South Africa's Ramaphosa visits Trump amid strained ties – DW – 05/21/2025
South Africa's government has said it hopes this working visit to the US will help "reset" relations with the Trump administration. Beyond that, it also wants to set the record straight on various issues raised by Trump as justification for worsening relations.
The Trump administration has made several unfounded allegations, including saying that white farmers are being killed in a "genocide" and alleging that their land is being stolen due to a new expropriation law that is yet to be implemented.
Afrikaner lobby groups such as Afriforum have actively engaged with Trump since his first presidency, lobbying for action against the South African government. However, even Afriforum was surprised by Trump's decision to grant these groups refugee status.
Trump's comments have caused a lot of concern in different sectors in South Africa and many South Africans want the government to set the record straight on these issues.
Last week, I attended South Africa's largest agricultural expo, Nampo, and spoke to Dr. Theo de Jager, president of the Southern African Agri Alliance. He said while farm murder is a major concern, it cannot be equated to genocide as Trump has done.
"This is not a genocide. We know what a genocide is. We have seen it in Rwanda," he said.
De Jager added that farm murder is a serious concern for the farming community, and they want Trump to push the South African government to act.
"We want the government to acknowledge that we have a problem, and when they acknowledge that, we want them to set up a special task team to plan with us to prevent this," he said.
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US military adjusts Africa security strategy – DW – 06/10/2025
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Exploiting Africa in the hunt for raw materials To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Russia, China step in to fill security vacuum African countries will need to look for other allies — both new and old, say experts. China has already launched extensive military training programs for African forces, replicating aspects of the US military model, while Russian mercenaries have established themselves as key security partners in North, West and Central Africa. "China's approach in the past has mainly been economic," Saani explained. The US, he pointed out, has primarily focused on military support, in addition to providing economic help. "The Russians have strong presence with both economic and military involvement. It feels like everyone is competing for attention. The clear message is that there's a need to diversify partnerships. 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World Cup 2026: Could cohost politics have an impact? – DW – 06/11/2025
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The Star Spangled Banner was booed at ice hockey games in Canada in recent months and Carney's surprise election was partly ascribed to his willingness to take on Trump and his plan to make Canada the 51st state of the USA. "Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign in the last several months, it's not for sale. Won't be for sale, ever," Carney told Trump when the pair met in May in a meeting that was otherwise relatively cordial despite clear tensions. For those hoping to plan a visit to, or participation in, the World Cup, judging the political mood – and the implications of changes in it – have become as important as waiting for results from qualifying. "I could see it happening along the way that if Scheinbaum becomes a little bit more aggressive than Trump wants her to be, or challenges some of Trump's immigration moves, that he would say: "You know what? I might not let Mexico participate in the World Cup, or I might not let this happen or that happen.' So I can see threats like that, but I'd have to believe that they wouldn't be carried out," said Zimbalist, musing on what might play out in the next year but speaking ahead of the LA protests. The Club World Cup, which starts on Saturday and is hosted solely by the USA, is perceived by some as a test of elements of the country's readiness to host the World Cup. But the development or deterioration of relations between the three cohosts will be critical to next year's tournament's success. Edited by: Chuck Penfold
Int'l Business Times
15 hours ago
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ICE Detained Dozens at Alleged Tren de Aragua Meeting. It Was Actually a Child's Birthday Party
Federal immigration agents raided what they believed to be a criminal gang meeting in Texas , only to later discover the event had been a child's birthday party. The early morning raid in March resulted in the detention of 47 people, including nine children, according to the New Republic . The operation, carried out by ICE agents and Texas law enforcement, allegedly involved the use of flash grenades and left families terrified and confused. One attendee recalled repeatedly yelling that babies were present, but agents allegedly still deployed the devices inside the rented house believing the gathering to be a Tren de Aragua meeting. The raid was initially justified by the Trump administration as part of a crackdown on Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang. However, weeks later, none of the detainees had any verified gang affiliations or even criminal records. One man told the Texas Tribune he had been celebrating his son's fifth birthday alongside a friend's 28th, and that ICE agents targeted him over tattoos they falsely linked to gang membership. He said the tattoos were simply stars he liked and had gotten as a teenager entering the workforce. ICE has not publicly released the names of those detained, but the Tribune identified 35 of them—mostly Venezuelan immigrants, many of whom spent weeks in detention and were released only after being fitted with ankle monitors. One of the children allegedly missed so many school days while in custody that they were removed from their public school. No criminal charges were filed against anyone involved. Originally published on Latin Times
