新闻纵贯线 The Beijing Hour updated 20:00 2013/09/20

The Beijing Hour
 
Evening Edition
 
 
Paul James with you on this Friday, September 20th, 2013.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this evening.
One of the biggest typhoons of the year is set to bare down on China's southern coast this weekend.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has been attending a series of meetings in Washington, DC.
A leading Syrian official contends the civil war in his country has hit a stalemate.
In Business, the latest incarnation of the iPhone has gone on-sale here in China.
In Sports, the LA Dodgers have become the first team in Major League Baseball to secure a playoff spot.
In Entertainment, Justin Bieber has sent along greetings ahead of his shows later on this month here in China.
 
 
Weather
 
 
Beijing will be cloudy tonight with a low of 18 degrees Celsius.　Tomorrow cloudy with a high temperature of 27. Overcast on Sunday with a high of 26.
Meanwhile Shanghai will have light rain tonight, with a low of 25,　showers tomorrow, with a high of 29.
Lhasa will have showers tonight, 11 degrees the low, cloudy tomorrow with a high of 22.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, sunny, with a high of 33.
Kabul, sunny, 31.
Over in Australia
Sydney, sunny, highs of 22.
Canberra, sunny, 19.
Brisbane, sunny, 25.
And finally, Perth will be overcast with a high of 21.
 
 
Top News
 
 
China issues warning on typhoon Usagi
 
Authorities in southern China are bracing for Typhoon Usagi.
Usagi is now categorized as a Super Typhoon.
It's currently churning in the western Pacific southeast of Taiwan.
Authorities in Hong Kong are forecasting the massive storm is going to cut its way through the Bailintang Channel separating Taiwan and the Philippines on Saturday.
The storm is currently forecast to make landfall near Hong Kong sometime Sunday evening.
Currently Usagi is packing winds of over 200-kilometers per hour at the center of the storm.
Mainland authorities in Guangdong have already issued a disaster-relief alert ahead of the storm.
Usagi is one of the strongest of the 19th Typhoons to hit China so far this year.
 
 
Mexico flood aid
 
Death toll from the combination of Tropical Storm Manuel and Hurricane Ingrid in Mexico has reached 97.
The dual storms, which hit on both sides of the country, have caused massive flooding and landslides.
Mudslides and collapsed bridges have cut off key highways to Mexico City.
Mexican armed forces have been using rescue helicopters to pluck people out of isolated areas.
"It's been almost four days. There are people that have nothing to eat since Saturday."
Hundreds of people have been lining up for a chance to secure food or a way out of the city.
"The queue is kilometers long. There are no tents. There are elderly people (queuing), pregnant women, sick children."
The state of Guerrero in southern Mexico has borne the brunt of tropical storm Manuel.
Landslides in a mountainous area of the state have left 68 people missing.
Nearly 35-thousand homes in Mexico have either been damaged or destroyed.
 
 
5.1-magnitude earthquake hits northwest China
 
A moderate earthquake measuring-5.1 on the Richter scale has hit along the border between Gansu and Qinghai this morning.
The epicenter is in Menyuan County, which is located along the provincial border between the two provinces northeast of Qinghai lake.
The quake hit at a relatively shallow depth of just 7-kilometers, which amplified the shaking.
No casualties have been reported.
Local authorities have dispatched quake-relief teams to the affected area.
 
 
Enrich New Model of Sino-US Relations with Concrete Actions
 
Anchor:
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi is on his first official visit to the United States since taking office.
As part of his time in Washington, Wang Yi has already met with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and US Secretary of State John Kerry.
CRI's Washington correspondent Lv Xiaohong has more.
Ann:
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi says China welcomes the framework agreement between the United States and Russia over Syria's chemical weapons stockpile.
He stressed the Syrian crisis could only be solved through political means.
Wang Yi says stakeholders of the current negotiations shall try to reach an agreement as soon as possible, so as to carry out the inspection and eventually destroy the weapons.
"The UN Security Council should give political recognition and support to such efforts. We hope the Security Council can speak with one voice. China will continue to play an active and constructive role in this regard."
He discloses that the Syrian crisis was one of the major issues during his talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry Thursday in Washington.
The two foreign ministers also touched upon issues on the Korean Peninsula.
Wang Yi has said this year marks a very important year in Sino-US relations.
The Presidents of the two countries met in June in California, they had reached a common understanding to develop a new model of bilateral relations between the world's two largest economies.
Wang says his visit to the United States aims to enrich the content of this new model of major country relationship with concrete actions.
Secretary Kerry says the U.S welcomes China's peaceful rise and believes the consensus of building a new type of major country relationship is based on practical cooperation and constructive management of difference.
"We recognize the need to avoid falling into a trap of seeing one another as strategic rivals. And that recognition is now driving our partnership on issues from climate change to wildlife trafficking to military consultations and the promotion of balanced growth around the world."
Wang Yi says there is huge potential for bilateral cooperation and such cooperation will not only benefit the peoples of the two countries, but also the world.
For CRI, this is Xiaohong in Washington.
 
 
Syria Minister says civil war has reached stalemate
 
Syria's deputy Prime Minister says the civil war has reached stalemate.
Qadri Jamil has also proposed peace talks.
He says if the rebel forces accept peace talks in Geneva, the Syrian government will issue a ceasefire.
This comes as the UN Security Council continues to meet to try to reach an agreement on a resolution on Syria's chemical weapons arsenal.
Although no breakthroughs have been made, British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant is describing the discussions "constructive."
"Well I don't want to comment in detail on the text but we're having constructive discussions and I hope progress is being made."
The US and Russia have been in disagreement on a number of issues connected to the Syrian conflict.
The US is calling for the UN Security Council to draw up a binding resolution.
On the Russian side, President Vladimir Putin says any US attack on Syria would be provocative.
"What if the opposition used them? (chemical weapons). Nobody says what we are to do in that case with the opposition. And it's not an idle question. We have every reason to believe that it is a provocation. A sly and ingenious one, but at the same time the execution is primitive."
Putin also says Russia preparing to submit evidence to the U.N. Security Council that the Syrian rebels are behind chemical weapon attacks.
On the ground in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad says he remains committed to a plan to hand over the country's chemical weapons.
However, he's warning it could take about a year for complete disarmament.
He is also asking the United States to foot-the-bill for the destruction.
 
 
White House says Obama open to talk with Iran's Rouhani
 
The White House has offered a response to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's apparent softening on the country's nuclear issue.
Rouhani has gone on-record this week saying Tehran will never develop nuclear weapons.
White House spokesperson Jay Carney.
"It has long been the position of President Obama that he would, as president be willing to have bilateral negotiations with the Iranians, provided that the Iranians were serious about addressing the international community's insistence that they give up their nuclear weapons programs. "
But at the same time, the White House is throwing cold-water on speculation the Presidents of Iran and the US might meet this coming week, saying no meetings between the two have been scheduled at the UN General Assembly.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon says the freshly-installed Iranian government is presenting a promising outlook to the international community.
However, the Israeli government is dismissing Rouhani's promise as an "attempt to deceive the world."
Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev.
"What we heard from the Iranian leadership is unfortunately just sugar coloured words. The simple fact is that Iran continues to enrich uranium, continues to move aggressively forward to have a nuclear weapon and this must stop. We need them to stop moving forward on plutonium and until they stop this reckless path to a nuclear weapon the international community has to keep the pressure on."
The Iranian government has insisted its nuclear programs are strictly for civilian purposes only.
 
 
Gadhafi's son misses Tripoli hearing
 
The son of Libya's former leader Moammar Gadhafi has failed to show up at his court hearing in Tripoli.
Instead, Saif al-Islam has appeared in court in the western town of Zintan on a separate trial for possible charges of war crimes.
"If all the processes take place here in Zintan city, and considering we have started here and here in Libya, then I think that all the procedures should be finished in this place. We do not have any desire to move to any other place, thank you."
His next appearance in court in Zintan has been set for December.
Saif al-Islam has been held in Zintan since the end of the war 2-years ago.
He's wanted by both the Libyan central authorites in Tripoli and the International Criminal Court.
The ICC has determined Saif al-Islam won't get a fair trial in Libya.
The court case in Tripoli involves 37 other former government officials, including ex-spy chief Abdullah al-Senoussi and former Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi.
If Saif al-Islam and Senoussi were to be transferred to the ICC, the maximum they would face is life imprisonment, since the ICC does not recognize the death penalty.
 
 
Car bombings death toll rises to nearly 65 in southeastern Yemen
 
At least 65-people have been killed in a series of car bombings in southern Yemen.
Three car bombs have gone off at military and police installations in the restive southern province of Shabwa.
The dead are mostly Yemeni military and police personnel.
Close to 40 others have been injured in the blasts.
Yemeni authorities are pinning the blame on al-Qaeda.
The terrorist group is also claiming responsibility.
Authorities are warning the death toll is likely to rise.
The Obama Administration considers al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula as the largest organized terrorist threat still existing.
 
 
Philippine police, military on alert to contain Zamboanga crisis
 
Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III has ordered all security agencies in the country to ensure there will be no spillover in the on-going conflict in the southern city of Zamboanga.
The alert level in the capital, Manila, has been raised.
Authorities have not said why the alert level in Manila has been raised.
Members of the Moro National Liberation Front have been taking part in a nearly-2 week long insurgency in the city of Zamboanga.
The military and police forces in the southern Philippines have been engaged in running fire-fights against the insurgent forces.
The rebels took up arms after the authorities refused to allow them to raise their flag at City Hall in Zamboanga.
The death toll from the insurgency stands at 113.
Numerous locals remain hostages.
 
 
13 injured, including a 3 year old child in Chicaco park shooting
 
13 people have been hurt in a shooting in the US city of Chicago.
A 3-year-old child is among those hurt in a park on the city's southwest side.
The child, together with 2-others, are said to be in critical situation.
James Mungovan is with the Chicago Fire Department.
"We had multiple victims shot, who were transported to various hospitals throughout the city."
Media reports are suggesting the shooting is gang-related.
So far no suspects have been arrested.
 
 
UN report on millennium development goals
 
Anchor:
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is issuing a new call for the global community to live up to its anti-poverty commitments.
CRI's Cao Yuwei explains.
Reporter:
The call comes ahead of the release of a new report which reportedly shows the global economic slowdown is slowing down progress on countries' achieving their Millenium Development Goals.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the international community must recommit to increasing aid and reaching an agreement on development-oriented multilateral trade.
"While global economies are slowly improving, the crisis continues to take a tour. For the first time in a long while, official development assistance has fallen for two consecutive years. The Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations remains at an impasse. Many more developing countries are in need of getting restructuring. Essential medicines often remain unaffordable and hard to find."
Official development assistance, or ODA, has declined by nearly 126-billion US dollars, or 4-percent, from last year.
The new UN report is suggesting the fall is mainly due to fiscal austerity being undertaken by countries in the European Union.
Ban Ki-moon says despite the economic slowdown, significant milestones have been achieved.
"As the report shows, tariffs on exports from developing countries are down, exports from developing to developed countries are up. A larger proportion of exports from least developed countries are being admitted tax free. Access to mobile phone technology and internet continued to rapidly expand. Some medicines, such as those to treat HIV Aids, are becoming more affordable."
Ban Ki-moon is calling on donor countries to continue to strive for the ODA target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income, particularly in the least developed countries.
The annual report, titled 'The Global Partnership for Development: The Challenge We Face,' has been prepared by a special UN Task Force.
The Task Force was created in 2007 to track global commitments on aid, trade and debt.
It also follows the progress on access to essential medicines and technology.
The report will be officially launched next week.
For CRI, I'm Cao Yuwei.
 
 
Amazing Shanghai Exhibition Now Shown
 
Anchor:
This year's Amazing Shanghai Around the World has arrived in New York.
CRI's YOU Yu has more from the "Big Apple."
reporter:
At Rockefeller Center, in midtown Manhattan, from early morning to late evening this Monday to Saturday, hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and visitors from around the world have found themselves passing through an exhibition of Amazing Shanghai.
It is a collection of rare photographs, artifacts, and image technology, recording the emergence of Shanghai's skylines, its rapid development as a global financial and cultural center and the city's history as a safe haven for Jewish refugees during World War II.
ZHU Yonglei, Director General of the information office of Shanghai Municipality shares the highlights of the exhibition.
"I think they are all worth seeing. A Century of Shanghai and Beyond in Pictures shows the city's development of the past century, including some precious pictures of great historic values. As for Shanghai and the Jewish Community, it is also of great importance and value. It recorded valuable history."
Zhu adds from 1930s to 1940s, about 30-thousand Jewish people came to Shanghai, seeking shelter and refuge. Shanghai people were then friendly and helpful.
And in the Shanghai-style Chinese Painting section, Zhu says visitors can find some best works from the best painters who are good at the unique shanghai style Chinese painting.
Amazing Shanghai is free and open to public. It is located on the concourse level of Rockefeller Center.
Many people have stopped to take a look, including these 2 German cousins Nele and Wieke.
"They are amazing. I like this one, the lights, all the people on the street, more crowded, I love it, yeah, looks like time square. I would love to go to China, especially to Shanghai.It is amazing. We are from Germany."
Apparently these German sisters find some similarities between Shanghai and New York, and beyond.
For CRI, I'm YOU Yu in New York.
 
 
Biz Reports
 
 
Stocks 
 
Asian markets closed this week's trading in negative territory as the rally following the Fed's surprise announcement stalled out.
Markets here in China, South Korea and Hong Kong are all closed today for the Mid Autumn Festival.
Elsewhere here in Asia,
Japan's Nikkei dropped 0.16%
The Straits Times Index in Singapore lost 0.4%
And in Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 also lost 0.4%
 
 
Apple's iPhone heading for record debut
 
Apple's new iPhone series is poised to make its strongest debut yet.
For the first time, the new iPhone series is on sale here on the mainland the same time as other parts of the world.
Line-ups for the new phones have been modest here on the mainland, as customers have to pre-register before being able to buy the new iPhone.
China Unicom has already received over 100-thousand registration requests for the new devices.
At the same time, people have been queuing in the hundreds outside Apple stores in Tokyo and Sydney.
Last year, Apple sold 5 million units of the iPhone5 in its debut.
The opening-weekend sales are believed to be key to boosting Apple's foothold in the 280-billion US dollar smartphone market here in China.
The company has been losing significant market share to Samsung this year.
Analysts are projecting Apple can sell up to 7-million units this weekend, provided it has enough handset supplies.
The iPhone 5C, the plastic model, is retailing for around 44-hundred yuan.
The 16-gigabyte 5S is retailing at just over 5-thousand renminbi.
 
 
Morning Call-In Doug Young
 
Anchor:
China Minsheng Bank has announced its entering into a strategic partnership with e-commerce giant Alibaba.
As part of the deal, Minsheng will open a store on Taobao.
It will provide financial services, specifically for small companies and grassroots customers.
For more on this move and other corporate shifts this week, CRI's Rebecca Hume spoke earlier with, Doug Young, an associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters.
…
Doug Young, associate professor at Fudan University and former China company news chief at Reuters, speaking to CRI's Rebecca Hume.
 
 
JP Morgan to pay $920 million over "London Whale" scandal
 
JP Morgan is being forced to pay 920-million US dollars in penalties over its "London Whale" trading scandal.
The bank incurrd and hit losses of $6.2-billion US dollars.
The settlement is the third biggest banking fine by US regulators.
It's the second largest by UK regulators.
As part of the deal, JP Morgan has admitted violating US federal securities laws.
Erik Oja is an analyst with Capital IQ equities.
"This is one of the first times that it's ever happened that a company has been forced to admit wrongdoing. In the past, companies settled without admitting or denying guilt, so it's a pretty significant event."
Two of the traders involved are facing criminal charges for allegedly falsifying records to hide the losses.
Tracey McDermott is the Director of Enforcement with the UK Financial Conduct Authority.
"One of the findings we make is that actually the risk grew significantly over time and the knowledge of the company about the size and scale of those risks was not keeping up with it, and one of the issues around the way in which the firm undertook its own investigation is that it had not realised the scale of the risk it was facing."
JP Morgan shares closed down 1.2 percent on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday.
 
 
IMF urges U.S. to bury budget hatchet, back fund reforms
 
The International Monetary Fund is calling on US policymakers to break their budget stalemate.
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde.
"The United States economy should fix its public finances. The private sector is yet again proving to be the primary growth, the primary engine of growth and job creation, and the main reason for weak growth this year, the one that we regret has not taken place, is really caused by the very large ongoing fiscal adjustment."
Lagarde says the US economy this year is likely to slip to 2-percent growth.
She says the main reason for the weaker than expected growth is the heavy budget cuts brought on by the sequestration cuts mandated by Congress.
Lagarde also says the fight over raising the debt ceiling is potentially destabilizing.
"Policy makers need to turn their attention to the outstanding danger zones, especially the shadow banking system that has grown over the last five years and the derivatives which need to fall under appropriate supervision and regulation with adequate transparency."
IMF expects US growth to speed up next year by at least a percent.
However, the US Federal Reserve has just cut its own forecast for next year below 3-percent.
 
 
Headline News
 
 
China issues warning on typhoon Usagi
 
Authorities in southern China are bracing for Typhoon Usagi.
Usagi is now catagorized as a Super Typhoon.
It's currently churning in the western Pacific southeast of Taiwan.
Authorities in Hong Kong are forecasting the massive storm is going to cut its way through the Bailintang Channel separating Taiwan and the Philippines on Saturday.
The storm is currently forecast to make landfall near Hong Kong sometime Sunday evening.
Currently Usagi is packing winds of over 200-kilometers per hour at the center of the storm.
Mainland authorities in Guangdong have already issued a disaster-relief alert ahead of the storm.
Usagi is one of the strongest of the 19th Typhoons to hit China so far this year.
 
 
Biden expresses optimism about the future development of Sino-U.S. relations
 
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is expressing optimism about the future of Sino-U.S. ties.
Meeting with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, Biden says bilateral relations between China and the US are crucial to humankind's success.
Ahead of his meeting with Biden, Wang Yi has also met with U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice to talk about international security.
Wang Yi has also held talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
Following his time in Washington, Wang Yi will travel to New York to attend this year's UN General Assembly session.
 
 
Syria Minister says civil war has reached stalemate
 
Syria's deputy Prime Minister says the civil war has reached stalemate and proposes peace talks.
Qadri Jamil says if the rebel forces accept peace talks in Geneva, the Syrian government will issue a ceasefire.
This comes as the UN Security Council continues to meet to try to reach an agreement on a resolution on Syria's chemical weapons arsenal.
The US is calling on the Security Council to draw up a "binding" resolution.
On the Russian side, President Vladimir Putin says any US attack on Syria would be provocative.
On the ground in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad says he remains committed to a plan to hand over the country's chemical weapons.
However, he's warning it could take about a year for complete disarmament.
He is also asking the United States to foot-the-bill for the destruction.
 
 
Apple's iPhone heading for record debut
 
Apple's new iPhone series is poised to make its strongest debut yet.
For the first time, the new iPhone series is on sale here on the mainland the same time as other parts of the world.
Line-ups for the new phones have been modest here on the mainland, as customers have to pre-register before being able to buy the new iPhone.
China Unicom has already received over 100-thousand registration requests for the new devices.
At the same time, people have been queuing in the hundreds outside Apple stores in Tokyo and Sydney.
The opening-weekend sales are believed to be key to boosting Apple's foothold in the 280-billion US dollar smartphone market here in China.
 
 
Newspaper Picks
 
 
China Daily
"Beijing sends out positive smoke signals"
A survey suggests Beijing has seen a decline in smoking in the past 12 months thanks to efforts in campuses to stub out the habit.
The capital ranks second in the smoke-free city league, according to a recent poll of 800 colleges and universities by the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control .
The city ranked 23rd in 2011.
The survey studied signs of smoking in colleges, such as the number of ashtrays, butts, anti-smoking logos and signs as well as the number of people actually lighting up.
The survey saw clear signs of a reduction in tobacco use over two years.
The survey also found political and other majors, including, surprisingly, sports had more smokers and even cigarettes available on their section of campus, while the medical and language majors were much better off.
Xinhua
"China begins building marine life germplasm bank"
China on Thursday announced to construct a state-level germplasm bank of marine medicinal plants and animals in the southeastern coastal city of Xiamen.
With a storage area of 2,000 square meters, the bank will be used to preserve more than 20,000 seed and gene samples from marine medicinal plants, animals and microorganisms.
Experts said if some marine plants went extinct, they could take some seeds from the germplasm bank to grow them anew.
The marine life resources bank will help promote the development of China's marine life pharmaceutical industry.
Researchers from more than 20 universities and research institutes will join the bank to work out key technologies for collection, storage, utilization and sharing of the seeds and other materials in the germplasm bank.
The germplasm bank is scheduled to be completed by December 2015.
The Telegraph
"Alien life found living in Earth's atmosphere, claims scientist"
New claims by scientists show aliens do exist and have been found living in the clouds above the Peak District.
Researchers from the University of Sheffield and Buckingham University claim to have found evidence for microscopic organisms living 16 miles up in the atmosphere between Chester and Wakefield.
They found the fragments of single celled algae known as a diatom.
They argue that this could be the first evidence to show how life may have arrived on Earth from space, perhaps carried here by meteorites.
It is not the first time organisms have been found in the atmosphere and indeed the skies are thought to be teeming with microscopic life.
Many scientists, however, insist these microorganisms are carried up into the atmosphere by storms and other natural processes.
 
 
Special Reports
 
 
Beijing Design Week to kick off next week
 
The Beijing Design Week is set to begin in just a few days.
Next week will showcase local and international design talents.
The shows will also include exhibitions and events promoting Beijing as a centre for design.
CRI's Primrose Riordan caught up with festival director Beatrice Leanza ahead of the event.
…
That's CRI's Primrose Riordan, speaking with Beijing Design Week festival director Beatrice Leanza.
 
 
Sports
 
 
Henrik Stenson leads by one at East Lake
 
In golf,
Henrik Stenson holds a one shot lead after the opening round of the Tour Championship at East Lake.
The no. 2 seed birdied five on the front nine, ultimately finishing the day with a six-under 64.
“I ended up with quite a lot of good yardages.　Then it's always that bonus factor. When it's your day, you're hitting good shots and getting them as close as I got them, I'm pretty sure I could have hit the same number of good shots, but another day, you're 20 feet away, 10 feet away. Today I was like 4 inches away on 4.　I was 4 feet away on 5 and a foot away on 6.　Just some days it works out really good for you.”
Masters champion Adam Scott trails behind by one shot. Scott was one over heading into the back nine, but a great series of shots on hole no. 10 turned things around.
"It was a tale of two nines, there's no doubt. I didn't start the way I wanted, and I was really frustrated by the 9th hole.　I missed three greens with wedges on the front nine and wasted all my chances to score. I hit two good shots into 10 and rolled a putt in which calmed me down "
Tiger Woods got off to a rough start. The no. one seed failed to make a single birdie. On the 8th hole, he missed a birdie putt which would have lifted him back to even.
Woods ended at the bottom of the leaderboard, one shot ahead of Jason Dufner who is in last place with a 74.
 
 
Croatia and Lithuania make it through to the semifinals at EuroBasket 2013
 
Over at the European Basketball Championship,
Croatia beat Ukraine 84-72 to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 1995.
Ukraine came out strong, snagging a 12-5 lead in the first quarter. But Croatia battled back with a 9-0 run to tie the game 22-22 at the end of the first.
Ukraine led only one more time in the second quarter, before Croatia laid on the defensive pressure to end with a double-digit victory.
Croatia's Krunoslav Simon was the top scorer with 23 points.
Also booking a place in the final four was Lithuania, after the team's 81-77 victory over Italy.
Lithuania had a 22-12 lead in the first quarter, but then an Italian shooting spree narrowed the gap to just a single point at half-time.
Italy's Marco Belinelli contributed 22 points and a critical moral-boosting slam dunk in the third.
But Lithuania amped up the defense in the fourth quarter, holding Italy scoreless for nearly six minutes. And then a 15-0 run shut the door on Italy's hopes of making it through to the next round.
Lithuania will meet Croatia in the semifinals. And defending champions Spain are set to clash with France.
 
 
Dodgers clinch first playoff spot, NFL Chiefs defeat Eagles 26-16
 
In major league baseball,
The Los Angeles Dodgers became the first team this year to claim a playoff spot after their 7-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Dodgers truly had reason to celebrate a remarkable season rally. The team fought its way up from last place in the NL West; they were 9 and a half games behind the first place Diamondbacks back in June.
But then they went 58-23, including a remarkable 42-8 run, which many attribute to Cuban defector Yasiel Puig.
The Red Sox also nabbed a playoff spot with their 3-1 win over Baltimore.
The Texas Rangers tied it up with Tampa Bay in the wild-card race after beating the Rays 8-2.
The Cleveland Indians are within a half-game of the leaders after beating Houston 2-1.
In the AL Central, The Detroit Tigers have a six-game lead after defeating the Seattle Mariners 5-4.
Detroit's Prince Fielder was the talk of the night, after scoring the go-ahead run and eating a nacho from a fan after unsuccessfully chasing a foul ball.
And in the NFL,
The Philadelphia Eagles suffered their eighth straight loss at home after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs 26-16.
The Chiefs defence forced five turnovers and sacked an overwhelmed Michael Vick five times.
Vick was 13 for 30, throwing one touchdown and two interceptions for 201 yards. The quarterback limped off to the sideline after a game-sealing fumble with 1:07 left on the clock.
It was a successful homecoming for Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who only left Philly for Kansas City last year after 14 years with the Eagles.
 
 
Swansea sweeps Valencia 3-0
 
In the English Premier League,
Swansea swept Spanish club Valencia 3-0.
Valencia were reduced to ten men in just the ninth minute after Adil Rami was sent off with a red card.
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup was pleased with his club's performance, despite their man-up advantage.
"Well I think it was a fantastic game. I know of course a red card early in the game has an influence but I mean in my many years in football, I've seen a lot of times a team goes down to ten, especially if they play at home in these kind of games and doing very well. But I think that, we have to say that we dominated the game from first to the last minute.
Tottenham Hotspur beat Norwegian club Tromso 3-0 in their Europa League Group K opener.
Two goals by Jermain Defoe put Tottenham up in the first half, then substitute Christian Eriksen struck one in from long-range in the second half.
Tottenham captain Michael Dawson said this year's team has a lot of versatility.
"As players, when you've got a squad like we have, we've got plenty of depth, players that need to play, players that want to play, get out there and perform - and it showed that tonight."　
Also in football news,
Fourteen people in Singapore have been arrested on suspicion of global football match fixing.
Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble applauded the bust and called it a big step toward ending match fixing around the world.
"Whenever something unusual happens in any football match people worry that perhaps it happened because a match was fixed and that's why when Interpol put together this global task force in February, bringing together Singaporeans and Europeans, our goal was to make sure that the world's largest match fixing operation based in Singapore, that that operation would be taken down as quickly and as effectively as possible and we're happy that happened."
The fourteen were arrested following raids across Singapore earlier this week. Five people, including the suspected ring leader, are currently being held while further investigations are conducted.
 
 
Drivers look ahead to this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix
 
In Formula One,
Germany's Sebastian Vettel will be looking for his consecutive win at this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix.
Vettel has a 53 point lead over Fernando Alonso in the Drivers World Championship.
This weekend's race is also the first since Kimi Raikkonen announced he would replace Felipe Massa for Ferrari next season.
"I know the team, I know the people. So I don't think it will be too difficult to go there and do well. The car will obviously be different, so I think that's the most difficult thing to get the cars right and get them running reliably and whoever makes the best car will probably make the best out of it."
The Singapore Grand Prix is a night race with a circuit that drivers say is a bit challenging because of all the corners.
 
 
Entertainment
 
 
Alfie Boe- 'Les Miserables' 25th anniversary star on staying musically diverse
 
British tenor Alfie Boe is pledging to remain musically diverse to change his mindset.
The singer has wowed the audience at 'Les Miserables' 25th Anniversary celebration in 2010.
Alfie Boe performed as Jean Valjean in the musical.
Boe has been on a 5-months long run at the Queen's theatre in London.
"That was the biggest moment of my career I think because it really did turn everything around. I sang 'Bring them home' and when I sang that last note I think the door had opened to a wider world. There are a lot of people that know me for being an opera singer and there's a lot of people that know me for being Jean Valjean in Les Miserables."
Boe is also hinting he wants to explore jazz and pop-music.
"My big sort of philosophy is that I don't see any division between the art forms. I don't see any division between classical, musical theater or rock or pop. I think that it's all one world as far as music goes so yeah. I'm not scared of trying out different ideas of songs that you wouldn't necessarily relate to me."
Boe's is currently playing dates to support his 'Storyteller' album.
 
 
Jackie Chan to Build Theme Park in Beijing
 
Chinese action star Jackie Chan has announced plans to build a theme park in Beijing.
JC World will occupy 2-square kilometers in the Yizhuang area of Daxing District.
Chan says he hopes the park will provide visitors a variety of cultural experiences, as the park will feature multiple items from his personal collection.
The 59-year-old action star says given that he grew up poor, he feels he needs to give something back.
The antique buildings he has purchased and restored over the years will also be donated to the park.
Jackie Chan is also not planning to charge an admission fee.
However, he does say some attractions will have to be paid to see.
Chan is scheduled to begin shooting a new film with Chinese director Zhang Yimou next year.
 
 
Prince George named most influential Londoner
 
Barely in diapers, British royal baby Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge has been named the most influential person in London.
The Power 1000 list has been compiled by the Evening Standard, which is a regional paper based in London.
Editor of the paper is describing the new royal baby as London's greatest tourist attraction.
New entries on the list included tennis star Andy Murray at number-8.
One Direction lead-vocalist Harry Styles has come in at 17.
Model Cara Delevingne ranks 20th.
The full Power 1000 will be revealed at a party this Friday evening in London.
 
 
Lin slam dunks "Linsanity" premiere 
 
NBA basketball player Jeremy Lin has hit the red carpet for the premiere of the documentary "Linsanity" in Los Angeles.
The film chronicles the 25-year old's rise from relative obscurity to overnight success with the New York Knicks in 2012.
The story of a Harvard-educated Chinese-American who came 'off-the-bench' to help lead the Knicks down the stretch of the regular season polarized the city of New York.
Jeremy Lin now plays for the Houston Rockets.
"Linsanity" will be released in US theatres on October 4th.
 
 
Carson Daly talks Emmy nomination for 'The Voice' and its new season
 
American TV reality show "The Voice" is going to return to NBC on Monday.
Hosted by Carson Daly, the show has been nominated for outstanding reality-competition series again this year at Sunday's Emmy's.
"We're a show that people thought was nuts to even roll out another one of these types of shows on network TV, couple years ago with season one. So the fact that a couple seasons later we're nominated for an Emmy, and again this year, it's just nice. It's just that validation means a lot to us. "
Monday marks the return of original voice-coaches Christina Aguilera and CeeLo Green after a year off.
Other nominees for the reailty-competition Emmy includes "The Amazing Race," "Dancing With the Stars," "Project Runway," "So You Think You Can Dance," and "Top Chef."
"The Amazing Race" has taken the Emmy in all but one of the 9-previous years it's been nominated.
Carson Daly says just being nominated is prize enough.
'The Amazing Race' has a patent on the Emmy. They have a lock on it. And it is a great show. To be in the mix with those great shows is like winning it. Should the heavens open and we win, I will make sure get that speech -- and it'll be a good one."
The 65th Primetime Awards, hosted by Neil Patrick-Harris, will air on Sunday in the US.
 
 
Justin Bieber is coming to China for 'believe' tour
 
Pop star Justin Bieber is coming to Beijing in just under 2-weeks for his "believe" tour.
Bieber has delivered an online message ahead of his arrival on September 29th.
"China! What's up? I'm Justin Bieber. I'm coming very soon with my album for you guys. We'll see!"
Bieber is slated to hit four cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian and Macau.
Tickets to see the 19-old in Shanghai are reportedly selling for 88 hundred and 88 RMB.
 
 
That's it for this edition of the BJH
A quick recap of the headlines BEFORE WE GO...
One of the biggest typhoons of the year is set to bare down on China's southern coast this weekend.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi has been attending a series of meetings in Washington, DC.
A leading Syrian official contends the civil war in his country has hit a stalemate.
In Business, the latest incarnation of the iPhone has gone on-sale here in China.