Hourly News updated 08:00 2011/10/08

 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 1 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 2 to tourist demand. It received more than 100,000 visitors for two consecutive 3 days at the beginning of the week.
 
China's retail 4, catering 5 sectors 6 grow 17.5 pct y-o-y over National Day "Golden Week
China's retail and catering sectors post a year-on-year growth of 17.5 percent in sales during the National Day Holiday known as a "Golden Week" for businesses.
The Ministry 7 of Commerce says the revenues of the sectors totaled nearly 700 billion yuan (109 billion U.S. dollars), as companies nationwide cashed in on the holiday and staged various promotions 8 to boost their sales.
It says commodity prices during the holiday have remained basically stable thanks to abundant supplies.
 
35 dead, 18 injured in north China road crash 
At least 35 people have been killed and 18 others injured in an expressway crash in north China's port city of Tianjin.
The accident occurred yesterday when a coach rolled over after colliding with a car at the Tianjin section of an expressway linking the city's Binhai New Area with the city of Baoding in neighboring Hebei Province. 
An official with the city's traffic management bureau, says the coach was speeding and many passengers were thrown out of the vehicle when it hit the car and rolled over, causing heavy causalities.
 
China to build Henan-centered Central Plains Economic Zone for balanced growth 
China's State Council have issued a guideline on supporting central Henan Province to be built into a Central Plains Economic Zone for balanced development.
It says the plan was made to secure food supply and promote the balanced development of different regions.
 
Chinese rocket sends French telecom satellite into space 
China's Long March-III2 rocket carrier has sent a French-made telecom satellite into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, marking the first time for China to provide launch service for a European satellite operator. 
It was also the 148th launch for the Long March rocket family.
 
China to donate 5 mln USD more for Pakistan's flood victims 
China says it will provide 5 million U.S. dollars in cash to the flood-hit people in Pakistan.
China has already donated 4.7 million U.S. dollars for flood victims, according to a statement from Pakistan's Foreign Ministry. 
It says the Chinese side has also supplied 7000 tents recently.
 
2011 Nobel Peace prize awarded to Womens Activists 10 in Liberia and Yemen
This year's Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded jointly 11 to three women - Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian Leymah Gbowee and Tawakul Karman of Yemen.
They were recognised for their "non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation 12 in peace-building work".
Johnson Sirleaf is Africa's first female elected head of state, whilst Leymah Gbowee is a Liberian peace activist 9 and Karman a leading figure in Yemen's pro-democracy movement.
The women will share the $1.5 million US dollar prize money.
 
Libyan Transitional Government Forces launch major assault on Sirte
Forces loyal to Libya's transitional government have launched a major assault on the city of Sirte, one of the last Gaddafi strongholds.
Hundreds of vehicles have advanced on the city from all sidesand are currently close to the city centre.
Thousands of civilians 13 have already left Sirte but many more are thought to have remained behind.
Sustained tank and mortar 14 fire has been targeting the city, which lies 360km from the capital of Tripoli. 
The assualt is thought to be the final push for Col Gaddafi's home town which is seen as the final step in officially overthrowing 15 his regime.
 
2100 hourly: Karzai admits to Afghanistan 'security failure'
Afghan President Hamid Karzai now says his government and Nato have failed to provide Afghans with security, 10 years after the Taliban were otherthrown.
Karzai accuses Pakistan of supporting the insurgency 16.
He has also told the BBC that he will step down in 2014. 
His comments come as the ex-commander of coalition 17 forces say Nato allies remain far from reaching their goals in Afghanistan.
 
2100 hourly: Medvedev urges Syrian leadership to carry out necessary reforms
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev now says if Syrian leadership cannot carry out necessary reforms, it will have to go.
He also stresses the future of the country should be only decided 18 by Syrian people.
Medvedev warns Russia will veto any future U.N. Security Council sanctions to topple political regimes by Western countries.