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San Francisco (AFP) – A day after meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in a bid to reduce tensions between the superpowers, President Joe Biden says the US is “derisking, not decoupling” its relations with China. Speaking at an APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit in San Francisco, Biden says there would be regional and global benefits from his talks with Xi where they agreed to restore military-to-military links and Xi promised to curb production of the ingredients in China for the drug fentanyl, although disagreements over Taiwan remain.

Madrid (AFP) – Clashes between police and anti-Catalan amnesty protesters break out in Madrid as Pedro Sanchez wins the backing of Spain’s parliament on Thursday for another term as prime minister, with the country divided over his amnesty for Catalan separatists in exchange for their crucial support in a confidence vote.

Manaus (Brazil) (AFP) – Manaus, the largest city in Brazil’s Amazonas state, has for days been engulfed by a toxic cloud of smoke from forest fires lit by what the government labeled “criminals”.

Saint Petersburg (AFP) – A Russian court sentenced artist Alexandra Skochilenko to seven years in prison for spreading “false information” about the army after she swapped supermarket price tags with slogans criticising Russia’s offensive in Ukraine.

San Francisco (AFP) – Demonstrators gather in San Francisco, California, to protest the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ week. “Today’s protest is really an act of cross movement solidarity. It’s joined by Hong Kongers, Tibetans, Uyghurs, Chinese dissidents, because over the years we have learned we have one common goal we’re fighting for, which is democracy and freedom,” says protester Anna Kwok.

Uttarkashi (India) (AFP) – Rescuers in northern India struggle for a third day to save workers trapped underground after the road tunnel they were building collapsed, with the air force flying in a giant drill to help the operation. Excavators have been removing debris since November 12 from the site in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand to create an escape tunnel for the 40 workers, who are all alive.

Chernigiv Oblast (Ukraine) (AFP) – In the northern Chernigiv region bordering Russia, a brigade of Ukrainian soldiers conduct drills aimed at preparing them for further air strikes. But with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky warning that Russia is likely to increase attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure ahead of the winter, one general worries that Kyiv needs more advanced anti-missile systems to prevent civilian suffering.

Beaujeu (France) (AFP) – Several thousand wine lovers party into the night as France celebrates the arrival of this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau with a festival in Beaujeu, the wine-making region’s ancient capital. Once derided as unfashionable, Beaujolais’s wines are becoming increasingly hip again for their unpretentious side and easy drinking qualities. “Beaujolais isn’t an old person’s wine… I think it’s a wine for celebrating and having a good time together,” one festival-goer tells AFP.

Hue (Vietnam) (AFP) – The ancient Vietnamese city of Hue, a world heritage site popular with tourists, lies submerged after heavy rain flooded thousands of homes and blocked highways, forcing residents to navigated its streets in boats. Scientists have warned that extreme weather events globally are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change.

Mumbai (AFP) – David Beckham says that he believes England have a “real opportunity” to win the Euro 2024 football championship thanks to their young talent and “inspiring” captain Harry Kane. “I don’t want to speak too soon, but 2024 Euros, I think that we have a real opportunity with young players like Cole Palmer, like Jude Bellingham,” the former Manchester and Real Madrid midfielder tells AFP in an interview.