The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
Paul James with you on this Monday , October 7th, 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 been leading with a number of international leaders ahead of the opening of an APEC Summit in Bali, Indonesia.
Typhoon Fitow has made landfall in southeast China.
The protracted dispute over the US budget and impending debt celing shows no signs of abating.
In Business.... Sinopec and another of other Chinese companies have announced a major coal-gas project in Xinjiang.
In sports... the world number one's come out the winners at the China Open.
In entertainment... newly-controversial Miley Cyrus is already working on a new album.
First, let's check on what's happening on the weather front...
Weather
Beijing will be cloudy today, with a high of 22 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be overcast tonight with a low of 14.
In Shanghai, it will see heavy rain today, 25 the high, and it will see moderate rain tonight, the low of 22 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will be cloudy in the daytime the temperature's at 18, and tonight will be clear with a low of 5 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 33.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 31.
And in North America
New York, overcast, with a high of 22 degrees.
Washington, overcast, highs of 31
Houston, moderate rain, 26.
Honolulu, moderate rain, 29.
Toronto, thundershowers, 22.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, sunny, 22.
And Rio de Janeiro will be overcast with highs of 24 degrees Celsius.
Top News
APEC Summit to open today
Anchor
The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit is set to open today on the Indonesian island resort of Bali, with heads of state and governments from a dozen countries on both sides of the Pacific expected to discuss a number of world economic issues.
CRI's Li Jing has more.
Report
Sustainable growth with equity and connectivity are expected to take the center stage at the summit.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says stronger cooperation among companies in the APEC region can be a way to cushion a downturn.
He notes some developed countries are returning to growth, while at the same time, a number of developing countries are still facing a slow-down.
"With its combined potential, APEC is in the ideal position to kick-start the recovery of the global economy. Therefore, APEC members must put efforts in both individual and collective measures to promote growth."
China joined APEC in 1991.
Since then, it's cut tariffs significantly.
China has also become an advocate for numerous international issues including food security and disaster prevention, among others.
Liu Chenyang is the deputy director of the APEC Study Center at Nankai University.
"China is playing a more and more important role in perfecting and expanding cooperation areas within APEC and its long effectiveness. Before, we were just adapting ourselves into the frame, playing as an active participant. But from now on, China will be more likely a pacemaker by the country's influence."
Chinese Presdient Xi Jinping is now in Bali to attend the summit for the first time since taking office this year.
President Xi has already met with his counterparts from Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Thailand ahead of the opening of the meeting.
Xi Jinping is expected to address at the closing ceremony.
For CRI, this is Li Jing.
Typhoon Fitow makes landfall in east China
Typhoon Fitow has made landfall in eastern China.
The storm hit early this morning along the border between Fujian and Zhejiang.
Fitow is packing winds of over 150-kilometers per hour.
The storm has already cut power to many parts of southern Zhejiang.
Forecasters say Fitow is likely to burn out quickly now that it's made landfall.
However, a Red Alert remains in effect for the region.
Close to 750-thousand people have been moved to safer locations in both Zhejiang and Fujian ahead of the storm.
Numerous flights have also been cancelled.
The onset of the storm also forced the closure of numerous scenic spots on the tail-end of this National Day holiday.
Fitow has also brought torrential rains and winds to Shanghai.
This forced the suspension of several high-speed trains to the city.
So far there have not been any reports of casualties.
Two Chinese die in plane crash near Saipan
Two Chinese tourists are dead, and two others hurt, after their small plane went down in the western Pacific.
The group was part of a tour which was travelling between the American-held islands of Tinian and Saipan in the Mariana Islands.
The two injured are in serious condition.
The Chinese nationals are said to be from Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
Tinian and Saipan are popular tourist destinations.
The islands taken by American troops and used as jumping-off points during their fight with the Japanese during World War II.
Death toll rises to 51 in Egypt's clashes
The death toll from clashes between security forces and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has hit 51.
More than 200 others have been hurt in the fighting, which broke out on Sunday amid the anniversary marking the October 6th war against Israel.
Ali Hasan is a Muslim Brotherhood supporter.
"Today is the sixth of October. Of course we are against the military coup first and second we are celebrating the victory of 6th October. We salute the honourable generals and the soldiers of the sixth October victory, but we cannot find them now. We are against the military council and the military coup that took place in this country. There is a big difference between the sixth of October victory and the current situation.''
It's being reported over 400 Muslim Brotherhood supporters have been arrested across the country.
State television in Egypt is also reporting a group of Muslim Brotherhood supporters tried to use hand-grenades to overtake a metro line.
These reports have not been verified.
Sunday in Egypt marks the 40th anniversary of the so-called Ramadan, or Yom Kippur, war.
It was a 2-week battle among Egyptian and Syrian forces against Israel.
While the battle itself ended in an eventual stalemate, it is credited with being the catalyst for the 1978 Camp David accords, which normalized relations between Egypt and Israel.
27 killed in suicide attacks on Shiite pilgrims in Iraq
A series of suicide bombings targeting Shiite pilgrams have ripped through Iraq.
So far the death toll stands at 27.
Close to 150 others have been hurt in the blasts.
A pair of car bombs have been detonated in northern Iraq, killing 15 and wounding over 120-others.
In a separate attack, an attacker detonated a suicide-vest among a group of Shiite pilgrams in northern Baghdad, killing 12 and leaving 25 others wounded.
The attacks on Sunday are the latest in a growing series of sectarian attacks between the Shia and Shiite Muslim sects in Iraq.
On Saturday, a wave of attacks targeting Shiite pilgrams left 78 dead and over 160-others hurt.
The recent weeks of bombings in Iraq are the worst since the height of the civil conflict in late 2006 and 2007.
The UN estimates close to 6-thousand civilians have been killed and 14-thousand others wounded in sectarian attacks so far this year in Iraq.
Italian minister for integration visits migrants died in sank boat
Italy's Minister for Integration has visited the island of Lampedusa.
The island is close to where dozens of migrants drowned after their boat capsized in sight of the tiny island on Thursday.
Cecile Kyenge says the issue of migrants needs to be better dealt with internationally.
"We cannot deal with this tragedy alone, but together with Europe. We must give answers to those who flee, need protection, and come here for help."
84 bodies were recovered on Sunday after divers resumed the recovery operations following a two-day suspension due to bad weather.
More than 190 people are confirmed dead.
Over a hundrd are still officially listed as missing.
Their bodies are believed to be trapped in the wreckage of the boat some 50 meters below the surface.
Lampedusa, Italy's southernmost point and just 70 miles from Tunisia, is a frequent destination for migrants trying to reach Europe from Africa and the Middle East.
Tens of thousands arrive there each year seeking refugee status in Europe.
Authorities are suggesting a growing number of the migrants are from Syria.
Kenya identifies 6 terrorists in Nairobi mall attack
Kenyan authorities have positively identified a number of the terrorists who took part in the deadly attack on the Westgate mall in Nairobi last month.
Four of the dead include one American-Somali, one from Sudan, one Kenyan and another one only identified as Umayr.
The four were killed after part of the the mall collapsed in the midst of the battle.
Meanwhile, new TV footage has been revealed showing 2 other men entering a local bank to withdraw cash.
Kenyan authorities say the cash was used to purchase the vehicle which drove the attackers to the mall.
The video footage is dated on September 6th, suggesting the attack had been planned well in advance.
The 4-day siege of the upscale Westgate mall in the Kenyan capital left 71-people dead, including 61 civilians.
Somalian extremist group al-Shabaab has claimed responsiblity for the assault.
US to continue fight against terrorism: John Kerry
US Special Forces have launched a pair of raids into Libya and Somalia, capturing a top al-Qaeda figure in the Libyan assault.
The suspect, Anas al-Liby. is said to be a key figure behind the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
US Secretary of State John Kerry.
"We hope this makes clear that the United States of America will never stop in its effort to hold those accountable who conduct acts of terror. Those members of al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations literally can run but they can't hide. We will continue to try to bring people to justice in an appropriate way with hopes that, ultimately, these kinds of activities against everybody in the world will stop."
US officials say the assault in Somalia failed to caputre any leading members of al-Shabaab.
U.S. House Speaker says no "clean" bill on raising debt limit
It appears the protracted political fight over the US budget and impending debt-ceiling isn't coming to an end anytime soon.
Speaking with the Sunday talk shows, House Speaker John Boehner says the Republican-controlled House will not pass any so-called "clean" bills.
Boehner says the Republicans will not let the current government shutdown end without negotiation from the Democrats.
Boehner has been accusing the Democrats and President Barack Obama of refusing to negotiate.
"It is the path we are on. Listen the President cancelled his trip to Asia. I assumed that well, maybe, he wants to have a conversation. I decided to stay here in Washington this weekend. He knows what my phone number is, all he has to do is call."
At the same time, leading Democratic Senator Charles Schumer says the Democrats are willing to talk.
However, he says the Democrats are not going to negotiate with a - quote - "gun held to your head."
Failure by US lawmakers to pass a new budget has already forced the US Federal government into a partial shutdown, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers off the job and without a paycheque.
At the same time, the US government is approaching its debt-ceiling on October 17th.
US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew.
"The problem isn't the President's willingness to negotiate. The problem is that we have not yet engaged with Republicans who are willing to put everything on the table and the speaker knows that. And I know the Speaker well. I know the Speaker doesn't want to default. He also didn't want to shut down the government. You know, he needs to give a majority a chance to vote."
Failure to increase its borrowing would put the US government default.
House Republicans have been demanding a defunding or delay of the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.
Obama has insisted his landmark legislation is non-negotiatable.
Syria starts to destroy chemical weapons
Chemical weapons experts say they've begun the process of destroying Syria's chemical weapons stocks.
The team includes members of the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Cutting torches and angle grinders are being used to destroy or disable a range of items, including missile warheads, aerial bombs and mixing and filling equipment.
The initial process is going to last for a number of days.
It's expected to take months to eventually verify and destroy all of the chemical weapons in Syria.
This comes following an agreement reached late last month to have all of Syria's chemical weapons put into international hands and destroyed.
A chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of Damascus a few weeks ago reportedly left over 14-hundred people dead.
This prompted the international community into action, with the US and Russia reaching an agreement to potentially avoid armed intervention in Syria's 2.5-year civil war.
Netanyahu says sanctions against Iran should remain until nuclear capability dismantled
Israeli's Prime Minister says the international community needs to keep up the pressure on Iran.
The comments by Benjamin Netanyahu comes as Iran heads into negotiations about its disputed nuclear program with the so-called P5+1.
"So long as Iran has not dismantled the centrifuges or the plutonium reactors, there should be no relaxing of the sanctions. To the contrary, more must be added."
Meanwhile, Iran's nuclear chief says authorities have arrested four people for an alleged plot to sabotage one of the country's nuclear facilities.
Iranian authorities are hinting at suspected international links, such as Israel.
The Iranian government has been calling on the international community to ease its sanctions connected to its nuclear programs.
Officials from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany are scheduled to meet with Iranian officials for a new round of talks next week.
Iran's government insists its nuclear programs are strictly for civilian use only.
Chinese companies pledge food safety and baby safety
Anchor
A pair of Chinese companies have issued a pledge to try to work more closely with consumers rights and interests.
CRI's Lucy Du has more.
Reporter
VV Group's feature product is soy milk, which has been one of China's best-selling beverages for years.
However, following the scandal involving additives in China's dairy products, many are growing concerned over the quality of soy milk.
Zhao Huiqing, vice President of VV Group explains about the strict criteria for quality materials and production process.
VV Group has also cooperated with companies in Hong Kong and Japan since 2006, and established the first research center of food safety in China.
VV's vice President Zhao Huiqing says they want to build a credible brand name.
"The food industry is a conscience industry. It is essential. Good people make good food. Otherwise, the company will eventually be closed down, despite initial profits. If your company wants to build a credible brand name and last long, you must start from being good people and then a good company."
Meanwhile, pram maker Good Baby Group strives for the same thing.
Song Zhen is the president &CEO of the group.
"How to be the world's number-1? We make products that the world does not have. A pram is in fact a chair with wheels. So we turn the wheels up and install an arm that can swing. We also have a bassinet. This is a pram the world does not have."
The group is now the holder of nearly 6-thousand patents and has built 5 research centers around the world. Its products are also sold to over 70 countries.
Song says their success does not only rely on localized strategies, but also their research centers in Boston, Tokyo, Hong Kong and other parts of the world.
"We provide Americans with the best designs from local Americans, to adapt to the North American culture. As for fashion and colour, Europe takes the lead. So we apply test results from European research centers to the markets in the US and Japan. We are applying the world-class design."
Good Baby group is a member of American and European organizations for quality control. It also participates in the decision and revision of international regulations.
For CRI, this is Lucy Du.
Biz Reports
Anchor
Let's get a preview of what's happening in the business world this week.
Here's Hu Jia.
Reporter
U.S. stocks are likely to face another week of rising turbulence as efforts to settle the budget dispute in Washington drag on.
The budget impasse has led to a partial U.S. government shutdown for nearly a week, which is already longer than many investors had expected.
The larger issue for investors is the issue of raising the debt limit.
If the 16.7 trillion US dollars borrowing cap is not increased, it will lead to a U.S. default.
The current US government shutdown has also meant the delay of the release of key government data, including the U.S. monthly jobs report, which was scheduled to come out on Friday.
That has left investors in the dark about the overall state of what's happening with the US job market.
Investors can expect the first round of third-quarter earnings from top S&P 500 companies in this coming week, including results from JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo.
Results from Alcoa are also due this week.
Tuesday will see Yum! Brands release its third quarter earnings.
Yum owns KFC and Pizza Hut, among other things.
On Friday, the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur will host the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.
Saturday will see the Chinese government release its September import and export figures.
Finally on Sunday, business leaders are due to converge in South Korea for the World Energy Congress.
Xinjiang to launch huge coal gasification project
A conglomeration of Chinese companies are set to build this country's largest coal-gas project in Xinjiang.
The project involves Sinopec, Huaneng Xinjiang Energy Development and a group of other companies from Zhejiang.
The project is said to be worth some 30-billion US dollars.
Full capacity of the Zhundong demonstration project is expected to reach 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year.
That means almost 90 million tons of coal will be consumed to produce the gas.
Coal reserves in the Zhundong area are said to be well over 200-billion tones.
Beijing to replace coal-fired power plants before 2015
Anchor
Municipal authorities here in Beijing have released a new plan to try to deal with the poor air quality in the city.
As part of the new plan, 4 natural gas power stations will be built by the end of next year to replace coal-fired operations.
The Beijing government estimates coal burning accounts for close to 17-percent of the PM2.5 count in the city.
The move is part of a broader plan by the Chinese government to reduce air polution in this country's major cities.
For more on this, we're joined on the line now by Mike Bastin, visiting Professor at China's University of International Business and Economics.
Questions
1. Why has Beijing been innondated by smog, despite attempts before the Olympics to deal with the problem?
2. How much of a detriment is air polution when it comes to attracting businesses, particular foreign companies?
3. How effective will these air-quality programs be, given that coal-fired energy is still much cheaper than other options?
4. How much pressure can authorities in Beijing put on provincial authorities in Hebei to help clear the air?
Mike Bastin, visiting Professor at China's University of International Business and Economics.
Temasek, Sinopec approach Repsol over Gas Natural stake
Singapore's sovereign wealth fund Temasek and Chinese refiner Sinopec have reportedly approached Spanish oil company Repsol in connection with its 6.4-billion US dollars stake in Gas Natural.
The Financial Times is reporting Repsol has also received interest from other parties.
The same report says Repsol is not in a rush to sell.
It's been reported Repsol was considering disposing of its Gas Natural stake as the agreed sale of its liquefied natural gas business to Royal Dutch Shell approaches at the end of this year.
Gas Natural is currently controlled by Spanish bank La Caixa and Repsol.
Both Temasek and Sinopec have an existing relationship with Repsol.
Temasek has a 6.3 percent stake in the company.
Sinopec entered a 17.8-billion US dollars joint venture with Repsol back in 2010 to exploit the firm's Brazilian oil deposits.
U.S. Gulf Energy Production Resumes After Karen Fizzles
Energy production in the Gulf of Mexico is returning to normal as a tropical storm there fizzles.
Tropical Storm Karen entered the Gulf earlier in the week, forcing oil and natural-gas companies to shut down more than half of their production through the weekend.
However, Karen dissipated Sunday morning about 85 miles southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
BP, the largest oil and gas producer in the Gulf, is now sending employees back to work.
However, there are still 269 production platforms still not operating.
This is just under half of all the platforms in the region.
Singapore Exchange Sets Trading Curbs on 3 Stocks After Suspensions
The Singapore Exchange has barred shorting selling and margin trading on 3 recently-suspended stocks.
The move comes amid suspicion the securities may have been manipulated or subject to excessive speculation.
The Singapore Securities authorities suspended trading in the shares of Blumont Group, Asiasons Capital and LionGold Corp after their prices plunged dramatically, wiping out a combined 3.9 billion US dollars in market value.
The exchange says it will allow trading on all three stocks to resume later on this Monday, but under high scrutiny.
This means the share will be under tighter restrictions which will require sellers to hold the shares in exact quantity that they intend to sell.
At the same time, buyers will have to pay cash upfront to settle the accounts.
SGX's designated-securities framework also bars online trading and contra trading.
Friday's suspensions are the first ordered by the Singapore Exchange in 13 years.
Within the first hour of trading on Friday, sterilization-services provider Blumont lost more than 56-percent of its market value.
The share prices of asset-management and investment firm Asiasons and LionGold, which is involved in gold-related business, plunged by 61 percent and 42 percent, respectively.
Headline News
Typhoon Fitow makes landfall in east China
Typhoon Fitow has made landfall in eastern China.
The storm hit early this morning along the border between Fujian and Zhejiang.
Fitow is packing winds of over 150-kilometers per hour.
The storm has already cut power to many parts of southern Zhejiang.
Forecasters say Fitow is likely to burn out quickly now that it's made landfall.
However, a Red Alert remains in effect for the region.
Close to 750-thousand people have been moved to safer locations in both Zhejiang and Fujian ahead of the storm.
Numerous flights have also been cancelled.
So far there have not been any reports of casualties.
Death toll rises to 51 in Egypt's clashes
The death toll from clashes between security forces and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt has hit 51.
More than 200 others have been hurt in the fighting, which broke out on Sunday amid the anniversary marking the October 6th war against Israel.
State television in Egypt is also reporting a group of Muslim Brotherhood supporters tried to use hand-grenades to overtake a metro line.
These reports have not been verified.
Sunday in Egypt marks the 40th anniversary of the so-called Ramadan, or Yom Kippur, war.
It was a 2-week battle among Egyptian and Syrian forces against Israel.
While the battle itself ended in an eventual stalemate, it is credited with being the catalyst for the 1978 Camp David accords, which normalized relations between Egypt and Israel.
Mexico monster truck tramples spectators, killing 13
Thirteen people have been killed in an accident during a Monster Truck show in Mexico.
The driver of the truck, who was taking part in a demonstration at a local air show, lost control, and slammed into the crowd.
The driver of the vehicle has been detained.
Authorities are suggesting mechanical failure may be to blame.
However, witnesses say the driver may have lost consciousness after hitting his head on the canopy of his vehicle after jumping over a pile of wrecked cars.
Bus plunges off cliff, killing 22 in Peruvian Andes
A passenger bus has plunged off a cliff in the Peruvian Andes, leaving 22-dead.
Another 31 aboard the bus were hurt, after the bus went off the cliff in the high mountain ranges around 400-kilometers southeast of the capital, Lima.
The bus plunged down a 100-meter ravine.
One of the survivors says the bus driver was distracted by a passanger at the time of the crash.
At least one foreigner, an Australian national, is among the dead.
Newspaper Picks
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Preschools struggling recruit male teachers
Summary:
A new report in the China Education Daily shows only 1-percent of preschool teachers are men.
The report comes amid a new recruitment drive for male teachers.
The report also suggests men are reluctant to take a teaching position due to the relatively low wages and a stigma about working in a female-dominated kindergarden profession.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Huang wins gold at gymnastics worlds
Summary:
Huang Huidan has won the women's uneven bars in her first appearance at a major competition at the World Championships in Beijing on Saturday.
The 17-year-old gold medalist admits its a surprise to win the gold on her first major event.
The silver medal went to Kyla Ross of the US and the bronze to Aliya Mustafina of Russia.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Trains, planes, buses canceled
Summary:
Several trains, flights and buses to Shanghai have been suspended or canceled due to Typhoon Fitow.
Parts of the Huangpu River have exceeded alert levels because of the high tides brought on by the storm.
Several tourism hot-spots have also been shut down.
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Luxury at village officials wedding
Summary:
A local official in Beijing is coming under scrutiny after putting on a 3-day wedding for his son this past week.
The party was held at the Dining Hall in the National Convention Center.
Celebrities were also reportedly hired to perform at the wedding.
It's estimated the wedding cost more than one-million yuan.
BEIJING MORENING POST
Headline
18 new bus routes to open in Beijing
Summary:
Transport authorities here in Beijing are planning to open up 18 more custom bus routes tomorrow.
Over 2-thousand bookings have been made for the new service.
As part of the program, people can book buses for pickup in their area.
When enough people sign up, the routes will be established.
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Bao'an killed in gas theft
Summary:
A security officer is dead after trying to alert a truck driver about a pair of theives trying to steal gas from his truck.
The report says the thieves noticed him talking to the driver, then chased him down, hacking him to death with a knife.
GUANGZHOU DAILY
Headline
Guangzhou's mayor to co-head the UCLG
Summary:
Guangzhou Mayor Chen Jianhua has been elected the co-president of the United Cities and Local Government organization.
His election has taken place at the world body's 4th World Summit taking place in Morocco's capital, Rabat.
Chen will hold the position until 2016.
Sports
The sixth East Asian Games open in Tianjin
Anchor
The Sixth East Asian Games have officially opened in Tianjin.
It is the second time a Chinese city has played host to the games since the tournamnent was first held in Shanghai in 1993.
CRI's Xiao Yi has more.
Reporter
The Tianjin East Asian Games have drawn 2,422 athletes from 9 countries and regions in east Asia to compete in the tournament.
Aside from traditional east Asian sports powerhouses like Japan, North Korea, South Korea and China, athletes from Mogolia, Chinese Taipei, and the island territory of Guam will also take part in the games.
The event marks the largest international sports tournament that has ever taken place in Tianjin.
Liu Peng, director of the General Administration of Sport of China gives credits to the Games' organizing commitee.
The organizing commitee of the Tianjin East Asian Games has dedicated six years of hard work to make the tournament a success. We also acknowledge that the commitee has mobolized a huge amount of resources and manpower to deliver on the pledge of hosting a great sports event.
Tianjin has been striving to build a city that is strong in sports.
Athletes from the city took 69 gold medals in national and international competitions last year.
The city also boasts a number of world champions that are now household names in China, such as weight-lifting world record holder Lv Xiaojun and World Diving champion Wang Hao.
Besides the success in sports competitions, the city has also built many state-of-the-art sports facilities to play hosts to high-level tournaments.
Wang Jinsheng, director general of the Tianjin East Asian Games' organizing commitee said the city is ready for the test.
Our preparations work are all in place. All the athletes now stand ready for the contest. A total of 26 hotels across the city will ensure all the participants will have a safe and good time in Tianjin.
In the ten day events, the Chinese delegation will present 516 athletes in the competitions, among which 59 had competed in Olympic games.
In addition to 16 Olympic sports, the tournament will also feature 8 other special games, such as Dragonboat, Martial Arts and Taekwondo contests.
The events draw to a close on October 16.
For CRI, I'm XYee.
Djokovic and Williams claim titles at the China Open
In tennis,
Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in straight sets yesterday to claim the men's China Open title for the fourth time in five years.
Djokovic outplayed Nadal to win 6-3, 6-4. The Serb racked up four aces to Nadal's two, and had 19 winners to Nadal's nine.
It was a kind of vengeance for Djokovic, who just lost his world number one ranking to the Spaniard.
"It's been a fantastic week. Very important win for me at this stage of the year. After I lost a few painful and long matches against Rafa (Nadal), the last one in the US Open final, I really wanted to win and I needed to win. I've done really great today."
Nadal took over the number one ranking after reaching the final in Beijing. His year has been spotless, with the exception of Wimbledon, where he was booted out of the opening round by 135th ranked Steve Darcis.
"It's great news to be back to number one. After all the physical problems I've had it is just amazing for me. I never thought I would have the chance to be back there ever."
And for the women,
Top seed Serena Williams won her second China Open title after beating eight seed Jelena Jankovic in the final yesterday.
It wasn't much of a battle for Williams, who easily dispatched her Serbian opponent in two sets, 6-2, 6-2.
That victory was William's 56th WTA tour title.
The tennis champions now turn their attention to the Shanghai Masters, which got underway yesterday with some first round action.
Audience's Passion Not Fade, Typhoon Arrives [By Liu Yuanhui in Shanghai]
Anchor
Despite the heavy rain and wind brought by Typhoon Fitow, tennis fans remained undeterred at the Shanghai Masters tournament following the first competition day.
CRI's Lucy Du has more.
Reporter
This is the first time the Shanghai Masters tournament has been marred by storms since 2009. This time, it's Typhoon Fitow that brings torrential rains and gusty winds to the city's shores.
For most tennis fans, the cheerless weather has no effect on their ability to enjoy the tournament.
I think playing the tournament in the rain is very charming. It has a very unique feel to the event."
"If some famous tennis players like Federer or Niokovic would play, I will come to see them during this kind of weather."
Despite the attitude of tennis-fans attending the tournament, organizers' top priority is the safety and well-being of those in attendance, from player to audience member.
Yang Yibin is the marketing director of Juss Event Management, one of the organizers of the Shanghai Masters.
"For some facilities on the site, the organization has already eliminated the potential dangers through demolishing or strengthening the facilities which cannot be removed."
Yang adds that many facilities have been enhanced by sandbags and heavy stones. Facilities which have been demolished will be rebuilt to equal or better condition after the typhoon passes.
Juss Event Management will try its best to reduce the impact of the coming storm, so that attendees can enjoy the matches.
Meanwhile, many outdoor matches have been rescheduled to take place on the inner court.
Yang says there are some measures for outdoor ticket holders to address the problem of watching the tournament.
"The outdoor ticket holders' looking for adjustments to their tickets as matches are moved or cancelled will have to pay more for better tickets or wait until accommodations are made."
The Shanghai Masters will run from the October 6 to 13.
For CRI, I am Lucy.
New Zealand All Blacks win Rugby Championship title
In Rugby,
New Zealand further cemented its status as the world's best rugby team after beating South Africa 38-27 to win the Rugby Championship title over the weekend.
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw said the win was very gratifying.
"It's days like today are the reason you pull on the boots. I guess that we all knew that leading into this match, this was one of the ones that you want to play and that's why you play the game. I was just pretty thankful to get a chance to be out there."
The All Blacks now enjoy the distinction of holding every major title in rugby competition.
Also, Australia demolished Argentina 54-17 as those two teams finished up their Rugby Championship campaigns.
Feng Shanshan wins LPGA China Open
In golf,
China's Feng Shanshan had a dramatic home win at the LPGA China Open by overtaking Stacy Lewis on the last hole.
Feng trailed by one on the 18th, but then calmly sunk a beautiful eagle putt. Lewis needed to birdie to force a playoff, but had to settle for par and second place.
Feng finished on 26-under-par. Lewis was one shot back. And current number one Inbee Park finished in third at 21-under.
And in the President's Cup,
Team USA beat the Internationals 18 and a half to 15 and a half, thanks to a winning point by Tiger Woods.
Hunter Mahan, Jason Dufner, and Zach Johnson all won their singles matches to get the Americans up to 17.
But wins by Adam Scott, Jason Day, and Marc Leishman for the Internationals meant it came down to Woods.
And he came through, providing the Americans with the necessary 18 points after beating Richard Sterne one up.
F1's Vettel wins at the Korean Grand Prix
In Formula One,
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel won the Korean Grand Prix yesterday, which for him is just another step closer to a fourth consecutive drivers championship title.
The German started in the pole position and then successfully held his lead. Kimi Raikkonen came in second and Lotus driver Romain Grosjean took third.
Vettel can officially secure the title if he wins the upcoming race in Japan and title rival Fernando Alonoso places lower than eighth.
Entertainment
Miley Cyrus already working on Bangerz follow up
(Miley)
Miley Cyrus has revealed that she is already hard at work on a follow up to her latest album Bangerz.
In an interview with QMI, Cyrus says that people think she is crazy because she has so much to say.
The twenty year old added that she has been working so much that she feels disconnected with life but that being driven to succeed is what makes her happy.
The former child star has reached new levels of infamy with her latest video for "Wrecking Ball", in which Cyrus performs completely in the nude.
Cyrus has claimed that she thinks stripping off is a way of conveying purity of emotion, adding that the video was inpsired by Sinead O'Connor's iconic video for "Nothing Compares 2 U".
(Sinead)
This prompted an open letter from O'Connor in which she urged Cyrus to value herself for her talent rather than her sex appeal.
Cyrus responded with a jibe at O'Connor's struggle with Bipolar Disorder, enraging the Irish singer who has demanded an apology.
Meanwhile, Superstar Annie Lennox has also spoken out against the recent spate of oversexualised performances and videos.
The 58 year old singer and activist took to her Facebook page to express dismay over what she terms as "record companies peddling highly styled pornography".
She added that stars who perpetuate oversexualised performances are under the impression that misogyny is fine as long as it is created by a woman.
Fourteen year old told to get plastic surgery in K pop competition
(k pop)
Plastic surgery and K pop are becoming a seemingly natural co-occurence.
It has now emerged that the 14 year old winner of last year's Hong Kong leg of Kpop competition Star Hunt was told to get plastic surgery.
The revelation comes as dozens of youngsters audition for this year's competition in Hong Kong.
Australian born Sri Lankan Shimali De Silva says that two weeks into the finals of Star Hunt in Seoul, she and the other contestants were taken to a plastic surgeons.
The doctor allegedly told the teenager that she looked 30, her skin was too dark and that her features were problematic.
De Silva says she was driven to tears despite not wanting to be affected, telling the surgeon that she was thankful for his advice but disagreed with appearance being a pre-requisite for success.
Some of the other young hopefuls opted for temporary cosmetic procedures, including nose fillers.
A spokesperson for Channel M, the Kpop channel who organises the contest, told the press that the organised visit to the plastic surgery intended to give the contestants a better understanding of K-pop culture.
Channel M added that it did not and would not request Star Hunt contestants to undergo any treatment for the programme.
Glastonbury sells out in record time
(Rolling Stones)
Following an astounding headline performance from none other than the Rolling Stones this year, tickets for Glastonbury 2014 have been viciously snapped up in record time.
All 120,000 tickets were sold in just 1 hour and 27 minutes.
Organisers Michael and Emily Eavis said that they were "blown away" and "genuinely sorry" for anyone that missed out.
See Tickets, which hosted the sale, said that it was selling up to 3,000 tickets per minute.
Next year's festival will take place at Worthy Farm between 26-29 June in England's Somerset.
While acts are yet to be confirmed, David Bowie has emerged as a bookie favourite to headline the event.
Other acts likely to head the bill include Foo Fighters and Fleetwood Mac.
The first event, then named the Pilton Festival, was held in 1970 after then farmer Michael Eavis was inspired by an open air Led Zeplin performance in Bath.
The festival's proceeds supports several philanthropic causes, including WaterAid and Oxfam.
That's all we have time for on the show as well.
Recapping our top headlines....
Chinese President Xi Jinping has been leading with a number of international leaders ahead of the opening of an APEC Summit in Bali, Indonesia.
Typhoon Fitow has made landfall in southeast China.
The protracted dispute over the US budget and impending debt celing shows no signs of abating.
In Business.... Sinopec and another of other Chinese companies have announced a major coal-gas project in Xinjiang.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour team, I'm 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! |