FIUGGI, Italy (AP) — Foreign ministers from the world’s leading industrialized nations are meeting Monday, with the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East entering decisive phases and a certain pressure to advance diplomatic efforts ahead of the new U.S. administration taking over.
Hopes for brokering a cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon are foremost on the agenda of the Group of Seven meeting outside Rome that is gathering ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, in the last G7 encounter of the Blinken administration.
On the first day of the two-day gathering Monday, the G7 will be joined by ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as well as the Secretary General of the Arab League.
“With partners will be discussed ways to support efforts to reach a cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon, initiatives to support the population and the promotion of a credible political horizon for stability in the region,” the Italian foreign ministry said.
The so-called “Quintet” grouping of the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and the UAE has been working to finalize a “day after” plan for Gaza, and there is some urgency to make progress before the Trump administration takes over in January. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to pursue a policy that strongly favors Israel over the aspirations of the Palestinians.
As the G7 ministers arrived in Italy, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Mike Herzog, told Israeli Army Radio on Monday a cease-fire deal to end fighting between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah could be reached “within days.”
Host Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani added another item to the G7 agenda last week after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas’ military chief.
Italy is a founding member of the court and hosted the 1998 Rome conference that gave birth to it. But Italy’s right-wing government has been a strong supporter of Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, while also providing humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.
The Italian government has taken a cautious line, reaffirming its support and respect for the court but expressing concern that the warrants were politically motivated.
“There can be no equivalence between the responsibilities of the state of Israel and the terrorist organization of Hamas,” Premier Giorgia Meloni said, echoing the statement from U.S. President Joe Biden.
Nathalie Tocci, director of the Rome-based Institute for International Affairs think tank, said Italy would be seeking to forge a united front on the ICC warrants, at least among the six G7 countries that are signatories of the court: everyone but the U.S.
But in an essay this weekend in La Stampa newspaper, Tocci warned it was a risky move, since the U.S. tends to dictate the G7 line and has blasted the ICC warrants against Netanyahu as “outrageous.”
“If Italy and the other (five G7) signatories of the ICC are unable to maintain the line on international law, they will not only erode it anyway but will be acting against our interests,” Tocci wrote, recalling Italy’s recourse to international law in demanding protection for Italian U.N. peacekeeepers who have come under fire in southern Lebanon.
The other major talking point of the G7 meeting is Ukraine, and tensions have only heightened since Russia attacked Ukraine last week with an experimental, hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is expected at the G7 in Fiuggi on Tuesday, and NATO and Ukraine are to hold emergency talks the same day in Brussels.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the strike was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory.
The G7 has been at the forefront of providing military and economic support for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022 and G7 members are particularly concerned about how a Trump administration will change the U.S. approach.
Trump has criticized the billions of dollars that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine and has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies.
Italy is a strong supporter of Ukraine and has backed the U.S. decision to allow Ukraine to strike Russia with U.S.-made, longer-range missiles. But Italy has invoked the country’s constitutional repudiation of war in declining to provide Ukraine with offensive weaponry to strike inside Russia.
The G7 foreign ministers’ meeting, the second of the Italian presidency after ministers gathered in Capri in April, is being held in the medieval town of Fiuggi southeast of Rome, best known for its thermal spas.
On Monday, which coincides with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, ministers will attend the inauguration of a red bench meant to symbolize Italy’s focus on fighting gender-based violence.
Over the weekend, tens of thousands of people marched in Rome to protest gender-based violence, which in Italy so far this year has claimed the lives of 99 women, according to a report last week by the Eures think tank.
FILE - Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani addresses the "Italy Ukraine business forum" in Rome, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)
PERTH, Australia (AP) — India routed Australia by 295 runs in the opening Border-Gavaskar test to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series with more than a day to spare at Perth Stadium on Monday.
Set a formidable 534 runs to win, Australia was bowled out for 238 runs soon after tea on the fourth day as India secured its biggest win against the hosts in Australia following the 222-run win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in December 1977.
Travis Head top scored for the home side with 89 runs off 101 balls with eight fours. Head tried to delay the inevitable defeat first with Steve Smith (17), sharing 62 runs for the fifth wicket to lift Australia from 17-4 soon after it resumed the day from an overnight 12-3.
Then in the company of hard-hitting Mitchell Marsh (47), Head added 82 runs for the sixth wicket before fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah forced the lefthander to edge to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Bumrah finished with a match-haul of 8-72 (5-30 and 3-42) and increased his wicket tally in Australia to 40 at an average of 18.80 in eight test matches. Bumrah passed offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin (39 wickets) as the third most successful Indian bowler in Australia behind swing bowler Kapil Dev (51 in 11) and legspinner Anil Kumble (49 in 10).
“I am very proud of the team,” Bumrah said. “After being bowled out for 150 we showed character and didn’t lose belief. Going forward, we can take a lot of confidence from that. I am very happy the way we came back."
Fast bowler Mohamed Siraj took 3-51.
Fast bowler Harshit Rana, in his debut test, bowled Alex Carey for 36 to seal a big win for India.
It was also India's second biggest win in terms of runs against Australia in all tests since the 320-run win at home in Mohali in October 2008.
Australian skipper Pat Cummins conceded that his side was outplayed.
“It is not an ideal way to start the summer. It’s a big series. We were outplayed this week," he said.
"They bowled terrifically well and put a dent into us,” Cummins added of Australian first innings batting capitulation after restricting India to 150.
Cummins urged his side to come back with a strategy to combat Bumrah, who was unplayable at times.
“He’s one of the best in the world. We need to come up with a game plan," he said.
India's comfortable win was set up by two majestic centuries — Yashasvi Jaiswal's 161 and an unbeaten 100 by evergreen Virat Kohli — as the tourists set Australia the highest-ever run chase on a pitch that was getting increasingly difficult to bat on.
Playing only its fourth five-test series since its first tour here in 1947-48, India secured only its 10th win in 53 tests on Australian soil and only its second in Perth in six test matches. India last won in Perth in 2008 at the old WACA ground.
India had gone into the test without skipper Rohit Sharma, who stayed home for the birth of his second child and batsman Shubman Gill who broke a finger during a intra-squad practice match.
But a young and inexperienced team under Bumrah redeemed itself and turned its fortunes around following an embarrassing 3-0 home series loss to New Zealand leading into this test series.
After an eventful start to the test that saw 17 wickets fall on the first day, India took control of the test as it plundered 487-6 declared. This was after it was bowled out for 150 after winning the toss and then dismissed Australia for a paltry 104.
But the test belonged to 22-year-old Jaiswal who provided the backbone of the Indian second innings that will be long remembered for it class and exuberance against the much-vaunted Australian pace attack. It was his third century in 2024 and anchored the innings with a record 201-run opening stand with KL Rahul (77).
Kohli then took over to become the most successful visiting batsman in Australia by scoring his seventh hundred here before India declared. Only Englishman Jack Hobbs (9) has scored more hundreds in Australia in 24 matches. Kohli has played only 14 games.
The start of day four did not go well for the hosts as Siraj forced Khawaja (4) to top edge for Pant to complete a running catch to reduce Australia to 17-4.
But Smith and Head survived some anxious moments against India’s pace quartet and Head counterattacked his way to a 63-ball half century with six fours.
Smith put behind his first-ball nought in the first innings to play a watchful innings, but was eventually undone by a superb Siraj delivery.
The series now moves to Adelaide for a pink ball test from Dec. 6.
India has held the Border-Gavaskar trophy since the 2016-17 home series.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
India's Virat Kohli, left, KL Rahul and captain Jasprit Bumrah celebrate the wicket of Australia's Travis Head on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Mitchell Marsh reacts after losing his wicket on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Nathan Lyon is bowled out by India's Washington Sundar on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's captain Jasprit Bumrah leaves the field carrying a stump after winning the first cricket test against Australia in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's captain Jasprit Bumrah hugs teammate Virat Kohli after winning the first cricket test against Australia in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Alex Carey is bowled out by India's Harshit Rana on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's fans celebrate after India won the first cricket test against Australia in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's Harshit Rana, left, celebrates the wicket of Australia's Alex Carey on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's captain Jasprit Bumrah gestures as he prepares to bowl on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Usman Khawaja reacts after losing his wicket to India's Mohammed Siraj on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Steve Smith bats on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's captain Jasprit Bumrah bowls a delivery on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Travis Head bats on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's Harshit Rana appeals unsuccessfully for the wicket of Australia's Steve Smith on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Travis Head celebrates his fifty runs on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
Australia's Travis Head bats on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's players celebrate the wicket of Australia's Steve Smith on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's Rishabh Pant, left, celebrates with teammate Nitish Kumar Reddy the wicket of Australia's Usman Khawaja on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)
India's Virat Kohli, right, celebrates the wicket of Australia's Steve Smith, center, who leaves the field after losing his wicket on the fourth day of the first cricket test between Australia and India in Perth, Australia, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Trevor Collens)