World News Roundup: Biden promises competition with China, not conflict as first summit ends in Asia; Tapped to head new hard-right government, Netanyahu pledges Israeli unity and more

Biden during an address to the East Asia Summit in Cambodia, said the United States would "compete vigorously" with Beijing while "ensuring competition does not veer into conflict", stressing the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait. Tapped to head new hard-right government, Netanyahu pledges Israeli unity Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received an official mandate on Sunday to form a new government and pledged that he would seek national consensus after an election in which Jewish far-rightists surged, drawing concern at home and abroad.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Biden promises competition with China, not conflict as first summit ends in Asia

U.S. President Joe Biden told Asian leaders on Sunday that U.S. communication lines with China would stay open to prevent conflict, as the first of three summits of world leaders this week ended, with tense talks almost certain in the days ahead. Biden during an address to the East Asia Summit in Cambodia, said the United States would "compete vigorously" with Beijing while "ensuring competition does not veer into conflict", stressing the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait.

Tapped to head new hard-right government, Netanyahu pledges Israeli unity

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received an official mandate on Sunday to form a new government and pledged that he would seek national consensus after an election in which Jewish far-rightists surged, drawing concern at home and abroad. Tasking Netanyahu with building the next coalition, President Isaac Herzog noted that Israel's longest-serving premier had received enough recommendations from like-minded parties to secure 64 of parliament's 120 seats.

Ukraine railways offer symbolic tickets to occupied cities after Kherson liberation

Ukrainian railways, celebrating the liberation of the southern city of Kherson, on Sunday offered symbolic tickets to the cities that remain under Russian control, promising that tickets can be used after they are liberated. Jubilant residents welcomed Ukrainian troops arriving in the centre of Kherson on Friday after Russia abandoned the only regional capital it had captured since its invasion began in February.

When Biden meets Xi: Taiwan, Russia's war in Ukraine, North Korea to top agenda

U.S. President Joe Biden will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in person on Monday for the first time since taking office, with U.S. concerns over Taiwan, Russia's war in Ukraine and North Korea's nuclear ambitions on top of his agenda. The long-awaited in person meeting comes as relations between the superpowers have sunk to their lowest in decades. The two will meet on the Indonesian island of Bali ahead of the annual Group of 20 (G20) summit gathering leaders of the world's major developed and emerging economies.

South Korea's Yoon says North Korea's provocations becoming more aggressive

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Sunday that North Korea is conducting more "aggressive" provocations based on confidence over its nuclear and missile programmes, calling for strong cooperation with the United States and Japan. Yoon was addressing a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Democrats keep control of U.S. Senate, crush Republican 'red wave' hopes

Democrats held onto control of the U.S. Senate, handing a major victory to President Joe Biden and extinguishing hopes of the "red wave" that Republicans had expected leading into the midterm elections. Biden - who struggled with low approval ratings ahead of Tuesday's elections, partly due to public frustration over inflation - said the late Saturday outcome made him look forward to the remainder of his term in office.

Ukraine's Kherson races to restore power, water after Russian retreat

Utility companies in Kherson were working to restore critical infrastructure damaged and mined by fleeing Russian forces, with most homes in the southern Ukrainian city still without electricity and water, regional officials said on Sunday. The governor of Kherson region, Yaroslav Yanushevych, said the authorities had decided to maintain a curfew from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. and ban people from leaving or entering the city as a security measure.

Uganda confirms Ebola case in country's east as outbreak expands

An Ebola case has been confirmed in Jinja in eastern Uganda, the country's health minister said on Sunday, the first time the outbreak has spread to a new region of the country from central Uganda where cases have been confined so far. Authorities have been struggling to contain the highly infectious and deadly haemorrhagic fever since the epidemic was declared on Sept. 20.

Mediterranean marine heatwaves threaten coastal livelihoods

A decade ago, Tunisian fisherman Ahmed Chelli's nets bulged with fish and octopus that he sold at the local market in the Kerkennah islands. Today, he pulls up only "ISIS" — the name locals have given to the blue crabs that have invaded their fishing grounds in the fast-warming waters of the Mediterranean.

"The fisherman, … instead of finding fish to provide an income, he finds something that cuts his nets," Chelli complained.

Slovenia's election may produce first woman president

Slovenians were voting on Sunday in a presidential election runoff, with former TV presenter Natasa Pirc Musar hoping to beat right-wing politician Andze Logar and become the country's first woman president. Although Logar came first in the first round on Oct. 23, opinion polls have narrowly favoured a victory on Sunday for Pirc Musar, an independent candidate who has secured the support of the ruling coalition for the runoff.

(With inputs from agencies.)