The Beijing Hour
Morning Edition
Paul James with you on this Tuesday, November 5, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
In the wake of last week's terror attack in front of Tian'anmen here in Beijing, Chinese authorities are calling on international media outlets to be more objective in their reporting.
Ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's trial has been postponed amid large-scale demonstrations by his supporters.
Massive anti-American demonstrations have been held in Iran to mark the anniversary of the storming of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979.
In Business.... the latest session of the Canton Fair has come to a close with sluggish export numbers.
In sports... Man City is set to entertain CSKA Moscow tonight in what will be a closely-watched Champions League match.
In entertainment... Nicki Minaj has announced plans to release a new album this coming year.
First, let's check on what's happening on the weather front...
Weather
Beijing will be cloudy today, with a high of 16 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be cloudy tonight with a low of 5.
In Shanghai, it will be cloudy today, 21 the high, and it will be cloudy tonight, the low of 15 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will be overcast in the daytime the temperature's at 14, and tonight will be clear with a low of minus 1 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 24.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 16.
And in North America
New York, overcast, with a high of 8 degrees.
Washington, overcast, highs of 9
Houston, overcast, 24.
Honolulu, moderate rain, 29.
Toronto, overcast, 5.
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, sunny, 20.
And Rio de Janeiro will be sunny with highs of 32 degrees Celsius.
Top News
China wants objective media reports on terror
The Chinese government has issued a new statement, calling for "objective and fair" reporting of terrorist activities, including last week's suicide attack in front of the Tian'anmen Sqaure.
The comments come amid criticism on foreign media reports about the motiviation behind last week's attack.
A number of reports have also brought the Chinese government's religious and ethnic policies into question.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei.
"Some people have linked the violent terrorist act of crashing into innocent civilians and tourists with China's ethnic and religious policy and have even slandered China's ethnic and religious policy. This is in collusion with terrorists. With this, we express our strong dissatisfaction."
A jeep with three people in it, believed to be ethnic Uyghers from Xinjiang, crashed into the crowds in front of Tian'anmen on Monday last week, then lit their vehicle on fire.
The attack left 5 dead, including the attackers and two tourists.
40 others were hurt in the attack.
Experts suggest government should take concret measures to crack down on the terrorism
Anchor
While activities at the site of the attack returned to normal just hours after the assault took place, terrorism experts are warning the government not to lose its resolve when it comes to dealing with extremists.
CRI's Xie Zhao has more.
Report
Since last week's attack, it seems that the world famous site has returned to normal.
"It's 9:45 in the morning, November the 4th. I am standing in front of Tian'anmen Square. It seems tourism has not been affected by last Monday's terrorist attack. Overseas and domestic travelers are flocking to this famous tourist spot as usual."
Some tourists and their guides say they believe it's still safe to visit Tian'anmen Square.
"Yes, of course. In my opinion, it's safe because we are in a safe country. I am not scared to be here."
"We think it's safe here so we came here. I believe the government can prevent this kind of attack and protect our tourists. We are not concerned about security issues."
Aside from the tourists, Beijing residents echoed these views as well.
"I think the terrorist attack is a singular case. I believe it's safe to live in Beijing."
"I think it is safe in Beijing. This attack is uncommon."
Chinese police have identified the deadly crash as a terrorist attack and have detained five suspects.
Li Wei, an anti-terrorism expert with China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, says a main terrorist threat to China is the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, or ETIM.
Currently, the ETIM is demonstrating new tactics to boost their acts of terrorism.
"The ETIM is expanding their terrorist attacks from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to other regions in China. Meanwhile, the ETIM is emulating the international terrorist groups. They draw on local resources and carry out suicide attacks. Therefore, we should keep sharp vigilance on their new trends."
Li Wei adds the Chinese authorities can adopt two main measures to crack down on the terrorist attacks.
"We should legally clamp down on the terrorists no matter what excuses they have. We can not appease them. Otherwise, it would not protect ordinary citizens' lives and properties. Meanwhile, we should weaken the soil which cultivates terrorism and solve the root cause of the problem."
Li points out the terrorist groups often take advantage of factors such as ethnicity and religion to garner support.
The expert adds currently many countries, including China, are under threat amid rising global terrorist activities, and China is determined to fight against violence and terrorist crimes.
For CRI, I am Xie Zhao.
China urges impartiality for U.S. newspaper on Diaoyu Islands
The Chinese government is calling on the Wall Street Journal to be impartial when it comes to the Diaoyu Islands dispute.
The comments come after the U.S. newspaper carried an editorial, calling on the Obama administration to to explicitly endorse Japan's claims to the disputed islands.
The comments in the WSJ's online section says Tokyo's alliance with Washington and its ties with Southeast Asia have been strengthened because of the tensions over the Diaoyu Islands.
Chinese foreign ministry has since responded, calling on the US government to stay neutral, given "it is not a party concerned in the dispute".
The Obama administration has long-held that it will not take sides over the issue.
U.S. VP to visit Japan, China, South Korea
US vice-President Joe Biden is scheduled to make a trip here to China next month.
The White House has confirmed Biden will be making a stop in Beijing as part of a 3-nation tour of east Asia.
Biden will also be making stops in Japan and South Korea.
In a statment, the White House says Biden's focus here in China will be to consult with the Chinese leadership about issues of "global and regional" interest.
Biden is also expected to discuss the proposed Trans-Pacific Partership agreement with Japanese officials.
In South Korea, he's expected to touch on matters of security.
The exact dates for Biden's trip in December have not been laid out.
Egypt's Morsi trial postponed to Jan. 8
Anchor
The courts in Egypt have decided to postpone the trial of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
CRI's Li Jing has the story.
Report
The postponement to January 8th follows mass demonstrations outside the first hearings held at a local police station in east Cairo on Monday.
"We are here to defend the legitimacy of President Morsi, and to defend the constitution, and to defend the upper house of parliament, and to return Mohammed Morsi, the president who was elected in 2012 to power."
The demonstrations forced several delays during Monday's session.
Addressing the court, Morsi has told the session he's being put on trial by force and against his will.
Stating he is still the President, Morsi has described his ouster as a coup, saying its a humiliation and a crime.
Mohamed el-Damati is Morsi's lawyer.
"President Morsi is strong and salutes the Egyptian people, and he is determined that he is still the legitimate president and that this court is not competent to try such cases."
Morsi has also demanded the courts -quote- "try the coup leader."
While not naming him by name, it's believed Morsi is referring to military leader Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.
Morsi and 14 other members of the Muslim Brotherhood are accused of ordering the killing of protesters outside his presidental palace in December.
The demonstrations at that time were launched after Morsi issued a decree giving him sweeping political powers.
That move enraged secular elements of Egyptian society, and eventually created the backlash against his rule which led to Morsi being removed from power by the military in early July.
For CRI, this is Li Jing.
Syria stresses commitment to attend Geneva II conference
The Syrian government says it remains committeed to taking part in the so-called Geneva II conference, should it ever materialize.
Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.
"We confirmed that we will attend Geneva whether it were held tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, a week later or month. This is our steady position. But we also say that we are keen to make the Geneva conference a success. So the conference should be well prepared. It should be based on stopping violation and terrorism immediately and before the entrance to the conference hall."
The stated Syrian government commitment comes after the exiled opposition Syrian National Coalition placed preconditions to its participation in the proposed conference.
The SNC says it will not attend the conference unless there is a strict timetable for President Bashar al-Assad to leave power.
Assad has been unwilling to unilaterally leave office.
However, he has said he will stand for elections.
Chinese UN ambassador says Syria talks only way toward peace
China's Ambassador to the U.N. has issued a new statement, saying negotiations between the Syrian government and rebel forces are the only way to bring peace to the war-torn country.
Liu Jieyi has made the comments as part of a news conference detailing the priorities for the Security Council, as China currently holds the rotating Security Council presidency for the month of November.
"First and foremost, it is highly important to convince the relevant parties to sit down at the negotiation table for the Geneva 2 conference to be held as early as possible. We are concerned that things are not progressing as smoothly as we would wish and we would hope that efforts will be made with greater determination at the national, regional and international levels."
China's UN ambassador also notes progress is being made to rid Syria of its chemical weapons stockpiles.
Iran's hardliners highlight unity against U.S. "hostility"
Anchor
Iranian hard-liners have taken to the streets of Tehran and other cities across the country to denounce, what they describe, as the United States "hostility" toward Iran.
The mass demonstrations have been held to mark the 34th anniversary of the storming of the US embassy in Tehran.
CRI's Lucy Du has more.
Reporter
Former chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili has addressed the demonstrators at the site of the former US embassy this year.
"Fighting the global arrogance and hostile policies of America is the symbol of our national solidarity."
Jalili is currently Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative on Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
On November 4th, 1979, hundreds of enraged student protesters stormed the US embassy in Tehran, taking embassy staff hostage for 444 days.
This led the US to sever its diplomatic ties with Iran.
The anniversary of the storming of the embassy is marked every year in Iran, and is oftend used as a rallying-point for hard-line elements in Iranian society.
"They (the US) illegally wiretap the mobile phone of the German Chancellor and the Brazilian President. They wiretap their allies and are not faithful to them, how can they compromise with their arch-enemy (Iran)? They won't compromise with us. These are lies, these are tricks to hinder our progress."
The mass rallies come as new President Hassan Rouhani moves to try to ease tensions with the US and its allies.
Rouhani and US President Barack Obama held a ground-breaking telephone conversation in late September, the first direct contact between the leaders of the two countries in more than 30-years.
However, hard-line elements in Iran have been critical of Rouhani's reproachment.
Rouhani is trying to ease tensions with the US in an attempt to have the sanctions currently imposed on his country lifted.
However, new statements from Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are starting to cast some doubt about talks connected to the country's nuclear programs.
Both Rouhani and Khamenei have released statements this week, saying they are "not optimistic" about how the talks with the world powers are progressing.
Iran and the 5-permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany, are set to begin a new round of talks later on this month.
For CRI, I'm Lucy Du.
Court grants former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf bail
A court in Pakistan has granted former President Pervez Musharraf bail in connection to one of the charges against him.
As such, Musharraf is now free after more than 6-months of house arrest.
Afshan Ali is one of Musharraf's lawyers.
"Today the court has given its decision fully on merit, and the court has allowed sufficient time in the last four or five hearings for them (lawyers prosecuting Musharraf) to bring whatever evidence they have, but they have still failed to provide any."
Musharraf was formally arrested in connection with a military raid on the Red Mosque in Islamabad in 2007 when Musharraf was President.
The Red Mosque was said to be a known sanctuary for militants.
The son of the deputy of the mosque filed the case against Musharraf.
The deputy was killed in the military operation.
Prosecutors investigating the case have determined Musharraf ordered the assault, which led to the deaths of nearly 90 religious students.
Musharraf himself is facing numerous charges in connection with his time as President.
While he's been granted bail in connection with all the charges, he's still not free to leave Pakistan.
Indian police raid militant hideout, discover bombs
Indian authorities have launched a raid in the eastern state of Jharkhand to try to track down militants believed to be responsible for a recent string of bombings in a neighboring state.
Police raided a hotel in the state capital, discovering 9 different explosive devices.
The bombs are said to be similar to the ones used in neighboring Bihar last month which left 6-people dead.
Authorities say they launched the raid acting on a tip.
However, local TV reports are suggesting the raid came as the result of the interogation of a pair of bombing suspects currently being held.
Indian authorities are pinning the blame for last month's attacks in Bihar on a faction of the Indian Mujahideen.
The blasts were meant to disrupt a political rally for the main opposition's Prime Ministerial candidate.
Space mission chief comments on India's Mars probe
India is preparing to send its first spacecraft into orbit with the intention of circling Mars, later today.
Indian space authorities are hoping the launch will help highlight the country's technological abilities.
More than half the world's attempts to reach Mars have failed, including missions by Japan in 1999.
Among those missions that eventually made it, none were successful on the first attempt.
However, the chair of the Indian Space Research Organization, Koppillil Radhakrishnan, remains optimistic.
"We want to use our first opportunity to put a spacecraft into orbit around Mars. Once it's there safely we will conduct a few meaningful experiments, and contribute to the scientific community."
The mission is expected to reach its designated orbit next September.
Biz Reports
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 rose this morning, after the S & P 500 rallied for four straight weeks, as investors watched company earnings and awaited this week's releases on employment and economic growth.
The Dow added 0.2 percent. The S&P 500 gained 0.4 percent. And the NASDAQ also gained 0.4 percent.
Exxon Mobil and U.S. Steel led a commodity rally.
The world's largest energy company increased 2.5 percent.
U.S. Steel and AK Steel Holding gained more than 4.4 percent on an industry upgrade by Goldman Sachs.
Data today showed U.S. factory orders increased 1.7 percent in September after falling 0.1 percent the prior month.
The S&P 500 has surged more than 160 percent from a bear market low in 2009 as the central bank introduced unprecedented monetary stimulus to spur growth.
Meanwhile, Canada's S&P/TSX is up 0.2 percent.
European shares rose to a five-year high as HSBC reported increased profit and investors awaited this week's interest-rate decision from the European Central Bank.
Germany's DAX added 0.3 percent.
France's CAC 40 gained 0.4 percent.
And Britain's FTSE 100 also rose 0.4 percent.
Canton Fair closes with lowest exports since 2009
The latest installment of the Canton Fair has come to a close, with the lowest export volumes recorded since 2009.
The Canton Fair, officially known as the China Import and Export Fair, has seen its export volumes drop by 3 percent from the last autumn's session to 195 billion yuan, or 32 billion U.S. dollars.
This is down 11 percent from the figures reported at the fair's spring session earlier this year.
Observers at the fair in Guangzhou are suggesting the decrease in volume indicates the overseas market demand remains weak.
The biannual Canton Fair is the largest trade fair in China.
It's considered a barometer of this country's foreign trade.
Call-in Online retailers ready for 'Singles' Day
Anchor:
Online retailers in China are gearing up for this year's "single's day" here in China this coming Monday.
November 11th, or 1-1-1-1, has been unofficially dubbed "Singles' Day" here in China.
Hoping to capitalize on it, online retailers are already launching promotions.
Taobao and T-mall last year pulled in over 19-billion yuan worth of sales on Single's Day, tripling the figures from the previous year.
For more on the e-commerce competition this year, we're joined live now by Mark Hughes, Executive Business Editor of China Daily.
--Do you think last year's transaction volumes will be surpassed?
--what's behind the popularity of spending on Single's Day?
--what do Chinese e-commerce firms have to do to keep the customers coming back?
Back Anchor:
Mark Hughes, Executive Business Editor of China Daily.
Twitter boosts IPO range amid strong investor demand
Twitter has raised the price range for its IPO, signaling strong demand from investors ahead of its stock market debut later this week.
Twitter has raised the top end of its IPO price range by 25 percent, from 23 to 25 dollars per share.
The company has it kept the offering size the same at 70 million shares.
The new pricing would value the company at up to 13.6 billion dollars, which is 43 times its revenue from last year.
Twitter has 230 million users.
BlackBerry abandons its sale process and will replace its chief executive
BlackBerry has abandoned a plan to sell itself to its biggest shareholder, Fairfax Financial.
At the same time, the company has announced it will replace its chief executive.
Fairfax, BlackBerry's largest shareholder with a 10 percent stake, says it won't buy the struggling smartphone company and take it private.
Instead, Fairfax and other investors will inject one billion US dollars as part of a revised investment proposal.
Meanwhile, BlackBerry Chief executive Thorsten Heins will step down.
Former Sybase chief executive John Chen will serve as interim chief executive.
Despite the moves, many analysts remain sceptical about the Blackberry's prospects.
James Moorman is an S&P Capital IQ equities analyst.
"I think there is value in this company. The problem is I think it definitely needs a turn around. I thought that it would serve them better to go private, do the turnaround out of the public's eye. I just think it would be a lot easier environment to kind of the restructure and get back on the right footing."
BlackBerry had been the dominant smartphone on the global market before Apple debuted the iPhone in 2007.
Last month, the Canadian company reported a second-quarter net loss of 965 million dollars.
Those losses are being blamed on poor sale of its new smartphone, the Z10.
Blackberry shares tumbled more than 16 percent after Monday's announcement.
SAC Capital to admit insider trading
U.S. prosecutors say Wall Street hedge fund giant SAC Capital has agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges of insider trading.
U.S. District Attorney Preet Bharara.
"All of the charged SAC companies have agreed to plead guilty. All have agreed to wind down and close their outside investment businesses, and all have agreed collectively to pay total fines and penalties in the record amount of 1.8 billion dollars."
SAC Capital was charged in July with four counts of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud.
The firm, founded and run by billionaire investor Steven A. Cohen, has also agreed to give up its investment advisory business.
The settlement comes after a seven-year-long investigation.
Johnson&Johnson to pay billions over allegations of unapproved use of drugs
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay over 2.2 billion US dollars to resolve criminal and civil allegations over its marketing techniques.
US Attorney General Eric Holder.
"Johnson & Johnson and three of its subsidiaries have agreed to pay more than 2.2 billion US dollars to resolve criminal as well as civil claims that they marketed prescription drugs for uses that were never approved as safe and effective and that they paid kickbacks to both physicians and pharmacies for both prescribing and promoting these drugs."
Johnson & Johnson is accused of paying kickbacks to doctors and pharmacies to promote some of its products.
The drugs in-question are the anti-psychotic drugs Risperdal and Invega, and Natrecor, which is used to treat heart conditions.
Johnson & Johnson has also been accused of trying to promote the drugs for uses not officially allowed under FDA standards.
The settlement is the third-largest ever involving a US drugmaker.
Headline News
China wants objective media reports on terror
The Chinese government has issued a new statement, calling for "objective and fair" reporting of terrorist activities, including last week's suicide attack in front of the Tian'anmen Sqaure.
The comments come amid criticism on foreign media reports about the motivation behind last week's attack.
A number of reports have also brought the Chinese government's religious and ethnic policies into question.
A spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry says this kind of reporting is "in collusion with terrorists."
The attack left 5 dead, including the attackers and two tourists.
40 others were hurt in the attack.
U.S. VP to visit Japan, China, South Korea
US vice-President Joe Biden is scheduled to make a trip here to China next month.
The White House has confirmed Biden will be making a stop in Beijing as part of a 3-nation tour of east Asia.
Biden will also be making stops in Japan and South Korea.
In a statment, the White House says Biden's focus here in China will be to consult with the Chinese leadership about issues of "global and regional" interest.
Egypt's Morsi trial postponed to Jan. 8
The courts in Egypt have decided to postpone the trial of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
The postponement to January 8th follows mass demonstrations outside the first hearings held on Monday.
Addressing the court, Morsi has told the session he's being put on trial by force and against his will.
Stating he is still the President, Morsi has described his ouster as a coup, saying its a humiliation and a crime.
Morsi and 14 other members of the Muslim Brotherhood are accused of ordering the killing of protesters outside his presidental palace in December.
South Africa to encourage North Korea to return to six-party talks: DIRCO
A leading South African official is set to begin a diplomatic mission to North Korea with the aim of trying to convince the country to resume the long-stalled 6-party nuclear talks.
South Africa's deputy minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ebrahim Ebrahim, is beginning his mission there today.
Ebrahim says the South African side wants to try to convince North Korea not to go ahead with the construction of nuclear weapons.
While South Africa is not involved in the 6-party talks, the country has maintained a solid relationship with North Korea since establishing diplomatic ties in 1998.
China vice premier expresses confidence in achieving growth goals
Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli says the government is confident it will reach its economic and social development targets for the year.
But at the same time, Zhang Gaoli also says more needs to be done to create more sustainable development in the private sector.
Zhang says this country's more-developed eastern regions should be playing a leading role in rebalancing the economy.
He says operations in this region of China need to eliminate excessive production capacity.
Zhang's comments come ahead of the Party's plenary session slated to be held here in Beijing this weekend.
Newspaper Picks
CHINA DAILY
Headline
President makes poverty relief trip
Summary
President Xi Jinping has made a stop-over in Hunan to inspect the poverty alleviation work taking place in the province.
The president has made a stop in the village of Changputang, which has been using the local fruit market to generate economic growth.
He's encouraged them to keep up their hard work, and always be mindful of the fruit market.
DONGGUAN TIMES
Headline
Olympic Champion Detained for Driving without License
Summary
Chinese swimmer Sun Yang is being punished with 7 days detention for driving without a license in Zhejiang.
Sun Yang's SUV had a minor run-in with a city bus on Sunday, leading police to discover he didn't have a license.
Sun Yang won 2 gold medals at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
BEIJING NEWS
Wife Murder Trial
Summary
Ji Xingpeng, a wealthy young man in Nanjing, is accused of stabbing his wife over 20 times with a fruit knife after rumors his wife was cheating on him.
Nanjing Intermediate People's Court began hearing the case.
Ji is accused of voluntary manslaughter.
He's denied the charges against him.
SOUTH CHINA METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
Schools to close amid air pollution
Summary
A new government circular has been issued when it comes to air pollution this winter.
Under the new recommendations, primary and secondary schools will be closed under an air pollution red alert.
YANZHAO METROPOLITAN DAILY
Headline
3 murdered children buried
Summary
Three children who were kidnapped and murdered in Hunan last week have been laid to rest.
The two girls and a boy, aged eight and nine, have been buried in the city of Yueyang.
A male suspect from the children's village has since been arrested.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Explosive shells dug up
Summary
Seven explosive shells have been unearthed during roadwork in shanghai.
Authorities said the shells will be safely destroyed.
No details have been given as to the age or type of shells recovered.
Shanghai was the scene of a number of heavy battles between Chinese and Japanese forces during Japan's invasion of China.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
China to top Morocco
Summary
New stats show China may soon surpass Morocco to become France's largest source of overseas students.
Currently, about 35-thousand Chinese students are studying in France.
That figure is expected to reach 50-thousand by 2015.
Last year there were just three-thousand fewer Chinese students than Moroccan students studying in France.
Morocco is a former French colony, and much of the population still speaks French.
Special Reports
Bonfire Night, the Gunpowder Plot and Guy Fawkes in modern pop culture
anchor
Today marks the 408th anniversary of the Gunpowder plot in Great Britain in which Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the houses of parliament.
CRI's Alexander Aucott has more on the role Guy Fawkes now plays in contemporary British society.
Reporter
Remember remember The 5th of November, The Gunpowder treason & plot, I know of no reason Why the Gunpowder treason, Should ever be forgot !
The rhyme that English children grow up hearing every year around bonfire night, as they prepare to enjoy a fireworks display.
But four centuries after he, and his fellow conspirators, were hanged, drawn and quartered for treason, Guy Fawkes has become a figure-head for protest by such groups as the Indignados and Anonymous.
It was the 2006 film, 'V for Vendetta' that gave us the mask and image that now accompanies protests around the world.
The smiling figure with thin goatee beard on porcelain white skin.
The film was based on the graphic novels drawn by David Lloyd and written by Alan Moore in the 1980's.
In the closing scenes as parliament burns thousands of people take to the street in Guy Fawkes masks to overthrow the British authoritarian government.
Jill Russell, a Doctorate Researcher in War Studies at Kings College, London who also contributes to the Strife blog, explains why he has been adopted as an idol:
"If you think of the face of 'Anonymous' and that Guy Fawkes look, it's a cartoon but it's not meant to be an off-putting cartoon, it's meant to look a bit rakish. But I think it goes back to the mythical hero that he's been created to be. He's been drawn not that differently than say a Robin Hood kind of character, again the little guy fighting against some larger wrong."
After spending centuries regarded as a traitor Fawkes has has an image change of late and is now considered by some to be a hero fighting against an unjust state.
Though the way he is portrayed in pop culture today is a far cry from the reality of the man who tried to blow the Protestant King James I and the House of Lords to smithereens.
"He was not a.. 'I would like to raise your consciousness about some issue' he was a 'I'm going to do this to absolutely change things.' So in a way they are misunderstanding absolutely who Guy Fawkes was by taking this route and yet adopting his persona. Guy Fawkes in what he did actually historically is well past the point of protest. He's an insurgent he's a terrorist he's actually fighting the state and intends to bring it down, he has a very definite agenda, so I mean they're sort of the anti-Fawkes in that way."
Though it may not be truly indicative of the real Guy Fawkes, David Lloyd has said that he is happy that his design is being used as a multi-purpose banner of protest.
He said he hopes the mask of V can represent 'opposition to any perceived tyranny."
More than 400 years after his death it would seem Guy Fawkes is still a divisive figure. A hero to some a terrorist to others and for millions of Children across the UK, simply an excuse to let off a few fireworks.
For CRI I'm Alexander Aucott
Sports
Stanislas Wawrinka beats Berdych in game 1 at the ATP world tour finals
The world's top ATP players are competing at the world tour finals in London.
Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka started his campaign off with a win over Tomas Berdych, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3.
I am really happy to be here. But I am here to win some matches. I know that my level this year is really high. I have some chance to beat those guys. It is going to be tough, for sure, because it can be only tough when you have only the top eight player. But I am really happy so I am going to try and enjoy as much as I can and get ready for the big matches."
Rafael Nadal is scheduled to take on fellow Spaniard David Ferrer. Nadal needs a victory in London if he's to keep his world number one ranking, but Rafa said this season has been one of the best of his career, and he is satisfied.
"Oh, for me ending the year as number one... well, I prefer to finish as number one than as number two, but seriously, the... I don't change nothing that what happen this year to end the season number one. All the things that happened to me this season were very, very emotional, I enjoyed it a lot and then... number one, number two, it's just a number."
Also later in group B, Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro will meet Richard Gasquet of France.
Manchester City gets ready to face CSKA in UEFA champions league
In football,
Atletico Madrid moved up to second in La Liga after their 2-nil win over Athletic Bilbao. That puts them just a point behind League leaders Barcelona.
Later today in the UEFA Champions League, Juventus needs a win against Real Madrid if they want to keep their campaign alive.
The Italian side has not won a single game in the competition, and are sitting at third on two points.
Real Madrid on the other hand have won all three of their games, and lead Group .B.
And Manchester City are getting ready to host CSKA Moscow at Eastlands. The last time the two teams met a couple weeks ago, Man city's Yaya toure was the target of racist chants from the crowd.
UEFA responded by punishing CSKA by requiring them to play their next home game inside a partially closed stadium.
Man City manager Manuel Pellegrini said he hopes CSKA learned their lesson.
"The fans of CSKA made an important mistake there. The club I don't know why they denied it at the beginning. I don't know now what their reaction is. UEFA acted and gave the punishment that it deserves so I hope we can leave it in the past and it will be an example for Russian fans as they will have a World Cup in their country."
And in Belgrade, crazy football fans have caused chaos again. This time at a match between city rivals Red Star and Partisan.
Dozens of fans had to be arrested after a little pre-match fistfighting. And later, the fire department had to be called in to deal with bonfires set off by visiting Partisan fans.
Serbia's government is calling for radical steps to combat what some are calling sports hooliganism. And senior sports official Nenad Borovcanin said his government can start by studying how the British dealt with fan violence in the 70's and 80's.
NBA game preview
In the NBA,
Starting in just a few minutes, the Golden State Warriors will try to hand Philadelphia their first loss.
And Cleveland will have the same goal when they face Minnesota. An interesting side note, Cleveland got the number one draft pick with Anthony Bennet, and the guy has yet to score.
He's 0-12 after 3 games. But he has been struggling for playing time, only averaging about 13 minutes a game.
A lot of people were surprised that Cleveland went for Bennet over some of the more talked-up prospects, like big man Nerlens Noel or shooting guard Victor Oladipo.
And then later this morning, the Boston Celtics are looking to snap a three game losing streak when they play Memphis.
And the Houston Rockets, who are on a three game winning streak, are in LA for a showdown with the Clippers.
MLB to open the 2014 series in Australia
In baseball,
Major League Baseball will kick off the 2014 season in Australia of all places, as the Arizona Diamondbacks are scheduled to play their opening two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Sydney.
The games will be played in late march at the Sydney Cricket Ground, home of the Sydney Sixers.
Sixers cricketer Mitchell Starc said he's excited to play host to the MLB games.
"I think that's the great thing about Australia we've got a lot of interest in a lot of different sports and watching on T.V. you get a lot of baseball and a lot of the NFL. I've seen a lot of games through my time on the couch in the last ten weeks especially yeah it's good to watch it."
This will be the fourth time the MLB has opened season play overseas.
The idea is similar to the NBA's global games, to league hopes that playing overseas will help globalize the sport of baseball and draw more fans to the MLB.
Entertainment
Nicki Minaj confirms 2014 album release
(Nicki)
Nicki Minaj has confirmed that she will be dropping a new record next year.
Speaking to a US radio station, the flamboyant star said that the new album will be "very different from anything" she has done.
Minaj went on to add that she is surprised by her own new sound and feels that its "next level" material.
The singer and rapper's second album "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded" entered the charts at the number 1 spot in both the UK and US upon its release last year.
Not satisfied with dominating the airwaves, Minaj is also coming to a big screen near you very soon.
Minaj will be making her feature-film acting debut alongside Cameron Diaz in Nick Cassavetes' comedy "The Other Woman", which is slated for release next April.
Chinese American Film Festival to screen "Amazing"
Having opened in Los Angeles, the 9th Chinese American Film Festival is hitting San Francisco later today.
Festvities are kicking off at the festival's co-location with an opening ceremony at the city's Marriott Union Square.
Hitting UCA Berkeley is Shanghai-born film maker Sherwood Hu, who is to screen his baketball drama "Amazing".
(Amazing)
A co-production between the Shanghai Film Group Corporation and the NBA, the film stars Huang Xiao Ming, Huang Yi and Stephen Fung as a group of fans for whom basketball takes centre stage in life.
The Chinese American Film Festival will wrap up at the end of the month with a closing concert from Julie Su.
Beijing Flickers screens latest trailer
The final trailer for Chinese film director Zhang Yuan's new drama, "Beijing Flickers," was released yesterday.
Zhang Yuan and actor Wang Jingchun, who won the best actor at 26th Tokyo Film Festival last month, unveiled the promo at a press conference here in the capital
(Beijing Flickers Trailer)
"Beijing Flickers" is a glimpse into the lives of the youth left behind by China's economic development.
The characters struggle to carve out a live for themselves whilst navigating the challenges presented by the sprawling urban jungle.
Speaking to CRI, Zhang Yuan says "Beijing Flickers," drew inspiration from his back catalogue.
"I was actually inspired by the film 'Beijing Bastards' that I shot 17 years ago. At that time, Dou Wei, Cui Jian and I and Zang Tianshuo, Liu Xiaodong were young. But now we're no longer young. And I'm interested in the living standards of young men. Therefore I wanted to shoot the film 'Beijing Flickers.'"
Zhang Yuan was recently made a judge of the "Main Competition Section" at the upcoming Rome Film Festival.
He leaves for the festival the day "Beijing Flickers" hits Chinese screens on Nov. 8.
EU Film Festival underway in Beijing
The 6th Annual EU Film Festival is underway here in Beijing.
Throughout November, 22 feature films made in the European Union will be screened across Beijing.
All films will have English and Chinese subtitles with ticket prices ranging between free and 40 yuan.
The organisers say that the event is not only aimed at expanding cultural understanding.
Another main goal is to ignite intercultural dialogue and foster relationships between China and EU film makers.
Partner cinemas include the Mega Box in Sanlitun, the cinema at UCCA and screenings will also be held at various European cultural centres across the capital through to the end of November.
The EU Film Festival will also be coming to Chengdu from 15-22nd November and Shenzhen between 22nd - 29th November.
That's all we have time for on the show as well.
Recapping our top headlines....
In the wake of last week's terror attack in front of Tian'anmen here in Beijing, Chinese authorities are calling on international media outlets to be more objective in their reporting.
Ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's trial has been postponed amid large-scale demonstrations by his supporters.
Massive anti-American demonstrations have been held in Iran to mark the anniversary of the storming of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979.
In Business.... the latest session of the Canton Fair has come to a close with sluggish export numbers.
On behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this is Paul James in Beijing, hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together!
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