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MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The United States and the Philippines have signed a nuclear cooperation pact under which U.S. investment and technologies are to help the Southeast Asian nation transition to cleaner energy and bolster its power supply. He said the pact, known as a Section 123 agreement, would support the development of reliable, affordable and sustainable power in the Philippines. It will also open doors for U.S. companies to invest and participate in nuclear power projects, he said. With its peak energy demand expected to quadruple by 2040, nuclear energy will help it meet its needs in a sustainable way, he said. The United States has 23 Section 123 agreements in force that govern peaceful nuclear cooperation with 47 countries, the International Atomic Energy Agency and Taiwan.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Antony Blinken, ” Marcos, Blinken, ”, “, ___ Ng Organizations: Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, U.S . Atomic Energy, Bataan Nuclear, United, International Atomic Energy Agency Locations: MANILA, Philippines, United States, Philippine, San Francisco, U.S, Taiwan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

☆ US, Philippines sign landmark nuclear deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Carlos Barria Acquire Licensing RightsMANILA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The United States and the Philippines on Friday signed a landmark deal that would allow Washington to export nuclear technology and material to Manila, which is exploring the use of nuclear power to decarbonise and boost energy independence. "Nuclear energy is one area where we can show the Philippines-U.S. alliance and partnership truly works." U.S. Congress approval is needed for the deal, which will allow a peaceful transfer of nuclear material, equipment and information in adherence with non-proliferation requirements. The Philippines wants to tap nuclear power as a viable alternative baseload power source as it seeks to retire coal plants to help meet climate goals and boost energy security. Completed in 1984, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was mothballed two years later following the ouster of the older Marcos, the deadly Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and corruption allegations.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Carlos Barria, Antony Blinken, Marcos, Neil Jerome Morales, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, APEC, International Atomic Energy Agency, Bataan Nuclear, Thomson Locations: Philippines, Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Rights MANILA, United States, Washington, Manila, San Francisco, Taiwan

☆ Philippines bans American traveler for life, accusing him of writing profanities on immigration form
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Philippines has banned for life an American traveler whom it accused of writing “profane words” on a digital immigration form and being rude to immigration officers. Anthony Laurence, 34, was refused entry and put on a blacklist permanently following his allegedly “disrespectful” behavior, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said in a statement last week. Laurence, who told CNN he is a property investor who lives in the country intermittently, disputes the immigration authority’s account. He did not respond to CNN’s questions about what he wrote on the form and whether it included any profanities. But he said, “I immediately apologized and the immigration officer wasn’t interested.”“I even hand-wrote an apology to the immigration officer which he wasn’t interested in as well,” Laurence added.

Persons: Anthony Laurence, Norman Tansingco, Laurence, ”, Tansingco, “, wasn’t, ” “, ” Laurence Organizations: CNN, Philippine Bureau of Immigration, Ninoy Aquino, Airport, Air, Cebu – Locations: Philippines, Manila, Bangkok, Thailand, Air Asia, Philippine, Cebu

☆ US, Philippines Sign Landmark Nuclear Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

MANILA (Reuters) - The United States and the Philippines on Friday signed a landmark deal that would allow Washington to export nuclear technology and material to Manila, which is exploring the use of nuclear power to decarbonise and boost energy independence. "Nuclear energy is one area where we can show the Philippines-U.S. alliance and partnership truly works." U.S. Congress approval is needed for the deal, which will allow a peaceful transfer of nuclear material, equipment and information in adherence with non-proliferation requirements. Previous attempts to pursue nuclear energy in the Philippines were halted over safety concerns, but Marcos has discussed the possibility of reviving a mothballed nuclear power plant, built in response to an energy crisis during the rule of the late Philippines strongman and his namesake father. Completed in 1984, the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was mothballed two years later following the ouster of the older Marcos, the deadly Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and corruption allegations.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Neil Jerome Morales, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: APEC, International Atomic Energy Agency, Bataan Nuclear Locations: MANILA, United States, Philippines, Washington, Manila, San Francisco, U.S, Taiwan

☆ Philippines rejects China's call for prior notice on resupply missions
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We are being asked to give prior notification each time we conduct a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal. China claims sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, pointing to a line on its maps that cuts into the EEZs of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 said the line on China's maps had no legal basis, which Beijing rejects. "The Philippines has not entered into any agreement abandoning its sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its EEZ and continental shelf, including in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal," Daza said. The Second Thomas Shoal lies 190 km (118 miles) off the Philippine island of Palawan, or well within the Manila's EEZ.

Persons: Thomas, Teresita Daza, Lloyd Austin, harassments, Daza, Thomas Shoal, Mikhail Flores, Neil Jerome Morales, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Rights, of Foreign Affairs, US, Manila, Thomson Locations: BRP Sierra, South China, Rights MANILA, Philippines, China, Manila, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Taiwan, Beijing, Jakarta, Sierra, Ayungin, Philippine, Palawan

☆ This report on teens having to view horrific material to train AI is a really sad read
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

AdvertisementHe earned $1 to $2 an hour on a site that uses crowdsourcing to train algorithms, Wired reports. (Wired gave an example of one teenager who it said he used his grandmother's face to pass an age-verification test.) Workers in Kenya who helped train ChatGPT said that they were exposed to horrific material, including text centering on sexual violence. Content moderation for social media has long been outsourced to India and the Philippines and elsewhere — potentially exposing workers to horrific images and traumatic material. But Wired's report that some of this work is apparently being done by young teenagers is particularly alarming.

Persons: ChatGPT Organizations: Wired, Workers Locations: Pakistan, East Africa, Venezuela, Philippines, Kenya, India

Chhetri is one of Israel’s approximately 110,000 registered migrant workers; tens of thousands of other foreign workers lack a permit, often having entered as tourists or overstayed their visas, according to workers’ rights organization Kav LaOved. Pranita Chhetri, who moved from India seven months ago and is a caretaker in northern Israel, considers Israel a safe country for foreign workers despite the Israel-Hamas war. (Michele Chabin)When Hamas terrorists massacred 1,200 people and took more than 200 others hostage last month, they didn’t spare migrant workers. With so many Israeli farmers killed or kidnapped, the workers didn’t know where to turn for help, she says. While it may sound counterintuitive right now, Chhetri insists that Israel “is a safe country for foreign workers.

Persons: JERUSALEM, Pranita Chhetri, Chhetri, ”, Esther, Yad Sarah, Kav, Michele Chabin, Shira Abbo, Eldose, Yahel Kurlander, ” Kurlander, “, Abbo, Assia Ladizhinskaya, Kav LaOved, “ Israel, ” Abbo, ” Umkudiyil, “ don’t, Israel “ Organizations: Hamas, Hotline, Refugees and Migrants, Hai, ” Locations: Gaza, Israel, India, Kiryat Shmona, Lebanon, Jerusalem, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Tel Aviv, Thailand, Nepal, China, Moldova, Tel, Bangkok, Ashkelon

Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty ImagesBEIJING — U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to resume high-level military communication, according to both countries. China's Defense Ministry declined a call with its U.S. counterpart in early February after the discovery of an alleged Chinese spy balloon over U.S. airspace. The balloon incident delayed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's highly anticipated trip to China by more than four months. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will meet with his Chinese counterpart when the Chinese defense chief is selected, a senior Biden administration official told reporters after the Biden-Xi summit. A readout published by Chinese state media added the resumption of such military talks was "on the basis of equality and respect," according to a CNBC translation.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Brendan Smialowski, Biden, Antony Blinken's, Blinken, Li Shangfu, Defense Lloyd Austin, presser, China's, I'm, that's, Xi Organizations: Economic Cooperation, Afp, Getty, American, China's Defense, U.S, Defense, Biden, CNBC, Trade Locations: San Francisco, Asia, BEIJING, U.S, China, Taiwan, South, Philippines, Singapore, Pacific, Hawaii, Indonesia, Beijing

Nearly a third of that renewable energy should come from wind and solar power, said the report by researchers of Berlin-based Agora Energiewende. In 2021, they had installed a total of just 11.9 gigawatts of solar energy and 1.5 gigawatts of wind energy. As of the end of 2022, the U.S. had installed capacity of more than 144 GW of wind power and 110 GW of solar photovoltaic power. The report calls for a “paradigm shift” to speed up the transition to wind and solar power. At the same time, power grids need to be upgraded to allow for the variability and unpredictability of wind and solar power, it said.

Persons: —, Mathis Rogner, Antonio Guterres, Kanika Chawla, Chawla Organizations: United Nations, Agora, Agora Energiewende, U.S ., Sustainable Energy, U.K, AP Locations: HANOI, Vietnam, Berlin, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, China, India, Southeast Asia, Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Taiwan, U.S, Korea, . South Korea

☆ Biden, Xi meet as US-China military, economic tensions grind on
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Biden and Xi arrived in San Francisco on Tuesday, where they were set to hold their meeting on the sidelines the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Xi and Biden are expected to meet far from the conference location at a vast estate miles outside of San Francisco carefully chosen for its security, serenity and remoteness. [1/2]U.S. President Joe Biden disembarks from Air Force One at San Francisco International Airport, as he arrives to attend the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 14, 2023. Xi, a decade Biden's junior, has tightened control over policy, state leaders, the media and military and changing the constitution. Biden is expected to tell Xi that U.S. commitments in the Indo-Pacific are unchanged.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi, Biden, China's, Mao, San Francisco, John Kirby, Joe Biden disembarks, Brittany Hosea, Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland, Michael Martina, Jeff Mason, Heather Timmons, Stephen Coates Organizations: FRANCISCO, Biden, Economic Cooperation, Communist Party, Air Force, San Francisco International Airport, APEC, REUTERS, Rights, Washington, Thomson Locations: Taiwan, South China, Israel, Ukraine, North Korea, San Francisco, Asia, United States, Northern California, San, San Francisco , California, U.S, Rights IRAN, Iran, Washington, China . U.S, China, Europe, Russia, Beijing, Taiwan Strait, East China, Philippines

President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced his administration secured agreements with China to resume military communications and combat fentanyl after his first in-person meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a year. “Vital miscalculations on either side can cause real, real trouble with a country like China – or any other major country,” Biden said. During the press conference, Biden added that he believes the ultimate answer to the war in Gaza is a two-state solution. Biden mentioned he raised concerns about China’s human rights and tension between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea. Overall, though, Biden presented an optimistic view about future relations with China.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Biden, ”, “ I’m, ” Xi, “, ” Biden, “ It's, Xi's, that’s Organizations: Wednesday, Economic Cooperation, U.S, Western, State Department Locations: China, United States, Asia, San Francisco, U.S, Beijing, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Taiwan, Philippines, South China

☆ The last time there was a fight in the Senate, they changed the rules to ban calling each other corrupt
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A fistfight nearly broke out in the US Senate on Tuesday but was stopped by Sen. Bernie Sanders. The last time there was actually a fight in the Senate, two Democrats brawled, hitting bystanders. The last time there was an actual fight in the Senate was in 1902, and it was so bad they changed the Senate's rules to ban insulting people. Tillman wasted no time reacting; he swung around and clocked McLaurin in the jaw, according to the Senate website. Both South Carolina senators were censured and a new rule was added that bans senators from calling each other corrupt.

Persons: Sen, Bernie Sanders, brawled, —, John McLaurin, Ben Tillman, McLaurin, Tillman Organizations: Senate, Service, Republican, Teamsters, South, Democratic, Politico Locations: States, South Carolina, Philippines

☆ Vatican confirms ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pope Francis gestures as he leaves after the weekly general audience, in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli Acquire Licensing RightsVATICAN CITY, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The Vatican has confirmed a ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons, a centuries-old secretive society that the Catholic Church has long viewed with hostility and has an estimated global membership of up to six million. "Active membership in Freemasonry by a member of the faithful is prohibited, because of the irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry," the Vatican's doctrinal office said in a letter published by Vatican media on Wednesday. The letter on Freemasons cited a 1983 declaration, signed by the late Pope Benedict XVI, at the time the Vatican's doctrine chief, stating that Catholics "in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion". The group says it has 180,000 male members, with two parallel female lodges in England having another 5,000 members, and estimates global Freemasonry membership at around six million.

Persons: Pope Francis, Remo Casilli, Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Elizabeth's, Prince Philip, Winston Churchill, Peter Sellers, Alf Ramsey, Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle, Alvise Armellini, Nick Macfie Organizations: Vatican, REUTERS, CITY, Freemasons, Catholic Church, United, Lodge of, Thomson Locations: Saint Peter's, Philippines, Lodge of England, England

☆ Philippines Calls on China to Remove Illegal Structures, Cease Reclamations in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines' foreign ministry on Thursday called on China to remove illegal structures, cease reclamations and be accountable for environmental damage in the South China Sea. The Philippines was responding to a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson regarding the Philippines' recent resupply mission. "We are being asked to give prior notification each time we conduct a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal. The resupply missions are legitimate activities within our EEZ, in accordance with international law," said Philippine foreign ministry spokesperson Teresita Daza. The regular resupply missions support the Philippines' troops stationed in an intentionally grounded, dilapidated warship on Second Thomas Shoal, a hotly disputed atoll in the South China Sea that Manila calls Ayungin and is known as Renai Reef in China.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, Teresita Daza, Thomas, Mikhail Flores, Neil Jerome Morales Organizations: of Foreign Affairs, South China Locations: MANILA, Philippines, China, South China, Philippine, South, Manila, Ayungin, China's

For the seventh time, Taiwan will be represented by Morris Chang, the 92-year-old founder of the world-leading Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Chang is known as the godfather of the industry that has put Taiwan in the top ranks of high-tech manufacturing and personal electronic devices. Taiwan has participated in APEC since 1991 under the name Chinese Taipei. It began taking part just two years after the group's inception and the same year that China and the semi-autonomous Chinese city of Hong Kong joined. These acts of political intimidation have the potential to wear down the operational resiliency of the island's military equipment and personnel.

Persons: Morris Chang, Chang, —, Finance Chuang Tsui, yun, Janet Yellen, BIDEN, Xi Jinping, John Kirby, Joe Biden, Hong Kong, William Lai, Terry Gou Organizations: —, Economic Cooperation, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, APEC, Finance, U.S, Treasury, BE, Liberation Army, Democratic Progressive Party . U.S . National Security, Nationalist Party, Kuomintang, KMT Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, — Taiwan, Asia, San Francisco, China, Taipei, Hong Kong, Beijing, TAIWAN, U.S, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Pacific, Hong, British, Taiwanese

An investor looks at an electronic board showing stock information at a brokerage house in Shanghai, China July 6, 2018. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 16 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist. The economic calendar sees the release of Japanese trade data, machinery orders and the closely-watched 'tertiary activity index', as well as Australian unemployment and Chinese house prices. On the policy front, the Philippine central bank is expected to keep its key interest rate unchanged at 6.50% on Thursday, although there's an outside chance it might hike to 6.75%. Here are key developments that could provide more direction to markets on Thursday:- Japan trade (October)- China house prices (October)- Philippines interest rate decisionBy Jamie McGeever;Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Aly, Jamie McGeever, Goldman Sachs, China's Alibaba Organizations: REUTERS, Investors, Treasury, Nikkei, Barclays, Bank of Japan, Lenovo, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Shanghai, China, Asia, Japan, Philippine, Philippines

☆ Indonesia hosts regional defence chiefs amid multiple global crises
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Nov 15 (Reuters) - Defence ministers in ASEAN called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a durable solution to the crisis in Myanmar during the opening of a regional meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday. Defence ministers from the Asian bloc are attending the 2-day meeting alongside key players in the Indo-Pacific as major powers jostle for regional influence, and as conflicts deepen from Myanmar to the Middle East. All ASEAN defence ministers, with the exception of Myanmar's, attended Wednesday's forum, with U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to meet counterparts later in the day. The talks will expand on Thursday to include Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, India, New Zealand and Australia. The country removed its defence minister in October, raising questions about the stability of the leadership around President Xi Jinping.

Persons: Prabowo Subianto, Joko Widodo, Joe Biden, Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan, Prabowo, Myanmar's, Lloyd Austin, Jing Jianfeng, Xi Jinping, Austin, Aaron Connelly, Thomas Shoal, Connelly, Stanley Widianto, Ananda Teresia, Kanupriya Kapoor, Martin Petty, Kate Lamb, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defence, ASEAN, Wednesday, Indonesian Defence, Hamas, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japan, U.S . Defence, Air, Joint Staff Department, China's, Military Commission, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Myanmar, Jakarta, Washington, Malaysian, Malaysia, East, Ukraine, South China, China, Philippines, Russia, Japan, South Korea, India, New Zealand, Australia, Beijing, Indonesia, North Korea, Pyongyang, Singapore, U.S, Israel

☆ Vatican Confirms Ban on Catholics Becoming Freemasons
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican has confirmed a ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons, a centuries-old secretive society that the Catholic Church has long viewed with hostility and has an estimated global membership of up to six million. "Active membership in Freemasonry by a member of the faithful is prohibited, because of the irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry," the Vatican's doctrinal office said in a letter published by Vatican media on Wednesday. The same office said last week that transgender people can be baptized, serve as godparents and act as witnesses at Catholic weddings. The letter on Freemasons cited a 1983 declaration, signed by the late Pope Benedict XVI, at the time the Vatican's doctrine chief, stating that Catholics "in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion". The group says it has 180,000 male members, with two parallel female lodges in England having another 5,000 members, and estimates global Freemasonry membership at around six million.

Persons: Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Elizabeth's, Prince Philip, Winston Churchill, Peter Sellers, Alf Ramsey, Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle, Alvise Armellini, Nick Macfie Organizations: VATICAN CITY, Vatican, Freemasons, Catholic Church, United, Lodge of Locations: Philippines, Lodge of England, England

☆ Philippine central bank likely to hold rates at 6.5% on Thurs, may hike again in Dec: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Veronica Dudei Maia Khongwir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FILE PHOTO: A security guard stands beside a logo of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) posted at the main gate in Manila, Philippines April 28, 2016. “We do not rule out any possibility of further rate hikes unless there is consistent improvement in the successive months’ inflation prints. Median forecasts showed rates at 6.75% until mid-2024, with a first rate cut seen as coming in Q3 - later than predicted in a poll taken before the recent surprise hike. “To maintain the strength of the peso, the BSP needs to ensure a healthy interest rate differential with the U.S. Therefore, a pause by the U.S. Fed adds to a case that BSP will do likewise,” said Sarah Tan, economist at Moody’s.

Persons: Romeo Ranoco, Eli Remolona, ”, Debalika Sarkar, “, Sarah Tan Organizations: ng Pilipinas, Central Bank of, REUTERS, Reuters, ANZ, U.S Locations: BENGALURU, Philippine, Philippines, Manila

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in Bali, Indonesia, November 14, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque//File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSAN FRANCISCO, Nov 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet on Wednesday before a summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in San Francisco, seeking to reduce friction in what many see as the world's most dangerous rivalry. But they have met only once in person since then, and Xi, who arrived in San Francisco on Tuesday evening, had not visited the United States since 2017 when Donald Trump was president. The White House says the aim of the summit, to be held at an unannounced location in the San Francisco Bay Area, is to boost communication to prevent an intense rivalry from veering into conflict. In a separate dinner with business leaders, the Chinese president will be looking to boost flagging investment by U.S. firms in China.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Kevin Lamarque, Xi, Donald Trump, Biden, Richard Fontaine, There's, Trump, David Brunnstrom, Michael Martina, Don Durfee, Grant McCool, Leslie Adler Organizations: REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, East China Seas, U.S, Washington's Center, New, New American Security, APEC, Thomson Locations: Bali , Indonesia, San Francisco, United States, San Francisco Bay, Ukraine, North, Russia, Taiwan, U.S, China, South, East, Philippines, Washington, Iran, New American

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in Bali, Indonesia, November 14, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSAN FRANCISCO, Nov 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet on Wednesday before a summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in San Francisco, seeking to reduce friction in what many see as the world's most dangerous rivalry. But they have met only once in person since then and Xi has not visited the United States since 2017 when Donald Trump was president. In a separate dinner with business leaders, the Chinese president will also been looking to boost flagging investment by U.S. firms in China. Biden is also expected urge China to use its influence with Iran to not broaden the conflict in the Middle East.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Kevin Lamarque, Xi, Donald Trump, Biden, Richard Fontaine, There's, Trump, David Brunnstrom, Michael Martina, Don Durfee, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, FRANCISCO, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, East China Seas, U.S, Washington's Center, New, New American Security, APEC, Thomson Locations: Bali , Indonesia, San Francisco, United States, San Francisco Bay, Ukraine, North, Russia, Taiwan, U.S, China, South, East, Philippines, Washington, Iran, New American

“President Biden this coming week will be doing a lot more than just meeting with President Xi,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters in Washington on Monday. White House officials say they are cognizant that fellow APEC nations want to see better dialogue between the U.S. and China because it reduces the risk of regional conflict. Biden on Monday welcomed Indonesian President Joko Widodo, a fellow APEC leader, to the White House for talks before both travel to San Francisco. Israel's retaliatory operations in Gaza have killed more than 11,000, sparking outrage from a slew of world leaders. The stopgap measure excludes the roughly $106 billion funding requested by Biden for Israel, Ukraine and the U.S. border with Mexico.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi, what's, Biden, Russia's, “, Jake Sullivan, Donald Trump, Obama, ”, Neils Graham, Joshua Kurlantzick, TPP, Trump, Joko Widodo, “ We’re, Matt Murray, Fumio Kishida, Yoon Suk Yeol, Ferdinand Marcos, Jr, Mike Johnson, Sullivan, ” Sullivan, ___ Long, Josh Boak, Chris Megerian, Darlene Superville, Zeke Miller Organizations: FRANCISCO, Economic Cooperation, U.S, Republican, House, White, APEC, Economic Forum, Pacific Partnership, Atlantic Council GeoEconomics, Southeast, Council, Foreign Relations, Biden, Administration, Indonesian, The, Office, Georgetown University, Hamas, Associated Press Locations: Asia, Pacific, United States, San Francisco, China, Israel, Washington, Beijing, U.S, Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, Gaza, Indonesian, Ukraine, Japanese, South, Philippine, Philippines, South China, Mexico

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is hosting the annual APEC summit of world leaders this week for the first time since 2011. But the main summit event will actually be on the sidelines: A face-to-face meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The annual leaders' conference brings together heads of nations and other top economic and diplomatic leaders. That decision was regarded as a snub by some APEC leaders. Since then, the APEC leaders have posed together in batik shirts (Malaysia, 1998), Chinese jackets (Shanghai, 2001), flowing ponchos (Chile, 2004) and "ao dai” tunics (Vietnam, 2006.)

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Gina Raimondo, isn't, Biden, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, that's, Morris Chang, Paul Chan, John Lee, It's, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Obama Organizations: WASHINGTON, APEC, Economic Cooperation, Biden, Pacific, Thai, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, Financial, Moody’s Investors Service Locations: United States, Asia, San Francisco, China, U.S, Israel, Ukraine, Russia, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Pacific, Bangkok, Chile, Thailand, China . Hong Kong, Seattle, American, Malaysia, Shanghai, ponchos, Vietnam, Philippines, Hawaii

Protests are expected throughout this week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ conference, which could draw more than 20,000 attendees, including hundreds of international journalists. San Francisco has a long tradition of loud and vigorous protests, as do trade talks. In 1999, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Seattle during a World Trade Organization conference. San Francisco Police Department Chief Bill Scott said he expects several protests a day, although it's uncertain how many will materialize. “People are welcome to exercise their constitutional rights in San Francisco, but we will not tolerate people committing acts of violence, or property destruction or any other crime,” Scott said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Suzanne Ali, ”, Bill Scott, ” Scott, “, Biden, Xi Jinping, Rory McVeigh, Xi, Vo Van Thuong, Bongbong Marcos, Ferdinand Marcos, Nik Evasco, “ It's, Huizhong Wu Organizations: FRANCISCO, —, Sunday, Economic Cooperation, ’, APEC, Moscone Center, Palestinian Youth Movement, U.S, Hamas, Trade Organization, Protesters, Thai, San Francisco Police Department, Center, University of Notre Dame, United Vietnamese American Community of, International Coalition for Human Rights, Associated Press Locations: Israel, San Francisco, Asia, Francisco, Seattle, Chile, Thailand, Bangkok, China, U.S, Mexico, Brazil, Philippines, United Vietnamese American Community of Northern California, Vietnam

Trautman purchased a 53-foot sailboat called the SV Delos for $398,000 with a $81,000 down payment. WE SailSince he started traveling the world by boat, Trautman has visited over 45 countries and has racked up 70,000 ocean miles. When Sierra turned four months old, the now family of three returned to life on the sailboat. To stay connected with their family members on land, Trautman says they have their loved ones visit them when they are docked. The couple stays connected to their family online and by planning trips to places they're docked.

Persons: Brian Trautman, Trautman, maxed, Karin, Sierra Organizations: Microsoft, CNBC, SV Delos, YouTube, Sailing SV Delos, WE Locations: Redmond , Washington, Bellingham , Washington, New Zealand, Polynesia, Sweden, Caribbean, Philippines, they're

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