BEIJING, 12 November 2022, (TON): President Xi Jinping will attend the G20 summit in Indonesia from November 14 to 17, China’s foreign ministry confirmed.

He will then travel to Thailand from November 17 to 19 to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular press briefing Xi will meet US President Joe Biden and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron next week in Bali, as well as Senegal’s Macky Sall and Argentina’s Alberto Fernandez.

The White House has already confirmed Biden and Xi will meet on November 14 on the sidelines of the G20 summit, in their first in-person talks since the US leader became president.

LONDON, 12 November 2022, (TON): Jordan’s King Abdullah and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met in London on Friday to discuss the development of strategic relations between their countries.

Jordan News Agency reported “the king expressed Jordan’s keenness to advance its friendly ties with the UK and bolster cooperation in the political, economic and defense fields.”

He also expressed appreciation for the UK’s economic and development support for Jordan and stressed the need for increased collaboration among all nations to tackle the ramifications of the Ukrainian crisis, especially with regards to food and energy security.

BERLIN, 12 November 2022, (TON): The German government has earmarked an extra 1 billion euros ($1.03 billion) from its 2023 budget to support Ukraine, with money allocated to defending against Russian cyberattacks and collecting evidence of war crimes, a document showed.

The extra allocation comes amid rows over whether Germany should step up its provision of military aid to Ukraine, which says it needs offensive battlefield weapons, including tanks, to take the fight to the Russian army.

The earmark is a win for the Greens, the coalition party which has been the strongest advocate of military support for Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion in February.

GENEVA, 12 November 2022, (TON): A UN spokesperson said “talks between a Russian delegation and senior UN officials to address Moscow’s grievances about the Black Sea grains export initiative began in Geneva.”

The negotiations come just eight days before the deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July is due to be renewed.

The accord has helped stave off a global food crisis by allowing the export of food and fertilizers from several of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

Moscow has indicated that it is prepared to quit the deal, which could expire on Nov. 19, if progress is not made on its concerns. Russia suspended its participation in late October but rejoined after four days.

WASHINGTON: A young community organizer has become the first Palestinian American elected to public office in the US state of Georgia.

Ruwa Romman, a 29-year-old progressive Democrat, was elected in the midterm elections this week to represent District 97 in the state’s House of Representatives at the Georgia General Assembly.

Romman defeated her Republican opponent, who was accused of using racist, anti-Muslim tactics to intimidate voters and tarnish her image. Nevertheless, Romman won by a clear margin, claiming almost 58 percent of the vote.

She told media “the majority of people in her district had supported her during her campaign and protected her whenever she felt threatened by the supporters of her opponent, John Chan, who described himself as a ‘MAGA Republican’ a reference to former former president Donald Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan.”

LONDON, 12 November 2022, (TON): The UK has deported 22 Albanians via a chartered flight, amid reports in the British press that they were illegal migrants and criminals.

The heavily guarded flight was personally authorized by Home Secretary Suella Braverman, the Daily Mail said. Most on board were transferred to the plane via what the newspaper described as secure vans from closed deportation centers where they had been held as criminals or for illegal immigration.

Some were vetted at the Manston migrant processing center in Kent. The short-term holding facility was designed for a maximum of 1,600 people.

However, the population has swelled to almost three times that number as the government fails to process the asylum claims of thousands of people crossing from France in small boats.

BERLIN, 12 November 2022, (TON): Member state Lithuania said “EU foreign ministers will Monday discuss slapping Iran with new sanctions over its deadly crackdown on protests and support for Russia in Ukraine.”

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said “we will be suggesting additional listings that could be added to the sanctions list.”

“It would have two parts for Iranian participation in the war on Russia’s side in Ukraine, but also for the human rights abuses that are happening in the cities of Iran.”

A senior EU official, speaking anonymously, said foreign ministers would likely adopt sanctions at the Brussels meeting on Monday over the repression of protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini.

JERUSALEM, 12 November 2022, (TON): Former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will receive an official mandate on Sunday to form a new government, Israel’s presidency said, following the completion of consultations with lawmakers.

A statement said “sixty-four representatives from Israel’s 120-seat legislature recommended that President Isaac Herzog appoint Netanyahu.”

It added that the former premier has been summoned to accept the task of forming the government from the president.

Netanyahu will have 28 days to form a cabinet, with a 14-day extension available if required.

KABUL, 12 November 2022, (TON): Food and Agriculture Organization of the United 1said “tree countries in the region, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, faced unprecedented crises in 2021, leading to a rapid increase of acute food insecurity in 2022.”

The report highlighted the agrifood, development, and economic as well as climate crisis in the  Asia and Pacific.

The report said “as of March 2022, the people of Afghanistan are suffering one of the world’s largest and most severe hunger crisis; this is affecting 22.8 million people, equivalent to more than half of the population, as a result of extended drought, conflict, political instability and COVID-19.”

The Agriculture Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock called on the aid organizations to support the Afghan agriculture sector.

DHAKA, 12 November 2022, (TON): Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has expressed optimism that Japan will play a crucial role while Bangladesh is graduating from the LDC status in 2026 on way to becoming a developed country by 2041.

He said "we look forward to working closely with Japan to add a new dimension and further consolidate our ever-growing political and economic relations.”

Speaking at a function as the chief guest, Momen said “they sincerely hope that Japan as always will stand beside Bangladesh in its journey towards ‘Sonar Bangla' as dreamed by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.”