新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 08:00 2013/09/19

 

The Beijing Hour
 
Morning Edition
 

RH with you on this Thursday, September 19th, 2013. the mid-autumn festival in China
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with visiting Jordanian King Abdullah.
Syria gives evidence to Russia implicating Syrian rebels in chemical weapons attack.
Six people killed in Canada, after a train and city bus collides in Ottawa.
Business
U.S central reserve keeps it’s bond purchases unchanged
Sports
In the Champions League Chelsea get off to a bad start losing 2-1 to FC Basel
Entertainments
Milan fashion week gets underway in Italy
Plus
Special Reports takes a look at the recent decline on the sale of high priced moon cakes on this mid-autumn festival.
First, let's check on what's happening on the weather front...
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will see showers today, with a high of 26 degree Celsius in the daytime, and it will be cloudy tonight with a low of 17.
In Shanghai, it will be cloudy today, 31 the high, and it will be cloudy tonight, the low of 25 degrees Celsius.
Lhasa will be cloudy in the daytime the temperature's at 20, and tonight will be overcast with a low of 10 degree Celsius.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, 31.
Kabul, sunny, with a high of 29.
And in North America
New York, sunny, with a high of 21 degrees.
Washington, sunny, highs of 22
Houston, thundershowers, 33.
Honolulu, moderate rain, 31.
Toronto, overcast, 20
Finally, on to South America,
Buenos Aires, overcast, 16.
And Rio de Janeiro will have moderate rain with highs of 22 degrees Celsius.
 
 
Top News
 
 
China and Jordan to promote bilateral cooperation
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with visiting Jordanian King Abdullah to discuss bilateral ties.
Xi Jinping has described Jordan as a good friend of China.
"Jordan is an important country in Middle East. As it with a unique position and significant impact in the region, Jordan has long been committed to promoting regional peace, stability and development. Jordan is China's good friend and partner, and pays a great attention on China-Jordan relationships."
King Abdullah says he admires the achievements that have been made here in China.
"I've been visiting China regularly I was a young officer, as far as back to 1980s. And I'm so impressive the huge strives that China has made over these many years. This is be made possible by the wise leadership and we see in your excellency, your dream of your emphasis to realize the China Dream, and this secure for prosperity in progress your great nation."
Abdullah also says he appreciate's China's work in trying to find a political solution to the Syrian conflict.
Jordan is home to a majority of the refugees which have fled the fighting in Syria.
King Abdullah has been leading a Jordanian delegation taking part in the China-Arab States expo taking place in Ningxia.
 
 
China hosts ceremony to mark 10th anniversary of six party talks
 
Wednesday marked the 10th anniversary of the start of the six-party nuclear talks.
An international workshop about the Korean peninsula nuclear talks was held in Beijing to mark the occasion.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and North Korean first vice-foreign minister Kim Kye-Gwan took part in the event.
Wang Yi delivered the keynote speech to the opening of the workshop.
"Sticking to the machnism is the practical way to acheive the goal of denuclearization on the peninsula. Reviewing the past decade, we can see that the situation in the Korean Peninsula was relatively stable when each party actively participated in the negotiations. The situation became intense or even lost direction when the party talks were in stalemate or suspended. "
North Korea's leading nuclear envoy, Kim Kye-Gwan, has also used the forum to call for a resumption of the six-party talks without preconditions.
"The hostility towards North Korea does not solve the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula, instead it has made it worse. The nuclear threat by the United States has become stronger and more real. We have not even started a discussion about a peace treaty."
The talks have been shelved since 2008, after North Korea pulled out in a dispute over UN sanctions.
Pyongyang has since conducted a third nuclear test earlier this year.
 
 
The World Bank collaborates with China on environment and urbanization
 
Anchor
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim has just concluded his visit to Beijing.
His visit seems to focus on the urbanization process in China.
CRI's Lucy Du has more.
Reporter
Kim has met with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang as part of his time here.
He has told the Premier China's fast urbanization poses both challenges and opportunities to the country's economy.
"We have been rethinking how China cities could meet the chanllenges of the 21st century. Efficient cities could boost growth. Some of our priorities are building dense cities that keep people close to where they work, with better transport systems. Looking ahead, cities need to put their finances on a sure footing, ensuring their revenues are not too depending on land sales."
It is estimated that by 2030, the number people living in an urban setting here in China will reach 1 billion.
At such, Kim says the World Bank wants to help China build dense cities with better services.
The World Bank is now working with the State Council's Development Research Center on a report about urbanization.
The final report is expected to be released in December.
Kim also adds that innovation is critical to China's development.
"We would say it is important to take a look at what China is doing. Despite the volumtary and the emerging market and increasing interest rates, the government has made it clear that they will continue with the reforms. And this is precisely what emerging market should do. They should think hard about what the weaknesses are that have been exposed, whether in business environment or fiscal policies and begin moving on these reforms now. "
This is Kim's second visit to China since taking the helm of the World Bank in July of last year.
For CRI, I am Lucy Du.
 
 
Ningxia catches up on learning Arabic as region tries to forge closer ties with the Arab world
 
Anchor
The just-concluded China-Arab States Expo has opened a window for many who want to capitalize on closer ties between the two sides.
CRI's Jordan Lee has more.
Reporter
23-year-old Zhou Xing is a translator for the Kuwaiti delegation at the China-Arab States Expo.
The soft-spoken fourth grader attends the Arabic school at Ningxia University. He said the experience has given a boost to his studies.
"Arabic is not my mother tongue, and I am not even learning it in a native speakers' environment. So what I have learnt is basically textbook stuff. But to become fluent in Arabic, i think i really need to practice the language on practical uses like translating at the expo."
There are now 28 universities across China that offer Arabic language courses. They are catering to the growing number of Gulf-bound expo businesses on the east coast.
In Ningxia, students are now studying Arabic as a way to improve career prospects, since the China-Arab States Expo promises opportunities for the western hinterland.
Ningxia University now has 280 Arabic students, more than 14 times the amount that existed before the expo was introduced three years ago.
Dr. Ma Zhanming, director at the Ningxia Arabic Studies Center, says Ningxia could distinguish itself as a strategic location for Arabic learners.
"The Arab people feel close to Muslims, even if they are from other nations. The common faith in Islam brings Ningxia closer to their cultural acceptance. I met some Arab university presidents at this expo, they are readily willing to offer students here to study in their schools."
Ningxia has over 2 million Hui ethnic people, the majority of which grew up with a strong faith in Islam.
In addition to studying the Koran at mosques when they are young, the local Muslims have also blended a lot of Arabic phrases into their everyday language.
But many, including Zhou Xing, have not had any prior opportunity to converse with native Arabic speakers.
Dr. Ma said the China-Arab Expo has not only opened up Ningxia's economy, but has also increased mutual understanding.
"The meeting between different people has in effect made each more understandable in the other's eyes. Every culture has its downside, but you can also find those parts that are enlightening and inspirational. Learning all this is the basis on which you build ties and determine how deep you can go with the ties."
Since the former China Arab States Economic and Trade Forum opened in 2010, over 200 Arab dignitaries have visited Ningxia.
Another 6,000 Arab businessmen came to hold exhibitions and attend forums.
Ma said those people have exhibited that Arabs and the Chinese have much more in common , such as a mutual desire for prosperity and a longing for peace.
While 23-year-old Zhou is looking forward to one day studying in an Arab state, the people he will leave behind will also be learning a great deal about the Arab world at home.
For CRI, I'm Jordan Lee.
 
 
Syria has turned over materials to Russia
 
Anchor
Syria has given evidence to Russia, which implicates Syrian rebels were in last months' chemical weapons attack.
Russia says it will turn the evidence over to the UN Security Council.
CRI's Marc Cavigli has more.
Report
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with visiting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Wednesday.
Ryabkov explained that Syria has turned the evidence over to Russia.
"Those documents are very factual and very technical, there is no political distort in these documents, I would say. This is actually, you know, charts, numbers, conclusions in terms of chemical formulas and things like this."
Ryabakov says the materials has been given to the UN experts who worked in Syria.
A recent UN report backed by the United States, Britain and France cited evidence declaring Assad's government was responsible. Russia has called the report "one-sided".
But in Paris, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius dismissed the Russian claim.
"I must say that I'm very surprised by the Russian attitude that you have alluded to because if what I read is accurate, it's about questioning not only the report, but the inspectors and the objectivity of the inspectors. I believe that no one can question the objectivity of people designated by the United Nations."
At Wednesday's news briefing, Hong Lei, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, also commented on the ongoing crisis in Syria.
"China is committed to working with the international community to resolve the chemical weapons problem in Syria and launch the process to dismantle chemical weapons. At the same time, we are willing to make joint efforts with the international society for the political resolution of the Syria crisis."
In London, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen emphasized the role of military action.
"I do believe that the credible threat of military action was the reason why diplomacy got a chance, and I think in order to keep momentum in the diplomatic and political process the military option should still be on the table."
Meanwhile, Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu says it is premature to say whether a car bomb at a crossing on the Turkey-Syria border on Tuesday comes as an attack on Turkey.
"Our intelligence and security officials are doing the required investigation. But let's not perceive it immediately as a reprisal. A reprisal against us inside Syrian borders can't be thought of. The Syrian government should know that even thinking of a reprisal would make them bear its consequences. Similar explosions happen inside Syria. We think it's not right to connect it because of its timing. We are carrying on the necessary investigation about the explosions."
A car bomb exploded at Syria's border crossing into Turkey on Tuesday, wounding at least 12 people, one day after Turkish jets shot down a Syrian helicopter which Turkey claimed violated its airspace.
For CRI, I'm Marc Caviligli.
 
 
Several killed in rush hour collision between train and bus
 
Six people have been killed and 30 others injured in Canada, after a passenger train and double-decker city bus collided on the outskirts of Ottawa during Wednesday's morning rush hour.
Glen Pilon, a Transportation Safety Board official, says investigators are trying to find the event recorder.
"Well right now we've got our priorities is to find - to get the event recorder information and get that type of things because that will give us speed and what was going on."
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says a reunification center has been set up for families and friends looking for passengers on the bus and train.
"A number of agencies will be looking into what transpired this morning including the Ottawa Police, the Transportation Safety Board, and the Coroner. Our focus as a city today is to care for those families who have lost a loved one, as well as to ensure we provide the best possible care for those who have been injured and affected by this accident."
The collision comes just months after a runaway freight train crashed and the explosion killed 50 people in Lac-Megantic,Quebec.
 
 
Search and recovery operations after devastating floods in Colorado
 
Rescue work in flood hit Colorado is now shifting its focus from emergency airlifts to finding hundreds of people still unaccounted for, after last week's devastating flooding.
Water is now reported to be receding and flowing east onto the Colorado plains, revealing toppled homes, buckled highways and fields of tangled debris.
Experts say rebuilding efforts will cost hundreds of millions of dollars and could take months, if not years.
Crops up and down the South Platte River have been submerged, including corn, lettuce, onions and soybeans.
Ron Kline Jr, runs the family farm in the region.
He describes how waters pushed a shed and it's equipment inside down a road.
"We're lucky. Basically all it did was re-arrange everything. It re-arranged the equipment we still had here. It flooded the house. We've got a lot of sediment in the sheds and the shop."
580 people remain missing, but the number is declining as stranded people are now getting in touch with families.
State officials have put initial estimates at more than 19-thousand homes damaged or destroyed throughout the flooded areas.
Meanwhile, the death toll from two storms ravaging Mexico in recent days has now risen to 57 across seven states.
Authorities say two tropical storms, Ingrid and Manuel, have affected 250 towns nationwide, forcing 39,000 residents to evacuate and causing 100 rivers to overflow.
It is the first time since 1958 that two tropical storms have hit both the country's coasts within 24 hours.
 
 
Berlusconi insists he is innocent, promises to stay in politics
 
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, is insisting he will stay in politics even if his fellow senators strip him of his senate seat after his tax fraud conviction.
In a pre-recorded video appearance on major Italian TV networks on Wednesday, Berlusconi insisted he was "absolutely innocent".
He has vowed to try to have the conviction overturned at Italy's constitutional court and the European human rights court.
(soundbite/0919 Berlusconi)
"I have not committed any crime. I am not guilty of anything. I am innocent, I am absolutely innocent."
The media mogul's 16-minute speech was filmed on Tuesday.
It aired before a senate committee voted on a proposal by a senator from the centre-right party, to postpone the decision on ousting him until his appeals are complete.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Anchor
First off, a check on the stock market of North America and Europe.
Join me on the desk, CRI's Hu Jia.
Reporter
U.S. stocks rallied to new all-time highs as the Federal Reserve surprised markets by announcing that its stimulus measures would stay in place.
Treasury prices also rose, with the benchmark 10-year yield settling at 2.7%, it's lowest since Aug. 12.
Prices of mortgage-backed securities leapt even more. Gold and oil futures pushed higher.
Investors are now trying to discern what will come next from the Fed.
Among other worries are budget discussions in Washington.
The government could shut down after Sept. 30 if Congress doesn't act, and lawmakers are also facing a fight over the debt ceiling.
In corporate news, FedEx climbed 5% percent after the package-delivery company reported first-quarter earnings that topped analyst forecasts and affirmed its full-year outlook.
The Dow rallied 0.95 percent.
The S&P 500 leapt 1.2 percent.
The Nasdaq rose 1percent.
In Canada, the S&P/TSX gained 0.8 percent.
European stock markets rebounded on Wednesday.
France's CAC 40 put on 0.6 percent while Germany's DAX added 0.5 percent.
Minutes from the Bank of England's September meeting showed Britain will keep both interest rates and the asset-purchase program unchanged.
However, weighed down by the benchmark mining firms, the UK's FTSE 100 closed 0.2 percent lower.
 
 
U.S. Fed decides to keep bond purchases unchanged
 
The U.S central bank has decided to keep its bond purchases unchanged, as they fail to see any breakthrough in the economy's recovery.
The Federal Reserve announced it would continue it's 85-billion US dollars per month bond purchasing.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke.
"Conditions in the job market today are still far from what all of us would like to see. The unemployment rate is not necessarily a great measure in all circumstances of the state of the labor market overall. So what we will be looking at is the overall labor market situation, including unemployment rate, but including other factors as well, but in particular there is not any magic number that we are shooting for, we are looking for overall improvement in the labor market."
Tight fiscal policy and higher mortgage rates have also been cited as the main reasons.
The statement comes as a surprise to the markets, when most economists had been expecting a scaling back at this month's meeting.
In an updated economic forecast, the Fed cut its growth for 2013 to a range of 2 to 2.3 percent.
Over its June estimates, the projection fetched at 2.3 to 2.6 percent.
While prediction for next year's economic performance was reduced even sharper to 2.9 to 3.1 percent.
 
 
China Poised to Introduce IPO Registration System in 2015
 
A senior official from China's top securities regulatory agency has proposed to replace the current IPO review system with the internationally-accepted registration system by 2015.
Xiao Gang, chairman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission made the proposal in a closed-door meeting on the reform of China's initial public offering scheme.
If enacted, IPO hopefuls will receive replies from the CSRC within three months after submitting applications.
A final version of the IPO reform plan is expected to be released as early as next month.
The meeting however, didn't disclose a timetable for the re-opening of China's IPO market.
Latest data shows that CSRC terminated IPO reviews by two companies last week.
In total, 274 companies have been denied IPO reviews.
 
 
Call-in SOEs see profits rise
 
Anchor:
China's state-owned enterprises saw profits rise by nearly 10-percent year on year in the first eight months of this year.
However, there remains a discrepancy between the performance of SOEs administered by the central government and by that of local governments.
While the profits of central government-run SOEs surge by 16.6-percent year on year, profits of local government-controlled SOEs fell by 5.3-percent year on year.
Questions remain around what is causing this gap and how local government-administered SOEs can improve their performance?
For more on this, wer're joined live now by CRI's financial commentator Cao Can.
Questions:
1. What are the sectors in which SOEs are reporting profit growth, and which sectors are reporting profit contraction?
2. So why are the centrally-controlled SOEs outperforming locally-owned ones?
3. What can be done to pull up the performance of local government-run SOEs?
Back Anchor:
That was Cao Can, CRI's Financial Commentator.
 
 
Google forms health-care company
 
Google is making its way into the health-care business.
The tech giant says it will form Calico, a new company, focusing on the effects of aging and illness.
Apple chairman Arthur Levinson will be a founding investor as well as the new firm's chief executive.
Levinson says the focus on outsized improvements heralded by Google CEO Larry Page has inspired him.
No details have been revealed on how much funding the new company will have or how many people it will employ.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
Chinese premier meets Jordanian king
 
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has met with Jordanian King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein in Beijing.
The two sides have called for a closer win-win cooperation between the two countries.
Li said China regards Jordan as an important partner in the Middle East.
The Jordanian king said Jordan welcomes investment from China.
 
 
Search for U.S. pilot continues in China
 
Rescuers are still searching for a missing U.S pilot after a light aircraft crashed into a lake in northeast China's Liaoning Province.
The accident happened Tuesday afternoon, when a Lancier aircraft with pilot David Riggs and a Chinese translator onboard crashed into Caihu Lake in Liaoning's capital city of Shenyang, during a trial flight.
Rescue forces, including a 11-member team from the Beihai rescue bureau under the Ministry of Communications, were dispatched to the scene immediately after the accident.
The translator was pulled from the water but died later in hospital.
Riggs remains unaccounted for.
 
 
China launches emergency response for Usagi
 
An emergency response has been issued for tropical storm Usagi, which may become one of the strongest typhoons to hit China's southeastern coastal regions in the next few days.
A fourth-level emergency response, the lowest level, has been announced by the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters.
Authorities say Usagi will hit the coast near Guangdong Province on Sunday.
IT is the 19th tropical storm of the year to hit China.
 
 
Pentagon orders security reviews after shooting
 
U.S Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says he has ordered two department-wide security reviews, after a deadly shooting this week in the Navy Yard in Washington.
During a Pentagon press briefing, Hagel admitted "something went wrong" with security checks at the military facility.
The reviews come as questions are raised as to how Aaron Alexis, a former Navy reservist with a history of mental health problems, was able to gain security clearance to enter the Navy Yard.
Alexis used a valid pass on Monday to enter the facility where he killed 12 people, before police shot him dead.
 
 
New U.S. private spacecraft launched to ISS
 
A new privately-owned U.S spaceship carrying food, clothing and other cargo is now on a demonstration mission to the International Space Station.
The Cygnus spacecraft, built by U.S firm Orbital Sciences Corp, was launched atop the company's Antares rocket from a regional spaceport on Wallops Island off the U.S east coast.
It is a maiden flight for Cygnus, and the second flight of Antares, which made a successful debut in April.
If everything all goes to plan, the Virginia-based company will begin regular cargo supply missions later this year.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
South China Metropolitan Daily
Sirens sound on anniversary of Japan's invasion in 1931
Summary:
Air defense sirens sounded across China yesterday morning to observe the 82nd anniversary of the Japanese invasion.
It was also announced that 1,500 medals will be offered to veterans who fought the Japanese invaders.
Yanzhao Metropolitan Daily
Bo Xilai verdict to be announced on Sunday
Summary:
A verdict in the case of disgraced politician Bo Xilai will be delivered on Sunday, September 22.
Bo, former member of the Communist Party's Political Bureau and Chongqing Party chief, was charged of bribery, embezzlement and abuse of power.
Bo acknowledged mistakes in his leadership, but admitted no guilt in the charges against him.
Beijing News
Life in jail for mother who left girls to die
Summary:
A mother who is three months pregnant was sentenced to life in jail for allowing her daughters' to starve to death.
Le Yan, left her kids little food and locked them at home for nearly two months
She spent all her money on drugs, and hadn't been home until she was caught by police.
Global Times
Officials suspended for misuse of public funds
Summary:
Officials from a sub-district office in Guangdong Province admitted some trips were paid for with public funds.
Officials invovled were suspended from their posts and the embezzled money has been returned.
Beijing Times
Tycoon attacked by man seeking work
Summary:
A man has been detained by police for a knife attack in east China's Hangzhou.
Billionaire beverage tycoon Zong Qinghou, owner of Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co, was attacked after he turned down a request from the suspect for a job.
Zong was back at work soon after his ordeal.
Shanghai Daily
Operator of detained ship in Jeju Island trips boycott
Summary:
The operator of Chinese cruise liner Henna is to cancel trips to South Korea's Jeju Island in protest at the detainment of the ship by a Jeju court last Friday.
The boycott will last until Jeju authorities make an official apology and promise that such an incident will not happen again.
The operator also reserves the right to file a lawsuit against the detainment
China Daily
Green development facing obstacles
Summary:
Seven years after China's Renewable Energy Law took effect in 2006, renewable energy companies are making huge contributions to the reduction of air pollution.
However, the companies, which include wind farms and biomass energy plants, are also suffering huge financial losses.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Gift consumption at public expenses curbed
 
Anchor
Amid the government's clampdown on corruption, many high-priced moon cakes and other gifts which have been common-place here in China to celebrate mid-Autumn Festival, have now disappeared.
However, as CRI's Li Dong reports, shoppers with more expensive tastes still have options, if they know where to look.
Reporter
Unlike what happened in the past few year when the public was complaining about the excessively packaged, most moon cakes available in markets are of much cheaper price this year, ranging from one to several hundred yuan.
However, that doesn't mean expensive gift package have gone.
At a high-end hotel in Beijing, one of the moon cake gift packages is priced at nearly 1,700 yuan. What kind of moon cakes are in this box? The sales girl says:
"It has a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, some olive oil, good tea, nuts, plus 8 moon cakes."
At another hotel, a gift package is priced at 2,000 yuan. A particular caterpillar fungus, a very expensive traditional Chinese medicine, is attached to the top of each moon cake.
The sales girl at this hotel says one day, they sold more than 100 such high end gift packages.
These high-priced purchases are made by either big companies or governmental departments.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is around the corner.
To curb corruption and reduce consumption at the public's expenses, government on the national and local level have reiterated that any form of luxury gift consumption by officials is prohibited.
In southern coastal city of Xiamen, the municipal government has issued documents to all government departments ordering a stop to any gift or banquet consumption using public expenses.
Hu Kangning, general manager of a restaurant in Xiamen, says the frugality promoted by government at all levels is changing the catering market trend.
"In the past, we would treat customers differently. For instance, we'd only accept orders for high-end and luxury banquets because we want to make the most profit. Now, we accept orders for small events like school class parties, friends meeting up or family gatherings. These orders now account for a big portion of our revenue. Our prices have declined by about one third."
Since December last year, the Communist Party of China leadership has banned lavish spending of public money. While most officials have disciplined themselves, some still do it behind closed doors.
The CPC's austerity drive has witnessed remarkable progress in fighting corruption so far. It has to be made a long-lasting policy and public supervision is necessary.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Tottenham boss Villas-Boas confident in Europa League
 
In Football, Tottenham Hotspur are about to embark on their first European tournament since losing their star player Gareth Bale in a record transfer deal to Real Madrid.
They will be entertaining Tromso at home in the first leg of the Europa League on Friday.
The Norwegan side have gone through to the competition, after Besiktash of Turkey were disqualified for match fixing.
Spurs coach, Andre Villas-Boas, says even without Bale he has a lot of experienced players on the team.
"Further than the ambition, now we have the experience of last year. Last year we were trying to change the mentality in some way towards the approach of the competition. This year we don't need to do that because the players are fully motivated to playing in the competition, they know what it means. They saw the European champions win the Europa League last season and how much they celebrated a win like that.
And Spurs doing well in the Premiere League, their two-nil win over Norwich lifts them to third in the table so far..
 
 
Bad start for Mourinho in Champions league
 
And moving on to some results from the Champion's League and Jose Mourinho's bid for a third title has gotten off to a terrible start with his side losing to Swiss Side FC Basel.
Chelsea were the first to get a ball in the back of the net in added time at the end of the first half. But Basel came back fighting in the second to score in the 71st and then 81st minutes to statch a victory.
Also in the latest set of games, Arsenal beat Marseille two-one and Napoli beat Borussia Dortmund also two-one.
Atletico Madrid beat Zetin St Petersberg three one, as former winners with Mourninho FC Porto scored a one-nil victory over Austria Wien.
AC Milan beat Celtic two-nil and Lionel Messi socred a hatrick for Barcelona, helping them on their way to a FOUR-nil win over Ajax.
 
 
Alonso speaks ahead of Singapore GP
 
In Formula One, it's the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend a race Ferrari's Fernando Alonso says is always a challenge.
"Singapore is very, very demanding race. Physically and also mentally very demanding - there is no room for mistakes, Singapore for sure will be tough for all of us."
With only Seven races remaining, the Spanish driver is placed second in the drivers' championship with 169 points... 53 points behind Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull.
He is, however, 28 points clear of Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.
 
 
Fernandez-Castano aims to defend European title in Italy
 
In GOLF, the Italian Open is about to tee off with the event moved from the Royal Park Iveri to the nearby club Torino
Defending his European title, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain says he has a good relationship with the local fans.
"It's great to be back to Turin, I have so many fantastic memories from last year. If I have to choose one, probably sharing the victory with my wife was probably the main one. But I also remember the way the crowd supported me on the last round once the Italian players were out of contention, the Italian crowd pretty much made me feel like I was one of them."
Francesco Molinari and Matteo Manassero, who are on home soil, will be chasing down the 32-year-old.
While South Africa's Retief Goosen, is making his return to competitive golf for the first time in more than four months after a stress fracture on one of his vertebra.
 
 
Scotland could have own Olympic team in 2016
 
Now it's a year until the independence referendum vote in Scotland,,,
AND the country's sports minister Shona Robinson says she is determined that Scotland will have it's own Olympic and Paralympic teams in Rio 2016 breaking away from team GB.
The Scotish National Party MSP said that more Scottish people would get to compete if independence becomes a reality and insisted there would be no problem with investments or facilities.
Critics however have cast doubts on whether Scotland would have the facilities, funding or depth of tallent to make an impact if they were to go it alone.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Gucci Opens Milan Fashion Week
 
Italian fashion brand Gucci has kicked off Milan's Fashion Week with its 2014 summer collection.
(fashion clip)
The almost all-black collection featured see-through fabrics, plunging necklines, bare backs, and slit thighs.
Gucci's creative director says she was inspired by active wear, and Erte, a Russian-born artist known for his costume designs.
Erte's Russian influence could be seen in many of the geometric designs used in the Gucci collection.
Gucci premiered new bags as well including a maxi cluth, and both a black and colorful small shoulder bag designed in python and simple suede, accentuated by a long draping fringe.
Absent from the show's schedule is designing duo Dolce & Gabbana, who will premiere their spring-summer 2014 line independently.
 
 
Studios Say No Arnold in Avatar; Grammar Added to Expendables; Stunt Accident
 
US film studio 20th Century Fox has denied rumors that actor Arnold Schwarzenegger will reunite with filmmaker James Cameron on the upcoming Avatar sequels.
Many have been left confused over 20th Century Fox's adamant denial over considering Schwarzenegger for a role in Avatar, considering the studio usually stays quiet when it comes to rumors.
Avatar 2, 3, and 4 will shoot simultaneously next year.
(terminator clip)
However, Arnie will be back to reprise his role as the time traveling killing machine in Terminator 5.
He has also signed on to appear in testosterone-heavy The Expendables 3, and Escape Plan.
Fraser star Kelsey Grammar is reportedly being lined up to join the cast of Expendables 3.
Grammar will play the part of an ex-mercenary named Bonaparte, a role originally intended for Nicolas Cage.
Expendables actor Jason Statham has revealed he almost died on the set of the film, after the truck he was in drove into the Black Sea.
Apparently the brakes on the truck failed, causing the stunt to go bad.
Statham was able to exit the submerged truck, and get to safety, before suffering any serious injuries.
 
 
Two Pixar Films Delayed
 
Disney has decided to delay the release of two Pixar films, Finding Dory and The Good Dinosaur.
(nemo clip)
The Good Dinosaur has been pushed back from a summer 2014 release to a winter 2015 debut.
Finding Nemo sequel Finding Dory will now premiere in 2016, meaning next year will be the first year since 2005 without a new Pixar film.
Though the news is disappointing, Pixar president Ed Catmull pointed out no one remembers when you have to delay a film, but everyone remembers a bad one.
Their other in-progress project Inside Out, which takes place entirely inside the mind of a young girl, is still scheduled for a summer 2015 release.
Actors Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy have both recently signed on to voice characters in Finding Dory.
 
 
Mad Men Final Season Broken into 2
 
The popular award-winning televisions series Mad Men will have its final season split into two.
(mad men clip)
The seventh and final season will now have a total of 14-episodes spread over the next 2-years.
The first 7-episodes will air in spring next year with the final 7 debuting in spring 2015.
Network executives claim the move is in response to the success of hit television series Breaking Bad, which had a similar staggered final season.
Only 2-episodes remain for the Breaking Bad series.
However, many Mad Men fans are less than thrilled with this decision.
Many believe lengthening the ending to draw more viewership and increase profits compromises the integrity of the show.
 
 
 
That's all we have time for on the show as well.
Recapping our top headlines....
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with visiting Jordanian King Abdullah.
Syria gives evidence to Russia implicating Syrian rebels in chemical weapons attack.
Six people killed in Canada, after a train and city bus collide in Ottawa.
Business
U.S central reserve keeps it’s bond purchases unchanged
On behalf of the Beijing Hour team, I'm Rebecca Hume in Beijing, hoping you'll join us for our next edition of the Beijing Hour to open a window to the world together!