The Wall Street Journal Reports: "Asia-Pacific leaders touted trade as the answer to flagging economic growth and shaky global security Thursday as the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation talks concluded in the Philippine capital...The gathered leaders, who included U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping, collectively endorsed 'economic growth, prosperity and opportunity' as the surest ways to defeat the threat of Islamic State and other terrorist groups...A draft joint communiqué seen by The Wall Street Journal avoided mention of the South China Sea disputes—which pit China against Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam—and pushed for greater regional integration to tackle economic and security threats."

The New York Times reports: "Senior Chinese officials dismissed allegations of the widespread use of torture, responding Wednesday to questions from a United Nations panel by affirming their commitment to eliminating the practice — though with a dearth of details. In opening remarks before a hearing of the panel, the United Nations Committee Against Torture, China's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said the "copious data" that the Chinese delegation had provided showed 'truly tangible, physical and sustained' achievements in combating torture. The ambassador, Wu Hailong, led a 39-member delegation to the two-day hearing. Human rights advocates countered that the officials' evasion of many questions posed in the hearing exhibited a disregard for international norms bordering on contempt. As the hearing progressed, they listened with what they described as a mix of incredulity and derision to the delegation's responses on interrogation."