The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
Today is Thursday, October 17th, 2013.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Two Chinese nationals are among nearly 50 people killed in a plane crash in Laos.
US lawmakers are preparing to vote on a new plan to "kick the can down the road" when it comes to the debt ceiling.
The latest negotiations in the Iranian nuclear dispute have concluded with a new sense of optimism.
In Business.... the PBOC is moving to quash rumors of a housing policy shift.
In sports... an update on football World Cup qualifying.
In entertainment... the latest installment in the X-men franchise is hitting Chinese theatres today.
Weather
Beijing will be sunny today, with a high of 19 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be cloudy tonight with a low of 8
In Shanghai, it will be overcast today, 20 the high, and also overcast tonight, the low of 17 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will be cloudy in the daytime the temperature's at 14, and tonight also cloudy with a low of 6 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 31.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 23.
And in North America
New York, overcast, with a high of 19 degrees.
Washington, overcast, highs of 22
Houston, moderate rain, 23.
Honolulu, overcast, 29.
Toronto, moderate rain, 19.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, overcast, 27.
And Rio de Janeiro will have moderate rain with highs of 26 degrees Celsius.
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We are on Weibo that's weibo.com/beijinghour
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Please do keep in touch we always like to hear your comments and feedback on the show.
Top News
No news of survivors in Lao Airlines crash
It's believed one person from the mainland and one from Taiwan are among the 49 people believed killed in a plane crash in Laos.
The Lao Airlines plane, with 44 passangers and 5 crew members onboard, crashed into the Mekong River in the city of Pakse in southwestern Laos.
The plane was attempting a landing at the time of the crash.
Eyewitnesses say the plane, which was headed to Pakse from the capital, Vientiane, was hit by a strong gust of wind while trying to touch down.
It's believed the pilot then aborted the landing, but couldn't recover.
The plane went into the Mekong around 2-kilometers from the airport.
So far 8 bodies have been recovered.
Laotian authorites say the don't believe anyone survived the crash.
Nine Chinese died after boat sank off S.Korea waters
Anchor:
Eight Chinese sailors rescued after their ship sank in South Korea are said to be in stable condition.
At the same time, the search continues for 2 others still listed as missing.
CRI's Lucy Du has more.
Reporeter:
The Chinese Consulate in Busan has confirmed that among the 19-people onboard the sunken cargo ship, 18 are Chinese citizens.
The other is from from Vietnam.
The boat went down on Tuesday afternoon in Pohang harbor after encountering problems with its anchor amid high winds and waves.
The South Korean Coast Guard managed to successfully pull 8 of them alive from the water, despite the treacherous conditions for rescuers.
However, 9 did not survive.
Zhao Dawei is China's Deputy Consul General in Busan.
"We have paid a visit to the eight survivors, all Chinese. They suffered from minor inhuries after jumping into the sea. They have gone through medical checks and received some treatment. We have informed the ship's company to deal with the follow-ups. "
The South Korean coast guard continues to use helicopters and a special rescue team to search for the two sailors still unaccounted for.
The Chinese government says it's keeping tabs on the situation.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.
"The Chinese Foreign Ministry, the Chinese consulate in Busan, and Chinese embassy in South Korea will continue to monitor the development of the incident, and coordinate follow-up search and rescue operation, treatment of the injured and management in the aftermath of the deaths."
The sunken ship is owned by Lishen International Shipping out of Zhejiang.
U.S. Senate leader announces bipartisan budget deal
Republican and Democrat leaders in the US Senate have hammered out a deal to raise the debt ceiling and reopen the federal government.
US President Barack Obama is endorsing the deal, saying he wants the House of Representatives to approve it swiftly.
White House spokesperson Jay Carney.
"The President applauds leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell for working together to forge this compromise and encourages the Congress to act swiftly to end this shutdown and to protect the full faith and credit of the United States of America."
The House of Representatives is now reviewing the proposal before putting it to a vote.
House speaker John Boehner says his chamber will not block the Senate plan.
But at the same time, Boehner says Republican lawmakers will continue the fight against Obamacare.
The deal hammered out among Senate leaders will see the US debt limit increased until February 7th.
The agreement will also see the US government funded until January 15th, temporarily ending the US government shutdown.
The bipartisan agreement also calls for the establishment of a joint committee to discuss broader fiscal reforms.
The committee would be obligated to report to Congress at a certain date.
It's unclear how members of the ultra-conservative Tea Party caucus of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives will react to the compromise.
The Senate agreement comes just hours ahead of the US government hitting its debt ceiling and going into default.
U.S. lawmakers begin last-ditch effort on debt ceiling
For more on the US debt ceiling deal, we're joined live now by Cao Can, CRI's Financial Commentator.
Questions:
1. How much of a financial impact is the debate going to have on US treasuries?
2. What is the likelyhood of a credit rating downgrade for the US?
3. From a political perspective, who do you think has come out the winner?
4. What is the likelyhood of US lawmakers coming up with a long-term deal ahead of the new debt ceiling deadline?
Back Anchor:
Cao Can, CRI's Financial Commentator.
P5+1 talks concluded with new phase in easing tensions
The current round of the Iranian nuclear negotiations has come to a conclusion in Geneva.
While no major breakthroughs have been made, representatives of the 5-permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany, along with Iran, have agreed to another round of talks next month.
The talks are set for November 7th and 8th.
In between time, both sides are going to review the scientific data that has been put forward.
They'll also look over the sanctions which are currently being imposed on Iran.
Both sides say the review of the current policies will be to determine if changes can be made, and whether practical steps are available to end the years-long stalemate.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the talks in Geneva this week are a step towards "closing an unnecessary crisis".
"We believe there is no reason for the continuation of this problem, there are more important issues that we need to deal with and the right of Iran to pursue nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, can in fact be exercised with the necessary political will without any proliferation concerns."
EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton, who represents the P5+1 at the talks, says world leaders will "carefully" examine Iran's nuclear proposals.
"Republic of Iran presented an outline of a plan as a proposed basis for negotiation which is being carefully considered by the E 3+3 as an important contribution. Members of delegations followed with in-depth, bilateral and joint consultations on various elements of the approach."
Meanwhile, the Obama Administration is describing the Iranian nuclear offer put up at the P5+1 meetings as showing "a level of seriousness and substance" the United States has not seen before.
The White House says it's found the Iranian presentation "very useful."
But at the same time, the Obama Administration says any deal must prove to the international community that Iran's program will be used for exclusively peaceful purposes.
A spokesperson for the Obama administration is also cautioning those hoping for a speedy resolution to the issue, saying no one should expect a breakthrough overnight.
Annual report on European Union enlargement released
The European Union is pleading with Turkey to continue its bid to join the EU.
But at the same time, EU authorities are also chastizing Turkey for failing to protect people's fundamental rights.
In a long-awaited report on Turkey's progress toward gaining EU membership, the bloc's executive arm says the Turkish government needs to be more mindful of the country's minorities.
But at the same time, the European Commission report also says the membership talks are helping to steer the country towards becoming more democratic.
EU Enlargement commissioner Stefan Fule.
"The progress report is, I hope, both objective and critical to the events in May and June on Taksim square, Gezi Park and elsewhere. With us looking not only at the excessive use of force and the need to tackle that, but also us seeing this emerging civil society, which wants to be, which wants to have its role in a participative democracy."
The commission report also lauds Turkey's progress on a number of judicial reforms, along with the government's attempt to try to hammer out a lasting peace with the country's Kurdish population.
Turkey began negotiations to join the EU in 2005, 18 years after applying.
However, Turkey's accession talks have been held up because of its territorial and political dispute with EU member Cyprus.
Turkey refuses to recognize the internationally-recognized government of Cyprus.
Instead, it backs the administration it helped establish in northern Cyprus in 1983.
Suicide bomber kills eight, including provincial govt minister
A suicide bombing in Pakistan has left 10 people dead, including a provincial government minister.
Israullah Gandapur was killed at his home as he greeted people in his home village who had come to celebrate the Eid al-Adha festival.
More than 30 others have been wounded in the attack.
"At that time I was meeting for Eid with Israullah's brother. Suddenly there was a big bang, followed by smoke.
So far no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The province where the attack took place is ruled by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, a party led by former cricketer Imran Khan, which favors peace talks with the Taliban.
Despite the party's official stance, several officials from the party have been killed in attacks since the May election.
Policeman killed after protesters target vehicle in Indian-controlled Kashmir
One police officer has been killed and several others reportedly hurt amid rioting in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Local authorities say rioters have been hurling stones and attacking police with other weapons following Eid al-Adha prayers in a community about 30-kilometers northwest of the regional capital, Srinagar.
The police officer killed was in a patrol car which lost control after being pelted with rocks.
The rioters are said to be mostly young Muslims.
Police have been using tear gas to try to break up the crowds.
The protests have erupted after authorities in Kashmir placed the region's main separatist leader under house arrest ahead of the Eid al-Adha celebrations.
Indian-controlled Kashmir has been a hotbed of unrest for years, where resentment against Indian control of the region has exploded in violent outbursts since the late 1980's.
Zuma calls for restraint following riots over murder of children
South Africa's President has issued a call for calm amid rioting near Johannesburg connected to the murder of children.
Angry residents in a predominantly black neighborhood have taken to the streets, looting foreign-owned shops and setting fires following the grizzly discovery of a pair of murdered children.
A 2 and 3-year old were found strangled to death on Tuesday in a public toilet in the township in the north of Johannesburg.
The discovery of the murdered children follows a similar murder of a young boy earlier this month.
Angry protesters have been demanding justice.
South African President Jacob Zuma has been forced to call for calm, pleading with the protesters to allow the police to do their job.
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the double murder.
One other suspect is still on the run.
ATC Global Moves to China amid Fierce Competition (by Tu Yun in London) with PIX
Anchor:
ATC Global, one of the world's major exhibitions for air traffic management industry suppliers, is shifting its focus to China, with the conference to be held in Beijing for the first time next year.
CRI's London correspondent Tu Yun has more.
Reporter:
Founded 23 years ago, the ATC Global was originally a Europe based exhibition, with its latest events being held in Amsterdam in the Netherlands since 2008.
But next year it will take on an Asian flavor, as the organizer is shifting the event to Beijing in September.
David Levin is the CEO of UBM, the event's London-based organizer.
"It's bigger than just a shift of venues. It's a statement of a shift of economic orientation. It's a recognition of the importance of the Chinese aviation market, the development in China."
The switch to Beijing is also being viewed as a possible way to fight a challenge from a newcomer, the World ATM Congress.
The latter, initiated by the Netherlands-based Civil Air Navigation Services Organization and the US-based Air Traffic Control Association, debuted in Madrid in February this year.
The World ATM Congress has reportedly won exclusive commitments from industry leaders including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and the UK's NATS.
While ATC Global signed 110 exhibitors for this year's event held in March.
That's about half the number it had for the 2012 event.
Industry observers say ATC Global's move to Beijing is a wise move at a time of fierce competition.
Zhao Fan is an official from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, or CAAC.
"China's demand related to air traffic control is increasing. So they want to introduce more equipment to us. In the meantime, we'd also like to introduce our ATC products to the world."
According to the CAAC, China's aviation transportation volume is currently number-2 in the world.
Passenger numbers in China are expected to surpass 700 million by 2020, which is more than double the figure of last year.
UBM CEO David Levin says he expects the ATC Global event in Beijing will eventually be the world's greatest air traffic control conference.
"It's an invitation to collaborate, to create that Silk Road, connecting East and West, and allowing good ideas and practice to flow across continents. I don't think European vendors will be shy. They'll be excited to seize the opportunity of coming to Beijing."
The ATC Global will be held in the Chinese capital biannually over the next ten years.
Biz Reports
Stock
Anchor:
First off, a check on the stock market of North America and Europe.
Join me on the desk, CRI's Ding Lulu.
Reporter:
U.S. stocks surged after US Senators announce a deal to end the government shutdown and avoid a debt default.
The deal would fund the government until 15 January, and extends the debt ceiling until 7 February.
Earlier, Warren Buffett, chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway, says failure to reach agreement on the debt ceiling and risking the United States' 237 year financial reputation is "idiocy."
"We've been building a reputation for proper fiscal behavior with our currency at least for 237 years. The United States has become the reserve currency for the world in the process and people all over the world hold our paper, so to do anything to damage a 237 year period of good behavior is idiocy."
On corporate earnings, Bank of America reported better-than-expected earnings in the third quarter of 2013, adding positive momentum to the market.
When the market closed, The Dow surged 1.4 percent.
The S&P 500 also gained 1.4 percent.
The Nasdaq added 1.2 percent.
After the market closed, IBM reported earnings that beat expectations but revenue below consensus, sending shares down 6 percent. Online auction site eBay fell 4.5 percent after a disappointing sales forecast for the holiday season.
American Express reported a 9.3 percent rise in earnings after the bell, but shares were flat in extended trading.
In Canada, the S&P/TSX edged up 0.2 percent.
European stock markets erased losses and turned positive on mounting expectation of an imminent deal in Washington to avert a damaging U.S. debt default earlier on Wendesday.
Germany's DAX was up half a percent.
The U.K.'s FTSE 100 added 0.3 percent.
France's CAC 40 trimmed 0.3 percent.
Housing credit policy unchanged, Chinese banks sees no liquidity shortage: central bank
China's central bank is maintaining its housing credit policy.
The People's Bank of China has issued the statement following reports suggesting a number of commercial banks are tightening their lending policies for home buyers.
The PBOC says its policy which gives preference to first-time buyers remains unchanged.
As part of the policy, the down-payment ratio for first-time home buyers is 30-percent.
Current home-owners have to put down 70-percent to buy another property.
At the same time, the central bank also says liquidity in the money market is adequate.
PBOC conceeds pressure for credit expansion is still high, given the rapid increase in new loans in recent months, on top of the increasing trade surplus and capital inflows.
However, the central bank notes the inter-bank borrowing rate and bond reverse repo rate in September averaged around 3.5 percent.
That figure is essentially flat against the previous month.
The seven-day repo rate shot up to 12 percent in June, the highest on record.
Business operators eye for new opportunities on Canton Fair
Anchor:
The latest edition of the China Import and Export Fair, better known as the Canton Fair, is underway in Guangzhou.
CRI's Alexander Aucott has more on the expectations for this session of the Fair.
Reporter:
Rodrigo Alberti is a businessman from Brazil.
He is looking for home appliances and automobile accessories at the Canton fair.
He says he will be happy to pay a higher price if he can find a reliable manufacturer who provides high quality products.
"If you change that and we are thinking that your market is going to grow really fast. The biggest example of that in Brazil is about Chinese cars. In the last three or four years, Chinese cars in Brazil like Lifan, Chery and other Chinese brands, for the first year, it was a disaster. Because your cars were really really really cheap and they had really poor quality. So they had to change it. And in one year, the price went 30 to 40 percent above the price they were selling before, because they have to change poor material to very good materials. Now Brazilians are starting to get confidence in Chinese cars, because they change this. So it's not only about price, it is about quality. "
Due to the rising production costs and appreciation of the RMB, the competitiveness of labor-intensive manufacturing sector in China has been weakened.
Understanding the challenges, Chinese manufactures are trying to alter their business strategies to find a new way out.
Zhao Shijie, director of Heyuan Electric in Zhejiang province, says his company is now trying to secure valued clients.
"Clients can also be classified from A to C. Now my idea has changed, we will start to look for valued clients. Those clients are very important for a company. If we always work for Class C clients and make low-end products, we can never generate more profits. Valued clients will have higher requirements on product quality. If we use better materials and advanced technology, the value of the products will go up, so does the price."
Meanwhile, Wang Ruilong, general manager of a home appliances company based in Taiwan, says the key to making a breakthrough lies in innovation.
"Innovation is our biggest competing force. If we only rely on cheap labor forces, it will be a dead end. Now we are selling our products for their value, not price. I think we can create something new by combining the traditional technology with innovation. We are also turning our focus to branding."
Wang adds that since small and medium sized firms in Taiwan have limited capital and land resources, it will create more opportunities if companies from the mainland join forces with them.
Fed's 'beige book' shows the cost of policy uncertainty
The latest US Federal Reserve regional survey, known as the Beige Book, shows a third of the country has experienced slower growth in September and early October.
The Beige Book is suggesting US economy has been growing at the same "modest to moderate pace" in September and early October as it did during the summer.
However, the survey also shows businesses concerns have been growing amid the impasse in Congress over the federal government shutdown and the debt ceiling.
The Fed report says the housing and auto sectors are continuing to support the economy.
Consumer spending and manufacturing has also picked up modestly.
Business investment is also on the rise.
IBM Sales Fall for Sixth Straight Quarter as Hardware Slumps
IBM is reporting its 6th straight quarter of slumping sales.
Sluggish demand for computer hardware and the decline of one-time growth markets is being cited as the main reason for the sales downturn.
IBM's quarterly net income is up 6-percent to 4-billion dollars.
However, revenues have dropped 4-percent to 23.7 billion dollars.
This is a billion dollars below analysts expectations.
IBM is blaming the shortfall on a decline in its hardware division.
IBM shares are down 5.2-percent in after-hours trading.
Headline News
No news of survivors in Lao Airlines crash
It's believed one person from the mainland and one from Taiwan are among the 49 people believed killed in a plane crash in Laos.
The Lao Airlines plane, with 44 passangers and 5 crew members onboard, crashed into the Mekong River in the city of Pakse in southwestern Laos.
The plane was attempting a landing at the time of the crash.
So far 8 bodies have been recovered.
U.S. Senate leader announces bipartisan budget deal
Republican and Democrat leaders in the US Senate have hammered out a deal to raise the debt ceiling and reopen the federal government.
The House of Representatives is now reviewing the proposal before putting it to a vote.
The deal hammered out among Senate leaders will see the US debt limit increased until February 7th.
The agreement will also see the US government funded until January 15th.
The bipartisan agreement also calls for the establishment of a joint committee to discuss broader fiscal reforms.
World powers, Iran agree to hold next round of nuclear talks on Nov. 7-8
The current round of the Iranian nuclear negotiations has come to a conclusion in Geneva.
While no major breakthroughs have been made, representatives of the 5-permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany, along with Iran, have agreed to another round of talks next month.
The talks are set for November 7th and 8th.
Housing credit policy unchanged, Chinese banks sees no liquidity shortage: central bank
China's central bank is maintaining its housing credit policy.
The People's Bank of China has issued the statement following reports suggesting a number of commercial banks are tightening their lending policies for home buyers.
The PBOC says its policy which gives preference to first-time buyers remains unchanged.
At the same time, the central bank also says liquidity in the money market is adequate.
PBOC conceeds pressure for credit expansion is still high, given the rapid increase in new loans in recent months, on top of the increasing trade surplus and capital inflows.
However, the central bank notes the inter-bank borrowing rate and bond reverse repo rate in September averaged around 3.5 percent.
Policeman killed after protesters target vehicle in Indian-controlled Kashmir
One police officer has been killed and several others reportedly hurt amid rioting in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Local authorities say rioters have been hurling stones and attacking police with other weapons following Eid al-Adha prayers in a community about 30-kilometers northwest of the regional capital, Srinagar.
The rioters are said to be mostly young Muslims.
The protests have erupted after authorities in Kashmir placed the region's main separatist leader under house arrest ahead of the Eid al-Adha celebrations.
Newspaper Picks
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Regional Meteorological Center established in Beijing
Summary
China's first Regional Meteorological Center has been set up in Beijing.
It's designed to forecast pollution and smog in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.
GUANGZHOU DAILY
Headline
Official removed for shoes
Summary
An official in the flooded city of Yuyao in Zhejiang has been removed from his post after a photo was posted online showing him being carried into a flooded house by another village official.
The photo shows him wearing expensive leather shoes.
The official condends the shoes shown in the photo are canvas, and claims his friend offered to carry him, as he didn't have waterproof boots at the time.
SOUTH METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Girls killed in washing machine
Summary
The police in Jiangxi's capital Nanchang have ruled out the possibility of murder in a case involving two little girls who died in a washing machine last month.
The investigation found out that the two girls, aged 4 and 2 respectively, died of thoracic motion and cardiopulmonary dysfunction caused by the high-speed spinning in the machine.
It's believed the children put themselves in the washing machine.
BEIJING TIMES
Headline
Nanjing mayor under scrutiny.
Summary
The mayor of Nanjing has been placed under a disciplinary probe amid an investigation into alleged economic violations.
He has been linked to illegal money worth some 20 million yuan.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Record number of Chinese billionaires
Summary
Forbes has published this year's China Rich, which shows the number of billionaires on the mainland has hit a record high of 168.
Wang Jianlin, chair of the Dalian Wanda Group, tops this year's ranking.
He's said to be sitting on a fortune of 86 billion yuan.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
China's first cross-border subway
Summary
Shanghai's metro system is now the first in China to cross a provincial border.
Line 11 starts in Shanghai and extends to Kunshan in neighboring Jiangsu.
It takes 70 minutes to travel from Kunshan to downtown Shanghai.
The ride costs 7-yuan.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
China's spokesperson system to be overhauled
Summary
The central authorities are revamping their PR system.
This comes amid complaints that government spokespeople are too robotic, and don't explain issues in a relateable manner.
Observers and a number of government spokespeople quoted in the article say the move is long overdue.
Special Reports
Fasting highlights China's fight against hunger and waste (by Wu Yanping)
Anchor:
An event marking World Food Day has been held at Beijing's 798 Art District.
CRI's Su Yi has more on the event, dubbed "Experiencing Hunger for 24-hours."
Reporter:
The theme of this year's World Food Day is "Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition".
Organizers say the 24-hour fasting is aimed at arousing the public awareness of food security and food saving, and therefore encouraging wider public participation in the efforts to end hunger and malnutrition.
Brett Rierson is the World Food Program's representative in China.
"I'm pleased today that many countries around the world have joined our zero hunger challenge and pledged to work together for sustainable food systems. Together, we can help make sure that everyone has enough nutritious food for each and every day. And on this food day in 2013 let us aim for achieving zero hunger in our life times for one and all."
Chinese actress Ni Ni is one of the volunteers across the country in fasting for 24 hours to observe the occasion.
"Let's join the 'Zero Hunger Challenge' initiated by the World Food Program of the United Nations. Thanks to your efforts, hunger is the world's biggest difficulty that can be solved."
Ni Ni has also hosted a talk on "What 1.5 yuan can buy" and interacted with the public.
Yuan Jian, a freelance writer commented that more and more people are willing to get involved in public services to promote food saving.
"In my opinion, public service is in urgent need. Many of my friends say that they really want to donate money to do public services. They're searching hard for good projects to fund."
World Food Day offers a moment for people worldwide to come together to consider how things can be done better in the fight to end hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.
Official figures suggest even in the 21 Century, some 840 million fellow humanbeings still struggle to find enough food each day and the health of around 2 billion people is compromised by malnutrition.
On the other hand, another 1.5 billion are overweight or obese as they consume more food than they need.
Sports
Ghana smashes Egypt in playoff opener (World Cup part 1)
World Cup dreams are coming true as one by one national teams are starting to qualify for the 2014 tournament in Brazil.
Ghana's chances are looking good after they decimated Egypt 6-1 in the first leg of their playoff.
Ghana's head coach Kwesi Appiah said the win didn't surprise him, but the score did.
In actual fact I wasn't expecting the 6-1. First fifteen-twenty minutes we get our first goal and then we develop it from there. Saying that I knew that their defenders especially would find it difficult to handle our strikers and for that reason on a good day I believed that we would have more goals."
And Iceland still has a chance at becoming the smallest nation to qualify for Brazil after their 1-1 draw with Norway. It was enough to give them a playoff spot.
England, Chile, and Ecuador qualify for 2014 FIFA World Cup
In football,
England officially booked its place in the 2014 World Cup after a 2-nil win over Poland. Thousands of Polish fans turned out at Wembley, and the support seemed to give the visitors a strong start.
But England took the lead shortly after the break with a crisp header from Wayne Rooney. Steven Gerrard scored again with three minutes left on the clock to close out the match.
In the South American group top four group finishers Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Ecuador earned automatic spots in the tournament.
Also Croatia fired head coach Igor Stimac after his team's two-nil loss to Scotland in their final qualifying game on Tuesday.
The loss left Croatia one point short of the final four, forcing them into the playoffs.
France is also facing a playoff spot despite beating Finland 3-nil in their final qualifier.
Aston Villa manager not overly concerned with Tottenham's Andros Townsend
In the English Premier League,
Tottenham Hotspur will face Aston Villa this weekend after their shock 3-0 home defeat against West Ham.
The Spurs will have midfielder Andros.Townsend, who drew national attention after his impressive debut for England against Montenegro and Poland.
But Aston villa manager Paul Lambert said Townsend is not one of his main concerns.
"I think this country has got great hype, somebody plays one or two good games then they're a world beater. Tottenham have got an array of players, it's not just him. I don't know the lad at all, the last couple of games for England he's played well, but you look at Spurs' team, everyone of their players are top players."
Aston Villa's leading goalscorer Christian Benteke might be fit to return after being sidelined with a hip injury last month.
Rory McIlroy discusses winless 2013
In golf,
Masters Champion Adam Scott carded a 7-under 64 for a new course record at Port Royal Bermuda and a win at the PGA Grand Slam of golf.
Scott now has a pink jacket to go along with his green. The premier of Bermuda also offered Scott an honorary membership at the course.
On the other end of the spectrum of success is Rory McIlroy who has been candid about his winless 2013 season.
One year saw the Northern Irish golfer fall from world number one to world number six.
He did not blame the poor results on his equipment changeover to Nike, but rather on technique and psyche.
"Mechanically my golf swing ... I fell into a couple of bad habits that I was just trying to work my way out of, so that obviously didn't help. And then not playing as well as I want to, it obviously dents your confidence a bit. Golf is a game of confidence, and if you are confident it allows you to play better and play freer. It allows you to play with a free mind and more of a free flowing swing."
Next up McIlroy will headline the field at the South Korean Open, and then he will go on to compete at the BMW Masters in Shanghai.
Chad le Clos competes in Fina World Cup Dubai
In swimming,
The fourth leg of the FINA world cup is getting underway in Dubai today.
One of the ones to watch is South African Chad le Clos, who smashed the world record in the 200m butterfly at the World cup event in the Netherlands back in August.
Breaking the world record in Eindhoven was a big plus to the world cup. It gave me a bit of extra cushioning so I am pretty comfortable at the moment. But you know what makes it difficult about this world cups is that you have to be on your game all the time and there are as many people that can knock you off the top."
The 21 year old also won both the 200m individual medley and the 100m and 200m butterfly at the Moscow leg last week.
Detroit and Boston head into swing game 4
In Major League Baseball,
LA Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals [GAME UPDATE]
The Detroit Tigers are looking to even the series when they meet the Boston Red Sox for a critical swing game 4 of their American League Championship series.
Boston is up 2-1 after taking game 3, 1-0 yesterday. That game gets underway at Comerica Park at 8:07 this morning.
Pakistan nears victory over South Africa in UAE
In cricket,
Pakistan is nearing a victory against South Africa in their first test in Abu Dhabi
After an overnight score of 263 for 3, Pakistan began increasing the lead in the first inning.
One of the MVP's of day two, Khurram Manzoor, added 15 runs to his overnight score of 131.
Captain Misbah-ul-haq became the oldest test centurion for Pakistan after he reached his first triple digits against South Africa. That was the 39 year old captain's fourth test century.
South Africa ended the day at 72 for 4, 121 runs behind their opponents.
Entertainment
The Wolverine arrives in cinemas here in China
Hitting theatres in China today is The Wolverine starring Hugh Jackman.
(Wolverine)
Helmed by "Walk the Line" director James Mangold, the film is the sixth installment of the block busting X Men franchise.
The film picks up from Xmen: The Last Stand and follows Jackman's Logan as he travels to Japan to confront the demons of his past.
Japanese super model Rila Fukushima plays recognitive mutant and deadly assassin Yukio while Tao Okamoto plays the endangered Mariko.
Upon its inital release, the film opened at the top of box office charts world wide, grossing over $86 million upon its opening weekend.
Cinema-goers were not the only ones to warm to the film.
Critics lauded Jackman's performance and the dark, well-paced plotline which does not sacrifice substance for action.
Catch the Wolverine at a screen here in China as of today.
Don Jon premieres at London Film Festival
Joseph Gordon Levitt took his latest film "Don Jon" to the UK with a gala screening at the London Film Festival overnight.
(Don Jon)
Gordon Levitt stars in his self-written and directed project as a young man whose compulsive porn addiction poses a serious obstacle in relationship with his dream girl, played by Scarlett Johanssen.
Despite taking the well trodden Rom-Com route, the film's touching story line and crisp humour has had critics raving since it started on the festival circuit.
However, the somewhat risque nature of the subject matter could prove devicisive amongst audience members, something Gordon-Levitt welcomes with open arms.
(Joseph GL)
"You know, 'Don Jon' is a polarizing movie. I knew that while I was writing it. And I like movies like that. It's not the kind of thing that's going to be, 'Oh, that was a very nice piece of entertainment.' It's going to reach out and grab you and make you want to talk about it. And some people will disagree and have different opinions of what it means, and to me that's what a movie's all about."
Whilst already open in the US, the film is set to open across the world from now through to the end of the year.
Own a Picasso for 100 euros
Want the chance to own an original Picasso? Well here is your chance.
An online raffle is offering one of the master's original works for just 100 euros (135 US dollars).
The work is entitled "Man with Opera Hat", a drawing from the Cubist period and valued at about one million US dollars.
The proceeds of the raffle will all go towards the preservation of the ancient city of Tyre in Lebanon - a Phoenician port town and UNESCO World Heritage site.
The winning ticket will be drawn at Sotheby's auction house in Paris on December 18 accompanied by a live online broad cast.
Only 50-thousand tickets will be sold, with tickets available online.
Banksy sells originals for $60
Keeping true to his words, Banksy is making a concerted effort to decommercialise his own art career.
The elusive graffiti artist set up a one off stall in New York, the streets of which he is using as his current residency.
The stall was selling original pieces, many of which had been estimated to be worth over tens of thousands of dollars each, for just $60 a pop.
The stall only managed to sell 8 pieces, with the unsuspecting public most likely suspecting the paintings to be fakes or replicas.
Banksy later uploaded the video of the stall on his website, announcing that it was a one and only event.
During his residency, Banksy is promising a new piece of work every day througout October.
So far efforts have included a performance piece named Sirens of the Lambs, featuring a soft-toy filled slaughterhouse delivery truck doing the rounds in the city's meatpacking district.
Recapping our top headlines....
Two Chinese nationals are among nearly 50 people killed in a plane crash in Laos.
US lawmakers are preparing to vote on a new plan to "kick the can down the road" when it comes to the debt ceiling.
The latest negotiations in the Iranian nuclear dispute have concluded with a new sense of optimism.
In Business.... the PBOC is moving to quash rumors of a housing policy shift.
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