In This Edition

 

NATO says its mission in Libya is coming to an end and promises to stay committed to achieving security in Afghanistan during a two day meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.

 

More than 100 thousand jobs were created in the United States in September which may temporarily calm fears of a new recession that have hung over Wall Street and the nation for weeks.

 

World scientists start working to breed drought resistant crops which they hope will combat East Africa's worst drought in 60 years.

 

Tourists traveling in China during the National Holiday period are estimated to exceed 300 million.

 

 

Hot Issue Reports

 

NATO Discuss Libya and Afghanistan Mission

NATO says its mission in Libya is coming to an end and promises to stay committed to achieving security in Afghanistan during a two day meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.

 

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the decision in Libya would be based on whether there is still a threat to civilians and the ability of the country's new rulers to provide security.

 

"It's clear that the end is in sight. Gaddafi forces are fighting for a lost cause. The threat to civilians is fading away. The recent positive developments in Libya are irreversible."

 

NATO ministers also have a consensus to stay committed to a long-term partnership with Afghanistan. Rasmussen reiterated the goals of the afghan transition.

 

"It's clearly our goal that the Afghan security forces should take responsibility for the security all over Afghanistan. But I think it's of utmost importance for the Afghan people as well as well for Afghan neighbors to know that we will stay committed and not leave behind a security vacuum."

 

The war in Afghanistan is approaching 10 years of fighting, and has already surpassed Vietnam as the longest war in US History.

 

NTC Front-line Leaders Discuss the Final Push to Take Sirte

 

Meanwhile, Libya's National Transitional Council commanders from both main front lines in the battle for Sirte have met to discuss the final push to take control of the city.

 

Sirte, which lies 250 miles southeast of Tripoli, is the hometown of ousted former leader Moammar Gadhafi and one of the last pockets of resistance to the forces that drove him from power.

 

Colonel Abdel Salam Gadallah is the commander of NTC forces' eastern front.

 

"We have three quarters of Sirte in our hands from both eastern and western front lines, and since one week ago both front lines have been combined and now the enemy are under siege. God willing, in two days maximum, all of Sirte will be under control."

 

Hundreds of families have already fled the city to escape the violence, with thousands setting up camp outside the town. The mass exodus has raised concerns about a possible humanitarian crisis.

 

Gadhafi meanwhile is calling on all Libyan civilians to wage a "campaign of civil disobedience" against the country's new leaders.

 

Job Creation Temporarily Calms Fears of a New Recession in US

A report by the US Labour Department says more than 100 thousand jobs were created in September, more than first estimated in July and August.

 

The burst of hiring that followed a sluggish summer for the economy may temporarily calm fears of a new recession that have hung over Wall Street and the nation for weeks.

 

However, the unemployment rate stayed at 9.1 percent.

 

The news was encouraging for some economists.

 

But New York economist Robert Brusca believes the outlook remains grim.　

 

"At this point the recovery it's pretty bad. At this point in the recovery we should be knocking down more job growth, or we should have seen more job growth previously if we're going to have job growth that's weak. We really need to be seeing at least 125 to 150 thousand jobs a month to keep the unemployment rate steady."

 

Gene Sperling, from the White House Council of Economic Advisors, said the Obama administration is "not nearly satisfied" with the latest numbers.

 

"While we're comforted, slightly comforted, that it's better than projected, we're not nearly satisfied. And we think it would be reckless and irresponsible for anyone to decide that with 9.1 percent unemployment, and most forecasters projecting very weak growth next year, that the right solution is to sit on our hands and do nothing."

 

President Barack Obama has challenged Congress to get behind his 447 billion US dollar jobs bill or risk being run out of Washington.

 

In the first half of this year, the US economy grew at the slowest pace since the recession ended in June 2009.

 

Since then, Europe's debt crisis and stock market declines have heightened fears that the economy will struggle to grow enough to avoid a recession.

 

Conrad Murray Trial - Toxicologist Confirms Propofol in Singer's Body

A toxicologist who is testifying at the trial of Jackson's former doctor, Conrad Murray, has confirmed that the powerful anesthetic propofol was found in the blood, urine and liver of pop star Michael Jackson when he died.

 

The coroners chief toxicologist, Dan Anderson, says he personally conducted the test and results proved positive for the drug, but did not characterise the exact amount.

 

Anderson told the court that drugs detected in significant amounts were propofol, lidocaine and lorazepam, a sedative that his personal physician Murray said he gave to try to get Jackson to sleep before he administered propofol:

 

"In this particular case I performed the neutral analysis, and I detected propofol, and it was reported out as 'present' because I knew it was going to be quantitated, or given a number, assigned number, in a different analysis."

 

Anderson also said lorazepam was found at high therapeutic levels.

 

Authorities say Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication combined with other sedatives administered by Murray.

 

Defence attorneys however claim that Jackson self-administered a fatal dose of the drug once Murray left the singer's bedroom.

 

Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

 

Indonesia Arrests 14-year-old Australian Held on Drugs Charge

Australia is giving top priority to securing the return of a 14-year-old boy who has been arrested in Indonesia for alleged marijuana possession.

 

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard says the boy's incarceration requires Australia to handle the case carefully:

 

"He is there in Indonesia, he is subject to Indonesian law. That requires us to make sure we deal with this carefully and in a sensitive way. We will do that and we have got our best officials in Indonesia on the job."

 

The boy is reportedly being held at Denpasar police headquarters on the tourist island of

 

He was arrested on Tuesday after reportedly purchasing a small quantity of marijuana from a man on Kuta Beach.

 

The boys lawyer Muhammad Rifan, says the 14-year-old could face a maximum sentence of six years in an adult prison if convicted of possessing seven-grammes of the illegal drug:

 

"You understand, the jail in Indonesia is nightmare. Even for the adult is a nightmare, for the young boys it is very difficult, even to understand about the condition of jail in Indonesia."

 

The drug, under Indonesian law, is treated the same as heroin or cocaine.

 

A spokesman for the Indonesian Foreign Ministry has refused to comment on the details of the investigation, but has stated that anyone in possession of illegal drugs in Indonesia would face punishment:

 

The boy who was on holiday with his parents when he was arrested.

 

Indonesia has some of the world's strictest drug laws and people convicted of smuggling or possessing drugs are often executed by firing squad.

 

Drought Tolerant Seeds to Tackle African Food Crisis

Scientists are now working to breed drought resistant crops which they hope will combat East Africa's worst drought in 60 years.

 

More than 13 million people across Africa are facing severe food shortages. But as CRI's Su Yi reports, a new strain of maize is now providing much needed hope.

 

Maize is a staple crop in East Africa, but with a shallow root system, the plant is heavily dependent on moisture within the soil.

 

Farmer Philip Makau has a maize granary installed in his own living room.

 

The success of his crop is down to a drought tolerant seed called KDV 4.

 

"In that three-quarter acre plot, I was getting less than a bag (of maize). But now, after using the Dryland Seed Company seeds, there's been great change. I'm getting five bags (of maize) in that small area."

 

Dryland Seed Company sells three types of drought-tolerant maize seed.

 

Edna Ngila is the co-director of the company.

 

"They appreciate our seeds. Farmers are saying that they're not losing a season anymore. Before, they were losing a season. We only have two seasons in a year in which to grow food. So, if you missed last season for example, it means you won't have food until the next season – it will take them about eight or nine months to grow another kind of food."

 

Scientists have been working to create plant varieties that can better deal with unfavorable weather conditions.

 

KDV 4 is one of around 20 varieties in Kenya known as "drought-tolerant" maize.

 

Dr. James Gethi is the national coordinator of the maize program at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute.

 

"We start our process here, by planting all the different varieties of seeds- sometimes going up to hundreds - into a field like this. Then, after reaching a stage just before the seeds flower, you withdraw the water. Once you withdraw the water the plants grow, simulating an environment where the rain has stopped. Then at the end of the season, you check all the different varieties that you have, and check which ones have done the best."

 

A recent study predicts that drought-tolerant varieties of maize could boost harvests in 13 African countries by up to one third and generate up to 1.5 billion US dollars.

 

For CRI, I'm Su Yi.

 

Record High Travellers during National Day Holiday

Tourism agencies are estimating that the number of tourists traveling in China during the National Holiday period will exceed 300 million by the end of the week.

 

Popular tourist attractions across the nation have all seen visitor numbers soar. In east Nanjing, the number of tourists outstripped the capacity of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Mausoleum by ten times.

 

In Beijing, The Palace Museum has to abandon its original limit of 80,000 visitors a day to cater to tourist demand. It received more than 100,000 visitors for two consecutive days at the beginning of the week.

 

Tian'anmen Square meanwhile received 500,000 visitors for three consecutive days.

 

Despite the over-crowding, many are forced to take their trips during the "golden week" of National Day holiday because most people want to spend the Spring Festival holiday, the only other 'Golden Week', with their families at home.

 

"This is the only period we and our children all have some time, so we have no choice although we knew there are a lot of people."

 

Dai Bin, president of China Tourism Academy, says that the tourist market during the traditional holidays should be developed so there could be more choices for tourists to take trips in long and short holiday periods.

 

"Tourists should have more flexible travel plans. For example, we can travel to nearer places during weekend, and to places a little farther in three- or four-day holidays. The National Day holiday can be saved for farthest places. We should also make the best use of the paid vacations."

 

Dai Bin added that the potentials of traditional holidays are not fully explored since they lack of entertainment elements and mainly emphasize food, which were derived from agriculture civilization.

 

Travel along Wuxi Canal to Explore its Historic Heritage

And to finish our National Day holiday series on travel today, Zhang Ru takes us through an annual festival held in the city of Wuxi which celebrates the ancient Kingdom of Wu.

 

The ring canal in downtown Wuxi is the very first of its kind in the world. The history of the 11-kilometer canal can be traced back to three thousand years ago, when the founding father of the Wu Kingdom dug the Bo-du River for irrigation and drainage.

 

The canal has not only played an important role in irrigation and agriculture but also has military significance. It served as a convenient transportation route for the military adventures of two kings, who aspired to unify China some 2,500 years ago.

 

In the early 7th century, the then Sui Dynasty completed the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, which stretches for around 2,000 kilometers and connects China's northern regions with its southern regions.

 

Since then, the 11-kilometer canal in Wuxi has formed part of the Grand Canal and brought prosperity to the city of Wuxi, now dubbed the pearl of Taihu Lake.

 

With this long and glorious tradition, the canal occupies an important position in the city's tourism industry.

 

In recent years, the Wuxi government has been intensifying efforts to promote its cultural heritage by renovating the ancient bridges, temples and streets, recreating the original flavor and customs along the canal.

 

This year, a carnival procession of cruise barges travels along the river to highlight the cultural and historic elements of the canal.

 

A mini island called Huangbu Dun situated in the canal stands out along the procession route, particularly for its historic and tourism significance.

 

Sha Wugou, a local architecture historian, elaborates.

 

"Huangbu Dun has entertained six famous historical figures. These included three emperors, two chancellors and one eminent incorruptible official called Hai Rui in the Ming Dynasty. This is why Wuxi residents like to visit the place."

 

The five-day carnival procession displays 50 cruise barges of various sizes, shapes and colors, traveling along three different routes.

 

While enjoying the festivities, one can feel a sense of peace and happiness as the gentle spring breeze touches your face and the bright moon high in the sky reflects in the water.

 

Many local residents and tourists are intoxicated by the beautiful scenery.

 

Ye Feifei is a tourist from Shanghai.

 

"Fancy seeing such clear water and scenic spots in downtown Wuxi! I can appreciate the lovely bridges and cute classic Chinese buildings along a 'murmuring' brook close up. It makes me feel like walking into the wonderland envisaged in classic Chinese poems."

 

Local resident He Li says the restored beauty of the canal makes her recall the good old days living along the canal.

 

"I grew up by the riverside and have witnessed the changes that occurred in different eras. The scene of doing laundry in the canal in the 1960s still dwells in my memory. Children often swim in the canal in the summer with their laughter resonating around the area."

 

Actually, what she described hasn't existed since the 1980s when the quality of water deteriorated with intense industrial development.

 

The canal remained foul-smelling and black until the Wuxi government started to dredge the watercourse and restore the ecological environment three years ago.

 

Now, the government's rehabilitation measures have gradually restored the beauty of the ancient canal and helped it be reborn as a local tourist attraction.

 

For CRI, I'm Zhang Ru.

 

China Open Round Up

Now in the ongoing China Open tennis tournament here in Beijing, CRI's Alex MacNab earlier talked with Paul Ryding for a round up of Friday's events and a preview for the weekend.

 

That was Paul Ryding reporting.

 

Boxing Khan- Amir Khan and Lamont Peterson Announce their World Championship Fight

In other sports news, boxing lightweight superstars Amir Khan and Lamont Peterson have announced their meet up in Washington in December.

 

British super Lightweight World Champion Amir "King" Khan and Lamont "Havoc" Peterson will battle it out on December the 10th in a 12-round unified championship fight in D.C, where current world champion Khan will have to defend his title.

 

Peterson will have the backing of fighting on home soil.

 

Amir Khan has been the Unified Super Lightweight World Champion since December 2010 when he defeated Marcos Maidana.

 

Peterson meanwhile turned professional in 2004 and won his first 27 bouts.

 

This year, the 27-year-old earned a shot at Khan with a 12th round knockout over Victor Manuel Cayo in an IBF elimination bout:

 

"This is my chance right here to win two world titles here in my home town. So I'm blessed for that. I'm pretty sure Khan will be training hard to defend his titles, but I'll be training even harder to protect my home turf, which is D.C. We're gonna keep those belts here."

 

Khan reckons the fight is to be a battle of the 'nice guys' with both of them training hard:

 

"Lamont Peterson, first of all I'm going to say he's a very nice guy. We never get two nice guys in a fight. Lamont's a taller fighter than most guys I fight. He's very skilful, very strong, very powerful. And only lost one fight like myself so he's tasted defeat before. He knows what it feels like and I'm sure he doesn't want to taste that again so he's going to be training very hard for it."

 

Khan has already defeated Paul McCloskey and Zab Judah this year.

 

He will be looking to make it three for three for a big finish to 2011.

 

Market Update

 

A three-day rally on the US stock market faded Friday after a mixed jobs report and credit-rating cuts for Italy and Spain.

 

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 0.2 percent to 11,103. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 0.8 percent to 1,155. The Nasdaq composite index fell 1 percent to 2,479.

 

In Europe, London's FTSE 100 added 0.2 percent to 5303, Frankfurt's DAX was up 0.5 percent to 5676, and the CAC 40 in Paris gained 0.7 percent to 3096.