The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
RH with you on this Wednesday, September 11th, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Chinese President now in Kyrgyzstan for a state visit and SCO summit
Syrian foreign minister says his country is ready to declare its chemical weapons stockpile
Kenya's deputy president goes on trial at the Hague
Business
Industrial production expands 10.4 percent in August.
Sports
Star sprinter Zhang wins second gold at China's National Games
Entertainments
Brad Pitt begins work on sequel to this year's zombie apocalypse movie World War Z.
First, let's check on what's happening on the weather front...
Weather
Beijing will be cloudy today, with a high of 27 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be cloudy tonight with a low of 18.
In Shanghai, it will see thundershowers today, 32 the high, and it will be overcast tonight, the low of 25 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will be cloudy in the daytime the temperature's at 17, and tonight will be overcast with a low of 6 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 31.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 32.
And in North America
New York, overcast, with a high of 29 degrees.
Washington, overcast, highs of 33
Houston, thundershowers, 32.
Honolulu, moderate rain, 31.
Toronto, sunny, 33
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, overcast, 30.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with highs of 27 degrees Celsius.
Top News
Chinese president in Kyrgyzstan for state visit, SCO summit
Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Bishkek for his state visit to Kyrgyzstan.
The president will also attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
Upon his arrival, Xi Jingping hailed bilateral ties between China and Kyrgyzstan.
The Chinese President says biliteral ties have a strong basis and broad prospect for their advancement.
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev said earlier that he hoped the Chinese president's visit would push forward mutual cooperation.
He also pledged to lift bilateral ties to a strategic partnership level.
Kyrgyzstan is the last stop of Xi Jinping's Central Asian tour since assuming the presidency in March.
China needs reforms for economic development: Premier
Anchor
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has urged future reforms to achieve sustainable and healthy economic development.
Li Keqiang made the remarks ahead of the Summer Davos Forum, which will kick off later today in Dalian city.
CRI's Marc Cavigli has more.
Reporter
Noting that the Chinese government has attached greater importance to economic restructuring in recent years, Premier Li Keqiang said China would unwaveringly stick to a "green path" for development.
"To improve the economic structure is an important task for us and the potential growth engine for our economy. Through that task, we can improve the quality and efficiency of economic growth, thus to better increase people's income and boost consumption."
The premier said the nation's economic reforms inevitably included financial reforms, which the country is firmly determined to push forward.
Li Keqiang also reiterated China would keep promoting the market-oriented interest rate, as well as to diversify its capital market and widen financing channels to allow more direct financing.
In the meantime, China would promote the convertibility of the yuan under capital account.
Talking about a slowing economy, the Premier cited recent improving economic indicators, reassuring the central government's confidence in a long-term economic growth.
"China has stayed calm and taken a more holistic approach, especially stressing the importance of reforms, economic restructuring and market vigor, to boost slowing growth instead of adopting short-term stimulus measures to lift the economy. The efforts have gradually paid off."
This year's Summer Davos is scheduled to run through Wednesday till Friday in the port city of Dalian.
Organised by the World Economic Forum, the event is considered the foremost global business gathering here in Asia.
The theme of this year's forum is "meeting the innovation imperative".
Premier Li Keqiang is set to attend the opening ceremony and will deliver a keynote speech.
For CRI, this is Marc Cavigli.
Q&A on Summer Davos
(following Marc's report)
Ahead of the start of the event, CRI's Nathan Walkelin-King spoke with the President of the European Research Council and a Summer Davos participant, Helga Nowotny.
(pik davos)
Professor Helga Nowotny, President of the European Research Council, speaking with CRI's Nathan Wakelin-King.
Syria to declare chemical weapons and sign arms ban
Syria's foreign minister says his country is ready to declare its chemical weapons stockpile and sign a chemical weapons convention.
Walid al-Moallem added that this amounts to a willingness to fully give up all chemical weapon reserves.
"We are ready to inform about the location of chemical weapons, halt the production of chemical weapons and also show these objects to representatives of Russia, other states and the United Nations. Our adherence to the Russian initiative has the goal of halting the possession of all chemical weapons."
At the same time, Russian President VLadimir Putin is mounting more pressure on the US to give up its strike plan.
Putin says placing the Syrian chemical weapons under international control makes sense only if the U.S. rejects the use of force.
"All this makes sense and can function, can work, only in the event that we hear that the American side and those who support the US, in this sense, reject the use of force. Because it's hard to make any country - Syria or another country, any other state in the world - disarm on a unilateral basis if an attack is being prepared against it."
Meantime, US president Barack Obama is supporting a French resolution to the UN security Council.
The resolution would demand Syria put its chemical weapons under international control and destroyed.
Britain has also joined in the force to push for the resolution through the United Nations.
The Obama administration has subsequently delayed a Senate vote on the president's request.
The vote is to give congressional authorization to strike on Syria.
Obama has also decided to send Secretary of State John Kerry to Geneva.
Kerry is supposed to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Vavrov to further discuss Russia's proposal.
Earlier, China and Iran welcomed Russia's proposal.
The Chinese government reiterated its position on a political solution to the Syrian crisis.
It also confirmed that it's currently receiving a delegation from a Syrian opposition group in Beijing.
Kenya's deputy president went to trial in Hague
Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto has pleaded not guilty to crimes against humanity as the trial began at the International Criminal Court.
Ruto and Kenya's current president Uhuru Kenyatta were accused of orchestrating the deadly violence after his country's disputed 2007 election.
The violence left 12-hundred people dead and 600-thousand displaced.
Ruto becomes the first serving official to appear at the ICC while Kenyatta is due to face trial in the Hague in November.
The two trials are seen as a crucial test of the ICC's ability to prosecute political leaders.
At the ICC, Ruto's defence lawyer Karim Khan said the trial was based on some wild conspiracy theories.
"Your honours, we say that there is a rotten underbelly of this case that the prosecutor has swallowed hook, line and sinker, indifferent to the truth, all too eager to latch on to any version, any account, any story that somehow ticks the boxes that we have to tick."
Last week, Kenya's parliament passed a motion calling for the country to withdraw from the ICC.
But the ICC said the cases would continue, even if Kenya withdrew.
India court finds all 4 adult suspects in Delhi gang rape guilty of all charges
A court in New Delhi has found 4 men guilty of the rape and murder of a college student in the Indian capital last year.
The men attacked the woman and her boyfriend on a moving bus in December, brutally assaulting her before leaving her on the side of the road.
She later died of internal injuries in hospital days later.
Sentencing is set to get underway on Wednesday.
A.P. Singh is a defense lawyer for the men convicted.
"Now tomorrow at 11 a.m, arguments would be made on the sentence of these convicts. As they have been found guilty by the honourable court, now tomorrow we would argue on the sentence they would be given."
There have been numerous calls for the courts to hand down death sentences.
The verdict comes a week after a young offender involved in the attack was sentenced to 3-years in a correctional facility.
The ring-leader in the case hung himself in jail shortly after being charged in the attack.
The case has shone a major spotlight on sexual assaults in India.
Protests spread to Ankara and Istanbul following the death of a demonstrator
Police in Turkey have arrested a number of demonstrators in the southern province of Hatay.
It follows violent clashes which broke out following the controversial death of a demonstrator.
Ahmet Atakan died in the early hours of Tuesday at a demonstration against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's handling of nationwide protests this summer.
The cause of his death was in dispute, with witnesses saying he suffered a blunt trauma to the head, while police said he fell from a rooftop.
Protests now have spread from Hatay to the Turkish capital Ankara and Istanbul.
Anti-government demonstrations have largely cooled since early July though tensions remain high in the southern province of Hatay, which borders war-torn Syria.
First judicial guideline regulating online rumors takes effect
Anchor
China has released its first judicial guidelines to regulate online rumors.
The move is to crack down on offenders who spread rumors online that are defamatory or against the interests of the nation.
CRI's Cao Yuwei has more.
Reporter
Under the guideline released by China's top court and prosecutor, people will face defamation charges if the defamatory rumors they post online are viewed by more than 5,000 web users or reposted more than 500 times.
Web users whose defamatory posts caused negative effects on victims or their families, including mental illness and suicide, will also face defamation charges.
According to the country's Criminal Law, the accused will face up to three years in prison for committing defamation.
After the release of the guideline, some web users expressed concerns that the rule will make them cautious in sharing their opinions online.
Professor Hong Daode from China University of Political Science and Law says web users can put aside such concerns as the rules are designed for specific offences.
"With regard to the statistics, such as reposting 500 times and being viewed by 5,000 web users, it is said that the figures were set based on field research. I think the initial aim of setting up the threshold was to eliminate defamation on the cyber space. More importantly, the threshold is designed for offenders who post defamatory rumors, not every type of rumor."
Moreover, the Supreme People's Court says web users who expose disciplinary and law violations will continue to be protected under the guideline.
Sun Jungong is the spokesman of SPC.
"Even if part of the information disclosed by an internet user is inconsistent with the facts, as long as the information is not deliberately made up to slander others, or posted in the knowledge that such information is fabricated, the web user will not be prosecuted on charges of defamation."
Despite all the assurances, legal experts argue that the authorities should provide more detailed explanations of the terms and conditions.
Hong Daode says clearer criteria should be set up to assess the impact of defamatory information.
"How many times the defamatory information has been viewed or reposted should not be the criteria to determine the impact, as some people may take advantage of these limits to frame others. The damage should be assessed by how much influence such information has."
Meanwhile, Professor Ruan Qilin from China University of Political Science and Law adds that the content of the rumors should be reviewed to determine its impact.
"The authorities should set up a clear definition on what kind of information should be identified as rumors. Only by doing so, can the authorities assess the damage incurred by such information, and whether the distributor should face criminal charges. "
Statistics show that by 2012, China had over 560 million internet users, the largest amount in the world.
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 rallied Tuesday, with the S&P 500 extending its win streak to six sessions, as worries about Syria abated and investors welcomed strong data out of China.
On Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that a group of senators is drafting a resolution that would postpone a military strike against Syria to give the United Nations time to pursue a diplomatic solution.
Meanwhile, assets seen as safe havens, like gold and Treasury bonds, took a hit.
September gold futures shed 1.6 percent.
President Barack Obama is slated to address the nation on television Tuesday evening.
The Dow jumped 0.8 percent.
The S&P 500 rose 0.7 percent.
The Nasdaq climbed 0.6 percent.
In Canada, the S&P/TSX gained 0.1 percent.
European stock markets rallied to a more than three-month high on Tuesday.
Shares of Volkswagen were up 4.1% in Frankfurt after the auto maker said car sales rose in the January-to-August period.
The company also introduced its first purely electric car.
Germany's DAX 30 index jumped 2.1 percent.
France's CAC 40 index gained 1.9 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 index put on 0.8 percent.
China's economic indexes in August released
Economic data for August has been released, with a number of up beat figures.
National Bureau of Statistics is reporting industrial production expanded 10.4 percent in August on an annualized basis.
It marks a 9.7 percent advance compared to July's reading.
Meanwhile, retail sales rose 13.4 in August from a year ago.
That also registers a slight expansion from the reading in the first seven months.
Niu Li is the director of the macro-economy research office of the State Information Center.
"People's incomes increase slowly, so the consumption is on steady rise, but with the perfection and improvement of social security system, the consumption will rise quickly."
Urban fixed-asset investment is up more than 20 percent through August.
The central regions here in China saw the largest increase in investment, up nearly 24 percent year on year.
Property sector remains the primary investment draw; where growth has dipped 1.2 percent through August from the first seven months.
Total investment of China's urban fixed-asset stood at around 26.3 trillion yuan or 4.3 trillion U.S dollars during the January-August period.
Call-in iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C launch to 'brighten everyone's day',
Anchor
Apple has dazzled the world with its latest launch of two new iphone models, a top-end iPhone 5S and slightly cheaper iPhone 5C.
This is the first time Apple has introduced more than one product at one time.
The much anticipated cheaper iphone, the 5C is wrapped with a tough plastic back and comes in 5 different colours.
While the 5S introduces a fingerprint sensor built into the phone's main button to identify the user.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that Apple is preparing to ship the iPhone 5C to China Mobile, the largest telecom carrier in China.
Moreover, it is reported that Apple has also been testing iphones with larger screens.
Internal sources have revealed that the iOS 7 software is suitable for larger screens.
For more on this, I'm joined live on the line now by Benjamin Cavender, Associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai
Questions:
1.There has been criticism over the lack of differentiation between the iPhone 5 and the 5S, what do you think the sale prospects of the revamped 5S will be?
2.With a new agreement with Japan's Dokomo and a prospective one with China Mobile, Apple is trying to make the right moves into Asia, especially with the launch of the budget 5C.
How do you think this would impact smartphone makers, such as China's Xiaomi, - will the 5C compete with Xiaomi's budget smart phones?
3.Apple shares have dropped by nearly 30% since last September's peak point, how do you think the markets will respond to the latest launch?
Back Anchor:
Benjamin Cavender, Associate principal at China Market Research in Shanghai
China's auto sales up 10.28 pct in August
Auto sales here in China hit 1.65 million units in August, increasing nearly 10.3 percent year on year.
That also represents a 8.7 percent increase compared to that of July.
The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers or CAAM reports growth of output has surpassed sales by increasing nearly 12 percent on an annualized basis in August.
Sales totaled 14 million units over the first eight months of this year.
Carmakers upbeat as US powers sales, Europe lags; luxury cars popular at show
Carmakers are combating to wow customers from China and United States with electric and hybrid-drive models at this year's Frankfurt Auto Show.
Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche says the company is the market leader.
"We are the market leader in this field, based on the Smart electric drive. We have the SLS electric drive, a van with electric drive in our portfolio today and we announced in this show the B-Class electric drive which will have very strong characteristics to defend our position."
Meanwhile, BMW is also rolling out its new I Series of electrical vehicles.
BMW's Chief Norbert Reithofer says the green notion offers a feel good factor to wealthy drivers while still allowing them to enjoy the fast and powerful driving experience.
"At the time, many people asked us: will this car be built? They thought it was a mission impossible. Today, the BMW i8 is standing here as a series car, I repeat, as a series car. It is just as emotional, dynamic and efficient as we promised."
The European Union aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions for all new cars by 2015.
Currently electric cars and hybrids account for only 0.2 percent of the auto market, which mean profits and prospects for sales are not a 100-percent guaranteed.
The increasing importance of the Chinese market has also been acknowledged by the president of Infiniti, Johan De Nysschen.
Other auto majors such as Land Rover and Opel displayed their production-based green model at the show.
Headline News
Chinese president in Kyrgyzstan for state visit, SCO summit
Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Bishkek for his state visit to Kyrgyzstan.
The president will also attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
Upon his arrival, Xi Jingping hailed bilateral ties between China and Kyrgyzstan.
The Chinese President says biliteral ties have a strong basis and broad prospect for their advancement.
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev said earlier that he hoped the Chinese president's visit would push forward mutual cooperation.
He also pledged to lift bilateral ties to a strategic partnership level.
Kyrgyzstan is the last stop of Xi Jinping's Central Asian tour since assuming the presidency in March.
China needs reforms for economic development: Premier
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has urged future reforms to achieve sustainable and healthy economic development.
Li Keqiang made the remarks ahead of the Summer Davos Forum, which will kick off later today in Dalian city.
Noting that the Chinese government has attached greater importance to economic restructuring in recent years, Premier Li Keqiang said China would unwaveringly stick to a "green path" for development.
Li Keqiang also reiterated China would keep promoting the market-oriented interest rate, as well as to diversify its capital market and widen financing channels to allow more direct financing.
In the meantime, China would promote the convertibility of the yuan under capital account.
China's economic indexes in August released
National Bureau of Statistics is reporting industrial production expanded 10.4 percent in August on an annualized basis.
It marks a 9.7 percent advance compared to July's reading.
Meanwhile, retail sales rose 13.4 in August from a year ago.
That also registers a slight expansion from the reading in the first seven months.
Urban fixed-asset investment is up more than 20 percent through August.
The central regions here in China saw the largest increase in investment, up nearly 24 percent year on year.
Syria to declare chemical weapons and sign arms ban
Syria's foreign minister says his country is ready to declare its chemical weapons stockpile and sign a chemical weapons convention.
Meanwhile Russian President VLadimir Putin is mounting more pressure on the US to give up its strike plan.
Putin says placing the Syrian chemical weapons under international control makes sense only if the U.S. rejects the use of force.
Meantime, US president Barack Obama is supporting a French resolution to the UN Security Council.
The resolution would demand Syria put its chemical weapons under international control and destroyed.
The Obama administration has subsequently delayed a Senate vote on the president's request.
Obama has also decided to send Secretary of State John Kerry to Geneva.
Kerry is supposed to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Vavrov to further discuss Russia's proposal.
Earlier, China and Iran welcomed Russia's proposal.
The Chinese government reiterated its position on a political solution to the Syrian crisis.
It also confirmed that it's currently receiving a delegation from a Syrian opposition group in Beijing.
Newspaper Picks
South China Metropolitan Daily
4 killed, 36 injured in blast
Summary:
At least four people died and 36 were injured in an explosion that ripped through a building in south China's Guangzhou City.
Fire authorities believe the blast happened as a vehicle was unloading dangerous goods at a warehouse in the city's Baiyun district.
Police are still investigating.
Yanzhao Metropolitan Daily
5-year-old girl dies after being attacked by wolfhound
Summary:
A five-year-old girl has died after being bitten on the face and neck by a wolfhound in Hebei Province.
Police are guarding the village as the dog is still at large despite efforts to catch it.
Alarmed villagers are staying indoors during the evening while waiting for news of the animal's capture.
Beijing News
One sixth of Chinese floating
Summary:
Latest figures show China has 236 million floating people, nearly one sixth of its total population.
Floating people are those who left their places of origin to seek employment or education elsewhere.
More than half of them were born after 1980.
75 percent of the new generation left their hometown before 20 years old, and more than 70 percent expect to settle down in big cities.
China Daily
Human rights forum to focus on sustainability
Summary:
The sixth Beijing Forum on Human Rights will be held on Thursday and Friday.
It will focus on building a sustainable environment for the development of human rights.
The annual event was the first held in 2008 and has grown into a key platform for the international discussion on human rights issues.
Global Times
English memoir launch
Summary:
The English edition of "Zhu Rongji on the Record" was launched in New York, offering readers a chance to learn more about China's reform and opening-up during the former premier's tenure.
The four-volume Chinese edition of the book, published in 2011, is a collection of speeches, articles, letters and instructions from Zhu when he was vice premier and premier from 1991 to 2003.
Shanghai Daily
President Xi's meal sends shares soaring
Summary:
Shares of a Chinese food company became one of the market's hottest stocks after Xi Jinping gave its spicy pickles the presidential stamp of approval.
Xi ate zhacai, made from the root of the mustard plant, with a bowl of millet porridge on his plane during his current tour of Central Asia.
Beijing Times
Tomb of ancient female politician discovered
Summary:
Archaeologists have confirmed that a recently discovered tomb in Xi'an was that of a famous female politician from the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).
The tomb belonged to Shangguan Wan'er.
She was the most trusted confidante of Wu Zetian, the first woman emperor in Chinese history.
Sports
Star sprinter Zhang wins second gold at China's National Games
Firstly we get the latest updates from the ongoing National Games in Liaoning.
In table tennis ,
Ma Long of Beijing clinched the gold in the men's single event and Li Xiaoxia claimed the title in the women's single.
In athletics,
Star sprinter Zhang Peimeng completed a golden double with victory in the men's 200m dash.
Hebei's 21-year-old Cao Shuo won the men's triple jump with a season best of 17.26 meters.
Beijing's high jumper Wang Yu secured gold after clearing 2.29 meters, but failed to renew his personal best at 2.34 meters.
In basketball,
Semifinal slots for the men's senior basketball tournament have been decided, with Shandong facing Guangdong and Liaoning meeting Jiangsu in the clashes of the last four.
Lin Dan to compete for men's singles
Anchor
Superstar Lin Dan is to compete for his third consecutive champion title later today.
As CRI's Jordan Lee reports, fans are expecting a wonderful performance from the badminton sensation.
Reporter
Badminton at the national games is historically one of the sporting events most intense fields of competition; Chinese players are just that good.
But if you ask people who they are cheering for--doesn't matter if they are wearing a Jiangsu team shirt or waving a Beijing flag--the answer never varies:
Lin Dan.
I think he's a great badminton player. Once I saw one of his matches, and he won so easily. It was effortless for him.
Lin is widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, badminton players of all time.
After winning gold at the 2012 London Olympics, Lin took a yearlong break from the sport.
He reappeared at the 2013 World Championships in Guangzhou as a wild card entry. But he went on to win gold- his fifth world singles title since he first won at the 2006 championships in Madrid.
Chinese are extremely proud of Lin for his on-court accomplishments.
Badminton didn't have a superstar before Lin Dan. He's become our badminton idol.
He's also very popular with the ladies.
I think he's so handsome, and he plays amazing badminton. His performance here in Shenyang has been great. We all love him.
This year at the national games, Lin has already helped the PLA secure a bronze medal in the team competition.
Later today, Lin will go up against world no. 3 Du Pengyu as he aims for his third consecutive national games title.
Many had predicted a clash between Lin and world no. 2 Chen Long of Fujian, but Chen was upset by his national teammate Chen Yuekun in the quarterfinals.
For CRI, I'm Jordan Lee
China China's men football team beat Malaysia in a warm match
In football
China's men football team beat Malaysia 2-0 in a warm-up match in Tianjin on Tuesday.
China's Zheng Long scored via a free-kick in the 42nd minute and Yang Xu headed the second score in the 57th minute.
Recently, China's men football team beat Australia, Singapore and Malaysia in three consecutive matches.
Thomas Bach elected new IOC president, succeeding Jacques Rogge
Longtime favourite Thomas Bach has been elected President of the International Olympic Committee.
The 59-year-old German succeeds Jacques Rogge, becoming the ninth president in the 119-year history of IOC.
"I want to lead the IOC according to my motto: 'Unity in diversity.' I want to be a president for all of you. This means I will do my very best to balance well all the different interests of the stake holders of the Olympic movement. This is why I want to listen to you and to enter into an ongoing dialogue with all of you. You should know that my door, my ears and my heart are always open for you."
Bach won gold at the Montreal Olympics in 1976 in fencing and heads Germany's national Olympic committee.
He defeated five rival candidates in the secret balloting.
He received 49 votes in the second round to secure a winning majority.
Bach's first big challenge will be the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia in February.
Round-up in the World Cup qualifier
In the World Cup qualifiers,
England remains top of European World Cup qualification Group H following a 0-0 draw with Ukraine in Kiev.
England has edged closer to next year's World Cup finals after a scrappy 0-0 draw in Ukraine left the Group H leaders in pole position to secure a ticket to Brazil with two matches to play.
France managed their first win in six games, overcoming Belarus 4-2.
France remain second in Group I before their final qualifier next month against Finland.
They are level on 14 points with leaders Spain, who have played one game less.
In other action,
Netherlands beat Andorra 2-0 and Italy downed Czech 2-1.
Both the winners have sealed spots at the Brazil World Cup.
Germany cruised past Faroe Islands 3-0.
Jordan beat Uzbekistan 9-8 on penalties.
While Bosnia came from behind to beat Slovakia 2-1.
Brazilian Felipe Massa will leave the Ferrari Formula One team
Motor Racing now and
Brazilian Felipe Massa says he will leave the Ferrari Formula One team at the end of the season, amid reports that Kimi Raikkonen is to return to the team.
Raikkonen's deal is reported to have been completed and could soon be announced.
Massa has made 184 starts for Ferrari - winning 11 races - since joining them in 2006 from Sauber.
Still in Formula 1 action,
Vettel team mate Mark Webber is also set to retire at the end of this season.
The team have selected Webber's fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo to replace him.
Sebastian Vettel says he is looking forward to working with the 24 year-old, who is currently driving for Red Bull's sister team, Toro Rosso.
"Yeah. Obviously I know Daniel for quite a while now, yeah, I'm looking forward to it and I'm sure he will try very hard to give me a hard time and I will do the exact same thing, try to give him a hard time... hopefully (next year) we have a competitive car and yeah, can prove that we are two of the best."
Vettel is on track for a fourth successive world title this year, after opening up a 53-point lead over Ferrari's Fernando Alonso at the top of the standings, with just seven races left.
Only two drivers in Formula One history have won four championships in a row - Juan Manuel Fangio from 1954-1957, and Michael Schumacher, who managed five on the trot between 2000 and 2004.
Entertainment
Brad Pitt Making World War Z Sequel
(world war z trailer)
Brad Pitt has revealed he has begun work on a sequel to this year's zombie apocalypse film World War Z.
The adaptation of the Max Brooks novel was expected to flop but has ended up pulling in 530-million US dollars worldwide since its release in June.
The film has been the highest grossing film of Pitt's 25-year career.
It was originally intended to be the beginning of a trilogy but plans changed once the film encountered dozens of setbacks during production.
However, now a trilogy is a very likely possibility depending on how the sequel fares.
Nicolas Cage (god) and Original Cast Signs Up for Croods 2
Actors Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, and Ryan Reynolds have all signed on to lend their voices for the sequel to the animated film The Croods.
(croods trailer)
The first film is the 9th top grossing film of the year and proved to be a major hit both in the US and China despite mixed critical and audience reviews.
Filmmakers Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco are currently formulating the story and promise several new creatures that didn't make it into the first film.
No word yet on whether supporting cast members like Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, or Cloris Leachman will appear in the sequel.
Hugh Jackman Talks Wolverine, Studio Mashup, and X-men
In a recent interview Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman revealed he almost mad a cameo appearance as the claw-swinging superhero in filmmaker Sam Raimi's first Spiderman movie in 2002.
(wolverine trailer)
It's no secret several different studios own the rights to different superheroes who originally appear in the same universe.
For example, we will never see Spiderman warn the Fantastic Four of an incoming alien invasion on the big screen despite it happening in the comic book series, because Spiderman is owned by Sony and the Fantastic Four is owned by Fox.
However, at the beginning of the superhero blockbuster movement the rules weren't so strict and Jackman planned to make an appearance in Spiderman.
So why didn't he? Apparently there was a wardrobe problem as they couldn't find Wolverine's suit.
Jackman claims everything was planned for the appearance except the suit could not be found thus putting an end to a cross-studio cameo.
Jackman has also opened up about the upcoming X-men Days of Future Past film.
He says because of the massive ensemble cast which includes Jennifer Lawrence, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Michael Fassbender and several others it's like 3-movies in one.
X-Men Days of Future Past will hit theaters summer 2014.
Arcade Fire New Album Details, World Tour
(arcade fire clip)
Yesterday we reported on David Bowie's involvement with rock band Arcade Fire's new single and that the band would be releasing more news about their upcoming album before the end of the day.
The band has announced their upcoming album Reflektor will be a double album.
The album will be available in digital and physical formats including vinyl.
Fans who opt for the CD version will receive 2-CDs jam-packed full of new original music from the band.
Those who preorder the album through the band's website will have early first access to purchase concert tickets for Arcade Fire's world tour.
Dates for the world tour will be announced soon.
Lead singer Win Butler described the strange and long advertising campaign has been like a weird art project.
The band wrote between 50 and 60 songs for the new album.
The new album drops at the end of October.
That's all we have time for on the show as well.
Recapping our top headlines....
Chinese President now in Kyrgyzstan for a state visit and SCO summit
Syrian foreign minister says his country is ready to declare its chemical weapons stockpile
Kenya's deputy president goes on trial at the Hague
Business
Industrial production expands 10.4 percent in August.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour team, I'm Rebecca Hume in Beijing, hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together! |