North America

WASHINGTON (AP) — China’s growing military muscle and its drive to end America predominance in the Asia-Pacific is rattling the U.S. defense establishment. American officials see trouble quickly accumulating on multiple fronts — Beijing’s expanding nuclear arsenal, its advances in space, cyber and missile technologies, and threats to Taiwan.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin raced to fire up their party’s base voters in opposite ends of Virginia on Sunday as they worked to drive up turnout in a deadlocked and bitter contest for governor that will be scrutinized as a bellwether ahead of next year’s midterms elections.

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday she has contracted COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms.

Psaki, 42, said she was last in contact with President Joe Biden on Tuesday, when she met him in the White House, where they were more than 6 feet apart and wearing masks. Biden, who is tested frequently, last tested negative on Saturday, according to the White House.

Psaki did not accompany Biden on his trip abroad to Rome this weekend for the Group of 20 summit and Glasgow, Scotland, on Monday for a U.N. climate summit.

WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The United States is delivering an additional 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan, a senior U.S. administration official told Reuters, increasing to 4 million the total number of shots donated by Washington to the self-ruled island, which is under increasing pressure from China.

The new delivery of Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) doses will depart from Louisville, Kentucky, on Sunday aboard a flight belonging to Taiwan's China Airlines, the official said.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, on Friday spoke to the press on the recent erroneous statements by the U.S. government in support of Taiwan's "meaningful participation" in the United Nations.

There is only one China in the world, said Zhang, adding that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is preparing to hear a gun rights case that could lead to more guns on the streets of New York and Los Angeles and threaten restrictions on guns in subways, airports, bars, churches, schools and other places where people gather.

31 Oct 2021; MEMO: The US is unlikely to pressure the Sudanese military regime to normalise ties with Israel, The Times of Israel reported a senior US official statement on Friday.

General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan was part of the decision to normalise relations with Israel, the US official said, but the US did not see that the current situation was encouraging enough to move ahead.

30 Oct 2021; MEMO: The United States has implemented a series of sanctions which seem to directly target Iran's unmanned combat drone program, citing concerns that it uses the technology to cause havoc in the region and in East Africa.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic leaders were hoping for House votes as soon as Tuesday on the two pillars of President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda, two Democrats said Saturday, as the party mounted its latest push to maneuver the long-delayed legislation through Congress.

It remained unclear, though, whether the ambitious timetable could be met.

Top Democrats would like a final House-Senate compromise on Biden’s now $1.75 trillion, 10-year social and environment plan to be written by Sunday, the Democrats said.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — For four years, nothing rallied Democrats like the push to get Donald Trump out of office. Now, they’re not sure what to do without him.