Intro

Leanna Byrne looks at signs that the United States may finally be nearing an end to its record-breaking forty-day government shutdown. The Senate has voted to advance a bill to pay federal workers and reopen parts of the government but it still needs approval from the House.

Also, two of Africa’s biggest diamond producers Botswana and Angola, are in talks to take control of De Beers, the world’s most famous diamond company.

And in Japan, a surge in bear attacks prompting the government to roll out emergency measures and forcing companies, farmers, and local authorities to spend millions on safety precautions.