California

USA: Biden signs a bill averting a government shutdown for now, with Israel and Ukraine aid still stalled

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Joe Biden signed a temporary spending bill a day before a potential government shutdown, pushing a fight with congressional Republicans over the federal budget into the new year, as wartime aid for Ukraine and Israel remains stalled.

US and China agree to resume military-to-military communications during Biden-Xi summit

Woodside/Beijing, Nov 16 (PTI) US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have agreed to resume high-level military-to-military communication and counter-narcotics cooperation as they met for four hours in a bid to establish a working relationship amidst Beijing's aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific region.

USA: California program to lease land under freeways faces scrutiny after major Los Angeles fire

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The area under an elevated Los Angeles freeway that burned last weekend was a kind of open-air warehouse with businesses storing everything from wood pallets to cardboard boxes to hand sanitizer on lots leased by the state through a little-known program that now is under scrutiny.

USA: Biden says his goal for Xi meeting is to get US-China communications back to ‘normal’

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping swept into San Francisco on Tuesday as the two leaders made their final preparations for their first engagement in a year at a historic estate outside of the city.

Malaysia, US to formulate plan to further strengthen vital bilateral ties

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 15 (NNN-Bernama) — As the United States (US)-Malaysia Comprehensive Partnership will conclude its 10th year in 2024, both countries are set to formulate a practical plan by end of this year to further strengthen it, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Tuesday.

“The next year will be 10 years since Malaysia and the US elevated their bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership in April 2014.

Humanitarian crisis in Palestine will affect not only Middle East but also global relations – Malaysian PM

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 15 (NNN-Bernama) — The humanitarian crisis in Palestine is poised to affect not just Palestine or the broader Middle East but also leave an imprint on global relations for many years to come, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Tuesday.

“What’s happening today in Palestine will affect us all. The implications of this strife are significant and long-lasting.

USA: Biden wants to show he’s focused on Asia-Pacific, while dealing with Russia-Ukraine and Mideast wars

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Joe Biden is looking to use this week’s summit of Asia-Pacific leaders to show world leaders the United States has the gumption, attention span and money to focus on the region even as it grapples with a multitude of foreign and domestic policy crises.

USA: Fire that indefinitely closed vital Los Angeles freeway was likely arson, governor says

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Arson was the cause of a massive weekend fire that charred and indefinitely closed a vital section of a Los Angeles freeway, causing major traffic headaches for hundreds of thousands of commuters, California authorities said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said investigators were trying to determine if one person or more were involved. He gave no other details.

“I have to stress that we have determined what started the fire,” Newsom told reporters Monday.

USA: Hundreds protest APEC on eve of San Francisco meeting

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 13 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hundreds of demonstrators, from anti-capitalists to pro-Palestinian advocates, gathered in San Francisco on Sunday on the eve of an APEC summit to protest against the world bloc.

The protestors marched through the US city demanding participants in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum put people and planet above business.

“APEC is a form of neoliberal colonial government,” Nik Evasco said.

“We’re here to make sure they put people and planet front and centre of the issues they are negotiating.”

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