S Africa not to receive invitation to G20 summit to be hosted in Miami in 2026: Trump
New York/Washington (PTI): South Africa will not receive an invitation to attend the G20 Summit to be hosted under the US Presidency in Florida next year, President Donald Trump said as he described the country as not being “worthy” of membership anywhere.
The US takes over the Presidency of the G20 from South Africa and will head the grouping from December 1, 2025, through November 30, 2026.
“The United States did not attend the G20 in South Africa, because the South African Government refuses to acknowledge or address the horrific human right abuses endured by Afrikaners, and other descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social Wednesday.
He said South Africa has “demonstrated" to the world “they are not a country worthy of membership anywhere, and we are going to stop all payments and subsidies to them, effective immediately.”
“At the conclusion of the G20, South Africa refused to hand off the G20 Presidency to a Senior Representative from our US Embassy, who attended the Closing Ceremony. Therefore, at my direction, South Africa will not be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20, which will be hosted in the Great City of Miami, Florida next year,” Trump said.
South Africa assumed the year-long G20 Presidency on December 1, 2024. It hosted the grouping’s leaders for a summit meeting in Johannesburg from November 22 to 23, the first time that the G20 Summit was held on African soil.
Trump has previously said that he will host the G20 leaders for the 2026 summit at his golf club near Miami. Trump did not travel to Johannesburg for the Summit and had said that no US Government Official would attend as long as the human rights abuses continued.
Trump accused South Africa of “killing” white people and slammed the country for refusing to hand over the G20 Presidency to a senior American representative from the US Embassy.
“To put it more bluntly, they are killing white people and randomly allowing their farms to be taken from them. Perhaps, worst of all, the soon to be out of business New York Times and the Fake News Media won’t issue a word against this genocide,” he said.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa noted the “regrettable” statement by Trump on his country’s participation in the 2026 G20 meetings.
A statement issued by the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa said that the G20 South Africa 2025 Leaders’ Summit was attended by several heads of state and governments and was "hailed by all those who attended the summit as one of the most successful summits."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attended the G20 Summit in Johannesburg and said that the “successful” summit will contribute to a prosperous and sustainable planet.
“I’d like to thank the wonderful people of South Africa, President Ramaphosa and the Government of South Africa for organising the Summit,” Modi had said.
The statement added that as the United States was not present at the summit, instruments of the G20 Presidency were “duly” handed over to a US Embassy official at the Headquarters of South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
It said that as one of the founding members of the G20, South Africa has always valued the spirit of consensus, collaboration and partnership that defines the G20 as the premier forum for international economic cooperation.
The United States was expected to participate in all the meetings of the G20 during South Africa’s Presidency, but unfortunately, it elected not to attend the G20 Leaders Summit in Johannesburg out of its own volition, it added.
“South Africa is a member of the G20 in its own name and right. Its G20 membership is at the behest of all other members. South Africa is a sovereign constitutional democratic country and does not appreciate insults from another country about its membership and worth in participating in global platforms,” it said.
South Africa respects the sovereignty of all countries and will never insult or demean another country or its standing and worthiness in the community of nations, it added.
Emphasising that it will continue to participate as a full, active and constructive member of the G20, South Africa called on G20 members to reaffirm its continued operation in the spirit of multilateralism, based on consensus, with all members participating on an equal footing in all of its structures.
“It is regrettable that despite the efforts and numerous attempts by President Ramaphosa and his administration to reset the diplomatic relationship with the US, President Trump continues to apply punitive measures against South Africa based on misinformation and distortions about our country,” it said.
In February this year, just weeks after being sworn in as US President for a second term, Trump issued an order condemning South Africa’s "shocking disregard” of its citizens’ rights by enacting legislation that enabled the government of South Africa to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation.
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Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol unveil ‘DDLJ’ sculpture at London’s Leicester Square
London (PTI): Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol huddled under an umbrella on a rainy Thursday in London to unveil their bronze likeness from an iconic ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ scene.
The sculpture of the duo joins Leicester Square’s ‘Scenes in the Square’ trail depicting memorable shots from some of the world’s most famous films, with ‘DDLJ’ marking a Bollywood first and the 30th anniversary of the 1995 box-office hit. It is in this popular London square that SRK as Raj and Kajol as Simran first cross paths unknowingly.
“DDLJ was made with a pure heart. We wanted to tell a story about love, how it can bridge barriers and how the world would be a better place if it had a lot of love in it, and I think this is why 'DDLJ' has had a lasting impact for over 30 years now," said Khan.
“Personally, 'DDLJ' is part of my identity, and it is humbling to see film, and Kajol and me, receiving so much love since it was released,” he said.
He expressed his gratitude to the Heart of London Business Alliance, behind the cinematic trail at Leicester Square, for celebrating ‘DDLJ’ and “immortalising” its lead stars.
“Seeing ‘DDLJ’ become the first Indian film to be honoured in the iconic Scenes in the Square trail is an emotional moment and has brought back so many memories.
"I feel immense pride knowing the film has been embraced around the world, and I want to share this moment with the entire cast and crew of ‘DDLJ’, my friend and director Aditya Chopra and the Yash Raj Films family. This is a moment I will never forget,” added Khan.
Kajol, joined by her daughter Nysa and son Yug, posed with Khan in front of the statue as she braved the rain in a green saree.
“It’s incredible to see ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ continue to receive so much love, even 30 years later. Watching the statue being unveiled in London felt like reliving a piece of our history - a story that has truly travelled across generations,” said Kajol.
“Seeing it find its rightful place in Leicester Square, a location of such enormous significance to ‘DDLJ’, makes this moment even more special. For the film to be honoured in this way in the UK – the first Indian film to receive such recognition – is something that will forever stay in the hearts and minds of all the ‘DDLJ’ fans across the world,” she said.
Their statue, captured in a dancing pose from the hit song ‘Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna’, joins the likes of Harry Potter, Bridget Jones, Mary Poppins, and Batman in what is dubbed as an ever-growing celebration of movie magic in a square packed with multiplex cinema screens.
“When ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, DDLJ, was released 30 years ago, the film became a defining moment for Indian cinema and changed the face of the industry, capturing the hearts of everyone who saw it all over the globe," said Akshaye Widhani, CEO of Yash Raj Films.
“We’re thrilled to be the first Indian film to be represented in ‘Scenes in the Square’. It also marks 30 years of DDLJ, a film that has spread love and joy globally, and shows the cultural impact it has had in UK.
“We are honoured that our superstars and our film are being recognised on the world stage alongside the Hollywood elite, from Gene Kelly to Laurel & Hardy to Harry Potter. This statue will be a great way to express the international appeal of Indian movies and build bridges amongst communities through cinema,” he said.
Since its release in 1995, ‘DDLJ’ has become the longest-running film in Hindi cinema history.
Ros Morgan, Chief Executive at Heart of London Business Alliance, said: “We’re proud to welcome global megastars Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol to our Scenes in the Square trail.
"Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is a cinematic phenomenon that has shaped generations, and London’s first tribute to Indian cinema honours a story whose magic continues to captivate audiences worldwide.”
It is a particularly special year for the film, with a musical based on the romance playing to packed houses at Manchester’s Opera House earlier this year. Aditya Chopra reprised his role as director of the English language stage production, ‘Come Fall In Love – The DDLJ Musical’, which revolved around the love story of Simran and Roger.
The script was a nod to the original as it followed Simran as a young British Indian woman who finds herself engaged to a family friend in India in an arranged marriage. However, the plot thickens when she falls in love with a British man named Roger.
Bade Bade Deshon Mein, Aisi Chhoti Chhoti Baatein Hoti Rehti Hain, Senorita!
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) December 4, 2025
Thrilled to unveil the bronze statue of Raj & Simran at London’s Leicester Square today, celebrating 30 years of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ)!
Incredibly delighted that DDLJ is the first Indian… pic.twitter.com/8wjLToBGYc
