BEIJING (Reuters) - China is ready to work with the United States to advance military ties, a defense ministry spokesman said Thursday, following a U.S. trip by China's vice president that featured a visit with top Pentagon officials.

Taiwan's navy will arm its submarines with anti-ship missiles for the first time ever beginning next year, a report said Wednesday, as the island boosts its defence capabilities against rival China.

Two F-16 fighters were scrambled Thursday to intercept a light aircraft over Los Angeles, during a visit by President Barack Obama for a fundraising trip, officials said.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. F-16 fighters intercepted a small plane that strayed into restricted airspace around President Barack Obama's helicopter on Thursday in Los Angeles, and more than 20 pounds of marijuana was later found aboard the intruding aircraft, officials said.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two U.S. F-16 fighter jets intercepted a small plane that infringed on restricted airspace around President Barack Obama's helicopter on Thursday in the vicinity of Los Angeles International Airport, a military spokesman said.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. F-16 fighters intercepted a small plane that strayed into restricted airspace around President Barack Obama's helicopter on Thursday in Los Angeles, and more than 20 pounds of marijuana was later found aboard the intruding aircraft, officials said.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A small plane with more than 20 pounds of marijuana strayed into restricted airspace around President Barack Obama's helicopter on Thursday in Los Angeles, prompting U.S. F-16 fighters to rush to intercept it, officials said.

The United States will soon give a second Coast Guard cutter to the Philippines as part of efforts to boost the ally's military amid tensions at sea with China, officials said Tuesday.

The Philippines wants to acquire F-16 fighter jets from the United States as part of stepped up efforts to defend the archipelago, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said Wednesday.

The United States plans to sell Iraq 18 more F-16 fighter jets as Baghdad seeks to secure its airspace after the full withdrawal of US forces this month, a US official said Monday.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Nearly nine years after the United States threw out Saddam Hussein and dissolved his feared security machine, Iraq's rebuilt military is a long way from matching up with regional powers like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Israel.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Nearly nine years after the United States threw out Saddam Hussein and dissolved his feared security machine, Iraq's rebuilt military is a long way from matching up with regional powers like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Israel.

Moves by Washington to strengthen military ties in the Pacific are not aimed at containing China, a senior US defence official said Thursday, after holding talks with her Chinese counterpart.

Chinese and US defence officials opened military talks in Beijing on Wednesday after ties were strained by American arms sales to Taiwan and a planned US troop deployment in Australia.

ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday he had no evidence the attack on the British embassy in Tehran was orchestrated by Iranian authorities, but it was another example of why the country was a "pariah."

The United States is to spend more than $6 billion in Iraq in 2012 even though its forces are to withdraw from the country by the end of this year, US ambassador James Jeffrey said on Sunday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is giving, not selling, two dozen second-hand F-16 fighter planes to Indonesia to strengthen security ties with an "important U.S. partner," the Defense Department said on Monday,

(Reuters) - The United States plans to supply 24 refurbished F-16C/D fighter aircraft to Indonesia, the presidents of the two countries announced in Bali on Friday on the fringes of an Asia-Pacific summit.

(Reuters) - The United States plans to supply 24 refurbished F-16C/D fighter aircraft to Indonesia, the presidents of the two countries announced in Bali on Friday on the fringes of an Asia-Pacific summit.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. House committee on Thursday voted to require President Barack Obama to sell 66 new F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan in addition to a $5.3 billion upgrade of its existing fleet he approved in September.