China, the Middle East and the night owl

The People's Daily gives the official line on “The Historic Leap on the Chinese Road”.

The Shanghai Daily does too, with the headlines that China aims high. It wants to double its GDP and people's incomes in 10 years.

The French paper Le Monde interviews Chinese intellectuals who are asking whether China is indeed on the right road. They say they are worried for the future.

The Daily Beast headlines: "I am tougher than Gaddafi", reporting on Assad’s interview with Russian television in which he tells the West to back off.

A comment piece in The Guardian says King Abdullah of Jordan is trapped in the current situation. If Assad survives, with at least the perceived connivance of Jordan, that will fuel Islamist opposition hostility to him. And if Assad falls, then Jordan's opposition will have the full support of the new powers that be in Syria.

And Barack Obama has announced his first diplomatic mission. It will not be in the Middle East but in Asia. He goes to Burma on 17th November, prompting me to wonder just how he copes with a punishing schedule after a 24/7 campaign.

The Huffington Post looks at sleeping habits of past presidents and suggests Obama copes pretty well. He is a night owl.