Chinese Premier Li Keqiang says the slowing growth in this country poses a major challenge to job creation.

He also says the country will need to achieve a "golden" balance between structural adjustments and growth.

Li Keqiang's comments have come while meeting experts and entrepreneurs at a work conference.

China's GDP has come in at 7.7-percent through the first nine months.

This is higher than the government's full-year target of 7.5 percent. 

The comments from the Premier come ahead of the party's Plenary session this coming weekend.

It is expected the authorities are going to unveil a wide-range of reform policies at the forthcoming session.

 

China service PMI expands at fastest pace in over a year

New data shows activity in the service sector here in China has expanded at its fastest pace in 13 months through October.

The National Bureau of Statistics is reporting the official non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 56.3 in October from 55.4 in September.

Any reading above 50 indicates expansion.

Sunday's release of the service sector figures follows the release of the manufacturing PMI on Friday, which shows factory activity has expanded at its fastest rate in 18 months in October.

 

Mohammed Morsi to go on trial

Ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is due to go on trial later on this Monday on charges of inciting murder.

Mohammed Morsi is on trial along with 14 other Brotherhood members on charges of inciting the killing of protesters who massed outside his presidential palace in December.

The protesters had been demanding Morsi call off a referendum on the constitution drafted by his Islamist allies.

Morsi's trial follows a wide-scale crackdown on the Brotherhood and its Islamist allies.

Thousands have been arrested in the crackdown.

Dozens have been killed in the unrest following Morsi's ouster earlier this year. 

Morsi is expected to represent himself at the trial.

 

U.S. to continue back Egypt's interim gov't: Kerry

US Secretary of State John Kerry has made his first stop in Egypt since the ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi.

As part of his time in Egypt, Kerry says the US will continue to support the interim Egyptian government.

The pronouncement comes following a decision this past month by the Obama administration to suspend its 1.3-billion US dollars worth of annual military assistance to Egypt.

Egypt's foreign minister says the decision to cut aide has caused "unrest" in US-Egyptian ties.

John Kerry's time in Egypt is part of a 9-day trip to the Middle East and Europe.

 

Tour boat sinks off eastern Thailand, killing 6

One person from Hong Kong is among 6 people who have died following the capsizing of a boat in Thailand.

Two other Chinese nationals have been injured in the accident.

A ferry was on its way to the Thai beach resort of Pattaya from the island of Koh Lan when it started taking on water.

When passangers noticed the water rushing into the boat, they scurried to the upper decks of the boat.

This upset the balast, causing the ship to capsize.

One Chinese national, two Russians and three Thai citizens are among the dead.

Survivors say the passanger ferry didn't have enough life vests.

 

Masked extremists storm Kosovo polling station

A group of men have attempted to disrupt local elections in Kosovo.

Serbian state TV is reporting a group of more than 10 masked men stormed a polling station at an elementary school and harrassed election staff.

The group was eventually dispursed by authorities with tear gas.

No injuries have been reported.

Serbian authorities say the attackers are members of an extreme-right Serbian group which opposes any Serbian involvement in the local elections in Kosovo.

The Serbian government has asked its ethnic population living in Kosovo to take part in the local elections, even though the Serbian government does not recognize Kosovar independence.

 

Thousands evacuated in western Germany city for WWII bomb defusing

More than 20-thousand people had to be moved out of their homes as authorities in the German city of Dortmund defused a World War Two-era bomb.

The nearly 2-ton bomb was successfully defused.

The unexploded bomb was dropped by Allied aircraft during a bombing campaign in the western German region toward the end of the war.

Thousands of unexploded bombs from World War II are still believed to be buried in Germany.

 

Nazi looted artworks found in Munich

Reports are emerging that a collection of 1,500 artworks confiscated by the Nazis during the 1930s and 40s have been recovered in Munich. 

Works by Picasso, Matisse and Chagall are said to be amongst the finds, which is estimated to be worth a total of over $1.3 billion US dollars. 

The Nazis deemed almost all of modern art degenerate and un-German, siezing, destroying or forcing owners to sell them during their control of Germany. 

The artworks were found when tax authorirties investigated Cornelius Gurlitt, the son of a Munich based art dealer. 

Upon a search of his home, they found the collection of the artworks, many of which had been listed as having vanished during the Nazi era. 

There are international warrants out for at least 200 of the paintings.