World News Roundup: German upper house blocks landmark welfare reform; Biden, Xi stress need to work together as they meet for talks ahead of G20 and more

The two, holding their first in-person talks since Biden became president, met on the Indonesian island of Bali ahead of a Group of 20 (G20) summit on Tuesday that is set to be fraught with tension over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia's Lavrov dismisses report that he was taken to hospital at G20 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday dismissed an news agency report that he had been taken to hospital with a heart condition, scolding Western journalists for what he cast as false reporting.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

German upper house blocks landmark welfare reform

Germany's conservative opposition held up a major welfare reform on Monday, setting the scene for a mediation process to find a compromise that could still allow the introduction of ambitious measures to support the unemployed in gaining vocational skills. Conservatives in the Bundesrat upper house blocked the reform, which has promised to put more money into the pockets of people on state benefits and to help the unemployed gain new skills, arguing that it promises to be so generous that low-income earners will have less money than those benefiting from the changes- a charge the government rejects.

Biden, Xi stress need to work together as they meet for talks ahead of G20

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden met on Monday for long-awaited talks that come as relations between their countries are at their lowest in decades, marred by disagreements over a host of issues from Taiwan to trade. The two, holding their first in-person talks since Biden became president, met on the Indonesian island of Bali ahead of a Group of 20 (G20) summit on Tuesday that is set to be fraught with tension over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Istanbul police says Syrian woman main suspect, detains 46 over bombing

Istanbul police said on Monday it had detained 46 people in relation to an attack at the heart of the city, including Syrian woman Ahlam Albashir who is suspected to have planted the bomb. In initial questioning, the woman said she was trained by Kurdish militants in Syria and entered Turkey through northwest Syria's Afrin region, the police said.

Russia's Lavrov dismisses report that he was taken to hospital at G20

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday dismissed a news agency report that he had been taken to hospital with a heart condition, scolding Western journalists for what he cast as false reporting. Associated Press, citing Indonesian officials, said that Lavrov had been taken to hospital after arriving on the island of Bali for a Group of 20 summits. AP said Lavrov, 72, had been treated for a heart condition.

Egyptian-British hunger striker's family say they received 'proof of life' letter

The sister of Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah said on Monday the family had received a letter from prison that served as "proof of life" from the hunger striker. Abd el-Fattah, who has been on hunger strike against his detention and prison conditions for more than 220 days, had said he was escalating his protest by ceasing to drink water on Nov. 6, the opening day of the COP27 climate summit in Egypt.

Ukrainian president visits Kherson, celebrates Russian retreat

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the southern city of Kherson on Monday to celebrate its recapture from Russian forces with joyful residents and troops after months of Russian occupation. He expressed hope that Russia's retreat from Kherson last week following a Ukrainian counter-offensive might mark the beginning of the end of the war.

Analysis-In final week of COP27 climate talks, success hinges on 'loss and damage'

This year's COP27 climate summit in Egypt headed into its final week on Monday with nearly 200 countries racing to strike a deal to steer the world towards cutting planet-warming emissions and scale up finance for countries being ravaged by climate impacts. Some negotiators and observers warn that failure to agree on such "loss and damage" funding could sour the U.N. talks and thwart other deals. The issue has leapt to the top of political priorities at COP27 after more than 130 developing counties successfully demanded it was added to the agenda for the first time.

Third IAEA board resolution in works deploring Russian actions in Ukraine

A draft of what would be the third resolution by the U.N. atomic watchdog's board on the war in Ukraine again calls on Russia to cease all actions against Ukraine's nuclear facilities including Zaporizhzhia, the text seen by Reuters on Monday showed. The wording of the draft resolution circulated by Canada to other countries on the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of Governors is similar to that of the two previous resolutions passed by the board in March and September, which also deplored Russia's actions in Ukraine.

U.S. House control hinges on tight races after Democrats take Senate

Control of the U.S. House of Representatives hinged on Monday on several tight races that could secure a majority for Republicans following midterm elections that saw President Joe Biden's Democrats beat expectations and retain the Senate. Republicans were closer to taking the House, having won 211 seats compared to Democrats' 206, with 218 needed for a majority. But the final outcome might not be known for days as officials continue counting ballots nearly a week after Americans went to the polls.

European states pile pressure on Iran's leaders

Iran's clerical rulers faced mounting international pressure on Monday over their crackdown on protests, with France's president characterizing the unrest as a revolution and European governments planning sanctions on the Revolutionary Guards. The nationwide protests ignited by Mahsa Amini's death in the custody of the morality police on Sept. 16 after her arrest for "inappropriate attire" mark one of the boldest challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution that brought the clerics to power.