新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2013/10/22

 
The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition
 
 
Paul James with you on this Tuesday, October 22, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
India's Prime Minister is set to arrive here in China for an official visit today, with economic and border issues expected to dominate his agenda.
A major trade delegation from the Canadian province of British Columbia is arriving here in China today to promote wood products.
A terrorist attack has ripped through a public bus in southern Russia leaving a number of people dead and hurt.
In Business.... Chinese authorities are expected to vote this week on proposed changes to this country's consumer rights laws.
In sports... American golfer Michelle Wie has been tapped to be the ambassador for next year's Youth Olympics in Nanjing.
In entertainment... a sequel to the 80's cult classic film Beetlejuice is reportedly in the works.
First, let's check on what's happening on the weather front...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be overcast today, with a high of 15 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be overcast tonight with a low of 5
In Shanghai, it will be overcast today, 22 the high, and it will be cloudy tonight, the low of 17 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will see showers in the daytime the temperature's at 17, and tonight will be cloudy with a low of 2 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 29.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 26.
And in North America
New York, sunny, with a high of 18 degrees.
Washington, sunny, highs of 19
Houston, moderate rain, 26.
Honolulu, overcast, 29.
Toronto, moderate rain, 16.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, overcast, 19.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with highs of 34 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
China and India Will Impact Globally: India analyst
 
Anchor
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is set to begin an official visit here to China today.
As CRI's Marc Cavigli reports, Singh's time here is a reciprocal visit.
The visit comes in the wake of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to India in May.
The reciprocal visit by Manmohan Singh marks the first time since 1954 the Prime Ministers of India and China have visited one-another's countries within one year.
The Chinese government has issued a statement in advance of Singh's trip, saying communication will strengthen ties between the two sides.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.
"So we are highly looking forward to, through closely high-level communications and joint effort with India consistently enhancing strategic mutual trusts between China and India and consistently advancing practical cooperation between the two sides, deepening cultural and educational communication as well as exploring future strengthen communication and coordination on major global and regional issues in order to push forward the development of China-India relations."
On top of issues connected to the disputed border between China and India, economic cooperation is ecpected to be high on the agenda during Singh's time in China.
Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh.
"The adverse trade deficit that India faces with its exchanges with China is an issue of concern, which we have raised with China at several occasions on several levels. This is something that can be dealt with by enhancing Chinese direct investment into India."
Srikanth Kondapalli is a professor of Chinese Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
He says that a closer economic ties between China and India are important for both countries.
"There will be a lot of forward momentum in terms of the economic, trade and investments from either side. This is critical because both China and India are facing the effects of the global financial crisis. So both China and India think that number one they need to cooperate in economic aspects to overcome the global financial crisis."
Manmohan Singh's visit is taking place in tandem with the second meeting of the China-India CEOs Forum in Beijing.
That forum will include discussions about Chinese investment in India in the form of a potential industrial park.
Kondapalli says the Indian consumer market, with over 300 million people, should be an attractive prospect for Chinese investors.
Border issues are also expected to be high on Manmohan Singh's agenda.
Professor Kondapalli says if a new agreement is signed as part of the Indian Prime Minister's time here in China, it will build upon earlier gestures of cooperation.
"BDCA will enhance Confidence-Building Measures on the territory line between the two sides. In 1996, President Jiang Zemin visited India. During that time, India and China signed Confidence-Building Measures in the military field. Now, BDCA will be slightly having more number of CBMs as compared with the 1996 CBMs."
As the countries with the two largest populations in the world, professor Kondapalli says China and India have an opportunity to help shape the global agenda in the coming years.
"There is a suggestion that trans-Atlantic region is decreasing in terms of economic influence, while the Asia-Pacific region in terms of economic profile, and this is mainly led by China and India in terms of the economic growth rates. We have also been empowering people with human resource development. The literacy rates are increasing; health care related issues are increasing in China and India. This will have a long-term impact in terms of the global configuration."
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will stay in China until Thursday.
For CRI, I'm Marc Cavigli.
 
 
Canadian trade mission targets high-end wood sales to China
 
Political and business leaders from the West Coast Canadian province of British Columbia are arriving in Shanghai today to begin the China-leg of a new, high-end wood products trade mission.
The 10-day mission to China and Japan includes 25 top executives from Canada's forestry sector.
The delegation is arriving China today after a spending a few days in Japan.
Softwood lumber exports to China from British Columbia came in at over 1-billion Canadian dollars this past year.
Through the first seven months of this year, softwood lumber exports from BC to China have increased by 27 percent.
For more on the trade mission, we spoke earlier with Steve Thomson, British Columbia's Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
( QA with steve)
Steve Thomson, British Columbia's Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.
 
 
Suicide bombing killed six in Russia
 
There's been a terrorist attack in southern Russia.
A woman has blown herself up while boarding a bus in the southern Russian city of Volgograd, leaving at least 7-people dead.
Of the 32 others on the bus who survived the initial explosion, 8 of them are said to be in grave condition.
Vladimir Markin is a spokesperson for the committee formed to investigate the attack.
"According to preliminary results 30-year-old Naida Asiyalova, a woman born in Dagestan, has committed a suicide bomb attack. Acceding to information which has become available to the investigation, this woman got on the bus at one of the stops and the explosion occurred almost immediately afterwards. This was confirmed by a female passenger who survived in the blast."
The attacker is reportedly the wife of a reputed gang member.
Russian authorities say it was the woman recruited her husband to become a gang member in Dagestan while the two were studying in university in Moscow.
Dagestan in the southern Caucuses is home to a growing insurgency among radicalized members of the region's Muslim population.
The attack comes just four months before Russia hosts the Winter Olympics in the nearby Black Sea resort city of Sochi.
 
 
Mozambique troops attack opposition camp, leader flees
 
The over-two decade long peace in Mozambique could be in jeopardy.
Government troops have launched a raid against the main bush camp of the country's main opposition leader.
Afonso Dhlakama managed to escape the assault on his camp.
However, the assault has prompted the opposition to declare an end to the 21-year old peace agreement.
Government forces contend the opposition's fighters had been provoking Mozambique military forces.
The Renamo opposition is what's left of a group of splinter fighters which were supported by colonial Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe, and Apartheid South Africa.
Renamo fought a 16-year civil war following Mozambique's independence from Portugal in 1975 until the peace deal was signed.
Renamo forces took back to their bush camps after failing to make any political headway in Mozambique, which has led to spuratic clashes with government forces in the lead-up to this raid.
 
 
Egypt's court adjourned Mubarak retrial to Nov. 16
 
The retrial of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been adjourned until the middle of next month.
The trial against Mubarak, his two sons, his former Interior Minister and six of his aides has been adjourned until November 16th.
The court is citing the vast amount of documents as the reason for the delay.
Mubarak is back on trial for allegedly inciting the violence which led to the death of numerous demonstrators during the uprising in 2011 which eventually led to his ouster.
He was originally convicted and sentenced to life in prison last year.
However, an appeals court has since granted him a new trial.
The 85-year old Mubarak is currently being held under a house-arrest order at a military hospital in southern Cairo.
The former Egyptian strong-man has been struggling with health problems after nearly dying of a heart attack shortly after first being taken into custody following his ouster as President.
 
 
Two killed in US school shooting
 
Two people are dead and two others hurt following a school shooting in the United States.
The shooting has taken place Monday morning at a middle school in the city of Reno, Nevada.
One of the victims is belived to be the shooter, who has been described as a student.
The other fataility is reportedly a popular math teacher at the middle school.
Tom Miller is the acting police chief of the Sparks Police Department.
"I will confirm that there are two deceased and two individuals injured. I want to emphasize that the students are safe and the community is safe. There are no outstanding suspects."
The two others wounded, two young males, are said to be in critical condition.
It's unclear at this point what led to the shooting, which took place as classes for the week were just getting underway.
Classes at the middle school have been cancelled for the week in the wake of the shooting.
 
 
Obama mad at website glitches
 
Anchor
US President Barack Obama is moving to defend his landmark health care program, known as Obamacare, despite the technical problems people have been encountering in trying to sign onto the program.
CRI's Washington chief correspondent Xiaohong explans.
Ann
During a White House speech , President Obama has acknowledged the newly launched website, healthcare.gov, hasn't been working as smoothly as it is supposed to.
"The website has been too slow. People have been getting stuck during the application process. And I think it's fair to say that nobody is more frustrated by that than I am. We're doing everything we can possibly do to get the websites working better, faster, sooner. We've got people working overtime, 24/7, to boost capacity and address the problems. We've had some of the best IT talents in the entire country to join the team. And we're confident that we'll get all the problems fixed."
Since its launch on October 1st, the new website immediately became the target of critics due to its low speed and the failure to handle the tens of thousands of applications it's been recieving.
Among those taking shots at the new system is Republican Senator and former Presidental candidate John McCain.
"It's been a fiasco. Send Air Force One to Silicon Valley. Load it up with smart people, bring it back to Washington and fix this problem. It's ridiculous, and everybody knows that."
Responding to attacks from the Republicans and other critics, President Obama says the Affordable Care Act will provide protection and benefits for millions of once-uninsured Americans.
"But I just want to remind everybody that we did not wage this long and contentious battle just around the website. That's not what this is all about. We wage this battle to make sure that millions of Americans in the wealthiest nation on earth finally have the same chance to get the same security of affordable quality healthcare as anybody else."
It's believed that around 500-thousand people have already signed up for the new health care exchanges online.
Xiaohong, CRI, Washington.
 
 
Surveillance program to be continued: Kerry
 
US Secretary of State John Kerry is on the defensive in Paris amid revelations about a US spying program which has triggered anger in France.
The NSA program has reportedly collected more than 70 million French telephone records over the last month.
"Our goal is always to try to find the right balance between protecting the security and the privacy of our citizens, and this work is going to continue, as well as our very close consultations with our friends here in France."
The French government has already summoned the US ambassador for an explanation.
The French side is also demanding a promise the snooping will stop.
 
 
Severe smog forces the closure of several roads and schools in north east
 
Anchor
Heavy smog is blanketing parts of northeast China, shutting down flights, highways and schools.
As CRI's Cao Yuwei reports, the increase in air pollution has coincided with the launch of the seasonal heating in the northeast.
Reporter
Heavy fog has hit northeast China's Heilongjiang, affecting road traffic and causing serious air pollution in many areas.
Han Guilin is from Harbin's Environmental Protection Bureau.
"The amount of pollutants that have been emitted to the air are increasing, which includes coal-firing, automobile exhaustion, crop straw burning."
Winter typically brings the worst air pollution to the region because of a combination of weather conditions and an increase in the burning of coal for homes and municipal heating systems.
In the city of Harbin, heating systems kicked in on Sunday, by Monday visibility was less than 50 meters.
Primary and middle schools and some highways have been closed.
Hospitals are reportedly receiving more patients with respiratory issues.
Doctors are advising residents to stay indoors.
"Under such conditions, people should try to avoid outdoor activities, especially morning excises. Secondly, we suggest wearing masks. And seek treatments immediately when feeling uncomfortable."
The PM2.5 density registered above 617 micrograms per cubic meter in Harbin, while a safe level recommended by WHO is 25 micrograms per cubic meter.
Air pollution has become one of the major public concerns in China after decades of rapid development.
Governments at all levels have vowed to pour in hefty investments to treat air pollution.
In September, the country announced a government action plan to tackle air pollution, pledging to cut coal use, shut down polluters and promote cleaner production.
The plan also aims to cut the density of inhalable particulate matter by at least 10 percent in major cities nationwide by 2017.
Meantime, a draft amendment to the environmental protection law has been tabled for its third reading.
The bill says the government should increase financial input in improving the environment and preventing pollution, and use funds in a more efficient way.
It has also increased the role of environmental protection in evaluating a government's performance.
For CRI, I'm Cao Yuwei.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
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 were little changed Monday after a light trading day, as Wall Street pondered earnings ahead of Tuesday's delayed release of the nonfarm-payrolls report for September.
Traders will be trying to get clues from the report, given the U.S. Federal Reserve is on-record saying it the winding down its bond-buying program will depend on how economic data shapes up.
Speaking of economic data, US existing-home sales have dropped 1.9 percent to 5.29 million units in September, after hitting the highest level in nearly four years the month before.
In corporate news,
McDonald's fell 0.9 percent after the fast-food chain reported sales below expectations.
Another Dow component, AT&T, climbed 1.4 percent after the telecommunication company agreed to sell or lease 9,700 of its wireless towers.
J.C. Penney shares dropped 10-percent amid rumors the company has retained a bankruptcy lawyer and had lost access to credit in Canada.
The US retailer has denied the reports.
Gannett shares lost 3.9 percent after the newspaper chain reported a 4 percent decline in quarterly revenues.
When the market closed,
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1 percent.
The S&P500 closed slightly higher.
The Nasdaq gained 0.2 percent.
In Canada, the S&P/TSX was up 0.4 percent.
European stock markets ended mostly higher on Monday.
Germany's DAX closed marginally higher.
France's CAC 40 lost 0.2 percent while UK's FTSE 100 rose 0.5 percent.
 
 
Draft consumer rights law revision pledges higher compensation
 
Anchor
The latest revision of the Chinese government's new consumer rights legislation is likely to go to a vote this week at the bi-monthly session of the NPC Standing Committee.
The new revisions to the draft include protections for both consumers and businesses when it comes to e-commerce transactions.
Under the revised rules, e-shoppers will have the right to return products they purchase within 7-days for a full refund.
However, consumers will have to foot the bill for shipping the items back.
At the same time, the new legislation also sets out a list of items which can't be refunded.
The list includes things such as tailor-made items, perishables and a number of other selected items.
For more on this, we're joined live now by Mark Huges, Executive Business Editor for China Daily
Questions:
1,If the draft amendment is passed by the National People's Congress, what impact will it have on the consumers and businesses?
2, The new draft expands the list of products not suitable for unconditional returns and refunds, such as digital products sold via downloads have been added to the list.
Why did the government add these items to the list?
3, How much of this new legislation is aimed at e-commerce platforms taking more responsibility for the vendors it accomodates on its site, given that the platforms themselves have to provide contact details for their vendors, or face compensation claims themselves.
Back Anchor
Mark Huges, Executive Business Editor for China Daily
 
 
Shell, Total, China firms and Petrobras win oil auction in Brazil
 
A consortium including a pair of Chinese firms, Shell, Total and Brazil's state-run Petrobras has won the right to develop an offshore oilfield in Brazil.
The Libra oil field reportedly has around 12 billion barrels of exploitable oil.
Magda Chambriard is the Director of Brazil's National Petroleum Agency.
"The fact is that having these five companies we have absolute certainty that Libra will be developed in the most correct way possible in support of Brazilian society."
Under the agreement, Petrobras will take a 40 percent stake in the field.
France's Total and Royal Dutch Shell will each hold 20 percent.
China National Petroleum Corporation and CNOOC will hold a 10 percent stake each.
Edison Lobao is Brazil's Mining and Energy Minister.
"You only show up to an auction of this nature, if you are one of those that actually believes in the greater possibilities, the quantities of petroleum shown here, and in total success moving forward."
Under the agreement, just over 40-percent of the oil produced after the initial investments are paid off will have to go to Brazil.
 
 
Foxconn builds new plant in southwest China
 
Foxconn has announced plan to begin construction of a new plant in Guizhou.
The plant is going to be set up near the provincial capital, Guiyang.
Foxconn will use it to manufacture mobile phones, tablets and LED screens.
Foxconn's chair says the new industrial park will be completely environmental-friendly during the construction and production.
The first stage of construction is set to begin by the middle of next year.
It's expected to employ around 6-thousand people.
Foxconn says it hopes the new facility will help generate close to 6-billion dollars in revenues for the company by 2016.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Manmohan Singh to arrive in China today
 
India's Prime Minister is set to arrive here in China for an official visit today.
Manmohan Singh's time here is expected to be dominated by discussions surrounding trade, economics and border issues.
Singh's visit comes in the wake of a trip to India earlier this year by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
This is the first time in close to 60-years the Prime Ministers of India and China have met within the same calandar year.
Manmohan Singh is expected to remain in China until Thursday.
 
 
China, Macedonia pledge to further enhance ties
 
The leaders of China and Macedonia are promising to work more closely together in the future.
The pledge comes amid a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov here in Beijing.
Ivanov is in China to attend the Western China International Fair in Sichuan's capital, Chengdu.
 
 
Female suicide bomber blasts bus in south Russia, seven killed
 
A woman blew herself up while boarding a bus in the southern Russian city of Volgograd, leaving at least 7-people dead.
32 others on the bus survived the initial explosion.
8 of them are said to be in grave condition.
The attacker has been identified as a 30-year old woman from the restive region of Dagestan in Russia's southern Caucuses.
 
 
Mozambique troops attack opposition camp, leader flees
 
Government troops have launched a raid against the main bush camp of the country's main opposition leader in Mozambique.
Afonso Dhlakama managed to escape the assault on his camp.
However, the assault has prompted the opposition to declare an end to the 21-year old peace agreement.
Opposition forces took back to their bush camps last year after failing to make any political headway in Mozambique, which has led to spuratic clashes with government forces in the lead-up to this raid.
 
 
New election date set in Maldives
 
A new round of voting in the disputed presidential elections in the Maldives has been set for November 9th.
This comes after a planned poll this weekend was shut down by police.
The first round of voting, in September, was annulled by the courts.
Incumbent president Mohamed Waheed was hammered in the original vote, only garnering around 5-percent support.
His main opposition, Mohamed Nasheed, who took around 45-percent of the vote.
The opposition in the Maldives has been demanding Waheed's resignation.
 
 
Draft consumer rights law revision pledges higher compensation
 
The latest revision of the Chinese government's new consumer rights legislation is likely to go to a vote this week at the bi-monthly session of the NPC Standing Committee.
The new revisions to the draft include protections for both consumers and businesses when it comes to e-commerce transactions.
Under the revised rules, e-shoppers will have the right to return products they purchase within 7-days for a full refund.
However, consumers will have to foot the bill for shipping the items back.
 
 
Chinese, African think tanks urged to be heard
 
A partnership program for Chinese and African think tanks has been launched at the China-Africa Think Tanks Forum.
Addressing the forum, State Councilor Yang Jiechi says the plan is designed to try to enhance the level of bilateral cooperation among China and African academics.
Eight academic institutions from China and Africa are involved in the new partnership agreement.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
YANZHAO METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Flexible work and free buses on smog days
Summary
The authorities in the city of Tangshan in Hebei have announced new plans to help people out during heavy pollution days.
On heavy smog days, schools will be closed.
Companies will also have to set up flexible work times. Concrete and steel factories will be shut down.
And free buses will also be made available.
SOUTH METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
59 drug dealers wanted in Guangdong
Summary
Police in the province have unveiled a list of 59 drug dealers who they're searching for.
Tips leading to their arrests could be worth between 20 to 30-thousand yuan.
The majority of the suspects are from Shanwei, where over 30-percent of the meth in China comes from.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Punishments in railway construction scandal
Summary
Authorities have announced 8 people have been disciplined in connection with a scandal at a railway construction company said to be worth some 800-million yuan.
The punishment has been announced by Party dicipline chief Wang Qishan.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Arrests in WeChat prostitution ring
Summary
Shanghai prosecutors say they've broken up a prostitution ring that used WeChat to find clients.
11 people have been arrested.
The suspects allegedly used WeChat's location-based plug-in "People Nearby," which lets users contact other WeChat users nearby.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Property tax to be expanded
Summary
Industry insiders are suggesting the central government is likely to green-light the nationwide expansion of this country's property tax program next month.
The decision is expected to be made at the CPC plenary session set to be held in November.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Legal changes to sue polluters
Summary
A proposed amendment to the Environmental Protection Law could make it easier for agencies to file public interest lawsuits against polluters.
Under the proposed changes, environmental groups that have been registered with the Ministry of Civil Affairs for five years will be able to file lawsuits against polluters.
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Proposed changes in language exams
Summary
Authorities here in Beijing are proposing changes to weighting of English on high school and college enterance exams.
The proposed changes would give test-takers more points in the Chinese language section, while at the same time, offering fewer points for English profiency.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Bicycle renting in Beijing
 
Anchor
Municipal authorities here in Beijing are working to try to correct a number of problems which have been cropping up as part of the city's bicycle rental program.
CRI's Li Dong explains.
Reporter
A trial public bicycle rental and returns system has already been established in Beijing.
Anyone who wants to rent a bicycle can make use of this service at any public transportation card charging booth with their personal ID card.
The deposit is 200 yuan for local residents and residents with temporary residence permits.
Using these bicycles is free if you return them within an hour.
If you use the bicycles for more than one hour, a minimal fee is charged at 1 yuan per hour.
The upper limit for a whole day's usage comes to no more than 10 yuan.
According to CCTV, more than 62 thousand public transportation cards have been used to access the bicycle rental service. However, interviews conducted on the street have revealed that malfunction problems with the automatic rental system are very common.
"All the docking stations are broken. I can't return the bike here. I've been using the system for a year. The malfunction rate of both the docking system and the bicycles themselves is high. The chains slip and the seat position can't be adjusted."
The bicycles located in downtown districts can be returned at any bicycle rental spot. But bicycles rented further out from the center of the city can only circulate within nearby areas.
Mao Baohua is a professor at Beijing Jiaotong University. He says renting and returning bicycles at any rental spot should be a basic standard for a public bicycle rental system.
"People will not see the convenience of the service if such a network doesn't allow you to rent and return the bikes at any rental station, whatever the location. The government should take this as a basic standard in the beginning phase of the system's design. There may be many companies competing for the bicycle renting business, but the fundamental standard should be universal. In this way, the public won't encounter any difficulty with regards to renting and returning."
Jiao Tongmin, director of leasing at the Transport Administration of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport says they are doing all they can to perfect the bicycle rental system.
"We've carried out a number of measures, like reminding the bicycle rental companies carry out maintenance work. The ability to limit the rate of malfunctions is one of the standards by which we evaluate bicycle rental companies."
According to CCTV, less than 20 percent of people in Beijing use bicycles to commute to and from their place of work. This rate is continually declining by 2 to 4 percent every year.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
Sports
 
 
European teams receive their draws for the World Cup playoffs
 
And in World Cup qualifying news,
The runner-ups from the European groups will face each other in next month's playoffs, with only the victorious four advancing on to Brazil.
The most highly anticipated match will be between Portugal and Sweden more specifically between Portugual and Sweden's respective superstars: Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. One of the football legends will not be making it to next year's World Cup.
Sweden's head coach Erik Hamren is gearing up for a battle.
"It was a ... it is a tough challenge. But that would have been whatever team we had been drawn. Portugal have a real highest level, in my opinion. So it is going to be a big challenge."
Unseeded France is slotted to face Ukraine. Iceland will need to get past Croatia if they're to become the smallest Nation represented at a World Cup tournament.
And the 2004 European champions Greece will go up against Romania.
 
 
AC Milan and Barca set to clash tomorrow
 
In football,
AC Milan will host La Liga outfit Barcelona in a UEFA Champions League clash tomorrow. This is the seventh time in just the past three years that the two sides have clashed, with barca winning the majority.
Lionel Messi is back for Barca after recovering from a muscle injury, but they will be missing an injured Ibrahim Afellay and Jordi Alba.
Meanwhile, AC Milan may or may not have the use of Mario Balotelli. The striker missed the last game against Udinese with a thigh injury.
Barca tops group H with two opening wins and no points conceded.
 
 
Chelsea prepares for double-header with Schalke
 
Chelsea needs a win over German club Schalke if they are to take control of Group E.
Schalke has won eight of their last 10 games, losing only once to European champions Bayern.
Chelsea captain John Terry said manager Jose Mourinho demands top performance from his players on a daily basis.
He come in an 'laid the law down' and said 'it is pretty simple - you play well, you are in the side. If not, you won't play. And that is the same for everyone in the team. But it is down to us as individuals to then make that decision from him difficult - who plays on the weekend and who doesn't."
The two teams will meet in a double-header, the first match getting underway later tonight.
 
 
Jim Leyland steps down as Detroit's manager
 
In Major League Baseball,
Detroit coach Jim Leyland has announced that he's surrendering the reins after eight years with the team.
"It's been a thrill. Like i said in the release. You know I came here to change talent to team, if you read the release. And I think with the help of this entire organisation we've done that. We've won quite a bit I'm very grateful to have been a small part of that. I really and truly am. I'm going to be accepting another position. As I said, I don't know exactly where at, but I want to retire a Tiger. I'm not totally retiring today, I'm just not going to be in the dugout anymore."
The announcement came two days after the Tigers were eliminated from the American League Championship series after losing to Boston
But it didn't come as a huge surprise since Leyland has been working under one-year contracts for the past few seasons.
This year marked Leyland's fiftieth with the team, a history that stretches all the back to when he first showed up at the Tigers training camp as an 18 year old prospect himself.
 
 
San Francisco 49ers travel to London for NFL international game
 
It was an unlikely partnership yesterday when the NFL's San Francisco 49ers and the Tottenham Hotspurs taught London schoolchildren how to play football. Both kinds of football.
The niners are in the UK ahead of their international series game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley stadium.
For many of the niners, it was their first time out of the country. But for linebacker Patrick Willis, this will be his second time to play at the famous London stadium.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I really like that stadium, I love the grass there. Anytime we can broaden the sport of football and the National Football League it's always a good thing. The 49ers tend to have a lot of fans over here in the UK and we're very fortunate to be over here and hopefully we can leave them with a memory."
That game will take place this weekend.
 
 
Golfer Michelle Wie named ambassador for Nanjing Youth Games
 
In Olympic news,
American golfer Michelle Wie has been unveiled as an ambassador for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing.
Wie is the youngest player to qualify for a USGA tournament, and she has been involved in the process of getting golf back into the Olympic Games.
"I was there in Copenhagen with a couple of other golfers to get golf back into the Olympics and that was a great achievement.It's just great to bring golf global. I think right now golf is very dominant in a couple of countries and I think, especially having golf in the Olympics, is just going to bring golf everywhere."
Golf will be making its debut as a youth Olympic sport for the first time at the Nanjing games.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Expensive Camera Stolen from Dumb and Dumber 2 Set
 
Trouble on the set of Dumb and Dumber 2.
A film camera worth 500-thousand US dollar being used on the sequel has been stolen from the film's set.
(dumb clip)
Police in Florida are investigating the theft of the camera and a computer, which were both stolen from the back of a sport utility vehicle parked on set.
The crew was preparing to shoot aerial shots from a helicopter when the theft was noticed.
According to police reports the stolen camera is very rare and would be difficult to sell at a pawn shop.
However, the complex camera must be assembled with parts stored in a dozen boxes meaning what the thief or thieves stole is useless by itself.
 
 
Haley Joel Osment to Star in Kevin Smith Film
 
Sixth Sense actor Haley Joel Osment has signed on to bad boy filmmaker Kevin Smith's newest indie-project Tusk.
(sixth sense clip)
In the film Osment will play a man who loses his best friend and podcast co-host played by actor Justin Long, to the Canadian wilderness.
Production for the film is expected to kick off next month with filming taking place in North Carolina and Los Angeles.
That's not all for Osment though.
The 25 year-old actors have also signed on to star in the new independent feature Me Him Her, from Fear Itself director Max Landis.
Though the film is being kept under wraps actors Scott Bakula, Alia Shawkat, and Geena Davis will star alongside.
Osment has returned to acting after taking time out to attend New York University's Tisch School of Arts.
 
 
Rumors Point to Beetlejuice Sequel
 
Rumors are circulating in Hollywood suggesting creepy filmmaker Tim Burton and actor Michael Keaton may be teaming up once again for a sequel to their work on the 1988 cult classic, Beetlejuice.
(beetlejuice clip)
Burton is supposedly shuffling his schedule around to make room to direct the sequel.
Keaton is also reportedly on board to reprise his comedic role as the mischievous dead man, Beetlejuice.
Even if all goes according to plan it'll probably be years until we see a Beetlejuice sequel as Burton will soon begin work on adapting Peregrine's Home for Peculiars.
Beetlejuice launched Burton's directing career and many consider the dark comedy to be Keaton's best work.
The film revolves around a young recently deceased couple played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis who haunt their previous house and a creepy bio-exorcist from the underworld named Beetlejuice who tries to scare away the house's new inhabitants.
 
 
Ex-Beach Boy Brian Wilson Plays Full Pet Sounds Album at Concert
 
Beach Boy Brian Wilson surprised fans in New York when he performed his former band's landmark album Pet Sounds in its entirety.
(beach boys clip)
Wilson performed the full 36-minute album from 1966, which features classic songs such as Wouldn't It Be Nice, God Only Knows, and I'm Waiting for the Day.
He's expected to play the full album again at his upcoming performance in Los Angeles' Greek Theater.
Wilson is currently touring with legendary guitarist and ex-Yardbird Jeff Beck.
Wilson opens the show, followed by Beck's act, culminating in both musicians performing together.
 
 
 
That's all we have time for on the show as well.
Recapping our top headlines....
India's Prime Minister is set to arrive here in China for an official visit today, with economic and border issues expected to dominate his agenda.
A major trade delegation from the Canadian province of British Columbia is arriving here in China today to promote wood products.
A terrorist attack has ripped through a public bus in southern Russia leaving a number of people dead and hurt.
In Business.... Chinese authorities are expected to vote this week on proposed changes to this country's consumer rights laws.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James in Beijing, hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together!