BBC News with David Austin

President Obama and the man expected to be China's next leader, Xi Jinping, have had their first ever meeting, taking in (contentious) issues including trade and human rights. Mr. Xi admitted that there was room for improvement on human rights, but he said China had made tremendous achievements over the past 30 years. President Obama said that the United States saw China's (peaceful rise) as positive, but it should recognise that with increased power came increased responsibility. Adam Brooks reports from Washington.

Before the meeting, Mr. Obama referred tactfully to the intractable (differences) between them on trade and human rights.

"On critical issues like human rights, we will continue to emphasise what we believe is the importance of recognising the (aspirations) and rights of all people."

The bigger problem is we know next to nothing about any of Mr. Xi's opinions. Is he a bold (reformer) who'll take China's economy in new directions, or a cautious pragmatist who'll emphasise China's stability over everything else?

There's been a massive security operation in Bahrain to prevent mainly Shia protesters from marking the first anniversary of their (uprising) against the Sunni ruling family. The authorities have sealed off roads and deployed armored vehicles in Manama and in Shia villages outside the capital. Police have used rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades against protesters who've been hurling (petrol bombs).

Pakistan is extending the right to vote in general elections to (overseas) nationals. The decision was taken at a meeting of the election commission on Tuesday. Aleem Maqbool reports from Islamabad.

The move has been pushed through by Pakistan's electoral commission and will mean over (three million) overseas Pakistanis will now be allowed to vote from abroad, but there is a potential for many more to join them in the future. That's because the ruling not only allows Pakistani passport holders to vote, but also those who've got a Pakistani (identity card), something that's available to all of those of Pakistani origin. The commission says that even a quota of seats in parliament for overseas Pakistanis is under discussion.

United Nations aid agencies are warning of a (humanitarian) catastrophe in the Sahel region of Africa following poor harvests in several countries. Speaking in Geneva, aid officials said up to 23 million people were at risk of serious food shortages in Niger, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Senegal. Momodou Lamin Fye of the Red Cross warned that there could soon be a (major) crisis.

"Last week, I was in Mauritania, and I saw for myself how serious the situation is, with children particularly vulnerable. The situation unfolding in the Sahel could quickly develop into a humanitarian disaster if the world does not start paying attention to the plight of these people. The amount of funding so far pledged is way below what is needed to save millions of lives."

This is the World News from the BBC.