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Xi Alex Brandon / AP  

The US-China relationship '

Biden: Could be a meeting with Xi Jinping next month  

On Friday, US President Joe Biden opened up that a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping could be relevant in November, writes AFP. 

- No such meeting has been arranged, but it is a possibility, he tells reporters.  

On November 16 and 17, the United States will host the APEC, a cooperative organization for 21 countries in the Pacific region, having its summit in San Francisco.  

According to Washington Post and CNN sources, the White House is planning a meeting between the two presidents during the meeting to ease tensions between the rival superpowers. 

- It is pretty much nailed down, says one of the sources.  

Biden and Xi have not met or spoken in nearly a year.  

US Foreign Ministry headquarters. Wikimedia Commons

The Russian invasion. The outside world's response  

US expels two Russian diplomats in retaliation  

The US State Department on Friday expelled two Russian diplomats from the country in response to a similar move by the Kremlin last month, AP reports.  

"The department does not condone the Russian government's pattern of harassment of our diplomats," spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.  

On September 14, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused two American diplomats of "illegal activities" and gave them seven days to leave the country.  

The diplomats were accused of "keeping in touch" with a former consular employee who was arrested on suspicion of collecting information for the United States about the Russian military in Ukraine.  

Italy's Giorgia Meloni (in a turquoise jacket) is one of the EU leaders that the news site Politico perceived as unenthusiastic during the EU summit. Fermin Rodriguez / AP  

EU summit in Granada 

Analysis: Mega meeting in ruins - leader without enthusiasm 

50 of Europe's leaders gathered in Granada, Spain – but the mega-meeting ended in shambles, according to Politico's analysis. 

Continued agreement to end up behind Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi was indeed reached, but no progress was made either in terms of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the tensions in the Balkans or the general security of the continent.  

“The leaders' lack of enthusiasm was obvious. Many of the invitees didn't even bother to stop and share their thoughts with the hordes of journalists. Italy's Giorgia Meloni strolled by, talking on her cell phone,” notes the news site.  

The news agency TT states that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the advantages of an enlarged EU, but that Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) was one of those who is reluctant to set a date for enlargement, but rather points out that the conditions must be met.

Orbán/Morawiecki. AP  

EU Asylum Pact  

Polish-Hungarian anger at EU: "Judicially raped"  

The Hungarian and Polish governments are anything but satisfied with the EU's settlement on migration, TT reports.  

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán does not mince words: 

 - Legally, we are - how should we say it? - raped. And if you are legally raped, forced to accept something you don't like, how could you have a compromise? 

According to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, the settlement involves "letting illegal immigrants into countries that do not want to accept them" under threat of "exorbitant fines".  

On Wednesday, a deal was reached at ambassadorial level on migration, and now there is a common line to be negotiated in parliament. The goal is to be able to say yes at the beginning of 2024 to the pact that has been supported and debated for three years.