新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2013/10/06

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition
 
 
Today is Wednesday, October 16th, 2013.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has wrapped up his 3-nation tour of Southeast Asia.
The latest negotiations among Iran and the P5+1 are heading into their 2nd day later on today in Geneva amid some optimism.
House lawmakers in the US could vote later on this morning on a new plan to avoid the impending debt ceiling.
In Business.... the Chinese and British governments have unveiled new collaborative economic plans.
In sports... a Kobe-less Lakers squad went down to Golden State last night in NBA action here in Beijing.
In entertainment... UK band Muse is set to release a new concert film.
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be sunny today, with a high of 20 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be clear tonight with a low of 6
In Shanghai, it will be overcast today, 19 the high, and also overcast tonight, the low of 16 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will be cloudy in the daytime the temperature's at 19, and tonight also cloudy with a low of 5 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 31.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 25.
And in North America
New York, clear, with a high of 21 degrees.
Washington, overcast, highs of 22
Houston, thundershowers, 29.
Honolulu, overcast, 29.
Toronto, overcast, 16.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, clear, 27.
And Rio de Janeiro will be overcast with highs of 29 degrees Celsius.
 
 
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Please do keep in touch we always like to hear your comments and feedback on the show.
 
 
Top News
 
 
Q&A on Premier Li Keqiang's Southeast Asian Tour
 
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has wrapped up his first official visit to the Southeast Asia since taking office.
During his final stop in Vietnam, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has laid out a four-pronged proposal to try to deepen business cooperation between China and Vietnam.
The proposals include the establishment of working groups to cover maritime, onshore and financial cooperation, as well as a working group to facilitate overall trade.
Li Keqiang is also pressing for more mutual investment in areas such as transportation, communication and energy.
He's also calling for tighter ties with Vietnam through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The Chinese side has set a goal of increasing bilateral trade with Vietnam to 100-billion US dollars a year by 2017.
The proposals have been put forward during a luncheon with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
The meeting of the two Premiers is one of the last events Li Keqiang has taken part in as part of his 3-nation tour of Southeast Asia.
His tour also took him to Brunei and Thailand.
For more on the Chinese Premier's time in Southeast Asia, CRI's Zheng Chenguang spoke earlier with Dr. Zhang Xuegang, senior researcher with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.
(pik callin)
Dr. Zhang Xuegang, a senior research fellow with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations speaking with CRI's Zheng Chenguang.
 
 
China, India communicate closely on border affairs
 
The Chinese government is now gearing up for next week's visit by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Singh is due to make an official visit to China from Tuesday to Thursday of next week.
Issues connected to the disputed borders are expected to be one of the main talking points.
The Chinese foreign ministry has issued a new statement, saying the two sides remain in close contact with one-another in connection with border issues.
At the same time, cross-border trade is also expected to be a hot topic.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.
"As two of the largest developing countries, there is great potential for trade and economic cooperation. During Premier Li Keqiang's visit this May, they agreed to build industrial zones to set a united platform for two enterprises. We would like to strengthen cooperation with India, continue to expand markets and create opportunities for investment."
The reciprocal visit by Manmohan Singh next week will mark the first time since 1954 the Prime Ministers of India and China have visited one-another's countries in the same year.
 
 
World powers welcome proposal to resolve dispute over nuclear program
 
A leading Iranian nuclear negotiator says the P5+1 is welcoming a new proposal offered by Iran to resolve the dispute over its nuclear program.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is making the suggestion following the first day of negotiations between Tehran and the five permanent U.N. Security Council members, plus Germany.
"They welcomed the concept of the proposal, its framework and the seriousness of the Iranian delegation in delivering their proposal."
The P5+1 group is represented by EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton.
Her spokesperson says the first day of talks focused on very detailed technical aspects.
The discussions between the two sides will continue later in the morning in Geneva.
This is the first time Iran and the P5+1 have sat down to negotiate Iran's nuclear issues since the election of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
There has been a lot of anticipation about possible results stemming from this round of talks, as Rouhani has signalled a willingness to bring the dispute over his country's nuclear programs to a conclusion.
Previous rounds of talks among Iran and the P5+1 have generated little in the way of tangible headway.
 
 
Progress made toward ending a fiscal impasse:the White House
 
The US House of Representatives has cancled a vote scheduled for earlier this morning on a new plan to avoid the debt ceiling on Thursday.
Under the deal being put forward by House Republicans, the deal would fund the government through December 15th, rather than January 15th as first proposed by the Senate.
The move by the House of Representatives forced Senate Democrat leader Harry Reid and Republican Minority leader Mitch McConnel to suspend the negotiations they had going to try to bring the impasse to an end.
Ahead of the supension of the talks between the Senate leaders, the White House had been expressing optimism.
Spokesperson Jay Carney.
"We're encouraged by the progress that we've seen in the Senate, but we're far from a deal at this point, and so we hope that, we hope that progress continues."
If the Republican-controlled House passes the new bill, it could still be ammended by the Senate.
All this comes as the clock ticks toward the Thursday deadline to raise the debt ceiling.
A failure to do so would put the US government in default.
Ratings agencies are already warning of possible downgrades to the US credit rating as the debt ceiling looms.
 
 
Fitch: U.S. AAA rating on watch over debt debate
 
Ratings agency Fitch has put the United States AAA credit rating on negative watch due amid the political wrangling over raising the debt ceiling.
Fitch is also warning the prolonged debate will -quote – "risk undermining confidence in the role of the US dollar as the preeminent global reserve currency."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is also warning a ratings downgrade is likely.
A downgrade of the US credit rating could have a significant impact on US Treasuries.
Many large-scale institutional investors, such as pension funds, are not allowed to invest in products which don't carry a AAA rating.
This would put upward pressure on US T-bond yields, making it more expensive for the US government to borrow money.
 
 
Japanese PM delivers policy speech at special session of parliament
 
Japan's Prime Minister is promising more reforms and economic measures to pull Japan out of its long period of deflation.
In a speech to the opening of a new session of Parliament, Shinzo Abe is promising to increase help for the country's fisheries and agriculture sector.
Abe also says the government is doing its utmost to contain the radioactive water leaks from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
"I eat Fukushima rice at the prime minister's office every day. It's delicious. Do not be confused by rumours. I hope our consumers will continue to taste the good and safe agricultural and fishery products of Fukushima."
South Korea has already banned fish imports from Japan's northeastern coast, citing public concerns and insufficient information from Tokyo.
Japan's government considers the ban unscientific and unjustified.
Japan's Parliament is returning from a recess that follows the sweeping upper house election victory by Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party in July.
That victory has given his coalition bloc the majority in both houses, lowering hurdles for his government to pass key legislation.
However, security bills may take time to pass, as the party needs support from its pacifist-leaning coalition partner, New Komeito.
The 53-day session will last through early December.
 
 
93 people died in Central Philippines earthquake
 
The death toll from Tuesday's powerful earthquake in the Philippines has hit 93.
That figure is expected to rise, as communications throughout the region are still mostly cut off.
A 7.2-magnitude quake hit shortly before 8:30 Tuesday morning just off the central Philippine island of Bohol.
The quake was strong enough to topple a number of buildings in the region, which is a popular tourist spot.
"I grabbed my children by their shirts and ran away because our belongings started falling over and I saw our windows started to shatter near my feet."
A number of historic Catholic churches in Bohol and Cebu have suffered significant damage.
The quake also cut power and transport links.
President Benigno Aquino III is scheduled to visit the earthquake-damaged areas later on this Wednesday.
 
 
Senior al Qaeda figure pleaded not guilty in NY
 
An alleged senior al-Qaeda figure has pleaded not guilty in federal court in New York to allegations he was involved in the 1998 bombing of the U.S. embassy in Kenya.
The plea from Nazih al-Ragye, better known as Abu Anas al-Liby, comes 10 days after US special forces captured him in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
Citing poor health conditions, the US military transferred him to civilian authorities after a week's worth of interrogation.
US officials aren't saying whether al-Liby cooperated with U.S. interrogators or provided them with any intelligence of value.
U.S. officials contend al-Liby has remained a significant figure in al-Qaeda.
They allege he served as a liaison between militant groups in Libya and North Africa and Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Ayman al-Zawahiri became the defacto leader of al-Qaeda's core organization after the death of Osama bin Laden.
 
 
China marks 10 years of manned spaceflight
 
Anchor:
Chinese space authorities have marked the 10-year anniversary Tuesday of China's first manned space flight.
CRI's Ding Lulu has more on what has been achieved, and what we can expect as far as China's space exploration goals are.
Reporter:
On 15th October 2003, China's first astronaut, Yang Liwei boarded Shenzhou-5 spacecraft and spent 21 hours in the space.
"When the spacecraft approached China, I tried to stay closer to the window to get a better view. I could see the mountains and rivers clearly. At that time I felt I was heading home and a sense of proud."
The groundbreaking mission made China the third country in the world able to carry out a manned spaceflight program independently, following Russia and the Untied States.
Since then, Shenzhou aircrafts have sent a couple of astronauts into space including Zhai Zhigang who floated out of the orbiter and made China's first spacewalk.
In 2011, China launched its first orbiting space module Tiangong-1 which was designed to show the basic technologies for a space station.
With the successful automatic and manual docking of Shenzhou spacecrafts to Tianggong-1, China has demonstrated the key technologies required to provide supplies to an orbiting space module.
Liu Yang, one of the astronauts who boarded the Shenzhou-9, became China's first female space traveler.
"I felt very existed when I entered the space. It is much easier to do things in space, I could fly around in the orbiter. At that time, I felt like a Kongfu master."
Until this year, China has sent a total of 10 astronauts including two females into space on five separate missions.
During this year's 15-day Shenzhou-10 mission, the country's second female astronaut Wang Yaping taught students a lesson through a live video feed system.
With Tiangong-1 about to wrap up its time in space, Wang Zhaoyao from China Manned Space Engineering Office says the country's space program will be on a fast track.
"According to the planning of China's manned space program, next we will start research and construction of a space lab. The plan is to launch Tiangong-2 space module around 2015. We are also working on the construction of a manned space station. Around 2018, we plan to launch a core module for the space station. By 2020, the construction of a space station is expected to be done."
China also plans to send an unmanned space probe to the moon later this year in what will be the country's first lunar landing.
 
 
London promotion website launched in China
 
Anchor:
A Chinese-language website for the City of London has been officially launched here in Beijing.
London Mayor Boris Johnson has unveiled the new site, London.cn, as part of his current six-day visit to China.
CRI's Xie Zhao has more.
Report:
Gordon Innes, is CEO of London & Partners, an official promotional organization for London.
He says with the number of Chinese visitors and students increasing, they came up with the idea to launch the official Chinese-language website for London.
"We've seen a very significant growth in Chinese visitors to London, particularly since London Olympics 2012. So in the last year alone, we see 38% increase in Chinese visitors coming into London. We have also seen a very significant growth in Chinese students coming to London. Increasingly, Chinese are able to send their Children abroad for education and looking to do that to get international experience."
Gordon Innes, says the official website can be used to communicate with Chinese audiences effectively.
The site highlights why London is a great place to visit and why London is a good place for Chinese students to study.
For example, Chinese students can find information regarding London Universities.
"It(the website) provides the information on the Universities in London. It provides information on the courses you can study. London is well known among Chinese students for its business, engineering.
Increasingly, we've seen a lot of Chinese students studying creative arts."
Aside from students, the website targets Chinese tourists and tour operators.
"The information they gain is about how you can book your trip to make it easy to come to London. But also about fantastic offer that's available what you can do when you get to London. "
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Stock
 
Anchor:
First off, a check on the stock market of North America and Europe.
Join me on the desk, CRI's Hu Jia.
Reporter:
U.S. stocks fell sharply Tuesday as investors grew jittery about the possible derailment of negotiations to break the debt-ceiling standoff in Washington.
Investors have also become frustrated as the first partial government shutdown in 17 years drags on.
Thursday is the deadline set by the U.S. Treasury Department to raise the federal borrowing limit, or risk defaulting on the nation's debt.
While all this takes place, the earnings-season continues on Wall Street.
Among Dow components reporting results,
Coca-Cola edged down just slightly, as the beverage giant's earnings and revenues have come in line with expectations.
Johnson & Johnson advanced just 0.1 percent, even though its results topped forecasts and the company raised its full-year earnings outlook.
When the market closed,
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.9 percent.
The S&P 500 dropped 0.7 percent.
The Nasdaq lost 0.6 percent.
In Canada, the S&P/TSX was up 0.3 percent
European stock markets moved higher on Tuesday on the back of new German economic data.
The ZEW sentiment survey shows the economic expectations indicator rose further above its long-term average in October, to 52.8 points from 49.6 points in September--beating economists' expectations for an unchanged reading.
Germany's DAX 30 index jumped 0.9 percent.
The U.K.'s FTSE 100 picked up 0.6 percent while France's CAC 40 rose 0.8 percent.
 
 
Call-in with Ben
 
Anchor:
The Chinese and British governments have unveiled an initiative meant to try to make London the main centre for Chinese financial business overseas.
As part of the plan, the Chinese government will allow London-based investors the right to buy up to 13-billion US dollars worth of mainland stocks, bonds and money market instruments.
George Osborne is the UK's Chancellor of Exchequer.
"The internationalisation of the renminbi (RMB), the use of London as the pre-eminent centre outside of China and Hong Kong for that business is a huge boon for British financial services for Britain as a centre of global finance and that is something which of course is all about involvement in the Chinese economy."
The agreement comes as part of the Chinese government's Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor plan.
This is the first time the RQFII has expanded outside of Hong Kong.
In return, the British government has agreed to start talks to allow Chinese banks to set up wholesale units in the UK.
The two sides have also inked an agreement which will see Chinese firms participate in the construction of a nuclear power facility in the UK.
For more on this, we're joined live now by Benjamin Cavender, associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai.
Questions:
1. So London and Beijing will allow the yuan to be traded against sterling directly, how will this impact on trade between the two countries, and the exchange rate?
2. The British government agreed to clear hurdles for Chinese banks to set up wholesale branches in the United Kingdom, but it didn't give a timetable for that. When is it going to happen? And how will banks from other countries react to that?
3. This is the first time the RQFII has expanded outside Hong Kong. Will we see the RQFII program expanding even further?
Back Anchor:
Benjamin Cavender, associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai.
 
 
Italy's cabinet passes 2014 budget law with tax, spending cuts
 
Italy has passed its budget for next year.
The new budget will cut 6.7 billion US dollars worth of personal income tax and 7.6 billion dollars in corporate taxes over the next 3 years.
This will cut the overall tax burden in Italy by 1-percent to 43.3 percent both for households and businesses.
The new budget will also reduce Italy's deficit to GDP ratio to 2.5-percent next year, putting the country below the EU limit of 3 percent.
To attain the goals, the Italian government is cutting government spending by 4.7-billion US dollars.
About 675 million US dollars worth of state-owned real estate will also be auctioned off.
 
 
EU officials comment after approving creation of a centralised banking supervisor
 
Finance ministers in the EU have taken the first step toward the eventual creation of a banking union.
The finance ministers have approved the creation of a Single Supervisory Mechanism.
This will allow the European Central Bank to directly oversee the 130 biggest banks in the European Union.
Wolfgang Schaeuble is Germany's Finance Minister.
"Today is an important day. Formally it's not concluded yet, but there are no more problems. We are going to lay the first bricks of the banking union, with the legislative conclusion of the Single Supervisory Mechanism, so that the ECB will have its legal basis to start its work."
The Single Supervisory Mechanism will begin operating next year.
Authorities are now in the process of assessing the balance sheets of all European banks in a bid to evaluate possible capital shortfalls.
Luis De Guindos is Spain's Finance Minister.
"The Spanish finance system is ready to deal with this revision, this exam, before the European Central Bank takes control of supervision. But there is a fact, in worldwide capital markets, for example in the recent IMF meeting, there were more doubts that in European capital, the review and the valuation of assets had not been as thorough as in the United States."
The eventual banking union is desgined to come to the rescue if any bank falls short of credit.
The centralized authority will also prop up ailing lenders.
This would spare European taxpayers from most of the cost if any bank fails.
Finance ministers are still trying to reach an agreement on how to design and fund the rescue authority.
 
 
Auto industry strike officially ends in South Africa
 
A month-long strike buy South African auto workers has officially come to an end.
South Africa's Retail Motor Industry, which represents car makers, has signed-off on a 3-year deal with the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa.
Under the deal, autoworkers in South Africa will get a 10-percent retroactive pay hike this year, on top of an 8-percent pay bump in the following 2-years of the contract.
Workers at 7 different automakers in South Africa walked off the job 4-weeks ago.
The job action eventually led to similar strikes in the auto component and retail sectors in South Africa.
It's believed the job action cost the South African auto industry some 2-billion US dollars in lost revenues.
 
 
Vodafone to invest over $2 billion in India: Kapil Sibal
 
India's telecom minister has confirmed a major overseas investment in that country's telcommunications sector.
Kapil Sibal has confirmed British-based Vodafone has plans to invest more than 2 billion US dollars in India's telecom sector.
"Vodafone is bringing in more than a couple of billion dollars. I did not say what they will buy out, what they will not buy out, but they will bring in investment and take advantage of the 100 percent FDI that is now in place."
India's mobile phone market is the world's second-largest, behind only China.
Kapil Sibal conceeds the Indian telecom market is over-saturated.
"I do believe that the market is too crowded, which is again the reason why your spectrum cannot be shared, once we have sharing of spectrum, once we have acquisition and merger policy, which is liberal, once all liberalized spectrum shall not be paid for, you will see a lot of players who cannot compete with others will actually drop out and therefore the market will consolidate."
The Indian government has been pressing for consolidation in the telecom sector.
Vodafone current has around 17 percent of India's mobile market share.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Li raises four-point proposal on upgrading China-Vietnam business cooperation
 
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has laid out a four-pronged proposal to try to deepen business cooperation between China and Vietnam.
The proposals include the establishment of working groups to cover maritime, onshore and financial cooperation, as well as a working group to facilitate overall trade.
Li Keqiang is also pressing for more mutual investment in areas such as transportation, communication and energy.
The proposals have been put forward during a luncheon with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, which marked the end of Li Keqiang's 3-nation tour of Southeast Asia.
 
 
World powers have "very detailed technical discussions" with Iran: Ashton's spokesman
 
The latest negotiations among Iran and the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany, are heading into their 2nd day later on today in Geneva.
The P5+1 group is represented by EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton.
Her spokesperson says the first day of talks focused on very detailed technical aspects.
The discussions between the two sides will continue later in the morning in Geneva.
This is the first time Iran and the P5+1 have sat down to negotiate Iran's nuclear issues since the election of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
 
 
Fitch: U.S. AAA rating on watch over debt debate
 
Ratings agency Fitch has put the United States AAA credit rating on negative watch due amid the political wrangling over raising the debt ceiling.
Fitch is also warning the prolonged debate will -quote – "risk undermining confidence in the role of the US dollar as the preeminent global reserve currency."
A downgrade of the US credit rating could have a significant impact on US Treasuries.
Many large-scale institutional investors, such as pension funds, are not allowed to invest in products which don't carry a AAA rating.
This would put upward pressure on US T-bond yields, making it more expensive for the US government to borrow money.
 
 
1 dead, 18 missing as Panamanian-registered cargo ship sinks off S. Korea
 
One Chinese sailor is dead and 17 others are missing after their boat sank in Pohang harbor in South Korea on Tuesday.
Only the body of the capitan of the cargo ship has been recovered.
The ship belongs to the Lishen International Shipping Group out of Zhejiang.
The cargo vessel encountered problems with its anchor during a storm yesterday afternoon while in Pohang harbor.
It later sank amid high winds and waves.
South Korean authorities have dispatched helicopters and submarines to search for possible survivors.
However, the strong storms have hampered the search efforts.
 
 
Woman dies from dengue fever in Taiwan
 
The first fatality of the year from Dengue fever has been reported on Taiwan.
A 76-year old woman has succombed to the virus after contracting it earlier this month.
The elderly woman lived in the city of Pingtung, which lies on the outskirts of Kaohsiung.
She reportedly suffered from high blood pressure.
There have been 164 cases of Dengue fever reported on Taiwan so far this year.
Dengue is a mosquito-borne virus which is common in tropical and sub-tropical climates.
Around 100-million people contract the disease every year globally.
 
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Information transparency vital for image
Summary
The State Council is putting out a new call for local governments to improve their information transparency to deal with public concerns.
The cabinet is recommending local governments tap into social media.
This comes amid growing complaints about the timely release of information by a number of local governments.
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Over 6-million cash found under bed
Summary
A landlord in the city of Dongguan in Guangdong has discovered over 6-million yuan in cash stashed in four boxes after his tenant left the apartment without notice.
The police believe the money is from illegal sources.
The authorities have moved the money into a local bank account.
YANZHAO METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Reduce steel production to 80 million tons
Summary
The State Council has unveiled a new set of plans to try to deal with overcapacity in the steel industry.
A glut of steel production has left many steel producers suffering heavy losses and relying on government subsidies to keep afloat.
Only around 70-percent of the steel produced here in China is being used.
CHONGQING MORNING POST
Headline
Thousands of retired cars missing in Chongqing
Summary
The report is suggesting around 70-thousand so-called retired cars are finding their way back onto the second hand car market instead of legal car dismantling factories.
The refurbished vehicles are often poorly reconditioned and re-sold in rural areas at low prices.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Airport bomber sentenced
Summary
Ji Zhongxing has been sentenced to 6-years in jail.
The wheelchair-bound man set off home made explosives at the Beijing airport in July, severely injuring himself and causing minor injuries to a police officer.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
New water backup source
Summary
Shanghai water authorities are now looking at the Taipu River as a backup for the residental water supply, which is currently the Huangpu River.
A new reservoir will be built near the river to link the system.
The Taipu River will be used if the Huangpu runs into pollution problems.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Battle with killer hornets
Summary
A recent outbreak of killer hornets in southern Shaanxi are being blamed on imports from Italy by beekeepers, who have been using them for honey production.
The hornets eat the larvae of other insects and have no natural enemies.
As a result, there's been a dramatic increase in the number of hornets, whose stings are potentially deadly.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
"I'm FINished with Fins" Shark Campaign to Reduce Shark Fin Demand
 
Anchor:
A public awareness campaign against shark finning has officially come to a conclusion.
As CRI's Zhang Ru reports, while the official campaign is done, the hundreds of thousands of people who support the cause plan to keep up their fight against shark finning.
Reporter:
Following WildAid's "When the Buying Stops, the Killing Can, Too" campaign, which was led by retied NBA star, Yao Ming, "I'm FINished" continues to raise awareness about the damage that shark hunting for the sole purpose of meeting the demand for shark fin soup is a practice that is killing the ocean and should be socially unacceptable.
The campaign launched three weeks ago in Shanghai, with the opening event, titled "Happy Family," being hosted by five cast-members from the wildly popular Chinese television show, "Happy Camp." The five hosts also posted their portraits, in which each person had a hand over his or her mouth in protest of eating shark fin soup, across social media platforms.
"Happy Camp" host, Du Haitao, says a total of 100 celebrities joined the campaign by posting photos of their mouths covered with their hands on microblog accounts during the past three weeks.
"We five members of 'Happy Family' have called for 100 celebrities to take part in the campaign. But the 100 people don't just represent themselves; they can influence their hundreds of thousands of fans."
At a ceremony held in Beijing marking the conclusion of the campaign, Zi Wen, chief representative of WildAid in China, announced that more than 360,000 people have participated in the campaign, pledging not to consume sharp fin soup.
"The biggest problem sharks are facing is human beings. Our demand for shark fin soup is leading to the extinction of sharks. Although the activity is coming to an end, our efforts to protect sharks will continue."
Hao Yi is one of the 360,000 people taking part in the protest. Influenced by her idols who took part in the campaign, she pledged not to consume shark fin soup by posting her picture with the iconic hand-over-mouth gesture. This picture earned her the "most innovative" award, offered by WildAid.
"I think spreading social awareness takes time. I just treat it as part of my everyday life. One day, you will find that what you're doing is not a trifle because you can influence those around you."
 
 
Sports
 
 
China and Indonesia draw in asian cup qualifying match
 
At the 2015 Asian Cup qualifying matches,
China and Indonesia drew 1-1 in their group C qualifier yesterday.
Indonesia were looking for their first win of the campaign, while China came into the match hoping for a second win to maintain momentum after beating Iraq.
China took the lead shortly after the half hour mark with a shot from Wu Xi.
Indonesia answered in the 67th minute when Ahmad Bustomi set captain Boas Solosso up with a perfectly-place header.
Chinese goalkeeper Zeng Cheng prevented a last minute score attempt by Nigerian-born Indonesian Greg Nwokolo.
Thus the match ended on a draw, with Indonesia securing their first point and China prevented from progressing out of the group.
Also in Group C, Iraq suffered its second loss of the campaign at the hands of Saudi Arabia, 2-0
In group A, Singapore beat Syria 2-1 for their first win. . And it was a goalless draw between Jordan and Oman, which means both teams are still technically unbeaten.
 
 
Brazil defeats Zambia 2-0 in Beijing
 
Also in football,
Tens of thousands of Chinese fans turned up to watch the friendly clash between Brazil and Zambia last night in Beijing.
A manager-less Zambia team defended well in the first half, but Brazil took over in the second half, winning 2-0.
Brazilian striker Neymar recovered from the hip injury he sustained in training last week, and kicked off the game with a narrow miss on goal.
The scores came in the second half, one from Emboaba Junior Oscar and the second from Dede
The world champions have now won ten of their last 11 games, and four of their past five friendlies.
 
 
Indonesian billionaire buys large stake in Italian football club Inter Milan
 
And Inter Milan owner Massimo Moratti inked a deal with Indonesian billionaire Erick Thohir giving his company a 70 percent share in the Italian club.
Thohir's company, International Sports Capital, now owns the majority stake, with 18-year owner Moratti retaining his 30 percent share.
The move was one of necessity, since Inter Milan is reportedly saddled with debts amounting to around 300 million euros.
 
 
Golden State Warriors defeat Lakers in first global game matchup
 
Last night the Golden State Warriors defeated the LA Lakers 100-95 in front of an enthusiastic sold-out crowd at Beijing's MasterCard Center.
The Warriors David Lee was a powerhouse in the low post, picking up 22 points in the first half alone.
At the half, the Lakers led by two and went on to extend that lead to 67-58 in the third.
But Warriors Stephen Curry came alive in the fourth quarter, and hit a deep three-pointer to tie up the score at 84, and then he echoed with a second three to take the final lead.
Lee led the Warriors in scoring with 31 points, and Curry added another 24.
I'm thankful we got the win. We were able to play our best half in the second half all preseason. So, it was an opportunity for us to get better and I'm just excited about the atmosphere we played in today."
Warriors head coach Mark Jackson was pleased with his team's performance, but was also full of praise for the fans.
"As a player and as a coach I had heard so much about the fans of China and they truly did not disappoint. Incredible throughout the streets. Incredible throughout out time here and especially during the game. Very passionate and they were excited to see us. ."
Next stop for the two California teams is Shanghai, where they will meet for one more preseason clash on Friday.
 
 
Benat Intxausti wins Tour of Beijing
 
Spanish cyclist Benat Intxausti of team Movistar won the Tour of Beijing yesterday after a final stage 117 kilometer ride through the heart of the city.
Argos-Shimano's Luka Mezgec launched a late sprint to win the final stage, after just missing out on an opening stage win.
In the first stage, I was really close so I knew that I could win here and today it happens on the last day of the season and on the world tour which is a really big success for me."
Intxausti finished in 28th place, but his ten-second overall lead secured him what is his biggest career stage-race victory so far.
Garmin-Sharp's Dan Martin finished in second, and Team Sky's David Lopez was third.
 
 
Dodgers and St. Louis go head to head in game 4
 
In major league baseball,
Boston and Detroit [GAME UPDATE]
And starting at 8:07 this morning, the Los Angeles Dodgers will try to even the score with the St. Louis Cardinals in game 4 of the National League Championship.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Rock Band Muse Announce Release Date for New Film
 
English rock band Muse will release the first-of-its-kind concert film next month titled Muse: Live at Rome Olympic Stadium July 2013.
A trailer for the film was uploaded to the internet when the band made the announcement.
The film will be comprised of concert footage taken from Muse's 2013 tour in which some crowd capacities reached 60-thousand Muse fans.
Though the idea is nothing new and bands have released these types of films before, what makes this special is the film was shot in ultra high definition, 4k resolution.
The super clean image boasts 4-times as many pixels as the current industry standard.
However, this creates a problem as most cinemas aren't equipped to properly screen the film.
Thus, Muse: Live at Rome Olympic Stadium will only hit 100 or so theaters worldwide.
 
 
Elysium Director Sued for Intellectual Property Theft
 
Screenwriter Steve Wilson Briggs is suing Elysium and District 9 filmmaker Neil Blomkamp for intellectual property theft.
(Elysium trailer)
Briggs claims Blomkamp, Sony Pictures, and Tri Star Pictures among other studios stole elements from an old script of his.
He says Blomkamp's film Elysium took the plot, characters, unusual settings, themes, conflict, catalyst, crisis, climax-twist, and character attributes from his 2005 script Butterfly Driver.
Actor Matt Damon starred Elysium, which came out this summer, and gave audiences a grim look at the future of Earth where the elite lived above the dying planet as the poor suffered on the surface.
Apparently there are many similarities between Blomkamp's Elysium and Briggs' Butterfly Driver, however it is not uncommon for a blockbuster film to encounter intellectual property lawsuits.
James Cameron's Avatar was met with several lawsuits claiming the Academy Award winning filmmaker had ripped off the work of others.
 
 
Comedian Ricky Gervais Performs Concert as Office Character
 
Comedian Ricky Gervais has performed for the first time as his alter-ego character David Brent from the UK version of The Office.
(Gervais clip)
Gervais took to the stage in character as the hilariously horrible boss from the show alongside drummer Andy Burrows from the UK band Razorlight.
The band went under the moniker David Brent and the Foregone Conclusion and sang songs such as Life on the Road, Lady Gypsy, and Free Love Freeway.
The band performed for an hour to a sold out Bloomsbury Theater.
The 500-fans were greeted with a 20-minute opening set by rapper/comedian Doc Brown.
During the Office's finale in 2003, Brent attempts to break into the music industry while trying to pick up the shards of his miserable, broken life.
Fortunately for fans, Gervais wants to follow-up on this premise by performing and releasing albums as the Office character.
 
 
Britney Spears Reveals New Album Info
 
Pop icon Britney Spears has announced the title of her upcoming 8th studio album will be Britney Jean.
(Spears clip)
Spears claims her new work is more personal saying only her family calls her Britney Jean.
She has also hinted fans can expect some big name collaborations on the new record though she remains tight-lipped about who exactly.
The new album comes out in December and is a follow-up to her 2011 record Femme Fatale.
Spears will soon be taking up a residency gig in Las Vegas.
 
 
Coldplay to be Honored for Hunger Games Song
 
UK band Coldplay will be honored at this year's Hollywood Film Awards for their song Atlas.
(Atlas clip)
The song, which was featured in the film adaptation of the Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire, won the band the Hollywood Song Award.
Lead singer Chris Martin is expected to accept the award on behalf of the band during the 17th annual event.
The band is expected to perform the song later on during the show.
Catching Fire opens in theaters in November.
Other award winners include director Steve McQueen for his work on 12 Years a Slave, and honors for Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey, and Jake Gyllenhaal.
 
 
Recapping our top headlines....
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has wrapped up his 3-nation tour of Southeast Asia.
The latest negotiations among Iran and the P5+1 are heading into their 2nd day later on today in Geneva amid some optimism.
House lawmakers in the US could vote later on this morning on a new plan to avoid the impending debt ceiling.
In Business.... the Chinese and British governments have unveiled new collaborative economic plans.