- Portugal brings deadly forest fires under control
- Postecoglou defends Solanke after slow start to Spurs career
- US nuclear plant Three Mile Island to reopen to power Microsoft
- Arteta urges Arsenal to take next step in Man City showdown
- Stock markets fall after Fed-fuelled rally
- Poland charges Russian over attack on Navalny ally: prosecutors
- Man City have rest 'advantage' in Arsenal showdown: Guardiola
- Maresca has 'no doubt' in Jackson as Chelsea's number nine
- EU chief announces 35 bn euro loan plan for Ukraine before winter
- From TikTok to Hollywood, the irresistible rise of Italy's Khaby Lame
- Verstappen punished for swearing in Singapore press conference
- Sri Lanka lead by 202 in first New Zealand Test
- Brook 'not too fussed' by England's batting in heavy Australia loss
- India's Ashwin 'happy' to embrace pressure
- A modern 'Trojan Horse': two days of mayhem in Lebanon
- Third of Burundi mpox cases in children under five: UN
- Man Utd appoint Foster + Partners to develop Old Trafford 'masterplan'
- French mayor sorry for 'no one died' remark over mass rape trial
- Mohamed Al-Fayed, outsider shunned by British high society
- Lawyers say 'monster' late Harrods owner abused dozens of women
- India in box seat after Bumrah takes four against Bangladesh
- Taiwan retains death penalty but limits use to 'exceptional' cases
- Ferrari's Leclerc sets early pace in Singapore ahead of Norris
- 10 years into Huthi rule, some Yemenis count the cost
- France poised to finally get new govt
- Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson doubtful for Bournemouth clash
- Bayern's Kompany calls for game cap for players amid strike talks
- Christie's expands Hong Kong footprint in hope of art market 'pickup'
- Sultry screen legend Sophia Loren turns 90
- Cambodian opposition figure in court on incitement charge
- Kimchi threat as heatwave drives up South Korea cabbage prices
- UK economic data delivers fresh blow to new govt
- China to 'gradually resume' seafood imports from Japan after Fukushima ban
- India minister blames dam release for flooding
- O'Rourke strikes early for Kiwis as Sri Lanka trail by three
- Israel pounds Lebanon's Hezbollah after device blasts
- Revolution or mirage? Controversy surrounds new Alzheimer's drugs
- Ashwin's 113 powers India to 376 in Bangladesh Test
- Biden opens home to 'Quad' leaders for farewell summit
- Sally Rooney returns with 30-something questions
- Wallabies sense 'massive' chance to upset All Blacks
- Taiwan questions two in probe into Hezbollah pagers
- Viral Korean Olympic shooter scores first acting role as assassin
- Farrell set for 'challenge' of downing Bordeaux in Top 14
- Springbok Etzebeth diverts attention from looming caps record
- Inter on a high ahead of Milan derby as Napoli face Juve test
- Bank of Japan leaves key interest rate unchanged
- Asian markets track Wall Street record to extend global rally
- Guirassy and Anton to return to Stuttgart with new side Dortmund
- Marseille bidding to continue 'almost perfect' Ligue 1 start
SCS | -2.86% | 12.94 | $ | |
RIO | -1.31% | 64.335 | $ | |
BCC | -1.21% | 142.96 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.12% | 25.09 | $ | |
NGG | 0.85% | 69.42 | $ | |
CMSD | 0.08% | 25.03 | $ | |
BCE | -0.79% | 34.915 | $ | |
RBGPF | 5.79% | 60.5 | $ | |
GSK | -1.25% | 41.105 | $ | |
RYCEF | 0.14% | 6.96 | $ | |
BTI | -0.17% | 37.505 | $ | |
BP | -0.49% | 32.6 | $ | |
JRI | -0.15% | 13.38 | $ | |
VOD | -0.35% | 10.025 | $ | |
RELX | -0.15% | 48.06 | $ | |
AZN | -0.5% | 78.51 | $ |
S.Africa's Ramaphosa demands climate aid from rich world in UK state visit
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday urged rich nations to help save vulnerable ones from climate change, as he made the first state visit of King Charles III's reign.
Gun salutes were fired across London as Charles and Queen Consort Camilla were joined by heir to the throne Prince William and his wife Catherine to greet Ramaphosa for a ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade.
The monarch and Ramaphosa, both dressed in dark overcoats against the November chill, inspected the guard of honour together.
The parties then travelled to Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession escorted by mounted soldiers from the Household Cavalry.
The two-day visit sees Charles finally presiding over proceedings after decades playing a supporting role to his mother queen Elizabeth II, who died in September.
For Ramaphosa, a protege of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, however, it comes amid political difficulties and a threat of impeachment at home.
Addressing UK parliamentarians in the ornate Royal Gallery of the Palace of Westminster, Ramaphosa nodded at the corruption endemic in his country -- including, for his critics, in the presidency itself.
He said his government was striving "to rebuild our economy in the wake of the pandemic and the era of state capture", as he urged the UK government to let in more South African students ahead of talks Wednesday with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Following the recent COP27 climate meeting in Egypt, Ramaphosa said an agreement to create a fund for poor and developing nations needed to be turned into cash.
"This should not be seen as charity," he said.
"It is compensation for the harm done -- and the harm yet to be done -- to people in developing economies as a consequence of the industrialisation that wealthy countries have had over many years."
Ahead of the speech in parliament, Ramaphosa toured the nearby Westminster Abbey including a memorial stone for Mandela, who served as president of South Africa between 1994 and 1999.
Afterwards, he went on to a state banquet hosted by Charles at Buckingham Palace.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said the choice of Ramaphosa for Charles's first state visit was a sign of the UK's "enduring commitment" to Africa, even as it eyes new partners in Asia post-Brexit.
- 'Turbocharge growth' -
At the start of the visit, the UK and South Africa governments announced the launch of the next phase of the "UK-South Africa Infrastructure Partnership".
"South Africa is already the UK's biggest trading partner on the continent, and we have ambitious plans to turbocharge infrastructure investment and economic growth together," Sunak said.
Trade with South Africa, the continent's second biggest economy, is worth £10.7 billion ($12.7 billion) a year.
But political problems in South Africa threaten to cast a shadow over the ceremonial pomp and splendour of the state visit.
Ramaphosa is at risk of impeachment for allegedly covering up a crime, accused of concealing a multi-million-dollar cash theft.
He faces an accusation that he failed to report a heist at his luxury cattle farmhouse in which robbers took four million dollars in cash, and instead organised for the robbers to be kidnapped and bribed into silence.
He has faced calls to resign and the deeply divided ruling African National Congress (ANC) is due to hold a vote on its leadership in December.
South African lawmakers will discuss next month the findings of a special panel tasked with establishing whether Ramaphosa should face impeachment.
E.Borba--PC