ending a boycott of this weekend's G20 summit in Johannesburg, saying no US official would take part in talks. President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier Thursday described an 11th-hour about-turn by the Trump administration, which had relentlessly attacked South Africa over treatment of white minority farmers by the post-apartheid government. The White House said the US ambassador would attend but only for a handover ceremony as the United States will next year host the summit of the club of global economic powers, at a golf club owned by Trump in Florida. "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 United States earlier today, and that language is not appreciated by the president or his team," she said. Ramaphosa earlier said that the United States had a "change of mind about participating in one shape, form or other, in the summit." Ramaphosa said the supposed change of heart was "a positive sign". "All countries are here, and the United States, the biggest economy in the world, needs to be here," he said. (Bssnews)