Trump administration
A year after its ambassador was expelled from Washington, South Africa has appointed Thabo Thage as deputy ambassador to the US, effectively acting as chargé d’affaires. President Cyril Ramaphosa is using an unorthodox approach with special envoy Alistair Ruiters handling negotiations. This avoids risks of rejection by the Trump administration.
Reported by AI
Following the OCC's December 2025 conditional approvals for national trust bank charters to crypto firms like Ripple and Circle—which drew sharp criticism—some of the largest US banks are now weighing legal action against the regulator for further easing rules on crypto and fintech charters. The Bank Policy Institute argues the changes could endanger consumers and the financial system amid the Trump administration's push to integrate cryptocurrencies into mainstream finance.