新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2013/10/23

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition
 
 
Paul James with you on this Wednesday, October 23, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
The Chinese and Russian governments have signed off on a number of new trade deals as part of Prime Minster Dmitry Medvedev's visit here.
Politicians from various counties have been meeting and traveling to try to make a new international conference on Syria a reality.
The mayor of Manila is reportedly going to deliver an official apology for the 2010 hostage crisis which left 8 Hong Kong tourists dead.
In Business.... a big day for the tech world with the release of a number of new computing products.
In sports... Li Na set to get her WTA Championships underway in Istanbul.
In entertainment... Kanye West is hoping to make the plunge with one of the Kardashian sisters.
First, let's check on what's happening on the weather front...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be sunny today, with a high of 15 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be clear tonight with a low of 4.
In Shanghai, it will be cloudy today, 23 the high, and it will be cloudy tonight, the low of 15 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will be sunny in the daytime the temperature's at 17, and tonight will be clear with a low of 1 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 29.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 23.
And in North America
New York, overcast, with a high of 18 degrees.
Washington, overcast, highs of 18
Houston, overcast, 24.
Honolulu, overcast, 29.
Toronto, sunny, 8.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, overcast, 22.
And Rio de Janeiro will have thundershowers with highs of 31 degrees Celsius.
 
 
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TIMECHECK
 
 
Top News
 
 
China, Russia to enhance strategic and economic cooperation
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev here in Beijing.
The two are promising to enhance their strategic and economic cooperation.
Medvedev has highlighted the flood relief cooperation between the two sides along their shared border in the northeast earlier this year.
 
 
China, Russia sign key oil deal
 
Anchor
The Chinese and Russian governments have signed 20 new trade agreements here in Beijing, including several key oil export deals.
CRI's Su Yi has the details.
Reporter
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his visiting counterpart Dmitry Medvedev witnessed the signing of 21 documents in the Chinese capital.
Medvedev says under the new deal, Russia will supply an ADDITIONAL 100 million tons of crude oil to China over the next 10 years.
The deal is worth 85-billion US dollars.
"Cooperation in energy between our two countries is the flagship. I very much hope that the agreement we signed in the area will be carried out in an orderly fashion. I also very much hope that the cooperation agreements we are currently talking about, including natural gas, can be quickly agreed upon."
Medvedev also says the two countries are planning to build an oil refinery in Tianjin, with a capacity of 16 million tons each year.
The Tianjin refinery will be jointly set up by China National Petroleum Corporation and Russia's biggest oil company Rosneft.
CNPC and Rosneft signed a long-term agreement earlier this year, in which the Russian company would supply 365-million tons of oil to China in the next 25 years.
Official numbers show China imported almost 25 million tons of crude from Russia last year.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang says he puts a lot of hope on the trade potential between the two sides.
"As long as put our efforts together, tap potentials, and innovate our means, we can continue to boost economic and trade cooperation and investment between the two countries, not only achieving the goal of having bilateral trade reach 100 billion US dollars by 2015, but exceeding it and moving towards 200 or 300 billion."
Li Keqiang and Medvedev have also co-chaired a regular annual meeting between senior government officials which began back in 1996.
Medvedev is now in China for a two-day visit which will also take him to east China's Anhui.
For CRI, I'm Su Yi.
 
 
Parties work towards 'Geneva II' talks amid doubts
 
Anchor
A full-court press is underway to try get a new conference together to try to find a solution to the lingering civil war in Syria.
CRI's Li Jing has the details.
Report
A leading UN official says the organization is working hard toward establishing an international conference on Syria by mid-November.
At the same time, US Secretary of State John Kerry has also been making the rounds in an attempt to try to drum up support for another international conference in Geneva this coming month.
Kerry has met with diplomats from 10 different countries in London.
Following the meetings, the US Secreatary of State says there is general consensus the fighting in Syria shows no signs of coming to an end without help, suggesting the country itself could be in jeopardy.
"Members of this support group came together and all agreed that it is imperative that we try to get to the negotiating table and try to save the lives and to save the existence of the state of Syria itself."
But at the same time, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is questioning the legitimacy of the Syrian opposition.
Assad also says the factors needed to make the proposed peace conference in Geneva a reality currently don't exist.
The main opposition group in exile, the Syrian National Coalition, is scheduled to meet next week in Istanbul to decide whether to take part in the Geneva talks.
Many in the Syrian opposition are hesitant to be part of the talks, as the group has long-demanded Syrian President Bashar al-Assad give up his power before any transition process can take place in Syria.
Assad has so-far refused that notion.
At the same time, Sigrid Kaag, the head of the team charged with destroying Syria's chemical weapons, says the Damascus government has so far "fully cooperated" with the mission.
"There is continuous strong cooperation which the (UN) secretary-general and the director-general of the OPCW have also confirmed in recent statement, and we build on this, because we have one shared goal, which is elimination of the (chemical weapons) program, which is a benefit to all, particularly the Syrian people."
The Syrian government officially joined the Chemical Weapons Convention earlier this month, and has been allowing international teams to destroy the country's stockpiles.
That process is expected to be finished by the middle of next year.
For CRI, this is Li Jing.
 
 
UN working toward Geneva II; 1 killed, 14 injured in northern Lebanon clashes
 
Meanwhile, sectarian violence has broken out again in northern Lebanon in connection with the situation in Syria.
One person is dead and over a dozen others hurt, after fighting broke out among Shiite and Alawite factions in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.
The fighting broke out after Syrian president Bashar al-Assad appeared in an interview on a local Lebanese television station this week.
The Shiite population in Lebanon mostly supports the rebels, while the Alawite population stands behind Bashar al-Assad's administration.
This has led to a series of deadly clashes in Lebanon since the Syrian civil war broke out 30-months ago.
 
 
EU to revive membership talks with Turkey
 
EU ministers have agreed to revive membership talks with Turkey, despite criticizing it for its recent crack-down on protesters in Istanbul.
The renewed talks next month will end a three-year hiatus.
The agreement comes after Germany dropped its opposition to the resumption of talks.
Linas Linkevicius is the foreign minister of Lithuania, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU.
"After the Commission's annual progress report, Council today gave green light to the opening of a new negotiating chapter in regional policy and coordination of structural instruments with Turkey. After more than three years break, negotiations are regaining momentum and I hope to see steady and speedy progress."
Turkey began negotiations to join the EU in 2005, 18 years after applying.
However, a series of political obstacles, notably Cyprus and resistance from Germany and France, have dragged down the process.
 
 
Germany proposed military integration in NATO
 
The German government has put forward a new plan to change the way NATO is armed and ultimately funded.
Under the German proposal, economically-larger countries in the military alliance will be tapped with leading so-called clusters.
These clusters would group larger NATO countries with smaller countries in the alliance to better coordinate the allocation of resources and funds.
The larger NATO countries would be in-charge of their specific clusters.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen is welcoming the idea.
"I heard on a lot of appreciation for the German proposal, we had a very constructive discussion on that. I see the German proposal as one of several avenues to ensure that we can acquire the necessary military capabilities in the future. "
The proposal comes at a time when many countries in NATO are scaling back on their military spending amid the current economic situation.
Concerns are being raised about the new cluster proposal.
A number of countries are expressing fears the plan could create over-specialized clusters.
There are also concerns that a government within any specific cluster could veto military action by other nations in the cluster.
 
 
Sudan, South Sudan vows to keep peace and stabilize oil export
 
The leaders of Sudan and South Sudan are vowing to maintain stable oil supplies.
The pledge has been made amid Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir's current visit to South Sudan.
For his part, South Sudan President Salva Kiir says the two have also agreed to clear up a number of other contentious issues.
"We are ready to go extra mile in seeking for the lasting peace with the Republic of Sudan. And we are ready to do everything possible in our hands to help our brothers and sisters in the republic of Sudan."
Disputed regions along the border remain a hot-button issue for both sides.
Shortly after the split of Sudan in mid-2011, South Sudanese oil exports came to a hault in a dispute over transit fees and territorial disputes.
Oil began flowing again earlier this year.
South Sudan relies on its northern neighbor to transport its vast oil reserves through its pipelines, as South Sudan is land-locked.
In return, Sudan charges transport fees.
 
 
Manila mayor to apologize for Hong Kong hostage crisis
 
The City Council of Manila has passed a resolution, authorizing the city government to issue an official apology for the deadly Manila hostage crisis in 2010 which left 8 Hong Kong tourists dead.
Local media is reporting the Mayor of Manila, former President Joseph Estrata, is going to hand-deliver the apology.
In passing the resolution, Manila's city council has stated the apology to the PRC, the Hong Kong SAR and the families of the victims will bring closure to the incident.
It's unclear if the formal apology will open up any legal avenues for the families of the victims and the survivors when it comes to compensation.
While the government of the Philippines has expressed its regret for the incident, it's never issued a formal apology.
Speaking on the sidelines of last month's APEC Summit in Bali, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III says issuing a formal apology would be admitting fault in connection with the deadly incident.
In August of 2010, a recently-fired police officer took a bus full of Hong Kong tourists hostage for 12-hours in downtown Manila, demanding his job back.
The gunman then began slaughering the hostages during an attempt by Philippine Special Forces to bring the crisis to an end, in an event shown around the world on live television.
The hostage-taker was eventually shot and killed in the final assault on the bus.
 
 
Prolong Period of Paying Pension coming under heat debate
 
A new proposal to extend the amount of time before people can collect their pensions here in China is sparking heated debate.
Authorities here in China are considering extending the number of years people have to pay into the pension system before they can collect.
Currently people have to pay into the pension system for 15-years before they can begin drawing back some of the funds.
Hu Xiaoyi, vice minister of Human Resources and Social Security, says the current system needs to be changed.
"The big picture is that China is no longer in the time of continuous sufficient labor force supply. Last year, China's new labor force for the first time saw a decline. This is undeniable a signal. It means that we have to begin saving labor resource, and ensure they are better used."
The latest statistics show the labor force here in China declined by some 3.5-million people last year.
On top of the potential changes to the pension payment program, authorities are also considering extending the current retirment ages.
"We do hope that people can keep paying for pension during their working age. If so, he can collect a lot more pension than those who have paid for shorter period. We also hope that citizens, if affordable, can continue paying after the compulsory 15 years. "
A report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences estimates provincial pension plans across the country are running a 77-billion yuan shortfall.
An extension of the pension payment program could add an additional 20-billion yuan into the system every year.
 
 
China Tourism
 
Anchor
Amid rising air pollution levels in many parts of China, the tourism industry is working on a new campaign dubbed 'Beautiful China'.
CRI's Li Dong has more on how effective the campaign may or may not be.
Reporter
During a time when the rest of the world's interest in the second biggest economy has swelled, it has failed to match the average global growth rate in foreign tourists.
Some local tourism authorities recognize the problem and are leading the way in changing their strategy to attract foreign tourists, particularly those from Europe and North America.
But Maciek Pielok, a tourist from Poland, isn't bowled over by the "Beautiful China" branding:
"China is beautiful, that's what we saw for the last four days, yet I find it a little bit general, because there have been a lot of beautiful places we've been to. I guess that you can even call it 'Epic China' or the oldest country in the world, something like that."
The tourism authority in Shandong Province, the birthplace of Confucius and Tsingtao beer, has enlisted Google, Inc. to act as a digital consultant in stretching its advertising reach.
Following Shandong's example, some Chinese provincial and local governments are connecting with potential visitors abroad.
Alastair Morrison is a Beijing-based expert in tourism destination marketing and development. He has been a long-time observer of China's tourism industry:
"There was a lot of negative publicity about China earlier in the year--about February, March, the fog. Then, there was the situation, I think, the situation in Korea, as well. So there was a number of public-relations or publicity issues that perhaps at that time caused people to think twice about coming to China. But my point when I talked about this issue was that there's a bigger issue that China is not doing its destination marketing or it's marketing of China as a country as effectively as other countries are doing."
The global branding campaign with the "Beautiful China" logo is being criticized for being particularly unconvincing, Morrison says:
"It could be interpreted in different ways, you could use it, but to say it's beautiful? People are going to say: well, look at the city here, is it beautiful? Is it pollution free? How do the people live in it? Is it clean, right? So, I think right now, that's not a branding that fits China, and also, it's very bland. It's been used by many other places in the world."
According to the World Tourism Organization, whose data is based on national sources, the average growth rate in overnight visitors worldwide was 2.8 percent from 2008 to 2012. The average growth rate in China was 2.1 percent.
The tourism bosses in China will be hoping that the message will get across to others as they look to book their trips abroad for 2014.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
Beijing officially adopts emergency response for air pollution
 
The Beijing municipal government has officially adopted an emergency scheme to deal with heavy pollution days.
Fang Li is a spokesperson for the Beijing Environment Bureau.
"The emergency measures taken to tackle heavy air pollution mainly involve two aspects. The first is to give timely warning to citizens to take effective measures against air pollution and the second is to adopt strict measures to reduce pollutant emission in order to prevent further worsening of air pollution."
When a red-alert for air pollution goes into effect, the emergency plan will only allow drivers to use their vehicles every other day on an odd-even license plate system.
The municipal government will also pull 30 percent of its vehicles off the road during a red-alert.
Warnings will be issued at least 24 hours before a red-alert is instituted.
Air pollution levels have continued to spike this year in the capital, despite the imposition of more than 100 different control measures.
 
 
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 staged a rally on Tuesday as investors broadly expect the Federal Reserve will maintain its stimulus program following the release of disappointing jobs data in September.
Despite the weak numbers, the S&P 500 hite a record close yet-again.
Consumer staples, up 1.4 percent, are among the best performing S&P sectors, boosted by a 4.2 percent gain in Kimberly-Clark after the maker of Kleenex tissues posted bigger-than-anticipated quarterly profit.
The S&P 500 gained 0.6-percent on Tuesday.
At the same time, gains were limited on the Nasdaq.
Netflix shares fell 9 percent, giving back gains that followed the release of the company's earnings report on Monday.
Shares of Apple inched down 0.3-percent, despite the release of its new line of iPads.
The Nasdaq gained 0.3-percent.
The Dow finished Tuesday's trading up 0.5-percent.
In Canada, the S&P/TSX was up 0.5 percent.
European stock markets rose for a ninth straight day on Tuesday.
Later on this Wednesday, the European Central Bank will announce details on how it will conduct its upcoming asset quality review of the euro zone's biggest banks.
France's CAC 40 gained 0.4 percent, closing at a five-year high.
Germany's DAX added 0.9 percent, also a record close.
The U.K.'s FTSE 100 gained 0.6 percent.
 
 
U.S. unemployment rate falls to 7.2 pct in September
 
The US Labor Department is reporting the U.S. economy added 148-thousand jobs in September.
This is far below the market expectation of 185-thousand.
The unemployment rate has gone down 0.1-percent to 7.2 in September.
As a result, US Treasury yields have been on the decline, with market observers suggesting the new data will spur the Fed to maintain its current bond-buying program for the time-being.
The yield of the 10-year note dropped to 2.516-percent, its lowest closing yield since mid-July.
The labor data is one of the key indicators watched by the Federal Reserve.
 
 
Euro jumps to late 2011 high after jobs report
 
The latest US employment data has propelled the euro to a nearly 2-year high against the US dollar.
The euro surged above the 1.37-US dollar level after the release of the US jobs data.
The euro hit 1.3784 to the US dollar in Tuesday trading, up from 1.3682 on Monday.
This is close to the level the Euro was trading at in November of 2011.
The British pound also surged to 1.6237 to the US dollar on Tuesday.
That up from 1.6148 on Monday.
The ICE dollar index, a measure of the greenback's strength against a basket of rivals, fell to 79.233 on Tuesday from 79.674 on Monday.
 
 
Apple Announces Thinner, Lighter iPad Air With 64-Bit A7 Processor
 
Apple has debuted its much-anticipated fifth generation iPad, the iPad Air.
The new iPad is 20-percent thinner and 28-percent lighter than the previous generation of the iPad.
It weighs just over 400 grams.
The new device also has the new A7 chip installed, which Apple says will give the iPad Air twice the computing power and graphics performance of previous models.
Phil Schiller is a senior Apple VP.
"In over just 3 and a half years, the team has been on a relentless path, every year updating it with newer and better versions, each delivering further on this incredible vision of mobile computing. And today we think we have the biggest step yet on delivering the vision that is iPad. "
Priced at 400 US dollars, the iPad Air will be available for order via Apple stores here in China and dozens of other places around the world on November 1st.
On top of the release of the new iPad Air, Apple has also announced its providing its new Maverick Operating System as free download for all Mac users.
Apple CEO Tim Cook.
"When you combine this announcement with the announcement that Craig made earlier, that OAS 10 upgrades are free, we are turning the industry on its ear, but this is not why we're doing it. We are doing it because we want our customers to have our latest software and access to the latest new features."
OS X Maverick includes enhanced multiple-monitor support, an improved Finder, along with better power management and improved performance in Safari.
 
 
Nokia unveils its first tablet computer to take on Apple's iPads
 
Hours ahead of Apple's new iPad launch, Nokia has introduced its first tablet computer, the Lumia 2520.
Chris Weber is the Executive Vice-President of Nokia's Sales and Marketing.
"Well, I think it's safe to say we were on the schedule first, so you would have to ask Apple why they picked today to do it the same day as us. But look, we're focused on what we are doing and the consumer and bringing differentiation. What we see on tablets today is they're used in the morning and at night and then someone is using probably a laptop or desktop during the day. We want this thing to be used all during the day. So that really brings the consumer side, the productivity side, all into one device."
The new device runs on the Windows OS.
The 10.1-inch Nokia tablet has a price-tag of 499-US dollars.
Nathan Day is a Blogger for US-based PC and tablet blog Slashgear.
"Today obviously is going to be a big day for the tablet market in general, but I think Nokia has definitely got a leg up on what they announced for their capabilities, just in the business environment and the connectivity that they have offered in the Lumia 2520."
All versions of the Lumia 2520 will come with built-in 4G LTE cellular access.
The tablet is expected to go on sale by the end of the year.
And Microsoft has unveiled its new tablets.
The Surface and Surface 2 have been unveiled to somewhat lukewarm fanfare, with most industry observers focused instead on the Apple and Nokia rollout on Tuesday.
 
 
Starbucks is criticized for high prices in China
 
Anchor:
Starbucks is coming under fire here, once again, here in China.
This time it's complaints about how much the coffee chain is charging.
New analysis has found the company is charging close to 30-percent more for some of its products here in China than it does in certain markets in the United States.
As an example, a medium-sized latte will cost you 27-yuan here in China.
In the city of Chicago, the same coffee would cost you the equivilant of 20-yuan.
The same beverage would only cost you just over 14.5-yuan in the Indian financial hub of Mumbai.
Starbucks says its prices vary by market because of different costs, including labor, commodities, real estate and infrastructure investment.
The Seattle-based company raised its prices twice here in China last year.
For more on all this, we're joined live now by Benjamin Cavender, Associate Principal China Market Research in Shanghai.
Questions.
1. Is Starbucks overpriced here in China?
2. This isn't the first time Starbucks has come under public scrutiny in China (Forbidden City Starbucks). How much of this is connected to pricing, and how much of this is connected to dislike for the company itself?
3. If you're Starbucks, how do you counter the PR problem, once again?
4. Might this have any effect on the company's expansion plans? (1,500 outlets in 70-cities by 2015)
Benjamin Cavender, Associate Principal China Market Research in Shanghai.
 
 
Germany Raises GDP Growth Forecast for 2014 to 1.7% - Report
 
Germany has raised its economic growth projections for next year.
The German government is forecasting the economy will grow by 1.7 percent through 2014.
This is a slight increase from the 1.6-percent growth projected earlier.
But at the same time, the German government still expects its GDP growth for this year to come in at just 0.5-percent.
Germany's acting economics minister is to present the government's fall economic projection later on this Wednesday in Berlin.
 
 
Cuba announces plan to end dual-currency system
 
The Cuban government has decided to end its dual-currency system in an attempt to restore the value of the Cuban peso.
Under the current system in Cuba, most people are paid in the regular Cuban peso.
However, most goods and services are paid for using the convertable peso, which is pegged to the US dollar.
One convertable peso, or CUC, costs about 25 normal pesos.
News of the policy change has been carried at the lead story on TV stations across Cuba.
"There will be advances in unifying the currencies, keeping in mind the productivity of work and the effectiveness of the distributive and redistributive mechanisms. Because of its complexity, this process demands rigorous preparations and implementation, both objectively and subjectively. "
So far no timeframe for the end of the dual-currency system has been established.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
China, Singapore reach consensus on upgrading bilateral cooperation
 
The governments of China and Singapore have agreed to upgrade their ties in areas such as economics, financial services, cultural exchanges and all-round growth.
The pledge has been made at the 10th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation meeting taking place in Singapore.
The meeting is being co-chaired by Chinese vice Premier Zhang Gaoli and Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.
7 other agreements have also been signed at the meeting, covering areas such as services trade, joint investment in third countries and food safety.
 
 
[BJH heads] Six Russian paratroopers killed in range explosion
 
Six Russian paratroopers are dead after an explosion at a firing range in western Russia.
The troopers were killed while returning from firing drills.
So far Russian forces are unclear what caused the explosion.
Two others in the group managed to survive, and have been hospitalized.
The firing range where the incident has taken place is the same one where 4-other Russian soldiers were killed in an explosion during military drills in 2011.
 
 
Islamic Criminal Law imposed in Brunei
 
Islamic criminal law is going to be implemented in Brunei.
Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has announced Sharia law is going to be implemented in 6-months time for criminal offences in the Sultanate.
As part of the changes to the penal code, those found guilty of serious crimes may reportedly be stoned to death.
The implementation of Sharia criminal law in Brunei has been in the works for a long time.
The Sultan first put forward the idea of instituting an Islamic criminal code as far back as 2005.
In moving to quell potential concerns among the Sultanate's neighbors in Southeast Asia, the Sultan says the move to a sharia criminal code "in no way" changes the Sultanate's external policies.
Sharia law dates back to the foundation of Islam in the 7th century, and allows for harsh punishments for those who break Islamic codes, including stonings and other corporal punishments.
 
 
37 Boko Haram fighters killed in northern Nigeria: military
 
The Nigerian military has launched a major offensive against Boko Haram fighters in the country's northeast.
Nigerian forces say a coordinated air and ground assault against militant positions in the northeastern state of Borno has left close to 40 Boko Haram fighters dead.
The Nigerian forces say many other of the group's fighters have been injured in the assault.
The attack comes just a couple of days after 20 civilians were killed in an attack by suspected Boko Haram militants in the same area.
Hundreds of people have been killed in numerous attacks since Boko Haram took up arms in northern Nigeria in 2009.
The group wants sharia law to be enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
Nigeria is divided between a predominantly Christian south and a Muslim north.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Woman stuck in guardrail
Summary
A woman was discovered with her head stuck in a guardrail near a bus station in the Zhongguancun area in northern Beijing.
The woman was reportedly stuck there for around 3 hours yesterday morning.
The extent of her injuries or how she became lodged in the guard rail remain unclear.
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Doctors attacked
Summary
Three doctors have been seriously hurt in Guangzhou after being attacked by a grieving family member.
Reports are suggesting a family member of a 79-year old woman who passed away attacked the doctors after the hospital refused to release the body so the family could say goodbye at home.
The hospital notes it isn't allowed to do that under the law.
The attacker has since been taken into police custody.
YANZHAO METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
7 out 10 most polluted cities located in Hebei
Summary
New air-quality analysis for 74 cities through the third quarter has been released.
7 out of 10 the most polluted cities are located in Hebei, with the city of Xingtan at the top of the list.
Overall, the report says pollution levels across the 74-cities surveyed have dropped by just over 1-percent compared to the 2nd quarter.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Corruption report released
Summary
The new report says from 2008 to 2012, nearly 200-thousand people and over 37-billion yuan has been involved in corruption cases.
The number of people taking and giving bribes is up over 60-percent compared to the previous five year period.
Over 6-thousand fugitives have also been arrested during that 5-year period.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Gateway cities lead in home prices rises
Summary
New stats show housing prices in China's major cities remained largely unchanged in September from a month earlier.
Gateways cities like Shanghai and Beijing continue to lead the gainers with growth over 1-percent.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Officials jailed for bugging Party chief
Summary
Three public officials have been sentenced to 20 months in jail for illegally wiretapping a county Party chief in Hunan.
The group tried to use video footage to blackmail the chief for a promotion.
The three plan to appeal.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
International child porn bust
Summary
The largest global crackdown on child porn, dubbed Operation Angel, has led to more than 250 arrests worldwide.
Authorities in 20 countries and regions, including China, took part in the opertaion targeting illicit websites and host servers.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Interview with John Howkins, "Father of Creative Industry"
 
Anchor:
The city of Shanghai is forging ahead in a bid to become a cultural and arts center.
The ongoing Shanghai International Arts Festival is part of that push.
The festival has brought together experts and insiders from home and abroad to try to tackle issues, including how to balance modern and traditional cultures.
To that end, CRI's Zhang Ru spoke with John Howkins, Director of the John Howkins Research Centre on the Creative Economy.
(Q&A zhangru with John Howkins)
That's John Howkins, Director of the John Howkins Research Centre on the Creative Economy, speaking with CRI's Zhang Ru.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka post opening round wins
 
In tennis,
The WTA Championship is underway in Istanbul.
Yesterday, Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka both recorded straight set wins to advance past the opening round.
Azarenka dispatched Sara Errani, 7-6, 6-2. And top seeded Williams faced world number eight Angelique Kerber, who was the only player to beat Williams in two sets in the last 18 months.
This time Williams ended up on top.
Next up, Chinese star Li Na and Jelena Jankovic will face each other in the second white group match, and Agnieszka Radwanska and Petra Kvitova are set to clash in the red group.
 
 
Manchester United to host Real Sociedad
 
Manchester United will host Spanish outfit Real Sociedad in a champions league match later today.
United will be looking to add to the four points they've picked up from their two European games so far.
Today also happens to be the launch of Sir Alex Ferguson's new autobiography.
One of the chapters contains criticism of Wayne Rooney, but current manager David Moyes brushed aside concerns that the book might cause ripples in the team.
"Alex Ferguson can do whatever he wishes. Everyone at Old Trafford would love to hear what he has to say. The supporters certainly would. He's someone who's got great knowledge so I'm sure a lot of people would enjoy reading it."
At his book launch, Ferguson offered some encouragement to Moyes.
"It was a really difficult start to the season. But you know something? Manchester United are the only club in that league who can win that league coming from behind. Believe me. Once they get the ball rolling, they will be fine. David Moyes is in a great position. He'll be fine."
Also later today in Group A, Shakhtar will face Bayer Leverkusen.
And in the AFC Cup, defending champions Kuwait Sports Club and Al-Qadsia are through to the final.
Kuwait Sports Club knocked out East Bengal 7-2 on aggregate in the semifinals. And Al-Qadsia advanced after a 3-1 aggregate win over Al-Faisaly.
Al-Qadsia will host that all-kuwait final on November 2nd.
 
 
Shanghai gets ready to host BMW Masters
 
In golf,
Shanghai is getting ready to host the BMW Masters this weekend.
Ahead of tournament, defending champion Peter Hanson, Henrik Stenson, and local Chinese favourite Wu Ashun, took part in a friendly "nearest the pin" competition alongside the city's famous Bund.
Hanson won last year after a fierce final day battle with Rory McIlroy.
"Yeah of course, this place is very special to me, not even it has a Swedish name. Mine and Rory's battle over the back nine last year, obviously very special for me to come out to the top and beat him when he was playing so good. And at the time he was the most dominant golfer in the world. So looking forward to it again, and hopefully we can show some good golf."
McIlroy will be back this year to try and change the result. The field's other big names include Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, and Lee Westwood.
 
 
Florida hosts world shuffleboard competition
 
Here's a sport that rarely gets a mention: shuffleboard.
A Florida shuffleboard club is hosting the 32nd World singles championship this week.
The St. Petersburg club president Christine Page said contrary to popular opinion, not all the competitors are elderly retirees.
In fact, many of the international players are young people from Norway and Germany.
"I know shuffleboard, the stereotype is, older people, but we have... the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club has been bringing shuffleboard back for younger people. A lot of families, and a lot of older people. It's a wonderful game, no matter what your age or what your physical ability, you can play shuffleboard. It's a great sport for everybody."
160 players from 14 countries are participating in the tournament, which also corresponds with the sport's 100th anniversary in the state of Florida.
Shuffleboard is a game of strategy, and also one that doesn't carry a lot of physical limitations. And yes, shuffleboard can be played outside a cruise ship.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian get engaged
 
(Kanye)
US rapper Kanye West has finally popped the question to Kim Kardashian.
It is confirmed that West proposed to Kardashian at her 33rd birthday celebrations in front of family and friends.
This will be Kardashian's third marriage and West's first.
Kardashian was formerly married to music producer Damon Thomas and had a notoriously short union with NBA player Kris Humpheries, which many suspected to be a publicity stunt.
The Kardashian sisters and their parents are the subjects of several E! reality TV shows, but the channel says cameras were not rolling at the proposal.
21 time Grammy winner West is currently taking "The Yeezus Tour" around America with fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar.
 
 
Lily Allen and Rufus Wainwright join Robbie Williams for London show
 
(Robbie Williams)
Fresh from being named Q Magazine Idol, Robbie Williams has confirmed the bill for his one-off special at the London Palladium.
The former Take That member will be performing on November 8th for a BBC One television special.
The show will feature tracks from William's latest album "Swing Both Ways".
British singer Lily Allen will be one of the acts joining Williams on stage.
(Lily Allen)
Canadian singer and composer Rufus Wainwright will also be making an appearance.
(Rufus Wainwright)
More surprisingly, Kermit the frog and Miss Piggy will set off from Sesame Street in order to pay a visit.
The event will hit the London Palladium on November 8th.
 
 
Rubber Duck leaves Beijing
 
Whether it stirs sadness or relief, the Rubber Duck is leaving Beijing.
A special farewell ceremony will be held tomorrow afternoon at the Summer Palace to mark the end of the creature's tenure in Beijing.
Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman who created the Duck will be making an appearance alongside Chinese pop singer Lin Yilun.
Flying in from the US especially for the ceremony will be none other than Big Brother Jackie Chan, who is also the Chariman of the Chinese Rubber Duck Fan Club.
Since its conception in 2007, the world's biggest Rubber Duck is also no doubt the world's most well travelled, popping up everywhere from Osaka to Sao Paulo.
The Duck has enjoyed frenzied popularity during its stay here in the capital, spawning soft toys and tshirts whilst starring in countless smartphone photos flooding the internet.
Hofman has in fact invited the photographers responsible for the best 30 creative works featuring the Rubber Duck to attend the farewell ceremony.
Whilst causing delight in many, the Duck has been called out as an eye sore for the more cynical amongst us.
Many blamed the Duck for the human gridlock at the Summer Palace during the National Holidays, when visitor numbers peaked at hundreds of thousands in one day.
 
 
The Last Stand arrives in Chinese cinemas this week
 
(The Last Stand)
Landing in cinemas here in China tomorrow is Korean director Kim Ji-Woon's action romp "The Last Stand".
The film marks Arnold Schwarzenegger's first return to the big screen after his two term tenure as Governor of California.
Schwarzenegger plays a jaded former LAPD officer who finds himself embroiled in the hunt after a ruthless international drug lord.
Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville and Rodrigo Snatoro round up the cast.
"The Last Stand" is the first foray into Hollywood for director Kim, who is perhaps best known for 2003 horror film "A Tale of Two Sisters".
The film has attracted comparisons with John Carpenter's original Assault on Precint 13 and Clint Eastwood's The Gauntlet.
Schwarzenegger's measured and charismatic performance has been branded as a smooth return to sparkling entertaining form.
The Last Stand arrives on screens nationwide tomorrow.
 
 
 
That's all we have time for on the show as well.
Recapping our top headlines....
The Chinese and Russian governments have signed off on a number of new trade deals as part of Prime Minster Dmitry Medvedev's visit here.
Politicians from various counties have been meeting and travelling to try to make a new international conference on Syria a reality.
The mayor of Manila is reportedly going to deliver an official apology for the 2010 hostage crisis which left 8 Hong Kong tourists dead.
In Business.... a big day for the tech world with the release of a number of new computing products.
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!