APEC meeting concludes with commitment of open trade
APEC leaders have concluded their summit on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.
Among other things, the delegates to this year's meeting have agreed to enhance coordination and create a better multilateral trading system within the region.
APEC leaders are also promising to push forward global trade talks through the World Trade Organization.
Chinese President Xi Jingping also delivered a keynote speech to the closing ceremony, calling for the creation of a better framework of connectivity across the Asia Pacific region.
Xi Jinping says estalishing a better regional connectivity network will help boost cooepration in various fields.
Xi Jinping has also revealed China will host the next APEC economic leaders' meeting in Beijing next fall.
Li Keqiang to attend ASEAN meeting in Brunei
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is set to kick off a series of diplomatic stops in Southeast Asia starting today.
The Premier is set to begin his trip today, which will take him to Brunei, Thailand and Vietnam.
Ahead of the trip, Li Keqiang has taken part in joint interview with a number of media outlets in southeast Asia, saying China is exploring new strategic breakthroughs in its relationship between China and ASEAN countries.
Li Keqiang says China wants good-neighborly ties with ASEAN countries, calling for stronger cooperation in the areas of security and finance.
He has also suggested an updated version of the current Free Trade Area with ASEAN.
S. Korea: DPRK restarts Yongbyon reactor
A new report in South Korea says the country's intelligence agency has confirmed North Korea restarted its mothballed Yongbyon nuclear reactor around two months ago.
The Yonhap news agency is reporting the reactor, which is located 90-kilometers north of Pyongyang, has been in operation since August.
This would confirm a previous report by US intelligence which suggested the Yongbyon reactor has been running for weeks.
The reactor has been used to produce both plutonium and highly-enriched uranium for North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
The Yongbyon plant had been shut down since 2007 in an agreement reached during the now-stalled 6-party talks.
North Korea has yet to confirm whether it's restarted its Yongbyon reactor.
Obama urges Democrats, Republicans to work on budget differences
U.S. President Barack Obama has issued a new call for Democrats and Republicans to work on their budget differences to end the current fiscal logjam.
At the same time, Obama says he will be willing to talk with Republicans after the threats of the government shutdown and debt-ceiling are removed.
The U.S. federal government has been in a partial shutdown since October 1st.
At the same time, the US government is headed toward default in just over a week if lawmakers don't raise the country's debt ceiling.
Clashes as teachers continue their protest against new education bill
Clashes have broken out in the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo following marches in support of striking teachers.
In Rio the 20-thousand strong march began peacefully, but riots broke out once the protesters reached city hall.
Police responded with tear gas to disperse the crowds.
A similar march took place in Sao Paulo ending in violence after hooder protesters began ransacking banks.
Azerbaijan braces for presidential election
Presidental elections are set to be held later on this Wednesday in Azerbaijan.
10 candidates are running for the former Soviet Republic's top political position.
However, most observers say the only credible challenger to incumbent Ilham Aliyev is opposition coalition leader Camil Hasanli.
Most political watchers expect Aliyev will be easily re-elected.
He had Azerbaijan's constitution ammended in 2009 to allow him to run for a 3rd term.
Around a thousand international observers are expected to oversee the voting.
Nigerian gov't in talks with key members of Boko Haram sect
Members of the Nigerian government have entered into talks with key members of the Boko Haram militant group in an attempt to try to end the religious-based violence in the country.
Members of a presidential committee put together by President Goodluck Johnathan are leading the talks.
The committee is putting together a report on the situation, which should be finished by the end of the week.
Islamic group Boko Haram has declared war against Western education and is demanding Islamic sharia law be enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
The group took up arms in 2009 to back its demands.
The subsequent sectarian violence, which has mostly targeted Christians in Nigeria's north, has left hundreds dead.
Nigeria is divided between a predominantly Christian south and Muslim north.
IMF Cuts World Growth Forecast, Warns China to Grow More Slowly over Medium Term
The International Monetary Fund has lowered its world growth forecast to 2.9 percent year-over-year this year.
This is down from the 3.2-percent projected in July.
The IMF's forecast for China this year is 7.6%.
The IMF says there are two particular risks to global economic growth.
One is China's slowing growth and the other is the US Federal Reserve's plan to exit its bond buyback program.
The IMF is also warning any failure by the US government to pay its bills will also badly damage the global economy.
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