A bipartisan group of senators in South Carolina introduced a bill this week that would ban smoking in the car with a child present.
South Carolina Sen. Darrell Jackson, a Democrat, said it is aimed at protecting kids from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and is similar to legislation already in place in a dozen other states.
“I think the time has come for us to have a serious discussion, having South Carolina join these other states. Many of them are Southern states,” Jackson said.
SMOKING SHRINKS THE BRAIN AND DRIVES UP ALZHEIMER’S RISK, NEW STUDY FINDS
A South Carolina group of senators introduced a new bill this week that would ban smoking in a vehicle with a child 12 years or younger present.(iStock)
“As a father and grandfather, I believe we have a duty to create a healthier future for the next generation,” Jackson said. “This legislation is not about punishing smokers; it’s about ensuring our kids can grow up in an environment free from unnecessary health risks.”
The bill would make it unlawful for a person to smoke a tobacco product in a motor vehicle with a passenger under the age of 12 present. It goes on to outline “tobacco product” as a product that contains tobacco and is intended for human consumption.
POPULAR ITALIAN CITY OFFICIALLY BANS CIGARETTE SMOKING OUTDOORS
If passed, smoking with a child younger than 12 in the car would result in a fine of no more than $100 for the driver each time the law is violated.(Kids and Car Safety)
The bill suggests a person in violation “must be fined not more than one hundred dollars” each time the offense takes place.
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Jackson filed similar legislation in the state almost two decades ago. Though it passed the state Senate, it never reached the governor’s desk.
Muhsin Hendricks, known as the world’s first openly gay imam, was shot and killed in South Africa over the weekend, as authorities investigate whether the murder was a hate crime.
In a statement obtained by the BBC, police said that Hendricks was killed Saturday morning while traveling near the city of Gqeberha in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province. His car was reportedly ambushed.
“Two unknown suspects with covered faces got out of the vehicle and started firing multiple shots at the vehicle,” authorities said.
Hendricks founded the Inner Circle, a safe haven for gay Muslims, shortly after coming out as an openly gay imam in 1996. He was previously married to a woman before divorcing her the same year that he came out.
TRUMP FREEZES AID TO SOUTH AFRICA, PROMOTES RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES FACING RACE DISCRIMINATION
Imam Muhsin Hendricks gets ready for the start of the Jumu’ah prayer at the Inner Circle Mosque, in Wynberg, in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2016.(Rodger Bosch/AFP via Getty Images)
“The Inner Circle is the longest standing, largest and most influential human rights organization in the world that deals with Islam, gender and sexual diversity from an Islamic theological perspective,” the organization’s website reads. “The Inner Circle works internationally and supports international affiliate organizations to do similar work, within an Islamic framework.”
In a statement, the Cape Town Ulama Board – an organization of Sunni leaders – condemned the murder but said its views do “not align with the views of the deceased.”
“We maintain that Islamic teachings firmly condemn violence, murder or such actions that undermine the rule of law and destabilize society,” the statement read. “Thus, the Cape Town Ulama Board urges our communities to allow the law to investigate the incident, and by following due process, we hope to maintain peace and order.”
The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) said in a statement that they believe the killing “may be a hate crime.”
SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL LAND SEIZURE BILL, ERODING PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS
Imam Muhsin Hendricks leads the start of the Jumu’ah prayer at the Inner Circle Mosque, in Wynberg, in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2016.(Rodger Bosch/AFP via Getty Images)
“He supported and mentored so many people in South Africa and around the world in their journey to reconcile with their faith, and his life has been a testament to the healing that solidarity across communities can bring in everyone’s lives,” ILGA Executive Director Julia Ehrt said. “Our condolences go out to all who have been touched by his presence in all these years.”
In 2022, Hendricks raised concerns about a fatwa condemning homosexuality issued by the Muslim Judicial Council. The ruling found that homosexuality is incompatible with Islam, and said that gay Muslims “have taken themselves out of the fold of Islam.”
An aerial shot of Pollok Beach in Port Elizabeth, a city on Algoa Bay in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province.(iStock)
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“While it did not come as a complete shock, it has left me sore considering that it was released when we just had Pride Month,” Hendricks said at the time. “The phrase homosexual was only coined in the 18th century and the Qu’ran has been around way longer before that, so how can there be scriptures condemning same-sex relationships?”
Authorities are actively investigating the incident. No additional details are known at this time.
Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to [email protected].
Valentine’s Day, observed every year on February 14, is a celebration of love, affection and heartfelt connections. It is a day when people across the world express their love for their partners. But other than celebrating romance, some even celebrate family bonds and friendships. While it is widely popular among couples, Valentine’s Day is also a reminder to cherish all forms of love. The day is marked by heartfelt gifts, letters, and—perhaps most beautifully—music. Songs have a magical way of capturing emotions that words alone often cannot. Valentine’s Day 2025: From Trisha Krishnan-Vijay Sethupathi’s ‘96’ to Sai Pallavi-Varun Tej’s ‘Fidaa’ – 5 Iconic South Romantic Movies To Watch This Season of Love!
A melody, a lyric, can instantly transport us to a special moment. South Indian cinema, known for its soul-stirring music, has gifted us some of the most romantic songs of all time. From “Sreeragamo” to “Nenjukkul Peidhidum”, these songs continue to define romance for generations. If you’re looking to set the perfect mood this Valentine’s Day 2025, here are five timeless South Indian romantic songs that deserve a place on your playlist: Valentine’s Day 2025: From Choi Woo-Shik’s ‘Our Beloved Summer’ to Gong Yoo’s ‘Goblin’, 5 Romantic Korean Dramas You Can’t Miss This February 14.
‘Inkem Inkem Inkem Kaavaale’ (Telugu) from ‘Geetha Govindam’
“Inkem Inkem Inkem Kaavaale” beautifully captures the innocence of first love, melodious track sung by Sid Sriram. This song became an instant favourite among lovers when Geetha Govindam, starring Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna, was released.
‘Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan’ (Tamil) from ‘Guna’
This evergreen romantic classic from Guna is filled with longing and deep emotion. Sung by Kamal Haasan and S Janaki, “Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan” is more than just a song, making it a must-play on Valentine’s Day.
‘Malare’ (Malayalam) from ‘Premam’
Few songs have defined modern romance the way “Malare” has. This soothing melody from Premam, picturised on Nivin Pauly and Sai Pallavi, with Vijay Yesudas’ soulful voice, makes it a perfect track to relive sweet romantic memories.
‘Nenjukkul Peidhidum’ (Tamil) from ‘Vaaranam Aayiram’
“Nenjukkul Peidhidum” is a melodious track from Suriya and Sameera Reddy’s film Vaaranam Aayiram that tugs at the heartstrings. Sung by Hariharan, Devan Ekambaram and VV Prassanna, this song beautifully conveys the deep admiration one feels for their loved one.
‘Sreeragamo’ (Malayalam) from ‘Pavithram’
This beautiful song from Pavithram is a melody that transcends time. With its soulful composition and meaningful lyrics, “Sreeragamo” is a song that expresses love in its purest form. Whether you’re reminiscing about old love or celebrating new beginnings, this track from Mohanlal and Shobhana’s film will touch your heart.
South Indian film music has a way of capturing love in all its shades. So, this Valentine’s Day, let these melodies take you on a journey of love, memories and heartfelt moments.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 13, 2025 06:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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JOHANNESBURG — President Donald Trump’s executive order penalizing South Africa released on Friday has hit a raw nerve in the African nation. The order primarily aimed at land seizures comes as Pretoria has faced ongoing U.S. criticisms that it has operated against U.S. interests, including its support of the Palestinians in the International Criminal Court and its warm relations with China, Russia and Iran.
Friday’s executive order stated in part, “In shocking disregard of its citizens’ rights, the Republic of South Africa recently enacted Expropriation Act 13 of 2024, to enable the government of South Africa to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation.”
“It is the policy of the United States that, as long as South Africa continues these unjust and immoral practices that harm our Nation: (a) the United States shall not provide aid or assistance to South Africa; and (b) the United States shall promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation.”
TRUMP FREEZES AID TO SOUTH AFRICA, PROMOTES RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES FACING RACE DISCRIMINATION
President Donald Trump takes part in a signing ceremony in the President’s Room at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025.(Melina Mara-Pool/Getty Images)
Friday’s executive order pointedly took aim at Pretoria’s foreign policy: “South Africa has taken aggressive positions towards the United States and its allies, including accusing Israel, not Hamas, of genocide in the International Court of Justice, and reinvigorating its relations with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements … The United States cannot support the government of South Africa’s commission of rights violations in its country or its undermining United States foreign policy, which poses national security threats to our Nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests.”
On Saturday the South African government responded, “It is of great concern that the foundational premise of this order lacks factual accuracy and fails to recognize South Africa’s profound and painful history of colonialism and apartheid,” Chrispin Phiri, spokesperson for the country’s International Relations Department, posted on X.
Phiri added that “we are concerned by what seems to be a campaign of misinformation and propaganda aimed at misrepresenting our great nation. It is disappointing to observe that such narratives seem to have found favor among decision-makers in the United States of America.”
Farmers inspect show sheep in Philippolis, South Africa, on Nov. 1, 2024.(PAUL BOTES/AFP via Getty Images)
Although it lost its majority in last year’s elections, the African National Congress (ANC) is still the main party in South Africa’s present government of national unity. The party’s secretary general reacted to the offer that White Afrikaners can go become U.S. citizens by posting a photo on X. In it, a black man is standing by an open door and gesturing with both arms outside the door, suggesting Afrikaners should leave.
The government has claimed Whites of all backgrounds, not just Afrikaners, still own approximately 70% of South Africa’s land. The government is on record saying the Expropriation Act will only be used to take land needed for public purposes – such as for a new school – from people of any color when the owner refuses to sell, and even then there would be “fair and equitable compensation.”
Emma Powell, the international relations spokesperson for South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, told Fox News Digital that “for decades, the DA has opposed the ANC’s race-based policies. These policies have benefited the political elite while the vast majority of South Africans continue to languish in poverty.”
SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL LAND SEIZURE BILL, ERODING PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are shown during the BRICS summit on Oct. 23, 2024.(ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
She continued that the DA “will be pursuing legal action to safeguard property rights. It is now time for the ANC to re-evaluate both their domestic and foreign policy positions, which actively undermine our national interests.”
Powell told Fox News Digital about “a high-level delegation to Washington, D.C., in coming weeks to engage with decision makers. The DA remains committed to protecting private property rights, fostering economic growth, and strengthening diplomatic ties with the U.S.”
Afrikaners, descendants of predominantly Dutch settlers who landed in Southern Africa in 1652, became the country’s rulers and are widely believed to have developed the apartheid system that separated Whites and Blacks, treating Blacks as second-class citizens.
U.S. and South African flags are shown at Union Buildings in Pretoria.(STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP via Getty Images)
In a statement released on Saturday, AfriForum, a civil rights group that largely represents Afrikaners, expressed “great appreciation” for Trump’s action, which it said was “a direct result of President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government’s irresponsible actions and policies.”
It continued, “However, the civil rights organization and its sister institutions in the Solidarity Movement remain committed to Afrikaners’ future at the southern tip of Africa and insist that urgent solutions must therefore be found for the injustices committed by the South African government against Afrikaners and other cultural communities in the country.”
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Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema greets supporters in Pretoria, South Africa, on Feb. 2, 2019.(PHILL MAGAKOE/AFP via Getty Images)
One of the more outspoken and extreme members of the government of national unity, Julius Malema, head of the South African minority party Economic Freedom Fighters, said on X, “In light of the aggression by the USA against South Africa, we must as a nation seriously consider strengthening ties with Russia, China and nations who belong to (the international trade body) BRICS to avoid unnecessary confrontations with maniacs such as Donald Trump.”
Malema has been taken to court on hate crime charges. In one instance, he sang the genocidal anti-apartheid struggle song “Kill the Boer, the farmer,” referring to the White descendants of Dutch settlers or “Boers” in South Africa.
President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order cutting all foreign aid to South Africa, citing concerns about the country “seizing” ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation.
Trump alleged South Africa’s recently enacted Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 “dismantles equal opportunity in employment, education, and business.”
The order notes “hateful rhetoric” and government actions have been “fueling disproportionate violence against racially disfavored landowners.”
South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has criticized South Africa’s new land laws.(Evan Vucci/AP/RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP via Getty Images)
SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL LAND SEIZURE BILL, ERODING PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa previously released a statement arguing that no land was confiscated.
“We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest,” according to the statement. “We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters.”
The act permits the country to take land for a public purpose or in the public interest, while offering just and equitable compensation.
However, Fox News Digital previously reported expropriation has yet to happen.
Cyril Ramaphosa waves as he arrives ahead of his inauguration as President, at the Union Buildings in Tshwane, South Africa, Wednesday, June 19, 2024.(Kim Ludbrook/Pool Photo via AP)
Elon Musk, leader of the DOGE team, publicly commented on the matter, accusing Ramaphosa of having “openly racist ownership laws.
The executive order also claims South Africa has taken “aggressive” positions toward the U.S. by accusing Israel of genocide – instead of Hamas, and “reinvigorating” its relationship with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements.
Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, is pictured in July 2023.(Xabiso Mkhabela/Xinhua via Getty Images)
INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN, CONGRESS SHOWDOWN LOOMS WITH SOUTH AFRICA OVER SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA, US FOES
Pointing to those concerns, the executive order states the U.S. cannot support the South African government’s alleged commission of rights violations.
In addition to eliminating aid and assistance, the order notes the U.S. will promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored, race-based discrimination -which includes racially discriminatory property confiscation.
The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security will prioritize humanitarian relief, including admission and resettlement through the United States Refugee Admissions Program, according to the order.
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Fox News Digital’s Paul Tilsley contributed to this story.
Alexandra Koch is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Prior to joining Fox News, Alexandra covered breaking news, crime, religion, and the military in the southeast.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is refusing to attend the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Johannesburg this year, in protest of the South African government’s controversial land seizure bill.
The bill, which was signed last week, permits South African authorities to expropriate land “for a public purpose or in the public interest,” promising “just and equitable compensation” to those impacted by the bill. Although the majority of South African citizens are Black, most landowners are White — and this disparity has been a topic in South Africa for years.
The law also allows expropriation of land without compensation, but only in circumstances where it is “just and equitable and in the public interest.”
The G-20 summit is scheduled to kick off on Nov. 22 — but in a social media post on Wednesday, Rubio wrote definitively that he “will NOT” be there.
US FOREIGN AID IS SUPPOSED TO SERVE AMERICAN INTERESTS, SAYS MARC THIESSEN
Marco Rubio is refusing to go to South Africa for G-20.(iStock / Getty)
“South Africa is doing very bad things,” Rubio’s X post read. “Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability.’”
“In other words: DEI and climate change,” the Republican added. “My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism.”
President Donald Trump‘s administration has been vocally critical of the land seizure bill. In a Truth Social post, Trump called the situation a “massive Human Rights VIOLATION, at a minimum.”
RUBIO HEADS TO PANAMA, LATIN AMERICA TO PURSUE TRUMP’S ‘GOLDEN AGE’ AGENDA
Secretary of State Marco Rubio boards a plane en route to El Salvador at Panama Pacifico International Airport in Panama City on Monday. Rubio is in Panama on a two-day official visit. (Mark Schiefelbein/Pool AP/AFP via Getty Images)
“It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much as mention,” Trump wrote in a post. “The United States won’t stand for it, we will act. Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!”
The South African government has coolly responded to the Trump administration’s accusations, denying that any unjust confiscation has occurred.
“We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement. “We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters”.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, South African analyst Frans Cronje proposed that Trump alluded to the ongoing killing of farmers in South Africa when he talked about certain classes of people being treated “very badly.” The attacks have been perpetuated against both White and Black farmers.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, left, and President Donald Trump, who has criticized the country’s new land laws.(Evan Vucci/AP/Rajesh Jantilal/AFP via Getty Images)
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“President Trump’s recent comments on land seizures in South Africa cannot be divorced from his past comments on violent attacks directed at the country’s farmers,” Cronje said. “Whilst these comments have often been dismissed as false, the latest South African data suggests that the country’s commercial farmers are six times more likely to be violently attacked in their homes than is the case for the general population.”
Fox News Digital’s Paul Tisley contributed to this report.
Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to [email protected].
Allies of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem are celebrating her as the “definition of South Dakota toughness” as critics lampoon the Trump administration official for wearing a cowboy hat or protective vest amid her hands-on efforts to secure the southern border and deport illegal immigrants.
“Kristi Noem is the definition of South Dakota toughness and actually ran a working ranch for decades,” Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital Tuesday. “She talks straight, works hard, and gets the job done. Like any great leader, she’s not sitting behind a desk — she’s out there on the front lines, rolling up her sleeves and working alongside the people she leads.”
“You don’t see that much in Washington,” he said.
Noem, who was confirmed as DHS chief on Jan. 25, has been on an immigration and security blitz since then, joining immigration raids on the streets of New York City and taking a horseback tour of the southern border in Texas.
SOCIAL MEDIA ROASTS NOEM OVER UNIQUE STYLE CHOICES
Kristi Noem participates in the South Dakota Buffalo Roundup in September 2023.(Fox News Digital )
As Noem works to help deliver on President Donald Trump’s campaign vow to lock down the border and clean house of illegal immigrants who flooded the nation under the Biden administration, critics have latched onto criticizing Noem’s wardrobe selection.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem makes an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Feb. 2, 2025.(Screen grab from NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’)
She has been accused of wearing “cosplay outfits” or “cosplaying” a cowboy when she donned a cowboy hat during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
Noem also has been mocked as “ICE Barbie” or “Border Patrol Barbie” for wearing a baseball cap, an apparent bullet-proof vest and makeup while helping conduct the raids in New York City at the end of January.
To those in Noem’s personal and work orbit, however, she has long worn outfits that match the job she has before her — including when she has to get “her hands dirty.”
SEC. NOEM SAYS HOMELAND SECURITY WILL FREEZE GRANTS TO NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
“If folks want to nitpick about her wearing the same gear as the people she’s leading — a cowboy hat, work clothes — they don’t understand her, and they sure don’t understand South Dakota,” Johnson said in comment to Fox Digital. “That’s who she is. Always has been.”
Then-South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem helps construct border fencing in 2024.(Fox News Digital )
“People in New York or D.C. wouldn’t last a day in the real America,” he said. “I told folks she’d be an ass kicker, and that’s exactly what she’s doing.”
A source close to Noem, who spoke to Fox News Digital on the background of the secretary’s upbringing, speculated that critics likely “just don’t get her,” while arguing that complaints about men’s wardrobe choices are few and far between.
KRISTI NOEM JOINS IMMIGRATION RAID TO CATCH ‘DIRTBAGS’ IN MAJOR SANCTUARY CITY
“Kristi Noem was taught by her father not to complain about a problem, but to go and fix it,” the source said. “She gets her hands dirty when she throws herself into a job and that’s what she’s doing.”
To those in Kristi Noem’s personal and work orbit, however, she has long worn outfits that match the job she has before her — including when she has to get “her hands dirty.”(Fox News Digital )
Noem stepped down as South Dakota’s governor following her confirmation to lead DHS and has a history of routinely swapping typical Washington, D.C., fashion, such as pantsuits and heels, for cowboy boots and jeans when outside of her office.
While serving as governor, Noem was repeatedly spotted wearing jeans and more work-styled outfits while on the border. She has participated in the South Dakota Buffalo Roundup and joined state farm fairs.
Noem was the first governor to deploy National Guard troops to border states in 2022 and repeatedly visited southern states such as Texas amid the immigration crisis, which she said created a “warzone.”
Then-South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem repeatedly visited southern states amid the immigration crisis, which she said created a “warzone.”(Fox News Digital )
NOEM SAYS ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ARRESTED IN NYC RAID TARGETING CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS
Noem grew up on a ranch in South Dakota’s rural Hamlin County and has remained close to her country roots.
She came under fire in 2024, when she published a memoir that garnered outrage for defending the killing of a farm dog that attacked other animals.
Kristi Noem sits in the cab of a John Deere tractor on her family farm while building a buffalo pen in 2020.(Fox News Digital )
Noem reflected on her rural lifestyle in her Senate confirmation hearing in January, saying she has “spent my life in rural America” and that she understands “what it means to work hard every day to build a better future for our kids and our communities.”
“Petty insults” aimed at Kristi Noem are actually borne out of opposition to Trump’s immigration policies, one government source said.(Fox News Digital )
Another Noem ally close to the secretary who spoke to Fox News Digital said that “petty insults” aimed at Noem are actually borne out of opposition to Trump’s immigration policies.
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“The simple fact is that many of her critics are opposed to President Trump’s mission to keep the nation safe by fighting illegal immigration, and they’ll try to undermine it any way they can — and that includes hurling petty insults at the Secretary of Homeland Security to undermine her and the president,” the source close who Noem said. “It won’t work. She’s sworn to do the job the president gave her of protecting this country, and that’s what she’s going to do.”
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JOHANNESBURG – President Donald Trump’s announcement that he plans to cut off all foreign aid to South Africa because he claimed it is “confiscating” land “and treating certain classes of people very badly” in “a massive human rights violation” has provoked strong reaction from the South African presidency and commentators.
“The South African government has not confiscated any land”, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responded in a statement, adding “We look forward to engaging with the Trump administration over our land reform policy and issues of bilateral interest. We are certain that out of those engagements, we will share a better and common understanding over these matters”.
Last week, Ramaphosa signed a bill into law permitting national, provincial and local authorities to expropriate land – to take it -“for a public purpose or in the public interest,” and, the government stated “subject to just and equitable compensation being paid”. However, sources say no expropriation has happened yet.
SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT SIGNS CONTROVERSIAL LAND SEIZURE BILL, ERODING PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, center left, waves as he walks past Indonesian President Joko Widodo, left, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, during a family photo session in front of the Osaka Castle at the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019.(Tomohiro Ohsumi/AFP via Getty Images)
On his Truth Social Media platform, President Trump hit out at South Africa, posting “It is a bad situation that the Radical Left Media doesn’t want to so much as mention. A massive Human Rights VIOLATION, at a minimum, is happening for all to see. The United States won’t stand for it, we will act. Also, I will be cutting off all future funding to South Africa until a full investigation of this situation has been completed!” Trump later repeated his comments while speaking to the press on Sunday night at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
Pieter du Toit, assistant editor of South African media group News 24, posted on X “The U.S. President, clearly advised by Elon Musk, really has no idea what he’s talking about.”
South African-born Musk is trying to expand his Starlink internet service into South Africa, but President Ramaphosa has reportedly told him he must sell off 30% of his company here to local broad-based so-called Black empowerment interests.
In response to the South African president’s statement, Musk fired back on X, asking Ramaphosa, “Why do you have openly racist ownership laws?”
INCOMING TRUMP ADMIN, CONGRESS SHOWDOWN LOOMS WITH SOUTH AFRICA OVER SUPPORT FOR RUSSIA, US FOES
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks to supporters during the ANC Siyanqoba Rally held at FNB Stadium on May 25, 2024 in Johannesburg.(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
Analyst Frans Cronje told Fox News Digital that President Trump may be referring to the ongoing killing of farmers in South Africa when he posted that certain classes of people are being treated very badly.
“President Trump’s recent comments on land seizures in South Africa cannot be divorced from his past comments on violent attacks directed at the country’s farmers. Whilst these comments have often been dismissed as false, the latest South African data suggests that the country’s commercial farmers are six times more likely to be violently attacked in their homes than is the case for the general population.”
Cronje said there may be agendas in play behind President Trump’s statements.
“Such seizures may also apply to the property of American investors in South Africa. Cronje is an adviser at the U.S. Yorktown Foundation for Freedom. He added “with regards to land specifically, the legislation could enable the mass seizure of land which has been an oft expressed objective of senior political figures in the country. To date, however, there have been no mass seizures, in part because there was no legislative means through which to achieve such seizures.”
Farmers inspect show sheep at the Philippolis Show in Philippolis, South Africa, on Nov. 1, 2024.(Photo by PAUL BOTES/AFP via Getty Images)
Now, with the bill having been signed into law, Cronje says that has changed.
“The comments around property rights in South Africa must be read against broader and bipartisan US concern at developments in South Africa. In 2024 the US/South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act was introduced (in Congress) amid concerns that the South African government’s relationships with Iran, Russia, and China threatened US national security interests.”
Cronje, who also advises corporations and government departments on economic and political trajectory, continued. “Last week, South Africa’s government, together with that of Cuba, Belize and four other countries supported the formation of the ‘Hague Group’ in an apparent move to shore up the standing of the International Criminal Court, amid the passage through Congress of the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act that prescribes sanctions against any country that is seen to use the court to threaten US national security interests. South Africa has in recent years been prominent in employing both that court and the International Court of Justice in the Hague to press for action against Israel and Israeli leaders.”
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, left, and President Donald Trump. Trump has criticized South Africa’s new land expropriation law.(Evan Vucci/AP/RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP via Getty Images)
South Africa’s Ramaphosa played down the importance of U.S. aid, stating “with the exception of PEPFAR (The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) Aid, which constitutes 17% of South Africa’s HIVAids program, there is no other significant funding that is provided by the United States in South Africa.” President George W. Bush introduced PEPFAR in 2003.
Analyst Justice Malala, also speaking on ENCA, said that, under the Trump administration, “the United States is going to upend South Africa in many ways.”
A passenger plane caught fire before takeoff at an airport in South Korea late Tuesday, but all 176 people on board were safely evacuated, authorities said.
The Airbus plane operated by South Korean airline Air Busan was preparing to leave for Hong Kong when its rear parts caught fire at Gimhae International Airport in the southeast, the Transport Ministry said in a statement.
AIRLINER’S FINAL 4 MINUTES OF RECORDINGS ARE MISSING AFTER CRASH THAT KILLED 179: INVESTIGATORS
The plane’s 169 passengers, six crewmembers and one engineer were evacuated using an escape slide, the ministry said.
The National Fire Agency said in a release that three people suffered minor injuries during the evacuation. The fire agency said the fire was completely put out at 11:31 p.m., about one hour after it deployed firefighters and fire trucks at the scene.
Mayor of Busan Park Heong-joon and other officials visit the site where an Air Busan airplane caught fire at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (Son Hyung-joo/Yonhap via AP)
The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known. The Transport Ministry said the plane is an A321 model.
Tuesday’s incident came a month after a Jeju Air passenger plane crashed at Muan International Airport in southern South Korea, killing all but two of the 181 people on board. It was one of the deadliest disasters in South Korea’s aviation history.
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The Boeing 737-800 skidded off the airport’s runaway on Dec. 29 after its landing gear failed to deploy, slamming into a concrete structure and bursting into flames. The flight was returning from Bangkok and all of the victims were South Koreans except for two Thai nationals.
The first report on the crash released Monday said authorities have confirmed traces of bird strikes in the plane’s engines, though officials haven’t determined the cause of the accident.
An elephant in South Africa’s Kruger National Park trampled a tourist to death as he was trying to protect children, officials say.
The incident Sunday involving 59-year-old Shaik Adam Shabir Ammed from the South African town of Mkhondo remains under investigation by law enforcement, according to South African National Parks.
“Initial eyewitness accounts indicate that the family parked close to the Malelane reception area and children ran past the bridge into the bush whereupon an individual elephant from a nearby herd charged them. The deceased rushed to assist the children and that is when he was chased and trampled by one of the animals,” the agency said. “He succumbed to his injuries on the scene.”
“On the day of the incident, the animal responsible for the death could not be identified as there were several of them in the vicinity and they immediately moved away while people were trying to save the life of the deceased,” it added.
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Elephants are seen at Kruger National Park in South Africa in December 2022.(Murat Ozgur Guvendik/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
South African National Parks also said it offers its “heartfelt condolences to the Ammed family and wishes them strength in this difficult time.”
The agency said on its website that “In most of the national parks there is a possible threat from dangerous animals” and “In such parks guests may only [leave] vehicles in designated areas.
“No part of your body may protrude from a window or sunroof and doors should remain closed at all times,” it warned.
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An elephant similar to the one pictured above charged at the tourist as he was trying to bring children to safety inside Kruger National Park, officials say.(Murat Ozgur Guvendik/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Park officials describe elephants as “usually peaceful animals” but note that they “may become aggressive when sick, injured or harassed.”
“Elephants may run at the threat in a demonstration or real charge. Most charges are mock charges which are broken off before the target is reached,” South African National Parks said.
South Africa National Parks says elephants may become aggressive if they feel harassed.(Frédéric Soltan/Corbis via Getty Images)
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“However, if an attack is followed through, an elephant is quite capable of killing another elephant, other animals (including humans) or wrecking cars,” it added.
