新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2013/10/31

 
The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition
 
 
Paul James with you on this Thursday, October 31st, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Chinese President Xi Jinping has sat down for talks with the visiting speaker of the Iranian Parliament.
5 suspects are in custody in connection with Monday's deadly terrorist attack at Tian'anmen.
The United States Health and Human Services Secretary has come under the microscope amid the terrible rollout of Obamacare.
In Business.... Internet giant Baidu is rolling out a new, more conservative financial instrument for would-be investors.
In sports... the Boston Red Sox could be crowned World Series Champions later on today.
In entertainment... Ashton Kutcher has helped Lenovo roll out a new product.
First, let's check on what's happening on the weather front...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be cloudy today, with a high of 14 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be overcast tonight with a low of 6.
In Shanghai, it will see slight rain today, 20 the high, and it will be overcast tonight, the low of 17 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will be cloudy in the daytime the temperature's at 16, and tonight will be overcast with a low of minus 2 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 25.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 16.
And in North America
New York, overcast, with a high of 15 degrees.
Washington, overcast, highs of 18
Houston, thundershowers, 26.
Honolulu, moderate rain, 29.
Toronto, overcast, 11.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, overcast, 24.
And Rio de Janeiro will be overcast with highs of 26 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
Chinese president meets Iran's parliamentary speaker
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with Iran's Parliamentary Speaker here in Beijing.
He and Ali Larijani are vowing to push forward in cooperation in multiple areas.
Xi Jingping says China's ties with Iran have created a positive impact on the entire Middle East region.
For his part, Ali Larijani says the leadership transition in Iran has opened a new chapter in Chinese-Iranian ties.
The two have also discussed Iran's nuclear issue.
Xi Jinping says China will continue to support a peaceful resolution of the issue within the framework of the P5+1.
Larijani's time in China comes amid talks between Iran and the UN's nuclear watchdog in Vienna this week.
Both Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency have described the talks as positive.
For more on Iran's nuclear issue, CRI's Marc Cavigli spoke earlier with Hua Liming, China's former ambassador to Iran.
(callin with Hua)
That's Hua Liming, China's former ambassador to Iran, speaking with CRI's Marc Cavigli.
 
 
Five detained over Tian'anmen terrorist attack
 
Chinese authorities have made a number of arrests in connection with this week's deadly terrorist attack in front of Tian'anmen.
Five people said to be involved in planning the deadly assault have been detained.
The names of those detained suggest they are members of the ethnic Uyghur population.
On Monday, a Jeep carrying Xinjiang plates with three people onboard, crashed through the barriers in front of the iconic Tian'anmen gate, slamming into the crowds.
Those onboard then lit the vehicle on fire.
All three attackers, identified as a man, his wife and his mother , died in the attack.
Two tourists, including a woman from the Philippines and a man from Guangdong, were also killed.
40 others were hurt in Monday's attack.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.
"So we feel very sad for this tragic incident, and we express our mourning for the dead, as well as our consolations to their family and the injured. After the incident, China's relevant departments immediately carried out operations to make sure the injured people received effective and timely assistance. We also promptly reported the situation to relevant embassies."
Authorities in Beijing have been working with police in Xinjiang in connection with Monday's attack.
As part of the investigation, authorities say they discovered a flag inside the jeep with Jihadist writing on it.
 
 
3 killed in fresh communal violence N. India
 
There's been a new round of communal violence in northern India.
Three people have been killed in the fighting in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
The fighting has taken place in the same area where sectarian violence broke out last month, leaving over 60-people dead.
The victims in the latest round of violence are all said to be local Muslims.
Authorities in Uttar Pradesh say the attackers descended on a refugee camp set up to help those left homeless following last month's deadly rioting.
Last month's rioting in the district, which is around 100-kilometers north of New Delhi, is said to have been set off by a group of low-level politicians in the region.
 
 
20 killed, 100 wounded in sectarian conflicts in northern Yemen
 
Sectarian violence has been flaring up in northern Yemen.
Battles between Shiite Houthi rebels and Sunni's in the region have left at least 20 dead and over 100 others wounded.
The outbreak of the fighting is being blamed on the Houthi rebels, who are said to have attacked a Salafist-held town.
As part of the fighting, a rocket has hit a local mosque during prayers.
This is where most of the deaths have occurred.
Local Salafist leaders in the community, which is near the border with Saudi Arabia, have been calling for the Yemeni government and local tribes to intervene.
Houthi rebels and local Sunni tribesmen have been embroiled in on-and-off battles in northern Yemen for close to a decade.
The fighting comes even as both sides continue to be involved in a national reconciliation process which began in March.
 
 
UN-Arab League envoy meets with Syrian President
 
Anchor
UN-Arab League Syrian envoy Lakhdar Brahimi has met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus as hopes for an international summit to try to end the lingering war appear to be waining.
CRI's Jordan Lee has more.
Reporter
The meeting between Lakhdar Brahimi and Bashar al-Assad appears to have cast some doubt on the anticipated summit in Geneva, which has been tenatively scheduled to take place sometime in November.
Bashar al-Assad has gone on record saying that foreign support for the armed opposition must end if any political solution to the country's conflict is to succeed.
The United States, Russia and the United Nations have been trying for months to bring the Syrian government and the opposition together in Geneva in an attempt to negotiate a political resolution to the lingering conflict.
However, the Syrian opposition remains deeply divided over whether to attend.
The Syrian government refuses to sit down with the armed opposition.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is now suggesting a November conference in Geneva might not happen.
"As far as Geneva 2 is concerned, the situation is a bit more difficult as there are now open objections to convening this conference on the initiative of Russia and the U.S., coming not just from various Syrian parties, but from some capitals of the neighbouring."
With splits emerging between the big powers over the proposed Syrian peace talks, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius says he is "not blind" to the difficulties.
Fabius has made the comment while meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as part of his current European tour.
Wang Yi says China continues to support a peaceful resolution to the Syrian conflict.
"We 're fully aware of our responsibilities, our obligations and we want to play our role fully in the peace and security of the world. As part of the U.N., there are Chinese experts and technicians who are going to participate in the destruction of chemical weapons."
The Syrian government has agreed to have all its chemical weapons destroyed by the middle of next year.
However, that Russian-brokered agreement included nothing which might bring the over 30-month long conflict in Syria to an end.
For CRI, I am Jordan Lee.
 
 
HHS Secretary Apologizes for Website Debacle
 
Anchor
The Obama administration's Health and Human Services Secretary has gone before a congressional committee, apologising for the poor rollout of Obamacare.
CRI's Washington correspondent Xiaohong has more.
Reporter
As part of a three-and-half-hour hearing in front of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has delivered an apology to the American people.
"I am as frustrated and angry as anyone with the flaw launching of healthcare.gov. So let me say directly to these Americans, you deserve better. I apologize. I'm accountable to you for fixing these problems."
Since its launch on October 1st, healthcare.gov, the government's platform designed to help millions of uninsured Americans shop for health insurance, has encountered numerous technical failures.
Many have experienced error messages and long waits in trying to sign on to the website.
It has become a political embarrassment for the Obama administration.
A number of congressional hearings have been launched in the wake of the poor rollout of the program.
And some of the revelations from the hearings have been startling.
It's been revealed the website only underwent testing two weeks prior to its official launch, giving little time to detect and fix problems and potential risks.
And despite the short testing window, none of the stakeholders, from the Department of Health and Human Services, down to contractors, ever suggested a delay of the website's launch.
Facing a grilling from House Republicans looking to score political points, Secretary Sebelius says her department has already tapped a number of experts to fix the problems.
She says she's confident the website will be fixed by the end of November.
Despite this, Republican Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn took the opportunity for a bit of political theatre, showing the broken website as part of the hearing.
"This is what is happening right now with this website. It is down. It is not working."
The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is President Barack Obama's landmark legislation passed during his first term in office.
Under the new rules, uninsured Americans have to complete the registration process by December 15th and buy health insurance by the end of March.
Failure to do so will result in fines.
Xiaohong, CRI, Washington.
 
 
EU Parliament members in Washington to investigate spying
 
Anchor
European authorities are buzzing around Washington this week in an attempt to stake out their positions when it comes to the recent allegations of US spying on both European citzens and European leaders.
CRI's Li Jing has more.
Report
The spying scandal has strained relations among Washington and some of its most important allies in Europe.
A delegation of EU Parliament members has been meeting with officials from various U.S. agencies throughout this week, expressing their concerns.
Claude Moraes is a European parliament member from the United Kingdom.
"Spying has always existed, but we have said repeatedly that friend on friend spying is not something that is easily tolerable if it doesn't have a clear purpose. And if it happens, there needs to be some kind of justification. "
Despite the allegations, the US Director of National Intelligence, Keith Alexander, has testifed before a congressional hearing this week, saying the European media reports this month about the NSA spying on its European allies are "completely false."
But at the same time, Alexander has also testified there are valid intelligence reasons for spying on world leaders, and contends those policies are within the law.
Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has requested the appearance of Spain's intelligence chief before a US congressional committee in order to clarify allegations the NSA has spied on Spanish citizens with the help of Spain's intelligence service.
"I agree the key is to clarify what has happened and generate trust, otherwise it's very difficult to work in benefit of rights and liberties of our citizens so I hope we will be able to achieve this. "
A separate German delegation is also in Washington to deal specifically with issues surrounding the NSA's alleged surveillance of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee and US President Barack Obama have both announced "a major review" of all U.S. intelligence programs.
At the same time, a United Nations spokesperson says U.S. authorities have assured them UN communications out of New York are not, and will not be, monitored.
For CRI, this is Li Jing.
 
 
Hongkong's aging population raise discussion on migrant works
 
Anchor
Authorities in Hong Kong are trying to gauge the mood about a new proposal to potentially allow more migrant labor to enter the city to help cope with the aging population.
At the same time, lawmakers in Hong Kong are also debating whether to enact pro-birth family planning policies.
CRI's Cao Yuwei has more.
Reporter
A consultation document by Hong Kong's Steering Committee on Population Policy shows the city's aging population is growing faster than expected.
People over 65-years of age will account for one-third of the population in Hong Kong by 2014, which means a decline in the labor force.
This is expected to add more pressure to the social welfare system.
The document has raised some possible solutions to increase the labor force, including introducing migrant workers and adopting pro-birth policies.
However, there are concerns a flood of migrant workers could influence rights of the local labor force.
Director of the Hong Kong Security Bureau Li Dongguo explains new policies will still give priority to local residents when it comes to job opportunities.
However, he says it won't be easy to attract new talent.
"Although Hong Kong is an attractive city, it's not flawless. For example, there is not enough room in the international schools. Hong Kong's air condition is not satisfactory. The houses are also expensive. Despite the price, it is much smaller compared to living conditions on the mainland. "
The document points out over 780-thousand people migrated to Hong Kong through the One-Way-Permit scheme throughout the past 16-years.
The permit allows residents from the mainland to leave permanently and settle in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong currently has an OWP quota of 150-people per day.
Some people suggest the scheme should be changed and a cap on how many children families can have should be considered.
Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam says it's unnecessary.
"Because we have a relatively low birth rate and low population growth rate, we have to take care of the aging problem so that the labor supply meets the demand. Therefore I don't think it's necessary to put a cap on how many children each family can have."
Steering Committee's report notes the low birth rate is the main issue with the aging society, which could be improved through pro-birth policies.
These potential policies include direct or indirect subsidies, aids on reproduction treatments, as well as funds on nursery services.
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 retreated on Wednesday as investors took profits following the Federal Reserve's latest policy announcement.
And on the economic front, the U.S. private sector added 130 thousand jobs in October, falling short of analysts' forecast of 154 thousand.
When the market closed,
The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.4 percent.
The S&P 500 dropped 0.5 percent.
The Nasdaq shed 0.6 percent.
In Canada, the S&P/TSX was up 0.1 percent.
A pan-European stock index ended virtually unchanged on Wednesday.
On the data front in Europe, Germany's labor agency says jobless claims rose unexpectedly in October, as the country's recovery remains weak.
As such, Germany's DAX dropped 0.1 percent.
France's CAC 40 fell 0.1 percent, while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 closed slightly higher.
 
 
US Fed maintains stimulus measures
 
The US Federal Reserve has voted to keep interest rates at record lows and to continue with its 85 billion US dollars a month bond-buying program.
The decision has been widely expected.
Last month, the Fed took analysts by surprise by delaying its decision to wind down the programme, which had been expected to take place around this time.
Fed officials say the US economy continues to grow, but only moderately.
The Fed is on-record saying it wants to keep interest rates at their current near-zero levels until the unemployment level falls below 6.5 percent.
The latest figures show the US jobless rate fell to 7.2 percent in September.
The central bank has a dual mandate to promote job growth and to maintain price stability.
 
 
Baidu to launch its second investment product Baizhuan
 
Baidu is ready to launch its second investment product today.
Baizhuan is an investment vehicle for more secure bets, such as one-year government bonds, central bank bills and certificates of deposits.
The minimum investment for Baizhuan is 1 yuan, which is the same rule for Baidu's "baifa" investment vehicle, which was launched on Monday.
Buyers are allowed to cash in and out at anytime.
The company predicts an annual return of a typical Baizhuan account will be around 5-percent.
This is well above the current deposit rates at banks, which only have an interest return of 0.35-percent.
Financial products offered by Baidu are now open to account-holders from seven banks, including China Construction Bank and China Merchants Bank.
Bank of China and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is not-yet involved with Baidu's products.
 
 
Big-5 banks' net profit rises to US$36.4b
 
China's big-five banks have posted a 9.9 percent annual rise in combined net profits over the third quarter.
That growth is weaker than 14.6 percent rise in profits through the same period last year.
It is expected the big-five banks will see their net profit coming in at 847 billion yuan for the full year this year.
Net income at ICBC, the nation's largest bank, rose 7.6 percent to 67.2 billion yuan on an annualized basis in the 3rd quarter.
Agricultural Bank of China is reporting a 15 percent jump in net profit in the third quarter, the highest among the big five, to 45.6 billion yuan.
Net profit at the Bank of China has climbed 13.6 percent to 39.5 billion yuan.
Bank of Communication saw a much weaker rise of 3.4 percent to 13.9 billion yuan in the 3rd quarter.
That's down from 11.7 percent year on year.
The five biggest lenders account for more than 70 percent of the total assets of the 16 listed Chinese banks.
 
 
China's shale gas policy promises more financial support
 
Anchor
China's energy regulator is rolling out new polices for this country's shale gas sector.
The National Energy Administration is promising to increase financial support for shale gas exploration and extraction.
As part of the new program, local governments are going to be encouraged to provide tax breaks for local shale gas producers.
Tariff exemptions for imported equiptment will also be provided.
For more on China's shale gas sector, we're joined live now by Cao Can, CRI's Financial Commentator.
Questions
1, What's the motivation behind the new policy? Is the government trying to give a leg-up to local producers?
2, How effective are tax breaks and other incentives when it comes to attracting new companies into any given industry?
3, The government is designating shale gas extraction as one of the nation's strategic emerging industries. What does that actually mean?
Back Anchor
Cao Can, CRI's Financial Commentator.
 
 
U.S. posts lowest budget deficit since 2008
 
New stats show the US government's budget deficit for fiscal 2013 has come in at its lowest level since the 2008 financial meltdown.
The Treasury Department is reporting the US government recorded a 680-billion US dollar deficit, which is 4.1 percent of the country's GDP.
This is the smallest annual defecit since 2008.
The full-year figures also includes a government surplus of 75-billion US dollars for September.
The deficit has fallen mostly due to increased revenues, as well as slightly lower government spending.
US government spending for the full fiscal year has come in at 3.5 trillion US dollars.
That's down 2 percent from the year before.
The Treasury Department is also reporting the US government has seen its revenues come in at 2.8 trillion US dollars for fiscal 2013.
That's up 13 percent from 2012.
 
 
Spain ends two-year recession with 0.1% growth
 
Spain is officially out of recession.
Spain's national stats agency has confirmed it has emerged from its 2-year downturn by posting a 0.1 percent increase in GDP growth through the third quarter.
The growth is mainly thanks to rising exports and an upswing in the tourism industry.
Spain is one of the countries worst hit by the global economic downturn.
Spain has endured one of Europe's highest level of unemployment, at 26 percent.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Chinese president meets Iran's parliamentary speaker
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with Iran's Parliamentary Speaker here in Beijing.
Xi Jingping says China's ties with Iran have created a positive impact on the entire Middle East region.
For his part, Ali Larijani says the leadership transition in Iran has opened a new chapter in Chinese-Iranian ties.
The two have also discussed Iran's nuclear issue.
Larijani is paying a 4-day visit in China, which will wrap on on Friday.
 
 
Five detained over Tian'anmen terrorist attack
 
Chinese authorities have made a number of arrests in connection with this week's deadly terrorist attack in front of Tian'anmen.
Five people said to be involved in planning the deadly assault have been detained.
The names of those detained suggest they are members of the ethnic Uyghur population.
On Monday, a Jeep carrying Xinjiang plates with three people onboard, crashed through the barriers in front of the iconic Tian'anmen gate, slamming into the crowds.
A total of 5 people, including the three attackers, were killed.
Authorities in Beijing have been working with police in Xinjiang in connection with Monday's attack.
 
 
Factory fire kills 7 in north China
 
Seven people have been killed in a fire in Hebei.
The fire broke out at a factory on Wednesday afternoon near the city of Chengde, which lies northeast of Beijing.
5 of those killed suffocated.
The other two died of their injuries after managing to get out of the building.
The factory itself belongs to a local mining company.
It's unclear what sparked the deadly blaze.
 
 
U.S. top health official apologizes for health care website woes
 
US President Barack Obama's Health and Human Services Secretary has had her turn under the congressional microscope in connection with the rollout of Obamacare.
Kathleen Sebelius has issued a formal apology to a congressional committee for the poor launch of the Affordable Care Act.
Sebelius has told the lawmakers Americans deserve better.
She's also described the initial rollout of the program as a "miserably frustrating experience."
The website designed to help millions of uninsured Americans become part of the program has been experiencing massive problems since the launch on October 1st.
 
 
US Fed maintains stimulus measures
 
The US Federal Reserve has voted to keep interest rates at record lows and to continue with its 85 billion US dollars a month bond-buying program.
The decision has been widely expected.
Last month, the Fed took analysts by surprise by delaying its decision to wind down the programme, which had been expected to take place around this time.
Fed officials say the US economy continues to grow, but only moderately.
The Fed is on-record saying it wants to keep interest rates at their current near-zero levels until the unemployment level falls below 6.5 percent.
The latest figures show the US jobless rate fell to 7.2 percent in September.
The central bank has a dual mandate to promote job growth and to maintain price stability.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
No Part-time jobs for officials
Summary
The party has issued a new set of guidlines for high-level officials when it comes to their working life.
Under the new regulations, working officials are not allowed to hold part-time positions within companies.
Retired officials are allowed to hold part-time positions, though they officially can't accept payment for their work.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Television watchdog cuts shopping ads
Summary
China's television watchdog is moving to limit the airtime for shopping commercials next year.
Satellite channels are only going to be allowed to broadcast these commercials once an hour.
The commercials themselves can't be longer than 3 minutes.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Expat options at high-end job fair
Summary
Zhejiang is set to host a high-end job fair this Saturday to try to fill over 7-thousand vacancies in the province.
The event will include over 300 companies and organizations from 60 different sectors that are looking for experienced talent with overseas backgrounds.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Policeman detained for fatal shooting
Summary
A police officer involved in fatally shooting a pregnant restaurant owner has been detained.
The officer in the city of Guigang in Guangxi, who was said to be drunk at the time, apparently shot the woman because she did not serve milk tea to him.
The case has generated a lot of discussion on the internet, with many suggesting that, among other things, police officers should not be permitted to carry a gun while not on duty.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Consumer Group Suits
Summary
As part of the new consumers' law, national and provincial consumers' rights associations can sue on behalf of consumers.
The report says this should help individual consumers confront and challenge large companies.
JIANGHUAI MORNING POST
Headline
Vanke to invest in Huishang
Summary
China Vanke, China's largest property developer, along with 4 other companies, have announced plans to buy a 580-million U.S. dollars stake in Huishang Bank, which set to launch its IPO in Hong Kong.
This will make Vanke the largest shareholder of the biggest commercial bank in central China.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Genome sequence of extinct dolphin published
Summary
Chinese scientists have published the genome sequence of the Yangtze River dolphin.
The dolphin, otherwise known as Baiji, is one of only four known river dolphin species in the world.
It was officially declared extinct in 2006.
Based on their studies, the scientists believe human interference is the main reason for the species' extinction.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Chinese Young Designers Show their Stuff at the Beijing Fashion Week
 
ANCHOR
With Fashion Week underway here in Beijing, many of China's up-and-coming fashion designers are openly asking when a Chinese city will be included among the A-list of fashion cities, such as New York, Milan and Paris.
CRI's Dominic Swire has more.
REPORT
Spotlights swivel on the ceiling as Chinese models strut their stuff on an illuminated catwalk in Beijing.
They wear glitzy jackets, flowing dresses and very high heels - all with a Chinese flavour.
This is the final of a competition designed to showcase some of the best young talent in China's emerging fashion industry.
Four designers were showing collections at this event, chosen after over 20,000 votes online.
It all ended with an award handed to the winning designer, 24 year old Gao Yuan.
Chinese male
"Winning this competition is good for me because I want to go abroad to improve my knowledge of fashion and reach an international standard. This experience has given me more confidence in my career. "
Xiao Wei was one of the three runners up. She says preparing for show was difficult.
"Time was so limited. They asked me to design two sets of clothes in August, so we were really rushing against time in September and October. it was a challenge to find all the materials to use."
However impressive the collections were at this event, the fact remains there are still few world famous fashion designers or brands from China. Why is this? Gao Yuan again:
"The major difference between Chinese and western fashion design lies in attitude. The fashion industry in Europe and the US has several hundred years of history. But during that time the Chinese understanding of fashion has remained in its infancy. But now many Chinese designers are going abroad to study in order to improve this situation, so I think while Chinese fashion is still in it's infancy, it has a bright future."
While much of the world's clothes are made in China, few are designed here. The young designers exhibiting at shows like this are on the forefront of trying to change this trend.
For CRI, I'm Dominic Swire.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals head into a possibly decisive game 6
 
In major league baseball world series play,
This morning it's game 6 for the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals. Boston holds a 3-2 series advantage, and has the chance to claim the title today.
That's some serious pressure on the Cardinals, but manager Mike Matheny says its nothing they haven't faced before.
"You know, our guys have been backed up against the wall before, and this is something that isn't foreign to them. They know what we have to do. We just play our game. And if we go about it the right way, we'll be right where we want to be. Go out and play the game. Try not to make too much of it. Not getting too far ahead of ourselves, and get back to the kind of baseball we know we can play.
Boston is looking to claim its third world series title in a decade, and they have the added advantage of playing this next game on their home field.
At win at Fenway Park would add a historic touch to the victory since the Red Sox haven't won a world series at home since Babe Ruth was on the roster back in 1918.
That game gets underway at 8:07am.
 
 
More season openers in the NBA
 
In the NBA,
Lots of games on the lineup today. Several are underway as we speak.
It's a rebuilding year for the Celtics, but one new player to watch is Canadian power forward Kelly Olynyk.
Olynyk was the 13th overall draft pick for the Celtics and finished the postseason third on the team with 72 points after eight games.
Also the Washington Wizards are in Detroit and the Milwaukee Bucks opened their season against the Knicks at New York. Those two games just tipped off at 7:30.
 
 
David Ferrer through to final 16 at Paris Masters
 
At the Paris Masters,
World number 3 David Ferrer is through to the sweet 16 after defeating the Czech Republic's Lukas Rosol, 6-0, 2-6, 6-3.
"Yes it was a tough match, I think I started very good in the first set. In the second set I slept a little bit and finally I can win in　the third set and it wasn't easy to win against a good player"
World number 8 Stanislas Wawrinka is also through after beating Feliciano Lopez of Spain in three sets.
If Wawrinka continues to advance, he has a chance of reaching his ninth semifinal of the season.
John Isner of the United States dispatched Polish qualifier Michal Przysiezny, and fourth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro, fresh of a win at the Swiss Indoors, defeated Croatia's Marin Cilic.
 
 
Beijing Guoan seals place in AFC Champions League as Hangzhou Greentown avoids relegation
 
In the Chinese Super League,
Beijing Guoan defeated Shandong Luneng 3-1 to secure a coveted 2014 AFC Champions League spot and third place in the CSL yesterday.
Guoan led 2-0 at the half, but Shandong's Vagner Love headed in the free kick to cut that lead to one.
But then Beijing answered with a final score by Wang Hao off an assist by Piao Cheng.
Hangzhou Greentown has successfully evaded relegation after their 3-0 win over Guizhou Renhe.
Guizhou started the day just a point behind Beijing Guoan for a third place qualification into next year's AFC Champions League. But a struggling Hangzhou team wanted the win more.
The hosts opened the scoring after an hour of goal-less play. Hangzhou then added a second in the 76th minute, and two minutes later Ivory Coast international Davy Claude Angan rushed the goal and took an uncontested shot to put his team up by three.
After the game, Hangzhou's Brazilian striker Mazola stripped off his kit and threw it to a delighted crowd before heading into the locker room.
Guizhou still has a chance at joining Guangzhou Evergrande, Shandong, and Beijing in the AFC Champions League next season if they win the Chinese FA Cup in December.
 
 
David Beckham launches new book and talks franchise ownership
 
David Beckham was in London yesterday for a digital book signing.
The soccer star was able to electronically sign copies of his new e-book for fans in places as far-flung as India, Brazil, and New York.
Beckham's new book, aptly titled "David Beckham", tells the story of his career over the past two decades through pictures and captions.
Up next for the football icon, is possibly a move into franchise ownership.
"It's not one hundred percent Miami yet, but Miami is definitely one of the places that I've looked. I'm excited. I'm excited about owning a team. I'm excited about bringing the team, about being part of the MLS and continuing to be part of the MLS."
Beckham was also asked about his reaction to being mentioned in Sir Alex Ferguson's autobiography.
He said he wasn't upset by anything that was said, and wishes the boss luck with his book sales.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
James Blake wins the Mercury Prize
 
James Blake has won the prestigious Mercury Prize with his album "Overgrown".
(James Blake)
Blake overcame stiff competition from the likes of David Bowie, Rudimental and Disclosure to take home the 20,000 pound award.
Established in 1992, the annual awards ceremony recognises the best record to emerge out of Britain and Ireland.
Whilst Blake might be the winner, the other nominees have also gained in surges in record sales.
The Arctic Monkeys saw their latest album shift an extra 320 thousand copies since nominations were announced in September.
The Mercury Prize is renowned for valuing merit above popularity and interestingly, this year's shortlist was criticised for being too mainstream as it contained five number 1 albums.
 
 
Ashton Kutcher unveiled as product engineer for Lenovo
 
Ashton Kutcher made a surprise appearance at Chinese computer firm Lenovo's launch of its new Yoga tablet in LA.
The star, who recently played late Apple boss Steve Jobs in the biopic "Jobs", took to the stage to present the new product.
The 35 year old's partnership with Lenovo will see him help the company develope future mobile computing products, starting with the Yoga tablet.
The relatively low-cost and high performance Android device has been tagged as a "game changer".
Speaking to Wired magazine, Kutcher insisted that he is a real product engineer and that the partnership is not a typical celebrity endorsement.
The actor, who attended college on a biochemical engineering degree, has been making waves with his savvy tech investments.
Kutcher is the co-founder of venture capitalist firm A-Grade Investment, which has backed tech companies like Airbnb and Spotify.
 
 
Exhibition of Kate Moss' first ever photo shoot opens
 
An exhibition of never before seen photographs from supermodel Kate Moss' first ever photo shoot is going on display in London.
"Kate Moss: Roll 1" shows the Croydon's teenager on her first ever test shoot at the age of 14.
Moss was scouted by Storm agency's Sarah Doukas who hired photographer David Ross for the job.
Ross, a seasoned fashion photographer, said he was immediately impressed by Moss.
"To be able to have that much different expression, in even one roll of film, let alone three rolls of film, that I shot, is quite unusual. She has been able to offer so much without knowing what she was doing, really. She certainly didn't let on that she might have been nervous in any way or anything like that.I think it carried her a long way."
Moss went on to have a phenonmenally successful 26 year career which continues to go from strength to strength.
Ross is not surprised by the longevity of her career.
"You hear about the 'London Look' all the time but she really has got that, she represents the British flag. She is a figurehead and the face of the UK. She's apart of British culture in the same sense that punk was. And it shows in the very first roll of film that I shot, which is even more remarkable. Only three or four frames in, already she's showing a look, at the age of 14, that we know right now today, which is incredible."
The exhibition is on at the Lawrence Alkin Gallery in London's Soho until next week.
 
 
Chris Brown enters rehab
 
(Chris Brown)
We reported earlier this week that Chris Brown was arrested and detained after putting a man in hospital in an incident on Sunday.
It has now emerged that the 24 year old artist has entered rehab clinic in LA.
The star's publicist told the press that Brown wants to reflect on his behaviour in order to work on himself.
Brown originally faced charges of felony assault for Sunday's attack, however this charge was reduced to a misdemeanor.
Brown is still on probation for his 2009 assaul of then-girlfriend Rihanna.
 
 
Daniel Radcliffe to play Olympian Lord Roe
 
"Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe has signed on to play British Olympic runner Sebastian Coe in an upcoming biopic.
Entitled "Gold", the film will zone in on the rivalry between Coe and fellow runner Steve Ovett in the build up to the 1980 Olympics.
Coe went on to embark on a career in politics which led him to lead the 2012 London Olympics organising committee.
The script comes from Simone Beaufoy and Will Davies and is based on book "The Perfect Distance" by former Times athletics correspondent Pat Butcher.
The film is set to begin shooting on location in the UK and Russia from next April.
 
 
 
That's all we have time for on the show as well.
Recapping our top headlines....
Chinese President Xi Jinping has sat down for talks with the visiting speaker of the Iranian Parliament.
5 suspects are in custody in connection with Monday's deadly terrorist attack at Tian'anmen.
The United States Health and Human Services Secretary has come under the microscope amid the terrible rollout of Obamacare.
In Business.... Internet giant Baidu is rolling out a new, more conservative financial instrument for would-be investors.
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!