INDONESIA
G20: Joe Biden and Xi Jinping want to calm things down
This is their first interview in the flesh since they have been at the head of their country. On the eve of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, US President Joe Biden said he wanted to “manage the differences” between them, in order “to prevent competition from turning into conflict”. For his part, his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping said he was ready for a sincere dialogue. “Both parties seem to want their leaders’ meeting in Bali to lower the temperature in an overheated relationship,” said Danny Russel, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, quoted by the Financial Times. And to add: “Washington is aware of the risk that an unintentional incident quickly turns into a crisis.”
UKRAINE
Kherson freed, Putin humiliated
Tears of relief, hugs and yellow and blue flags from their hiding places: the inhabitants of Kherson jubilantly celebrated the liberation of their city by Ukrainian troops on November 12, two days after Moscow announced the withdrawal of Russian forces on the eastern bank of the Dnieper River.
“The loss of the region means that Russia’s chances of seizing Mykolaiv and Odessa have been destroyed”, rejoiced Kyiv Independent. The news site evokes “a humiliating defeat for the Kremlin, which a month ago claimed sovereignty over Kherson and the region”.
TURKEY
A Istanbul, le specter du terrorisme
Istiklal Avenue, in the heart of Istanbul, was packed with people on Sunday, November 13, when a bomb exploded, killing six people and injuring dozens. “On May 19, 2016, a suicide attack attributed by the Turkish authorities to the jihadist group Islamic State had targeted the same avenue, recalls L’Orient-Le Jour. An attack which was part of a campaign of terror rocking Turkey in 2016 and 2017.” After the attack in recent days, the authorities arrested 46 suspects, including a young woman accused of planting the bomb, a Syrian who is believed to be linked to the PKK, a Kurdish terrorist group.
UNITED STATES
Midterms: Trump’s Bad Deal
Instead of the “red wave” heralded by Trump supporters, the midterms have resulted in a success for Democrats who retain a majority in the Senate. “These results will encourage some donors and Republican Party leaders to consider candidates other than Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election,” writes the Washington Post before listing them: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the former -Vice President Mike Pence, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin or former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.
ETHIOPIA
A humanitarian agreement around Tigray
The peace treaty signed ten days earlier between the Ethiopian federal authorities and the rebel forces in Tigray was a first step. On November 12, the two parties ratified a new agreement to allow humanitarian workers access to this region ravaged by two years of war. There is an emergency: “Half of the 5.5 million inhabitants of Tigray need food aid”, recalls the BBC. The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, explained that “many people were dying there of starvation and diseases that can be treated”.
ISRAEL
Netanyahu back in business
Former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu officially signs his return to the head of Israel. On November 13, President Isaac Herzog gave him the task of forming a government. “After five elections in 44 months, Israeli voters have finally delivered a clear verdict, and they want Netanyahu back, this time leading the most right-wing and religious coalition in the history of this country,” says the Jerusalem Post. To return to power, “Bibi” joined forces with the nationalist extreme right and the ultra-Orthodox. He must now define their weight within the government.
ITALY
Paris-Rome dispute over immigration
After days of tension, the humanitarian ship Ocean Viking finally landed in Toulon on November 11 with 234 refugees on board. The Italian government refused to allow the boat to arrive on its shores and directed it to France, provoking “a clash between Emmanuel Macron and Giorgia Meloni on the subject of migrants”, writes Politico. After promising to defend Italy’s interests in Europe, Giorgia Meloni finds herself, only a few weeks after taking office, at the heart of a diplomatic quarrel that risks harming Rome’s interests and leaving her isolated in Europe. “, estimates the information site.
