PHNOM PENH, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- As a member of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies, China has played a crucial role in safeguarding the common interests of developing countries and pushing for more open and equal global economic governance, Cambodian experts have said.

"The political status and economic scale have made China one of the most important actors in the G20," Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

SAN SALVADOR, Sept 11 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) — El Salvador and Canada are seeking to boost Canadian tourism by signing an agreement to increase flights by Air Transat to this Central American country, industry sources reported.

A memorandum of understanding signed by Salvadorian Deputy Foreign Minister Adriana Mira with the airline’s executives seeks to promote the arrival of travelers from Canada to El Salvador’s market to which at least 70,000 Salvadoran residents in Canada will contribute.

JERUSALEM, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Israel will allocate more than 2,000 additional megawatts in the national electricity grid to connect renewable energy facilities, mainly solar ones, the country's Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure said in a statement on Sunday.

The decision will allow the state-owned Israel Electric Corporation to connect many high-scale renewable energy facilities, mainly in the north and south of Israel, thus promoting renewable energy production nationwide.

VLADIVOSTOK, September 11. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin starts a two-day trip to Vladivostok, where he will take part in the 8th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

The program of the Russian leader will be very packed, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier. The President will see today the interactive presentation of the Far East development results, with residents of advance development territories connected via a videoconference link. Eighteen such territories have been established in total with the special legal regime for the business.

STOCKHOLM (AP) — The Swedish government said Monday it wants to increase its defense budget by 28%, putting it on track to reach the military spending target 2% of gross domestic product set by the NATO alliance, which the Scandinavian country is preparing to join.

“We are in the most serious security policy situation since the end of World War II, which requires Sweden to have a defense that is ready to protect Swedish territory,” defense minister Pål Jonson said.

ISLAMABAD, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Pakistan on Monday said the Taliban administration had tried to encroach on its territory with the construction of an 'unlawful structure' and accused Afghan forces of "indiscriminate firing" in an incident that led to the closure of the main border transit point last week.

The Torkham border crossing between the neighbouring nations has been closed since Wednesday after forces from both sides exchanged fire, stranding hundreds of trucks laden with goods and thousands of travellers.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The United Nations atomic watchdog warned of a potential threat to nuclear safety from a spike in fighting near Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine, whose forces continued pressing their counteroffensive on Saturday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said its experts deployed at the Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant reported hearing numerous explosions over the past week, in a possible indication of increased military activity in the region. There was no damage to the plant.

(AP) --- The son of a prominent conservative activist has been convicted of charges that he stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, bashed in a window, chased a police officer, invaded the Senate floor and helped a mob disrupt the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential election victory.

Leo Brent Bozell IV, 44, of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, was found guilty Friday of 10 charges, including five felony offenses, after a trial decided by a federal judge, according to the Justice Department.

NEW YORK, September 9. /TASS/: ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles may be included in a new US military aid package for Ukraine, the issue is currently under consideration in the US administration, the ABC TV channel reported, citing sources.

"They are coming," a US official told ABC, adding that, however, Washington's plans for this type of weapon could change. Another US administration official added that the issue of the ATACMS deliveries is now "on the table" and that the missiles could be included in the next US military aid package.

NEW DELHI (AP) — President Joe Biden and his allies on Saturday announced plans to build a rail and shipping corridor linking India with the Middle East and Europe, an ambitious project aimed at fostering economic growth and political cooperation.

“This is a big deal,” said Biden. “This is a really big deal.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Donald Trump will cross paths with several Republican rivals Saturday when he attends Iowa’s in-state college football grudge match, one of the former president’s few visits so far to the state that holds the first nominating caucus.

Trump will wade into one of the state’s largest sports crowds at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, where Iowa State University will host the University of Iowa. Also planning to be at the game are Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and several lesser-known candidates.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Group of 20 leaders agreed Saturday to triple renewable energy and try to increase the funds for climate change-related disasters but maintained the status quo with regards to phasing out carbon spewing coal.

At a news conference shortly after the G20 leaders — whose countries also emit 80% of all planet-warming gases — announced the agreement, Amitabh Kant, a senior Indian government official leading some of the G20 negotiations, called it “probably the most vibrant, dynamic and ambitious document on climate action.”