November 1, 2022

*) Türkiye urges Russia to reconsider grain deal suspension Türkiye's National Defence Minister Hulusi Akar has urged Russia to rethink its decision to suspend the Black Sea grain deal. The grain shipment initiative is a purely humanitarian activity that should be separated from conflict conditions, Akar has told his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu over the phone. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Türkiye will continue its efforts to find a solution to the global food crisis despite Russia suspending its participation in the deal. *) Israelis go to polls as political crisis grinds on For the fifth time since 2019, Israelis have been voting in national elections amid a political deadlock that has paralysed the country for the past three and a half years. Polls have predicted a similar result: stalemate. But a powerful new player is threatening to shake things up. Itamar Ben-Gvir, a leading far-right politician, has surged in opinion polls recently and will be seeking a harder line against the Palestinians if he helps propel former leader Benjamin Netanyahu to victory. *) Joint Sochi deal reaffirms compliance to normalisation and regional peace The presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan and the prime minister of Armenia have reaffirmed their commitment to normalisation of Baku-Yerevan ties, and to peace and stability in the South Caucasus. After trilateral talks in Russia's Sochi, all parties agreed on the importance of creating a positive dialogue atmosphere between Azerbaijan and Armenia, according to a joint statement. Russian President Vladimir Putin underlined that parties could not agree on everything concerning Karabakh, adding that Moscow will do everything for a final settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. *) North Korea warns of ‘powerful’ response to US, allies drills North Korea has criticised the US for expanding joint military exercises with South Korea and warned of “more powerful follow-up measures” in response. The development comes as the US and South Korea conduc