In This Edition

 

A Chinese navy ship is in Costa Rica, offering a variety of traditional Chinese and modern medicines to locals.

 

Hundreds of protesters gather at Cairo's Tahrir Square, demanding the ruling military council to quit.

 

An Arab League committee gives Syria 24 hours to allow an observer mission into the country, or it could face sanctions.

 

China Radio International holds a ceremony to mark the establishment of China's first English radio service in north China's Hebei province.

 

 

Hot Issue Reports

 

Chinese Navy Ship Provides Free Medical Service to Costa Rica

A Chinese navy ship is in Costa Rica, offering a variety of traditional Chinese and modern medicines to locals.

 

The trip is China's first operational naval mission to Costa Rica.

 

Su Yi has more.

 

The Peace Ark hospital ship is providing free medical and surgical assistance to local patients onboard and at a nearby hospital.

 

The navy ship is expected to remained docked in Costa Rica for five days.

 

Costa Ricans are taking advantage of the expertise of their visitors free of charge.

 

"It's an opportunity for all Costa Ricans. There are many people who are unable to pay for medical services, so they are blessed with this opportunity."

 

The Peace Ark has been touring the Caribbean on a 100-day voyage, visiting Cuba, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, before sailing to Costa Rica.

 

The ship has 300 hospital beds, eight operating rooms and more than 100 medical workers onboard.

 

Wang Hai Wei is a naval official on the Peace Ark.

 

"We have 32 specialists onboard. According to the plan, during these five days, we will remain here at the San Rafael Clinic and attend to 200 patients each day, performing a range of physical exams."

 

So far, medical personnel have treated some 45-hundred people in the Caribbean.

 

For CRI, I'm Su Yi.

 

Friday Morning Sees a New Round of Protest at Cairo's Tahrir Square

 

Hundreds of protesters have gathered at Cairo's Tahrir Square, demanding the ruling military council to quit.

 

The young protesters are calling for "The Friday of the Last Chance", urging a new constitution and the transfer of the power to a civilian government immediately.

 

Protester Saber Saad.

 

"We will not be dismissed from the square unless we retrieve our dignity. This is too much. We are suffering, and people are struggling for food."

 

Eariler, the Egypt's ruling generals appointed Kamal al-Ganzouri as the country's new Prime Minister, taking a step to placate the angry crowds.

 

Ganzouri will try to form a new government that satisfies the demands of the Egyptian people.

 

He held the same position during Hosni Mubarak's rule from 1996 to 1999 and he was not tainted of corruption.

 

The demands emerging from Tahrir Square run counter to the plans of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is calling for the earliest possible election. The Islamist party is looking to get the majority of the seats in the upcoming parliament.

 

Egyptians are expected to elect a new parliament next Monday.

 

Arab League Sets Deadline for Syria to Sign Deal to End Crackdown

An Arab League committee has given Syria 24 hours to allow an observer mission into the country, or it could face sanctions that include stopping financial dealings and freezing assets.

 

Arab league chief Nabil Ela-raby says, the Arab Foreign Ministers have made a call to Syria to sign the protocol of the Arab League mission.

 

"The Arab foreign ministers' meeting is calling for Syria to sign tomorrow at one o'clock."

 

This comes as international pressure mounts on President Bashar al-Assad to stop the brutal crackdown on an uprising against his regime.

 

The U.N. says has at least 35-hundred have been killed since mid-March.

 

In a statement released after the committee met, the group says punishment could include ceasing trade with the Syrian government, apart from strategic goods that affect the Syrian people.

 

Other sanctions could include stopping flights to Syria and ending dealings with Syria's central bank.

 

The Arab League has already suspended Syria's membership over the bloodshed and Syria's failure to abide by an Arab peace plan it signed.

 

5 Killed in Protest Demanding President Go on Trial

At least five protesters have been killed and 25 others injured in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, after forces loyal to President Ali Abdullah Saleh opened fire on anti-government protesters.

 

The protesters have taken to the streets, calling for Saleh to be tried on charges of corruption and the killing of protesters during the current uprising.

 

Reched Su-weah, spokesperson of Yemen Youth League.

 

"We have achieved the initial victory that Saleh has signed the power transfer deal. We organized this protest to bring Saleh and his supporters to trial, and also to protect the deal."

 

Earlier, Saleh signed the Gulf-brokered power-transfer deal in the Saudi capital Riyadh in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

 

The deal sets in motion a number of changes designed to stop the uprising that has battered Yemen's economy and caused a nationwide security lapse.

 

Under the agreement, Saleh has to pass his presidential duties to his vice president Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, therefore ending his 33-year rule.

 

But the deal does not include a number of Yemen's biggest power brokers, including Saleh's relatives who head elite security forces, powerful tribal chiefs and military commanders who have joined the protesters.

 

Many of the protesters, who have camped out in public squares for months to call for sweeping democratic reforms, rejected the deal immediately.

 

They say the opposition parties who agreed to the deal had been compromised by their long association with Saleh.

 

Talks on Business Sustainability

As the world economy is facing great uncertainties, companies have multiple challenges for survival and development.

 

"Business sustainability" is a new notion that encourages companies to eye for the long term and become more resilient when facing difficulties.

 

For more on this, CRI's Zheng Chenguang talked with. David Ang, Executive Director at Singapore Human Resources Institute and co-author of the book "Succeed or Sink".

 

CRI Marks China's First English Radio Service

China Radio International has held a ceremony to mark the establishment of China's first English radio service in north China's Hebei province.

 

The celebration in She-xian County is part of CRI's anniversary activities, which revolve around tracing the broadcaster's roots back through history.

 

On September 11, 1947, the Shanbei Xinhua Radio Broadcast Station launched its first English language program, the predecessor of CRI's English service.

 

This marked the beginning of China's English broadcasting to overseas listeners.

 

CRI's deputy director Xia Jixuan.

 

"These English broadcasts were a testament to the new China's birth and growth. They made outstanding contributions in terms of introducing China to the world, covering world news, as well as enhancing understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and people from around the world."

 

As China's only state-owned overseas broadcaster, CRI was founded in 1941.

 

It currently has the highest number of language services among international media around the globe.

 

EU Economics Commissioner Expresses Confidence in Italy's Economy

Italian Prime Minister, Mario Monti, has met the European Union's economic and monetary affairs commissioner, as Europe's debt crisis continued to trouble the eurozone's third largest economy.

 

The commissioner, Olli Rehn, said in Rome that he believed Italy could overcome the challenges posed by the debt crisis.

 

"This country (Italy) has the assets to overcome these challenges; the fundamentals of the economy are by and large sound, it has a dynamic private sector, a solid financial sector."

 

Italy's borrowing rates skyrocketed during bond auctions on Friday, temporarily battering stock markets in Europe.

 

The auction results are another sign that Italy's new government faces pressure to convince investors that it has a convincing strategy to reduce the country's 2 trillion euro debt.

 

The EU commissioner Olli Rehn added that he fully endorsed Monti's policies which are aimed at stimulating economic growth in Italy.

 

"The priorities set by Prime Minister Monti are the right ones and I fully endorse them: to step up fiscal consolidation, to adopt both measures to relaunch economic growth and to ensure social fairness."

 

Monti is shortly to release a new economic plan to reach a balanced budget by 2013 and reforms to boost economic growth.

 

Egypt New PM: Military not to Stay in Power

Egypt's new Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri says military leader Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi has no intention of staying in power.

 

"The military council's Tantawi does not wish to stay in power and I wouldn't have agreed to do the job if that was the case."

 

Speaking shortly after his appointment, the 78-year old el-Ganzouri promised to build a government involving different groups.

 

"In forming the government we will send for different types of people, from any party faction, any political leaning - they're all encouraged to put their names forward. The thing that concerns me is forming the best government for the country."

 

El-Ganzouri held various senior posts during the era of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

 

His appointment is the latest in a series of efforts by the military to appease protesters.

 

But the appointment was still rejected by tens of thousands of protesters at Cairo's central Tahrir Square in their biggest rally this week.

 

Protesters accused military leaders of trying to extend the old guard and demanded they step down immediately.

 

At the same time, several thousand also gathered in support of the military council in a northern district of the capital.

 

Hungary Reacts to Moody's Downgrading

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his government have agreed that they should cooperate with the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and banks to stabilise the economy.

 

Economy Minister Gyorgy Matolcsy said the government would prefer a condition-free Flexible Credit Line facility from the IMF, but that was apparently not an option. Therefore Hungary would aim at either a Precautionary Credit Line or a Precautionary Standby Agreement.

 

He said the talks would start in December.

 

Speaking after credit agency Moody's downgraded Budapest's sovereign rating to "junk" status and triggered a fall in Hungarian markets, Matolcsy said markets were speculating against Hungary's currency, bonds, and CDSs.

 

"A speculation is going on against Hungary at important Hungarian financial areas such as the state bonds, CDS and in the general financial trust in the country. This is unfortunate, and should not be so precisely because our fundamentals are strong, and because the Hungarian government has proved, and the EU, the IMF delegation and the National Bank agree on this, that we belong to those countries whose financial balance is good."

 

He added that Hungary will not be able to hold on to the 1.5% growth for next year.

 

"We think that our growth can be between 0.5% and 1.0%, we are not yet saying a concrete number but it's certain that the 1.5% growth for next year in Hungary is not realistic when Germany's growth is slowing down. Luckily, our budget is bulletproof until 0.5 percent growth."

 

Moody's move followed warnings from all three major ratings agencies that Orban's policies, which have avoided traditional austerity in favour of revenue-boosting steps, had put Hungary's finances at risk.

 

Light News

 

Woodford Met with Olympus Board

Ex Olympus CEO Michael Woodford has pledged to work with the Japanese camera maker's board to try and avoid delisting from the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

 

In one of Japan's biggest financial scandals, Woodford was sacked last month after he revealed the firm had hidden losses. Under intense pressure, Olympus has admitted that the company paid close to 700 million US dollars to obscure firms to cover up investment losses dating back to the 1990s.

 

Woodford says the shared priority for Olympus is to avoid being delisted.

 

"I made clear as I have done, that I think it would be wrong to delist the company, that I think the priority which they are working hard to do is to get the accounts re-presented and signed off."

 

Olympus now risks being delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange unless it can report financial data by December 14.

 

Backed by some big shareholders, Woodford says he is willing to reclaim the top job and lead a clean-up of the firm.

 

"Rebuilding the company... would the institutions believe there was transparency and honesty if I was the chief executive. Would the institutions believe there was transparency and honesty, that's the most important thing, are our accounts realistic... is what's being said."

 

The company's shares lost 80 percent of their value after the scandal erupted in mid-October, but have since recovered on optimism that Olympus will not be delisted.

 

Tsonga Beats Nadal to Reach Semifinals of ATP World Tour Finals

France's No. 1 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has knocked world No. 2 Rafael Nadal out of the tennis World Tour finals. The Frenchman beat the Spaniard in a battle lasting nearly three hours to secure a place the semifinals of the year-end finale for the first time in his career.

 

CRI's London correspondent Tu Yun has more.

 

This was the second time Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has defeated Nadal on hard court. The Frenchman made full use of serve-and-volley tactics, which the Spaniard seemed unable to do anything about.

 

Although Nadal made only 24 unforced errors, some half as many as Tsonga's 45, the Spaniard had only 14 winners, less than one-third hit by his opponent.

 

"If the first two sets weren't bad, but weren't good, the third was a disaster. I was solid, but it was slow with the legs. The forehand I had not enough pain to him. Backhand normal. Probably I was with little less passion for the game. Probably because I was a bit more tired than usual. Congratulations to Jo. He deserves it tonight more than me."

 

It's the first time Tsonga has reached the final four of the year-end tournament.

 

"Yesterday I was watching some movies from three years ago when I was playing the Australian (Open) of the year of 2008, and I said, 'Wow.' Before I had a lot of energy. I was running faster. I was hitting harder. But I was crazy on the court. I think this year I just improved this. I'm maybe less fast, less powerful, but I'm better in my head. This is why I'm good this year."

 

Tsonga joins Swiss Roger Federer and Spaniard David Ferrer in the semifinals. Earlier in the day, Federer beat Mardy Fish of the U.S. 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

 

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, No. 7 Tomas Berdych and No. 9 Janko Tipsarevic will vie for the rest of the spots in the semifinals on Friday. Theoretically, all three have a chance to advance.

 

For CRI, I'm Tu Yun reporting from London.

 

Shoppers Flock to Stores for Post-Thanksgiving Deals

A few violent incidents have broken out as millions of shoppers rushed into stores on Black Friday in the United States.

The violence started on Thanksgiving evening, when Los Angeles authorities say 20 people at a local Walmart store suffered minor injuries when a customer used pepper spray to gain a "competitive" shopping advantage shortly after the store opened.

 

In North Carolina, gunfire erupted early Friday at Cross Creek Mall and police say they're looking for the two suspects involved.

 

And a central Florida man is behind bars after a fight broke out at a jewelry counter in Walmart in Kissimmee, Florida.

 

The incidents are the result of two converging trends on Black Friday.

 

The crowds continue to get bigger as retailers offer more incentives and longer hours.

 

A record number of shoppers are expected to head out to stores across the country this weekend to take advantage of discounts of up to 70 percent.

 

At New York, customers are scooping up the deals at a toy store.

 

"I spent approximately $200, but I saved $200 as well because it's Black Friday! Everything's one sale!"

 

For three days starting on Black Friday, 152 million Americans are expected to shop, up about 10 percent from last year.

 

The crowds are good news for retailers, many of which depend on the busy holiday shopping season for up to 40 percent of their annual revenue.

 

Xinhua

 

Here's some good news for Chinese chess players and fans, the reigning world champion China's Hou Yifan has retained her title by beating her Indian challenger Koneru Humpy and winning another 0.5 points. After two and a half hours of play, Hou Yifan drew with Koneilu in the eighth game of the 10-game match. In the eight games, Hou won three games and drew five games, accumulating 5.5 points. And just to you know the winner of the 10-game match is the first player to reach 5.5 points or more. Now I didn't know chess was such a big deal but it seems it has turned into something of an international event! It seems there is money to be won in taking this hobby seriously as well, as the prize fund for the match is 200-thousand euros but is split 60-40 between the winner and the loser.

 

BBC

 

Black Friday has begun in the US and many shoppers are out in force to grab the bargains wherever they can. However its not all good news for shoppers especially those who may seek out their bargains online. As the latest scam to hit our emails has been rolled out by hackers. It's a gift certificate scam and users receive the gift via email. It's a fake apple music store gift card worth 50-US-dollars. Apparently the ZIP file attached contains malware that may allow hackers to gain access to the recipient's computer. PCthreat.com says the software opens up a backdoor on Windows users' computers and may also capture passwords and other information. It says the code may also slow down the infected computer's performance and make files disappear. But good news if you have been affected by this the malware can be removed with the use of anti-spyware tools.