(By Lee Chi-dong
(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with Xi's schedule, expert's view, other details in last 5
paras)

December 18

1973 -- South Korea establishes diplomatic relations with Bangladesh.

Banda Aceh, Dec 17 (ANTARA) - Some 195 Myanmarese and Bangladeshi boat people who were stranded in Aceh early this year are to be moved to Medan, North Sumatra.

Luwuk, C Sulawesi, Dec 17 (ANTARA) - At least 4,000 hectares of rain-fed rice fields in Luwuk, Central Sulawesi, are running short of water, a local agricultural official said.

Palu, Dec 17 (ANTARA) - Eight Filipinos, stranded in Tolitoli waters in Central Sulawesi early November this year, will be handed over to the Philippine Consulate General in Manado, North Sulawesi

The fate of the climate change talks hung in a balance as
differences persisted between rich and developing nations over
taking legally binding carbon emission cuts.

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh will travel to Copenhagen Thursday for the climate talks

Hanoi (VNA) – General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nong Duc Manh
will pay an official visit to Cambodia from Dec. 17-19 as guest of King Norodom
Sihamoni.

Brussels (VNA) – Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg Nguyen Manh
Dung hosted a lunch talk on Asia-Europe relations in Brussels on Dec. 15, with

SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Yonhap) -- The following are the top headlines in major South
Korean newspapers on Dec. 17.