Chile cancels APEC trade summit, climate gathering as Santiago burns

Chile withdrew on Wednesday as the host of an APEC summit next month at which the United States and China had been expected to sign a deal to ease trade tensions hurting the global economy, as raging street protests gripped the South American country.

The abrupt move - which came after weeks of riots over inequality in Chile that have left at least 18 people dead - left the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in disarray, with participating countries caught off-guard and no alternative venue lined up.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, fighting for his political survival, said he had taken the "painful" decision