Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at deteriorating U.S.-South Africa relations, Hamas returning four killed Israeli hostages, and impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s legal saga.

U.S.-South Africa Spat

South Africa kicked off the two-day G-20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Johannesburg on Thursday to address solidarity, equality, and sustainability around the world. But the absence of the White House’s top diplomat appeared to undermine international collaboration efforts and highlighted the Trump administration’s disdain for global institutions.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited several reasons for not attending the key event, beginning with Pretoria’s choice of theme. “In other words: DEI and climate change,” Rubio wrote on X this month, adding that his job “is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism.” Since taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump has waged a war on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Rubio also stressed ongoing tensions between Washington and Pretoria as a reason for skipping the G-20 gathering. Last month, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a law that aims to redress historical racial inequalities in property ownership by allowing the government to seize land without compensation; more than 30 years after the end of apartheid, Black South Africans still own only a small portion of all farmland. In response, Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 7 cutting all U.S. aid and assistance to Pretoria over what he called its “unjust and immoral practices” against the country’s white minority. One of Trump’s top advisors, Elon Musk, was born in South Africa and has repeatedly accused Pretoria of anti-white racism.

The White House has also condemned South Africa’s ongoing genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, arguing that such actions are a veiled support of Hamas. Dana Brown, Washington’s acting ambassador to South Africa, will instead represent the United States at this week’s G-20 meetings.

Rubio’s absence was all the more apparent on Thursday following the arrival of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is expected to use the G-20 event to counter European efforts to support Ukraine. The Trump administration has drifted further from its NATO allies and closer to Moscow in recent days, with Trump falsely suggesting this week that Kyiv is to blame for starting the war with Russia and calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator” on his Truth Social account.

“Geopolitical tensions and rising intolerance, conflict and war … threaten an already fragile global coexistence,” Ramaphosa warned during his opening speech. “As the G-20, we must continue to advocate for diplomatic solutions to conflicts.”

Next week, South Africa will host the G-20 finance ministers’ meeting, but once again, the United States’ top representative will not be there. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he won’t attend the event due to other commitments in Washington, prioritizing the United States’ America First policy at a time when the Trump administration has imposed tariffs on virtually all of its trading partners.

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What We’re Following

Freed from captivity. Hamas released the bodies of four Israeli hostages on Thursday. At the time of their abduction on Oct. 7, 2023, Oded Lifshitz was 83 years old, Shiri Bibas was 32 years old, and Bibas’s two children, Ariel and Kfir, were 4 years old and 9 months old, respectively. Hamas claims that Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed the four hostages. Before handing over the coffins to the Red Cross, Hamas paraded them on a stage with a banner that read, “The Return of War = The Return of Your Prisoners in Coffins.”

The individuals released on Thursday carried symbolic significance, as one of the children, Kfir, was the youngest captive taken by Hamas during the war. “On behalf of the State of Israel, I bow my head and ask for forgiveness,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said. “Forgiveness for not protecting you on that terrible day. Forgiveness for not bringing you home safely.”

After the release of 24 living captives over the past several weeks, the return of four killed hostages cast a grim shadow over the fragile cease-fire deal. The first phase is expected to conclude when Hamas frees six living hostages on Saturday and another four killed hostages next week in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

A day in court. Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol appeared before two different court rooms on Thursday: one to contest a charge of insurrection and one to counter an effort to remove him from office. Both cases relate to his Dec. 3, 2024, martial law order, which sparked fierce backlash from the opposition as well as from members within his own party and ultimately led to Yoon’s arrest last month.

Yoon first faced the Seoul Central District Court, where his legal team argued for more time to review the records that accuse him of leading an insurrection. The impeached president had “no intention to paralyze the country,” one of his lawyers said. But prosecutors maintain that a swift trial is vital due to the case’s gravity. The next criminal hearing is scheduled for March 24, and if convicted, Yoon could face life imprisonment.

Yoon then traveled to South Korea’s Constitutional Court for a hearing on whether to formally remove him from power. Among the witnesses called were Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who said Yoon possibly violated constitutional law by not convening a formal cabinet meeting before declaring martial law. The court is expected to hold a final hearing on Feb. 25 and make a decision in March.

Repatriation flights. Hundreds of Chinese nationals working at online scam centers in Myanmar returned to China via Thailand on Thursday in one of the first major multinational efforts to rescue the workers, who authorities say were trafficked into modern-day slavery.

Over the past month, China, Myanmar, and Thailand have coordinated actions to shut down these facilities, which have swindled billions of dollars out of their victims. These efforts have included Bangkok cutting off electricity, internet, and gas supplies to areas in Myanmar that host the scam centers and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping to pledge future aid.

According to Thai Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, around 600 Chinese citizens will be sent home this week. In total, around 7,000 people are waiting to be moved across Myanmar’s border to Thailand.

Odds and Ends

Birkenstocks: Are they art, or are they footwear? The shoe manufacturer filed a lawsuit arguing that its signature sandals are “copyright-protected works of applied art” after three competitors sold shoes that were similar to Birkenstocks’ earthy-crunchy design. But on Thursday, Germany’s Federal Court of Justice ruled that the classic brown shoes are just that—shoes. “For copyright protection, a level of design must be achieved that reveals individuality,” the court wrote.