Los Angeles - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Tuesday as wind-whipped wildfires roared close to Los Angeles killing two people, destroying dozens of structures and forcing thousands to flee.

The Senson and Marek fires burnt over 4,000 hectares in the mountains that ring the San Fernando Valley just north of Los Angeles, sending up huge plumes of thick grey smoke that were visible from the city.

A third fire burnt a further 800 hectares at Camp Pendleton, a massive Marine base near San Diego.

San Francisco  - Movie stars might be able to perform incredible car manoeuvres while talking on the phone and sending text messages. But in real life such actions will likely result in a nasty crash, and in California at least, a ticket and fine from the Highway Patrol.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a former action movie star, has signed a new law banning text messaging while driving - making it only the sixth state in the US to institute such a ban.

San Francisco  - After an 80-day battle with legislators, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday signed a 143- billion-dollar state budget that ended a spending impasse in the richest and most populous state in the US.

The budget makes up California's 15.2-billion-dollar deficit with a combination of cuts and increased revenues and includes special provisions for a rainy-day fund intended to smooth out fluctuations in state tax revenue.

San Francisco - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger promised to veto a long-delayed state budget proposal Tuesday, setting the stage for a major showdown with legislators who said they will override his veto.

Schwarzenegger told a news conference that he objected to the failure of the budget to include his demand for spending limits in times of surplus, so that the state could invest in a "rainy day fund."

San Francisco  - California lawmakers are set to approve a new budget for the largest state in the US Monday night, allowing Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to end the longest budget impasse in California history.

The 77-day impasse was prompted by a record 15 billion dollar shortfall in state finances. The Democratic majority in the legislature wanted to raise taxes and avoid drastic cuts but were stymied by the Republicans. The budget needs a two-thirds vote to pass.

San Francisco - California's powerful prison guards union has launched a recall campaign aiming to oust Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in a snap election.

The 30,000-member California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA) on Monday charged that the former action movie star's "catastrophic leadership failings" had left the largest US state "in far worse shape" than before he was elected after a similar recall effort booted out his predecessor Democrat Gray Davis in 2003.