News & Reports 2011-09-11

 Hello and Welcome to News and Reports on China Radio International.

 
In This Edition
 
Police heighten security in New York in response to a "credible 1 but unconfirmed threat" to attack the city on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
 
Israel condemns 2 the attack on his country's embassy in Cairo but vows 3 to continue to keep the peace with Egypt.
 
Rebel forces in Libya say they are close to capturing the town of Bani Walid, one of four strongholds still under the control of pro-Gaddafi fighters.
 
European financial officials now say Greece and other debt-ridden countries have 'no choice' but to cut their debt levels.
 
 
Hot Issue Reports
 
9/11: NYC Gets Prepared for Tenth Anniversary
Police have heightened security in New York in response to a "credible but unconfirmed threat" to attack the city on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
 
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said al-Qaeda was behind the new terrorist threat.
 
"We are taking this threat seriously. Federal, state and local authorities are taking all steps to address it. "
 
Police and soldiers armed with automatic weapons are patrolling the streets, setting up impromptu 4 check points and searching vehicles.
 
City officials say much more will be done behind the scenes, in places that New Yorkers may not even notice.
 
Airports from New York over to Los Angeles have beefed up their security measures, adding extra police at entrance as well as bomb-sniffing dogs and bomb-detection equipment.
 
Meanwhile, across New York, residents and visitors are remembering those who perished in the attacks ten years ago.
 
Along Lower Manhattan West side waterfront, people joined hands to remember those killed.
 
"We came because we were in the neighborhood during 9/11 and it gives us a chance to show solidarity 5 with our community and with so many people that have lost so much."
 
"Every year, I kind of, don't handle it, but it's the 10th year and so I felt like it was important to make a statement, in a way, and yeah, sorry, I'm at a loss for words. I'm just here because it was the worst day of my life."
 
Outside St. Paul's chapel 6 near the World Trade Center site, visitors have tied ribbons of remembrance for 9/11 victims.
 
President Barack Obama visited Arlington National Cemetery 7, paying tribute to servicemen and women killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
 
Also former US President George W. Bush also took part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Pentagon.
 
President Obama is set to visit all three sites that were attacked, New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
 
9/11 Special: Ten Years Later, 9/11 Still Haunts Americans
Ten years after the 9/11 attacks, Bin 8 Laden 9 is dead, but some Americans are still struggling with their experiences and memories of the disaster.
As Su Yi reports, some of them are still suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorders 10, while others are fighting against respiratory illnesses or even cancer.
 
John Marshall is a retired 11 New York police detective who spent weeks on the debris 12 at Ground Zero. Now he has throat cancer and speaks through a tracheal tube. He has lot a lot of weight.
 
"When I retired I was probably about three-twenty. I'm about two-twenty-five now. I was a bull. And now I'm just like, uh, slowly wasting away."
 
Marshall believes his cancer was caused by his time as a first responder.
 
However, while people have blamed everything from strange rashes to skin cancer on the dust of 9/11, experts say there lacks of strong evidence to link these afflictions with the event.
 
But on the other hand, most scientists are confident there's a link with different kinds of afflictions, such as nightmares, depression and anxiety, caused by the experiences of the disaster.
 
Over 10-thousand city workers who spent time clearing ground zero of debris have sued the city government and contractors 13 in relation to their health problems.
 
Although a legal settlement worth over 700 million US dollars was reached this year, for most of them like Firefighter Adam Lake, the memory of 9/11 and the work to clear the debris still haunts them every day.
 
"You know you live with it. It's not something that you can just turn off. We live with it every day."
 
Lake remembers he was stunned 14 at how the remains 15 of his 11 fellow firemen had settled in the debris: in the same order of rank and position as the firefighters would line up when responding to New York City fires.
 
Over in Florida, the pupils who were with President George W when he paid a routine visit to the school on that fateful day, say being a part of history made them mature faster.
 
"The 16 kids, you know, who else can say they were with the president on September 11? That's our age. No one. And that's an honor, obviously. But in that moment, I think we all matured maybe a little bit."
 
Despite the suffering and sacrifices made by Americans, intelligence officials are warning that the war on terror may be still far from over.
 
Former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff:
 
"It has really become like a hydra 16 with a lot of different heads. And my theory has been that in many ways, as a younger generation comes up, we may find that they're more dangerous because they're no longer locked into the strategies that we're accustomed to facing, but they're going to have new strategies."
 
New York Fireman Adam Lake says one joy to look forward to with each anniversary is the visits from families of the men he lost that day.
 
"When you go upstairs there's faces of the guys we lost and it's just a reminder 17 that, one, this job is serious and how much they sacrificed and what they taught us."
 
Millions of Americans like Lake may have different opinions on whether their country won the fight, but they all know what they have taken away from that tragic 18 day.
 
For CRI, I'm Su Yi.
 
9/11 Proves a Catalyst 19 for NGOs to Help Those Affected 20 by the Tragedy
Meanwhile, the tragedy has proved a catalyst for one organization to rise out of the rubble 22 and not only help those affected by the events of 9/11, but also other victims of disasters across the world.
 
Dominic Swire brings us this report from New York.
 
September the 11th, 2001. America is under attack.
 
Two passenger jets slam into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, killing 23 thousands.
 
Ten years on, the pain is still there for families of those killed.
 
"You never ever move on from losing a child. You can never heal the hole in your heart. But you can go forward. Accept the tragedy and go forward, although the tragedy will always be part of our lives."
 
New York residents Allan and Elizabeth lost their 24 year old son Aaron that day. He was working for investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald.
 
"We were hoping he was in hospital. Then we had a meeting with Cantor Fitzgerald where the owner Howard Lutnic told us the truth. He was standing 24 at the bottom of the building. He arrived late and couldn't get up the stairs. He asked everyone that came out what floor they came from. And the highest floor he heard anyone coming from was 91st floor. He said our son was 104. And he said the truth is no one above the 91st floor got out alive."
 
For families of those lost, nothing can bring back their loved ones.
 
But one organization was able to rise out of the rubble and help families of those affected come to terms with the tragedy.
 
"We were both very distraught. We didn't know how to deal with it. He went to work and never came home. It tore apart our life. I remember the door of the World Cares Centre was always open. You could just walk in. It felt like walking into arms stretched out. People were very nice and there were plenty of hugs. We were suffering so much. It was wonderful to have people that cared."
 
Lisa Orloff founded the center. As well as organizing a support group for those affected by the events of 9/11, the organization has grown to help people across the world prepare and cope with disaster when it strikes. The inspiration for doing this came from Lisa's experience as one of the first helpers to reach the site of the World Trade Center following the terrorist attack.
 
"The problem is local people were not trained in disaster management. That's what we found when there were terrorist attacks on New York. Close to 100,000 volunteers came to help. There was a lot of confusion. No handbooks. People had to decide how to manage that instant."
 
The World Cares Center is just one of many charities formed in the aftermath of 9/11. Ten years on, this is a time not just to remember those lost and affected by the tragedy, but also on how lessons learnt from this event can be applied 25 to make the world a better place.
 
Reporting for CRI in New York, I'm Dominic Swire.
 
Israel Condemns Embassy Raid in Cairo
Israel has condemned 26 the attack on his country's embassy in Egypt.
 
However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed 27 to continue to keep the peace with Egypt, saying it is in the interest of both countries.
 
Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel is working with the Egyptian government in order to return its ambassador to Cairo as soon as possible under improved security arrangements.
 
"We will continue to keep the peace with Egypt, it is an interest of both countries. We will try and prevent additional deterioration 28 in our relations with Turkey, we did not choose that path if it is up to me or us we will act to lower the flames and if possible also rehabilitate 29 relations."
 
Hundreds of protesters tore down a concrete security wall outside the Israeli embassy Friday night and set fires in the street.
 
About a dozen protesters broke into an office of the embassy and threw documents from the balcony to the crowd below.
 
Protesters were also able to get to the top of the building and pull down the Israeli flag, which they replaced with an Egyptian one.
 
The Israeli ambassador and embassy staff have evacuated 30.
 
Egyptian troops clashed with protesters. Troops used batons 31 to disperse 32 the crowd.
 
The Egyptian Health Ministry 33 said three people were killed and more than one-thousand people hurt during the riot. A total of 19 protesters were arrested.
 
The attack on the Israeli embassy came after Israeli forces, responding to a cross-border Palestinian militant 34 attack, mistakenly killed five Egyptian police officers near the border last month.
 
Libya: Battle under Way for Gaddafi Stronghold
Rebel forces in Libya say they are close to capturing the town of Bani Walid, one of four strongholds still under the control of pro-Gaddafi fighters.
 
Al-Jazeera television reports the rebels have entered the town some 150 kilometers south of Tripoli after heavy clashes.
 
The National Transitional Council, the interim 35 authorities of Libya, has given Saturday as deadline for Gaddafi forces in the town to surrender.
 
Meantime, fierce fighting has also been reported close to the Libyan leader's hometown of Sirte.
 
Rebel field commander in Sirte Jalal al-Digheily says they hope bloodshed can be avoided.
 
"We are winning in the field of course, and I am going to negotiate with Sirte, God willing, and we are in a powerful position. But they are our brothers and we do not want bloodshed because we had enough bloodshed in the past and, the negotiations 36 between today and tomorrow will be positive."
 
Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for crimes against humanity against Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam and the chief of intelligence agency.
 
Interpol has also issued an arrest warrant for the three.
 
Several convoys 37 of former loyalists are said to have crossed the border with Niger over the past few weeks.
 
Gaddafi has confirmed in the latest audio speech that he is still in Libya.
 
European Financial Officials Urge Debt-ridden Countries to Act Fast
European financial officials now say Greece and other debt-ridden countries have 'no choice' but to cut their debt levels.
 
Speaking at a Group of Seven meeting in Marseille, EU Monetary 38 Affairs Commissioner 39 Olli Rehn says the time has come for them to live up to their pledges to cut the amount of money they owe.
 
"It is essential that the member states will consistently continue fiscal 40 consolidation 41 which is essential for reinforcing confidence in the European economy. For program countries like Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Latvia, Romania, this is self-evident. They simply have no　choice and no room to maneuver 42."
 
European Central Bank Governor Jean-Claude Trichet adds everything has to be done to boost confidence in the European economy.
 
"We are experiencing a period which calls for as much, I would say, anchoring of confidence as possible. It is what we try to do and as said Olli we consider of course that we are in an episode that all the decisions that have been taken have to be implemented 43 in time, rapidly, expeditiously 44, comprehensively, and we are in this mode. "
 
The G7 meeting has been designed to consider a "coordinated 45 response" to Europe's sovereign debt crisis.
 
The two-day meeting comes as the Organisation 46 for Economic Co-operation and Development has predicted a global slowdown this year.
 
The OECD also predicts that the G7 economies will grow by just 0.2 percent in the last quarter.
 
Greeks Protest Against Austerity Measures ahead of PM Economic Speech
Emergency services employees in Greece, including police, firemen and ambulance workers have staged protests against the government's tough austerity measures ahead of a key national economic speech.
 
The demonstration 47 was near the international trade fair grounds in the northern city of Thessaloniki, where Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou was set to make a speech on the state of the economy on Saturday.
 
Many police have joined the demonstration, saying they are particularly vulnerable to the reduction in wages due to the danger of their jobs and the long work hours.
 
"Just like the rest of the public we have also suffered cutbacks in the last year which have made us reach breaking point. There are colleagues that can't pay loans, that can't pay rent, we have even had tragic events such as suicide and separations. Today we are protesting but tomorrow we must go out there and stand opposite the protesters."
 
The government has vowed to speed up economic reforms to meet the demands of the European Union and International Monetary Fund for a bailout.
 
However, the move has been perceived as too slow, raising the risk of Greece leaving the euro zone and not receiving a much-needed September payment from a rescue loan.
 
Japanese Remember Victims at Tsunami-hit Nuke Plant
After six months since a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit northeastern Japan, hundreds of lanterns have been released north of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant to remember the disaster victims.
 
The event saw nearly 200 residents of nuclear crisis-affected Soma city and surrounding areas, launch nearly 1,000 paper lanterns in remembrance of those lost.
 
"I hope that it can become a place where we can feel safe as everyone is very anxious about the future. But I think that this sort of event is a good first step towards recovery and rebuilding."
 
"I hope that the lanterns went all the way to heaven."
 
Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda spent his first week in office visiting earthquake and tsunami-hit regions. He pledged to reflect opinions of local people in the recovery plans.
 
"I'd like to express respect from my heart to your great suffering and the efforts you have made in the last six months. I'll do my best to reflect your opinions in the third special budget."
 
Last month, Japan put into place a second special budget of more than 160 billion US dollars, for post-quake reconstruction 48 in the hope of spreading the spending over five to 10 years to build roads and seawalls and to boost the use of renewable energy.
 
At least 20,000 were killed in the March 11 disasters that also caused a severe nuclear accident at Fukushima nuke plant.
 
Keep Moving to Stay Fit
 
A newly-issued report has voiced concerns over the deteriorating 49 physical health of Chinese people, largely due to sedentary occupations and constant stress.
It indicates that Chinese people are prematurely 50 aging, since more than half of surveyed respondents aged 21 45 to 54 considered themselves old.
 
An editorial in the China Daily newspaper quoted a result from a US-based survey that said that nearly 86 per cent of Chinese respondents reported their levels of stress had become "higher" or "much higher" in the last two years, especially among the group aged 24 to 30. The article also compared urban workaholics with the couch potatoes living in the countryside.
 
The article also points out that the fast change from famine to feast has been dangerous to people's health. These rapid social changes have caused an obesity 51 epidemic 52 due to changes to traditional diets, reduced levels of physical activity and sedentary lifestyles, particularly for white-collar workers across China.
 
The editorial warned that the number of overweight and obese 53 people in China could double in the next two decades which will pose a serious threat to China's health system and halt the country's economic growth.
 
It has called for youngsters to participate in more sporting activities and also appealed to the government to take serious action to address the problem by means of a comprehensive initiative to encourage the whole nation to get fit.