Part 6 of 6 in our Inside the Hermit Kingdom series on the people and culture of North Korea. Worldfocus multimedia producer Ben Piven writes about the stark contrast between the stagnant North Korean economy and the booming economies of China and South Korea to the north and south.

Top stories from around the world brought to you by the Worldfocus newsroom. Today: President Obama leaves China with few concessions; Germany will extend its mission in Afghanistan for another year; and an epidemic of childhood obesity threatens to lower life expectancy in Mexico.

In talks between President Obama and the Chinese president, climate change was high on the agenda. A recent report found that China is the world's leading renewable energy producer. Is the United States lagging too far behind other countries in developing renewable energy sources and businesses?

Worldfocus contributing blogger Hsin-Yin Lee writes from Taiwan about how the Chinese state-controlled news media limited information about President Obama's visit to China. She argues it exemplifies the problem for Chinese news consumers - even when information gets reported, it lacks much-needed context.

Worldfocus contributing blogger Nina Hachigian writes about the nomenclature of the Obama administration's emerging relationship with China. She argues that using the term "strategic partnership" signals skillful diplomacy for the U.S. as China seeks to renegotiate its role as a major power.