G20 final communique reaffirms the group’s commitment to further strengthening of the global financial safety net.

Nineteen leaders of the world’s biggest economies and a representative of the European Union gathered this weekend in Buenos Aries, Argentina for the Group of 20 summit.

All eyes were on a range of issues, including a high-stakes meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and the signing of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman‘s appearance at the summit also prompted some protests over the murder of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi.

Here are all the latest updates:

Saturday, December 1

China and the United States have agreed to halt additional tariffs as both countries engage in new trade negotiations with the goal of reaching an agreement within 90 days, the White House said on Saturday.

The breakthrough came after a dinner meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires.

Trump agreed not to boost tariffs on $200bn of Chinese goods to 25 percent on January 1 as previously announced, while Beijing agreed to buy an unspecified but “very substantial” amount of agricultural, energy, industrial and other products, the White House said in a statement.

Trump, China’s Xi end high-stakes trade talks with no word on outcome

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held high-stakes trade talks on Saturday but ended their summit without any immediate word on whether they made progress toward defusing a damaging tariffs war between Washington and Beijing.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told reporters that the meeting went “very well.”

But there was not immediate comment on whether any progress was made toward defusing a damaging trade war between Washington and Beijing during the dinner meeting at the end of a two-day gathering of world leaders in Buenos Aires.

G20 communique seeks stronger financial safety net

G20 final communique said the members reaffirm ‘commitment to further strengthening the global financial safety net with a strong, quota-based, and adequately resourced IMF at its centre’.

The text announced on Saturday, the last day of the two-day summit in Buenos Aires, added that international trade and investment are important engines of growth, productivity, innovation, job creation and development.

It also said leaders note current trade issues, reaffirms our pledge to use all policy tools to achieve strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth.

The communique said the group will safeguard against downside risks, by stepping up our dialogue and actions to enhance confidence.

‘He has his position. I have my own.’: Putin and Trump have quick chat

Russian President Vladimir Putin got his chance to talk with US President Donald Trump after all – but their brief exchange over Ukraine didn’t accomplish much.

Russia put on a brave face after Trump abruptly junked a much-awaited sit-down with Putin, blaming it on internal US politics and “anti-Russian hysteria”.

The two men did end up talking briefly Saturday on the sidelines of the G20 – just long enough for Trump to ask Putin what he is up to in Ukraine, and for Putin to respond.

“I answered his questions about the incident in the Black Sea. He has his position. I have my own. We stayed in our own positions,” Putin told reporters.

Trump calls off G20 news conference

US President Donald Trump cancelled a news conference at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires on Saturday following the death of former President George H.W. Bush.

“We will wait until after the funeral to have a press conference,” Trump said in a tweet. The former president’s funeral arrangements have yet to be made, according to Bush’s spokesman.

China, US showdown looms on trade

The United States and China, the world’s two largest economies, will see on Saturday if they can find a breakthrough to exit a spiraling trade war as their presidents meet at a tense G20 summit.

With markets watching nervously, US President Donald Trump has described the Buenos Aires summit of the 20 leading economic powers as a deadline for China to meet his demands or risk even further pressure.

The summit itself, with leaders from France, Russia and Saudi Arabia among those attending, has been struggling to carve out any accord on fighting climate change while hot-button disputes such as Ukraine loom large.

Trump, who has already slapped tariffs on $250 bn worth of Chinese goods, sounded upbeat about making progress with his counterpart Xi Jinping after weeks of dire warnings.

Friday, November 30

G20 leaders wrap up Day 1 with a cultural show

G20 leaders are attending a cultural show at the Colon Theater, the landmark in the Argentine capital that is one of the world’s great opera houses.

US President Donald Trump, Germany’s Angela Merkel, and Russian President Vladimir Putin were among the dignitaries who joined for leaders’ photo before they took their seats at the stately Belle Epoque building that was founded in 1908.

The show features videos celebrating Argentina’s majestic landscapes as well as dancing and music that goes from a philharmonic orchestra, to rock and the Argentine Tango.

UK PM May urges MBS to act over Khashoggi killing

British Prime Minister Theresa May told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that he should take action to prevent the recurrence of incidents like the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, her office said on Friday.

“The Prime Minister stressed the importance of ensuring that those responsible for the appalling murder of Jamal Khashoggi are held to account, and that Saudi Arabia takes action to build confidence that such a deplorable incident could not happen again,” May’s office said in a readout of a meeting with Prince Mohammed at the G20 summit in Argentina.

Will a final joint statement come from the G20?

A top Argentine Treasury official is hopeful a final joint statement will be possible at the Group of 20 summit that began Friday in Buenos Aires.

Laura Jaitman says world leaders have made progress in talks about the challenges of the global economy regarding finance and trade.

She adds that US President Donald Trump is “very active and committed” in the dialogue with all members.

European officials said earlier that the U.S. is blocking progress on agreeing how to fix world trading rules, fight climate change and deal with migration.

Jaitman says that “there’s a very positive message of how trade has been an engine of growth for the next decades and how it will continue in the future providing benefits for all citizens.”

Putin explains Crimea tensions with pen and paper

Vladimir Putin found an unusual way to explain why Russia was justified in seizing Ukrainian naval ships near Crimea – he took out pen and paper and drew a map.

Officials in French President Emmanuel Macron’s office say that when Putin and Macron met Friday, Putin pulled out a sheet of white paper and sketched out the Ukrainian coast and the disputed waters where the weekend incident took place.

The French officials say Macron asked for documents proving Russia’s claims, and insisted on the need for restraint in the conflict.

Ukraine contends its ships were in international waters, while Russia claims the boats violated its maritime border. Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, and neither Ukraine nor Western powers recognize the territory as Russian.

Thousands of demonstrators flooded a downtown avenue in Buenos Aires to protest the Group of 20 summit taking place in the Argentine capital.

They’re waved flags and held up up banners with slogans like “Go away G-20” and “Go away Trump.”

Argentine official pushes back against White House

A senior Argentine official is pushing back on a remark by White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders suggesting that Argentina sides with the United States in its trade war with China.

Sanders said Friday that Presidents Donald Trump and Mauricio Macri had “reiterated their shared commitment” to face challenges that include “predatory Chinese economic activity” during a morning meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

The official told The Associated Press that the “adjective used by Sanders is too strong and doesn’t reflect” Argentina’s relationship with Beijing. The official was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

China is one of Buenos Aires’ top trading partners and the main importer of Argentine agricultural commodities that are the backbone of its economy.

‘You never listen to me’: Macron meets MBS on G20 sidelines

A cryptic exchange between French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday was caught on video and shared by the English-language Saudi Gazette.

In the video, Prince Mohammed, also known as MBS, can be heard telling the French leader not to worry, to which he replies: “I am worried”.

Macron then tells MBS: “You never listen to me”, to which the prince responds “I will listen, of course”.

Mohammed bin Salman meets Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G20 summit [Foreign Ministry of Saudi Arabia/Twitter]

UK opposition Labour Party demands May confront MBS

Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry says her party will be watching British Prime Minister Theresa May’s meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman closely.

Thornberry said failing to raise the issues of Jamal Khashoggi’s killing and the war in Yemen would be a “national disgrance”.

“When she sits down with Crown Prince Bin Salman, Theresa May has a moral duty to demand the truth about Jamal Khashoggi,” she said.

Trump upbeat ahead of talks with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping

US President Donald Trump said on Friday there were some good signs on talks with China ahead of his meeting with Xi Jinping on Saturday.

“We’re working very hard. If we could make a deal that would be good. I think they want to. I think we’d like to. We’ll see,” he said, adding his staff was preparing for the Saturday night dinner.

Who has Mohammed bin Salman has met so far? President Emmanuel Macron (France)

President Moon Jae-In (South Korea)

President Xi Jinping (China)

President Enrique Pena Nieto (Mexico)

Vice President Jusuf Kalla (Indonesia)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (India)

Trump: Pleasantries exchanged with MBS but no meeting

The US president has given a far less generous interpretation of his exchange with the Saudi crown prince. Donald Trump said he exchanged pleasantries with the royal but there had been “no discussion”.

Saudi TV: Trump and MBS had ‘friendly’ meeting

The Saudi-owned Al Arabiya channel is reporting that Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had a “friendly” meeting. The White House and other media outlets have yet to confirm the reports.

Putin enthusiastically greets Saudi crown prince

A lot of attention before the start of the G20 summit was on how world leaders would receive Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in light of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Perhaps the most enthusiastic embrace for the prince so far has come from Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who was filmed high-fiving the Saudi royal at the summit.

Putin has faced criticism for his own alleged campaign of targeted assassinations, which have targeted members of the Russian opposition and journalists critical of the Kremlin.

Putin and Saudi crown prince MBS share smiles and a high five at the #G20Argentina Summit. Latest updates: https://t.co/lx2xK3tiSn pic.twitter.com/H0TmDA5edB — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) November 30, 2018

Petrol bombs found in Buenos Aires

Argentina’s security minister confirmed that eight petrol bombs were discovered in an area of the capital where a protest against the G-20 summit is expected later in the day.

A police operation on Friday turned up the rudimentary explosives made from bottles and cloth wicks in a burned and abandoned taxi on the street.

The site is more than 6 miles from the place where the summit is taking place.

Security Minister Patricia Bullrich said that despite the find, “a day of peace and without violence is expected.”

Trump appears to walk past MBS and Putin without acknowledgement

President Donald Trump chatted with the leaders of Canada, Japan and France during a group photo session at the Group of 20 summit in Argentina.

But he walked by, without appearing to acknowledge, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Macron and MBS discussed oil prices

The Elysee Palace says that French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed oil prices and the role Saudi Arabia can play in its fluctuations.

It is unclear whether the French leader discussed the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi or the alleged role the Saudi prince played in it.

France has witnessed protests in the past week over the rising price of petrol.

White House: Mueller probe not reason for cancelling Trump-Putin G20 meeting

The probe into potential collusion between US President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and Moscow is probably undermining US ties with Russia, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said on Friday, but she denied it was the reason Trump canceled his planned G20 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sanders disparaged Mueller’s investigation as the “Russian Witch Hunt Hoax” in a statement and added “unfortunately, it probably does undermine our relationship with Russia.”

“However, the reason for our canceled meeting is Ukraine,” she said.

Separately, a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied a report that Trump planned a “pull-aside” meeting with Putin at the G20 after canceling plans for a longer bilateral.

MBS meets Macron

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met world leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Buenos Aires on Friday, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said on twitter.

The ministry posted pictures of Prince Mohammad talking to Macron and other leaders, as well as with Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto, and South Korean President Moon Jae-In

📸 | Crown Prince met with world leaders on the sidelines of the #G20Argentina#CrownPrinceInG20 pic.twitter.com/RkCGgArBMA — Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) November 30, 2018

Putin denounces use of sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin has lashed out over the ‘vicious’ use of sanctions and tariffs. His comments come amid a heightening diplomatic crisis over last week’s naval clash between Russian and Ukrainian vessels in the Sea of Azov, in which three Ukrainian boats, as well as the sailors on board, were captured by Moscow.

Russia says the incident was contrived by Kiev and its Western allies in order to usher in a new round of sanctions against it.

Kremlin: Trump, Putin will have impromptu meeting

Russian President Vladimir Putin will have a brief impromptu meeting with US President Donald Trump in Argentina just as he will with other leaders at the G20 summit, RIA news agency cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.

Trump on Thursday abruptly cancelled a planned meeting with Putin in Argentina after Russia captured three Ukrainian navy vessels and their crews off the coast of Crimea.

US President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and outgoing Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto have signed an updated free trade agreement, aimed at replacing NAFTA, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Argentina.

Trump said on Friday that the trade pact was “model agreement that changes the trade landscape forever.”

Russia: Trump cancelled Putin meeting for domestic reasons

Russia said it believes President Donald Trump cancelled his meeting with Vladimir Putin due to domestic issues and not the situation in Ukraine.

“Is the provocation started by Kiev in this area [Azov Sea] a real reason for the cancellation,” spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

“We heard that as an official version and we accepted that. Is it a real one? I believe we should look for answers in the US domestic political situation.”

Saudi crown prince meets India’s Modi in Argentina

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed cooperation between the two countries in security, energy and investments, the Saudi press agency said.

The two leaders, who met in the prince’s residence in Buenos Aires, also discussed Saudi Arabia’s readiness to supply India with all its needs of oil and petroleum products and Saudi oil giant Aramco’s investments in the fields of oil refining and oil storage in India, it said.

The crown prince and Modi also agreed on investing in solar energy, it added.

UK PM May to speak to Saudi crown prince on Khashoggi, Yemen

British Prime Minister Theresa May plans to raise the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and the situation in Yemen with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G20 summit in Argentina.

The killing of the Washington Post columnist, a critic of the crown prince, has strained Saudi Arabia’s ties with the West and battered Prince Mohammed’s image abroad. Saudi Arabia has said he had no prior knowledge of the murder.

“I am intending to speak with the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. The message that I give will be very clear … on this issue of Jamal Khashoggi but also on the issue of Yemen,” she told reporters on the flight to Buenos Aires.

“We want to see a full and transparent investigation in relation to what happened and obviously those responsible being held to account,” she said of Khashoggi’s killing.

Western nations are calling for an end to the Saudi-led military campaign in neighbouring Yemen, which was launched by Prince Mohammed, as a humanitarian crisis there worsens.

“On the issue of Yemen, we continue to be deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation,” May said. “The long-term solution for the Yemen is a political situation and we will be encouraging all parties actually to look for that and work for that.”

Thursday, November 29

Merkel to miss G20 opening after emergency landing in Cologne: spokeswoman

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will miss the opening of the G20 summit in Argentina after her plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Cologne on Thursday due to a technical problem, her spokeswoman said.

“We will not be proceeding today,” she told AFP.

According to tweets by German journalists on board the Airbus A340, named Konrad Adenauer after Germany’s first post-war chancellor, Merkel will leave for Madrid on Friday and head on a commercial flight for Buenos Aires with a slimmed down delegation.

The Chancellery did not confirm these reports.

Every Thursday since 1977, a group of women march around the Plaza de Mayo, the square in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, where the presidential palace is located.

Their demand? The return of their disappeared children.

Tens of thousands people were forcibly disappeared during Argentina’s last dictatorship (1976-1983). Many have be confirmed dead, the whereabouts of others remain unknown.

On Thursday, the group marched again, for the 2120th time, reiterating their demand as world leaders arrived in the city for the G20 summit.

Kremlin spokesman says Moscow ready for contact with Trump – RIA

The Kremlin regrets US President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Argentina and said Moscow is ready for contact with Trump, RIA news agency cited spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Friday.

Trump on Thursday said he was cancelling a planned meeting with Putin at the G20 summit, citing the crisis in Ukraine.

Trump’s meeting with leaders of Turkey, South Korea will be ‘pull asides’

US President Donald Trump’s meetings with the leaders of Turkey and South Korea will be “pull asides” at the Group of 20 summit rather than formal bilateral meetings, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters

Trump decided to cancel Putin meeting ‘while on flight to G20’

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders on Thursday told reporters US President Donald Trump decided to cancel a scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his flight to the G20 summit, and said she was not aware of a conversation between the two leaders about the cancellation.

Trump spoke with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House Chief of Staff Kelly on the flight to the Group of 20 industrialised nations summit in Argentina and called National Security Adviser John Bolton, she said.

Sanders also said the US and Russian governments had exchanged phone calls.

Trump cancels meeting with Putin over situation in Ukraine

Trump said on Thursday he is cancelling his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin due to the situation in Ukraine.

The pair had expected to meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

Based on the fact that the ships and sailors have not been returned to Ukraine from Russia, I have decided it would be best for all parties concerned to cancel my previously scheduled meeting…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2018

Trump said he is looking forward to a summit with the Russian president once the Ukraine situation is resolved.

Responding to Trump’s comments, a spokesperson for Putin said Moscow had recieved no official information on the cancellation of the talks.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Russian leader would have a couple of extra hours spare for other meetings if the sit-down with Trump didn’t take place, Russian state media outlets reported.

Macron to meet with MBS

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he will meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of this weekend’s G20 summit, according to the Reuters news agency.

“I’ve always been very clear about the issue of Saudi Arabia and I will inevitably have the opportunity to discuss it with the Saudi crown prince on the sidelines of the G20,” Macron told reporters on Thursday.

The French leader’s comments came after Argentine President Mauricio Macri said there could be discussions about complaints against MBS during the summit, which is being held in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires.

The G20 includes: Argentina

Australia

Brazil

Canada

China

Germany

France

India

Indonesia

Italy

Japan

Mexico

Russia

Saudi Arabia

South Africa

South Korea

Turkey

United Kingdom

United States

European Union

The 33-year-old de facto ruler of Saudi has been under intense scrutiny following the killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi inside the kingdom’s consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul last month.

Trump says no meeting planned with MBS at G20

As Trump left the White House for the G20 summit in Argentina, the US president said he would have been willing to meet with Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but no such meeting was set up.

Trump says he’s close to doing something with China on trade

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was close to making a deal with China on trade but is not sure he wants to do it and likes where things stand now.

As he left the White House for the G20 summit in Argentina and a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump told reporters he was open to making a trade deal.

Kremlin confirms Putin-Trump meet

The Kremlin has announced it has received confirmation from Washington, DC, that a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Donald Trump will take place on the sidelines of this weekend’s G20 summit.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that the two leaders will hold a “conversation” on Saturday, which will be followed by longer negotiations.

The US had threatened to cancel the face-to-face talks because of an ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine following the former’s seizure of three of the latter’s ships in waters near the Crimean peninsula on Sunday.

Merkel to press Putin over Ukraine tensions

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she will press Russian President Vladimir Putin at this weekend’s G20 summit over the country’s ongoing dispute with Ukraine.

Tensions between Kiev and Moscow have been heightened in recent days following the latter’s seizure of three Ukrainian ships on Sunday in waters near the Crimean peninsula.

Addressing a Ukrainian business summit in Berlin on Thursday, Merkel said the situation could only be resolved through “talks” as there was “no military solution”.

“I’m for putting the facts of what we know so far on the table and (ask) that all soldiers get released and also that one doesn’t force confessions like we’ve seen on television recently,” she said, referring to appearances by some of the captured Ukrainians on Russian state television earlier this week.

Russia’s FSB security service released video footage on Tuesday of some of the captured Ukrainian sailors admitting that their actions had been deliberately provocative and that they had ignored Russian orders to stop moving through the Russian-controlled Kerch Strait.

Kiev contends the individuals were forced to lie under duress and has denied that the ships intruded into Russia’s territorial waters.

Wednesday, November 28

Argentine civil society organisations have kicked off a series of actions scheduled for this week against the G20 summit.

“We reject policies which favour large multinationals and imperialist countries and not the people or the rights of nature,” said Beverly Keene, spokesperson for Confluence G20 and IMF Out, which is organising a People’s Summit on Wednesday and Thursday.

The anti-G20 gathering aims to provide an open space to discuss ideas for a peaceful and just future.

Argentine judge seeks help from Turkey, Yemen in Saudi crown prince case

An Argentine judge reviewing a complaint by Human Rights Watch (HRW) against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his involvement in the war in Yemen asked Argentine’s foreign ministry to seek Turkey and the International Criminal Court for information, the judge’s office told Reuters news agency.

On Monday, HRW asked the judge to use a war crimes clause in its constitution to investigate any involvement by the crown prince in possible crimes against humanity in Yemen and Jamal Khashoggi’s murder.

The office of federal judge Ariel Lijo said on Wednesday it was seeking information on any open cases relating to the murder of Khashoggi or war crimes in Yemen.

A representative of the federal prosecutor’s office that is working with Judge Lijo on the complaint told Reuters it was still reviewing HRW’s request and that no decision had yet been made on whether to investigate it.

Putin to discuss Khashoggi murder with MBS

Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the G20 in Buenos Aires, his foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov said on Wednesday.

“Of course, they will talk about this subject,” Ushakov said, referring to the Khashoggi’s murder.

However, he said the “main aim” of the meeting will be “the development” of Russian-Saudi relations.

Earlier on Wednesday, Putin praised top OPEC oil exporter Saudi Arabia and Prince Mohammed personally for his role in agreeing to “balance supply and demand” in crude production.

“This is the first time in the history of this organisation (OPEC) that we have succeeded 100 percent in doing this,” Putin told attendees at an investment forum in Moscow.

“I must admit that this is largely thanks to the position of Saudi Arabia. This is essentially down to Saudi Arabia and the Crown Prince,” the Russian leader said.

IMF chief warns trade tensions could hurt global economy

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Chairwoman Christine Lagarde has warned world leaders escalating trade tensions, including car tariffs and Brexit, could hurt the global economy.

In a report for the G20 leaders meeting in Buenos Aires, the IMF said car tariffs, if imposed, could cut 0.75 percent off the global economy.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on autos as part of his aggressive trade strategy focused on preserving US jobs.

He has hit half of US imports from China with steep punitive tariffs, which has drawn retaliation from Beijing.

Emerging market economies, especially China and the euro area, are already seeing their economies slow, while a “no-deal Brexit could further dent confidence”, Lagarde said in a blog post that accompanied the report.

Lagarde warned the upcoming G20 gathering that “the global economy faces a critical juncture”.

“We have had a good stretch of solid growth by historical standards, but now we are facing a period where significant risks are materializing and darker clouds are looming,” she said.

“Rising trade barriers are ultimately self-defeating for all involved. Thus, it is imperative that all countries steer clear of new trade barriers, while reversing recent tariffs,” she stressed.

Saudi crown prince arrives in Argentina

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman landed in Buenos Aires for the G20 summit, according to Argentine TV news.

His arrival comes amid international furore over the murder of Khashoggi and a request by Human Rights Watch that Argentina investigate him for war crimes in Yemen.

AP Analysis: Will MBS be a pariah at G20?

All eyes will be on Prince Mohammed, particularly over the killing of Khashoggi. There have been allegations that he ordered the killing, which happened inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last month. There will be leaders who won’t want to get caught in a grip-and-grin situation with MBS.

It’s a photo opportunity that could cause serious ripples, even disgust, and have concrete repercussions at home by appearing to exonerate or legitimise the man US intelligence agencies concluded ordered the killing.

That won’t be a problem for US President Donald Trump, who drew bipartisan ire in the US Congress for effectively giving the prince a free pass in the name of “America First”, based on the president’s vastly exaggerated claims of Saudi military contracts and investments in the US.

It may well be that Trump will go out of his way to embrace the de facto Saudi leader as others scurry away, treating him as a pariah.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has kept international pressure mounting on Saudi Arabia, is also expected to attend. The crown prince has requested a meeting with Erdogan on the sidelines of the summit, according to Ankara.

MBS leaves Tunisia to Argentina to attend G20: report

Earlier in the day, Reuters news agency reported that Prince Mohammad left Tunisia for Argentina to attend the G20 summit, where all eyes will be on world leaders’ reaction to the man accused of ordering Khashoggi’s murder.

The prince left Tunisia early on Wednesday, Reuters quoted Al-Arabiya’s website as saying.

The crown prince’s G20 attendance is a bold effort to force the issue of whether world leaders will work with Saudi Arabia, analysts say. Riyadh is also indicating with his appearance in Buenos Aires that Prince Mohammed is back in the saddle and the worst of the controversy is over.

Human Rights Watch requested that Argentine authorities arrest the crown prince and that he be tried by a court for war crimes in Yemen and Khashoggi’s killing.

Tuesday, November 27

Trump: I may cancel Putin meeting at G20 over Ukraine conflict

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he may cancel his scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Argentina because of Russia’s maritime clash with Ukraine.

“Maybe I won’t have the meeting. Maybe I won’t even have the meeting … I don’t like that aggression. I don’t want that aggression at all,” Trump told the Washington Post in an interview.

White House adviser says China-US trade deal still possible

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Tuesday that Trump will have a dinner meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the upcoming G20 gathering in Argentina and also held open the possibility that the two countries would reach a trade deal.

“There is a good possibility that we can make a deal and he is open to it,” Kudlow, the National Economic Council director, told a press briefing, referring to Trump.

No plans for Trump-MBS meet at G20: Bolton

US National Security Adviser John Bolton said President Donald Trump had no plans to meet Saudi Crown Prince Prince Mohammed at this week’s G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that while no meetings are planned, she could not rule out any interaction between Trump and Prince Salman.

Trump will meet leaders of Russia, Japan, Germany, Argentina at G20

President Trump will have bilateral meetings with the leaders of Argentina, Russia, Japan and Germany when he and the American delegation go to Argentina for the Group of 20 summit later this week, a White House spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Trump is also expected to meet separately with China’s Xi Jinping for the first time since the world’s two largest economies imposed tariffs on each other’s imports.

No plans for a Trump-May meeting at G20

British Prime Minister Theresa May has no specific plans for a bilateral meeting with Trump at the G20 meeting later this week, her spokesman said on Tuesday.

On Monday, Trump stoked concerns among some of May’s legislators about her Brexit deal by saying he thought it was good for the EU and may make trade between Washington and London more difficult.

May’s office disputed that, saying it would allow Britain to sign trade deals with countries throughout the world.

Monday, November 26

Trump says he expects to raise China tariffs: WSJ

Trump said on Monday he expects to move ahead with raising tariffs on $200bnin Chinese imports to 25 percent from 10 percent currently.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said it was “highly unlikely” he would accept China’s request to hold off on the increase.

Trump, who is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires this week, said if negotiations are unsuccessful he would also put tariffs on the rest of Chinese imports.

Prince Mohammed arrived in Egypt on Monday, the third leg of his first trip abroad since the murder of journalist Khashoggi in Turkey last month.

Prince Mohammed is expected to travel to Tunisia after his two-day visit to Egypt before heading for a G20 meeting in Buenos Aires.

Last week, Nader Hashemi, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Denver, said all eyes will be on MBS as world leaders gather for the G20 meeting from November 30 to December 1 in Argentina

Hashemi noted the Argentina trip puts Prince Mohammed in possible legal jeopardy under the policy of universal jurisdiction under international law.

“If there is a case brought against the Saudi crown prince for war crimes or murder by another court that is considered to be credible then an indictment can be issued against him when he arrives in Buenos Aires. So, I suspect this is something his lawyers and advisors are looking into,” Hashemi told Al Jazeera.