4 d. ago US wipes South Africa’s G20 website clean for 2026 Trump summit

US President Donald Trump on Monday launched the US presidency of the Group of 20 by wiping clean the website of outgoing host South Africa, which he is not inviting to next year’s summit. The G20 website now simply has a picture of Trump in black and white that says “Miami 2026” and “The Best Is Yet to Come”, the title of the song popularised by Frank Sinatra. Trump refused all US attendance at last month’s G20 summit in Johannesburg, denouncing the post-apartheid government’s treatment of the...

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5 d. ago Ramaphosa dismisses Trump’s threat to bar South Africa from 2026 G20 summit

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa dismissed on Sunday US President Donald Trump’s threat to exclude Pretoria from next year’s Group of 20 summit, reaffirming South Africa’s status as a founding member of the group. Washington boycotted the G20 meeting held under South Africa’s presidency in Johannesburg on November 22 and 23, with Trump repeating allegations, widely discredited, that the host country’s black-majority government persecutes its white minority. Trump said last Wednesday that...

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9 d. ago Trump says he’s barring South Africa from next year’s G20 summit in Miami

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was barring South Africa from taking part in the Group of 20 summit next year in Miami and will “stop all payments and subsidies” to the country over its treatment of an American government representative at this year’s global meeting. Trump chose not to have a US delegation attend the recent summit hosted by South Africa, saying he did so because white Afrikaners were being violently persecuted. It is a claim that South Africa, which was mired...

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9 d. ago Trump barring South Africa from next year’s G20 summit in Miami

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was barring South Africa from taking part in the Group of 20 summit next year in Miami and will “stop all payments and subsidies” to the country over its treatment of an American government representative at this year’s global meeting. Trump chose not to have a US delegation attend the recent summit hosted by South Africa, saying he did so because white Afrikaners were being violently persecuted. It is a claim that South Africa, which was mired...

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1 week ago US must build on Global South’s G20 momentum, not undermine it

As South Africa hands over the Group of 20 presidency, something more consequential than a routine rotation is taking place. The moment marks the end of an unprecedented cycle: four consecutive presidencies led by major economies of the Global South – Indonesia, India, Brazil and South Africa. For four years, the G20 was steered by countries whose development priorities, demographic structures and geopolitical positions diverged from those of the Group of Seven. In 2026, the gavel will pass to...

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1 week ago Why next year’s G20 could be make or break for global development

As South Africa hands over the Group of 20 presidency, something more consequential than a routine rotation is taking place. The moment marks the end of an unprecedented cycle: four consecutive presidencies led by major economies of the Global South – Indonesia, India, Brazil and South Africa. For four years, the G20 was steered by countries whose development priorities, demographic structures and geopolitical positions diverged from those of the Group of Seven. In 2026, the gavel will pass to...

Politics

1 week ago Starmer met Premier Li Qiang at G20 in South Africa amid Beijing visit rumours

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the G20 summit last week amid speculation that he could visit Beijing early next year and the country’s controversial embassy in London will be approved. The two leaders are understood to have greeted each other only briefly during a “brush-by” rather than holding formal bilateral talks, after which a readout covering what was discussed would usually be expected from Starmer’s office. China was represented by Premier Li...

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1 week ago Starmer met Chinese premier at G20 amid Beijing trip rumours

Starmer met Chinese premier at G20 amid Beijing trip rumours  The Independent

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1 week ago Premier Li Qiang urges Germany to be ‘rational and pragmatic’ on China policy

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has urged Germany to stand by a rational and pragmatic China policy and focus on common interests in his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who plans a state visit next year. “We hope the German side will adhere to a rational and pragmatic China policy, rule out interference and pressure, focus on shared interests and consolidate the foundation for cooperation,” Li told Merz on Sunday on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg, South...

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1 week ago South Korea's President Lee meets Chinese Premier, Japan PM at G20 summit

South Korea's President Lee meets Chinese Premier, Japan PM at G20 summit  Reuters

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1 week ago China, allies drive agenda at G20 South Africa summit amid US no

The G20 summit in Johannesburg delivered major wins for African countries on debt, climate and critical minerals processing, but the progress was undercut by an unprecedented US boycott. The United States will host the event next year when it takes over the rotating Group of 20 presidency. But when the summit ended on Sunday, there was no US leader present for the ceremonial handover. With the US a no-show, China and its allies drove the consensus on a Global South agenda that has dominated G20...

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1 week ago China pushes multilateralism, solidarity and free trade at G20 amid US’ absence

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has taken Beijing’s push for multilateralism to the Group of 20 summit in South Africa, calling for solidarity and free trade at an event boycotted by the world’s biggest economy. Addressing the gathering of leaders in Johannesburg on Saturday, Li pointed to challenges faced by various international institutions. “We have to advance with time and take the lead to uphold multilateralism” in the face of difficulties of governance, he said, according to state news agency...

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1 week ago At G20, China pushes multilateralism, solidarity and free trade amid US boycott

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has taken Beijing’s push for multilateralism to the Group of 20 summit in South Africa, calling for solidarity and free trade at an event boycotted by the world’s biggest economy. Addressing the gathering of leaders in Johannesburg on Saturday, Li pointed to challenges faced by various international institutions. “We have to advance with time and take the lead to uphold multilateralism” in the face of difficulties of governance, he said, according to state news agency...

Politics

1 week ago G20 South Africa summit sees China, allies drive agenda as US stays away

G20 South Africa summit sees China, allies drive agenda as US stays away  Yahoo

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1 week ago G20 South Africa summit opens under shadow of first US boycott

The G20 summit in Johannesburg opened on Saturday with a firm call from the host nation to safeguard the group’s credibility and role, despite the shadow cast by the first-ever US boycott in the forum’s history. South Africa has, however, secured crucial diplomatic backing from China for the assembly of the world’s wealthiest and leading emerging economies. Members should “not allow anything to diminish the value, stature and impact of the first African G20”, South African President Cyril...

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2 w. ago Trump’s G20 boycott sums up a year of US attacks on multilateralism

As South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa convenes the Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg, two things are likely to be on many minds: the empty chair and the spirit of ubuntu. Wikipedia defines the ubuntu philosophy as encompassing “the interdependence of humans on one another and the acknowledgement of one’s responsibility to their fellow humans and the world around them”. For the purposes of South Africa’s hosting of the G20 summit, that Zulu term means multilateralism – anathema to US...

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2 w. ago Africa’s digital future is being written in Beijing – When will the West wake up?

Africa’s digital future is being written in Beijing – When will the West wake up?  Euractiv

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2 w. ago US wants to reverse boycott and join G20 summit, says South African president

The United States government has indicated that it has had a “change of mind” and wants to take part in the Group of 20 summit in South Africa in a reverse of its boycott, the South African president said on Thursday. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the summit host country had received communication from the US at “the eleventh hour” and was now working on the logistics to accommodate the US. US President Donald Trump had announced that his administration would boycott the two-day...

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2 w. ago US is not attending G20, White House says, denying South African leader’s comment

The United States is not taking part in this weekend’s G20 summit in Johannesburg, the White House said on Thursday, denying earlier comments from South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, who had said Washington wanted to take part. “The United States is not participating in official talks at the G20 in South Africa,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. “I saw the South African president running his mouth a little bit against the United States and the president of the...

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2 w. ago White House denies reversing G20 boycott, hits out at South African leader

The White House hit out on Thursday at South Africa’s leader for “running his mouth” over the United States’ boycott of this weekend’s Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg in another diplomatic rift between the US and a country that has been especially targeted for criticism by President Donald Trump. South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters in Johannesburg that the US had indicated it was changing its mind over its boycott of the G20 leaders summit at the “11th hour” and wanted to take...

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