Ukraine's Zelensky says Biden-Xi meeting 'good for us'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday voiced optimism about a recent meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, AFP reports.

German Bundestag adds Moldova and Georgia to the list of safe countries

The German Bundestag adopted a bill adding Georgia and the Republic of Moldova to the list of so-called safe countries whose citizens' applications can be examined within an accelerated and simplified procedure, writes DW. The bill in question was passed on Thursday, November 16, with a large majority, with only the Left Party voting against.

Finland to close some border crossings with Russia after rise in asylum seekers

Finland will close four of the nine crossing points on its border with Russia on Saturday to stem a flow of asylum seekers to the Nordic nation, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Thursday, Reuters reports.

The Turkish Parliament launches the ratification procedure of Sweden's NATO accession protocol

The Turkish parliament's foreign affairs commission delayed a vote on Sweden's NATO membership bid on Thursday in a further setback to the Nordic country's hopes of joining the Western alliance after 18 months of waiting, Reuters reports.

Xi Jinping and Joe Biden pledged to develop bilateral relations for the benefit of both countries

Joe Biden and Xi Jinping met in California on Wednesday, exchanging handshakes and smiles as they embarked on face-to-face dialogues that both sides hope will stabilise US-China relations, writes The Guardian.

Joe Biden and Xi Jinping agree to resume high-level military communication

US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have agreed to resume military communications at a summit designed to stabilise relations after several years of rising concern about a possible conflict over Taiwan, Financial Times reports.

Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, meeting in San Francisco. The Chinese leader began his visit to the United States, the first in six years

Xi is on his first visit to the US since 2017. He is due to meet Biden at an undisclosed location in the San Francisco Bay Area on Wednesday morning and then attend the annual summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, AFP reports.

Another 17 Romanian citizens and their family members were evacuated from the Gaza Strip

Another 17 Romanian citizens and their family members left the Gaza Strip yesterday, through the Rafah border point, and are on Egyptian territory, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced last night.

War in Ukraine// Ukrainian literature is destroyed and replaced by Russian in the temporarily occupied regions

Russian invaders are destroying Ukrainian literature in the temporarily occupied territories. There are almost no such books left in the libraries of the occupied parts of Donetsk and Lugansk regions, writes Unian. The representatives of the so-called administrations, especially the so-called "departments of education", deal with the destruction of literature.

Jens Stoltenberg backs Ukraine's independence and calls for more support amid 'terrible situation' on the battlefield

Ukraine must retain its status as an independent state in Europe, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. According to the official, the war-torn country needs more help from the North Atlantic Alliance and other partners because the situation on the battlefield is "terrible", writes Unian.

The European Commission announces new sanctions against Russia, including a ban on the export of diamonds to the EU

Brussels is aiming to present proposals on Wednesday for a new round of sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, including banning Moscow's lucrative diamond exports, the EU's foreign policy chief said Monday, AFP reports.

European Union calls on Israel to urgently institute humanitarian pauses in the Gaza Strip

The European Union calls on Israel to immediately institute humanitarian pauses in the Gaza Strip to allow the access of essential aid to the Palestinian population. The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine dominated the discussions at yesterday's meeting of European Foreign Ministers in Brussels, Radio Romania reports.