Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.

Coming up on the program this evening...

A strong tropical typhoon has slammed into southern China, forcing thousands to be moved to safety.

China and Bangladesh are celebrating 40 years of diplomatic ties this Sunday.

A new round of underway excavations are getting underway on what could be a Qing-era ship lost in the Yellow Sea in the first Sino-Japanese war over 100 years ago.

In sports... Chinese women get off to a rough start at the China Open tennis tournament underway in Beijing.

In the 2nd half of the hour, and edition of On the Record.

Top NewsTyphoon Mujigae makes landfall in GuangdongA powerful typhoon has made landfall in southern China.

Mujigae hit just east of Guangdong's Leizhou Peninsula shortly before 2pm this afternoon.

It has struck with winds of some 150-kilometers per hour.

Mujigae has already been generating torrential rainfall across much of southern China for the past 36-hours.

So far no deaths or injuries have been reported.

Meteorological authorities issued a red-alert ahead of the storm, the highest level of alert, prompting authorities to evacuate tens-of-thousands from the coastal areas of southern China ahead of Mujigae making landfall.

The storm has forced the shut-down of travel between the mainland and Hainan.

It's also forced close to 40-thousand Chinese fishing boats to return to harbor.

The storm is due to track into Guangxi through this evening, but is rapidly losing strength as it moves inland.

Mujigae started out over the northern Philippines on Thursday.

Local authorities in that country are reporting over 120 fishermen are missing and over 20 fishing boats unaccounted for in the wake of the storm.

Chinese, Bangladeshi leaders exchange congratulations on anniversary of tiesChina and Bangladesh are marking their 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties this Sunday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has issued a statement, saying a lot of progress has been made in the bilateral relationship between the two countries through the years.

At the same time, Xi Jinping says the Chinese side is willing to do more to help create benefits for people from both countries.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has also taken time to send out a note of congratulations to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

She, along with the Bangladeshi President, have also forwarded messages of thanks to the Chinese leadership.

Chinese National Fatally Shot in the PhilippinesThe Chinese embassy in the Philippines has confirmed a Chinese national was fatally gunned down in the country on Friday.

The 47-year-old Chinese woman and a 56-year old South Korean man were found dead in their shared home.

Philippine authorities have not said what the motivation behind their killing may be.

Police say 10 shell casings were found at the scene.

So far no suspects have been identified.

The Chinese embassy in Manila says its closely monitoring the case, and has issued the standard call for Philippine authorities to do their utmost to protect Chinese citizens living in the country.

Excavation of Famed Chinese Warship UnderwayAnchor:

Chinese archaeologists are set to start a new round of underwater excavations of, what's believed to be, a late Qing Dynasty warship that has been discovered in the depths of the Yellow Sea.

CRI's Victor Ning reports.

Reporter:

The shipwreck that was code-named "Dandong No.1" has been tentatively identified as the Cruiser Zhiyuan of the Beiyang Fleet.

But Song Jianzhong with the National Center of Underwater Cultural Heritage says it is still too early to make a final conclusion on the ship and its history.

"The relics and information currently in hand indicates it's the wreck of the warship Zhiyuan, but more work needs to be done before the publishing of the final conclusion."The shipwreck was first discovered in 2013.

In the past month, over a hundred relics have been salvaged from the depths of the Yellow Sea, including canons, shells, and other artillery.

The most crucial piece of evidence for the ship's identity is a shattered porcelain plate that features the words 'Zhiyuan' written in the middle of its back.

Song Jianzhong says all of the recovered items will studied further.

"Archaeology mainly focuses on the investigation, excavation, study and protection of cultural relics. Items to be found during the current underwater probe will be sent to labs where they will undergo procedures of de-watering, desalination and de-sulfated before being renovated and pieced together."Also among the findings is a boiler cap found 30 meters away from the wreck at the bottom of the sea.

Sa Su, a Chinese scholar of Japanese studies, says the artifact could reveal details of the final moments of the brave sailors who operated the ship during combat.

"It's said that the sailors sealed the boilers at last in the hope of enabling them to generate more power and make the ship run faster than usual. Only with that, could it catch up with Japanese warships that were more advanced. But as seawater poured in after Zhiyuan's hull was penetrated by shells, the boiler exploded with the cap blown out."The 2,300-tonne warship, with 246 officers and soldiers aboard, was lost in the Battle of the Yellow Sea on September the 17th, 1894, during the first Sino-Japanese war.

Captain Deng Shichang has been well remembered by Chinese people for ordering a full-speed charge at the enemy's flagship in order to protect the flagship of the Chinese fleet.

But just one kilometer away from its target, the Zhiyuan exploded. Captain Deng Shichang later drowned himself and his dog.

The Chinese fleet lost four warships during the five-hour battle.

The archaeologists are expected to finish the excavation by the end of the National Day holiday on Oct 7.

The shipwreck won't be pulled out of water in the near future due to concerns over a structural collapse.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

Chinese shoppers enjoy luxry shopping in London during holidaysNew stats are suggesting Europe appears to be a popular destination this year for Chinese travellers getting out of the country on this National Day Holiday.

Figures from Chinese travel-booking website C-trip show the number of passengers booking flights to London and Paris through this year's holiday have tripled compared with last year.

Retailers in London have taken note.

Christine Borg-Mirza runs a watch store in the UK capital.

"As the years go on, it gets busier and busier during the Golden Week, because it's a time of shopping for gifts for the family. It's a celebration. And luxury goods are on the top of their list, especially high-end watches."To meet demand, a growing number of retailers in London are providing services geared particularly toward Chinese tourists, including hiring Mandarin speaking staff, tax-free refunds and other discounts.

Uyghur entrepreneur and his Halal food business in XijiangAnchor:

Today we continue our series marking the 60th anniversary this past week of the founding of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region --- bringing you the story of a man from Xinjiang who is hoping to capitalize on halal food in the predominantly Muslim region of China.

CRI's Guo Yan has more.

Reporter:

Dedicated to developing the Halal food sector for the past 20-years, Radil Abla has turned the Arman Group into one of the largest manufacturers of Halal products in Xinjiang.

Radil admits he never imagined his business would boom like it has been since he began operating out of a 10-square-meter rented store.

Like many other entrepreneurs who start from scratch, Radil went through a lot of trials and tribulation at the beginning.

He admits that, at times, he regretted leaving his steady job with a regular salary to take up his passion.

"After I graduated from university in 1990, I worked as a research assistant at a local public institution. At that time, most people here in China dreamed of getting a secure a job in the government or a public institution. So when I went out on my own, at first, even my family didn't support me. But I felt I had to make the move."But inspired by the adventurous spirit of some of his friends who started their own business, Radil decided to leave his comfort zone and seize the opportunity.

"I helped my schoolmates start their business before I quit my job. I felt more energized in the private-sector. More importantly, I still wanted to improve my own life. I had some dreams to realize. I thought I needed to at least give it a try and work hard for my future."Radil first began his company by operating a small supermarket.

It was then that he realized halal foods were largely neglected by many retailers at that time.

He says it was then that he put his plans into action to create a business opportunity in the sector.

"I discovered that supermarkets rarely carried Halal foods, and realized the market potential. It was then I decided to focus my business on Halal foods. From there, I began to open factories. And before I knew it, my business was expanding and prospering like never before."After 20-years' hardwork, Radil has expanded his operations across Xinjiang, running close to 4-thousand small markets and several food processing plants.

He says he believes the Halal food sector still has huge market potential, given that Muslims make up over half of the population in Xinjiang.

Radil says he's now focused on promoting the creation of better standards for Halal foods.

"We have always been dedicated to the standardization of Halal foods. We use industrial processes and standards to make our foods halal. We use standard methods from the very beginning. Food in Xinjiang, such as lamb skewers, pilaf, naan bread and other staples are processed through standardized methods and then delivered to our retail outlets. This allows our stores to quickly provide customers with the wonderful foods, which are also safe and affordable."To promote his idea, Radil has adopted a popular business model from overseas.

He's now working on a project to combine his markets with fast-food restaurants which specifically cater to people who want halal food.

"The Arman supermarket chain emphasizes food service. We have learned from chain stores like seven-eleven. We are introducing fast-food into our chain stores. Many are now more of a restaurant than a supermarket. We've also built 'central kitchens' that produce standardized halal snacks and send them to our chain stores, which offers convenient food for our customers."Radil does say what worries him the most is the lack of officially-recognized standards for halal products.

He says he's worried it may hinder the development of the whole industry, particularly as more and more food companies tap into this sector.

"A lack of national standards for halal food manufacturing here in China restricts development of the business. And it affects the exports of halal food. Most of the time, manufacturers stick to their own standards. Local authorities are trying to settle the problem, but it takes time. With the large Muslim population in and around the region, the market is huge. But without certain standards, there could be chaos in the industry. "Hamit Aysa is an assistant of Radil's, and also an old friend.

He's in charge of production at Arman's halal food processing plants.

At one of the processing facilities in the suburbs of Xinjiang's capital, Urumqi, Hamit takes us through some of the procedures they use to make the food.

"This is the cooling process for our crunchy candy. The candy bars can't be cut all the way through. Machines are set to cut them just slightly. We then use different machines to cool and dry them until they split to ensure the taste and flavor of the fruit and nuts inside the candy stays inside."Hamit has been working with his friend in promoting the standardization of Halal food for years.

He says he's very proud of their work in trying to promote standards for halal foods.

Hamit says it all starts with the ingredients.

"We use standard methods from the very beginning. Cultivating the crops, transportation, food storage, usage, processing and packaging, should all be taken into consideration as we promote the standardization of Halal foods."He says he's also worried that food from Xinjiang hasn't been getting enough attention on a global scale.

He says a lack of promotion and marketing is holding that back.

Still, Hamit says he believes food from Xinjiang will become increasingly popular in the future, given the huge market potential.

When it comes to the broader plans for the development of his operations on a more global scale, Radil Abla says he can take the lead from other entrepreneurs like himself in China.

For CRI, this is Guo Yan .

Kyrgyzstan kicks off parliamentary electionsPolls across China's Central Asian neighbor Kyrgyzstan are set to close in a few hours (10pm Beijing time) in that country's parliamentary election.

A total of 14 different parties are competing for the 120 available seats in the country's parliament.

This is down from the 34 parties which initially applied to run in the election.

Under election rules in Kyrgyzstan, political parties have to meet a strict set of conditions, including having a high enough proportion of ethnic minorities and women as candidates, to be included in the election process.

A party also has to obtain at least 7-percent of the vote across the country to be represented in the parliament.

Five parties managed to make that threshold during the last parliamentary vote in 2010.

For the first time in Central Asia, the voting is being conducted through the use of biometric data, meaning only people who submitted their fingerprints to the authorities are allowed to cast a ballot.

Results of the vote in Kyrgyzstan should be known sometime early Monday.

Malaysia to shut schools for serious hazeHeavy haze being generated by smoke from neighboring Indonesia is causing major disruptions across many parts of Malaysia.

Malaysian authorities have been forced to shut down most government schools this Sunday.

Schools in most parts of the country will also remain closed for the next couple of days, as a thick blanket of smoke continues to choke most parts of the country.

Numerous flights in and out of the capital, Kuala Lumpur, have also been delayed or cancelled because of the pollution.

"I'm very disappointed and frustrated because of this. I come from Sarawak, which is far away, and I took a flight here. Then when I heard they cancelled it, I was disappointed."The haze has also forced the cancellation of the annual marathon in Kuala Lumpur, and may also force the cancellation or suspension of Malaysia's national sports day on October 10th.

But unlike the Singaporean government, which has been demanding Indonesian authorities do something to mitigate the pollution, the Malaysian government has remained relatively quiet on the subject.

However, Malaysia's deputy Prime Minister has gone on-record saying a plan by Indonesian authorities to reduce the smoke coming from its country is taking too long to implement.

Farmers in Indonesia still use slash-and-burn techniques to clear forest land for planting or grazing this time of year.

However, meteorologists say this year has been particularly bad for Malaysia and Singapore because of the effects of the El Nino phenomenon.

3 unidentified assailants assumed responsible for killing of Japanese national in BangladeshPolice in Bangladesh says they're now working under the assumption three people are responsible for the murder of a Japanese national in that country on Saturday.

Authorities have not identified who the suspects may be.

They do say 6 people are currently being questioned in connection with the attack.

The 66-year old Japanese national was attacked on Saturday morning while riding in a rickshaw on his way to his agricultural holding in a rural area around 300-kilometers north of the capital, Dhaka.

He later died in hospital.

The Islamic State has claimed credit for the attack, though the verasity of that claim is still in-question.

Kunio Hoshi is the 2nd foreigner to be killed in Bangladesh this past week by the Islamic State.

An Italian national was gunned down in Dhaka a few days ago by unknown assailants.

A number of countries have issued travel warnings for Bangladesh in the wake of the killings.

Hurricane Joaquin may bypass US east coastThe latest tracking models are suggesting a powerful hurricane currently swirling in the Caribbean may bypass the United States east coast.

Forecasters are now predicting Hurricane Joaquin, which is currently classified as a category-4 storm, is most likely going to track northeastward away from the US coast as it makes its way toward the north Atlantic.

A state of emergency had already been declared in a number of US states, as forecasters had originally predicted the storm was likely going to slam into the US east coast sometime this weekend.

It's currently hovering near the Bahamas, with winds of some 250-kilometers per hour at the center.

Forecasters had been suggesting Joaquin was likely going to add to the existing heavy rain certain parts of the southern United States have been seeing over the past few days through a separate weather system.

Hurricane Joaquin is being blamed for the disappearance of a cargo ship with 33 crew members onboard.

Venezuelan official claims US harassment during trip to MexicoA top Venezuelan official is accusing the United States of intentionally provoking and inconveniencing him on an official trip abroad.

Venezuelan ombudsman Tarek Saab says he was pulled aside by immigration officials at an airport in Mexico City on Saturday while travelling there on official state business.

Saab says he was told by Mexican authorities he was pulled aside on an Interpol alert, which he says was made at the request of US authorities.

He hasn't said why he believes he was targeted.

However, he says Mexican officials quizzed him about his length of stay and what he was doing in Mexico.

Saab, who is in-charge of human rights investigations in Venezuela, was travelling to a human rights conference in Mexico when he was singled out.

The US government is refusing to comment on the situation.

If confirmed, this wouldn't be the first time the United States has targeted specific officials from Venezuela travelling abroad.

Last year, the former head of Venezuela's military intelligence service was detained after arriving in Aruba on a US-based warrant for alleged drug-trafficking.

That official was later allowed to return to Venezuela after a lengthy diplomatic tussle.

Diplomatic ties between the US and Venezuela have been tense for years, with late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez once referring to former US President George W. Bush as the Devil during a speech to the UN General Assembly.

Venezuela's socialist government under Chavez and his successor, current President Nicholas Maduro, have long-accused the United States of attempting to undermine their administration.

Volunteers Save Perth Observatory After Funding CutAnchor:

A group of volunteers have managed to save one of western Australia's most cherished historical and scientifically-important sites in the region.

CRI's Tu Yun has more.

Reporter:

Australia's historic Perth Observatory has been given a new lease on life.

In March, Western Australia's state government cut funding for the Bickley-based observatory.

All but one member of the original staff were let go.

However, around 80 volunteers and amateur astronomers have stepped in to save the observatory and to keep the telescope in it gazing into the night sky.

To keep the facility open, the volunteers spent months training how to use the telescope properly, as well as how to train others to use it, before they could re-open the facility.

Diana Rosman, who heads the volunteer group, says everyone in their group came together with a unified goal.

"They had been offered the challenge to save the observatory from extinction almost, we had that burst of: 'Well, we can do this'."For more than a century, the Perth Observatory in Western Australia was on the cutting-edge of stellar observation.

Given the small population and vast space of Western Australia, light pollution, even today, is very minimal in the region.

Because of this, the Perth observatory was the first to capture images of Halley's Comet.

It is also credited with helping co-discovered the ring around Uranus.

But as times change, so does technology.

The state government in Western Australia has since has shifted its resources to the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope project in Perth.

That project is now the main center for scientific research in Western Australia.

Volunteer Gemma Hamilton says losing the funding for the Perth Observatory came as a disappointment.

"We felt what we we're doing here is really important for the community and it's especially really important, for me personally, I find it's important for getting kids inspired to do science. While Western Australia is heading more towards radio astronomy that's not really something people can easily access, go and visit the SKA (Square Kilometre Array radio telescope) and have a look at the sky and I think this is really important for kids to be able to come and have a look optically."Because the Perth Observatory is no longer home to scientists or researchers, the volunteers maintaining the Observatory are shifting the focus of the facility from research to education.

Now open during daylight hours, the volunteers at the Perth Observatory are hoping to attract more class trips to inspire a new generation of star gazers.

For CRI, I'm Tu Yun.

3 Chinese women bounced from China Open Tennis tournamentIn tennis,A tough start today for Chinese women at the opening day of the China Open Tennis Tournament underway in Beijing.

All three Chinese players on the schedule for the singles event today have been bounced from the tournament.

26-year old Zhang Shuai has been given an early exit, going down to German Mona Barthel in straight-sets, 6-3, 6-2.

Zhang Saisai is now also a spectator, going down to Spain's Caroline Garcia in straight-sets, 6-2, 6-2.

Chinese wild-card qualifier Han Xinyun is also out, but not without a fight.

It took US Open Champion Flavia Penetta nearly 2.5-hours to finally get the better of Han Xinyun 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

In other action, it was Italian Sara Errani scoring the first major upset of the tournament, knocking out 2nd seeded Petra Kvitova 7-5, 6-4.

It was American Sloane Stephens blowing through 9th seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-2.

Squad debate underway after China earns Rio basketball ticketDebate is already underway among Chinese basketball fans about who is going to make the cut for the Olympic squad next year.

This, after China punched its ticket for Rio next year after winning this year's FIBA Asian Men's Basketball tournament last night.

Chinese big-man Yi Jianlian was named tournament MVP, after helping lead China to a 78-67 win last night over the Philippines in the final in Changsha.

Despite the loss, the Philippines, as well as 3rd and 4th place Iran and Japan, do qualify for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, meaning they may still have a shot at Rio as well.

LA Angels stun Houston to create final-day showdown for MLB playoff slotIn Major League Baseball,The Los Angeles Angels have kept their shot at the last playoff slot available in the American League, coming from 4-runs down in the top of the 9th inning to stun the Texas Rangers 11-10 earlier this morning.

With the victory, the Angels keep their chance at the AL Wild Card slot alive.

The loss by the Rangers also keeps them from securing the American League West crown, as the Houston Astros, who currently hold the final AL Wild Card slot, dumped the Arizona Cardinals 6-2 this morning.

As such, the race for the AL West crown and the last slot in the American League Wild Card all comes down to tomorrow.

If the Houston Astros beat Arizona tomorrow in their final game of the regular season, they are assured of making the playoffs.

However, if Houston loses, and the Angels can beat Texas once-again, LA will tie the Astros for the final AL Wild Card slot, forcing a tie-breaker.

And if Houston wins, and the Angels also beat Texas, the Angels will be out, but the Texas Rangers will have to take on the Astros in a tie-breaker to determine who will win the AL West crown, and gets to avoid the single-game, winner-take-all Wild Card.

In other action this morning with playoff implications,The LA Dodgers have secured home-field advantage in their National League Division Series against the New York Mets, downing the San Diego Padres 2-1 this morning.

And the Kansas City Royals have taken a step toward securing home-field advantage as well, putting out Minnesota's flicker of hope for making the playoffs with a 5-1 win over the Twins earlier this morning.

The Toronto Blue Jays, who had been tied with Kansas City for the best record in the American League, fell to the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 this morning.

A win by the Royals tomorrow or a loss by Toronto will secure Kansas City home field advantage.

WeatherBeijing is clear tonight with a low of 13 degrees Celsius; sunny tomorrow with a high of 26.

Shanghai expects moderate rain tonight with a low of 20; still wet tomorrow with a high of 23.

Chongqing, wet overnight with a low of 18; overcast tomorrow with a high of 23.

Lhasa will see clouds tonight with a low of 7; cloudy to sunny tomorrow with a high of 22.

Elsewhere in Asia,Islamabad will be cloudy tomorrow with a high of 33.

Kabul, also cloudy, 23.

Down in the Southern Hemisphere.

Sydney will be cloudy with a high of 34.

Brisbane, sunny , high of 29.

Perth, slight rain, high of 19.

And finally Auckland, New Zealand will be cloudy with a high of 16 degrees Celsius.

That's all the time we have for this abbreviated, holiday edition of the Beijing Hour.

Recapping our top stories.

A strong tropical typhoon has slammed into southern China, forcing thousands to be moved to safety.

China and Bangladesh are celebrating 40 years of diplomatic ties this Sunday.

A new round of underway excavations are getting underway on what could be a Qing-era ship lost in the Yellow Sea in the first Sino-Japanese war over 100 years ago.

In sports... Chinese women get off to a rough start at the China Open tennis tournament underway in Beijing.

ON behalf of the Beijing Hour staffers, this 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.