China's economy grew 9.1 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, the slowest pace since early 2009, on monetary tightening and weaker export demand. 

The data, released by the National Bureau of Statistics, drops from a 9.5 percent gain in the previous three months.

However, core domestic drivers of growth remained robust, suggesting little chance that monetary policy can be relaxed near term.

Spokesman for the statistics agency, Sheng Laiyun, has dismissed the risk of a sharp deterioration in the Chinese economy.

"The complexity of the international economic environment and the difficulties facing economic recovery are increasing. Unstable and uncertain factors in the development of the domestic economy are also increasing. But looking at the momentum of economic growth, in the next phase, China's economy is very much likely to maintain stable and relatively fast growth."

Reacting to the slowing economy, Chinese stocks fell today with the benchmark Shanghai composite index plunging 2. 3 percent.

 

 

Captured Israeli soldier Shalit returns home

Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier who has been held by the Hamas movement since 2006, has arrived back in Israel under a prisoner swap deal.

Shalit was first turned over to officials in Egypt, which helped broker the deal that will see Israel release 1,027 Palestinian and Arab inmates in exchange for Shalit.

The first batch of 477 people began leaving Israeli prisons early Tuesday.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called the point that the prisoners left their jails "a historic moment".

"The start of moving of the buses carrying free Palestinians from Israeli prisons and heading to the Gaza Strip confirms that the deal is being implemented in a good manner. We consider these as historical unique moments".

The second phase of the swap is expected to take place in about two months, with a further 550 Palestinian prisoners to be freed.

 

 

CPC Central Committee plenum ends with cultural development guideline

The 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has concluded its sixth plenary session in Beijing.

The meeting, which opened on Saturday, has adopted a guideline to improve the nation's cultural soft power.

 

 

WTO head says China has delivered an A+ performance since entering WTO

The head of the World Trade Organization has given an "A+ performance" to China since the country joined the WTO 10 years ago.

Pascal Lamy told an audience at Sichuan University in southwest China that China has applied the rules, although not 100 percent.

He called China's entry into the WTO a win-win result for the country and the world.

 

 

Six detained over colliery gas blast that kills 9 in SW China

Six people have been detained in the wake of a coal mine gas blast that left nine people dead and four others missing in southwest China.

The accident took place at the Fufa Coal Mine in Chongqing yesterday afternoon.

Six people responsible for the mine operation, including the mine owner, are now in police custody.

The death toll has climbed to nine as one more body was found earlier today.

 

 

Abducted Colombian mayor's daughter released

A 10-year-old Colombian girl whose kidnapping last month shocked the nation has been released. 

Nohora Valentina Munoz is the daughter of the mayor of Fortul. She was kidnapped as she walked to school on September 29.

President Juan Manuel Santos says the girl was freed after mediation by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

It is not yet clear who kidnapped her, and details of the negotiation on her release have not yet been made public.

 

 

Bad weather threatens salvage of cargo ship grounded off New Zealand

Rough weather has halted the pumping of oil from a cargo ship grounded on a reef off the east of New Zealand.

The Liberian-flagged Rena has been grounded since October 5, setting off what officials say the country's worst maritime environmental disaster. 

An estimated 350 tons of fuel have spilled into the sea near beaches on New Zealand's North Island, killing more than a thousand sea birds.

Some 90 tonnes of the vessel's estimated 1,700 tonnes of oil have been transferred to a waiting bunker barge.

 

 

Malaria deaths fall nearly 40% worldwide in last decade

The World Health Organization says there has been a fall of nearly 40% in the number of deaths from malaria worldwide in the past decade.

A new report says one-third of the 108 countries where malaria is endemic are on course to eradicate the disease within 10 years.

Malaria has been eradicated from three more countries since 2007.

The mosquito-borne disease is most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, where 85% of deaths occur. In 2009, 781,000 people died from malaria.