Hourly News updated 17:00 2011/10/23

 Chinese police confirm 13 sailors dead in ship attack on Mekong River 

Chinese police have confirmed that the body of the missing Chinese sailor in the ship attack on the Mekong River has been found.
Two Chinese cargo 1 ships were attacked by unidentified armed people on the Mekong River early this month. Twelve Chinese sailors were killed and one was missing. 
The Ministry 2 of Public Security has urged relevant governments to get to the bottom of the attack and catch the assailants as soon as possible.
 
Chinese vice 3 premier 4 arrives in Pyongyang for visit 
Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang is now in Pyongyang for an official goodwill 5 visit to North Korea.
During his stay, Li Keqiang is expected to meet with leaders of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea and the North Korean government to discuss bilateral 6 ties as well as regional and global issues of common concern.
 
A Chinese legislator calls for enhancing China-US people-to-people exchanges 
A senior Chinese legislator has called for enhancing the China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges, which she said will contribute to maintaining peace in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as in the world. 
Yan Junqi, vice chairwoman of the Standing 7 Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative 8 body, issued the call in a speech to the opening ceremony of the fourth China-U. S. Civil Society Peace Forum 9 held at the American University in Washington DC. 
She said China will continue to adhere to its peaceful foreign policies, including its good-neighborly policy, and is willing to develop friendly cooperation, on the basis of equal treatment and mutual 10 benefits, with other countries in order to maintain peace and stability in the world.
 
Libyan NTC member raises doubts over official Gaddafi death account 
A member of Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) has raised doubts over the exact circumstances of former Libyan leader Mummar Gaddafi's death.
Waheed Burshan was quoted by Al-Jazeera as saying that Gaddafi was clearly captured and there should be an investigation 11 as to how he ended up dead a short while later.
His remarks, contradicting head of NTC's executive committee Mahmoud Jibril's account that Gaddafi was killed in crossfire 12, came a day after the United Nations called for an investigation into his death.
 
Premier Wen stresses efforts to ensure and improve people's well-being 13
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao says ensuring and improving people's well-being must be put at a highly significant position during the process of China's macroeconomic control.
He said this during an inspection 14 tour of south China's city of Nanning.
Wen Jabao says ensuring people's livelihood 15 is closely related not only to social and economic advancement 16, but also to the people's benefits as well as social harmony and stability.
 
China to check school canteens for food safety 
China will launch nationwide checks on school canteens in an attempt to prevent occurrences of food poisoning.
The State Food and Drug Administration and Ministry of Education have ordered local health and education administrations to immediately carry out checks on the entire process of food safety in all schools. 
Inspection teams will be formed to thoroughly 17 check canteens, especially those of kindergartens, elementary and middle schools. Any schools that fail to make prompt corrections will be punished.
The two ministries 18 say when food poisoning occurs, local administrators 19 must make thorough and accurate reports and launch urgent measures. Any delays, concealment 20 or outright 21 lies will warrant punishment.
 
China's film industry criticized for lack of cultural depth 
China's film industry, the world's third largest in terms of production, has been criticized for its over-commercialization and a lack of cultural depth amid expectations that the fast-growing sector 22 will help enhance the nation's soft power.
Experts and industry insiders at an ongoing 23 film festival expressed their hope that the country's film industry can develop in a healthy way and impress audiences with the charms of Chinese culture.
Experts also agree that a lack of originality 24 has impeded 25 the sustainable development of the nation's film industry.
 
International circus festival kicks off in north China 
More than 200 acrobats 26 from 17 countries and regions have participated in a major international circus festival that kicked off last night in north China's Hebei Province.
Acrobatic artists from Russia, the United States, Canada, North Korea, Australia, France and other countries will present 30 performances during the 13th China Wuqiao International Circus Festival (CWICF). 
The major activities of the nine-day festival include an international circus competition, forums 27 on world circus and circus art exchanges.
 
Cold front to sweep central and eastern China 
A cold spell is sweeping 28 over central China and will continue moving east over the next three days, bringing an end to the recent fog.
The National Meteorological Center says temperatures in the central parts of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous 29 Region and most parts of northeast China will fall by eight to 14 degrees Celsius 30.
Snow and rainfall will widely cover northeastern China, and some parts of Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces will face heavy snow. 
The center says the cold front will also bring rainfall to the country's central and eastern Yangtze valley regions, and some parts of Hunan, Hubei, Henan and Anhui provinces will get hit by heavy rains.