新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2013/09/19

The Beijing Hour
 
Evening Edition
 
 
Paul James with you on this Thursday, September 19th, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour,
coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this evening.
The United Nations is moving to defending its inspectors work
on the chemical weapons attack in Syria.
Iran's President has gone on-record saying his country will never produce nuclear weapons.
This year's China-Arab States expo has come to a conclusion in Ningxia.
In Business, the US Fed shocks the markets by maintaining its bond-buying program.
In Sports, Boxing legend Ken Norton has passed away.
In Entertainment, author Stephen King admits to being "spooked" ahead of the release his new novel.
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will finally become clear tomorrow. But for tonight, it will be cloudy tonight with a low of 17 degrees Celsius.　
Tomorrow sunny with a high temperature of 28.
Meanwhile Shanghai will be cloudy tonight, with a low of 24,　light rain tomorrow, with a high of 29.
Lhasa will be overcast tonight, 11 degrees the low, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 22.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, with a high of 33.
Kabul, sunny, 32.
Over in Australia
Sydney, sunny, highs of 22.
Canberra, overcast, 14.
Brisbane, sunny, 27.
And finally, Perth will have rain with a high of 18.
 
 
Top News
 
 
UN: Report on Syrian chemical attacks indisputable
 
The UN is moving to defend its report into the chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of the Syrian capital Damascus.
Martin Nesieky is a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General.
"The findings in that report are indisputable, they speak for themselves and this was a thoroughly objective report on that specific incident."
The report has not fixed blame.
The remarks follow Syrian President Bashar Assad's public questioning of the UN report.
In an interview with an American TV station, Assad admits he has not taken time to review the report.
However, he says he's wary of video and photographic evidence which has been presented after-the-fact.
"No one has verified the credibility of the videos and the pictures. No one verified. The only verified things are the samples that the delegation go and took. Samples of blood and other things from the soil and so on."
Assad insists his forces have not used chemical weapons.
Assad also says he wants the United States to foot-the-bill for the destruction of his country's chemical weapons stockpiles.
He estimates this could cost around 1-billion US dollars.
Meanwhile, Russia's foreign minister has issued a new statement, saying the Russian side has evidence the Syrian rebels have been using chemical weapons as a way to try to provoke international intervention in the conflict.
Sergei Lavrov says the new evidence the Syrian government has handed to them is going to be passed along to the UN Security Council.
The comments by Lavrov follow statements on Wednesday by his deputy.
He contends the Syrian government has proof it was the rebel forces which unleashed the August 21st chemical weapons attack on the outskirts of Damascus.
The Obama Administration says that attack left over 14-hundred people dead.
The US side is pinning the blame on the Syrian government.
 
 
Iran's new president pledges to never develop nuclear weapons
 
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has issued a new statement, saying Iran will never develop nuclear weapons.
Rouhani also says he has full authority to make a deal with International powers about his country's nuclear program.
Speaking with NBC News, Rouhani has also revealed some of his initial interactions with U.S. President Barack Obama.
Rouhani says in his letter of congratulations after his election, Obama wrote the Iranians understand the nuclear issue is "a far larger issue for the US chemical weapons."
The comments come ahead of Rouhani's forthcoming attendance and speech to the UN General Assembly next week.
Pundits have been speculating the exchange of letters between Obama and Rouhani may pave the way for a possible meeting between the two at UN headquarters in New York.
The presidents of the US and Iran haven't met since the US broke off diplomatic ties with Iran in 1979.
 
 
Police officer shot dead as security forces surround Islamist stronghold in Egypt
 
Egyptian security forces are surrounding a town outside Cairo after exchanging fire with armed men.
A senior police officer has been killed in the assault.
Security forces are deployed around the town of Kerdasa in an attempt to drive away suspected Islamic militants.
Kerdasa is said to be a strong-hold of the Muslim Brotherhood.
It's been reported that police have already arrested over 30 suspects.
Authorities are urging people in the area to stay indoors to avoid the crossfire.
Supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi drove police out of the town following the crackdown on pro-Morsi protest camps last month.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian government has shortened the curfew currently in-place in 14 governorates.
Egyptian authorities brought in the curfew over a month ago as part of a state of emergency declared after the break-up of the pro-Morsi sit-ins.
 
 
Gaddafi-era officials to stand trial on Thursday
 
A collection of former Gaddafi-era officials are standing trial today in Libya.
A total of 38 former government officials are on trial for alleged crimes committed during the 2011 uprising.
The accused includes the son of the late Libyan leader, Saif al-Islam.
Prosecutor General Abdel-Qader Radwan.
"Now we keep our promise and present this case which has been awaited by the Libyan people for a long time."
The International Criminal Court has repeated its demand that Saif al-Islam be handed over immediately.
He's wanted by the ICC on charges of crimes against humanity.
Former spy chief Abdalla al-Senussi and the last Gaddafi-era Prime Minister, Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi are also among those being tried in Libya.
The courts are expected to review some 4-thousand pages worth of documents as part of the proceedings.
 
 
Pentagon to review security after shooting at navy yard, starbucks reax
 
Workers at a Washington navy yard have returned to work following Monday's shootings that left a total of 13 people dead.
The shooter, Aaron Alexis, is among those killed.
His mother, Cathleen Alexis, has issued a public apology.
"I don't know why he did what he did and I'll never be able to ask him why. Aaron is now in a place where he can no longer do harm to anyone, and for that I am glad. To the families of the victims, I am so so very sorry that this has happened. My heart is broken."
34-year-old Aaron Alexis opened fire at random people at the naval yard on Monday before he was killed in a shootout with police.
US Secretary of State Chuck Hagel says the Department of Defense is undertaking a thorough security review.
"Obviously, something went wrong. That's the point of directives that I have made in the reviews that will go forward. As I said in my comments, we will review everything. And from that review, the intensity of that review, the depth and the width of that review, we would hope that we find some answers as to how we do it better, how can we do it better."
The former Navy reservist managed to enter the area with a valid pass.
Authorities say he had been suffering from serious mental problems.
Meanwhile, in a response to the shooting, US coffee chain Starbucks has decreed that guns are no longer going to be allowed in its cafes.
Most states allow people to carry licensed guns in public.
 
 
Governor, Interior minister comment on flooding crisis
 
58 people are missing after a huge landslide smashed through a village in Mexico's southern mountains.
Over 300 people remain stranded in a village in the state of Guerrero after Monday night's slide.
Angel Aguirre Rivero is governor of the state.
"My condolences. We regret what happened at the Pintada community, a community dedicated to the production of coffee located in the mountains that belongs to the municipality of Atoyac, located 60 kilometres from Atoyac, where up to now we have had a report that 58 people are missing."
The slide is a third blow to the country in recent days, following Tropical Storm Manuel on the west coast and Hurricane Ingrid in the east.
The death toll from Manuel has now reached 80.
Authorities are warning the storms are expected to continue to bring disastrous weather to both regions throughout the coming days.
 
 
Several killed in rush hour collision between train and bus
 
The death toll from a crash involving a passenger train and double-decker city in the Canadian capital of Ottawa has reached 6.
30 others were hurt in the crash, which took place at the height of rush-hour on Wednesday morning.
Glen Pilon is with Canada's Transportation Safety Board.
"Well right now we've got our priorities is to find - to get the event recorder information and get that type of things because that will give us speed and what was going on."
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson.
"A number of agencies will be looking into what transpired, including the Ottawa Police, the Transportation Safety Board, and the Coroner. Our focus as a city today is to care for those families who have lost a loved one, as well as to ensure we provide the best possible care for those who have been injured and affected by this accident."
This is the second major rail accident in Canada less than 3-months.
A runaway oil train derailed and exploded in a town in the province of Quebec in early July, killing 47 people in what became country's worst rail disaster in more than a century.
 
 
Abe visits the cripple Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant
 
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is moving to quell public unease over toxic water leaking from the Fukushima complex into the Pacific.
Abe has made a stop at the crippled complex this Thursday, the second since taking office in December.
"In order to concentrate on dealing with the disaster, we have asked TEPCO to decide on the decommissioning of reactor number 5 and number 6, both of which have stopped operations."
Abe's reassurance to the International Olympic Committee earlier this month that the leaks are "under control" have backfired in Japan.
Public sentiment in Japan is that he has glossed over the problems at the plant to the International Olympic Committee.
Earlier this week, a senior official with the Tokyo Electric Power Company told the media the situation in the plant is -quote- "out of control."
 
 
Ban Ki-moon calls for investment in education on Int'l Peace Day
 
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has issued a new call for investment in education.
He's made the call ahead of ringing the Peace Bell at the UN headquarters to mark the International Day of Peace, which falls on Saturday.
The theme for this year's observance is Education for Peace.
Ban has quoted words of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot by the Taliban for attending classes, to emphasis the importance of education.
"When Malala Yousafzai came to the United Nations in July, she said 'one teacher, one book, one pen, can change the world.' These are our most powerful weapons. That is why I launched the 'Global Education First Initiative' last year. Every girl and every boy deserves to receive a quality education."
Ban Ki-moon notes there are roughly 57-million children being denied an education around the world.
 
 
The World Bank collaborates with China on environment and urbanization
 
Anchor:
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim has wrapped up a visit to Beijing.
CRI's Lucy Du has more on what the head of the Washington-based lender focused on here in China.
Reporter:
Kim has met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang as part of his time here.
He has told the Premier China's fast urbanization poses both challenges and opportunities to the country's economy.
"We have been rethinking how China cities could meet the challenges of the 21st century. Efficient cities could boost growth. Some of our priorities are building dense cities that keep people close to where they work, with better transport systems. Looking ahead, cities need to put their finances on a sure footing, ensuring their revenues are not too depending on land sales."
It is estimated that by 2030, the number people living in an urban setting here in China will reach 1 billion.
At such, Kim says the World Bank wants to help China build dense cities with better services.
The World Bank is now working with the State Council's Development Research Center on a report about urbanization.
The final report is expected to be released in December.
Kim also adds that innovation is critical to China's development.
"We would say it is important to take a look at what China is doing. Despite the volumtary and the emerging market and increasing interest rates, the government has made it clear that they will continue with the reforms. And this is precisely what emerging market should do. They should think hard about what the weaknesses are that have been exposed, whether in business environment or fiscal policies and begin moving on these reforms now. "
This is Kim's second visit to China since taking the helm of the World Bank in July of last year.
For CRI, I am Lucy Du.
 
 
Ningxia catches up on learning Arabic as region tries to forge closer ties with the Arab world
 
Anchor:
The China-Arab States Expo has come to a conclusion in Ningxia.
As CRI's Jordan Lee reports, the event has opened a window for those looking to capitalize on closer ties between the two sides.
Reporter:
23-year-old Zhou Xing is a translator for the Kuwaiti delegation at the China-Arab States Expo.
The soft-spoken young man attends the Arabic school at Ningxia University.
He says the experience has helped his studies.
"Arabic is not my mother tongue, and I am not even learning it in a native speakers' environment. So what I have learnt is basically textbook stuff. But to become fluent in Arabic, i think i really need to practice the language on practical uses like translating at the expo."
There are now 28 universities across China that offer Arabic language courses.
They are catering to the growing number of Gulf-bound businesses, which are still predominantly located on China's east coast.
But in Ningxia, located in western China, many students are also beginning to study Arabic as a way to improve their career prospects.
It's widely felt the China-Arab States Expo this year is going to open the door for more opportunities for China's western regions.
Ningxia University now has 280 Arabic students, more than 14 times the amount that existed before the expo was first established three years ago.
Dr. Ma Zhanming, director of the Ningxia Arabic Studies Center, says Ningxia has an opportunity to distinguish itself as a strategic location for Arabic learners.
"The Arab people feel close to Muslims, even if they are from other nations. The common faith in Islam brings Ningxia closer to their cultural acceptance. I met some Arab university presidents at this expo, they are readily willing to offer students here to study in their schools."
Ningxia has over 2 million members of the Hui ethnic minority.
Hui are Chinese Muslims.
As Muslims, the study of the Koran is meant to be done in Arabic.
As such, the local Hui population has already blended a lot of Arabic phrases into their everyday language.
But many, including Zhou Xing, have not had any prior opportunity to converse with native Arabic speakers.
Dr. Ma Zhanming says the China-Arab Expo has not only opened up Ningxia's economy, but has also fostered better cultural understanding.
"The meeting between different people has in effect made each more understandable in the other's eyes. Every culture has its downside, but you can also find those parts that are enlightening and inspirational. Learning all this is the basis on which you build ties and determine how deep you can go with the ties."
Since the former China-Arab States Economic and Trade Forum opened in 2010, over 200 Arab dignitaries have visited Ningxia.
Some 6-thousand business leaders from the Arab world have also traveled to the region.
While 23-year-old Zhou is looking forward to one day studying in an Arab state, if and when he goes, the people he will leave behind will also have a growing opportunity to learn about the Arab world at home.
For CRI, I'm Jordan Lee.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Stocks 
 
Stocks here in Asia rallied today, as in the rest of the world, on the Fed's surprise announcement that it will maintain its stimulus package.
Markets here on the mainland and South Korea failed to capitalize on the news, as they are closed for the Mid Autumn Festival.
Traders in Hong Kong kept busy this Thursday, though, with the Hang Seng surging 1.7 percent.
Elsewhere here in Asia,
Japan's Nikkei jumped by 1.9%
The Straits Times Index in Singapore gained 1.7%
And in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 1.1%
 
 
US Central Bank keeps bond purchases unchanged
 
In a surprising move, the U.S central bank has decided to keep its bond purchases program in-place.
The Fed is citing a lack of any breakthrough in the economy's recovery.
The Federal Reserve has been buying-back 85-billion US dollars worth of its own T-bonds every month.
Fed Chair Ben Bernanke.
"Conditions in the job market today are still far from what all of us would like to see. The unemployment rate is not necessarily a great measure in all circumstances of the state of the labor market overall. So what we will be looking at is the overall labor market situation, including unemployment rate, but including other factors as well, but in particular there is not any magic number that we are shooting for, we are looking for overall improvement in the labor market."
Tight fiscal policy and higher mortgage rates have also been cited as a factor in keeping the stimulus program in effect.
Most economists had been expecting a scaling back of the program at this month's meeting.
Meanwhile, the Fed has updated its economic forecast for the US.
It's cut its growth projections for this year to a range of between 2 to 2.3 percent.
This is down from the 2.3 to 2.6 percent projection in June.
The prediction for next year's economic performance has also been reduced to 2.9 to 3.1 percent.
 
 
Asian Currencies surge on back of Fed Surprise
 
Indonesia's rupiah has hit a 15-month high following the Federal Reserve's announcement its is going to maintain its stimulus program for the time-being.
The currency has risen 1.7-percent against the US dollar on the domestic market.
The rupiah had been hammered so far this year, tumbling 12-percent against the US dollar.
This has pushed up inflation dramatically, as the country relies heavily on both imported food and fuel.
Alongside the surge in the value of the rupiah, the Indonesian stock market has also rallied, with the Jakarta Composite Index jumping 4.5-percent in Thursday trading.
This is the biggest gain for the Index in nearly two years.
Meanwhile, Malaysia's ringgit has advanced 2.3-percent against the US dollar.
The Thai bhat hs gained 2-percent.
 
 
Morning Call-In SOE performance
 
Anchor:
State-owned enterprises here in China are recording profit increases over nearly 10-percent so far this year.
However, there remains a discrepancy between the performance of SOEs administered by the central government and by that of local governments.
The profits of central government-run SOEs have increased by 16.6-percent year on year.
Local government-controlled SOEs have seen their profits drop by 5.3-percent year on year.
For more on the disparity, CRI's Rebecca Hume spoke earlier with CRI's financial commentator Cao Can.
…
CRI's financial commentator Cao Can, speaking with CRI's Rebecca Hume.
 
 
China Huishan Dairy to raise $1.3 billion in IPO in HK
 
Huishan Dairy Holdings has raised 1.3-billion US dollars in its initial public offering in Hong Kong.
Huishan and its investors have sold 3.8-billion shares at the top end of the range.
This makes it the biggest IPO since Sinopec raised 1.8-billion US dollars in May.
The shares have sold for 17-times Huishan's estimated earnings for this year.
As per the prospectus, the company will start trading on Friday of next week.
 
 
Goldman Sachs to start Asia Hedge Fund
 
Goldman Sachs is reportedly raising capital for a new Asian hedge fund.
Oryza Capital will be overseen by two teams, with one based in Tokyo and the other in Hong Kong.
The fund has been launched amid renewed investor interest in Japan in the wake of Tokyo's Olympic bid success and the initial indicators of recovery in the Japanese economy.
Inflows of hedge fund-based assets increased to close to 100-billion US dollars as of the end of June.
This is the highest amount of inflows since before the financial crisis hit in late 2008.
 
 
Japan exports rose most since 2010
 
Japan's exports have seen their biggest rise since 2010 this past month, rising almost 15 percent year on year through August.
This makes August the 6th consecutive month of increases in Japanese exports, largely owing to strengthening US demand.
Shipments to China have also jumped 16-percent year on year.
The yen's 20-percent drop against the US dollar last year has help increase Japanese exporters' competitiveness, despite rising costs in the wake of the collapse of the nation's nuclear power industry.
 
 
Campaigners mark anniversary of Occupy Wall Street
 
Around 100 Occupy Wall Street campaigners have returned to the small plaza near the New York Stock Exchange to mark the second anniversary of the movement.
An "assembly for the 99 percent" has been held at Zuccotti Park.
Members of the group say, as a movement, they are evolving.
"At year two it's more about building relationships and people are getting more used to each other. So I guess year two is not as aggressive and intense as the first year was, but I feel like this year is progressive or even more progressive as the first year."
"Just by assembling in a park we're able to change the conversation, and inspired by that we see that we can change other things. It's not about the direct material things we do; it's more about the culture that we're transmitting."
The protest in New York was originally launched to try to draw attention to financial mismanagement in the US banking sector.
It later spread to other cities in the US.
However, after some of the other protests turned violent, the eventual movement was shut down by local authorities.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
UN: Report on Syrian chemical attacks indisputable
 
The UN is moving to defend its report into the chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of the Syrian capital Damascus.
A spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Martin Nesieky says the findings in that report are indisputable.
The remarks follow Syrian President Bashar Assad's public questioning of the UN report.
In an interview with an American TV station, Assad says he's wary of video and photographic evidence which has been presented after-the-fact.
Assad insists his forces have not used chemical weapons.
Assad also says he wants the United States to foot-the-bill for the destruction of his country's chemical weapons stockpiles, which he estimates would cost around 1-billion US dollars.
Meanwhile, Russia's foreign minister has issued a new statement, saying the Russian side has evidence the Syrian rebels have been using chemical weapons as a way to try to provoke international intervention in the conflict.
 
 
Iran's new president pledges to never develop nuclear weapons
 
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has issued a new statement, saying Iran will never develop nuclear weapons.
Rouhani also says he has full authority to make a deal with International powers about his country's nuclear program.
Speaking with NBC News, Rouhani has also revealed some of his initial interactions with U.S. President Barack Obama.
Rouhani says in his letter of congratulations after his election, Obama wrote the Iranians understand the nuclear issue is "a far larger issue for the US chemical weapons."
Pundits have been speculating the exchange of letters between Obama and Rouhani may pave the way for a possible meeting between the two at UN headquarters in New York next week.
The presidents of the US and Iran haven't met since the US broke off diplomatic ties with Iran in 1979.
 
 
Police officer shot dead as security forces surround Islamist stronghold in Egypt
 
Egyptian security forces are surrounding a town outside Cairo after exchanging fire with armed men.
A senior police officer has been killed in the assault.
Security forces are deployed around the town of Kerdasa in an attempt to drive away suspected Islamic militants.
Kerdasa is said to be a strong-hold of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Authorities are urging people in the area to stay indoors to avoid the crossfire.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian government has shortened the curfew currently in-place in 14 governorates.
Egyptian authorities brought in the curfew over a month ago as part of a state of emergency declared after the break-up of the pro-Morsi sit-ins.
 
 
Asian Currencies surge on back of Fed Surprise
 
Asian currencies have experienced a surge on back of the Federal Reserve's announcement its is going to maintain its stimulus program for the time-being.
Indonesia's rupiah has hit a 15-month high, rising 1.7-percent against the US dollar on the domestic market.
Alongside the surge in the value of the rupiah, the Indonesian stock market has also rallied, with the Jakarta Composite Index jumping 4.5-percent in Thursday trading.
This is the biggest gain for the Index in nearly two years.
Meanwhile, Malaysia's ringgit has advanced 2.3-percent against the US dollar.
The Thai bhat hs gained 2-percent.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
Xinhua
"Airlines advertise moon view for festival"
Airlines in China are offering seats on flights where passengers can get a clear view of the moon on Thursday, the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival also known as the Moon Festival.
Thursday is the first day of the three-day holiday for the festival.
The moon will be in its biggest and brightest phase of the year on Thursday night. , According to meteorologists, the best time for observing it is from 7 pm on Thursday to 2 am on Friday.
Several airlines, including China Southern, China Eastern and Shandong Airlines, joined the promotion campaign.
To have a better view, passengers should sit on the right side of cabins for flights flying north or east, and on the left for those heading south or west. They should also avoid seats near the wings.
Xinhua
"Facebook COO: women should 'lean in'"
Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg is calling on Chinese women to step up and "sit at the table" if they want successful careers and break free from their self-limitations.
While visiting China to promote her new book "Lean In," Sandberg said women can often sabotage their success by limiting their own potential or not taking advantage of opportunities.
Sandberg said she believes China's strong economic growth should be partly attributed to the high rate of female participation in the workforce.
But active participation by women in the workforce hasn't resulted in a high percentage of female leaders. China's ranking on the World Economic Forum's gender equality index fell to 69th last year from 57th in 2008.
Sandberg noted the "leadership ambition gap" between men and women, adding that people are so accustomed to having men as leaders that women are often plagued by self-doubt before they can even rise to leadership.
India Express
"E-readers may help dyslexics read more easily"
A new study suggests electronic devices may help those with dyslexia improve their reading speed and comprehension.
The team discovered that when e-readers are set up to display only a few words per line, some people with dyslexia can read more easily, quickly and with greater comprehension.
Dyslexia is marked by an inability to concentrate on letters within words or words within lines of text. Another element is known as visual crowding - the failure to recognise letters when they are cluttered within the word.
Using short lines on an e-reader can alleviate these issues and promote reading by reducing visual distractions within the text.
The study examined the role the small hand-held reader had on comprehension, and found that in many cases the device not only improved speed and efficiency, but improved abilities for the dyslexic reader to grasp the meaning of the text.
Researchers added for those who don't have these issues, the study showed that the traditional ways of displaying text are better.
 
 
Special Report
 
 
Hong Kong Moon Cakes
 
Anchor:
Today marks the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional holiday for friends and families getting together and enjoying a traditional snack known as mooncakes.
Now, thanks to one Hong Kong businesswoman, dogs are getting involved in the fun.
CRI's Li Dong explains.
Reporter:
Mooncakes - rich confections of bean paste, egg yolk, lotus seeds and sugar -　are traditionally enjoyed during the annual Moon festival, which is held of the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.
Now, this store in Hong Kong has started holding unique cooking classes to teach dog owners how to cook the delicacy for their pets.
The mooncakes' round-shape is inspired by the Chinese pronunciation of unity, "tuan yuan", with "yuan" meaning round.
For these dog owners, family unity includes their pets. So their lucky animal-members won't be missing out on any of the festival's traditional dish. Ricky Wong is a dog owner taking the cooking classes.
"I think he will like these mooncakes, since he has eaten mooncakes before and liked them very much. So I decided to try making mooncakes myself. I'll be happy if I can bake them myself."
Another dog owner, Camille Lin, is confident her pup will enjoy the festive treats.
"Actually, my dog loves eating every kind of food, especially chicken. The mooncakes we are baking today are made out of sweet potatoes, tuna and duck--these are foods he loves. "
Creating mooncakes that a dog can eat is no easy task, and the ingredients have to be carefully chosen.
In this workshop, store owner, Anne Chan, gets members to mix sweet potato or potato with canola oil and cake flour, rolling the mixture into balls before flatten them. Then, duck meat or tuna is added.
Chan feels the experience of making mooncakes for pets helps to build a warm relationship between dog and owner.
"They are fascinated during the whole process. If we just go out and buy mooncakes for the dog, it takes very little time. But when we make mooncakes ourselves at home, the dog will sit alongside, enjoying the process. When you look at him waiting for the mooncakes, you'll also feel very happy."
So how does she make mooncakes appetizing for the dogs? Chan says:
Act4 Chinese Male
"Actually, it's very easy--we add meat. For example, we bought duck and we shredded and baked it. When the duck comes out the oven, the dogs fall for the smell, even if there is no sweetener."
The Chinese Moon Festival falls on September 19; a date, no doubt, both humans and their four-pawed companions have marked on their calendars this year!
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Former heavyweight champion Ken Norton dies at age 70
 
Boxing hall of famer Ken Norton passed away at the age of 70 yesterday.
The former heavyweight champion had a record of 42-7-1 with 33 knockouts, and a total of three fights with Muhammad Ali.
Norton broke Ali's jaw during their first fight in 1973, winning by split decision. Their second fight was six months later, which saw Ali win by split decision.
The pair's final fight came a few years later in 1976. Ali narrowly won that to retain his heavyweight title.
Norton was declared champion by the World Boxing Council in 1977. But he lost the title after his defeat by Larry Holmes in what is now considered one of boxing's most epic heavyweight bouts.
The former US marine survived a near fatal car crash in 1986, but never regained full physical mobility.
 
 
Players look ahead to tomorrow's PGA Tour Championship
 
In golf,
The PGA Tour's elite are getting ready for tomorrow's start of the Tour Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tiger Woods nailed down the no. 1 seed for the third time in his career thanks to a solid season and his runner-up finish at The Barclays.
"Winning five times this year has been pretty good. To have the number one spot, basically just like the other four guys in the top five, we control our destiny. So looking forward to the week and getting started tomorrow."
Ａvery competitive field of 30 golfers will be battling for the two trophies-- the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup with its 10 million dollar bonus.
Masters champion Adam Scott commented on what's at stake.
"There's so much to play for. Two trophies here this week, and also potentially throwing my name in a player of the year debate, which I think is quite a prestigious honor amongst the company that I play golf against."
Adam Scott is one of the players with a chance at nabbing player of the year. The Australian has the green jacket as well as a win at the Barclays.
Phil Mickelson is another up for consideration, as he has the claret jug from the British Open and a win at the Phoenix Open.
But then there's Tiger Woods, the man who has won the award a total of ten times. A victory this weekend would give him six this year, including two Golf championships, and the players championship.
 
 
Spain and France advance to semifinals at EuroBasket 2013
 
In basketball,
Spain and France are through to the semifinals at the European Basketball Championship in Slovenia.
Yesterday's first quarterfinal wasn't even a close contest between defending champions Spain and Serbia.
Spain demolished the Serbian team 90-60.
The young Serbian team was simply outplayed across the board. Spain had a comfortable 48-23 lead at half-time largely thanks to Sergio Rodriguez's 14 points in the second quarter, and they never looked back.
In the night's second matchup, it was a hard-fought battle between France and hosts Slovenia.
Slovenia had the help of the Dragic brothers in the back-court, but France's NBA-infused lineup powered through for a 72-62 win.
France's Tony Parker contributed 27 points and assisted in a critical third quarter 10-0 run.
Later tonight, its more quarterfinal action as Lithuania takes on Italy, and Croatia faces Ukraine.
 
 
The Toronto Blue Jays squander 3-0 lead, fall to Yankees
 
In the MLB,
The Toronto Blue Jays wasted a 3-0 lead to lose to the New York Yankees 4-3 in the second game of their three-game series…
Fourth innings home runs by Colby Rasmus and Ryan Goins put the Blue Jays up 3-0, a lead they carried all the way into the eighth inning.
It looked like the Blue Jays would end up with a second straight shutout, but then New York rallied in the eighth.
Robinson Cano drove in the first run, Vernon Wells had a go-ahead two-run double, then Mariano Rivera earned a four-out save to help the Jays hold out for a 4-3 victory.
That win also snapped their four-game losing streak.
The Kansas City Royals are 2 1/2 games back in the wild-card standings after beating the Cleveland Indians 7-2. Royals pitcher Bruce Chen said every game is a must-win from this point on since the Royals are hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since1985.
Also moving ahead in the American League wild-card race, the Tampa Bay Rays posted a 4-3 victory over the Texas Rangers to take over the top spot. Texas still has a half-game lead over Cleveland, after their loss to the Royals.
 
 
Chelsea suffers at-home defeat and Messi scores fourth tournament hat-trick
 
Earlier in the UEFA Champions League,
Chelsea suffered a shocking 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Swiss side FC Basel. Manager Jose Mourinho said the loss has not destroyed the club's confidence.
"The objective of finishing in the top two in the group phase and to go to the next stage of the Champions League is an objective that is not lost, far from it. And this is an objective we're going to fight for and it's an objective that I believe very, very much that we're going to achieve."
Arsenal beat Marseille 2-1 in the start of their Champions League campaign.
Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger said his side was able to capitalize on Marseille's mistakes in the second half.
"I felt we were a bit within ourselves in the first half, a bit timid, and that Marseille was more mobile and first on the ball. They dropped in the second half and we could take advantage of our strong moments in the game and that got us three very important points."
And in group H, Barcelona began their campaign by routing Ajax 4-0.
Lionel Messi commemorated what was his 80th Champions League match with a hat trick, becoming the only player to have scored a hat-trick four times in the tournament.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Phyllis Logan on 'Downton Abby' season 4
 
British TV series 'Downton Abby' is set to resume shortly.
Scottish actress Phyllis Logan portrays warm-hearted housekeeper Mrs. Hughes in the period drama.
Fans are anticipating Mrs. Hughes and butler Mr. Carson will eventually hook up romantically.
However, Logan is playing coy on the subject.
"So many people really like the idea of Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes getting it together. But I don't know. Wouldn't that spoil it a bit? Because I think ... I don't know. The jury's out on this one for me still."
Logan also says Mrs. Hughes and Mr. Carson are reacting differently to Lady Mary's plight of being a widowed single parent.
"Mr. Carson is more affected I would say by this, because he is so fond of Mary. Mrs. Hughes isn't quite as fond of Mary. She's always saying to him: 'She's a bit of a madame," and he gets very upset because he's very fond of her."
Season 4 of "Downton" debuts on Sunday in the U.K.
It is set to resume airing in the US in early January.
 
 
Mad Men Final Season Broken into 2
 
Award-winning televisions series Mad Men is going to have its final season split into two.
The seventh and final season will now have a total of 14-episodes spread over the next 2-years.
The first 7-episodes will air in the spring.
The final-7 are scheduled to air in the spring of 2015.
Network executives with AMC says move is in response to the success 'Breaking Bad' has had in staggering its final season.
There are only 2-episodes left for 'Breaking Bad.'
 
 
Stephen King 'nervous' about reaction to Shining sequel
 
Stephen King admits he's nervous about the reaction he's going to receive to his forthcoming novel "Doctor Sleep."
"Doctor sleep" is a sequel to King's 1977 classic horror novel "The Shining".
King says he expects 95-percent of the reviews to be a comparison between the two books.
He says that is what's making him nervous.
King has also admitted to visiting literary websites to see what fans are saying about the book ahead of its publication.
Stephen King, now 65, contends the quality of his writing has improved since he wrote "The Shining" at the age of 28.
"The Shining" is a tale about a family's terrifying experiences at the Overlook Hotel.
"Doctor Sleep" follows the young boy who survived the horrific events of "The Shining."
"Doctor Sleep" is set for release on Tuesday.
 
 
Leonardo DiCaprio 'to star' as former US president
 
Leonardo DiCaprio has tapped himself to play the role of former US president Woodrow Wilson in a film that he will also produce.
Warner Brothers is in early negotiations to pick up the rights to the book 'Wilson'.
The presidential biography, written by A. Scott Berg, was published last week.
Wilson's time in office ran from 1913 to 1921.
He is best known for leading the US to join the allies in World War I.
He also created the US Federal Reserve system.
DiCaprio will produce the film along with writer A. Scott Berg.
DiCaprio is coming off the success of The Great Gatsby, which is based on F Scott Fitzgerald's classic American novel.
 
 
US Sam Rockwell- Actor on role in film 'A Single Shot'
 
American crime drama thriller "A Single Shot" is set for release.
The film tells the tale of a man who gets caught up in a tense cat-and-mouse struggle after mistakenly shooting a woman and then discovering a box of cash by her body.
Sam Rockwell plays the lead, who he describes as a "down-on-his-luck" anti-hero.
"He does something really terrible in the very beginning of the film. You could lose the audience right there because it's unforgivable what he does. But he's down on his luck and is trying to really get reunited with his family."
The 44-year-old says he's used to playing dark, off-kilter characters.
"It was kind of a very physical role; in the mud and rain. It was a lot of fun though. We talked about the ending. We changed the ending and then we felt that the ending in the book is really appropriate and we decided to stick with it. We were worried it could be too dark for audiences. So we took the gamble."
"A Single Shot" hits theatres in the US on Friday.
 
 
Giant fire dragon unleashed on Hong Kong streets for mid-autumn festival
 
Hundreds of performers have carried a giant fire dragon through the streets of Hong Kong to celebrate the Mid-Autumn festival, which falls on today.
The 67-metre long dragon was studded with burning joss sticks.
The ritual dates back to the 19th century when the giant fire dragon was said to defeat a plague.
 
 
That's it for this edition of the BJH
A quick recap of the headlines BEFORE WE GO...
The United Nations is moving to defending its inspectors work on the chemical weapons attack in Syria.
Iran's President has gone on-record saying his country will never produce nuclear weapons.
This year's China-Arab States expo has come to a conclusion in Ningxia.
In Business, the US Fed shocks the markets by maintaining its bond-buying program.