European Union leaders announced a 4.7 billion euro ($5.10 billion) investment package during a visit to South Africa on Thursday, at a time when both are on worse terms with the United States than they have been for decades.
The European leaders said the visit was an opportunity to strengthen close ties with Africa's most advanced economy, coinciding with the latter's presidency of the Group of 20 nations, which U.S. officials have so far largely snubbed.
U.S. President Donald Trump has stunned European leaders with his pivot towards Russia in the Ukraine war, upending U.S. policy since Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022. His staunchly pro-Israel stance has brought him into conflict with South Africa over its genocide case against Israel at the World Court.
The U.S. administration has also interposed itself in Europe and South Africa's domestic politics, criticising Europe for attempting to isolate the far right and ignoring voters' concerns about immigrants, while cutting aid to South Africa over its efforts to address historic racial land injustice.
The EU trip was an opportunity to ameliorate ties, which soured when South Africa refused to outright condemn Russia's Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said South Africa had a vital role on the world stage as a leading voice of the Global South.
"In a moment of increased confrontation and competition, we must strengthen our partnership further," she said.
She said at talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa in Cape Town that Europe wanted to help the South African economy grow.
"Europe understands your potential," she said, sitting alongside European Council President Antonio Costa. She cited clean hydrogen, where South Africa could make use of abundant raw materials and vast renewable energy potential.
Ramaphosa said South Africa wanted Europe's support to transition to a low carbon economy and grow industry, and that it valued European support for multilateralism at a time of rising nationalism.
"African relations with the European Union should be built on a mutually beneficial partnership," he said.
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At least 11 people, including a three-year-old boy, were killed when gunfire erupted at an illegal bar in Pretoria, with police launching a manhunt for three unidentified suspects.
The United States officially assumed the 12-month presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies on Monday, pledging to refocus the forum on economic growth and innovation, amid lingering tensions with outgoing host South Africa.
A simmering diplomatic feud between Washington and Pretoria has erupted into a full-scale crisis, with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa describing U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ban South Africa from the 2026 G20 summit as "regrettable" and based on "misinformation."
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that South Africa will not be invited to the 2026 G20 summit in Miami, the first time a member nation has been excluded in the forum’s two-decade history
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
Iran is preparing to host a multilateral regional meeting next week in a bid to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Iran's President Massoud Pezeshkian has begun a two day visit to Kazakhstan, with officials from both sides describing the trip as an opportunity to advance cooperation in trade, transport, industry, mining and cultural exchanges.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their tensions through dialogue and engagement, as it pledged to work with the international community to help improve relations between the two countries.
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Pakistan and China are conducting a joint counterterrorism exercise, Warrior IX, to strengthen military cooperation. The drill comes at a time of renewed regional instability, with analysts saying it underscores both countries’ determination to deepen security ties.
A former estate of drug lord Pablo Escobar, now a wildlife park in Colombia, has marked Christmas by setting animals festive feeding challenges designed to boost their mental and physical health.
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