ideas – the ideas are innovative. Make done not so much,” said a political official of the White House.
Bannon called on the chief of staff of Susie Wiles to “sit (musk) down” and “immediate sorting”.
He should already know: no person puts Elon in the corner.
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